Lauren's Hourglass

Occasionally we'll share a  reader submission and today we have a piece contributed by Lauren. She sent in this cool hourglass:


Lauren explains:
 "I decided on an hourglass after wanting something to represent living your life to the fullest and realizing time is precious. After thinking and going through all the quotes I could find I decided I would get an hourglass to represent it all. Paul Anthony Dobleman at Spider Murphy's Tattoo in San Rafael, CA is a genius. He has done about 75% of my tattoos and he took my idea and ran with it. Exactly what I wanted. Couldn't be happier! The tattoo is located on my left rib cage."
Thanks to Lauren for sharing her timely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

I'd like to build a house...

The Balloon Magic debut EP Mornings will be out on Shelflife Records on November 15. These guys are freaking awesome and I'm so much looking forward to this release! Check out my first post on the band right...here!
+ I'd Like To Build a House

Waking Up by Balloon Magic

Weekend links, odds & ends, and a giveaway winner!

Henry wanted to try his hand at web-chatting on his own! ;)

Today I head off to Las Vegas, but before I hit the road with Anita, I thought I'd share a couple of odds and ends, and some links!  I'm super excited about this weekend and I can't wait to spend some good quality girl time with Anita, Andy, Brittney and Vanessa! I adore these gals and I envision tons of fun over the next couple of days! Feel free to follow along via Twitter or instagram (danihampton) for fun updates.

A couple quick blog-related items:

This is just a note for any of my upcoming sponsors- because I'll be away on the 1st, your ad will go up the evening of Sunday the 2nd. I'll leave them up one extra day next month to make up the difference.

The winner of the Handmade Colectibles $45 shop credit is Jessica West Judkins! Jessica, go ahead and email me at sometimessweetblog @ gmail to claim your prize. Congratulations, and thanks again to all who entered!



Bright Starts was kind enough to send Henry a toy to check out, and although I was under no obligation to blog about it, I really wanted to share how much he loves it!  We got it about a month ago, and at first he wasn't sure what to do with the little pop-ups, but now he totally understands to push them down, then pop them back up again. He loves it. I also think the airplane noises it makes are pretty awesome and I'd highly recommend checking out this toy if you're in the market for a fun cause/effect toy for your child, or as a gift for a little one around Henry's age. Their website is great too, and definitely worth a look.


And now, some links!  I hope all of you have the best weekend - thank of me this weekend as I'm out and about in Vegas. I may pull a slot machine or two, so send me good luck vibes too! ;)

---------

James' "Bits and Pieces" feature makes me so happy. I love all of the fun glimpses into her family's everyday.

I am loving this video- giving old books new life! I immediately thought of one of my favorite literary friends, Diana!

Live in the Phoenix area? Doesn't this restaurant sound good? It's definitely on our list of must-gos.

Totally enjoyed reading Kelly Ann's 10 things. I think I may do this next week!

Okay, how neat is this?! I think it would be so useful.

Jumpsuit Friday? Where do I sign up? I think these women are adorable.

More babies in blog world! I am just tickled pink for this soon to be mama!

This is a great idea for a cheap update in your home. And a great idea for renters.

Peter Pan collars. For everything you own!

Liz's post has me wanting to pack up and take a little weekend trip to Pinetop, AZ.

I am such a sucker for English Muffins (and butter, yum), that I am absolutely trying out this recipe soon.

Seriously loving all of the details in this baby shower.

If you fall, and you love food...then I promise, you'll love this post.

The prettiest ring for a cool $9. Awesome.

Greige and sherbet...I think this may just be my new favorite color combination.

I really enjoy reading all of my Journal Day submissions. This week, I found Liz's post to be extraordinarily raw (and so brave). 

I always admire all of Jen's outfits, but this one really stands out. The fall colors are so inspiring!

This post makes me want to head to the nearest fair immediately! I simply love all of Emily's photos.

And finally, a couple blogs I've been extra-loving lately: one, two and three.

I also want to end with my girl Adele's new video. I just LOVE her!

9 to 5: Sarah Fortune Gill, Public Relations Coordinator in the Funeral Industry

new feature!

This week's 9 to 5 lady is one of my favorite online friends, Sarah! I always love following along on all of her traveling adventures via her blog and twitter, and now her biggest adventure (she's about to have her first baby!) is the best yet. Trust me when I say that Sarah is one of THE cutest mamas-to-bes I've ever seen. Or, stop by and say hello and see for yourself! :)


 Tell us about yourself.

