Tag Archives: birthday

Girly Gifts That Are Always A Hit

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Girly Gifts That Are Always A Hit

Girls are not hard to buy for (At least, I’m not!). This is a fact for 90% of the female population, especially as the gift market is so full of ideas! We ladies aren’t afraid to be vocal about what we want, either, which makes it so much easier to buy for anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmas time. Because, let’s be real, you’ve only been gushing about that new Michael Kors bag since forever.

From vintage clothes and housewares to a ring with a 1 carat diamond from the Diamond Registry, every girl out there has an idea of what she wants. You don’t even have to be overly girly to enjoy the girly gifts! Bubble bars, bath bombs, and lotions are in favor with every girl out there. But if you’re stuck for gift ideas for the woman in your life, why not check out our suggestions below?

Jewelry: Okay, so we’re not talking the key pieces like pearls or diamonds, but the costume jewelry that isn’t overly expensive and can be bought in a variety so that their outfits can pop. Think layered chains, dangly earrings, and jeweled bangles going up the arm. There are so many choices out there in a variety of colors, which means that there’s literally no way that you can go wrong.

Cosmetics: The lady in your life may absolutely love makeup and cosmetics, but did you know that for the Eighties fans, there are cosmetics that glows in the dark? Check it out here and see what cosmetics you could gift for those quirky Eighties disco nights. If not, a Sephora gift card always goes over well! 😉

Smell Goods: The stores in the high street are over saturated with gift packs of soaps, shampoos, and bath bombs. These are an easy gift that never go badly because bath bombs are the literal bomb.com! To get glittery bath bombs or bubble baths that make the skin smell and feel gorgeous as a gift is fantastic!

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Shoes: There isn’t a girl in the world that doesn’t love a beautiful pair of shoes. Whether it’s sparkly heels or cool Converse, gifting shoes is always a winner. You could go for slippers and even pretty gladiator sandals like these ones – as long as it’s footwear and in her size, shoes are sure to be an A+ prezzie.

Sunglasses: Holidays are coming up and sunglasses like these gorgeous Lennon sunglasses by Modekungen are setting trends all over the catwalk. Let your lady feel like a model and gift these for her as she lounges by the pool or commutes to work. Stunner shades in the summer are a total no brainer!

Experience: Sometimes the best girly gift that you can give is a spa day or a manicure that is all paid for. There are people who say that gifting experiences is impersonal, but actually it is more personal than a chosen gift. Experiences show that you know the person you’re buying for and that you understand what they would love the most. Choosing a gift experience can be difficult given the range to pick from, but once you have handed over that pampering spa day or manicure/pedicure combo gift, you will be known as a perfect gifter, for sure.

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Gifting for girls is getting easier by the day and whether she’s into tech or makeup, there’s something for everyone on the market. Be choosy with gifts and feel that happy glow when you see a well-received present from your favorite gal!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Buying A Meaningful Gift For Friends Who Have Everything

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Buying A Meaningful Gift For Friends Who Have Everything

There are always some people in our lives that are tricky to mark off of the gift giving list. They have everything that they could possibly need and giving them something isn’t practical, which means that the gift is pretty forgettable – and no one wants that! Here are some gift ideas for the friends that you think have it all for the next present giving occasion that arises:

Summertime: The best gifts for the warmer seasons are something that will come in handy when they go on holiday. It should be something that they will enjoy, whether it be sporting equipment, protective skin care, or travel books for their vaca. This particular gift for the season, has got to be something lightweight, easily storable, able to last for a while, and reusable even if it’s not summer.

Male Gift: Rimless sunglasses are something that he can use and can instantly increase his style points when walking around the beach. The rimless designs were designed for wear near the water and the lack of a rim allows the droplets of water to trickle down and under the lens. This means the vision of the wearer isn’t obscured. On top of this, the polycarbonate material the lenses are made from eliminates the haze or blur as the sunlight squeezes through.

