Friday, October 21, 2011

Freedom Isn't free...

....and neither are tattoos.

I began the venture of getting my 2nd and undoubtedly more painful tattoo on July 29th. That was round one... which was two hours of excruciating pain to the top of my left foot. People think I exaggerate when I say that it is one of the most painful spots on the whole body to get tattooed. Don't believe me? Ask someone who is covered in tattoos, excluding the knee cap and Adams apple they will point out their foot as being painful.

I got my foot tattooed because its always visible if I want it to be but its not super obvious, and can be covered if need be. Most people when getting their foot tattooed get grey-scale or muted colors so it will match with everything.... thats not what I wanted. I wanted bright colors, red, white and blue to be exact.
I wanted a bright, bold patriotic tattoo, and that's what I got.

My tattoo artist is someone that I met while hanging out with friends at a local bar/pool hall. You can tell someone is a tattoo artist from a mile away. After talking about me wanting to get a tattoo and playing darts and such we hit it off. My tattoo artist is Derek Edmonds from Tat2Times in Palm Bay.
I can't describe how impressed I am with Derek's work as well as how impressed I am with the cleanliness and friendliness in the shop. Check them out if you are in the area!

Now came the design I went in to the shop and basically said "Derek run with it, the only thing I know is I want it to say freedom isn't free, I want it to be patriotic but not manly" That was it. I went back a week later and it was perfect. Now of course when some one shows you a drawing without color and shading you just have to trust that they know exactly what they are doing, and that's why forming a good relationship with your tattoo artist is very important.

The design was simple yet powerful it was a cluster and stars, and written in the stars was the phrase "Freedom isn't Free"
I get asked all the time why I wanted such a tattoo with a saying like that. Plain and simple its the truth, freedom isn't free. There are soldiers everyday laying their life on the line for our freedom or the freedom of others. The majority of the men in my extended family (Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Uncles, Cousins) were in the military, and a lot of the men currently in my life are in the military now. I wanted something that would honor them and remind me to pray for these people every day.

So it began. 

 This was about and hour into it the first night. 
Now what most people, including myself, didn't realize is there is such a thing called bloodlining and oh dear let me tell you... no bueno. Bloodlinging I soon learned is something that is done to raise the skin, its honestly the tattoo needles dipped in water (no ink) and outlining the skin to raise the skin. Derek bloodlined around all the stars and then did the blue shading, purpose of this is to make sure that he wouldn't shade inside of the stars. Then after the blue shading was done came the black outlining of the letters and stars. So the same skin that was just filleted by the needles got it a second time but with ink.

Next came shading in some stars and filling in the writing. 


After two hours that night we called it quits.

This was the final result of the night
Then began the care process of the tattoo. Not too extensive, keep it clean, moisturized and leave it alone.
The leaving it alone process is the hardest part. A few days into the healing process the tattoo starts itching, its very important not to scratch it or mess with it, because its supposed to itch and peel on its own then its healed.


Itching to get it finished I was finally able to last night (October 20th)
Derek went through and re outlined all of the letters to make them stand out more and re  outlined some of the stars to make them stand out. Then began the full coloring in of the stars and adding more blue and white to the shading and also a little black for the shadows. An hour and a half later we were finished.
For those of you wondering I do not move or yell or cry when I get a tattoo. I sit and bear it, when he hit the most painful spots, near my toes and the bone that seems to go from your big toe to the ankle. I did make some pretty awesome faces haha. But its all done with and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Finished =]

Of course its very swollen in all of these pictures so it won't look like this when its healed.

My main advise for anyone wanting a tattoo, is do a lot of research, make sure its something you will want for your whole life and make sure you look into your artist and the shop as well.


Have a great day guys!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Discombobulated daisy

As I sit here on my couch a million things are running through my mine. So many that I can't stop and focus on just one thing. That's why I am writing. When I write my brain seems to slow itself down so I can concentrate long enough to make a single solid thought jump onto a blank page, this week has been crazy. I got a promotion at my job which I am pretty stoked about, the hours are not bueno but the pay is better and I will be getting way more hours =] Which will give me more money to shop uhh I mean pay bills and save for school with?... ha 

Lots going on this month and especially these next couple of weeks, which is good because these next two weeks are going to be killer for my emotions and life in general (more on that to come if I survive the week)

I am playing my first show with my friend James (from Jimbo and the No Shows) at a classy restaurant on the river. It will be my first time doing any kind of public singing since high school so a little over two years ago, singing is a huge passion of mine and something that I have been wanting to get back into, James approached me a while ago about singing with him and then I brushed it off because of the same reasons I always shrug stuff off (I'm not good enough, what if I fail.. ect) but then a little over a month ago I was like ya know what screw it this is something that I want and need to do for me. The last three-ish years of my life I have been so focused on other people and work and blah blah blah I wasn't doing anything for myself that I enjoyed doing just because. Within two weeks we had our first show booked. Now today is the 17th the show is on the 28th and we have yet to practice but because of his wide musical talent and the fact that I have been doing things like this since I was 10 I am convinced we can pull the set list together in one practice, false confidence most likely but confidence nonetheless!

