My Tattoo Experience ~ Updated Now With Photos!!!

Last night I went and got my tattoo. It looks awesome and I was going to show you photos of it today. Me, being the genius that I am, forgot my camera at my friends house. Devon was over there while I was getting inked so when I went back I showed them the photos that Funny Girl had taken during the process.

Rico, my friend, started taking photos all over the place and by the time that I left, I totally forgot that my camera wasn't in my purse anymore. I will be going over there some time today to get my camera so as soon as I do, I will be updating this entry to show you the photos. But for now I will tell you about the experience.

Funny Girl and I arrived at Mos Eisley's around 6:20 for my 6:30 appointment. We walked into the shop and it has a very cool vibe. Old hardwood floors, a counter that has a distressed, chic style and a row of low slung leather chairs. Along the walls are skateboard designs that the artists have created that you can buy and at the top of a 3/4 wall are masses of trophies that the guys that work there have won.

There are all types of people that are working here at Mos Eisley's. Most of the guys have a multitude of tattoos and those large plugs in their ears and the one woman that we saw had them as well. Everyone is laid back and there isn't any drama.

Gareth, my tattooist, comes out and meets me and we discuss the placement and size of my tattoo. He goes back to get everything all set up and then invites Funny Girl and I back into his space. Funny Girl decides that she likes him on the spot because he has a Thundercats tattoo on his calf. Later we find out that it was the first tattoo that he ever did.

The shop doesn't have an open area where everyone gets tattooed in view of everyone else. I walk into a small room with 3/4 high walls that has a dentist-looking chair, a pedestal sink, a few cool posters, a couple of bookcases, the light and stool for Gareth and a few other folding chairs that observers can sit in.

It took two tries for the tattoo to be placed properly on my back but then we were ready to go.
Gareth starts at the bottom of the tattoo and I hardly feel anything. I think to myself that this isn't going to be bad at all and for the most part it was fine. By the end it was hurting quite a bit, but not enough that I had to ask him to stop. I just gritted my teeth and would say "unicorns & rainbows" trying to think of nice, non-painful things.

During the tattooing, Gareth, Funny Girl and I had the best conversations. Gareth has a Bachelor's degree in History and Religious studies and we talked about all kids of things from the issues with the U.S. in the Middle East and oil to my growing up in the Mormon faith.

I asked his honest opinion about the tattoo that I had chosen and he said that it was the best faith based tattoo that he has ever seen. He had seen it tattooed on a couple of other people and I personally had seen one other person with it. It isn't very common though, which I was happy to hear.

After we were done I paid. He only charged me $120 which I thought was too little so I gave him an extra $30.00. I think that he was surprised that I was willing to pay more than I was quoted. He thanked me and then we discussed caring for the tattoo and we went outside and chatted for a few more minutes and then Funny Girl and I left.

I have had no bleeding and very little pain and I am extremely pleased with the result.

This is the transfer of the photo on my back before the tattooing began.

The tattooing has begun.

Partway done. Gareth had to take a break so we got a good photo of the work in progress. You can see that the outline is done and some coloring is completed but still a ways to go as Gareth used a fine gauge needle.

Me and Gareth after the tattoo is complete. He was such a cool guy to talk to and did a fantastic job on the tattoo.

Here is the tattoo as of this afternoon. You can still see some redness but the image is very clean.