Debt free by 30? I want to be weird...

When my husband and I got married we were completely overwhelmed by how generous our friends and family had been. We sat and opened what seemed like an endless mountain of cards filled with money and gift cards.

The plan was to put a nice chunk of the money in to savings, but money matters don't always go to plan. We were living in our building site of a home and unanticipated expenses began to pop up one after the other. Suddenly this money that was supposed to help us start our married life feeling financially secure, had almost completely disappeared!

A few months passed and we were back in to our usual routine of living from pay check to pay check. Barely tracking our spending and experiencing the stress and dread of paying the bills. I've had enough.

So, half way through June I wrote a proper budget for the very first time. I've been watching Dave Ramsey podcasts since last year, so I had previously tried writing out a budget but they were vague and our intensity would always fizzle out as the month went on. This time something had changed, I was completely sick of the cycle we were in and willing to do anything to turn it around.
Living on a budget means that we get to see every penny we earn and tell it what to do. It honestly feels as though we've had a pay raise and I wish we had started sooner!

So, with our newly found motivation we are currently in a "no spend month" meaning that other than our assigned outgoings of bills, mortgage and food shopping, we won't be spending any other money...
I'm actually writing this on a brand new laptop that I picked up today. Sadly my nine year old laptop died last month and I was going to wait for my birthday to get a replacement, but I realised how much of a necessity it is for work so we managed to use the remainder of our wedding gift cards and squeeze it in to the budget!

I will not let any unexpected costs throw us off our mission and we are well in to baby step 2 now and going strong!
I'm going to make this a regular topic on the blog and go in to a lot more detail so I can be held accountable and stay on track.

Here is the Dave Ramsey baby steps for any one who isn't familiar...



Thanks for reading, I'll be able to post a lot more now since my laptop isn't a pensioner!

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Tips for Charity shop success

I've been obsessed with Charity shops forever.
I love finding one off timeless pieces, but it's also great for finding current trends without spending a lot of money on something that you mightn't get much wear out of.
People are often asking me how I find such great stuff and honestly it's always a hit and miss, so I thought I'd share with you some of my tips and tricks!

My fave find of the week £1

Look through everything
I can spend hours going from one charity shop to another and I always make sure that I search the entire place. The Mens section is great for finding flamboyant shirts, cool alternative tee's, hoodies, flannels and often the pricing is even cheaper in this section.
Another favourite of mine is to look through the accessories, I love finding interesting hats, bags and cool sunglasses.
If you're in to interior design I reccomend rummaging through the home ware shelves as well. Most of the artwork on my walls are thrifted (can I use that word if I'm English?) and there are always cool nik naks and antiques to be found!
Just be sure to scan through the whole shop if you're eager to find amazing pieces!

Be creative
With the prices being so low, it's good to think outside of the box. Think about if you could alter a piece if it's too big or small, or if something could be cropped or altered to fit you better. Another idea is to buy a cheap denim or leather jacket and customise it with pins, patches or even paint it!
Recently I found a satin slip dress and it was waaay big, I ended up cutting it in to a vest and for £2 it was definitely cheaper than the high street alternatives.

Use the fitting rooms
I like to completely ignore the sizing when charity shopping and instead I'll just try on everything that I've picked up. It's tempting to just grab a load of clothes and buy them straight away since it's so cheap but make sure you use the fitting rooms.
I think it's best to set yourself aside a few hours to check in all of the charity shops and remember to wear something that's comfy and easy to take on and off so you stay motivated. Honestly I'm always motivated by the amazing pieces that I find! I'm constantly being laughed at by the people who work there for overloading of my arms with clothes.

The shorts were £2

Visit different locations
It's a lot easier now that we have a car, but I've always made the effort to travel to different high streets where I know that there are several charity shops.
By my house the charity shops are really cheap and the clothes aren't usually that great, but if I travel to higher income areas it will cost more but the variety of donated clothes will be awesome!
It's always exciting to find designer pieces and clothes that are currently trendy and expensive on the high street.
If you're interested in vintage clothing then definitely visit up and coming areas with a hipster vibe, the clothes will be cost more than your usual charity shop finds but when comparing it to normal vintage shop prices it's usually still a bargain!

Both jackets were £4

Buy for others
earn instant brownie points by picking stuff up that you know friend's or family members will love. I will often find amazing pieces that I love but I know I probably won't get much wear out of, so I like to pass them on to my mum or other family and friends to see the clothes go to a good home!

