Mother approved and kid friendly. Like fruit leather.

About twenty years ago, I found myself in an apartment that was being rented by a guy named Spyder. Spyder had tattooed a few of my friends, and it was my turn. I chose to have Georgia O’Keeffe’s hands put on my ankle, because my art appreciation instructor once mentioned that Alfred Stieglitz had taken stacks of photos of Georgia but didn’t feel that he captured her artistry until he focused on her hands. (I was a piano performance major for a while in college, and was very much into hands. (I’m still very much into hands.))

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my ankle tattoo, but if I boil my thoughts for a bit, what remains is my love of art and hands and there you go. On my ankle.

Last month I mentioned that I was considering having a word tattooed onto my arm. My friend Shana stepped up and volunteered to write it for me, I absolutely loved what she created, a few days back I took her work to a tattoo place, and are you ready? Because here we go.

I had originally envisioned the tattoo as brown and tiny and going from side to side where the veins in my wrist poke back into my arm. However, the artist explained that brown will require touch-ups and maintenance, and there is a chance that the letters will close up if you go too small. I’m the first to admit that I’m not an expert at anything, so I went with her suggestion—black and vertical. She took a few minutes to redraw the word a bit bigger with more open letters and I loved it. She stenciled it onto my arm and I loved it even more.

The tattoo artist’s name is Anna and she is spritely and talented and owns a really enviable beaded yellow cardigan.

When choosing a tattoo artist, it's important to always go with the one who's wearing the cutest cardigan.

Anna: Are you nervous?

Me: Yes. But I’m also BRAVE.

Anna: Brave is good.

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It’s still bumpy and healing and I may need a bit of a touch up at the top of the C, but so far? So good. (I chose the word for many different reasons, but mainly as a directive.)

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It’s NaBloPoMo. Let’s get it on. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

15 thoughts on “Mother approved and kid friendly. Like fruit leather.”

  1. I love it! The font is great. You are so much braver than myself. I really want a tatoo on my hand too, a word as well, but I am too scared.

  2. As compelled as you may be, it is universally acknowledged that ‘nablopomo’ would be a most questionable tattoo choice.

  3. Wow – you really ARE brave! Your new tat looks fabulous. Can’t wait to hear more from you in November.

  4. I love the new tattoo and am jealous. I really want another one besides MY hideous college tattoo. You’ll have to tell me what shop you went visited.

  5. I said this on FB, but I LOVE THIS tattoo – it represents crafty pursuits without being craft-specific (I love people’s knitting tattoos, but often wonder what they’d think about it if they stopped knitting). This is PERFECT.

  6. Just wanted to say – hey! Comments! Yay! No need to respond to me. :)
    I am not a tattoo gal myself – not decisive enough to choose something that will be with me the REST OF MY LIFE. (Yes, I am married, but other than that, I mean…..)

  7. I love it! I’ve been toying with words delicately wrapped around my wrist. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. But your’s? Is gorgeous!

  8. Oh, I’m so glad you mentioned the top of the “c”. It was bothering me, but I mean, what right do *I* have to judge when so much (SO much!) extreme bravery was involved in having that done in the first place (oh my!) ? (I thought long and hard about the placement of that quotation mark, by the way. Still unsure.) A small tweak will likely render it more legible, but any way you look at it it’s “you” :-)

    GREAT start to No Mo Blah Po!

  9. I can’t see any of the pictures! I get:
    This photo is private.

    Oops! You don’t have permission to view this photo.

    Sad!

  10. My sis has been having some ongoing ink work done and I have to say that those “just inked” pics always make me cringe. So hurty.

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