The Road So Far 2.0: Getting Inked Up

After attending VegasCon 2014 I knew I wanted a Supernatural tattoo. I even decided that weekend that I wanted to get one. Because of the instant connection I had with fans and cast alike and the overwhelming feeling of family. I knew then that it meant more to me than just a TV show. That this story, these characters and this fandom would be a part of me for life. So I wanted to commemorate it with a tattoo.

I thought about the design a lot and while I loved the idea of getting the anti possession symbol and having the same tattoo as Sam and Dean, I also wanted something that represented what the show meant to me and to represent the SPN family.  I'd never  seen a traditional style Supernatural tattoo before but I thought it would be cool, so I came up with the idea of getting the colt which was a perfect symbol of the show with a banner that said "Saving People, Hunting Things" which of course the next line is "The Family Business" which represents my SPN Family.

I got it done by Lea Vendetta at Hart and Huntington (HUNTINGton!) Tattoo in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Which is a GORGEOUS shop by the way! Take a look:

Lea has a really cool way of combining styles and the design she came up with was amazing. It was like a portrait of the colt but still had a traditional feel which I loved. She also took so much time to make sure all the engravings were perfect on the gun and tried out a few different fonts for the banner. We decided on this for the final design and it was perfect.

Then she shrunk it down to fit on my arm and put the stencil on. We let that dry for about 5 minutes and then got started!

First of all I have to point out that Lea was totally awesome. We had great conversation and she got really interested in the show as I was telling her about it. She wanted to see pictures of the boys because I told her "they're nice to look at." And she said she would totally go for Sam which I loved. So she made it an easier process for me. The pain really wasn't that bad. She started with the outline, which only hurt around my wrist and my elbow. Then she went over the banner and the edges of the gun to make it thicker to make it look more traditional.

(And yes, I got tattooed in plaid. What other way is there to do so?)

Then she did the shading which honestly only hurt when she was wiping away the excess ink. 

And then finally she did color! And I will be honest and say this DID start to hurt towards the end because essentially she was tattooing over my skin twice. So it was very raw and stung a lot.

But I made it through in 4 hours and couldn't be happier with the result! It turned out better than I even imagined. And now I have peice of art forever on my body to show my dedication to my favorite TV show, my love for my SPN Family and to always also remind myself to never stop fighting which is what Supernatural is all about for me.❤️

The Road So Far 2.0: One Year Later

Sooo I haven't blogged in FOREVER. And a whole bunch of crap has happened in my personal life. But it looks like things are looking up. ;) And I AM living in Las Vegas officially again! AND VegasCon is exactly one month from today!!! I can't believe it has been a year already, and I can't believe how close it is. I feel like I've accomplished a lot in this year and overall I am in a better place this year mentally and emotionally than I was last year. And once again I have Supernatural and my SPN Family to thank for that. 

I didn't truly know the meaning of SPN Family until VegasCon last year and after that experience my outlook on life changed. It gave me courage and strength and hope to carry on. I now have friends I know in real life that I met through the Supernatural fandom. I am more invested and dedicated to Supernatural than I ever have been since I started watching but at the same I have accomplished so much in my own personal growth as a person and I know none of it would have happened without Supernatural. I am so grateful for this show, this story, these characters and this fandom every day. I truly believe I wouldn't be where I am and wouldn't be WHO I am and possibly wouldn't be here today without Supernatural. 

I may not be exactly where I thought I would be by now, or have reached my ultimate goal but if Sam and Dean have taught me anything it's this: life is a journey, not a destination. It's the road so far. And I can't wait to celebrate just how far I've come over the past year and look forward to the road ahead. I can't wait to see my SPN Family including the cast. I can't wait it see Jared, my sunshine. To tell him I love him and thank him for all he's done for me. I can't wait for four days of wonderful and amazing. I want to soak it all in. To savor every single second. To take away more amazing memories. I just can't wait.