New Skull Tattoo

Tips For Engraving Skull Tattoo

Suggestions For Selecting Skull tattoo

Engraving a tattoo skull art is an age old tradition. This tradition has retained its popularity till the recent days. The designers are engaged in making new designs for the tattoos. tattoo engraving is quite an old art but people have a strong belief that many of the best designs have not been deciphered yet.

Skull tattoos do not have any huge difference with the old tattoos. It requires a great luck to find the best designs of the skull arts. A person can follow some tips to get the most attractive printable designs. People who have given the tips for choosing the best tattoos have made many researches on the tattoos. A person who has not done huge research cannot have any idea about the tattoos.

Anyone can do a tattoo of skull art on his body. Skull designs are always popular and look good on everybody. Some people consider skull tattoos to be very generic but they have a unique style of their own. The ancient designs of the skull tattoos attract people to them. There are some reputed stores for finding the skull art tattoos. A person who is fond of tattoos can search on the search engines for a skull tattoo. In the search engines, one can find the pictures of different tattoos. One can take the printout of this database and paint them on their body.

The experts have suggested a couple of tips for choosing the beautiful tattoos. If a person follows these tips then he can easily get the best tattoo. A person needs to select the best design and have to get a skilled artist for engraving these designs. Most of the popular designs on the internet have a great look and a person can choose the tattoo designs he like best. There are multiple types of skull tattoo. To make the search for skull tattoo easier a person needs to decide the type of tattoo he wants.

The tribal tattoos look very attractive on the dark hands. The skull tattoo has a lot of meaning embedded in them. A person should know these meanings before engraving the skull tattoos on his body. One can use temporary tattoos so that he can remove it whenever he wants. The people who want to use permanent tattoos should know something before they engrave these tattoos on their skin. As the permanent tattoos could not be removed, a person should make huge research for choosing the image that he would engrave on his skin.

There are many free galleries from which people can find the best skull tattoos for them. However, the experts would suggest people to look to the pay sites as they offer more designs. A person can also find a shop where the tattoo artists offer several designs to the people. The charge for engraving tattoos can vary from one design to design. A person should also enquire about the prices of these designs. To get some of the best tattoo designs a person can visit the website of rottentoons.com.

New Skull Tattoo

Book Blogger Hop (10) & Follow My Book Blog (7)

Hello again from the Book Blogger Hop & Follow My Book Blog hop! This is a weekly get-together so that we can showcase our blogs and discover new ones!



NEW part of the Book Blogger Hop ~ Crazy Question:

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

Words cannot describe how much I LOVE that my friend introduced me to Rachel Vincent! I fell in love with both of her series: Soul Screamers for teens and Shifters for adults. I was enamored so much that I hosted Soul Screamers week earlier this year & I'm hoping to do something special for the release of the final Shifters book in September. You should really check out her work if you haven't already!



I review mostly YA books with a definite slant towards paranormal/fantasy & realistic fiction. Historical fiction & prose work occasionally pique my interest as well. This week I reviewed Virgin Territory, This is What I Want to Tell You & posted Dear America in my Nostalgic Friday feature. Be sure to look around, follow if you like, check out my reading challenge or grab my button! Comments are a pleasure too, so fire away!!



The time has come to close the giveaways. Thank you so much to everyone who entered! I did make 275 followers, so there will be FOUR winners for the blogiversary contest. I will announce both the blogiversary contest & Linger contest winners by Monday! Thanks again to everyone who made this possible!

Book Blogger Hop (10) & Follow My Book Blog (7)

HISTORY LESSON: FUN FACTS ABOUT EARLY HOLLYWOOD III

It's been awhile since I've gone historical, so here are a few new ones for you that I have picked up!

