I don’t remember how my mom friends and I came up with the idea to get matching tattoos, but we kept talking about it during our moms-gone-wild events until finally one day I made the appointment.
We wanted to get something related to being moms, but also a group tattoo. Listen, NOTHING SAYS “I’M COOL AND AN INDEPENDENT THINKER” LIKE GOING INTO A TATTOO SHOP AND GETTING A MATCHING TATTOO WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
Take note of the multiple car seats.
I suggested getting the number 49 because that’s our street number. I really sold the idea to the other moms by saying that, even if we move, our kids were born and/or grew up on 49th Street. So, it’ll always be a part of us. Might as well make it official.
And so what if we move?!
One mom did in fact move off 49th Street shortly thereafter. It’s fine. I told her to just add another tattoo with her new street name, and just keep doing that every time they move. Problem solved.
The Tattoo Shop
I asked a friend who has a lot of tattoos where to go since she’s clearly the subject-matter expert. She suggested a place across town, but it had a high minimum charge and I only wanted something small–not 49 across my entire back. She then recommended Pop’s Tattoos in the neighborhood–very close to our beloved 49th Street–specializing in line work and traditional-style tattoos.
The type of design you want should dictate where you go to get it. Some people specialize in shading, like for portraits. Others are better at lines, like more traditional tattoos or lettering. Read Yelp reviews. Kidding. That’s dorky. Ask around.
We made the appointments, got cash (cuz that’s the preferred payment method at most places), and voted on whether we’d roll up in my big, black truck or another mom’s low, white minivan. Because we wanted to be true to the mom mission, minivan it was!
Husbands rolled their eyes. Children were confused. The sun was shining in San Diego. And the mom gang got tatted!
The Tattoos
Two moms got California-style street signs with “49” inside the rectangular outline. I got some double line design that looks like the fluorescent tube lighting used for Southwest Airline’s $49 sale and/or the logo for GLOW, and I’m pretty happy about that.
Side note: If you haven’t watched GLOW on Netflix, don’t wait another minute: GO WATCH IT NOW! It’s inspired by the ’80s show of the same name about the gorgeous ladies of pro wrestling and their fight to get on network TV. It’s decadent and charming and brilliantly cast. And one of the funniest and most entertaining shows I’ve seen in a while. The last season *crying* is out soon on Netflix.
I went with that style based on the tattoo location–my side ribs–which are bumpy, as ribs are, and therefore wouldn’t lend themselves to something super straight, like the lines on a street sign. But the signs turned out super cute, look:
The street sign tattoos on two hardworking moms, evidenced by the corporate carpeting in both of these shots.
Any ragrets?
None. My 49 is in a spot that’s not visible, except in the skimpiest of bikinis, which I don’t wear on the regular. And it commemorates my kids, my mom crew, and my neighborhood. (Would I move to a nicer part of town if I could? Hell to the yeah! Bye, bitches! But until then, I’ll represent.)
Did it hurt? Sure. A needle being ran across your ribs doesn’t exactly tickle. But it also wasn’t that bad. And afterward we numbed any remaining pain with drinks at Tiger!Tiger!, a local craft beer spot. And speaking of tigers, confession: my other tattoo is of a tiger, but that’s another story for another time.
Cat of Lezure 
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