My Latest Tattoo

My latest tattoo is very special to me. It's for my stepfather who had just passed away very recently, July 22, 2013. When he passed he was only sixty two year old. He had lung cancer and it had spread to his bones. Although it's beyond sad at least now he's no longer in any pain.

On the day of the funeral I was devastated. I wasn't ready for the casket to be closed. So when I said my final goodbye to him all I could do was hug him (sort of) and tell him repeatedly that I was sorry. More like begging for forgiveness.

(For the past two years our relationship had changed. One night he had a huge argument with my mother and I never really forgave him for it. To make matters worst for the first six months to a year after that I acted as if he didn't exist. A complete b*tch and now I have to live with my actions. I guess you can say I made up for it because once I knew how sick he was my feelings/actions reverted back to how it use to be, but I never really forgave myself for acting the way I did.)

So when we got to the cemetery I was holding a white rose and I had seen a butterfly flying around. The butterfly was orange and black. Then out of no where the butterfly landed right on my flower and it stayed there for a good five to ten seconds. I was so nervous when the butterfly landed on my flower that I held my breath. When the butterfly flew away my boyfriend told me it was a good sign and I didn't think anything of it.

The next day I told my mom about the butterfly and once I mentioned it she said "that was him" and that my stepfather always believed that butterflies were angels. I was beyond touched when she said that and I was happy that it happened.

Later on that week I had met with a friend and told her my butterfly story. She agreed with my mom and said that she's heard a couple of stories with butterflies at funerals or when a person who is close to you passes.

Later on that night I decided to Google it. What I found was amazing. One story was of a mother who's daughter passed away because she got hit by a drunk driver. At her daughter's funeral there was a white butterfly on her casket during the whole ceremony. The mother didn't realize it till a nun had pointed it out and said she was with us all along. That's when I figured out why the butterfly landed on my flower. I had begged for forgiveness and even though he couldn't tell me he showed me that things were okay between us through the butterfly.

That's the big story behind the tattoo. Now for the design my stepfather had a dagger/sword (depending how you look at it) on his right arm. I took that and added a white rose wrapped around it with the butterfly on top. I wanted my tattoo to be something special and something that shows that I do love him and I wish I had been a better person.

I got my tattoo done at B52 Tattoo (located at 248 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211, Williamsburg). Snake Eyes took my vision and made it a million times more amazing than I thought it'd be. The tattoo alone took about two to two and a half hours and honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been. I even watched YouTube videos to see how other people reacted to getting a tattoo on their shin. Some people couldn't take the pain and some were fine with it. The only part that hurt was the shading and anyone who has gotten a tattoo knows that shading is the worst part. When people ask how it feels I tell them it's like having a cut on your skin then putting a lighter over it. It stings and it burns, but if you want something that bad you'll suck up the pain.

Below are pictures of the original tattoo versus my tattoo and a video of how shading works.

Also if you're in need of a dope tattoo check out Snake Eyes at B 52 Tattoo. He's been in the industry forever and he's a great artist. I've seen his work on my boyfriend and some of his other friends. You know a person is good when he gets booked up really quick. When getting a tattoo do your research and get recommendations. Your tattoo is for life, you need to have someone that you can trust to ink you up. 

San Gennaro- Little Italy, New York

When you're a New Yorker you know fall has arrive because the fest of San Gennaro is going on in Little Italy. The feast normally begins by the second the weekend of September. To find out the history and activities of the feast you can go to SanGennaro.org. At the feast you can get your favorite Italian American sandwiches, pizza, pasta and many desserts.

During the feast the street of Little Italy becomes a lot smaller. All of the restaurants set up tables on the sidewalk of their restaurants. Then you have your food carts or shops set up on both sides of the streets. It gets jammed pack when you go at night. Although I know it might be hard to go out the house without a stroller when you have a young child, but it's best to leave them at home. It takes up a lot of space and you don't want people to bump into the stroller and especially your child. That's just my opinion because you should be more practical in these types of situations.

