Why You May Want To Quit Your Job?

Hello Lovelies,

Since I was 14 years old I have been employed, minus school season and relocating to another state. Finding a reliable employer at 14 was no easy task so I was offered a position I could never turn down. Over my summer break I would help pick watermelons and load them into a white Dodge Ram pickup truck that later in life ended up being my first running vehicle. When the truck was full, we would head down to the local truck stop and sell them to locals. Working on a watermelon farm and selling the delicious fruit with my great grandfather was my dream job. We would have buyers travel from different states to purchase the watermelons. They were guaranteed to be the best watermelon you ever tested and we never had a single complaint. One day, we had just begun our morning at the truck stop when a gentlemen walked up and offered to purchase the entire truck load. It surprised the hell out of me and my grandfathers just made a little chuckle. I will never forget those summer days, my hands were dirty but my heart was content. I was paid a fair wage for the hours I worked and even got a Sonic Shake at the end of each day. It was every kids dream job and I wish it lasted longer than two summers.

A large majority of my employment history has been in the customer service industry and each employer had the pleasure of hearing my Minnie Mouse voice for at least a solid sixteen months. Until our move to Oklahoma there wasn't a single job I could say that I didn't enjoy at sometime or another which is why I committed to them for over a year. When I did begin to look for other employment is was only because I was looking for more income or growth within the company. When we relocated to Oklahoma I came face to face with an resume nightmare. I started working for a retail store part time for about three weeks and everything hit the fan. From the beginning of the hiring process there were read flags but I tried to give it a chance. I was promised full time hours during my interview however after accepting the job offer I found out I was actually a part time employee. The manager told me that he would fix it and the following week would have full time hours so I brushed it off. My first week of working I was called in three times for two or three hour shifts or woke up to voicemails saying I needed to be there in 15 minutes because another employee called out. When I would call and tell them that I had just woken up and lived 30 minutes away, they would tell me my job was on the line. It was my day off so why was I being punished for someone else's choices. The second week I not only had part time hours but I was also working less hours than the week before. To say I was mad was an understatement, I immediately located my manager and questioned my new schedule. He told me that because I had just started it wasn't fair to offer me full time hours when they couldn't offer those hours to veteran employees. At this very moment is when I decided I was done and lucky for me I received a phone call the next morning asking if I was still interested in a Dispatcher position at a local casino. The following week I gave my week notice and never worked another shift, their choice not mine.

It was one of the best decisions I had made in my work history, I worked for that local casino for almost three years when we made the decision to move back to Arizona. In June we packed up our house and said our see you laters to our friends and family. For three weeks I waited to start my new position with a tech support company and I was so excited. I was offered a great tech support position with great pay and benefits. A week into the training which was six weeks long, I learned that I had been mislead. The company I thought I would be with for at least twelve months became my worst nightmare. The training was very chaotic and had a lot of pressure attached to it. We were tested on a weekly bases and each week our jobs were on the line. Before starting each weekly test we were warned that if we made lower than a 80% twice our termination paperwork would be printed out. It was the most stressed out I have ever been in my life and that includes when I planned a wedding for 150 guests. After two weeks of making it through four weekly exams, we were told that our list of available schedules would be given to us and our test scores and attendance determined our ranking in the shift bid. Luckily I hadn't missed a single day and my test scores weren't too bad. At the end of our third week we were given our final exams and list of shift options. I wasn't happy about it at all and did not like what my heart and mind was telling me. Before signing my offer letter, I was told that inconsecutive days off were not an option for the company but the available shift schedule I was given showed other wise. Week four my schedule was selected and I was on the phones helping customers with their technology. I had my doubts about the company because I had already been mislead and stressed out but my hopes were high for the weeks to come. My first week on the floor couldn't have been worse, I had difficult customers and my support system was demanding and unhelpful. I was yelled at for not doing certain things even though I wasn't aware I was supposed to do them. I was still in training yet my training support was unapproachable and rude when asking for help. One of my calls made me burst out in tears because the customer was using profound language to describe me and when I reached out for help I was brushed off and later told that I was the one who made a mistake. When I explained that I was following company policy by reaching out to a lead to take a hostile customer who was threating to seek legal action, I was later targeted in a team meeting in front of everyone. I felt uncomfortable, stressed out, targeted, and unwanted. Something I have never felt before in my work life and I wasn't about to live my life for a company who didn't appreciate me enough to stop the actions being made by my upper leadership.

