Monday, November 10, 2008

PERSONALLY: tattoos


I have two tattoos. First came a small red and black butterfly on my lower back. I got that with my friend Molly when we are about 19 years old. Molly got a simple black crane on her foot. In retrospect, her tattoo is far cooler than mine, but I still really like my little butterfly.
I think it was junior year in college when I got my second tattoo; perhaps it was senior year. I can't really remember. I do recall obsessing over the design and placement for a long time before actually getting the tattoo. It is a black line drawing of several tiny tulips, cascading around the edge of my right foot. I drew those tiny tulips on my foot with a black Sharpie pen over and over and over. After weeks of contemplation I went to a tattoo shop in Rochester, NY with a guy named Aaron and had those tulips inked into my foot forever. A few months after recieving this tattoo my Grandmother told me that my tulips actually look like sperm (yes, my Grandmother said that). I have never looked at this tattoo the same way since. I have wondered, though, why none of my so-called friends told me that my floral line drawing looked more like ejaculate than tulips. That would have been nice to know before I took that trip to Rochester. (To their credit my girlfriends have saved me from several other poor choices I nearly made. So I suppose I can overlook the tattoo issue)
Here I am nearly ten years later and itching for a new tattoo. I'm also not especially fond of my tulip/sperm so I am considering having it reworked. I'm not sure what to cover it up with and I am worried that I'll make another poor tattoo decision, so I am once again back to sketching designs on my foot with a Sharpie. I'd love to somehow incorporate a way to honor my husband and kids - maybe just a subtle, symbolic element - but fear that I will end up with a huge mural on my foot. So far I've come up with nada. If any of you lovely readers have a brilliant idea, please share. I will shower you with goodies from the Tulaloo Shop.

10 comments:

Jess said...

i didn't think they looked like sperm until you told me your grandma said it... then that was all i could see!!! keep drawing, some divine inspiration will kick in.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Rossi...Sperm..tulips..its all good!.

You aren't going to Canada!

Tulaloo said...

I forgot about not going to Canada!!!!

Bobbinoggin said...

you need to find a true tatoo artist. people pay you to extend your stationery design talent. you don't need to reinvent the wheel in this scenario. see what a good tatoo artist might say. someone not so expensive as miami ink. but just as talented. ;)

Bobbinoggin said...

i have a question:

so which spermy tulip won the race?

Tulaloo said...

I don't know which one won, but they all seem to be swimming in the wrong direction!

I think I want to get a general idea of what I want and then I will take it to a tattoo artist. My brother is covered with tattoos, so I will go to the same artist he uses.

Teresa said...

Maybe you could turn a set of tulips into a pair of footprints frepresenting each of you. Maybe even add initals to the pairs.

I like the tulips "as is" tho, too.

Sarah Jane said...

I have my son's foot prints on my foot...one of each.
I thought about doing a heart, or a star or something for my husband...but ya know...i wanted it to be about my boys...so I left him out. None of his tats are about me....

Anonymous said...

I just got a new tattoo about a month ago. I got tiny pair of pink scissors on my hand.

My
http://www.thahotness.com

miss.supafly said...

I've been itching for a second tattoo for ages. I think I know what I want now, and I'm really excited about possibly getting it, but so nervous for the pain... I don't remember if my first one hurt or not -- it seriously only took 8 minutes and was on a pretty muscular part of my back. The one I want now will be on my forearm -- such sensitive skin!

PS: In regards to a comment on my blog about Etsy, I think you should totally open a BigCartel shop -- at least save it. You can sign up for free!