tattoos evolution: January 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

I´m In Love...

Yes, it´s true!
I am madly head over heels in love with this(above) dining room.
White walls and flooring, framed black and white photos, panton chairs and a rustic old dining table. A perfect example of how well it works to mix old with new!
This is really all I need! Simple and beautiful!
Would you agree/disagree?

I also tend to fall in love with every pic that has a light and brightness in it. After some dark months up here in the north the light has slowly started to return to us Swedes. That is actually all people talk about in the streets, the light and the upcoming spring! The days are getting longer and I feel more positive, refreshed and energized than I´ve done in months.
With this positive feeling a lot of creativity has also started to bubble inside of me. There is so much inspiration to be found out there on the internet, so many talanted people, so many great ideas!
I almost feel overwhelmed, I would like to get started with them all, right now!

One simple project that I already have nailed on my 'To do list' though, are these amazing above Reclaimed wood carts. Ana White is the girl behind the design. At 'Anas blog-That DIY blog'- you´ll find tons and tons of DIY-projects. From small and simple ones like the above one, to bigger ones, like bookshelves, headboards, night stands, cabinets, built- ins, chairs, stools, desks, well- even your very own sofa!

Ana´s moto goes something like this:
'If I can do it so can you. And if thousands of other people, just like me can do it, so can you!' In other words, go on get started, pick a project and follow Ana´s step by step instructions.
Click on the banner below to immediately transport yourself right on to Ana´s creative corner of the world!

Besides Ana´s fantastic blog I the other day, also stumbled over this- I have to say- stunning stencil project, and felt I just had to share it with all of you!
Using stencil patterns on precut pieces of wood makes this project quite simple and will dress up just any staircase in no time at all(or almost). I could see even myself actually accomplish this project fully on my own.
Find out more about this project here.

Before I sign off I would like to wish you all a Happy new week!

Feel free to share your personal favourite blogs or other sites including some really great DIY- projects! Those visits a truly among the top of the most inspiring ones, don´t you think!?

Photos: UKTV, Ana White, Design Amour, Painter Girl

But please, do not get too excited(like me). Once you´ve started look for new projects, it´s hard to stop! We all need to put in some moments of stillness between all of the fun work:)!

Finally some words of wisdom to bring along with you:

'You are(each and everyone of you) magnificience in human form'

Sending All my love to All of You!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

london/brighton

after an amazing week in london i left for brighton yesterday night.i am not working at the convention,but i am looking forward to hang out.

a big thank you to everybody who made my time at frith street a time to remember.

Monday, January 24, 2011

A Spiritual Journey...

Michael Del Piero

A few years ago, after some difficulties in life, I began to discover something new and exciting. It was the spiritual part of me breaking through and I slowly began to walk on what I would like to call 'A spiritual path'.

Believe it or not, it all started with the movie 'The Secret'. My guess is that most of you either have seen it, read it och at least heard of it!?
I was swept away and felt so inspired. Deep down inside I instantly knew this was how it all was put together, this was the answer to almost everything, this was how Universe was designed for Us to be.

Actually that trailer still gives me goose bumps all over my body, I can feel some really great power and positive energy coming right through me.
Soon I realized though, it was not really that simple as the movie has shown me or the book was trying to teach me. I had a lot to learn about being spiritual(a part of me I had absolutely no contact with so far) and some major changes really had to take place.

Yet, this particular film opened up a new world to me and I have by now discovered so many authors and spiritual leaders, books, movies, stories and blogs I would never have heard of otherwise and that is something I´m really grateful for!

House To Home

In my bookshelves today you´ll find not only books about interior design and architecture-my passions in life, but also lots and lots of books about spirituality, all in different ways. There is so much wisdom and things to be learned in these books and by these authors(Neale Donald Walsh, Ester & Jerry Hicks, Eckhart Tolle, Louise Hay, Gary Zukav, Matthew Kelly, Brandon Bays, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Bob Proctor, to mention a few) . I constantly seem to go back and read them over and over again, cause still I have not done changes enough to use this 'Secret'. I´m still learning, every day, doing small progress in some areas, throwbacks in others.

House To Home

This spiritual journey has also opened my eye for other things like yoga and other deep relaxation techniques(you all know about my bed of nails). Nowdays I´m also only getting my hair done at naturally organic hair saloons and I´m trying my very best to at least this year, be more healthier when it comes to what I´m eating. Because of this I also most certainly have a new passion for oriental elements as a part of a home interior design.
Spiritualism undeniable seems to affect all parts in life and for me there´s yet so much more to discover, I´m only at the very beginning of this.

