My 2016 Goals...

Every New Year I set goals not only for myself personally but for my business and my blog...

This is is of course no exception but I can honestly say that my track record SUCKS ass and I hope that 2016 will be the year I can get my shit all lined up and have a good report at the end of the year :)

Here are my personal goals for 2016:

NOTE:

These are not in an special order so please don't think that

 MORE TIME WITH THE HUBBY:

 Since our home is so chaotic and filled with kids, I really want to be able to not just spend time with him but spend more quality one on one time with him. 

We have not really had a chance to do this since we moved to Arkansas but since my sister in now in the area it might be easier to sneak away and enjoy a few hours together more often than not. 

ORGANIZE MYSELF

 Back in the day I was on point with this... now days not so much. I would like to blame the busy life we have but if I was to be honest it is really because I have been too lazy to stick with it. 

SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH MY GIRLS:

 I have come to the realization that my oldest will be 14 in March and my "baby" 9 in April! The time I have with them at home shrinks by the minute and though they drive me absolutely insane with their drama, school, boys and clothes I have to say I know I will miss these things when they are off to college.

Since Dakota is just 4 years shy of this milestone I have freaking out on the inside because I have seen HOW VERY FAST 4 years can fly! 

UGH! 

WORKOUT 

 I know... I know...

I say this EVERY year...

But this year I added a YAY YOU DID IT prize for myself and that is a new tat or 6 for my ribs....

I know I don't weigh a lot and people would be like you need to EAT not workout but here is the deal...

I have 3 babies...

I have stretchmarks....

 (thanks D)

and since I was 16 when I decided to start the motherhood journey I am well stretched out... 

Hints the working out... 

So...

LET GO and SAY NO

 This is a HUGE one for me. 

I have noticed recently that I may or may not be a bit of a control freak.

I also think that I am Superwoman and take on the world...

This leaving me stressed, overwhelmed, rushed which in terms leaves me well bitchy if you are looking for honesty.

NO MORE I SAY! 

I will have to say no to more things than I used to and I will have to learn to just let somethings go. 

Prayers are appreciated because this will be the hardest for me I am sure....

As for

 Inked & Sassy...

KEEP IT GOING:

 I LOVE to write and I hope that you all enjoy reading about my thoughts, our beautiful chaos and my opinions. 

Writing is almost therapeutic for me and though the LOVE for it is REAL I can say that some days it is HARD to sit down and write a blog when things are at the peak of CIRCUS status here. 

I have been known to disappear (as you all have recently seen) and I HATE THAT.

When I first starting blogging I wished to make it my full time job so many years ago... though I would LOVE to produce some sort of income from this it is no longer my goal as much as having a place to share my lack of writing skills and a place to voice some thoughts and stories.  You never know if one will help someone else or if someone know JUST what you MEAN when it comes to somethings life throws our way. 

For my biz...

What the Photography Studio and Boutique 

BUILD IT UP

 I know you all have heard me mention it before that I am working on starting my own biz. I have been on this for a while now but to tell you I have had the chance to sink in ALL of my time, money and heart in it would not be true. Right now I still can not throw my life into this because my family comes first but I can say that I hope 2016 will bring me more time and more clients here. 

I have spent the last few months of 2015 into revamping our "baby" and I am VERY VERY excited to share it with everyone. 

I hope that with this revamp life will be breathed into What the Photography and we will officially be off the ground. 

Here is to hoping! 

Today we are party prepping and getting ready to bring in 2016 as a family...

Here is a sneak peak of what we have going on right now! 

More on the outcome soon! 

 What are your 2016 goals this year?

We would LOVE to hear. 

Bringing in 2016!

Tomorrow is one of the BIGGEST partying days of the year where the ENTIRE WORLD celebrates together and brings in the new year... Talk about partying at it's finest...

This New Years Eve we are having a "party" kid style of course...

The sparkling ciders are bought...

Food is planned...