So usually when I go to the feast (or any feast) I usually get a sausage sandwich with peppers and onions. This time I wanted to try something different so I got the pork barasoiel with onions and peppers. It was one of the best things I ever ate. With each bite I kept on saying how amazing and good my sandwich was. Also if you like the fat on your meat I definitely recommend getting the park barasoiel. There wasn't a lot of fat, but here and there you would bite into it.

After the sandwiched we walked it off for a while and started to scope out the other things to eat. I'm big on sweets so I passed by Ferrara's and saw they had gelato, but we stilled wanted to walk around. Plus I wanted to get calamari from Umberto's Clam House. At least my boyfriend and I figured out where we were getting our desserts from, so time was not wasted walking around. Then off we went walking and hit Umberto's Clam House. They had two stands, this year and I can only imagine the kind of profit they'll be making from it. Every time I go it's always been packed with people around. I love seafood so I appreciate good friend calamari. It was golden and crispy on the outside. Not too chewy either which was just perfect. We got the sweet marinara sauce on top of the calamari and everything was delicious.

Once we were done with that it was time to take a picture in the big chair. Usually my boyfriend and I take the big chair pictures at the feast in Brooklyn for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It we don't get it at that feast then we'll take the pictures at San Gennaro and it's the same lady

Friday The 13th: Are You Superstitious??

Many believe that Friday the 13th brings bad luck while others celebrate it and look forward to it.

I've always been a scaredy cat so I didn't like Friday the 13th at all. When I was a kid I associated Friday the 13th with Halloween except people don't get dressed up in costumes that day. I use to believe this because of all the horror movies they would play on TV especially Friday the 13th with Jason. Then my mom is a big fan of horror movies too so she would watch all the scary movies on Friday the 13th. That left me watching those movies too as a kid and that's how I turned into a big scaredy cat.

As I got older I wasn't as scared of Friday the 13th. I learned that it was some people's superstitions about it. As an adult I've learn to deal with it as if it was a normal day. I do see that most people have been superstitious about it since the beginning of time. Even in some of the buildings I've worked in Manhattan I noticed that they don't have the 13th floor. It doesn't help either that there has been scary movies/TV shows about the 13th floor. I find it interesting that people can be like that.

I too am superstitious, but not about Friday the 13th. Being Indonesian people believe in black magic and that anyone can get hexed at any moment. Do I believe in that stuff? I'd say it's 50/50. I know such things exist, but I want no part of it or any kind of knowledge of it whatsoever. In this particular area I think the less a person knows the better it might be for them. Just like the saying curiosity killed the cat; well I don't want to be the cat.

On the lighter side of things some people celebrate Friday the 13th. Last Friday I saw many sales stating to add an additional 13% off of the order. The store that comes to mind is Payless, they advertised this with their bogo sale. I also saw tweets about tattoo shops offering to tattoo the number 13 for $13. How funny is that, some people think Friday the 13th is bad luck and others are making money off of it.

So at the end of the day it's what you make of it that matters.

Walking Over The Williamsburg Bridge

The Williamsburg Bridge connects South Williamsburg to the Lower East Side. Both areas have changed in so many ways and have become very trendy. The Williamsburg Bridge is not the nicest looking bridge in New York, but the views from the bridge are still great and it's not a bad walk at all.

One thing I love to do whether it's fall, spring or summer (when it's not humid and hot) is to walk over the Williamburg Bridge. I use to walk over the bridge at least once or twice a year, but I wasn't able to the last two years. My boyfriend and I have been so busy we didn't have time to enjoy the more simple activities the city has to offer.

So finally last month we were able to walk over the bridge. We've walked over the bridge a couple of times before and finally this time the weather was on our side. I never feel scared when walking the bridge and there are plenty of people walking or riding their bikes. Some people go for a run on the bridge too, which I think is a great idea. I think running over the Williamsburg Bridge is almost liking being on your own of marathon. Plus you'll probably burn a bunch of calories and not even notice it since you're outside and enjoying the view.

