Tattoos and memories…
I have collected some tattoos over the course of my lifetime. At this time I have eight tattoos and a few more designs mulling around in my head. It is true tattoos can be addictive. I didn’t stop at one and I always seem to come up with more ideas of what I would like to get next.
Each tattoo reminds me of a person, place, or time in my life. I cherish each one of my tattoos and I love them all. I am thankful that I have no regrets and my tattoos have all turned out great. I don’t have any miss spelled words or art that you can’t quite tell what it is. I would not suggest rushing out to get a tattoo. Take time and plan something out with meaning. Also, they hurt! Find a good artist you trust and don’t think cheaper means it will be of great quality. It’s going to be on you forever, think it through.
My first three tattoos are all of stars. I have always had a love of stars. I have three stars on my back upper, middle, and lower. It kind of became a joke that my life is a three-star rating. I will always have my life as a work in progress because as long as I am alive I am always going to be working on making my life better. Making it the best it can be.
I have a Cadillac side piece tattoo that makes me laugh because it didn’t go quite as I planned not many of my plans do. After owning the big old black caddy for 10 years, I decided to have my dad in the dead of a Canadian winter when it was freezing, go out to the garage to un-tarp the car, and get the exact measurements of the front hood emblem. My plan was to get the exact hood emblem from the caddy tattooed on my side. I absolutely love to watch that hood emblem dance at the end of the hood in a ray of sunshine. I miss that car when I am not driving and it just brings me a feeling of pure happiness. You cannot be sad on the crushed velour seats of the caddy. I wanted to always remember that feeling of pure happiness. I took the exact measurements and pictures to my tattoo guy who drew it up and placed it on my side and it looked like a tiny microscopic dot on my giant side. We both laughed and said blow it up to fit my side. That is how I ended up with my entire right side as a statement piece. You can’t miss the caddy symbol now. BAM!
I have two tattoos inspired by a former friend who helped me more than she will ever know. Our lives have parted and gone down separate paths but I hope she is doing well. When I moved home to Ontario from Vancouver Island I missed the island so very much. All I ever wanted was to find a starfish at the ocean. I would spend hours and hours sitting at the ocean trying to heal my broken heart. Tasting my own salty tears and dreaming of a better life. My starfish and shell tattoo on my left foot is forever a reminder of the days I buried my toes in the sand at the Pacific Ocean. It reminds me of all my wonderful Island family and friends. My friend Kelly had a starfish tattooed on her elbow so it’s not matching tattoo but she did inspire it.
That same friend and I have matching tattoos on our hips. Even though our lives have taken us on many different paths I will always be thankful for the times we shared. We played countless hours of the Nintendo game Dr. Mario. We blasted the tunes, we stacked the pills and we killed the germs. We have matching Dr. Mario tattoos with hidden hearts inside pixel pills. Mine is green because that was her favourite colour and hers is purple because that was my favourite colour. The picture of us after getting those tattoos is my favourite picture of us. I couldn’t have survived all my life’s struggles without you girl. Thank you!
My left arm is where I wear my heart. I have a little corgi outline tattoo that is running towards my heart which I got as a fundraiser for the humane society. Get a dog tattoo to help save animals um yes sign me up. I love my corgi. Last year I decided to get what I described as my dog Charleston done in royal derp. He was a royal dog with a derpy personality. I wanted the portrait to capture his personality with a crown hanging off one of his giant ears. I gave that idea to my tattoo girl. I had an appointment booked when she got injured and had to delay I was so upset but then she came back and was better than ever. I have the ultimate royal derp corgi tattoo. It is the perfect image and captures him beautifully. He, unfortunately, passed away and I swore I could never survive life without him and I thought this tattoo would make me upset when he was gone but I find myself smiling every day being reminded how lucky I was to have shared eight beautiful years with him. Also, the wild story of finding his sister and now everyone just thinks this isn’t the king tattooed on me but the queen. Maybe I need a queen corgi tattoo on my right arm?
What will I tattoo next? Am I done? No, I don’t think I am done. I am a dreamer. I always have the next idea dancing in my head. I would absolutely love a pink flamingo standing on one leg up my leg in bright neon electric pink. If I was a bird I would be the loudest pink flamingo ever!