At The Park // From The Treetops

It's finally beginning to look and feel like Fall around here...and I'm loving it SO much! I don't know about you guys, but when I know I'm going to be heading out with my camera...I want to take practically every piece of equipment I own. I've got a backpack that I can pretty much fit everything into, and I usually tote it around with me every time I'm going to be doing something outdoors. I cringed at the idea of taking my camera, my 50mm lens, and nothing else...but decided to challenge myself to use just one lens. I'm always afraid that if I don't have everything with me...I'll spot something incredibly photo worthy and not have the right gear. Is it just me, or does everybody feel that way? Although my 50mm did just fine (and I LOVE my 50!), I definitely want to keep lugging everything along with me for now.

Derby Diary 2

So. Much. Has. Happened in the past month you guys!!!  Since my last Derby post, I've had several "on-skates" practices, learned tons of new cool stuff, and have gotten past the nervous stage of socializing with people (okay maybe not completely past that stage...but I'm getting there!). When I first became interested in joining the program, my goal was to be drafted to a team by the end of the session in January.  I'll be super stoked if that happens...but my new derby goals are to just get fit, have fun, and not fret about whether or not I'll pass assessments or get drafted in January.  I'm having too much fun to worry about anything else right now :)

Backyard Adventures // Buzz Buzz Buzz

Our backyard is currently covered in weeds and yellow flowers....which means it's also full of butterflies, bees, and a variety of other insects :)  I had plans of going hiking yesterday, but they fell through and I had to make due with exploring the back yard instead.  Which was fine-because I love insects :) I've always wanted to get a nice shot of a giant bumblebee, but they tend to buzz away before I'm able to get close enough.  This one was nice enough to crawl around just long enough for me to get a few shots before it decided it had had enough.

Food + Fitness

After my first two hour Roller Derby practice, it was more clear than it ever has been...I really need to commit to making fitness a priority in my life.  I said goodbye to my healthy weight range about 4 years ago, and it's been such a struggle to stay motivated to make the right choices for my body.  Getting involved in Derby has really gotten me motivated to not only lose weight, but to make my body strong and healthy.  I knew I would feel sore after practices (and I do!!!), but I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be.  My biggest struggle so far has been stamina.

5 Creepy Films to Watch This Halloween

Sharing posts about movies isn't something I do often, and I don't think I've ever shared a film post here on Lady Serpentine.  I'm in love with all things movie related though, and with Halloween creeping up quick, I thought it would be the perfect time to share a list!  Instead of sharing a list of my favorite Halloween time movies such as Beetlejuice, The Shining, and Nightmare Before Christmas....I thought it would be more fun to share an interesting selection of creepy films I haven't seen yet!  When I say creepy...I really do mean creepy....and not just creepy-obscure and maybe even freakish?  Coincidentally, two of the films on my list share the same name!  We'll start there:

The Boy (2015) "An intimate portrait of a 9-year-old sociopath's growing fascination with death"-IMDB.  See the trailer here.

At The Park // Black + White

Are you guys ready for Halloween?!  I know I am!  I hate that I've been absent here for almost the entirety of October, but I'm happy to say that my schedule should finally be going back to normal this week.  I'm looking forward to spending time with my camera again :)  I took these photos on my last trip to the park with the intention of trying to get spider web photos, and I'm happy that I was able to get a few different ones.  Editing them in black and white really helped them stand out against the background, which was a bit busy.

Derby Diary 1

A couple of months ago, I announced that I was going to be joining a Fresh Meat Roller Derby program.  I've been fairly quiet about it, but it's finally started and I'm SO excited about it!  One of the big reasons that I decided to do this, is because I'm incredibly introverted and very much a loner.  I wanted to do something that would push me out of my comfort zone and force me to socialize with people.

At The Park // Frogs + Critters

The past couple of weeks have been so rough at work.  I won't go into details, but I had zero time for life outside of work.  I actually ended up having a little bit of a meltdown when I got home one day because I was so upset that I wasn't getting any of my personal projects done.  Having the weekend off made me so excited to finally be able to get my camera out and head to the park.  I spent an hour and a half trekking through the woods, and it was really nice to just spend some time alone out there.  I feel better.