The shield style is more rugged than the rimless and at first glance, you can see why. It normally features thick frames, made for use while engaging in a sporting activity. The lenses are rectangular, although a little contoured around the inner edge near the nose bridge. This style works great for the man with the larger-sized head, as the weight and sleek bulky design will stand a better chance of looking in proportion with his facial features.

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Shades always come in handy!

Female Gift: Having soft, supple skin is something that most women aim for, and that means that constant care and maintenance play a role in their daily routine. Darphin Soleil Plaisir SPF 30 is a luxurious sunscreen that’s the number one go-to product for women who want to take on the sun in a one on one battle. It contains biologically researched skincare ingredients that aren’t normally found in other sunscreens. It protects the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays and offers oils from India that strengthen and fight the cracking of skin under the hot sun. The product is very beauty-orientated and designed for women who want to get a gorgeous tan on the beach, but not suffer sunburn in the process. It’s lightweight, non-greasy, and doesn’t leave behind embarrassing white marks. It feels and acts like a luxury moisturizer, but lasts long on the surface of the skin while you lounge on the beach.

Experiences Of A Lifetime: If somebody you know isn’t much for the physical gift and doesn’t care for materialistic appliances, go above and beyond such trinkets of monetary value and give them an experience, instead. Book them a thrilling escape that will have their hair standing up on end. Pay for a day out where their family or friends can accompany them on an adventure where their skills will be tested and memories will be pleasantly gained.

Book them a hot air balloon ride, where they’ll float into the atmosphere and see the world from a unique viewpoint. They’ll be as high as the birds with the wind in their hair, and they’ll have the best panoramic view of the landscape that no amount of iPhone accessories could hope to match!

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Tomas Castelazo Image

Whitewater rafting is one of those adventures that will require bravery, physical strength, and ultimate teamwork for the best ride of your life. After strapping on a life jacket, the instructors give the paddlers a demonstration of how to get down the rapids in the fastest time. They’ll learn about the ebbs and flows of the waters they ride on. Possibly the most exhilarating, fast-paced, heart-stopping experience of your life. The water crashes up against the rocks and thunders at and over the boat with the occupants drenched in the cold of the river water. They’ll be a lot of shouts, communicating what side of the boat needs more steering and the line that should be followed down the drops for the quickest and safest route. Whitewater rafting will give you a workout, excite your animal instincts, and test your teamwork, all at the same time.

Food, Glorious Food: If your friend has always rambled on about their favorite cuisine and how they wish that they could have a bag of treats to get them through the working day, you could shop at an ethnic food store. Buy them the treats that they love and, perhaps, reminds them of a dining indulgence that they encountered at a restaurant.

For Japanese cuisine lovers, spicy edamame is a potent little snack that hits the craving for the spices from the land of the rising sun and vegetables with a chewy texture. Coated in a spicy garlic miso, it’s a great low-calorie, healthy snack that’s a splendid mix of peppery spices and pungent garlic. With little fuss and mess, they can enjoy this little snack at the office or wherever they work.

Italian cuisine is known the world over for its delicious antipasti. Fried olives are superb for those with the urge for something a little sour. Olive all’ascolana is green or black olives that have had their pit removed, stuffed with a little chunk of cheese, like Parmigiano-Reggiano, rolled in breadcrumbs and then fried in olive oil.

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YUM!

For lovers of Asian food, Indian cuisine is very popular in the West, and sometimes you just can’t wait until after work to order a takeaway curry. However, there are cold snacks which you must try, such as the samosa. Samosas are a thin pastry with vegetable or meat filling that are fried in sunflower oil. There are vegetarian varieties that have mashed potato with spices and peas as filling. The most popular recipe is the chicken bhuna, which is little shreds of chicken that have been cooked the same way as bhuna curry would be, then stuffed into the pastry which has already been outlined with rice.

