Ink

I is for Ink!

Are you "inked"?

My love of tattoos started early in life around the time my mom's brothers were really into getting new tattoos and I was fascinated by the outcome. My uncle had once had a rose and wanted to cover it up with his seaplane and a sunset. I remember looking closely to see the hint of rose petals in the setting sun and then promising myself that I would someday get a tattoo.

My tattoos:

1. In HS my two best friends and I thought it would be a cool idea to give ourselves tattoos. So, sitting in my upstairs bathroom my BFF proceeded to "tattoo" us with a needle and art ink. Since then, we have all covered them up, but mine was a tiny Christian fish on my left ankle.

2. My first "real" ink was a very colorful butterfly on my lower right back. At that time everyone and their moms were getting butterflies so it may not seem that original. However, I had been "into" butterflies since junior high and for my first tattoo when I was 18 it symbolized me going starting my own life and spreading my wings.

3. My third tattoo was a cover up of the fish. I got a tiny pink butterfly flying sideways.The cover-up worked well, but I can't say I'm in love with the butterfly...another cover-up may be in the works someday...

4. Number four is a korean symbol on my left hip. It's supposed to mean extraordinary. My roommate and BFF at the time got the same symbol together. We got it off the internet so who knows what it really means, lol. I like it, but have recently been thinking of things that I could cover it up with.

5. I got my fifth tattoo on my wedding ring finger. It says my husbands name and he has the same on his with my name. We're rock stars. I know. :p (My hubby also has a footprint for each daughter and their name on each of the underside of his forearms, so he is always carrying them with him.)

6. The last tattoo I got is a big wicked old gnarly tree on my foot. I love twisted old oak trees and I wanted to convey the strength and perseverance they represent. I got it soon after we moved into our house and it also represents being rooted and growing in life.

Growing up I always had a difficult time with the idea that I would have to settle in one place for the rest of my life. I wanted to move where the wind carried me and never stay in one place too long. That all changed when I started "nesting" with my second child. We were living in a very dangerous area of the Twin Cities and I was getting a strong feeling to start growing roots in a smaller hometown area. When we finally accomplished this goal, getting the tree on my foot was one of the first things I did.

Not the best picture, but here she is! It is original artwork done by our family tattoo artist (yes, we have a family tattoo artist he has inked me, my husband, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law)

Future Ink Ideas:
1. I have a plan to get two birds (one for each girl) on the inside of my wrists. I want them to be tiny and flying. I've done a little research to see if there is a "birth month" bird for each them and have found just a few sources. Which makes me think I might just a pick a bird that represents each of them best and go with that.

2. I have three brothers and together we make the points of a cross. We were thinking of all getting the same tattoo of a cross, with each limb being a branch of our birth month tree. The branches would interlock in the center and form the letter "S" which stands for my maiden name.

See! Look how long I can talk about the topic of Ink! That is another reason why I love tattoos. Each of them has a story to tell and it is a way of people displaying their soul on the outside. I love talking to people and hearing their stories about why the got the tattoo. I find that a lot of them are very personal stories and a good way to get to know a person better. Share yours if you have any!!

My mom is not a fan of tattoos. At all. I told her this once, "You see naked beautiful skin and I see an empty canvas."