iowagirl

Thanks everyone! Ha, yeah, I know and I know it would look insane but feeeeeck did the bottom huuuurt. I was contemplating doing into the armpits too on both sides bc I feel it looks unfinished having bare skin there--but then this new stuff he went farther up the underside of the arm than he did on the other side so it's closer to my armpit and hohohohohooooo no. My husband is amazed at how I can just sit there and never let on how it hurts--but I don't see that I'd be able to sit for those spots. Makes me sad to find my breaking point.

Most of the outlining done today. Next appt is Christmas Eve, so will outline the underarm and then do all the shading. I don't think there will be time for color so that will be later. There is a mum at the bottom that curves around to the front of my arm, to tie in w/the mum on the opposite side. Then wind/water meet and swirl in the middle. Sadly, I am not bad assed enough to handle this becoming a full back piece. That very bottom bit of wind/water he added today was the clincher. Yikes.

Oh thanks so much guys, I feel better now! My artist does..ugh I don't know how to spell it. Mai Thai. Mui Thai? One I think is a drink tho..shoot, it's some sort of martial arts he does anyway, so he should have some input for me too. And I will ask my instructor-she's really laid back about that stuff and I know she sees how hard I try so I think she'd let me sit out part of class for a couple days. What really makes me sweat is when we do combination kicks. (part of it I admit is "brain sweat"..crap what two kicks are we doing? which way am I turning first?) I had a laser peel done on my face a couple times-the first time was after I'd just started so she and I stood in the back by the fan and watched the class, and worked one on one w/some techniques. I've got three forms to do for test, Dan Gun and Palgwe 1 and 2, so I could work on those for a while I bet. And I've got one step sparring I could work on as well if she gives me a higher color belt to work with. I'd saran wrap it for sure b/c the top is heavy and thick. It would be nice if I could leave it uncovered and wear a tank top but take one shoulder off..but that might be pushing my luck into disrespect and I don't want to do that. For the first class she lets you wear whatever b/c that's when she works w/you and you decide if you're going to like it or not, then you get your uniform your next class if you come back. I know you're not supposed to wear things on your feet but she had told me for my plantar fasciitis if I needed to wear an arch support around my feet she would allow that. (I've not had to so far) But I don't want to push the boundaries either.. I probably could work on basic techniques and things too, trying to tighten and clean them up, work on my pivoting for kicks. It's hard for me to rotate/pivot my feet. Haha tattooed ninja, I like that.

I hurt myself a few weeks ago, which is the shitty part--I stretched, yes, stretched, and pointed my feet, while I was rolling over in the middle of the night and managed to partially dislocate two of my toes. I didn't know it tho-all I felt was a POP and paaaaain oh goodness did that smart. And I spent a coupe weeks having a bitch of a time walking-and Taekwondo class was not much fun..went to the Dr and he thought something similar to tendonitis so he sent me to PT. PT feels around and is like um..dude you totally have two toes that are half in and half out the sockets. I had 4 sessions w/her and she worked and worked at that foot and now they're back in the sockets. That is the awesome part. And I learned my third yellow belt form tonight at class so now I have everything I need to practice for test on Halloween and hopefully I'll be an orange belt next month!

I know this is an old thread but I have a question. I'm going for more work on my upper back Sunday (yippeeyahoooooo) and have Taekwondo class Monday night. I do get sweaty at class. It's not so bad now b/c it's not summer, so it's not 90degrees in the classroom. But I still sweat. The class is an hour, and I can go home and have my husband wash it off when it's done. Would that be ok do you think? Also, I wonder about my uniform top rubbing on it. Should I cover it? I will ask my artist of course, what his thoughts are, but I was just curious. I have to worry about things well in advance, it's how I roll. I could skip class Mon/Tues but..well, I'm still new, I'm only a yellow belt, and we have our next test on Halloween. I just learned my third yellow belt form tonight and I don't want to miss out on class time.