I eventually was offered another position with a growing company that I have grown to love over the last few weeks. It is one of the best companies I have worked for so far, they value their employees opinions and do not allow the bad employees to determine the success of the good employees. I have not been mislead or lied to once, and the level of support is unreal. I can literally shake hands with the owner of the company or express concerns with some of our biggest managers. Over the last 10 business days I have been asked twice how the company can make improvements and how I am feeling with the training environment I have been given. Now a new week is about to begin and I couldn't be happier to start each work day with a smile on my face. So why am I pretty much writing my entire work experience down in this post that is supposed to tell you why you may be wanting to quit your job? I am trying to make a point.

Employees stay with companies for longer periods of time when the management is understanding, passionate, reliable, and concerned for their employees mental and physical well being. When an employee feels alone and stressed out, they are more likely to throw in the towel. If you have someone calling you out and making you feel uncomfortable, say something. If nothing is done, move forward with life and don't let others determine where your happiness is with your employment. If your heart is telling you that you need to move on, go find yourself a better opportunity. Every bad company has its lessons to be learned and every good company will make an impression you will never forget.

Stung by Arizona Living

Hello Lovelies.

I can't believe I haven't had a chance to actually sit down in front of my computer and type up a half way decent update post. Some of that being because I haven't had very much spare time and second being that our new internet company is a piece of dog poo. I can't even back up my IPhone on our personal home internet so here I am sitting in McDonald using their free Wi-Fi. A sweet old man is sitting in front of me randomly glancing in my direction in hopes that I will start up another conversation but respectful enough to understand that I am typing away. He reminds me of home, which brings tears to my eyes. A lot has happened since the end of May and I have so much to share. Let's start from the beginning of our oh so crazy summer.

In June we loaded up our pups, all of our belonging, at least what is left,  and headed back to the melting state of Arizona. The drive was horrible and scary at times, we decided to tow a trailer instead of renting a U-Haul truck and our check engine light came on as we entered New Mexico. Travis was freaking out and honestly inside I was too but I kept reminding him that if we break down at least we were close to his family and our friends. We made it safely to my father in laws house around 1 am and immediately unpacked the trailer. I never remember that it is so much easier to unload something compared to packing it up. Staring at all of our belongs sitting in a 6x12 area in my father in laws garage was a little bitter sweet, we left almost everything behind. You would think that after three times of leaving almost all of your belongs behind and starting over, a girl would be use to this feeling but I wasn't.

After a month of catching up with family and friends, visiting some of our favorite Arizona restaurants, and applying for a handful of jobs, I was offered a position with two different companies. I waited in line for a pre screening drug test and a few days later was provided a start date for a Tech Support Company. A few days later Travis was also offered a position with a different Tech Support Company and the madness began. Originally our schedules were supposed to be very similar but in the end we dealt with a month of opposite shifts and opposite days off. We barely saw each other and the company I signed on to was slowly showing its true colors. I couldn't take it. After three weeks of working I decided that I made a bad employment decision and I needed a change. Lucky for me, the applications I previously put out into the world had been picked up and I was called in for an interview. I was hired on the spot and couldn't be happier with my decision to take the position. Last night I gave my resignation and handed over my badge, it was a lesson well learned.

I begin my new position Tuesday and the schedule is guaranteed to be very similar to Travis's, the only thing we may have to fight for is the same days off. In the long run though, I would take being able to see him every evening than being on opposite schedules with no sight of each other. At this very point is when the older gentleman in front of me decided to strike up a conversation again. Today though is a new day and I plan on doing a lot of Pokémon Go Hunting. Oh did I not mention that we are addicted to the popular game, it is more a competitive addiction. If you haven't choose to go to a park and Pokémon Hunt with your spouse instead of going to a movie, you haven't lived yet. We seriously can not get enough of it, we are also looking forward to being able to go to city Pokémon events. It sounds cheesy but don't knock it until you try it.

