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The design represents a martlet bird. These are mythological birds without feet--having no feet means they can never land. Because of this the martlet bird represents wanderlust and for some a never-ending search for truth and knowledge. In heraldry the martlet bird insignia was given to the youngest son who was not born with a particular position (not the heir and not destined for the Church), so he had to make his own way in the world. I feel very connected to this being the youngest child and a bit lost as where to go and what to do; I also love traveling and the color blue is seeped in symbolism as well. I really could write more about the meaning, but that summary will do for now.
I've been wearing my dresses backwards to show it off. It's only a week old though so there is still some peeling...
75 comments:
Whoa crazy!
So this is where you have been!
Looks classic and nice...something you won't hate later on.
Does your mother know about this?
tee hee
that wearing the dress backward, that is pretty genius. and the tattoo! possibly the most elegant and fitting tattoo ever.
It looks wonderful! Very elegant and meaningful. The tattoo (or tattoos, as there are technically two birds) almost appear to be wings from farther away, solidifying the idea of neverending flying and making your own way.
If I ever get a tattoo, I hope it's as lovely as yours is!
Those are so gorgeous!
I absolutely love your dress, seen from the back it reminds me of a pretty ballet outfit. A lot of your outfits have this ballerina feel to them I find really elegant. This kind of silhouette never goes out of style and makes me think of a modern day Audrey Hepburn with a geeky touch.
Like the tattoo a lot as well, always had a thing for stylised birds...
Keep on doing what you're doing!
I was a bit anxious about this, but wow it looks FANTASTIC! Love the fact that it's all in blue ink. Do you think you've caught the tattoo bug now??
That's truly beautiful! And I love when people get tattoos that are unique and have real personal meaning to them... instead of just something for the sake of getting a tattoo
Oh, pretty!
it looks terrific! The dress looks wonderful backwards, too...I am sure you've gotten tons of compliments!
Wow they look amazing. Getting up the nerve to get a tattoo really impresses me, I've wanted one for ages but it has o be perfect and just right, I'm terrified I'd make the wrong choice. But you have definately suceeded, I love the choice of block blue as well, a twist on the norm.
these are the perfect tattoos! i just adore the idea behind the birds. my tattoos are on my back as well, a wise decision, i think. that way, you don't see them all the time and won't be fed up with them. i sometimes even forget that they are there and am happily surprised when someone asks about them.
btw: thanks for checking out our blog!
That is one of my favourite tattoos of recent memory. It suits you so well and it's BEAUTIFUL!
i'm so happy for you! like i said before (when you sent me the link to the earlier post), i love the symbolism and i think it suits you perfectly. you rock!
Wow I'm so jealous. That's so chic, so fabulous. I've always wanted a tatoo on my lower back. One day...
i have wanted a bird tattoo for a while ... yours are so beautiful!
these are fab. I love the story behind them :)
I love it! It looks great on you! How much did it hurt? :-)
Oh, very, very pretty! I like its meaning, also, very well chosen and beautifully drawn!
You're wearing the shirt backwards? Because I was going to say whoa I love the neckline! It's sexay!
I love the tattoos! I love that you drew them and what they mean. From reading your blog it seems to fit your personality very well and they look splendid!
It's so lovely! And I love the backwards shirt :D
WOW!
I love the tattoo! Classy! Elegant! Pretty! Which is doubly impressive because it's so easy for tattoos to become trashy. But apparently not always! :P
I love the design. Absolutely adore it. And the dress-worn-backwards. I LOVE IT!
Wow, it's really pretty! The dress looks really nice backwards. Ugh, I could never do that because I always have at least one unsightly blemish on my back.
Oh gee! Well it certainly matches your style. I like it a lot.
Wow!
Nice job. I like the way you displayed the new design with your dress turned the other way 'round.
I love how it looks poking out from the back of your dress. And yay for actually going through with it, I've been wanting one since I turned eighteen but I never go through with it, even though I've had the design for years.
That's beautiful. I love classy tattoos. A friend of mine has two stylized little wings on her shoulderblades which she designed herself. It's obviously the chosen tattoo site for the stylish.
I already saw your tattoo on Flickr and I totally love love love it.
Oooh stunning! I think it's so important that it means something to you and even better that it's your own design. And the colour compliments your hair and skin beautifully.
I've been slow to read up on my Google Reader, but I need to tell you that the idea behind your tattoo is beautiful. I love that you've designed it yourself, and it looks amazing.
wow, its just wonderful!
wow it looks nice on you, did it hurt????
Quite pretty..... and I'm not usually a fan of tattoos...
Wow, that looks wonderful! And all I have is buyer's remorse from a back-covering 18th birthday impulse!