Decor is ready to be hung...

and the activities are ready!  

Last year I saw a great idea on pinterest about coming up with activities for every hour or so to keep the kids busy and mainly quiet (for sanity purposes). 

This year I am starting off the party at 2pm...

Yes I know it SEEMS early but since I have the girls friends here a lot of the time anyways there isn't really a reason not too. 

We always share our resolutions and our favorite memories and we always have a huge spread of food.... drinks.... and more! 

Of course our "party is consisting of 4 adults and 11 kids ranging from the ages of 13 to 3 months so we are partying hard as you can tell! 

I will be sharing all of the fun festivities,  activities, resolutions and more Friday! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And Just Where Have I BEEN?!....

It is so hard to believe that my last post was on November 19th! 

If you know me you know that life here seems to be on CHAOS status 99.99% of the time for the last few years and now since November it has raised about 100 times fold. I will still be here on the blog on a more frequent basis than I have been that I can promise. I have tried to get to you all sooner but it have not failed that  SOMETHING had taken priority for the day and the blog was on the back burner...

Got to LOVE life right?!

The last post I shared with you all that we were traveling to the Northern part of Arkansas to spend an early Thanksgiving with my biological father, his wife, my grandma and my half siblings. 

Since we never know what the Arkansas weather will do for the winter we decided to go ahead and celebrate Christmas with them too while we are there. 

The girls of course thought this was a GREAT idea and they racked up on TWO Christmases this year... 

We did manage to get a few snow flakes while we were there but since the weather here has been bipolar nothing stuck and we were able to travel home with no problems. 

With our "Thanksgiving" being the weekend before the actual day we were able to spend the next week chillin' at home. 

I usually have around 8 to 15 kids here during school breaks hanging out and since God blessed me with ALL girls we are usually surrounded by even more girls when they have friends over. 

We spent the week having a musical themed week! 

We watched Pitch Perfect one and two, Sweeny Todd, Grease, Dirty Dancing and more! 

We shorted our week at home because me and the hubby had to make an emergency trip to Alabama that weekend to help my sister and her kids move here. 

We made the QUICKEST trip ever.... Since we left our girls here in Arkansas with the neighbor this mamma was in a HURRY to get back. 

I know, I know, I know that they are NOT babies anymore but THIS mamma will ALWAYS consider them babies... 

The perk of this ALL happening when it did all of the kids were out for the Thanksgiving break and no one missed school during the commotion. 

My sisters kids did miss one day due to my car being in the shop for THREE WEEKS!... but that is a WHOLE different story....

The transition went well considering that me and my sister has not spent THIS much time together in 15 years... and out of our 7 kids 4 are ADHD and one is 2....

The kids LOVE (for the most part) that they are all in the same schools, and they have "friends" that are around ALL THE TIME.

Since the move we have gotten kids ready for Holiday dances, concerts, holiday parties, school programs and then Christmas where we have shopped, picked out and cut down our own Christmas tree, seen lights, watched the parade downtown and so much more! 

In between all of that we buried our cat Astrid and nursed our cat Tiger back to health after becoming a chew toy for a few pit bulls... 

Right now we are trying to survive the holiday break... we have had any where from 7 to 14 kids here a day and the noise level has been on the rock concert on crack levels. 

With New Years Eve and 2016 at the end of the week I can say that I am SO EXCITED!  2015 has been a VERY rough year for me personally and I am ready for a fresh start. 

I have also been working on my revamp for my biz and I am excited to show you all that too. 

What's In Your Bag?...Traveling with Kids

Some of my favorite memories as a kids were when we went on a road trip.

I can not tell you the joy I felt when I knew we had one coming up. 

As an adult I still get the same joyous feeling and I enjoy taking road trips as a family with my girls. 

Though we usually only get to travel when headed to see family I still enjoy the time in the car with us 5. 