In the early days of Hollywood, before movies had made it out west, the only real celebrities to gawk at were artists, writers, and politicians. As I referred to in a previous post, the first noteworthy personality to settle down in La La Land was the painter Paul de Longpre. The second would be author Frank L. Baum (left), whose  children's stories about Oz had taken the nation by storm! Frank came to H-town in 1911, and he and his wife Maud bought a home on the corner of Cherokee and Yucca that they named "Ozcot." Frank would rise in the morning, work in the garden, and after lunch he'd get to work on his next book. The first one finished at 'Ozcot' was The Tik Tok Man of Oz. Little did Frank know that his novels would become the source of one of the greatest movies to ever come out of Hollywood! But The Wizard of Oz of 1939 was still a loooong way off. In fact, this masterpiece would not be the first time Baum's stories were immortalized. The earliest surviving version was made in 1910: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Because no records were kept at that time to authenticate its cast and crew, it is uncertain who took part in it, but Otis Turner is sometimes implicated as the director. Other Oz silents include: Dorothy and the Scarecrow in Oz, The Land of Oz, and John Dough and the Cherub of 1910, which are sadly considered lost, and The Patchwork Girl of Oz, The Magic Cloak of Oz, and His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz of 1914. The more familiar version came about in 1925 as The Wizard of Oz, directed by and starring the great, and too often forgotten, comedy legend Larry Semon as the Scarecrow, Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodsman, and Dorothy Dwan as Dorothy! Who knew!?

Oliver, Dorothy, and Larry- Oh My!!!

Another noteworthy name around town at this time was that of Doctor Schloesser. Real estate remained the  big business in the area at this time, and Schloesser was eager to try his hand at the booming market. He was hard to miss: pudgy with big, red lips, dressed in a whalebone girdle that made him creak when he walked, and usually adorned in a fancy frock coat and white gloves. He bought and sold different properties, making huge profits, and built the astounding "Glengary Castle" at the corner of Franklin and Argyle. The two marble lions decorating the entrance were especially impressive. The home was a mixed throw-back to medieval times, and its extravagance can be likened to a more diminutive San Simeon, (William Randolph Hearst's notorious abode). When movies began shooting out in California, Schloesser made some extra money by renting out his illustrious home to filmmakers who needed a set that looked deserving of a millionaire. By that time, the Doc had moved out... and across the street to a bigger castle, which he dubbed "Sans Souci." A true character and social anomaly, when he finally sold "Glengary," newspapers would write, "Hollywood has given up trying to understand Dr. Schloesser." Haha!

It was only a matter of time before filmmaking made its way out west, however its first appearance was modest. It wasn't until 1910 that the first movie theater opened in Hollywood, "The Idle Hour." It was located at Hollywood and Hudson, and it was little more than four wooden walls, a screen, and some benches. The second theater would open about three years later between Hollywood and McCadden: "The Hollywood Theater." In response to this competition, "The Idle Hour" revamped its appearance, recognizing that movies were indeed big business, and reopened anew as "The Iris." It got its floral name from the fact that it stood where De Longpre's lush garden was once located, as well as its obvious filmic reference. This theater was also notable for possessing the first "ornamental electric lighting." Lemon groves and pepper trees were quickly being cut down as new buildings and real-estate developments continued to crop up. Slowly but surely, movies were coming to Hollywood.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The first official film made in Hollywood! No, no, it wasn't The Squaw Man, whose production I refer to here. That was the first "feature film," made in 1912. Ironically, many of Squaw's scenes were shot on the land that would later become home to the Forest Lawn Cemetery of the Hollywood hills. This land would help to give birth to film and in due time serve as a deathbed to some of its greatest stars, including Bette Davis, Charles Laughton, and Buster Keaton. However, the first movie was made two years earlier in 1910. It was a short, shot in one day, at-- once again-- De Longpre's garden. This little gem, Love Among the Roses, would prove to be prophetic, for it would be directed by and star two of the biggest names in Hollywood history: D.W. Griffith and Mary Pickford. The first major film celebs in the first Hollywood film??? At the time, they weren't quite so prestigious. DW was a struggling filmmaker in a society that didn't consider movies a grand profession, and little Mary was but 15-years-old. But times were changing, and these two were unwittingly paving the way to the future. 

