While some people have been surprised by my ink (like I'm not the "tattoo type" or something) I definitely am a tattoo person. But I'm absolutely not a random-tattoo person. I'm all about the custom designs and meaningful images.
This was my first, inked shortly after my 18th birthday (when it was finally legal.) I think of it as kind of the "where I come from" tattoo. It's a groundhog (because I share my birthday with Groundhog Day) holding a yellow rose (because I was born in Texas.)
 |
| Right Ankle |
This was my next one, done a couple of years later. It's also a custom design, inspired by a souvenir my brother brought back from a trip to Disney World. I loved the Mickey/Yin-Yang idea, and designed the rest of the band around it. It reminds me to always fill my life with love, strive to live in balance and harmony, and to allow myself to feel the child-like joy that comes from appreciating all of the wondrous things around me.
 |
| Left Ankle (outside) |
 |
| Left Ankle (inside) |
This was my third, and perhaps the most poignant, as it is a tribute to the son that my husband and I lost in 2005. I chose the lotus blossom partly because it's a very pretty flower, but mostly because of its association with death and rebirth in Ancient Egyptian symbolism.
 |
| Left Wrist |
And this is my most recent - my gift to myself on my 30th birthday. The butterfly, of course, is all about growth and transformation, which was going on a lot in my life that year. Not only was it a major-milestone birthday, but it was also the year that I had my third (and final) baby, and the year that I finally graduated from college. This seemed like an appropriate way to commemorate all of that.
 |
| Right Foot |
So there you have it - the story of my life, in ink. I'm sure there will be more to come, eventually. But for now, thanks for joining me in my little walk down memory lane. :)
They are all very nice, very personal. I especially like the Mickey Yin-Yang.
ReplyDeleteFor myself, even if I were the "tattoo type", which I think maybe I'm not, I'm way too much of a big baby to think I'd ever be able to even try it. I would be absolutely terrified it would hurt too much! My sister says it's not so bad, but I'm pretty sure she's either lying, or has blocked out the reality--sort of like they say you forget how painful childbirth really is.
;-)
I always hesitate when someone asks me if they hurt, because I have a super-high tolerance for pain. So I never really feel like I'm qualified to tell someone else if they're going to think it hurts or not. But I'm thinking that if you think that you're a big baby, you should probably steer clear. ;)
DeleteI think a lot of it depends on your own tolerance, and a lot of it depends on the location. The only one that bothered me at all was the one on the wrist, and only at the very top (closest to my hand.) When he was doing that part it made me wince a little bit. The one on the foot was a little sensitive, but not as bad (to me) as I'd heard others describe. And the ankles were nothing. (I actually almost fell asleep during the second one. I had to lay on my stomach while he was doing the back of the band. He stopped to make sure I was ok and I realized I had almost dozed off.)
My dad's birthday is Groundhog Day too! Ü I have three tattoos and all of them took me a VERY long time to make up my mind about and they each mean something to me. My sister designed my first one. It's an abstract drawing of a swan. I just love it. Then a year later I got another one as a smaller mirror image, symbolizing my sister and I Those are on one of my shoulder blades...never remember which! I designed my last one on my neck. It's a cancer sign (since I was born in July) with crab legs. The sign makes up the body of the crab. I also forget that was there sometimes... =P
ReplyDelete