First day of Fall

I'm a week late in my post - it should be 9.16.11, but I can't figure out how to back-date a post to make it more realistic. At least I wrote the post on paper so have it to refer to. So, let me take you back in time a week or so...

Never mind the equinoxes. Ignore that where we live it could easily be 85° by the end of the month. Just enjoy today. It's 54° out, only 66 in the house. Dry with a light breeze. I'm in jeans and a light cardigan, although after a brief trip outside I may have to put on some socks or house slippers. Drat! How will I keep my feet in running form this winter?? Still, the change in season is exciting. Although it's hard to believe the year is 3/4 finished. Where did it go? Why is it always September that flies away? Ah, that burning dust smell from the first use of central heat, that's a sure sign it's early fall. And baby pumpkins! I love baby pumpkins and always buy one every year. They're just so cute and useless!

Although apparently someone found a use for them!

Tattoo Part 1

Sat. night I got the first part of my new tattoo inked. It's a series of autumn leaves blowing in a gust of wind. I've wanted a hip tattoo for a while, and was trying to decide what exactly I wanted when I stumbled upon a note I'd written about 8 years ago with the idea of a blowing leaves or snowflakes tattoo. Autumn means a lot more to me than winter, so it was an easy choice.

Shaun only had time to outline 3 leaves and shade the first 2. There will be 7 total, curving around my hip towards my back. Each leaf is from a tree that is special to me in some way. So far I have:

Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)
Quercus alba (White Oak)

Yes, I'm a complete dork and know the latin botanical name for each one. I still remember the identification quirks for each one from college ecology, too.

I love the vibrant colors and shading of the leaves. I can't wait to see what the next ones look like. Here's a closeup of the shading:


The way we're designing it is fun. Shaun drew each leaf individually, and I flip it around on my skin until it's where I want. While he's working on one leaf I lay there and think about what colors to use for the next one. The tattooing isn't bad, except there was a ticklish spot he inked that made it hard to lie still. Now I know how a dog must feel when you scratch its 'giggle nerve' and it starts to pat its foot.

I'll post up more pictures once it's finished, I just had to share what I have so far.