It’s Tricky: Sometimes it’s no use; you simply won’t be able to find them something they can use or like. In that case, sometimes just cash in hand would be fine, but that seems a little insincere and tacky. Give them an option of buying their own gift at their favorite store, because there’s more online at Cards2Cash.com than you might think. All manner of gifts are available including some that can help improve the home, cater for the needs of pets, buying a favorite food type in bulk, or allow an individual to go on a general shopping spree. Sometimes it’s best to take the recipient of the gift shopping with you, allow them to pick something out, and make a day of it!

Personalized Jewelry: You’d be surprised how much a personalized gift can mean to someone. It’s a proud torch shining bright, displaying your friendship and how much they mean to you. Buying a piece of jewelry with their name engraved on it is a very bold statement. It’s something that will last for decades and only be relevant to them, specifically. It’s a little piece of the universe that’s theirs, and such a gift will be seen as a symbolic gesture of their importance and the impact that they have on your life.

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Pretty!

For the friend who has it all, gift buying can be a total pain in the you know where, but with this guide, you will be sure to provide a lasting and thoughtful gift to your BFF!

Happy Birthday, Ankhor You!

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Happy Birthday, Ankhor You!

Helloooo everyone and happy Tuesday! Today is a special day because it is my fellow Gemini darling’s 27th birthday! K.M., the author of the wonderful, fantastic, amazing blog, Ankhor You, is one of my literal favorite people on the planet. Not only is she immensely talented and a beautiful fashionista, but she is sweet, kind, and freaking hilarious. I am SO lucky to have such a lovely lady as a friend and it has been so much fun getting to know her better during our almost weekly FaceTime dates and frequent texting. I hope that all of you will join me in wishing K.M. a very happy birthday and I just know that 27 will be her best year yet! ❤

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Organizing Your Teen’s Eighteenth

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Organizing Your Teen’s Eighteenth

Your child turning eighteen is a big deal not only for them, but for you, as well. No matter what country you live in or what culture you live by, the eighteenth birthday is important. It is a sign that your teen is well on their way to full blown adulthood (yikes!). It is a sign that their childhood is behind them. Basically, it’s kind of a big deal. And because it is such a big deal, you need to ensure that you do all that you can to celebrate it properly. And to celebrate it properly, you need to organize it properly. Below, you can find a few hints and tips on how to do so:

First of all, you need to get your teen’s presents sorted. And if this is something that you are apprehensive about, then remember that you will always be able to find a gift for someone, no matter who they are… even if they’re a moody teenager on the cusp of adulthood. Try getting them something that is personalized; you can never go too far wrong with this approach. It shows them that you know them well enough to know exactly what it is that they like. It also gives them something to save as a keepsake from this very important birthday and look back on it in years to come.

But, as with a birthday for anybody of any age, it’s not just about the gifts. It’s about the party you host for them, too. And when it comes to hosting a party, there are a number of things that you have to consider. One thing that must be given thought is the fine balance between childhood and adulthood that is taking place. This is a party that cannot be made up of goody bags, bouncy castles, and clowns. But it is also not a party that can be made up of the more adult things of life either — whether eighteen is the ‘coming of age’ threshold in your country of residence or not. So, you need to find a balance.

One way to induce this balance is by letting your teen invite their friends over to your home and allowing them to take free-reign of what it is they get up to. However, you should always remain in the house in order to ensure that this free reign that you have given them isn’t being taken advantage of. Click here for more ideas on how to host the best eighteenth birthday party for your growing teen.

The most important thing to remember when organizing the essentials of your teen’s eighteenth is that a balance of childhood and adulthood must be procured. They are not quite mature enough to fully revel in the world of adulthood, like, say, somebody celebrating their twenty-third birthday would be. But they are not celebrating their thirteenth birthday either, which means that they are not going to enjoy or appreciate childish things. Think dinner parties, an ice cream social, or a garden party in a spacious back yard and watch your teen have the most fabulous birthday yet!

