Writers Workshop - PIMP My Back!

30th April 2010

4.) The world is going to come to an end unless you get a tattoo that covers your entire back. Describe the tattoo you’ll get.

Okay! NOW we're talking!

This is a prompt I can definitely sink my teeth into.

Be prepared for me to gush...

I LOVE tattoos. If I was a Super Hero, I would be Tattoo Woman. Seriously. I would LOVE to PIMP my back, and have it return all tricked out, and lookin' fine. .........Mmmm......... (What? Huh? Sorry! I was daydreaming a bit there...)

Now it doesn't matter to me who you are. Male OR Female. Young OR Older. People with tatts are beautiful to me because I see every piece as a story about their life. Each separate design makes up a picture of where they were on their own personal journey at that particular point in time. My Mum (who had several tattoos herself), and I were talking one day with some people who were treating 'we who were inked' differently and looking down on us as if we were lower-class citizens; and she said something that has stuck with me, "The only difference between tattooed people and un-tattooed people, is that tattooed people don't care if you don't have any." Smart woman.

Personally, I happen to think that there is nothing sexier than inked flesh. BUT. I have rules.

• It must have meaning - No off the shelf pictures for me. Preferably self-designed, but if you are not artsy inclined, work with a tattooist. Tell them what you want. They are VERY talented people and can usually bring your idea to fruition without much trouble. That's why they call them 'Tattoo Artists...'
• No partner names, unless they have passed away - There's nothing more terrible than having your at-the-time lover's name tattooed on you... Only to find they are not your soul-mate after all...
• Children's names are okay - Photo's are good too. So are dates of birth, time and birth weight. But no ages, that's just tempting fate!
• Parent's names are okay - Same as above. Also okay are DOD if they have passed on.
• Pet's names are semi-okay - But weird...
• Be 100% certain! - Don't ink on a whim. Carry your finished design around in the viewing window of your wallet for at least three months before you get it done. If you still want it after seeing it several times a day for a few months, you'll love it forever.

(Please, before you all lynch me, bear in mind, the above are MY rules, for myself. If you have your partners name tattooed on your buttocks, more power to you. I just wouldn't do it.)

I have several tatts that I have designed myself. The first is a black panther with wings on my upper right thigh near my hip, that my Mum took me to get on my 18th Birthday. It covers about one-third of my thigh, length-wise. The second and biggest is a tribute to my step-sister who passed away when I was young. It's a picture of her, stylised into a Celtic Goddess and it's on my left shoulder. It takes up little under a quarter of my back. My third tatt came to me in a dream just after Tomika was born. No shit. I just woke up in the middle of the night when she was six and a half weeks old, and started to draw. I didn't stop for about 12 days. Whenever Tomika was asleep, and whenever I had a moment I would hone my design. I ended up spending about 28 hours on it. It's a armband on my left arm, and it sits at just below a t-shirt sleeve. It's also got Celtic influences in the design.

I adore my tattoos. I also have another few to get that are designed and ready to go. They are Tomika, Mum, my 2 nephew's names, plus some other things, my favourite poem (Rudyard Kipling's IF), some literary quotes, along with Celtic and Orchid filler, and extra bits and bobs still to be added. And... (funnily enough regarding this prompt) they all intertwine with my existing tatt on my back to become one single full back piece.

So now you can see why I was so excited to see this weeks topics!

HOWEVER...

If I was to start again, with a blank canvas, so to speak, I would get Michael's tattoo from Prison Break.

*sigh*

Not only is it sexy as hell (and on that back, what tatt wouldn't be! You may have guessed from my rave earlier this Month!), it is just an amazing piece of artwork in its own right. And it has meaning! Amongst that beautiful imagery is a fully formed escape plan, from the map that is integrated into the design, to the size of the Allen Key needed to start it all off. Beautiful.

One can only dream...

First with your head and then with your heart. . .

This post is for the Blog This Challenge #42 - A film that inspired me...

I've not done a Blog This challenge before. None of them have spoken to me until now.

I own, literally, thousands of movies. Seriously. It's quite ridiculous. I have them catalogued on my PC along with my books.

So it should be no surprise that there have been many movies that I have really loved throughout the years. Among them are; Philadelphia {1993}, Benny and Joon {1993} (which I now enjoy on a whole new level), The Green Mile {1999}, and Pay It Forward {2000} (which has now become an actual movement).