I think charity shops are great for pushing your style and really experimenting with what you wear, so have fun and think outside the box!
All of the stuff in the photo's is what I've found this week alone and as you can see I'm in three stripe heaven at the minute!

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any other tricks that you like to follow!

Instagram @wolvesandflames

2015 Recap

2015 has been the most incredible as well as the most difficult year of my life.
I've stepped outside of my comfort zone, learnt a few life lessons and it's been quite the journey. I thought this post would be a good way to look back and remember some of the things that I've been through in this crazy year!

Got a new job
At the very beginning of the year I started my new job and I was able to hang up my McDonald's cap for the last time (lol). I absolutely love working at the climbing hangar and within the last year I've been able to find a really great balance of working, blogging and relaxing. I'm a lucky girl.

Started blogging consistently
My new years resolution was to take my blogging more serious and consistently put out content. I'm proud to say that I have stuck to it and have only had a few breaks throughout the year (and I felt guilty for each hiatus). I'm so grateful for everyone who has read and supported me with this blog and I'm excited to see where I can go and how it will grow...

Sprained my ankle
I injured my ankle by jumping off the wall when I was climbing and I had a tough couple of months recovering, it sucked not being able to go to work or walk with the dog! It's taken me a while to get my confidence back with climbing because I'm still pretty scared of getting another injury and the restrictions it brings, but it definitely helped me to improve in other areas of my fitness when I couldn't use my ankle!

Tried modelling
It's been a long process but I've been on a quest to be more confident, more spontaneous and more of a "yes" man. I met a very talented photographer and when he asked me if I would be interested in modelling I pushed myself to say yes and give it a go!
Although I'm still rather shy and often unphotogenic (I definitely need to work on posing!), I'm glad I've tried something new and I've had fun and met some amazing people.

Moved in to our new house
The hardest part of my year has been our housing situation. We planned on buying our first home and in the process we had several mortgage meetings at the bank and viewed and made offers on several properties. Each offer was rejected or outbid or ignored and we were left feeling deflated and slightly annoyed. The situation became even more dramatic when everyone in our building received eviction letters and we were left in a panic.
I know now that it was a blessing in disguise, the flat was in a sorry state, covered in damp and the landlord had no interest in fixing any of the problems. We ended up moving in to my Dad's back room for a few weeks until we found our lovely new house. Who knows, maybe 2016 will be the year that we buy our first home, but for now I'm content renting our little two up, two down terrace.

Cut my hair
After almost having panic attacks over getting an inch off my hair I thought it was finally time to face my fears and get a proper hair cut! Over the last few months I've gone from having hair down my back to my current bob and I love it! It's pretty addictive so maybe I'll keep going shorter and shorter!

Got braces
I've been wanting to sort my teeth out for so long and in July I took the big step and finally got braces! It's one of the best decisions I've ever made and I'm so much more confident now around people (no more covering my mouth when I smile!). I've written a blog post here with all of the details and the fitting process so check that out if you want more information or any advice!

Struggled with my anxiety

After having a bit of a breakdown over the summer I wrote this blog post/rant talking about my ongoing battle with my anxiety and how it has impacted my life. I think it will be near impossible to completely overcome my anxious ways, but I'm seeing improvements every day so I will give myself a pat on the back!

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That was all of the main events that happened in my life this year and it's crazy looking back at how fast it all happened! I'm so excited for Christmas now, the next week is certainly going to be a busy one...

Thanks for reading!

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Go and get your dream job

Today I woke up and almost skipped out of bed.

I always have Mondays off work, so I don't have that deep set hatred that most 9 to 5'ers seem too, but I've never properly appreciated the day. Usually I'll lie in bed, scrolling through my Instagram feed until I get the energy to throw some clothes on and go the park with the dog, then I'll be back in my pj's within five minutes of walking through the door.

But this morning was different, even the cold and rain didn't bring me down.

Today was my boyfriend Mike's first week since he finished at his old job.

You may be wondering why Mike starting a new job is so life changing for me and I know it may seem dramatic, but with my partner in crime being out of the house for most of the week whilst I'm working part time, it can get more than lonely.

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Last year I faced my fears and left my zero hour contract job to start somewhere I knew I would love. My previous job was unstable at times but I would be earning a pretty penny most weeks and that guaranteed wage can make you feel quite comfortable, even though the job itself is awful (yes, I was a Vegan working at McDonald's).

When I took the leap and committed to my new job I knew straight away it was the right choice and even on the coldest, darkest mornings I would still have a smile on my face as I was catching the 6am bus.