Mary, after she became Queen of the Movies

(Update: new research has revealed that D.W. Griffith's In Old California actually dates further back than Love Among the Roses, making it the first Hollywood film).

HISTORY LESSON: FUN FACTS ABOUT EARLY HOLLYWOOD III

Plein Air Painting: Taking Your Paints Outside

Last week I was gifted with a ‘plein air’ watercolor workshop given by Lynn Onley. Plein air painting is a familiar concept today, but in the late 1800s when the Impressionists ventured out of their studios into nature to investigate and capture the effects of sunlight and different times of days on a subject, it was quite revolutionary. We met at Porteau Cove, which is situated overlooking Howe Sound, 38 km north of Vancouver on the Sea-to-Sky Highway on the way to Whistler. Interestingly, I learnt that an old ship has been sunk in the bay, so as well as attracting outdoor enthusiasts, scuba divers and marine biologists come here to explore  the depths of the ocean. A pebble beach slopes gently into Howe Sound in Porteau Cove. On summer days when the tide is low and the sun high, the warm rocks heat the incoming waters, making swimming here a pleasure. Lynn Onley who gave the workshop, is the daughter of Toni Onley, one of Canada’s most celebrated artists. His landscapes have always provided a special significance for Canadians in reviving an appreciation for our surroundings. Lynn Onley following in her father’s footsteps is an accomplished artist herself. I felt very privileged, and excited to have the opportunity to learn the art of watercolor from Lynn Onley as passed down to her from her celebrated father Toni Onley.

  
The view of the scene I painted with instruction from Lynn Onley

Lynn Onley painting Plein Air in Porteau Cove using her father, Toni Onley’s paint box

Lynn Onley painting Plein Air in Porteau Cove using her father, Toni Onley’s paint box and his wood and canvas folding chair.  The first step is to lay in the color washes for the sky, and while still wet take tissue and blot to make the clouds.  The next step is to paint in the mountains, using the ‘soup’ as Lynn calls it, which is the remaining mixture from the sky as the base to add the next colors to.  Lynn showed us how to mix Alizarin Crimson with Sepia, to tone it down, to paint in the slab-like chunks of red granite showing in the mountains.

  
Lynn Onley demonstrates watercolors techniques

Then Lynn added in the ocean, and next the shore, and then trees.  At this point you can continue to add more detail, or take the painting home to finish.  I had to leave at this point with my water color still needing more work.  I took it with me on my trip to Desolation sound and added in more detail, working from memory and being further inspired by the colors and light in the more northern atmosphere of Desolation Sound – Desolation Sound is at the 52nd Parallel, while Porteau Cove is at the 49th Parallel.  Thanks Lynn for the inspiring day!!

 
My finished watercolor of Porteau Cove after a morning of instruction from Lynn Onley.
11” x 15” on 140 lb watercolor paper , Windsor Newton paints

A pebble beach slopes gently into Howe Sound. It was low tide so the green moss on the rocks usually below the water line was showing.  We started painting at 10:00 AM, and the sky, cloud formations, and shadows on the water were constantly changing as the sun and tide line changed.

The dock at Porteau Cove.

The granite mountains above Porteau Cove on the highway to Whistler. 

 

These pictures are of the beautiful tree I sat under while painting at Porteau Cove.  I took these pictures as inspiration – possibly for my next water color.

Van Gogh, in a letter to his brother, claims to
“devour nature ceaselessly,”
and finds himself  
“in surroundings which entirely engross me,
which so order, fix, regulate, renew and enlarge my thoughts
that I am quite wrapped up in them.” 

Toni Onley 1928 – 2004, one of Canada’s most celebrated artists, painting Plein Air.

