a little hello!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6114578089/" title="Labor Day Weekend by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Labor Day Weekend" height="429" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6191/6114578089_3e69918983_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Henry and I have been spending some time in Phoenix this week before I head to San Francisco on Thursday, and I've had so much fun the past few days being able to see my Phoenix friends, hang out with family, and act like I'm 16-years old again. What? You don't revert to your teenage self whenever you spend an extended amount of time at "home?" It's seriously funny to me because last night I found myself on my parents' couch, eating some chips out of a paper towel (typical "Hawthorne" snacking style), yelling "Mommmmmmm! Can you get me a glass of water???" to my mother in the kitchen, while watching The Bachelor in my pajamas. The only difference between my 16-year old self and my current 29-year old self is that there was a baby monitor next to me.  I don't know what it is, but being here makes me feel like I'm right back in high school again. <br /><br />Anyway, Henry and I ventured out to the mall today so I could try and find an outfit to wear this weekend. We had no luck, of course. Why is it that when you are looking for something specific it's impossible to find anything, but when you have no agenda it seems as though there are cute things everywhere you look?  Henry actually did get a few new fun things at H&M, so it wasn't a total flop. He is finally kind of okay with hats (kind of meaning he doesn't rip them off as if I've placed a burning piece of cloth on his head) so I'm hoping the clearance-priced beanie I bought for him will work. A couple random thoughts from today:<br /><br />1. The elevator system at Scottsdale Fashion Square is pretty much the worst thing ever. PCLL? 1st Floor? 1st Floor Barney's? I'm so confused. Once the elevator made it's way down to us I ended up just pressing all the buttons and hoping for the best. I can't even believe I used to work there, or more so, how I ever made it to work on time!<br /><br />2. I wish I could take naps. I have never been one of those people who can take a nice little 30-minute nap in the middle of the day and wake up refreshed. I occasionally find myself trying to be a nap person, but I either end up sleeping for Henry's entire 2-3 hour nap and cause myself to stay up hours later that night, or I stick to the 30 minutes, wake up groggy, and still can't sleep that night. It's a lose-lose for me. But on days like today where I feel exhausted out of my mind come 3pm, a nap would be so nice!<br /><br />3. I have really, really loved reading all of the 11 Things posts around the internet! Some of the girls I've tagged have completed it, so check them out if you get a moment - <a href="http://jenloveskev.com/2012/02/28/11-things/">Jen</a>, <a href="http://www.keytomytart.com/2012/02/11-things.html">Jess</a>, <a href="http://skunkboycreatures.blogspot.com/2012/02/11-things.html">Katie</a>, <a href="http://honeybeeinthecity.blogspot.com/2012/02/11-things.html">Kaelah</a>, and <a href="http://www.harpershappenings.com/2012/02/27/10-things/">Mandy.</a><br /><br />4. And finally, today was my Dad's 66th birthday! He's really the best guy I know (tied with Hank of course) and I feel so lucky to have such a good relationship with him. It's been amazing seeing him as a Grandpa and to watch him and Henry grow so close. It's really the best. Happy birthday, Dad!

a little hello!

Henry and I have been spending some time in Phoenix this week before I head to San Francisco on Thursday, and I've had so much fun the p...

