Tattoo YOU!
I didn’t get tattoos to rebel against my mother, who hates them with a passion normally reserved for Rush Limbaugh and canned gravy, but I got them because I needed a way to remind myself of the things that are important. Not, as you might imagine, “PANTS FIRST, THEN SHOES,” which might have saved me a ton of hassle and confusion over the years, but more important things*.
Deeper things.
I’ll keep it rather brief, since I think I’ve gone into more painfully boring detail before.
This is my seahorse, and it’s on my foot as you can see by my AWESOME pedicure. I could have cropped out my toes which I did in THIS POST, where I went into more graphic detail about the meaning of this one. Basically, it’s there to remind me that I can function JUST FINE on my own.
My first tattoo is this:
Also captured here (and why I chose this very crappy picture) is my fucking SWEET ASS phone. You wish it was yours, DON’T LIE. Anyway, this one has a really long story behind it and it’s not just because “I like Southwestern Stuff!!”
Pretty much, it’s on my foot to remind me that no matter what happens, I need to be true to myself. I’ve learned this one the hard way over and over again and now, well, it’s a permanent fixture on my person.
Foot tattoos, while they hurt like a mother-fucker are Full of The Awesome because when the need arises, you can simply pop a sock on and tattoos are covered! Insta-respectability! Like real estate it’s all about location, location, location. Plus, it was the one place that I figured wouldn’t get ridiculously fat when I had a baby.
While an excellent THEORY, that was shot to shit as Amelia’s late pregnancy turned my lower body into that of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. I’d have laughed, had it not hurt so much to wear shoes in the dead of winter.
Anyway.
I’ve been eyeballing a new tattoo for awhile and by “eyeballing” I mean, languidly saying to myself, “I’m going to get a new tattoo someday” while I poured another diet Coke and forgot to parent my children.
What I thought was so awesome was that two of you rifled through my brain yesterday and guessed what I was going to get: a phoenix. Problem was, any time I googled “phoenix pictures” the results that I got were very distinctly un-Aunt Becky-ish.
Yesterday, I revisited the idea because OBVIOUSLY and imagine my surprise when THIS popped up:
(credit goes to Web Designer Wall, who has BAR NONE, the coolest fucking designs.)
It’s a phoenix. A colorful phoenix being reborn, not out of fire, it appears, but air. And that’s it. It’s what I want. I’ll tone down some of the intricate designs because that’s WAY too big for the space I need it, but that’s what I’m getting.
I figured out where to put it as well. The ball of my shoulder, spreading around to the front and back a bit. It’s a perfect compromise for me, because I can cover it up and let it show. I can’t wait. And by “can’t wait” I mean that I’m alternating between being crapping my pants and jumping around like a damn fool.
Which, I mean, what the hell else is new?
So, tattoos, o! Internet, my Internet! What do you think of them? Oh! And I discuss Christmas Balling over at Toy With Me today! It’s pretty awesome, mainly because I wrote it.
*like there is ANYTHING more important than the placement of pants. Heh.
LOVE it. I have one tat and want one more, but still waiting for the meaning to smack me in the face. Make sure you post when you get it – I want to see the finished product. 🙂
Daaaaaamn, Aunt Becky. That will be one fly ink job.
Yes. Fly! Are you going to get it all colorful like that? I HOPE SO.
I have one tattoo on my left wrist. It is a little gemini symbol. It was the name of my dad’s boat, and it was my dad’s zodiac doohicker.
Tattoos hurt so good!
That looks AWESOME!!! I love brightly colored tattoos!! Where the hell would you get a piece like that? It’d have to be huge!!! I love exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!
I love that design! I personally have 9 tats. I can easily cover all but one. That particular beauty is on my ear. All of them have special meaning and one I actually did myself. I’ll have to post pics on FB sometime. I also have a tat on my foot of a flowery vine that begins on my toe and wraps around my ankle. Post pics when you have your latest done!
I love it! I’m a total pain wimp and will probably never bite the bullet myself but this is stunning!
I’m with you. But hey — someone’s gotta be on the sidelines admiring them all. Can’t wait ’til you post your newest tat, Aunt Becky! Gonna be GORGEOUS!!
(I have an appointment on Sunday!)
Tattoos: love them, find them sexy and always wanted one. But I pass out when I give blood or get a shot (the last time I got a tetanus shot after stabbing myself trying to get brownies out of a pan I yelled at the nurse ‘why are you trying to kill me!?’) so I don’t see me getting one anytime soon.
But wowza are they sexy. I mean, my old boss, my ex, Henry Rollins….
good lord I might need a minute…
You are WAY braver than me. I thought I was rebelling with a belly button ring (that I had ti remove because of basketball..fear of my insides getting ripped out or something).
I love the idea of a phoenix. I may have to use it as my 2010 motto: rebirth.
