Sometimes Sweet

a fun Valentine's project to do with your little one!

2012-02-14T09:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I thought I would share a fun little project I did with Henry this morning that you might want to try at home with your little one. My Mom is an elementary school teacher and always comes up with the best creative ideas- this is something she did with us when we were little and it's neat to be able to do it now with Henry. You can also find variations of this project all over the internet from blogs to Pinterest, so if you missed Valentine's, you can always tweak it to fit the occasion.

It's easy as can be- simply take an empty toilet paper roll and bend it into the shape of a heart. Have your child press it into washable paint, and then stamp it onto paper. You can have them go crazy with tons of colors, or stick to red like we did.

If your little one can't yet sign their name like Henry, you can do it for them. Be sure to date it too, so you can always remember when your kiddo created their masterpiece.

Happy Valentine's!

Tattoo Tuesday V.109

2012-02-14T00:00:00.002-07:00

Name and blog name: Sammi Sadler- 280213.blogspot.com
Age: 24
Occupation: Account & retail Manager at Miss L Fire and Shellys - Shoes!
Age of first tattoo: Too young!
Favorite tattoo: I honestly don't have a favourite! I love them all for different reasons.
Featured tattoo/location: My locket chest piece; with lots of flowers.
Artist/shop/location of featured tattoo: Aimée Lou (one of my best friends, too!) at Bespoke Tattoo in Guildford, Surrey, U.K! Check out her Facebook page and be sure to give her a 'Like' - or even better, go get tattooed by her!

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning?

Going back a few years, I didn't think I would ever want a chest piece! It was one of those decisions that many people go through when you slowly accumulate more and more tattoos - do I want to have more visible work? I guess I decided to go for it, and I love how my chest piece turned out. I knew I wanted it to have a lot of detail, whilst not being too overcrowded- Aimée's work is often intricate and I adore that aspect of it. I wanted to keep it feminine, colourful and not too personal. I decided on a locket and flowers; both have great aesthetic appeal for me and I knew it would remain super colourful, and something I could smile at when I look in the mirror! After all, it remains the biggest single piece I have and the one I look at the most!

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

I do indeed! I currently have: one full sleeve with a ship at sea, anchor, teacup, winged locket, lilies, stars, crown with 'Keep Calm And Carry On'' (my British statement!) perfume bottle, and hourglass. I have a woodland half sleeve in progress on my right arm - currently with a deer couple, roses, fox and rabbit. On the bottom of my right arm, I have a lollipop and a pink and green ice cream cone!

I have script across my thighs that reads 'When it rains, it pours', a cute carousel horse on my right upper thigh, traditional rose on my left knee-cap, peacock on my left shin, hot air balloon on the side of my left leg, pin-up girl on my left calf, swallows on my feet, cat tattoo (dedicated to one of my cats, Biscuit - he is dressed up as a Victorian gent! This isn't complete yet) on my right shin, couple in a ships' wheel on my right ankle, 'Everything will be OK' on the sides of my hands, and some teeny tiny things on my fingers (key, heart, anchor etc).

3) Do you plan on getting more?

For sure! I have a lot of appointments already booked in with Aimée for the year ahead.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

My family vary in their opinions, but I must say the general view is that they don't like them. My dad in particular cannot stand them, and thinks they can only make a person look worse! However, I am very, very close to my dad and he honestly means the world to me, so I hope this never, ever gets in the way of our relationship. My fiancee, Anton, loves them! He has a number of tattoos and he really wants more - he works in a more corporate environment so has to be a little more careful than I do. He loves my tattoos, too, which is awesome!

Yes, I have run into a lot of negativity. Most of the time, I find people in England mainly give me evil glares, or look me up and down in a rather condescending manner (it drives me mental!). I try not to get too wound up though - at the end of the day, I totally understand why people don't like tattoos...I just don't like being judged for being a tattooed person. I'm a decent human being, I promise!

5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos?

This is a very difficult question! There have been a lot of random, fun, weird and horrible experiences due to having them...

I was once with some friends going to the Royal Courts of Justice (in London, a bit of culture!) and I was questioned by a security guard working there, as we was certain he recognised me. I informed him I was positive that I didn't know him, and then he came to the conclusion that I was definitely a Suicide Girl and was rather chuffed with himself...Hmm! (I'm not, by the way).

I guess the best experiences I've had are making awesome friends due to the tattoo 'affiliation'. I'm not saying I only have tattooed friends, far from it in fact, but I've met some lovely people through it all!

6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

- Find a great artist! This really goes without saying.
- Make sure you can live with whatever you decide to get tattooed on you.
- Understand that your day to day life may not be as easy if you plan on having a lot of work - summer makes things a lot harder for me! Sometimes I really don't give a crap about the evil stares, rude comments or even positive interest, but other days I really, really want to be left alone and I'm not at all in the mood to talk to strangers. Just be prepared for this.
- As well as eating a decent, full meal before your appointment, I recommend taking a good, sugary snack with you when you get tattooed as well.
- Drink plenty of water when you are getting tattooed!
- Enjoy your artwork - I love being tattooed, I love tattoos and I wouldn't be without them for all the tea in China!

Sick day!

2012-02-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

my dearest girlfriends for 10+ years, celebrating on Saturday night: Autumn, Erin, Shirley, me, and Alana.

I think sick days should be outlawed on Mondays. Poor Hank...we had the best weekend but then last night around 7pm his stomach started bothering him. We made it home, but around 1am the throwing up started. Yuck. I feel terrible to see him sick, but luckily he was able to stay home today and recuperate. Needless to say it's been a long day taking care of my two guys but now both of them are napping and I thought I'd take a moment to type out a little update.

The weekend was great, and we got to celebrate three of our friends' 30th birthdays on Saturday night. Erin and Alana had a joint party that started in Scottsdale with a scavenger hunt all around town, complete with Hummer limos. Hank and I skipped that activity in favor of stopping by the party later in the evening (we're such old people sometimes) but it was fun to hear all about the wild day our friends had. After leaving Alana's house we went over to Canteen on Mill Ave. in Tempe to meet up with Sarah and friends, and we had a great night celebrating her as well!

It was weird because earlier in the day I popped over to CVS to pick up some cards, and found myself looking at the "sweet 16" cards in serious amazement. I've written about turning 30 probably more times than necessary, but I don't think it was until Saturday afternoon that it really hit me. For some reason those cards made me realize just how long ago my "sweet 16" actually was, and I think I probably stood in that section of the cards for 20 minutes too long, staring wistfully off into space, remembering my 16-year-old self, my sky-blue VW Passat, and how I thought I knew everything. It's insane that was over 15 years ago. Where did the time go? I swear, sometimes I still feel like I'm a teenager and I don't even know how I got here. Deep thoughts from the card aisle, I guess.

But anyway, yay for birthday fun. But not yay for me not taking any photos the entire night with my regular camera. So in lieu of those I have some iphone photos to share from the weekend, as much as I hate to share yet another IG collage. I prefer real, pretty photos to the washed out graininess of phone pictures, but beggars can't be choosers I guess. ;) I'm happy to at least have these.

I hope you had a great weekend! xoxo

Henry kills me with his cuteness // family photo // a delicious. super healthy pizza at my Mom's // Sar and me //

Auntie Lo and H. shopping at Whole Foods // heading out on Sunday morning // Sunday dinner - garden

fresh veggies and quinoa // some of my favorite people - Nat and Sar // Grandpa, Grammy and Henry

Love Stories: Angie & Jen

2012-02-13T14:00:00.001-07:00

Throughout this next, I'll be sharing super sweet love stories from around the internet. I hope you enjoy reading them- I have three more to share over the next few days. Today we are hearing from Angie and Jen, a couple of met online when they were only teenagers. Be sure to stop by Angie's blog and say hello!

How did you and your partner meet, Angie? How long have you been together? When did you know he/she was "the one?"

Our story is one I absolutely love sharing! I was 13 when Jen and I first met. We were both RPers on the same online forum for Harry Potter. We said hi and role-played here and there and I knew there was something about her. On September 13th, 2003 my grandmother passed away. Many of my "friends" didn't care. However, one person DID. Jen shared her thoughts with me, which matched my own. She made me smile and laugh and she helped me through that day. I considered her my best friend.

We talked nearly 24/7 everyday (we were both home-schooled), until February. During that time we were both falling in love with one another. We shared so much, the way two best friends do. In February of '04, Jen told me she loved me and I told her I loved her! On February (Friday) the 13th, she asked me if I'd be her girlfriend and I said YES! Not long after, Jen was worried. She was (is) transgender (male-to-female) and she was worried that if she told me, that I would leave her. She knew she wanted to marry me from day one and vice versa, but she really didn't think I would accept her. When she told me, I only loved her more! I loved her for being honest and for being herself. We were still long distance. Our friends and family said we were young and that we were in "puppy love." Most said we wouldn't last, because of our age, our distance or both.

When I was 16 and one of my Christmas gifts was an engagement ring from Jen and I said yes! When I was 18, I flew from Chicago to SLC to meet my best friend, my fiancee and my soul mate in person. Seeing her, face-to-face, was one of my greatest joys and I moved in that night. One month later on September 13th, 2007, we said "I do"! We're going on nine years best friends, eight years together, five years married and together as soul mates!

What's a typical weekend like for the two of you? How about a date night?

On a typical Winter weekend you can often find us curled up inside, reading (we love reading the same book so we can discuss the plot, characters, etc!) or gaming. We're both homebodies, finding the most joy in spending time together and with our kitties and cockatiel. We have a little ritual where we'll pick up a magazine and flip through while snuggled under covers, talking about the fashion, make-up, celebs, etc. It's fun and relaxing!

During the Summer, we love spending a day (or night - we're total night owls!) outside, grilling up something delicious while sipping on some iced tea and talking. We also love gardening and the weekend is just perfect for that! (Now I really miss summer!)

What makes your relationship work? Or in other words, what's your secret to a long-term, loving relationship? Any advice?

Love, lots of love. Everyday we not only SAY, but show our love. In both big and little gestures. Friendship is another key to our success. We're best friends and big kids together, which results in game nights, joking around, laughter and so much more. Humor is important! We also respect one another highly and support each other completely. We trust one another, which is huge. We know we have one another's best interest in her heart. We're very open minded and extremely communicated. And we have passion for each other, both romantically and otherwise. We're together 24/7 everyday (most think we're crazy - we LOVE IT!) so we think it's important to truly know one another and to, well, get long and love spending time together! All of which we really, truly do.

So in short: Love, Friendship (and Humor), Respect, Trust, Communication and Passion!

Love Stories: Heidi & Chad

2012-02-12T11:46:00.002-07:00

For the next week, I'll be sharing super sweet love stories from around the internet. I hope you enjoy reading them- I have four more to share over the next few days. Today we are hearing from my long-time friend Heidi and Chad, who also happen to be the cutest couple in the entire world. You can stop by Heidi's website and say hello, and you can also check out her Etsy shop. Both Chad and Heidi have been featured on Tattoo Tuesday as well, if you want to click on either of their names and have a look. You might also recognize Chad from his now-defunct, hugely popular band Scary Kids Scary Kids where he played guitar.

How did you and Chad meet, Heidi? How long have you been together? When did you know he was "the one?"

We’ve all heard about falling in love with the “girl/boy next door” as a silly/cute movie plot. Honestly, I never really wondered, “How am I going to meet the man of my dreams?” I would say mostly due to me being so young and living for the moment. I remember the cool popular guy in middle school who every now and then took the same bus as I did in the mornings to school. I was always a little timid to say anything to him directly, but with friends around I’d be able to throw a silly one liner and peak out of the corner of my eye to see if he even slightly cracked a smile.

I was the preppy girl who was the “girl next door” type...and that’s exactly what I was. Chad was my neighbor. I’d be sitting in my room on my bed and see out of my window him skateboarding outside intensely practicing his tricks, obviously having no idea I was crushing on him from my bedroom. Sounds kind of creepy from an outside perspective, but I can assure you it was a schoolgirl crush. The kind where you think you are SO out of someone’s league but cant help but wonder as well as have those little nervous butterflies when in his presence. He wore the huge JNCO skater pants with the pockets that went clear to floor, shaved head, sloppy shirt, & thee cutest squinted-eye smile. Not sure exactly what my little teenager mind was thinking about his style at the time, but I myself had no room to speak.

My heart stopped one time to see him helping my mom from the car into the house with our groceries, if you could only imagine your crush walking into your house and talking with your mother. At the time it was a tad mortifying, nerve racking, but now thinking back it makes me smile knowing that this is a cute fond little memory of our love story.

Another encounter was odd & a little wild for an 8th grader at the time; my mom was at work and I had another neighbor friend over who invited Chad to my house. The game of “Truth or Dare” unfolded (as it did often at this age somehow) and fast forward to Chad and I having our first kiss in the pantry. Awkward & so unlikely for a prude like myself but the opportunity came & I didn’t pass it up!

Chad moved away and I never confessed any sort of yearning for him so that was that, or so I thought. We ran into each other again 3 years later when I was working at a movie theater & he was just passing through with one of his friends. Fate would have you I worked up some courage to re-introduce myself as his old neighbor and exchanged a few smiles. We eventually started conversing via internet/telephone, and here we are 9 years later.

I don’t want to jinx our relationship or have to knock on wood but I can’t picture myself without him (I know that sounds pathetically generic). But we have gone through so much together, growing up together, and admittingly had plenty of ups and downs as being with a dude who was seriously pursuing the music industry had its obstacles.

Even though we have not committed to marriage it is in the future, and something we get asked about time and time again. I won’t lie, I do think about marriage often, I daydream about my dress & everything that goes along with a beautiful wedding day. I know the day will come, and I am happy with that for the time being. I guess I can say we are just enjoying being with each other and working towards the array of different goals we have, as well as waiting until we are more financially fit.

What's a typical weekend like for the two of you? How about a date night?

We are hands-down homebodies. We enjoy nights in by the fireplace, him playing his videogames, while I knit a beanie. A date night usually simply consists of Mexican food & Redbox. I figure he had many years where he was out on the road and had a ton of people around him all the time that it’s nice to be able to completely relax and have quiet time, so staying at home is satisfying. As for me, I hardly drink or get the urge to “party” so hermitting has been my best option, but I’m sure to make an appearance out with the girls every blue moon.

What makes your relationship work? Or in other words, what's your secret to a long-term, loving relationship? Any advice?

I think a big factor that makes our relationship work is our like personalities. We can be so shy around others but be the dumbest, goofiest, weirdos in front of each other. He can still make me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts and I can do the same to him. He also still takes the time to tell me I’m beautiful every chance he gets. He asks me how my day was, we engage in each others' daily lives. We obviously want the best for each other.

I think the secret to a long-term, loving relationship isn’t a secret at all. It just has to be the right formula.

1. Compatible personalities/common interests (duh).
2. Be attracted to each other (sounds shallow) but I really feel its what keeps the fire burning in a relationship. You gotta be HOT for each other ;P
3. Make sacrifices- give him/her the last bite (for lack of better examples), know how to compromise & most importantly communicate
4. Keep it coming with surprises- something as little as giving him/her a backrub when they are least expecting it.
5. Have future goals/similar focuses you both want to work towards. Discuss important factors so you have no surprises years down the road.
6. Effort from both parties is a must. No relationship can continue to exist without this.

*Forgive me if I forgot anything from this list. I am not a relationship expert by any means but only speaking from my own experience.

I think people must realize they are in control of their own happiness. Not everyone will have a storybook romance; this I know- but if we think that’s what we deserve, go after it.

I am with a like-minded inspired individual who gives me space to create & grow & I do the same for him. I am simply here for him and he is here for me. With all that said I am overjoyed to know we have so many more milestones in life that I cannot wait to conquer together.

Happy Valentines Day Lovebirds!
Xo Heidi & Chad (Cheidi….lols)

Weekend links

2012-02-11T11:18:00.003-07:00

some of my Instagram photos from the week: enjoying a beautiful day at the park // the perfect avocado - always worth documenting // choosing a book to read aka pulling all of the books off of the shelf // a typical IG self-photo // bath-time with Daddy // making Hank lunch // Kindermusic class // our front door // "button" for February photo-a-day

It's Saturday, the weather is beyond beautiful, and we are about to begin a busy, busy day. On the agenda: a quick workout for yours truly, an afternoon and early evening birthday party for Alana and Erin (yay for joint celebrations), and dinner for Sarah later in the night. Of course three of my favorite ladies would all turn 30 in the same week! This reminds me that I need to charge my camera...

I'll be back later to share another love story and some birthday photos, but until then, here are some links to check out. Enjoy- and have a wonderful weekend!

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Dying over James' and Aubrey's wedding photos. Gorgeous.

This is the best blog post I've read in awhile.

Is it possible to fall in love with a paper shop?

In the spirit of Valentine's Day here's a round up of free printables from Creature Comforts. Trust me when I say that these are CUTE.

A personal library kit? Why not!

Check out Karl's round up of the top 10 films of 2011. Have you seen any of 'em?

10 pink lipsticks to wear this Valentine's Day.

Fascinating article about friendship (and ending one) on the NY Times, found via Liz.

Attention guys: how to dress for a date like you know what you're doing.

Live in NYC or traveling there soon? Alicia Silverstone of The Kind Life updated her list of vegan friendly fare.

Valentine's Day in a box. Adorable.

MK&A are my favorite, and this video is great.

Check me out over on Katie's blog re-sharing my kale chips recipe! Yum.

Hey Moms, here's a great list of activities for kiddos ages 1-3.

Loving this wallet. A lot.

Pop by a couple of my awesome sponsors and say hi: one, two, and three!

I'm definitely curious about The Oil Cleansing Method, and this post was really informative.

And finally, two of my favorite blogs: here and here.

Giveaway: $100 to Tea Collection (CLOSED)

2012-02-10T15:09:00.002-07:00

WINNER:

Tea Collection was sweet enough to send Henry some items from their new spring line (he has to grow just a bit more before they fit) and as always, the quality is just awesome. We're huge fans of Tea in our house, and everything we've received from them has been beyond adorable and held up so well to the rough and tumble life of a little one. Tea makes clothes for babies, kids, and women, and if you haven't ever explored their website, go take a look- I guarantee you'll find at least a few things you love.

And better yet? Tea is offering a $100 gift certificate to one lucky reader.

To enter-

Hop over to the Tea Collection website and have a look around. Come back here and leave your name, email address, and the name of one thing you'd spend part of your gift certificate on in a comment below.

For up to two bonus entries, you can like Tea on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Just be sure to come back here and leave up to two additional comments letting me know, along with your name and email again.

So essentially, you have three chances to win the $100 gift certificate, to spend on anything you want!

I'll choose a winner on Monday, February 13th. Good luck!

A little update...and a little sugar!

2012-02-09T16:06:00.006-07:00

I call this one, "baby-wrangling" or, "I can't get my 15-month old to take a photo. Ever."

It's Thursday afternoon and Henry and I just got back from a long walk around the neighborhood. It's unseasonably warm today so it was nice to take advantage of our lovely fake-spring weather and spend some time at the park. We almost always get a big March snowstorm so I'm not going to get too comfortable in this great weather just yet, even though I want to! This week has just flown by, and I am so excited about this weekend. Like I mentioned a few days ago we have three newly-turned-30 friends to celebrate and Saturday is going to be a busy but fun day attending a few different birthday parties. Can't wait.

Other than that it's been a pretty typical week, if you add in a crazy, teething baby most days. Although there is one notable thing that went on...I decided that because I felt so good, I would eat some dark chocolate (with sea salt, mind you. AKA the best chocolate in the world) so I did. You get that logic? I feel fantastic so I decide to indulge in the one thing I stopped eating, causing me to feel fantastic. Makes total sense, right? ha. But really, it was delicious, and I ate a whole bar and a half. AH! And I totally felt terrible afterward, not because I ate it, but because I hadn't had sugar in so long that it made me feel sick and almost hung-over in a way. It was really interesting though because it made me realize that I absolute want to keep up with eating this way, and totally validated me doing so. But at the same time, that chocolate was the best chocolate I've ever had (food just tastes so much better these days) and I am going to treat myself when I want it...just not eat a million pounds of it.

