A Midsummer Night’s…

Lucky Number 7

Yesterday it was Izzy’s and my 6^th year Wedding Anniversary.  We got married on August 25^th, 2005 in Madrid; it was a Thursday, just like yesterday!  Thursdays have always been my favorite day of the week and I knew it was a sure sign.  Our wedding seems like it was just yesterday! 

Here’s how that special Thursday in 2005 went before we got married: In the morning, we took our guests on a walking tour of the city, stuffed ourselves with ribs and chorizo for lunch at Las Costillas, and then my sister and I decided I needed something for my hair.  Someone once asked me, “How could you have eaten so much before you got married?”  I still don’t have the answer but I can say that I cannot resist ribs and I turn into a nightmare if I don’t eat!  Who wants to be Bridezilla?  And haven’t you ever noticed that fed people are nice people? 

On the walk back to our apartment, we stopped at a florist and asked if they could make a headpiece out of fresh flowers as we saw that he was making them at that moment. 

“¿Para cuándo?” It only seems logical that he would want to know for when.

“Lo necesito ahora. Hoy mismo.”  I kindly replied that I needed it for right now and the florist nearly had a heart attack!

“Imposible.” I have never been a fan of the word “impossible”.

Apparently, the florist was on overload because of the numerous orders he had to complete for the weekend communions.  It was Thursday, in my mind and if it were my shop, I would have sold one that was already made and I would have made another in its place but that is not how it happened.  So my creative sister tells me to buy the stuff and we’ll make it.  The guy basically threw baby’s breath and wire at us and charged us nothing. 

“Buena suerte.” He said as we were leaving the store.

My sister and I run to our apartment and we braided the wire and tied in the flowers and violá; I had a handmade flower headpiece for my special day!

So here is how this special anniversary in 2011 went: We were invited by one of his co-workers to attend the HBGC’s Midsummer Night’s Art Gala at his apartment.  He lives in the South End in a Warehouse where if you have an Artist’s Certificate from the State of Massachusetts, you can live in the space and do what you wish to make it you home, art studio, etc.

I really didn’t know what to expect but I was very excited because I love meeting artists and seeing their work firsthand.  This event was to raise money for the HBGC that is only 2 years old.  One of the founders said that even if you aren’t Hispanic, Black or gay, their mission is to make the world a friendlier place and show their support, especially with so much bullying going on in the United States as of late.

I introduced myself to several people and Izzy’s co-worker introduced me to the artists and showed me all of their pieces and his pieces.  As some of the attendees were casual participants to art, he gave a nice introduction to art collecting.

Izzy arrived and saw that I had been signing the bidding sheet to outbid a guy named, “Joel.”  I decided to figure out who this “Joel” was as he was up against me on the “Lucky Number 7” by Anna Comella and who was also bidding on all of the pieces!

I see a guy in front of the Number Collection, talking to the artist and I asked,

“Are you Joel?”

“Why, yes, I am.”

“Hi!  I am Sarah and I really want that Lucky Number 7.”

“Well, so do I!”

Joel and I became friends and were having so much fun.  I finally told Joel that if he didn’t stop outbidding me on my soon to be Lucky Number 7 then I would step on his foot with my lovely high heeled shoe!  Always a lady!!  We even had the artist laughing!  We were also trying to get the other attendees into the bidding but didn’t have too much success.

Finally, bid time was over and I got the FINAL bid on the painting and we got to take home the Lucky Number 7!!  What an anniversary present!  I love the number 7!  I was born on the 7^th…in the 70s, got married on the 25^th (2+5=7!) in the year 2005! 

After the event, Izzy and I went to eat dinner at Legal Seafood Harborside where we lucked out and got a table right by the water!  After dinner, we had a cocktail on the lovely roof deck.

As the news is filled with updates on the Hurricane Irene, I sent Izzy out to get water and he comes back with beer!  Here is the card that my mom sent us for our anniversary and it is so perfect!

Hope that everyone on the East Coast stays safe!   

Under-tattooed in Boston

Photo from http://bostonist.com/

“¿Está llevando una camiseta?” I asked Izzy.

“No creo.” He answered.