Oh shit. I was doing a perfectly good job of distracting myself from my compulsive desire for a new tattoo. Then you go and do THAT. SonofaBITCH!
Oooh, I like! I want one on my foot- three little footprints in the colors of my boys’ birthstones. Though you’ve scared me with your description of the pain.
I have one now- but I need to state for the record that I got it long before lower back tats were called “tramp stamps.” Grrr!
Though, maybe they started calling them that after me, I don’t know. Maybe I should be flattered.
I kid.I’m not a tramp. LOL
Well now the phoenix looks way cool! Love the foot tats too!
that picture is awesome! so colorful and beautiful. i recently got my first tat – a fleur de lis on my hip. To the people who told me “no, it don’t hurt” – i say “bite me. it did hurt.” After I got the tat, I said I would not get another. Three days later, I want another one.
That’s awesome! I only do mine in black because it’s… Some stupid rule that I made up. Anyway, I think this would be great on a shoulder. It would probably have to be simplified quite a bit to make it work in such a small area without bleeding all together, but the right person in the right shop will make this a showstopper.
When are you getting it – and when will we see it?
LOVE it. I think it’s so important to get tattoos that actually mean something to the person, I don’t get how someone can just walk into a tatoo place, pick something off the wall, and say “Yeah, I think I’ll get that.” That little thought into something that’s for life?
I have only one tattoo, one that I put thought in and had my mother draw. After I’m done breeding and milking, I’m going to get another one that will be a tribute to my kids.
I love the colorful Phoenix tattoo!! When are you going to do this? I have also reallllly been wanting another tattoo. I can’t decide exactly what I want to get, or where I want to get it…but one of these days I’m sure to get tipsy and end up with Chuck Norris’s face on my ass or something more awesome (is there anything more awesome) than that.
I like them a lot – especially the sea horse. I have a small – design I did myself – on the small of my back. No it is not a butterfly or stuff like that, it has celtic symbols and a flower and it all has meaning for me – like to never again forget who I am and to always fight for me.
And that’s a run-on sentence. Go for the phoenix!
I’m not a fan of tattoos…oddly, it’s not because I care what people put on their skin. It’s because the color becomes faded. If you could have the phoenix look exactly like it does on my computer screen, then I would think it’s awesome. Unfortunately, they always end up looking like you’re viewing them through a skin filter (probably because you are), and I don’t like that shade of filter.
I love it so much. Cannot WAIT to see the one on you!
The word “everlong” on my left ribcage. I’ve always loved the song then last summer a guy I’d just met kissed me in the middle of it. He knew I was married (he didn’t know how messed up and bad my marriage was), he just knew that he liked me and that I liked him, and that we were getting along amazingly like we’d known each other forever. I’d been feeling numb for about three years since my husband did something horrid. I actually felt happy and tingly. It was just a rare moment of pure happiness where everthing just falls into place. I decided right then that I’d never go back to feeling numb. I’ve had a lot of lows since then, but also a lot of highs 🙂 the song has lyrics about things feeling real forever. It was all just too perfect so I got it inked.
I’m planning a bird sitting in an open cage next
OH! I just talked to my sister, and the Japanese tattoo artist who is friends with my brother-in-law may be coming to Rogers Park in March. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.
I’m with Elly Lou: DAMN YOU, AUNT BECKY.
I have four, and only one was a “just cuz” tattoo – the rest have some sort of meaning to them (there are pics up on my “real” facebook profile if you’re curious).
I’ve been plotting and putting off my fifth since… October? But after reading this? I WANNA GO RIGHT. NOW. (If I get a fifth, I’ll likely have to get a sixth because they have to be balanced (cuz I’m weird like that).)
oooh aaahhh…thats a great design, will be very cool to see how it translates into ink. I have 5 right now and am working on a 6th. Mine are all personal to a point in my life, except the 1st one, that was the one just for shits n giggles
I am all for tattoos. They are personal and meaningful to each person individually. I have three (one on my foot even) and each one reminds me of a memorable moment or experience in my life.
That phoenix is beautiful!
I have a pansy tattooed above my right hip. I can cover it, and so far, it’s not moving even though I’ve gained an insane amount of weight since I got it 8 years ago. It has meaning for me, but it’s also really fun to tell people I have a pansy tattoo because I am a pansy.
I plan on getting one more eventually. But like the one I already have, it will be in a place I can easily cover up when it’s no one’s business about the ink I have on my body.
I recently was watching Dr Phil (for who knows what reason) and he said that they allowed their son to get tattoos as long as they could be covered up by a tee shirt. And I realized that’s kind of my “rule” for them too.
Now THAT is going to be an awesome tattoo. Love it.
Love them! I’ve always wanted to get one on my foot, but I don’t know what to get. Did it hurt?
