Monday, April 27, 2015

50. Am I done yet?

So, this could technically be my final blog post, and honestly, it probably will be with the full schedule I have coming up this week. I had never had a blog before this class, or ever really looked at any blogs, but this made me realize that blogging is a really good outlet for your thoughts and is actually really fun.

Going into this blog I didn't really think about what I wanted it to be like and I kind of wish I had thought to focus it on one topic of specific thing, but I liked being able to just write about whatever I was thinking about or going through.

Writing about my feelings and my days, although not the most thrilling topics for other people to read, really helped me feel more confident in myself.  I am really happy I got to use this blog assignment as an outlet for my thoughts and ideas and I will definitely consider starting a blog about something I love or something I do or really anything specific in the near future.

49. I miss Molly

I really miss my kitten Molly.  She was living at my boyfriends house all year and his landlord found her last week so we had to give her to his parents....it was very sad because although they were going to take her at the end of the year anyways, I was not ready to say goodbye.  She is so fun to snuggle with and even though she is a crazy bitch sometimes I still miss having her around.  Rainy days were always the best times with her because I would be inside all day and she would just chill and play and hangout with me.  Having a pet at school really made it feel like home and I really miss having her around.

48. Wind

I am a very easily distracted person and right now in the library the wind is whistling so loudly outside I can barely pay attention to my studying.  I am already struggling with my stat studying since I still literally know nothing....even after studying for the past 5 days so I really don't need all of these distractions.  I need a quiet study space to be able to hear my own thoughts.  I like to process things slowly and clearly when I do work which is why silence is key for me to focus.  Even though wind isn't necessarily distracting it shows how such small things can make such a big difference in the way you learn.

47. A Haiku for fun

I love chai coffee
I am drinking one right now
And am still tired

46. Semesters end

This year has gone by at lightning speed.  It feels like yesterday that the year had just begun and now...we only have one week of classes left.  I am happy for summer to begin, but I am not happy about being half way done with college.  I am also not happy about the year ending because my boyfriend is a senior and is moving to New York after graduation.  Which would be convenient if I were home because it is a quick 3 hour train ride from my house, but from Dallas.....it's not so close.  The end of this year has definitely stirred up a lot of emotions and stress so having some time to relax and clear my head is definitely something to look forward to for summer.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

45. Procrastination

pro·cras·ti·na·tion
prəˌkrastəˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
  1. the action of delaying or postponing something.


    also known as, me, right now.

    I have been trying to learn stat for the past 4 hours and I kid you not....I have retained zero information.  I can't focus at all and I really, really need to.  I figured this would be a good break to put my mind at ease for a minute, because I would rather write for 6 hours straight than do one math problem for 10 minutes....math and I don't get along very well to say the least.  Trying to study this right now is actually unbelievably painful and almost unbearable, it makes me SO ANGRY when I don't know how to do the problems, which then just cycles over and over until I literally feel like I know nothing.

    So, on that note...I better go do some more studying.

44. Lightning

Sitting in Fondren library right now, procrastinating studying for my Stat test on Tuesday by writing blog posts...also distracted by the unreal lightning that is going on right now.  On the fourth floor there is a huge window that I'm sitting by and there is nothing blocking the view to all the buildings in down town.  The lightning keeps lighting up the entire sky and cracking down over all the buildings.

I have a weird obsession with lightning.  I love the way it looks in photographs and when it actually looks like that in real life.  I think it is a beautiful part of nature that I honestly do not understand at all but its beauty is so naturally and powerful.

From a distance the beauty is moving but up close would be terrifying.  I think that is something really cool about lightning; that something so beautiful can be so dangerous and destructive.

43. Found some beauty in Nola

To be completely honest, in the 2 times I have been to New Orleans I have only stayed within the confines of Bourbon street and a few moments by Tulane campus.  The campus is actually very pretty, but obviously Bourbon street is not.

It is grimy and smells bad ... and when it really comes down to it, its not a very visually appealing place.  But, wandering around today with the few hours we had before our flight we stumbled into a little garden type thing.  I'm not sure what it was, but it is clearly a destination to visit because there were a lot of other people strolling through has well.

It was unbelievably beautiful and peaceful and I did not feel like I was in New Orleans at all anymore.  It was serene and quant, and is definitely a place to visit as well.  It allows for some peace within the hectic city of New Orleans, especially Bourbon street.