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Tattoo Tuesday V.111

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZsyn4brk40OfOa4vu__3c7Qych3tiidxhi8gdpP2lIWKwKMJLWJYLXeSaV2A8IsVINHqTVcrQ-yrsPLSZZm7rW8zvo_n19N9_lwyxxx1Xq9MxRoQKBWU3FcucMuds-iSuHFTXDnvCEA/s1600/312620_10150319544757409_506762408_8121845_803208829_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZsyn4brk40OfOa4vu__3c7Qych3tiidxhi8gdpP2lIWKwKMJLWJYLXeSaV2A8IsVINHqTVcrQ-yrsPLSZZm7rW8zvo_n19N9_lwyxxx1Xq9MxRoQKBWU3FcucMuds-iSuHFTXDnvCEA/s640/312620_10150319544757409_506762408_8121845_803208829_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>Name and blog name:</b> Kem // <a href="http://chroniclesofasweettooth.blogspot.com/">Chronicles of a Sweet Tooth </a><br /><b>Age:</b> 29<br /><b>Occupation: </b>Practice Manager of Dental Department<br /><b>Age of first tattoo:</b> 20<br /><b>Favorite tattoo:</b> My Tooth Crest<br /><b>Featured tattoo/location: </b>3/4 "sea" sleeve<br /><b>Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: </b>Left arm // Scott Shickman // The Mercy Seat Kansas City MO // Scott has done all of my tattoos<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5nEXfD4j2bjUilQssyo5KDVgP0_xQ8TbBuUeBd60zpOV5KVBswjM8MYi8LteG0YSvNFxn8mpA46eCIJhJ8bc3Iv2oTJ-Iy7vhIQBW5pcplX4dF-dBu-PJl7ADoZCR_vQ6h4IOVZCiCo/s1600/Picnik+collage2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5nEXfD4j2bjUilQssyo5KDVgP0_xQ8TbBuUeBd60zpOV5KVBswjM8MYi8LteG0YSvNFxn8mpA46eCIJhJ8bc3Iv2oTJ-Iy7vhIQBW5pcplX4dF-dBu-PJl7ADoZCR_vQ6h4IOVZCiCo/s640/Picnik+collage2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning? </b><br /><br />For as long as I have lived, I have wanted to be a mermaid. Watching Disney's the Little Mermaid, is probably where the obsession began. That, and my sweet cousin had a swimming pool. We would pretend that we were mermaids, without a care in the world. As I grew up, I knew that I couldn't be a mermaid, so I thought I could commemorate that in an art form, to be that constant reminder to dream. One of my favorite quotes is "The cure for anything is salt water: Sweat, Tears, or the Sea." PS my artist told me I would make it into a full sleeve within a couple of years, and he was totally right! I already know what I am going to fill the last 1/4 of my left arm with :)<br /><br /><b>2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where? </b><br /><br />I have quite a collection. That is what I tell people, I collect art in the form of tattoos.<br /><br />1. Bows on my ankles. I am a girly, girl through and through. These were a spur of the moment tattoos. Scott, my artist, was working on drawing up the sleeve for my right arm, and he wasn't quite finished, so instead of wasting a session, we just did these bows. I love them, and probably get the most compliments on them.<br />2. Society's Finest Thigh Tattoos. These have dual meanings. First, it is the name of my husband and friends car club. Secondly, I think it is the most clever words to describe someone with tattoos. So many people, these days, are turned off by tattoos, and think that I probably don't have a job, that I am uneducated, and basically the scum of the earth. Well, little do they know, I am Society's Finest! I am college educated, hold a very prestigious job, and am way better than scum!<br />3.Cherries on my Calves. These have no meaning at all. I love cherries and wanted calf tattoos :)<br />4. Left arm 3/4 sleeve. The meaning was a long one, but I loved how it turned out. Especially the compass rose. I always have to be reminded to focus back to "True North" or my "True Self", to not get caught up in what others think/say/do<br />5. Beginning of Right arm sleeve. So far, on my right arm, I have my Tooth Crest. I have a CRAZY sweet tooth. I mean CRAZY! Ha, I even named my blog after my sweet tooth. Since I work in the dental field, thank goodness right(?), I thought I would dedicate an arm to my love of sweets! The tooth crest says "Brush the teeth you wanna keep", which is totally the truth. The top part of my arm is a whimsical tea party featuring well dressed animals and will be filled in with cupcakes, cookies, candy, and tea! I have a great deal of English Heritage, so to pay homage to that, Scott and I incorporated this idea of an over-the-top tea party juxtaposed against this tooth with a toothbrush. I love how it is coming together. It is my work in progress!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ThVrJ2z8uXLRfUOnsYSgGK-2xTIa6v7oEnJR-3VKUTQgXHifyJUdb_1PHtBLdODBNwUsTMjQOUMk4m5ceGbYd1NWJuhagfoVghzObrFuURFjS-gjGiRttNXIokY_rYMwbgavEeTaQT0/s1600/196229_767596413814_34307882_41552594_6288975_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ThVrJ2z8uXLRfUOnsYSgGK-2xTIa6v7oEnJR-3VKUTQgXHifyJUdb_1PHtBLdODBNwUsTMjQOUMk4m5ceGbYd1NWJuhagfoVghzObrFuURFjS-gjGiRttNXIokY_rYMwbgavEeTaQT0/s640/196229_767596413814_34307882_41552594_6288975_n.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />6. Chest piece. I wanted my chest piece to be beautiful and feminine. (This is actually a cover up!) I had cherries on my chest, that we just couldn't get to work into a good layout, so we just covered them. This was the first big piece I did, and wanted a little dedication to my parents. We choose swallows to carry a banner for them. My parents and I have had ups and downs, but without them, I wouldn't be here, so that is my little reminder to carry them with me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEkvbDdXl7ZyOF9IOV1fQIWmnD0-D1-o3AYTkLEDt_5NDaUUOIV4do0aqNyElG7e-qPEvDRsY4R8IfBWwyt1iWcjN5dMH-pwSDsy-4Cc-sVbJ66YN6Mb-XCU9ZzhtLqAC9GOvQTz83-U/s1600/IMG_5870-Edit.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEkvbDdXl7ZyOF9IOV1fQIWmnD0-D1-o3AYTkLEDt_5NDaUUOIV4do0aqNyElG7e-qPEvDRsY4R8IfBWwyt1iWcjN5dMH-pwSDsy-4Cc-sVbJ66YN6Mb-XCU9ZzhtLqAC9GOvQTz83-U/s640/IMG_5870-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><br />7. Lip Tattoo. I played roller derby with Kansas City Roller Warriors for 5 years. Some of my team mates decided we should get the inside of our lips tattooed with our skate names, you know, to commemorate our 'time served'. It has no started a trend in most of KCRW skaters to get it done. I love it!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4gSF5SkcgbFf3gC_ql4NKpDpfHdybb2vbGwSZ3kcR5wgnD9WRNzLcMqHZuhYTM5ffIEyuEKeEnLXy4-gpaRolXVwAnRHgXq06zm8srDpmsJ6GP_87t8DK_PbP05zWzIOBJNRPi_9B8Q/s1600/38254_698736439754_34307882_39870781_1729104_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4gSF5SkcgbFf3gC_ql4NKpDpfHdybb2vbGwSZ3kcR5wgnD9WRNzLcMqHZuhYTM5ffIEyuEKeEnLXy4-gpaRolXVwAnRHgXq06zm8srDpmsJ6GP_87t8DK_PbP05zWzIOBJNRPi_9B8Q/s640/38254_698736439754_34307882_39870781_1729104_n.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div><br /><b>3) Do you plan on getting more? </b><br /><br />Until I run out of skin :) Although, I will never get my neck or face tattooed, that is just personal preference. I would love to get my knuckles tattooed, but right now, my life (read: Job) won't allow that.<br /><br /><b>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?</b><br /><br />Most of my friends are tattooed/heavily tattooed. Really it is just part of the culture I surround myself with. As everyone that has been interviewed here before, I do run into the adversity, or the down side of being tattooed. Surprisingly it has come with pin-up modeling. There are some hardcore fans out there that HATE tattoos, and make sure that they comment on my photos that they hate my tattoos. I have had people say things like "Pretty girl, but horrible tattoos." or "Beautiful, but why did she ruin the photo with tattoos?" Ha, ha, right, cause I can't take off my tattoos people! Why even say that? It's not like commenting on an outfits, that I could change, it is commenting on something, that I have chosen to do, that can't/won't be reversed. It makes me laugh.<br /><br />My husband has tattoos, and I love them. His first piece was his chest piece. Go big, or go home was his motto. All of his tattoos are by Scott Shickman too. We are kind of loyal to him :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmgwTJXW5bn-26fc4h0VpWlEiuNEESWD-E9TLUB3FAtyORO-0l7R_vT-1Ow2Z9DsUOlvy5eiUKs2uY8dpvA1Uk5t0Vl9By5LX8SJDDuLtE490Lu0OsxEiUK7LxY_1gfKcrri9UNDTBF4/s1600/299433_10150296339482409_506762408_7983106_4165702_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmgwTJXW5bn-26fc4h0VpWlEiuNEESWD-E9TLUB3FAtyORO-0l7R_vT-1Ow2Z9DsUOlvy5eiUKs2uY8dpvA1Uk5t0Vl9By5LX8SJDDuLtE490Lu0OsxEiUK7LxY_1gfKcrri9UNDTBF4/s640/299433_10150296339482409_506762408_7983106_4165702_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPa-x4ZG0wRQtPz9ctw7ocLHnyscOTCRu89M5nf21eXu7DJnQMJf8TsNNudRolFDczYqbbNIP_nEAsCxEORv52SnNbFesnOTDamLTouGr6sKOsfHgE_JlDrKyBxd-y7bOggsCbU7UdEuo/s1600/004.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPa-x4ZG0wRQtPz9ctw7ocLHnyscOTCRu89M5nf21eXu7DJnQMJf8TsNNudRolFDczYqbbNIP_nEAsCxEORv52SnNbFesnOTDamLTouGr6sKOsfHgE_JlDrKyBxd-y7bOggsCbU7UdEuo/s640/004.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos? </b><br /><br />I think I just covered that regarding comments made by pinup fans. Some people love them, some people hate them. I just like to remind the people making these comments, that I appreciate their feedback, and thanks so much for liking my photos, but my tattoos are mine, and I have no plans of changing them ;)<br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet? </b><br /><br />My only advice is "Cheap work ain't good, and good work ain't cheap." ~ Sailor Jerry<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBaJGvOEJ0fmROjt1epiAG4j20OGb9mHeHJZd7J3v8s4IYwkXfZq6kI9WJJDV7wFw7UEpekGCvdmdcc8rEu5kF4FHiA6UimNPUbQwdS8FPNYgEwE-bE_8JNUwIsnaDAItuMM47mnaVMU/s1600/Picnik+collage1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBaJGvOEJ0fmROjt1epiAG4j20OGb9mHeHJZd7J3v8s4IYwkXfZq6kI9WJJDV7wFw7UEpekGCvdmdcc8rEu5kF4FHiA6UimNPUbQwdS8FPNYgEwE-bE_8JNUwIsnaDAItuMM47mnaVMU/s640/Picnik+collage1.jpg" width="640" /></a>

Tattoo Tuesday V.111

Name and blog name: Kem // Chronicles of a Sweet Tooth Age: 29 Occupation: Practice Manager of Dental Department Age of first tattoo: 20 ...

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Henry's first trip to the Zoo!

Today was so much fun. And I'm pretty sure Henry had fun too, although it's kind of hard to tell when you take a 15-month old to the zoo since he can't really say "hey this is SO fun!" But I'm guessing all of his pointing, laughing, and "what's that?" meant he loved it too.  It was a beautiful day (let's ignore the insane wind and focus on the sun!) and we met a handful of my friends and their kiddos for the afternoon. Our group spent a few hours walking around, playing, and snacking. We'd never been to the <a href="http://www.phoenixzoo.org/">Phoenix Zoo</a> and after going I think we will probably get an annual pass next fall. There weren't too many animals out today, but we did meet a huge rainbow-bummed baboon and some silly monkeys. We also saw tigers, giraffes, and an elephant, and pet some goats in the petting zoo. All in all, tons of fun. Here are some photos from our day:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790507616/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6790507616_4e7365bba1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6936623979/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6936623979_c7b0ffddc3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6936624511/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6936624511_42f3036fd0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790508740/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6790508740_ede2936f58_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790510002/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6790510002_f007b54982_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790509670/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6790509670_75894aca7a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790510576/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6790510576_8079dd63a6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6936627655/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6936627655_d0369d4404_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790510274/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6790510274_6bf38e015a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6936627977/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6936627977_4a55202e1e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6936626981/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6936626981_b040befc4a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790511262/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6790511262_f9d07f202c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790513138/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6790513138_6356c49c4b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790515168/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6790515168_5390bb1cb0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790516276/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6790516276_f0ea1d5da1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6936632533/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6936632533_2bf8ee4c3d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790516954/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6790516954_418d113229_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790517348/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6790517348_a3c29568dd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790789330/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="429" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6790789330_13059ee7f9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790514156/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6790514156_35dcfbc09f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6790517704/" title="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="Phoenix Zoo, 2/27/12" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/6790517704_cd3609b476_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6936953585/" title="picnikfile_bnSlTj by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="picnikfile_bnSlTj" height="478" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6936953585_79076d4587_z.jpg" width="640"></a>

Henry's first trip to the Zoo!