Dear Aunt Becky… WTF is the head? I’ve squinted my eyes and turned my monitor sideways. I love it, but lets be real, it needs head… um… ‘a head’.
I got my tat on the back of my neck. It’s the symbol for Aries and it hurt like 10 bitches in a bitch boat. No lie, the dude that inked me gave me a lollipop for not crying (I was TOTALLY crying on the inside!). I did the back of my neck cos a) no stretch marks there, and b) slaves were sometimes marked there, and I belong to myself, no one else… and c) it was pretty badass at the time.
You’re so fcuking RAD, Becky! I totally wanna hold your hand while you’re getting ink! Call me!
i’m with the kitten on this one. my first thought was “oh noes, it has no head”. i have a really small notebook so i couldn’t see the whole thing all at the same time. so i was scrolling up and down, up and down, thinking i had missed it, but nope. it doesn’t have a head. and so it can’t be a bird. cos birds have heads. at least live ones do. i’m literal like that.
Gorgeous! I love the idea of the phoenix made of air and color. My dove gets mistaken for the phoenix all the time but my kids just call it “the fire bird.”
Out of all my tattoos, the one that hurt the worst was the last line of the song in between my shoulder blades. They hit that soft spot between the spine and the shoulder and I passed right out.
About parents, Dad after seeing my dove with the word “arson” behind it told me that before another tattoo I’d have own a Harley. That’s ok – I’ve never met a poor Harley owner!
That’s going to be gorgeous! I can’t wait to see the finished product. You’re far more brave than I am with the feet – I seriously don’t think I could handle that pain.
I like tattoos. It’s a good thing, because my husband is covered in them: full sleeve, half sleeve, chest, lower back, upper back, thighs, both feet. Our rule is nothing that can’t be covered, so no neck pieces. I have three, all which can be easily covered. One is a “just because” – my tribal tramp stamp. I currently have our tattoo artist designing my rib piece – three gerbera daisies for the first flowers my husband ever gave me. It’s going to hurt like a bitch, but it’ll also be amazing.
Lovey the colours! Very purdy. Perhaps another photoblog when you do get it done please!
That is so cool, Becky. Seriously.
I think it’s pretty, but I would have no idea it was a phoenix had you not told me. It has no head that I can discern. To me, it looks like a swirl of color and design. It’s beautiful, but I didn’t realize it represented anything in particular.
I’m brilliant that way, you know.
All that said, I look forward to seeing your new tattoo. 🙂
Oh, and you really REALLY need (yes, NEED) to go check out the video link on my blog to see my youngest doing something ultra-cool that he’s never been able to do before. It’s as full of The Awesome as your new tattoo design. Really!
I don’t have any tats, but I think they fucking rock! Love the design Bex!
Love it! The colors are brilliant. I heart tats, me and my sis got ours together way back in the last century (when life was oh so simple, no cell phones or internet to take us away from the crops in the fields…)and mine, on my lower belly, took on all kinds of fun and intersting characteristics during the pregnant years. Now he is a sad and slightly saggier version of himself in his glory days but he’s seen me through some tough times and the best part about him, my winnie the pooh, is that he is reaching up to catch a butterfly. And that has taken on a whole new meaning for me, and makes me love him even more.
Can’t wait to see your finished artwork:)
xxoo
Awesome tattoos!! I have two myself and love them!! My favorite is my family symbol that represents my three boys and hubby beautifully!! Here’s the link to see it!
http://www.citychiconafarm.com/?p=642
I CANNOT be the only one who thinks that image is of a peacock throwing up on itself after a night of Taco Bell.
Love it! I have a tat. On my ass, which me<<< size 10 – = always covered except when I have a special friend occasionally get a peek. Or when my 3 year old niece (at the time) barged in on me when I was getting out of the shower because SHE HAD TO GO and didnt shut the door, so I had to run to shut it and she was like WHAT IS THAT AUNT EM? And I did the naked circle dance trying to look at my ass before I finally remembered I have a tattoo. No, I couldnt see it. Its very hard to see your own ass if you are not employing two mirrors.
Very pretty design. I’m afraid of needles so no tattos for me!
I am not a huge fan of tats myself, I think they are a cool idea, and every time I think “oh maybe something in honor of my kiddos” I look at my grandma’s skin and think OH HELL NO…… but I can appreciate why others love them!
I 100% love the phoenix! Wowza, it’s perfect.
I have 3 tats – on my feet, as well.
that shoulder tat is gonna rock!
I have no tats either. One reason is I don’t like pain, especially if it’s unnecessary. Another is that I’ve never found anything that I want on me forever. I think that Phoenix is pretty damn awesome though and I hope it looks stunning on you. Can’t wait to see it.