Featured Image By: Flickr

THANK YOU!!!

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THANK YOU!!!

Hello!!! I just wanted to write a quick post to thank each and every one of my darling readers for all of the happy birthday wishes. I had an absolutely fabulous 23rd birthday yesterday and am looking forward to continuing my celebrations with friends and family throughout the rest of the week.

I got to spend my birthday morning with my beautiful sister (who got me concert tickets to see my favorite band, AFI, at the House Of Blues!!), my afternoon with my boyfriend who drove from North Carolina to make it for my birthday, and the evening with some of my best friends at my favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket. Today, one of my girlfriends is taking me out for lunch and then I get to spend the evening with my beau. Tomorrow, I’ll be celebrating with my family. And finally, over the weekend, my boyfriend has a bunch of birthday surprises for me! So, obviously, I have a really good rest of the week in store!

I am so thankful to all of my friends and family who reached out to me with well wishes whether it be on the blog, Facebook, text, phone call, or email and all of you truly helped make my 23rd birthday a special one! I LOVE YOU GUYS! ❤ -Sarah

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Happy 23rd Birthday To Me!

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Happy 23rd Birthday To Me!

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day but more importantly – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! Today is my 23rd birthday, and I’m going to be honest with you: I am so not excited about it. Guyyyys. I feel old. *Let the eye rolling commence*. But seriously, 22 was a good year and I’m not happy about it being over. 23? Oy. That’s half way to 25, which is half way to 30, which makes my heart hurt to think about!

Do I sound like I’m complaining? I swear – it’s not just me! I’ve heard this thought process from SO many of my friends who were super stoked on 21 and 22 and then had the proceeding birthdays feel totally lackluster. So there. BUT, despite not being thrilled about adding another year under my belt, I do love birthdays! Wait…what?

Lol, yeah I love birthdays. The presents, the dinners and drinks out with friends, the overflow of birthday well wishes on Facebook. I love it all! It’s just the aging part that I freaking despise! Honestly, I’m one of those people who celebrate for the entire month and starts saying “it’s my birthday” a week or so before my actual birthday. But, come on. Who doesn’t love having the attention on them from family and friends? And, this year, I really need to embrace the fun side of birthdays to keep me from feeling down about turning the big 2-3. Smh.

So, Happy 23rd Birthday To Me – I guess. -__- I look forward to telling all of you about my birthday celebrations as the month goes on! How did you celebrate your last birthday? What is one of your favorite birthday memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Birthday Freebies

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Birthday Freebies

Hellooo everyone and happy Tuesday! Okay, so for those of you who don’t know, my 23rd birthday is tomorrow! Yikes. I can’t say that I’m thrilled about this but, I have to say, I am hyped about the plethora of freebies that I have received so far for my big day. As you guys know, your girl is constantly ballin on a budget so whether it be a free travel sized lotion to a percentage off a purchase, I’m all about that sale bout that sale SO FRUGAL (Sung to the tune of All About That Bass. Thank you, thank you I’ll be here all week.) ANYWAYS, take a look at my Birthday Freebies so far and let’s discuss:

  • One free small smoothie from Robek’s
  • One free beverage of any size from Dunkin’ Donuts
  • A ten dollar gift card from Victoria’s Secret for being an Angel Card holder
  • One free burrito from Moe’s
  • One free beverage of any size from Starbucks

Ayyyy! So, obviously I’m getting the birthday hookup and I freaking love it. There is nothing better than going out for a coffee or for dinner with friends and not having to pay a dime for it. Thanks to apps and rewards programs, getting extra bang for your buck on your birthday has never been easier. The beauty of some of these rewards is that I never even go to these places anymore, but because my account is open, I still get to reap the birthday benefits.