I’m Sarah, but I go by my first and middle name in internet land. Raised by hippies in Memphis, Tennessee I received the middle name Fortune, hence my blog, sarahfortune.com. Now thirty years old, I live with my amazing, curly haired husband, Todd, in the college town of Fayetteville, Arkansas. I have to say, I never thought I would end up in Arkansas, but I am completely in love with my sweet little town. We’re expecting our first baby, a girl, this October, so lately my blog (and brain) has been taken over with all things tiny and pink!

For the past three years I’ve worked as the Public Relations Coordinator at a non-profit organization in the (wait for it...) funeral industry. And that’s not even the exciting part. Truth be told, I don’t work directly with death, funerals, or even the deceased. My company, which has been around for over one hundred years, administers the exam people take in order to be licensed funeral directors across the United States. In my position, I help out around the office with typical day-to-day administrative tasks, but the best part about my job is that I organize our company meetings at various hotels. We typically hold these meetings across the country and it’s my duty to find the perfect location. Now THIS is the exciting part.


Describe a typical day at work.

During a normal week, I do the 8 to 5 thing in a small office. When it comes to meeting planning, there is a ton of research that goes into selecting locations before I ever set foot on a hotel property, which I do from my cozy office in Fayetteville. I’m fortunate to love the people that I work with and that I get to wear whatever I want to my laid-back office, which is a major perk if you ask me.

But probably the number one aspect of my job is that I am given the difficult task of trying out prospective hotels to see if they would work for our meetings. Is the food good? Are the beds comfy? How are the bath products? Yeah, it can be rough. Meeting Planning is a huge industry and hotels go way out of their way to make sure that you pick their property. The memories I’ve gained from the travel I’ve done are incredible. A champagne helicopter ride over Las Vegas, dinner on the beaches of Maui, and box seats at the 2011 BCS National Championship game in Scottsdale are just a few memorable experiences I’ve had so far in my career.

I often work closely with the Convention & Visitors Bureaus of prospective cities, who send out my request for hotel proposals and help me determine what might be the best fit for my group. Occasionally though, I’m invited to attend exclusive Meeting Planner “Familiarization Trips” which are designed to show off a certain city or hotel that maybe we haven’t considered before. These trips are intense, lemme tell you. It’s usually a few days of non-stop tours of hotels, where each one literally wines and dines you. I’m talking the best food, the best drinks, the best VIP concerts (I may have watched Ludacris perform by the Palms pool in Vegas once). While it all sounds like a rather lavish ordeal (and it is), experiencing a hotel first hand truly is invaluable when it comes to making a final decision. And for every fun-filled trip I take, there is a meeting that I meticulously plan out every detail of and then make sure it all folds out according to plan. The act of carrying out the meeting is far less glamourous, full of early mornings, late nights, and aching feet from running around in heels all day. But it’s a great feeling to see an event that you’ve worked so hard on for a solid year come to life, hopefully with no major bumps along the way.




Did you always want to work in this industry? How did you get into this field? What kind of schooling or background did it entail?

Honestly, before this job I had NO idea that the meeting planning field even existed. When people ask what it is exactly, I compare it to event planning, but more for the corporate world. I have to choose the room set-up, select the food and beverage, stay within my budget, book travel, line up speakers, and then help it all unfold seamlessly. Although many Meeting Planners went to school for hospitality, my major in college was Advertising and Public Relations. While studying, I worked for myself selling vintage clothes through my online shop, Bittersweet Styles. Knowing that I didn’t want to do that forever, I took an internship right after graduation doing public relations for a local performing arts center. Once that came to an end, I literally opened the newspaper and this job jumped out at me from the classifieds. I’ve been fortunate to have an employer that has been willing to teach me the ins and outs of meeting planning, plus allow me to attend classes and conventions where I gain continuing education credits in the field. So while I knew the things I was interested in, I never had a clear idea of what exactly I wanted to do with my degree. But as with everything else in my life, it all seemed to fall right into place.


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? Where do you see yourself in 10 years, career-wise?