I am going to be in the very small minority and tell you that I don’t like tattoos. I will be the first person to not defend my reason(s). I just don’t. But it’s swell to be asked! Also, you are like my imaginary little sister who I don’t always get, but I always think you rock. Tattoos are best when they mean something to you and you fully deserve a phoenix. Fully. Deserve. That.
I am in looove with tattoos. I’m in love with the whole process, right down to the delicious pain of it all.
Here’s the list:
Bat above my right ankle (age 16) – apparently I liked Bacardi because it looks exactly like the bat on the bottle
Comedy & Tragedy Skulls on right shoulder blade (age 17) – that’s pretty self explanatory
Eye of Horus on left arm (age 18) – symbolizes protection and “to see again.” Got it during my first trimester (of pregnancy, not college)
Elaborate design under my left rib cage (age 21) – Got it after a breakup. Pain level: off the fucking chart
Celtic Knotted Heart & the numbers 735 on inside wrist of left arm (age 36) – In honor of my husband who passed away that year
Large Blue Butterfly on inside of right wrist (age 36) – Also in honor of my husband
Dearest Aunt Becks; I feel we are secretly soul sisters, or maybe that’s the gin talking. Aaaanyway, I LOVE that tattoo idea with the white-hot intensity of a million burning torches. I too am a diet coke drinking tat’ afficiando, and by afficianado, I mean someone who has a couple. BOTH of mine are incredibly deep and mysterious, and by that, I mean done when I was young and deep and mysterious – and I also have to expend tons of time and energy ‘splaining them to people who ask. And since one is a stylized pentagram on my back….weeeeellll, you can only IMAGINE the questions that garners. I’m now down to telling people, “hey, read the first chapter of The Da Vinci Code and you’re good to go.” HAVE FUN and post a picture! I can’t decide on my next one, but I’ll be living through yours! (No pressure)
While I wholly respect those who have tattoos, they are just not my thing. But all the power to those who get them!
I love that phoenix image. Love it. I have only one tattoo, a rather ridiculous winnie the pooh on my back (but not in the tramp stamp region). It wasn’t an act of rebellion, but rather the product of extreme writer’s block and a class assignment that demanded we write a personal story about something risky we’d done. Lame, right?
But I like him anyway.
Someday, I’m going to get a sweet pea intertwining with daisies on my shoulder blade area…someday.
I love the phoenix idea! And the design is amazing!!
I have always liked tattoos, but if they actually have meaning. I decided for my 30th in June, I am going to get my first tattoo. Actually it will be 5 small tattoos. On the side of my right foot, I am going to have my 4 girl’s baby footprints shrunk down and have those tattooed along with my stillborn son’s footprint. I love the idea of having them on my foot, like we are all walking this journey together, plus like you said, it can be covered up easily. I think I have even made my husband realize that tattoos can be tasteful. He has always hated them, and now he is even thinking about getting one himself. Though, I think his hatred for them was just a cover for his extreme fear of needles, pain and blood.
Awesome!
I wanted a tattoo on my foot and no one would do it. So I settled for one on my upper ass/hip (it’s all the same when you’ve had kids). It’s a frog, and I took a billion pictures with me of what I wanted, and then the artist took liberties and I love it. The other one is kanji on the inside of my wrist and it says “forever mine”, and my hubby has my nickname “Red” on his.
I am so going to do a tattoo post now. A couple of my friends have some new ones that are the shit.
We want pictures Aunt Becky…when it’s done.
It’s very pretty and very cool but…I don’t see the head either. I’m not sure you should wrap that around your shoulder either…I’d go with one shoulder blade. I have eight and most can be covered, except for the ones inside my wrists. I LURVE my ink. Each and every one has meaning. I was going to get a phoenix after my last divorce, but my brother beat me to the punch and I can’t be looking like a copy cat. So now I am thinking an owl..not a dorky owl or a Hooters owl (HA) but…something wise and serene.
That is awesome! I have 5 tats so I’m all for them. I’m saving up to get a tree of life done on my belly.
That’s a pretty sweet image. I cant picture the placement in my head, but I am REALLY BAD at visualizing things. I like all the colors you use too!
I think tattoos look awesome when you’re young and your skin is tight, but I’ve seen too many fat old guys with faded wrinkly flubby tattoos for me to ever want to get, say, a sleeve or something. I’m pretty wussy and also very introverted and introspective so I shudder at the thought of putting anything of personal significance on my BODY where OTHER PEOPLE can SEE and ASK. And I wouldn’t get a tattoo that wasn’t of personal significance either because I am not so much into permanence in that kind of way. Just me, though.
And the other thing is, I was informed in the time of my youth that were I ever to get a tattoo, I would be disinherited. I am not even kidding (and neither was my mom) and I mean, call me Scrooge or a loser but I’d rather have an inheritance than a tattoo. For the aforementioned reasons.
