The Devlins have a family reunion going on this week, and the girls decided they needed to do something wild—something to bond over. This was someone’s bright idea.
We’re outside Redbeard’s Living Canvas in Hot Springs. From the left it’s my niece Liz, SIL Teresa, SIL Shanna, me and my 70-year-old Mom. See the smiles? We had no idea…
I’m sure the biker dudes/tattoo artists thought we were pretty interesting. We were certainly fascinated meeting them. My poor mom didn’t blink an eye at the F-bombs that exploded, but watching her grit her teeth and blink like mad every time the needle carved into the top of her foot was really pretty funny. Of course, I thought she was just being a little wimpy.
UNTIL, it was my turn. I know I made some interesting faces because my niece laughed her ass off. My SIL told me my fingers were completely white because I was digging them into the chair so hard.
This is a pic of the work in progess. It’s kind of sexy looking at it in hindsight with tattoo dude hovering over my quivering toes.
The experience may have been painful, but we had a blast. And we love the results! We came back to the house and sat out on the patio admiring our new art. The guys think we’ve all lost our minds. They just don’t get it. We know we’ll have something permanent to remind us of family every time we glance down.
Here’s my mom’s awesome dragon:
Shanna’s pretty flowered anklet:
Teresa’s colorful butterfly and rose:
Here’s my final result (my poor foot’s swollen). Keep in mind I intended to go for something small and dainty!
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OMG I love your tatoo and your mom’s is smokin too.
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OMG it’s beautiful! And that’s where I want my next one…exactly! only the flower is different…
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Are you coming to RWA conference? If so, I’ve got to see this live. I’m gearing up my mind and body for a tat on the wrist.
I like the family tats. That’s cool.
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OH MY! It’s lovely. The colors are incredible. Your mom is so brave!
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Sara!
Thanks. My mom is the coolest!!
Mel!
The top of the foot hurts soooo bad. Take a Darvon before you go!!
Michelle!
I’m not doing RWA this year. 🙁 I bet the wrist will be a wince too!! Ouch!
Cyndi!
Yeah, didn’t think of it before, but now I’ll probably be looking for clothes that match it from now on.
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I love it! Did your neice cop out of it?
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Gorgeous! But damn, it’s big! I would be like Phoebe in that episode of Friends where she gets a dot and says it’s the world ;P
How cool your mom got one, too!
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Love it. Family tattoos to remember a great time is wonderful a fantastic idea.
Love all the tattoos and now I’m getting even more ideas for my next one. I want a partial sleeve and then I have ideas for the inside of my forearms.
Rock on Mom. 😈
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Dani!
My neice got a nose ring. 🙂
MJ!
HaHa
Like I said, I went in for small and dainty, but once he started drawing on my leg, I thought, “Mmmm…I like that!”
Brandy!
I couldn’t do a sleeve. Love the look but can only imagine the pain. I’ll go for an armband!
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Love the tats. Wish my mom would get one. I just got back from the Hells City Tattoo Convention in Columbus Ohio. I got two new tats while I was there. The one I got on my inner thigh was very painful (still is and its been a week). I have 8 tats now and working on the design to replenish a fairy that I had done 11 years ago. Wow can’t believe that she is that old. I have also started to design and speak to Dave Barry of the Shop our of Milford NJ. He is great. Glad you broke down and got a great tat. What are you going to get for your next one.
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Wow, that’s cool!
And your mom has pretty feet.
Y’all do, but hers should be noticed because, well, she’s Mom.
Top of the foot must be a particularly painful area for a tat. That’s not where I would have had my first one done.
Gives me ideas. Oh the looks on my kids’ faces. :giggle:
(They’re teens)
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Eve!
Inner thigh?! Ow-ow-ow!! I am planning my next tat. But not until summer’s over. It’s killing me knowing I can’t jump into the pool for another couple of weeks! I want to extend the ivy of my outside of my calf, add another violet and put a little fairy at the top. What do you think?
