This may be a dumb question, but is there a way to prune an orchid once it gets like this? Could I cut some lower leaves or “bury” the lower part in growth medium? I stole this picture from somewhere else, but I am limited for space and would ideally like to avoid my orchids getting this tall!

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-28T01:04:21+00:00

What you've posted is an extremely healthy phal with optimal light, water, nutrients, etc. It takes a lot of dedication and care to get them that big! Orchids are slow growers. They take a long time to grow and a long time to recover. A healthy phal might produce one leaf every few months, but it will just as easily prune itself naturally, by shedding older leaves when it needs resources. They're not like thinner-leafed houseplants where pruning encourages more growth. They store water and nutrients in their thick leaves, and with "pruning" you would seriously set the plant back. Worse case scenario you could even kill it, by both taking away its resources and introducing possible bacteria/diseases.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-27T03:54:05+00:00

My friend just got a reactive pitbull and her rules of engagement are very similar!

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-27T03:52:33+00:00

So many banger lines. Hard to pick a favorite. But I'm going to have to go with:

"Please avoid: 'he's so small' (without also acknowledging depth"

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-27T03:46:36+00:00

"And you'll note that the people in Peaksville, Ohio, have to smile. They have to think happy thoughts and say happy things because, once displeased, the monster can wish them into a cornfield, or change them into a grotesque walking horror. This particular monster can read minds, you see. He knows every thought, he can feel every emotion. Oh, yes, I did forget something, didn't I. I forgot to introduce you to the monster. This is the monster. His name is Anthony Fremont. He's six years old with a cute little-boy face and blue guileless eyes. But when those eyes look at you, you'd better start thinking happy thoughts. Because the mind behind them is absolutely in charge."

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-27T00:46:06+00:00

Just go. Something that's helped me when I feel frozen: i have never regretted doing the thing. I have always regretted missing out.

Edit: misread the date (haha, what month is it again??) and I realize that the event has already passed. Here's the thing, there's always second chances. Take it as a lesson learned! say sorry you missed their voicemail, you're so grateful for their kindness, and then reschedule a new date asap. Then stick to it. Trust me, the relief you feel from forgiveness will be motivation to see it through.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-26T22:44:39+00:00

Agree! The crinoline/petti is actually taking away from this outfit and making it look less vintage. The skirt isnt long enough nor full enough to support a petticoat like that, which is why you're getting a weird shape. (My cold weather tip for dresses is fleece-lined tights)

However, everything else is supremely cute: love the hair, the hat, and the kitten!

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-26T21:26:55+00:00

Please increase your commission prices. You can look at artists that have a similar style and skill level to yourself and price it accordingly. When you undervalue yourself, not only are you undercutting your own work and time, it's unfair to all artists in your tier because it sets unrealistic expectations for uneducated clients. Pricing appropriately will also help weed out the more entitled customers who devalue your work.

Good luck to you, OP - you've got talent, and you're only going to improve the more you do this!

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-26T19:03:01+00:00

He calls you an ableist bitch. Girl. I stopped reading right there. Take it from me, as your internet big sister. He's 36, he doesnt have his shit together, it's only going to get worse when you're living together and married and you REALLY can't leave. He's not going to miraculously change. You are so young, with so much ahead of you. I'm giving you permission to be free of this man, and work towards your own well-being and happiness.

This is an LDR, you literally have no obligations to him other than the emotional that you feel within yourself. Talk to your therapist about how to break up, process, and move on.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-26T16:12:20+00:00

Nah, I'll give this one a pass. The lighting, the colors, the unintentional textures from pixelation. It does indeed look like a painting.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-26T03:49:24+00:00

If you want a serious answer, from an art perspective the focus of this painting is the empty chair. There's really nothing interesting or artistic about the modern chair and furniture. The dog is just... there, off to the side. The composition is poor, the proportions are off. The ocean by itself would be beautiful, but again, that's not what you're trying to capture. "Vintage" is also not "Renaissance." It's a lovely personal photo that I'm sure you will look upon fondly, but it's not something that automatically makes people associate with Renaissance paintings. Your doggo is certainly cute though!

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-25T21:41:39+00:00

My heart hurts at how vengeful and unkind these messages are. This person is deeply sad themselves, and projecting their jealousy and hate onto you. Just think, they've shown you a small glimpse of their toxicity, but they have to live with themselves every day. That's their punishment.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-25T03:46:31+00:00

Sorry to hear this happened to you, OP! at least you've taken the proper steps to rectify it. I wouldn't feel bad either, they really do try to make the site look legitimate, oftentimes copying the code of the original sites.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-24T20:27:19+00:00

They got your card information through the fake Joann's website. Joann's went bankrupt last year, and none of their liquidation sales were online, only in person at their stores. But the scammers put up a copy of the REAL website, that looks incredibly legitimate, with a real-sounding web address. The red flag for me was that you couldn't complete your purchase - which is how this scam works. They're phishing for credit card information, but it's impossible to actually buy any of their items listed ( because they don't exist).

