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Lizzie’s Forearm Star Tattoos

I had the black stars tattoo added to my arm shortly after my 19th birthday in response to contacting and meeting my birth parents. The top black star represents my mum and dad who have raised me, the other 2 stars represent my birth mother and my birth father.

I’ve spent nearly 2 years getting to know them both and the siblings that I have from each of them and decided that the tattoo needed to be finished with the addition of those siblings. Each outline represents a different one. The top one being my adopted brother who I have grown up with. I chose to get his star at the top because he is the closest connection to who I am. When our parents are dead and gone he will be the person I turn to in order to help me remember them.

The four stars at the bottom represent my half brother Perry (from my birth father) my half sister Hannah (from my birth mother) and my 2 other half sisters Dana and Molly (also from my birth father)

Although my star tattoo isn’t much to look at I do get a lot of questions about it and it has an important meaning to me.

Katie’s Ivy Tattoo

Courtney’s Ivy Tattoo

Courtney, my best friend of 20 years and I recently got matching tattoos. Our friendship is definitely significant enough for and worth of a couple of tattoos. Our parents went to college together and we’ve lived 2 houses away from each other our whole lives so there’s no stopping us now.

There are various meanings for ivy leaves but a few significant ones we found that made us choose it were “long and lasting friendship” and “reliable friend.” We each have the other’s first initial incorporated into the design.

Courtney came up with the original design and the final design was put together by the tattoo artist.

- Katie

Tattoos by “Johnny Truant” AKA Kenny of 4 in the Morning Studios - East Northport, NY

Kalina’s 9-11 Tribute Tattoo

The story behind this tattoo is pretty basic. This was my first tattoo, I now have 3. My aunt died is the attacks on the World Trade Center Twin Towers, and this is my way of remembering her. She was in the North Tower, on the 58th floor.

I didn’t get her name tattooed on me because it was just too much to take in. I felt it would have been too much pain for me, and this tattoo of the eagle and the Twin Towers and the Empire State building was a way to remember not just her but all of the others that lost their lives on that tragic day.

I want people to look at my tattoo and think about that sad day and how strong America is, and remember how important our country is to us. I don’t want people to look at it and just see a picture on my back. I want them to understand why it is there, and why it is important to me. The attacks on 9/11 isn’t something that should ever be forgot about in my eyes. And that is the story behind my tattoo!

-Kalina

Greg’s Centaur Tattoo

First things first: it’s a centaur, and there’s more to it on the sides. This is the unfinished pic; the rest is currently healing up.

Now, as to the why… The short and sweet version is that I’m a Sagittarius. The long version is a bit more complex, as well as revealing: To start, I’m Greek and a fan of greek mythology. In said mythology, centaurs were nasty, vile creatures, who spent the majority of their time engaged in unsavory pursuits, such as murder, pillaging, marauding, rape, and drunken lunacy.

There was one, however, who was different. His name was Chiron, and he was wise and peaceful. He was the personal tutor to some of the greatest heroes of ancient Greece, including Achilles and Ajax, famed from the Trojan War.

The tattoo serves as my reminder that, regardless of what others may think we will be, or what assumptions they make in regards to how we will conduct ourselves, it is possible to be other than what we are considered to be, to rise above our base natures and strive for the betterment, not only of ourselves, but, more importantly, those that are around us.

The tattoo was done by my good friend Tom Kiernan, owner of Mean Machine
Tattoo, Tampa, FL., in two sessions, totalling about 6:30 hours.

-Greg

Inked by Tom Kiernan - Mean Machine Tattoo, Tampa, FL

Steph’s Aestuo Tattoo

This tattoo was my 25th birthday present from my two best friends. I always knew I wanted to get inked but I’m a fickle girl so the ‘what’ was the big question. Finally one day it struck me–words. I love words and the power that they have, so then it was just picking the right one, one that would always hold meaning and be true.

I chose ‘aestuo’, which is latin for ‘i burn’, connotatively with intensity and passion and desire. As long as I do whatever I do with passion, everything in life is going to be okay. It’s the one thing I demand from myself and others, so it seemed appropriate to mark myself with the sentiment.

I got it done at Icon Tattoos in Murfreesboro, TN. Reverend Horton Heat was blaring from the stereo, and rather than it hurting, which I had always been warned, it felt kinda good.

Inked at Icon Tattoos, Murfreesboro, TN