Every tattoo has a story! Whether it’s one that you got spur of the moment when you were on vacation with your girlfriends, or it’s a depiction of a photo of your grandfather’s time in the military, all of these stories are amazing! And we want to hear them. Introducing . . .
Tat-Tales!
Every Monday, we’re going to feature an interview with one of our listeners along with a photo of their tattoo and the story behind it. AND just for joining us, you’ll receive an $80 gift certificate from Tymeless Tattoo in Baldwinsville to either add to your tattoo collection, or give it to someone else to start their own story!
Just fill out the entry form with some details about you and your tattoo and you may be the next winner!
From Tymeless Tattoos, and 93Q the #1 Hit Music Station!
Noelle writes:
My husband and I discussed getting a couple’s tattoo. We were torn on what to get that would represent our relationship. After some time, we decided on something Star Wars. We have the Rebel Alliance sign split in half with Aurebesh symbols, the alphabet used in Star Wars. My tattoo (on top) says “I love you” and his (on the bottom) says “I know.” If you know Star Wars, you will recognize that dialogue. I am Princess Leia to his Han Solo.
Justin writes:
I worked in a school for many years with students with disabilities where I have probably learned more from them than I taught them. I wanted to get a tattoo to remember the lessons I learned – for example, a student telling me it’s a beautiful day when it would be rainy and gloomy out, to viewing all achievements as major and presuming competence in all. One student would always ask for someone to scratch his back to help with anxiety and stress but when he said it, it sounded like scooter bacon, and that saying stuck. When he didn’t want something or for someone to get away, he would say “you’re done” but the “you’re” was always so drawn out. Working with this student in particular showed me that this was my calling in life to work and support people with disabilities.
Elizabeth writes:
I first moved out of my family home in 2007 with my high school sweetheart. We move a couple hours away to have a fresh start. He had those country boy vibes and I was oblivious to his narcissistic ways. I came home to him and a girl alone in our apartment, but he swore he wasn’t cheating, that I was crazy. Long story short … He was cheating, and had many many times. I’ve always been a passive person, avoiding confrontation like the plague. After 4 years being together, 2 years of living together, the cheating, and his threats, I finally got the guts to leave him. My friends and now fiance and father of my children showed up at my door under the cover of darkness and moved me back home to Syracuse, but I still traveled back and forth for 2 weeks to ride out my 2 week notice and say goodbye to the amazing friends I made and protected me through the process of leaving him. I got this sugar glider tattoo as a way to say, “Sometimes you have to give things up in order to grow.” Not only did I have to re home sugar gliders I’d owned, but I gave up a life I had built, and slowly lost contact with those friends over the years. There have been other things as well, such as in peek COVID I was dealt a raw hand in company downsizing and had to give up my career to do something new. Now (16 years out of that awful relationship), I have my own business, 2 beautiful children, an amazing home, and a partner I can trust. The tattoo is a beautiful reminder in how much you can gain in giving something up.
Sydney writes:
I got a tattoo of my parent’s favorite song which was also played at their wedding. “California Stars” by Wilco. I wanted to get it because my family means such a great deal to me, and because my dad is where i learned to find my love for music. The tatt itself is an actual mountain in California, and each star is drawn by my mom, sister, and dad. the lyrics read “I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight on a bed of California Stars”
Hallie writes:
After studying abroad in France and getting a commemorative tattoo of the trip, I realized that the wine and the language barrier was more apparent in the tattoo than I previously thought. It was sad but I needed to get it covered. After years of laser removal, I covered it with my skeletal flamingo and some beautiful tropical plants. The flamingo and florals are both an homage to my Key West wedding and serves as a reminder that true social bonds last longer than life.
Karen writes:
My daughter and I got matching tattoos a few years ago. I was honored when she asked me if I would get a matching tattoo with her! As most people know, the teenage years can be a bit challenging. Twists and turns and ups and downs. So we got matching unalome lotus tattoos. The meaning is a personal journey toward overcoming obstacles and achieving inner peace. The unalome represents the twists and turns of life’s journey with the spiral signifying struggles and the straight line representing reaching peace. Now that she is an adult we have moved beyond those struggles and have not only a mother/daughter relationship but a friendship.
Rebecca writes:
My tattoo is for my best friend Nichole who tragically lost her life on July 9th, 2017. She was shot 13 times by her husband who also shot and killed a State Trooper. Nichole’s birthday is October 30th so the jack-o-lantern is representation of Halloween since it is both our favorite holiday. The purple on the inside of the jack o lanterns eyes and mouth are her favorite color and represent her beautiful spirit and how it still lives with us. The purple also represents how I survived domestic violence and promised her I wouldn’t be another statistic.