So other than my great chocolate indulgence of 2012 life is good. Today is one of my best friend's birthday (love you Suki!), the weather is gorgeous, we got in some exercise and park time, and we're paying a visit to Hank's Grandma tonight. It's a great day and I am looking forward to curling up with a new book tonight. I'm going to choose one from my Amazon recommendations and I'm really excited- I've been looking forward to it all day actually. Oh, my thrilling life! ;)

xoxo

Love Stories: Christina & Patty

2012-02-08T19:03:00.005-07:00

Over the next few days leading up to Valentine's Day, I'll be sharing super sweet love stories from around the internet. I hope you enjoy reading them! First up are the adorable Christina and Patty, who are a married couple from California. Be sure to stop by each of their blogs (Christina // Patty) and say hello, and you can also follow Christina and Patty on Twitter. Both of these women are incredibly fascinating and their online spaces are wonderful. Fun fact- did you know that Patty was the drummer for Hole? Awesome.

photo by Brett Gurewitz

How did you and your partner meet, Christina? How long have you been together? When did you know he/she was "the one?"

This is not exactly a simple question! We met several times over about 15 years before we actually started dating. Back in the 90's, we met at a mutual friends' birthday party (Jorjee Douglass...another Hello Giggles writer!!)...but Patty doesn't remember! We met again in about 2000, I was freshly broken up from a long term relationship and Patty was dating someone else...She was actually moving into a house with her girlfriend and their room-mate was a really good friend of mine...so I was over at their house all the time. I had a HUGE crush on her, but couldn't really act on it, since she was taken.

We kept in touch over the years, but it wasn't until early 2005 that we really started hanging out again. She had just ended a relationship, but I thought she had a girlfriend...so we hung out a lot, but I never considered our outings "dates" since I thought she was taken. Then at the end of the summer, once I realized was broken up with her girlfriend, we went to a music fair, the Sunset Junction, in our neighborhood...and that was our first date.

We got married three years later, on the anniversary of our first date, August 30, 2010. (Here's a link to our wedding on Snippet & Ink). It was legal in California to get married for a short time, and we got married in that window! The news of prop 8 being overturned is just in time for Valentines Day! Hopefully soon everyone can marry the one they love...

I knew she was the one from the moment I met her...I was patiently waiting for over 10 years!

photo by Chris Strother

What's a typical weekend like for the two of you? How about a date night?

Now that we have a 16 month old daughter, weekends revolve around her and family activities....we love going to fun places around Los Angeles like Kidspace, Descanso Gardens, Drum Circle at Remo, and we usually spend every Saturday morning at the Silver Lake Farmers Market near our house.

Honestly...we haven't had a proper date night since Beatrice has been born! But we're working on it. We really just want to go out to dinner or maybe a movie, so daring!

photo by Ana Grillo

What makes your relationship work? Or in other words, what's your secret to a long-term, loving relationship? Any advice?

Acceptance, patience, communication, community, focusing on what's really important and HUMOR---a few things that make our relationship work!

Acceptance of each other's quirks and imperfections...we both know that we are only human and that we are going to make mistakes.

Patience, especially now with our daughter is so important. Jeez...we've been patiently waiting for a date night for over a year now! But when I'm tempted to rush something before it's time, I remember that everything will work itself out in time.

Communication of our needs and our desires...we really are both committed to communicating to each other if an issue arises. Sometimes it's not easy, but it's always worth it.

Community is so important to us...our friends and our support system are crucial. We want Beatrice to be surrounded by love...we have an amazing village that has helped us with our wedding, when Beatrice was born and with all our creative endeavors. It's so important to us to be active in our community and to support our friends and family as well...We have so much to be grateful for and we want to share our gifts and our abundance with others...from volunteering on Thanksgiving to participating in charity events like Pablove (a charity fighting childhood cancer with love run by our dear friends)...all of that helps us have a strong relationship with each other as a family and builds bonds in our community.

"How important is it?" I ask myself that question when I'm tempted to get upset with Patty about a household chore that hasn't been done. Really focusing on the important things in life like our family, community and spending time with Beatrice help avoid squabbles over trivial things. The dishes will get done eventually (patience!)...

And above all: HUMOR...we love to laugh and have a good time. Laughter is really the best medicine...Patty and I have shared so many laughs over the years...seeing her smile always makes my heart melt. And seeing Beatrice laugh and smile is the most amazing gift.

When I think about the "secret" to a long term relationship for us, I think about our family. We really want to instill these values in our daughter, and we want her to see the beauty and lightness in the world. We want our relationship to serve as an example to her: two people who love and respect each other and live life to the fullest....

photo by Planet Swan

Clean-Eating Challenge Wrap-up & Check-in

2012-02-07T08:23:00.001-07:00

It's been a whole week since we began the Clean-Eating Challenge, and I'm so, so curious to hear how all of you did. I'd love to hear about your progress, if you're planning on continuing, if you can tell a difference in how you feel, etc! Oh, and if you posted recipes or anything you'd like to share, please leave the link to your blog in the comments.

I hope all of you who participated are feeling great today- I'm so proud of us!

Tattoo Tuesday V.108

2012-02-07T07:37:00.001-07:00

Name/blog name: Rachael Grainger rachaelgrainger.blogspot.com (I just recently started using it so my updating is a little sporadic! Feel free to add/follow me so I have some blogs to read also!)

*editor's note- I was Rachael's first follower...come be her second! She's the sweetest.

Age: 23

Occupation: Final year Journalism student at the University of the Arts, London. I write a bit for bits and pieces in my spare time. I work for Topshop which is fun!

Age of first tattoo: I think I was 15. I spent some birthday money on a couple of stars. I got one on each forearm. Oh.

Favorite tattoo: I change my mind pretty often; it's either the lampshade on my leg by Claudia Sabe, or the Lalique swan perfume bottle on the inside of my arm.

Featured tattoo/location: I guess I should feature my leg as it is my newest acquisition! And it's finally stopped being scabby and itchy so I can enjoy it!

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Claudia Sabe, working at Jolie Rouge on Caledonian Road, London.

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning?

I am mad for antiquing, my flat resembles a boot sale or something; it's filled with ancient typewriters, dressmaking dolls, old ornaments, old books. My tattoos sort of reflect this as while I suppose the style is 'old-school' I love Victorian imagery, and so with this in mind and having seen a different lampshade in Claudia's flash, I had a chat with her and we discussed how I could incorporate some lyrics from a favourite song of mine into it. The song is "You Won't Know" by Brand New, a band I completely grew up listening to (and am seeing next week on a couple of dates as they're over in England!). I suppose they are topical lyrics; "Scared I won't burn that bright", on a lampshade. You know! My tattoos are usually ideas I think would be nice aesthetically so this is the only piece I have that feels a little personal. I am in my final year of university which I have found tough and am perpetually afraid of failure/giving myself a hard time; the lyrics reflect that somewhat. FINALLY (a long answer, well done if you got this far!), my boyfriend bought me it as a Christmas present. Before finally sorting our stuff out and getting together last year we'd been friends for five years, with a lot of feelings for one another. I have no idea why this song has always made me think of him, but it has. I haven't actually told him that. Ha! I doubt he will ever see this but I will feel like a massive dork if he does. Oh.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

I have a Victorian lady on each arm; one wearing a bonnet and the other with a fox curled in her hair. These are both by Claudia at Jolie Rouge, London. She has also tattooed a Russian doll on me. I have a Maneki Neko (lucky cat), a sort of oriental fan, a hand holding a love letter, a peacock feather fan and ornate hand mirror and these are all by Sol Milesi, tattooing with her husband at Made With Love in Leeds, UK. Valerie Vargas at Frith Street, London tattooed a beautiful Lalique perfume bottle on my inner arm, and a carousel horse on the other. She also tattooed an ornate horseshoe and flowers on the back of my neck which I wanted as a memento from living in the New Forest for a couple of years. I have the inside of my lip (a couple of hearts), my fingers (hearts, diamonds), and an AWFUL tattoo on my foot that I got when I was 17. Fortunately I feel I have acquired some other lovely tattoos since so it bothers me less. It's sort of a flower and sort of a bird. I can't even tell you!

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Absolutely. I plan to fill my body, money permitting! Over the next year I think I will continue with my legs, and I have been speaking with my artist about filling my back over the next couple of years and looking at Japanese art for inspiration. It's a huge time and money commitment though, something like 25 - 30 hours I believe.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

My mum bloody hates them! But as the first in my family to go to university, let alone college, she is proud enough of me and we sort of agree to disagree about them/I think she just pretends they aren't there. Generally, people are nice and just curious and inquisitive. I get asked some pretty stupid questions but overall I have not had any nasty responses. I get weird guys trying to use them as some sort of invitation to speak to me sometimes which isn't attention I want, but that's the worst of it really! My boyfriend has some tattoos including a Kelis tribute (why not?) and a body piece which incorporates mountains/a wizard/wolves/I don't even know what else. I've actually never had a tattooed fella before so it's a bit of a novelty...

5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos?

I don't know about interesting; someone I served while working at an Urban Outfitters in a posh bit of London asked if my tattoos were 'the permanent kind' which was baffling. I also once had a guy offering to tattoo 'morbid Victorian shit' on me when I was in a bar, which I presume was some sort of come-on. People are very strange!

6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

I probably don't have any extra advice beyond what others have said before me. From my own experience, I wish I hadn't gotten tattooed at such a young age as I am a completely different person with completely different tastes now, so I suppose consider that.

Meet Your New Favorite Movie

2012-02-06T19:41:00.004-07:00

From now on, if I ever feel sad about getting older I'm going to watch this trailer and remember that it's all what I make of it. These ladies are true inspirations and I cannot wait for this film's release! I shared the shorter trailer a few months back but had no idea it was being released as a full-length documentary. Awesome, right? Summer 2012 can't come soon enough. In the meantime, you can visit one of my most favorite places on the internet- the blog the movie is based off of. Enjoy!

*spotted this good news on Pitch Design Union

On Repeat: First Aid Kit

2012-02-06T00:00:00.004-07:00

My dear friend Alex first turned me onto First Aid Kit, and since that bright day he showed me one of their videos I've had these lovely ladies on repeat, all day, everyday. Sweet Kelly Ann posted about them last month, and I've seen them and their amazing music all over the internet- and for good reason. To me, their music is incredibly inspiring and is somehow suitable for every mood, occasion and season. I'm fairly certain you'll agree. I'm including videos of two of my favorite songs, but be sure to check them out on iTunes or Spotify and listen to everything including live recordings; trust me, you'll want to.

Thank you Johanna and Klara for making such beautiful music. You inspire me every single day!

Pieces of Our Weekend

2012-02-05T21:03:00.001-07:00

my wild man tearing across our library // a beautiful sunset from our front porch // Henry's breakfast- he'll eat anything right now and I'm loving it // part one of our bedroom makeover - a new super-cozy all-white bed setup // the face of a boy at Kindermusik class, touching every button on the teacher's CD player as I tell him not to. Of course. ha! // our every-changing mantle // my first night back at the gym, post-food poisoning...I was so excited // an evening walk and a stop at the pond in our neighborhood // early morning comfy, cozy Yo Gabba Gabba in bed

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It's been a great weekend and I am so excited about lots of things on the horizon. FOUR of my friends are turning 30 this month (insane right?) but I am really looking forward some great celebrations. I also have some fun dinner ideas to try out and I'm happy to be back in the swing of things. I'm never sick so when I am I feel like it really, really throws me off. Last week was kind of a bust with the whole post-San Francisco illness thing so here's to a healthy week and here's to NOT throwing up. ha.

Oh, and I wanted to write a little about our new bed set up- we originally were going to get the West Elm Cotton Pintuck duvet but then discovered that Target had a remarkably similar one for half the price. We have quite a few WE linens in our home and after seeing both in person I didn't see much difference between Target's version and theirs...so we went for it. I'm totally happy and my wallet is a lot happier too! I've had a lot of feedback on Twitter and Instagram about the bedspread so if you've been lusting over the gorgeous West Elm duvet, totally check out Target's version.

I'll be back tomorrow with a Music Monday post and a Clean-Eating Challenge wrap up. Until then! xoxo

Thoughts On Change

2012-02-05T10:52:00.006-07:00

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been in the most introspective, analytical mood ever. Maybe it's because Henry just turned one in November, maybe it's because these are the last months before I hit the big 3-0, who knows...but I've been thinking a lot about the past few years and everything I've learned. 2011 was such a year of growth- obviously having a child is a huge part of that- but I think it goes beyond just becoming a Mom.

The other night before bed I spent an hour or so reading back through the archives here. Even though this blog is only a few years old, reading some of my earlier entries made me laugh (and cringe). I sounded so naive, so idealistic...and I think this past year has really carried me into a place of reality, with myself and with others. I think for a long time I was still figuring out who I was- and really, do we ever know? As expected I'm still learning something new everyday, but I definitely know the kind of person I want to be- and more than anything that person is positive, loving, and kind in all situations. It's simple really- I want to be my best self, and I want to surround myself with positive people who are also working towards the same.

I've had so many long discussions with Hank about the intricacies of personality; about how we have these things ingrained in us that are so difficult to change. Possible, yes. But often very hard. As far as me, I have things I am always working on. Take a positive attitude for example: some days it comes naturally, but other days it's a decision, and some days I don't really even want to expend the energy to get there. Is that weird? It's like I know I'm in a bad mood and it's a simple fix, but I just continue to go along in my negativity rather than change. I'll be fully aware of it but yet do nothing to shift it. It's interesting to me, to be totally self-aware but yet still not be able to change exactly when you'd like to. I know change comes gradually through repeated effort to get there, but it's still interesting to think about how amazing the human mind is, both in its willingness to change and stubbornness not to.

What works for me is looking at life on a day by day basis. I'm a huge big-picture thinker and I'm always dreaming of the future, but when I know I need to work on something it's important for me to stay grounded and focused on the now. Cutting out sugar was hard in the beginning, but I took it day by day and all of a sudden I find myself finishing up a month of sugar-free living, and I feel proud of this accomplishment. So right now I'm just taking each day for what it is, a chance to be the best person, wife, and mother I can be; a daily chance to achieve small goals that eventually work into the bigger picture. I know that if yesterday I found myself in a negative place, today I can change my attitude and be kinder to myself and those around me. I know that if I get into a disagreement, if I didn't make good food choices, if I was more lazy than productive, then right now I can do it differently. And doing this day after day, making small decisions to be better, leads to positivity being a part of the majority of your days. Then weeks. Then months...

Most of all I'm trying to be kinder to myself. I'm a perfectionist by nature but I'm learning that nothing will ever work out to be exactly how I planned or pictured. And that's okay. I'm not a fortune-teller, so any firm expectation I have in my mind will never be met, because it's impossible to see what lies ahead. All I can do is keep working on little things everyday, accepting myself, and moving positively forward. It's exciting really, seeing changes, and totally satisfying to take a step back and know that you are in fact accomplishing goals you've set out for yourself, no matter how long it takes.

So with that said, is there anything you find yourself working on, on a daily basis? Do you have anything about yourself you want or need to change but have a hard time doing so? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading. xoxo

Sad/happy

2012-02-04T10:12:00.001-07:00

Last night I was up late (way too late) and decided to look through some old photobooth photos while Henry was asleep and Hank was at the studio. BAD IDEA. I found myself crying, watching little videos Henry and I made, looking at old funny pictures, and reveling in how teeny tiny he once was. I thought about a lot, but mainly about how quickly Henry's first year went by and about how he'd never be that small, ever again. I looked through photos I had taken while he slept on my chest, photos of his first smiles, pictures of his adorable bald head. I got to hear his little coos and listen to the funny sounds he made as a newborn. It was also neat to see myself as a brand new Mom. It made me realize just how painfully fast time has gone by. It was tough, and as I sat there crying and laughing I thought about how grateful I feel to have had all of these moments. Happy and sad. It must have been a middle-of-the-night thing though, because this morning when I woke up I wasn't upset anymore- more so just excited to be right where we are in this exciting 14-month stage. Although I do miss tiny Henry more than I could ever express, I love this Henry even more. And it reminded me to keep taking as many photos as I do, because I can only imagine how I'll feel looking back at these things when he's all grown up.

Weekend links

2012-02-03T00:58:00.004-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! It's Super Bowl weekend and usually we'd be having a party or at least watching the game, but this year Hank is in the studio with his newest band so we're skipping it. I honestly don't mind one bit, although I might flip it on now and again to catch the commercials (my favorite!).

Here are some links to start your weekend off! Whatever you do, have a good one. xo

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Lisa Khoury wrote a response to her "Why Put a Bumper Sticker on a Ferrari?" piece. What are your thoughts on it? Check out her managing editor's piece too- "Tattoo This, Haters."

Super fascinating interview with Hank's friends- a husband and wife design team. Great people and I loved what they both had to say.

My favorite Girl Scout cookie is the Samoa is it makes up 19% of sales. How does your favorite do?

Up for a photo challenge? Try Chelsey's self-portrait challenge this week.

Salt and vinegar roasted chickpeas. I'm going to try making these tonight.

Isn't this peter pan collar manicure adorable?

Loving this simple round up of baby boy nursery art over on the Collected blog.

Have you ever heard of Ink Butter? They're one of my newest sponsors and I'm so excited about their product- if you get tattooed or have plans to get tattooed, check this stuff out.

What a great, simple reminder from Kaelah.

Don's giving us a behind-the-scenes look at his design process. Awesome!

Cameron Garland created one of my favorite things in our home, and it was neat to see it up on his website! Have a look.

Loving Max's "Dear Baby" series over on Katie's Pencil Box.

How neat are these igloos?!

Like Boston Terriers? I do! If so check out Jess' free Boston printable.

Need help feeding your Super Bowl watchers? Have no fear- Shutterbean has it covered.

A couple blogs I'm loving right now: one and two.

One of my sweet readers' husbands sent me his band to check out and I thought they were great!

A baby iPhone case. Need I say more?

Carbs are killing us, apparently! Interesting infographic.

Big news from Jess! This has me smiling from ear to ear.

And finally, congratulations to Eden, who was the winner of the Unicorn Parade custom banner giveaway! I'll be emailing you later today about claiming your prize. Thanks again to all who entered!

Why Yes, I Will Put a Bumper Sticker on this Ferrari: An Open Letter to Lisa Khoury

2012-02-02T07:18:00.004-07:00

***before reading, please check out Lisa Khoury's "Why Put a Bumper Sticker on a Ferrari?"

Dear Lisa Khoury,

First of all, I have to congratulate you on breaking down the female role so simply- we are here to make men drool! To turn heads! We hold some serious power in our hands! So thankful you let me in on this, because frankly, while typing this I was looking down at my tattooed arms feeling lost...and now I understand why I'm happily married, raising an intelligent child, hold two degrees, and live a wonderful life. Oh, wait...

I think the biggest, most glaring problem in your article is that you are saying that women should not get tattoos. Not men. And with that comes a laundry list of things that are wrong with your argument. You say that tattooed women are lacking class, yet I find it interesting that the person who is making such a broad and judgmental statement is the same woman who is calling "wearing high heels" and "getting your nails done" a productive and good use of time. Your ignorance is almost shocking to me, and I kept holding out for the "just kidding, guys! I'm really not this crazy!" all the way to the end. To put it simply, I just can't find the logic in any of your argument.

Ms. Khoury, I get it. You don't like tattoos. And that's okay- we're all entitled to our own opinion. But objectifying and cutting down your own gender is absolutely the wrong way to go about it. You've painted a portrait of the ideal woman in your article- she's someone who enjoys the finer things in life and flaunts her body. If she's unhappy with herself she wears trendy clothes and goes to the mall with her girlfriends. Maybe she'll try out a new hairstyle, or perhaps get a new gym membership. But this elegant woman would never, ever get a tattoo because she finds deep meaning and purpose in the aforementioned "genuine, satisfying" things; no need to do something as unmeaningful and classless as get a tattoo. Makes perfect sense.

So congratulations, you've managed to perpetuate the stereotype that all women are put on this Earth to look pretty. Not once in your list of "productive activities" did you mention anything really worthwhile. You've degraded all women down to a common purpose; to "work hard" at looking good. This archaic way of thinking is not just stupid, it's downright harmful. I hope that if you ever have a daughter, you somehow gain enough knowledge between now and then to be able to teach her that women are worth so much more than their appearance, tattooed or not.

