TATTOOS: Five things only tattooed people understand

Being a heavily tattooed person can lead to some unique situations and experiences. I
I've been heavily tattooed for three years and have experienced some strange and unusual things. 

And I'm not the only one... it seems our little community have all had our fair share of unusual things to deal with courtesy of our ink.

BEAUTY: Why I'm embracing my pale skin

As you should be able to see from any of my photos, I am a pale girl. There is no beating around the bush - I am incredibly pale, and don't even get me started on my legs!

I've always been a 'pasty' girl, starting out life as a blue eyed, blonde girl has meant I get the light skin to match. I burn super easy as well, though I am fortunate that I do tan from it, but tanning without burning first is relatively unseen for me (apart from my trip to South Africa in 2012 where I had a lovely tan and no burning!).

LIFESTYLE: 10 things I've learnt from two years of marriage

Today I am celebrating two years of marriage...
Yes I am 25 so fairly young to be a wife
Yes I am perfectly happy
No it was not a shotgun wedding - we've been together seven years now!

To be honest I didn't think being married would make any difference to my life - but it does. Not straight away, but after a while it does.
So I thought I would share with you 10 things that I've learnt in two years of marriage.

LIFESTYLE: Five tips for planning your alternative wedding

This time two years ago I was in the final days of planning one of the best days of my life.

It is one of the hardest and most fulfilling things I have ever done, and 100% worth the hard work and effort. For me, my wedding day has been one of the best days of my life. I loved every minute of the day - apart from being slightly ill in the morning.

I thought I would share some of my tips for planning a wedding, just before wedding season really kicks off. Plus a share of a couple of my favourite wedding blogs/bloggers.

TATTOOS: Interview with Gemma Connell

I have to admit, I am super happy with how this series is running. I've created the opportunity to meet some amazing and talented people and talk about tattoos.
This week you can read about Gemma Connell - she is, well, creative. Her bio says:

"Gemma is a multi-disciplinary artist/curator, creative producer and cultural strategist"

She is all about creativity basically, and utterly perfect to be featured on this blog.

What was your first tattoo, and how old were you? 

It's on my right arm. It says "All the world's a stage" surrounded  by stars. I was 20 years old when I got it.

How many do you have now, and what are they? 

• I have 9 tattoos now. In addition to the one described above they are:
• A lightening bolt on my ankle
• An upper back piece which consists of an Egyptian ankh, angel wings and the words "It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story" surrounded by clouds and rays of light
• A heart with a lock on the right side of my chest
• A blue rose with two interlocking sets of thorns on my upper left arm
• The words "No one shines forever" on my lower left arm
• A celtic key and red roses design on my lower right arm
• Interlocking male and female symbols and blue roses on my right bicep (not that I have much of a bicep!) - currently not quite finished
• The words "Tabula Rasa" (meaning "blank slate" in Latin") with footprints and stars on my right upper arm

Who is your favourite tattooists? 

All but one of my tattoos have been done by the incredible artists at Spear Studio in Birmingham. The studio is run by Leah Moule, who has done the bigger pieces on my right arm. She has an unbelievable new skool style, and is really lovely. I like a tattoo artist who gets to know their regulars.

Do you have any tattoos planned for the future? If so, what? 

I need to get the one on my right bicep finished first - there's just a couple of leaves on the back of my arm that aren't yet coloured in (we didn't have time, I was living in Bournemouth back then and had to run for the last megabus home). However, I would like a piece on my right thigh that says "Stand for Something". I also have plans to have a lower back piece with a design that combines elements from two of my favourite bands - AFI and Placebo.

Do you have any 'no-go' zones? 

I'd never get a tattoo on my face, but I haven't really ruled anything else out.

What is your favourite  thing about tattoos and tattoo culture? 

It's the way it allows you to express yourself, and also remind yourself of who you are when you get a little lost. I have more than once been in a really difficult place and looked down at my arm, where it says "No one shines forever" - it always reminds me to pick myself up and make the most of it.

How do tattoos fit into your work life? 

I work in the arts, so it's not really an issue. There are some occasions when I have to cover them up, but it's rare, and at the moment they're all quite easy to cover.

TATTOOS: Ink at weddings? Yay or nay?

The sun is showing his face a little more. Flowers and blossoms everywhere  and the season is changing. 

It's the season of love... wedding season.

And for tattooed people it brings a dilemma.

To show your tattoos or not at someone else's wedding?!

Just the debate of tattoos on show in general is pretty high. But to show them at a wedding? Especially a church wedding.

LIFESTYLE: April in Review

April has been an unusual month. Busy but not frantic. 

But can you believe that it is already May?! 

So here is what I got up to this month.