New tattoo

I'm beginning to really value the 'real estate' that we call skin on our bodies. My new outlook is that I would like to save the rest of my real estate for tattoos by respected artists. Not that I have any that are from idiots or bad artists, but after hanging with Ethen (Ethen Jackson, tattoo artist & owner of Hearts of Fire Tattoos in Springfield, MO) and talking with him, he's really made me understand the value of a great tattoo from a respected & talented artist.
Last week Ethen's friend Jason Stubblefield, from Trader Bob's tattoo shop in STL was in as a guest artist. He does traditional style, which I've been looking at a lot lately and I decided that I would like for him to take a stab at a piece on me (pun intended). On Saturday, I came in with my ideas and he drew up something that was great in about an hour or so. We started about 2:30 & were done by 5. I got it on the underside of my right bicep, opposite a half sleeve that Ethen did...let me tell you that this location is tender, but also, it's awkward to tattoo and the way I had to sit for those 2.5 hours made my arm feel like it would never work properly again. However, when it was done, it looked gorgeous! He did two large traditional roses and a small skull protruding from behind them. The roses signify my fiance, Monica Rose Hopper, and the skull signifies the fact that death is always near. Not that it's a bad thing, it's there to remind me to live life to the fullest every day as you never know when you'll be gone.
It's still healing, but it's really a beautiful tattoo and I think I'm going to have him fill in the rest and make it a complete half sleeve that goes all around the arm next time he's in town. When I get a decent picture of it, I'll post it back on this entry.
That's all for now. Hopefully I can get back on this blog train and keep it consistent!