It’s hard to say where I’ll be in 10 years, but I would love for it to be right here where I am now. With this career, I feel settled, yet I still get to experience new things all the time. Every day I think about how fortunate I am not only to have a great job in today’s economy, but to truly enjoy what I do. With a baby along the way though, I can see myself wanting to travel a little less and focus more on what I can do for the organization here at home. Beyond all of the exciting travel, it feels really good to work for an organization that, even though most people don’t know it exists, plays an essential role in maintaining a high level of standard in the death care field. Something we’ll all unfortunately have to deal with at some point.


If you could tell your 17-year old self anything about your life today, what would you tell her? 

I definitely took the non-traditional route, so this is a tough one. I was home-schooled for my last two years of high school and then took some time off to travel, work, and live in Washington D.C. for a couple years before concentrating on college. Part of me would tell my 17-year old self to go to college immediately after high school, but if I had done that I wouldn’t be where I was today - happy and content, with tons of great memories.

Untitled...

Check out new track from Choir of Young Believers. Quite haunting, somewhat eerie, beautiful in its own special way though I cannot help thinking that they should have focused more on Jannis' unique vocal rather than on creating this spooky atmosphere. Obviously the band is working on new material, but I have no idea if/when anything will be officially released...actually I was beginning to doubt that the track is by CoYB, as the band's name isn't written anywhere, but the last seconds of the video reveals that it has to be...


Untitled from Tigerspring Records on Vimeo.

Anthony's Phenomenal Marilyn Monroe Portrait

 Without question, Marilyn Monroe has appeared more on Tattoosday than any other celebrity, living or dead. You'd think I'd get tired of seeing her in ink, but I never do. Probably because there are artists out there doing this:


This portrait is on the left leg of Anthony, a photographer I met on Penn Plaza a couple weeks ago. The work is based on this famous photograph:


Anthony credited the artist as Horacio Martinez, at Golden Eagle Tattoo in Santa Barbara, California. The detail in the piece is really spectacular:


When I asked why he chose to ink the legendary actress on his leg, he said, "I was in photo school at the time and we were doing a lot of Hollywood glamor stuff and it was just kind of, on a whim. Why not?"

The piece is two years old and took only three and a half hours for Horacio to complete.

To see all the Marilyn Monroe work that has appeared on Tattoosday, click here. You can also see Anthony's work as a photographer on Tumblr here, or you can visit his website here.

Thanks to Anthony for sharing this incredible tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Serious radical girls...

Dream/noise-poppers Panda Riot are in the studio recording and previews new track Serious Radical Girls. From a release of the same name due in 2037 if what written is true...which it probably isn't (2012 sounds like a much better guess)! Sounds pretty much like the stuff we've heard from the band before, which basically means that it sounds pretty good...

Little confusions...

Check out the new single from Sweden's Azure Blue. It's the second single lifted from the band's forthcoming debut album Rule of Thirds and needless to say it's absolutely brilliant. Some distorted guitar sounds and it could perhaps have been a perfect The Radio Dept. track...

Little Confusions by Azure Blue

1979...

What does anyone think of this? Cannot say I'm (at least not yet) completely sold on this RAC cover of Smashing Pumpkins...

 1979 (ft. Liz Anjos) by RAC

Frank's Koi Blends Traditional and Modern

Back on the first of July, I met Frank as I was headed home through Penn Station. He shared this tattoo on his lower leg:


Frank explained that the tattoo artist was Gus, who works out of John's Tattoos in Islip, New York. He elaborated, telling me, "I originally wanted a koi fish ... not too traditional, but a little bit different. Some modern twist on it ... Gus put the traditional with the modern and there it is."


Thanks to Frank for sharing his koi fish and cherry blossoms with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Copenhagen...

New Danish indie-rock act Ulige Numre released their first single København (Copenhagen) yesterday and has already made quite a splash being picked as top track/track of the day in Soundvenue and closing in on 1,000 likes on Facebook. The song is a kind of melancholic tribute to our nation's capital; musically sounding like a Danish version of The National (though some say they sound like fellow Danes Love Shop) and the video has been pieced together using a long string of old video, TV and movie clips (thematically focusing on Copenhagen - hardly a surprise) and is simply spectacular!



København by Ulige Numre

Jacqueline's Blood Rose

Two weeks ago I spotted Jacqueline and knew I had to ask her about this large tattoo in the center of her back:


Jacqueline explained that she and her older brother got this same tattoo in the same spot. "We just wanted to get a matching tattoo," she told me, "and, you know, we're both blood relatives". It's as simple as that.


