Angel Wing Tattoos - The Beautiful Wings to Make You Look Like an Angel

Tattoos are permanent body art. Most people go for random designs that are found on the chart of any tattoo shop. If you are looking for a design that is special and makes you look unique then having an angel wing tattoo will definitely separate you from the rest of the crowd. Angel wings are the one of the most desired angel tattoo designs especially among women.Historically tattoos were

Design Your Tattoo - Unique And Creative

The newest thing that people are investing into is the idea of creating your own tattoo on the computer. Tattoos are becoming very popular and the numbers continue to increase. People are starting to see how a tattoo can truly express their feelings. The high demand of tattoos also created a very high supply. You must look to get not just any tattoo, but rather something that is creative and

Kanji Tattoo Designs and Meanings

Ever since the late nineties Kanji tattoos have been put on the map of the ink scene in a big way. This boom of stardom for this special form of body art may have originated in ancient China but it found its wings in Western society on the celebrity of Hollywood and it's shining stars likeDavid Beckham who embraced this tradition making it a modern art form. If you are considering getting a

Tattoo...Wednesday!

{I forgot to take a final picture so this photo was taken before we touched up the black again and 

added a tiny more blue- I'll post a better photo later, of course!}

Today was a great and super special day- I finally got my mama tattoo for Henry! I had gone back and forth about what I wanted to get, and years ago (before I was a mama) I knew that one day when I had a little one I would want to get his or her silhouette. When Henry was born I originally wanted to get that for him, but thought instead that I would wait until we had all of our kids and do something a little more traditional now, like an anchor or just his name in script. I realized though that it was silly to wait to do something that I really wanted (and had wanted for ages), so I made the appointment, and today was the day!

Mondo at Immaculate Tattoo in Mesa, AZ tattooed me (he previously did the "Sweet Darlin'" above my knees), and as always I loved it. I have been going to Immaculate for years and years, back when Jason tattooed me, then Cory, and now Mondo. It's a great shop with great artists, and I highly recommend you check them out if you're in the area.

I am so, so in love with it with it and of course, it's my new favorite (like every new tattoo I get)! I'm just so happy with how it turned out, and I can really see Henry in it- his tiny little button nose, chin, and the bits of hair.  I hadn't thought about a frame before Mondo brought it up, but I'm so happy I ended up getting one. I have never seen a silhouette tattoo before and I have a hard time picturing things in my head, but as usual with good artists they manage to produce something that is better than you could have even attempted to imagine. I love that.

So, today was an excellent day. I'm just so excited for big-kid Henry to one day realize that this tattoo is of him, and for him to look at my arm and know his mama loves him oh-so much.

How tattoos (may) change your life.

I get a lot of questions via this blog in regards to my tattoos and a couple of the questions are asked the most: "do you run into negativity having so many visible tattoos?" and "I'm thinking of getting my arm/chest/other visible spot tattooed, any advice?" So let me tell you. But before I begin, you should know that this is coming from my experience and my experience alone. Things may be different for you, but for me, I've found that my life has absolutely changed since becoming what some would call "heavily" tattooed. Maybe this is because I come from a more conservative family, maybe it's because I don't fit into the "sorority girl" label that would otherwise be applied, maybe it's because I live in a small town. Who knows. What I do know though is that I love everything I've added to my body, but coming from someone who can be sensitive about people being openly mean or negative, in the beginning it was hard for me to adapt and become indifferent to the way people made me feel. I should also add that for every negative remark or glance I get from the tattoos on my body, I get equally as many smiles and conversations with people I may not have otherwise spoken to. And those seemingly rude stares are often just coming from a place of admiration or curiosity. But now, I don't give it a second thought. Stare if you'd like, whisper to your friend, "she's so pretty, why would she DO that?!" It rolls right off my back. But in the first years of having tattoos on my ribs, my back, then my chest, arm, wrist, neck, legs...it would often make me sad. I was so happy with the way I looked, and I didn't understand why me having tattoos would bother anyone else. But sometimes, it does. So let me start by saying this: if you decide to get a tattoo in a visible place, people will look, and people will judge. Yes, times have changed, but as far as I'm concerned, being heavily tattooed is still not 100% acceptable in mainstream society. One day maybe, but today, no.

