this skin. this ink.

For me, a tattoo is a springboard to a conversation.  I'm always intrigued by what inspired someone to get inked.  So I figured it was about time I share mine with you.  I remember this was the first post I ever wrote on my old blog.... eons ago it seems.  These tatts have been travelling with me for a long time now (maybe 10 years even?!). 

So, this is my right hand.  My shaking-hands hand.  My waving hello hand.  My 3 core values hand.  Originally I just had "faith" on my wrist... and then a year or two later I ended up designing a scroll with "hope, love" to join in.  All three of these words represent where my anchor in life lies.  God is my object of faith, my reason for hope, my source for love.  I can never 'regret' having such a tattoo and reminder in my life.

"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:13

This is my left hand.  My ring-finger hand.  My chin-resting hand.  The tattoo hand to remind me of how inter connected "life&death" really are.  Yes, it says both... trippy, I know.  Every day I'm called to die to my own selfish desires of 'me-first, me-now'... and live to the freedom and beauty I'm called to.  To live selflessly... to give instead of take.  To walk in the light, and not the dark.

How can I 'regret' this reminder?

You may remember the other tattoo I pointed out last week during my 'haircut' post... the Hebrew word on the back of my neck.

Yes, all my tattoos are words.  Yes, they are all reminders for me.  

Yes, I will always want more (but doubt the budget will comply)!

Will I 'let' my daughter get them in the future you ask?  I hope we'll have a healthy discussion about her reasons and motives for it.  My warning would be to take time to think about it (months even..) if you truly believe in it - it will be worth waiting for.  Also, it's addictive, once you start you will be finding excuses and spare corners on your body to wedge another tatt in!

What else would I want in tattoos?  I dream of a flock of birds going up my arm.  Sometimes I want a bunch of tree branches weaving up my back... and this tempts me!

So there you have it... my skin. my ink. my stories.  

Thanks for listening,

Mel ;o)

how I did my do. [haircut post]

What's that word for someone who continues to do the same act - while hoping for a new outcome?  Well foolish is as foolish does... and this fool still continues to cut her own hair!  I alluded to the fact that I had recently created a mullet by 'accident'.  See, I had been trying to grow my hair out again - it was down to my shoulders - though I always tied it up or in braids.  I thought if I ignore it long enough.. it may grow into something Rapunzel would envy.  Then I got the notion that I should 'trim' it... snip.chop.hack moments later... I had once again shortened a pile of layers around my head with these long 'mullet' like layers at the back... [sigh].  Ben called it for what it was and suggested I may want to just go short again.  ;o)  Agreed.

I marched back up to the bathroom the next night and grabbed the hair buzzers - that's the sound of liberation right there.  I chopped off the mullet, buzzed the back and ended up with this fun little mop top.  So far, I'm actually kind of liking it!  If I wasn't pregnant I think I would totally reclaim some of my former years of 'rainbow' hair colour options ... I want some crazy funky colours back in my palette!  I can wait... 7 months. 

P.S.  - that is not a birthmark on my neck, it's a tattoo... the Hebrew word LAEL which means "of God (belonging to God)".

What's the craziest 'do you've ever done?

Mine was likely during the tomboy phase of childhood... where I shaved one side and had long bangs on the other... oh the glory days!

Lighter-headed,

Mel :o)