But the one movie that has stuck with me through thick and thin is...

The Power Of One {1992}

The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Bryce Courtenay, who is an incredible Australian Author. Of course, I have read the book as well. Which was fantastic. Obviously.

This movie has stayed with me for so long however, because unlike most movie adaptations of books, I believe, this one is as good as the book.

I actually saw the movie first, many years ago. THEN read the book. And I loved them both. I have since watched, and read, it many times.

The story is set during WW2. The main character PeeKay is a passionate young English boy living in Africa. Because of his race, he is shunned and bullied mercilessly within the Afrikaans boarding school he attends. He is orphaned while still young, and becomes placed in the care of a German Professor whom he calls Doc. Not long after the war begins Doc is put in prison for not registering with the English government as a foreigner. PeeKay is allowed to visit Doc and soon befriends another inmate who teaches him to box. The story is played out through PeeKay's boxing career, and the beacon of hope that he unwittingly becomes to the black African people. It is political (and yet manages not to be preachy), intelligent, sad, and inspiring, all at once.

From that basis the story develops, and it is an intriguing tale of racism, strength, honour, and above all, love. Love for country, love for another, and love for oneself.

I adored it.

THE CAT IS PLOTTING TO KILL ME!

Seriously. I couldn't make this shit up if I tried.

Every time I try to walk somewhere, he flies across in front of me at warp speed like an absolute mental. I have tripped over the bloody thing so many times, I'm surprised neither of us has broken a limb.

And it's not like he's a small cat either. If he was just this tiny ball of fluff, I could just kick move him out of the way and keep going. But no... He's a bloody great beanbag with eyes. If I ever do fall over him properly, I'm going down like a sack of potato's. I'm going to end up killing either myself, him, or both of us.

I'm convinced that as soon as he does it, and I trip (and he WAITS for me to stumble... he. pauses. for. just. a. second.), he goes off to wherever it is that happy cats go, HappyCatLand or something, sniggers to himself, and plots the next fly-by. He thinks it's hilarious.

It's NOT funny. It's a sinister plot to get me down to his level so that he can disable me and TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

Grrr!!!

Bloody cat.

Writers Workshop - Mother's Day is Coming...

23rd April 2010

I've missed the past few Workshops due to one thing or another and I have found it a bit hard to get back on track. I'm not even sure I can do it justice this week, but I'm determined to try! As usual I may get a little side-tracked, but I'll do my best.

5.) Mother’s Day is coming…what is the secret behind the close bond you have with your mom? OR What do you do to create that close bond with your kids?

Okay. So, any of the 5 people who read my blog know that my Mum died 6 years ago now from Cancer. And that I have a teenage daughter who I love fiercely, and who frustrates, and scares, the hell out of me.

I was lucky enough to have my Mum when I was growing up.

She was the 'cool' Mum that everyone wanted. She hung out with us, not in an over-protective way, or in a creepy Mutton-dressed-up-as-Lamb way. But in a listen to music, chill on the couch, I'd-rather-you-did-it-here-than-get-in-trouble-on-the-streets kinda way. My friends still dropped in to visit her long after I had gone my own way, and most of them attended her funeral. 

Don't get me wrong, she was no pushover. She just knew what teenage kids were thinking, and she was able to cause it to flourish in a non-destructive way, rather than try to stifle it like most of my friends parents did. She allowed us to be ourselves so that we didn't feel the need to rebel and be someone else. And in that way she was the best Mum ever.

She was also mean, and cruel. She shouted and threw things, and she stayed locked in her room crying. She was selfish. She said the most horrible things. 

It wasn't until I buried her and was diagnosed with Bi-Polar after having the same problems that I realised that she was sick.

She never told me or my brothers that she had BPD. I don't even think she knew herself. She just suffered in silence. That was typical of Mum. She was proud. Too proud to admit that she needed help until it was too late.

If there is one thing that I have learnt from my Mum it's to be open and honest with Tomika. I KNOW I need her help sometimes, and I'm not afraid to ask. I've been accused of putting too much on her young shoulders. Of not allowing her to live the life of blissful ignorance that a child should.