The first time my boyfriend and I walked over the bridge was in the summer of 2008. I remember it because we had just started dating and I told him I never walked over it before. The only bad thing was we picked a really hot and humid day, which was a big fail on our part. Then another time we had walked over the bridge it was in the spring time and it had just gotten dark. There were still people around, but to be on the bridge at night was a little creepy. Then the J train was passing and I was a little jumpy at the times. Although it was dark there were still people walking and people riding their bikes. It just seems like people are always there.

So finally this time around we walked the bridge a little past six so the sun was almost about to go down and it wasn't as humid or hot as the first time around. The first few times we walked the bridge we never took any pictures, so I made sure we took pictures this time around. Although my boyfriend makes fun of me we still took the pictures anyways and it came out real cute. Who doesn't love a selfie here and there.

Walking the Williamsburg Bridge doesn't take long at all. I think it took us about forty five minutes to an hour and this was because we were taking our time. Once over the bridge we did go to the bar and got ourselves a beer. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

Another bridge I'll have to walk over is the Brooklyn Bridge. I think the views from there will be amazing and it's definitely something to do on my bucket list.

Dinner at Nick's Bistro

Nick's Bistro
104-20 Metropolitan Ave
Forest Hills NY 11375

Greeks diners are the best diners period!! There has never been a Greek diner where I didn't enjoy their food.

So last night my boyfriend and I were in Forest Hills and all I wanted was a burger and buffalo wings. There's not many places to eat on Metropolitan Ave. First we decided to go to Blackwater Inn because that's our go to bar, but when we got there the place was packed. Turns out it was the first night they were open after being closed for renovations. I was so sad that we couldn't eat there because you could see from outside how packed it was and there were no seats at the bar either. My boyfriend reassured me that I wouldn't have wanted to eat there since you could still smell the fresh paint and I have a very sensitive nose.

So we decided to walk down the avenue to find something to eat. When we first saw Nick's Bistro we were across the street from it. We were a little skeptical about the place. At first we thought it was going to be an overpriced kind of restaurant. So we both decided we'll just check the menu first and we'll take it from there. I'm sure glad we took a look at the menu because they had your typical diner food. I was just happy I was going to get my burger.

Once inside we were seated right away and the waitstaff was very friendly and polite. After we sat down and ordered we got some pita bread and humus for starters while we waited for our food. The pita bread was nice and toasty and the humus was delicious. To our surprise the buffalo wings were really good. The sauce was good, not like your typical bar buffalo wings, but it was up there. Once our burgers came I was so happy that I got a cheese burger. They put American cheese on both the top and bottom part of the beef patty and the burger was on point. I had my cheese burger with onion rings and I honestly have nothing bad to say about it. My boyfriend had a turkey burger with fries and he didn't have anything bad to say about it either. For once we're able to find a good place to eat that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

So if you're in the Forest Hills area on Metropolitan Ave I would recommend going to Nick's Bistro. The food is good and the place has a nice atmosphere to it. It doesn't look like you're typical diner from the outside and it offers other great entrees as well. Sorry I don't have any pictures for the blog, I was too busy eating and I forgot about taking pictures.

Till next time.

Rent A Dress From RentTheRunway

The first time I rented a dress from RentTheRunway.com was in April. I needed a one of a kind dress for my Big 30th Birthday party. I had signed up for RentTheRunway.com awhile back, but never had the opportunity to use their services.

The dress I got for my birthday was a Mark & James by Badgley Mischka mini silver sequence dress. The first time I saw this dress I knew it was going to be my dress. Since my dress was silver and my favorite color is purple all my accessories were purple as well (shoes, jewelry, my nails and  even my clutch had some purple on it) I ordered it two weeks before my party. I had all my purple accessories except for a pair of earrings. Since I was going all out for my birthday I decided to rent them as well. I rented a pair of Gerard Yosca amethyst color earrings. It was the perfect style to match my outfit and I loved how everything came about.

The site allows you to rent the dress for either four or eight days. If you rent the dress for 8 days the rental fee is a little more expensive. Another good thing about renting a dress from RentTheRunway is you're able to receive two dresses. You'll always need a backup just in case the dress ran too big or too small. This is something that's very useful because you won't know how the dress fits you till you try it on. When my dress arrived it came in a black RentTheRunway dress bag which you keep at the end. Also they give you some free goodies. I got a facial cleaner and some very useful fabric tape with my first rental. Along with the dress comes a UPS pak with a shipping label all ready to go when it's time to return the dress.