Fall Goals 2015

You guys...Fall is officially here!  It certainly doesn't feel like Fall in my neck of the woods yet, but I'm very much looking forward to sweater weather and all things pumpkin.  Here are a few things I hope to accomplish within the next few months: Work my bum off (literally) for Roller Derby.  For the next 12 weeks, I'll be going to weekly practices and I want to not only be able to keep up....I reeeeally want to become an athlete.  Fitness has taken a backseat for most of my adult life-getting fit for Derby is the perfect motivation for me right now.

At The Park // Squirrell

I don't know about you, but I can never get over how cute squirrels are.  After snapping shots of the butterflies at the park last week, we headed back to the truck to leave...until I saw this pretty girl!  She was so cute!  She had made a little groove in the dirt at the base of a tree and was rolling around in it after burying a nut for later.  Look at all the dirt on her snout!

At The Park // Winged Creatures

While at the park recently, I stumbled upon the local butterfly meeting grounds, and have been meaning to make a trip back so that I can try and get a few butterfly shots.  I was crossing my fingers that there would be just as many there as there had been when I didn't have my camera with me....because let's face it-that's usually how it goes right?  As soon as we parked, I could see that my luck was with me...they were everywhere!  I snapped away while Matthew did a few laps around the park track, and am really happy with the shots I got.  I'm definitely going to have to go back and try for some more this weekend!

At The Park // Armadillo

It's no secret around these parts that Armadillos are EVERYWHERE.  The weather has cooled down just a bit in the past few days and let me tell ya...80 degrees feels incredible after weeks of stepping outside has felt like stepping into an oven and having your clothes immediately stick to your body.  To be honest, the heat has played a major roll in keeping me away from visits to the park.  So when I stepped outside this past Saturday, I decided that it was the perfect day to visit the park.  I packed up my camera bag, threw on some flip flops, and headed to one of my favorites around the corner. As soon as I got there, I noticed a group of deer at the far end of the trail...they noticed me too and headed straight for the treeline.  I knew they wouldn't be anywhere near that spot when I got there, but the little opening in the treeline was calling for me-so I headed that way :)  I was about to continue into the woods when I heard a light rustling sound in the leaf litter nearby...I knew it was an armadillo before I even spotted it.  They've been a constant in my little explorer life, and they've become so easy for me to identify by sound.

On The Trail // Dinosaur Valley State Park: Part 1

 As I mentioned in my previous post, Matthew and I spent Labor Day visiting Dinosaur Valley State Park for the first time, and I'm pretty excited about the photos I left with...so much so that I'm splitting them into two posts!  I wish the place wasn't nearly 2 hours away-because it's seriously one of the best hiking areas I've been to.

State Park Visit // Dinosaur Valley

 Matthew and I spent Labor Day visiting Dinosaur Valley State Park for the first time.  I've been wanting to check it out for a really long time, and was super excited to finally get to go :)  The visitor center had a really neat dinosaur exhibit, and the diagrams and illustrations were my favorite part.

Buzzcuts Forever

Friday night, I sat on the edge of the tub while Matthew buzzed my hair.  I had done it once before, but ti's been years and although I've been wanting to do it again for a long time-I just kept putting it off.  I'm so happy I decided to order a clipper set and just do it.  I'm definitely keeping it for a long time, and I'll most likely go shorter when it's time to cut it again.

NARBC // August 2015

I recently made a day of visiting the NARBC show with my Mom, Colt, and Matthew.  I try to make a point of attending reptile expos when I get a chance, and the NARBC show is my favorite.  It's massive and there's always so much to see.  I saw Axolotl's for the first time, so that was pretty awesome!  If my mom didn't have such a long drive home-I'm almost positive that she would have taken one of those little guys home.  She's never been much of a herptile fan, and with this being the first show she's ever been too-I was really surprised to see her so interested.  She even pet a few lizards!  Trust me...it was a big deal :)

Super Secret Side Project // First Look

I fell short on my promise of sharing this last month, and I didn't want August to go by without giving you a peek at the Super Secret Side Project that I had mentioned I was working on.  So here it is!

For anyone who isn't familiar with the term Herping, it's the act of seeking out reptile and amphibians.  I love all animals, but reptiles and amphibians are my absolute favorite.  I've been fascinated by them since early childhood.  Now that I'm geared up with a camera, I combine the two interests and seek out reptiles and amphibians to photograph (although this year has been the worst year for me so far as that goes).