Now that we are settled into our little condo on the side of an Arizona mountain preserve, we are happy to be back in the beautiful state of Arizona. I miss my family and Oklahoma friends like crazy but I know that moving to Arizona was the best decision for us. Except for the time that I was stung by a scorpion 6 times while trying to lay down for bed this past week. Travis almost had a mini heart attack when we couldn't locate the little devil after calling poison control. When we finally did locate it, we did as poison control advised and haven't ran into another one since. You best believe that we black light our bed before climbing in every single night now and our bed set is washed frequently.

Internet Out? No Problem Do These Things Instead

Hello Lovelies,

At the beginning of month Travis and I spent an entire 84 hours without internet, which in our case means no cable, no computers, and no gaming.  Our wonderful horrible internet service decided that a few houses in our neighborhood weren't worth working the weekend to fix an internet leak. Small town internet companies tend to suck BIG time. Since we work nights and sleep during the day. I was actually at home using the computer when the internet went out at 2 am so I called the cable company and was greeted by a recording ( don't you love that? ) that stated they were doing maintenance in my air from 1am to 6am. After hearing that Travis and I decided to hit the sheets and when I woke up at 10:30 am the internet was still down. Once again I called customer service and actually spoke with someone however was told that the internet was down due to weather. I was shocked well because the entire week had been bright, sunny, and beautiful, so to say he was full of shit was an understatement. When I questioned his statement and made it pretty clear that I knew he was talking out his butt, he hung up on me. Say What?!? Travis wasn't having it, so he called back and demanded to speak with a supervisor. He spoke with this sweet girl and all was going well until she decided to tell us that because there was only so many houses that were out of internet it wasn't considered an outage and wasn't a top priority.  Those were her exact words, I promise. When Travis started questioning where the company's priorities were and the fact that the other representative lied about weather issues, she disconnected. Anger levels were hitting the rough but during each call we kept it cool and professional so we didn't deserve to be hung up on. 

After an afternoon of running errands and our tempers cooling down we contacted the customer service again. This time we were told that an official outage was declared at 2:30pm that afternoon, we asked how long it would take for them to make repairs. We were advised that there was not an estimated time frame and that they are working on it. For once the phone was disconnected peacefully on both side of the phone. Travis and I called around 10pm that night to see where the repairs were and again they did not know but they wanted to schedule a in house repair. Confused as all heck I said okay but was told the earliest someone could come to repair our internet would be on Wednesday, it was Thursday. I wasn't happy to hear that news but there wasn't anything else that could be done. Our internet was finally repaired Sunday afternoon and I made sure to cancel my "in house repair". This girl doesn't need any surprise charges because I didn't cancel it. 

At the end of all this madness, I realized that Travis and I both rely on internet so much. I am sure it isn't the healthiest thing we do but that doesn't mean I am going to stop blogging, streaming Game of Thrones, or playing Black Ops 2. One of the things we did agree on after this experience was that we needed to cut the internet cord ( not literally ) one day a week so we can enjoy other things in life. So far we have had very productive moments and packing has went a little quicker. I guess that first 84 hours of no internet, no option allowed us to open the door to a few interesting things to do when you're wanting an internet cleanse or your internet company decides you're not a priority. 

1. Break out the old school board games and start playing. Travis and I love playing candy land but get us in a game of monopoly and our competitive sides come out. 

2. Try a new look and make it fierce. All of my ladies who love to use makeup well now would be the time to break out that new palette and try something new. I practiced my wing skills quite a bit over these 84 hours but let's just say it still needs some work. 

3. Channel your inner clean freak. Put on your rubber gloves, grab some paper towels or simply do the dishes. Just clean something that you haven't had time to clean or needs cleaning after a long winter. Beauty girls, clean that makeup stash! 

4. Sit back on the couch and pop in a classic. Travis and I love to do this every so often but when the internet is down it is perfect. Recently we watched Mama Mia, Fast and Furious 6, Dark Shadows, and 127 Hours. 

5. Catch up on some reading. This would be the perfect opportunity to start or finish that book you haven't had a chance to read. Not into reading books? Grab a magazine at your local store and see what's hot and happening in the world. 

6. Visit a family member or friend you haven't seen in a long time. I promise they will love seeing your lovely face. 

7. Start a project. I suck at DIY but give me a few hours without internet and this girl can make some magic with a crochet needle and yarn. Travis loves to paint so his inner Picasso comes out when the internet isn't working. 