But that got me thinking, why doesn't everyone just go and do a job that they love?

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People were generally understanding when I changed my job and the few concerns about my drop in hours with going part time were quickly dispelled when I reiterated that I'd finally have a stable schedule and a job that I love rather than that zero hours BS.

However with Mike starting his new job there has been a lot more confusion and family members have been more concerned about money than just being happy that he's found a job that he will love!

I really struggle to understand the normality of being normal. Working five days a week behind a desk in an office until you retire, is that really living life?

I understand people work jobs they hate in order to fund their adventures and that they basically "live for the weekend" but I can't help but believe that every day should be amazing.

People are so obsessed with money that they put it before their happiness and I just can't grasp the concept.

People are never concerned about other peoples household income but suddenly it's the first thing that's brought up when you start a fun job or your "dream job". We will soon be better off financially than we have ever been, but even if we would make less money following our dreams would that be such a bad thing?

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I didn't actually intend for this post to turn in to the rant that it has, I'm just really passionate about people stepping outside of the "norm" and finding something that they love (I get to work in a rock climbing gym, I mean that's enough proof that life is awesome!).

To summarise you should go and quit your job, pack a bag and travel the world (just kidding, but if that is what you want to do then go for it!)

I don't do many personal posts like this, because it's pretty scary to be so honest and vulnerable, but I really enjoy writing them and they always get the most views so maybe I should push myself more!

Thank you so much for reading...

Image sourced from Pinterest

November goals

I can not believe that it's already November, before we know it 2016 will be here (scary). I have a really exciting month ahead, so I thought I'd set myself some goals to keep me on track!

Be brave

I feel like this could be a goal of mine for every month, for the rest of my life. I'm constantly pushing myself to try new things and face my fears, it's hard but definitely worth it. Generally I want to make more plans to meet friends and family, but more specifically I want to face my fears and do more rock climbing with ropes and also be braver with my modelling and the content I'm putting out!

Fitness

I've really got back in to my fitness routine now and I'm doing some form of exercise every day and really pushing myself when I'm bouldering. I plan on improving my flexibility, stretching several times a day. I can't wait to be able to do the splits, it just might take a while to get there!

Box off Christmas

I say this every year, but I am determined to have all of my Christmas presents bought and wrapped come December 1st. I've started to take note of what everyone wants and get a plan together of how much I will spend and where!
I'm so excited to have our first Christmas in the new house, so it will be nice to have everything sorted and not have any stressful last minute trips to town like we usually do!

Always carry a sketchbook

I've been a bit lazy with my art lately and I've continuously put off making new things. I've been quite uninspired and generally lazy and so I want to go out with a sketchbook and find some inspiration. The plan is to visit galleries, museums, parks and get my groove back!

Be more conscious of time

I have been known to spend days in my pajamas (currently it's 4pm and I'm still not dressed), but now I think I need to be more organised with what I'm going to do each day and plan in advance what needs doing each day of the week in terms of blogging and errands.
My boyfriend has started a new job so once he works his notice I'm going to be able to spend a lot more time with him and have help with housework and have him as my blog photographer more often than he can be currently! I'm seriously so excited because I've hardly seen him over the past few months, I'm so proud of him!


Instagram @wolvesandflames

I feel like I'm drowning...

Photo by Ccm Studio (Nick Michael)

I'm having a really difficult time lately and I feel like I need to vent and get some of my feelings out. I kind of touched upon this in my "Why I didn't go to University" post, but I kept my emotions aside and tried to just get my points across simply.

I've ignored how reclusive I've been over the past few years and put it down to wanting to spend time with my family but honestly I have been constantly restricted by my anxieties and fears. I have turned down holidays, festivals, nights out and a multitude of incredible experiences and now I'm here filled with doubts and regret.

At the time it wasn't clear to me, but now looking back it's obvious that I allowed fear to control my life. I don't know what label to put on how I felt, depression? anxiety? All I knew was any time I had plans that were out of my control I would spend the entire lead up thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong and in the end I would disregard it altogether and wrap myself in my duvet surrounded by the safe familiarity of home.

Now that I'm finally trying to overcome this, I haven't got these opportunities any more. Friend's stopped bothering to invite me along to things years ago, it must have gotten pointless to them as my answer would always be no, or I would say yes and the fears would overtake me and I'd eventually cancel.

