Couldn't find this place, lol Had to get it off Becca's page! I didn't even know it was here. I have 3 tattoos and am currently orchestrating the new one in my head for when I lose some poundage. I'm super excited about it too. I have one I want lazered partially off and covered eventually so I don't even like to count it but I do, lol I made the mistake of 15+ years ago letting newbies do their thing on me and now I totally regret it *sigh* oh well, that's what lazers are for! Let that be a warning to you!!! Just wanted to say HEY!

Hi all, Wow I didn't even know this forum was here. I need some help. I am adopting a little boy next month. He is just about to turn 2. I really want to commemorate this event in ink but just can't think up something original. I though maybe his astro sign and name, Birthdate and adoption date. BORING. Any thoughts?

BEEEEAUTIFUL as usual girl! love it! xxxbecca

Hi Carol, First off I want to say CONGRATZ for being so close to your goal! I'm still pre-op so I hope to be as successful as you've been one day. I can absolutely relate to your excitement about getting your first tattoo. And perish the thought about age EVER being an issue. Before it became so popularized by sailors and rockstars, Tattoo was a long honored tradition held high by so many cultures across the world. Female, male...old and young...tattoos were (and are) worn with great pride and should always hold deep meaning for the wearer. It's good that you are thinking about the placement of your piece(s) and how they might be affected by a lbl. I would be very careful about those areas because of how they will be stretched and distorted by the surgeon. But if you're really set on wanting your ink to be in those areas, I'd recommend waiting until you had the lbl and THEN get the pieces done. You could always choose another spot for your 1st. It's great that you're searching out and comparing different shops. Both of the sites look very promising. I like how Mythical lists how long the artist has been tattooing up front, and his portfolio is quite nice. Saint also has a nice range of portfolios. I can't help but be drawn to shops that have a mix of female and male artists. Now that you've seen their sites, do you feel up for checking out the shops in-person? This is such a crucial step for any of us in search of work. Does the shop look tidy and well maintained? Are the counters/stations clean and organized? Are the floors messy? Don't feel weird about looking for things like this. We must be proactive and advocate for our health. And when you finally do meet with the artist, does s/he seem impatient and pushy? Does s/he seem interested in your ideas about the design? Does s/he offer constructive suggestions on how to develop the design? Remember, tattoo is an intimate experience between you and your artist. The bottom line is -- It's your body...and this artwork will be with you for the rest of your life. You deserve a quality tattoo(s) from a talented artist in a clean, healthful shop. Anything less is unacceptable. Sorry if I've gone on too long in this response, but tattoos are something I feel very passionate about. I've been very fortunate to have gotten work by some incredible artists over the years (one of them being Hannah Aitchison featured on TLC's LA Ink). But a lot of my friends haven't been as lucky. Some of them picked a tattoo shop out of the phone book, went in without bothering to research or measure the quality of the artists' work with anyone elses...and now they're living with some major tattoo-regret. I hate seeing this happen to people. You're off to a great start in searching for artists and comparing shops. I wish you well with getting your first tattoo. Please post to let us know how things are going -- and feel free to PM me if you'd like to talk more about this. All the best, Kami

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