Michael Del Piero

If you feel yourself being on a spiritual path or only feeling a bit curious, I highly recommend you go visit down below blog, Zen Habits.

It was the so talanted girl over at 'Design Elements' (click here to check her blog out, it´s so stunning!) who first brought my attention to it and I would love to give her a big Thank You for sharing not only some really amazing interior design inspirational posts, but also the one about Zen Habits with all of us others yet, unenlightened seekers out there!

Leo Babauta, founder and author tells that Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It´s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what´s important, create something amazing and find happiness.
Zen Habits is supposed to be one of the Top 25 blogs in the World(!) so some of you have probably already discovered this amazing place online and for those of you whom haven´t, go visit here and be inspired by all of the wisdom and simple rules of life this man has to tell us about!

We heart it

Have a great week!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

i dedicate this entry to nick.

amazing artist,world traveller,friend.

godspeed.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Visions...

First,I would like to welcome my newest followers. I´m so glad and excited you´ve found your way over here!

I also want you to know that I´m so grateful for having each and every one of you and my hopes are to inspire more than ever this year:)!

Polly Wreford/Sarah Kaye Representation

I have decided 2011 is going to be a good year!
As some of you already have read in my previous post I have a lot of goals and visions for myself but also for my home.
After some soul- and Style searching during 2010 I finally found out what my personal style was all about. I had been struggling for years, not knowing how to really decorate my own home. I felt confused and couldn´t make the final finishes in one single room. In the end they all felt like shells with no personal touches. I was too scared to complete them, not knowing what would work and what I really wanted the room to look and feel like.

Rum

Since then doors have opened for me and suddenly I feel so confident decorating my own place.
One of my visions this year is to finally go for the black and white photos. I want them standing on the floors and put on my walls, on shelves and everywhere else!

Sköna hem, New York Social Diary

I have a past working as a photographers assistant and black and white photos has a very special place in my heart ever since, yet I have very few of them in my own home.
The whole decorating thing has been put on hold I guess, and final touches like art and decoartive accents have not been paid attention to!

Thank god I´ve been able to use my passion for home decor and interior design helping close friends and family, especially my mom whom really have put some great trust in me, helping her with a lot of different projects during the past years.
Thanks mom!
Portraits of above Photographer John French will most likely be seen on my walls in the year of 2011. I´m also thinking of using some 'Words of wisdom' among the framed black and white photos.

What do you think of this?
I would love to hear your opinions!

Ps.
I promise to check in on all of you later on this week.

In the meantime-
I´m sending all my love to all of you!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Funhouse Artist : FESTER

Fester can do portraits.

I have tattoo artist friends all over the world. My brother and I travel to tattoo conventions in places that most artists don't go to. For us, Mexico is a special place. We have been attending conventions in Guadalajara and Mexico City for the last 9 or 10 years and that's where we met Fester and Juan... and now both work at the shop. Most of you who have been to the shop or who subscribe to our blog might vaguely know who Fester is.

Celaya is a city in the center of Mexico, it's in the state of Guanajuato. That's where cajeta is from.. it's a caramel topping. F*ck, put it on your ice cream, your frozen waffles... cake. And it's the home of "pulque"... an alcoholic drink that "f*cks you up and makes you fat" - Juan told me that. That's also where Fester is from. He owns a shop there called "Ninety Nine Tattoo". He works at the Funhouse full time and flies back to manage his place once in a while. He has over a decade of tattooing under his belt. He is well traveled and can tattoo any style.

He does great script. So clean and precise. Look around... go to shops and look at their freehand script. Most of it sucks. Fester, Juan and Sasha have it down. This is a sort of chicano style. Lots of artists in North America, especially here, aren't exposed to this type of art. It's not in the culture. It's usually associated with gangs, n prison and there is a certain method to doing it.

More script and a traditional style rose.

The lines here are consistent and clean. To do lines this long and clean takes some real skill, which Fester can handle with his eyes closed. To get rid of that love handle is another story... looks like a side of pork with the skin still on! EW...

Huge patches of solid even grey shading is also a skill which not all artists have. It involves knowing and understanding your machine's function, the correct ratio of water to black ink, and years of f*cking up in order to perfect it. This piece is full of grey shades which are solid and even. Note: The realism of the shading to make this look carved out of rock, check out the "pits" in the rock.... it really does look textured!

