''Why do you spend money on tattoo's when you're broke?''

source

I was looking through my archives today and noticed a comment on this post that I hadn't seen until just now. And 'anonymous'.... I am not calling you out, because trust me you aren't the first person to -in so many words- call me a hypocrite for complaining about being poor and then getting tattoo'd. My skin is pretty thick, so I'm not offended by any means... but I think a response in necessary because I should be able to explain myself and then if you still think I'm a hypocrite, at least I'll feel better knowing we are just on two separate pages. It's ok to disagree... in fact, it's healthy at times.

Our society is seriously fucked when it comes to priorities. Yes, I chose social work... but why are the jobs that are sometimes the hardest, emotionally and physically, paid the least? There are many, many other jobs that come to mind.... teachers, police officers, I'm sure you can list underpaid workers for days. The thing that bothers me, is that this working class -the backbone of our society- is under appreciated. 99% of us are getting poorer, while the top 1% continues to get richer and richer.

Everyone's heard about the protests going on lately, and I am so proud of Richmond every time I drive by our little park and see the 'Occupy Richmond' protesters and tents. Peaceful protest is our right, and honestly nothing makes me happier than Americans expressing their opinions and working to improve our society. I work with so many people on welfare, and while some ''abuse the system,'' a lot of them don't. They're victims of their circumstance, and continue to fall between the cracks.

I work with teenagers. Many of them were born addicted to crack or some other substance. They are born into poverty. They are exposed to drugs and violence at an early age. Learn to steal or sell drugs in order to keep food on the table. And most who graduate from high school (which isn't many) do so without knowing how to read. The system isn't working for them. These people are stuck. Should we ignore them or blame them or even punish them? It's not a black and white scenario.

But the system isn't working for people like myself, either. I went to college, accrued a massive amount of debt, chose a field that doesn't pay much, and live paycheck to paycheck. I'm 25... and while some of my friends do have a savings account, most of us are just struggling to get by. Especially those of us who aren't still living at home or have the luxary of our parents paying for our bills or cars. Most people that I know can identify with having to decide to pay a bill or get groceries... and that doesn't always stop at age 25.

I chose all of this. And guess what, like I mentioned in that post... I am so very thankful that I am independent, and that while there isn't a lot of money to spare, I am still paying my bills and my loans.

So back to the original comment about why I pay for tattoo's (which let's be honest, aren't cheap) when I could probably be investing that money or saving it or whatever. You only get so many years here on Earth. There's only so much time that we have with our families, our friends, ourselves. I don't feel bad about saving up for several months so that I can slowly get a piece finished over the coarse of a year, because I work hard for my money and tattoo's are something that I enjoy and that make me happy. I've earned it.

Sometimes, I only have about $30 in my bank account. And guess what I do with that $30? I go to brunch with my friends, I go see a movie, I buy fresh flowers for my living room. This is my choice, because I work hard and I think it's important to enjoy life also.

And I love my life. I love my friends, I love my family, I love my husband, I love my broken down piece of shit car, I love making pizza out of hamburger buns, I love spending $7 on a bottle of wine and getting lost in the moment.

I work hard, and therefore I APPRECIATE everything that I have.

But not everyone enjoys tattoo's. Not everyone likes the river. Not everyone likes everything. I think the important thing, as a part of the 99% who are just barley getting by, is to appreciate our uniqeness and realize that we are not alone in this fight. Most of us work damn hard, and it's ok to splurge once in a while and treat yourself to something that may or may not be ''financially smart''. There's a time to stress out over money, and there needs to be equal time given towards appreciating life and all that it has to offer.

i love halloween so much that i decided to get tattoo'd...

When I say that I'm obsessed with Halloween... I'm not exaggerating. I love eating candy, watching scary movies, and I especially love dressing up and being something totally different than myself for a day. I think that Halloween is the most magical time of the year, and I wanted to keep that spirit of magic alive all year.

A blank canvas, if you will:

Monday I said goodbye to all of my little freckles and looked at my bare arm one last time. I love getting new tattoo's. I have been patiently waiting for weeks, and I was so excited that I could barley sleep the night before.

First, Josh took an hour and a half sketching out the design. In marker. He is seriously talented...

Then he got right to work on the outline. I'm getting it filled in later... he's going to be out for surgery for several months so I'm gonna wait for him to come back to finish. I need to save up anyway, I'm poor ;)

There's a big creepy tree, a graveyard, a skeleton, bats, pumpkins, and candy corn. Not to mention, two very special graves marked ''HND'' and "ACW" for both of my grandfathers, two very very special men in my life.

I'm so excited for the start of my first sleeve!!!! :)

p.s. - one silly little thing on my bucket list is to end up in a tattoo portfolio... mission accomplished ladies and gentlemen! Josh snapped pics of the outline, and also my mermaid which he did for me in June. Isn't she curvy and gorgeous? Her names Oriona, after Orion the hunter aka my favorite constellation. Yes, I am a loser.

p.p.s. - check out the pretty fresh flowers I have all around our loft! the daisies are from the field behind our loft ;)

What did you do this weekend?