Ashley writes:
In college Cyndi and I were in the same friend group but not really friends. A ski trip changed that. A big group of us went on a ski trip and I was supposed to be helping my guy friend learn to ski but I wasn’t strong enough to help him get up when he fell. So, someone else took over and I ended up helping Cyndi learn to snowboard. We spent the whole day together and from that day on we were best friends. I couldn’t image my life without her. Almost 20 years later I take yearly trips to visit her and her 2 boys, who call me auntie. We talk constantly since she lives states away. We got matching mountain tattoos to always remember that ski trip and how much we love each other. Soul sisters for life.
Tara writes:
My Grandfather instilled my love of sports, Syracuse sports especially. He took me to basketball games when I was growing up. My first Crunch hockey game was with him. Nearly every Saturday evening was spent at Oswego Speedway. Our last game together was an SU football game before he passed away. My tattoo is my way of honoring him and all of the fun we had together through the years.
Edward writes:
A year ago my ex left me… I was an overweight alcoholic. I know the drinking was bad but I didn’t think it was bad enough for her to leave. I immediately changed my mindset in hopes to fix our relationship. My daily activities that I considered fun no longer gave me any satisfaction. I found my evenings I’d come home from work and just walk and walk and walk. Before I knew it, people started to recognize my change before I could. I became obsessed with how many steps I could get in a day. This gave me the encouragement to step on the scale and I had lost 40lbs since I started. This got my mind racing on how hard I can push myself so I purchased cross fit vests…these walks were grueling but I made it fun jamming out to music with my JBL Clip. Then I asked myself how I can make my experience more enjoyable. When I was a teenager, I LOVED to rollerblade. I was super nervous, but just took the jump. It was around 15 years or so since I last skated but drove myself to the Liverpool Parkway. It was not pretty at first, but it all came back to me like riding a bike! After this day you could not pull me away…10-15 miles every day. I was able to change my mindset of when is my next drink to when is my next workout. Let me tell you it has been a journey starting at nearly 320 and getting myself to 205 in nearly 8 months. Only recently did I start using the gym thanks to the snow… but now making gains is my new obsession. My favorite superhero has always been Spider-Man. He always keeps his head up high puts a smile on and helps out anyone he can even though has his own tough personal life. I am responsible for my own body and I will do what I can control. So here is to never turning back… and every day I have this reminder on my arm.
Samantha writes:
I have a tattoo on my arm that is of my daughter’s handwriting of her writing her name. It was from when she was around 2 1/2 years old. She and I can always look back on how proud she was of her handwriting.
Kasey writes:
Jim at Tymeless worked his marker magic bringing this piece to fruition! Having gone through a good deal of bullying, yo-yo dieting, and years of disordered eating, I reached a place in my healing journey, which tattoos have long been a part of, where I realized I became more in love with my body the more I decorated it. My tummy has been a no-go zone for looking, touching, showing for my ENTIRE life, but now I can’t wait to show off this artwork! Inspired by the lyrics of another Central New Yorker who’s dealt with food and body image issues, Ani DiFranco, and some of the foods that have made my belly very happy, Jim absolutely rocked the theme! This is in progress, and one more session might be enough for finishing touches!
Robert writes:
I lost my grandpa on November 30, 2024. He was my best friend we did everything together! My tattoo is inspired by him. He was a hard-working man. He was 80 years old and still working. He worked his whole life as a barber. My tattoo is a barber pole and a straight razor and the barber pole signifies our heritage of the Italian flag. I miss him more than you can imagine. He’s more than my best friend. Now he’s my angel. This allows me to carry a piece of him with me forever!
Amy writes:
I’m a cat mom through and through. I wanted to start a sleeve with my fur babies (my first ever pets as an adult) center of attention. Alyssa from Grandline Tattoo in Baldwinsville did such an amazing job with their likeness!
Jessica writes:
I have two boys and they are my world. The oldest is 25 now and the youngest is 11. My oldest entered the Army in 2022 and it was hard, but I am so proud of him for going after his goals. He is stationed in Hawaii and is a mechanic for the Black Hawks. He is hoping to become a pilot. The youngest looks up to him for everything and it hit him hard when he left. So I decided to get the tattoo of the infinity sign with both my kid’s names and dog tags to represent them and to show they are always connected to one another.