This guy had his eye sewed shut and part of his lip...

Part human, part machine... that's what it looks like to me. That's one bloodshot eye!! Nice bright solid colors, clean lines... bold in parts to create depth and to "hold" those sections in. The white highlights really make this piece.

Come down, book with Fester. You won't regret it. He sits behind the wall between Sasha and Mark. 604-879-4114.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Let´s Kickstart 2011...

House To Home

Are you ready for a brand new year, with brand new chances, goals and opportunities?
I am!
I want to be healthier, wealthier, more successfull, have less stress in my life, more fun. I also want to find balance, more energy, get things done, a peaceful home, more wisdom. I want to feel a deep down delightness.
Well, you get what I mean, I simply want things to improve and feel even better this year.
And as I wrote down in my previous post: We all have things in our life we wish could be different. Some more difficult and tougher than others.
Still, let´s do our best to ease some of our resistance on what is, let´s find acceptance and let´s make the best we can out of our lives!

I do not believe in making major changes in life(been there, done that, MANY times before). I now belive in small, small changes carefully introduced in our daily lives.

Down below you´ll find my personal Kickstart for 2011.

With hopes to inspire!

1.
Laugh more

Laughs instantly make us humans feel better. Let´s kickstart 2011 with a bunch of feel good movies!
OMG, you have to trust me on this one! I´ve had so many good laughs watching this movie down below! I love Meryl Streep and Baldwin I have to say, is really doing a great comeback in It´s Complicated!

2.
Healthier

I´ve been trying hard to be a healthier person the last 10 years(!) but can´t say I´ve succeeded if you look at it in a long term.
My biggest issue is my addiction to sweets. I always feel not so good afterwards but still can´t stay away from it. From all of the sugar I´ve also gained some weight and in this moment I can´t say I feel satisfied with how I look, so...
This year I am going for the GI- method. I´ve heard this is a brilliant way to both get rid of your sugar addiction and to loose some extra weight. GI- diets recommend we avoid refined carb foods like white-flour-bread and snacks, processed cereals and sugary soft drinks, instant rice/pasta and cookies. Instead we should eat unrefined carbs such as whole grains like oats, basmati or brown rice, whole grain bread and so on.
Sounds healthy enough to me!

3.
Balanced

As a Christmas gift from my mom and stepdad I received a 'bed of nails' and I have to say I absolutely love it. I feel so much more balanced after only 20 minutes on it. It releases a lot of tension and stress and leave you with a sense of euphoria.
My new routine for 2011 will be to lay down on my bed of nails every morning for 20 minutes before breakfast.

Shakti

4.
Fresh air

I´ve realized that fresh air is important for my well-being. This time of year you´ll find me cozying up inside most of the time. But I have realized(during my lazy days off work) that a walk outside despite weather is getting me so much more energized, calm and refreshed.

5.
Cleaning up the mess

I have said it many times before. We live in an old house built in 1936. The renovation on the house has rocked my world and I´m just not that organzied as I used to be anymore. Since my disorganized home makes me feel out of balance I have to deal with the mess. I have some areas that need some work so that´s what I´m going for. One step at the time...

Ikea

6.
Making plans

Somewhere I read or heard that each and every one of us should make a 10-year plan for ourselves.
Years goes by and if we don´t have a plan life might just pass us by...
What a great idea!

7.
Less technology

Sometimes I feel so disconneted with myself and life in general, in the 21th century I think we all do sometimes! There is simply too much technology going on: TV, computers, cellphones, e-mails...
Let´s get bored for a little while and see what happens!
I absolutely loved Peter Walsh´s 'Stripped down family challange' at the Oprah show. Read more here.

Oprah

8.
Spend more time with friends and family

What could be more important?
Again, the renovation on the house has really taken all of our free time. In 2011 me and spouse are making smaller plans and hopefully this will enable us to spend more quality time toghether with friends and family.

Decorpad

9.
Success

In 2011 my hopes are to develope my little company of my own-Tinas Home Service. I´m not sure in what direction I am going just yet, but I´m working on it.
I also hope my blog will develope and be more of an inspiration for others out there!

10.
Wisdom

I´ve learned a lot in 2010 about life and people. It has been good experiences and it has been not so good experiences. In 2011 I´ve decided to really learn from my mistakes in life. This takes a lot of afterthoughts, but once done one will not very likely make the same mistakes again. Instead one (me/you) most likely will know things and situations, cause we´ve been there before and this time act in a different way. And that is what I call wisdom!