Summer Bucket List

Spring is here and where I'm from, its basically the summer pre-game. I leave in a beach town where the weather is warm and the sun in bright. Most on the inhabitants, including myself, have already been to the beach a couple of times. This is the time of year that we do all of the "tourist" attractions one last time before crowds of people converge on our little town. Which begs the question...

If we have summer all year long, what do we do in the summer?

Here is my 2017 summer bucket list.

1. Go to the beach. 

Just because there's more people on it doesn't mean you can't go. Besides I know a place or two that's pretty quiet.

2. Road trip

I have family and friends in other cities and I would love to see them more than I do. I save all of my vacation time at work for 1 week in the summer, take it all at once and visit people that I dont get to see very often. 

Stay tuned for my road trip essentials.

3. Get a proper tan

I played sports when I was younger and I still have a wicked farmers tan that I just can't get rid of. 

4. Learn to SUP

SUP- stand-up paddle board.

It always looks like fun but I've never actually done it. 

5. Enjoy every moment

I am not the kind of person who savors things. I could be doing something fantastic and forget to enjoy it because I do tend to struggle with anxiety especially in crowds. I want to enjoy this summer. I want to take a million pictures and make memories that I will carry with me forever. 

What's on your summer list? 

Are you traveling with friends? going to visit family?

Whatever you do, enjoy it and be safe.

Happy Summer Butterflies,

XOXO Skin

Let me tell you 'bout my best friend

Recently, my friends list has had an overhaul. I've noticed that the people I thought were my friends, we just people that I know. 've only just discovered what having a friend was like. She and I met 4 years ago when we worked together as cashiers at a retail store. We were scheduled together almost everyday. We both quit around the same time, lost touch, and only just started talking again. She has a tiny human(most people call them kids) that I adore. We have had beach days, gone shopping, and I even helped her move.

Its not the easiest thing to move a 2 bedroom apartment on the second floor, to another apartment on the second floor across town in 100 degree weather, all while trying to manage a 2 year old. However, our crazy selves made the most of it. We laughed the entire time. I don't think that there's another human that I could've had that much fun with. After taking 2 loads we stopped for dinner before we took a third load. After that we decided that we were done for the day and we kicked back and had a drink before going to bed and starting all over again the next morning.

She may be the best thing that could've happened to me. She showed me that not everyone in your life is good for you. I realized that the other friendships I had were a bit toxic and could only lead to bad things. I can't tell you how appreciative I am that my best friend lets me be apart of her life.

To Sporty?

This morning I was with a few friends and we were discussing what kinds of things we did as kids When it came to my turn all of my child hood seemed to revolve around 2 things. Sports and Theatre.

upon further discussion they deemed me to be the sporty friend.

From the ever young age of 3 my childhood was booked. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved it. My parents have never made me do things that I wasn't interested in.

At three I started dance class, and trust me the world just wasn't ready for my out of sync, clumsy self that I thought I could be. It was a disaster and one program was all that I wanted to do, after that I was over it and decided that I wanted to be a cheerleader. To know ones surprise but mine, you also had to have some sort of coordination and grace for this as well. Skills which, as an adult, I still lack. As any toddler would be, I was crushed that I didn't get to wear tutus and carry around pom-poms anymore.

Where I grew up, there wasn't much to do for kids at that age, so after exhausting all of their options my mom and dad found a tennis instructor that was willing to teach me. For 2 years I played tennis 3 times a week. I was never going to be the tennis prodigy that played at Wimbledon, but at the time it was something that kept me busy and helped to burn off energy.

When I turned 5 I was able to start doing other sports like softball, basketball, and soccer.

After one season I hung up my soccer cleats and decided that there was just to much running. I did however repurpose those cleats for the softball field. Softball was my first love. My sister was my coach and had been coaching for a long time before I came along. I started softball at 5 and played until I was 16. I would've continued to play, but after a couple of surgeries it just wasn't looking like playing fast pitch was a good idea.

Before my early retirement, a few girls from my team, myself included, had started to help my sister coach her team. On the weekends we would run between fields. Helping her on and off the field, then change uniforms and go play a field away. It was always funny to watch as our parents trailed behind us with drinks and snacks to make sure that we were ready for our game. I played third base, incase you were wondering. Another fun fact, I tripped on first base after an amazing hit that easily could've been my first homerun. I've also hit a foul ball over the fence on the 1st base side that hit a guy square in the back. It was his fault. We called heads up, haha.

Softball wasn't all year round, only in the spring and summer did I spend the majority of my life at the fields.

During the summer I would go to softball camps, and randomly I attended a couple of volleyball camps which we pretty fun.

During the winter was basketball season. and my coaches were fantastic. My coach's husband also coached a boys team and we would scrimmage almost every practice. It would always become a who was better, the boys or the girls. It was a blast. I took a bad fall and ended up having to have 3 knee surgeries because of it.

I'm not exactly sure what the point of this was except to share a little about myself and to tell you about my love of softball. I still go to the batting cages ever couple of weeks to release some stress and just enjoy myself.

This is from earlier this week. My friend and I went before we each had to go to work

Tattoos!

Today has started the search for the perfect tattoo artist to complete my latest piece. I currently have only have a quarter sized butterfly on my wrist. I have found a few artists and have a couple consultations scheduled later this week and hopefully with get it done on Thursday.

I love tattoos so much. I think that they are stories of the people who "wear" them. I got my first tattoo at a time when my days were a little dark. I was a full time care giver and had pretty much uplifted my entire life to take care an elder family member after a car accident. It still serves as a reminder that I can handle a lot more than I think. I just have to have a little faith.

