I got my second tattoo almost a year ago right around my birthday. I was delighted with the way it turned out after having spent quite some time thinking about what would permanently go on my left shoulder. It was just what I'd asked the artist to do but after a few days it just didn't feel complete. I went back in and booked an appointment shortly after to add another bloom that I felt would help balance the whole piece and two hours of pain later I was a happy lady.
I haven't ever shared the second part in this space because it rarely shows up in full in my outfit posts so recently when we were outside enjoying some sun I had Brett take a few. It's a bloom from the same vintage fabric I took the original design from and was placed quite well for being a later addition, I think. Ethen from Hearts of Fire in Springfield did a fantastic job. If you're in that area and are thinking about a tattoo you need to book with that guy.
Almost a year later and I'm still so glad I chose to get this piece. It's something that represents my aesthetic that also feels really happy and beautiful. I love how it drapes a bit over my shoulder like I'm adorned with a bouquet. I chose the placement so that I can let it be seen when I want and also covered up when I want. I get to enjoy my tattoos every day but I also felt like it was appropriate to consider how other people would react if I were to reenter a professional position in the future. I put a lot of thought into how it would change my appearance and how people who aren't comfortable with tattoos might view me because of them. In the end I felt like it was an expression of my creativity and style and it made me feel pretty.
In forty years when I'm seventy I'll have wrinkly skin and my bouquet may have drooped or faded a bit but I imagine it'll still make me feel pretty. It'll also act as a marker in time, much like my first tattoo did, and remind me of my days as a young mother.
I also imagine as seventy-year-old women and men, many of us will still be meeting up at local coffee shops for face-to-face conversations like the good ol' days and stretching out our wrinkled folds to reveal our tattoos to each other, reliving what each one meant. Then we'll probably discuss what the young kids are doing these days and how things just aren't what they used to be. Yep, we'll be there someday, too.
My first one was a gift from Elsie right after I miscarried in 2008. She showed up with flowers and offered to take me on a road trip for some girl time to take my mind off of things. We went to Kansas City together to our friend, Silje's, salon where I got an antique sewing machine with a banner that reads 'Red Velvet Forever'. I almost passed out an hour into it but still love that reminder of friendship and one of my favorite tools of the trade.
As far as more tattoos, I think I'm done. I love the design and placement of the ones I have and just don't have a desire for more. Who knows, though.
Do you have any tattoos/plans for tattoos? Was it a struggle for you to get your first one or just another decision to make?
-Rachel
First Outfit Details: Swimsuit, ModCloth. Cover up, gifted from my grandmother. Vintage hat, thrifted. Sunglasses, a shop in South Carolina.
Second Outfit Details: Dress c/o ModCloth. Belt, thrifted. Ring, trade shop in New Mexico.