Since I have traveled from the time I was 6 month old to currently I have come to find a few essentials  that I consider a MUST in our book.
The Perfect Bag

 

Over the years I have tried a HUGE varety from back packs to tote type etc. 

I found this doll last summer in the Target dollar section for $3 and I have to say I LOVE IT! 

It doesn't close up at all which is the only down fall but it works great for easy access, and hold just the right amount of items. 

I got this one for our youngest and I am in hopes that I can find one similar to this for all 3 of them and even might go all out and personalize them all one and dedicate them for our trips!  

3DS Game Systems

 

I am NOT a huge gamer fan but I have to say that these have came in VEY handy with our kids. 

Since two of them are ADHD keeping their boredom to a minimum is a HUGE task on long trips and I love these things for that reason and that reason only.  

Road Bingo

 

Target was on point last summer with their dollar section this last summer!
I got these awesome road trip bingo boards for only $1 each.
I grabbed one in each color which also works out great seeing that there are 4 since Dakota and Alora tend to go to Alabama for the summer and they take two. Which leaves two for Aaliyah and I when we travel and when we are together there is enough for everyone but the Hubby. Since he does the driving I thought it was safer to leave him out fo the fun :) but that doesn't stop him from cheating playing eye spy.
Cell Phones

We all have our own phones and og course that means they HAVE to go.
These are great entertainment for the kids especially the teens in our lives, they love to listen to their music, chat with friends and hit up social media.

Cinnamon Gum & Pressure Point Bands

Aaliyah suffers from car-motion sickness we have found that these two products help us a TON!
I knew about the arm bands from when I was a kid since my cousin suffers from Vertigo but when I was on the search for some for her for her first plane trip to Cali I had the WORST time finding them. I actually was blessed enough to get the set from my sister's then boy friend who's parents own a pharmacy and he mailed them to me.
I hope to get about 3 more sets because to be honest I have been on the verge of a heart attack a few times when I couldn't find them or one was MIA!
I plan to sick one set in each of our vehicles, my purse, and her travel bag...
Headphones

Since all of the girsl like listening to their own music and play the DS's these are another top thing on my list. Mainly for my sanity. We used to use earbuds but they are HARD to keep up with and lets be honest headphones are more comfortable.
Coloring books, Workbooks and Games

These are a great way to get the kids out of the tech world and into the world of the arts. I usually also let them throw in a book or two and Dakota will bring like 4.... She is a HEAVY reader!
The older two have nooks and they sometimes ask for them intead.

Here are a few things I did not take images of but still are just as important.
1. Travel Pillow and Blanket
My girls all have a small pillow to travel with and I am so very thankful that they do. These are great fro naps in the car and it brings something from home that they use often with them. 

2. Extra Clothes
I always pack and extra outfit for Aaliyah since she tends to throw up

3. Snacks, Drinks, wet wipes, Snackees and papertowels
We save HUGE amounts of money by hitting the grocery store and loading up my cooler bag. We don't have to pay the gas station prices nor do we have to stop and eat. The kids love to snack and this fits us well.  Aaliyah got a snackees cup for her birthday last year and I HAVE got to get one fro the rest of us but I promise we won't be sporting Elsa from Frozen :)

Next week I will share with you all what is in my bag when I travel. :)

We are headed up north this weekend for an early Thanksgiving and we are excited!
Now I need to go finish packing :)
See ya!

Planning Our Christmas Cards

 

Since the girls were little I have always used Christmas as a reason to force myself to send our friends and family updated pictures of them. 

Last years attempt was an EPIC fail and after February rolled around I gave up and trashed it all.

SO in hopes to get my shit together in 2015 I wrote in my brain aka planner to start this Christmas Card journey in October...

Well here we are the middle of November and I have done NOTHING...

Do I hear a repeat of last year?!

Let's hope not!

Here are my major dilemma's though:

 

Weather

Mother nature has not been so kind as of lately, the days that are perfect are already jam packed with stuff and the days I can get us 5 together are rainy, wet or way to freaking cold!

