Ink

When I was 15 years-old, I got a crappy tattoo. The guy said $25.00 and boy did I get what I paid for. Not only did he grind the needle into my arm way too hard to the point where I fainted, he was crappy at tracing my design. I eventually got it filled in a bit to make it look even when I was 18 years-old. While I did go to a pro, I bled too much and the blacks are uneven ever since. At least I didn’t faint, in fact, I nearly fell asleep in the chair. Although I got the itch to get more, I was a good little gal and held off the temptation — I also never had money to get more.

Mind you, my crappy tattoo doesn’t bother much anymore. It is a crappy tattoo — not the worst — but I see it as like the beat up used car you probably had in your younger days. Sure you know it is a piece of crap, but it is your piece of crap, and you become proud of it in a weird sense.

My husband got his first tattoo recently, one of my design sort of (the cat helped too). I was so excited at the shop, like watching your kid ride a bike for the first time I suppose. What do you know, he wants more. In fact before we left the shop he was coming up with all sorts of possibilities and placement for the next 4 he had in his head. Every so often he comes up with something crazy, but we decided it would be best if he got something I designed for him. He’s become a little more practical and thoughtful about it all. This is very funny to me considering he has always made fun of my tattoo and women who have tattoos in general. That nothing “skanks up” a chick like some ink. At the shop he asked me what I was getting next? The thought never occurred to me, but now, I kinda think I should have something really nice to off-set my badly crafted one.

For a few months I’ve been trying to decide what I want. I would like an op art design or something simple of my own design. Nothing cliched though. No Celtic knots or pin stripe looking crap on my lower back — ew! I’m not a fan of color either, but I do like some heavy shading I’ve seen. So who knows. I think I’m about due for another. Watching L.A. Ink doesn’t help, neither does coming across amazing artists like painter and tattoo artist Alex Garcia

I’ll be back in Orange County and L.A. for Thanksgiving, and I’m soooo tempted to hit up Alex to do something for me. But I’ll be good, and wait. I’ll come up with something eventually I’m sure.