Today was so much fun. And I'm pretty sure Henry had fun too, although it's kind of hard to tell when you take a 15-month old to the...

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a Monday playlist

Happy Monday! Today Henry and I are meeting some of our mama and baby friends for a day at the Phoenix Zoo. It's Henry's very first visit and I'm really excited. We have a busy day ahead of us, but I thought I'd pop in quickly to share a fun playlist for your Monday morning. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; visibility: visible; width: 450px;"><object height="470" width="450"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="flashvars" value="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_regular_noautostart.xml&mywidth=450&myheight=470&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D90001862%26t%3D1330323642&wid=os"></param><embed style="width:450px; visibility:visible; height:470px;" allowScriptAccess="never" src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf" flashvars="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_regular_noautostart.xml&mywidth=450&myheight=470&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D90001862%26t%3D1330323642&wid=os" width="450" height="470" name="mp3player" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" border="0"/> </object> <br /><a href="http://www.playlistproject.net/"><img alt="Get a playlist!" border="0" src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/images/create_gray.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.playlistproject.net/playlist/23040476683/standalone" target="_blank"><img alt="Standalone player" border="0" src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/images/launch_gray.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.playlistproject.net/playlist/23040476683/download"><img alt="Get Ringtones" border="0" src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/images/get_gray.jpg" /></a> </div>

a Monday playlist

Happy Monday! Today Henry and I are meeting some of our mama and baby friends for a day at the Phoenix Zoo. It's Henry's very first ...

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11 Things

One of my most favorite bloggers <a href="http://www.busybeelauren.com/">Lauren</a> tagged me in her <a href="http://www.busybeelauren.com/2012/02/eleven-things.html">11 Things post</a>, and unlike my typical non-participating self, I thought I would actually do this one!  Thanks, Lauren! :)<br /><br />There are five rules:<br />1. Post these rules.<br />2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.<br />3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.<br />4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.<br />5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6125578383/" title="New Jersey Shore, Summer 2011 by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="New Jersey Shore, Summer 2011" height="428" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6080/6125578383_3dc0d1fea9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />11 Random Things:<br /><br />1. I LOVE rap and hip hop. In fact most of the time I blog, workout, and drive I am listening to rap. When Henry is with me I usually try to stick to more kid-friendly things of course, but when it's just me, 75% of the time I am listening to it. Some of my favorites: Tribe, Wu-Tang, Aesop Rock, Dead Prez, Biggie, Too $hort, and stuff like Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and Drake too. I could go on and on. Many people are surprised to learn this about me.<br /><br />2. I am afraid of birds. Crows are the worst and they make my stomach turn when I see them. Their oily feathers, beady eyes and pointy beak completely freak/gross me out. I attribute my fear of birds to seeing these huge turkey vultures perched on the soccer goalposts at the elementary school my Mom taught at while we were growing up. The adults always warned us to never lay down for fear the buzzards would think we were dead and swoop down and peck us! Terrifying. That, paired with a very early viewing of <i>The Birds</i>, has scarred me for life.<br /><br />3. When I like a song I will listen to it over and over again until I finally get sick of it. It's a bad habit but I can't seem to break it. I'm sure people who follow me via Spotify are like "why is she listening to the same song, all day, everyday?" <br /><br />4. If I could live anywhere in the United States I would choose Vermont. It's my most favorite vacation spot in the world, and it's just the most magical place. My Aunt and Uncle live right on Lake Champlain and every summer Hank and I fantasize about permanently extending our vacation. I love how green it is, I love the beautiful scenery, the vibe, the people...and even the insane winters. I think it makes the summers that much more enjoyable.<br /><br />5. Being a stay-at-home Mom is the most fulfilling "job" I have ever had. A lot of people in my life have been really, really surprised that I chose to stay home with Henry and would love to keep on staying home, life's circumstances-permitting. I loved college and got my Bachelor's and Master's pretty quickly (both by the time I was 23) and before I became a Mom I was very into the idea of pursuing a PhD. It may sound crazy to some, but I get so much joy from staying home and taking care of my family that at this point in my life I would love to just keep doing what I'm doing for a long while.<br /><br />6. I have a weird thing where I remember every word to every song. It's bizarre. I'll hear a song once, and somehow I know all the words. It used to drive Autumn crazy in college because we'd be out and literally any song that came out I would know.<br /><br />7. I cry often. I am the biggest sap and I tear up at basically anything- commercials, the way Henry laughs, Hank being sweet- and I find myself getting happy emotional over something at least once a day.<br /><br />8. If I could eat one sweet treat the rest of my life, it would be Cadbury Mini Eggs. Are you familiar with them? They're the little eggs with the candy shell and milk chocolate inside, in the purple bag. I don't know what it is but I love these things so much and have been obsessed since I was a kid. I never, ever buy them for our house (I have no self-control when it comes to them!), but my Mom always keeps a bag around during Easter and it's such a treat whenever we are at her house. They are beyond delicious.<br /><br />9. I was born and raised in a small New Jersey town and have such NJ pride. I think it's the best, and we typically go back and visit every summer. Before Hank met me he thought all of New Jersey was like the Newark he saw from his tour van while passing through on the turnpike. He had no idea how beautiful it really is, and now he's in love with it too! We can't get enough of the boardwalk, Island Beach State park, and all of the gorgeous green forests. It's such a wonderful place.<br /><br />10. I have a bad, bad addiction to reality television. Our DVR is full of my favorites: The Bachelor, ALL of The Real Housewives, Real World, Teen Mom, Bethenny (and basically every other Bravo show), Sister Wives, MTV's True Life...the list goes on. I seriously love it and love meeting people who are into my favorite shows too. It's so fun to discuss them and nerd out.<br /><br /><b>Questions from Lauren:</b><br /><br /><i>1. If you had to wear skirts for the rest of your life, or jeans for the rest of your life, which would you choose?</i><br />A few years ago I would have answered skirts, but now I'd definitely say jeans. Can I choose my maternity skinny jeans? So comfortable.<br /><br /><i>2. What was your favorite PBS kids show growing up? </i><br />Reading Rainbow for sure.<br /><br /><i>3. Who is cooler? Zack Morris or Cory Matthews? </i><br />Zack Morris. I grew up watching Saved By The Bell!<br /><br /><i>4. What is your least favorite smell in the world? </i><br />Hmmm, I'd have to say dirty feet or shoes. Gross.<br /><br /><i>5. What's the worst injury you have ever had? </i><br />I tore my ACL and meniscus playing soccer on my club team in high school. <br /><br /><i>6. What book have you read more than once? </i><br />So many. The most times though? Probably <i>The Crucible.</i><br /><br /><i>7. What do you take the most photos of? </i><br />Henry, of course!<br /><br /><i>8. What is the first perfume you ever purchased/wore? </i><br />hahah. Either Luvs Baby Soft or Sunflowers. SO junior high!<br /><br /><i>9. What is your ideal date? </i><br />Getting take out Mexican or Thai and curling up on the couch with Hank, watching a movie. We are total homebodies. <br /><br /><i>10. Tell me your favorite thing about the state you live in. </i><br />All of the charming small towns and beautiful scenery.<br /><br /><i>11. Most frequented website? </i><br />right now: Pinterest!<br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>Questions for the ladies I will be tagging: </b><br />1. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?<br />2. What's the one thing you look forward to every day?<br />3. What is your number one, all-time, favorite blog?<br />4. Biggest online pet peeve?<br />5. What is your all-time favorite book?<br />6. What would your "last meal" be?<br />7. Do you believe in love at first site?<br />8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?<br />9. Why do you blog?<br />10. If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick?<br />11. What is your all-time favorite band? <br /><br />And finally, I tag: <a href="http://amberjoyh.blogspot.com/">Amber Joy</a>, <a href="http://www.keytomytart.com/">Jess</a>,  <a href="http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/">James</a>, <a href="http://www.harpershappenings.com/">Mandy</a>, <a href="http://jenloveskev.com/">Jen</a>, <a href="http://honeybeeinthecity.blogspot.com/">Kaelah</a>, <a href="http://dearbabyblog.com/">Melissa</a>, <a href="http://skunkboycreatures.blogspot.com/">Katie</a>, and <a href="http://www.katiespencilbox.com/">Katie</a>...and ANYONE who wants to participate (link me so I can check out your answers too!).

