🎶 All I Want for Christmas is a Tattoo 🎶

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

So, my mom was awesome and paid for my new tattoo as a Christmas present :) It's pretty self explanatory, but this is kind of a tribute piece to my fur babies, Charlee and Dany, and all of our previous pups who are no longer with us. I'm so glad I was finally able to fill the awkward, narrow gap on my leg. My shin is almost completely covered, which means I really only have to add some fillers and my calf piece and my right leg will be finished!! 

Ok, here are my new paw prints:

I also had Jimmy touch up my little foxes while he was at it. Their ears and eyes are all nice and perfect now :)

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Thanks for checking out my new tattoo! I hope you're having a wonderful day, and a great end to your year!!

Keri <3

The Ultimate Book Tag

Good evening!

I'm bored and don't know what else to do with myself.  So, what better time to do (yet another) book tag??  I found this on Book with Bite :)  I just Googled "book tag" and found some pretty awesome questionnaires.

Let's get started!

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1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
No, thank goodness!  I love reading on long road trips.

2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?
Right now, I'm obsessed with Hunter S. Thompson and Sarah J. Maas.  HST is obviously a critically-accalimed journalist/ author, so I don't really need to say much about him.  Honestly, his writing is so raw, and he somehow maintains a crazy amount of realism even though he's trippin' out of his mind.  Sarah J. Maas, author of A Court of Thrones and Roses and the Throne of Glass series.  Oh my goodness, she's insanely talented, and I haven't found another fantasy author that even comes close to her style.  Her books are still considered "YA" (I believe), but she writes some intense/ steamy sex scenes; she somehow manages to do it without making it disgustingly smutty.

3. Harry Potter series or the Twilight Saga?  Give three points to defend your answer.
Harry Potter, no doubt about it!  a. The characters in HP are so well-developed and dynamic characters, b. the plot (or lack thereof) in the Twilight Saga is absolutely horrendous, and c. J.K. Rowling is one of the most amazing and inspiring women on the face of this planet.  Sorry, Twihards.

4. Do you carry a book bag?  If so, what is in it (besides books...)?
I carry a bag to and from school, but I usually just carry my wristlet/ wallet thing.  However, I do take a book with me pretty much anywhere I go :)

5. Do you smell your books?
Nope, but I don't judge.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?
I don't really pay attention to that, but I can't help but love the little illustrations in the HP books!  They add a nice touch depending on the type of book you're reading.

7. What book did you love while reading, but discovered later it wasn't quality writing?
Probably the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast.  I read them while I was taking a ton of intense classes my sophomore year of college.  They weren't awful, from what I remember, but the quality was definitely lacking.  I don't know, I'm just not a huge fan of this series.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood?
I have a heart-warming story, if that'll work for ya!  I'm a fifth grade teacher, and I kept a lot of my childhood books for my classroom.  One of my kiddos started reading The Rainbow Fish the other morning and he had a huge smile on his face!!  I love when my kids discover books I've previously read :)

9. What is the thinnest book on your bookshelf?
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

10. What is the thickest book on your bookshelf?
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire #5) by George R. R. Martin

11. Do you write as well as read?  Do you see yourself in the future being an author?
I'm published in the University of Arkansas' Inquiry (a journal for undergraduate research/ thesis papers).  I wrote an honors thesis entitled "The Effects of Peer Mentoring on Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder" in 2015.  Honestly, academic writing is probably my favorite (I know, I'm a werido), but I also like writing the occasional short story.  I don't think I would ever publish anything other than academic papers, unless I posted it here.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, is an incredible writer!  He has a blog called Rassle Tribune where he reviews wrestling matches on a weekly basis.  Check it out if you're a mark like us ;)

12. When did you get into reading?
My parents read to my brother and I every night before bed, and I know that's where my love of reading stems from.  We had a program called Accelerated Reader in school- basically, you read books and answers several comprehension questions on a computer afterwards.  I'm still in love with the program, and I hope I can find some way to get it into my current school.  Pizza Hut also had a program called BookIt.  If you read a certain number of books, your teacher gave you a card for a free personal pan pizza!  How cool is that?!

13. What is your favorite classic book?
"The Odyssey" by Homer (even though it's technically an epic poem)

14. In school, was your best subject Language Arts/ English?
I was all about my education and got As in almost all of my classes.  ELA was always my favorite subject, but I think my overall best subject was math in elementary school.  My best subject through middle/ high school and college was ELA for sure!