42. BOURBON pt. 3

Sunday consisted of the famous Beignet's from Cafe Du Monde.....obviously a tourist destination so we had to try it....and let me tell you, they are 100% worth however many thousand calories are in one of those things....because I ate 3 of them.

The line was out the door and around the corner but only still only took about 20 minutes, and honestly even if it had taken an hour we still would have waited and it still would have been worth it. This is a MUST HAVE upon a visit to Nola.



41. BOURBON pt. 2

Saturday consisted of 4 hours at Bourbon Cowboy and then an amazing dinner at Emerald's Delmonico's Restaurant....amazing food, amazing atmosphere and amazing service.  Highly suggested if you ever make your way to NOLA...it's definitely on the pricey side, but definitely worth it if you are trying to treat yourself....aka I'm almost out of money for the rest of the semester.



The night naturally ended walking around Bourbon for a while...taking in all the strangeness of New Orleans...it really is a very bizarre place.

40. BOURBON STREET

This weekend had a lot of stuff going on in it.....

Friday: Flight to New Orleans gets delayed due to extreme weather and tornado warnings....for 3 hours.  

Friday night:  Upon arrival to NOLA 4 hours after we were supposed to we headed to Bourbon street.  Started the night getting some good ole fried chicken....which was actually fucking amazing.  Then headed to the "Krazy Korner"  for a cover rock band that was actually hilariously good.  Had myself a $17 glass of sugar...aka a hurricane and then headed to a real classy establishment called "The Swamp" ...how can you not laugh at the fact that someone thought it was a good idea to name their bar the swam.... well... it actually ended up being really cool and the balcony had the classic view over Bourbon.


39. Lazy Advertising

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHr07QRK0B8

Dolce and Gabanna - Light Blue

This commercial is the definition of lazy advertising.  Dolce and Gabanna are literally using purely sex to sell this product.  In one way it does kind of work because you can't look away and it does stick in your mind....proof that it sticks in your mind is that when I thought of lazy advertising I immediately thought of brands that use sex to sell their products and I immediately thought of the Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue commercials...so, in some ways I guess their laziness does work.  But, at the same time the commercial is kind of uncomfortable to watch and tells you nothing about the product.

What I gather from this commercial is two extremely good looking people have a ton of chemistry and want to have sex on a boat...but, the reason being because they are wearing Dolce Light Blue....not so much.  I understand that sex typically sells but, for this particular commercial it doesn't make me want to buy the product it makes me want to be the beautiful girl in the commercial or want to make out with the hot guy....neither of which will happen by purchasing and using their perfume.  I think this commercial could be done a lot more tastefully and that would make it much more effective.  But, the way it is now is definitely a lazy way to grab the attention of potential consumers.

Friday, April 17, 2015

38. Advertising Application

Nothing has made me stress more this year than trying to make a damn video about how I'm creative for my application to the advertising department.  I came up with 4 million ideas and could not decide on any of them or didn't think they were good enough.  On top of not being able to think of an idea for the video, I couldn't even figure out what I wanted to say in the video.

Like I've said in the past, I am not the best at sharing my thoughts with other people...especially when they are about myself.  I for the life of me could not put into words how I am creative.  Now, the problem wasn't that I'm in fact, not creative ... rather that I couldn't dig deep enough into myself to figure out how to express it.  After 4 days of brainstorming ideas I finally came up with what I wanted to say.

Then I had to figure out how to show it in the video...also a problem considering I've only had to make one other video in my life, and that was for this class.  I have no experience with filming or video editing, so naturally my video isn't going to be as good as someone who is an expert in this field...so I had that stressing me out too.

Finally I just started filming and linking things together.  And eventually had a video that met the criteria.  After 2 more days of editing I got it just how I wanted.  And naturally, right before I went to submit it, I decided I hated it.  But, I had no time at this point to do anything about it.  So I just had to accept what I had made and trust that the hard work I put in will pay off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSdBUQQASTw&feature=youtu.be


37. AP and Will

The guest speakers we had on Wednesday, AP and Will, if I'm being completely honest, I found extremely weird.  I felt like I was at an inspirational church meeting or something where they were just preaching their thoughts and their lives.  I thought their energy was awesome, but they were extremely hard to follow and most of the time I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.  Some of the things they talked about did have an impact on me, however the way they conveyed their thoughts were a little overwhelming.  They were really entertaining, but it was a little too much for me.  It was hard to follow and instead of inspiring me I was just trying to decipher what they were talking about and what point they were trying to make.  Overall, I did think they were really cool and entertaining, but their energy level was a lot for 10 in the morning and their thought process was difficult to follow for me.