Like Moe’s and Dunkin’? Literally haven’t been to either in close to a year. BUT I have the Moe’s app and the Dunkin’ rewards program card (which works like a gift card but I haven’t uploaded money on it for years), so my birthday is in their registry. And Robek’s? It’s a rarity that I go there, but I have the app so my smoothie will be on them for my next visit! Of course, ten dollars at Victoria’s Secret doesn’t get you very far, but still. That’s a free panty or lip gloss and we all know by now how much I love free.

Being a savvy shopper whether that be with restaurants, coffee shops, or clothing stores is all about playing along with their promotions. Sign up for the emails, let their app take up a bit of extra space on your devices, give the loyalty program a try, apply for the credit card if you shop there frequently enough. Before you answer with a solid “no” to the salesperson telling you about these things, hear them out. You’ll be glad you did once you score some free birthday swag.

So there you have it, my Birthday Freebies (so far!)! What other restaurants/stores offer freebies on birthdays? What restaurants/stores offer the best every day promotions? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mystery Blogger Award #2

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Mystery Blogger Award #2

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! This post is compliments of my friend, Tiffany, over at Tiffy’s Wild World, who nominated me for my second Mystery Blogger Award! Her blog is a real treat so please make sure to check it out. 🙂 I always am so flattered whenever I get nominated for something, and I think that these award posts are so fun and such a great way to get to know our fellow bloggers a little bit better. I always jump at the opportunity to make these posts so a major thank you again to Tiffany for the nomination! Alright, let’s get to it:

The Rules:

  • Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
  • Answer the questions from the nominator
  • Nominate 10-20 people
  • Share a link to your best post(s)
  • Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
  • Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice

3 Fun Facts:

  1. My current favorite movie is The Eyes Of My Mother, which can be watched on Netflix. If you are a horror movie junkie, like myself, watch it and you’ll thank me later!
  2. I’m turning 23 very soon on June 7th and I am SO not excited.
  3. Prison TV shows are my favorite and Bea Smith from Wentworth is my red haired spirit animal.

Q & A:

What would your perfect date be? Hmm…Let’s see…Probably going ice skating and then to Taco Bell. It doesn’t take much to make me happy!

What is your favorite beauty hack? I’m not creative enough to come up with my own beauty hacks!!

When was your favorite birthday? Even though I don’t remember much of my 22nd birthday, I had a really great party and everyone told me after how much fun that they had! So, I’m guessing that I had fun, too!

When was the last time you went on holiday? Last October my family went to Asheville, North Carolina and I loved that. It’s such a cool area and the people and atmosphere are all wonderful.

If you could go and live anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why? Probably London or Paris. Preferably Paris, though, because fashion and I can perfect my French.

My Best Post:

Uhhhh…I don’t know. Lol, I literally don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it before.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. Who or what is your spirit animal?
  2. Is there a food or drink that you like that everyone else hates? (Everyone but me in my family hates Indian food! I friggen love it.)
  3. Where do you like to do your blogging at?
  4. How do you normally start your day?
  5. If you were a boy, do you know what your name would have been? (Mine would have been Matthew or Phillip.)

Muchos gracious again to the lovely Tiffany over at Tiffy’s Wild World for nominating me for my second Mystery Blogger Award! How would you answer some of Tiffany’s questions? How about some of mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Pros Of Being A Practical Present Presenter

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Pros Of Being A Practical Present Presenter

Are you tired of being a bad gift buyer? In order to be a better gift buyer, you need to think practically. When you evaluate the presents for your birthday or under the Christmas tree, the best gift buyer is almost always the person that buys something that has a purpose and a practical use. Read on to find out why you should become a practical gift buyer, too:

No One Wants Gifts That Turn Into Clutter: No one wants gifts that just get left lying around doing nothing. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who receive gifts that they don’t really want. These items just get thrown in a drawer and then they never get used again. This is probably not what you want to happen to the gifts that you buy for people. So, to make sure that you don’t buy bad gifts for people, you should make sure that what you buy can be used for something specific. It’s a great way to make sure that your gift doesn’t just become clutter but a new favorite household or wardrobe staple, instead.