Map of Porteau Cove

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm  in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about Lifestyle and WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Plein Air Painting: Taking Your Paints Outside

Nostalgic Friday: Dear America

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

Scholastic won my heart back in 1998 when I stumbled upon the wonderful series of Dear America. Told in the form of a young girl's journal, these fictionalized accounts based on true history were a goldmine to me. I devoured ever book in the series up until they canceled its publication in 2006. Good news for other long-time fans like myself, they are re-launching the series with new books & redesigned covers for the older books. This wonderful series will begin again in September of this year and you better believe that I am going to pick up where I left off and continue reading this wonderful series. Below are four of my favorites with their jacket descriptions.

A Coal Miner's Bride: the Diary of Anetka Kaminska
A diary account of thirteen-year-old Anetka's life in Poland in 1896, immigration to America, marriage to a coal miner, widowhood, and happiness in finally finding her true love.

My Heart is on the Ground: the Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl
As a potential translator and bridge between two cultures, Nannie Little Rose is assigned by her teacher at the Carlisle Indian School to keep a diary in order to practice and improve her English skills. Beginning in broken English, Nannie tells of her incredibly difficult first year at the school, including entries detailing her previous life as her ability to communicate in English grows. From December, 1879, to October, 1880, readers follow a remarkably resilient girl, uprooted from her home and culture, trying to find a place for herself in a rapidly changing world. Loyal, caring, and creative, she is able to see a spirit helper in a kitchen mouse and willing to defy regulations in mourning the death of her dearest friend.


Look to the Hills: The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl
Lozette, or Zettie, is an orphaned slave girl, who arrives with her French masters in New York Colony at the end of the French-Indian War. There, she ...more Lozette, or Zettie, is an orphaned slave girl, who arrives with her French masters in New York Colony at the end of the French-Indian War. There, she must reconsider her loyalties when she is confronted with new landscapes, new conditions, and new conflicts.

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: the Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty
An agonizing dilemma plagues these brother-sister diarists. He is a Marine stationed in Vietnam. She is at home in America, far away from her brother's war zone, fighting for peace. As the marine writes in his journal about his experiences as a soldier, fighting an enemy he can't see, his sister seeks peace.

These are such wonderful novels about real events that allow girls access to history. It opens up the fact that most kids tend to forget that what they learn in school really happened to other people and these books allow the students to really feel that emotion. It's no longer a passage in a textbook, these people had names and families and feelings just like everyone else. A terrific series that I'm glad to see make a comeback, Dear America will always hold a special place in my heart.

Nostalgic Friday: Dear America

Tattoo Me Now Review Get Your Dream Tattoo Now!

Tattoo Me Now Review

If you’ve been wanting more information on Tattoo Me Now then you’ve definitely come to the right place! I’m going to talk you through exactly what this product is all about and whether it is worth joining? Finding the best tattoo design for yourself requires a considerable amount of effort, and I have personally had experiences where I regretted choosing my design because it was not really not I wanted. So what is the website Tattoo Me Now all about, and can you really find great tattoos inside? You’ll know very soon!

What is Tattoo Me Now?

Tattoo Me Now is a great resource for every tattoo enthusiast. They provide you not only unique designs but also a community where you can get advice, share photos and videos, and a lot more, both before and after getting inked

Where Can You Find The Best Tattoo Designs?

There are many free tattoo sources all over the internet, but if you are really passionate about them, I can tell you that you will most probably not find what you are looking for with free sites. Most of the designs with free sources are not unique and are all over the place already. I have discovered that in the world of tattoo designs, you really get what you pay for.
With the TattooMeNow membership, you will enjoy the following:

The Design Gallery

You can find your favorite design within this gallery with over 3,523 unique designs. There are 40 categories for you to choose from. Some of the popular categories include Tribal Tattoos and Butterfly Tattoos. You may spend days on seeking for a suitable design.

