Tattooed Moms and treating others well

My husband and I are both very tattooed as is my best mom friend. So needless to say we get a lot of looks when we all go out together with our kids!  The looks don’t bother me, I expect them as I’m sure most heavily tattooed person does. But there is no reason to make rude comments!

We were all out together, our kids were all behaving, we were not being loud or anything like that.  And an older women walks past looks us up and down and mutters “unbelievable”.  Is it the tattoos, or is it because we have tattoos and children? I am not sure and really to me it doesnt matter if the comment was about tattoos or any other part of a persons appearance. What it comes down to is the fact that someone would feel so entitled that they should make an audible insult to another person, who they do not know in front of their children.

I don’t expect others to like or even approve of my tattoos but is it that difficult to keep it to yourself. As a society I wish we could just remember that one important rule “treat others as you would like to be treated”.

Tattoo itch

I desperately want to have some tattoo work done, almost all my tattoos are half finished and have been that way for about 2+ years. My husband is an artist and we own a tattoo shop, so you think it would be no big deal to get some work done…

There are two main things stopping me: my husband and my mom guilt.  He never feels like working on my tattoos because he is busy at work and when he isn’t working the last thing he wants to do it work some more.  I totally understand, but the way I see it is he started all this work, he should finish it!

Reason number two: what to do with my kids! I have a friend who said she will come to the shop when he  works on me and watch the kids up there, that way I don’t have to leave them, but I still feel so bad taking time for myself and not spending it with the kids.  I guess this is the same reason my hair hasn’t been done in forever…

Having half finished tattoo work in the summer makes me feel gross, I do not like wearing summer clothes because I feel exposed and unfinished. My tattoos are a part of me and when they are unfinished I feel unfinished.

Tattoo Shop Etiquette

I  feel the need to post this based  on someone who came into the shop today, they are not getting tattooed, just here to support a friend, but still their behavior about made me crazy and got me thinking about all the other rude instances.

This particular person is  here with a friend who is getting a very large and very expensive tattoo.  It took a lot of work to get ready and will take a lot to tattoo.  She has been talking the whole time about how he should have gone to what we will call X tattoo shop, where she got a tattoo that didnt come out well but her friends tattoo from there looks great, first off why would you want to go someplace that messed your tattoo up? Second why would you sit in front of the artist and go on and on about how X shop is better then them, have some respect!! It would be one thing if it actually was a good and well respected shop, but it is not in fact they have a very bad reputation and we have fixed a ton of their work!

Perhaps she just does not have common sense… or maybe she is just rude… but I wanted to post a list of things not to do in a tattoo shop so you will not make the same mistakes and many people who we encounter.

1.) Do not act like you know more then the artist and people who work there, because you do not, unless you actually do this for a living you have no idea, sure you have a few tattoos chated with an artist or two, maybe even read somethings online; that by no means makes you a professional.

2.) What is worse then #1, is telling other customers false information.  You stop in an browse and we are in the middle of explaining care instructions to an actual customer, you cut us off and say we are wrong and to do something different… seriously what are you thinking!?

3.)We give you proper care instructions for a tattoo or piercing, you do something completely different then we said then come back in a few months and demand we redo it because your friend said it was ok to pick at it when it was healing and to use some crazy rubbing alcohol on it… and when we explain why you tattoo is messed up you throw a fit and say no I did everything right my friend has a tattoo and she told me…. yea ok your friend with her one tattoo knows more then we do.. and now we are going to lose money because you are demanding us to fix it.

4.)Come in or call and ask: “How much for a tattoo”? and giveno more information then that… Then when I ask “What of” you say “I dont know, maybe something on my arm..” seriously how do you expect me to quote that?

5.) Do not bring everyone you know with you when you are getting your tattoo, yea a few people is ok, moral support and all that, but when it takes 3 packed cars to get you all here, seriously too much.

6.) Do not scream, yea something a little moaning or “ouch” ect.. I get that it hurts.  But screaming at the top of your lungs the whole time is completely uncalled for not to mention extremely distracting.

7.)Prices are not up for discussion, I know sometimes tattoos are expensive and sure if you are actually nice about and i tell you $150 and you only have $140 I would say sure.  But if the price is $150 and you say you will do it for $100 thats just a slap in the face.

8.) Tipping is expected in most cases, sure if you are getting something for $30 then its not that big of a deal.  But if you are getting a big tattoo that was custom drawn and we stayed open late because you couldn’t make it in during normal hours throw in at least $10-$20 if not more!

9.) Show up on time for appointments, we understand sometimes things come up but at least call and let us know what’s going on.

10.) Last but not least, Wash yourself!! Especially is you are getting a tattoo/piercing someplace that needs to be cleaned often… no one wants to deal with someone elses body odor…

So please take the above into consideration when you get your next tattoo!!