Then the second time I rented a dress I was attending a wedding at Fox Hollow Country Club in Long Island, NY. The Venue was was nice and of course I'll have a blog about that place later on as well. This time around I rented a long dress and I ended up picking a BCBGMaxazria floral dress. I'm only 4'11" and at first I was worried about the length of the dress. I got the dress in a regular length and was able to wear it with my three inch heels. The dress wasn't too long and the length was perfect. Although most of the reviews on the page stated the dress ran big, when I wore it the dress was snug on me. The whole night I had people tell me that they loved the dress and that was exactly the kind of response I was looking for.

(Side note, on the second rental my free goodies were a new dove body soap and I got small pack of precision tip q-tips, which is very useful when you apply you're own make up. RentTheRunway is always helping us ladies out some useful goodies.)

So there it is... if you've ever wondered about using their services I hope this blog helps you. I absolutely loved it and I think it's the best thing out there. When you're going to an event you'll want the best dresses out there and that's what RentTheRunway gives you. Also just a side note if your dress is due to be sent back on a Sunday, you can drop it off at a UPS location on Monday instead. I found this out the second time I rented the dress. If I had to drop off the dress on a Sunday to UPS I wouldn't have used their service. Another good thing about the site is their customer service responds to you fairly quickly. Although it usually says up to twenty four hours, in my experience it was within the same day. 

Happy Renting!!!

Daily Blog: Best Pizza Ever!!!

Best Pizza I ever had was in Miami. Although you would think that New York's pizza would be the best, this place in Miami is my favorite. The name of the place is Pizza Bar and it's located at 1627 Collins Ave. The shop also had a website if you want to check it out, PizzaBar.com

Pizza Bar is pretty big, but it's narrow just like a bar. The slices there are huge. If I was to compare it to a regular New York pizza it's about two and a half of a  slices of a slice put together. It's the perfect pizza, not too much dough which I like because I prefer a thin crust. Although that sounds like a lot almost everyone that goes there is able to finish the whole slice.

At night Pizza Bar is always busy with people getting food after going out. Just like any pizza place they have a variety of pizzas to choose from. I've had their plain, pepperoni and mushroom slice. Each one was was good and I'd get them all again.

So if you're over in the South Beach area go to the Pizza Bar after a night out or for lunch one day. I promise you won't regret it.

Daily Blog: Favorite Drink at a Baseball Game

Citifield has my favorite drink at a baseball game. Yup I really did just say that.

Since I'm a big beer drinker my favorite drink at Citifield. Although I am a big Yankees fan (and you can tell from my previous blogs) Citifield has Big Apple Brews located on the field level and the upper deck level. The one on field level is located a not too far from Shake Shack. The one on the upper deck level is located in the picnic area up there. Their Big Apple Brews has a very complete list of beers in my eyes. Whenever I got to a Mets game with my boyfriend I always get the Raspberry Shock Top.

Shock Top has become my new favorite Beligum wheat beer. I've also tried Slyfox Raspberry beer, but I like Shock Top's version of raspberry beer much better. I like wheat beer because it's a lighter beer and it's very smooth. I'm not a fan of dark beers, but I will drink them occasionally or when I am in the mood for one.

I've tried to get Raspberry Shock Top at other places I go to, but I can't find it. Looks like my best bet to get this beer is either at Citifield or at a beer distributor. Also at Big Apple Brews they have almost every kind of beer there.

So if you're a beer drinker like myself I would highly recommend getting your beers here when you go to the game. So if you go and try it please let me know how it goes. Not everyone is going to like it so drink at your own risk.

Happy Drinking!!!

Daily Blog: Fall Nail Polish Colors

Today's Daily Blog is a little short, but that's because I decided to keep it short and sweet when talking about Nail Polish for Fall.

