My Tattoos and what they Represent

Greetings and felicitations,

It seems like I'm getting back into the swing of this ol' blogging malarkey!

This blog is one that is very personal to me, as it is about my own tattoos that grace my body and therefore help to remind me of things in my life that are awesome.

1. My Butterfly

So this particular tattoo, I had it done when I was 18 years old, I had just left college (or Sixth Form if you want to be precise); and I had wanted a tattoo for a very long time, but obviously it was not something I could really do until I was 18. I decided that I would get a tattoo to remind me that I got through college and passed all of my A Levels, which was an achievement! I told my mom about my idea, and she actually thought it was great and decided to come with me to the parlour!

So, I didn't have any clue at all what I wanted, just something small and inconspicuous, that I could hide if I wanted to, but could alternatively, flaunt when I wanted to.
 

So, here is the little beauty (she is 10 years old may I add) and she is as pretty as ever!

What it Represents

There is the obvious idea behind a butterfly that it is now fully grown and off into the world by itself, but to be honest, I just wanted something really pretty to remember my youth by, and the fact that I had completed something which at the time was really difficult due to my circumstances. When I first had it done, the colours were vibrant and wonderful, but even now - when it is dull and looking unloved - I hold really happy memories with it. This tattoo literally took about 15 minutes to complete and it is truly a part of me now - I don't even see it anymore!

2. My First Panda

So you may be wondering... 'first'? Well I had this done my first year of having a job - I remember the day well when I 'designed' this one. I was in the office, and there was a power cut which affected the world network or something - but I could still use the internet - so I designed this using Microsoft Paint (I have pure skills, me!) I had just started talking to my now husband all of those eons ago, and I remember sending this to him to see what he thought - and he said that he liked it! So that weekend I (once again) went with my mom to get this tattoo, paid for with my own money! However this one took a lot longer than the first, which resulted in her getting hungry and leaving me to get a sausage roll from Greggs! She then returned with my sister so that was nice to have company.

What it Represents

I absolutely love pandas and this was just so cute! The lettering is Chinese for 'love' and 'mother' however if you read it in Chinese it actually says 'Emma'. which you know, is a bit unfortunate! But this obviously represents my love for pandas, and also a dedication to my mom.

3. My Second Panda

So, as it does, time passed - and although I loved my panda tattoo, I decided I wanted something more artistic and 'grown up'. I also wanted something substantial that I would be proud to show people, and can also have a little secret for myself. There are so many people that I meet and get to know that are so surprised about my secondary panda! Even more so, that it actually is a cover up for the first one! I had this tattoo at a very tough time in my life, I was suffering really badly with depression, and I wanted something that would make me really happy. I chose the picture on the day with the artist Lou Bragg who is so unbelievably talented, I would advise anyone to go to see her. I took my husband with me, and I'm not going to lie, the pain was awful, when the left ear was being done I really thought I would be sick! But I got through it - and isn't he cute?

What it Represents

This tattoo to me, represents determination. I had to sit for three hours in really awful pain, and when I had the opportunity to do a second sitting, I said no - I want to get it done in one. For me to do that shows me that I can get through anything! I am so proud that this artwork is on my body, and it is just so beautiful. I know I can't see it easily like my other tattoos, but it is reassuring to know it is there. Like my spirit animal has literally 'got my back.'

4. My Memorial

This tattoo is the most special to me out of all of them, this is a tattoo in memorium of the wonderful person that was my father. He passed away at the age of 70 on 19th February 2012. The idea for this work was a long time in the making - I knew my father was terminally ill and I had prepared for his departure into what he called 'The Eternal Dream.' I wanted something so special that it actually encapsulated a part of him - something that only he could have touched. So I looked through everything that he had written to me that I owned - cards, books, even my name on folders of my old school certificates and then I found it.

The birthday card that he wrote to me for my 21st Birthday. 

The text reads: 

To Leanne,

Happy birthday and congratulations.

May good luck and fortune be yours as a fully fledged adult.

The force be with you.

Lots of love from

Dad & Lynne

xx

xxx 

This card is so special to me, and even reading it now my eyes are filling up with love. And also laughter. I have never laughed at a birthday card so much! My dad was outwardly very straight bat, so to end such a heartfelt message with his own brand of amazing joke at the end was genius!

So, I don't know if you know this, but you can actually transpose written text into a tattoo. I didn't know - but as soon as I found out, I knew exactly which text from this card that I wanted permanently with me.

What it Represents

This tattoo is a direct reference to my father in many ways - I mean, obviously it is HIS beautiful handwriting that I have inscribed on my wrist (go on, check it with the card) to always give me the most amusing piece of advice he has ever given to me. When asked if I wanted this tattoo facing outward or inward, I decided that the only way to have it was for me to read, as this was a message from my dad to me - so in a way it was a direct connection. 

