say what you mean

I had a comment to do a post about what my tattoos mean. I feel strongly that anything that goes on my body has to have a meaning and a story or significance to me or else it just ends up some cool looking thing to look at. Tattoos are that for me too, don't get me wrong, it's very much an aesthetic thing but it has to have meaning just about as much as I like the way it looks.

Tattoo # 1

Right shoulder, clavicle, and back

This tattoo got on my 18th birthday and wanted something that was big and made a statement. "No wimp tattoos" for me was what I was thinking going in asking for my first tattoo to reach from my clavicle to the middle of my back. I liked the idea of swirling and that part is pretty much because I think it looks cool but the lotus flower has 18 petals for my 18th birthday. I got the idea for a lotus flower because of a little pond they have in the parking lot of the stadium for ASU (Lot 59- it's the farthest and cheapest parking permit available) and would see these beautiful lotus flowers growing in this yucky pond with beer cans and trash all around it. Walking to campus everyday ipod in two I feel in love with how they just grew prettier and prettier no matter the condition of the pond and they gave me inspiration. Being 17 and a freshmas at ASU, moving out and really experiencing life for the first time, I was changing and starting the transition into adulthood. During high school I had let the people around effect me too much as to how I acted or my tastes in style and music and I decided on a louts for strength to be myself and to blow into the person I really wanted to be no matter what was going on around me.

Tattoo #2

left shoulder/back

This tattoo was a spur of the moment where I just instantly needed a new tattoo. I had been envisioning and wanting music notes for a long time and new it had to be a Beethoven song. I had played viola (pictured with me) since 4th grade and sang in high school and know bits and pieces of some piano music but basically live my life in music. My piece is a bar of music from Moonlight Sonata from the bass piano part. I printed off the sheets, found an open tattoo shop, and within about 2 hours went from idea to new tattoo.

Tattoo #3

NOT PICTURED (YET)

behind left ear

This one was another spur the moment thing. I went with a good friend, Liana, to get get her first tattoo but it took about 3 hours and I do not do waiting well. There some free tattoo artist so I asked one to draw up a little moon and write the word luna underneath. I got this idea from a song my mom used to sing to me when I was little about tuna fish, lagoons, and asking the moon for replacement tuna fish. It's simple and sweet and reminds me of my mom and makes me smile.

Tattoo #4

left shoulder, upper arm

This tattoo I got about two weeks before I moved back home. I planned it for then because I had the money I would have used for next months rent, no longer needed to pay rent, and knew that moving back home meant respecting my parents rules and not getting another tattoo until I moved out again. This is the start to my sleeve piece where it will all be Mexican iconography, this is a Dia de Los Muertos skull, done in traditional american tattoo style. I wanted to do this for my heritage. My parents are both from Mexico so these are all images I grew up with but me and my siblings were all born and raised in the US so I wanted to honor all the traditional and up-bringing from my mexican parents in an american style media for the place I call home. I plan to add Loteria cards, a virgin mary, and some more flowers and scrip. You can read about it here.

Thanks everyone for the awesome comments on my ink and the photo-shoot- made my day!

Tattoo Photoshoot

Back in November a friend of mine, Caitlin, needed tattoo models for a class project. Not only was it fun to hangout with her for the afternoon but she takes beautiful pictures and gave me a cd filled with all of them from the shoot. You can see some more or different ones here and the video Caitlin put together here.

The only tattoo I have not pictured is an outline of a little moon on the back of my left ear with the word luna written underneath.

What tattoo's do you have??

Lassst Nighhhtt..

"Last night, she said:

"Oh, baby, I feel so down.

Oh it turns me off,

When I feel left out"

So I walked out:

"Oh, baby, don't care no more

I know this for sure,

I'm walkin' out that door"

I love that song from the strokes and while this party wasn't technically last night it was a thursday night that all this shizz went down. It was a birthday party for a new collegetown buddy and informal mini-reunion for everyone..

There were tons of people that made it our from camp...

so there was ALOT of this...

which makes the night feel oh so good...

do see how sweaty we all are? yeah well it's January in Arizona and while it may not snow here it still gets pretty chilly from time to time, and that night was a cold one. Why are we all sweaty you may ask?? It was from the bitch'n rave going on in the basement. In-house DJ, strobe lights, and fully stocked bar made this like a mini dance club- it was pretty awesome which had me leaving telling myself "I need to make it out to these college parties more often"

We were dancing like crazy and drinking like fish. Thank God this wasn't a repeat of New Years but boy did I have fun.

you can pretty much see how much fun I was having here.

Happy Friday everyone! Hopefully I will be back Monday with the long awaited pictures from my Tattoo Photo shoot from November.