Lucky for you this article will live on just as long as the tattoos all over my body. And one day, when we're each "in the middle of giving our grandkids a life lesson on the importance of values and morals," at least I won't ever have to explain that one time I single-handedly set my own gender back a hundred steps and humiliated myself on the internet via my own small-minded, judgmental mindset. And to answer your question, "what's more attractive than a girl with a nice body?" A girl with a brain, Lisa Khoury. A girl with a brain who uses it and who knows that all women don't belong in a box, especially a box drawn by someone using sexism and ignorance to make their point. That's attractive.

My hope for you is that you continue to educate yourself, and stop trying to hand out "life's secrets" until you gain a little more life experience yourself.

Sincerely,
Danielle Hampton

Ferrari image via

3 thoughts on a Wednesday night

2012-02-01T20:55:00.001-07:00

a typical scene at our house- a crazed 14-month old running wild and throwing things in the dining room. ;)

3 thoughts:

1. Hello! Three days later and that awful food poisoning is finally out of here. Thank you universe! Now I know I have the tendency to be a bit overdramatic but I have to say one more time- that was pretty horrible. I've never felt so sick in my life and I fear that I am forever turned off of roasted vegetables. I got sick from a trio of vegan tacos, where you choose three different fillings. I got the broccoli, seasonal greens, and the mushrooms. The only thing I ate that was different than everyone else was the mushrooms, so I'm thinking it had to be them. Today thought I'm finally feeling better and managed to eat some normal food outside of the Ezekial English Muffins and butter I was living off of. I can't really complain though because English Muffins and butter are pretty amazing, wouldn't you agree? Yum. But Henry and I did actually leave the house finally and spent our afternoon doing some much-needed food shopping and I'm feeling a lot better now that I have some sense of order around these parts.

2. I'm really enjoying getting back to making personal blog posts again. I know that I never really stopped, but I definitely think I wasn't doing it as much as I used to. I had this moment a few weeks back where I found myself unsubscribing to a lot of the blogs I once called my favorites. I just didn't enjoy them as much as I used to, and I thought about why, and realized it was because they were severely lacking in personal posts. If you're a long time reader of this blog you know that I always keep a good balance between sharing and oversharing, but I think as a blog gets bigger it's easy to move all the way over to hardly sharing at all. And then what fun is that? I want to read blogs I find interesting; I want to see pretty pictures of peoples' everyday lives, I want to learn about things I don't know about, hear opinions from all sides of the spectrum. I want to discover new music, new ideas and new things; I want to leave feeling happy and inspired. So when I found myself unfollowing so many blogs I once loved, I looked back at my own and realized that it was very important to me to keep writing about my life, and never get lost in all of the other stuff. So that's where I'm at now. That was a mouthful, but to sum it up: I'm happy to be posting more about my life. And even though it's all just a little piece of the bigger picture, it makes me happy to do so. And I hope you're enjoying it too!

3. Some really awesome things about today-

spending close to an hour today talking to one of my favorite people in the entire world, my sweet Emily.
reading all of the #SScleaneating tweets. They're incredibly inspiring and I've already found quite a few new blogs and recipes to try out.
lots of laughter while playing the "chase game" with Henry. It's just what it sounds like- Henry chases me and then will run into my arms for the biggest hug. Yes, it's as cute as it sounds and yes, my heart melts a million times every day.

Happy Wednesday night, friends! Hope tomorrow is amazing. xo

San Francisco

2012-01-31T23:21:00.003-07:00

What a weekend! I'm trying to totally ignore the fact that the last half-day of our trip and traveling home was filled with the worst food poisoning in the world and just focus on all of the good parts. Because there were a ton! I feel really grateful that we were able to spend some time on a mini-vacation and as always, Hank and I had the best time together. We missed Henry likes crazy but it was good to have some "us" time, and sometimes shaking up your scenery is just what you need to make home feel even better than it does. And as much as I enjoy time away, there is nothing like coming back to our little town. I could never, ever live in a big city. I'm more than happy to visit, but give me my 35 mph roads and restaurants where the servers know what we order. I'm a small-town girl all the way.

But like I said above, our big-city visit was fantastic. Our dear friend Alex hosted us and showed us around his city, and pulled out all the stops. We ate wonderful food (minus the food-poisoned vegan tacos at Gracias Madre- yuck!) and I stuck to my no-sugar plan. Hank got fulfill one of his childhood dreams and spent some time with "the man" George Lucas and nerd out at Lucasfilm. We facetimed with Alex's adorable girlfriend, met his lovely friends, tasted some of the most delicious Gouda of my life, and strolled through the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. We attended the Super7 art show on Saturday evening, and I got to do a few things I've always wanted to do while in SF, including visiting the Full House hill and taking photos in front of the Golden Gate bridge. And if you were ever curious about the type of girl I really am, just know that yes, I did YouTube the Full House intro so we could listen to it during our picnic.

It's weekends like these that I am incredibly grateful to be married to my best friend. Hank is without a doubt my most favorite travel partner, co-adventurer, and person to share new experiences with. He also put up with my wretchedly-sick self all the way home on our return flight. So as Andy Cohen would say, "Mazel, Hank!"

Here are some photos from our trip- and thank you again Alex for making our visit so enjoyable. We love you!

Tattoo Tuesday V.107

2012-01-31T00:00:00.008-07:00

Name and blog name: John O'Hagan -The Golden Rule Tattoo and PhxJohn on Instagram...Closest thing I have to a blog haha.

editor's note: fun fact- John was actually the person who took me to get my first tattoo almost ten years ago! I have him to thank for "showing me the ropes," and giving great advice that resulted in me taking my time and choosing really wonderful artists. It's pretty neat to feature him here after all of these years!

Age: 29 (ugh, when did that happen?)

Occupation: Historic and Mid Century Modern Home Specialist - Twins And Company Realty: A boutique real estate brokerage.
Co-Owner - Maxwell and O'Hagan Group: We buy historic/MCM houses, and renovate them in a period appropriate style.
Co-Owner - Golden Rule Tattoo: Customer service focused tattoo shop in Downtown Phoenix AZ.

Age of first tattoo: 18

Favorite tattoo: My arms probably. I loved the look of full sleeves when I was a kid. A lot less people were tattooed back then and when I saw someone with full sleeves it was really visually impacting for me. I always wanted that look.

Artist/shop/location of featured tattoo: Severed Geisha head and snake on my left thigh. Chris Lain - Pinnacle Tattoo- Corpus Christi, TX

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo.

I was in a band in the early 2000's and we were on tour and had a date in Corpus Christi. There was a shop next to the venue we were playing so we went over to check it out. Honestly most of the time on tour you are just killing time. I saw Chris' book and was blown away. I had never heard of him before, and I'm pretty into the style of tattooing he does. I chatted with him for a while and he was super nice. I won't get tattooed by pretentious tattoo dorks no matter how good they are. I want the experience to be solid all around. Anyways, I wanted to get something quick by him but he was setting up for an appointment and couldn't squeeze me in.
I kept trying to book another trip out that way to get in with him, but life kept getting in the way. A few years later, while I was at Immaculate Tattoo getting tattooed by Coleman he said there was a guest artist coming through in a couple months whose style I would love, and it was Chris! So we started this piece on my thigh and after a couple more visits finished it up.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

I have full sleeves done by Aaron Coleman. My leg from the knee down was done by Jason K that used to work at Immaculate as well. I've been tattooed by a bunch of different people randomly here and there. Aaron is working on my torso/bodysuit right now, slowly... haha.

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Yep. I'd like to be fully covered wrist to ankle, I'm on my way I suppose. I'm considering my hands when the timing is appropriate career-wise . But since I'm built stocky, I probably won't tattoo my neck ever.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)?

My Mom used to cry when I'd come home with a new tattoo. Now she thinks they are pretty. My Dad was always cool about it. They both just wanted to make sure I didn't get dumb tattoos that would prevent or limit me from future career choices. That was smart of them to consider, and thankfully I listened to them. In my daily career of dealing with buyers and sellers in real estate, it's nice to be able to cover up and not have to deal with reactions to my tattoos.

Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them?

Sure. I get glared at in public sometimes, or ignored by staff at high end stores. Especially when shopping for high end fixtures for properties I'm flipping for some reason? As if I having tattoos means I don't have the money to buy nice door hardware or shower fixtures haha. But once they realize I know what I'm talking about and that my tattoos are really nice, not jailhouse garbage they relax and treat me well.
In general I try and stay covered up in public just to avoid questions and being hassled when I'm on task.
When I was a bartender it was a constant source of annoyance for me. People trying to talk to me about them, ask me how much I payed for them, telling me they don't like them or calling me "tat guy" to try and get my attention when the bar was busy.

I've been into Yoga for a couple years, and I get a lot of weird looks when I go into a new class or new school. the mat space next to me is always the last one to get filled. I've been called out by instructors in front of the class before too, on some " why would you do that to your body" type stuff. It seems to be one of the most conservative spaces for acceptance of heavily tattooed people that I've run into. Seems strange since of all the open minded hippy bullshit they spew while I'm just trying to get more flexible.

John's pet piggy, Emma! See her tribute tattoo above. :)

Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

My ex wife was heavily tattooed, but wasn't when we started dating.
I've dated really heavily tattooed girls, and more recently more girls that have either no tattoos or like one small one.
I don't have a preference honestly. I like good tattoos, but bad tattoos are a turn off for me. No tattoos is fine by me. I'm not into the social side of the tattoo industry, I just simply like the aesthetic.

5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos?

I mostly remember confrontations. Most of my tattooing experiences have been really pretty typical.
People touching me really doesn't work well for them. Other than that, I am fine with people staring. I don't mind a couple questions but I don't like getting sucked into weird conversations with strangers for any reason, especially not tattoo related.

6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

Do your research. When I was trying to figure out who I wanted to tattoo when I was younger I read an article in a tattoo magazine and it was an interview by Chris Trevino and in it he said " Everyone gets the tattoo they deserve" and that always stuck with me. If you just walk into a random shop and get a bad tattoo, it's your bad. If you do your research and find an artist you like and are comfortable with, then you'll have a great experience. Either way, it's your experience to own and you get to/have to live with the consequences.

Clean-Eating Challenge!

2012-01-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

My plan was to post this last night when I got home from San Francisco but guess who came down with an awful case of food poisoning? Yup. This girl. I've never had food poisoning before and it's just as awful as I thought it would be. I'm finally feeling a little better today at 2pm Arizona time, but it was a horrible plane ride home and a rough night. However, the trip was great (more on that tomorrow) and I refuse to let the second half of Sunday and today change that! :)

With that said...it's Monday! I'll reference you back to the original post for details, meal ideas, and more specifics, and be sure to link up below so we can all visit each other's blogs!

Remember, you don't have to get crazy; small changes are great as well, so if you want to join in but in your own way, do it! This is all about getting healthy, so any way you get there is awesome.

Also don't forget to label all of your tweets with #SScleaneating and feel free to send me updates to @danihampton. If you end up posting recipes, send me the link via Twitter with the hashtag so everyone can check it out too! And if you're "new" to twitter, all of you have to do is click the hashtag to see all the tweets grouped within it.

Good luck, and here's to a week of health!

Lessons from Henry

2012-01-29T00:00:00.001-07:00

By nature I'm a bit of a multi-tasker. A rusher. A to-do list checker. I often find myself trying to get more than one thing done at a once, manage my time efficiently, and make it so at the end of the day I can sit back and say to myself, "yes, I've done it all" (note: this rarely happens).

This isn't always a good thing though, and in the past I've found myself so focused on "what's next" that I failed to notice everything that was right in front of me. Having a child made me realize this more than ever. I see the way Henry takes it all in; to him the whole world is new and exciting. A sunset is not just a sunset- his eyes widen at all of the beautiful colors in our Arizona sky. On our walks he's looking all around. Everything is interesting- the ducks in the pond, the way the water shimmers in the sun, the sound of a plane as it flies by.

Thanks to Henry I'm reminded everyday to take a step back and appreciate the small beauties in life, rather than rushing by them to get to the next thing. Just the other night I looked outside to see Hank and Henry, looking up at the moon in the backyard. They stood there in perfect silence, Henry pointing upward, and I thought about how lucky we are to have this little person in our life to remind us to enjoy all of these often overlooked moments.

a Saturday playlist

2012-01-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd share a playlist this morning, full of pretty music and happy sounds. I hope all of you make the most of your day and take a little time out to do something special for you! Enjoy! xo

Weekend links!

2012-01-27T00:00:00.002-07:00

source

Happy weekend everyone! I'll be enjoying our time in San Francisco while our friends "vacation" at our house, and I'll be back with some photos and a few stories to share, I'm sure. In the meantime, here are some links to get your Friday started.

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Don is on a roll! Check out Krista and Sam's blog. Amazing. And be sure to check out his design info if you're interested in redoing your space. I'm still in awe of what he did here.

Loving Abi's photos of this cute little shop in Portland.

What an adorable clutch! This one too.

These pilates videos that Michelle shared are on my to-do list. They look awesome.

And speaking of lists, yet another dry shampoo to add to my to-try list.

These monogrammed bracelets are so simple and pretty. I'd love to a D and an H.

Choosing Positivity in Parenting. I thought it was very sweet of Kacie to include me in this list.

I'm really enjoying reading about Jess and Chelsey's experience at Alt Summit. It kind of makes me want to go next year!

200 running songs.

All of Amber Lee's SF posts got me quite excited for our little trip.

I re-shared my clean-eating applesauce oatmeal muffins on my friend Ali's blog- take a look.

Loving this elopement session (and video!) on The Loveliest Day.

Great post on how to pick the blogs your sponsor.

How fantastic are these embroidered initial necklaces? I'd love to have one.

What a simple, healthy (and quick!) quinoa idea from my friend Jessica.

This bow needs to come in Henry-bow-tie size! Too cute.

Oh, this dress in mustard is just perfect.

Matisse is one of my sponsors- have you ever tried their shoes? So cute and comfy. Go see for yourself!

And one more sponsor related item- how about some Etsy love? 1, 2, 3, and 4.

I wanted to be an actress or a writer (or an astronaut or the President) when I grew up. How about you?

An absolutely beautiful video on one of my favorite blogs.

Change your attitude, change your life. Worth the read.

A baby shower with a "make a mobile" station! Brilliant!

Did you see the February Photo-a-Day Challenge on Chantelle's blog? I'm definitely in (again).

And finally, if you haven't already done so, take a look at my blogroll. I'm missing quite a few favorites (I accidentally deleted a handful), but you might find a new favorite!

Have a great weekend! xo

Why I Don't Mind Turning 30

2012-01-26T07:25:00.001-07:00

Today I'm over on Hello Giggles, talking about why I don't mind turning 30 in a few months. Head on over and see what I have to say, and chime in via the comments on HG about your own "getting older woes!"

image via ruffled blog

One Week Clean-Eating Challenge

2012-01-25T23:13:00.006-07:00

First of all, you might be thinking "what? I thought this was supposed to be a sugar-free challenge!" It was. But as I was writing this post Tuesday night, and after thinking over some of the comments I received, I realized that it would actually be irresponsible of me to ask all of you to do a detox of any sort. I realize there's a tricky line with blogging and giving out unqualified advice. I never want to harm anyone, and in this case I think my excitement just got the best of me, and as I was typing it out I realized I need to be a bit smarter. Although I fully believe that making healthy changes wouldn't do any harm whatsoever, there are tens of thousands of people reading this post, and how am I to know what your medical or nutritional background is? I do believe that cutting out all sugar is a great idea, but if you are going to do so it might be best if you speak with a medical professional. For me the switch was great- and I do think that because I already ate well it was an easy change. But I don't know that everyone who reads this blog is in the same boat, and I would hate to make any assumptions, especially when dealing with someone's health. Thanks to Vanessa and Lindsay for your thoughtful comments on the matter that really got me thinking. You all know that I'm not a doctor or a registered dietician, but I feel comfortable encouraging all of you to just be healthier and eat REAL, whole foods.

So with that said, I thought it would be much safer and a better idea to encourage all of you to eat clean for a week, beginning Monday, January 30th. This means you would still avoid sugar, but fruit is a-okay. If you want to try this out, you'll be focusing on WHOLE foods, no refined sugars, no processed items, and also cutting things out like white pastas and breads if you'd like.

If you feel this is too much to commit to- maybe you eat fast food everyday or have a sweet tooth- maybe choose one area to focus on throughout this week. Perhaps you want to promise to forgo all processed items, or just not eat any refined sugar. Any way you want to do this is great- it's all about what is best for you.

And what is clean-eating? From my fave clean-eating lady (Tosca Reno's) website: "It is eating the way nature intended. You eat the foods our bodies evolved to function best on, and that makes you feel – and look – fantastic. When you Eat Clean you eat more often. You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. These practices keep your blood-sugar levels stable and keep you satisfied."

I thought I'd post this well before the weekend so you have enough time to prepare your kitchen for the upcoming week. I'm going to tell that you that it's going to be hard, especially if you're used to eating processed food every day, but I promise you if you stick with it for these seven days you will feel great at the end, and maybe even want to keep it up in some way or another.

On Sunday night I'd recommend preparing some of your base foods so you don't feel stressed during the week. Be sure to make a big pot of quinoa if you can, chop up veggies and put them in easy to access containers in your fridge, and make any of the big items you'll eat each day. I often will cook some chicken breasts on Sunday evening so I can just grab them and go throughout the week. And If you work you're also going to want to take time each night to pack a healthy lunch and snacks for yourself.

Also- I know it can be hard to do something like this when you have an entire family to feed, or even a partner who may be supportive, but isn't into changing their diet. First of all, remember this is just for a week. A lot of the recipes I've included below are really, really awesome and I believe that all people would be into them, even without an open mind. Also remember that as far as meals go, you aren't that limited. You can eat everything that is whole and natural. Let's say your partner is a meat and white potatoes kind of guy or gal- well, you can do meat and sweet potatoes! Family likes pasta? Try quinoa (see my linked post on it above). Make little changes and I bet your whole family may get on board.

I thought it would be great to round up some recipes around the web for inspiration, followed by quick meal ideas.

Breakfast:

Ricotta and Spinach Frittata (you can make this on Sunday and eat it throughout the week- it will be enough for four breakfasts.)
Veggie Omelette
Zucchini Fritters
Quinoa pancakes- just don't take her sweet topping suggestions! ;)
plain Greek yogurt with sliced almonds
a slice or two of Ezekial bread with almond butter
Wasa crackers with almond butter and a few berries
steel cut oatmeal

Lunch: (this is tough to separate because I eat the same things for lunch and dinner)

Salad with my homemade, favorite salad dressing
Pizza made in the oven/toaster oven on an Ezekial tortilla
beans and avocado with salsa
baked or microwaved sweet potato with broccoli and cheese
bowl of quinoa and steamed veggies
healthy, homemade soups

Dinner:

Portabello mushroom pizzas- be sure if you use tomato sauce try to avoid unnecessary, added sugar- Trader Joe's makes a great one, but you can also just mash up some Roma tomatoes to stand in for the sauce.
big salad topped with protein of choice (chicken, salmon, etc.)
Sweet potato/black bean/quinoa burgers
Chicken Taco Stew (omit the taco seasoning in favor of your own spices- those flavor packets include a lot of nasty additives and preservatives)
Walnut-crusted chicken breasts (be sure to use an Ezekial bread slice rather than the whole wheat specified in the recipe)
Quick Kale and Quinoa Minestrone
veggie stirfry
bean burritos with fresh salsa

Snacks:

Kale chips
Edamame with sea salt (you can buy ready-to-microwave packs at Costco)
Wasa crackers with almond butter and a few mashed up raspberries
hummus and veggies
plain Greek yogurt with sliced almonds
pieces of cheese and meat rolled up
raw nuts (raw means unroasted, no salt, etc.)

To recap, remember you are eating whole foods- fruits, veggies, lean proteins, healthy grains, nuts and seeds. No processed food or refined sugars. No soda! The more colorful your plate the better, so be sure to focus on variety in your meals. The recipes and meals I listed up above are just ideas, so feel free to look around online and get creative.

When it gets tough, remind yourself that this is not a punishment, it's actually a reward. Nothing feels better than being healthy, and I know that at the end of this week you will feel great when you look back and know that you only ate whole, healthy foods for an entire seven days. And if you mess up, do not give up! It's all part of the journey. Just make sure the next thing you choose to eat is on point.

