For years, I wanted a tattoo of a purple greyhound on my shoulder. Purple is my favorite color, the color of royalty, and I loved greyhounds. I had 5 greyhounds myself and volunteered with the local greyhound adoption organization. I never got that tattoo, but when my first nephew was born, I got a small purple heart tattoo on the back of my neck, getting the purple I always wanted, but with different meaning than the greyhound.

When I had my own kids, I wanted to get a tattoo of 6 foot prints, one foot print to represent each one of my kids. I didn’t know where on my body to put it, so it took me until 2014 to actually get it. They’re “walking” toward my heart in order from oldest to youngest, each one the color of the kid’s birthstone that the foot print represents.

When Vanessa turned 18, she wanted to get a tattoo for her birthday. She wanted to go together and both get one. She got a purple butterfly on her back because her name was originally the name of a butterfly species.

I got an “anklet” with “charms” hanging from it, again representing my kids. The charm representing Vanessa is a purple butterfly, matching hers. Rebecca’s name means to bring together, unite. So the “bead chain” holding all the charms represents her. It’s purple, Rebecca’s favorite color as well, and has a small R on the front of it. Julian’s name comes from Julius Caesar, and he’s the only male in the family, so the charm representing him is a king’s crown. Joanna’s name means God’s grace so the charm representing her is a dove with a heart. Jazmine’s name comes from the jasmine flower so the charm representing her is a jasmine. Allena’s name means precious, and she was born in January, so the charm representing her is a garnet colored gem stone.

Thanks for coming by; leave a comment, ask a question, and stop back again tomorrow for more!

*pic- Vanessa’s tattoo right when it was finished