What is “the Year of Living Fabulously”? An Update…

Wow. I am rewriting this section, over 6 years from where this blog began, and all I can think is, “wow”. So many changes have rocked my world in the last half-dozen years: physical, location-al, vocational, mental and emotional. All the “als”. So much so that I’m shifting the raison d’etre of this blog. I originally started this as a possible means to extra income by writing about having more on a small income, living lavishly on less; and well, I’ll still be waxing affectionate on that subject from time to time I’m sure, however I am now selfishly claiming this blog as 100% mine. I’m going to write about what I turns me on, period. Art, Beauty, Creating, well, everything I enjoy: design, fashion, interiors, art, tattoos, grand living and lavish experience. In short, not just the year of living fabulously, but the LIFE of living as fabulously as I can, enjoying the fuck out of life and doing what brings me joy, and you are most welcome to come along on for the ride.

If you are wondering, the Personal Stuff…

So what are all these crazy changes over the last 6 years?

Physical. This is my 51st year, and damn. The “change of life” is no joke. After serious health issues I had a life-saving hysterectomy 4 years ago. Overall it helped immensely, though I am now in the throws of the Big M, which can be all-consuming at times, but I am determined to get through it with all the grace I can muster, even if I am busting out in an upper lip-drenching sweat 5 times a day :-). My marvelous man has had serious physical issues as well. 2 years ago he underwent brain surgery to remove a bigger-than-a-golf-ball pituitary tumor (thankfully benign) just 2 months after our wedding. He has mostly recovered now and is doing well. I also broke my foot a few months before our wedding, which brings me too…

Emotional. High notes: On August 30th, 2016 I married the love of my life in a charming ceremony at Burning Man (pics below). A mere month before our wedding, we found out he had an entire family back in New York he didn’t know he had (thanks to Ancestry.com) including a brother just a few years older. Low note: His new-found brother passed during our Burning Man excursion. We did get to meet the rest of his new-found cousins in May 2017 during a wonderful trip to Manhattan. So happy to have such wonderful new family! One final sad note, we lost our sweet pug girl Emma in 2017 as well. (picture below).

Location-al We moved. To a place we never thought we would. We sold our Denver home (in 2 days!) in September 2017 and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Why? Denver’s fast growth and even faster cost of living increase became too much for us. After months of research on finding a new city to call home, SLC emerged as the surprise head of the pack. Lower cost of living, great music scene, beautiful surroundings, and a hot tattoo scene (ahem, career move!) made it the best choice for us. We miss our Denver friends very much but are really enjoying our new digs. Speaking of tattoo scene, let’s segue into…

Vocational In 2015 I embarked on a new career path. I started an apprenticeship in the art of tattoo with the great Dave Allen in Denver. 1 year later a graduated my apprenticeship and have been tattooing full time ever since. (I currently tattoo at Raventhorn Manor (sister shop to SLC Ink) in Salt Lake City: See what I’m up to on my instagram @vlasicstudio). I still paint, I would never give that up, but I do love tattooing and it has afforded me the opportunity to actually make a decent living. Who would have thought I’d become a tattoo artist at 48? Not me 🙂 This life is still full of delightful surprises…

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About the Author

Marie Vlasic is a full-time professional painter and tattoo artist currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband Jiva and pug Max. You can see Marie’s art at http://www.vlasicstudio.com.

My sweet Emma-girl (and me with the “old” hair 🙂 in 2008

Our Burning Man wedding, August 30, 2016

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