Inky ink.

Tattoos! I love love love tattoos. I love to look at them, and I love to get them. I have seven now, and I plan to get many, many more. Once I can afford them ;) I have always wanted to be significantly covered in tattoos, but am a little hesitant. Firstly, I don’t know exactly what to get, or, rather, I can’t decide! Secondly, it’s very expensive. Thirdly, as an English teacher, it seems I have to compromise very much about where I want them to be! All of my tattoos have been done at the same shop, and most by the same person. Steve, at Vertigo in Oxford, OH is a very good friend of the family and almost always gives me a great deal, not to mention he is a pretty amazing artist. ;) Visit their site, here! He also pierced my nose, lip, and cartilage, but I have since grown out of that phase!

My favorite tattoo is one I got for my sister. It was my second tattoo, and I have had it for two three years now. It’s a female archer. My sister is a Sagittarius, and also my goddaughter. Her birth when I was 19 years old was a huge event in my life that greatly changed the person that I am. I wanted to get something that encompassed all of that, and made me remember what a strong role model I am to her each and every day. She is three and a half, now, and constantly asks to see my “rattoos.” :) She also asks my dad all the time to give her some of her own! Usually a cat named “Harry” and dog named “Sheila” (after our pug).

My third and fourth tattoos were ones I got for my brother (the scales, he is a Libra) and the man and woman, which I got for my parents. The music note signifies their musical abilities. My mom loves to sing, and my dad plays the guitar amazingly. Ever since I was a little girl, these two things have been a huge part of our household. And my brother and I are much closer than we used to be, and I think he secretly likes that I have a permanent tattoo in honor of him. ;)

My next set of tattoos is anchors on each of my hips. During my sophomore year of college, I got out of a very bad relationship and this was also the time when my little sister was born. As a result, I began having a really hard time at school. It got so bad that I would have to leave classes because I was unable to control my emotions. So I started seeing a counselor on campus. He asked questions about my tattoos, and one day asked when I was going to get a tattoo for ME. I thought this was a very good question! Eventually, he diagnosed me with anxiety. He asked me where I felt that most physically when I was upset. I told him that I often realized that I was holding my breath for long periods of time, and that I would get really tense in my back and shoulders. Originally, I wanted to get anchors on my shoulders for this reason, but teaching stopped me. So that’s why they ended up on my hips! Which is a little ironic, because much like anxiety having a panic attack that comes on unexpectedly, I don’t often think about these little anchors until I catch a glimpse of them on the way into the shower.

Lastly, I have this little dinosaur on my back for my grandmother. This is my most recent tattoo. When I was very little, my grandma got me this keychain, and I have had it on my keys for years and years. When the paint began rubbing off, I decided that before it was completely gone, I wanted to get it tattooed. I think it may be my least favorite tattoo stylistically, but one that is closest to my heart. I grew up with my grandma, and we were very close when I was young. As she gets older, her memory is fading and we are growing apart. It makes me sad that we don’t talk or see each other much anymore, but I still love her very much, and each time I see this tattoo, I take time to think about her.

Additionally, the sun above this little dino is my very, very first tattoo. I got it the week after I turned 18 and ended up being one that I regretted. Not because it wasn’t pretty or cute, but because it didn’t mean anything to me. Luckily, I have a wonderful friend named Christa who got one to match it :) Now we have matching ink, and I love it! I used to have a picture of it before the dinosaur was under it, but I don’t know where it ended up!

I would love to get an Angelique Houtkamp tattoo, especially her day of the dead skull. I have been wanting one of these for a long time, and Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet just did a feature about Angelique Houtkamp the other day. I was sort of familiar with her work before this, but her entry prompted me to do a bit more research, and her artwork is beautiful!

So, that’s my tattoo story. I hope everyone enjoyed it oh so much :).

xoxo