Inked

Hello hello!

On Tuesday, I left you with a little teaser at the end of my post that looked a little something like this...

That's the happy (and relieved it's over) face of a girl who just got her first tattoo!

And after keeping it to myself for a few days, I'm finally feeling ready to share it!

I'd always thrown around the idea of getting a tattoo, but knew I would wait until I came up with something that I'd want inked on my body forever. 

And then I got the perfect idea.

My Mom always signed her cards/letters/notes to me "Love you lots, Mom xoxo". 

I took one of those said cards to my tattoo artist, he scanned it in, and there it was -

 my Mom's handwriting on my wrist forever.

I can't stop staring at it! 

I really can't explain to you the emotions I feel when I see my Mom's handwriting on me. 

It's comforting, amazing, and makes me so happy to know I'll have this little piece of her with me forever.

Honestly, the whole tattooing experience was really special for me.

I have yet to talk about one of my very best friends, Liz, on here. We had the same major in college, lived and traveled together in Spain, and she'll be one of my bridesmaids next August! 

In addition to all of the things we've already experienced together, Liz and I could have never guessed how much we'd now have in common. Liz's father passed away on August 13th - almost exactly 24 hours after I lost my Mom. Although it's a connection we'd never wish for, it's been a true blessing to have someone to experience and go through the grieving process with. We decided we would get these handwriting tattoos together to honor our parents, just another thing we now share.

'Love you lots' & 'Love always' in our parent's handwriting

Everyone keeps telling me that once you get one tattoo, you can't stop.

For now, I'm feeling content, but I guess only time will tell!

Do you have an "in memory" tattoo for someone you've lost?

I'd love to hear about it!

Five for Friday!

1.) Celebrity engagement rings have gotten out of control. 

Two recently engaged stars, Kim Kardashian and Ciara, both received 15 carat diamond rings. Last time I checked, that's a cocktail ring, not an everyday ring to show you're off the market. Let's be real - we know those are blood diamonds and you could have "settled" for something a little smaller, dare I say 5 carats, and donated some of your money to charity.

2.) Ellen DeGeneres never fails to make me smile.

I have been a long time fan of Ellen and watch her show everyday on my DVR. Everything about her brings me so much joy, especially her Halloween costumes. This year was no exception, as she dressed up as Nicki Minaj in the ridiculous outfit she wore when she visited the Ellen show... on daytime tv.

3.) I believe in trying everything once, tattoos included.

Well, most things anyway. I have been thinking about getting a small tattoo in memory of my Mom. She probably would not have liked me honoring her in the form of permanent ink on my body - but you only live once and I have a really great idea that I wouldn't mind living the rest of my life with! Does anyone have a tattoo in memory of someone they lost? If so, what is it?

4.) I'm obsessed with my dog.

Yep, crazy dog lady over here and proud of it! I handed out candy last night at home and had the best assistant ever. Stella just silently sat there, in her Penn State jersey, and watched as kid after kid came to the door yelling trick or treat. She even posed for the camera, what a diva. Next year I think we'll invest in an actual costume since she proved herself this year - messy hair and all.

5.) We just hit the 10 months until the wedding mark.

And just like everyone said, time truly is flying and I can't believe it! We're going to be doing our registries this weekend at Crate & Barrel and Macy's. We really don't need much in the way of home and kitchen items, but I'm afraid when I get that little scanner gun in my hands, I'm going to think we need anything and everything in the store! Any tips I should know before we go?

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!