Because I have a few separate circles of friends, as I got more and more tattoos I became the "tattooed friend" in one of those groups. The first time I heard that it was definitely disheartening; a coworker of one of my college girlfriends met me for the first time and said, "oh! You must be the tattooed friend we've heard so much about." Oh really? It was a bummer to be generalized like that, and I still think about it when I hang out with that group of girls. No one wants to be placed into a simplified category based on the way they look, but when you have tattoos it can definitely happen, and it did for me, numerous times.  Another specific thing I've dealt with as of recently: you will have to think about how you look standing in a friend's wedding as a bridesmaid. I've been in the wedding party of many of my friends, and unless the bride or groom is also visibly tattooed, it's can often be a little touchy. My friends couldn't care less, but their mothers, grandmas, aunt or family friend may have a different opinion. To be honest, I normally couldn't care less what someone's mother, grandma, aunt or family friend thought...but it's a hard situation when you know that someone's conservative parents don't approve of tattoos, yet there you are up there on the biggest day of their daughter's life, tattooed and smiling away. On someone's wedding day the last thing you want is to be an issue for anyone's family...or even "ruin the pictures," like I've actually had said to me. It can be a bit hard when you just want to blend in and be in the background...but if you're heavily tattooed, blending in isn't always easy to do in certain settings. And although this isn't a reason not to get tattooed, I do think that all of these stories blend into a bigger picture that is important to see when making the decision.

Another, and a bit broader thing to think about when you're considering taking the plunge and tattooing your arm, chest, back of your neck, or even your wrist...how will this affect my career? Some people are lucky enough to work in an open-minded environment where tattoos don't matter, but the majority of people need to look somewhat "professional," and in this day and age, visible tattoos aren't always seen that way. I taught high school for six years, and for six years I wore higher necked shirts, cardigans, and after tattooing right above my knees I stuck to skirts that were always long enough to cover those pieces up. Although my school surprisingly gave me the okay to show them if I wanted to, I chose to have them be a non-issue and keep them mainly covered. It was just easier this way, especially dealing with highly-distractable teenage students.  After six years of doing this though I started to get sick of my limited wardrobe choices, and as spring and summer hit it was hot wearing layers and long sleeves each day.  So really think hard about it- if you work in an area where tattoos just aren't acceptable, are you willing to cover them every single day for the rest of your working life? I asked myself these same questions and decided that I didn't care, and went for it. For me, the benefits outweighed the annoyances. But you may be different, so be sure to ask yourself the same.

Also, know that your day to day life will be forever changed. Imagine wearing a really brightly colored dress out and about- it's loud, it's bright, and quite the conversation piece. Now imagine not being able to take off that dress. You loved that dress at the store, you bought and paid for it, and now you will wear that dress for the rest of your life. Everyday. Forever. Wherever you go, people will either look at it, try and touch it, show you theirs, and/or start some sort of conversation. This is the truth. Sometimes fun, mainly annoying, and for me it's often easier to just cover up if I'm not in the mood to deal with it.

But really, what it comes down to is this: if you are going to permanently change your body in a big way, think long and hard before you make the leap. I didn't get tattooed until I was in my twenties for that very reason. Some 18-year olds have enough sense to make the choice then, but I knew I didn't, so I waited. And in the end, I decided to take the plunge after all and I am so glad I did. Up above I mentioned a few specific examples of ways life has changed for me, and I'm sure there are many more instances depending on your circumstances. At the same time, there are positive things that of course go along with doing what YOU want to do, and doing it for you. I, for one, adore having such beautiful art as a permanent reminder of different parts of my life. I'll always love them, because they represent my history, my story, my choices. I'll continue to get tattoos that I love, and I'll continue to fill my body with little pieces of beauty that make me happy. Everyday is an exercise in being true to myself, and I like that. And admittedly, it did take a while to accept that not everyone will approve of my choices. From that though, I  have become someone who strives to be my 100% authentic self in all situations. You don't like the way I look? Oh well. My tattoos have taught me more about myself, and more about others, than I would have ever imagined. And like anything, there are two sides of the coin. Just be sure you examine both sides before you really make the commitment! Good luck!

