Tattoo Tuesday V.21

This week I am so excited to present one of my most favorite online friends and bloggers, Diana! I've been reading Diana's blog for a long time, and absolutely adore this woman. If you don't already follow her on Twitter, or subscribe to her blog, you are missing out! This gorgeous lady is not only incredibly smart and witty, she's also incredibly kind and caring. Mix that with impeccable style, crafty know how and good looks, and you've got yourself one fabulous lady! I know you'll love her as much as I do. So, here she is, Ms. Diana!

Name: Diana

Blog: http://www.ourcitylights.org/

Tattoo Artists: All work done by Sid Stankovitz from Sid's Tattoo Parlor in Santa Ana, CA.

Age: 29

Occupation: {unemployed} librarian, blogger, wannabe photographer, and stay at home wife.

Age of first tattoo: 22

Favorite tattoo: Hot pink bunny on forearm!!

My favorite tattoo right now is the hot pink bunny underneath my forearm. I got the idea from artist Sam Bathersby’s Bunny. It represents the love of children's books, my love for vintage cartoons, and the color pink! Plus, I love how it's in mid-hop! I have no idea what that says about a woman almost 30 years old getting a hot pink bunny hopping, but it makes me smile whenever I look at it. It also has a small representation of a higher standard for life (i.e vegan, trying my best to support cruelty-free companies, etc.).

This little guy is also from Sam's artwork. This also reminds me of children's books, and how clever is a little bird in a suit? He's tattooed on the back of my upper arm.

I absolutely love all things Lomography. This is one of the first camera's I began using years ago, the Diana camera. It's a love for film, and the support of all things analog. I meant to get it done last time I visited the tattoo shop, but after 5 hours, my arm felt like raw meat. I'm planning on finishing the color and shading by the end of Summer. This lovely piece is located under the very painful upper underarm.

I got the design from an Urban Outfitter's catalog, a colorful brooch I wish I would have saved the photo of. Little did I know years later my future husband would propose to me with an engagement ring designed after this. It looks identical, the only difference are the colors. A tattoo itself isn't very feminine but I had to prove otherwise with this one! This is located on my elbow.

This is located on my upper forearm. I love all things nautical and as cliche as it may be, a tattooed girl can't be without an anchor.

This is located on middle-upper arm. There's a Rock Of Ages piece that faith based with pink and red waves, and this is the ship located underneath.

Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

Yes, I have music notes behind my ears for my love of music. I also have various faith-based tattoos.

Do you plan on getting more?

I plan on getting my left arm finished but I may done after this. As much as my love for tattoos has grown over the years, so has my love for frugality, unfortunately.

How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them?

I do feel really left out in my group of friends because of my tattoos sometimes. There have been a few times I wasn't able to be in weddings because of my tattoos. As for my family, I grew up in two different cultures from both parents, each being very strict on how women are viewed. Surprisingly, my family loves them. I do get looks from people, especially living in a very conservative Orange County. I already don't fit the bill looks-wise (either not white or too American for my mixed cultures), and the tattoos just top it off. Also, working in education was hard with a non-typical librarian look. I didn't have peers that were my age let alone had tattoo's, but eventually, I'm glad they saw past that.

Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

Research! Maybe it was the librarian in me, but I researched everything from the pigmentation, to how it will fade, to the healing process. I did my homework. I want to love them forever. It sounds strange, but sometimes I don't notice them but when I catch an unexpected glimpse of myself in a reflection, it totally brings a smile to my face. I absolutely love them. I recently was tattooed and I feel like I gave myself a makeover- I feel like my clothes look different, and it's the feeling of that fresh new fabulous haircut, but it's permanent.

If you are going to get a tattoo, make sure it's one you are going to love forever and let it represent you at it's fullest.

Also, getting to know your tattoo artist helps. It helps when you have complete trust in the person and their work.