She credits Seth Wood with this tattoo. Seth currently works out of Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn. Work by Seth appeared previously on Tattoosday just last month here.

Thanks to Jacqueline for sharing this amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Andrea Shares a Gil Elvgren Pinup by Shane O'Neill

Earlier this month, I met Andrea while waiting for the A train.

Andrea is covered with tattoos, estimating she has over 50% of her body inked. I always feel privileged when someone so dedicated to the art of tattoo agrees to share their work. Andrea offered up this amazing pin-up on her right forearm:


This amazing tattoo is based on the work of  legendary pin-up artist Gil Elvgren. The tattoo artist responsible for this incredible work is Shane O'Neill, who is based in Middletown, Delaware. The detail in this piece is incredible.


Work by Shane has appeared previously on our site here.

Thanks to Andrea for sharing her amazing work with us here on Tattoosday!



This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Last night...

Despite not feeling well at all, I decided to go anyway. And of course I'll never regret that I did!

  Michael Møller - Where the Wind Blows

Natalie's Geisha Butterfly

Last month, I ran into Natalie on Seventh Avenue and 24th Street. She had several tattoos, but shared this geisha, with butterfly wings, floating on the top of her back:


She got this about six years ago in the city of Leeds from an artist named Diego.

When I asked why she got this particular tattoo, she replied, "I kind of just wanted something that was quite girly, yet strong at the same time."

Natalie is a professional photographer whose work can be seen on her website here.

Thanks to Natalie for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Blah x 3...

What a shitty one today is. My throat is sore and I’m more tired than ever, so will most likely miss the Michael Møller concert at Louisiana tonight. Bummer!

Went to a birthday Tuesday evening and spent parts of the evening chatting with a 50 year old attorney. By that I obviously don't mean that there is anything wrong in being either 50 years old or an attorney. But at some point we (of course) ended up talking about music and must admit I was pretty surprised (and rather impressed) when he suddenly declared his love for "this band named Beirut", which he clearly thought I had never heard of. Didn’t see that one coming, but perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
+ Postcards From Italy

Tempomatador shares a new track named Sværmeri, which, to be correct, is a new (and vastly improved) recording of demo track Ny Puls that I posted back in March.
+ Sværmeri

Sweden’s bakers at dawn shares his fine cover of Fleetwood Mac's Storm.

My heart...

The new video for the Loney Dear track My Heart. Looking forward to the album!


Loney Dear - My Heart from AdF / Newfoundland Tack

Loney Dear - My Heart by The Line Of Best Fit

Nick's Street Sign is Self-Explanatory

Earlier this week, up in Columbus Circle (see, I don't spend ALL my time in Penn Station!), I ran into Nick, a much-inked individual who kindly allowed me to photograph this tattoo on his left shin:


Nick explained that his friend James tattooed this Pedestrian Crossing sign on him. When I asked him why he chose to get this iconic street sign on his leg, he replied, simply, "We were just bored, and I walk everywhere".

Thanks to Nick for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

And It Hurts...

Check out the new single by Junica. It's brilliant. Of course it is!

Money...

Heard this one on the radio this morning and probably have been sleeping the past month or so, as today was the first time I noticed it. I know the vocals are a lot different, but do think it's quite Arcade Fire inspired...what do you think?

The Drums - Money (Jacknife Radio Edit) 

Kristen's Anchor - Dedicated to Daddy

"This tattoo is for my father," Kristen told me, as we sat talking at the laundromat earlier this month, "because he's my anchor and he's the only man that could ever hold me down and take care of me."



She credits an artist named Twace who works in Brooklyn. [On October 4, 2011, I learned Twace is working at Citizen Ink.] Twace does all her work and is working with Kristen on her sleeve, which is based on family and inspired by Sailor Jerry flash.

When I asked her about coming up with the design, she praised Twace, her artist:

"What I love about him is that we designed the entire piece together ... I paint and do artistic things, as well, which you find [can be] very difficult with tattoo artists to put your inspiration in ... The heart rope was my idea, the color scheme, we basically worked together, bounced ideas off each other, which makes it even more like a special event."
Thanks to Kristen for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

No patience...part two...

Go For Gold has made their brilliant live recording of No Patience available for download...thank you!



