The Tattooed Poets Project, Volume 4

It seems incredible to me that this April, in 2012, we’ll be celebrating National Poetry Month on Tattoosday for the fourth year in a row, by showcasing the tattoos of poets. Not necessarily literary tattoos, but tattoos of the literary.

When the idea first struck me in early 2009, I didn’t know if a) it would work, and b) if I would be able to pull it off. Every year, somehow, I manage to execute at least thirty days of inked poets, and, with apologies to Lennon/McCartney, I get by with a little help from my friends.

2012 is slightly different. Faced with a big family event in February, I got an early start and went from worrying about not filling the calendar to the heretofore unimaginable - too many contributions? Someone posted the call for submissions on a UK writer’s board, and I was flooded with e-mails offering up their poetry and ink. I started - gasp!- to decline inquiries.

The end result is a month packed with tattooed poets. There will be days with double posts so, if you are in the habit of checking in daily, you may want to visit back in the evenings, as well, so as not to miss anyone. Of course, I always point people to the Tattooed Poets Project Index (www.tattooedpoets.com) to get the complete rundown.

Thanks for checking in, and happy national poetry month!

Have a wonderful weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? We're heading to Austin, YAHOO! It's slated to reach 90 degrees tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get to go swimming here. Wish us luck on the round-trip flight with this little dude, and I'm looking forward to sharing photos next week. Hope you have a great weekend, and here are are a few fun posts from around the web...

The funniest Tumblr ever. Made me laugh out loud like fifty times.

Fancy nannies = WOW.

Cute summer shoes. (On my wishlist.)

This colorful art exhibit looks rad.

Good quote about blogging.

Sleepy lambs.

Striped bridesmaids.

A Vogue writer puts her 7-year-old daughter on a strict diet. Controversy ensues.

Behind-the-scenes at Abbey Road.

Ombre nail polish.

It's hard to be two.

Sweet Easter egg.

Thumbs up for giant balloons!

What a fascinating article about love and life.

After going through my own bout of depression last year, I loved this description by Rachel Maddow about her experiences. (Listen from 32:00 to 33:30). Thought you might like.

Have a good one! xoxo

Los Angeles: Mini guide

Last fall, I wrote our personal Guide to NYC. But a few readers have also asked about our thoughts about LA, where we go every Christmas to visit Alex's family. We LOVE LA--and the sunny skies, taco trucks and dudes on skateboards. So, even though we're far from experts, I figured I'd share our favorite places in the city, and most of all I'd love to hear yours...
Read more »

This and whole lot of that...

Have exactly 11,794 mails in the inbox. Don’t think I’ll ever get to the bottom of it. Decided to delete 600 mails earlier today just to make something happen. Some of them were from 2010! Remain terribly sorry if you’re still awaiting my reply...

On Tuesday it’s two weeks since I returned from the Marathon trip to Rome. On Tuesday I’m off on my next trip visiting London with the family. This will be the first time I’ll see London in “children’s height”. Should be interesting, though of course this means Hamleys, no concerts and only the occasional pint.

Heard Simple Song by The Shins on the radio this morning. Still think it’s a rather phenomenal song, but have felt no urge to check out their new album. Don’t know why, but I just haven’t. No one leaves comments around here anymore, so I feel safe promising that if anyone (just anyone) posts a comment saying I really should...I will!
Simple Song by The Shins

DR/P3 premiered the video for the truly gorgeous Easter Island by The Eclectic Moniker yesterday. I couldn’t and still cannot make it work, but it’s there. Perhaps you can?

Some interesting new music popping is up – in the mailbox and around the web.

Perhaps more interesting than actually good is the debut solo single Når Lysene Går Ud by The William Blakes frontman Kristian Leth. Obviously interesting because he's singing in Danish. Compared to The Smiths by some, which I don't quite get. Except perharss that the title means "When the lights go out"? Stream it at Soundvenue.

The new single Night Comes Out by The Raveonettes is brilliant. Sounds very “Raveonettes-esque”, so not much new there. Yours for an email (hope the link is working?)!
The Raveonettes - Night Comes Out

Stumbled upon Farewell Decade by Desert Stars in the mailbox some time ago, because they promoted themselves as a shoegaze/dream-pop band. Their music doesn’t exactly fit those genres if you ask me, but the song has a nice 60’s pop feel to it…and I like that!
Farewell Decade by Desert Stars

Every other day...