Oh my gosh, your tattoo looks amazing! I love that you designed it yourself!
Nice tat!!! Good decision!
omgggg wowowow! they're lovely, i love how they have such a beautiful meaning
woah, so brave! was it painful? haha, i know i'm a scary cat. wearing your blouse like that's a really cool way to show of those tattoos. looks cool ;)
I'm too much of a scardey cat for a tattoo...and far too fickle I'd never be able to decide something I'd like forever! I like yours though...great design and nice meaning behind it. Wearing dresses backwards is genius.
Congrats on your new tats! Now you have an extra reason to wear backless tops and dresses which are lovely...
what a beautiful tattoo! i love the design and the meaning behind it. congratulations!
I think they are very beautiful and tasteful, and goes oh so lovely with your outfit!
It looks beautiful, breathtaking really. And I love the idea behind it.
sweet tattoo! awesome design to, i think it looks great.
I really like the backstory behind this, I love when tatoos can tell a story it makes them so much more meaningful. Also how that story applies to you can make it more personal, very pretty!
congrats, they are beautiful.
I <3 my tattoos!
congratualtions on your first tattoo!
love the tattoo. how much did it hurt?
Adore the tattoo. It's just beautiful. And I love the symbolism behind it.
Beautiful!
Hopefully it didn't hurt too much ;)
The tattoos look quite amazing as part of the outfit. Maybe it'll be the beginning of a trend?
xx
oh it is such alovely tattoo - with a wonderful meaning aswell. i also have a tattoo, that i want to hcnage into somthing new. i do not regret having the tattoo in the first place, but the depicted (it is a tribal) is just not me anymore.
wow!! they remind me of nicole richies a bit!
big fan of tatoos! love the design. i read about you wanting to get them a while back. congrats! i'll be getting mine when i decide what and where (this year)... fleur de lis??? hmmm or maybe a fleur de lis intertwined with a martlet... now if i only knew how to sketch
It's gorgeous, and knowing what I do of your history (via the blog), I think it's perfect for you (I'm currently debating just where to get a second tattoo- hope yours dries just right). And funnily enough, a lot of dresses look better worn back-to-front...
I have been wanting to get a tattoo forever now! My husband already has one... and now wants another one. I want one that is a Chinese character for the word "storyteller".
I love the birds... Does your mom know about this?
Very very lovely.
they are great! I love classy tattoos...I want one so badly but haven't found "The one" yet.
It's gorgeous.. The colour is great too. I really love that you put a lot of thought into this and it will be something to treasure for years to come and a great story to tell. To many tattoos these days are something someone has copied or some spur of the moment tribal tattoo.. Congrats!
You're incredibly brave and lucky to have the mad skills needed to design such a gorgeous tattoo. I just love the colour and it's perfect for you.
That's great - I love that! How beautiful! I've been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while now...I'm inspired!
I like them!
it´s so beautiful!!
i love it!
The tattoo looks amazing, really a beautifull design!!!
I love how the tattoos pop up when you're wearing your t-shirt like that!
aw--i kindofwant a tatoo--except im afraid i'll regret it later, so i know ill never get one
your birds are really cute!
(Gasp!) They are beautiful!
Really lovely. They remind me a teeny bit of William Morris's Strawberry Thief birds . . .
Wow, it looks great! I love all the meaning behind i. I wish I wasn't such a wimp, I have been thinking of getting a small tattoo as well.
WOW! The idea behind the bird is a beautiful one. I love seeing tattoos on people, but I wouldnt want them on myself for many reasons.
So brave of you!
Lovely design, and lovely meaning for the tattoo!
I love the design,it's very beautifu!
Beautiful!
http://www.fashiontrends.cn
Hey there - I was looking for Martlet images as it's the emblem of the English county of Sussex - I just wanted to say in case you didn't know (I'm guessing you did) that the martlet is regarded as symbol of joy - technically a martlet is a swift - although obviously heraldic artists took a little artistic licence when depicting additional tails instead of feet. A swift is a small Martin - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Martin - hence mart-let... to quote the BBC nature website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3032.shtml "Swifts spend nearly all of their lives in the air, landing only to build nests and to feed their young. They are even able to sleep while flying" - and as such have very small legs, because they rarely need them. If you've ever seen swifts flying and singing over a field, you'll understand why people think of them as a symbol of joy - they are a joy to see!
Should have posted this with my previous comment:
Swifts
"The family scientific name comes from the Ancient LaTin απους, apous, meaning "without feet", since swifts have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead on vertical surfaces. The tradition of depicting swifts without feet continued into the Middle Ages, as seen in the heraldic martlet."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift
What a beautiful tattoo!
And such a fantastic meaning behind it
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