Here are a few clean-eating blogs to check out: one, two and three! The last one is my most favorite. And here is a large collection of recipes on the Eat-Clean website.

And if you're on Twitter, be sure to keep me updated via @danihampton and use the hashtag #SScleaneating so we can all follow along. I was going to just use #cleaneating, but it's a well-used tag and wouldn't allow all of our tweets to be in an organized feed.

Oh! And also, if you end up cooking and blogging about an awesome meal, send me the link! I will share it next week so everyone else can get inspired too.

Get ready...Monday will be here before you know it! I'm so excited.

Dear Henry,

2012-01-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

Dear Henry,

I am writing this to you while I wait for you to settle back down in your crib for your afternoon nap. Thanks to this video monitor I have propped up next to me I am able to watch you go from lying down, to sitting, to jumping up and down in your crib, and then back to sitting. I'm hoping the next step, you silly boy, is finally falling asleep. And the whole jumping in your crib thing? This is new and something you discovered only last week, along with a million other things you've discovered over the past few days. You're 14 months old now and I feel like now, more than ever, you are growing at an exponential rate. Each morning you talk a little more, walk (run!) a little faster, and and with each of those words and steps, you are changing from our little baby into a toddler.

These past 14 months have absolutely flown by. You don't know how many times during the day I wish so badly I could just stop time for even a moment so I could focus on taking it all in. Last night you ran over to me and gave me the biggest hug, "mamamamama," tiny arms reaching around me, your head pressed into my neck. You wouldn't let go. I flashed back to when you were the tiniest baby and I remember thinking that it couldn't possible get any better than right now. But that right now came and went, and a million more right nows happened, each one a little better than the last. So I'll say it again, as I watch you finally settle down to sleep, I can't imagine it could get any better than this, right here, right now.

But in an hour or two when you wake up, and I open the door to your wild bed head and that big goofy grin, it will already be better. I feel so grateful to live this life with you, I feel so lucky to be your Mom and to spend everyday with that sunshine smile of yours.

I love you Henry!

Mama

Sugar-Free Me

2012-01-24T20:47:00.006-07:00

It's been a week and a half since I visited the naturopath for the first time and thanks to her advice it's been just as long since I've had any sugar or processed food. I knew it was coming- my Mom had told me that my skin and overall blahs could be helped by cutting it out, but it's different when your Mother tells you something versus a doctor.

I think because I was so motivated to see results it wasn't terribly difficult for me to start this new way of eating immediately. I already didn't drink soda or juice, but I did consume a lot of sugar in the form of fruit. And even though I'd consider myself a very healthy eater, I ate a LOT of processed "health" foods. On any given day I'd find myself eating various Annie's snacks, Lunabars, fake meat products, things like that. At night I'd also occasionally indulge in Skinny Cow treats which I knew all along were bad choices but hey, a whole ice cream sandwich for 120 calories?! Too bad they literally include 50 ingredients. Gross. Once I paid attention I was shocked at how bad my eating really was. For instance, did you know that Quorn products actually have hydrogenated oils and MSG in them? I had no idea and never bothered to look, since I viewed them as "healthy."

So anyway, when I started the first few days were easy. I was motivated, feeling good, and the reasons why I was doing this were fresh in my mind. I saw immediate results in my daily mood. To be honest, I can be quite up and down throughout the day. My naturopath said that this was a result of my body hitting highs and lows, many times a day, due to sugar consumption. I also noticed that after I drank alcohol I would feel really, really terrible throughout the next week- I would get super depressed and just feel sad. This was one of the reasons I chose to drink only on rare occasions, but now I know why I've always felt the way I did, and why alcohol is just not for me.

On the fourth day of no-sugar I felt like I wanted to give up. I remember telling Hank how it just wasn't fair that I couldn't enjoy frozen yogurt or cupcakes. That MY LIFE WAS NOT WORTH LIVING (yes, all caps because I probably was yelling this in an overly-dramatic way) without sweet treats. But he supported me and reminded me that these 6 weeks were not a punishment for my body, but a reward. So I didn't give in. And now it's been almost two weeks and I've honestly never, ever felt better. Food flavors are so much more vibrant and I'm not as hungry throughout the day. I'm seeing physical changes, as well as emotional. I've lost some extra weight (not the goal but a nice bonus), my skin is clearing up and I've been in a great mood. It's weird because I know most people see me as a very positive person, but it absolutely takes work to stay in this positive place. It's easy for me to slip into depressed thinking or a negative mindset, so every morning I had to make the choice to be happy and positive. But honestly since starting this new way of eating I not only sleep better, but I wake up sincerely pumped to start my day. I don't experience those highs and lows, I feel great all day long, and I'm just in such a good place.

Tonight we met one set of my in-laws at one of our favorite Italian restaurants in town. Typically I eat what I want, and I'd always go for the bread and the pasta. But tonight I ordered a huge salad full of veggies and the formerly "good" stuff didn't even seem appealing. This was huge for me, because I was kind of dreading dinner, knowing I'd be around some of my favorite things. But to be honest, I feel so good and there's no way I'm interested in feeling bad again. It's just not worth it.

Now, before I get into this, I want all of you to remember that I am NOT a registered dietician, doctor, or in any way qualified to give any health or diet related advice. The information supplied here is simply from my own experience, and I am not suggesting you follow it. Please keep that in mind.

Okay. That's out of the way so let's get to it.

Sugar is sneaky. It's in EVERYTHING. Literally. I mean, it's in ketchup, spaghetti sauce, breads, you name it. It can be hard to look through every ingredient to check for all of the undercover names it goes by (if you're up for it, check out this list), so the easiest way to avoid it is to say no to all processed food and go with natural, whole foods.

My naturopath recommended that I cut out processed foods, breads, pasta, potatoes (sweet potatoes are okay- just no yams), fruit, and refined sugars of any kind for 6 weeks. And why no bread or pasta? They both convert to sugar in your body. She did make allowances for a serving or two of an Ezekial bread product a day (these are sprouted grain products and contain no flour) and 1/4 cup of berries OR a small apple. Light Rye Wasa crackers are okay too. And remember, this is what was recommended to me, so if you're interested in getting a personalized program, be sure to find a naturopath in your area!

When you give up processed foods at first it seems like the end of the world. "What will I eat?!"

Here's a typical day of eating for me:

Breakfast-
4 egg whites with 1 yolk scrambled with a ton of veggies
1 slice of toasted Ezekial bread

Snack-
handful raw nuts (cashews, pecans, macadamias, Brazil nuts, walnuts)
slices of organic turkey and cheese

Lunch-
big bowl of beans and veggies with an avocado and Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream)
hummus and cucumbers

Snack-
3 Wasa crackers with almond butter with 2 raspberries smashed on top of each cracker

Dinner-
homemade veggie burgers
sweet potato
broccoli

There are a MILLION things I am able to eat, and this break-down is just an example. The internet is a huge resource for me for finding delicious recipes, and my most favorite is the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook and website. It's all about clean-eating (eating only whole, natural foods) and being healthy. My favorite magazine is Whole Living, and my most favorite healthy-living blog is My New Roots.

The main thing I keep in mind is how much I CAN eat, rather than how much I can't. Yes, I had cravings at first (especially at night) but I just reminded myself of why I am doing this and it helped me to stay focused.

As for me, although my doctor recommended I do this for 6 weeks, I am looking at this as a permanent change. I will absolutely still partake in the sweet treats of life, but only in small amounts and on special occasions like holidays and birthdays. I will continue to avoid processed foods. I'll probably add in a few more fruits, but overall like I mentioned above, I feel way too good to stop eating how I am now. And plus, the sweet stuff just isn't as appealing.

So, with that said, I'm going to be posting a challenge later this week that will begin on Monday. In it I will include meal ideas and recipes to get you started. In this challenge I'll be encouraging all of you to make healthy changes and eat clean for ONE WEEK with me.* Maybe you'll hate it, maybe you'll love it, but I feel like it's worth a try and we can all do anything for a week, right? I'll share more info about this later, so keep your eyes peeled.

*edited to change the sugar-free challenge to an healthy change/eat-clean challenge.

I've been getting tons and tons of interest about this, so I hope this post helped to answer some of your questions! Let me know in the comments if you have anything else you'd like to know and I will respond as soon as I can. Thanks for reading, I know this was a long one! :)

xoxo

image via appleaday

Currently.

2012-01-24T16:00:00.005-07:00

Currently...

Obsessing over: this no-sugar thing! I LOVE IT and have never, ever felt better in my life. Sounds crazy, and I guess it is a pretty crazy thing to say, but it's true. I can't wait to share more about it in a post tomorrow.

Working on: my fitness. Remember that Fergie song? haha. But really, lately I've had such a fire burning under me to workout. I attribute this to my new way of eating, and I've also been trying out new things at the gym and I'm feeling super motivated to be the healthiest I can be. Don't you love that? Whenever I get myself going to new group classes I always feel this way. And speaking of group classes...

Thinking about: Henry and his freakout this morning at our YMCA's child watch program. About two mornings a week I meet my other Mom friends for Body Pump or random aerobics class. The classes are so hard and the best workout, and I like that Henry is able to interact with different kids and the two caregivers in the room right next to the fitness room. It's a great program and I feel really comfortable having him in there for that hour, but the past three times I've come back the ladies let me know he's been crying and won't stop. When I leave he seems like fine, today he didn't even look up when I left, but it was so upsetting to walk in today after class and see him trying to catch his breath from crying so hard. I don't know what to do- I'm thinking I should just do shorter amounts of time until he is really comfortable- maybe 15 minutes then come back in? I am open to any suggestions. I also am okay with just not going...maybe he's just not ready. But then at the same time I feel like by avoiding situations like this it only reinforces his separation anxiety. Veteran Moms, any ideas?

Anticipating: San Francisco! We are headed to visit one of our dearest friends Alex for the weekend and I'm so excited. I can't wait to be back in one of my favorite cities with some of my favorite people. I anticipate a lot of eating at fabulous restaurants, sightseeing and enjoying being in a different place for a couple of days. It's going to be a short trip but I can't wait! I also feel lucky to have great friends who house and dog sit for us too.

Listening to: Drake's Take Care. Every time I post about listening to rap on Twitter or Instagram people are always shocked. I don't know why but it's funny to me because 75% of the time that's what I'm listening to. Hank often makes fun of me saying that my readers would laugh if they knew that most of the content of Sometimes Sweet has been written to the sounds of hip hop. I remind him that I also love my folk-ish rock and country too, but I think he just gets a kick out of the fact that I know the words to so many of my tough gangsta rap songs.

Eating: Wasa crackers and almond butter. Delicious.

Wishing: That everyone I knew was on Instagram. That's a weird wish, I know, but I really, really love that app. It's probably my favorite thing about my iPhone and the internet. I think it's just so cool to be able to keep in touch with friends via photos of their day, and see what they're up too. It's fascinating. I think it will be even more fun once Android users can get the app too. My user name on IG is danihampton, find me and say hi!

How about you? What are you up to today?

Tattoo Tuesday V.106

2012-01-24T14:44:00.002-07:00

Every once and awhile I like to revisit heavily tattooed Tattoo Tuesday participants and check out what new work they've gotten, and ask them a whole new set of questions! The awesome Nova is here today to talk a little bit more about her tattoos- be sure to check out her original feature also.

Name/blog name: My name is Nova, and my blog’s name is Four Eyes Rella.

Age: 29

Occupation: The person who doesn’t tattoo at the tattoo shop.

Have you gotten any more tattoos since you were first featured on Tattoo Tuesday?

Yes I have! I’m so lucky to work in a tattoo shop with so many cool people... all the tattoos I’m going to tell you about came from Tattoo Zoo in Victoria B.C.

Since my last Tattoo Tuesday interview I’ve gotten a lot of tattoos, actually, now that I think about it. First I got a “party wolf” from Gerry ‘effing’ Kramer on my left foot to match the (Hunter Spanks flash) party panther I have on my right foot.

Cody Walsh tattooed the word “what?” behind my right ear in script and gave me a couple joke tattoos soon after that: the most unconventional spelling possible of the word “awesome” on the side of my finger, and an upside down tattoo on my wrist.

Just above the side of my knee I got a panther head with a moth over its eyes from Kyle Carter. In case you can’t tell by that amazing picture of it, it says “In your face”. Why? Because pretty much all moths do is get up in your face.

Then my sister came to town for a visit. The first day she was here we practically went straight to the shop and got matching Sailor Jerry-ish hearts with “sister sister” in the banners from Gerry and Cody. Aren’t we cute? I got mine on my forearm and hers is on her ankle.

Just recently I got a storm cloud on my shin with a cool banner that says “let it rain” and “let it shine” and it has awesome lightning all flashing out all over the place. This was also a real spur of the moment tattoo, one day at work I asked Gerry (who is my boss) if I could have a tattoo and he said yes and that was pretty much it.

I guess I could describe myself as a tattoo shop vulture. I just lurk around in overhanging branches until I see somebody has some spare time and seems like maybe they’d want to tattoo me and then I swoop down with some great ideas and see what happens.

If you had to pick a favorite tattoo what would it be?

It’s so hard to choose, I like every single tattoo I have for different reasons. I guess right now it’s my chest piece from Colin Wiley. Oh yeah, I also got a chest piece since my last Tattoo Tuesday. Haha.

Anyway there’s not really much to tell, I just really love bees. One of the most interesting jobs I’ve ever had was working on a honey farm, feeding and checking on the bees and basically stealing their honey when they weren't looking. So I’ve wanted a bee tattoo for a while, and when I decided to get one I just kind of went through a book of flower illustrations and liked the poppies the best.

(Insert “boobee” joke here.)

This tattoo took around seven or eight hours, broken up into short two-ish hour sessions before work. Colin and I are both early birds, and usually have two or three hours of quiet time in the mornings before the shop opens, so it worked out well that way. But let me tell you, working a full day while wearing a giant slimy bandage on your chest is not. Fun.

I like this tattoo the most because it’s gorgeous and makes me feel pretty, as lame as that sounds.

Do you have plans to get any more? Do you have any off limits areas?

YES, I definitely have plans for more. In fact my friend/boss Gerry and I have been talking quite a bit about tattooing my kneecaps which is seriously scary to me because my knees are so sensitive. But I really want to have tattoos there so I’m sure I’ll go through with it soon. I tentatively wrote my name in the schedule for next Tuesday. So stay tuned!

I also have a friend in Vancouver who does really cool mandala tattoos and crazy tribal stuff that you can see on his website (Mikel.ca) or his tumblr (http://tattoosangha.tumblr.com/), I just heard from him today actually, and he’s coming to Victoria just to tattoo a few friends (me included!) and hang out really soon.

AND there are a few guest artists coming to the tattoo shop through 2012 who I’m excited about, I’m sure I’ll try and get tattoos from them too if they’re not too busy!

In general I always seem to have a few kind of vague ideas floating around in my head in case an opportunity arises…for example, I want to get a rose tattoo, something with four eyes like a tiger head or a lady head maybe, an angry wisdom tooth, and there’s a Mexican saying I really want to get somehow as well.

My definite off-limits areas are my face, my ears, my breasts, and my other lady parts pretty much, haha. For now I’m also staying away from my neck and the tops of my hands and fingers and anything too crazy because I’m not a hundred percent sure what the future holds…but I really really like the way they look so you never know.

What has your experience been like as a heavily tattooed female?

I feel like in my last Tattoo Tuesday interview I was a little negative when I was talking about interacting with strangers. I could tell you about the craziest stupidest people who force their way into my day sometimes, but honestly being tattooed hardly affects my regular life. I have a great relationship, two sort of step-kids, a house, car, a cool dog and a mean cat, some really great friends… we just do normal stuff and for the most part people leave us alone. Although I’m sure when our group takes the kids to the swimming pool we get a lot more stares than others might.

What's the weirdest thing anyone's ever said to you in regards to your tattoos?

I’m not sure about the weirdest thing actually. I usually just get the standard “why would you do that to yourself your life is ruined forever you’ll never get a job what about when you’re old did that hurt” thing all the time, it’s so funny how predictable people are. Sometimes I feel like they’re reading off a script. Honestly I can see a condescending weirdo coming a mile away and … let’s just say I’m really good at avoiding people when I want to.

Any last thoughts in regards to getting tattooed?

These are the three things I always bring with me when I get tattooed:

1. A hoodie so I can hide my face in it, I can wear it when I get those creepy tattoo adrenaline chills, and I can clench it in my fists when I’m trying to act cool but am dying on the inside of horrible pain. (haha)

2. Snacks and water and pop and whatever I feel like. Treat yo’ self. It’s a big day.

3. A positive attitude. I can do this, I can make it through this, I want to do this.

Asha Guwahati: an update from Kristin

2012-01-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Kristin sent me a great update on her work in India to share with all of you here. If you'd like to read the original post or find out how to donate, visit my post from Thanksgiving. I firmly believe I have the best readers ever, and to know how much we all contributed makes my heart swell. Thank you, thank you. Here's Kristin- and be sure to follow along on her journey via her blog too!:

Hi lovely readers! It is almost impossible to believe but it has been two months since Danielle shared the story of Asha Guwahati right here on Sometimes Sweet. I knew that her readers were awesome, but the outpouring and support that I have received from you all is more than I ever imagined possible. to put it in perspective, you guys have donated enough money to make 6,000 meals. That is right, six thousand!!!! There are no words I can even say to describe how incredible that is. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would stretch around the world as it already has. The amount of support we have received has recently allowed me to expand what we can offer to these kids, and it definitely has me dreaming big. Every penny (or rupee!) that we have received still goes one hundred percent to the children, either through meals or street girls days.

Every week, I head to the same slum with some of my friends and coworkers, though it is the same location it feels different week by week. Things are changing before our very eyes. The slum children are reaching out to one another, helping to pass out meals and doing it with huge smiles on their faces. They hold our hands and guide us through their homes, right down by the tracks as the trains barrel by. One local girl has started inviting me over every Sunday to spend time with her family. Just today we danced, sang, played and laughed and when I went home I couldn't help but cry. I knew when starting this that I was letting them in my heart, but now they have completely let me in theirs. Asha Guwahati continues to provide these meals every week but more importantly, it has become a dependable source of love, happiness and support in a place that rarely (if ever) saw those things.

On behalf of the children of Lakhtokia, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for supporting me and these children though we have never met. As one of the slum girls, Anjuna, sat next to me a few weeks ago and asked if she could help to give out the meals, the purpose of all of this lit up in her. We have the incredible responsibility to be the living example of self-less giving and compassionate love to the children in our lives. Our smallest of actions impacts them in the biggest of ways and has the potential to change them forever. Thank you so much for providing such incredible inspiration to continue to serve the children here.

With Love,
Kristin

Sister, sister!

2012-01-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

I feel so lucky that my sister is not just my sister...she's my best friend too! She's the one girl (besides our Mom) that has seen me through every single stage in my life. When you grow up with someone you have a special bond- they've seen everything you've seen, they've had all of the same experiences, they've been with you, side-by-side through it all. Lauren just gets me. So when she surprised me this weekend with a beautiful sister tattoo on her arm paying tribute to favorite part of our childhood, I was blown away. It was the best surprise, and the meaning behind the tattoo is so, so special to us. We already have matching sister tattoos on our thighs, and I have her name on my forearm, but this one takes the cake for my favorite tattoo of hers. It's just so pretty.

"Sisters by chance, friends by choice." Love you Lauren, Laurman, Auntie Lolo. You're the best.

Playdates & feeling like an adult

2012-01-21T11:15:00.001-07:00

Do you ever stop yourself in the middle of something and think "Holy cow, I'm an adult?" As expected it's been happening more than ever now that I'm a parent, and sometimes it totally sneaks up on me in the weirdest places. For instance just the other morning I was pulling out of our garage and I had these thoughts- "I have a garage." "I have a garage with shelving in it, with things organized on them." "Ahhh I'm an adult!" Do you know what I mean, or am I just crazy? We'll be doing weird things, like spending a Sunday afternoon at Home Depot, or anything else that seems "adult-like" and I'll think about this.

