Tattoos

I wrote about tattoos I've considered getting in my last post so I think I will continue with that today. Another tattoo I've thought about getting is a sunflower going up my back or side. I love sunflowers they are my favorite flower, I think they are absolutely beautiful! Here is the meaning of a sunflower: The way they move their massive heads to meet the sun make them a flower of spiritual attainment, flexibility, and opportunity. They are also symbolic of good luck, wealth and ambition. Give sunflowers away to someone who is working toward a goal and needs a big break in their lives. They are also an excellent housewarming gift as the receiver embraces new opportunities in the form of hearth and home. Someday I hope to have a field of sunflowers surrounding my house. Filling the air around me with the things mentioned above. I don't what it is about them that has always drawn me in but I have loved them ever since I was a little girl. I would always beg my mom to plant sunflowers in our yard and she would complain that they would bring nasty spiders. 

Another tattoo I've thought about getting is a meditating Grateful Dead bear. I would either get it on my hip or my foot. If you don't know about my slight obsession with the Grateful Dead you don't me too well! They are my absolute favorite band and I don't think their music could ever get old to me. Their songs have so much meaning when you take the time to read the unwritten words and hidden messages. Their music is so mellow and relaxing. Jam sessions with their buddies sure did turn into something great. I love the bears they are my favorite symbol representing The Dead. I want to get a tattoo of one that is meditating because their music is so peaceful and it puts me at ease. This tattoo has no official meaning, but it means a great deal to me. I don't know if I'll be able to find a picture because it's something I've come up with on my own but I will try to find something similar to give you an idea. I found a picture of a shirt with a similar design to what I would get done if I got this tattoo. I take pride in being a Dead Head and give love to all my fellow Grateful Dead fans forever and always.

Tattoos

Today I'm going to write about tattoos. I've been getting sick of writing about the same thing so I think from now on I'll talk about things that interest me. I love tattoos. Not that as soon as I turn 18 I'm going to go overboard or anything, but I have a few in mind of course. I think I like them because to me they're a form of expression and art that no one has to understand or know the true meaning of but yourself. I also think they are something you should think long and hard about before going through with. They are not like a piercing that you can take out any time. They're on your body for life. I also think that's pretty cool though because they can represent what you were going through at different periods in your life. One tattoo I've thought about getting is the Celtic tree of life. I would like to get it on my wrist with roots going on to my arm. If I have kids someday I would eventually get their names in the roots.

The Celtic tree of life depicts different forces of nature which converge together to create harmony. Balance and harmony observed in the nature is what the tree of life best symbolizes. However, balance and harmony is created due to the interaction of different forces operating in the universe. Celtic people attribute the tree of life symbol to qualities like wisdom, strength and longevity.

Above is a picture & a little bit about the meaning of the Celtic tree of life for those of you who may not be familiar with it. I am a strong believer in taking care of the Earth because it has truly given us everything we have. How successful would people be if they had no place, no land, to be successful. For things to be in harmony I feel our surroundings must also take part in this balance between nature and humans. Being one with nature and feeling those different forces in your heart is what this tattoo represents to me.

Another tattoo I've considered getting is a dream catcher on my back. I've always loved dream catchers. I've had one hanging above my bed since I was a little girl. My grandpa always told me they'd catch my bad dreams and pass them on to a place where they could never escape. I still have bad dreams every now and then but I believe dream catchers really do work in the aspect of keeping the negative out of your mind while your asleep.

Dream catchers represent unity. Throughout all of history, almost every culture and person has placed important significance on the true meaning of their dreams.  Today, our dreams are just as powerful a force in many peoples' lives, as they were back with all of our Ancestors. The dream catcher is thought to capture bad dreams and spirits, while letting the good spirits pass through.