Check out this extremely cool new track by NY duo Jonka called Every Other Day...a little less pop, a little more chilly electronic sounds, but they remain fans of psychedelic videos...from the band's forthcoming album Pinks and Blues!



Every Other Day - preview mix by Jonka

Ballet dancers in super slow motion

Have you seen this video? Two dancers from Staatsballett Berlin are shown in slow motion at 1000 frames per second, to the song Radiohead's Everything in Its Right Place. I actually danced ballet in junior high and high school, and it's a super precise athletic endeavor that's a million times harder than it looks. (Plus, the teachers are terrifying!) Bravo, beautiful dancers! xoxo

(Via Swissmiss)

How big can your wedding kiss be?

Before Alex and I got hitched, I wondered if our wedding kiss should be big or small. In the end, swept up by the emotion of the day, we just went for it! And it felt awesome!

Would you do a big kiss? Or keep it small and grandparent-friendly? If you're married, what was your kiss like? Here's some lovely wedding-kiss inspiration...
P.S. A Swedish island wedding, and two rad City Hall weddings...

(Photos by Max Wanger, Jess + Nate, Our Labor of Love, Mikael Olsson, James Mountford, Lauren Ross, Bayly & Moore, Anastasia Volkova, Olivia Leigh Weddings, Kyle Hale and Boutwell Studio)

Made me laugh.

(Comic by Gemma Correll)

Leave your body behind you...

Stream the new Richard Hawley single Leave Your Body Behind You from his forthcoming album Standing at the Sky's Edge. More britpop than the heartfelt crooning we're used to, but still very good...of course it is! Have to agree with this (no longer recall where I read it): "we really don't need another album from him doing exactly the same". So interesting if this is actually a major career move or just the odd song out that was picked as first single?

Father & Son


Don't marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son exactly like him.

Sometimes there will be these moments of bright clarity in the middle of play. I'll see Hank and Henry together, smiles and laughter, the sheer joy they bring to each others' lives so apparent, and it stops me dead in my tracks. Hank is a great man; he is kind, compassionate, loving, and truly sees the joy in every little thing. And because of all that and more, he is a wonderful father. Seeing the man I love as a parent has been one of the most beautiful things about becoming a mother, and it's the little moments like the one captured above, that I live for.

Growing up I dated a lot. I dated all sorts of guys; nice guys, overly nice guys, fun guys, some not-so-fun guys, and a handful of jerks too. When I was much younger, and before I figured out that I was worth being made a priority, I found myself trying to make something out of nothing a few too many times. But I wised up, I figured it out. I started to look at my parents' relationship, happily married for 30+ years, and I thought about who I wanted to end up with, what he would be like.

Before I met Hank I had sworn off serious relationships. I was 21 and enjoyed being "free"- I loved dating and preferred to do as I pleased, without taking into consideration anyone else as a major part of my life outside my family and friends. But my entire world shifted when I met my future husband, and suddenly here was someone that I could almost immediately see in my future, as scary as that seemed in the moment.

Those years went by so quickly- we fell in love, I relocated to his small town, we moved in together, we got engaged. And there is one thing I remember so distinctly from our engagement party, a specific moment that stands out above all of the laughter and stories and food we shared that night.  A good friend of mine pulled me aside and told me that her mother once said to her, "Don't marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son exactly like him." She wanted to share this with me because she knew that any son of ours would be as wonderful as the best guy we all knew, and she was so happy and excited for our future together.

I think back to this day often, and that quote has stayed with me through the years. Every time I see Hank and Henry kicking a soccer ball, playing with blocks in the middle of the living room, or even reading a story together, I'm reminded. I see my little man trying to emulating my big man- trying on his shoes, the "dada dada dada," the way he lights up when Hank comes in the door after work. And sometimes, I'll see that little twinkle in Henry's eye when he's about to do something funny and I am reminded 100% of his sweet father. Henry is so young, but I can already see how kind he is, how warm and affectionate his heart is, and how silly and fun his spirit can be. It's amazing. I'm raising a boy who is going to be just like the man I married, and for this, I couldn't be happier.