But if I ever did get one I think it would be on the inside of my wrist and it would say something like ‘God is faithful’ (but maybe in Hebrew) because really, that became my mantra and faith is the only reason I stayed alive during my personal hell(s). Sort of a Jesus-y way of saying ‘this too shall pass’ I guess.
Phil Plait, aka “Bad Astronomy,” has a collection of science-based tattoos on his blog at the website of Discover Magazine. Cool stuff.
Since I’m a cycling fan, I’m going to someday get the periodic table symbols for Carbon and Titanium, since those are the materials in my bike. They symbolize strength and power to me.
I love the idea behind the seahorse, I could totally use that tattoo right now.
And the phoenix is lovely!
I’m not much on the tattoos for me though – I am just really afraid that in 50 years I’m going to be like, “what the hell was I thinking?”
The colors are beautiful. I am also not big on tattoos though. I got a few (too many) as soon as I turned 18 and regretted them upon sobering up 5 years later.
BEAUTIFUL! Amazing design and amazing color – I can’t wait to see the finished product!
I love tattoos when they are done well, placed tactfully, cared for, and have some sort-of meaning to the wearer. (An example of a tattoo I DON’T love? My sisters crappy tramp stamp of a sunset that she clearly had done at a strip mall joint and which she clearly never took care of. And which I can see quite clearly when her fat ass bends over to play with my kids and her ill-fitting pants slide down.)
I have a tattoo of Quinn’s footprints on the inside of my right wrist (there is a picture on the right side of my blog) – the mortuary took a set that were just too beautiful to store in a box forever. I would love to get something to honor each of my living children someday, but have yet to find anything that really ‘speaks’ to me.
I love tattoos. I should be specific and say that I like original tattoos, though. No cookie-cutter cartoon characters, thankyouverymuch! A beautifully inked, well placed and obviously well thought out tattoo is just as expressive as someone’s eyes or smile (to me, anyway). It gives you a very personal glimpse into that person which can be both shocking and humbling.
I think your tattoos are wonderful and can’t wait to see progress on the phoenix! If ever there was a perfect tattoo for you, my lovely and amazing Aunt Becky, that would be it. Kudos on your choice of subject matter and artwork.
No disrespect intended, but while beautifully designed and very colorful, it looks like a peacock to me.
My friend has a shoulder tat that just got ruined by a nasty skin cancer removal. Also, when she got the tat at age 25, she did not have the freckles that she has at 45. Nothing pretty about a molting phoenix, so be careful! Remember, you are a BABY!!! In twenty years your tat’s habitat will not look the way it does now.
I have two. 😀 I have a butterfly, a COOL butterfly with tribal lines around it, and a pink ribbon tat. Back of one shoulder and back of neck. I agree with the poster who said the back of the neck hurt like 10 bitches in a bitch boat. Damn.
I’ve got plans for a 3rd one but it’ll be a little bit. It’s only been 5 months since my 2nd one, which is for my mom.
I have one on the back of my neck, and another behind my ear, and I sort of thought they felt good. To me it felt like one of those massaging shower heads with the spray on just a little to hard…so it stung but was relaxing at the same time.
My lower back, though? That one made me faint.
I really, really like tribal arm band tattoos. Unfortunately, everybody I’ve mentioned it to (including myself) agrees that it doesn’t fit my personality at all–not even a little bit. Also, my arm is the size of a twig and there is really nothing good than a permanent accessory you can’t rock.
Love your foot tat. That was the only spot I could think of that would be visible to me, easily hidden, and not get huge with pregnancy. But I’m too scared of the pain, and I hate my feet, so that was out! I think I’m stuck with no tattoos… Can’t think of anything I’d adore in 10 minutes, let alone 10 years! 🙂
And .. I got the book today! Can’t wait to read it, but I have to finish some Christmas pressies first..
*gasp* Stunning. Get it immediately.
I have four tattoos–a fairy (Iwas18shutup) that I designed myself, a hummingbird on each of my inner ankles, and a morning glory on my right wrist. I love them all; they represent lightness, freedom, partnership, and beauty. Because I am a big ol’ hippie (crippling diet coke addiction notwithstanding).
My next tattoo will be a replica of the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. We decided to start trying to conceive on vacation, we visited Grace Cathedral and I walked the labyrinth and meditated on an easy conception and pregnancy, and holy fucking shit I got pregnant that day. Seriously. I can’t make that up, I’m not creative enough. And now you know way more than you wanted to about the origin of my crotch parasite.
Deanna – I can’t believe you mentioned Grace Cathedral! Two of my good friends were married there. The labyrinth is beyond words, right?
I love, love, love my tattoos and want more soon!
I have like a zillion tattoos, so I’d have to vote for awesome. (11? 13? Can’t remember)
They aren’t all deep and meaningful…some are just pretty or fun.