I've not had to lie down yet. For my arm, the chair was back a little bit and he had an arm rest thing that I had my arm on and he just maneuvered it how he wanted. When he would stop to slide over for more ink I would straighten my arm, sometimes jiggle it a little and then move it back to how he had it. With my upper back, I've been straddling a chair. And when he stops, I shift a little bit. I probably shift more than I would otherwise, but my first back session, while he was drawing on me, I was *so* still for *so* long, in an awkward position straddling the seat. I'd not taken my tank top and sports bra straps down like I should've so it was pulled against my neck, and not paying attention to my breathing, so when I stood up to look at what he'd drawn, I got dizzy and not just eh I feel icky, I was about 2 seconds from passing out. Scared the ever loving crap out of me. That's never happened to me before, so now I'm completely obsessive about how I'm sitting. I bring thick slipper socks b/c my feet always get cold and if it's summer when I'm getting work done there is no way I'm wearing tennies. So I probably look like a dork w/Tigger and Powerpuff Girls slipper socks and capris but whatever. And I bring water, powerade, vitamin C drops, cough drops (cuz you never know when a tickle is going to happen) and a book.

My daughter and I tested Saturday for our next rank in Taekwondo-she is now 3rd permanent Brown and I am Yellow!

I have a Tigger tattoo also! Tigger makes me happy. - - - Updated - - - oofda, talk about boring explanation--I am a girl. From Iowa.

Well thanks! It's so confusing.

Maybe not *cooler* buuuuut ya gotta admit, definitely more bad ass. Dr. Seuss was a genius.

I got ordained to perform my cousin's wedding--Saturday. I'm nervous, having a big ole long thing to read in front of a bunch of people...but luckily they're crazy like me so I think it will work out ok. My cousin is way younger than me-her mom (my 1st cousin-I'm not sure how it works as you go farther down in the family, if her daughter would be then, my 2nd cousin?) is two years older than I, but I'm not close w/her mom. We got closer b/c her fiance's son is my one on one at preschool, the deaf boy that I've been working on sign language for. Tonight he called me "Fifi" when trying to say my name, so we're getting closer to Missi! And, I am testing for my yellow belt in TaeKwonDo next Saturday!!

@soraya that is SO AWESOME and I'm so proud of you! You have tattoos and they're a part of YOU and a part of who you are, a part of what makes you, you. (you're you, it's truer than true, there's no one youer than you!) I'm so glad you're working on your comfort zone.

I started Taekwondo a couple weeks ago. I need to get back to doing yoga again. Have gained quite a bit of weight since having the kids and ugh talk about frustration!

Ohhh goodness, I would've been floating on *air* after a comment like that! How wonderful! - - - Updated - - - I like asymmetrical too, a lot. Once I started going on mine I decided I'll be taking it all the way across and down, but I think right now I have more along the lines of what you do, a smattering on one side and full on the other? I don't have a picture of my back as it is now, just separate pictures. If someone could point me in the direction of strapless tops/dresses, I'd love that. I'd rather have it as bare as possible in the back so as to show them off to the fullest extent! Staring--hell I do it too, I can't help it. I don't stare at someone for a rude reason, like a disfigurement or weird clothes, if I'm staring it's b/c of something I like-hair cut, hair color, tattoos, shoes, an outfit, jewelry etc..And I *try* not to be crazy stalker obvious. If I'm being stared at and I have a tank top on (or even short sleeves b/c you can see them peek at the bottom), I assume it's b/c of my work and I don't care if it's bad staring, like if people are horrified by it. If I've long sleeves on and am being stared at, I don't like it b/c I assume it's my extra weight or my bad skin. That makes me feel self conscious and bad about myself. My tattoos make me feel purty. And I will also admit when I know people are looking, I will turn to "look" at things I have no interest in to show off more. I'll stretch out my arm like ohhh I have an itch on my neck, so it shows the flow down my arm too. I have no shame.

We went to Omaha for a couple days to shop, take the kids to the zoo and there's a waterpark at the hotel. So. We're shopping-I had a racerback tank on. I had...I dunno, I quit counting/keeping track, SO many people-mostly women, come up and ohhh and ahh over my tattoos! Seriously-three times alone from the door of Spaghetti Works until we walked to our table! Every store at least one person randomly in an aisle, plus waiting for dressing rooms, plus every check out line, plus every time we were outside walking to another store. It was insane. My husband had to keep turning around to walk back and look for me b/c I'd been waylaid, talking w/someone about them! He's like "Good lord honey, they are *drawn* to you today! You're like a rock star!" It was pretty crazy. I quite liked it!

I agree about the meaning-thing. Someone just was admiring mine the middle of last week and she said she just hasn't found anything that means enough to her yet. And everyone wants to know what the meaning is behind mine..."Um..I really like flowers and they make me happy. I love water. And I wish I could fly so...yanno..wind.." Someone did ask me years ago tho why I had Tony the Tiger tattooed on my ankle and I about came unglued. TIGGER. Get it right. And even still, the only "meaning" I can find there is that Tigger makes me happy and speaks to the kid in me who will never grow up.

