Category: Tattoos

Tattoo Tuesday – Featuring Kate Byrne

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle9 Comments

I am so excited to have our first tattoo tail on Tattoo Tuesday. I promise, I am done with the alliterations.  My first guest is Kate Byrne.  Here is how her beautiful back piece came about (That one was unintentional).

 

 

 

 

The first is a piece of Bahraini street art from early on in the Arab Spring. The Arabic in the corner roughly translates into “our weapons are but flowers”. You’ll see the English in the petals of the rose in picture two and the antique rifle barrel in picture three.

I went to my tattoo artist with two different ideas. I knew I wanted a book (books are an integral part of my life and being) and I knew I wanted Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of wisdom, but I didn’t know how or where. It was my artist’s idea to incorporate those two into the piece on my back.

One of my favorite things about the experience of getting tattoos is taking your ideas to an artist you trust and then watching him bring your ideas to life in art.
Thanks so much for sharing Kate. Beautiful tattoo.   Please visit Kate’s Blog at Waiting for that Rocket or follow her on Twitter at @burnsy06
Anyone else want to share their tattoo stories.  I would be happy to feature you on the next Tattoo Tuesday.

Tattoo Tuesday – Personal Statement

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle17 Comments
Marvin by Tom Armstrong

See, they are starting out young.  But, Marvin is right.  A great reason to get a tattoo is to express your own personal statement.  But, figure out what your personal statement is, first.  I wouldn’t suggest you get a chef’s hat tattoo and then discover you can’t boil an egg or worse, getting a ‘Thug Life’ tattooed on your stomach when you grow up on a farm in Wisconsin.

My personal statement at the time of my first tattoo was to continue to be the kind of person who was always up for trying new things and having new experiences.  I was on a journey to have experiences that altered and heightened my consciousness.  I read a book in college by Andrew Weil called The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon.  If you haven’t read it, check it out.  Some people use drugs and alcohol, some use coffee.  There are guys in the mountains of Mexico who eat hot peppers to capture that high, if even for a minute.  Andrew’s journey to find the ultimate state took him to the mountains of South America where he witness an eclipse; a marriage of the sun and the moon.  That image was my first tattoo.

To a certain extent it is still my personal statement.  It is why I love to write, why I love to travel, why I love food and why I love getting tattooed.  These are experiences that alter my consciousness and are safer then drugs and alcohol.

What is your personal statement?  Do you think it is tattoo worthy?

Spoiler alert, they hurt and they don’t wash off, so you better be sure.

If you have a great tattoo story you want to share, let me know and I will feature it on Tattoo Tuesday.

My Weekly Update – Tagged Twice, Tattoos and Tell Somebody

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle17 Comments

Tagged #1

Ug! I have been tagged. And, not a normal tag where I tell the world about me.  I can handle that. But, I have been tagged by Karen Einsel in the Next Best Thing Challenge, which means I have to bear my soul and reveal details of my novel. Oh, the horror.  It might be before I am ready, but perhaps Karen is telling me it is time.  So, here it goes.

What is the title of your book/WIP?
  I’m Coming Home

Where did the idea of the book come from?
  I am an American who lives in China and every year when I come back home it never fails, I meet a guy and as soon as I tell him I live in China, he is like, that’s cool and then moves on.  I can’t blame them, really.  China is far away.  So, I was fascinated about this idea if just one time a guy thought of it as an interesting challenge.  How is it possible to develop a relationship with someone who lives so far away?  Also, I love New Orleans and it is great place to start a romance.

What genre would your book fall under?
  I have gone back and forth about this for months.  I think I have narrowed it down to International Rom/Com Chick Lit.

What characters would you choose to play the characters in the movie adaptation of your book?
  The inspiration for my male character is Bryan Greenberg, so he could play him in the movie.  As far as my main character, maybe Thandie Newton or Zooey Deschanel.   A mix of beauty and quirky funny.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
  First of all, I hate this question.  But, here goes:  
An expat living in China meets a guy on a business trip to America and falls in love over Mexican Food in the French Quarter, but will her demanding boss and her own sense of independence threatens what could potentially be her ticket out of her mundane boring life catering to the demands of others and ignoring her own happiness. 
I still hate this questions.

Is your book published or represented? 
  Not, yet and no.

How long did it take you to write your book?  30 days – I wrote it during JuNoWriMo

What other books in your genre would you compare you book to?  I love the quirkiness of the MC in Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic Books.  My MC has some issues with self esteem and sticking up for herself and you want to tell her to get a freakin back bone already, but you like her, too.

