Today's Thursday's Things is inspired by the pretty tattoos that keep popping up on Pinterest. I love tattoos. I don't have one but I have wanted to get one since I was about 14. I even went to a tattoo shop when I was fifteen but chickened out when I heard the sound of the needle. Thank goodness otherwise I'd have a heart with wings on my lower back (a tramp stamp if you will).
I definitely would love to get one but I have reservations. Mainly that it's so permanent. What if I get one and end up hating it? Or regretting it? Do any of you have a tattoo that you got that you now regret? I'm so fickle that I'm afraid what I really really love right now will not be what I really really love in five or ten years...
Also I'm not really sure I could pull a tattoo off. I'm pretty awkward and nerdy...I'm not sure I'm cool enough to have a tattoo, haha! Srsly though...I'm not sure I'm ready for one, but I do think I'm going to get my nose repierced very soon. I have had my nose pierced twice and I miss it A LOT. Now that I'm a stay at home mom my dress code is a lot less strict and I can finally get it pierced again. So excited to do that! In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite tattoo designs I've come across recently...
I don't regret any of my tattoos. I am still in love with all of them. Even the dumb star I got on my neck when I was eighteen. Honestly I think you NEED one. Just one, like a signature tattoo. A tattoo in a odd spot that would be your only one. It would look perfect. But Im sure once you get one you will be addicted just like the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteAwkward and nerdy people make the best tattoo collectors, I'm here to tell you! I got my first tattoo at 19, the word "soulmate" in Gaelic which my husband also got. I have a sort-of tramp stamp ( a Celtic tree of life ) so I laughed at that part, haha.
ReplyDeleteI usually tell people that you only regret something if you DECIDE to regret it later...it's all in how you frame it. There are some of my tattoos that I may not have chosen now that I'm more of an adult and know myself better, but I still love each of them because they remind me of a specific time in my life (tramp stamp I got when Rob was in Iraq, flower I got before he came home, doves when we moved in together, dandelion when my SIL was diagnosed with cancer, gypsy after my grandparents died, etc.). Look at it this way: there are things in my life I may "regret" or not look back on with particular joy, but they still mark my life and are still a huge part of my life, like my tattoos. So I don't regret getting any of them because (1) I thought them out and (2) they help tell the story of my life, and I think that's awesome.
On Danielle's Tattoo Tuesday one girl said something like "I think I would rather be old and wrinkly and tattooed than regret never getting tattooed."
So if you find something you love, and find an artist that's worthy of your time, I say go for it. Once you get one you'll realize that permanence is a relative term and decorating your body is just awesome.
One more story: Rob's dad hates tattoos, and when we got ours together he was damn near horrified. He said something like 'Your body is a temple...' and Rob said 'Dad, when have you ever seen a temple that is completely void of any decoration or adornment?' :)
Those are beautiful tattoos. I'm surprised you don't have one, for some reason I saw you as a person with tattoos.
ReplyDeleteI have two, one on my back of a dolphin that I got when I was 16, and the other one on my wrist of a clover that I got when I was 18. I would have so many more, but they are way too expensive for my pocketbook right now.
I find that I'm most satisfied with my custom tattoo. Going and picking out something from photos of what they already have may cause you to regret it later because it is more commonly seen.
ReplyDeleteI have one that is personal and custom. (It is 4 flower blooms and each one is the birth month flower of each of my family members.)I love it so much and I love how colorful it is. Good luck!!
Those feathers are so cool!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm not much help. Don't have one, would perhaps like one in the feature but have reservations as well. The ones you mentioned, but also the risk of it infecting and weird as this may sound: I think it must feel weird when you're naked. Even when you take everything off, you'll always have something.
The tattoo with the feathers is my absolute favorite of those above, so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI got my first tattoo last December and lovelovelove it. It *honestly* did not hurt as bad as I had feared (just felt like someone scratching me over and over again). And I have it on my upper back (just below my shirt line, center of the back) so I don't see it often which is probably a good thing since I just don't think about it much.
