"But you don't look like you'd have a tattoo...."

It's no secret I like tattoos, to me its a mixture of artwork and self expression.  I like to see tattoos on both men and women, though not so fond of the cutesy, cartoon or very garishly bright.   I've recently been spending a lot of time looking at various designs for a character who has half sleeves, back and shoulders covered in an oak leaf vine design which changes colour from a coppery brown through to a pale green depending on the season - yes, I know, but he's a dryad so the colour change can happen for him.

However, it always seems to amaze people that I have a tattoo myself... and what's more a visible one, that isn't covered up.  That said, most people don't notice it - it's not particularly small, it just doesn't scream at you.

Wrist tattoo design

Said tattoo, a Celtic band circling my left wrist, I had done when I was 19 and I've never regretted it.  It's never cost me a job, or a relationship, it's part of who I am. 

What's more I have a kind of freaky immune system which means that I can't wear jewellery, well not unless I want to break out in hives... I do have my ears pierced (erm, a few times) but can only wear surgical steel, which is ok for earrings but not so hot for decorative jewellery.

So for a while I've wanted another one - hell I came out of the tattoo parlour having had it done on such a high that I wanted another one almost straight away.  However, knowing that I have a really really bad impulse control I set myself some guidelines pretty much immediately.  Usually I am of the "see it, want it, get it" mindset - yep, working on that one, sometimes I'm good, sometimes not so much. I've spent a lot of energy channelling my focus into impulses that are non harmful, non permanent and possibly won't kill me - which could explain my shower gel addiction (current tally of bottles in the bathroom stands at 16 - i said I was still working on it didn't I), but with something as permanent as body art I decided I had to want the same design in the same place for 2 years before I went a head and got it.

For a while I'd been toying with having a Celtic knot on the inside of my ankle, but I have psoriasis on my legs and am too worried that it will cause an outbreak... not to mention, I really don't like people seeing my legs because of the scarring. 

So, a while back one of my dogs crossed the bridge after having been with me for close on 15 years, and I got to thinking that I'd like something to remember her by.  I've also since discovered that her daughter has also crossed the bridge, so it seemed more appropriate that I have a permanent memory.  So, hopefully, I shall be getting a set of paw prints for each of my girls on the inside of my left arm in the very near future.  I am hoping paw prints that look something like this: