Outfit of the day

Conclusion: I Love Midsommar.

I survived my first Swedish Midsommar this past weekend, and oh boy was it a good one.  M and I spent the past week out in the far archipelago between his parent's island and the island where our friends have a stuga (cabin) on the island of Tornö.  We arrived to Tornö around eleven on Friday morning...the boats were decorated, the lunch table was set, and the beers were flowing freely.

Everyone decorates their boats and houses with björk (birch) branches for Midsommar.

Lunch consisted of about 8 different types of sill (pickled herring), deviled eggs with caviar, new potatoes with dill, smoked moose heart, wild boar paté, cured smoked salmon and shrimp, several types of cheese and bread, plenty of beer, and a special drink called aquavit to wash down the sill.  Aquavit is spiced vodka, and the particular bottle we had was Linie brand aquavit...what makes this kind special is that all Linie Aquavit has been aged in an oak sherry cask on board a ship that has crossed the equator twice.  You can read details of your particular bottle's journey on the label; ours had traveled on board the M/V Tampa from Scandanavia to Australia and back.  Supposedly this 5-month journey combined with fluctuating temperatures and humidity causes the booze to become extra delicious.  My taste for strong shots of booze isn't refined any more than it takes to get the fiery stuff down my gullet as quickly as possible.

Once we were totally stuffed, warm, and happy, we took the boat over to the larger island of Möja to see the Midsommar festivities.  We brought along a cooler full of beer, whiskey, coffee, and traditional strawberry cake.

The midsommar dancing was just about the happiest sight you can see while you're half-drunk and full of delicious food under perfect sunny weather on a Swedish island.  Everyone has crowns of flowers and both grownups and kids dance and sing along to the silly songs.  Whenever I asked what the song was about, I got an answer along the lines of, "Uh...this one is about a priest and a crow who fall down in a ditch and start laughing."  Or, "This one is about frogs that have no tails or ears so they're funny to see, and then pigs have tails and ears so they're funny to see too."  My conclusion was that the songs don't necessarily contain great mysterious cultural significance, they're just fun to sing year after year.

Later on in the afternoon we went back to the stuga and continued our eating and drinking spree.  I had been warned by M that by nightfall on Midsommar, someone usually came up with a crazy idea like taking the boat farther out into the archipelago to skinny dip with seals, or something along those lines.  This year was no different, and our friend suggested we drive out to his grandfather's fishing cabin on Kallskär to watch the sunrise.  We piled into the boat with food and blankets and drove to the outer edges of the archipelago where we hiked to the highest point on the island to watch the combination of sunrise and sunset that pretty much lasts through the night.

Here are some photos of Kallskär the next morning.  The islands here are windswept and rocky, with low vegetation and no one to see for miles.  I'm not one to get sentimental about the beauty of nature, but there was absolutely something magical about this place.

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The Foot Tattoo and Its Popularity

There are great differences among tattoos in today's world, which is why they represent a great way by which to express your individuality. You are in control of deciding what kind of tattoo you want and where on your body you want to display it. This means that what may be the best one for you, may not suit other people at all. But don't despair if you are still not entirely certain just what part of your body you want to have a tattoo on. You may consider a foot tattoo. These kinds of tattoos are very popular these days.

Here are some things to consider:

Tattoo sessions on the foot tend to be more painful, as a rule. The reason is due to the fact that the skin is close to the bone. And the closer the bone is to the skin, the more painful a tattoo will be. Tattoos on the foot, though, will be smaller, so you won't have to put up with the pain for long.

Foot tattoos are also more easily concealed than any other kinds. If you hope to have a professional job some day, concealment might come in handy, since in professional jobs tattoos are usually not in. So your ability to conceal a foot tattoo is a good thing.

But you should be aware of the fact that during the healing process you can't enclose your tattooed foot in a shoe, so open shoes are in order. The healing time for a tattoo is usually 2 to 3 weeks. If you can't avoid wearing shoes, then keep in mind that you must have 2 pairs of light socks on.

Did you know that a foot tattoo is considered sexy? There are many opinions about the types of tattoos that look good on people. The thing about foot tattoos is that even people who don't as a rule like tattoos, seem to like them on the foot.