Holly writes:
At 20 weeks pregnant, my husband and I learned that our daughter had a severe congenital heart defect and had very little chance of surviving the pregnancy. She defied the odds and was born on November 8, 2022. She was hospitalized for the first 2 months of her life with 6 complex heart defects that required 3 life saving surgeries and 3 other surgeries for minor repairs. She required multiple hospitalizations throughout her first few years of life. Something that has always been powerful for us as a family is knowing that her heart is so unique and she is a true heart warrior. I wanted to honor this by having her first heartbeat scan taken in the hospital and having it tattooed on my forearm. I want to look at it every day and at her, and show the world to appreciate every heart beat they have because it is such a precious thing to cherish. She is now 2 years old and is thriving beyond what doctors expected and continues to blow us away with her determination and bravery. And now, I will forever have her heart beat with me!
Jessica writes:
I went into my appointment wanting a small butterfly on my wrist but realized that space wasn’t big enough for the details I was looking for. My 13 year old daughter searched and found a beautiful blue butterfly with grey flowers. To me it means new beginnings as I recently had a major life change. Like most that get tattoos I wanted more! Each thing represents something very important to me. The pink and reddish orange flowers are my children’s birth month flowers. The birds are my grandfather’s favorite birds, the chickadees. On one of the leaves there are two ladybugs – each having four dots for each of my nieces and nephews. I also have a tattoo of a lioness that represents my mom. She is a beautiful quiet fierce protector of our family. She would do anything to protect her four daughters and husband.
Amanda writes:
In 2020 my family and I found out that my deceased uncle had a long lost daughter he never knew about! Amy had been searching for her birth parents and a relative of my mom had been researching our family on ancestry. They became connected! Long story short we saw her photo on Facebook and there was NO denying that she was my uncle’s daughter! She was definitely part of our family.
Upon chatting we found that we had a lot in common and felt a bond immediately. Then we met…we went from not knowing eachother to becoming cousins/best friends from the start. Bonus! She lives in Rochester! Every time we saw each other, it was like we had known each other our whole lives. We nicknamed ourselves “sister-cousins” and decided we would get a tattoo to represent that bond! Summer 2023 we hung out in Rochester for the weekend, seeing Chris Stapleton at CMAC and the following day we got matching tattoos on the back of our necks, representing the love of our Irish heritage and our newfound friendship/family tie. Our Celtic Sisterhood tattoo…
Emily writes:
For any anniversary, birthday, other card-exchanging holiday, my grandparents would write “1-2-3” and “3-1-2” to each other on the envelope/card, meaning “I love you” and “You I love.” We had a bit of a scare with their health during COVID, and I decided to get these tattoos in their handwriting so I always have them there with me saying “I love you.”
Joshua writes:
My mom loved pandas so when she passed in 1999 I got a panda tattoo….in 2021 I decided to get it covered up with a bigger more colorful one.
Kari writes:
I have a dragonfly and sunflower flower tattoo – my 1st and 2nd. My boyfriend and I were supposed to get tattoos together, with my first one being a sunflower. But life kept happening, preventing us from doing so. He tragically passed away in July 2024 and immediately after, I kept seeing dragonflies everywhere- in cards from friends, in my yard, and when I was mowing his lawn, one would follow me ( until I accidentally bumped into his fruit tree lol). His death has made me realize to stop procrastinating and start living, so in September, I got the dragonfly and had the sunflower added 2 weeks later. I’m obsessed with them and they’re such a great reminder of him and the significance of what they both mean to me now.
Tess writes:
I got my tattoo in 2013 at Adrenaline in San Antonio, while I was at Fort Sam Houston for medic training. My dad got his before I could ever remember. I hardly remember a time before my dad, but he’s not my “biological father”. But I know I wouldn’t have turned out okay without him. He took in a pretty broken family, stood by us while we finally got my “biological father” in jail. He divorced my mother when I was sixteen, but he never stopped being my dad. And now, he’s the only parent I have left. He walked me down the aisle at my wedding, where this photo was taken. And he’s never once made me feel like less than his own daughter. My replica of his tattoo is just a small tribute to the man who defined what it means to step up as a father.
Heather writes:
I wanted a tribute to my Dad. His nickname was Hooter. I went to Tymeless Tattoo and Jim Sidelinger designed the perfect tattoo, an owl with my Dads initials, DAH, hidden in the tree at the bottom. My husband and I also got matching wrist tattoos to commemorate our wedding in Jamaica, Jim at Tymeless also did those for us.
Dave writes:
This was done by Jim at Tymeless, as well. It’s a full upper arm/shoulder tat representing my love of biking.
Erin writes:
Fun fact: after a flamingo gives birth, she temporarily loses her pink color due to stress and demands of motherhood. However, as they raise and nurture their offspring, they gradually regain their vibrant pink.
As a mom of 5 boys (11, 9, 5, 2, 9 months) I am in throws of motherhood but will eventually get my pink back as they grow!