11 Things

One of my most favorite bloggers Lauren tagged me in her 11 Things post , and unlike my typical non-participating self, I thought I would a...

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Weekend links

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6929070329/" title="Untitled by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7196/6929070329_e8d3422a6b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Happy Saturday! Today is the most beautiful day and it's starting to feel a little like spring. It's one of those weekend where we don't have many plans, besides planning on not having any. I'm looking forward to a lot of relaxing, a trip to Target, and maybe some frozen yogurt. Tomorrow we will be celebrating my Dad's birthday and I'm excited for him to enjoy a day just for him. We're having a family barbeque, some park time, and ice cream cake, of course.<br /><br />I'll be back later this weekend with a fun "<a href="http://www.busybeelauren.com/2012/02/eleven-things.html">tagged</a>" post. Wishing you all a happy day!<br /><div style="text-align: center;">-----------</div><br />Do you read Bekah's blog, <a href="http://freespiritedtmama.blogspot.com/">My Little Loves</a>, yet? I really love it, and she is the sweetest thing. <br /><br />Remember when I teamed up with Funk Off! <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/87693875/funk-off-presents-sometimes-sweet-shea">to make a fun scent</a>? They have a few left still so head over to their shop to scoop 'em up!<br /><br /><a href="http://maddieonthings.com/">Maddie on things</a>. So weird. But really cute. I want to give this dog a big hug!<br /><br />If you're an Instagram user you'll probably be interested in <a href="http://www.irocksowhat.com/2012/02/everyone-should-use-copygram-and-heres.html">Copygram over on Jess' site</a>. Very neat stuff. <br /><br />I love Diana's blog for a few reasons, but one of them is that everything is so darn pretty. <a href="http://www.ourcitylights.org/">See for yourself</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/holli_zollinger">Holli Zollinger's fabric</a> is to-die-for. That fox print? Amazing.<br /><br />How to <a href="http://www.sheletsherhairdown.com/2012/02/tutorial-how-to-blow-dry-bangs.html">blow-dry bangs</a>. <br /><br />I am DYING over James' recent <a href="http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/2012/02/so-good.html">vintage finds</a>. Just take a look at those dresses!<br /><br />And speaking of kids' clothes, this is the cutest <a href="http://www.minirodini.com/">shop</a>.<br /><br />I may have already shared this article, but I stumbled upon it again this morning and it's just such a good read. <a href="http://tinybuddha.com/blog/change-your-attitude-change-your-life/">Change your attitude, change your life</a>. <br /><br />Amy was sweet enough to include me on <a href="http://amyrenepowell.blogspot.com/2012/02/5-girls-ive-learned-lot-from.html">this list</a>. I was honored!<br /><br /><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2012/02/double-coconut-muffins/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+smittenkitchen+%28smitten+kitchen%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Double coconut muffins</a>. These look amazing.<br /><br />Some sponsor love: say hi to <a href="http://katiediditt.blogspot.com/">Katie</a>, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/withcaregoods">With Care</a>, <a href="http://www.saturatedcanary.blogspot.com/">Krista</a>, and <a href="http://inkbutter.com/store/index.php/tattoo-aftercare.html">Ink Butter</a>. Also if you're in the market for a new blog design, check out <a href="http://www.sweetfaeriedesigns.com/">Sweet Faerie</a>!  <br /><br /><a href="http://frecklednest.typepad.com/">Leigh-Ann is back</a>! And I'm so happy.<br /><br />Could <a href="http://www.chalkwhitearrow.com/2012/02/thought-on-tuesday_21.html">Tessa</a> be any cuter?  <br /><br />An interesting <a href="http://www.orajel.com/Products/TeethingChart.aspx">teething chart</a> to see the average age for certain teeth to come in. <br /><br />Free, pretty, vintage-inspired <a href="http://amymorby.com/category/free-blog-clipart/page/2/">arrow clipart</a> for your blog. Super cute.<br /><br />This <a href="http://www.abigmouthful.com/lemon-orzo-salad-with-asparagus-and-tomatoes/">lemon orzo salad</a> would be the perfect summer side dish. <br /><br />Can <a href="http://riflepaperco.com/item/Gold_Painted_Stripes_Thank_You_Card/166">Rifle Paper Co.</a> do no wrong? (answer: no)<br /><br />I love <a href="http://www.busybeelauren.com/">Lauren</a>.  <br /><br />These <a href="http://yesterdays--sweetheart.blogspot.com/2012/02/cinnamon-roll-waffles.html">cinnamon roll waffles</a> would be such a fun treat for a Sunday breakfast. <br /><br />I can't wait to try this<a href="http://katearends.com/blog/2011/10/in-the-kitchen-homemade-olive-oil-scrub/"> homemade olive oil scrub</a>.<br /><br />And finally, a couple blogs I'm loving right now: <a href="http://phoenixishaute.com/">one</a>, <a href="http://thepapermama.com/">two</a>, and <a href="http://www.ohmishka.com/">three</a>!

Weekend links

Happy Saturday! Today is the most beautiful day and it's starting to feel a little like spring. It's one of those weekend where we d...

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What I'm Reading

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihledhuspkJinhh47nONO3TlhRJCBQGjDso6IhgnR9atCJtsGjCL1yGaZXBJ9seonv3GxXRuxy9GCl9U3X-wxvAuePGXsvAjL3ewmewff9xfdQtuCaD8O6h-Ovo3Lg79m0eCWyKYUYQtQ/s1600/bringing-up-bebe-baby-how-to-raise-your-child-french-woman-french-parenting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihledhuspkJinhh47nONO3TlhRJCBQGjDso6IhgnR9atCJtsGjCL1yGaZXBJ9seonv3GxXRuxy9GCl9U3X-wxvAuePGXsvAjL3ewmewff9xfdQtuCaD8O6h-Ovo3Lg79m0eCWyKYUYQtQ/s640/bringing-up-bebe-baby-how-to-raise-your-child-french-woman-french-parenting.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br />Right now I'm reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Up-Bebe-Discovers-Parenting/dp/1594203334/ref=sr_1_1_title_2_har?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330064357&sr=1-1">Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting</a> and so far, so good. I'm definitely enjoying the author's writing style; she does a great job of mixing statistics and facts with fun anecdotes and personal stories. It's written in an entirely engaging way, and I feel like I've learned a lot, even though I wasn't reading this book as a parenting book. And I don't really think the author intended for it to be one, anyway! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Up-Bebe-Discovers-Parenting/dp/1594203334/ref=sr_1_1_title_2_har?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330064357&sr=1-1">Bringing Up Bebe</a> is more so a look at one woman's experience as an American mother living in France, taking us on her entire journey and sharing what she's learned along the way in a humorous, page-turning tone. It's an easy read- totally approachable, quite fascinating, and if the first three-fourths are indicative of the rest of the book, enjoyable from cover to cover. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who spends time with little ones or really anyone who's interesting in learning more about cross-cultural parenting.<br /><br />So how about you- what are you reading right now?

What I'm Reading

Right now I'm reading Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting and so far, so good. I'm defin...

