The End of an Era (subtitle...shake it like a polaroid picture no more)

you don't realise how much you love something until they take it away.
arevoire mon ami

Bad Ass Scrapbooker

 
So, I got inked again on Friday, Tattoo #5....and I have to say, this one may indeed be my favorite! I had thought about the skull and scissors concept for quite a while now, but it was just a matter of finding the right artist. I talked about it a couple months ago with Omar (OMX) at Revolution Tattoo in Chicago, and set up an appointment for a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it in town on the originally scheduled date, but Omar was able to reschedule me for this past Friday.
I had an idea in my head of what I wanted it to look like, but wasn't quite sure what Omar's take on it would be. I was more than pleasantly surprised when I arrived at the studio on Friday afternoon and saw his drawing! It rocked! I love how the scissors are behind her with the screw in her mouth--I love how she has killer eyelashes, and glare in her eyes, I love that the scissors look exactly like that overly used black handled scissors that I had in the house as a kid. He did an incredible job, and I'm so thankful! I highly recommend him and his studio. (Plus, his wife is just adorable and sweet)
So, there it is. There's no denying it--it's a pretty darn big piece on my forearm, and there's no covering that up, especially when it's warm out. I don't want to cover it up though, I love it. It's so me!!! (people keep telling me that!) I didn't think I'd put a tattoo there for quite some time, as I've been in the corporate world since college; constantly worried about what people might think. I finally decided to though, feeling that I'm not going to change or hide a piece of myself for someone else, especially corporate America....if they don't like it, it's there problem, not mine. I'm a crafty pirate, and that's all there is too it. :)

a few more pics from California

While in California, and spending time with my best friend Erik, we missed the entrance to the 110 in downtown LA like 7 times, so we had the opportunity to go through "tent city" (what locals call it) a few times.

I wanted to share some of the pictures I took, to remind people that in downtown LA and it's surrounding districts, there are actually more homeless people then there are those who have permanent shelter. So many of us think of the glam and glitz of "American Hollwood" when we think of LA, but the reality is that so many people there may be geographically in the right place, but they're miles away from the American dream.