After careful inspection, the bartender was not wearing a batik t-shirt but she was wearing a black tank top and the whole upper part of her body and arms were tattooed like a batik in black ink.  I found the tattoos quite lovely, as they weren’t filled in with all of the colors.  I have a tattoo that is well hidden that I got when I was 19 with one of my best friends and mine isn’t looking as peachy as it did when I first got it so when I saw the bartender’s intricate body design, I kept thinking to myself, “How is that going to look in 20 years?”

I remember when I got my tattoo; my friend and I felt like we were on a mission.  We got into my mom’s red convertible Miata, we blared the music, giggling the entire ride, as we followed our buddy who led the way on his motorcycle to Tony’s tattoo parlor.  Our friend convinced us that Tony was the best tattoo artist around and that his needles were “new”.  That didn’t even phase us.

We felt like the ultimate rebels, like we were the coolest of cool.  Her brother designed our tattoos to fit perfectly on the left side where the bikini covered it.  We decided not to go with the right side just in case we had to have our appendix out.  Good thinking for two 19 years olds at a tattoo parlor!!  She made me get mine first.  We each paid Tony the $70 in single dollars, tip money, and off we went back to work.  That summer, we worked at a snack bar and couldn’t wait to show our new body art to our co-workers.  They weren’t half as thrilled as we were.    

I sometimes forget that I have a tattoo and when I catch a quick glimpse in the mirror, I do a double take and then I chuckle.  My tattoo is of a blue moon with stars and Saturn (that’s my planet and I figured you only get a tattoo once in a blue moon, the stars were an added bonus).  Once again, great thinking for a 19 year old!  My friend’s tattoo is of a sunflower that her parents to this day believe she paints it on herself every day!  Any mother of three would know that there is no way she would have time to paint a tattoo on herself everyday!    

I don’t regret getting the tattoo: It is a marker of time and friendship, rebelliousness, recklessness, plain permanent fun.  I do regret that my sister was worried that Big Al would freak out so she got a little heart tattooed on her butt!

Per usual, I did a survey about tattoos.  I, personally, have mixed feelings about tattoos.  I have always thought that tattoos are thought provoking; they always make me wonder what it means to the person and I also think that my take on tattoos depends on my given mood: I like them, hate them, love them, find them gross, etc.  My dear friend Joanna has a small Native American turtle on her ankle.  She says that Indians of the Eastern Woodlands believed that the world was created on the back of a turtle.  She claims that tattoos are very personal, which they are and if you get one it should be “small and something meaningful”.  

I have a couple of friends who aren’t fans and especially not of all over the body tattoos.  One of them respects everyone's right to decorate their own body as they see fit.  She adds,

“Of course, I think tattoos all over the body are a little much, and people should put them in places where they can hide them because there are times and places where tattoos are not appropriate.

PS I think people who put their initials or names on their bodies are stupid”!

One friend has 7 tattoos on various body parts!  She likes tattoos and thinks the opposite of my other friend and thinks that all over the body tattoos “can be sexy!”

My other friend who isn’t a fan thinks that they look better on darker skin as they look “very greeny on aged white skin” says, “I also don’t think tattoos go with everything i.e. a ball gown + a tattoo looks really tacky.”

Every time my husband and I enjoy a frosty beverage at a bar or eat at a restaurant, we feel under-tattooed.  I have seen a bartender with New Jersey tattooed behind his ear.  I find it fascinating.  Wouldn’t that hurt like hell?  I think that I have seen more tattooed people here in Boston then I have ever seen in my life.  Through my exploration of the city, I have noticed that there aren’t as many tattoo parlors here as there are in Vallecas and the few that I have seen look sketchy from the outside.

I am pretty sure that I would never get another tattoo not to mention that Fruitcake would have a heart attack if I did as he constantly reminds me of the amount of mercury, carbon and numerous other toxins that enter the blood stream with a tattoo. 

If you are heading to Boston and want to have the tattooed look, I recommend going temporary.  Temporary tattoos can be found every where and if you are looking for the ones that are a bit more dynamic then the ones found in a box of Cracker Jacks, according to dailycandy.com, Swissmiss launched a new line.  If you want to get even more sophisticated, Chanel has temporary tattoos or you can order Henna tattoos at amazon.com.   

If you plan on heading to Boston and want a real tattoo, you can head to the 10^th Annual Boston Tattoo Convention being held September 2-5 and get one there!

Kat Von D - I loved her tattoo show!