welcome home...

I'm young. I'm a renter. I don't want to be tied down. Knowing that when my lease is up I could pick up and leave, go anywhere imaginable is exciting, and almost calming. Both sides of the sword. I really don't have a "home". Minneapolis is home, but Minneapolis is city, with a million niches, a diversity of neighborhoods and a lot of potential places to settle.

I am not ready to settle. I don't want to plant my roots yet. I know Minneapolis will always be my home, but where I am going to end up still isn't in even in my thoughts.

My apartment is cozy, I'm a packrat - I live with three roomies, whom I adore. The furniture is mostly mine, the knick knacks are mostly mine. The art on the walls belongs to me. But still this isn't my home. Moms is far from home, I was erased from that house years ago. Dads never was home, he drifted while I was growing up - I don't think he would even call the apartment he is living in home.

That doesn't keep me from saving the pictures into a folder called home on my desktop. Things I think are pretty, ways I would love to live....

tattoo ideas...

Sometimes great ideas come at really unexpected times. I was brushing my teeth last night and thought of what's next on the list of crista's never ending tattoos desires....

This fine little screen print is the current art in our bathroom... well you see that little chandelier hanging almost center next to the pink bunny with the chain saw, that sparked a thought.

I want to add a chandalier to my half sleeve, yes yes i do.

So then today with the aide of google, I came across this gem...

I think after my flower lady is finished, I will start working on this pretty little piece.

And yes this should end my half sleeve. A patchwork of sorts.

Peonies, map coordinates, a clamshell and pearl, a pretty little lady and roses... and a chandelier and birds.... I will still add the "sufficiently breathless" text, hopefully somewhere.

I love tattoos.

yes yes i do.

to sum it up.

In places all over the internet i have been reading people re-capping the best things that happened to them in 2009. I'm avoiding driving home due to the impending snow... so i figured i would take a look back at a year which was more monumental to me then i ever could have guessed...

travel travel travel - i took some great trips this year. arizona to see astronautalis was one of the best trips on a few days notice. His performance is something that everyone should see, completely captivating and his music laid a solid sound track for my 2009.

black clover beerfest - thank god for beer. this was such an amazing event that brought together so many people. Who meets people from minneapolis in other cities - me me me. who shares drinks with randoms doesn't recall this at all - and then runs into them months later to be told the story ((and become instant friends)) - me me me. Who gets tattoos just to get tattoos with friends - me me me. This weekend was one for the books. I had the best time, with some of the best people, and saw some amazing dudes do there thing - KCMO style.

LA - i fell in love with this city. Never ever in my life did i think i would love LA, but i now do. I got to see so many faces that i never get to see which was so amazing. i cried at Michael Jackson's star on the walk of fame. i stayed in the comfiest beds i've ever slept in. i want - no need to get back west.

People traveling to MPLS - Sharing my city with so many people this year was amazing. Nothing ever could top this years blowout - and i was a skeptic about even going. Thank you Stef for helping make one of the best moments ever possible. Max moving away was tough but that weekend (reunion) was priceless.

So much good music i could never make a list, but Astronautalis, P.O.S., Radical Face, The lawrence Arms, Cecil Otter, Prof, Mac Lethal, Cursive, Aesop Rock, Bluebird, and Grieves are a few names that topped my charts - Played amazing shows - or are just great people.

Some of the most amazing people came into my life this year, re-appeared, or just proved to be the right people to have in life. My friends are more then friends, a lot of you are closer then family. Thank you. I appreciate you.

cheers 2009, it's been a pleasure.

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