Monday, April 13, 2015

36. It's Been A While

These past few weeks have been unbelievably stressful.  Between homework, tests, papers, family and boyfriend problems it's safe to say I've had a lot on my hands.  Trying to declare my major, make class schedules, decide what I am doing this summer .... the list goes on and on.  With the year coming to an end there are a lot of things to be done, a lot of things to be thankful for and a lot of things to worry about.  I'll get into that later, but I figured I should come back and add a little something to the blog before I get distracted by life again.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

35. Enter Through the Gift Shop

This movie really pissed me off. I think the main character, Theirry was unbelievably impulsive, immature, irrational, and basically a mooch.  I think it is unfair that he calls himself a film maker and an artist when in reality he is neither of those things.  I think he took ideas from everyone he was supposed to help, but didn't and used their ideas to spark his own.  I don't think he is capable of actually making the art himself which makes me really mad because the whole point of being an artist is designing and making the art yourself.  Although he does have good ideas, I think his inspiration is too similar to other artists and that he basically copied other ideas and put a little of his spark into it.  I wouldn't be as annoyed with him if he was making the art himself, because all the other artists in the film create, design and put on paper their designs, they don't have people do it for them.  I think he got lucky with his opening show but I don't think he deserves the amount of credit he got.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

34. Improv Discussion

The main thing I took out of the improv groups from Friday is that creativity, although often very frustrating, is actually fun and exciting.  It made me realize that there are so many different ways to be creative and spark creative thoughts and improv is definitely one of them.  I have never been a big fan of improv, but I did find the class particularly entertaining, so it has opened my eyes to trying new things.  Which also led me to thinking that creativity is about going outside of your comfort zone, trying new things is a great way to start new creative tracks for your work and ideas.  The improv groups really showed me that I need to loosen up in order to let my creative thoughts flow freely because if I am tense or worried about judgment then I will always have difficulty opening up my ideas because I will be concerned about what other people think.  Improv is the definition of not caring what people think, you get to make a fool of yourself and even if you're nervous or embarrassed people usually laugh or at least appreciate your efforts.  This is a really cool way to think about creativity and it makes me excited to start new projects and try new things.

33. Punta Cana - day 3

"Boat party!!!! Woohoo!!!" - direct quote from my notepad

This was easily the best day of the trip.  The weather was perfect, we were out on the water all day and everyone was happy and having an amazing time.  This day really made me grateful for all the privileges I have, especially going to SMU.  Spending spring break in the Dominican Republic and a day on a boat with all your friends is more than I could ask for.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

32. Punta Cana - day 2

This was a fun day by the pool.  When my roommate, Emily and I accidentally took 3,000 photos on our friends go pro when we thought we were taking a video......whoops.

But, the accidental photos actually turned out pretty good, so I guess we got something out of having to delete about 2,500 of them.

What is actually happening here is captured in a series of photos and the random drink in the air is my friend Erica, who jumped into the photo, knocked Meg's drink out of her hand...and voila, a cute candid pic was made!!!

these.....not so cute

Monday, March 16, 2015

31. Punta Cana - day 1 - part 2

Night numero uno was interesting.  We went to a club called "Imagine".....it was in a cave.

The quote of the night from my notepad was "lol wtf why are we in a cave"....I didn't really get too into my blog post this night I guess.

However short my blog post may have been....I did get forced to take this picture in a giant chair by my boyfriends friends because "the president of Pike needs to sit in the kings chair" 

Sunday, March 15, 2015

30. Punta Cana - day 1 part 1

The traveling portion of the day was not as interesting as the night or the trip itself but I did get some pretty hilariously unflattering pictures of Michael ... this being my favorite

29. Back in the U.S. of A

So, the original plan for my "college spring break" was to make a funny blog post every day/night of vacation, with the idea that my state of mind would provide for a pretty interesting string of events.  However, Punta Cana had other ideas for me.  And by other ideas I mean that the wifi fucking blew.  So, I had to resort to the notepad on my phone.... over the next few days (to give the illusion of writing them in real time) I will be typing up the hilariously weird assortment of blog posts I wrote and pictures I took...stay tuned for a wild ride

