I Heart Tattoos : But not my 18 year old self

Today I'm linking up with Raven and her I heart Tattoo's link up. I love tattoos, but I have a bit of a cautionary tale for you regarding tattoos.

Here is my tattoo :)

You'll have to pardon the crappy photoshopping :)

I got it one day when I was bored. I was finally 18 and could get a tattoo. My girlfriend and I were driving around Chattanooga and we were bored and we saw a tattoo parlor and said 'Why not?' We walked in and looked at pictures and picked out what we wanted. The top part of my symblo was cut off and the tattoo artist said 'I think I remember what it looked like...' That should have been a red flag. But to my underdeveloped 18 year old brain, for some reason it wasn't. I let him doodle whatever he remembered. It is located on my right hip near-ish the girlie bits :)

So.....flash forward to my 26 year old self. I start googling images one day to see what my tattoo should look like. And wouldn't you know it. My tat means nothin. Zilch. Or perhaps it means rat poop, or an idiot got this tattoo.

I'm planning several more tattoos and I'm planning to have this original covered up. I love tattoos. I think they are a beautiful way to express yourself. Its important though to make sure that you have REALLY thought about your tattoo. Its going to be there FOREVER. Also take some time to look into the artist. Make sure you have really communicated what you want, and that their work falls in line with what you really want. You are going to get what you pay for. I paid $40 for that piece of pretty you see. I know that whatever I get next will cost several hundred dollars. I'm OK with that. So here's looking at my next pieces of art. I'll be sure to post all about it when it happens.

I'm planning to get either a branch of cherry blossoms there to cover the original and then wrap around my side.....or a phoenix rising from flames. Both would symbolize a rebirth of sorts for me, so I won't be getting them until some things in my personal life are squared away. I would also like to get a design of the sun, moon, and starts with Boomer's name on it (her real name) in the clouds. My friend drew the design for me and I'd like it on my ribs.

For a long time I've wanted a pin-up girl version of myself, with an atomic cloud behind it with a banner that said Katy. I'm not sure if that's really narcissistic or what. Nor am I entirely sure where I'd get it. I like wrist tattoos as well, but I'll wait until I've had a big girl job to do any visible tats.

That's my tattoo story. Hope you enjoyed it...and were warned if you aren't tatted up yet. And anonymous....don't go raggin' on my life choice. And don't tell mom I may or may not have pics of my almost girlie bits on the internet!