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?
I would say "thank you," and hopefully re-home it to someone who would like the book.  I'm not big on returning presents, honestly.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
I'm not sure if it's a lesser known series, or if I just hadn't heard about it until this year, but I really enjoyed the Legend series by Marie Lu.  It's set in a dystopian society in which the different classes are divided into sectors.  It reminds me more of the Hunger Games series, but it's unique in its own right.

... and I just thought of another series I wanted to mention!!  The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor is so incredible!  There's magic, romance (ugh, but whatever), demons, etc.  Seriously, if you need a new series that's quick and easy to read, check this one out!

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
I don't film YouTube videos or anything, but I'm sure my worst habit would be looking in the view finder instead of at the camera.  I only say that because I'm really bad about doing that on FaceTime with Mom haha

18. What is your favorite word?
Umm... I'm not really sure if I've seen this in a book recently, but I like the word "facetious."  It's a fun word to say and it's not overly common in our day-to-day lives.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb?  Or all of the above?
I honestly don't know the difference, but I would identify as a nerd, I guess.

20. Vampires or fairies?  Why?
Fairies- A Court of Thrones and Roses series is all about Fae and human relations.  It's pretty awesome, and you should definitely check it out sometime!

21. Shapeshifters or angels?  Why?
Laini Taylor made me fall in love with angels.  Her angels can be total assholes, but they can be cool at times.  I like the thought of ancient beings that possess endless amounts of knowledge and power.

22. Spirits or werewolves?  Why?
Spirits mostly because ghosts/ demons fascinate me.

23. Zombies or vampires?
I haven't really read a lot of books with zombies, so I'll go with vampires.  Not Twilight vampires; more like Interview with the Vampire vampires.  I like that they're ancient and have tons of knowledge (I know, it's the same reason why I chose angels), but they also have their quirks and silly little characteristics.

24. Love triangle or forbidden love?
I.  Hate.  Love.  Triangles!  I can enjoy forbidden love stories once in awhile, if I'm in the mood.  But most of the time I reach for books without a lot of romance involved.

25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
Ugh, I can't stand romance books, so I'll have to go with action-packed books with a few love scenes mixed in.  That's why I adore Sarah J. Maas' writing so much!!

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Thanks for checking out my little blog.  Hope to talk to you again soon,

Keri <3

Sailor Mars and a Sugar Skull (Tattoo #15 and 16)

Hi!

So, I kinda went on a tattoo streak recently, and I wanted to show you my new babies!!  I don't have a ton to say about these pieces, but I'll write a little paragraph underneath each picture to give you some more info.  Enjoy :)

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Eternal Sailor Mars by JC
Hart and Huntington in Orlando, FL
This was definitely another one of my impulse, spur-of-the-moment tattoos.  I decided to take a trip to Orlando to see if H&H had any walk-ins available.  Luckily for me, JC was free (check out their website to see his portfolio/ book appointments), and drew up this awesome piece for me!  I think it took about 6 or 7 hours total.  This is the longest session I've ever done on a tattoo, but I'm glad we knocked it out all in one night.  If at all possible, I would much rather sit for a long time instead of breaking a piece up into multiple sessions.

I absolutely love this tattoo!!  It's unlike any of my other pieces, and I love that JC added his own touch to her.  I'm obsessed with the flames <3  This one, for some reason, was a bitch during the healing process.  Honestly, leg tattoos are huge pains anyway; this one took about a month and a half to completely heal.  Sometimes that happens, and it's definitely no one's fault.  My right leg is almost covered, which I'm super happy about!

Sugar Skull by Kristen
Jacksonville, FL
Quick little note- Kristen recently left the shop she used to work in.  Because of this, I'm not going to add the name of the shop (I'm also not sure where she's tattooing at the moment...).

This one took about 6 hours, and again, it was worth every second!  Kristen is a beast when it comes to linework- these are the straightest, cleanest lines I have on my body.  For real, this piece is just gorgeous.  I sent her a picture of a pretty generic sugar skull on top of roses, and this is what she came up with.  Seriously, this has got to be my favorite tattoo!  The colors are so vibrant (and I love the little gold tooth she gave him), and I'm so in love with the traditional style.  The purple shading was a last-minute decision on our part.  My mom's favorite color is purple, so it works out perfectly.  The high-contrast between the teal/ turquoise and the yellow petals is mind-blowing, and the pictures don't do it justice.