Just ugh.

more tea
{old photo from 2009}

I'm not feeling so upbeat today. In fact, I'm feeling pretty crappy. On a good note though? My mouth is starting to feel better. But the combination of too much time inside, not enough substantial food, no exercise, and having weird medicine in my body from the surgery and afterward (I rarely even take Tylenol for a headache), I am feeling kind of down.

I wasn't sure whether or not to even write this post- I like to focus only on the positive here as much as I can, but Henry is napping and I've reached the end of Pinterest (is that even possible?), so here I am, typing it out. Sometimes I hold back from sharing sadness or negativity because it makes me feel like one, I'm complaining. And who comes to a blog to read complaints?! And two, I know my complaints are not a big deal whatsoever in the span of all of the other things going on in this big, wide universe. But here in my little world, they do seem like a pretty big deal, as most negative things can sometimes do. It's not even like anything is going wrong; mainly I'm annoyed at my mouth, my numb lip and chin, my inability to eat normal food, and the fact that I just feel so blah and depressed. I hate feeling like this- like I have no motivation to do anything. And typing it out makes me feel even more ridiculous for feeling so down about all of it.

SO with that said, I thought you could do me a favor.

I was hoping that you could all leave a comment telling me something awesome that is going on with you! Good news, something that made you smile today, whatever it is that you want to share. I'm excited to get some positivity going again!

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is a great one! Alexis Russell, a designer based in New York City, makes hand-crafted jewelry that feels raw yet elegant. (Wouldn't her rings be lovely for an engagement?) Today she's giving one lucky reader a pair of her rough diamond earrings, which are beautifully simple studs you can throw on every morning. I love how natural and real they are--just gorgeous.

For a chance to win, please visit Alexis Russell's shop and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo Update: Christine U. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

6 wine bottle stoppers

Our babysitter noticed how much I like wine (busted) and gave me three lady bottle stoppers for my last birthday. They make me smile every time I walk through our kitchen. Bottle stoppers make great gifts when going to a dinner party or wedding, and are also just sweet to have on your kitchen counter, chilling in a half-bottle of red.

Nine favorites, clockwise, above: Fish, anchor, piggie, lady, flower, bird. (And this thirsty bird is so cute, too!)
(Layout by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo. Thanks to Emily Hsieh for scouting help. Comic by Christopher Weyant)

The Best Tomato Soup You'll Ever Have

New York is having a surprisingly chilly week, so we've been craving comfort foods, like tomato soup with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. There's nothing cozier and more bolstering on a cool day, or a lazy Sunday evening at home, don't you agree? Luckily, Helene from Tartelette has agreed to share her recipe for the perfect warm-you-up-and-hit-the-spot tomato soup...
Read more »

Bitter sweet...

Check out When Saints Go Machine's cover of Bitter Sweet Symphony...to be quite frank, I expected it to better...a whole lot better!

Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve Cover) by When Saints Go Machine

Flutterby...

New beautiful and dreamy (and a tiny bit spooky as well) video for the equally beautiful and dreamy Flutterby by Starlight Girls...



Starlight Girls - Flutterby

999...

Enjoy the live in studio version of new Kent single 999. The band is definitely (and finally!) back in form and hopefully the forthcoming album Jag är inte rädd för mörkret will be just as brilliant!?!?

Toby says Night Night.


Alex and I usually put Toby to bed, but when we went out at dinner last week, our babysitter took this video of Toby saying goodnight. My heart swells whenever I hear his little voice--it's so magical to witness your child start to communicate! I can't wait to talk to him more as he grows, and hear what's going on in that little head. xoxo

Sleep well tonight, everyone!

P.S. Five more Toby videos, since I can't help it:)

6 spring nail polish trends

My twin sister texted me from a San Francisco nail salon the other day. Standing in front of endless rows of polish, she had no idea which shade to choose. "Which colors are 'cool' right now?" she asked. Well, after our half-joking conversation, I researched this season's nail polish trends, and ever since I've been noticing (and admiring) these gorgeous colors on pretty girls around the city. Nails are on fire this spring!

Which color, below, do you like best? What color is on your fingers and toes as we speak? (My nails are currently orange, but my next color will be mint:) xoxo
Six nail polish trends: Very pale pink (or even beige), mint, lavender, bright orange, fuchsia and orange/red. (Find similar colors here, too.)