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9 to 5: Brenna, Car Salesman

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6028538790/" title="new feature! by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="new feature!" height="552" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6123/6028538790_a63cac7b8a_z.jpg" width="569" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainspaulding/5388234534/in/pool-1202254@N25">photo credit</a>]</span></div><br /><a href="http://sometimessweet.blogspot.com/search/label/9%20to%205">9 to 5</a> is an every-so-often kind of feature that showcases women in the workplace. We get to see what their typical day is like and learn a bit more about what other women do for a living. It's pretty interesting stuff! Today I am featuring the always-fabulous, perpetually-funny Brenna. She wrote a LOT, and although I cut it down a bit, I wanted to leave the bulk of it. It's just that good! Enjoy...and when you're done head over to <a href="http://wonderbrenna.blogspot.com/">her blog</a> too, it's really great and I know you will all love it (and her!).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3MkTGUTbeMrHgl6evujodfxcblekyo__L5ptqI4e1SZJDBpOAwU5pDTcNGc_IKPA-vr3rgEWV7EH3fwq83uDg8-FFhSOtcg0tCJ9NhwQturigytrn0bAkaE8qLDUjzjOQHUbVuKSvCI/s1600/bren&milo_oct.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3MkTGUTbeMrHgl6evujodfxcblekyo__L5ptqI4e1SZJDBpOAwU5pDTcNGc_IKPA-vr3rgEWV7EH3fwq83uDg8-FFhSOtcg0tCJ9NhwQturigytrn0bAkaE8qLDUjzjOQHUbVuKSvCI/s640/bren&milo_oct.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><i>Tell us about yourself. </i><br /><br />Hi, my name is Brenna from the <a href="http://wonderbrenna.blogspot.com/">wonderbrenna.blogspot.com</a>. I'm 28, been married to the same dude (whaaat?) for nearly a decade and am now a stay at home mom to our baby boy, Milo. I was in the US Coast Guard for 6 years as a telecommunications specialist but then I went to the dark side when I got (honorably) discharged and started selling cars. I have 5 years experience wheeling and dealing automobiles. I have sold cars in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Texas. The brands I have sold are Chevrolet, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes & my favorite- USED!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91OcZwZEwspYTKDG0hPVLN4xFoLklgyvt3uYXM_7nRcA6OfqM7vUYu3VwceAvQ55L0plJ_01UVZ2zxk9QyqxCfkDPPvZT6yweiiJWooTtye3RnElwUVCrquXKm4ASgDleEUJNo9OokXM/s1600/PICTURE+B.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91OcZwZEwspYTKDG0hPVLN4xFoLklgyvt3uYXM_7nRcA6OfqM7vUYu3VwceAvQ55L0plJ_01UVZ2zxk9QyqxCfkDPPvZT6yweiiJWooTtye3RnElwUVCrquXKm4ASgDleEUJNo9OokXM/s640/PICTURE+B.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><br /><i>Describe a typical day at work.</i><br /><br />A typical day would include standing in the lot waiting for customers to drive in, waiting for appointments, and getting sold cars ready for delivery. But more than all that theres a lot of trash-talking, coffee-drinking, cigarette-smoking, food-eating, and prank-playing. <br /><br />We used to play this game that is similar to "pin the tail on the donkey" but it’s "hook the tail on the salespersons pants without them knowing" instead using office supplies and peoples butts. What you would do is fashion a long tail- as long as you'd like!- with paper towels. Bend a paper clip and attach to one end of the tail as your hook and then when someone has their back to you attach the tail to their belt loop. People can go HOURS with a tail on. It’s especially fun when the salesperson takes a customer with the tail on.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwE7vcVobQGh3s0iFaA9ukS8_Z4uC01K-Qe2P1p4nsnQdl0DUIMdK9CmjegSTLqu-Vt9d67e5RJG_DNh61aQjnyqZtmbbl0qBVeJOpbHIfES6wIkdAqOu3v_PJQLefe5_ZiuOm_NSwTY/s1600/PICTURE+A.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwE7vcVobQGh3s0iFaA9ukS8_Z4uC01K-Qe2P1p4nsnQdl0DUIMdK9CmjegSTLqu-Vt9d67e5RJG_DNh61aQjnyqZtmbbl0qBVeJOpbHIfES6wIkdAqOu3v_PJQLefe5_ZiuOm_NSwTY/s640/PICTURE+A.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />There was also a lot of eating that went on. If you're at work for 12 hours then feasibly you could eat all 3 meals at work. When you're bored waiting for customers your hunger can turn into an angry, growly monster so you must FEED! Sometimes happy customers would bring us food. When salespeople are in their cubicles and have that first sniff of something homemade being dropped off they descend like vultures; it will usually be torn apart within minutes leaving behind nothing but an empty carcass of a container.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZfRom0bWTB-aiqM_HRwpSgNHoEDE9pSNcnw6F10SvgzR64vNAJG2sC6UvSn1l3VPAV3OJV6sWJ5zvwFpKc9zEGoCMBglgKUYyOWSaacfBUGLNQN-p3c5ZTSi2FlyLRfn2BOaV3Hh8J8/s1600/PICTURE+C.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZfRom0bWTB-aiqM_HRwpSgNHoEDE9pSNcnw6F10SvgzR64vNAJG2sC6UvSn1l3VPAV3OJV6sWJ5zvwFpKc9zEGoCMBglgKUYyOWSaacfBUGLNQN-p3c5ZTSi2FlyLRfn2BOaV3Hh8J8/s640/PICTURE+C.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />We would find animals in cars a lot, too. Once a customer came in and traded her old vehicle for a new Toyota. She mentioned to the salesman that she hadn't seen her cat in a few weeks. Sadly, we found her cat hours later when the trade-in went into stock..... It was under the hood, dead. The cat had obviously climbed into this engine 8 times too many. In happier news, I found a giant frog - ALIVE!- and we released him into the wild. <br /><br />We also played games rolling around in chairs, wrestling, and texting people who weren't there. Most salespeople will hide at some point during the day. You can hide behind the building or you can grab the keys to a car on the lot and jump in for some Air conditioning and radio-listening. This makes a good spot to surprise customers, too... they don't know you're there and feel at ease browsing around since they don't see any salespeople around and then BAM! You jump out and scream "HI HELLO I'M SO-AND-SO AND YOU ARE? WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SHIRT YOU HAVE ON! I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR SISTER! YOU LOOK 45 YEARS YOUNGER NEXT TO THIS CAR! SLATE GREY REALLY IS YOUR COLOR. DO YOU WANT TO BUY THIS CAR? I KNOW YOUR MOM." Just kidding. Kind of. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5XWTDVAB8zkQZ6Y1eLE6UO9w1kvyfK1c7H8jX72uBMS3DHfVhjV1Nk_k6Gwjz8VCf6yOyBv8V4TLTnNbbTBT6gnmCiaFAQnSTSKKEDs3ckIaI18_SBz4O3Nh_IqD__cPlmSCq_7YF9I/s1600/PICTURE+G.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5XWTDVAB8zkQZ6Y1eLE6UO9w1kvyfK1c7H8jX72uBMS3DHfVhjV1Nk_k6Gwjz8VCf6yOyBv8V4TLTnNbbTBT6gnmCiaFAQnSTSKKEDs3ckIaI18_SBz4O3Nh_IqD__cPlmSCq_7YF9I/s640/PICTURE+G.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Ok Seriously. A day for a car salesman.<br /><br />1. Coffee.<br /><br />2. Call and confirm all appointments for that day. If you've set up 5, I guarantee that only one will show. Maybe 2. Don't set an appointment and then flake. This sucks - It ruins a working persons day and usually gets the yelled at.<br /><br />3. When your appointments arrive (or you take an new customer on the lot) you'll sit with them for a little bit and do some fact finding. This is NOT TO HURT YOU, DEAR CUSTOMER. THIS IS TO HELP YOU. This will help the salesperson know what car to show you- what your needs are, what your budget is and if there are any special circumstances that we need to know about (ie: bankruptcies, need lumbar support due to back injury, would like roof rack for kayaks, need a payment under 200 bucks).<br /><br />4. The salesperson will pick out a car for you (with your needs/wants and budget range) and let you take it for a ride.<br /><br />5. If you don't like it... we'll try again. And again. and again. Until we find a car that you like or you say "you have to go home and wash your hair." (That just hurts....we know you're rejecting us.)<br /><br />6. We will start talking numbers with you. Here's the deal- some cars have more mark up than others. For example- you can take a few thousand dollars off a Chevy but you can only take a couple hundred bucks off a Toyota. Don't expect to sit down and have the car salesman knock off 6k on a 2011 Camry just because you saw they could do that on a Chevy Silverado. Ain’t gonna happen. Just can't.