Tattoo weather

Allthough it's allmost september, summer finally decided to show its face in Holland. The past weekend was even the first 'tropical' weekend in 12 years! With this weather, the sun wasn't the only thing revealed to me. While I was slaving away, serving refreshing drinks to the many guests on the terrace, I discovered a whole world of hidden tattoos, wich is usually covered by clothing.

I was surprised how many people have tattoos, and how many of them apparently didn't think for one second before they let someone permanently draw on their body.
It´s not that I don´t like body art, I really love tattoos. But I have to say I´m pretty disappointed to admit that, of all the tattoos I´ve seen in the past couple of days, I haven´t seen any beautiful ones.. Actually all tattoos I saw on people fell in one (or more) of these 5 categories:

1. Dark Black enormous tribals all over peoples bodies
2. Eternal dedications of love to either mommy or (much more disturbing..) local Football clubs..
3. Portraits of deceased pets. Off course complete with R.I.P, the dogs name and date of death
4. Multiple tattoos randomly scattered around the body, not paying any attantion to the whole or the shape of the body itself.
5. Standard tattoos, obviously picked from a book at the tattooshop, without any meaning or consideration.

Personally I can't imagine why anyone would put any one of these things on their body for the rest of their lives, but of course I hope they are all really happy with it. As far as my own body goes, I only consider tattoos if they are beautiful, have a special meaning to me, and fit with the shape of my body.

A few years ago I got my first (and so far only) tattoo in Thailand and I'm happy to say that I still don't regret it and am pretty sure I never will. Allthough by some people it might be considered a socalled 'trampstamp' because of its location, it is supposed to be a magical lucky charm. ' Yantra tattooing' or 'sak yant' is an ancient Buddhist form of body art, performed in south-east Asia. The tattoos involve the use of magic Yantras, scripts, geometric designs and the sacred ancient alphabet and are traditionally tattooed on the body using a bamboo rod.

My tattoo isn't ment to help me fight evil when I go to war, but it symbolises the Lotus, which rises above muddy swamp water and produces a beautiful and fragrant lotus flower. So whenever life is giving me lemons (and I've made enough limoncello ;)) my tattoo reminds me of the beautiful things I will learn and gain form any misery that might come my way.

It's true what they say about getting a tattoo. Once you've got one, it's so much easier to get another and another and another.. So sometimes I think about what my next tattoo will be. I like feminine tattoos, consisting of thin lines and beautiful shapes. So while I think about it, some inspirational pictures of classy tattoos I do find beautiful:

 I especially love spine tattoos :)