Yeah, you read that right…guess what I did!

Pick your jaw up off the floor! I didn’t do it for the shock value, although I suppose that’s a bonus. Honestly though, no one is more surprised than I am!

I’ve wanted one for a while but was just too chicken to do anything about it. I also didn’t know “what” to get, I didn’t want to get one just to get one. Thursday night though I went with a few friends to a place here in town (non seedy, grungy or creepy). One friend got her second tattoo and two others were there for moral support. And pictures, thanks for documenting the night Tracy!

I did it for a few reasons. One is I think it’s pretty, a really beautiful piece of artwork. I’ve admired this bird for a while. The movement in the wings is just awesome, even though they’re only lines you can really imagine the motion. Also, I’m still working on loving my after Ben body and this is me, loving my skin. Feeling comfortable enough with myself as I am right now to want something permanently displayed.

On another level it reminds me of a promise God’s given to not worry. I’m a planner, life just goes better if it’s planned out on paper…but birds don’t have goals or calculate or have 5 year plans. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? — Matthew 6:26

Finally it’s just a life experience I wanted, getting a tattoo. Seriously, you only get one go around at this thing called life…so why not? And yes, it covers up well if I ever need to get a “real” job someday. I shudder at the thought ;-)

Watching Becky get hers first.







Ouch!







Becky’s turned out great!







I’m up next!







Outlines







Filling it in







All done





Frequently asked questions:
Did it hurt?
Yeah, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. It’s only about 3 inches long so it’s not like my whole arm was wounded.

Why your arm?
Because I figured it’s one of the only things that won’t be sagging in 50 years.

How much did it cost?
I paid $120 and gave the guy a $20 tip because I was really happy with his work. It’s a lot of faith to put in someone to not mess up and he did an awesome job with it.

Did Andy know? What does he think?
We talked about it beforehand and honestly I thought he’d have a bigger reaction. While he’d never get one he didn’t care if I did. He thinks it looks cool.

Where did you find the bird?
I thought of drawing something myself, but I really like the work of the artist Charley Harper. I think the way he uses basic design elements like line, color and shape are really cool…so simple but they just look really neat. I’ve liked this bird, called the Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher, for a few years and decided to go with him.

Will you get another one?
Nah, probably not. I’ve heard they’re addicting, but I can’t see myself getting any more. I keep staring at my arm and thinking “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I did that!” Haha, but I love it!