"CREATING AS YOU GO"

Here's a little bit of tattoo evolution and a little story. When I was 18, I rushed to get a tattoo and ended up getting really poor work done. I settled on a bird cage and the word 'Imagine' to symbolize breaking free of what previously held me back, but the whole idea was executed poorly and done by someone who I didn't realize was such an amateur. I ended up with scarring on my original ink because the wrong needles were used, etc. That made my cover-up tattoo really difficult, but I had an amazing artist who took the time to give me exactly what I wanted. 

My new tattoo is inspired by a sketch done by my ultimate iconic obsession, Edie Sedgwick. I always wanted an Edie tribute tattoo, I just wasn't sure how to go about it - and then, I found a collection of her artwork, and I knew this was the tattoo I needed. It's simple but so elegant and equally as symbolic as I had originally intended. Only this time, I'm actually happy with my work! It's still in the healing stages and I still have another appointment to go to in order to completely cover the old tattoo, but I feel really good about having visible tattoos now. 

You can see my Deathly Hallows sign there as well, which will be touched up probably at the same time I go to get my Edie bird worked on. I think it's important to have good ink that represents who you are as a person. 

Ever had a bad tattoo experience?

SCHLAFLOS IN SEATTLE

Ten days with the Germans went by so fast, I can't believe they're already gone. I wasn't sure what it would be like to meet Lizzy and Melchior for the first time, but I can honestly say I absolutely adore both of them. They're both hilarious, and they make such an adorable couple. It's nice when friends end up being better than you thought they were. 

On the last full day, the four of us went down to Seattle and spent the afternoon walking around, chain smoking, and shopping. Honestly, this is my cliché post about Seattle even though I live around there and it's not New York City or anything. Having Lizzy and Mel there really brought stuff to life; I'm so happy to have the memories of them being here. 

And of course, some new clothes help me to remember a little better. What did you do for New Years?

JUICING IN THE NEW YEAR

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to bring in this new beginning with a detox juice fast. So far, so good. It's day two and I've been getting more comfortable with drinking my fruits instead of eating them; I've even started adding a little bit of greens like kale. I figured out that the easiest way to make a juice fast happen is to buy fruits you like. Everyone says it's so healthy to drink green juice, and people get caught up in health fads. Personally, I think green juices are amazing for you, but I'm not so jaded as to think I can honestly live on green juice every day for the first week of January. I'm easing into things; adding a sour apple into kale juice makes it drinkable. Pineapple makes for amazing juice. Last night, I juiced strawberries, oranges, blueberries, pineapple, and added a little kale; it turned out amazing. I think the key is moderation. If I want a chai latte in the morning, I allow myself to have one because it's hard to go from zero to full on raw juice fasting. I think by the end of the week, though, I'll feel better physically, and I'll have a better relationship with juicing. I'm already starting to enjoy cutting up my fruits and picking out what I need for the day from the store. 

So far, I've noticed my skin is less oily, and I have more "clean" energy. Sometimes I feel sluggish, but the energy I do have is so much nicer than the sugar rush energy you get from crap foods. Tomorrow, I'm going to add exercise into the equation and start my morning off with some yoga before I go to my tattoo appointment. 

Also, anyone that's interested in experimenting with juice fasting, I got this juicer on sale at Wal*Mart for $30. Just saying. That's a steal for the good quality of this machine. 

Anyone drink raw juice regularly? 

E is for ELLE

A few amazing things came in the mail for me today from a miss Susan Jo! She's also a Libra, which is probably why she knew exactly what kind of stuff I would like. Such a sweet girl, she sent a package just because! The tiny little 'E' ring made my heart swell; I love tiny jewelry, and I had a Carrie Bradshaw moment when I saw it. (You know how she feels about her Carrie necklace? I'm in love with this ring.) Inside the package were just pieces of my personal style; tiny ring, zodiac jewelry, large round sunnies, those are my closet staples! 

Also, not pictured is a gorgeous canvas with the Libra scales on it. Once I get it hanging in my room, I'll post a follow-up picture on that piece because it's stunning as well. You also get a little sneak peak of one of my Christmas gifts! A new Salt and Pepper Hoodie from American Apparel. The S&P hoodie has always been my favorite, and ever since I lost mine last year, I've been whining for a new one. Here it is! I'll post the rest of my Christmas pressies once the holiday rush dies down and I can take stuff out to play with it. 

Lastly, tomorrow I'm getting my birdcage tattoo redone and I can't wait to post before and after photos of the work. Hopefully I'll be happy with it, I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

I don't know how to say thank you enough for such a beautiful gift, so here's a blog post on how beautiful my new things are! What are pieces of your personal style?