I thought that since my week is full of tattoos and those that create them I'd share some of the top tips that I have found or been told.

1. Once you've decided on a design, wait 6 months before actually getting it tattooed on your body. I like to take test runs, and have a friend draw a design in the location that I want the piece done; just to see how it looks.

2. Research, Research, Research! I can't stress this enough. Sure, you could walk into a shop and get the first person that's free to do your piece; but my thoughts and prayers are with you if that's the route you choose. Every artist has a different style of tattooing and if you don't find an artist who's good at producing what you want..... It's like waking up with a hangover. NOT FUN!

3. Don't be afraid to ask questions and communicate with your artist. For your artist to give you the best that they possibly can, they have to have a clear idea of what you are looking for.

4. Be prepared for a bit of pain. I went into the shop shaking; everyone in the shop could see it. I had read a billion posts on the best/worst places to get tattoos and was freaking out about how bad it would feel. There was even a post comparing the pain of a tattoo, to childbirth!

5. Stay sober before your visit. You will bleed a bit during your tattoo and consuming alcohol will not only cause you to bleed more, but if you are drunk and pick a design at random. You'll wake up with a double hangover.

Hope this helps anyone who is getting their first tattoo. I remember how nervous I was and most likely will be. Any of you have tattoos? How many? What of? I'd love to know

Later butterflies,

Skin

Happy New Year!

To be honest, I don't really remember the beginning of this year. As the year went on there were a few high points and I thought that I'd high light those here.

 

1. Blue Ridge Music Festival!

I don't really do many social things unless I am super pumped and for this I truly was. It was my 21st birthday after all and since this was a milestone, I had to do something epic. I picked a friend that I knew for a while and we drove the 5 hours up to Virginia so see the show. It was fantastic and for the record I still have tan lines... SUNSCREEN FOLKS!

 

Dustin Lynch & Florida Georgia Line

 

2. I had my very first Night On the Town & finished school

I didn't follow tradition and actually went out with a good friend and her husband a few months after my birthday. I had far to much alcohol and thankfully did not feel sick the next day! The first drink was a vodka cranberry.

I also started and finished school and am now a certified phlebotomist. By the way, anatomy and physiology are no joke! They kicked my butt. I am almost ready to be an adult; at least my mother hopes so.

 

 

 

3. I enjoyed my second NFL football game.

The first was 2 season ago and this season I got to enjoy JJ Watt and sadly Luke Kuechly was not cleared from the concussion protocol to play. Either way, I love football and I love my parents for the early Christmas Gift.

 

There are game pictures in another post. I am on the right.

 4. Christmas!!

My Brother-in-law had never been to an NFL game and to say that he was a die hard Panthers fan would be an understatement; so what do I do? I scheme. I got together with my parents and the three of us gave Bro-in-law and nephew the best gift ever! We bought them tickets for the Panthers vs Bucs game in 2 days. Sadly his panthers are not undefeated. There is always next season boys.

 

I hope that everyone reading this has had a spectacular year.

I am planning to have an even more memorable 2016. I can't wait for you all to enjoy it with me.

 

Later Butterflies,

Skin

A Letter to my Future Self

 I wasn't originally going to put this online, but I decided that maybe it would inspire me if I actually wrote it down, well typed it.

I am in a good place; physically and emotionally. I know that I won't always be. This post is a letter to my future self; to remind me that every storm will pass and there will always be a ray of light.

 

If you're looking back on this post, then you aren't particularly having a good day. Maybe it's work, your friends, or maybe even family stuff. We can get pretty crazy sometimes. You're a smart girl. I know you, very well. I am you. You're starting to think that you were wrong. You're beginning to believe that happiness was a cruel joke that your mind is playing on you. 

 

Happiness is real. You've felt it.

 

Take a deep breath. Try to remember that this feeling isn't forever, its just for now. Clear your mind. focus on what makes you happy. Go to a show, see a movie, grab some dinner. This life is yours. Don't let anyone take that away from you. One day you might have children, hell you may have a few now. Know matter what they'll be proud of you, but lead by example. Be the strong woman that you want other girls to be. You can get through this. I believe in you. Even if right now you can't do the same.

 

Signed the only person that you may truly trust.

 

 

Lets Go To Wonderland

As a little girl I didn't really have a clear understanding of just how vast the world was. I saw a globe for the first time when I enrolled in school. As you progress through the years you learn about different parts of the world. I never had the urge to travel until recently. I'd like to think that one day I will be able to go where the wind blows me. When I was in 9th Grade, I learned about a woman who won the heart of a kind, birthed one of England's greatest monarchs, and has had a lasting impression on those who have taken the time to study her history.

 

While studying King Henry VIII in my world history class we were told that we would write a paper and then read it to the class. I wanted to research Katherine of Aragon. I thought that because she was King Henry's first wife, information would be easily accessible. Our teacher chose for us. I was given Anne Boleyn.

After this presentation I continued to learn about her and in 12th grade painted a likeness of her for my senior project. After all of this time I am still learning things about her.

 

I will now get to the point.

 

I'd like to think that I am a free spirit and I wish that I was able to go where ever the wind blew me.   I have just finished a book entitled In The Footsteps of Anne Boleyn. It's basically a map of her life. The authors, Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger, start from Anne's birth and lead you on the journeys that she took so many years ago. For a while now, I have dreamed about a trip to England. This book had re-inspired that want to travel and I can't help but want to take this book along. Start from the beginning and reread it along my own journey.

 

The world is such an incredible place. New adventures around every corner just waiting for us. Now you know mine. Where is one place in the world that you'd like to visit?

Sweetest of dreams Butterflies,

Skin