Location

Location, location, location!

We are having the WORST time at this. I can't decide if I want an urban, city look or a country look....

The hubby says lets do both but then I want to smack him and say I can;t get it together for one let alone two.... 

MEN!

Photo Cards vs. Photos IN Cards

I LOVE the simplicity of photo cards BUT I have also sent cards with the photo's in the for many years thinking what if they want to display these pictures year round? 

So that drives me nuts!

Clothes

 When you have three girls that are different from each other as day is to night and your really wanting a more natural personable look you really want a scheme that is NOT matchy matchy but you do want it to coordinate...

I have come up with a color that will work for all of us... I think... well hope... okay PRAYING! 

 

ANXIETY!!!

We have not had pictures done in FOREVER! 

We did manage to get one decent one at my brother in laws wedding this last August but we have not actually had family pictures done since Aaliyah was an INFANT! I mind you she will be 9 in April... We are WAY over due to say the least and I can't help but stress and I do mean STRESS about these! Plus since I am a photographer I would rather be behind the lens than in front of it so now we are in a whole new ball field! 

But what about you?

Are you an annual card/pic sender?

Do you forgo the whole idea?

I'd love to hear!

Our Weekly Forecast

Since we had a snooze-fest of a weekend this last weekend aka it was one of those weekends that are boring as shit nothing blog worthy happened, I figured it would be kind of fun to give you all a outlook on what my week has "planned" and I say planned loosely since they are more like things I NEED to REALLY do but if life allows it kind of way. 

I am not just a blogger but a mom, wife, in the process of starting revamping my own business along with the many other hats that mom's wear. 

This last week was tough on blogging since I had my youngest home sick the majority of the week and we all know when they are 8 they still WANT mommy. I LOVED being able to cuddle up and watch movies with her and just have that one on one time with her. I know all to well once they hit Middle School it is ALLLLL OOOOVVVVEEERRR!

Hints: My middle schooler is home today...

ugh!

This is the worst possible timing too, this weekend we are headed up to Omaha, Arkansas where my biological dad lives to celebrate an early Thanksgiving. So this week is cleaning house, tying up loose ends for What the Photography (my biz) and packing!

Plus due to a certain text message this weekend I will be rearranging MY ENTIRE house for something HUGE! More on this to come, and with this HUGE change it will mean more stories and my beautiful chaos will be more chaotic...BECAUSE everyone knows that is just want you NEED right before the holidays, but in all seriousness though my brain and stress has hit a WHOLE new level I am actually kind of excited for it. I am just not sure the hubby feels the same excitement. 

SO on to 

THE LIST

Today I had to go put my car in the shop and lets just say I HATE not having a car...

Then it was off to get the sick Alora, who of course thought she was dying... girls...

This afternoon I am running the neighbor kid across the street to an appointment he has for his mom and in between it is cleaning, blogging, dinner prepping and of course house rearrangement 101!

Dakota has a dr appointment in the morning  and those are my ONLY set things for now...

BUT

I NEED to...

Pack three kids and us for the weekend trip

Grab Christmas gifts for the weekend trip since we are merging them together

Plan our Christmas card photo shoot and maybe JUST maybe do it

Rearrange the house  

Get together my Christmas Card List

Pick out Christmas Cards

Square away our fur-babies sitter for the weekend

Clean House

Prep for Thanksgiving Break  next week 

and

Continue on my Website building for WtP!

That I am sure is ONLY the START! 

Our weather right now is cold wet and makes you want to lye in bed all day and sleep so that is just so VERY helpful... 

Anyways I am off to the kitchen so I can get something accomplished today... 

See you all tomorrow! 

{Hugs}

Sandra

Tatted Thursday: Featuring Ant; Part Two (After Me)

 Last week I kicked off our Tatted Thursday blog series with sharing with you guys my husbands ink work (here). I had ALL intentions on throwing them all at you at once but since he started his ink collection since he was about 13 or 14 years old,

it would have just went on for what very well may have seemed like forever!

