The Tattoo (so far) Post

Hello Angels!

If you’ve been here awhile, you’ll know that I’m a tattoo fan. If you’re new, you might not know, so there you go: I’m a tattoo fan.

I’m 19 and have 7 tattoos and I plan on at least 2 more by the end of the year. I know they’re forever and I know they’re permanent and I know they’re not to everyone’s taste. There’s a stigma around them, but I don’t get it: spend 5 minutes with me and you’ll know unless you piss me off, I’m an actual sweetheart.

I thought I’d do a little post on each of them and give a reason why that one and also how badly they hurt.

My first tattoo EVER was Chip from Beauty and the Beast, and he’s still lonely on my right arm; I do want a Disney sleeve, but it’s planning where I’d put everything. He’s on my wrist and it didn’t hurt that much? It was about 2 hours, so working on already worked skin is a bitch, but it really wasn’t that bad. I got him because I wanted a kind of matching tattoo with mum; she got a tattoo for mine, Dan’s and my aunt Kate’s 18th birthdays, and she let me pick. She’s a big Angella Lansbury fan, she likes teapots, Mrs Potts seemed perfect. So, I got Chip: mother and child.

Then came my mental health tattoo, it honestly didn’t really hurt much at all, mostly at each end where the skin is the thinnest. It’s on the inside of my left forearm and took about 45 minutes to do. This one has a lot of meaning: the first part of the line is the heart when it’s panicked (for my anxiety) and it flatlines slightly… Then, goes into a heart to represent my family and friends who help me through and the semi colon to show I’ll carry on and continue. The end of the line is a happy, healthier heart beat.

Next came my nude dancing goddesses, and this one I didn’t feel at all, it was painless honestly: it’s just below my elbow on the side of my left arm. I know there are a lot like this, and I took bits from different designs I saw and mashed them together. I’m fascinated with pagan beliefs and imagery which is where this one came from for me. There’s one for each important woman in my life, so an aspect of them are always with me and watching out for me.

If you’re a long time reader or know me personally, you’ll know all about Jerome, who I had tattooed on the same day as my goddesses. He hurt more in the 3 minutes it took than the 40 minutes it took for them because he’s just above my wrist bone, on my left arm (other than Chip they all are on my left arm). My friend Georgia used to doodle him in psychology books and English books and Maths books when I was going through a really bad time in my life: I’d been through hell and was in a horrible relationship, but I had Jerome to cheer me on.

When Georgia saw it she nearly pushed me in the road but HEY HO.

I already did a post on this guy which I’ll leave here, but he’s my nod to Goth God Edgar Allan Poe, and my favourite piece of work by him ‘The Raven’. This was 3 hours and it hurt towards the end because again, he was working on already raw, bloody skin. The good thing was, it’s thicker skin than the rest of mine are on, so it meant I could go longer. I had a break to stand up after 2 and a half hours I think because my leg went dead but then I was fine- take what I say with a pinch of salt because I have a pretty high pain tolerance.

This is one of the most recent ones, and it is tiny and subtle but when tattoos are properly on your wrist and not straight lines, they fucking hurt. But, it was worth it: I’m very proud of my heritage (as you’ll see) so for me, I wanted to show it with some of the language. Cariad means loved one/love in. Welsh, and it’s on my left wrist, where your heart line is (why a wedding ring goes on your left hand). I’m still feeling it, but it’s worth it. I love it, and there’s many reasons I do, but I’m not going into them.

This is my other most recent, and it means ‘The sun will always rise’ in Gaelic (I got it translated and checked multiple sources, it’s right). On both my dad’s side and mum’s side we have Irish family, the majority from Southern Ireland, but some from Northern Ireland. We’re a very Celtic family, and I’ll be having a lot more Celtic themed ones. This one also hurt like a bitch; at the wrist and the elbow, I was not okay. The more bone there is, the more it’ll hurt (God bless me when I get my chest done).

Now, my tattoos may not all be dainty and elegant and ‘Instagram Flash-sheet Style‘ or ‘Instagram Worthy’ but they make me feel good, and who really expects me to be dainty? For someone not always comfortable in her own skin and who has days where I don’t wanna look in the mirror, they make me feel confident. They’re not to the taste of everyone, but I love them: I see myself in pictures with them on show and I feel beautiful and I feel more like me, more like the person I aim to be. I love the idea of being covered in art- a little boy quietly asked his mum if he could draw on me too and I was so happy because if he’d have asked me I’d have said yes. Cover me in art and doodles.
Whatever pain they cause me while they’re getting done, whether the pain is small or big, each one means something and the pain is irrelevant because they’re worth it.

I digress; that’s it so far. I want a lot more, most of my legs done, my chest, my Disney sleeve, my back, back of my neck, ribs, behind my ear: I’m going to be a tattooed lady, and I’m ready for this. It’s just narrowing down stuff I want and money that stops me.

If you’re curious about where I get them from and who, I go to Fishbone in St Helens, and Mark has done every single one of mine and puts up with me being awkward and problematic. I couldn’t recommend them enough, and the quality of work is incredible- they also know me and mum by sight; we come as a pair😂

Are you planning on tattoos? Have you got any? Let me know, because this is talk I love!

Stay safe and stay happy, Angels ❤️