  

Two Comedy Movies You Need to Watch

Hello Strangers!
It has been a good minute or days since I last typed out a few paragraphs on this blog and I am not going to apologize because shit happens. The last month has been one of the most life changing 30 days I have experienced in a long time. This time last month Travis and I got a phone call while we were at work that no fur parent wants to receive. Our little ball of terror was taken from us way to soon by a coyote who thought she would be interesting to eat. Luckily my mother was able to stop the coyote from actually doing more than just a fatal bite. It was quick and honestly we don't think Pudge even saw it coming. Travis and I rushed home from work to say goodbye to one of our best friends. It has been super hard and even right now I am fighting back the tears. Pudge wasn't perfect and sometimes I wondered why we tolerated her over aggressive attitude but I loved her. A little piece of our hearts is missing and Sedona hasn't been doing too well without her best friend.

On top of that last month Travis and I decided that May was the month we would take our next steps to a bigger and better future. We are moving back to Arizona in less than two weeks! I am not looking forward to moving states, AGAIN! However I am super excited to be around some amazing people that I have missed over the last three years. For anyone who is wondering, all of my family will be staying in the beautiful state of Oklahoma so I am going to miss them to pieces. Mini vacations back home will be a must and even though my family may think it will be a year before they see me again, I have different plans. Half of the house is already packed and notices have been given to the needed parties. After everything's said and done I would love to share our experience with a post or maybe even a vlog / video. If you are moving states right now or have done in the past, props to you cause this shit is hard.


When Travis and I do have some down time we have focused on spending time with family and friends or relaxing on the couch to watch a movie. Even when we are feeling lazy but need to stay productive we will move boxes and items into the living room and multi task. It takes a talented person to watch a hilarious movie and pack for a long distance move. Am I right? Our movie choices have been focused around the funnier side of life and can I just say I am okay with that especially after the few weeks we have had. Since all the movies are currently in theaters or in Redbox, I thought I would share the laughter and show you what movies you do not want to miss out on.

Let me start with any movie that stars this beautiful lady ( Melissa McCarthy ) is a hit in my book. I seriously love pretty much everything about this lady! If you haven't seen the commercials for "The Boss" well then I am going to assume you don't watch cable or Hulu. The storyline behind this movie is simple and probably close to a true story to many current and previous high profile entrepreneurs. Michelle Darnell is a high profile business woman who is on top the world with every person she steps on but when she gets arrested for insider trading, her world comes crashing down. She quickly finds out that not everyone is willing to lend a helping hand after being treated as a stepping stone. After a few rough sleeping positions and a lot of begging, Michelle lands a place to sleep and decides that she has to change the game when it comes to getting back on top. That includes being seen as an America's Sweetheart and playing nice with everyone. Rebranding doesn't come easily but Michelle is determined and won't stop til every cookie sells. Michelle Darnell is sassy, funny, and you can't help but to laugh at her wardrobe choices and her attitude.

For weeks Travis and I heard so many positive comments about Deadpool and how amazing Ryan Reynolds played the character exactly like the comic. Our friends went and saw the movie numerous times in theaters while looking at us like we were crazy for not seeing it yet. A few weekends ago Travis and I finally had the chance to sit back and see what all the chatter was about. We did not regret a single moment of that decision. We laughed our bottoms off pretty much the entire movie and even though we had very high expectation because of all the hype, they were met. The storyline for this movie is pretty serious but it's nothing short of a comedy. Wade is your typical bachelor with a dark side for getting things done with a slice of humor. After falling in love and getting the worse news any person can receive. Wade becomes desperate to redirect his life and decides to volunteer for an underground experiment that promises to fix all of his problems. When he wakes, he quickly learns that he is not only cured but can heal quicker than humanly possible. Adapting to his alter ego, "Deadpool" not only brings joy to his life but now allows him to go after the only man who can fix what the experiments created.

10 Things I Never Want To Do Again

Over the last 24 years I have learned my lesson more than 10 times and I am sure I will continue to learn. There are things I have done that I am not proud of but I am not ashamed of them. Most of them I do not wish to repeat as they will only end the same way while others may end in a better light. You can't change the past though and I don't wish to. Some of my lessons are humors while others are quite serious either way, let me share with you a few things I would rather not repeat in my life time.