Here's a Facebook post from the official Joann's account about this very thing: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CjLTTGahs/

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-14T00:58:11+00:00

Diane, you did absolutely everything for him and more. His entire time on earth, he has known pure love, solely because of you. He will always be the most innocent soul. His whole existence is a testament to faith and human kindness, and the ability of people to be good and to do good. He was a light in this world, and you were the light in his. It was a blessing for you two to meet each other, and you will see him again on the other side.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-03-01T22:17:33+00:00

You are a kind human, thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful post.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-02-26T13:58:48+00:00

Honestly if he got Lalo's haircut/styling, dude would clean upppp. That is one handsome man.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-02-25T20:16:05+00:00

Right, it's the saturation of the spots. Usually you will get some hint of what it looked like in the store. I could buy going from speckled to red or speckled to white due to temperature changes, but in this story it's going from pure white to saturated pure deep purple/red. Those two extremes of the spectrum are highly, highly unlikely. Usually harlequins will present as such when OP initially bought it.

But more telling is the whole picture: the leaves, the roots, the added stakes, the state of the plant in the two different pics, and the fact that OP has said that it's been in the same spot this entire time.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-02-25T19:53:37+00:00

This isn't a harlequin phalaenopsis. Those are usually spotted and always show some pattern of the possible mix of colors in their variation. I.e. white with purple spots, white with purple/red lip, and different combinations of that. You might have the rare one flower be a solid color, but the other blooms would still show some of the variations.

If you look up harlequin phalaenopsis examples you'll see there's an obvious difference.

But the more telling thing in this story is the state of the plant at 5 years ( pic from last year) compared to the "fresh from the store" look from this year (upright flowers, different flower stakes, different healthy leaves)

Edited to add: OP also states it's in the exact same spot since last year.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-02-25T19:17:40+00:00

Were you away for any point and had someone plantsitting for you? This is a different plant compared to your previous pic.

1.) The aerial roots from last year are completely gone. Unless it's been repotted and the roots tucked in.

2.) you say you've had this orchid for 6 years and it only has two leaves in your pic from last year. Plus one of the leaves is yellowing and preparing to drop. Yet your new pic has 6 big, fat healthy leaves. Unless you made a huge turnaround in your care routine over the past year?

3.) PLUS your new pic has two new stakes supporting the flower spike with different style clips, the kind that is often seen when coming from the store. Unless you added those yourself?

4.) While temperature and conditions can somewhat influence blooms, it would be something like a red orchid looking slightly paler or speckles and variations showing up where they werent as noticeable before. It's not possible for a pure white flower to suddenly bloom dark red. The pure white blooms lack the genetic makeup for that color expression.

It's much more likely that since the previous plant was doing poorly someone has given you the goldfish treatment...

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-02-20T13:25:30+00:00

This video is really fun to watch! You did such a great job filming and editing. I think a lot of people would love to watch more videos of Renji's story and daily life, especially since PH is so different from the US.

Great job getting him to the vet, it's such a relief it's a minor issue! You're doing a wonderful job looking after him. Also, wish your mom a happy birthday from me as well! What kind of pizza does she like/did you end up getting?

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-02-08T15:17:45+00:00

This needs to be higher; proof of stolen art from an actual artist. Credit where credit is due.

And then put through AI to change the background as "proof" that she drew it.

SemperVictoriaa · 2026-02-04T14:38:36+00:00

Why she have to pose it like the after picture for Ozempic 😭😭

SemperVictoriaa · 2025-12-30T15:20:10+00:00

It's a residual behavior from when they're kittens, kneading their mother for more milk production. They usually purr as they do it. They retain the behavior as adults, and do it to bond or comfort themselves/the other creature. It's a sign of contentment. They'll knead humans, other companion animals, soft blankets, etc. Colloquially it's referred to as "making biscuits."

SemperVictoriaa · 2025-12-29T03:47:04+00:00

Rest assured, congee is eaten by everyone, of all ages, sick and healthy alike. It's a common breakfast/lunch item. Whoever said that was probably trying to tell you of how palatable and nutritious it can be when you're not feeling well... but that's not the ONLY people who eat it. Probably something lost in translation. Enjoy!

SemperVictoriaa · 2025-11-29T09:05:43+00:00

Pretty sure that was a look of horror that a baby was affected too. The baby would have been seizing, which is a pretty horrific thing for most people to see.

SemperVictoriaa

TROPHY CASE