This past Thursday Autumn invited some of our girlfriends over to her house for a playdate. I've spent countless days over there, but for some reason on this day I kept thinking about how crazy it was that we were all Moms now, going over to a friend's house to get our kids together. It's something my Mom did all the time when we were younger- we spent so many afternoon at our friends' houses, our Moms talking in the kitchen- and it was kind of neat to think that now I was the mama doing these things. It's all come full-circle.

It was a great day though, and so fun to see all of the kids together, since we had a huge age range. Nat's little girl Scarlet is 10 months, Henry is 14 months, Autumn's kids are 23 months and 3 1/2, and Anita's daughter Lola is 2 1/2.

Here are a few photos from our day-

Weekend links!

2012-01-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

my favorite song right now. so sweet.

It's Friday night and I'm enjoying a super quiet night in at my parents'. Everyone is asleep, Hank's watching basketball, and I'm sitting here next to him typing away. It's been a great week and I actually am attributing a lot of it to not eating sugar! Crazy, right? I actually feel so much different- less irritable, moody and overall I just feel like this particular "edge" I sometimes carry around is gone. Feeling good. I will say that tonight there was a particular Trader Joe's dark chocolate with caramel and sea salt bar (so, so delicious) calling my name...but I stayed strong and remembered the reason I'm doing this. It's a reward for my body, not a punishment, and I need to look at it in that light so I can stay motivated when the allure of nighttime treats is so strong. I got past it though and instead went for a walk with Hank and I'm feeling happy with my choice.

Tomorrow night Hank and I have a fun date night planned and I'm so excited to try out a new restaurant! I'll of course share more about that on Sunday. In the meantime though, here are some links. xoxo

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Looking for fitness/healthy living inspiration? Check out one of my favorite blogs.

I am in love with these photos on Erin's blog. Seriously, go look. Alaska is breathtaking.

Katie always manages to infuse magic into the everyday. She's truly an inspiration to me.

Need some topknot inspiration? Chelsea's got you covered. I especially love number two.

DIY confetti shooters! Awesome!

My 1st Vegan Dinner Party. I really enjoyed this post.

I really, really enjoy Jess' blog...Rowan just may be the cutest little girl on the internet!

One of my wonderful sponsors, Passionfruit, is launching their site soon! Have you signed up?

An interesting article about the politics of sugar.

Loving these frames Jess has created! Best of all, they're free for the taking.

If you missed "The Other 'F' Word" in theaters, have no fear- you can now watch it via iTunes.

I am absolutely trying this quinoa/sweet potato/black bean burger recipe this week. It looks amazing!

One of my favorite ladies Heidi recently opened a shop on Etsy- check her out!

This post over on Rachel's blog has me wanting to pack up my family and head out on a road trip.

Definitely trying Mandy's homemade exfoliator. Loving this whole week of natural remedies on her blog.

Imagine if your blog got deleted? Panic.

Have you checked out DejaVu yet? Don't forget you can get 30% off with code "sometimessweet"!

Henry needs these baby-lit board books. As the son of a former English teacher, I'd say it's necessary!

Good news for a certain little lady and her adorable family!

Do you read Daily Doily? How about Harper's Happenings? Pop over and say hi!

Healthy lemon-coconut-cheesecake bites. These look really good.

And on the subject of dessert-delicious-ness, how about some baked hot chocolate?

Here are a few new-to-me blogs worth checking out- I've been finding some great ones via all of your lovely comments and it's really neat to pop over and see what you guys are all up to! One and two!

And finally, two favorite blogs: a new fave- The Vegan Housewives! And an old fave- Flowerchild Dwelling.

Happy weekend!

Replying to comments...good news!

2012-01-18T23:56:00.002-07:00

I'm probably very late to this party but my friend Katie informed me this evening that Blogger made some updates and now allows us to respond to comments individually! This is huge, because I often feel like the biggest jerk for not being able to reply directly, and sometimes I'm not sure if people even go back and look in the comments for the answer. Now I can respond to anything and everything right here. Awesome, right? I'm really excited, and even more so because it reminds me a lot of my beloved Livejournal. It took me a second to figure out how to get the "reply" option, but after some trial and error I now know that you have to have your comments embedded, as shown in the screen shot I just took below (click to enlarge).

Welcome to the modern world, Blogger!

Hi!

2012-01-18T10:19:00.006-07:00

currently reading: Steve Martin's memoir "Born Standing Up." Good stuff.

I just wanted to say hi. I kind of feel like sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the features and the weekly posts and the this and the that...so I thought I would just ramble and write for a little while. Henry is napping (more on this in a bit) and I'm taking a little break from checking things off my to-do list to just sit here for a moment. Yesterday was a busy day so it's nice to take it slow this morning and get everything done. We woke up a little early yesterday and went to a bootcamp style "Pump Iron" class at the Y (I'm feeling it this morning), then Henry and I headed over to the library for story time with our Mom/baby friends. I've talked about it before but every Tuesday our library puts on a fun morning full of books and interactive songs and games. We've been going since he was just a tiny baby, but are only able to make it on and off whenever I decide to push Henry's normal 9:30ish nap back. However, now that he's down to one nap a day we can go every week. Or so I thought! After trying it out, I really think that one nap a day is not good for H. He's just so cranky and I feel like he isn't getting as much sleep as he'd like. Each morning we've done the one nap, Henry will just lay down on the floor around 10am like he wants to go to sleep! He'll get insanely cranky and show all of his typical "I'm really, really tired Mom" signs. I thought I'd give it a few days to see if he'd ease into it but I decided to switch us back today. He went down for that first nap immediately so I know it's the right thing. So, goodbye to all of the mid-morning activities I dreamed of us attending. ha. It's okay though, I'm just happy that he will be happier.

Oh! I suppose I should talk a little bit more about this sugar-free thing I'm doing. Today is day five and I'm going strong. I asked Hank this morning to be sure, but yes, my face is definitely clearing up. My right side is almost totally clear and although my left side is not perfect, I feel like everything is healing. I'm really happy. I imagine that in a few more weeks I should see even better improvements. And although it's been less than a week, I'm sleeping so much better. Last night I went to bed a little after 10 and woke up at 7:30. Pretty good considering since having Henry I am the lightest sleeper in the world. I am missing sugar a bit though, and yesterday I had a strong craving for some brownies (damn you Pinterest!), but other than that it hasn't been a big deal. I am a little surprised though that I haven't seen my hungry-raving-bitch side come out while doing this. A few years ago I tried to do a detox of sorts and I was pretty much intolerable by my own admission. I really, really like food and I'm one of those people that get totally irritable (see also: rude, easily annoyed, cranky) if I don't eat. Although I think in this case I can pretty much eat whatever I want, besides sugar. There are tons of choices so at least if I'm hungry I can go snack on some lettuce...or something. ;)

The only thing I am a little conflicted about is my upcoming trip to San Francisco. We're visiting a friend who makes sweets for a living, and I'd love to indulge and enjoy his creations. I'm teetering between feeling that I should just stick with my plan and then feeling like I need to live my life. Ugh, I don't know. I feel like maybe I can try some things but not go crazy? But then don't think it would really worth it and that I should finish the 6 weeks perfectly sugar-free. So I don't know. Welcome to the craziness that is my over-thinking mind. And I also realize that if my biggest problem is contemplating eating some gelato then life is pretty good at the moment. Thankful for that.

Soo, other than the great sugar blackout (white out?) of 2012 life is trucking along. Things I've learned this week: avoid Pinterest food boards for the next 5 weeks (especially any sort of dessert recipe), some Moms are just really rude and are unfortunately raising equally rude children (observations while at storytime), and I LOVE LEMON LARABARS (because I miss them so much).

So how about you- how are you doing?
xoxo

Tattoo Tuesday V.105

2012-01-17T13:03:00.001-07:00

Name and blog name: Becky MacKeigan. I never update my blog but I'm here: http://www.facebook.com/BeckyMacKeigan. My website is www.beckz.ca. And you can find me on instagram @beckzmaru
Age: 30
Occupation: Tattoo Artist who also paints
Age of first tattoo: 24, Haida scorpion/eagle on the back of my arm
Favorite tattoo: either my sailor girl or my chest piece, I can't really choose
Featured tattoo/location: My chest piece
Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Travis Driscoll when he was at Sin On Skin here in Halifax, Nova Scotia (he is now at MTL Tattoo in Montreal)

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning?

I got a paper mache sugar skull from the boardwalk in Venice Beach, Ca and named him Pierre (he looks french). I have always loved sugar skulls and what they represented and I know they are overdone as tattoos but I needed him tattooed on me. Pierre was with me for the remainder of my time in California and sat front and centre at the windshield of a '68 VW bus as I made my way home driving north and across Canada back to Nova Scotia. He has since come along on many road trips to see bands (NYC, even back to Calgary/Montreal/Toronto, etc) and has seen more then a lot of people I know, and he just represents my wanderlust and the good times I've had while 'on the road'. And now he sits front and centre with me no matter what :) There are flowers on either side of him, marigolds and bird of paradise flowers. The marigolds are the traditional Dia de los Muertos flowers and I just fell in love with the bird of paradise flower so wanted those in there too, plus they help balance it.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

I have a Haida/west coast native art inspired scorpion on the back of my arm.. and if you look closely you can see an eagle in the design. I didn't think of getting any more done there but afterwards wanted a more fuller looking arm. So after I started my apprenticeship my boss (Mike LeBlanc now at Ink Nation in Courtenay, BC) and I came up with a stormy rainforest scene because I wasn't sure what else would go with the style, so a beautiful nature scene seemed fitting. The main focus is a raven who is sort of for my dad as a joke and also sort of for my fiancé haha. I stand with my arms crossed/folded all the time so it's cool to have him sitting right there. I suppose you could say overall the whole 1/2 sleeve is for the time I spent living in British Columbia but it isn't really… I just like it!

I have a 'practice' leg on the go that I did one of my very first tattoos on (4th to be exact)… I drew up some girls, each a queen of a different card suit with a bird. I wanted the queen of spades with a crow but someone else called dibs so I gave myself the queen of clubs with an owl. I love owls anyway so I don't mind having one on me one bit. I was sketching at work one day and drew up a coffin with wings and a keyhole cause it just looked 'tattoo-y' and threw in some tiny roses and put that on my leg for practice early on too. It would sound weird/bad if I said that was for my mom… but she has always said about me, "She has wings" cause I've always done my own thing.. so it's cool cause it reminds me of that. The only piece on that leg I didn't do is my Bacon tattoo, the shop owner of the place I am now at (Dr. J, Permanent Ink, Halifax NS) gave me that one and now I am randomly called "Bacon", even by some clients. Who doesn't love bacon?!

I also have a traditional looking sailor girl on my left leg that I did myself. As symmetrical and OCD as I am, it was weird to put something on my left side. But my fiancé deployed for 6 months with the navy right after he proposed to me which sucked so on a slow work day I just had a sudden urge to put this beautiful tattoo on me for him/us and couldn't really do it well on myself anywhere else. So there it went, and I love it so much!

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Absolutely… It's actually driving me nuts I haven't been getting any! People leave the shop everyday with new work done and I'm jealous haha! I basically want my whole back done with sort of a kitschy Americana theme including a 1950's waitress pin up and lots of Route 66 inspired stuff. I am so nostalgic for that era. It's been floating in my head forever, and kind of hard to get all down on paper. I even had a couple of other tattoo artists turn me down because I'm very anal and picky about what I want. (But at least I can relate to my clients when they want their stencil moved a millimetre 5 times in a row! It's on you for life so get it right, right?)
My next one which is way more doable is going to be a teapot and stacked teacups because tea has to be one of my most favourite things and I love all the decorative mugs, teacups, and teapots. I've never been really girly so this might help me out? It's going to go on my super bare left upper arm. (on that note, I love your Two for Tea tattoo Danielle!) editor's note: thanks lady!
I also want an old wood cookstove with some pumpkins maybe (for my sister), something harvesty with that one… autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. And I feel like I need a mounted deer head? And a realistic elephant, or maybe numerous elephants stampeding. Oh, and I want a tattoo of a piece of apple pie with cheese on top. So yes.. I have plans for many more!

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

Well pretty much all of my friends who are in to tattoos helped me out big time while I was apprenticing and let me work on them. I still work on a lot of them and they send me lots of business. I have some pretty heavily covered friends and some friends with only one or none at all, and everyone that matters knows what I do, and what I look like and are cool with it. My parents/family have always supported me and are pretty laid back about whatever I've wanted to do whether it was going to art school, moving across the country or tattooing. I've even tattooed my mom 5 times (and she wants more)! My dad is the black sheep with none and he just laughs and shakes his head at us. I work on my sister, she has a few big pieces and I am covering her husband: I finished his sleeve & 1/2 chest. Started his other sleeve and started his full back piece. My fiancé has two full sleeves and I love them. Well I've been working on one of them so maybe I'm biased, it's still in progress… but it's all old school sailor jerry flash perfect for my sailor:) We only cover up when we're around his grandparents because they are older and religious and set with their opinions and we respect that. They are pretty awesome, so I really don't mind.

I don't find I run into any adversity but I do get looks from people obviously. I find people mostly look at my leg tattoos if I have a dress or shorts on… I find it really strange because I forget that they're even there. I did, however, have a lady pull on the front of my tank top once in a coffee shop to see my chest piece. It was super weird and awkward and what was even worse she thought it was a teletubby?? I've had people ask if it was a clown, but never a teletubby. Who knows!

5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos?

Most interesting experience might have been the chest peeker at the coffee shop. But there is a funny thing I notice that happens almost daily in regards to our tattoo appearances. There is a little old lady who walks her beagle by our shop everyday. She looks in and gives my boss the dirtiest looks! He's a big stereotypical biker guy completely covered with old tattoos and about as harmless as a kitten. Now this very same old lady smiles, and nods and waves at me and our very visibly tattooed shop counter girl. If the door is open she even chats to us as we pet her dog. It's just so funny she has her mind made up about one tattooed person but is sweet as pie to us girls!

6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

Here is a little story I tell a lot. When I was 16 my mom took me to get my first tattoo. I was filling out the paperwork and when they saw I was 16 they said "No." Me, being 16 at the time and a little brat, complained and explained my mom was sitting right there and she was letting me. They still said "No" and explained that they weren't comfortable tattooing someone that age as some people may not be mature enough to make that kind of permanent decision yet and that I may not really know what I want at that age and my body could still be growing/changing. They were right, I didn't know or cared about what I was going to get. I just wanted "a tattoo". I remember it was a little frog with squiggly legs… and boy am I so grateful they didn't tattoo it on me… because it would be covered up right now! (funny side story- my mom ended up taking my appointment that day and I was so angry! I have since covered that up for her though mwaha).

I have a lottttt of friends who got tattoos at a very young age and I've covered up so, so, so many of them. So I now get to feel old and tell teenagers that I was in their shoes once. So please really think about what you are getting, make it count. We don't have a piece of generic flash in our shop with hopes of giving people a more meaningful personal custom tattoo. Check portfolios so you know what you are getting! Even if someone is sent in to see me, I still offer up my portfolio for them to look at. And if you live in an area that does not have regulations or standards (there are none here in Nova Scotia -although a bill just passed and we are on our way thankfully) then make sure the artist has some health and safety background in body modification because there is a lot more to tattooing then just pretty pictures. I take a blood borne pathogens course every year and display my certificate in my station for all to see. Don't be a 'tire-kicker'. I understand it can get expensive but do you really want to get the best 'deal' on something like a tattoo? If you are price-shopping then do it discreetly haha! We've even had people come in after getting their $40 sweet deal from a friends basement and brag! "How much would you charge for this? I only paid $40!" ….. yes, yes you did.

Any other advice would be to eat beforehand, and don't let the anticipation freak you out. 99% of the time after I start on a first-timer… their first reaction is, "oh, that's it?" Obviously this depends on where it is going, but I believe for the most part getting tattooed is more annoying then painful. And speaking of pain… I believe you should suck it up, and get the tattoo where you really want it, and don't just put it somewhere because you think it will hurt less. It will only feel crappy for the duration of the tattoo and you will have the tattoo a lifetime so put it where you would like to have it!

Advertise on Sometimes Sweet in February!

2012-01-16T10:00:00.004-07:00

A lot of my spots for February are already being reserved, so I thought I would make a quick post letting you all know that I am currently accepting advertisers for next month. There are tons of fun things coming up for Sometimes Sweet, and I'd love to help you grow you blog, shop, or website via this blog. Placing an ad on this site works, and many of my sponsors renew their spots for months at a time.

If you're interested, check out my sponsor page and then send me an email if you'd like to grab a spot before they're all full. I'd love to have you.

xoxo

My 1st Visit to the Naturopath

2012-01-15T22:22:00.002-07:00

source

After talking about it for what seems like years, I finally had my first visit to a naturopath this past Friday. I've always been interested in natural medicine but for some reason or another I hesitated when actually finding one in our area. I finally decided to go through with it though, after feeling unbalanced and out of wack over the past couple of months. Since having Henry my usually clear skin has been horrible- acne on my face, eczema on my forearms, and my scalp has been super dry. I actually went and visited my regular dermatologist when I stopped breastfeeding a couple of months ago and he prescribed me acne medication. I saw a small improvement, and when I went to my follow up appointment last week he said I needed to go on antibiotics. Now, I am not opposed to medicine whatsoever- I do believe in "regular" doctors, we choose to vaccinate Henry (on a slow schedule, but we still do it), and even though I try and avoid taking medicine whenever possible, if it is needed, I'll take it. But with that said, I prefer to go the natural route whenever possible. So when my dermatologist prescribed antibiotics I got a little uncomfortable. My skin has been so bad lately that I felt like taking anitbiotics wouldn't get at the real problem or fix it long term...only mask it. But I took the prescription home, and with my Mom and Hank's encouragement made my first appointment at the naturopath's.

On Friday afternoon I headed to my appointment feeling a little nervous. I had no idea what to expect, and although the doctor came highly recommended by quite a few friends, it was still a bit scary. When I got there they had me fill out the expected paperwork but unlike most doctor's offices I'd been to, this paperwork included lots of open ended questions and even a timeline to record significant events in my life. Very cool.

I waited for less than 5 minutes in the room, and once the doctor came in I immediately felt at ease. She was AWESOME. All caps awesome. We talked for an hour about everything- my history, my health, my issues, what I hoped to gain from the visit. She really, really listened. She asked questions and made me feel so comfortable. It was like talking to a friend, but a friend who knew everything about everything and wanted to help me feel better. It was truly the best experience I have ever had at a doctor's office.

She prescribed me a couple of things- sepia drops (10 drops under my tongue for 7 days), a homeopathic cream called pharMAX heal (it's actually a trans-dermal wound healing cream but it's already almost cleared up my rash in TWO days!) for the eczema, and most notably, a sugar-elimination diet. My Mom is extemely healthy and into naturopathy so thanks to her I knew there was a good chance the doctor would recommend this to me. My Mom had actually told me the same thing months earlier, but I chose to ignore it because it's quite hard to cut out all sugar and frankly, I didn't want to. It's no fun, and we're not just talking about cupcakes and candy- it means all sugars- fruits, carbs like bread and pasta, potatoes, processed foods, etc. Although I don't eat a lot of sweets, the real problem was all of the other kinds of sugar I was consuming without even realizing it. So much fruit, so many carbs that turned to sugar in my body, you name it. And it's not that fruit is bad- but my body has been having a hard time with any sugar, so cutting it out during these 6 weeks would be important.

Overall it's not terribly hard to follow this diet because it's actually pretty similar to how I normally eat, just with a few changes. The main thing I've noticed (and missed) is fruit, and all of the processed "healthy" treats I find myself eating daily- Larabars, mini Luna bars, little 100 calorie packs of cookies from Trader Joe's, dark chocolate...all of the good stuff. But the things I can eat are good too- lots of whole foods like produce, lean proteins, and nuts- and of course tons of water. I never, ever drink soda, but I'd imagine if someone was into soda this diet could be a little more difficult. But as far as what I've been eating, today I enjoyed lots of different types of food from an avocado to a sweet potato and broccoli, to Greek yogurt with almonds. And I know it's probably in my head but I already feel so much better.

I'm motivated to stick to it, and I'm curious to see how my skin clears up over the next few weeks. I have a feeling that the benefits will extend far beyond just my skin though, and I'm excited to just feel even healthier overall!