Out Of My Comfort Zone // A New Adventure

As part of my new "do more" attitude (read about it HERE if you missed it), I'm gearing up to do something that I've been wanting to do for years, but have always been to shy/nervous/afraid to step out of my comfort zone and do it.  Roller Derby!!!

At The Park // Black and White

For the first time in nearly a month-I took out my camera and made a trip to the park.  I think this may possibly have been the longest time I've gone without my camera for quite some time.  It felt so great to get out and explore with my camera...even though it was 100 degrees, ants were literally everywhere I stepped, and I left the park covered in sweat and dirt.  An abundance of ants = an abundance of Ant Lions (or doodle bugs as they're often called).  I love that they're little ant traps look like craters on the moon :)

Time To Reflect

After what seems like an eternity of being away from Lady Serpentine, I'm happy to announce that I'm back!  These past few weeks have been a much needed time for me to reflect on life-the things I want to do as well as the things that I don't.  I took a step back from everything (I didn't even touch my camera this whole time) and just let myself have time to do nothing but think about things.  I feel like I was letting myself sink into a funk, but I'm beginning to feel much better :)

One thing that I came out of this "funk" with, is the want and need to DO more.  Over the past few years, I think I've let living get away from me.  There have been too many instances where I've thought about doing something, only to tell myself that I'll "start tomorrow" but I never actually do it.  I was flipping through my photo archives recently and came across some photo from when I used to be a beekeeper.

Life Lately // Work Work Work

Okay guys, life around here lately has been a bit...overwhelming :)  Here are a few of the reasons I was absent last week, and why my blog posts for the next few weeks may be a bit sparse:

Fun Shoot Friday // 8 // Red White & Blue

I almost missed getting this together you guys!  As soon as I got off work today, I rushed to the Party Store to pick up some 4th of July themed goodies so that I could do a Fun Shoot Friday post!  I've definitely been slacking on this feature, but here ya go!

Goals // July 2015

_Lose 8 Pounds.  

I started utilizing Plan To Eat last month...which encouraged me to cook more at home...which encouraged me to stop eating take-out and fast-food all the time...which caused me to drop 4 pounds!  I've also been going for lots of walks at the park and playing Tennis with Matthew in the evening :)

10 Things // June 2015

Creature Feature // Narrow-Mouthed Toad

One reason that I love Herpetology so much, and this applies to pretty much anything else biology related, is that it's full of first time finds.  There are so many different species of reptiles and amphibians, and I know that no matter how many I find-there's always going to be something I haven't seen yet.  The Narrow-Mouthed Toad was one of them for me, and there just so happened to be one nestled into the damp earth beneath an old log in our back yard!  I knew what it was the instant I saw it, and I was seriously so excited.  I'm telling you...that never gets old :)

Life Lately // Laundry Days

 A few months back, our dryer decided to call it quits, and since we didn't want to rush out and buy a new one-we've resorted to line-drying our clothes.  And let me tell you-we LOVE it!  Now, it's been raining a lot here lately-so we've been having to take everything to the laundromat.  The rain seems to have cleared out for the rest of the week though, so yesterday we hung out laundry outside.  It's so relaxing and I honestly never want to invest in a dryer.  Never.  *I'll be whistling a different tune once winter rolls around.  But until then....*

3 Tips For Staying Passionate About Your Hobbies

Create a Schedule

I can't speak for everyone, but I personally LOVE listing, planning, and scheduling pretty much everything.  I'm a bit obsessed with it actually.  I'm a visual person, so having everything organized and planned out on something that I can look at makes life so much easier when it comes to me getting things done.  Making a schedule for the next months blog posts is something that I try to do every month.  I may not be the greatest when it comes to following it exactly how I've planned it-but having a schedule definitely helps me to stay motivated and passionate about my blog.  

On The Trail // Where The Gators At?

 While hiking out at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, one of the creatures we were reeeeally hoping to see was an Alligator.  The landscape seemed absolutely perfect for gators.  We hiked, and we hiked, and we hiked some more...and still no gators....