Friday, March 6, 2015

28. T Minus 1 hour and 30 minutes until I am FREEEEE for spring break



2 midterms on the day before spring break is just cruel.  But, the light on the end of the tunnel is Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Sunday.  In a few short days I will be laying on the beach with a drink in my hand soaking up the sun....this image is literally the only thing that got me through this week.  It's so close now!!! I'll be posting some fun blogs over break hopefully.  That should be interesting.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

27. I FOUND A WAY

...kind of

My instagram is one place where I express myself.  Here are my last 10 instagram posts from most recent to oldest.  They really do sum up my life basically in a nutshell.  Family, friends, horses, my boyfriend, the beach, my sorority, and SMU.  These are the key components to my life, and they are simply shown through a few simple posts.  Without even thinking, these photos tell a story about my life.  Hm...maybe creativity is better when you don't seek it out?

PATIENTLY AWAITING SPRING BREAKS ARRIVAL...okay maybe not so patient
Mom comes to Dallas for Pi Phi moms weekend 
Valentines Day present~tickets to Cavalia


Just chillen
My little......pizza

Formal
Pike Superbowl Party (Go Pats)
~California~

Miss you Dad <3




The best of friends

26. Creative Process 3

BRAINSTORMING:

Everyones creative process is different.  Which is what makes creativity so unique.  Personally, when I want to start something creative I make a list of random shit that comes to my mind.  Then I narrow it down to random shit that could actually become something cool...and less random.  Once I have done that I attempt to get an image in my mind of whatever I want to create.  The problem that I have with creativity is when it has to be something about myself.  A story, a video, a picture, anything really.  I don't like people seeing my work, or letting people into my life, mind, or ideas.  I get unbelievably self conscious about ideas I have and it completely blocks my creative process.  I've started to work on letting my ideas and work be seen and heard but it still makes me uncomfortable.  To be in the creative field I need to get over this fear, which is normal to have...but I need to find a way to do this.  I'll keep you updated if I get any closer to figuring it out....

25. Fashion



Already sick of reading this book for my midterm.

24. TOO MANY SNOW DAYS


I swear Dallas is literally the only city in the entire world that completely shuts down for a little bit of snow.  Honestly, closing school isn't that big of a deal....but considering it is the middle of midterms, closing every library on campus is SO FUCKING ANNOYING.  I have been walking around campus for an hour trying to find a place to study for my 2 midterms tomorrow and finally found a place....so now that I have ranted about stupid SMU not knowing how to handle snow, I am going to start studying.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

23. Stress

Stress is what I feel
Specifically now, generally all the time
I write it off as if no big deal
But, my body rejects my ignorance
I convince myself I am fine and relaxed
But my worsening Alopecia says otherwise
It is times like these
Tests, important life decisions and actions controlling my life
Where I get overwhelmed and ignore the stress
I pretend not to feel it
But I feel it
It is always there
But especially now
Now I really feel it

22. Creative Process 2

Psychodynamic Creative Theory:

The psychodynamic creative theory was developed by Sigmund Freud and is the study of the tension between conscious and unconscious realities.  I find this theory really interesting because I think it is cool to study how the brain works.  The theory discusses how no matter what you conclude from a piece of work, your findings can never be completely conclusive because you never know what the artist was truly thinking.  The study of how the creative mind works is really interesting to me and I think the idea that your conscious and subconscious minds can have completely different, out of the box ideas is something really amazing.

21. Rainbows



My whole life I have had an obsession with rainbows and after my dad died they always reminded me of him.  Since then, every rainbow I see I take a photo of.  This is one in Vermont, where I grew up skiing and where my dads ashes are spread.  This was the first time I felt that rainbows had some sort of significance to my dad and captured it.

20. Spring Break


~dreaming of nice weather and palm trees~

~Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  T minus 4 days...can't come fast enough

19. Rain



This rain NEEDS TO GO
It is fucking horrible
Where is the sunshine

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

18. That awkward moment....



That awkward moment when you flip through the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders calendar and come across your SMU academic advisor, who was apparently a DCC, chillen in her bikini....I'm going to go ahead and say that month will not be hanging on the wall...could be a little strange

17. My Cat Molly



My kitten is literally fucking insane....and I'm also pretty sure she hates me.  She runs into walls....over...and over again...and for whatever reason it doesn't hurt her and she strangely seems to like it.  She has been SPRINTING around the house for the past 3 hours like a maniac...jumping on everything and then immediately jumping off and running away, biting my feet, attacking and jumping up my legs, walking across my computer while trying to bite my fingers....and of course, when I try to capture this ridiculousness on video...specifically for this post.  She decides now is a good time to go to sleep...how very convenient of you, Devil kitty.  You'll be sleeping in your cage tonight.
She is clearly unamused with me, per usual

