TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT

As my absence may have indicated it has been quite a busy time around the Dearest house. I don't even know where to start to catch you up on all that has past since I last typed an entry. So…I'm just going to give you the cliffs notes version of my past 4 months.

Mick, Peanut Butter and I are all moved into our new humble abode. It's a very quirky old converted shop. We have concrete floors, pressed tin ceilings, two stories, a spiral staircase, a fish pond and a bigger backyard for our little furry munchkins. Yes munchkins plural. We now have a second furry edition to our family, the squishiest of squish face dogs, Mr Humphrey the British Bulldog came home with us from out latest over seas trip. 

From the first day I met the little fellow, the day we brought
him home & hanging on the couch with big sis Peanut.

We recently journeyed to the ever green north island of New Zealand. Where we attended a tattoo convention before indulging in a road trip holiday around the island. We saw snow capped mountains, geothermal hot springs, geysers, caves and what felt like a million cow and sheep inhabited rolling green hillsides. New Zealand has definitely been one of my favourite holidays so far, everything is so picturesque and there are countless outdoor activities to partake in everywhere you go.

Mount Taranaki, Hells Gate geothermal pools,
road trip view & Huka Falls from the jet boat.

It feels as if the time in between entries has sped past me and I'm already looking down the barrel of the holiday season and it would seem that the Dearest house is already filling up with Christmas cheer. The decorations are up, the candy canes are out and the live Christmas tree is filling the house with the loveliest scent of pine. 

I hope all of you are getting into the holiday spirit however you chose to celebrate.

Kitty xx 

WHITE TEA BLUES.

I have contempt for life. 

Most of the time I fucking hate life.

Most of the time life is a fucking flatline existential nightmare for me and I fucking hate it and want to check out all the time.

There you go, now you know the truth, but the thing that keeps me here is knowing that life would say "haha, you wimped out, you couldn't handle me" and so what I seek to do i make life run for its life.

I want to be a pain in lifes arse.

I want life to celebrate the day I die.

I want life to get a breather once I'm dead.

-Henry Rollins

I scribbled this quote down all over my sketch pad the first time I heard it and it's stuck with me ever since. I still have the piece of paper.

I can't wait to see him in Perth in May.

Kitty xx

WEARY TRAVELING.

I just seem to be getting further and further behind in my blogging. Life just seems to be getting busier by the day, there is just so much going on in my little world. I wouldn't even know how to blog about everything thats been happening lately, but I will share a little about my recent trip to Sydney.

So this year was the 4th annual Sydney tattoo & Body Art Expo. I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that I originally wasn't going to be able to make it but thanks to my superhero boyfriend that situation soon changed around and we were both on a plane to Sydney before we knew it.

Done at the convention.

I always feel that no matter how much preparation I put into an event something will always find a way to come undone. So when orders for business cards went awry although I wasn't completely surprised I did completely loose my cool and turn into a blithering mess of a girl. Thank goodness for this damsel in distress my boyfriend is an aforementioned superhero and saved the day yet again.

Done at the convention.

The rest of the week and the convention itself went swimmingly and I had such an amazing time catching up with old friends and making new ones and got to do some fun tattoos on some fun people to boot. Hands down my best convention experience to far and I can't wait until the Rites of Passage convention in April to do it all over again, but with a home ground advantage, which will be so lovely.

If you would like to get tattooed at the Rites of Passage Convention or any other time you can email me at info@kittydearest.com.

Hope you all having a splendid week so far and are enjoying the start to your Autumn,

Kitty xx

ATTENTION SYDNEY FOLK!

I will officially be attending the up coming Sydney tattoo & Body Art Expo! In a very uncharacteristic bout of spontaneity I have decided to work at the Sydney Expo. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it this year, but HAZZAR I will indeed be going after all, I worked the show last year and had a blast, I can't wait to do it all over again.

The convention is from Friday the 9th of March to Sunday the 11th of March. So if any of you Sydney dwellers fancy getting tattooed during my brief visit please email me at kittydearest@hotmail.com with "SYDNEY TATTOO EXPO" in the subject bar.
Kitty xx

LAST STOP

TRAVEL CATCH UPS

On the day that my birth is celebrated we journeyed very wearily from Vegas to our San Francisco, our final destination. We spent our last days perusing the streets in our hire car, enjoying delicious treats along the way and getting in some last minute shopping. We saw the Golden Gate bridge, well most of it, thanks fog, we went to Pier 39, taxidermy shops, vintage shops, golden gate park and the oldest Japanese tea garden in America.

pumpkins for days

of all sizes 

golden gate bridge. disappearing into the skye

so so many pigeons

japanese tea garden #1

#2

#3

#4. thank you self timer

seriously hilly roads. every car ride is like a roller coaster

sea lions at pier 39

I think I could feel at home in San Francisco.
Kitty xx

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS...