The Gulf Coast // Florida + Mississippi + Texas

via Flickr

Hi guys!  Today is a super exciting day for me, because I'm taking part in my very first collaboration post...and with two amazing photographers!  A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I'd be vacationing for a week on the Texas coast.  Kelly of Swimming in Sunshine got in touch with me and invited me to take part in a Gulf Coast collaboration post that she and Jen of Pierced Wonderings were already doing.  It was perfect timing and I'm so excited to take part in it.  I've never visited Florida or Mississippi before, but these photos are inspiring me to want to plan to Gulf Coast road trip in the future.  That would be so much fun!  Until then, I hope you enjoy our photos!  Don't forget to check out the variety of photos we've all shared on Kelly's and Jen's posts as well!

Friday Is For Favorites // Jurassic Park

Courtesy of Kate Gabrielle

Eeeep!  Jurassic World is here!!!  I have been so pumped about this movie, and I can't wait to see it today!  Jurassic Park is the very first movie that I remember seeing at the theater.  I'm sure there were others before it, but it's the first one I remember so it's extra special to me :)

Black and White // Jellies, Rays, and Sea Horses

While on our Trip to Rockport, Matthew and I made our way to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi!  I decided to edit my favorite photos in extreme black and white to create something different, and I'm completely in love with the way they turned out.  A lot of these were really difficult for me to get a good focus on because of the glass.  Removing all of the color and increasing the contrast totally saved them and gives them a sense of mystery/magic in my opinion :)  Enjoy!

On The Trail // Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

I'm back from vacation!  In case you didn't know, Matthew and I spent all of last week in Rockport, Texas visiting family, going for hikes, and spending so much time in the sun that I got the worst sun burn of my life...which wasn't so great...but I had a blast!

Rockport // The Turtle Pond

My favorite place to visit while visiting the coastal town of Rockport, Texas? Memorial Park. Why? Because TURTLES!!!  The beach is cool and all, but for a reptile loving girl like myself...nothing beats sitting on a platform and tossing koi pellets, fruits, and veggies at these little monsters :)

At The Park // A Few Of My Favorite Shots

Although the spider in the above photo is not completely in focus, I love this picture so much.  The contrast of the web in the right half of the photo + all of the colorful bokeh in the background are so pretty!!!  I'm seriously in love with the way it turned out :)

Goals // June 2015

It's that time again....aaaand sometimes I'm not sure why I make monthly goals, because I very rarely reach any of them.  Of the 9 goals that I made for last month, I only accomplished 3 things!  Ughhh-I'm terrible, I know.  So let's see if I can accomplish more this month eh?  Let's go!

10 Things // May 2015

Fun Shoot Friday // 7

 Happy Friday!  I'm so excited about giving Popcorn and Starbucks a vacation from Fun Shoot Friday and bringing you guys a bit of variety!  I've been tossing around ideas for putting together a field kit for this feature so that I can share cuties like this Gulf Coast Toad I found on Memorial Day.  I happened to have a few of my backdrops in my moms house, so I took advantage of the opportunity and decided to see what I could come up with :)

At The Park // I Love Turtles

We're halfway to the weekend you guys, and I'm ultra excited about it because I'm leaving to go on vacation this Friday!  For the past few years, Matthew and I have headed to Rockport, Texas to spend a week relaxing, hiking Gulf Coast trails, and beach-combing at the Padre Island National Seashore.  I. Am. So. Excited!

Backyard Adventure // Gulf Coast Toad

For all of my American readers, I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I spent mine visiting family, and it was such a nice trip. My little brother and I were about to go do a bit of herping, and actually found this Gulf Coast Toad as soon as we stepped outside! With all the rain we've been getting, I was expecting to find a ton of frogs (which we did find an abundance of), but it was so exciting to find this Toad. Toads are probably my favorite Amphibian. They're so grumpy looking, but I think that's probably what I find cutest about them :)

At The Park // So Many Mushrooms

After all of the rain we've been getting, I've been spotting more and more of these Ink Cap Mushroom clusters pop up EVERYWHERE.  *Side note-if these aren't ink cap mushrooms-please correct me!*   There's something so charming about mushrooms.  They pop up into the pretty puffy awesomeness that they are seemingly overnight which is pretty fascinating.  I've been watching time lapse videos on YouTube for the past 15 minutes...check them out HERE!

Fun Shoot Friday // 6

Have I ever mentioned that Friday is my favorite day of the work week?  It means sleeping in and time to do everything I'm thinking of throughout the week :)  I reeeally wanted to share Popcorn again for this weeks Fun Shoot Friday, but she's just so quick!  She got a LOT of exercise, but I think she and Starbucks talk about Fun Shoot Friday when I'm not looking.  They've decided that he enjoys having his portrait done wayyyy more than she does.  That's okay though, because I never get tired of seeing cute pics of him!  Those eyes are gorgeous and that smile just kills me :)

Amazing Nature // Mammatus Clouds

Since sharing my most recent post of photos from a recent lightning storm, I couldn't help but share these photos.  The wet weather disappeared for a day, but it's on it's way back and it looks like we'll be getting lots more of it for the next week.  I stepped outside the other day, and when I looked up-I was just stunned for a moment.  I had never seen clouds that looked like this before.  I quickly snapped a few photos, and stood outside for a while just marveling over how incredible nature is.  After doing a bit of research, I discovered that these particular clouds are called "Mammatus Clouds".  They typically indicate a strong storm and/or tornado...which turned out to be the case exactly.  We had a particularly strong storm that evening, and if you've been watching the weather news-tornado's have been making quite a stir here in North Texas.

Nature Photography // Stormy Weather

I don't know about you, but here in north Texas, we've been getting hammered with stormy weather for the past week.  Considering that it's my favorite kind of weather though, I've been on cloud 9 about all of it ;)  The weather.com radar is probably the one thing I've looked at more than anything else lately hahaha!  We actually ended up having a tornado while I was at work last week!  Just look at the size of hail we got!

Fun Shoot Friday // 5

It's Friday again, which means it's time for Fun Shoot Friday!  I missed doing one of these shoots last week because I opted to do my monthly goals post instead, but I'm so glad to get back into the swing of things with this cute dino shoot!  Popcorn and Starbucks were both a bit unstoppable during this shoot and I couldn't get them to slow down much.  Popcorn was nearly impossible to capture, so I decided to share the ones of Starbucks instead:

The Time I Met Jeff Corwin

Let me begin by saying that I have been a fan of Jeff Corwin and his work since I was 13.  I obsessively watched his shows, he became my Herpetology idol, and as a teenager I had the biggest crush on him of course :)

At The Park // Toads and Spiders

I'm not sure there's anything i find cuter right now, that teeny tiny toads!  Matthew and I had planned on going to one of our favorite trails for a morning hike, but ended up sleeping in a bit later than planned.  We headed to one of the local parks instead, and wandered off into the trees for a little exploring.  The water level of the creek and lake have risen because of all of the rain we've been getting, and there were soooo many of these teeny tiny baby American Toads hopping about near the water!  They were all about the size of my fingernail!

Goals // May 2015

I have a feeling that May is going to be SUCH a great time for me :)  I reached less than half of my goals from last month (you can see them right here!), but the ones I did accomplish were important to me and I'm happy with the progress :)  April is officially gone, so let's get on with May!  Here are my goals for this month:

10 Things/ April 2015

Before & After // A Much Needed Haircut

This past Saturday, I did something I haven't done in about 3 years.  I got a haircut!  I've neglected going to a salon for a number of silly reasons...but mostly because I'm always nervous going to salons.  I've never really found a place that I love, and I've been known to go for long periods of time between cuts, but never this long.  I can be stupid shy at times, but I think this takes the cake for sure.  I was so nervous before going in, but everyone was so incredibly sweet and my hairdresser understood exactly what I wanted, and I love my new hair cut so much!

Fun Shoot Friday // 4

Popcorn is back for her first Fun Shoot Friday!  In case you haven't yet met Popcorn, she's my juvenile Albino Ball Python!  I usually do my photo shoots on the weekends, and I've been feeding her every Wednesday orThursday.  It's recommended that you wait at least 48 hours after a meal before handling your snake, but I like to make it at least 36.  This is why Starbucks has been dominating Fun Shoot Fridays lately!  I changed up her feeding schedule and switched her to Mondays, which gives her plenty of time to digest.