16. House Of Cards

I don't understand
House Of Cards makes zero sense
Maybe I should watch

15. Michael aka Miguel



my "hot" boyfriend

14. Creative Process 1



...according to Graham Wallas

1) Preparation
2) Incubation
3) Illumination
4) Verification

I definitely agree that there is a creative process to some extent, but I am having difficulty wrapping my head around the idea that it can be put into steps.  Creativity is personally inventive; it is different for everyone.  The Preparation Stage is defined as "the problem to be solved is carefully considered and resources are gathered in order to confront the task.  The conscious mind is focused on the problem" (the creative process, illustrated pg. 7).  The problem I have with this definition as well as the other 3, is that these only apply to the creative process if you are given a specific task and told to do something with it.  In that sense, these steps do make sense.  However, when creativity is free-flowing all on its own, without rules or guidelines I think the starting place, and all the steps in between are completely different for each person. And that can not be put into stages or steps, it just happens all on its own.

13. My Passion



A passion is something you love
Something that drives your life in the direction you want it to go
It is something that makes you who you are
For me it is horses
Riding is my life, it is a part of me

12. Sonia Rykiel



Sonia is the designer who invented the "poor boy" sweater .... meaning, she was the first person to make a soft, comfy sweater.  I am doing an infographic on her life and her designs.  This was the cover of Elle when her sweater first became known to the world.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

11. Money - Abundance - Scarcity - Wealth


I chose not to take the challenge of creating a collage using money for a few reasons.  First off, I happen to have zero cash in my room right now and there is no ATM near by.  But, even if I did I still most likely would not have done it.  I would rather not obstruct money by gluing it to something, or gluing something to it, frankly because it would be a waste.  I don't have a problem with making something creative with money, but anything that would permanently destroy it would make me uncomfortable.  Overall, the main reason is because I did not have any cash accessible to do the assignment, so I figured I would discuss why I chose not to instead.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

10. Beanies


I wore a beanie for the first time yesterday.  I felt strangely like a hipster.  It is not usually my style, but I have to admit, I kind of like it.  Maybe I'll buy one of my own

9. Weather


Fuck this cold weather
I came to Dallas for warmth
Not in New England

Sunday, February 22, 2015

8. FAIL


My entire life I have been a competitive equestrian rider.  I spent 2 full semesters of high school living in Florida where the most elite equestrian competition takes place for 12 weeks of the winter.  The division I mainly competed in is called "equitation" it is a judged division for people 18 years and under.  It is the most technical, you have to be poised, stay at a steady pace, leave the ground the same distance before each jump, have a certain amount of steps in between certain jumps all while maintaining a perfect position and having a beautiful horse who fits the criteria of what the judge is looking for.

This was something I was naturally very good at.  I would compete all year to gain enough points for the 'finals' at the end of the season.  There are 4 main ones, the ASPCA Maclay, the USEF Medal, the USET Talent Search and Washington Finals.  For the Maclay finals, which is what the following videos are of, you must gain enough points to make it to 'regionals' and then you must place in the top 30 to move on to the final.  I was lucky enough to make it through to the final every year I competed. In 2012 I had one of the best rounds of my life, which is what the first video is of.  Showing what an equitation class is supposed to look like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lICLIgxUCQ

The next video, was the following year, in 2013, which was also my last junior (under 18 equitation rider) year and this was the last final of the year.  I had been riding a lot, my horse felt great and I was excited to get in the ring.  However, the universe had another plan for me...as I was cantering up to the first jump I thought in my head "phew, I found the distance to the first jump, this is awesome."  Finding a distance is how far away you leave the ground from the jump and it has to be the perfect distance, which isn't always easy to find, especially to the first jump because you don't have a lot of time to get your pace set.  Needless to say, I was excited that I felt good about the first jump.  As my horse went to take off, he took a funny step, and fell through the jump, I fell off, and that was it.  Although this happens to everyone, and this was not my first time falling off, it was the definition of an EPIC FAIL.  Even the commentators had no idea what happened.  There was nothing I could have done, and it wasn't my fault, but I absolutely failed.  I was extremely disappointed and upset for weeks after because that was how I had ended my junior riding career.  But, I got back on and kept on doing what I love.  And in the end I learned that sometimes you have to fail to appreciate your success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80OC1UITzd8

Sunday, February 15, 2015

7. Pi Beta Phi big/little week day 3


This is for the final day of big/little....the crafting took about 8 hours over 2 days and more money than I can to admit to fill it with stuff.  Pi Phi's symbol is "angel" and our colors are wine and silver blue, so that's where the sayings come from on the sides.  I had a lot of fun crafting for my little, but I am definitely happy it is over.