But I just think of my Mum, and I refuse to have her feel helpless. I refuse to have her sitting on the ground outside my closed door crying silently because she doesn't know what to do. I know that for us to to have a close relationship, I can't lie to her. She deserves to know why Mum's in bed sometimes. She deserves to know why Mum cries occasionally.

She deserves to know it's not her fault.

Wordless Wednesday - Bad Hair Day!

He He!
 

Wordless Wednesday brought to you by the lovely ladies at
5 Minutes For Mum. Thanks ladies!

Post It Note Tuesday - Parent Teacher Interviews

Rocky - ♪♪Eye Of The Tiger...♪♪

My Cuz has the most wonderful addition to her family. She has a snake called Rocky.

♪♪

Risin’ up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

It’s the, eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watchin’ us all with the eeeyyyeee
Of the tiger...

Da. Da da da. Da da da. Da da daw......
Da. Da da da. Da da da. Da da dawwwww...

♪♪

The song has absolutely nothing to do with the snake except that it's from the movie Rocky... And I like it. Betcha couldn't read it without singing along in your head either!


Rocky is a friendly guy as you can see by these photo's.

♪♪

Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin’ tough, stayin’ hungry
They stack the odds still we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive

Risin’ up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I’m not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive

It’s the, eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the eeeyyyeee
Of the tiger...

The eye of the tiger...


Da. Da da da. Da da da. Da da daw......
Da. Da da da. Da da da. Da da dawwwww...

♪♪

I'm fashionably late to the Party... Yeah, so what else is new?

♪♪

Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)

Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)

There's a party goin' on right here

A celebration to last throughout the years

So bring your good times, and your laughter too

We gonna celebrate your party with you

Come on now

Cell-e-bra-tion

Let's all celebrate and have a good time

Cell-e-bra-tion

We gonna celebrate and have a good time

♪♪

Okay, so I caved.

There's been a Party happening right under my nose for the past week and I've stubbornly resisted attending.

It's not because I'm shy or anything, nothing as glamorous as that. Truthfully? It's because I can't be bothered shaving my legs.

Yeah, I know what you're going to say... I shouldn't be anti-social out of pure laziness vanity. It's time to shave them sucka's, put on my little black dress, slap on some make-up, and par-tay. But do you wanna know what I just heard? Blah, blah, blah, effort, blah, blah, pour yourself a bourbon.

Okay, if you insist. Bourbon and coke mixed, ice added. Mmmm... NOW we're talkin'!

So the whole reason for the shin-dig is to introduce myself to, and get to know, some other bloggers. This part I like. I'm actually hoping this will help me achieve my goal of reaching 100 Followers by my Birthday. So while you're here, visit my Stalkers Unite! page and join the chaos that is Brea's Befuddled Brain. You never know, you just might win something along the way!

Hi, I'm Brea. I'm a slightly-disturbed, highly-sarcastic, dry-witted, deliberately-single, fantasy-book-lovin', Twilight-obsessed, (bracket-OVER-using), Bi-Polar, crazy-cat-lady/stay-at-home Mum with a scary-beautiful 13-going-on-30-year-old teenage daughter, and a sick sense-of-humour.

I like walks in the rain, tattoos, and pussy-cats. I've had my belly-button pierced and my boobs reduced. I prefer honesty over the little lies you tell to save people's feelings. I can't stand nastiness or one-up-man-ship.

When I'm at a party, I'm usually the one sitting by myself on the couch who people avoid like the plague because I've had one too many bourbons and lost my rose-tinted-glasses.

Woo-Hoo! Are we having fun yet?

There are also prizes to be won. YAY!

Actually, after much contemplation, I think I'm going to like it here after all.

The prizes that interest me most are:

INTL 2 - A Custom Wordpress Blog by Uniquehorn Designs

INTL 5 - A Custom Blog Design from Whimsical Websites

INTL 9 - Two eBooks: Pretty. Cool. Cakes. A Bakers Dozen of Creative Birthday Cake Ideas and FishMama's Guide to Cooking with Children by FishMama and LifeasMOM

INTL 10 - A Custom Blog Design by Start Ranking Now

INTL 11 - A Custom Blogger Design by Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates

INTL 13 - A Custom Pick 6 Homekeeping Printables Pack by CleanMamaPrintables

INTL 14 - A Complete Custom Blog Makeover for Blogger.com PLUS a Custom Coordinating Twitter Background by Dawn Farias

INTL 15 - A Personalised Pre-made Blogger Template Package by Premades For A Purpose

Okay, are we seeing a pattern here?