I actually posted photos of it on my blog at this link if you wanna check it out :)
http://beingoodtome.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/my-first-tattoo/
I think the key was that I had debated over the image for 4 years, so when I got it, I knew it was exactly what I wanted.
It's true what they say, though, that once you get one you're kind of addicted. :)
-Lisa
Not loving your tattoo in the future is the risk you run in getting one. I don't regret any of my tattoos (I even have a tattoo that says "no regrets"), although I really wish my first tattoos were better done. I went to someone who very new to tattooing and it shows. But they're small and I could still get them covered some day if I want. They're poorly done but I still love them because they're my first. I'm one of the most indecisive people I know, but one day I just decided to go for it, consequences be damned. :)
ReplyDeleteI have the same reasons for not having a tattoo. I'm so worried that I won't like it later ... and I'm so indecisive. I'm like "ooh, shiny!" when it comes to pretty things. I say wait till you think of a tattoo that you really like for about six months. That will show its longevity. BTW, did you see the feather-behind-the-ear one I posted the other day? I really like the idea of a discreet tattoo like that...
ReplyDeleteThat first one is brilliant. I have many tattoos (including very big ones) and I'm a big fan of the "you only live once" scenario. However, I do have a tiny tattoo on my hip and while I don't regret the tattoo itself, I do regret the placement (would have liked it a bit lower). Oh well, I was 18 when I got it and it was my first one and my mom's current favorite. I say go for it! :)
ReplyDelete♥ sécia
www.petiteinsanities.blogspot.com
Oh! And one of my tattoos is a cover-up of another... I guess that would make the first one a regret then wouldn't it. ;)
ReplyDelete♥ sécia
www.petiteinsanities.blogspot.com
these are gorgeous tattoos! As of now I have 5 tattoos and designs and plans for more. I only have one that I wish I could erase. Only because it was an impulsive friendship tattoo & that person and I had a terrible falling out. Luckily its out of eye sight and I have a plan to have it covered with something else. Thats another glorious thing..most tats can be covered and converted into a while new piece of art. xo
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you ANYBODY can get tattoos. And they do. And having tattoos doesn't make you any more or less cool.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion they're not really that big a deal but maybe I'm just used to seeing them everywhere.
Oh, and make sure you get black in your tattoo. That's my big advice. More black. Always. haha
ReplyDeletewell hun you know I have tattoos. I have 5 currently and am planning one to mark Claire's birth. Maybe get one for M? I dont regret any of mine, they all tell a story. And geeks make the best tattoo collectors, speaking as one myself! They dont get stupid things like logos tattoed on them, or butterfly tramp stamps. I either getting a portrait of Claire done, or an anchor like the one above actually, with Claires name and date of birth wrapped around it in a ribbon.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I have tattoo's that I regret, but I also have one I love.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest mistake was dating an apprentice tattoo artist, but I think that if you really think about what you want and where you want it, talk about it with friends and family and find a good artist you can get a piece of art you love.
i like the hibiscus! i have one tattoo. i just got it the summer of 2010. my best friend and i agreed 11 years ago that if we still loved the pictures we wanted to get tattooed when we turned 30, we would go ahead and get them. the images stuck with us and we are now both tattooed! i got a woodcut image of a seahorse on my inner bicep, she got an atom on her outer bicep. :) http://flic.kr/p/anSrgi
ReplyDeleteit was really fun and the pain is super temporary, although it did unleash a weird primal defense thing where i was very angry at our artist for hurting me. it was irrational, of course, so i was able to get over it, but every time it hurt a lot, i got angry with him in my head. it's also kind of cool to be able to feel your nerves firing off and acting in crazy ways that you haven't felt before.
My sister and I just got our first! Do it! If it means something you won't ever hate it. Something for Margeaux or your family would be sweet. :] It was both of our firsts but we're really glad we did it!
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