To make it convenient, they allow you to bookmark the designs which you may want to use later, so that you need not re-start the search from the beginning. Once you reach an idea, simply print out the design and take it to your tattoo artist. The process is easy and quick.

The Members Gallery

This active and helpful community is one of the main values of the whole membership program. You will see other members uploading different pictures. It is a great place to find advice and insights. The hundreds of tattoo pictures are placed neatly into different categories. You can comment on or give ratings to a particular tattoo picture. If you like, you can ink the 5-star tattoo on your skin.

The Studio Directory

Tattoo Me Now offer you a list of 10,000 tattoo parlors in over 38 countries. Other than simply helping you to find a local tattoo parlor, you can also see ratings and reviews on a particular tattoo studio as well. The reviews by other members are trustworthy and valuable. You can find the professional ones and avoid the bad ones easily. Of course, you are welcome to share your opinion so as to assist other members to make the best decision.

The Discussion Forum

It is another main value of Tattoo Me Now. Whenever you have a question about tattooing, just ask the question in the discussion forum. You will get answers in a very short time. It is also a great area to meet new people. You can discuss everything about tattoo with more than 20,000 tattoo enthusiasts like you.

The Video Vault

Finding a tattoo design could sometimes be boring. That is why Tattoo Me Now offer their members an area to share videos, showing their own tattoos. Besides, you will find some professional and educational videos, showing you how a tattoo artist does a tattoo job and how to remove a tattoo.

Media Library

Some members would call this section a bonus. This will give you more information about tattooing. A list of 15 eBooks is offered, such as “How to Tattoo in 12 Easy Steps”, “You and Your Tattoo”, “Infection Prevention”, “Getting Inked”, and “Xtasys Tattoo Designs eBook.” Other than that, you can find eBooks about health and fitness as well.

The cost to join Tattoo Me Now is reasonable. You will have the below options.

* 1 Year – $27
* Lifetime – $37

No matter which one you choose, I would say it is worth spending the additional $10, considering the resource and communication with other tattoo enthusiasts which you will be happy with. Also, a 60 day 100% money back guarantee is offered. It is zero-risk.

Tattoo Me Now Review Get Your Dream Tattoo Now!

The Tribal Tattoo Art - Tattoo Art Tattoo Design

Tribal tattoos are generally influenced by tribal art from native and indigenous tribes. The tribal tattoo art comes from the older tribes such as the Celtics (Ireland, Scotland, & Wales), the Maori Tribe (indigenous people of New Zealand), the North American Tribal, the African Tribal, the Marquesan (Polynesian inhabitants of the Marquises Islands) and the tribes of Borneo.

Celtic Tattoo Art

Celtic tattoo art come from Ireland. Celtic knot tattoos are some of the most popular and most common designs, featuring loops with no end that symbolize a never ending cycle of dying and rebirth. There are also Celtic cross and animal tattoo designs as well

Mori Tribal tattoo Art

The Maori, the aborigines of New Zealand, call their tribal tattoo "Moko" and Mori art is incredible to behold. To the Maori, a person's Moko designs enhanced their prestige and show transition from one social status to another. At its highest level, Moko designs proclaimed the sacredness of chieftainship.

North American Tribal Art

There are many Indian tribes in North America and many different traditions for tribal tattooing. It was very common for tattoos to denote rank within the tribe. Take the Illinois Indians for example. It was quite common for weapons of war to be tattooed upon the men and it is suggested by some that the women received tattoos of tools used for labor. The tools of war outranked the tools of labor. This was, to the best of my knowledge, their tradition. They seemingly kept their practices to a minimum.

Samoa Tribal tattoo art

The Samoan tribal tattoo was done with a carved boar tusk, sharpened with a piece of coral, attached to a turtle shell, and then affixed to a stick. This tool is used to carve the designs into the flesh by tapping it against the skin and then a mixture of candle nut soot and sugar water is rubbed into the resulting wound.