When I was writing this I realized that Ant's tats are in NO kind of order and I ask that you  bare with me on this fact. 

He has been working on his tat collection for almost 18 years and some of the older ink's information is a little fuzzy for us old folks...

They will seem pretty random chaotic ...

SO...

I tried and categorized them as best as I can...

Before Me (Part One) and After Me (Part Two) ;)

So now we can FINALLY move on to...

Part Two:

After Me

PAIN:

Shop Name/Location: Forbidden Images; Dothan, Alabama

Artist Name: Jeff

Placement: Left Calf

Pain Scale: 3

Price: $140-$150

Age: 26-27ish

Meaning/Story: He says in a way it is the summary of his life, PAIN in larger letters as the red Kanji characters read Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

Dakota

Shop Name/Location: Anchor Tattoo;  Bryant Arkansas

Artist Name: Chad

Placement: Left Shoulder Blade

Pain Scale: 5 to 7 (depending on location)

Price: $100

Age: 31

Meaning/Story: Dakota is my our oldest child and VERY much into music, I designed this tattoo for Ant to represent her. Though he is not her biological father he has been with Dakota since she was about 2 years old.

Dice

Shop Name/Location: Forbidden Images; Dothan, Alabama

Artist Name: Jeff

Placement: Right Calf

Pain Scale:  3

Price: $100

Age: 26-27 ish

Meaning/Story: This tattoo was picked out by Ant's youngest brother. So in a way you can say it represents Brad :)

The Skull

Shop Name/Location: Notorious Ink; Headland Alabama

Artist Name: Billy

Placement: Left Chest

Pain Scale: 4

Price: $75

Age: 27

Meaning/Story: There is no story or meaning behind this one, the itch for ink was present and it is what he had liked at the time.

SDJ

Shop Name/Location: Screamer's Tattoo; Ozark, Alabama

Artist Name: Dragon Dave

Placement: Left Side of Neck

Pain Scale: 3

Price: $40

Age: 22

Meaning/Story: These are my initials that he got after we had been together for a year. Our families FREAKED THE FU$& OUT! ;)

Black Tribal

Shop Name/Location: Forbidden Images, Dothan Alabama

Artist Name: Jeff

Placement: Back of Left Forearm

Pain Scale: 6

Price: $120

Age: 25ish

Meaning/Story: He has always liked tribal and decided that after talking to Jeff that they would piece two pieces into this one "custom" idea tat.

Faith

Shop Name/Location: Anchor Tattoo; Bryant, Arkansas

Artist Name: Chad

Placement: Left Triceps

Pain Scale: 6

Price: $120

Age: 29

Meaning/Story: He decided on this ink work after I have bitched reminded him over and over and over again to always have faith. I am usually the think positive about EVERYTHING type of person and I have tried to rub that trait off on him in our time together... so far it has not worked but now he at least has a reminder with him at all times and I can save my breath for something else. ;)

LEANNA/ CLOUDS

LEANNA:
Shop Name/Location: Forbidden Images, Dothan, Alabama

Artist Name:  Jeff

Placement: Right

Pain Scale: 6

Price: Free
 (this tattoo was priced into the sleeve start up at a HUGE discount)

Age: 27

Meaning/Story: Ant's youngest sister gave birth to her daughter LeAnna very prematurely. LeAnna graced us with her presence for just a few short moments before she went to heaven to watch over her family. The entire family was devastated and  her uncles paid tribute to our sweet angle with her name and halo on them for us to always carry her with us. 

CLOUDS:
Shop Name/Location: Anchor Tattoo; Bryant Arkansas

Artist Name: Chad

Placement: Around LeAnna's Tribute on Right Bicep

Pain Scale: 5

Price: Priced in with sleeve hours

Age: 31

Meaning/Story: With LeAnna's name being on the arm with the sleeve Ant wanted to make her name stand out more and not get lost in the tribal shuffle... Chad and him came up with this idea after a few hours working on the sleeve.