What is everyone doing tonight and this weekend??

I'm making it out to Downtown Phoenix for First Friday!! My first time =)

Top 5 Tattoos (on my "to get" list)

I am sort of feeling those vibes of rebellions that wash over me in waves every once in a while. I lead a pretty straight-laced life so when the pressure mounts I usually let loose. My poison of choice you ask? I either get completely trashed (once every 14 months) get another piercing (at once point I was up to 15!) or my favorite, pick up a new tattoo.

I have planned to save my debauchery filled drunken night for New Years Eve, have become a total wuss in the past couple months when it comes to needles and am hopelessly too broke for a tattoo- So I compiled a wish list (I wish I was cool enough to have a shoe wish list or purse one but I'm, sadly, completely satisfied with my one huge tote and live in converse for comfort and to keep my 5' 9" giant self out of the sky)

Here we go the Top 5 Tattoos

on my "To Get" list:

#5

The flag of the state of Arizona in the shape of a heart

No matter how much I fell like I am going to die from the excruciating heat in the summer, or the hate of being surrounded by the fake tans and fake boobs that is Snottsdale, or by the fear of being trapped here- it's home, and "home is where the heart is". No matter how far I go or where I end up- I'll remember and carry with me my Arizona roots. Born an Arizonan. Raised an Arizonan. Die an Arizonan.

#4

A Pin-Up Zombie Tattoo

yeah you heard read right! Now the question is "why the hell would you want that?" For me it would mean beauty in all shapes, sizes, forms (human or not) would mean power and intelligence over love (she would be holding a heart in one hand and eating the brain!) because I don't ever want to lose myself, my independence, or equality for a man or for love- as I've seen happen before. It would also have Beatrice's line from Much Ado About Nothing "O God! that I were a man! I would eat his heart out in the marketplace!"

#3

A Paleta

YES! A popsicle! but better! I want a Mexican popsicle, paleta, with green, white and red sprinkles to signify the mexican flag. Every year for vacation we would go down to Tijuana to visit family and the highlight of each trip was getting to walk down to the Paleteria, or ice cream shop, with my mom and sister down the street and pick up paletas in the flavors of mango, or strawberry, pineapple or coconut all made with fresh fruit and from milk. It's those summer days with just us girls in Mexico that really made me fall in love with the country and culture.

#2

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull, Virgen de Guadeloupe, and Loteria cards sleeve

I already have the sugar skull on my left arm and am waiting for pictures from a photo shoot I did for a friend to post about the tattoos I already have, but I want to continue it down to a 3/4 arm sleeve. On my inner arm I want the Virgrn de Guadeloupe done in a traditional American tattoo style:

as well as some loteria cards around my elbow and some flowers to finish off the whole thing.

My plan is to do the full sleeve of popular Mexican iconography but all done in traditional American tattoo style. It just fell like me.

#1

A portrait of my mom

There are beautiful pictures of my mom from the 70's and one painted portrait of her at age 14 that would all be perfect for this. A simple black and grey portrait of her on my right forearm with filigree is my # 1 most wanted tattoo. Of course she hates the idea and I look so much like her when she was my age so hopefully it doesn't end up looking like a self-portrait- but I can;t think of a better way to carry around the person who means the most to me in this world.

These were my top 5 and rest assured there are plenty more on my mind. What tattoo's are going to make their way onto your top 5 list or someday skin?

San Francisco Fudge

I remember making this recipe when I was about 12 for Thanksgiving. it was probably the first recipe I had made on my own and probably the first time we had fudge too. So here is round two if simple delicious recipes with

San Francisco Fudge

2 1/4 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

dash of salt

Microwave chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, marshmallows for 4 minutes, remove and stir till creamy. Add vanilla, nuts and salt. Stir till all mixed. Have 9 x 13 or dinner plate ready and buttered. Poor out onto plate or pan and refrigerate until hard. Store at room temperature.

On another note my birthday is in about 3 weeks and seeing that it is so close to Christmas I've come to the realization that it's a pain to really do anything so I've decided to cancel it this year.

Instead of any festivities I will be getting myself a birthday tattoo! I've been thinking this past week of what I would want (I have an ongoing list of what I'll one done get day) and finally though of this:

It would just be the world part (not the stand to look like a globe but more like a sketch drawing of the earth) done in black outline with perhaps a line from a certain Muse song wrapping around my arm just above my elbow.

I'm still not sure on anything except the part where I will for sure be getting something done for my birthday. I think this might be the idea I pick but what do you think??

I do always have my back-up plan of just getting some brass knuckles and "thug life" on my shoulder...but that seems so overdone ; )

Happy Tuesday Everyone!