Winner Winner Chicken Tattoo

I've found people to be very divided when it comes to tattoos. There's a few different camps out there, of which I belong to the "I would be covered in them if I had the money and I wasn't so indecisive" group. If you're not in to them, or have nothing nice to say, you might wanna go watch cat videos or something and skip this.

Recently I entered a competition on Instagram to win up to a full day sitting with Darcie Kapor, the legend who did the tattoo on my foot - the one that Tricky chose at the Kustom Kulture Festival. Because doesn't everyone let their 7yo choose a tattoo design on a chocolate wheel? You know, the one Bobbin keeps copying? 

"I got a bird tattoo just like you, Mum!" Naw, my kid is so bogan 🤘🐦👩‍👧

A post shared by G L O W (aka Trae) (@wheres.my.glow) on Feb 21, 2018 at 3:47am PST

I was so pumped when I found out I won. Because a) a new tattoo from Darcie, and b) free! I had an idea based off the designs of artist Jason Freeny, who makes sick AF anatomical sculptures. I follow his social media channels and he had mentioned he was cool with people using his designs as a starting point for their tattoo art. I gave Darcie the brief: Rosie the Riveter, as a LEGO person, with the anatomical cut out ala Freeny. 

She nailed it. She came up with this full upper arm piece that included elements to represent my love of galaxies, plants, the mother/child bond, and love. It was insane. The second I saw it, I was lost for words and replied to her in heart eye emojis only. It was booked in and everything was hunky dory.

Narrator: But everything was not hunky dory, for Glow had a midnight freak out.

A few nights before I was due to go in, I flipped out. The piece was in effect a half sleeve, which I have wanted for ever, but being face to face with the prospect I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Was I just getting it big because I wanted it? Or because it was free? Or because I'm a bit manic? An arm is not as easy to cover as the tiny tramp stamp on my back I got when I was 18!

Darcie was so lovely, and said we can just leave the background pieces out for now, and if I want they can always be added in later to make a sleeve. 

So with my anxieties calmed I headed in, and we got down to business on my fifth tattoo.

I generally don't find tattoos too painful on the day (hit it when it's fresh and I'll cry though). They're not fun, but I have this insane pain threshold and it comes in handy sometimes - tattoos and giving birth come to mind. This tattoo design didn't have much combining of colours (ink over already inked skin gets a bit ouchy), so it was a breeze compared to my galaxy on my other arm where all the colours overlap and swirl together - with that I was trying hard not to squirm. 

At a few points I had this weird as fuck referred pain in my opposite arm! I have never felt that before! It was as if I was having a tattoo done on both sides at once. 

I read a few chapters of my book, ate chocolate, made slow motion videos and generally laid about chatting to Darcie about how awesome dogs are. It was basically a four hour, one armed break. 

I am SO happy with how it turned out.

Wyldstyle Rosie the Riveter Anatomy Tattoo - a bit bloody and puffy

It's Wyldstyle wearing the Rosie the Riveter shirt and headscarf, with anatomy cut away. I couldn't decide if I wanted lips on her or not; on the drawings and stencil it looked perfect but now that it is on my arm, I think she needs lips and the edge of her eye poking out from under her hair. Darcie said I can think about it and come back in a couple of weeks to add them if I still feel that way.

What do you think? A friend said it was "weird, unusual and quirky... much like you... I like it" and I have to say that has to be one of the best compliments I've ever gotten! 

Tattoo Roulette

So I got a new tattoo. No big secret, I showed y'all two weeks ago when it happened.

But what you don't know is the slightly strange story behind it.

Tricks and I headed to the West Coast Lowdown, Perth's Kustom Kulture Festival where everything s spelled with a K, much like that Kooky Kardashian Klan.

We're talking hot rods, low rider hop kings (the cars that jump up and down), Miss West Coast Lowdown and a stack of gorgeous pinups, a half pipe for anyone who decided to BYO skateboard, custom builds, and a stack of tattoo artists all under one roof. It was fabulous.

Tricks spent most of the time staring, slack jawed at the highly polished hot rods, no doubt imagining himself behind the wheel.

"Mum, you love tattoos, you should get one." he said.

"You're an enabler" I replied.

We went through Tattoo Alley countless times, the buzz of the machines kept drawing me over.

Bzzzzzz get a tattoo bzzzzz.

Bzzzzz you know bzzzzz you want to bzzzzzzz.

One place, Ink Remedy, was doing a chocolate wheel for their tattoos. There was 31 pieces of numbered flash, and for $100 you could spin the wheel and get whatever it landed on, tattooed on your skin.

Forever.

I thought it was a cool gimmick, but not something I'd be up for.

The flash was beautiful, it was all Sailor Jerry style, which I adore on other people but don't see on myself. The colour scheme just isn't me.

Chatting with the woman in charge, she said she couldn't spin up a tattoo either. I mentioned there was only one design on there that I could have on me, a swallow, because I had always wanted one. I'd even put a fake tattoo swallow on my foot years ago.

"I love the meaning, I love the look. But I dodn't like the colours."

"You could pick your own colours, it doesn't have to be like that" she said.