(Top photo of my sister and me. Polish layout by Em for Cup of Jo. Flower photos, cropped, by Paris Apartment, Flora Abundance, Kari Herer, Tongue in Cheek, Oh Happy Day and FlirtyFleurs.)

Resume makeover

Loft Resumes will give your old resume a design makeover. It probably wouldn't work for the most traditional workplaces, but would be rad for creative fields, to make your resume stand out. Thumbs up!

P.S. Also: Faxing and drinking.

(Via Swissmiss)

Tattoo Tuesday V.115

I wanted to take a moment and share a bit about today's Tattoo Tuesday participant and the work he is doing- after Christopher was a victim in a hit-and-run accident, he and his girlfriend Allie both decided to make positive changes and push each other to create something new. They started a company called D.O.G.T (Defenders Of Good Times) in which they help artists around the world promote their artwork and share it with others. Check out the video and links below for more info- it's such a neat, positive project!




http://kck.st/xpH9qZ
www.facebook.com/DxOxGxT
defendersofgoodtimes.tumblr.com
denfenderssf.blogspot.com


Name: Christopher Collins
Age: 27
Occupation: Owner of D.O.G.T (Defenders Of Good Times)
Age of first tattoo: 18
Favorite tattoo: My head!
Featured tattoo/location: My entire head.
Artist/shop/location of featured tattoo: Greg Christian/Tattoo Faction/Head



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


Getting my head was kind of a big deal..it had to be something amazing and it was kind of me showing myself my dedication to tattoos and how much I love them. It was tattooed at Tattoo Faction(which is the best shop in the world) by Greg Christian(who is my favorite tattoo artist) and he made it fit and look exactly how I wanted it to....it didn't feel the best but worth every single second of it. Tattoos are memories I will never forget and friendships that will never be broken. I got that tattoo for my family and everyone thats kept me going through the years. I'm pretty accident prone so I got a nurse tattooed on the top for keeping me safe all these years!



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

I am covered and I could go for days but some key tattoos are the D.O.G.T on my hand because it reminds me everyday that I am defending good times! The tattoos I have for my family are super important....Guadalupe on my forearm for my mom by Chuck Uhler and a swallow with a heart for my sister Carol, tattooed by Cindy Burmeister. I am saving my empty hand for an epic tattoo for my dad because he is my best friend and the person I look up to most in my life! I have a chicken and a piece of fried chicken tattooed on me because I eat chicken and party! I have a matching birdcage tattoo with my amazing girlfriend that Carlos Rojas tattooed and one of her drawings on the other leg that Rob Hamilton tattooed. The "trust no one" coffin on my ribs was tattooed by Mike Hutton inspired from one of his original paintings, Doug Hardy tattooed a peice of Dan Higgs flash on me at Tattoo City in SF. I have an amazing owl with a lucky rabbits foot around his neck that Dave Wulff tattooed. I have a matching tattoo of a gnarly pirate that Dan Wulff tattooed that was his first tattoo using a rotary machine! My knee is a crazy bearded biker skull that Lil Jeff in Miami tattooed on me. Most of my right arm was mostly tattooed by Cindy Burmeister who taught me a lot about life and helped me out a lot. I'm currently working on finishing my back with Dave Wulff and continuing my collection.






3) Do you plan on getting more? 

I'll never stop getting tattooed. Ever.



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

My family is the most amazing family you could ever have and they are extremely supportive of anything I do. It may not be their cup of tea and I'm the only one with tattoos, but they without a doubt have my back no matter what! You always will run into someone that has something negative to say about tattoos or tattooed people; that's a given, I have no desire to gain acceptance from negative people- "I am a Defender Of Good Times"- I don't have time to bummed out over what someone else thinks of my decisions. My significant other IS tattooed and shares the same interest in tattooing that I do and will be tattooing someday soon.



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

You don't want to get me started with stories cause Im a rambler but I would have to say my favorite tattoo memory was when Greg Christian tattooed an old Bert Grimm flash design on my forearm. Greg is one of the best people I have met in my 27 years and taught me so much I owe that guy the world! I watched him set up his machines he told me he was gunna use a tight 5 so it looked all "Shitty and shakey" like it would have when Bert tattooed it! It was my first real visible tattoo and it turned out to be one of my favorite things to look at every single day!!! Being tattooed by Greg is one of my top 5 favorite things ever. Theres not enough thanks to express the appreciation I have for what Greg has shared with me.

