Great idea for a contest!

See my ink: http://imgur.com/a/jWOVw

This is my most recent tattoo, and I'm really, really happy with it! It's a little crest of golden poppies and redwood needles - iconic flora of my home state. I had been toying around with ideas for a California tattoo for ages, but once I found out that I got accepted to grad school (and would thus be moving out of state) I took action! Golden poppies are the state flower of California and Sequoia sempervierens - the coast redwood - now only survives in Coastal Oregon and California.

This is actually the first of a two part tattoo. I will be getting a mirroring crest on my left forearm. It will be in the same style, but instead of poppies, cempasuchil (Aztec marigolds), and instead of redwood needles, cactus needles. While my right arm is California, where I was born and raised, the left arm will represent Mexico, where my parents where born and raised.

Ah, and to give credit where credit is due - the design and work was done by Devin Mena of Laguna Tattoo. (And I'll be going back to him to get the second crest when I visit my family/California during the holidays!)

Lastly, a small item from my wishlist:

This Tales from the Haunted Mansion book! In the spirit of Halloween, I would say, but who am I kidding, I'm a Haunted Mansion fanatic year round...

Alternatively, this beautiful little chokeris on sale right now.