Show & Tell: Tatt Two

We spent last weekend in Colorado Springs with 19 extended family members. Seventeen of them cheered at the Air Force/Army game (for the away team). But Tessa and I headed to nearby Manitou Springs for some girlie-girl time.

Manitou Springs is an earthy, small mountain town with an inviting personality. Tessa and I window shopped along the main street, played with toys in the toy store, sat on benches along the street, evaluated artwork in the many artisan stores, chatted with store-keepers, found a chocolate shoppe and had one of each (yum).

We weren't really looking for anything -- the ambling being the point. I just wanted to make some memories together. We got our chance at the last store.

The shop smelled of patchouli, and it offered tie-dyed t-shirts, peace signed clothing, Om symbols galore, silks from India.

And a woman who applied tattoos. Henna tattoos.

I didn't even debate it in my mind. Tessa and I were gonna get tatted.

Tessa chose vining skulls. With bows.

I chose a Tao symbol encased in the sun. With moon and stars to balance it out.

It took about 10 minutes each to apply the henna paste to each of us. Deb, our artist, blew on some very fine glitter to adorn this phase.

We were to leave the paste on for as long as possible -- 4 hours minimum, or even overnight. The longer we waited before flecking off the dried paste, the deeper the pigment would go and the longer our tattoos would last. Palms are especially good at holding in the dye.

Tessa went swimming in the hotel pool later that night, so her paste came off on the early side. But I kept mine on until the next morning.

My henna paste and Tessa's henna tatt

Tessa's beribboned skulls

My yin/yang

With luck, I'll still have a visual memory of this day on Christmas.

See what my classmates are showing and telling over at Mel's Show & Tell.





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