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

You're not going to the store to pick out a new iPhone- you are are putting something on your body that is going to say something everytime someone sees it. Go to a real shop and get a real tattoo, get good tattoos and get safe tattoos.

Weekend links, on a Monday

saturday morning hangout
an old photo of Madeline and me taken in 2008- look how tiny she was!

So my wisdom teeth are officially out, thank goodness. I got them out Friday morning and what was supposed to have been a 45 minute surgery turned into a 2.5 hour ordeal due to my "stubborn roots" or something- it's hard to remember since I was still foggy from being put under.  To be honest, it was much worse than I anticipated and the past couple of days have been more uncomfortable than even my c-section recovery, however crazy that may sound. But on the bright side, I keep focusing on the fact that they're out and now, the worst is over! I had an appointment today with my oral surgeon to check on healing, and he assured me my numb chin and lower lip should return to normal soon, and my mouth is looking a-okay. Now I'm just focusing on being extra careful to avoid those dreaded dry sockets. I'm so thankful for my parents who came up Friday to stay with us, taking me to my appointment on Friday while Hank worked and helped to entertain Henry all weekend.  I was sad to miss all the fun since I was stuck in bed, but I know we'll have another soon when I'm feeling 100%.

While recovering the past couple of days I've been watching a few different things for the first time- Gossip Girl and Gilmore Girls (love both of them!), and I also watched two movies- My Week with Marilyn and Young Adult. And after so much "relaxation" all I want is a busy day filled with errands, a trip to Target, a big sandwich, no mouth pain, and my nice, unswollen cheeks back. ;)

Whatever you did this past weekend I hope you had a great time. I figured I would share some links today, even though it's Monday. Enjoy!

---------

I posted the winner to the Kelli Murray Art giveaway, so check here to see if you won!

Anita is doing a Shop My Closet for her fashionable daughter Lola Birdie! This week she put up jeans and shoes, and next week maybe she'll be selling some of Lola's amazing dresses or tops. Bookmark it, or follow Anita on Twitter for updates.

Carrot cake pancakes. These looks delicious!

My favorite blog post from the week.

Wouldn't these be adorable favors for a party? Pie to go!

A wonderful essay about being a Mom...and baking bread in a random lady's house. Weird. But it's a great read.

Ireland is at the top of my one day must-visit places, and so, I am totally loving these photos.

Hello, dream bikini. Why do you have to be $200?

Passionfruit has launched- I'm sure you've seen it all over the internet! If you take ads on your blog, you will want to take a look.

Win a Pioneer Woman Cookbook over on Heather's blog.

The Top 20 Bites of 2011 in Los Angeles...I would have loved to see this list before our trip, but luckily we picked great restaurants for every meal.


Oatmeal Lemon Creme Bars. As soon as my mouth is healed I will definitely be making these!


Whenever I want to look at pretty images, I go here.

I love checking out my readers "Currently" posts, like this one!


The Art of Being Happily Single. I passed this along to a few of my single girlfriends and they loved it. It's a good read.

Like Juniper (one of my sponsors) on Facebook and be entered in their giveaway.

My friend Jess took her daughter Rowan camping! Too cute.

Want something else to do with you Instagram photos? How about putting them on custom tiles?

20 quick and healthy snack ideas.

And finally, here's my new favorite blog. Thanks Liz!

Motherhood Mondays: One woman asks: "I'm not sure if I want kids or not. How do you decide?"

My good friend Corrie Pikul, a 36-year-old magazine writer and blogger living in Brooklyn, has never been sure if she should have a child. She doesn't for sure want one, but she also doesn't not want one. She's completely 50/50. So, as she gets older, how will she make the decision? Here, Corrie shares her fascinating story...
Read more »

RoBear Shares a Pin-Up

A familiar face passed me in Penn Station a couple weeks back and I jumped at the opportunity to talk to him - it was RoBear, from the TLC series NY Ink.

For those of you not familiar with the show, RoBear is the floor manager at Wooster Street Social Club, the setting for the show.