This year has been a constant battle to stop these feelings, I took a new job, started saying yes to going out, tried connecting with new people and pushing myself to take classes and practise new things. Yes I still have days when the anxiety is so bad that I can't even leave the house to take the dog for a walk, but now they are few and far between. It doesn't come easy though, I am constantly psyching myself up to do things, pushing myself, not allowing another option.

I'm happier with my new found confidence, but I'm still overtaken by past regrets and my constant fear of getting older. I know that it's stupid and I'm only 22, but it's scary to think how fast life can pass when I'm not embracing every opportunity that comes my way. I guess I just miss the simplicity of being 17, going to college a few days a week and having no real responsibilities or stresses.

If I could go back with the mindset I have now, I would in a heartbeat. I just have the constant urge to run away from everything but I have to remind myself I have so many amazing things already and of course I have my entire life to still do mad shit that I think I've missed out on.

I guess I'm just having a particularly bad day and instead of having all of this circulating in my head I thought I'd vent in the form of this post.

Of course I know most people experience what I'm feeling, wanting to be someone else, look a different way, live in another era (The 70's duh), but sometimes it is more than just a small urge and the feelings overtake and you feel like you're drowning.

I've wrote most of this post on a blurry screen through tears, so clearly I'm particularly emotional today, but it still applies and even if only one person reads this and realises that they aren't the only ones feeling shitty like this than that's good enough for me.

Sorry to anyone who has had to try really hard to get me to do something in the past and thank you to the people that are giving me the opportunity to push myself and do cool things now and in the future. In the past I would never have thought I could get decent at rock climbing or try out modelling. It's an exciting time...

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Why I didn't go to University

Over the past month my social media news feeds have been filled with glamorous photo's of people in their gowns graduating. I'd be lying if I said it didn't fill me with envy and questions...

Did I make a mistake?

Should I have gone to Uni?

How different would my life be if I had?

I'm an extremely indecisive person, I flutter from project to project and I can spend hours in my wardrobe each day deciding what to wear.

This is probably why after Sixth form instead of making the leap and going to Uni I spent an extra four years in college!!

Whilst my friends had clear career goals and were passionate about the paths they were pursuing, I on the other hand had no interest in any academic subjects and had no idea if my love for art was worth spending £9000 a year for a degree.

I don't love admitting this but when I was at this crossroads in my life and I was deciding what I wanted to do next, I was also at the beginning of my relationship with my boyfriend Mike. I knew that I couldn't move away to Uni and risk ending things with him, even though deep down I had the urge to travel somewhere new for my education. I do believe now that you should always put your own goals first and then allow your relationship to come second but at the time I was so infatuated with him that I did put us first.

Just to clarify I don't regret this, I try not to have any regrets in life since I'm a huge believer in "everything happens for a reason" and my decisions have led to my incredible life with Mike and our fur-baby!

Another factor that stopped me from choosing Uni is my anxiety. The thought of going to a completely new campus on my own and having to arrange my own accommodation and basically start a new life was incredibly daunting. I'm a confident person but I'm very quiet with people I don't know well and if I'm going somewhere new then I usually suffer with panic attacks in the lead up. 

After year 12 I realised Sixth form wasn't the path for me and instead I spent two years studying Art and Design and then a further two years studying Special Effects Makeup in The City of Liverpool College. For me the years spent at College were like a University experience. I met some amazing, like-minded people and I was constantly having new experiences and getting up to hilarious adventures.

I can't reccomend going to college enough, for me it was a less committed version of University. College cost me A LOT less than Uni would have and it also allowed me to experience different media's and find what direction I wanted to go in with my art.

I think this learning curve is really important and unless you are certain on the career you want you shouldn't rush in to Uni. A lot of people choose subjects that they kind of enjoy or they get really good grades in, but I think it's important to be passionate about your chosen subject and to have a path planned out knowing that the degree is useful and it really is what you want.

I believe taking a gap year is really important if you aren't yet certain about your life goals. Travelling, meeting new people, getting to know yourself and trying new things will all help the process and make decisions so much easier.

So what I'm trying to say is don't rush in to University. Don't feel the need to jump from school straight to Uni just because everyone else is doing it.
There is plenty of time to decide what you want so just live in the moment while you can.

At this point in my life I think I'm ready to go to Uni, I have a home and a stable job that allows a lot of flexibility. I'm eager to research different courses and see what my local Uni's have to offer. I'm glad I waited till I'm old enough to experience life and figure out what I'm passionate about.

If you have any tips for going to Uni or about reducing anxiety please let me know!