I have a g-clef and music notes in various places because I love music and enjoy playing “find the tattoo”. I have the Stray Cats emblem on one arm, surrounded by leopard print, with Lee Rocker’s autograph underneath. Eventually I hope for all three members to sign it.
The other arm boasts a celtic circle griffin, for protection, surrounded by knotwork to make up a half-sleeve. It’s not finished because I’m knocked up, but when it’s finished it will be amazing.
I have a cardinal on my shoulder blade, Sailor Jerry style, with a banner that says “MOM”. The cardinal represents my grandmother.
I have a phoenix on my lower back. It’s an abstract design that looks alarmingly like a Journey album cover, but I love it.
Shamrock on my calf, koi fish on one thigh, and the unfinished outline of a naked pin-up girl on the other thigh. My OB was a little surprised by that discovery.
I’m trying to decide if I should get something to commemorate the birth of my daughter, as I tend to use tattoos as permanent landmarks for times my life has changed. I’d like to get a handle on her personality first, though.
Tattoos ~ that’s an easy one for me. I LOVE them! I have a total of 4. The most important one is the one of my son.
http://foreverinourheartsrobertsstory.blogspot.com/2009/07/in-loving-memory.html
The four leaf clover on my foot hurt like crazy, but sitting 3 1/2 – 4 hours for the tattoo of my son was surprisingly peaceful. Crazy, I know! It is Huge & on my shoulder, but it was the first time since Bubby died that I was at peace.
Can’t wait to see yours when it’s done Aunt Becky!
That phoenix is stunning.
Oh.
And.
“Plus, it was the one place that I figured wouldn’t get ridiculously fat when I had a baby.”
I die!! LOLZ.
Absolutely love the foot one. I’m thinking of one too for my foot. I think I’m gonna go with a rosary that kinda winds around because as you know, I’m full of the GOD-ful-ness, and it may get me some with the clergy crowd. I’ll let ya know!
I think that the phoenix is beautiful! I really love tattoos, but am way too much of a chicken shit to actually get one for myself, not so much the needle part, but the “what if” I regret it part. I keep thinking I’d like to have something with my girls names, or initials since they are both MM’s, but no silly candy cartoons…
That is beautiful. If I had bigger balls I would get a tattoo but for now I live vicariously through you by saying “Go For It!!!”
http://thematernalexperiment.blogspot.com/
My funny/groan inducing tattoo story: My first tatt was of a unicorn. I got it on my lower stomach. The family joke is that we will judge my future pregnancy belly by how far the neck of the unicorn ends up stretching. It’ll look like a giraffe with a single horn.
For my second tatt I’d thought about getting a Capricorn symbol, but at the last second I decided to get the chinese symbol for Year of the Dog, which was my birth year. I’d always see that on menus at restaurants and think hey, I can officially call myself a bitch! So year of the dog tattoo it was.
I swear it was my first day back to work after the vacation when I got the symbol tatt (have gotten all 3 of them in Hawaii on different trips) and I was talking about my new one. A coworker comes up to me and says “But isn’t your birthday in the beginning of January? Because remember the Chinese New Year starts either late January or in February.” And shit, she was right. I’m actually a fricking rooster, not a dog as so many menus had erroneously told me. I’m not a bitch, I’m a frickin cock.
It’s on my foot, too, and it’s pretty small, and I guess it makes for a funny story, but damn it, I should have stuck with the Capricorn one. At least I was positive on that one.
I have one tattoo, a celtic shield knot – represents protection from the 4 directions. After my dad died I figured I needed a little extra back-up . . .
That was 15 years ago and I haven’t gotten another why, don’t know why, didn’t get the tattoo craving after that. And upper arm (bicep) didn’t really hurt, the highly recommended really good tattoo artist who wouldn’t shut the fuck up during the work, that was painful!
Love the pheonix design but can understand why you will be toning it down a little in the detail department!
I have just one in honor of my dad who passed away when I was 11. I want five more, and I know exactly what I want. I’d love it if I could turn them into a full sleeve (the one I have now is on my left forearm). I have a professional type job, but one that’s professional enough to wear suits and jackets and stuff, so I can cover. Woot! Just waiting a year or so for when I’m not breastfeeding (and hopefully have some expendable income :)). Then it’s ON.
I have one, chinese symbol below my pubic bone. I will get another one someday when something jumps out at me.
The phoenix is to die for. Absolutely stunning…
Also, diet coke addict. I have only 2 tats for now. My 1st is a small rose just above my left boob (or should I say “breast”?) & the 2nd is an ankh on my left ankle. No specific event behind them. I just always wanted a rose there & the ankh stands for everlasting life. I want to get a chain of thorns around my ankle connected to the ankh. When I got the ankh, it felt like my skin was being rubbbed raw, but the rose did not hurt at all. I also want to get a dragonfly because they represent life & freedom.
