I got a tattoo when I was 21. It was a small butterfly, like maybe a little bigger than a golf ball. It was all black, right at the top of my spine before the nape of my neck begins. It was faded, old, tired, and sad.
And, by the way, there is nothing badass about a butterfly. However, there were reasons why I got it and I was happy with it for many years and nostalgia wouldn't let me give it up, exactly, but it was time for something new.
That's where Dierdre came in. I went for a consult and pretty much said, look, I know it's just a stupid butterfly, but it's MY stupid butterfly and I want to keep it, except now it needs to be better. Like way better, and it should look like something I'd doodle, only better, and I doodle like this ::random swirlies on paper::. Basically, I want to "spread my wings," if you will, metaphorically. /end conversation
She walks away and comes back with something quick and rough, but in the direction I was thinking. So we talked about it a little more, I booked my appointment, gave a deposit and went on my merry way.
This weekend I went back for my appointment. Dierdre had emailed me her concept a couple of days ahead of time, and I sent back some notes. When I got in, I was the first person there (they actually unlocked the door for me) but the joint soon became bustling. Dierdre was getting set up so my friend (Noopur S!) and I waited up front. Dierdre came up with a sketch based on my notes while I waited and it was pretty damned perfect. Also, while waiting, someone was making a coffee run to Dunks and offered to get us stuff too. We said no but the offer way way cool, and then, finally, tattoo time.
So that tattoo I got when I was 21 did not hurt. At. All. But I was also 21 and since then I've had spine surgery which amped up my nerves AND I was having, well, let's call it "special lady time" which I'm told amps up the pain a bit. Well, this hurt, a LOT. "No worries," Dierdre said, "your endorphins should kick in and you'll settle into it after a few minutes." Nope, no settling. This was PAINFUL. Noopur said that I didn't have such looks of anguish on my face when I had spine surgery. I mean PAINFUL.
This was not Dierdre's fault at all. Like I said, my nerves are amped up, especially around my spine, which is, of course, where most of the tattooing happened. (In fact, the parts that weren't along my spine didn't hurt at all, fyi.) But Dierdre took my anguish in stride, she was sympathetic, but not so much that it slowed down the process (which would not only have ultimately probably hurt more, but also would have cost more). At one point, I got the shivers (pain does that to me, see afore mentioned nerve comment) but despite whatever shivering, wiggling, etc I may have inadvertently done, Dierdre furrowed on with the straight or swirly delicate lines that made up my tattoo.
Noopur told me after the fact that she didn't think I'd still opt for the color, after the expressions of pain she saw on my face. But I took it like a champ, and I'm glad I did. During the experience I thought "I AM NEVER GETTING ANOTHER TATTOO AGAIN" but then, when it was done, I looked in the mirror (with another mirror) at the finished product and thought about my next tattoo, which will come one day soon, and probably under the expert artistry of Dierdre.
The tattoo itself held the basic original tattoo in the center, although corrected and perfected and then, with delicate and precise scrollwork extended from every wing tip, it has more than quadrupled in size.
Maybe I'm a follower, since Dierdre is popular on Yelp, especially with Yelp's ladies (many of whom are my personal friends), but I'm telling you, she is popular for a reason and I got a little look at the handiwork of some of the boys there at Pino Bros, and I'm certain that they, too, are also worth their hype.
So, in the end, I still have a butterfly. But this butterfly, is BADASS. read more