I encourage any of you who have been thinking of checking out a natural doctor to do so. I feel really empowered by taking my health into my own hands, and I am still glowing from my awesome experience. I'll keep you all posted on my progress, too! :)

Good Old Snail Mail

2012-01-15T18:56:00.002-07:00

via

When I was 14 my Dad's job was transferred to Arizona, and my family and I found ourselves being uprooted from our small town in New Jersey to a suburb of Phoenix. Even at that often-tumultuous age I didn't mind moving too much- I was extremely outgoing and I actually looked forward to meeting new people. I did, however, miss my childhood pals terribly. I had been born and raised in the same place, the same home, and had deep roots where I grew up. Luckily though it was the 90s, and although email was beginning to take off, my friends and I still preferred good old snail mail to keep in touch. For the first few years of my Arizona life my girlfriends and I mailed hundreds of letters back and forth. I still have most of them in a huge box. Sometimes when I'm at my parents' I get that box out and sift through them. If you were to join me you'd see pages upon pages of carefully crafted 14-year old penmanship, i's dotted with hearts, tons of "LYLAS" and "SWAK," and stickers. Lots of stickers.

I can still remember waiting for the mail to come every single day, and when I saw brightly colored, probably Lisa Frank stationary sticking out through the pile my Mom would bring inside, my heart would jump in my chest.

Now a days though, mail is mainly full of bills, junk, or strange catalogs for ill-fitting women's clothing I'll never buy. On some fabulous days we receive packages, and on even more special days there will be a card or a letter from someone I love.

I'm lucky enough to know quite a few ladies who pride themselves on using the postal service. They are pen pal extraordinaires and work at keeping the art of letter-writing alive. I am not so good at it, but every so often I'll send a letter off to a friend and I get so excited thinking about how excited they'll probably get, getting real mail.

I thought it would be fun to encourage all of you to go get some pretty stationary, your favorite pen, and write a few letters to people you care about. I guarantee you that a handwritten letter will probably make your Grandma's day, as I'm sure in her lifetime she's seen the sad decline of letters coming to her mailbox. Mail something off to a faraway friend just to say hello or send a letter to an old teacher letting them know how much they impacted you. Real, handwritten letters mean so much more than an email, and I am willing to bet that your recipient's day will be made.

So, let's all promise to write three handwritten letters this upcoming week! In the comments below, tell me who you are going to write your three letters to...and if you comment and commit, you must follow through! ;) Are you in?

Weekend Links

2012-01-14T19:56:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone! I sure hope you're having a great Saturday. It's been a good one for us. We went out this morning and ran some errands, and then I spent the afternoon at the gym while Henry napped. We just put him back down for the night, so I thought I'd take a moment and finish this post up- I'm also working on something about my visit to the naturopath yesterday (I loved her!), so look for that soon too.

Here are some links to check out. Happy weekend!

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I can't even tell you how excited Hank and I are for that movie right up there! Yes!

What an inspiring read! I'm still sad I missed the deadline to submit...but maybe she'll do it again sometime! ;)

I've been enjoying reading back through this blog. Its just really interesting and a great read. I linked to you to a particular post I just read, but be sure to visit the whole thing too.

Oh, Meryl!

If you are a mama, read this post! What an amazing (and time-consuming) project to do for your child. The finished product is just too cool.

I love Kate's post about creating the perfect care package!

This is great- a tutorial on how to make your own personalized board book for kiddos. Henry would love it.

One of my lovely sponsors Dejavu, is offering Sometimes Sweet readers 30% off their super cute clothing and accessories this month. Simply use the code "sometimessweet." Thanks Dejavu!

What a pretty video, all about books.

I loved Krista's round up of organizational inspiration! Awesome.

Henry needs a teepee, and the one Jen made for her little Rowan is just great.

Homemade beauty treatments rule and Jess' looks like something I'd want to try.'

This wallpaper! Amazing! Thank you Adriana.

What a beautiful film.

I really adore Jess and her little family. I think you will too!

Loving this knit cowl, this ring, and all of Justine's photography on her blog . Don't I have some talented ladies as sponsors this month? Blows me away.

43 pizza recipes via the one and only Martha! Need I say more?

We've been meal-planning like crazy and I love to read other bloggers' adventures with it too. And check out that cute meal-planning pad. I need it!

And finally, some blogs I've been enjoying: one, two and three!

A Little Update!

2012-01-12T20:48:00.002-07:00

It's Thursday, Hank is home from his business trip, and all is well in the world. Kind of. Today while half walking/half running, Henry fell and hit his mouth. I was almost able to grab him before he hit but I didn't make it in time and he now has an upper lip that rivals Angelina Jolie's. Poor baby. It's horrible to see your little one in pain, and I feel terrible that it happened. From what my Mom friends tell me though it's only the beginning with a little boy (or really any rambunctious toddler).

Outside of Henry's tumble it was a pretty good day though. Miss Madeline got a bath and nail clip and I watched an entire episode of Teen Mom without crying. Or throwing anything at the television. Yes!

Some awesome things going on in my world right now:

1) Transitioning Henry from two naps to one. Before he was napping from 9am-11am and again 2pm-4pm. That's a lot of sleep but more recently the two hour naps were becoming shorter and shorter, and he was getting increasingly harder to get down for that early nap. It was also a little difficult because all of the fun baby stuff (story time at the library, Mommy and Me, our playgroup) happened during that first nap. I usually would just push it and still go, but that was never fun in the end. So, for reasons beneficial to both of us, I decided to make the switch. I think it was the right choice though, because for the past few days he's been sleeping 12pm-3pm.

2) My appointment with a naturopath tomorrow. Since having Henry my body has been all wacky. My skin is not at its best, and although I'm sure it's hormones, I just feel unbalanced. I haven't been to the actual doctor in years, and I also think it's time to get a check up. So...I took the recommendations of a few friends and tomorrow is my first visit. It's an hour long intensive appointment and I'm looking forward to seeing what she says! I'll keep you guys posted.

3) The Bachelor. First of all, I know how ridiculous it is to even include this on an "awesome things going on in my world" list. And secondly, I understand this isn't exactly quality programming...but I can't help it, I am such a Bachelor fan. I've been watching both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette for years and years and I always enjoy every episode. For the past few seasons Adie and I have spent Monday nights at my house indulging in our favorite show (and snacks and girl talk) and this season is shaping up to be a good one! So much drama! So many psychos! Let's talk about the ladies for a second- the model chick? She's the worst! And how about Blakeley? Both crazy. It's a trainwreck up in there! Do any of you watch this show? Who is your favorite so far? Mine fave is definitely Kacie, who was date #1. But really, let me know all about your opinions on the season- I'm super intrigued. And if you hate the Bachelor let me know too. ;)

I'm signing off but I'll leave you with this fun photo I put together using the Diptic app on my iPhone the other day. The first baby is me, Henry's in the middle, and Hank is on the right! I can see my facial shape in Henry but I feel like he is the spitting image of Hank! Neat, right?

xoxo

A Slice of...Providence, Rhode Island

2012-01-12T00:00:00.005-07:00

Hello! My name is Adriana of Just By Living and I will be showing you around Providence, Rhode Island, my home sweet home. I live here with my husband, a DJ and daddy blogger (check him at The Hipster Dad), my 9 year old step son, and my 1 year old son, Hendrix. I am a freelance writer and owner of the (coming soon) vintage shop Runaway Vintage. Providence is a small city, I like to call it "manageable" especially with a kiddo in tow. You get everything you would want from a big city, nightlife, restaurants, shopping, art, and culture but without the headaches of city living. Traffic is hardly ever an issue, cost of living is low, and there is a great small town feel to Providence. I love that when going for brunch at our spot (more on that later) we will run into people we know, block parties are a pretty common occurrence, and the people at the farmers market know Hendrix by his first name. It's a welcoming, warm community and we are so proud and lucky to be apart of it.

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Let's start with food.

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If you want something yummy to eat head to Julians. This is my absolute favorite spot in Prov. The food is amazing, the cocktails are great (and cheap!), and the decor is really fun. Hendrix is always fully entertained looking around pointing out his findings. It's a bit like being inside an eye spy book. The bathroom even has an enormous collection of vintage pez dispensers and old school cartoons running on repeat. Art from rotating artists hang on the walls and they have a lot of options for vegetarians and vegans.

AS220 is an artists gallery, restaurant, and event space. They specialize in vegetarian and vegan meals and everything is made from fresh ingredients right in front of you. You can sit at the counter and watch the cooks do their thing just a few feet from you.

Chez Pascal is one of the most popular restaurants in Providence and it's not surprising. The food here is exquisite. I can't really say a bad this about Chez Pascal. They have a food truck that comes to our farmers market and i usually stand in front of it, salivating, for a good ten minutes trying to make up my mind about which delish dish to try.

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Olgas Cup and Saucer is another fun spot to grab a good brunch or a coffee to go. It's right down the street from the Providence Children's Museum (more on that later) and we like to hit up Olgas before heading there for some fun.

Shopping

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Queen of Hearts is a womens clothing shop filled with indie, hip clothing designers. Next door is an adorable shoe store called Modern Love (LINK http://www.queenofheartsandmodernlove.com/). Both are highly recommended. They carry some of my favorite brands including I'm Your Present and We Love Colors.

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Rocket to Mars is a funky little vintage shop with great prices, friendly staff, and a fantastic collection of vintage goodies. They carry mens, womens, housewares, and furniture.

Craftland is an over the top craft store. When you step inside it's walls you feel like you fell down the rabbit hole. Colorful displays brimming with supplies, whimsical artwork, and crazy pinatas make up the decor.

Some other noteworthy shops include Frog & Toad for fun trinkets and gifts, for toys Creatovity and Pow Science. If you are in the mood for a day trip head to New Bedford and go vintage crazy at Calico and Circa.

Family Fun

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The Providence Children's Museum is just lovely. I can remember going as a child and loving it. They have a really cute forest themed toddler area, large water room, huge outdoor play area, and giant sized light bright.

Roger Williams Zoo is a beautiful zoo surrounded by a large park.They have everything from a carousel, to a pond with swan boats, and of course, the animals. The elephants are Henry's favorite and if you time your visit right you can catch them getting their daily bath.

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The Museum of Art at The Rhode Island School of Design is stunning. They have a family fun day on Sundays where you pay only a donation of your choice and man times on the weekends they will have activities for children to get them involved in the exhibits.

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Providence is filled with playgrounds, splash pads, and parks. It seems like there is one on every corner. For a list and more info on some of my favorite parks head HERE.

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If you are looking for some nightlife you can head the dubstep night called DGAF on Saturdays, Shake for indie music on wednesday, and the monthly night Flipside on the second Friday of every month.

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Rhode Island is a small (the smallest to be exact) state but it is filled with culture, beaches, activities, and restaurants. Rhode Island boats so many fun little towns for day trips. My favorite is Newport, RI. It is a seaside getaway most famous for being popular with the rich and famous of the 1920's You can take tours of many of the Newport Mansions. They have names like "Rosecliff" and "The Breakers", overlook the sea, and make you feel like you are straight outta the book The Great Gatsby. You can head to one of the many beaches, my fav known a "1st beach" has a carousel, aquarium, and amazing views. You should stroll the cliff walk, play games at the giant arcade called Ryan's Amusement, shop on Thames Street, and dine at my favorite Newport eatery, The Salvation Cafe.

I hope you enjoyed my Slice of Providence, Rhode Island. Thanks to Dani for having me! xo.

This Week on Hello Giggles: On Making New Girlfriends

2012-01-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today I'm over on Hello Giggles discussing making new girlfriends as an adult. I've shared some tips too! Head on over and let me know what you think. xo

Blueberry Pie Baked Oatmeal!

2012-01-10T21:34:00.002-07:00

I posted a photo of my breakfast the other day on Instagram and got a lot of questions about the recipe. It's actually quite simple, and I do it two ways depending on time and ingredients. On this particular morning I made it the "long" way...but most mornings I'll do it the cheater way, which isn't really making anything at all, unless you count throwing already-made oatmeal into a bowl! ha. I also found this recipe for it that looks good as well. It just has a couple different ingredients like honey and soy milk.

But here's my super tasty recipe (I'll also show you the cheater way down below):

1 cup oatmeal (I prefer steel cut)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you can add more if you prefer your oatmeal to be less thick)
1 cup blueberries

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spray an oven-safe dish with some cooking oil, pour your oatmeal mix into it and bake for about 30 minutes or until it thickens up.

And for that super quick-store bought way-

2 packets Kashi GOLEAN Hot Hearty Honey Cinnamon Oatmeal
a huge handful of blueberries
water to achieve your desired thickness

Throw all of that into a bowl. Microwave for 2.5 minutes. Let it sit for 1. And voilà! A delicious and quick breakfast you can even bring to work with you!

Happy breakfast-ing!

Tattoo Tuesday V.104

2012-01-10T00:24:00.000-07:00

Name: Jen Ricker
Age: 27
Occupation: EDI Specialist at a footwear company
Age of first tattoo: 19
Favorite tattoo: Feather tattoo
Featured tattoo/location: Cat Saints 3/4 sleeve on my left arm
Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Katie Williams at House of Tattoo in Tacoma, WA. I live in Seattle where there are tons of tattoo shops, but I drive 45 minutes to see Katie because I love her so much!

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning?

A few years ago I decided I wanted to get tattoos of my two cats, but I didn't want to just get their portraits. I thought for several months on how I could do something fun and came up with the idea to turn my cats into saints. Religious icons are popular tattoo subjects, and while I am not religious I find the artwork beautiful and interesting. I did some research on different saints and chose the Virgin Mary and Saint Francis of Assisi. My cat Uma is depicted as the Virgin Mary, and her baby Jesus is a pink beanie baby cat that she's been carrying around and loving since she was a kitten. My cat Dumbles is depicted as Saint Francis of Assisi with his little paws reaching up for birds.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

I also have a dad tattoo and a feather on my left arm. On my right arm I have a good luck cat, a Dia de los Muertos cat, gypsy cat, mom tattoo, jack-o-lantern tattoo for my sister who was born on Halloween, a tea cup, and a bunch of vines. I have flowers with script on each shoulder, the word legendary across my wrists, a key and a diamond on my fingers, pin-up up girls on my stomach, and paw prints behind my ears. On my legs I have tokidoki characters just below my knees, and on my lower legs I have a bunch of sanrio stuff.

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Yes, I do. I've always gotten bright colorful stuff because my skin is so pale and takes color really well, but ever since my feather tattoo I've wanted more black and gray.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

My family is fine with my tattoos. At first they weren't too happy, but they quickly warmed up to my tattoos, especially since I kept getting more. When I first met my husband he only had one tattoo, but has gotten several more since, and plans on getting more in the future. We got matching feather tattoos together, and it's my favorite one. All of my friends are fine with my tattoos, and some are heavily tattooed themselves.

I've never ran into any adversity because of my tattoos. I have a job where it's important to look professional, and no one even knew I had tattoos until I had already worked there for a year, and finally told everyone. Once they saw them they loved them and even used me in a few footwear ads than ran in a footwear magazine, catalog covers, and banners displayed at conventions. Random people have given me some weird looks, and strangers will sometimes make comments and that can be annoying at times, but there's not much you can do about it. I find that even if someone doesn't like the idea or look of tattoos they eventually warm up to it once they get to know you better.

5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos?

One interesting experience was going to San Diego Comic-Con and having people ask to take photos with me or of my tattoos. It happened several times both years that I went. Tattoos are so popular now and so many people have them that I found it very interesting that people were asking to take photos with me when others are walking around in super elaborate costumes.

6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

My advice is to find an artist that you really like who does solid work AND who you like as a person. If an artist is a jerk towards you, they probably aren't going to put the time or effort into giving you their best work. There are tons of awesome tattoo artists out there, you don't have to settle. It's also important to not just try to find the best deal, usually that just ends up in a crappy tattoo. Get tattoos of things you like, not just what is trendy at the time. I have six cat tattoos. That's probably not something a lot of other people would do, but I really like cats so it works for me.

3 Ways to Get Motivated Today

2012-01-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

nike.com

If you're anything like me, with the new year usually comes a new resolve to get moving and get healthy. I'm not sure if it's a subconscious thing, due to all of the new year, new body talk, gym membership price-slashing, or just the habit of making resolutions, but even if I'm on top of my fitness routine I still get the urge to step it up. I know I love fresh starts and all of the implications of a brand new 12 months on the calendar, but I think it's important to move beyond feeling like you have one shot to make and keep goals. Resolutions are great, but I think with fitness and health it's important to acknowledge that the opportunity to change and move forward is always there. I think it's great to see a new year as a clean slate, but I think along with that mindset sometimes comes a certain attitude about failure. If you're making a big change in your life (or even small ones), there are bound to be missteps along the way. Let's say you got into a funk and didn't work out for a month...rather than get down on yourself, simply decide to change now. Being negative only perpetuates that downward cycle. Instead, recognize that you want to change, and make that change this very second. Not tomorrow morning, not when you have time, not on Monday. Make the choice now- choose a healthy lunch, a walk around your neighborhood, and get back on track. It's so easy to fall into the trap of putting it off again and again and again, and like the saying goes, if not now, when?

So here are 3 little bits of inspirations to get you moving today.

1. Make a new workout playlist. Nothing is more inspiring to me than having brand new songs to listen to at the gym. I've recently been turned onto Spotify and I love it. For ten dollars a month you can make unlimited playlists to listen to on or offline, no ads, no skipping-song limits...it's awesome. There's a free version too, but I like it so much I had to upgrade. It's worth it to me though- every time I walk into the gym I look forward to listening to new music or old favorites. It's incredibly inspiring and makes my time working out not only more productive, but more fun too. I mainly workout to rap and hip hop, but sometimes I'll throw some other things in there to mix it up- and feel free to find me on Spotify- I have a huge workout playlist going.

2. Visualize. I've talked about this many times before, but seriously, just take a moment and imagine yourself walking out of the gym, done with your workout for the day! This morning when my alarm went off at 4:45am I just stayed in bed for a moment, positively dreading stepping even one foot onto the ground. But I knew that if I didn't go, when Henry woke up at 7:30 I would be so upset with myself that I didn't take advantage of this wide-open "me" time. I remembered how great I would feel leaving the gym, sweaty and proud of myself. I know I'd be happier and more productive throughout the day knowing that my workout was done, and I reminded myself that I'd be able to just enjoy hanging out later tonight rather than using that time to fit in a workout. So I dragged myself out of bed and went. And now I sit here typing this as Henry naps, and I feel both proud of myself and excited for tomorrow morning's workout. And you don't have to go to the gym either- take a walk outside, pop in an exercise dvd (see some of my favorites here), or do some yoga. The more you get moving, the easier it gets.

3. Do it for you. Really think about the fact that eating well and exercising regularly has such a great pay off in the long run. Making a change today results in feeling good today. You'll sleep better, you'll look better, and you'll probably be happier too. Show your body respect in the choices you make with food and exercise, try to get outside as much as possible, and make it a point to do something active everyday. When I feel like I'm too tired and lazy to go to the gym, I remind myself that I'll feel even more sluggish if I don't go. If I feel like I just want to sleep in in the mornings, I tell myself that I can go to bed a little earlier tonight so tomorrow morning will be easier. It's not always easy, but on the hard days when I push past my own negative talk and make good choices I feel even better knowing I overcame it.

I've talked about all of these things before, but I definitely needed a reminder this morning, so I thought I'd touch on some of it again. My wish for this new year is that we all get a little healthier and accept ourselves a little more...and all of that starts with today.

Happy getting-healthy! xoxo

Autumn's 30th Surprise Birthday Party

2012-01-08T21:47:00.002-07:00

Autumn's birthday happens to fall on Christmas Eve, so celebrating her special day often gets unintentionally pushed to the side due to a million Christmas and New Year's obligations. Not this year though! It was Autumn's big 3-0, so her husband Jason decided to throw her a huge surprise celebration. Shirley and Jason combined their forces to create day of wine tasting all around Northern Arizona...on a huge bus! It was a great time. We all met at Autumn and Jason's in the morning, then headed up north (close by to where we live actually) to visit some of the vineyards along the way. We stopped at Alcantara, which is right along the Verde River, then continued over to Arizona Stronghold and walked around downtown Cottonwood checking out some other adorable spots. We ended the day eating delicious bruschetta at the Pillsbury Wine Company.

