Tattoos. Some people love them, some people hate them. I’m definitely a huge lover of tattoos.
Since I have ten, I should hope that I’m a lover of tattoos! Wow, ten. I didn’t realize I had so many!
But looking back, I got my first tattoo when I was 18 and caught the addiction. As I thought back over my tattoos, it came up that I get a tattoo when something major happens in my life. All of my tattoos have significance or meaning behind them, even if I just love the look.
I got my first one for my 18th birthday.
Fresh from my first semester of college, and home for winter break back in 2006. It seemed like a fantastic time to get a tattoo. It’s a pretty, stylistic horse head in a gradient blue.
It was done at a place on King St in Toronto, and it was before I really knew anything about artists or the like. I Google’d horse tattoos until I found ‘The One’ and asked for that. Of course, I still love it but knowing what I know now it makes me cringe to think I pretty much asked for a stencil tattoo. I know better now and also have way more trust in the artists that I choose going forward. I honestly don’t remember the artist’s name who did this but I did go to Black Line Studios for it. It doesn’t look like he’s still there anymore though, as this was 13 years ago.
If you know anything about me, even though I barely ever talk about it on here anymore, I’m an avid horse-lover and rider. When I was 18 horses were pretty much my life. I rode horses every chance I got, did my high school co-op placement at the barn I rode at, and got accepted to go to Kemptville (University of Guelph) to be in the Equine program. I pretty much had my life sorted! Getting a tattoo to represent all that was just icing on the cake. Flash to 13 years down the road and I still ride (although on a break right now) but it’s not my career path anymore.
Fast forward a few years down the road, and I was ready to jump under the gun again.
Just graduated from college in 2008, I went to a different shop this time and a different artist. An old friend (who is also tattoo obsessed, possibly even more than me) was getting some work done there and took me along with him. I got the flowers on the inside of my wrist done. I went to Lighthouse Tattoos in Mississauga. The artist wasn’t the shop owner, so I have no idea if my artist (which I also don’t remember his name…) is still around.
Jasmine flowers. I don’t think that requires much explanation but it did lead me to my handle for everything on social media. While it’s not the most favourite of my tattoos, I do love how it turned out. It’s also amazing how long it takes people to realize that I even have a tattoo on my inner wrist. I may eventually add to it, but at this time I have no plans to do anything with it.
Skip ahead another few years and I was feeling the itch again.
I’m not 100% sure on the timing of these guys, as I don’t actually have a picture of it finished anymore (was on my stolen hard drive *bitter tears*). I just remember that it was in the summer but I had the tattoo in February of 2012 so it must have been in 2010 or 2011. I’d just gotten some fairly devastating news and needed to commemorate it somehow. It has been the only time that I’ve needed to put an actual name on my body.
I don’t really want to get into details in regards to the news, but it had me getting the name of a horse on my back along the neck of my horse tattoo and his year of birth. I’m honestly still not over it, it still brings a pang of bitterness to my stomach and sadness. It ruined some friendships for me and made 2010/possibly 2011 a really rough year and start to the decade. Obviously, things got better! And that means more tattoos!
I definitely know that I got my back-of-neck tattoo done in 2011 because I was in Vancouver at the time. I was visiting Mallory for the first time she had moved back home and she took me to get one. It’s the infinity symbol with love in cursive. Basic? Maybe but I love it. Also, it’s another one that I kind of forget about because I never see it!! It was to remind me that while pragmatic, I am also a hopeless romantic and love is everything. I also don’t remember where I went or who did it. My bad!
I didn’t realize that I had taken such a hiatus from tattoos, but I didn’t get my next one until 2017!
Honestly, this one is probably my ultimate. It’s the tattoo that I’d been thinking about for years and just couldn’t find the artist to do it justice. Thank you, Instagram! I did a whole blog post about it here, but I found Chris on Instagram and travelled to Pennsylvania to get my Miyazaki half sleeve done. Was it a bit impulsive? Yes. Was it worth it? 100%. Plus I got a cute little 4-day trip out of it and got to sight-see in Philly.
Miyazaki was such an influence on me when I was growing up. My Neighbour Totoro was my first introduction to anime and I still love and watch his films as an adult. I have such a deep love, respect and admiration for the Japanese culture and it’s still a bucket list goal to visit Japan. I remember in high school reading that Miyazaki was going to animate Howl’s Moving Castle which was one of my favourite books. It was such a great mix of my favourite things and Howl is still one of my faves.
Chris did such an amazing job – if the anime-style true to the original artist is what you’re after and can travel I highly recommend. He works out of the Black Dahlia Tattoo Shop in New Jersey now.
Another real impulse was getting some finger tattoos done during a bachelorette weekend in Montreal. I got two this time around – the astrological symbols of Leo (to represent Andrew) and Taurus (to represent Kaiden). I knew that I wanted a bunch more but at the time I wasn’t ready to commit to them yet. And then I got pregnant with Eli, so that put the tattoo situation on hold again! These were done by Kassandra who I found on Instagram!
And now, 2020’s tattoo plans.
So I pretty much count down the days until I finish nursing so that I can get another tattoo.
I got some more finger tattoos – the Gemini sign for Eli, the rune Fehu, and the alchemy symbols for Earth and the Moon. I got them done at Golden Iron Tattoos on Spadina by Alex. And they turned out so amazing, I love them so much. They’re so delicate and perfect.
I also have a consult with an artist (also at Golden Iron), Taylor, who I’ve been dying to get something done by her. So I’m super excited to be planning something out with her. I’m going to keep it a little hush-hush right now, but this will be the last one… for this year.
So keep your eyes out for that post!
How do you feel about tattoos? What do you think of mine? Let me know!
J x