I am also trying to keep up with my beauty blog because that is something that I enjoy very much and I am trying to push myself to get out there more so hopefully my dream will come true and I can someday make a legitimate career out of being a makeup artist, btw any online makeup communities you know about please let me know!
Other things going on... I joined a gym, for you guys who know me you are all laughing right...NOW! I don't work out and I am in awful shape so I decided since I am on a self improvement kick right now hey what the heck lets just join a gym.. I have been a member for about three weeks and have been twice... yeah so much for that. In my defense though I have legitimately too busy to go to the gym, those of you who love the gym are mocking me because "there is always time for the gym" between my little sisters volleyball games, hanging out with my family and friends and trying to get a decent nights sleep there is not time for me to be bothered with my HEALTH... yes I know pathetic and I will start going more because I'm very out of shape and that must change.

I want to also get back into photography more. That was something that I honestly loved and have not been able to do for one excuse or another so I will try to start doing that again because I was starting to get pretty decent at it
V
V
V
 
Not as good as a lot of people I know but good enough for me =]


So that's just a few of the random things on my mind, I'll save the heavier stuff for a darker day.


 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

I'm livin in a hurricane

Today I was driving down the road next to the river with my windows rolled down listening to music and I really loved this song then I really started listening to the lyrics and I realize that it describes my life over the last two and a half years to a "T". Its basically someone being in such a state of pain and turmoil and the person she loves not noticing and being totally shut down and oblivious to the entire situation... hmmm a little too familiar if you ask me. I'm going to see if I can do this at the next cover show me and my friend James play.  



Dead Flowers by Miranda Lambert


I feel like the
flowers in this vase,
He just brought em'
home one day,
"Ain't they beautiful"
he said.
They've been here in
the kitchen and the
water's turnin' grey.
They're sittin' in
the vase but now
they're dead.
Dead flowers.

I feel like this
long string of lights.
They lit up our whole
house on christmas day.
But now it's January
and the bulbs have
all burned out,
But still they hang.
Like dead flowers.

He ain't feelin' anything
My love, my hurt, or the
sting of this rain.
I'm livin' in a hurricane.
All he can say is,
"Man ain't it such a nice day"
Yeah, Yeah.

I feel like the
tires on this car.
They said we won't go far
but we're still rollin'
I look in the rear view
and I see dead flowers in the yard
and that string of lights.
But and it ain't glowin'
Like dead flowers.
Like dead flowers.

He ain't feelin' anything
My love, my hurt, or the
sting of this rain.
I'm drivin' through a hurricane.
All he can say is,
"Man ain't it such a nice day"
Hey, hey I guess we'll just
go to waste, like dead flowers.

Like dead flowers.
Dead flowers.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Florida Nights....

There is something so relaxing about sitting out in the backyard on a beautiful clear night listening to good music, watching the sun set, sitting with your dog at your feet. Call me weird and simple minded but I think its the little things that make life better. Its nice to just chill after a long day. The sunset was beautiful today, very peaceful. The only awful thing about Florida evenings is the mosquitoes that decide to eat you alive. So here I am shut up in my house on this beautiful night, after I got bitten on the bottom of my big toe I threw in the towel and came inside.
But by far the highlight of the day was my mother letting me drive her favorite lawnmower... which is a huge deal because they are always scared that I will run things over and kill people. By the way if you don't know me, my parents own and operate a lawn care service, my mom works a long side with my father as well as actually runs the finance side of it as well. Reason 983274958760932845 I want to be like my mother some day. At any rate this is the mower my mother has fondly nicknamed "the beast" 
 Just so everyone is aware this thing is huge and it has a cup holder which honestly makes me want to drive it up and down the street to see how fast it will go. OH! Another awesome thing about this is its called The Hustler.... I don't know what else could be better. 
At any rate enough of my random ramblings.