Patience

Shop Name/Location: Anchor Tattoo; Bryant Arkansas

Artist Name: Chad

Placement: Left Wrist

Pain Scale: 7

Price: $60

Age: 29

Meaning/Story: Ant had an old family friend who him and I absolutely ADORED!
Watt was such a character and I always enjoyed going to visit with him. Watt would always tell me as I would get ready to leave from my visit to be patient with Ant. He was a good kid and he would get his shit together he just needed someone like me to make it worth it...
After Watt had passed I had told Ant about my idea or getting the word patience or a Kanji Character tattooed to me to remind me to have patience with him through out our life together... and well the sucker totally stole my idea when I was across country :)

  Family

Shop Name/Location: Anchor Tattoo; Bryant, Arkansas

Artist Name: Chad

Placement: Right Wrist

Pain Scale: 7

Price: $60

Age: 29

Meaning/Story: Ant has become a HUGE family man, his family is his motivation for everything that he does and with 4 girls in the house GOD knows sometimes you need an extra reminder on why you go about your day to day routines.

Aaliyah

Old English 

  Shop Name/Location: Screamer's Tattoo; Ozark, Alabama

Artist Name: Dragon Dave

Placement: Backside of Right Forearm

Pain Scale: 5.5

Price: $100

Age: 23

Meaning/Story: Aaliyah is the name of our youngest daughter. After she was born he pretty much made a be-line to the tattoo shop to get his baby girl's tribute tattoo inked to him.

 Sleeve

Work in progress

Two different states, shops and artists

PART ONE- THE START- 2012
Shop Name/Location: Forbidden Images; Dothan, Alabama

Artist Name: Jeff

Placement: Right Arm Sleeve

Pain Scale: 1-10 depending on area being worked on

Price: $ 425 start up cost

Age: 27

Meaning/Story: When we left the hospital from loosing our niece LeAnna, Ant decided he would replace one pain with another and decided to start on sleeve-ing his arm after all the years of talking about it. The first initial start up of his arm was 12 different tribal pieces placed and lied out around his already existing tats and almost 6 hours in the chair.

Part Two: PROGRESS and ADDITIONS - 2013 to ONGOING
Shop Name/Location: Anchor Tattoo; Bryant Arkansas

Artist Name: Chad

Placement: SLEEVE CONTINUED

Pain Scale: 1-10 depending on area being worked on

Price: $100hr up to 6 to 7 additional hours

Age: 31 and counting....

Meaning/Story: Chad has been kind enough to help Ant bring his sleeved arm to a reality. These two have brainstormed and have added on new anchor points to the sleeve and ways to make everything "work" after it being an ongoing process..
We are all so VERY excited to see it "finished" but there are still several more hours to go...
Plus side?
I never run out of gift ideas for my so very hard to shop for hubby!

Do you want to have your ink featured?

Here's how!

*DISCLAIMER Pain scales depend on the individual getting the tattoo. These are not in anyway a guarantee  on how much a tattoo in a particular area will or will not hurt YOU.
The pain scale is based on a 1-10 scale (10 being the worst) and is just used to give you the reader an EXAMPLE. The pain scale is that of the featured person and their personal opinion on how much it hurt THEM.

** DISCLAIMER  tattoo pricing usually is charged by the hour. Depending on the location, size, detail, colors etc. will depend on the price of your tattoo. These prices listed are just to give you an idea of what some ink work could cost you. We are also DEDICATED tattoo enthusiast and are VERY LOYAL to our artist. SOME artists will show appreciation for your dedication and charge their repeat clients  with a discounted rate... This may or may not be typical in your area. Also me and my hubby always TIP our artist some pricing may or may not include the tip that we gave them... we can't remember :(