I love your tats! The phoenix will be a fabulous addition, but I, too, wonder where the head is at! (((HUGS)))
I love the design! I can’t wait to see the result after you get it done. 🙂
I have feet envy now.
I love your tattoos! I have a cheetah on my shoulder, going onto my back. It didn’t hurt. Not as bad as a foot would I imagine. After I got it done I quizzed my nephews on where to get my next one, which will be my nickname in Japanese because it means “Super Angry” and he said “On your foot!” How awesome to have “Super Angry” right on your foot. So when your kicking ass people will know why.
But instead my tattoo of my cheetah keeps getting bigger, pretty soon I will probably have the whole Serengeti on my back. ahhh dreams…I do have enough room for an elephant or two, I am that big! haha! 😉
Could never get one of my own because I am a total wimp, but I find them fascinating. I love hearing the stories behind them and the symbolism. My sister has five – I tell her she took my share, so I don’t have to get one.
The phoenix is a perfect symbol for you, love.
Love the design! I don’t have a tattoo because I’m uber-fickle and can’t think of anything I would want on my body for an extended period of time (heh), but I love that all of your tattoos have deep personal meaning behind them.
That is a beautiful Phoenix!! It will look great on your shoulder. I have decided I am going to get wings. I know some people would call me a copy cat b/c lots of people have them right now, but I have always wanted a set. I think I’ll just let them trail all the way down to my waist. Merry Christmas!! 🙂
I love tattoos. Also have 9, including a full length back piece. It helps to be in a long term relationship with a tattoo artist and spending my days managing a tattoo shop. 😀
Love the design!
I love me my tats. I have 3..well, technically 4. My last one took 3 hours of laying on my stomach after a 9 hour night shift. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!
I love your phoenix. It’s awesome.
Holy crap. I really hope you get the phoenix and make sure to post a pic! I believe that tattoos should mean something and not be something like Smurfette or Winnie the Pooh…although I don’t judge. 😉
I got a tattoo at the age of 25 during law school no less, because I needed a change. I’ve always wanted my last name in Chinese, so I got it on my lower back but on the left side. So it’s not really a tramp stamp. Hehe. It reminds me of my roots and of my late father. Even if I do finally decide to change my last name, it will always always be a part of me physically and mentally.
That is awesome! I love that you have a constant reminder of your journey on your body. I think it’s easy to forget how far you come. Way to go! Seriously, this whole getting your groove back is inspiring me to help me find mine. Thank you.
told my children 14 and 12 that they could have my permission to have any tattoo they want as long as it is a math equation
Love the Phoenix tattoo. That has a deep meaning to me and my life.
WAY cool.
I would love a tattoo when I’m done having children. Their names or some kind of symbol that reminds me of me and them and our strength together.
I love the phoenix, even though I didn’t recognize it as a phoenix at first, but that’s totally beside the point. It’s gorgeous, and we’re not playing “Name that tune” with tattoos here. I have often thought about/threatened to get a tat, but have so far chickened out. Probably because I am a total wimp, and then there’s the whole needle thing. I am, after all, the person that was asked not to take part in any more blood drives because they apparently do not need my blood that badly. (Yes, and it requires novacaine, nitrous, and valium to get me to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned.) I am probably going to have to stick to the henna tattoos at the RenFest.
I’d like to get the number 26, very small like no bigger than a half-dollar, in between my shoulder blades like where if i tried to hide it with a tank top i could but it might peek out to say hi. i want the number 26 because i am a huge and i mean ridiculous-level nerd for books, reading, and writing – i’ve written poetry (read: attempted to write) as long as i can remember and have been dabbling in fiction writing through college and since. anyway there are 26 letters in the english alphabet and that kind of blows my mind, that only 26 letters make up every word in every book in every library and on and on and on… yeah i told you, HUGE NERD… shut up!
I really don’t get tattoos, but I’m happy you’re happy!
*tries to stop looking at the lizard tail on your BABY TOE!!! NEEDLES!!! OW! OW! OW!
My dad was in the navy during WWII and had many tattos, so I grew up thinking they were normal and pretty cool.
Don’t have any myself. Yet. The location dilemma has yet to be solved.
Mind you, the way my memory is going lately, perhaps I should get my phone number and address tattooed on teh back of my hand…
Looks gorgeous!! I can’t wait to see it on skin!! I have one giant tramp stamp which is actually started out as a tiny one, but I kept adding to it every couple of years.
Now, I was going to scream PEACOCK, because it’s kind of a funny word if you think about it, but it’s already been said ;(
Nevertheless, if you see phoenix, then you see phoenix. It’s very pretty either way, and I’m sure your sexxxay shoulder will carry it beautifully!