Friday, October 14, 2011

My days off

Today is Friday... my day off and yet still I am up and awake before 8:00am.. its a sickness. At any rate this evening we are having some friends over and I was left in charge of cleaning the house. Its nearly 9 now and I am done well, mostly done, I always save the vacumming for last because I honestly hate vacuuming! Not to mention the fact that I know between now and when company gets here around 5 that my dog will have lost at least another 8 pounds of fur.
This is my puppy
Ok honestly he's not a puppy at all he's a full grown (will be 8 on Halloween) Black Lab, Boxer mix that's 115lbs in all his drooling glory and I love him. I got him from a friend at work who got transferred to our Barcelona, Spain office... must suck I know. <.< at any rate she couldn't take him with her and I felt awful listening to her cry about possibly having to take her beloved dog (Mackie is his name btw) to the pound. So on a whim I said I'll take your dog, and well here he is. I am very happy that we got him, and I can't complain besides the fact that he is not a good listener and the extent of his training is that he is house broken. But we will try to work through that.
The main problem though in getting a dog is my roommates cat who now hates life is suicidal and lives under her bed now.. People laugh when I say he is suicidal but he really is in his temper tantrums he licks outlets, don't ask me why either he is an adrenaline junkie waiting to be shocked or he wants to die, based on the dog I will be going with the later of the two.

This is the cat pre-dog
Giant, and in love with his bear.
I will have to post a picture of the bear sometimes since the dog got a hold of it, most of the stuffing has been ripped out and its fur is gross and normally wet from the dog slobber.

There is one bright side the the banishment of the cat... We had a third roommate move in not too terribly long ago and she is allergic to cats, so her not having to be around him is actually a good thing.
Hopefully the feud of the ages will come to and end in our house and our animals will live peacefully, I doubt it but one can dream right?

Well its off too pay my bills and figure out dessert for tonight..

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

UPDATE

First update in forever since I let my friend use my laptop... I just got it back so I plan on posting a ton more! I have a lot to talk about =]

Friday, June 24, 2011

A new chapter...

I picked an odd time to start writing a blog... June 24th 2011...I've never written a blog before. Why you ask? Today my best friend since jr high texted me and said happy 1 month till your birthday... That kinda hit me. I'm turning 20 next month and I started wondering... wow 20 years thats probably like a quarter of my life.. and what do I have to show for it?... uhhhh... not a whole lot. I graduated high school (barely) in 2009.... I got a better job, if you can call it that, I moved out of my parents house and bought myself a car... yay me?....No college or schooling after high school thus far. School and me never got a long to well for me school was a way for me to hang out with my friends every day. I never took school seriously and thats probably a big reason I'm not in college.

At any rate a lot has recently changed in my life.... Some for the good and some the not so great. at the end of April I moved out of my parents house and in with my room mate Samantha, my fun loving, yet responsible room mate (if she is reading this she is laughing right about now) Its been great having the freedom of being on my own and getting to see one of my best friends everyday is awesome... its basically girls night every night in our house. We get a long great and have a lot in common which is always good if you are going to move in with someone, at any rate.
Moving on to work.... ugh work. I work as a CSSR (customer service and sales representative) for an in bound call center for online shoppers... I work in the cosmetics department, yes I sell makeup, basically questions comments and or concerns about the website or the products come to me... Its not a very fun job, but I work with some awesome people which I'm sure at some point will be introduced, I get yelled and cursed at on a daily basis.. sometimes I just want to yell at these people and remind there that this is all over makeup.. just chill out. The reason I am still there is they pay pretty good and its a no brainer job. I'm sure that I will also, throughout the course of this blog rant and rave about work quite a bit.

To give a little more information as to why I am doing this,
Its mostly person I hope in a year that I will look back and feel like I've gotten somewhere, If people read this, then awesome if not thats cool to.

Basically as of now the most devastating change in my life is about to take place during the 2nd week in July.... My best friend and the man I thought I was going to marry... is leaving for boot camp for the USMC... I'm so proud of him and I know he will be amazing at it but.. I'm selfish and am not ready to watch my best friend leave... but that too is a whole in depth subject that I will never have enough time to get into....I'm starting to deal with the fact that this build up for the last year of him leaving is about to explode and then its goodbye forever, not something I am going to be looking forward to.... Everyone keeps telling me I will get through it and be ok... we will see... as I sit here the song "slow dancing in a burning room" is playing.. oh the irony of that song and my life... so thats the real reason I'm doing this... to show myself that I will get through this alright, who knows maybe within the course of a year I'll find true love and happiness...