Tattoo talks: it’s been a year!

Today is the first birthday of my first three children…. by which I mean tattoos. A year ago today, I got my first tattoo, and my second, and third. Yes, I got three all at once.

I shared these beauties with you all this time last year, but having gained four more, I wanted to do a little tattoo roundup to share with you in appreciation.

Why are my tattoos so important?

Every one of my tattoos has a meaning- from the symbolism of being queer, to the commemoration of my late grandfather, I hold each to my heart, just as I will with all of them in the future (even if they have ‘less’ of a meaning).

Not only do my tattoos have symbolism and mean a lot to me, but they have done wonders for me and my confidence- confidence in my sexuality, confidence in my body, and the general feeling of making me feel more eccentric.

My tattoos are just a vital part of who I am and mean a lot to me. .

As much as I hoped this would be the case, I never expected to this extent

My tattoos

-Primrose- Grandad (09/03/18)

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11/03/1938 – Happy Birthday, Grandad 🌼 A primrose for you. I miss you every single day. Thanks so much, @stefflapsleytattoos for this beautiful piece of art on my body. I love it more than words. A marvellous tribute.

A post shared by Laur (@laurbethanyc) on Mar 11, 2018 at 5:40am PDT

Bee kind (09/03/18)

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Bee kind 🐝 All who know me know I adore bees, and that for years they’ve been a huge positive symbol to me. This spoke to me when I saw it, so of course, I had to snatch it up. It’s a reach out to others to be kind. It’s a reach to MYSELF to be kind to myself. #beekind

A post shared by Laur (@laurbethanyc) on Mar 12, 2018 at 5:42am PDT

Pink triangle/Rainbow (09/03/18) and Butterfly (25/07/18)

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Sparkle baby girl 🐛🦋💖 I'm so happy with this work of art that @kaitlinptattoo has put on my body; Adore has impacted my life with her words in so, so many ways… and Butterfly embodies a big part of me. I Adore U 💖 @adoredelano 🌈

A post shared by Laur (@laurbethanyc) on Jul 29, 2018 at 8:03am PDT

Lovatic heart and semi-colon (25/07/18)

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“I’m a warrior / I’m stronger than I’ve ever been” – @ddlovato 💗 This one’s long so sit tight (and proceed with a TW): My head has been in a battle with my entire existence for a long time, and the recovery road is long, forever winding, and in constant fluctuation up and downwards; recovery is not linear. This battle with several diagnosed mental illnesses has lost me friends, made me lose who I am myself, and has given me hundreds of days I either don’t remember or don’t want to. Mental Health stopped me from proceeding to university like my friends and the less I could do, the worse my mind got, the less I could do- and so on. After meeting several medical professionals, endless appointments, hospital admissions, having a body covered in scars and attempts to take my own life, I am still battling- but I am still here. The incredible @kaitlinptattoo put these remarkable symbols of recovery on my body forever and they mean more than anyone would ever know. 1) @projsemicolon – “your story doesn’t end here” 2) #lovatics heart. demi has been my driving force through recovery and the reason I’m still here, fighting. I am so proud to wear these tattoos, now and forever, but never imagined how hard it would be to write this post and share my experience. Yes, #iam1in4 but I am not ashamed. I stand fighting for the rest of my life.

A post shared by Laur (@laurbethanyc) on Jul 25, 2018 at 12:09pm PDT

Sunflower/rebirth (19/01/19)

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#7: Goodness me, I’m truly blown away by this piece of art put on my body forever 🌻 I cannot thank K enough 💕 this girl is the most talented and honestly I can’t believe this beauty is a part of me forever- thank you 😭 #girlswithtattoos #sunflowertattoo #sunflower

A post shared by Laur (@laurbethanyc) on Jan 21, 2019 at 5:47am PST

Where did I go to get these?

All of my tattoos were designed by, and done at the same studio in Rutherglen, Glasgow (Scotland), a lovely little place called Anvil!

I had my first three done by Steff, who owns the studio, and the others by Kaitlin. I adore both of their art styles and hope to have my body covered in their works, collectively, some day.

They can be specifically found on social media here:

Anvil’s Facebook – Anvil’s Instagram – Steff’s Instagram – Kaitlin’s Instagram

I’m in love with every piece of art on my body and hope to get loads more. I hope you love these too, but even if you don’t, in the kindest way, this is my body and my love of them is what matters.

Love always,