6. Pi Beta Phi Big/Little Week day 2



Last week was my sororities big/little week.  As a sophomore, I got a little and you spend the whole week crafting things for them and giving them gifts and hints to who you are.  This picture is a collage of what I made for my little for the second day.  You decorate and fill a trashcan with lots of Pi Phi gear and their favor foods and give them a note that hints at who you are.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

5. Embrace the shake


http://www.ted.com/talks/phil_hansen_embrace_the_shake?language=en

I thought this video was not only inspirational, but also extremely impressive.  Although the point he was trying to get across was that you can not let anything get in the way of what you love, but rather embrace the challenge, I think a huge factor that he fails to mention is that he is an unbelievably incredible artist.  This is what stuck out to me the most.  I did find it moving that he found a way to embrace the shake and turn his art into something amazing, but I mainly focused on how awesome his art work turned out.  I was extremely impressed by the fact that trying a new approach on his art turned into such incredible pieces.  This is something I don't think everyone could do by embracing a challenge, but for someone with as much talent as him it clearly allowed him to create masterpieces.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

4. Superbowl Commercial


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAsjRRMMg_Q

My favorite commercial from the 2015 Superbowl was the Budweiser Best Buds one.  I think this commercial absolutely works.  It captures the emotional connection of the product to the consumers and although it doesn't make the viewer necessarily think about their beer it makes them think about their brand as a whole, showing high customer satisfaction and a strong relationship between consumer and brand.  This commercial is definitely effective because I think most people know exactly what product has the commercial with the puppy and the Clydesdale, therefore they successfully advertised their brand and their products.

3. Superbowl outfit


Being from Massachusetts I am a strong Patriots fan.  The day before the Super Bowl my mom sent me a package with this shirt as well as a Brady jersey.  The shirt proved to be good luck.... and will stay the shirt I will wear for all future Pats games to ensure their win.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

2. My room



This is a collage of the art work I have in my dorm room.   These photographs show my style and personality as well as make my dorm room feel more like home.  Prada Marfa is a permanant sculpture in Valentine, TX which was created to resemble a Prada store, but is not a functional building.  The Paris photo I just find beautiful because I have always wanted to go to Paris.  The Vogue covers show my love for classic fashion and tradition. All of these decorations are beautiful and make the room more festive and welcoming. 

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

1. About me



My name is Addie Audette.  One aspect of myself that is often unexpected is that I have 2 tattoos.  most people say "wow I didn't expect you to have a tattoo!" But, the truth is, the tattoos don't only represent my personality, but also my life, my family, and my father.  My dad committed suicide when I was 14 years old.  The first tattoo is a quote on my side in French reading "Vivez vos rêves tous les jours" meaning "live your dreams everyday."  My family is French and I have always loved the language, which is why I chose this rather than English.  The quote comes from the letter my dad left my brothers and I telling us to make sure we live our dreams every day.  I decided I wanted this to be a part of my body not only because it is a constant reminder to live life to the fullest not only for myself, but also for my father.  Most people think it would make me sad having that on my body, but instead it encourages me to be happy and not let the burdens of my past hold me back from having a wonderful life.
The second tattoo is a horseshoe wrapped around a mountain.  I have ridden horses my entire life and it is something that brings constant joy to me.  The mountain inside is where I grew up skiing with my family.  It was my dads wish to be cremated and have his ashes spread there, so that is what we did.  The mountain on my ankle shows the front face of Stowe mountain, which forever holds a part of me, my father.
My tattoos do not define me.  Although there is a constant thought that tattoos are only found of criminals or people of that sort I find tattoos a beautiful way to express yourself and your life in a creative way.  My oldest brother has my dads signature tattooed across his back and not only is it a beautiful reminder of his presence, but it is also something that brings us together as siblings.  Losing my father was a horrible experience, but this is my creative way I found to express myself in such a tragic time.