#1 – Got this the summer of 1994, shortly before I turned 21.  It’s on my right leg, a little above my knee. Marvin has always been my favorite.

Funny story – my brother drew this for me.  So, of course, he knew I was getting the tattoo.  He (being a typical little brother) tormented me for about a week, threatening to tell my mother.  Yes, I know I was an adult, but I knew she was going to hate it, and I didn’t much want to deal with it.  So, finally, I went in to her room one day and said “OK, look, I need to tell you something.  You aren’t going to be happy about it, but it’s too late to do anything about it now.  I got a tattoo.”  She just stood there for a moment and said “A tattoo.”  I said “Yes.  I wasn’t going to tell you, but Tom was threatening to.”  “Tom knew?”  “Tom drew it for me.”  She kind of dropped it.  However, a little while later, Tom came into my room and said “I just got yelled at for YOUR tattoo!”  Taught him not to run and tattle anymore! 

#2 – This was January of 1995.  It’s on my lower left back, just above the waistline. (Ignore the muffintop action – I was leaning forward so Kris could take the picture of #3, and didn’t realize he was taking this one.)

I got this one to celebrate re-declaring my theatre major after having shifted to strictly a math major for a while.  My friends Nikki and Ann and I drove from school down to the tattoo studio, where they both got their navels pierced while I had the masks done.

#3 – August of 2000. I designed this one myself after finding a website that showed how to draw Celtic knots.

Kris and I had been married for just over 2 years, and he decided to get a tattoo. So, I was inspired to get this one. Seeing as it is RIGHT on my spine, it was a bit on the painful side.  And obviously, the “K” in the middle stands for Kris.  Just in case there was any question. 

TATTOOS!  I went today and got myself two new ones.  One of them, I’ve been planning and plotting and debating for about two years, and the other was an inspiration from about a week ago.

First – a green and purple dragonfly on my left arm.  This should shock no one. 

I actually drew it, and I’m pretty proud of it, considering what a crappy job I do drawing pretty much anything. Obviously, this was the one I’ve been plotting.

Number two is the sudden inspiration.  As you may remember, I went to see “Wicked” over Memorial Day weekend.  It was a really, really amazing experience.  I’ve collected Wizard of Oz stuff since high school, and I’ve always loved the movie.  When I found out about Wicked (the book), I HAD to read it.  I loved it (although I know it’s not for everyone).  When I heard about the musical, I was thrilled.  I bought the cd as soon as it was released, and I’ve had it memorized since not long after that.  The song “Defying Gravity” has always spoken to me.

Here’s the performance from the Tony Awards:

There is just something about the lyrics.  So, I decided to get myself a little reminder of the sentiment in the song, in my handwriting:

I am THRILLED with both of them.  I got them at Jinx Proof Tattoos in Georgetown, which was also where I went to get my nose pierced almost two years ago.  It’s a great shop, and I had a terrific experience with Tim, who did my work today.  He’s REALLY nice, very friendly, and made me feel really comfortable.  There is very possibly a #6 in my future, and I’d go back to him in a hearbeat.