Once September comes around I say goodbye to all the bright and neon colors that I love to wear in the summer sadly. No more bright green, pinks, oranges or white. Summer is always a time to get crazy with your nails, but then when fall comes around you have to tone down the colors.

That's why neutral colors works best. My nails change with the season every year. For fall I like to wear neutral colors and a lot of browns, but it needs to be a light brown. If I wear anything pink it's a deeper pink and looks more rosy.

Deep reds are my favorite as well, but that's more for winter. For a more classic look you can never go wrong with a French manicure, but if you want to get a little funky with it do a reverse french manicure.

Whichever color or design you choose just remember to tone it down for fall : )

Daily Blog: When Do You Start Wearing Boots?

The weather is getting cooler and soon we'll have to put our sandals away. Although I'm sad that summer is coming to an end, I am excited about getting to wear my fall clothes.

Since it's only getting a bit cooler I love wearing my booties. I have a black pair of wedge booties that I leave in my office and for the weekend I have a grey suede pair of wedge booties. I got my grey booties about three or four years ago from Payless and they still look brand new since I don't wear them all the time. Plus I take care of shoes very well.

Then I also have a pair of brown Aldo boots with a two inch heel. These boots are so comfortable and when I'm just hanging out with my girls or my boyfriend these are one of my favorite go to boots.

Once the weather gets a lot colder like November that's when I start wearing my knee high boots. My favorite pair are my Nine West wedge boots. Nine West has been one of my favorite brands for as long as I can remember. They're very comfy and very affordable too. I use to pay crazy amount of money for shoes, but as I got older brand names weren't important to me as much.

A pair of boots that I treated myself too were my knitted Uggs. When it's super cold outside I wear my Uggs and my feet are nice and toasty, plus they're very comfortable to walk in. Another pair of boots I recommend to everyone are my purple Hunter Boots. These boots are the best for rainy days and snow days. I've had my Hunter Boots for over three years and they're the best. I have the high boot, but I'd like a shorter one so I can wear it in the fall or spring. Sometimes when walking in the high ones it might get too heavy on you.

So there it is, some of my favorite boots and when I like to wear them.

Daily Blog: My Favorite 2013 Summer Memory

This summer has been very busy and hectic. My favorite summer memory has to be taking my baby sister to the Yankees game. I had taken her to a Sunday game and the Yankees were playing the Detroit Tigers. We've been to the Yankees game a bunch of times before, but this time around it just seemed more special.

Since Goldstar is my one of my favorite websites to get discounted tickets that's where I went to purchase them. I bought tickets in the 400 section. Since with Goldstar you don't know where you're sitting our chances of sitting in the nosebleeds were 50/50. The tickets we got were in the nose bleed section in section 413. If you're afraid of heights these seats would be a problem for you.  We were all the way up there. (The last time I sat up there was two years ago for The Big Four Concert.) Although the view was still great we wanted to be a bit closer to the game.

By the bottom of the 5th inning we went to get dipping dots. I got cookie dough and my sister decided to get rainbow. My sister is nine years old and she thought it tasted good. I thought it had no flavor whatsoever and wasn't much of a fan of it. While eating our dipping dots I noticed that the outfield section in the 300s were pretty empty. There were plenty of seats there. The only bad thing was the sun was out in full effect and you would roast sitting that section. I ran it by my sister and she was all for it, but I reminded her that the security guard might not let us. She insisted we still try anyway.

So after walking to the other end of the stadium we got there and I asked the security guard if we could sit in the empty seats. At first he seemed very skeptical about letting us sit there, but then he gave in and said go ahead. My sister and I were thrilled and we sat there the remainder of the game.

The fun didn't stop there though. After watching the Yankees win, we went out for an early dinner at a sushi restaurant in Queens. The restaurant is right across the street from Queens Center Mall. We went to Tomo Japanese Cafe (89-14 Queens Blvd) which is one of my family's favorite sushi restaurants to go to. During dinner we had the whole nine years, appetizers, there sushi rolls each and dessert.

It was a very eventful day and one that we both enjoyed so much. Since my baby sister is so much younger than me I love to spoil her whenever I get the chance and I wouldn't have it any other way.