1. Get Married : Every since I was a little girl I dreamed of finding my "True Love" at a young age and growing old together. Never separating, divorcing, or even taking a break, that love that works out anything. At the age of 15, I found the man I now call my husband and so far my dream has came true. We have worked hard for what we have and even though we may not agree on everything we also compromise to work past it. Our wedding was a big event and one day I hope to renew our vows but as for the whole marrying another man, I don't wish to repeat that.

2. Roommate with a Stranger : Travis and I have had a handful of roommates since starting our "adulting" life. First it started out with long time friends than one thing lead to another and we opened our home to three strangers over the last 6 years. One of them were out of our hands but later became unmanageable and the other two were strangers we thought we knew but we were wrong. We wasted thousands of dollars trying to help others but only getting disrespected in the end. I am sure I should turn our room-mating experiences into a full post because there is so much to share. Both good and bad but the bad ones impacted us so much that we have made an agreement to never open our doors to someone we didn't have a history with, unless it is an emergency circumstance. If we can help it, living in a house with no roommates is our dream that we plan to make a reality. I mean heck we have been the only lease holders on everyone of our homes (other than my brother in law when he shared a house with us) and yet we let these people negatively impact our lives numerous times.

3. Ride on Top of a Car : Not much to explain here. In high school I had a good friend who was five months older so he received his Driver license sooner. We would take his car and drive to the closest park to do stupid stuff. Ride on top of the hood or roof was a reoccurring event. It was fun but completely stupid. We were lucky we never fell off and cracked our heads open or got ran over. I never want to test that luck again and I only get more fragile with age. 

4. Get a Tattoo from a House Artist : I go into detail a lot more about about my experience with getting a tattoo from a house artist in this post. After that experience I swore to always do my research and never go to an artist that didn't have years of experience that I could see on paper and skin. Shops also provide a sense of safety and tend to be more health aware.

5. Self Harm or Self Hatred : I have always been a larger pant size than the "average" girl my age. Even in middle school and high school when I was extremely active in Basketball and Softball, I could never seem to be "skinny". I hated the way my body looked even my breasts which I constantly got approached about. They were too big, and so were my thighs, hips, and stomach. I had my moments when I was proud of my body because rarely any girls my age had been developed like I was. That would quickly change because the more confident I became about my womanhood the more I was hit on and treated rudely by both boys and girls. I would go home and cut my inner thighs because the pain I felt from the cut helped me not to focus on the pain I felt about my own self. Once I got older and especially when I meet Travis, I learned to love certain things about my body. I learned to not focus so hard on what other people liked about my body. It is my body and I am the only person that should truly love my body. So in 2008 I vowed to never harm myself especially over something so silly like what other people think of my body. 

6. Own a Large Snake : For my sixteenth birthday I gathered up all of my birthday money and decided to buy a snake. My step father at the time owned a large constrictor and I fell in love with having one. My mom agreed to the purchase probably had no idea I would come home with a 12 foot albino python. After a year of growth, she reached up to 16 feet and my step fathers snake reached over 20 feet long. They both became so big and at times dangerous that we had to donate them to a local zoo. I understand the dangers of having a snake that large and don't wish to experience the uneasiness again.

7. Wear Braces : After having braces for 6 1/2 years I never want to have them again. This one is pretty plain and simple so no long description or reason why is needed in my opinion. They hurt like a B***h and were constantly cutting up the inside of my mouth. I was teased for having them but I always tried to remember that the pain would be worth it in the end. It was but I don't wish to repeat it.  