Masha!
My mom appreciated the compliment. We had a pedicure before our adventure! You should take a pic of a Russian fairytale, mabye the Snow Maiden and have your artist draw it onto your skin. I think that would be awesome. Or even some of those lovely borders they paint around the laquer boxes would make a nice anklet!
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Wow, totally gorgeous, all of them, Delilah! What a great thing for you to do together! And it would be neat to have the same art made into something else you could use/see when it’s cold and your beautiful feet are covered up–beaded bookmark? embroidered onto a tote? Not feeling terribly creative…
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Fedora! I love both your suggestions! I’ll have to have my mom draw the pattern and then I’ll figure out what I might do with it. 😛
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I’d like to know what happened to your sister????
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LOL! Someone noticed she wasn’t there?! Yeah, sis missed the reunion. But she had a great excuse. She’s participating in a military thingie in Germany at the moment.
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Beautiful! All of them.
And just so you know, the foot is one of the most sensitive places to get a tatt! Those on the feet, especially the tops of the feet, would hurt more than anything around the ankle or on the leg. 🙂
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ROFLMAO!
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Sasha!
Now, you tell me!!!
Val!
Uh huh! A little sadistic, are you? 😆
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I’m just glad it wasn’t me. I want one so badly but I will NOT go through pain to do it. Hand me my little temporary tattoo right over there please.
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OMG…love it, DD. love you too, booboo *grin*
K
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Oh wow DD. I want one!! I want something Celtic around my ankle or even just something by the ankle. Like small, LOL. That was neat to see! How’s it feeling now?
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I’m with Val. I think I’d try a temporary one first. The shock of a permanent one might kill my family, ya know.
DD, I like your suggestions. I think I’ll get my art books out. If I don’t come up with a tattoo, I may come up with a website design.
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Val!
There’s no way I’m ever going to have the other foot done. Youch! If I’d known how bad it would be…
Kimberley!
I’m still hoping to go get a tat with you someday!
Caffey!
The swelling’s gone down, but I still don’t want to stick my foot in a shoe. And damn, I miss the pool!!
Masha!
I’m glad my suggestion got you thinking!
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I know what you mean about not being able to take a dip in the pool. I thought I was going to die of heat stroke yesterday from working in the yard. I took the hose to myself instead. LOL. You should put the ivy around to the outside of your calf with a fairy. It will look awesome. i have a fairy thats about 11 years old. I am now wishing that she was a little bigger so her face didn’t look as squashed as it does 11 years later. She is going to be my one project with in the next 4 weeks (once the filigree heals around her) and then its onto my back. I was thinking the Kuschiels rose with a Japanese cherry blossom tree behind it and the words “Love as Thou Wilt” one the base of my back. I can’t wait to start it. Once you get one tat they tend to be addictive. I know I am an addict just like with my books. I hope you get as much pleasure from your tats as i do.
Caffey: Stay away from the ankle bones. Hell stay away from anywhere that the bone is close to the skin. My husband had his wrist done a huge dragon that goes from in between his fingers up to just above his elbow. The dragon wraps back and forth several times on his arm. He said the bone on the wrist hurt like the dickens. Stay away from the bones girl.
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Eve! The cherry blossom sounds gorgeous. I thought about extending the ivy and putting a fairy on the top near my knee, but a friend is suggesting that for symmetry, I might try have the ivy wrap around my opposite upper arm and putting the fairy there.
And Caffey! The ankle bone hurts like hell! Only had some outlining done there, but it was almost as painful as the top of my foot.
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My son from “another mother “got his tat about 5 years ago. it’s a cross on his upper right arm. No clean facilities for him though. He and some friends did it with a needle and indian ink. It took them a week. I was upset with him even though he was of age and then some when he told me he had one and how he got it. then he showed me it was a cross. He knows how I would feel about him getting one but the cross was something he knew would make me feel conflicted. the brat 🙄