I usually don't take pictures when I'm getting tattooed just because I'm never sure if the artist is 100% ok with it. Honestly, I don't think anyone cares, but I don't want to be a distraction! This was the one picture I took before the sugar skull was finished. The purple part was legitametly the worst section of this whole thing. Oh my god, that was tough!! Obviously not unbearable (and I still think my calf tattoo was much, much worse, pain-wise), but unpleasant to say the least. It's pretty close to the bend, meaning the skin is thin and extremely sensitive. Luckily, it was a very small section that didn't take too many passes/ touch ups. Again, calf tattoos are way more brutal, but that spot was pretty tender.

I love all of my tattoos, but I'm just amazed at how beautifully this piece turned out!!

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Thanks for checking out my new tattoos :)  I probably won't be getting more any time soon, but my collection will continue to grow in the future!

Keri <3

New FOB Tattoo (Tattoo #14)

Hey there :)

As I'm waiting for Hurricane Matthew to pass over us, I figured I would try to take my mind off the storm by writing. You guys probably already know that I love tattoos. I've recently added a few more to my collection, and I just realized that I hadn't posted about them yet! 

If you'd like to check out my other tattoo posts, check out my "Tattoo" tag on the right side of this blog. 

Ok, on to the tattoo!!

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"You were the last good thing about this part of town." (Take This to Your Grave, "Grand Theft Autumn" by Fall Out Boy)

I can't remember the exact date that I had this one done, I've had it for about a month or so now. I took this picture the second day, so it's still a little swollen and red. 

Getting this tattoo wasn't nearly as impulsive as some of mine have been in the past, but it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision. I knew I wanted this lyric, but I didn't know where. My artist, Bret and I picked out the font and he suggested the placement. Honestly, I think it's absolutely perfect and I love the handwritten feeling the font has to it. If I remember correctly, it's called "Jane Austen." 

Pain wise, this was probably one of the easiest places I've been tattooed so far. My arms are usually pretty painless, thankfully. There were a few sensitive spots close to my elbow, but overall, I would give the pain a 3 out of 10. Maybe even a 2. From start to finish, it took about 45 minutes. 

I'm so in love with this tattoo and I wouldn't change a thing about it (even if I could haha)! The lyric has a special meaning to me and I'm glad I finally have it on my arm :)

Last little thing. It's a coincidence, but this is on my left outer forearm, right below my "Take This to Your Grave" tattoo. I thought about it after we placed it; I'm glad we picked the spot we did! 

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Thanks for checking out my blog, and I hope to talk to you again soon!

Keri <3

Rassle Tribune: 1st Edition

Hey there :)

As some of you may know, Corey has his very own blog strictly devoted to all things wrestling.  Whether you're a casual fan or a Super Kick Party mark like us, check out Rassle Tribune!!  I just wanted to give you guys a quick update on the blog he just posted.  Corey breaks down RAW, SmackDown, the women's divisions, the death of TNA, and a recap of ROH's August 27th show.  Here's a little snippet of "Rassle Tribune #1":

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RASSLE TRIBUNE #1: Clash was Trash? The Road to No Mercy starts and stops already, TNA is on life support and Vince is sharpening up his scalpel, ROH and New Japan joins in on the mudhole stomping of WWE’s doorstep.
Rumors are running rampant as of late that TNA Wrestling, also known as Impact Wrestling, is apparently under negotiations with potentially several suitors for the sale of the company. Unlike in previous years, the talks seem very real. As of late, Billy Corgan has been reported as being one of the potential buyers of the TNA Wrestling company. Corgan on the latest Busted Open Radio stated; “(TNA Wrestling) has had a ‘For Sale’ sign on it for some time....I’ve been told not to discuss certain things regarding the issues at hand. At this point in time, there are a lot of people on the table.” Very interesting thing for a man that is already President of TNA to say. The majority of reports are stating that TNA doesn’t even have money to hold their biggest annual event of the year Bound for Glory just this Sunday. Corgan also went further to admit he is working hard to try and buy the majority interest of the company and “aid it in going forward”. Now it’s intriguing to see Billy Corgan in the role of the Eric Bischoff to TNA’s dying WCW. It’s well known to many that Corgan is very wealthy thanks to his band The Smashing Pumpkins amongst other various musical entities. Corgan’s been a huge fan of the business forever and even did appearances for ECW in the late 90‘s during his biggest height in music. Corgan also ran an independent company of his own out of his hometown Chicago, Illinois just years ago called Revolution Pro, not to be confused with the UK version. Corgan’s been part of the TNA management...

http://rassletribune.blogspot.com/2016/09/rassle-tribune-1.html

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Thank you guys for checking out my blog, and make sure you head over to Corey's blog!  Show him some love :)

Keri <3