Marquesan Tribal tattoo art

Sea-faring Polynesians from Samoa colonized the Marquises Islands as early as 300 A.D. They were warring tribes who sometimes cannibalized their enemies. Marquesan art is very uncommon. Most tribal tattoos are done with one specific object and the size variation is minimal. This is not so with the Pacific.

African Tribal tattoo art

Tribes in Africa do not use pigment for tattooing, they cut the skin and either the wound is packed with a substance so that it becomes raised or it is rubbed with ash or sand until the wound rises up, then the scar is the tattoo.

Borneo Tribal tattoo Art

Borneo is the third largest island in the world. The Dayak people reside here for centuries, they believe that spirits are in everything around them. For this reason they believe that by tattooing an object or creature on them they can draw energy from these spirits.

While the tribal tattoo was originally used to identify members of specific tribes, represent battles fought, and to serve as the symbolization of social status, today tribal tattoo art is a popular fashion. a lot of people today choose various designs simply for aesthetic reasons. Some of the most popular designs include dragon, butterfly and suntribal tattoos. This tattoo can be put virtually anywhere on the body, The back and arms are usually the most common areas where people have them applied, but the ankle, calf, and chest are also used.

The Tribal Tattoo Art - Tattoo Art Tattoo Design

Lower Back Tribal Tattoos- Tattoo Art Tattoo Design

The lower back is an excellent location for a tattoo. The area provides a fairly large canvass for the tattoo artist but is easily covered by your clothing when displaying a tattoo might be inappropriate. You can chose from a large number of beautiful designs. The only drawback is that you won't easily be able to admire your tattoo without a mirror.

Low cut jeans and bikinis make these tattoos especially popular with the ladies. While easily concealed on formal occasions or at the office, back tattoos are also easily displayed in less formal settings. Pictograms and floral designs are popular for these tattoos. Few men chose back tattoos, choosing to place their tattoos on the upper back. Women wear clothing that may show an upper back tattoo when they would prefer it not be visible which makes the lower back their ideal location.

The size of the area allows a great deal of flexibility in the design.

Popular designs include floral designs, celtic knotwork, picture designs with people or animals, and occasionally tribal art. Tribal art, with its bold black lines tends to be more popular with men than women. You can choose a tattoo for just the center of the back, or one that goes from hip to hip. Many lower back tattoos are triangular in shape.

Among the animal images, dolphins are very popular. Lower back tattoos are often chosen by women who have an affinity for the beach because dolphins are a symbol of the sea. Butterfly designs are another top pick whether for a smaller center tattoo or a large design.

Some women prefer dragons with sinuous lines. Fairies and roses and occasionally hearts can all be used in lower back tattoos. The tattoos can be a picture which relates a story, or simply an attractive design.

In addition to being easily displayed or covered, the lower back is often chosen as the location for a tattoo by women because of its sex appeal. Men often find a woman's hips or buttocks to be sexually attractive, and a lower back tattoo calls attention to those areas. Men who have tattoos on the lower back generally extend them well above the waist, while women keep them below the waist.

Wherever you get a tattoo, make sure you like the design. It will be with you for a long time. Don't chose a design that's too trendy, it will be out of fashion next year and you'll still have the same tattoo. It's unwise to use husband's or boyfriends names in your tattoo.

Tattoos are created with needles that penetrate your skin and for that reason, they carry a risk of infection. It is important that you care for your tattoo for about a week after it is applied. Your tattoo artist will tell you how to clean and dress your tattoo and with lower back tattoos, you may need someone to help you since it is an awkward area to reach by yourself.

There are lots of designs available for lower back tattoos. Check out online tattoo websites and your local tattoo artist's portfolio before making your choice. You may opt to create your own unique design by combining ideas from several designs. Chose a design you love now and will love in the future.

