Kat Von D was one of the featured artists on the first two seasons of Miami Ink, which has traveled the globe, airing in many countries including Japan, Australia, Brazil and England. Kat specializes in fine-line, black & gray style life-like portraits. In more than a decade of being a professional tattoo artist she has amassed a devout following including hundreds of thousands of friends on her myspace.com page and thousands more checking her out at TLC.com/LA-Ink. In addition, many celebrities, athletes and entertainers seek out her services such as Jackass’ Bam Margera, Steve-O and Ryan Dunn, Slayer, My Chemical Romance, Guns N Roses, Green Day, The Mars Volta, Eve and Mira Sorvino.

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/la-ink/la-ink.html

This Land Rover Discovery 2 has entered our family. We are pumped and can’t wait to go off road camping, hunting, and to the beach. It has already opened up a whole new world of making plans and including the Rover and the outdoors, and we love it!

A little background history: In a world overrun by minivans posing as sport-utilities, the Land Rover Discovery is the real thing, the Swiss Army knife. It is the authentic 4×4. Few SUVs can venture as far off road, into the backcountry as the Discovery can go. Its suspension articulation and permanent four-wheel-drive system must be experienced in extreme conditions to truly be appreciated, with its distinctive Land Rover styling and heritage.

My dog discovered these 6 babies a week ago. We have since put up fencing to keep predators out. However, last night they started to leave and my cat got one. It is upsetting as an animal lover, but I have done all of my research and learned to care for these wild babies. It’s natures way and 80% of baby bunnies do not make it to six months old. Please educate yourself  using the excerpt/link below, in case you ever come across a bunny nest in your yard.

I/My Dog/My Cat Found a Rabbit Nest! What Do I Do? Rabbits hide their nests in plain view, often putting them in the open; for example, in the middle of the lawn, as well as in brush piles and long grass. If you find a nest that has been disturbed, do all you can to restore and protect it rather than bring the infants inside. If a dog has discovered the nest, keep your dog away from the area and reconstruct the nest with grasses. If need be, you can move the nest a few feet away where safer. Rabbit mothers nurse their babies for approximately 5 minutes a day. They will be in the nest or nest box early in the morning and then again in the evening. The milk is very rich and the babies “fill up” to capacity within minutes. Mother rabbits do not “sit” on the babies to keep them warm as do some mammals and birds. They build a nest with fur and grasses which helps to keep the babies warm in between feedings. Do not force a mother rabbit to sit in the nest box. You can pick up the babies and see if they are feeding by checking the size of their stomachs (should not be sunken in), the pinkness of their skin and activity level (they should not be blue in color or sluggish in movement) and the amount of time that you hear them crying (baby bunnies should be quiet most of the day….if they are crying constantly then they are not getting fed). If you come across a nest of bunnies in the wild and the mother is no where to be seen, please DO NOT disturb them…this is normal. By removing them from the nest you are greatly reducing their chances of survival. If your dog disturbs a nest or you find a wild bunny with its eyes open, please put him back if not injured. Mom will be coming back at night to call and feed him only once in the middle of the night. Do not take the bunny inside or feed him. That is the mom’s job. IT IS A MATTER OF HIS/HER SURVIVAL AND UP TO US AS HUMANS TO LEAVE NATURE BE AND LET THE MOM CARE FOR HER YOUNG. We often hear of mothers moving their babies and their nests, and have seen moms come back every night for up to a week to look for her missing baby. Do not take the baby from the mom or she will be frantic.

To read more: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html

Sunday I went fishing and paddled up on these little painter turtles.
No bigger than a half dollar.

Rizzy and I swapped gift cards and used them on Friday! I got these cool new jeans from Hollister — first time I have ever been in the store. It was very dark and smelled like their newest fragrance. I found these cool jeans online first, and sought them out once I got there. I got a larger size than I usually am, so they are baggy, but really comfortable. I love the white paint and they are distressed in all the right places. The back pockets have buttons on them, making them classy like (True Religion). 

Rizzy was happy, the jeans came with a cool chip board hang tag with a metal gromet, which we will keep for for future reference!

Recent graduate of the illustration department over at the University of the Arts, Dan Hughes, has a very playful and graphic painting style.  I also enjoy his variety of color pallette’s, that range from extremely limited to vibrant bursts of many different colors at once.  Dan’s medium of choice for his illustrations is acrylic paint, though he can work digitally, he prefers painting, which is something that I admire.  Anyways, check out his website at http://www.danielhughesillustration.com.

News Flash Straight From New Jersey Fish and Game….

“Black bears are the largest land mammal in New Jersey. They are an integral part of the state’s natural heritage and a vital component of healthy ecosystems.

Since the 1980s the Garden State’s black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Within the most densely populated state in the nation, black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey’s counties.

Division of Fish and Wildlife personnel use an integrated approach to managing New Jersey’s black bear population, fostering coexistence between people and bears.”

*Keep your eyes open, the black bears are moving in!

I LOVE neon signs, although I ‘ve never been to Vegas! I have this baby proudly displayed on my desk. It is a Weinhards Red - Boars Head Rotating Motion Neon Beer Sign!

To each his own, but personally, I think it looks awesome vintage circa 1994!

There’s nothing like walking into a local tavern and seeing nothing but bar stools, plain tables, and cool vintage signs all over the walls. I love just admiring the classic typefaces and cool artwork! 

Start collecting them now if you haven’t already (hold on to the neon classics) before neon is totally replaced with LED in the not so distant future!

Last Sunday I cruised out on the Salem Canal with my buddy for a long awaited trip on his new 18ft Nitro bass boat. Nothing like waking up at 4:15am and sliding the boat in by 5:30am after a night of being out real late. The morning started off pretty well, but the Large Mouth Bass we were going for – just weren’t biting.

After trolling around for a while, we knew we found the spot. So I Carolina-rigged my rubber worm and set off in the heavy brush along the banks of the Canal. One after another they started to grow in size. Then I hooked the biggest Large Mouth Bass I ever caught. Some say it’s just a normal fish they catch daily, but to me – it was truly an experience.

I joined Rick on a trip to Portland, Maine to visit one of our clients — White Rock Distilleries. The drive was long, but so worth it! We stopped at a few stores from Cabelas to the original L.L. Bean. It was a wonderful experience for any outdoor enthusiast such as myself. I purchased a really cool deer sign and a “Maine made” wind chime as a reminder. We did a lot of walking in Portland and the people were so nice. I loved all of the local designers who are showcased in town. Portland is also a very animal friendly city;  it is not unusual to see dog bowls in front of stores or even a dog behind the checkout counter — another sign that Portland is home to good folks. We even stopped at Kennebunkport on our way home and saw the Bush Compound and the Terminator’s home. This trip really broadened my horizons as a designer and got me out to see and experience new things that I will never forget. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to go visit Maine through 168 and  hope to get back soon to visit and sightsee more… Still on my to do list: eat a Maine lobster while sitting on a moose! to be con’t… PEACE LOVE HAPPINESS.