I remember a few summers ago when I was taking paraeducator classes, I said I wondered how it would go for employment at the district w/my tattoos, would I be asked to cover them etc. (I worked for 8 years in a Dr's office before that and after 6 years of no issue, I started working more at the same time w/the office manager and after a few weeks of capri's and flip flops during the summer with my ankles/feet exposed she changed the office policy that no flip flops or anything short was allowed--but I was specifically told it "wasn't b/c of me" hahaha uh huh ok) One of the women taking the class who worked in a different district said eh, no problem, I have one and it's never been an issue...but hers was like a 20 minute deal that was mostly covered by shoes that I hadn't even noticed in the three weeks we took classes. I'm like ummmmm but see....And, pleasantly enough, it's never been an issue. I don't hide them at all--and I've got a TON more now than I did when I started three years ago! I've gotten many a look from other staff, and other than one of the janitors who has full sleeves (but they're really old and faded) I'm the most heavily tattooed by far. We have all new administration this year, so I'm hoping it won't suddenly become a problem--and I'm hoping that my work w/the kids speaks for itself. I think it's made a difference w/some parents, who may have been apprehensive about my teaching their kids, but they see the connection we have. I like surprising people and changing their minds about tattooed folk.

I got a laser peel on my face today-hoping this will put me on a path toward a prettier face. For now it looks like a tomato and feels like I'm burnt to a crisp. I started Taekwondo last night and broke my first board! I know the boards are set up for easier breakage but still it was fun. I think it will be a good work out, and it's a super family friendly group. (both my kids are in it-my daughter just got her brown belt and my son is a blue belt) I have a video of my board break and it's pretty funny-it makes me laugh anyway. If I can figure out how to do it I might put it on here. Plus, you can see my tattoos from afar. I told the kids I would start after school got out--2 months ago. I've been putting it off for a year b/c I was scared to do it. So, another fear faced. My coworker called me late last night and asked me to please come over-they have a 2 week old baby and he had been screaming for hours. Aunt Missi (no I'm not really his aunt but I'll never be one so he gets to be my pretend nephew) got him soothed and sleeping and he slept til 6:30am. That's a nice feeling.

It's so nice when you find a shop/artist that you connect with.

I spent a lot of money and dealt w/hours of needles jabbing me, heck yeah they're open for public viewing as often as possible. If I could find tops w/no straps at all that would leave my upper back/upper arms/shoulders completely bare, I'd wear them all spring/summer. I wear flip flops as much as I can, and capris/skirts. They make me happy and make me feel pretty. I don't care if other people don't like them-I didn't do it for them, I did it for me. If they want to judge me, they can go right ahead. It doesn't hurt me if they do-they have no say in what happens in any area of my life. If they choose to not want to be my friend or to not acquaint themselves w/me, that's all right by me too--they miss out on meeting a funny/quirky/nice person, and that's their problem, not mine. It is very very very true, the difference between tattooed people and people w/no tattoos is-people w/tattoos don't care if you have tattoos or not. I've met a lot of people IRL and on the internet that are surprised when they find out I have tattoos (and by the music I listen to) and I've been told many times that meeting me has changed their perceptions of tattooed people.

Ugh, I nursed both my kids and mine are all out of whack now. Thank God for push up bras to hoist them back up to where they started.

Luxury in that I don't need them to live. I can not get tattooed and live a functional life. I won't be nearly so cool looking or feel so pretty w/my many colors..but they're not like water. But they're a need for me in that it's a way of self expression. I have huge issues w/my appearance and feel...not good about myself. But I love my tattoos and like how they make me feel about myself. Money wise...I am on a jewelry forum and some of the people there have crazy insane budgets, and others, like me, need to decide what's important and spend some time socking money away in order to get an heirloom worthy piece. Just like w/tattoos, you get what you pay for, and you need to research where you go. I did my research and got myself an heirloom worthy piece. Sadly I can't pass my tattoos on to my kids haha. I do feel guilty about the money we've put into our tattoos. (and my jewelry) W/that I can tell JD if he divides the cost by the number of years we've been married, he's got me at a bargain. W/tattoos, I figure-what else can you spend that money on and have forever?

It does! Plus, you know, I can't stand the thought of looking like a baby-I need to look like a bad ass and pretend I'm fine when inside I'm saying some really good bad swears.

Awwww bebeh tummeh! Soooo sweet!

Good idea-thanks!