<br /><br />7. Please don't be a jerk to the car salesmen. Some deserve it, most don't. They are trying to support their families just like you do at work. Don't keep your down payment a secret, don't keep your monthly payment goal-range a secret, don't keep anything secret- IT DOES NOT HELP THE SALESPERSON FIND YOU THE BEST CAR AND GET YOU THE BEST DEAL. I PROMISE. I had so many people that just lied and lied and lied.....and wondered why I couldn't help them. I was up front about everything but my customers would just lie to my face. They all say that car salesman are dirty scum but let me tell you something... we have a saying too, "BUYERS ARE LIARS." Because they are.<br /><br />8. The best way to by a car is to negotiate a little (be nice) and make an OFFER. If the car is 20k then write down your offer. Say "I'll buy it today for 18k." and if they come back at 19.5k.... say "I'll buy it for 19k RIGHT NOW IF you guys pay the taxes." And if they say... no we can't pay the taxes but we'll give you free oil changes for a year or throw in the rims for free...maybe you should go for it. Just negotiate. But don't expect them to GIVE YOU THE CAR FOR FREE. PEOPLE ARE WORKING THERE FOR A REASON- TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.<br /><br />9. Once you've come to an agreement- Congrats on your new car! The car salesman will start getting it ready by having it detailed, inspected, gassed up and all ready for you. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplpXj8Rrh5jVd9tYQvcafWfnbevTXQDg49GaflIjrFC2WZ2C8tbDw2LXEDsgQZuVozKOtPhqmC2M4Tz3oTbKRrnX1D2IFNRwEUODOs0ifAZ2AxDSAL1in8glES0AiXS5s4DvHJD4WQSQ/s1600/PICTURE+H.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplpXj8Rrh5jVd9tYQvcafWfnbevTXQDg49GaflIjrFC2WZ2C8tbDw2LXEDsgQZuVozKOtPhqmC2M4Tz3oTbKRrnX1D2IFNRwEUODOs0ifAZ2AxDSAL1in8glES0AiXS5s4DvHJD4WQSQ/s640/PICTURE+H.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><b>Tips:</b><br /><br />1. You'll get the best deal on cars that the dealers have on the lot RIGHT THEN. If the dealer has to GET the car from somewhere else say another dealership you are NOT GOING TO GET THE BEST DEAL BECAUSE THERE ARE COSTS INVOLVED. If you reaaaaallly wanted a black car but all they have is charcoal but they're giving you an awesome deal on the charcoal- GO FOR IT. YOU WON'T EVEN SEE THE COLOR OF THE CAR WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING IT. PROMISE!<br /><br />2. You'll also get the best deal at the end of the month. We gotta sell sell sell at the end of the month but do not expect FREE CARS. Also, do not expect the super special edition Ferrari to be super cheap just because it's the 31st. Unless you've seen that yellow Ferrari sitting on the lot for 6 months....then you might just be able to get it for a steal.<br /><br />3. If you're trading in your car, clean it before you bring it in. Just take the trash out, wipe it down a little, run it through the car wash.... it'll bring up the value. If it’s filled with dirty diapers (seen it), porno mags (seen it) and McDonalds bags (seen it) it'll make it seem like your car is a piece of crap- because you're treating it like crap.<br /><br />4. Also, about your trade, when you look it up on Kelly Blue Book....thats just an estimate. In reality, your car is not in the less than 5% that qualify as "excellent condition" (only new cars do) and dealers have to go by what your specific car is going for at auction these days. So back in '08 when gas was all crazy any small, gas saving car was high in value at the auctions and those super expensive, fancy, gas-chomping Escalades weren't worth jack.<br /><br />5. You can negotiate on your trade amount but keep in mind that we will have to do some maintenance to your car before we can resell it, ok? We have to buff out scratches, replace windshields, do engine repairs, replace tires sometimes, etc etc etc.<br /><br />6. ONE LAST THING ABOUT YOUR TRADE- DO NOT SMOKE IN YOUR CAR. IT DROPS ITS VALUE LIKE A HOT ROCK IN A BABYS HANDS. It is SO hard to re-sell a smokers car, it's really hard to remove the smell completely and nobody wants burn holes in their "new car." Ok? Don't smoke.<br /><br />7. If you got awesome service from your salesperson- WRITE THEM A LETTER. Send them a card they can show to other customers to earn business, send their boss a letter too so if they're late one day the boss will be like "well, I got that card about you being awesome so I'll let this slide."<br /><br />8. If you don't buy a car from a salesperson and they keep calling you- DON'T DUCK THEIR CALLS. Just pick up the phone and say "hey dude, I'm not interested anymore." They will stop calling you. Its easier for everybody. It won't hurt the salespersons feelings, promise.<br /><br />9. When you drive past a dealership, many times you'll see guys just standing around outside. I know it can be intimidating to drive up and BAM there’s somebody waiting to SUCK YOUR BLOOD (not) but the salesperson just wants to help you find a new car that makes you happy. Seriously.<br /><br />10. DON'T BE A PUNK AND COME IN 10 MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING AND WANT TO DRIVE A CAR THATS IN THE SHOWROOM BEHIND 4 OTHER CARS (it's happened to me). DON'T BE A JERK AND TAKE A SALESPERSON ON A TEST DRIVE 10 MINUTES AFTER CLOSING IN A CONVERTIBLE AND OPEN THE TOP AND ITS 20 DEGREES OUTSIDE (it's happened to me). DON'T BE A NASTY NELLY AND COME IN 2 MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING TO KEEP A SALESPERSON THERE FOR AN EXTRA HOUR JUST TO LEAVE AND NEVER ANSWER A PHONE CALL EVER AGAIN (it's happened to me) . AND DO NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT SPEND 5 HOURS WITH A SALESPERSON ONLY TO BUY A CAR THE NEXT DAY FROM SOME OTHER PERSON SOMEWHERE ELSE (it's happened to me). THAT IS PERSONAL- SALESPEOPLE DO NOT GET PAID BY THE HOUR AND YOU JUST WASTED 5 HOURS OF THEIR TIME. HOW DARE YOU. (I'm still mad)<br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>Secrets:</b><br /><br />1. I see commercials that say "get into a new 2011 bla-bla-bla for only 329 a month with nothing down!" Here's the secret- that's with perfect credit (which most people don't have) and with TAXES UP FRONT (a few thou' $$$).<br /><br />2. Keep in mind that if you want a 200 dollar payment then you need to be looking for a car thats roughly about 10k dollars.<br /><br />3. Buy used. If possible, certified used. It'll save you money. And yes, look at the carfax. No big deal. <br /><br />Also, some sales guys are dirt bags. ONLY SOME. 99% are trying to feed families, ok?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTbbCN-s3fPpTN_e0rdaXGKWv8xrJXwzUTyShuULjIk3ym9JFmpWBxkw16gv3J4PGBuvwxPTG60A9vTW58nhIXW2Rgr__XpUSHS0ohs0UUay7Vr1aqHWROAMz72oU09eOBy7ZALGF69M/s1600/PICTURE+J.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTbbCN-s3fPpTN_e0rdaXGKWv8xrJXwzUTyShuULjIk3ym9JFmpWBxkw16gv3J4PGBuvwxPTG60A9vTW58nhIXW2Rgr__XpUSHS0ohs0UUay7Vr1aqHWROAMz72oU09eOBy7ZALGF69M/s640/PICTURE+J.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><br />Here are a couple things that I learned as a car salesman:<br /><br />1. The world is cold- just because you're honest and kind and go above and beyond, some people will just step on you, stab you & spit on you. STAND YOUR GROUND, DON'T LET PEOPLE RULE YOU.<br /><br />2. Fake it till you make it- I'm talking about confidence. If you don't have it- just pretend that you do. You'll see that people respond to you differently and you'll start to gain real confidence. CONFIDENCE IS KEY IN SALES.<br /><br />3. Its still a mans world- DO NOT LET MEN TREAT YOU LIKE A PIECE OF MEAT. Take harassment seriously. & You will have to work harder as a woman- plain and simple.<br /><br />4. Advice from my husband- "Its better to go in with your balls dropped than to grow them later." Be tough, be confident on that first day. Let them think that they can't mess with you. THIS is something I wish I had mastered when I was younger. Its like a prison-mantra for everyday life! Love it, learn it, live it!