I first encountered RoBear last May, when I was one of the lucky people selected to take part in "Roosterfest," a fundraiser segment of episode seven on season one. $50 rooster tattoos were on order and I got, in my opinion, the best one - from Megan Massacre. I documented the experience here.

So, here I was, talking to RoBear in Penn Station and, well, I had to ask, would he mind sharing one of his tattoos?

Much to my happiness, he was game and, after a moment of thought, rolled up his right pant leg to reveal this tattoo:


RoBear explained that the pin-up is based on his long-time friend Natascha de los Angeles, and he elaborated by e-mail:

"I got the tattoo to commemorate my friendship to the girl who named me Robear when I was sixteen. We met at a BIGLNY (Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian NY) youth group back in the day at the Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center on West 13th Street and right after meeting she said I was 'cute, a little furry and that she was going to call me Robear.' It totally stuck and she has never one since called me by my birth name, which is Robert.

So, after getting the job on NY INK, since the name was so catchy, I wanted to thank [Natascha] and celebrate our friendship that has spanned almost 20 years now ... my artist, Tony Silva of High Roller Tattoo in NY, and I came up with this pinup specifically for her. [Natascha] is a pastry artist and chef in Manhattan, so I did the bakers hat, apron and her holding one of her own cakes she has made. Her website is Artesenal Sweets ... She is a constant inspiration and muse for me and all I do with my fashion, interior design and culinary arts, since she emcompasses everything that is beautiful and creative to me. A truly unqiue and special woman that will be in my life forever."

RoBear was also kind enough to send a crisper photo of the tattoo

Pin-Up by Tony Silva, Photo Courtesy of RoBear
and a picture of him with Natascha for reference below: 
Natascha de los Angeles & RoBear, photo courtesy of RoBear
I want to thank RoBear for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday. It's obviously a piece with a lot of  deep personal meaning, and he was kind enough not only to let me take a photo in Penn Station, but also to send along more pictures and give me a complete back story.

You can catch RoBear on repeats of NY Ink on TLC. Still no word on whether the show will be picked up for a third season. You can also become a fan of RoBear on his Facebook fan page here.

This entry is ©2012 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.
 

Have an amazing weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? We have a long-lost friend from England visiting tonight, and I'm also going to get a foot massage! Just as a little treat:) (Have you ever gotten one?) Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great links from around the web...

Cable guys? Thumbs up.

This wedding story is heartbreaking and affirming.

Funny inventions from Holland.

My favorite advice.

YES!!! A new Pigeon book. Already ordered.

Loving the color mint.

Little nappers.

A few cool plants.

The Bachelor drawings made me laugh out loud.

New sunnies for the summer.

Frogs I kissed and liked.

A very strong 12-year-old.

After this post, I realized I need this new app.

Parents and parents-to-be: Go to mOmma's facebook page to get a free product sample. Just enter the promo code CUPOFJO.

Finally, a song to kick off your weekend. xoxo

(Photo of Maui by Royce Bair)

Mad Men love


Who's psyched for Sunday?!! Will you be watching? Above is a hilarious video montage of Don Draper saying "What" and being awesome. (Watch it, you'll laugh out loud.)

Plus, a few posts to get you in the mood:
* Cool behind-the-scenes photos.
* Mad Men for kids.
* A guide to (the many) Mad Men romances.
* Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss chat about the Don/Peggy dynamic.
* Don Draper disapproves.
* How to drink like a Mad Man.
* An interview with Mad Men's "prop master."
* Three Mad Men cocktails.
* The ultimate Mad Men playlist.
* A Jon Hamm interview with Playboy (because we really do read Playboy for the articles:)

(Thanks to Shoko for scouting help)

Matt's Skull

It's always a bonus when I run into a tattoo artist somewhere other than a tattoo shop.

For example, I spotted Matthew Adams on the platform of the 34th Street Station, waiting for a downtown A train last week.

Like most artists, he had a lot of ink, so he picked this one piece to share:


And on the back side of the forearm:



Matt works at Sacred Tattoo in Manhattan with Lalo Yunda, who is the artist that inked this incredible skull.

As it turns out, I have featured Matt's work on the site before here and here, as well as this piece by Lalo.

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

This entry is ©2012 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.

Musik i lejet...