8. Stay at a Job I can't Stand : In 2006 I began my first "real" job at an lighting office where my mom was the office manager. I worked the entire summer coping and organizing paperwork, it wasn't the best job I have had but I loved it. When the summer ended I picked up some seasonal work at a Halloween and event store. I got to help people pick out what the wanted to be for Halloween or what gross stuff to decorate their house with. It was awesome, but the position was only available for three months. That following summer I started working at a grooming and daycare shop for pets. It wasn't easy work and it got a little messy but I loved every moment of it. Who wouldn't want to spend their day playing with dogs and get paid for it? When the company began to have financial problems I started looking for a new job. Luckily it didn't take long and I was offered a position working in a sandwich shop. I stayed for two years and enjoyed it before I choosing to leave for a better paying job. At first the job was interesting and at times fun but slowly it became something that I hated. If it wasn't for the people I worked with I would have went crazy. I was treated horribly buy potential clients and the companies leadership only cared about themselves. Big changes happened and I was eventually able to quit due to uncontrollable circumstances. Now I work for a company that at times drives me crazy but I love what I do and the people I work with.

9. Try Hardcore Drugs : For a short year or so in high school I experimented with one or two things and I made a big mistake that cost me my senior year experience. I don't regret what I did because I wouldn't be where I am today but I will never repeat it. This is another story I will have to save for another day.

10. To Sign an Agreement Before Sleeping On It : Over the last six years I have signed a few agreements, most of them being rental agreements. There were times were I took the agreement home and went over it a few times with Travis while others we signed on the spot. There were times where it worked out and others that we wished we would have paid more attention. As I get older more and more agreements seem to be coming up and reading them can be boring but it is worth knowing. Being burned is never fun and I don't wish to experience that again so reading every agreement that comes my way is a must.

There are probably more than ten things that I never want to do again but these are the appropriate ones that come to mind. Is there anything you have done that you never want to do again? 

7 Things You Should Ask Yourself Before Getting A New Tattoo?

Since I was a teenager getting a tattoo was a priority in addition to moving out of my parents and marrying my now husband. I loved everything about tattoos, the stories they tell and the beautiful art work artist create. The fact that they are permanent didn't scare me because I knew I would plan every one of them out perfectly. Once I turned eighteen, and I literally mean the moment I turned eighteen I got a tattoo. At 11:59 pm I was sitting in my tattoo artists house preparing to be tattooed at 12:01. My tattoo artist pierced my nose and had shown me a little book of all the tattoos she had done while living in New York. I was so excited that she was available to do my tattoo "under the table" because she was charging me a quarter of what I was quoted from "in shop" artists. Tattoos are expensive and I found that out really quick. I was working a minimum wage job, living with Travis in our own apartment, and barely getting by. I didn't have an extra $200+ laying around to waste on a tattoo so hearing that she would do it for only $60 was music to my ears. Looking back I wish I would have saved up the money and went the more expensive and professional route but I don't regret it. It taught me a lesson because after 3 hours of tattooing I had a crooked lined tri-cycle on my shoulder and it wasn't even finished. It wasn't what I dreamed of and now years later I am looking into getting it covered up. No artist will touch it unless I allow them to cover it up, because they can't promise good quality work if they work with what is already there.


When Travis and I decided to get a new tattoo, I really sat down and did my research. After a year I made the final commitment and contacted one of the best shops in Oklahoma City. We visited the shop before making appointments, meet the artists and looked at previous work on paper and on skin. Later that night we talked and agreed it was the right fit for us so we made an appointment. It wasn't cheap but it was good clean, quality work and I love it. I will have to do a touch up on it in a few years to make sure that it continues to stay bright and beautiful even for just words and I am okay with that. During the entire year of planning and preparing, I asked myself a handful of questions. I thought it would make for a good post and hopefully help out anyone who is considering getting a tattoo now or in the future.

Can you cover it up if you need to?

Even before I was old enough to get a tattoo this question was constantly in my head. I had and still have goals in life that requires a certain amount of professional appearance. Let's be honest, tattoos are still very "new" to the professional world even if they don't have any provocative or disrespectful meanings. When I first started working as a dispatcher and later a security officer tattoos were opened to be displayed as long as they weren't considered offensive to guests. Beautiful art work was displayed openly and guests commented on them daily, it was nothing short of wonderful. Recently though a new policy has been implemented that any employee who is visible to guests has to cover all piercings and tattoos. It sucks and even though I only have two tattoos, one of them visible it still had an impact. I had to wear a long sleeve shirt on every single day even when it was hot as an oven in the building. Even though I don't regret the placement of my tattoo, it is something I would recommend thinking about to anyone considering a first tattoo or a new one.