9 to 5: Brenna, Car Salesman

[ photo credit ] 9 to 5 is an every-so-often kind of feature that showcases women in the workplace. We get to see what their typical day is...

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Henry: Month by Month

Henry is 15 months old today and I realized last night I never shared all of his monthly photos! It's so neat to see them side-by-side, and then look at him now. He's such a big boy! Henry has his 15-month check-up tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be sharing more about that post-appointment. I should also add that recently Hank and I have been talking about a possible baby #2. Ah! And although we aren't quite there yet, it's been fun imagining Henry as a big brother. I feel like I'm so used to having a boy that if we ended up having a girl it would be such a change. We've had our girl name picked out for the past 7 years and imagining a little lady is so fun, but at the same time, I'd love to have another boy. Either way we'll be happy of course, and it's kind of nice to not have a preference. I'm getting a little ahead of myself here since we are just starting to talk about it, but it's just so exciting that I had to share!<br /><br />Anyway, here's the collage. I just used fabric, sheets, or curtains that we had around the house to use for the backdrop, and then also displayed all of these photos at his <a href="http://sometimessweet.blogspot.com/2011/11/henrys-1st-birthday-party.html">first birthday party</a>. Our family and friends loved it, and it was a fun tribute to those 12 months that had gone by way too quickly. I think my favorite photo from the bunch would have to be from month 5. Although Henry had always been the sweetest thing, it was right around then when his personality really started to emerge. I love all of them, but that picture is just way too cute.<br /><br />On a side note, when I do this again for any future kiddos, I will definitely not take them laying down. From 9 months on it was a nightmare to try and get our roly-poly, crawling dude to lay on his back for more than 3 seconds. It was downright impossible and not fun at all. Next time I'm thinking a chair or couch photo would work a lot better.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellehampton/6919540301/" title="12monthcollage by daniellehampton, on Flickr"><img alt="12monthcollage" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6919540301_5ff6f01b33_z.jpg" width="621" /></a>

Henry: Month by Month

Henry is 15 months old today and I realized last night I never shared all of his monthly photos! It's so neat to see them side-by-side, ...

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Today on Hello Giggles: Kids These Days

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd917tTAx0MjlBDtmznN2qLRys0NE_AedMCN3FveCL-YH1utnRRhhFRdUSpQHWSNSzpqOXBkInm1B3zmGRk2IoxF6U6b30_eRWtbusX6ZbTJJCejzKUkbJEYOENyFGhrFLLByuNoIs78/s1600/henryandme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd917tTAx0MjlBDtmznN2qLRys0NE_AedMCN3FveCL-YH1utnRRhhFRdUSpQHWSNSzpqOXBkInm1B3zmGRk2IoxF6U6b30_eRWtbusX6ZbTJJCejzKUkbJEYOENyFGhrFLLByuNoIs78/s1600/henryandme.jpg" /></a></div><br />Good morning! If you're so inclined, so ahead and click over to Hello Giggles to read today's column "<a href="http://hellogiggles.com/kids-these-days">Kids These Days</a>." I hope you all are having a great day so far! It's 6:45am here and I just got home from the gym (it was so hard to get up this morning). Henry's still sleeping, Hank's in the shower, and I'm enjoying a big glass of water before our day begins. Last night I was feeling kind of blah, so Hank switched around his early workout so I could go this morning rather than tonight. Sometimes you just need 60 minutes of "me" time, great music, and a hard cardio session to put you in the right mindset. Whenever I find myself getting into a rut I set aside an hour or so in the morning to "sweat it out." I skip weights and just focus on pushing myself on the treadmill, elliptical, stair master, whatever. Without fail I end up leaving the gym feeling 100% better and in the best mood. And because this morning was so hard to actually get myself there, that awesome feeling of leaving the gym, workout done...was that much sweeter.  I'm ready for a good day.

Today on Hello Giggles: Kids These Days

Good morning! If you're so inclined, so ahead and click over to Hello Giggles to read today's column " Kids These Days ." ...