Tattoo Tuesday V.41

I am really excited about this week's feature- when I stumbled upon Viviana on flickr I just knew I had to feature her. She's the sweetest thing, and I'm so happy she wanted to be a part of this. So thank you Viviana! I hope all of you enjoy all of her fantastic photos and words- I know I did!

It's so funny because the closer I get to having Henry the bigger my "tattoo itch" gets, and I have the longest list of "to-gets" coming up. This feature is definitely not helping me in that department. There are so many beautiful pieces of art on these wonderful peoples' bodies that I can't help but get inspired every week. Thank you to ALL of you who stop by here and leave such thoughtful comments for my guests and making them feel so welcome. You're the best! And now, onto the darling Viviana!



Name and blog name: Viviana Agostinho - I don't have a blog, but I share a lot of my life on my Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/shelikescherries . Feel free to stop by!

Age: 33

Occupation: I work for an Internet company

Age of first tattoo: 27

Favorite tattoo: I seriously love all my tattoos, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be the phrase across my back, "There is a light that never goes out". It's an understatement to say I love this song, but there are more reasons to why I got it tattooed. I've dealt with depression and anxiety, and had panic attacks for a couple of years, so when I finally overcame it I wanted a constant reminder that there is always a light shining somewhere, even in the darkest of times. Tacky, but true!


Featured tattoo/location: A skeleton key in the inside of my arm.

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Nick Rodin at Black Heart Tattoo in San Francisco.

Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story or special meaning? Why did you choose this particular piece of art?

The tattoo symbolizes overcoming hardships. I've been through a huge change in 2005 when I moved to a new country -- where I didn't know anyone and had to start my life from scratch. A skeleton key is a key that opens all doors in a house, so the idea is to have a clear path and opened doors in front of me. Fun fact: I got a job promotion shortly after I got this tattoo done. Who knew my skeleton key would really work?

Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

Yes! I have a Celtic triskele in my upper arm, a floral piece that goes from my shoulder to my chest, and a wing in each ankle.

Do you plan on getting more?

Definitely! I want to fill my right arm to a half sleeve. I also want a tattoo on the top my right foot and one in my left forearm. Those are already planned, but something tells me there will be more.

How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

Unfortunately I live far away from my family. I'm originally from Brazil and I've moved to the US five years ago. The plus side of this situation is that when my family sees me they are so happy they don't even care about the tattoos! Clever, huh?

I've never had any hard time because of my tattoos, people are just curious about them. It is common however to get the "but what if you regret it?" question, and all I say is "Well, life can be full of regrets, you don't need to have tattoos to experience one". Usually that kills the conversation. :-)

I'm married, and my husband does not have tattoos. He totally supports me though. He actually designed the floral piece I got on my shoulder/chest (with a little help from Mr. William Morris). Plus, he is the perfect companion when I'm getting tattooed because he is super perfectionist and has a great eye for crooked things. I trust his opinion more than I trust my own to be honest.

Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

Do your research. Not only for designs, but for shops and artists. It's ok to go to a tattoo shop and just look around. Ask questions. Flip through portfolios. Don't feel rushed to make up your mind, and don't settle for the cheapest -- put quality first, always, even if it means having to save more money. Keep in mind that many tattoo artists have areas of expertise, so try getting an artist whose work matches what you want. For example, all my tattoos are done with black ink only, so I search for artists who are great with shading and like being creative without the need of color. Finally, be prepared: this can be pretty addictive!