The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • My Tattoo Process

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    Ruth Carter

    I’m a big proponent of the idea that when you turn 18 you should do something to celebrate the fact that you’re an adult. I went skydiving. I don’t support 18 year-olds getting tattoos as their I’m-18-I-can-do-what-I-want experience. And here’s why -they’re permanent!

    Foot tattoos Ruth Carter
    My Awesome Tattoos

    If I got a tattoo every time I thought I had a good idea for a new piece, I’d be covered in ink and probably regret most of it. A tattoo should be something that you love and holds as much meaning on the day you got it as when you’re 85 years old with saggy skin.

    I’ve been tattooed five times and I love my work. But I have a process for getting a tattoo that has to occur before I climb into the tattoo chair.

    It’s so important to pick something that is meaningful and timeless so that you’ll love seeing your tattoo every day. I think a lot of people pick something that’s meaningful for a limited time and so over time their tattoo loses value. Once I’ve decided on a design that will be meaningful for the rest of my life, then I have pick a good location for it. This wasn’t a struggle with my foot tattoos, but it has been with my latest idea of getting a variation of the Ignite Phoenix bird tattooed on my body. I initially thought I wanted it between my shoulder blades but now I’m thinking I want it on my left rib cage.

    Once I decide on what I want and where I want to put it, then I have to wait for “the sign.” There isn’t one sign but more of a gut feeling that it’s time to get the work done. With my first tattoo – the double shooting star on my right foot – I talked with my artist about my plan and I asked her to give me the weekend to make sure it was time to have the work done. That Saturday I was cater-waitering and I taped up my foot because we were working on rough terrain out in a vineyard. When I took the tape off at the end of the night, a big chunk of skin off the top of my foot came off with it – right where the tattoo was supposed to go. That was a sign that it wasn’t time to get the work done.

    The Steam Crow Ignite Phoenix Bird I'm contemplating for my next tattoo
    The Steam Crow Ignite Phoenix Bird I’m contemplating for my next tattoo

    With my Libra tattoo, I knew it was time to have it done when I put my feet up on the recliner one night and I did a double-take because I didn’t see the tattoo on my foot. My brain had already put the design on my body. I had that tattoo put on my body within a month of getting that sign.

    I’m still waiting on the sign to get the Ignite Phoenix tattoo, and my brain is still trying to figure out if I want black and gray with touches of color or full color for this one.

    If you’re going to get a tattoo, do your homework on your artist in advance. You’re buying custom artwork so get someone who can execute your idea. Good tattoos are not cheap so plan to drop a buck on the endeavor and tip your artist well. When you go for your first tattoo, make sure the artist understands that it’s your first tattoo so they can walk you through everything that’s going to happen. My artist offered to do the first little line without ink just so I could experience how it feels, which I declined but I appreciated the thought.

    And yes, getting a tattoo hurts, especially when tattooing over bone like on your ribs or foot. I got light-headed during my first tattoo session and the artist asked if she should stop. I said, “No. Keep going. It’ll hurt less.” I’ve had five tattoo sessions on my feet, including painful re-coloring, and I only had one time when I had to tell the artist to stop because I needed a few minutes’ break from the pain.

    If you’re 18 years old and want to do some type of body modification as a proclamation of your status as an adult, get a piercing. I’ve had fourteen. They’re awesome. And they’re usually cheaper than a tattoo and relatively easy to reverse if you decide you don’t want it anymore.

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  • Indie Week 2013 Recap

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    Ruth Carter

    I had an awesome time during Independents Week 2013. Over 300 members of Local First Arizona offered 20% discounts to patrons with Golden Coupons. Here’s the rundown of every place I visited last week.

    ZiaStop #1 – Zia Records
    Apparently if you went to high school in the Phoenix area in the 90’s, Zia Records was your go-to place to buy and sell movies and music. The shop was huge and had a massive variety of products, including a ton of pop culture paraphernalia. I wished they arranged the DVDs in the sales bins so you could read the spines and not have to flip through each case. I walked out with a copy of Argo – one of the movies on my “must buy” list.

    Pink SpotStop #2 – Pink Spot Ice Cream
    Anyone who knows me knows that I love ice cream (ICE KREM!) I’d never been to Pink Spot and Indie Week gave me a chance to check it out. They have a limited selection but a lot of creative flavors. I also enjoy the inviting quiet ambiance of the place.

    Stop #3 – Urban Cookies
    When I heard that Urban Cookies has gluten-free cupcakes I knew I had to check them out. Urban CookiesIt was a moist chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting. It was heavenly. The shop is adorably tiny and the staff is super sweet.

    Stop #4 – Write On’s
    This stationary and gift shop has been part of my family for decades. It’s the only place I go for greeting cards. Indie Week gave me an excuse to stop by and stock up.