No Patience (LIVE 2011) by Go for Gold

Doubt...

The new single by Amanda Mair...still on first listen, but not blown away as I hoped I would be...telling myself that great music needs time to grow...

Amanda MairDoubt by Labrador Records

+ Doubt

North of the carpark...

Had the worst hangovers in a hundred year (or more) yesterday. I really ought to know better than consuming alcohol as if I was still in my teens, but since I had a terrific time while drinking Saturday evening/night I believe it was worth it. In between the drinking we went to see Carpark North and though I doubt I’ll ever be a true fan of the band, it’s impossible not to be amazed how they bring everything to the table. The crowd loved it and the band seemed to enjoy every minute and so did we. Obviously yesterday wasn’t my “best day”, but since it’s my favorite track by the band…

It's a Blog World, After All

It's not unusual to occasionally run into someone who's been featured on the blog before, especially in my neighborhood, but this morning I ran into four former Tattoosday subjects. So, out of sheer laziness and the desire to share these encounters, we'll be revisiting these old posts.

First, I ran into Melanie, whose Marilyn Monroe tattoo appeared earlier this year here.


I spotted her where I first met her, in the laundromat. We were chatting when Sandra walked by and said hi. I also met Sandra in the laundromat back in 2009. Her tattoo was featured here.

Then, I ran into James and . James was also a laundromat encounter, although his son went to school with my youngest daughter, so we had seen each other around the neighborhood a lot. Today I ran into him about a block from the laundromat. James was here on Tattoosday in our second post, back in 2007! It's worth checking out here, just to get a perspective of what the site was like "back in the day."

James was walking with his girlfriend, Jeanette, who I met on the subway in 2009, and featured here. What's remarkable is that, at the time, James and Jeanette were not a couple, and I only learned they were together almost a year later, when I ran into James and he told me that his girlfriend had been featured on the site as well.

So, there you have it, folks. Small world, Tattoosday-style!



This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Shorts...

A Classic Education shares another track from the band's forthcoming album.
+ Forever Boy

Pavel Datsyuk is one of the world's best (if not the best) hockey players. Datsyuk also happens to be the name of a new duo writing dreamy electronic tunes.
+ Suicide Dreams

I know it's quite popular at the moment, but I honestly think that the new Korallreven track is a bit dull.
+ As Young As Yesterday

Play People has a new EP out on The Almighty Pop! today. Have only heard this ukulele version of the lead track.
Never let me down (ukulele version) by playpeople

Erin's Tribute to Thomas, Her Grandfather

Back in June, I met Erin on the subway, and she shared this section of her inner forearm:


This tattoo is a tribute to her grandfather, Thomas, who served in the U.S. Navy.

The work was done at High Street Tattoo in Columbus, Ohio.

Erin explained: 
"I just told [the artist] that I wanted something that would relate to the Navy, I guess, so that's the anchor. I like Old School tattoos, I like Sailor Jerry classic-style."

 Erin also has a Friday the 13th tattoo below this, on her wrist:


This was done at Only You Tattoo in Atlanta.


Thanks to Erin for sharing these cool tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

A Beacon for Marci on Buddy's Arm

I met Buddy a while back while riding the subway. He had 13 or 14 tattoos and shared this piece, from his left forearm:


Buddy explained that this old gas-lit street light serves a memorial piece for Marci, his French bulldog, who passed away at the age of 14. Marci was his "light in the dark" for a dozen years,

The tattoo was inked at The End is Near in Brooklyn. He couldn't remember the artist's name, but based on his description (and my rudimentary knowledge of the artists there), I believe the tattooist was Joey Wilson, who has moved on to Asylum Studios in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Thanks to Buddy for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Election Day...

Today is Election Day in Denmark and as I wrote almost 4 years ago, I urge everyone to please go cast their vote. As always I don’t give a rat’s ass for who you decide to vote for; as long as you show our democracy the respect and turn up at the polling station to vote. Just never forget that everyday people are dying around the world trying to get the freedom and democracy that we take for granted.

And a video from the days before I was actually old enough to vote...

Ashley's Scarabs

I met Ashley a couple months ago, over the summer, on a Friday afternoon at the Broadway-Lafayette subway station.