Weekend Recap:

So far, 25 was my best birthday yet! It was full of. . .

Pretty Frozen Drinks. . .

Giving Tree Themed Cake. . .

Colorful Flowers. . .

New Ink. . .

And a perfect day at my favorite spot in Richmond. . . 42nd Street :)

To all of my friends and family who made Saturday so special: Thank you!!! I love you all more than you will ever know and appreciate you for who you are! I am one lucky girl, to have so many special people in my life!!



New Inkkkkkkkkk!

This weekend I listened to my body and caught up on some extra sleep that it's obvious I needed. I say this because I left my friends house warming party at 10:30 and went straight to bed Friday night, only to wake up on Saturday at 11 o'clock. Similar things happened Saturday night... I'm such a party animal.

HOWEVER, I did manage to get some new ink over the weekend... and I love the way it turned out! If you're in the Richmond area, I highly recommend Josh. This is the second tattoo of mine that he's done, and he also did my husbands quarter sleeve.... he is amazinggg and definintly takes his time! fyi: he did my entire sleeve by hand, and I am so glad I gave him as much freedom to create as I did! I literally said, "draw the solar system on my arm"

This was the first tattoo that I've gotten so far that felt like a tattoo. Meaning... the other 7 didn't hurt and were never very sore. And I was able to go out to the bars afterwards. With this baby, I felt physically drained afterwards and my arm was so sore. But it was totally worth it... and now I am even more excited about my next piece than I already was!! {plus Josh gave me an amazing deal!}

Before:

please excuse the crappy photo quality...

After:

Sean was determined to get me out of the house yesterday, since I had basically slept for the majority of Friday night and Saturday... and so we had a really great day shopping and watching No Strings Attached with the last of our movie gift cards. Ummmm, does anyone else find it utterly ridiculous that matinee ends at 3 o'clock and a movie ticket is almost $14 per person??!! I also spent $10 on a small coke and popcorn, needless to say I did not feel guilty about using my 'student i.d.'................from 3 years ago. If you haven't seen the movie yet, you should -- it is hilarious!!

What did you do this weekend?

Fresh Ink.

Everyone sets goals for themselves, especially this time of the year. I've had the same goal for the past several months... and I haven't really gotten extremely serious about it. I want to lose 50 pounds by June 25, 2011 [my birthday]. I lost about 6 pounds prior to Thanksgiving... however, I love a good holiday meal and sadly....... I've gained it all back.

So, what keeps you motivated in the goals you set for yourself?

I have to have something tangible. And I've decided that the only way I'm going to bust my butt in the gym every day is if I have something to look forward to, other than my goal of course. Because let's be honest... June is so far away.

My motivation, you ask? Ink. I love tattoos so much - how they look and feel and the adrenaline I get when I walk into a tattoo shop. I've also recently re-united with my love affair for piercings. I currently have 7 tattoo's and a quarter sleeve mural of the solar system. Here is an easy break down of my rewards program from now until June 25th:

First 10 pounds lost - dermal anchors on my collar bone.

First 20 pounds lost - Ganesha tattoo on the back of my right arm. {I am in love with Hindu culture, and this is the God of success -- not just success for losing 20 pounds, but also for coming out a stronger person through all of the pain and trials I have faced in my life.

50 pounds lost - My very first chest piece!!!!!! I am very excited about this, and think that I know exactly what I want. I'm thinking about incorporating a Peacock, as they symbolize openness and acceptance. In Buddhist culture, it also symbolizes wisdom {I am part agnostic, part Buddhist}. I want a banner that reads 'eternal love' as well.... pretty big, and lots of bold colors!

If you haven't noticed. I am very impulsive. I love getting tattoo's and piercings and am a huge fan of living in the moment and getting artwork that shows off your personality and uniqueness. They're so expensive and I have a hard time justifying spending that much money on myself, so it really will be a reward!

Cheers to setting and meeting all of our goals in 2011!

Ink.

I have a:

NEW INK OBSESSION...

"Hello, my name is Kara Hooker and I am addicted to tattoos."

I think that tattoos allow me to express myself in a way that is totally different and unique than any other form of self expression out there. So far, I have 8 tattoos... and I am already thinking about which ones I want to add to my collection. Nothing gives me an adrenaline rush quite like the feeling of the needle buzzing against my skin, leaving trails of ink and color. It is absolutely exhilarating!

I especially love tattoos that involve words. Probably because I love words so much and find them to be so inspiring. This is the first time in several years that I have taken off work for my birthday, and I plan on getting my quarter sleeve filled in with color {expect pics!!}... I am a bit of an astronomy nerd, so it's a mural of the solar system and I am totally in love with it. I am also considering adding a quote to my sleeve, similar to the area of the tattoo in the photo above. Only I want mine to say We are all stardust. I think it fits pretty well with the overall theme... and I am so in love with that quote!

What are you addicted to?