    Stop #5 – Arizona Fun Services
    Ever since I saw a head-to-toe spandex body suit, Write OnsI wanted one. My partner-in-crime and I have had several discussions about what types of flash mobs and pranks we could do with these. Arizona Fun Services is the only shop that has ever let me try one on. They didn’t have the colors we wanted in our sizes but they took our names and numbers and will let us know when they get their next shipment. This costume shop is huge with a wonderful selection of costume pieces. I will definitely be back.

    Body SuitStop #6 – The Dhaba
    I fell in love with this Indian restaurant when I came here for lunch with Local First Arizona. I don’t know what most of the food is but it’s all delicious. We ate way too much and it was totally worth it.

    Stop #7 – Melrose Pharmacy
    I had heard of Melrose Pharmacy but I had never been here. It’s a charming little shop that is primarily a pharmacy with small retail area compared to other drug stores that are mostly retail and a little pharmacy.

    0702131205Stop #8 – Changing Hands Bookstore
    I love Changing Hands – the diverse book selection, the other items they sell, and their wonderful events. I rarely buy books because I usually check books out from the library if I only plan to read it once. However, when there’s something I want to own, it’s a great place to go. And I love that they buy used books. I have a stack of books from my minimalism project that I Duck and Decanterwill be bringing to them with the hopes to exchanging them for store credit.

    Stop #9 – Duck and Decanter
    I love Duck and Decanter. It’s a wonderful deli that has edible gluten-free bread and delicious sandwich options. They have excellent desserts too including amazing fudge. They have indoor and outdoor seating which makes it a wonderful place to enjoy a meal with friends.

    Stop #10 – Jamburritos 
    JamburritosI love food trucks. I think the owners are determined and make themselves stand out in wonderfully delicious ways. I’m looking forward to the weather cooling down so I can get back to Food Truck Friday without having to worry about melting. Jamburritos is my hands-down favorite food truck. The Cajun-Mexican food is awesome and the staff is so sweet. I made the trek out to the Downtown Farmers Market (which is also awesome) just to pick up lunch.

    So that was my Indie Week 2013. I had an awesome time and it was definitely worth it to make my schedule work around these awesome deals. If you used your Golden Coupon somewhere in Arizona this week, I’d love to hear about it.

  • Minimalism Project Update – Cleaning Out Memories

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    Ruth Carter

    I’ve been diligently and systematically working on my minimalism project. I’m going through all my stuff and getting rid of things I don’t use or don’t add value to my life. So far I’ve cleaned out my closet, dresser, and two bookshelves. The next section of the project is my memory boxes.

    I’ve had four boxes in my closet for years that contain all kinds of stuff that date back to before my birth. I found a few sheets of paper where people tried to predict what day I would be born and whether I’d be a boy or a girl. No one got it right, but two people guessed the right date but that I’d be a boy (and given how unfeminine I am, they were kind of right). My baby box also had my baptismal gown and the first tooth I lost (creepy).

    Everything in this pile is going away.
    Everything in this pile is going away.

    My boxes had a lot of paper – all my report cards and every certificate I got in elementary and high school for academics, sports, and random things like attendance. I enjoyed reading some of the comments that my teachers wrote for me on my progress reports during first-third grade.

    • Ruth is a very enthusiastic and peppy member of our class.
    • She has continued to amaze and delight her teacher with her diligence and great ability!
    • She is spunky and enthusiastic.
    • Her sunny disposition makes her a joy to see each day.
    • Ruth doesn’t walk, she flits.

    It was fun to flip through all these papers, and now they’re in the recycling bin.

    I’ve noticed that I had quite a few things in my boxes that seemed valuable at the time but do nothing for me now – like trophies and the honor cords I wore during graduation ceremonies. I am keeping the medals I’ve received from running races in the last few years. I’ll get rid of those in ten years when I realize they’ve been sitting in a box doing nothing for a decade.

    My gymnastics ribbons: 1992-1997.
    My gymnastics ribbons: 1992-1997.

    The only things I looked at that I didn’t immediately know whether to keep them or not are my gymnastics ribbons. I was a competitive gymnast for eight years. I had three gallon-size ziplock bags filled with ribbons. Gymnastics was a big part of my life, and in some ways it still is, but the ribbons are just stuff. Owning them is not a requirement for retaining my memories or any of the lessons I learned from the experience.  As I laid out my ribbons to take a picture of them before getting rid of them, I realized I’ve already gotten rid of my ribbons from my first years in competitive gymnastics. Knowing that I’ve already gotten rid of a significant number of ribbons made it easier to let go of the rest.

    I started with four boxes of my diplomas and sentimental items. After I’ve sorted all the things I’ve collected over the years, everything I’m keeping fits in one 32-quart plastic container. It feels great to get rid of the excessive stuff and have less clutter around me.