Foot tattoos are likely to need touching up from time to time. The reason for this is due to extra exposure to conditions less favorable than on other parts of your body. A foot tattoo may also spread and end up looking blurry.

Star designs or words or even flowers are popular foot tattoos. But there is no reason why you can't engage your tattoo artist to help you create something really different. If you do want a larger and more complex tattoo than those in the ordinary runs of the mill, keep in mind that these will be more painful and more expensive, too.

Tribal Tattoo Designs For The Foot, Shoulder And Back

There seems to be an explosion in the popularity of tribal tattoos. Specifically, shoulder and back tribal pieces. Everywhere you look, from celebrity to Average Joe, someone has got a beautiful, striking tribal tattoo on their shoulder. Or they have the the tribal tattoo that goes from one shoulder, across the back, and down the other shoulder. Why are they fast becoming the most popular tattoo? How do you choose the best tribal tattoo design for you? Do a little research. Check out tribal tattoo designs in your culture or heritage. You are sure to get tons of ideas. I did a little research on tribal tattoos, and I now have a few theories as to the popularity surge. Probably the most important of all of these theories is that tribal shoulder tattoos look so cool!

Tribal tattoos were used in different cultures to delineate between the tribes. They were also used to distinguish between classes or rank within the tribe. Everyone in the tribe had some form of the tattoo. In most cultures, the tattoos were given in a ceremonial way, to celebrate the passage from childhood to adulthood.

It is widely believed that the Polynesian culture brought us our most popular tribal tattoos. The Samoans, the Maori, the Hawaiians. The most detailed of these are the Maori. These tattoos are intricate and curvilinear in nature. They are based on the spiral which give them such powerful movement within the design. The design begins in the center and radiates out, forming beautiful curves that are filled with pattern. The tribal tattoos were carved into the skin and rubbed with ash. Maori tattoos were placed on the face, back, chest, and arms. The more important you were, the more tattooing you had.

The traditional Samoan tattoo consists of very detailed geometric patterns. Traditionally, they cover a man from his waist to his knees. Woman have the same tattooing, but it is not as detailed or dense. A more modern Hawaiian Tattoo is the shoulder tattoo. Images are rich with geometric design.

The Celts and Danes tattooed their family crest on themselves. The ancient Egyptians tattooed themselves as a form of adornment.

In Japan, woman that were of age and getting married were tattooed. If a woman was not properly tattooed, she was thought to have committed a sin and was sentenced to death. (Yikes!)

The Christians tattooed Jesus Fish on themselves. The Native American Indians tattooed animals and images that linked them to a tribe. The ancient Mexico, the Aztecs tattooed images of their slain enemies.

So, each culture seems to have some form of tattooing in their ancient history. Does our love affair with tribal tattoos have roots in our wanting to belong? Is it pride in our heritage? Is it our personal passage into adulthood? I think it is all of the above. A little bit of heritage, a little culture, a feeling of inclusion. There is nothing like a powerful, beautiful shoulder tattoo that is meaningful to you.

Whatever your reason, tribal tattoos are really intricate in nature, and powerful in design. Find the right one and you will be happy with it forever. Don't spend enough time looking and tweaking the design, and you will be very unhappy. Tribal tattoos are generally large and most have a lot of black. Difficult to cover over, and difficult to remove. Think hard, do your research, find an excellent tattoo artist, and you will be all set. Peace always.

Big stone

Watch me now

I have a secret. I am behind. I’ve only officially been back from vacation one day and – bam – already behind. Again. Always. I had the best intentions during my vacation. I brought DVD sets to get caught up on. I made promises to answer email. I really did have the best intentions. I was going to catch up and then be ready. But instead, I spent most of my time playing with my baby nephew, watching Masterpiece Theatre with my mom and generally laying about doing my best bump on a log impression. (Side note: Should we ever meet, ask to see it. I’m very good.)