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Tattoo Tuesday V.110

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxmwYmN2JNctJkrL2bjrtyNhN5JHnd3mlmmmOiPfsf93yZmAO0UVKKYYGmLpFztxCkqcelX_4EefW8sGkVH7f5Ax7suBlljgWLlWHLzcrKDWVy3FwG4EulldPZrht42hongOhR19P8ag/s1600/IMG_8652nwsquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxmwYmN2JNctJkrL2bjrtyNhN5JHnd3mlmmmOiPfsf93yZmAO0UVKKYYGmLpFztxCkqcelX_4EefW8sGkVH7f5Ax7suBlljgWLlWHLzcrKDWVy3FwG4EulldPZrht42hongOhR19P8ag/s640/IMG_8652nwsquare.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>Name and blog name:</b> Izabelle and my blog is <a href="http://izznit.wordpress.com/">Izznit</a><br /><b>Age:</b> Early twenties <br /><b>Occupation:</b> I am 1/3 of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Boojiboo">Boojiboo</a>, an apron making trio. <br /><b>Age of first tattoo:</b> 18 <br /><b>Favorite tattoo:</b> The one of Lily, my French bulldog. I got her two years ago and she’s been my muse ever since ;) <br /><b>Featured tattoo/location: </b>Dagger of doom on my left forearm. <br /><b>Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo:</b> Eric Jones of <a href="http://palehorsetattoo.com/">Palehorse Tattoo</a>. He currently works at <a href="http://torchtattoo.com/">Torch Tattoo</a> in Anaheim, California.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY2dkJJOqSmxpeTtYI-oQs06e3pkQx58ql1q4iGrbawrCi9oKFe27Y5HSacvf9Z0hs67NMivjPa6YlBNB8GIylEoyYMQD36xMrIdTiKYHV8J8OL5EIakNcHN4jS8ftYo97bFjUbIJLnE/s1600/IMG_8602e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY2dkJJOqSmxpeTtYI-oQs06e3pkQx58ql1q4iGrbawrCi9oKFe27Y5HSacvf9Z0hs67NMivjPa6YlBNB8GIylEoyYMQD36xMrIdTiKYHV8J8OL5EIakNcHN4jS8ftYo97bFjUbIJLnE/s640/IMG_8602e.jpg" width="426" /></a> </div><br /><b>1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story about why you chose it, or maybe a special meaning? </b><br /><br />I don’t suffer (tolerate) fools. Life is too short for that and there are so many other things I’d rather be doing. It’s pretty straight forward but so am I.<br />Of all my tattoos this is the one that gets the most attention. After I answer the usual “what does it mean?” I either get a laugh or a puzzled look. I’ve actually offended someone with my explanation so now I answer in a happy voice. A smile is sometimes thrown in to mess with their mind ;).<br /><br /><b>2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?</b><br /><br />All but two of the ones pictured are from Eric Jones. The blue owl on my right bicep was done by Lindsey Carmichael of Goldrush Tattoo in Costa Mesa, CA. The girl on my right shin was done by Valerie Vargas of Frith St. Tattoo in London. <br />The swallow with the scissors represents my love for sewing. I learned when I was eight and went to fashion school after uni. I don’t blog about it much but sewing is a major part of my life and what I’m best at. <br />The ship tattoo on my right arm has a banner that reads, “all is fine”. It’s something my Dad likes to scream when things are NOT fine.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlO3SuDppUZMQblfI62aI_3BXjjwjiGRS5O3yDLWuBvF2rbN28aoEQ3c45YwyEreKy65BGbAvUW_ACEqLFkUw80x_uc__bFR37CmkDDo-evNgZ0PX70n6dI22KpAYYNqXiQBoJup6LMJM/s1600/Picnik+collage2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlO3SuDppUZMQblfI62aI_3BXjjwjiGRS5O3yDLWuBvF2rbN28aoEQ3c45YwyEreKy65BGbAvUW_ACEqLFkUw80x_uc__bFR37CmkDDo-evNgZ0PX70n6dI22KpAYYNqXiQBoJup6LMJM/s640/Picnik+collage2.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LGE__efWiixpqlKRlH7wTi85Nr-CBu9iYA9gDSDF5wx_YBSjnwKkrZx_veKcpRx4jsnStRO5VuckVEHbusIYy72PS8aiH2b-xhQGjIsAHsan5YgUln8DGjonFwQa8ax3eTLZfna1bGM/s1600/IMG_8608e.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LGE__efWiixpqlKRlH7wTi85Nr-CBu9iYA9gDSDF5wx_YBSjnwKkrZx_veKcpRx4jsnStRO5VuckVEHbusIYy72PS8aiH2b-xhQGjIsAHsan5YgUln8DGjonFwQa8ax3eTLZfna1bGM/s640/IMG_8608e.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdZe3VDxhpZYi1AYHcyf3rePh5xoJkABd0yWowEGFXzAZITYeZg_Zb4V8LvFfenyjlN2J2ho_eFslHiyFRYegH3-Shi_Yd0uCTh8-h8_eLJrbni7Uin8qxvoPnMKDLjqed6JrAhhjjM0/s1600/tattoolegse2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdZe3VDxhpZYi1AYHcyf3rePh5xoJkABd0yWowEGFXzAZITYeZg_Zb4V8LvFfenyjlN2J2ho_eFslHiyFRYegH3-Shi_Yd0uCTh8-h8_eLJrbni7Uin8qxvoPnMKDLjqed6JrAhhjjM0/s640/tattoolegse2.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmghcnOW2L-G92ZlVPtuxWM55LEcqRgXfEKC8vsNlNjJTy6eAFv-GD4oRWJrIjwgPxI1qdtSgSwVxeMdI94bdGNtLhBEACnyHlRxmhXcy9MYexesbzJyzfKXtnwxitqoI5-5Dx0mKrfgE/s1600/395898_2844908495761_1650845435_2616102_879875570_ne.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmghcnOW2L-G92ZlVPtuxWM55LEcqRgXfEKC8vsNlNjJTy6eAFv-GD4oRWJrIjwgPxI1qdtSgSwVxeMdI94bdGNtLhBEACnyHlRxmhXcy9MYexesbzJyzfKXtnwxitqoI5-5Dx0mKrfgE/s640/395898_2844908495761_1650845435_2616102_879875570_ne.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5hnj_JScnn8qUk37EZfiQYmM-yE3BrbuxNn6t7rU3EIQkkawNg0Q38sxpdWY4hyTnPORxX2F2HqPEBu4UFcBkwehsu4yLQBYmiRwnE2JqYv2mGkTSo2d4ZYQpIrGNyRQm6xrirMKUDY/s1600/IMG_8598e.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5hnj_JScnn8qUk37EZfiQYmM-yE3BrbuxNn6t7rU3EIQkkawNg0Q38sxpdWY4hyTnPORxX2F2HqPEBu4UFcBkwehsu4yLQBYmiRwnE2JqYv2mGkTSo2d4ZYQpIrGNyRQm6xrirMKUDY/s640/IMG_8598e.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoAKqwjwUWp_pnZKoc84WMnR49iLcGeUCymc5fpfvGHDos2c-hRCvUpjMOS20HPctidhHiUrfCrkLq2Yj7I6CD7TGl0s3NiZC0BYg0yo0MiZt6JEjNtwZfg1Bsqh3yLnQIHPLBOeDZDo/s1600/IMG_8622e.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoAKqwjwUWp_pnZKoc84WMnR49iLcGeUCymc5fpfvGHDos2c-hRCvUpjMOS20HPctidhHiUrfCrkLq2Yj7I6CD7TGl0s3NiZC0BYg0yo0MiZt6JEjNtwZfg1Bsqh3yLnQIHPLBOeDZDo/s640/IMG_8622e.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbbhjRyWPlaV-1NGHCx6i8ehuiH2R6yQFopcIr_fzfZy0bFetg8fTiuAfdnMJpyPJoxYJWH3Irat-YnMaQbhMlyqUAwgO_4tY3f-alXCdaBJAnZJ5w6bCKHtyTzimM08Zt4Mmha-IYnE/s1600/Picnik+collage1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbbhjRyWPlaV-1NGHCx6i8ehuiH2R6yQFopcIr_fzfZy0bFetg8fTiuAfdnMJpyPJoxYJWH3Irat-YnMaQbhMlyqUAwgO_4tY3f-alXCdaBJAnZJ5w6bCKHtyTzimM08Zt4Mmha-IYnE/s640/Picnik+collage1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6ajyexo2kXZnZoVUYgXGWSXVy5Lbh4bNsV1vYNAxnKCNw9meCCtOJX41WRoBxBKfDI-F72BxD4PemQBlndDL1jjNOGfsWvYxptlACrCK8xrLTIXn5stqQ1KhBVy8ZkKHgHQXePnvPK0/s1600/Picnik+collage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6ajyexo2kXZnZoVUYgXGWSXVy5Lbh4bNsV1vYNAxnKCNw9meCCtOJX41WRoBxBKfDI-F72BxD4PemQBlndDL1jjNOGfsWvYxptlACrCK8xrLTIXn5stqQ1KhBVy8ZkKHgHQXePnvPK0/s640/Picnik+collage3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>3) Do you plan on getting more? </b><br /><br />Definitely! The next will probably go in my other armpit. The only parts I won’t tattoo for now are my face, neck and hands, everything else is fair game. I like that I can wear a sweater with jeans and appear tattoo-less.<br /><br /><b>4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? </b><br /><br />My mom wasn’t happy when I surprised her with my first but now she feels badass by association (her words, not mine)! My Dad is the complete opposite. Born and raised in China he always associated tattoos with the triads, drugs, and prison. He’s still not pleased with them but no longer rants when shown a new one, I get a wordless nod instead. Baby steps. My sister loves them and has a few herself. My two brothers like tattoos on other people but not on themselves (how many of you have heard that before?).<br /><br />For the most part my friends are OK with my tattoos. I wouldn’t say they’re supportive but they’re not negative.<br /><br /><b>Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them?</b><br /><br />I’ve become pretty used to the negative comments and try to not let them phase me. “They obviously don’t have standards here” was one of the first said to my face and was a heck of an eye opener. I’ve also been ignored by sales associates at boutiques because they didn’t think I’d buy anything. Looking back though, all the negative encounters left me with a greater appreciation for my tattoos. They’re wonderful people filters.<br /><br />The positive experiences outnumber the negative ones tenfold. One of my favorites involved an older woman at the grocery store. She followed me through the aisles for a while and when she finally caught me at the register said, “I thought why would a girl do that to her body but then I saw it said Mom and went awww! Just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover.”<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtkLCeFpdDWYZ6QMAgYgj7XskkeDwQ1d2dj4pko6WiiIxaUqs_ZcgikzQGSsaSHWF1N-WbA_fXgITyqcY_3PGjpy2nyzwlEl4h1F9KK5_JHgm5am2i6RKlXPZdKIbdBQ_dZVy6oHMWAg/s1600/IMG_9510e.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtkLCeFpdDWYZ6QMAgYgj7XskkeDwQ1d2dj4pko6WiiIxaUqs_ZcgikzQGSsaSHWF1N-WbA_fXgITyqcY_3PGjpy2nyzwlEl4h1F9KK5_JHgm5am2i6RKlXPZdKIbdBQ_dZVy6oHMWAg/s640/IMG_9510e.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /><br /><b>5) What's the most interesting experience you've ever had in regards to your tattoos? </b><br /><br />I was sitting outside a coffee shop when an older man approached and told me about his stint in the navy. The best part about this already awesome encounter was his outfit though—blue polo tucked into his white Bermuda shorts, aviators (the shiny reflector kind), and A CAPTAIN’S HAT.<br /><br /><b>6) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?</b><br /><br />Fame doesn’t indicate quality, be patient, and a good tattoo is always worth the wait.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DV50VSGQpWdS16MknByUXWmANS8kVfP8CSLDBOwVvSrWO-_8EuwYV6DetBKuimRJBNEUfASm4wIWMzQXQQQFr7kIDqZmrG3tqkLBYDUMF-7gkk7iumMhP3CYfiaD35s_xJ8_3GB7J_I/s1600/desate.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DV50VSGQpWdS16MknByUXWmANS8kVfP8CSLDBOwVvSrWO-_8EuwYV6DetBKuimRJBNEUfASm4wIWMzQXQQQFr7kIDqZmrG3tqkLBYDUMF-7gkk7iumMhP3CYfiaD35s_xJ8_3GB7J_I/s640/desate.jpg" width="640" /></a>

Tattoo Tuesday V.110

Name and blog name: Izabelle and my blog is Izznit Age: Early twenties Occupation: I am 1/3 of Boojiboo , an apron making trio. Age of fi...

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