She had two tattoos on her upper left arm that jumped out at me:


These two scarabs were tattooed by Jason June, from Three Kings Tattoo, in Brooklyn.  Why scarabs? Ashley explained that they have "a family significance from the scarab bracelet that I have." She showed me the bracelet and two of the stones matched the colors in the tattoos. Pretty neat.

Check out posts tagged Three Kings here to see the work we've featured from the shop on Tattoosday.

Thanks to Ashley for sharing these scarabs with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Planet of the apes...?

The new video for the recent Cut Copy single Blink And You’ll Miss A Revolution. Have to say that I think it’s somewhat bizarre; but the song itself is pretty OK!



Cut Copy - Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution by modularpeople

My My Hey Hey...

VETO front man Troels Abrahamsen shares his cover of Neil Young’s My My Hey Hey. Quite different to the original and not half as brilliant (no offence, but how could it possibly ever be?), but based on an electronic beat the cover has a certain chillness that makes it fascinatingly alternative.

My My Hey Hey (Troels Abrahamsen cover) by http://soundcloud.com/supertroels

Good Time Sam and the Mad Hatter

Last month I ran into a young lady who called herself "Good Time Sam" in Penn Station. She was very enthusiastic about sharing one of her tattoos. She has "at least twenty". She offered up this memorable character:


That is, of course, the Mad Hatter, from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Sam credited this piece to her friend Justin from Pigment Custom Tattoo and Piercing in New Orleans.

She chose this for a tattoo because she likes the character, Hatter, from the book, and she always wears a hat.

The image is based on the original John Tenniel illustration 

although it seems that the tattoo artist added some additional detail, along with the phrase "live the madness"


Thanks to "Good Time Sam" for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Aviary (Mogwai remix)...

This is just plain wonderful...

Mint Julep - Aviary (Mogwai remix) by Anorak London

Holy Ship! Isaac's Vessel and a Biblical Quote

There are a few tattoo artists whose work is so good that, when I'm lucky enough to stumble upon one of their clients, I consider it a great day.

Such was the case on a Monday in August on the Upper West Side, when I stopped Isaac in Trader Joe's as he walked past me. I knew, even before he told me who the artist was, that this piece was special:


Isaac explained that this ship was inked by the amazing Amanda Wachob of Dare Devil Tattoo in Manhattan. Amanda was featured in a small post in the New York Times earlier this year here. I have been fortunate enough to stumble across her work personally once before, as documented in this post from last October.

Isaac explained that this ship was inspired by The Flying Dutchman, a painting by Albert Pinkham Ryder.


One of the amazing things about Amanda Wachob's work is how her tattoos look like they are painted onto the skin. Check out the front of Isaac's ship:


"I used to write 'I'm a Son' on my arm all the time," Isaac told me, "as in a son of God," so he refers to this as his sonship.

He also shared this piece on his left biceps:


This is a Biblical reference, from 1 Corinthians 13, Verses 4-8. The passage is
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
Isaac and his wife have the same piece, with hers being on her right arm. I love the font that the artist used. He attributed it to Kelly at East Side Ink. Kelly is absent from the shop website, so must have been a former or visiting artist.

Thanks so much to Isaac for sharing these wonderful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.



If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Re-Post: Paul's 9/11 Memorial

This post originally appeared in 2008 and again in 2009. It seems appropriate to re-run it again today:




Earlier this month, I mentioned meeting Paul here, on the bike path that runs along the southern tip of Brooklyn.

I saved the other tattoo photo I took of Paul's work for today, the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

What I didn't mention in the previous post is that Paul is a federal agent who grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

From his vantage point there, he watched the World Trade Center being built in the late 1960's. He was working in 6 World Trade seven years ago for the U.S. Customs Department when the towers came down, and he spent four months at Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, searching for remains.

The tattoo is a poignant piece, with the sun shining between the towers. Below is Paul's badge from the Department of Homeland Security, which has evolved into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Particulatly unusual is the depiction of 9/11 in Roman numerals:

IX XI.


I don't believe I had ever seen it represented that way before.

Like the tattoo in the earlier post, this piece was inked by Joe at Brooklyn Ink.

Thanks to Paul for sharing this WTC memorial piece with us here on Tattoosday.

~ ~ ~

We here at Tattoosday send our thoughts and prayers to all the families of  people who died on 9/11, and to the families of all of the men and women who have died since then, serving our country.

This entry is © 2008, 2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.