I'm not much of a drinker so I stayed sober, but I still had the best time eating way too much cheese (it's the very best part of wine tasting in my opinion!), getting super hydrated with my 100 bottles of water and having intense conversations with my fabulously drunken friends. I love them. Our bus turned into a party bus on the two hour ride back to Scottsdale, and I think my cheeks still hurt from all the laughing and smiling I did. It was a great time, and most importantly the birthday girl had a great time! This is the 12th birthday we've celebrated together and every year it just gets better and better! We've had our crazy ones (hello 21st birthdays while attending NAU!), we've had our calm ones, but this one was right in the middle, and a pretty perfect way to usher in a new decade. Happiest birthday, Autumn Skye.

Emily in town & weekend links

2012-01-07T09:01:00.001-07:00

on a walk Thursday night

We have been spending so much time outside this week and I'm loving it. We are lucky enough to live in a community with an abundance of hiking, biking, and walking trails, so Hank, Henry, Madeline and I try to take full advantage of that whenever the weather permits. Right now we're having an unseasonable warm spell which is nice, but I know it won't last for long. We always seem to get snow in February and March, but I don't mind because it makes April's sunshine that much sweeter.

Yesterday was a great day. One of my dearest friends was in town from NYC and we got to spend the morning together at my house, and then had lunch with her family at Hugo's. Emily and I have been friends for close to a decade now, and I love her with every bit of my heart. We've been through so much together, and every time I see her I end up crying when we leave because it's never enough time. Today was wonderful though and we spent much of it catching up on our lives and all the crazy wonderful things that have happened since we last saw each other.

I hope all of you had a great week. Here are some links to explore when you get a moment! xoxo

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20 Resolutions for 20-somethings. I love this. Thanks Traci!

This song is perfection to me. Thank you so much to one of my favorite bloggers Dena for sharing it.

Turn your Instagram photos into a photo strip! Check out the tutorial.

I absolutely loved this article about "unmet expectations" over on Tiny Buddha. I found it really helpful actually- definitely a must-read.

I enjoyed reading about Katie's goals for 2012. She's such a gem.

50 rules for Dads of Daughters. We don't have a daughter, but being a daughter myself this definitely made me tear up.

Head over to Carly's blog to participate in her fun new project. And while you're at it, stay awhile. I'm sure you'll love her site as much as I do!

“Yes, honey, I was there, too. I was just the one taking the pictures.” If this sounds like something you can relate to, then check out these 13 Tips for Family-Self Portraits.

Is it okay to be in love with a pinboard? Because I am.

My friend Amy recently blogged a recipe for chicken kale bean soup! Sounds great.

Great post on Jen's blog about simplification.

The talented Abi has added some wonderful new items to her shop. I have my eye on that skirt, in black.

This lullaby brought me to tears. Talk about beautiful. Thanks Angela for sharing this!

In the mood for some great new music? Buy an album and help out the band over on Natalie's blog.

I adore Jessica's cute videos...and I always find a new product to try.

Hop over to Kristin's blog to see some amazing photos from India. The Taj Mahal looks absolutely fake!

Happy weekend! xo

9 to 5: Kelly, Social Worker

2012-01-05T19:43:00.002-07:00

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Like I mentioned towards the end of December, I have a handful of 9 to 5 posts (and Slice of posts too!) that I will be finishing up throughout the next few weeks. I took a bit of a break from them, but I'm excited to share some of these wonderful people and places with all of you! Today's feature is the lovely Kelly. Due to the nature of her job she can't share many work-related photos, but if you hop over to her blog you can see a lot more of the beautiful life she lives with her husband. Happy reading!

*if you are a new reader, 9 to 5 is a series highlighting women and their careers!

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Kelly, but a lot of people call me Scout. I'm 24 years old, and I blog over at The Soul Anchor. I technically have two jobs within the same company. My regular, full time job is as an Employment Specialist. Basically, I'm a social worker. I assist people with physical or developmental disabilities get a job in the community. My organization offers a lot of different services to MR/DD clients, including group home or supportive living assistance to people who cannot live independently. I also work for my organization in the evenings and weekends as a direct support staff and assist clients in their homes with their daily living needs.

When I'm not working, I'm a youth group leader at a local church and I hang out with high schoolers on Saturday nights and try to invest in their lives and interests (which normally means talking about how to handle crappy teachers or boyfriend issues!). I'm also a wife to my partner, Vincent, who also works in direct care for people with disabilities in a different organization nearby. I'm a Midwestern girl with all my heart. My home is in southwestern Michigan, about 90 minutes from Chicago and very close to the Michigan/Indiana border. I absolutely love the "Michiana" area, and I'm blessed by the community of people here. In the free time that I have, I love to go to farmer's markets, the local parks, community festivals and events, and spend time appreciating nature with my husband, Vincent.

Describe a typical day at work.

From 8:00 to 4:30, I work as an Employment Specialist. I have a case load of clients that I work with and they have a broad range of abilities and diagnosis. A typical day would be setting appointments and meeting with clients to discuss places they've put in applications and where they'd like to search next, putting on mock interviews to help my clients prepare for the real thing, and helping them fill out applications. I'll also spend some time talking to local business owners or managers by just introducing myself and building a relationship with them so that hopefully, when they need to hire a new employee, they'll think of me and my clients and call us to see if we have anyone who fits their needs.

In the evenings and weekends a couple days a week, I work in the homes of our clients who need some supports because they cannot live 100% independently. This is a lot of fun but also requires a lot of respect and tenderness towards my clients. I am entering into their home and sometimes assisting them with very intimate tasks, such as toileting or taking a shower. I follow all of rules of my organization, but I try to make my clients feel as if they're in charge of their life and decisions. I'll cook dinner for my clients, help clean the apartment, go on walks with them, help with their bedtime routines, and assist in giving out medications. It's sort of like being a house mom for adults with special needs.

Did you always want to do this for a living? How did you get into this field? What kind of schooling or background did it entail?

No, I didn't always want to be in social work. Most of my life, I wanted to be a teacher, and that's what I originally started out majoring in at college. However, I found that I enjoyed sociology classes, and I really loved things like awareness, activism, and community development. Before I knew it, I found myself with a Sociology degree, and I got my first job as a case manager for children at a mental health hospital. To be a direct care tech (my moonlighting job), typically only requires a high school diploma. But to be a case manager, you have to have a Sociology, Social Work, or Psychology degree. Anything higher and you need a Masters degree and state certifications.

Is this what you hope to do for the rest of your life? If so, how do you see yourself growing in this career? If not, what else do you dream of doing?

Honestly? No, it's not. It's a good field, but it's definitely what I call a "secular ministry." I'd get paid more money as a full time waitress, and the job is very high stress with a large "burn-out" rate in the field. I'd like to return to working with children, because right now I work with adults, and that's just not where my heart lies. Truthfully, I'd like to have children and be a stay-at-home mother while raising my children. That's something that is very important to me. However, if that doesn't happen and I need to work to support myself, I'd like to either return to working as a children's case manager or perhaps return to school and go back to my original idea of becoming a teacher. However, I know I'm making a difference in the lives of people in my current job, and I consider it a great blessing to be allowed to enter into their lives and hopefully make a positive impact.

If you could tell your 17-year old self anything about your life today, what would you tell her? Is there anything you wish you would have known back then?

I would've told my teenage self not to rush and to take some time to figure out what I really wanted to do. I changed my major five times in college and it was because of my indecisiveness. I would've advised her to volunteer more, explore more careers, and also to stick to her guns. Part of why I changed my major from Education my freshman year was because I didn't want to put up with a difficult professor I knew I'd have over and over again. Little did I know, there's a lot you have to just put up with in the workforce in order to enjoy the good parts of your job. I would've encouraged her to study more and not be so influenced by friends. However... despite my 17 year old self's mistakes... things still turned out pretty much alright. This career isn't what I intended, and I hope it's not where I stay forever, but I definitely have a purpose for being here now and an opportunity to bless others and learn many lessons.

5 Things I'm Loving Today

2012-01-04T21:52:00.001-07:00

1. Glee. Okay so first of all, I have to admit that I used to think Glee was the most ridiculous thing ever, but a month ago I started watching it and I am absolutely hooked! I'm just about to start Season 3 and it's got to be one of my favorite shows ever. I adore the writing, the witty one-liners, the characters, the songs! I typically watch an episode or two a night after Henry goes to sleep, and it's definitely something I look forward to. I hope the other seasons are just as good!

2. Positive women lifting each other up! Okay cue the cheesy music (sometimes I think I should just have it constantly running on this blog...HA), but really, I love love love seeing girls supporting each other instead of cutting one another down. It makes my day. One of my goals for the new year is to be a kinder person, and this includes surrounding myself with kind people. You really are the company you keep, and I'm so tired of seeing the same girls acting the same way...30-year-olds behaving as if they are in high school. Even if I'm not being a "mean girl," standing alongside these women makes me guilty by association. And I don't want to be that kind of person, or be that kind of example for Henry. No one is perfect; we all have those judge-y thoughts that run through our heads from time to time, but I'm trying to move past that and focus on the good, and only the good. This doesn't mean living life with blinders on, but it means just keeping it real, and being kind to every person I meet, be it online or off.

3. Goodbye Michele Bachmann! Oh, happy day. Now obviously this goes against my number two item but sorry, I can't do it. Not a fan. And I should say that I'm equally unenthusiastic about a number of the other possible candidates for President too, but in my humble opinion, anyone who is so vocal about homosexuality being so terribly wrong would make a horrible leader. You can't run a country thinking that a huge portion of its population has a "sexual identity disorder." I respect everyone's' beliefs, but when it comes to someone being in a position to drastically affect lives, I can't stand behind that. Now, I know this may have half of you disagreeing with me and will probably open me up to comments about it...but that's okay! We're all different and believe in different things for different reasons, but I stand very firm in the belief that all people deserve equal rights, and I proudly support the right for people to marry whomever they choose. I know that Michele suspending her campaign doesn't change the fact that many of the other candidates have similar agendas, but after following her for awhile I've really come to dislike her as a politician, especially after watching a lot of the town hall style forums she held. Knowing that there is a slim to none chance she could be running our country puts me a little more at ease...although then I think about a few of the other candidates and I'm terrified. That's another blog for another day though.

And because this is such a public blog let me add this- comment whatever you would like on the topic, I invite and welcome differing opinions in this space, but know that I will not stand for any hateful remarks. It's a shame that I have to say that but last time I brought up my feelings about this topic I received some comments that I wouldn't have wanted my homosexual friends to see. It was mean. And those kind of comments are not welcome here!

4. Working out in the early morning. You'd think I'd learn by now but whenever the holidays roll around (or a particularly busy time) the first thing I end up doing is staying up far too late to be able to make it to the gym in the morning. So I end up going around 9 or 9:30pm, getting home at 11, and then I'm not able to relax until like 1am. I get no sleep and the cycle continues. I function best going to bed early and waking up early, and this week I'm back on track and loving. On a related note I also really enjoy those quiet moments when I get home from the gym- no one else is awake yet, it's dark outside and the house is just so still and calm. I love it.

5. The idea of turning 30 in May. This deserves a blog post all its own and will definitely get one, but I am just really excited about this birthday. Is that weird? I feel like my 30s are going to be the best decade yet and I'm really just looking forward to seeing what the future holds. This year a ton of my friends are leaving the good ole 20s so it has been on my mind a lot. I don't want a big extravagant to-do, but I would love to spend a fun evening with the people I love, toasting to my 20s and this next adventure too. Can't wait.

So those are the 5 things I'm thinking about and loving today! How about you?

xo

Tattoo Tuesday V.103

2012-01-03T00:00:00.005-07:00

Name: Cherry Dollface // YouTube - Facebook - Twitter
Age: 29
Occupation: film production
Age of first tattoo: 19
Favorite tattoo: My back piece, still in progress!
Featured tattoo/location: Chest piece-- cherries, "No Rainbows Without Rain", a boombox and a dictionary
Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: cherries and heart originally done by Jason Bradbury at Atomic Art in Portland, OR. Everything else was added and retouched by Eno at Guru Tattoo in San Diego, CA.

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning?

My favorite tattoo was a work in process over a span of 8 years. My first tattoo ever were the cherries all by themselves-- my nickname was Cherry growing up. I then added the sparkles around them and the scared heart in the center because I have a heart condition. Right before I moved to LA, I was going through a really rough time in my life so I got the quote tattooed to give me inspiration that brighter days were on the horizon. When I moved down here, Sink or Swim by Gaslight Anthem was my soundtrack and Boomboxes and Dictionaries was the song that I had on repeat as I drove from LA to Portland in a blizzard. I had the whole piece put together and finished when I was working with Eno at a shop in Venice. It is probably altogether my most meaningful piece.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

Yes! I have both arms covered with various things, I have stars filled with leopard down both legs, a coffin with bats on my stomach, I have a vintage 1950's atomic china pattern behind both ears, a lock and key on my thumbs, and "uh uh!" on the inside of my index finger. I have also just started my back piece with Eno-- it is going to be an amazing mermaid/ship piece.

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Once I finish my back, I think I am done. I don't want to be the illustrated woman! Definitely no neck or hands.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

When I started getting tattooed, there were very few heavily tattooed females and tattoos were still not socially acceptable. It was long before the days of LA Ink. Now that tattoos are more mainstream, I feel that it is less shocking to people. But when I first started, my mom cried every time she saw me, and I got stared at constantly in public. I am still very aware of them when I am in a professional setting-- I never want to be judged first by my skin, so I make sure to cover up when I am working or going on interviews. I have a boyfriend that has tattoos-- but he also only has one eye, so he gets stared at more for that. We actually play the "who are they staring at" game-- it cracks us up.

5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos?

It still blows my mind that people think that just because I have tattoos on my skin, they can touch me without my permission. It was worse when all I had was my chest-- people would come up and just start touching away. Now it is usually my arms, but it still infuriates me. It seems that because my skin is tattooed, people don't need to respect my personal bubble. You wouldn't go up to a painting in a gallery and start putting your mitts all over it. And you wouldn't start touching a person without tattoos. So keep your hands to yourself! Sheesh.

6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

I am still of the old school mind that hand and neck tattoos are earned. If you want to look heavily tattooed-- then be heavily tattooed. It always blows my mind when I see someone that looks all covered and then they take of their hoodie and just have a tattooed neck and tattooed hands. I know it is all about personal taste, so that is just my opinion. And research your tattooer-- I see so many young kids that want cheap tattoos and they end up covered in horrible work that costs more to cover up than it would have to start off with a good tattooer. Good tattoos aren't cheap, and cheap tattoos aren't good. These things are forever!

Meal-Planning

2012-01-02T00:00:00.015-07:00

When we're on top of our game, Hank and I will take Sunday night and plan out what we want to eat for dinner over the next week. This is awesome on so many levels. For one, it makes my weekly food shopping so much more focused and two, it keeps us on the same page. There are so many times when I'll want to make something for dinner only to have Hank come home and tell me he already went out for said food for lunch. This way we're organized, can look forward to delicious meals, and we have a lot of fun cooking together too. Hank takes leftovers to work, or Henry will have them for his lunch or dinner the next day, so it saves us a lot of money (and time!).

Below you'll find our plan for this next week. All of the meals are homemade outside of a few of the products that go into the meals. Tonight we'll be traveling and just end up grabbing something random when we get home, so this week is just a four-day plan.

Dinner 1 (Tuesday): Spaghetti and vegetarian meatballs w/semi-homemade sauce and garlic bread/salad
Dinner 2 (Wednesday): Bean, cheese, and veggie burritos w/guacamole
Dinner 3 (Thursday): Brown rice and veggie stirfry
Dinner 4 (Friday): Vegetarian Pot Pies (using Quorn "chicken") w/salad

From here I then break it down to a shopping list based on what we have and what we need after a simple look in the pantry and fridge. Once you make lists like this for a couple of weeks you become very aware of all of the food you have that you don't use, food you buy that goes to waste, etc. I love the mindfulness meal-planning gives me. Another bonus is that usually a couple of the days will have overlapping items and this saves money too- simply reserve enough of whatever item you'll need again and you can get two or even three meals out of it. For instance we will use many of the same vegetables in meal one, two, and three, and then again with our salads.

Here's this week's shopping list- things we need for our meals that we don't already have at home. Always be sure to check for available grocery coupons too.

veggie meatballs (you can also make your own)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
broccoli
yellow onion
cherry tomatoes
3 avocados
salad greens
block of sharp cheddar
loaf of French bread
tortillas

And that's it! We try to buy organic whenever we can, so most of our shopping is done at our local natural grocer but I'm always sure to check the ads and buy as much as I can on sale.

Do you meal-plan? If not, this is the perfect time to start! If you're interested, my friend Rachel did an informative post on how she meal plans, and it's a great read. I'll also be sharing our meal ideas throughout the week if you guys would like, so let me know if that's something you'd enjoy reading about. We usually don't cook anything super complicated or crazy, but we do keep it very healthy and typically vegan or vegetarian.

Have a great Monday!

Giveaway: Full Blog Design by Don Naylor of Adeline's Daddy Blog (CLOSED)

2012-01-01T21:28:00.004-07:00

***WINNER***

Congratulations to Brandilyn of Cats&Cardigans! I'm going to email you now! :) Thanks to all who entered, and thanks again to Don for offering such a great giveaway. Brandilyn, I'm so excited for you!

So, I have these wonderful friends- Rachel, Don, and their daughter Adeline. I adore these folks and feel lucky to be able to follow along with all of their fun happenings via Don's blog and their Instagram accounts. Isn't the internet awesome? I'm certain that one day when our little families meet we'll be fast real-life friends too. Annnnd, it just so happens that Don is also the talented fellow that did my recent (awesome) blog redesign!

I was nervous to change it up but Don blew me away with his ideas, execution and professionalism. He did exactly what he said he would do, in the timeframe he promised, and went above and beyond to make it perfect. Afterward he even made me a personalized tutorial so I could figure out how to update all of my ads myself due to the fancy columns he set up. I can't say enough great things about not just the design, but the entire experience, and I wholeheartedly recommend Don to all of you for all of you blog design needs.

You can check out his info page here. Here are some of the services Don currently offers:

• full blog makeovers and custom themes

• button & badge promo images

• business cards and postcards

• full website design

• you name it...

He's also offering some new services in 2012:

• custom domain name setup for your blog

• WordPress setup and hosting

• WordPress design including installation of Thesis customizable theme

----------

And with this new year, what's better than a new blog design, right?! And today I am so incredibly excited that Don is offering up ONE FULL BLOG REDESIGN to one lucky reader.

Here's how to enter to win a blog makeover-

1. Be a follower of Don's blog, Adeline's Daddy.

2. Leave a comment letting me know that you are indeed a follower, along with your name and email address!

That's it! Simple.

For two additional entries you can tweet (see below) or post about this giveaway, and leave up to two additional comments letting me know, along with your name and email address again.

Win a free blog design by @addydaddyblog via @danihampton and Sometimes Sweet! http://tinyurl.com/86wnuf6

So that's up to three chances to win! I'll choose a winner this Friday, January 6th. AND I'll remind you again on Friday but on the 7th Don is offering $25 off designs for a couple of days. Awesome.

Good luck to all who enter!

New Year's Weekend

2012-01-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, Arizona! After a bit of a rough morning we decided to spend Saturday afternoon at the park in my parents' neighborhood to cheer up a bit. It was a beautiful day- 77 degrees and sunny. What a New Years' Eve, right? It was a lot of fun watching Abe and Hank throw the football around (the photo of them makes me laugh) and Henry enjoyed playing in the grass since most of it up north at our house is dead due to the freezing winter conditions. I love that you can drive a short two hours one way and be in snow, and turn right around the other way and head towards heat. Pretty cool.

We spent the rest of our New Year's laying low, eating and laughing. It was the perfect way to ring in 2012! We're currently dealing with some family stuff- my Grandma isn't doing too well- so being together was great. Plus, Henry brings a smile to everyone's face. I was so tempted to wake him up at midnight for a little smooch but my responsible side won out.