Which author’s inspired you to write this book?  Everything I read inspires me.  Plus, places I have lived and visited, people I have met, music I listen to and tattoos (my characters alway have tattoos).  I find inspiration everywhere.  Like Karen, Stephen King is my favorite writer who makes it impossible for you not to get sucked into the world he creates and that is what I want my writing to do.

Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book.  Part of the book takes place in Hong Kong and China where I get to pull in a few antidotes about life in China that you could never understand unless you have actually been there. I try my best to take you there.

Tagged #2

I was also tagged by EM Castellan  in the Lucky 7 Meme.  You ladies are really wanting me to put it all out there.  Ok.  Page 77, line 7, 7 lines from I’m Coming Home (You should be hearing the P. Diddy song playing softly in the background).

“Well, in the last hour that I have know him.  He seems ok.”
“Is that it?” Sydney asked. “Ok. The two of you talked about computers for an hour and all you can say is ok.”
“What do you want me to say?” Kevin said. “He is handsome and has good teeth and he smells good, too. What?”
” I am just . . .  I don’t know.” Sydney said.
“Listen, Sydney.” Kevin said. “You have a problem.” 

Ok people, that is it. No more.  I am done. The book is going in the filing cabinet until September.

**The tag rules also include tagging other authors, so my new followers below, consider yourself tagged.  

Tattoos

Starting on Tuesday, I am going to bring to you a new feature; Tattoo Tuesday.  It is my goal to bring this beautiful and often misunderstood art form to my readers.  I will share information on artist, the art, the process, tattoos in pop culture and my own tattoo stories.  I would love to share some of my readers tattoo photos and stories, as well.  If you want to reveal your body art to the world, sent me an email with the artwork and the story.  If you have an image that inspired the artwork as well, sent that, too.  You can reach me at sydliyah at hotmail dot com.

I am am not an expert.  I am just a tattoo’ed girl.  So, if you have any questions that I know I am not qualified to answer, I won’t, but I will find someone who is and will.

Tell Somebody

When I discover great advice on writing, I have to tell somebody.  I have two that I want to share this week:

Nightmares and Realities: Showing vs. Telling by Sevastian Winters – I finally understand the show vs. tell concept.

Dialogic – Part 1:  He said, She said by A.M. Schultz – Great information on writing dialogue.  And, he assured me there will be a part 2.  Right, AM?

New Followers

 Weekly Schedule

Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday 
Wednesday – Movie Quotes – full blog post version
Friday – Blog Post 
Sunday – My Weekly Update
 

Y – Yilpi Marks

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle5 Comments
Art work by Yilpi Marks

A trip to Australia would not be complete without learning about the aboriginal people and aboriginal art.  You can find examples of the art on every cup, bag, pencil, and t-shirt in every souvenir shop in Sydney.

I knew very little of the culture and the struggles of the aboriginal people before I went to Sydney. To be honest, the reason I even paid attention while there was because I was looking for some inspiration for my next tattoo and the designs and colors of aboriginal art is amazing.

But, I decided once I returned I would read about why their art is so prevalent in the modern society of Australia.

How cute is she?

I came across Yilpi Marks and her art while doing some research.  I saw her art and was instantly hypnotizing by the color and movement.

Like most aboriginal artist, Yilpi learned about the Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories which is reflected in her art by her parents and grandparents. Dreamtime Stories is a creation mythology reflecting the Aboriginal hunter-gather lifestyle. It tells the stories of their ancestors.

It is inspiring how this art has giving the aboriginal people the opportunity to preserve their heritage and cement their legacy as a significant part of Australian Culture.

Thanks to www.aboriginalartstore.com.au for the great information. 

Who Owns Your Tattoo? : Inked Magazine

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah MichelleLeave a comment

Who Owns Your Tattoo? : Inked Magazine.

I don’t do illegal downloads; movies or music.  I don’t plagiarize and I only use my photos or public domain photos on my blog.

But, are my tattoos someone else’s property?  I didn’t draw them.  I have portions of two Van Gogh paintings replicated on my body.  I have a flower that I found on the internet replicated and I have letters that represent a saying that I didn’t write.

Did I infringe on someone else’s copyrights for my own benefit?

Legally I am safe because I don’t make any money off of my body art.  That sounds bad.  What I mean is that no one has offered me money to show them my tattoos.  Sounds even worse, but if someone wanted to pay me, I would share the proceeds.

But, it still begs the question, who do my tattoos belong to?

Meet China Jordan – the artist gave it that name.  I just call him CJ.  A free hand drawing on my ankle by Gabe Shum then tattooed by Gabe Shum, referencing a stuffed animal that  I purchased at a souvenir shop, commemorating the year of the bull in China in 2010.