Tattoos - A Personal Decision

I wanted to express with all of you my thoughts on tattoos, as well as my personal experiance with them. Each person has the right to their own opinion, and to choose whether or not a tattoo is for them. It is a very personal decision. And those that have chosen to go ahead with a tattoo (or two, or three!) have every right to do it without ridicule from those who have chosen against it.


To me a tattoo is something that takes a lot of forethought. To make the decision hastily could result in anger, resentment, guilt, or regret. Tattoos are for the most part permanent, and they often times affect your career/job and even your social/love life. So time should be taken to decide what you want, and where you want it.


For me the decision was easy, I definetly wanted a tattoo. But where? I wasnt sure. And what, who knows! I mulled over the idea for years, until December 2008, when I finally made the leap and lost my tattoo virginity! And I couldnt be happier! My artist Matt Wood (of Nathans Anthems***) was amazing. I went in with a picture and some words, and he turned it into a masterpiece. I have never regretted the decision, but I also took TONS of time choosing where I wanted it done too, and made the investment. A lot of people think having a friend do it for cheap is the way to go, but I have seen several that ended up with staff infections and serious scarring. So do your research and use common sense. If your gut feeling says no to a person or place, then leave, you dont need an excuse and no one will blame you.


Now Im sure Ive got you all curious and wondering what my tattoo is of. So here it is!

This photo was taken a day or two afterwards I believe, its still a bit pink. It stung just a bit afterwards but didnt really bother me at all (unlike my husband who whined about his for days) and amazingly the whole process was fairly painless, just uncomfortable and time consuming. Funny enough, it actual tickled a bit as he first started the tattoo. I was so afraid of it hurting, but to quote my artist, "Youve had a baby right?! Then this will be easy!"

The footprint is my sons, the one taken at the hospital when he was born. The words read, "My life changed because of you." Then his name, Kaelen (not Kaden as a friend had mistaken), and his birthday. I brought Matt the footprint and the sentence, but he designed the shape/script and he helped me decide the best place to put it. We chose my lower left back/hip area. After having my son I knew I wanted some sort of dedication to him via a tattoo, and this turned out perfect. Unlike a husband, I think its impossible to regret your childs name. No matter how life turns out or what trouble he may get into, I could never stop loving him.

The only person that voiced any objection to my tattoo was my mother, and not for the obvious reason. In fact, her concern was that if I have six more kids, Ill have no room for a tattoo of all their feet. Im not sure where she got the idea Id have six more kids, but if it turns out to be true I have a feeling Id be stretched out and big enough to make room for them! So anyway, thats my only tattoo for now. I love it, its so unique and special to me. Thanks for reading this, and feel free to share your stories with me. Id love to hear about your experiances! And if you are interested in the shop I went to, keep reading!

Oh and if youre wondering how accurate the footprint was to the real deal, look below!

***Nathans Anthems is in Downtown Redding, California. They do custom work as well as piercings, have incredibly high standards, and their certifications go above and beyond the industry standard. If you are in Northern California you should stop by, my tattoo is even in Matts portfolio!

Life is about the journey, not just the destination!

Hi everyone! My name is Ashley. This is my first (non-Myspace) blog, so bear with me as I fumble and relearn the lost art of writing and expression through words, rediscover myself, explore new ideas, vent, ramble, etc. I intend to update at least weekly, but hope eventually to treat this more as a public journal and write daily!

I would like to begin with a basic introduction and then follow it up with a general rant/explanation of who I am and whats currently going on in my life. In the near future I will branch out to cover many topics. From health, exercise, fashion, and entertainment to gardening, pets, and Eco-friendly topics. Id even like to talk some about parenting and being a military wife, and maybe a little neutral religion and politics. I'm not sure where the future will take me, so as time goes on I expect for this blog to take on many faces. Basically, this is just my life blog!

So here it goes....I was born in Texas in 1988 to both a mother and father serving in the US Army. Shortly after both my parents left the the military they divorced and I grew up with my mom as my custodial parent, but visited my dad for a month every summer. I have lived in Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Southern AND Northern California, and now Washington. I am the wife of an Airmen First Class (who is two months my junior) in the United States Air Force, and the mother to a little boy born in 2007.

I am currently a SAHM (stay at home mom) due to our new military lifestyle, but have worked for a movie theater, a veterinary clinic, and an elementary school. I attended a junior college in California for my transfer prerequisites and would like to soon start up at a junior college here in Washington, and eventually go for my Bachelors in Animal Science at a university.

I care deeply for the environment and animals, and am working towards being more 'green' and Eco-friendly. Currently I am a pet parent to a lovely cat named Duchess, a goofy dog named Zippo, as well as a crazy little rat. All of them have been adopted, and that will always be how I bring new pets into my life. I also have two horses and, although I have no professional training, am a fairly decent rider!

So yeah, that's me in a nutshell, a little bit of everything! If any of you ever want to know a little more about me feel free to ask. Or if you have a specific topic you might like my opinion on, just let me know! Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read all of this, Id appreciate your feedback!