I cried so much when I had this tattoo, not because of the pain, but because of the heartache that I was feeling without my dad. It was a strange experience, but one I will definitely never EVER forget. I had this ink 2 days after he died - so emotionally I was still very raw.

I love the fact that this is something that he literally gave to me, something that I can look at at any time, at any place, and have him with me - as well as the mystical 'force' he was referring to, I also feel his life-force with me. I know it sounds cheesy but it gives me so much comfort. I recently got married, and although he couldn't be there in person, he was with me as I walked down the aisle with my Stepfather (who may I just add, is also wonderful).

It also reminds me of what a funny man he was - he had a very clever and extremely dry sense of humour (which I hope I have inherited) and could make a very serious situation funny. He was hospitalised a few times with his illness, and even then he would make a joke and play silly games. My favourite 'hospital' memory is when he pretended to be asleep, and I picked some fluff off his bed and he scared the life out of me by shouting 'RARGH!' I thought my husband was going to pass out he was laughing that much.

So, I think you can probably guess which one is my favourite, but all of my tattoos mean something to me in one way or another, and I have a couple of ideas for tattoos in the future. I hope you have had an enjoyable read, as it is nice to share something so personal. I must admit, I love hearing about other people's tattoo, so if you are reading this on Facebook or Twitter, please feel free to leave me a comment on what YOUR tattoos mean!

Today's quote is an inside joke, but if you would like to know the story, send me a message!

'Wow, how do you get your lenses so clean?' 

- Terry Champion 01/09/1941 - 19/02/2012

If you are interested, there is a charity fund set up in the name of my dad here.

Sing like No One's Listening

Greetings and felicitations

I'm starting to write this blog whilst on a 2 hour long car journey. The point of me telling you this?

I LOVE to sing in the car - it's fun and it connects you to people, whether it's the singer on the radio, or people you are with!

However I didn't always sing with other people in the vicinity - when I'm on my own just call me Adele and be done with it; but I used to get SO embarrassed when others might hear me! My husband didn't hear me sing full pelt for years, I think one day he came home as i was having a singing session with a diva and once the seal was broken he always heard me sing, and he has also loosened up and will really go for it if the moment takes him.

Then one day I was being driven somewhere by my friend (not mentioning any names) and they astounded me with their car singing. I don't know how to say this without sounding like a meanie, but I don't think they would get through the first round of X Factor... BUT I feel so special when they sing with me there, there is so much feeling, confidence and they truly sing like no one is listening. They are free.

From that day I always sing like no one's listening because it is a very liberating thing to do! I sing in the shower, I sing in the car, I sing at work (my colleagues are used to it now) I sing when I am peeing, I sing while I'm doing the housework, I sing mid conversation if someone makes the mistake of saying a song lyric! I even have an app called Smule Karaoke which means I can sing with other people from all over the world.

I feel so magical when I sing along to a song I love,  if I can hit all the notes, then great; if not it just gives me something to work on!

I have asked on social media what people would say their favourite song to sing along to is - and the reason why. So it's only fair that I join in!

Rolling In The Deep - Adele

I can put my own stamp on it whilst feeling like a total diva! I decided that I would lay myself bare (not literally) by recording myself singing this song!

That was so fun! I may have to do it again sometime! No judging I didn't practice, I just went for it!

Here is what others said is their favourite song to sing along to and why...

Space Oddity - David Bowie

'Because it's an emotional story.'

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
'Because Freddie.'
'Because it's Queen and everyone joins in.'
'Because it's so complicated and I'm determined to get it completely right one day.'

Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor
'because it reminds me of me LOL.'

I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
'Reason: belting out a tune and thinking you're Bruce Willis. And saving the world.'

Your Sex Is On Fire - King Of Leon
'she likes to play the drums and let it all out.'

She's Royal - Taurus Riley
'Just because I looooooovveee it'

Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
'Because it's Kansas... That should be reason enough.'

The Bad Touch - The Bloodhound Gang
'Reminds me of when me and Claire started dating'

Can't Nobody - Kelly Rowland
'Because no one can do it like me!!'

So there you go, lots of different types of songs that people love to sing! What's YOUR favourite song to sing in the shower?

*I would like to thank everyone who replied to my strange request.

My Best Friend

Greetings and felicitations

It has been a very long time since I have been here with you, telling you things about myself! I hope you haven't missed me too much!

This post is going to be about exactly what the title says. My best friend.

I want to tell you a little bit about why I have decided to write this post, and why now. 

