Tattoo

[suzanneyea]

I just hate pain, so many people endure so much pain to look a certain way. Like all the women in LA who have tons of plastic surgery. All that pain and they end up looking so silly.

[kyatty2007]

Oh um, munch and trader, those stories are just WOW. I'm contemplating 2 tattoos right now. One I know I'd be happy with simply b/c it'd be the logo of my college alma mater (which has also been my fave sports team since I can remember, even growing up...). I know I will never not be a fan and since I also graduated from the university, will always have a connection. The other one is still up in the air. While I do have plans for another piercing in my ear, if I ever tire of it, I can always just take it out .

[engarde]

I've always felt that you really have to be careful when you get tattooed. I look in my closet and there is NOTHING in there that I want to wear that I owned 20 years ago. I don't know how I would ever select something that I would want to see in 20 years. That said, I know that many people who tattoo their skin, do so as a memorial--the mark on the skin reminds them of the moment they were changed or of something they never want to forget. I love learning the stories behind what made a person choose the artwork, why they selected the artist and then to have the courage to take the plunge. And then again, sometimes, it just looks cool!

[munchkin]

IA Eng, that's prob why despite us discussing it for years and many of my friends and family taking that plunge,
we have not. it's permanent and i've never settled on anything i'd like to have forever.

and yes kyatty, it was an eye opening docu. def expanded my horizons- knowing what i am not interested in having done to my body.

[trader]

I have to say that my attitude about tattoos has changed over the years. I couldn't see myself having one, and I didn't really like seeing others, it really seemed like a very personal thing. What you select, where it is tattooed. But I've come to appreciate it as an art form, and although unlikely I would spend money on this for myself now, I wouldn't say never.

[kyatty2007]

It def is a big decision to get a tattoo. I'm so glad I never got the ones I talked about doing before I turned 18 w/my friends while back in high school. I'm pretty sure I would really NOT like them now. I'll get the logo IF and only IF I can find a good spot for it, that I'll still be OK with 20, 30 years from now. Also, it'll be a spot that I can't see on a regular basis, nor could anyone else (somewhere on back or hip), since I do have a professional job. (Again, why piercings in ears and naval are good for me, b/c I can cover up for work...). I'm actually gonna go to a shop w/a friend hopefully this weekend to get a new ear piercing and the tattoo artist is known for letting "newbies" get a feel for the tattoo gun (no ink) before making a decision, to see if they can even tolerate it. Knowing he does this already makes me respect and trust him a bit since he seems to understand that not only is it permanent, but you don't want to start something only to decide you can't do it (due to pain or whatever) and it's unfinished.

[evilqueen21]

@kyatty- I think you should go for it!!! If you want to do in June at our little get together you'll have all of us for moral support ...Plus I just really liked the blue fairy it was adorable!

I am so excited, if all goes as planned I should finally be getting my next one next month! Since I already have my favorite band, I'm going with my second love and that's books... so I've decided on a My <3 belongs to Edward tattoo

[munchkin]

i guess that's my thing, i've never decided what i want or where i want it to be,
as i have to maintain the professional appearance too. (so no cat stripes or leopard print on my face )

i do enjoy hearing people's stories behind their choices.
a friend of mine's latest is a very large fairy tatooed on her back.
it's beautiful. she had it done after the birth of her 3rd child.has one for each time she gave birth. they are all very elaborate and she's always having more detail and color added as she has $. she's an occu therapist and yoga instructor. so she's in a line of work that it will not raise a lot of eyebrows.

i know 2 trained chefs who have them.
one is a friend from college and his are covered at his day job, an admin of group homes for special needs adults.
the other has very colorful sleeves. his day job is a factory. Both use their chef training for private parties etc at which people are totally fine with their tats if they are revealed.

as i told my nephew who is going to be 21. people will judge you as you job hunt etc. so pick something you like and have it placed where it means something to you. when he was finishing college, he went to an amature in pittburgh, pa ! he paid alot and the work is not good. spider web on his ribcage with a large spider. he will spend a small fortune to have it reworked by a pro for it to look good !

so if you are planning to get work done, ask someone you know. if you like the quality of the work on their body art,( color, detail etc) ask them if they recommend their tatoo artist.

[ConvertMePlease]

I know a few people who have tats and I also have a few. You def want to vet your artist before you get one. Most of the shops I've been in have books of the artists' work that you can browse through. You can also talk to others who have them to find out who they recommend. Run a search on the web to see if any of their work is posted. I found an artist on my third tattoo and now follow him where he works. He's done the majority of my tattoos. Another thing you need to think about is placement. You need to take your career into account because most employers won't care if you have them as long as they can be covered by your clothes. That's one of the things I have to make sure of. I can never wear anything short because I have tattoos on my lower legs. Pants will the way to go from now on. I would like to get more but I have to think about whether to get a totally new or add to one I already have. I also have to think about how much it will cost. My last one was $150 but it is my largest, took the longest (2 sittings) and it's an original. He took pictures of my kitty and drew up a tattoo of her as a memorial. It's now been about a year and a half since we put her down and I still miss her. It's a little easier (but not much) knowing that I'll always have something of her close to me. I have a tattoo of her on my back right shoulder. I also have her ashes in a place of honor in our home.

[munchkin]

one of my friends has done the same with her 2 cats, they are both on her chest. very beautiful likeness of each of them !
sadley now, both of them are also in little hand carved boxes on her mantel now.