Me? No tats. I’m a big fan of them on others, but I’m a woman who needs change. Can’t see the point in getting one and going over it every time my mood changes.
I love tattoos, I have a couple, and so does my husband. I really love that phoenix! I want more… it’s just a matter of time and money. I’ve got several planned out 🙂
Those are so cool!
I don’t have a tattoo, but I have one I’ve always thought about getting, a pine tree with a crescent moon just over my left breast so, like you said, it’s revealable/hidable at appropriate times….
My feeling about tattoos is that my immune system has enough to contend with, without giving it more to heal. I have a ring that has basically the same purpose as your first foot tattoo above.
The only thing that could make that better is sparkles. Can they do that? Embed sparkles in the skin as part of a tattoo? That would rock. I should invent that.
I still want a foot tattoo but I can’t decide of what. I love that Phoenix – what an awesome tattoo that would make!
I can do drug-free childbirth, no problem, but tattoos? Scared of The Pain.
Yours are lovely.
Those are very nice tattoos. I have three….
I’d get rid of them all in a heartbeat if they came up with a better solution….
Oh well.
my 1st tat was on my shoulder blade/back – so i could cover it up or show it off with tanks…my 2nd was on my foot – same idea…my 3rd & 4th r ones that i want 2 show off proudly! the 3rd was my I KICKED CANCER’S ASS tat & it’s on the inside of my right wrist – where i can also cover it up…but my 4th, is my wedding band…my hubby & i got em 2gether this year & i def don’t worry about covering it up…it’s my fav by far!!! i still want more – i don’t know how many…but i have at least 2 more in mind ;0)
read more about em here:
http://skatesfamily.blogspot.com/2009/07/weekend-recapjuly-4th-edition.html
& here:
http://skatesfamily.blogspot.com/2008/05/chinese-zodiac-tat.html
I like. I’ve been meaning to ugrade my tatoo’s I just need to set aside the time and money.
I have a tat on my foot, LOVE IT but it hurt like a mother fucker! OH MY!!! I want another one, but I’m undecided about what I want. I know I want it on my other foot though. I love the Phoenix and can’t wait to see the pics.
I LOVE it! You definitely need to post pics when you get it done. I have three tattoos, one on my hip, one on the back of my right shoulder, and one on the front of my left shoulder. I’ve always wanted an Alice in Wonderland tattoo (not because of the drugs, because it was my favorite story as a child), and just finally found the main point of it (I plan to add different characters and stuff to it as time goes on). Here’s my problem: I have no idea where to put it. Possibly my arm, and it could eventually turn into a half sleeve, but I don’t think I’m badass enough for that. A backpeice? That sounds kind of lame. Any suggestions?
A backpeice is lame because I already have a tat on my back, I think backpieces are sort of cool, actually.
Where is it’s head? I don’t get it.
Now I wish that I could properly use iPhoto to SHOW you the head. It’s on the left, by the two circle things. I’m having the thing that looks like it’s puking up removed so you can TELL it’s a head. Ha.
Thank you. I have a hard time with those dumb-ass 3-D scenes as well.
OK I have one and regret it (shut your whore mouth Aunt Becky!) I got it on my 18th birthday & it is just a doodle my hubby, then boyfriend drew. It looks like a stupid bow & arrow and it’s…on my lower back. Yeah.
I want to get it covered with some rocking colored, shaded flowers, my kids’ birth flowers.
I think that plenty of people regret their tattoos. Especially the really stupid looking ones. That doesn’t sound NEARLY as bad as some of the barbed wire ones that I’ve seen. *shudders*
I have one on my lower shoulder… it sounds corny, but it was 1) custom and 2) meaningful! It’s a gorgeous fairy in shades of red and orange leaning on a gargoyle… both sitting on a cake. The cake because… well obviously! The gargoyle is for my hubby who is my rock, and the fairy for myself; happiest when I allow myself to take flight.
Now that’s cool. I don’t think it sounds corny in the slightest.
I have deep respect for those with tattoos, especially tats that have some significant meaning, not because of the pain or anything, but the being sure enough about the symbol to have it etched permanently on one’s person. I’m afraid I’m too wishy-washy–that something I think is SO AWESOME today will be like, “why did I do that again?” tomorrow, and I will find a MORE perfect design right after the tattooing.
Hence, I don’t have a tattoo. But I’m thinking about it.
The tats that I have are ones that I’ve waited YEARS to get. They’ve been things that I’ve always wanted, just waiting to get. The phoenix, well, I’ve been waiting for 2 years to get. Now is the time, right?
That’s a great design. I’ve thought about getting a tattoo, but could never decide on placement since I’d want it 100% showing or hidden, never partially showing because I’m anal like that. Plus, I’d like a butterfly, but that’s been done by too many sorority girls for it to be cool anymore.
Nice tatoo there..planning to get it done at once..looks cool.