So now, kittens, I turn to you. Since I can’t properly prioritize my entertainment consumption on my own, I turn to you to help me decide what to catch up on first. Now the email, that’s just going to be catch as catch can. (Another side note: What the fuck does that even mean? Is catch bad at catching?) But the watching, well, here I know you can help a sister out. Currently in my queue I have:

• Catching up on the start of “Pretty Little Liars.” The show started while I was on vacation and, um, I’ve already mentioned that my mom likes to watch Miss Marple, right? I can’t decide if I should give it a shot. But it’s sort of shiny and shallow, with secret girl-girl kissing. How bad could it be?
• Watching “Skins,” like any of it. I have not watched this show, even though I know Naomily is epic. I blame being in America and lazy about watching shows that are not shown regularly on my TV in America. Don’t tell Heather.
• Finishing “True Blood,” the complete second season box set. I love vampires. I love sexy vampires. I really have no idea why I haven’t found the time yet to get through this season. And, yes, I already saw last week’s big WTFityF moment of the current season. Head sufficiently spun. Ahem.
  
• Viewing the “I Can’t Think Straight”/“The World Unseen” DVDs. I won these thanks to your awesome voting prowess. They arrived earlier this month. Every time I want to pop one in to see the ridiculous hotness that is Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth, I start to feel guilty because I am so behind on (see above).
• Rewatching everything in the “Cinema Pride Collection.” Ten super-duper gay films in one box set: The Children’s Hour, La Cage Aux Folles, The Birdcage, My Beautiful Laundrette, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Bent, The Object of My Affection, Boys Don't Cry, Kissing Jessica Stein and Imagine Me & You. As we speak I am fighting off the urge to pop in “Imagine Me & You” and watch the even ridiculouser (whatever, grammar, it’s a word now) hotness that is Lena Headey and Piper Perabo for the 6,001st time. This could be why I am so behind on everything in the first place.

Oh, I also still haven’t watched the second episode of “The Real L Word.” But there’s one instance where I think I’ve prioritized just right. So, tell me what to do. What should I watch first? Go ahead, boss me around. No, not that way. You’ll have to suggest what movie we watch together and buy me dinner for that.

These tattoos are PERMANENTLY awful | Horikyo Tattoo Design

This past weekend, I was in lovely New Orleans, LA for a wedding. During the many hurricanes, mint juleps, and "3 for 1" beverages, the topic of tattoos came up, with two of my sister-in-laws considering getting one while they were there. I have nothing against tattoos--the right hidden pic or meaningful phrase can be a source of pride and add character. There's just nothing I can think of that I would want to have permanently inked onto my body (other than, of course, John Stamos clinging to the back of a giant panda, or Reginald Vel Johnson flipping off the Statue of Liberty). I've heard many horror stories of some tattoo mistakes friends have made, but none can be as bad as the tattoos I've collected and commented on below. Take a look, but be forewarned: SOME ARE ADULT IN NATURE!

So...their offspring would be purple right? Purple, mythical, and horny.

Well, they got the comedy right...but the rest is a real "tradgey."

"No no no! I said I fucking love vegetables, not vegetables fu--nevermind. *sigh*"

"What do you mean Tower Records doesn't exist anymore? Where am I going to work?"

Hi ho, hi ho, don't wanna see this no mo'...

Hey baby, I hear tattoos a'callin.' Tossed salad and scrambled eggs!

"Get these mutha' fuckin' snakes off my mutha' fuckin' plain...ol' arm!"

I support the format, too, but...I guess it's not as mortifying as the BetaMax tat on his forehead.

Hours upon hours were spent on this design. Elegant, yet simple. A tattoo triumph. Dick Butt, indeed, kind sir...Dick Butt indeed.

"I mean, I really, really love Dolphins. And marijuana. Those are, like, my two passions in life. Porpoises and Pot. Do you have anything in your book that encompasses both of--oh shit, you do!"

Eww...just...eww.

Worst tattoo ever, or BEST TATTOO IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD? I'll let you be the judge. (I hope this isn't how I now remember Patrick Swayze...I love the guy!)

Not cool be confused with Vanilla Ice, who is cool AS ice, not Mr. Cool Ice. I like the "aww shucks" expression of the skeleton.

For all true HulkamaniBACKS.

This one is pretty famous...an epic, epic tattoo art failure. When beauty becomes beast...

Upside: For your armpit, EVERY week is Shark Week!

I'm shakin' for a little Cl'aiken! If I were invisible...I'd be a much better tattoo!