Lower Back Tribal Tattoos- Tattoo Art Tattoo Design

This is What I Want to Tell You by Heather Duffy-Stone

Twins Nadio & Noelle has lived in the gatehouse on the professor's property all their lives. As children, they befriended Keeley, the daughter of the professor, and have been inseparable ever since. Keeley and Noelle have always been like two halves of the same person with matching mannerisms and behavior. Nadio was always along for the ride, but never up front and center stage.

After spending a summer all separated, the trio come back together to find that nothing is as is was when they left. Nadio spent his summer running alone and writing imaginary letters to his absentee father. Noelle found a new friend into new things and managed to fall hard for tattoo-covered fry cook Parker. Keeley is still reeling from her summer at Oxford and has an awful burden from that experience.

Each of these three are hiding the truth from one of the others and everything culminates when Nadio and Keeley admit that their feelings for one another are no longer strictly platonic. What will they do to persevere, what will they have to sacrifice to be happy, and can they all be happy together?

Heather Duffy-Stone has done an incredible job with this novel. Told in the alternating view points of the twins, This is What I Want to Tell You is unparalleled. I can't think of another book that handles this common and yet complex a situation. There are at least three different stories told in the narrative, but if you include the smaller characters, there are a few more. Each story has its own attributes and complexities and at the same time they're all standard issues that teens face every day. There's drugs, issues at school, peer pressure, sex, and heart ache at every corner.

I really felt as though I related to each of the characters on some level and that they were all meant to be recognizable. I'm sure you could place someone from your high school in each of these roles and better understand their situation. The writing style really lent itself to an omnipotent presence because when one chapter left off, the next picked up from a different point of view. I know that many books can accomplish this, but (for lack of a better explanation) this was just different.

The situations were believable, the characters superb, & the writing was, in a work, magical. I truly hope to see more from this writer. She knows her stuff well and if she can pull it off again, I'd place her in the same AMAZING category as Simone Elkeles & Jennifer Echols. While my library didn't own this one, I was able to InterLibrary Loan it from another institution. Let me reiterate, it was well worth it. Find out if your local library can do the same for you!

I leave you with a fabulous teaser quote from the book:

Why don't people ever see the way other kinds of love can wreck you? What about the way being left out of love can wreck you? p.148

This is What I Want to Tell You by Heather Duffy-Stone

Anthony Green Head Tattoo

Lead singer of the band Circa Survive, Anthony Green, has a newly revealed head tattoo of the Circa Survive "safe camp" symbol, located on the left side above his ear.

Anthony Green Head Tattoo

Waiting on Wednesday: The DUFF

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I'm intrigued by the plotline of The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger, set to be published September 7th.

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smar...more

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

From Goodreads

I don't think it gets more intriguing than that for me. I'm thinking that DUFF is the female equivalent of a wingman, only with a slightly more derogatory name. My interest is piqued & I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: The DUFF

Virgin Territory by James Lecesne

Virgin Territory explores the power of faith and our need to believe in miracles. Sixteen-year-old Dylan Flack is uprooted from his cozy life in New York City by the death of his mother of cancer the night before 9/11. He finds himself transplanted to Jupiter, Florida, and in the chaos of the move discovers that his father has lost their treasured collection of family photos. Dylan feels that he has begun to lose the memory of his mother's face, and without access to those pictures of their past together, each day stretches darkly into a future without hope.

Enter: the Virgin Club, a nomadic group of trailer kids whose mostly single parents drag them all over the country in search of sightings of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although not looking for membership in any club, Dylan falls in love with their leader, Angela, who believes that change occurs in direct proportion to desire and the willingness to take risks. In a series of misadventures and brushes with the law in what Dylan comes to think of as "virgin territory," she teaches Dylan to risk a future without his favorite parent. Miraculously his newfound courage leads to a long overdue confession from his father that brings them closer together and catapults Dylan into a future that holds more promise.