Whatever you did, I hope you had the happiest of New Year's Eves! Here's to a great 2012.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

2011-12-31T23:46:00.002-07:00

image

New Year's Eve takes me back. Every year until we moved to Arizona when I was 13, my parents would pile everyone into the car and drive us up north to our best family friends' house. Both sets of our parents would go out to the Fireman's Ball to drink and dance the night away, and our trusty babysitter Betty would watch us girls. It was always the four of us- two sets of sisters: Lauren and me, Corin and Caitlyn. Corin was my age and Cait was Lauren's, and we grew up spending all of life's milestones and family vacations together. Our Moms were best friends in college, bridesmaids in each others' weddings, and after each of them started a family they all became one big group of friends along with some other couples and their kids too. It's neat to look back at all the fun we had, and New Year's Eve was always such a fun night that we looked forward to all year. In typical fashion once our parents left we'd indulge in a million appetizers our Moms would set out, we'd eat yummy cake and German sweets (thanks to Aunt Marita) and drink soda. We'd giggle and run around the house, get into the The Twilight Zone marathon, and at midnight we'd watch the ball drop and toast with our little cups of sparkling cider. Sweet, elderly Betty would somehow round us up and get us into bed, but we'd never sleep. This was always a late night for our parents, so for the next couple of hours we'd have "sister wars," playing pranks on Lauren and Cait, they'd spy on us, send little notes under the doors, and try to avoid Betty coming back down the hallway telling us to go to sleep! We'd always make up little missions for each other- "sneak down the hallway and grab a piece of chocolate cake without Betty noticing." Oh, we were rebels! haha. Then sometime around 2am our parents would come home, we'd pretend to be asleep, then pretend to wake up so we could snack on some of the yummy treats they'd bring home for us. It was so magical.

Nowadays New Year's Eve means family for us. This year we planned on having a few friends over to celebrate, but we ended up coming down to Phoenix to spend it with my parents, sister and brother-in-law. I'm so happy to be here, and I couldn't be more ecstatic to ring in a New Year sitting in our pajamas, eating too much food, and knowing that Henry is sleeping soundly upstairs.

2011 was wonderful, and just like I said about last year, it really was the best year of my life. I feel lucky that I'm able to say that once again. I think this past year was more about personal growth than anything. As I expected this first full year of being a Mom was so transformative; I feel like so much has changed. Having a baby has a way or re-prioritizing everything in your world. Insignificant things that were once important seem to fall away, and life begins to simplify a bit as your focus narrows. That was 2011 for me.

I am looking forward to so much in these next 12 months. I love the New Year and think any sort of fresh start is inspiring. Yes, tomorrow is just another day, but it still is a fun symbol of starting anew. I'm not making specific resolutions but I am focusing on a few different areas of my life, and I'm excited to keep making headway on those things.

2011, you've been good to us. We continued adjusting to our new role as parents, my sister got married, we had an AZ blogger meetup, and I attended some great concerts and shows. I had a lot of fun girls' nights (like this one and this one), I started writing for Hello Giggles, I began the last year of my 20s, started Henry in swim class, celebrated his first 4th of July, and took a 2-week vacation all around the East Coast.

I traveled to California to celebrate Shirley's bachelorette weekend, took fun family day trips like this one to Flagstaff, my best friend Sarah got married- I was her Maid of Honor, and we celebrated the beginning of Arizona's centennial. I also got my blog redesigned, visited Las Vegas with my little family, and later took an amazing trip back with some of my favorite ladies, and was a bridesmaid in sweet Shirley's wedding too.

Henry visited his first pumpkin patch, took part in his first Halloween festival downtown, and we happily celebrated his first Halloween. Our little guy turned one, we had a fun party for him, and we had two family photo sessions with our friend Christina. We ended the year celebrating Christmas with a light parade, a fun girly sleepover, and spending time with family.

It's awesome to look back, and then to think ahead and imagine what great things this next year has in store for us. Thank you once again, from the bottom of my heart, for reading along with all 558 of my posts this year (wow!). I love you guys.

Happy New Year!

Weekend links

2011-12-30T23:38:00.002-07:00

flashback Friday: Madeline and me, two years ago

Happy weekend everyone! I'll be back tomorrow with a little New Year's post, but until then here are some links to explore. Enjoy!

If you click ONE thing in this post, click this link to read about 30 things to stop doing to yourself now. I love this.

The top 12 vegan recipes on Oh She Glows. Awesome!

How adorable would this necklace be for a newlywed, or even at a bridal shower (or even now...hint, hint!).

A list of 'Pay It Forward' ideas. Super inspiring.

After reading her post about getting fit in 2012, I am sending Krista a huge internet high-five.

Are you in the market for a new day planner for 2012? Check out this post.

My friend Casey sent me the sweetest gift this past week- a painting! I'll share a photo of it soon.

I'm always looking for fun ways to spice up get-togethers, so this appetizer idea is great.

Great news, Amber is blogging more.

I enjoyed reading about Michelle's 11 random things and found out we have a few very weird things in common!

True feeling versus should-be-feelings. I liked this post about accepting ourselves.

Need some NYE inspiration? Look no further than these pretty images.

The Chicago Tribune has named the best books of 2011. Are any of your favorites on there?

Etsy sponsor love: one, two, three!

Have you check out the "Sometimes Sweet" project for Funk Off yet? I think it smells pretty darn good. ;)
Loving Martha's collection of lighter New Year's party food!

One of my friends mentioned that she wanted to be less of a "yes" person in 2012. How perfect is this brooch? ;)

I posted about this two week's ago, but my buddy Jason's new site Passionfruit is launching soon! Check it out.

One of my favorite people is having another baby! I for one cannot wait to follow along. I adore Katie.

I love Carly's 2011 recap! It gets me excited to write one of my own this weekend.

This article about dealing with negative or difficult people is so on point and so what I needed to read. Maybe you'll relate too.

I'm loving Leigh-Ann's outfit here! She's adorable.

And finally, in the mood to discover a new blog? Check this one out! And this one, too! I'm loving both of them.

Happy New Year's weekend everyone!

This Week on Hello Giggles: On Being a High School English Teacher

2011-12-29T07:53:00.002-07:00

This week I'm talking about my experience being a high school English teacher, and what I learned during those six years. Head on over to Hello Giggles and check it out!

A "Good Morning" Playlist

2011-12-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday! Today is unfortunately a bit of a "sick day" at our house. Poor Henry has a cold and I'm starting to feel pretty under the weather myself. There's nothing worse than being sick right along side your baby, but I am thankful we made it through Christmas before feeling it. Send healthy thoughts our way please! But sickness aside, the week after a holiday is always a little slower than normal. I don't drink caffeine so when I need a little pick-me-up in the morning I turn to good music to get me going. Below are some of my current favorite songs to get my blood pumping and feet tapping. Trust me- wake up tomorrow, turn on this playlist, and start your day off with a smile (and some booty-shaking). I think you'll love it!

xoxo

Christmas!

2011-12-27T22:12:00.008-07:00

Christmas this year was great. We celebrated it three times actually since Hank has two sides to his family, and I have my one. It's pretty neat to have so many people to enjoy holidays with, although to be honest it can be a little bit overwhelming at times trying to fit it all into two days! I'm sure some of you can relate. I mean I absolutely cannot complain but I feel stressed sometimes wanting to make sure everyone gets "their" time. Overall though it was so much fun this year and I think Henry is a pretty lucky kid to have so many loving people in his life!

Hank and I exchanged gifts quietly after everyone had gone to bed Christmas Eve, and we both got each other a couple of wonderful things that were nice surprises, including a new scarf and some cold-weather running gear for me. I got him a couple of shirts and a book on coffee. Simple but great. We naturally focus more on Henry during the holidays now, and it was so much fun to watch him open his presents that next morning.

I hope whatever you did, you had a great day filled with love. I know we sure did. There so many times I kind of took a step back in awe of how wonderful the day was.

Christmas Eve- (these are just photos from my parents' visit- we actually spent the evening at Hank's Mom's and it was a ton of fun too.)

Could I be anymore festive? ;)

Christmas day (feel free to make fun of our matching pajamas!)-

Tattoo Tuesday V.102

2011-12-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

Name and blog name: Spencer Michael Jordan Kmyta, www.captainstattoo.com OR www.facebook.com/captainstattoo

Age: 22

Occupation: Tattoo Artist, Owner of Captain's Tattoo (editor's note: be sure to check out Spencer's shop and some of the photos of the interior- it's so pretty!)

Age of first tattoo: Thirteen… ish, my mom and I have had this argument for years, I remember being twelve and a half, she argues that she never would have let me get one that young, and says I was fourteen. So we'll say thirteen and play it safe.

Favorite tattoo: I'm getting a half sleeve done right now by Shawn Barber, he's a legend in the tattoo industry, primarily for his oil painting, documenting tattoos and tattoo artists from around the world in his "Tattooed Portraits" series. I'm only 2 sessions and 2 trips to Los Angeles in to the tattoo, and it's already my favourite for sure.

Featured tattoo/location: Honeymoon rose tattoo, right hand.

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: I got this tattoo by Colin Wiley of Tattoo Zoo in Victoria, BC.

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning?

I got it June 21st, 2009. I remember the date so well because it was the day after my wedding, and after what seemed like an awfully long, hung over ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria I was super excited to get it done. It's a traditional rose tattoo with "Carly" written on the banner. Carly obviously being my adoring wife (recently featured in a recent "Tattoo Tuesday"). The tattoo turned out great, and Colin is an extremely gentle artist. After the tattoo, my hand was so swollen, my knuckles were completely non existent. Super rad, super hilarious.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

I have a few tattoos…
-Rose on my right hand
-Bats on my left hand
-1970 on my left hand
-Anchor on my middle finger, lower knuckle
-Diamond on my left palm
-Alien fetus on my left forearm
-Memorial tattoo for a friend on my inside left forearm.
-Misfits tribute piece on my left bicep
-X-Ray of my skull on my right forearm
-My hands holding my first shop key to my studio, and my favourite tattoo machine on my inside right forearm
-3 Snakes and Skulls around my neck and throat
-Ramones tribute tattoo on my shoulder blade
-Metallica Tribute Tramp Stamp (I'd prefer not to talk about that one hahaha)
-Mars Attacks Alien head on my right thigh
-Black widow on my right thigh
-Large heart with "Clovis" written on the banner for my cat, on my left thigh
-Small heart on my left thigh
-Sparrow on my left thigh

That's it for now!

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Definitely, I have 2 full days booked in late January with Shawn at Memoir Tattoo in L.A., to hopefully finish my right forearm, and then begin the process of planning the upper portion!

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

Being an artist myself, I find I'm surrounded by great friends, and great family, 90% of which I have worked on and have at least 1 or 2 tattoos themselves. There's always going to be the occasional smug jerk here or there out in public who choses to believe you're a drug smuggling Hells Angel because of your tattoos, but in the end it's important to remember that when you chose to become heavily tattooed, you're choosing to put up with that. It comes with the uniform. My wife and I try our best to show those people who we really are, sometimes you can change someones point of view by doing something as simple as giving them a nice smile, or grabbing the door for them. It's a little extra work sure, but if I can have my cake and eat it too, I'm a happy guy.

5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos?

Haha, too many to count, a couple days ago I was standing outside my studio with a couple friends and clients, a cute old lady smiled at me as she walked past. Once she got about ten or fifteen steps away, she turned and held her hands at her neck, gesturing some kind of pain to her throat as she stared at my neck tattoo. She paused again, smiled, and said "I wouldn't want to be your grandmother." I smiled, and laughed awkwardly. She walked away.

6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

Yes, so much advice. Don't look for a deal, the expression is and always has been, if you're getting a great price, you're probably not getting a "great tattoo." This has exceptions of course, and I only speak to those people that I meet daily who tell me about "their buddy" who tattoos them for as long as they can sit for $20. Tattoos are permanent, but not only are they permanent, they're a permanent expression of who you are as a person. If you're a cheap person at heart who doesn't really care what you look like. Than those $20 tattoos are perfect for you. Go the extra mile, seek out an artist who charges within your budget, someone whose portfolio makes you sick with excitement every time you turn the page. Take your time, it's not realistic to get a "sleeve in one session, for cheap." I don't mean to rant, but your tattoos are an investment. Don't be cheap, take your time, don't compromise, and relax. It's not so serious, it's fun.

Oh, to be 25 again!

2011-12-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'm extending my holiday weekend for one more day to celebrate Amber Joy's 25th birthday! I'll be getting back into the swing of things tomorrow (I have so many emails to respond to and Christmas photos to share!)...but until then, I'll be wearing a party hat and toasting to Amber turning a quarter of a century. Happy birthday little lady!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

A very happy day to all of you who celebrate Christmas, and a happy day to those of you who don't too! For us, today is all about family, food, and enjoying each others' company. I also can't wait to give everyone their presents! Wherever you find yourself this Christmas, my wish for you is that you are surrounded by loved ones and have a wonderful, relaxing day. Thank you all so much for taking time out of your day and sharing in this little bit of my world. I appreciate all of you so much! Happiest holiday to you.

xoxo

Christmas at Our House

2011-12-24T12:12:00.002-07:00

Last year we had been homeowners for only two months, and Henry was just a month old, so decorating for Christmas wasn't high on our list of priorities. This year however we've had a ton of fun decking the halls and making new traditions. Every year look forward to picking out new ornaments and collecting unique items to add to our Christmas collection. Nothing is better than the holidays with a little one, and I think I am most excited for all of the fun and memories Henry will make as the years go by! I can still remember all of the holiday decorations my Mom would put up every year and it's so neat to think about what a special and magical time it was growing up.

Here's a peek around our home at some of our Christmas decor! Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!

p.s. Target coupon codes are always available for decorations.

Happy Friday-before-Christmas!

2011-12-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

a summary of my week- lots of time spent outside, enjoying the beautiful weather in Phoenix at my parents'.

First of all, how on earth is it already Friday? I know if you go back in my blogs I'm sure I sound like a broken record come the holiday season but it really does sneak up on you! Luckily Christmas shopping is done and now I can relax and enjoy it, but still...slow down! I haven't much time to blog this week, let alone set aside time for reading blogs to fuel my links post, but I do have a few things to share with all of you wonderful people!

Some things that made me happy this past week: spending time with my family down in Mesa, having a fun night with Sarah watching her wedding video, getting my hair cut and colored, getting to workout even more than usual thanks to my sweet Mom watching Henry, enjoying a great lunch at Pita Jungle, seeing my old friends completely happy with where they are in life, discovering new music, making travel plans for 2012, getting excited for Amber Joy to be here this weekend, and realizing that I don't have much on my wish list outside of happiness and health for my family. Pretty great feeling considering I sometimes find myself getting a little too wrapped up in the material side of the holidays. It's nice to just focus on what really matters.

I also have a couple blog-related things to share:

I've recently gotten a few emails asking about my "9 to 5" feature. I still have a few to share, but I'm taking a mini-break from them so I can get the last 3-4 organized. I am not taking new submissions, but the ones I have will be up sometime soon. I also have a few "Slice of" posts to share (remember those?) so look for those early 2012.

I wanted to say thank you for all of your music recommendations in my Spotify post! I've checked out all of the new-to-me artists mentioned and just really want all of you to know how much I appreciate it! New music is the best.

And now, some links! I hope you have the best holiday weekend. I'll be back later with a little peek at our Christmas decor. xoxo

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Congratulations to my pal Mara for being the ModCloth Blogger of the Moment.

Is there any end to Angela's creativity? She's amazing.

Go say hi to Amber Joy and maybe we can all coerce into posting more!

Aren't these custom Polaroid necklaces great? Molly was kind enough to make a couple for me and I love them. You might see some familiar faces in this post too!

Cranberries and pears and tarts, oh my!

Okay, I would love love love to be able to look through all of my grandparents' and parents' slides! So cool.

If you needed yet another reason to love the fabulous Katie, here you go!

Did you want to advertise your blog or shop in January? I have just a couple of spots left if you'd like to try it out.

Are you making any goals for 2012? How about 52?

If you're in the mood to check out some beautiful photos, head over to Silje's blog.

Seriously, bookmark this homemade food gift guide for next year. Great stuff.

Blind dates...you just never know!

Oh King Krule, I love you.

This gift guide includes so many great, unique items to lust over.

A life-changing moment with Steve Jobs, thanks to my dear friend Lance.

And finally, a brand new to me blog I've been enjoying, and a few old favorites: one, two and three.

Old friends & Spotify

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Sometimes all you need is a night with one of your oldest and dearest friends, reminiscing about college and talking about how fast life goes by and how beautiful it all is. So thankful for this girl and so thankful for friends like her. Terra was my "little sis" in our Pi Phi days and we have the most special bond. You know those friends that have seen you in every stage of your life, seen you at your best (and worst), and love you all the same? That's this girl. Love her, and I love that we got to have a fun night together while she was in town from Denver.

Now I'm in bed, enjoying my (and Hank's) newest obsession...Spotify. I think we're a little behind on this, but seriously, I don't know how I survived without it. Okay, that's dramatic. But it is pretty great. My friends Alana, Nate and Shirley turned us onto it at a party last weekend and described it as being part Pandora, part Napster, part social networking beast. I was sold when they explained that there are no ads or breaks in music, and you can listen to ANYTHING your heart desires with no limit. Granted, the premium account is $10 a month but considering how much I listen to music it's a small price to pay. Today I've been on quite the 90s kick and my main music of choice this evening been TLC. Remember CrazySexyCool? So good. And so junior high. Next up is Aaliyah's "Back and Forth" and Blackstreet's "No Diggity." And I might even round it out with a little "My Boo" by Ghostown DJs ;)

With that said, I have a couple of questions for you. One, have you tried Spotify yet? What do you think? And two, do you have any must-listen-to bands you'd like to recommend to me? I love all sorts of music from rap to country, classical to metal.

Happy four days before Christmas!

Tattoo Tuesday V.101

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Name and blog name: Abi at Vanilla & Lace and Josh
Age: Abi- 21 Josh- 28
Occupation: Abi: Fashion designer/dressmaker for my shop, Josh: Musician and author
Age of first tattoo: Abi- 16 and Josh- 18
Favorite and featured tattoo: Abi- typewriter, Josh- chestpiece
Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Abi: Silje Røe Hagland at Scapegoat in Portland, OR (she has a Tattoo Tuesday of her own!). Josh: Chris Anderson at California tattoo in Savannah GA

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story or special meaning? Why did you choose this particular piece of art?

Abi: The typewriter represents that talented husband of mine and his love for writing. It's the start of a half sleeve dedicated to him and us.

Josh: I had this romantic idea to get a tattoo for my wife even though (at the time) I had no wife or girlfriend. I used this to get Abi to marry me, lest my tattoo be silly.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

Abi: I also have the sleepwalker boy from Sigur Ros album art and the MAC cosmetics logo

Josh: I've lost count. I have a full sleeve and a half-sleeve, pieces on my legs, back, hands, neck, ears and feet. These include, but are not limited to: Gregor Samsa from Kafka's "The Metamorphosis," Jason Voorhees, the Agnus Dei, flies, a baby mummy and Calvin and Hobbes.

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Abi: Of course!
Josh: Yes.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them?

Abi: For the most part people are accepting and open to the ones I have.. but I'm not heavily tattooed so that could change quick! Even so, I get all the regular questions/comments like "You'll regret that when you're old!" or "I thought you didn't want to be a trashy mom".. those are always nice.

Josh: I grew up in an impossibly small town in southeast-Georgia. To have many tattoos in said town ten years ago was a bit unconventional; I was banned from the church I had grown up in and still receive the occasional sneer when I visit home. As a missionary for a decade, folks have been surprisingly accepting of a heavily tattooed fellow.

5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

Abi: It's been said a million times but I'll say it again.. Don't get tattooed by just anyone. Do your research, good tattoos are worth the extra money. And don't take the advice from my husband below.

Josh: Go to a tattoo shop, close your eyes, spin around in a circle with your index finger extended and have whatever you land on tattooed on your throat. If this is too much, I recommend a strawberry with wings or a monkey surfing a banana.

Advertise on Sometimes Sweet in January!

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It's a new year with so many fun things coming up on the blog, and I'd love to have you along for the ride. I'm currently taking sponsors for the month of January, so if you're interested check out my sponsor page here and shoot me an email! January is always a busy month here on Sometimes Sweet and I'd love to help you grow your shop, business, or blog! I look forward to hearing from you. :)