BZZZZZZ GET A TATTOO BZZZZZZZ!

"You know, if you spin up one you don't like you don't lose your money. You just have to pay full price for the tattoo you want." she said, no doubt sensing how much I was aching to have the needles on my skin again.

BZZZZZ GET A TATTOO BZZZZZZ!

"Ha! Well, I only want number 14. Tricks, spin me up a 14."

He gave the chocolate wheel a heave and I'm silently thinking WTF am I doing playing tattoo roulette?

Tricks, the lady in charge, some others who were standing near by and myself watched the wheel spin.

Ticker, ticker, ticket, tick, tick, tick... tick... tick... ... tick... ... ...tick... .... ... ... ...tick.

14.

There were hoots of laughter and another lady who also wanted to spin stared in amazement.

"I guess I'm getting a tattoo!"

So that's the story of how my 7yo spun up my tattoo design for me.

I'm sure there is a heap of people who will think that is weird, and you know what, I'm one of them.

I had the tattoo done there and then by Darcie, with people walking past to stop and look, and Tricky by my side playing games and taking photos.

It was a new tattoo kind of day! ✊ Had a great time with Tricky at the @westcoastlowdown checking out hotrods, pinups, and of course, tattoos! This is @darciekaportattoo in action on my foot. Check out my stories for lots of pix 😘 #wcld2017

A post shared by G L O W (aka Trae) (@glowless) on Oct 14, 2017 at 12:30am PDT

Everyone has asked how much it hurt because it was on my foot, and to be honest, it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. I had heard so many horror stories about foot tattoos so I had built it up in my head to be the most insane pain I'd ever felt, and compared to the terror in my head it was nothing. I did flinch once during the outline... and have a nice little wiggly line to show for it.

I am in love with it.

The colour is very me, and I'm so glad to have my favourite colour on me finally.

And yes, it does match my current hair colour!

In love with this beauty 💙💖 Done by @darciekaportattoo at the @westcoastlowdown today! Was a new experience to be tattooed in Tattoo Alley, having people walking by and stopping to watch. A new experience for Tricks, too, who spun up the design on the chocolate wheel (great job, buddy!), then sat next to me playing games on my phone while I had it done 📱

A post shared by G L O W (aka Trae) (@glowless) on Oct 14, 2017 at 5:57am PDT

I turned 30 and all I got was this awesome weekend

So I'm 30 now.

And it totally rocks my socks.

On Friday I went with my Twitter ho Kim to Lord of the Skins in Joondalup to get a tattoo. I'm told, by a certain 20 year old who shall remain nameless, that I'm not allowed to call it ink, that it's akin to an oldie saying LOL and thinking it means lots of love. It shits me when that happens and I don't want to be lumped in to that category. It's like the time I saw on Facebook how my friend's mother in law wrote on her wall "We have to put Fido down today, the cancer has returned. LOL."

Because cancer in dogs is just fucking hilarious, obviously. But i digress, back to the ink tattoo.

I wasn't nervous seeing as it is my second tattoo (having a tramp stamp), but i was afraid of flinching. Needn't have worried, I didn't even realize Brizzy had started - see that, we're on a first name basis now. All I could feel was the vibration and I was waiting for the scratch only to be told he'd nearly finished the first letter. Which is of course proof that I have super human pain threshold levels obviously... and all of a sudden I want to say "Save the cheerleader, save the world".

Sitting in a chair for 45 minutes would have been boring with out Kim and the fact that he brought along a birthday present for me, opened it and started playing with it. And by playing with it I mean shooting me.

My first ever Nerf Gun at 30. Awesome!

 The tattoo! I'm in love with it!

Fast forward through a few boring bits like making sushi and cakes and blah blah blah and hey presto it's the next day. My 30th birthday! Tricky, as usual, woke up around 6am for a feed but then I handballed him and went back to bed - my birthday present from Map Guy was a sleep in and it was AWESOME! Well my real present was our holiday last month, so he wasn't allowed to get me anything else.

I only decided a few weeks ago to have a little party and decided a sunset BBQ at the beach would be perfect. Good friends, a kick arse outfit, sausages, kebabs, salad (that no one ate - because you don't make friends with salad) and an amazing view. What more could I ask for?

The birthday outfit. Am now a fashion blogger.

Well, a cake a suppose. It's not called Cake Day for nothing, right?

What happens when one of the Ps from your

Happy Birthday candles snaps? You improvise!!!

One of my friends commented (nicely) that the cake was quite plain with it's stark white fondant and a rim of coloured chocolate bits around the edge so I nonchalantly said that I only wanted a plain cake, didn't want to make a fuss... then I cut it open and the ooohs and aaaaahs were amazing. I could feel my domestic goddess points going up and up and up right then and there.

The Rainbow Cake of Awesome!

 Wait, let's see that a little closer:

Oooohhh yeaaaahhh. Not so plain now!

It was a brilliant day, an amazing night and it's going to be a great year! Thanks so much for all the wishes, I feel spoiled!!!

P.S. Happy 2nd Blogiversary to me!
P.P.S. GO ENTER NOW!