From Amazon

So, yeah. I had a really hard time with this book. It sounded like an interesting premise about faith, redemption, love, and longing. That's what it was about, in the end, but the execution was very poor. I felt like the author was trying to make Dylan deeper than he really was and that all Dylan's crazy thinking was just a distraction from the non-story. The tone was so jumpy from one extreme to the next that I had a hard time keeping up. Not to mention that Angela just frustrated me beyond belief!! She was quite shallow and her actions spoke much louder about her motives and character than her words ever did.

Honestly, I'd have to say that unless you really want to try it, I'd pass on this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea. There is an audience for every book and unfortunately I did not fall into that category for this one.

Virgin Territory by James Lecesne

Bringing in the Loot

This is part of the In My Mailbox series hosted by The Story Siren. This meme allows book bloggers around the web to showcase what awesomeness we bought, swapped, borrowed, or got this week. Check out my loot below!

I have been very good and haven't bought any books in a few weeks because of my tight living quarters & uber-tight budget. But I couldn't resist the dual coupons I had to Borders, so I treated myself to a little retail therapy. Hope you look forward to reading my thoughts and much as I look forward to writing them!

Review:
Fallout (Crank #3) by Ellen Hopkins HUGE thanks to Simon & Schuster!!
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala Thanks to Around the World Tours

Bought:
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

Library:
Glass (Crank #2) by Ellen Hopkins (I'm rereading this since I got Fallout and I want to refresh my memory.)

That is the AMAZINGNESS that was my week. What loot did you score this week?

P.S. You might be able to score more loot for next week by entering my contests at the top of the page or the contests on other blogs on my sidebar. Good luck!

Bringing in the Loot

Lady Gaga Hip Tattoo

Wondering about Lady Gaga's lower back and hip tattoo?

Lady Gaga has a large tattoo which contains a total of six roses and a lot of vines, the tattoo design starts on her lower back and reaches around her left hip and then goes up her left side.

The tattoo was drawn by famous tattoo artist Kat Von D.

Lady Gaga Hip Tattoo

Book Blogger Hop (9) & Follow My Book Blog (6)

Hello again from the Book Blogger Hop & Follow My Book Blog hop! This is a weekly get-together so that we can showcase our blogs and discover new ones!



NEW part of the Book Blogger Hop ~ Crazy Question:

Tell us about the book you are currently reading?

I am currently reading 3 books, Virgin Territory by James Lecense, Fallout by Ellen Hopkins, & Manifest by Artist Arthur.

Virgin Territory is not about what you think, it's actually about a boy who moved to Florida, lost any faith he might have had, and when the Virgin Mary appears in a tree at the golf course he works at, everything changes. Pretty good so far.

Fallout is the AMAZING finale in the Crank trilogy. It's written in prose & has followed the life of a sweet girl, turned druggie, turned mother and her continuing struggle to stay sober and take care of her child. I love Ellen Hopkins work, so I'm thrilled to have this one.

Manifest is a new paranormal series about Krystal's forays into conversing with the dead in her new town in Connecticut. I just started it, but it's tantalizing so far!



I review mostly YA books with a definite slant towards paranormal/fantasy & realistic fiction. Historical fiction & prose work occasionally pique my interest as well. This week I reviewed Linger, The Education of Bet & posted The Incredible Journey in my Nostalgic Friday feature. I was also fortunate enough to be included in the Linger blog tour, so I have an interview with Maggie Stiefvater & a giveaway! Be sure to look around, follow if you like, check out my reading challenge or grab my button! Comments are a pleasure too, so fire away!!



I'm hosting a giveaway for my blogiversary on 7/30/2010. If I get 200 followers it will be 1 book, I've made 200!! I've made 225!! I've past 250!! That means there is guaranteed THREE books for THREE lucky followers. The winners will be allowed any choice of book under $20 from the Book Despository. If I get 275 (only need 12 more) it will become mystery ARCs & finished copies from my stash. Go to THIS FORM to enter. Good luck!

Book Blogger Hop (9) & Follow My Book Blog (6)