Tattooed Everything.

Inspired by this fun little blog, Sometimes Sweet, I decided to try and feature tattoos on my blog. I think I know more than enough people with artsy skin to do a few weekly entries. Let me know if you're interested in sharing your "ink" (I sorta hate that term).

Since I came up with the idea last night, I will share my own.

 This is my most recent tattoo. On our 5th anniversary, I decided to get a tattoo in Las Vegas. At times I hesitate to tell people I opted for having work done in Sin City. There was no late night inebriation involved. It was the middle of the day on a Sunday. We drove off "The Strip" to a little shop, Voodoo Tattoo. I asked for a black feather on my shoulder blade. About half way through I wondered to myself "Why did I ask for it to be all black again?". Then I had an 8 hour drive home from Vegas, not being able to lean back on my left side. Despite my poor timing, I love this aviary tattoo. It's in honor of our 5 years as a married couple. Cameron has a raven tattooed on his arm and this is a nod to it. It is not, despite my mother's claims, an homage to a certain band or one of the band members.

 I'm not sure why my feet look like Easter hams in this picture, but here are my foot tattoos. The swallow on my right foot is my first tattoo. I was taken by friends to a tattoo shop in Yucaipa (that is no longer there) on my 20th birthday. My friend Talicia helped pay for it as a birthday gift. When I was introduced as a first time tattooer getting my foot done, veterans of the needle gathered round to watch me cry and maybe bleed (I'm not joking). It did hurt. I held different friend's hands, but most of my wrath was directed at my friend Nick. Don't ask why. It was just easier to curse at him. I did say a few bad words. Not loudly. Not really bad words, low-grade bad words. I saw this bird on another person in the shop and loved it. Years later I had to laugh when I saw the "Put a Bird on it!" sketch on Portlandia. The verse is Isaiah 52:7, which I learned quickly to memorize because everyone and their mother wants to know what your tattoo means.

My left foot was done in 2007 at Blue Geisha tattoo in Newport Beach. My parent's took Josiah for the weekend and Cameron was getting his tattoo finished. I felt a little left out and decided to take up some real estate on my other foot. I had known for a awhile that I wanted Everlong tattooed on me. If you're not sure what this made up word is, feel free to enjoy this. I would not get any song title branded on me for the rest of my life. When Cameron and I first starting dating, he told me "I've been saving this song for a special girl." It's our song. When I was in school Cameron would make me mix CDs and a version of Everlong would appear on every one (the acoustic version is swell). The word is engraved on the inside of Cameron's wedding ring. We walked back down the aisle to it. When nothing else would put Josiah to sleep, Cameron playing it on his guitar would. Everlong may be a nonsense word, but it holds a ton of meaning for me.

Finally, my wrist tattoos (with an appearance from baby Meaty!). I had these done on a whim while visiting my parent's house. I went to pick my sister up from school and stopped at the Yucaipa tattoo spot, Artistic Element. I had to call up my tattoo buddy, Talicia. These were the second (and third technically) that I had done. My first after having a kid. Let me tell you, I did not feel a thing. It was a walk in the park. The tattoo itself is the beginning (left wrist) and end (right wrist) of the prayer of St. Francis. I knew I wouldn't be able to get the whole thing tattooed on me, but I wanted it on my body somehow. It's a perfectly sweet description of a Christian life. It's about Jesus and others, not me.

That's that. What say you kids, care to share your lovely tattoos? Let me know. I'd love to hear your stories.