Three year old festival Musik i Lejet (taking place on 20 - 22 July, 2012 in Tisvilde located on the northern coast of Zealand) has announced the first three names for this year's festival and to be honest I'm really quite overwhelmed! Michael Møller, Rangleklods and Chorus Grant is a pretty decent start and now one can only hope that the rest of the line-up will be equally impressive...!

Michael Møller - As You Walk Away

Rangleklods - Behaviour

Chorus Grant - Her Face In The Sun

The love letter...

Stream the new single Kærestebrevet ("The Lover Letter") by Danish duo Stoffer & Maskinen. Getting the impression that the duo (on this recording at least) has decided to make a "conversion" from electronic rock to a more mainstream electronic pop sound. Which definitely isn't meant as a complaint, because the end result is brilliant; stunningly brilliant!

Kærestebrevet by Stoffer & Maskinen

Little bits of memory

Family Photos, November 2011

I can still remember the beginning. That nervous anticipation during those first few long drives to visit Hank, my hands tapping on the steering wheel, my eyes in the rear view mirror checking and rechecking to see if I still looked alright. It was the beginning of our relationship and we lived two and a half hours apart, so I would often find myself making the trek from Phoenix, up the I-17 and into the mountains. That very first drive up is still so fresh in my mind; the Jets to Brazil I had on the stereo, my cracked window, the fresh August air that evening, and me, trying to relax when I was so, so nervous. It almost seemed too good to be true- everything was falling slowly into place, somehow. And then, after talking for hours and hours every night for weeks, writing so many letters back and forth, and finally going on our first date, Hank had invited me up to visit him in his little town. 

It's strange to go back to the beginning of us. It will be eight years this summer and parts of it seem so far away, and yet other moments I can remember in such crisp detail. If I think back I can still see Hank's first date outfit- his jeans, his American Nightmare hoodie, those Vans. I can immediately recall a handful of mornings waking up with him to the Weakerthans he set for our alarm, tangled blankets and tattooed limbs. I can remember the night Hank asked me to marry him, the way the stars shined so, so brightly in that clear February night, the way my breath blew out like smoke and our voices echoed in the empty square. I think back to our first apartment, the smell of new paint and cardboard boxes, and our second, the smell of fresh cut grass through the open windows. I can go back to our wedding day and remember looking down the aisle at Hank through the yellow and the white and all of our family and friends, all the way to the very end, to him waiting there for me. And I can see him when Henry was born, joy filling every corner of his face.

Memories are funny things. They change over time, they shift, they adapt. We keep what we want, small segments of our days, and the rest dissipates into a hazy fog. I hold tight to the things I want to remember- I take a second and try to capture it, all of it. My memories often feel so cloudy, floating in my mind, but then I'll be reminded of something, and one crystal clear moment will bob to the top, up and down, little bits and pieces becoming more clear.  With Hank I have eight years of these memories, good times and bad, trips and vacations and so much togetherness. My life has a distinct marker, a before and an after, and it's amazing to think about everywhere we've been, and to imagine everywhere we're going. And sometimes, when the weather is just right, I can crack my window, turn up the music, and I'm right back there again, 21-years-old at the very beginning.

Thursday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Curator, a beautiful line of clothing designed and produced in San Francisco. Their breezy dresses and cotton tops would be lovely to wear year-round. Today they're giving one lucky reader a $250 gift certificate to spend at their shop. What would you choose? (I'd go for this chambray dress and some beautiful soaps!)

For a chance to win, please visit Curator (and check out their Pinterest page, if you'd like) and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Marie S. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Bonus for all readers; Get 15% off all clothing using the code CUPOFJO, for the next week.

Advertise on Sometimes Sweet in April!

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A lot of my spots for April are already being reserved, so I thought I would make my one-and-only post/mention letting you all know that I am currently accepting advertisers for next month. There are tons of fun things coming up for Sometimes Sweet and there are sure to be many new visitors. As Sometimes Sweet continues to grow, I'd love to help you grow your blog, shop, brand, or website via this blog. Placing an ad on this site absolutely works, and many of my sponsors renew their spots for months at a time.

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

Vintage ads

Oh my goodness, these vintage ads are jawdropping. (One ad actually says, "Men are better than women!") Can you believe these are from just a few decades ago? Our grandparents might have considered them normal!

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