TRAVEL CATCH UPS

stays in vegas

Kitty xx

WHEN IT SIZZLES

TRAVEL CATCH UPS

Another  fleeting trip around Europe took us to Paris. I love Paris. The weather was bitterly cold, it rained and it poured and I loved every minute. The buildings were amazing, there was so much art and culture and everything has a story.
Our trip wasn't nearly long enough and I can't wait to go back. You would need a whole week to see half of the Louvre alone. I could get completely carried away in Paris, daydreaming my time away eating amazing pastries and soaking up that something special about Paris that I can't quite put my finger on.

the colours of the leaves were so pretty

another tour bus. i love them. i don't care if they're lame

some lovely building

catacombs

catacombs

catacombs

le eiffel tower

notre dame

louvre

pont des arts

just like school kids

Until we meet again Paris.
Kitty xx

JUST A HOP SKIP AND A JUMP

TRAVEL CATCH UPS

Its so amazing that in Europe you can travel for 20 minutes and be a different country. Mick and I enjoyed this whilst in Copenhagen and decided to take a day trip to Sweden, a short and sweet ferry trip across the river and we were there.

sweden here we come

yep. thank you. thats really helpful

i adore florists

i also adore window boxes

and pumpkins!

slightly rusty bicycle

the skies were clear, but it was freeeeeezing 

and the bicycles continue

We spent the whole day meandering through the cobbled streets, taking in the sights and trying to find a menu that we could decipher.
Kitty xx

LAND OF THE BICYCLE

TRAVEL CATCH UPS

Onwards to Copenhagen! Straight off the train from the airport we were greeted by an ocean of bicycles, in every direction and the challenge of being in a non-English speaking country. Luckily for us almost everyone we met spoke the most impeccable English, and those that didn't were extremely kind to us.
Not knowing very much about the area Mick and I jumped on a bus tour, kitsch i know, but it was lovely. We learnt so much about the history of Copenhagen, and saw some awesome places on the way, none of which I can pronounce or spell.

the little mermaid statue

nyhavn

this times a squillion. everywhere.

heck yeah autumn leaves

Perhaps the only down side to Copenhagen other than the expensiveness was that the Tivoli Gardens were closed! We managed to be in Copenhagen for one of the brief parts on the year that its closed and the place looked amazing! The elaborate halloween decorations we could see from the outside taunted us and I desperately wanted to go, but luckily we did oodles of other fun things.

hans christian anderson museum

carlsberg brewery and museum

cheers

Copenhagen was so picturesque albeit very pricey and I think it would be especially pretty in the warmer months to let yourself wander aimlessly on a bicycle built for two. Perhaps next time, if we spend more that 3 short days.
Kitty xx

YO HO HO AND A BOTTLE OF RUM

TRAVEL CATCH UPS

The London Tattoo Convention was by far the biggest, most jam packed, hectic tattoo convention I have ever been to. There was a ridiculous amount of amazing artists at this show, not to mention Shige who was in the booth directly across from us, it was almost 10 people deep around him the whole 3 days. The show was so packed I barely even did a complete lap of the booths, the crowds where so tight in some corridors you had to elbow your way through like you were at van halen concert just to get to bathroom. 

the line to get in.
it was the same again on the other side of the building.

we even saw a bus crash

the lads working away 

cupcakes and cookies and gingerbread oh my

I did get my hands on a killer new tattoo machine from Lucky Tattoo Supply that I have now tried, tested and fallen in love with. Jimmy Whitlock, your machines are wonderful, not to mention very, very pretty.

At night time the lower level of the convention was filled with bars, music and less than coherent tattooists and friends. Being an old dock and having very poor lighting, the lower level was reminiscent of a seedy old world basement, with people laughing down corridors and disappearing into the dark.  The was a Sailor Jerry Rum Bar and I'd say that we all made the best of it.

yeah. cats.

alex binnies woodblock prints.
amazing.

polaroids care of miles aka poopy

mick and poopy.
slightly inebriated .

I think the London Tattoo Convention has been my favourite convention so far and Id definitely love to work it one day. Mick even bought me an original Corry Norris painting and managed to hide it from me until my birthday in Vegas.

Kitty xx