To prevent a gift from turning into clutter, it’s a great idea to explore stores and websites that you don’t usually shop at. This will make the gift feel more exclusive to that person because it’s something that not everyone will already have. Rather than pick up a T-shirt at the mall, browse on Chummy Tees for more unique options. Or you could try gifting bath and body care from around the world rather than one chain store.

You Can be Sure That Value Can be Found in Your Gift: When you do decide to buy gifts that have a practical purpose for the people who you’re buying for, you will find that you can get value for what you spend. Although the item will, of course, be used by the people you bought it for, it will still be getting used. This means that the amount of money that you spend will not be wasted in the way it would if your gift wasn’t used. No one wants to feel like they are just throwing money away and not getting value from it, so this is vital.

Being Practical Doesn’t Have to Mean Being Boring: Just because you are buying a gift that has a practical use doesn’t mean that it has to be boring. You can just as easily find a way to make your gifts interesting and practical at the same time. For example, you can buy stationery online, and have it personalized. This makes it that little bit more special and it becomes less of a blah item and a lot more personal and thoughtful. These things are important when buying gifts so put some thought into how you can customize practicality presents for the person receiving them.

You Can Make the Receiver’s Life Easier in Ways They Would Never Have Thought Of: Sometimes, you can make a person’s day to day life easier and more enjoyable by getting them a practical gift. And the interesting thing is that the person you’re buying for would probably never have thought to buy these kinds of things for themselves. This is often how it goes. Embrace this, and buy your friends and relatives a gift that they can make the most of. My father in law is the king of practical gifts and they really have had a positive impact in my apartment. We have received safety kits, fire extinguishers, and simple sets of tools. Flashlights were also another item we were gifted as we sometimes experience power outages. These practical prezzies have come in handy more times than I can count and we feel much better prepared for any situation with these essential items readily available.

Kitschy little gifts are all very well to a point but when it comes down to it, the practical presents always seem to take the cake!

Featured Image By: Public Domain Pictures

New Tattoo Excitement!!

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New Tattoo Excitement!!

Heyyy everyone and happy Hump Day! So I am wicked excited for Saturday the 20th at 1 o’clock in the afternoon because I have a tattoo appointment!! I was planning to get a new tattoo for my birthday in June, but I saw that the artist who I am going to is running a percentage off special in May so I figured that I might as well get it now and save some money on it. It has been literal years since my last tattoo. Jeez Louise, I think it might have been back in 2014. Yikes!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t want more tattoos because I want a bunch. But, when I started college in 2014, I didn’t exactly have money to just throw around on extra things like body mods, clothes, and accessories because they were just extra and text books are no joke. But, now that I’ve been graduated since the end of 2016 and am actually making money instead of constantly spending it on college related fees, I feel pretty okay about getting a TREAT YOSELF/early birthday tattoo!

So what am I gonna get, you might ask? Take a looksee:

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If you aren’t familiar with the book The Little Prince, then you are missing out because that’s where these drawings are from! I plan on getting the first image of him flying with the birds on my side but I want him dressed in the clothing from the second image. The birds are going to go up onto my back and probably end close to my bra line. Then at some point, I’ll work in a quote en francais as well as the horizon line at the end of the book. AHHHH!!

For those of you who don’t already know, The Little Prince is one of my all time favorite books. It just is. I could read it every day until I die and never tire of it. I think that it is so beautiful and every time I read it (which is quite frequently), I fall even more in love with the words and imagery scattered like petals throughout the pages. I am super excited to get my undying adoration for this book commemorated in tattoo form and it has been a long time coming because I’ve wanted this done for five-ever.

May 20th can’t come soon enough and I have a feeling that I will be in the tattoo chair quite a lot this year! How’s that for some New Tattoo Excitement?! Who plans on getting a new piercing or tattoo soon? What is your favorite tattoo or piercing that you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah