What's in a name

[Deb Yarian]

What’s In a Name? | TAM Blog

Hope you like it

[Pugilist]

I love this, and thank you for sharing it! I appreciate the call for treating people like adults.

[misterJ]

But why should any couple coming in to get name tattoos from me or any other tattooer have to validate anything other than their legal ability to get tattooed?

I always believe that stopping a regrettable action with some simple polite questions is good too. Everyone I know with name tattoos of loved ones... Well they are all ex's. Are you sure you want this girls name on you after 6 months of dating?

With the same logic tattooists won't do your hands and face (even if you're of legal age) usually without being really really

Covered so why is this different

[Scott R]

@Deb Yarian thanks for the contribution. I for one have judged decisions by peoples choices in tattoos and tattooers. Going to work on remedying that

[Mark Bee]

Yes. This makes sense to me.

[Dan]

What’s In a Name? | TAM Blog

Hope you like it

I did like it,that was very well written & I agree with it.

PS,I have my wife's name on my body.

[Mick Weder]

After 28 years of being tattooed, I've never had any words tattooed on me, until about 4 weeks ago when I had an old time bird with my 2 kids names written in the two scrolls.

Not because I disagree with names, but for me it's a matter of utilising to the max my real estate for punch in solid tattooing.

Each to their own. Every mother fucker has an opinion on what ya shouldn't do.

I like it when I'm told I shouldn't do something. That's a green light to go ahead and do it.

[Deb Yarian]

But why should any couple coming in to get name tattoos from me or any other tattooer have to validate anything other than their legal ability to get tattooed?

I always believe that stopping a regrettable action with some simple polite questions is good too. Everyone I know with name tattoos of loved ones... Well they are all ex's. Are you sure you want this girls name on you after 6 months of dating?

With the same logic tattooists won't do your hands and face (even if you're of legal age) usually without being really really

Covered so why is this different

I understand where you are coming from too-

This is just my opinion though and even though I am dedicated to tattooing and I do think a certain degree of thought must go into getting tattooed, I think that in the long run it is just a tattoo.

[Patrick Bateman]

Every mother fucker has an opinion on what ya shouldn't do.

I like it when I'm told I shouldn't do something. That's a green light to go ahead and do it.

Point

[Cork]

I like it when I'm told I shouldn't do something. That's a green light to go ahead and do it.

Then you need to hurry up and tell your daughter that she can get that book of a quote tattooed on her ribs! Then tell her to stay away from those tattooed biker types.

Good article, Deb. I liked it. Short and to the point.

[BrookR70]

My wife wants me to get a bluebird that signifies her in my next piece (ship and lighthouse). I can't find a decent pic of a bluebird that doesn't look girly. I don't want it to screw up my lighthouse. So now I'm thinking about getting a special tattoo just for her. Something that's small that can be easily covered up if I need to. Name tattoos don't sound half bad in that regard.

[polliwog]

I'm thinking that a bluebird holding a banner with a name sounds like a pretty nice tattoo - if you want a bluebird on you. I agree that a lot of the bluebird tattoo pictures that pop up in Google aren't appealing, but you can do way better than those.

Edit: I just looked back and @Mick Weder mentioned getting a tattoo like this recently!

[Mick Weder]

Yes. Just a trad bluebird, couple of banners, black & red..nice and simple.

[BrookR70]

I'll have to go back and look for more bluebirds.

I was also thinking about getting this. My wife has blonde hair. If we ever get divorced, I could change the blonde hair to black or brown.

[tatB]

if she doesn't like that piece maybe her pick out another piece of Sailor Jerry flash.

get these books and put them on your coffee table.

Sailor Jerry Flash Vol. 1 - Hardy Marks Publications and Don Ed Hardy Archive

Sailor Jerry Flash Vol. 2 - Hardy Marks Publications and Don Ed Hardy Archive

Sailor Jerry Flash Vol.3 - Hardy Marks Publications and Don Ed Hardy Archive

[Deb Yarian]

I'll have to go back and look for more bluebirds.

I was also thinking about getting this. My wife has blonde hair. If we ever get divorced, I could change the blonde hair to black or brown.

No offense, but in two posts you've mentioned covering or changing your tattoo , in the event of divorce- in order to erase your commemoration of her.

I understand " better safe than sorry" but I wouldn't start off with all the negativity.

This is what I was saying in my blog; if someone is important enough to you that you want to get something either to represent them, or their name- then just get it and live with it! It really is just a tattoo. If the pin ups hair is blonde and you split up from your blonde wife- who's to know?

[Graeme]

I kind of don't understand why names get singled out here. I don't have my wife's name tattooed on me, but we each have two of the same tattoos that might look like birds to folks who don't know, but when I look at those tattoos, they're aren't that much different than a name tattoo in terms of symbolic value. And for that matter, I've only been getting tattooed since I've been married and because tattoos are something we enjoy and do as a couple, and travel fairly frequently to get tattooed, so the tattoos and the whole experience of them is intertwined with our marriage. It's maybe not as obvious as a name, but it's still there.

Bottom line is that tattoos are for adults and part of being an adult is making choices and decisions even if you might end up wishing you'd done something else some point down the line.

[BrookR70]

I understand " better safe than sorry" but I wouldn't start off with all the negativity.

This is what I was saying in my blog; if someone is important enough to you that you want to get something either to represent them, or their name- then just get it and live with it!

Partly because I carry this silly superstition that if I get her name tattooed on me, then our marriage WILL end in divorce.

Another reason is that she wanted me to add an element to my upcoming tattoo (a bluebird) to represent her. I agreed, but then had second thoughts because a bluebird wouldn't quite work with what I had in mind (lighthouse and ship). If she had said seagull, it would have been easier.

So, I wanted to surprise her with something larger and more memorable than a small bluebird surrounded by other stuff. The negativity from comes being practical and watching too many episodes of Tattoo Nightmares where people go in asking for huge coverups of names of their exes that they've had for years.

Edit: Almost forgot the most important reason...my father served in WWII and the Korean war and was heavily tattooed. He met his first wife between wars and had her name tattooed on his chest. She died of cancer. He later met my mother. My mother accepted him for who he was, but I'm sure she'd rather not be reminded of my dad's first wife every time he took his shirt off. How do you compete with that?

[Fala]

Bart Bingham and Brian Kaneko do nice birds!!!

[SeeSea]

Another reason is that she wanted me to add an element to my upcoming tattoo (a bluebird) to represent her. I agreed, but then had second thoughts because a bluebird wouldn't quite work with what I had in mind (lighthouse and ship). If she had said seagull, it would have been easier.

So, I wanted to surprise her with something larger and more memorable than a small bluebird surrounded by other stuff.

Ok, I'm gonna be a little blunt, so sorry in advance for sticking my nose in. I'm writing this like a friend-to-friend and not trying to come down on you. And FYI I'm a chick.

You've talked in other threads about the disagreements between you and your wife about your tattoos - to the point that you've hidden them wearing a shirt at night and using a separate bathroom. Now she has shown interest your getting a tattoo that represents her. That seems to be a HUGE step in a positive direction for both of you and for your relationship! Huge! Wonderful!

She asked for a swallow. She actually picked something out specifically - not something huge, but something that *she* felt would represent her to you. I'm having trouble understanding why you don't just find a good swallow and go for it. You've got lots of square footage, and if I recall, you already have a lighthouse (do I remember correctly?). Not like you can't have 100 lighthouses, but how would she interpret you ignoring her request for a swallow to get a second lighthouse tattoo with something else thrown in? Or trying to force fit a swallow into another design? I would feel dissed. I would feel like you didn't care about my feelings but just used it as an excuse to get another tattoo that you wanted, and made me an after thought in the design. Or got a completely separate design that you thought I would like just because it had my hair color. I don't know your situation and I could be way off base (in which case, ignore all this), but this could go wrong in a bad way.

You mention surprising her with something memorable that *isn't* what she wanted. Who would that tattoo be more memorable for, you or her? Who *should* it be more memorable for?

Ok, hope that didn't come across too rudely. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

- - - Updated - - -

Did you see this thread? http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/5477-swallow-tattoos.html

[BrookR70]

Ok, I'm gonna be a little blunt, so sorry in advance for sticking my nose in. I'm writing this like a friend-to-friend and not trying to come down on you. And FYI I'm a chick.

Nice work SeeSea. I kept reef aquariums for several years and I love reef scenes.

Anyway...

@SeeSea

She doesn't want a swallow, she wants a bluebird (not a blue bird). Scientific name Sialia. I already have a swallow that goes with my parent's memorial tattoo. (see avatar)

I don't have a lighthouse yet. I'm getting one in two weeks.

I could totally see a swallow and a lighthouse going together, but a bluebird and a lighthouse? I suppose, but it's no peanut butter and chocolate, if you know what I mean. It would have been easy easy if she'd chosen a seafaring bird.

Maybe way I'm off, but rather than having a bluebird lost in large tattoo with the main focus being a lighthouse, I decided to make her the center subject.

And yes, ultimately the tattoo is for me. All of my tattoos are for me.

[polliwog]

To momentarily drag things off-topic, that's a beautiful Pharaoh's Horses that keeps showing up in the snapwidget thingy.

[exume]

@polliwog the rose of no mans land that pops up right before it is pretty great too

[polliwog]

Just wanted to give a shout-out to @Deb Yarian for that tattoo. I've been home sick today and spent way too much time staring at it.

[exume]

...I'm bad at connecting dots.