As close friends of mine will know, I have been suffering with depression and anxiety, and I am working towards conquering it - because I want to be the old me again! I wanted to write this blog a long time ago, and recently I have been motivated again to finally put fingers to keys.

I am going to list down the things which my best friend gives to me, and why these things are important. I hope my best friend reads this, as I'm sure they will know who they are!

Support & Encouragement

My friend supports me in so many ways, whether it be to give me the kind words that I need after making a difficult decision, or just being a listening ear after a tough day. They are there for me. When I have lost people close to me, they have always let me know that they are there in different ways, whether it is just a text out of the blue to ask if I'm ok; or whether they arrange to come and pick me up and take me away to help cheer me up - they support me. I am an unusual individual, I have many ear piercings that make people squirm; wonderful ideas about writing books or scripts, about new crafting ventures and simply anything and everything. My best friend never judges me and says 'do whatever makes you happy.' When I try something new, I can tell my friend all about it, and they will give me so much encouragement and the support to let me know that they have faith in me with whatever I decide to do, and that they are genuinely proud of me when I accomplish my goals. That is a wonderful feeling. 

Shared Interests

My best friend is like a clone of me. They love all of the things that I love! Gaming, 80's music, board games, retro games, glitter, unicorns, piercings, horror movies, crappy movies, makeup, animals, satire, silly apps like Dubsmash, puns (#punography), Eurovision, baking, fantasy (Lord of The Rings etc - I know what you were thinking!) walking through beautiful countryside, crafting, going on long drives, Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia, nail art, playing cards, history... the list goes on! I must say it is TOTALLY amazing to have a friend as cool as my best friend.

Closeness

Now, this isn't necessarily physical closeness - or even closeness in terms of proximity. But my best friend is close to me in many ways. When snuggled up we will hold hands or curl our feet together - to show that we are together. We will talk about our hopes and fears for the future, whether it be having children, progressing in life or making our parents proud. We have the same feelings about insecurity and feeling an outsider - yet together we are one and the same and totally inclusive. We talk about down days, and we talk about happy days, and know that we can tell each other anything. We are that close that even a reaction to something like a video will tell my best friend what exactly I am watching / listening to.

Wisdom & Knowledge

My best friend knows so much and has been through so much it's amazing. I can ask them about almost any trial or tribulation and they can help point me in the right direction. In the past I have asked my friend about helping me with financial advice (how to obtain a mortgage etc). They can see everything from everyone's point of view, and therefore can really help put situations into perspective, but still letting me make my own decisions about things - but with their knowledge. They have shown me how to hang pictures on he wall, how to hang curtains and change light bulbs, they have taught me how to be independent. At night when strange occurrences happen outside the window, they let me know that it is only a train, or a security mechanism that is probably triggered by a fox. 

Fun & Humour

I have a very strange sense of humour; sometimes it's very dark, and other times it is very slapstick and juvenile. One of my favourite games is Cards Against Humanity, but then at the same time I love a good old game of Mario Kart on the Wii. Believe me, my best friend makes EVERYTHING funnier! Whether it with their rubbish jokes, or whether it be an amusing impression, they never EVER fail to amuse. I can send my best friend a text message asking simply 'Send me something funny.' and I know within minutes I will be belly laughing  my socks off! Sometimes even how my friend says a relatively normal word like 'nail' I can be crying with laughter. As I have mentioned before, I love puns - and my friend will try their best to get puns in or send me pictures of puns. 

Love

Now, I think this one is an obvious thing that my best friend gives to me - but it is very important none the less. I know that things can happen between us that may upset one of the other - but we won't ever let it come between us. I know that the love between me and my best friend is real, and that I would be heartbroken if anything ever happened to them. I really appreciate them, but I wish I could tell them everyday in a way that didn't sound too creepy! To my best friend, I love you. And I know you love me too.

Reliability

My best friend is my rock. I know that when I really need them, they will be there. They will be there when I am in the hospital, waiting for me to come out of an operation so that they can come to see me. They will be there when major things happen in my life, putting themselves out there, even out of their comfort zone to help me. When I got married, my best friend was there every day, listening to my worries, helping me to organise everything, helping me to set the venue up and mot of all, they were there for me on the most important day of my life. I know that if I have an appointment that I'm not too sure that I want to go to, that they will come with me - even taking time off work to be there.

To avoid going on for TOO long - although I fear I may have already done that, I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog post, and that it has made you think about YOUR best friend - and what they bring to your life, and you to theirs. It is the best thing I have done for a long time, and I would like to publicly thank my best friends. for all of these things that you bring to my life and more. That's right - FRIENDS.