As much as I LOVE my blog, and I've done massive amounts of work on it to get it where it is, I would just ADORE a Custom Makeover, designed just for me.

Anyway, head on over to 5 Minutes For Mom, to link up and join the party. But you better hurry, they're about to call last drinks!

Happy UBP2010 Everyone!!!

(Before you commit to becoming a follower, please take the time to read my Disclaimer...? and consider if this product is appropriate for you.)

Who needs a Hairdresser when you have a Cuz like mine?

Hi!

Welcome to Cuzzin'z Hair Salon, where the dye is cheap, the coffee lukewarm, and the atmosphere is all fun and games, until the cat tries to kill you. (More about that at a later date.)

Tonight I went over to my Cuz'z place so that she could dye my hair for me. I get her to do it for me because she's fantastic at it, and she doesn't charge me $250 for the privilege of ripping it out by the roots and painting it a weird colour. I'm also positive she was a hairdresser in another life, and she's just plain old good fun.

Here are some shots we took of the process...

BEFORE

I know right? It's pretty bad. I don't usually let it get to that stage but I have had other things going on, and my hair kinda got lost in the system. Not to worry... It's all fixed now!

DURING

 

As you can see from the photo's below, my Cuz is a TOTAL Dag, and heaps of fun to hang out with!

We are extremely alike really... Well, except that she's skinny and engaged and I'm... Not. We think similarly, and we even used to dress the same, because we pretty much grew up together. Her Mum died when she was young, and she was brought up by our Nan, whom we nick-named Terminator Gran, (Long story that I'll leave for another day), and my Mum.

We've always been close. We were both born in May, Taurus's, a year and 8 days apart (I'm older). I was there when she had her first kiss (she bit his tongue!), we had our children (my daughter, her son) within three months of each other, and at one stage we even lived (I cooked, she cleaned), and partied, together. (And by partied I mean, snuggled-up-to-the-sweet-sweet-coolness-of-the-toilet-bowl-retching-whilst-slurring-I-looove-you-na-shreally-IIIsh-loooooves-shyou-yous-da-besht-cuzzin-eva... *snore*) (Seriously. I'm pretty sure we've even held each others hair back.) And we've driven each other bat-shit crazy too.

Unfortunately these days I don't get to see her and hang out as much as I'd like, life moves on y'know, and I miss that. I miss her. But when we do get together, it's always great fun. She's terrific company, gives good advice, and she ALWAYS tells it like it is, whether I want to hear it or not. She keeps me grounded.

Her husband-to-be is wonderful. They got engaged in September last year, and are planning to get married this year. He treats her like a Queen, he respects her, and he loves her completely and unconditionally. She's a lucky girl, she deserves it, and he is one very lucky guy. And I'm sure he knows that BUT if by chance he ever hurts her I will hunt him down and remove certain necessary parts of his anatomy... (*ahem* Excuse me. Just got something caught in my throat. *cough*) Seriously though, he is worth his weight in gold and he has made her SOO very happy, and for that reason I have nothing but the utmost admiration for him.

Wow... I just realised I kinda went off on a bit of a tangent there. SORRY! I guess it's the backlash of spending time with deliriously happy and perfectly suited people. It makes you want to wax lyrical about just about anything... (Or vomit. I guess it's good that I'm in a wax-on-wax-off kinda mood.)

Anyway, one day soon I'll write about some of the mischief Cuz and I used to get up to as kids... Now THAT will be fun!

Now where was I? Right, my hair...

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

All together it was a terrific night, good food (you're welcome!), lots of laughs, with some thought-provoking conversation thrown in as well. I'd definitely label it a 'bloody great success'.

♪♪

I feel pretty

Oh so pretty

I feel pretty

And witty

And wise...

♪♪

What do you think... How do I look?

By the way... Please help me achieve my goal of reaching 100 Followers by my Birthday by visiting my Stalkers Unite! page and joining the chaos that is Brea's Befuddled Brain. You never know, you just might win something along the way! Enjoy...

(Before you commit to becoming a follower, please take the time to read my Disclaimer...? and consider if this product is appropriate for you.)