Thanks for reading...

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Simply Pure skin care range *Vegan Friendly*

I have been complaining non stop lately about the state of my skin.

Every night when I remove my makeup I'm greeted by red blotches, bumpy skin and mascara remnants.

Whenever I visit Superdrug I always check out their own ranges, because they are mostly Vegan and they are all cruelty free! This time I was pleased to see their new "Simply Pure" range and so I treated myself.

The packaging is modern and nicely done considering each product only set me back £2.69.

It looks like the designers have been inspired by Simple skincare, but the Simply Pure range aren't tested on animals so they're a lot more appealing!

I never feel guilty buying skin care goodies like this because I know that they are going to make a positive difference.

I'd become lazy recently and most nights I'd just quickly use a makeup wipe to clean my face before starting my extensive dental routine. I now realise I need to pay as much attention to my skin as I do my teeth!

So my new skincare regime begins with having a quick clean of my face with a makeup wipe. I then splash my face with warm water and put two pumps of the Foaming Cleanser on to my hands, I then massage this in to my skin and leave it for a minute until I can feel it bubble.

Next I squeeze some Refreshing Toner on to two cotton pads and I use circular motions to work them in to my face and neck (you will see the dirt coming off which is strangely motivating!).

To finish I use a generous amount of the moisturiser.

The end result really is amazing, since beginning the routine my skin feels and looks so much smoother and my breakouts have seriously reduced!

I haven't felt like I need to moisturise constantly and my makeup has been looking great all day!

No more lazy make up removal for me, I am sold with this simple routine...

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Meditation techniques

If I was a perfect person I would meditate every day, but with my busy schedule it's difficult to manage meditation more than a few times a week.

I started meditating a few years back and ever since I have had some incredible experiences.

I'm going to share with you some tips and techniques that I follow!

Getting started

When trying meditation for the first time I suggest you sit or lie comfortably on your couch, your bed, on the floor or outdoors. Make sure there is no distracting noise from the TV and close your eyes.

Now to begin meditating, the key is to focus on your breathing.

Concentrate on each movement you make, beginning at your toes and travelling up through your body.

Feel your chest moving as you breathe and listen to your heart beating.

Completely clearing your mind of any thought can be difficult for a beginner, so I think that focusing on your breathing like this is the best place to start.

For the first few tries you may only be able to meditate for a few minutes, but this will slowly increase as you continue (don't be surprised if you fall asleep a few times!).

Concentration

After a few attempts your mind should begin to clear and your breathing will relax and become less forced.

If you're struggling to keep your eyes closed a good tip is to light a candle and focus on the flame as it flickers.

At this point I think it's good to listen to calming music or a chant (there is lot's to choose from on YouTube) and this will increase the experience. When I meditate whilst listening to music I find that I can see colours and patterns dancing about in my mind and it really adds to the experience. I always feel more productive and exhilarated afterwards!

So, why try meditating?

Personally when I meditate I feel extremely relaxed, free of stress and inspired to get on with my day.Research also suggests that meditating helps with lowering blood pressure, improving blood circulation, lowering heart rate and of course reducing anxiety.

I honestly can't see any downsides to trying out meditation, in this technology fueled society it's nice to be able to sit down once a day and take a break from it all.

Let me know if you have any experiences with meditation!

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Goals for July

I'm finally all settled in my new home and I'm feeling unstoppable right now!

So the plan is to put my motivation to good use...

Have a date night every week

My boyfriend Mike and I spend most of our free time in our local rock climbing gym, so we don't often get dressed up and go somewhere nice, just me and him.

The plan is to put some stiletto's on, get a curly blow and check out some bars, restaurants, or maybe go to the cinema.

I think it'll be fun to feel girly since I'm almost always in sports bra's and wearing my Nike's. Also it's a bonus to spend as much time as possible with my love.

Take more photo's

Sometimes it's important to just live in the moment but ! think it's also vital to have your memories recorded by taking photograph's.

I always have my camera in my bag but most of the time I'll just use the camera on my Android, purely for convenience, but the quality just isn't the same!

My goal is to start taking my camera out more and getting some amazing memories captured, to remember what I've been up to and for original content to put on my blog.

Plan a trip

It's been almost two years now since my last holiday and I am dreaming of the next time I get to sip cocktail's in an unfamiliar city and see some amazing architecture.