Will it delay or destroy any future career or personal goals you may have?
Let's continue with the question above because they kind of go hand in hand. Everyone in the world has career goals and always wants to excel. Professional bloggers want to have consistent traffic flow and growth, while creating a business and doing what they love. Athletic players, Movie Stars, and Singers want to have a large fan base, celebrity endorsements, and personal product lines. You and Me well we probably want promotions, better paying jobs, and career changers. Will your tattoos effect these from happening? It is kind of silly when you think about a piece of art work dictating if you advance or remain in place, but it's reality. Before getting your tattoo ask yourself if it will hold you back now or in the future.

When you get older will you dislike how it will look?

The internet is filled with badass 50+ men and women who are rocking amazing art work and some pretty sexy beards. (more men than women on that point) At the age of 24 how I look at the age of 50 shouldn't be on my mind but it is. Will my tattoos hold up to the way my body will change? Will the color be as appealing as they were when I first got them? The answer to that second question is probably not but I can keep it on point by getting touch ups and pre planning. Proper spacing, good quality work, and after care is the key to having tattoos that last.

Will your children, significant other, or family members be embarrassed or feel offended when they see your tattoo?

When you ask yourself this question also think about the reason why you are getting the tattoo. If you family is against equality and you want to get an equality symbol, do it! Don't allow someone's opinion on certain things dictate how you live your life and what you put on your body. I am not talking about those kind of things, more like words that the world see possibly offensive. Some of my friends during their younger years tattooed words like Slut, B**ch, F**k, and C**t. These words should bring a question mark to your brain. Now if you already have something like that on your body, no judgement coming from this corner of the world. People make mistakes and even if it wasn't a mistake, it tells a story.

Can you tell someone what your tattoo means, if they ask?

Both the tattoos on my body have a meaning behind them and I am not ashamed to tell each of their stories. The internet is filled with "cool" tattoos and their meaning to the person sporting them are most likely have a strong meaning for getting each and everyone of them. Heck I have even seen a tattoo and thought to myself, that would be a BA tattoo to get. After thinking for hours and hours I would slowly talk myself out of it especially when it comes to tattoos in other languages. Other languages or symbols are hard for me to wrap my head around for one simple reason. Is what I am getting tattooed on my body actually what I think it means? I have heard of the horror stories of friends who thought they were getting "love" tattoos and they mean dog, or nothing at all. True story right there. Always remember to do your research and I am not talking about asking the artist that is tattooing it. They probably don't care or don't even know.

How long will it take you artist to complete your tattoo? Can you stand the pain?

Tattoos hurt even if they provide pleasure at some point. In case that made no sense to you, when you get a tattoo your adrenalin pumps through your body rapidly and can provide a pleasure or numb feeling. Which is why some people say that they can be addicting. An average size tattoo with little detail can take about an hour to two. Large tattoos with more details have taken four times longer and numerous sessions. Beware though, sometimes spending to long on a tattoo can be dangerous and cause long term scaring and infection if not cared properly. What I have found helpful is going to a handful of tattoo shops and asking how long your tattoo should take. If one of them says an hour but three of them says three hours, I would choose one of the three hour shops. It sucks but its the truth.

Do you understand that it is permanent? 

Once you get a tattoo there is no going back well unless you have an extra $500 laying around and would like to sport a scar for a little while. The wrong tattoo or the wrong artist can cost you a life time of explaining and personal hatred. I have made this mistake and soon will be paying another artist $300 plus to have it fixed. When I was eighteen I was so excited to get a tattoo I took the word of a friend and went to someone who did tattoo out of their home. She had years of experience (so she said) and so looked professional as possible but after sitting in a chair for three hours and feeling like she was tattooing the same spot for twenty minutes straight. I ended up with an uneven shoulder tattoo that doesn't have a single straight line and is unfinished. The worst part is it has an incredible story behind it and it means the world to me but its not what I expected or wanted. Now I have to have it covered up because no artist will touch it in fear of making it worse. So before you make any final decisions, ask yourself if your willing to risk quality for a price discount.


If you are planning on getting a tattoo and have already asked yourself all of these questions then go for it. Get that tattoo appointment scheduled and share your finished work. Travis and I love seeing new art work especially when its something we have never seen before. If you read this and are confused or struggling to answer the questions above then simple sit back and think about. Even if it takes years, take as long as you need before putting something permanent on your body. You won't regret waiting and your older self with thank you. 