The dream catcher definitely represents unity to me. I've always found a lot of hidden meaning in my dreams and I am a huge believer that a lot of the time your dreams are really an attempt to pass a message on to you. I think people should look deeply into their dreams, as well as nightmares because they could mean something you've never really considered. It's pretty crazy how dreams can relate so much to real life or maybe even the future. I also see the dream catcher as a symbol of protection from harmful spirits entering my mind or soul. It is a symbol with a lot of meaning but those are the basics and the reasoning behind why I would want to get this tattoo.

I have a few more tattoo ideas that I will post next time. I hope you all think a lot about what something means to you before deciding to truly get it tattooed on your body. That is all:)

Bassheads

I'm going to take a little break from talking about my sugar pie Layla today. Instead I will talk about the lovely trip to Madtown I took over the weekend. Cali & I went to Madison last weekend for the Bassnectar concert. For those of you who aren't familiar with them, they are dubstep. We also saw Beats Antique and Vibesquad, needless to say it was quite a night. We left after school on Friday and had a nice little road trip to Madison, despite getting lost a few times. When we finally made it to our hotel we met up with the group of people we were going to the show with. My brother and his group of friends were already with the people I was meeting up with so the whole family was there. I was super stoked to see my buddy Maxwell whom I haven't seen for much much too long. He moved to Chicago so he's not just a short drive away anymore. Once we were all ready we left the hotel and walked over to the Alliant Energy Center where the show would be going on. When we got there the first thing I noticed was everyones crazy and colorful outfits. It was awesome some people looked like they walked out of a fairytale or my imagination. The show was a whole new experience for me. I can't say I've ever felt so connected to music in my life, the crowd was pulsing to the beat everyone raging until they couldn't feel their legs. It was a total bonding experience. There were led hula hoops and I had to try one out of course. So want one. After the show ended I didn't really quite know how to feel. I felt like I was one with the music and everyone was dancing their hearts out for so long, it felt weird to walk and not be moving to a beat. We walked back to the hotel after the show and everyone was having a good time until Cody started acting ridiculous as usual. He is deaf and when he drinks he just gets out of control sometimes. He is harder to reason with than a 4 year old I swear. He was being loud and obnoxious and as the night went on it only got worse. He got the cops brought to the hotel twice. The first time he went down to the front desk and told them my brother ripped him off and owed him 100 dollars which wasn't true at all. My brother is his best friend and is always looking out for Cody so it was pretty low for him to do that. The second time the cops came because Cody kept coming back to the room we were all staying in and pounding on the door and yelling, causing a scene at 3 in the morning. The cops left once we explained that Cody was just being out of control and none of us had done anything. So none of us got in trouble which was a plus. The next day when we all got up a few buddies and I went on a walk in the woods next to the hotel. When we came back we decided to go explore State Street for the day. I had a lovely day walking around Madison going in little shops. We got some bomb smoothies and ate noodles and company. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life. I bought a sweet tie dye dress at Sunshine Daydream. It was a wonderful day I wish I could do it all over again. We walked Maxwell to the bus station so he could head back to Chicago. I didn't want to say bye I was enjoying the day so much. Once he left we headed back home and our trip to Madtown would soon be ending. I had a great time overall and can't wait to go to another show sometime soon! :)

Long board rides with Beans

Layla is almost three months old now! It is crazy how the time flies, I feel like it was just yesterday when I went to visit her in the hospital. She is starting to enjoy her first bits of summer and sunshine and loving it! My sister and I take her for walks in the park and she is happy as can be. She has been starting to wear her summer dresses and bibs now that the weather is nicer. She looks so cute in summer clothes. She went for her first long board ride with me last week and was all smiles. I sat down on my board and put her in my lap. I pushed the board with my feet and once we got going a little faster you could tell she did not know what to think about it. She looked happy though and when I put her back in her stroller she started to cry. She is going to take after her auntie when she gets older I think! She is starting to make noises and I can not wait to hear her sweet little voice when she starts to talk. I love her more and more with each day, she brings so much happiness to my life. I am going to my sister's tonight to babysit and spend some quality time with my baby beans and the pups. She is always a good girl for me whenever I watch her it's so nice. She is getting stronger everyday, she loves standing up in my lap. She can also hold her own bottle. She is going to be one fast learner I can already tell. I can't wait for summer to get here so I can spend more time with her. I guess you could say I'm a little bit attached;)

Beans is Growing!