I suffer from anxiety when it comes to travelling, in the weeks building up to the trip I'll be panicking about all of the little details and trying to plan every day to a tight schedule. This has resulted in me avoiding traveling altogether, however when I push my boundaries and get to my destination I can finally relax and just enjoy the experience.

Basically I need to book a trip and just commit to going.

I'm thinking Amsterdam or Barcelona!

Be more spontaneous

Lately I have been pushing myself to do things more spare of the moment,
I cut 10 inches of my hair off and I've tried modelling after becoming friends with a brilliant photographer.
I want to continue pushing myself like this and doing things I wouldn't normally do and pushing my boundaries.
This is my one goal that can't be planned out, it's about living day to day and not having everything scheduled.It's quite exciting!


July has been great so far and I'm interested to see what else it has in store for me!

Instagram @wolvesandflames

The world on you depends, our life will never end.. OOTD

Vest - Primark £7

Jacket - Missguided £30

Jeans - Topshop £42

Sandals - Missguided £18

You would never guess that this is a Primark vest. The strappy detail is so striking and the low back is perfect for dressing up a casual look. Wearing a bra is a no go with the cut outs (unless you have one of the awesome low back wonderbra's). luckily I can get away with that because of my small boobs and I'm pretty confident showing my back, even though it's pretty muscular from bouldering and I have dodgy tan lines (also from bouldering).

Since it was a casual Sunday, I teamed the vest with my trusty Topshop Jamie jeans and my chunky sandals. I had to add my denim jacket because the rumours of a heatwave didn't happen and it was pretty grim out!

Please excuse my massive roots, I'm getting my hair done this week.

I'm also moving over the next few days so posts will be scheduled to avoid any internet trouble, so sorry if I don't reply to comments as fast as normal!

Exciting times!

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Advice for your first tattoo

If you're considering getting your first tattoo, usually you will have given it a lot of time and thought before making that permanent step.

You have to take in to consideration your future plans and career goals, making sure that a tattoo won't jeopardise anything that you have worked hard towards.

On almost all of my job interviews I have been asked about tattoo's and I have had to awkwardly pull out my half finished sleeve for them to gawp at. Usually once they've realised there's nothing "offensive" about my tattoo's then they continue but once or twice I have been told that the company does not hire people with tattoo's!

Long story short, your career goals come first and if having a tattoo on your wrist will risk that then get it somewhere out of sight instead...

Another thing to remember is once you are tattooed random strangers will often make comments about your artwork. The compliments and questions can be annoying but mostly they're okay, however you will get the odd weirdo's that think it's acceptable to grab you and touch your tattoo's... so just be aware of that if you have any personal space issues!

My Pinterest Tattoo board

Deciding on a design is the fun part, my best advice is, once you have an idea what you would like, search through Pinterest to collect examples of placement, style, design and search Instagram for local tattoo artist's. Pinterest is especially a brilliant tool for collecting ideas and categorising them, I'm addicted! Familiarise yourself with what is out there and what artist's specialise in the style you're wanting. Don't be afraid to call in to local tattoo shops and ask to see portfolio's and examples of work, most artist's will be glad to help with all of your question's. For artist's that are really in demand be prepared to wait weeks or months for an appointment (trust me it will be worth it!).

Drawing the tattoo on yourself for a few days is a good idea, this will let you get used to the placement and allow you to decide if you want the design any bigger or smaller.

My initial sketch for my butterfly tattoo that I gave to my artist

On the day of the tattoo I reccomend wearing comfy clothes and having your hair up. Make sure your clothes allow easy access to the spot being tattooed.

Check over the design thoroughly (remember it's going to be on your skin forever) check any spelling and if you don't love it then be honest with your artist!

When being tattooed make sure you're calm and relaxed, being tense and nervous will just make the pain worse...

My finished shin piece done by Dean Coughlin

During the healing process follow the instructions of your tattooist, they know what heals their artwork best. They are most likely to reccomend washing with warm, soapy water several times a day and applying a cream like Bepanthen to keep the tattoo well moisturised. A few days later the tattoo will usually scab and become itchy, but resist the urge! If you scratch the tattoo and accidentally remove ink, the healed piece will be patchy and uneven.

Once the tattoo is healed keep it thoroughly moisturised and always wear a high SPF when out in the sun, this will stop it from fading down the line.

This is just a quick overview of the tattoo process from my experience. Remember the best thing you can do is research and visit your local artist's.
Good luck!

I'm going to be doing a post with photo's and meanings of all my tattoo's so keep an eye out for that if you're interested...

Instagram @wolvesandflames