Story Time : I Was Fat Shamed By Another Department

Being called fat is something no human takes lightly, even if you have confidence radiating out your bum. Personally when someone calls me fat, I laugh it off because they aren't telling my size 22 butt anything I don't already know. I mean I am the one who is picking out my clothes and squeezing into shape wear to look on point most days. Travis picks out my clothes sometimes, lucky wife right here. In my line of work wearing a uniform is just as important as a blogger needing WiFi. How would someone know that I am in security if I wasn't wearing a shirt that says so? I guess this is where my story begins....

When I first became a Security Officer the company I worked for required us to wear these big blue fancy suits. As my transfer day came closer, I became more and more excited to try on my new uniform. If I only knew the exhausting feeling and hurtfulness I was going to endure during the experience then. My first trip to our uniform department went quickly as the uniforms they gave me did not fit and the boxes that contained larger sizes were in another area. I was asked to return the following day to try on other options, so that is exactly what I did. When I returned the next day the uniform employee had two sizes laid out for me to try on. After trying to squeeze myself into the larger size, I returned with no luck. I was becoming a little discouraged but the employee continued to tell me that she would fine something. After a few more trips to the dressing room I finally found an outfit that worked and was semi comfortable. I don't care what anyone says wearing a suit is never comfortable. The employee wrote down all the sizes and told me that my new uniforms would be ready by Friday, which was good news since I started my new position on Sunday. I finished my shift with my head held high and excitement running through my veins but that all came to a halt the next day.

The next day I was advised by my managers that I was being requested to return to wardrobe for a uniform fitting. Confused I explained that I had already been fitted and that they said it would be finished on Friday. My manager was just as confused as I was but advised me to go see what was going on. I was even more confused when I got there and saw that the same employee who had fit me the night before was the one asking me for another fitting. When I asked why she advised me that her manager requested another fitting as she did not believe I could fit into the sizes that were written down. Lets just say I went from confused to absolutely pissed. Who was she to tell me I couldn't fit in a certain size? Being the employee that I am I kept my mouth shut and contacted my manager to supervise my fitting. I tried on the uniform again and had pictures taken so we could "prove" that the uniform fit and was to company policy. Still fuming I thought that was the end of the battle, but I was wrong. 

A few days went by and it was time to pick up my uniform. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect before starting my shift so I went early in the morning. I work the night shift so it was a miracle to be awake and up there in the morning. When I got to the office I noticed that the employee that had been assisting me was not there and an older lady was in her place. After telling her my name, department, and clothing number, she went back to grab my uniforms. As she was entering in my uniform numbers into the computer and adding bar codes to each article of clothing, she looks up and says.... Don't you think your breast are to big for this shirt?.... EXCUSE ME, I was livid. I calmly told her that the shirts did fit my large breasts or I wouldn't have chosen them as a uniform. She laughed and said that she couldn't believe it but if I thought they were okay then she would give them to me. I am pretty sure smoke started coming out of my ears at this point. I grabbed my clothes and walked as fast as my short legs could move. 

I am sure you are wondering what happened next? Well to answer that question, nothing. I went home vented to Travis and later said something to my manager but nothing past that point. The employee was never advised that saying something like that to a co-worker was rude and hurtful. I later found out that I wasn't the only one who had experienced fat shaming from this specific person and department manager. I was shocked and so upset by the fact that nothing had been done about it. Looking back I wish I would have pushed the subject more, made a proper complaint, and hopefully educated the rude individuals who thought it was okay to say those things. I hope that by me not speaking up more, I didn't leave an opportunity open for someone else to be treated that way.  Using this as a lesson has helped me stand up to body shaming in other ways, in and out of my work place. It is never okay for someone to tell you what size you should be wearing or how you should look. Unless it is outside your clothing policy, please don't go to work in a crop top when you are supposed to wear a suit. That may get you fired and I won't take responsibility for that. If you are being fat shamed or treated badly about your appearance at work, SPEAK UP. Don't allow someone to speak to you like that because I can almost guarantee they are doing it to someone else as well. What would you do if this situation happened to you?