Beans is just about 2 months old today. Oh boy is she ever growing. She has chipmunk cheeks and is starting to smile and laugh more and more with each day. She is my little sweetheart. She doesn't get crabby much, mainly when her tummy is rumbling. She does love to be held though, mainly I'm sure because no can get enough of her. She is used to all the attention, a little princess already. When she cries I sing to her and it calms her down, I think she likes music already. I sang What I Got by Sublime to her and she quieted down right away. I love spending the weekends at my sister's house, although I still feel like I never get to spend enough time with my peanut. As I said in my last blog entry, it seems she gets bigger every time I see her. Her facial features are becoming more unique and she looks more like the beautiful girl she will grow up to be everyday. For now she is pretty content with napping, eating, and hanging with her mama and the dogs all day. She got a new toy from Cali, a adorable little blue seahorse that sings lullabies and is also a nightlight. It is supposed to help put her to sleep, I think she likes it already! I can't wait until she can crawl, and starts getting big enough to actually play. I am so stoked for summertime to take her on walks and to the park even though she will still be too small to do too much.
I babysat Layla last weekend so my sister and Trevor could go out to dinner. She is such a happy little girl and I am so glad she is healthy and growing just fine. She has a little cold right now so she wasn't the happiest camper, but she was still good. We watched a movie and I snuggled with her and the dogs on the couch. I think she likes it when her auntie and uncle Adrian come to visit her! Babysitting is not a chore when it comes to my niece, so unfortunately for me my sister has a babysitter for free anytime. I don't mind though, I could never get sick of spending time with her. Unless of course, I was the one waking up with her in the middle of the night on a daily basis maybe! Good thing I can give her back to her mama when she gets fussy;)

I absolutely love having a baby around. I have no other nieces or nephews besides Layla for now, so of course she is the sunshine of my life. Babies and little children bring such beauty to the world, such innocence. A new life, so much room to grow and so many experiences that lay before her. Watching her grow up is going to be so interesting, I can't wait to see what she grows up to be like! She has some time before she grows up too much though, after all she is only 2 months old. I think I'm so excited to watch her grow because I've never had any younger brothers or sisters that I have gotten to watch grow from a baby into a person, making decisions and figuring out the kind of person they want to be. I know she is going to be taken such good care of, she really is my sisters life already. My sweet little girl brings me so much happiness and I know she will only bring me more and more as time goes on.

My Ray of Sunshine Layla Rayn

My beautiful niece Layla Rayn Munkelwitz was brought into this world on December 26, 2011. We call her Layla Beans. She was the most precious Christmas present I could have ever asked for. She is my sister Savannah's daughter. She is a healthy and happy little peanut. She has big blue eyes just like her momma and auntie. She is my parents first grandchild and they could not possibly be more excited to have a baby around once again. She is a very loved little girl, even my dogs can't get enough of her. She is just a little over a month now and yet every time I see her I feel like she gets bigger. Besides being her only auntie on my sisters side, I am also her godmother. I feel honored to be her godmother, a place in my heart began to grow for her before she was even here. Holding her in my arms for the first time was an unexplainable feeling, I can't imagine how much love my sister felt looking down at her baby girl because I know how much I felt. I can't wait to watch her grow up, not only in size but as a person as well. Simply watching the faces she makes can cheer me up in an instant. She makes a fishy face that is the cutest thing in the world. I hope that as she grows she will know that she can come to me with anything, even something she may be scared to tell my sister. I will always try and give her the best advice possible and lead her in the right direction, that's what auntie's are for right? Although her mother is an absolutely amazing woman and I'm sure she would always do the same. The place in my heart for my little Layla Beans will never stop growing, my love for her is unconditional. She will always be able to put a smile on my face, even without saying a word. (Despite the fact that she can't talk yet!)