Damsel Diaries 8 years ago My Tattoo Diary
Dear Meme, you might want to skip this one since you have a strong aversion to tattoos. However, since so many of you have asked, I’ve decided to share the stories behind my tiny tattoos. At first I wanted to keep them to myself, but maybe {just maybe} a few of you will resonate with my stories and/or be inspired by them.
A lot of people who point out my tattoos ask how I was able to get them so tiny & thin. Almost all of my tattoos were done by the wildly talented artist, “East” who is currently at Shamrock Social Club in Los Angeles.
Pink Heart: When I was 18 years old my brother had just gotten back from a trip to Australia where he discovered a kitchy jewelry line called “Bico.” He opened up a Bico store in our mall back home and I was so proud of him that I got one of the jewelry pendants as my very first tattoo. This tiny pink heart doesn’t entirely connect and has a little dot at the top. The Bico team says it means “sincerely and compassion.” I don’t know about that, but to me it means that I was supportive of Justin in some way.
Initials: Shortly after moving out to Los Angeles I got the itch to get another tattoo. One day at work I was doodling in my notepad and drew my initials “JD” in this weird upside down “J” with a tiny “D” inside. It kind of ended up looking like a hook and I’m not as proud of this one as my others. I love the placement but the idea wasn’t entirely ironed out. Meh. It’s not like I have to live the rest of my life with it {insert eye roll here}.
Dharma Wheel: Shortly after Grant and I started dating I thought it would be a fun test to see how he would do about me spontaneously getting a tattoo. I knew I wanted something circular and I loved the position on the rib cage. I ended up picking the inside of a Dharma Wheel because {to me} the middle of the wheel represents moral discipline. One day, as Grant and I were walking around Venice, I said “Hey! There’s a tattoo place, I want a tattoo.” He smiled and thought I was kind of crazy.
Arrows Up: There are 6 arrows because there are 6 people in my family. My parents, Justin and Josh and Grant & I. When my arm is down, the arrows point up because that it what my family does for me – they lift me up.
L is for Leavitt: My husbands last name. I kept my last name so to pay a tribute to him, I surprised him with this tattoo a few years into being married.
The Trio: It was a beautiful summer day in New York. My two best gals {Catt & Lina} and I were doing a bit of day drinking to celebrate Catt’s birthday. We had a wild hair to get matching tattoos and we went for it. That’s why I love those two girls. They keep things interesting, spontaneous and fun.
William: Save the best for last {and the most recent}. “W” is for William. My baby who passed away recently. My husband got the exact same tattoo {it was his very first} in the same spot. Every time I see it I smile and it makes me feel like a part of him is always with me.
Photos by Felicia Lasala
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