Blue Widow Chronicles

From loss to living. This is my story.

Tattoo Convention in Pamona, CA

los angeles at night

Arriving for the Tattoo Convention

lax sign

I had the good fortune of traveling to California recently. The Body Art Expo in Pamona, California was in June and I attended with my good friend and tattoo artist Rich Shires of Tattoo 42 in Beaverton, Oregon. Flying into LAX on Saturday evening was an experience in itself. I’ve flown into Ontario, California’s airport plenty but never LAX so this was a new adventure. Anyway, I arrived and off I went. Sunday came and the convention was more exciting than I anticipated.

Now I’ve attended many a convention in my former life of a tattoo shop owner but never like this. I was a guest of Tattoo Wrap so I spent quite a bit of time around this booth. Compared to other conventions I have attended, this one was warm and welcoming. I met a lot of friendly people along the way.

picture from booth at convention

Sights To See

It’s been a minute since I was at a tattoo convention. Performance artists were not a thing back in the early 2000’s but now they are everywhere from conventions to festivals and I love all of it. Suspension by flesh is an art and has always fascinated me. I was just starting to research the mechanics of it when we sold our shop in 2011. I guess you could say this is on my bucket list so I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity if it presented itself.

The performance artists were from Phoenix and wow, did they put on amazing shows. Below are a couple of videos. I made these videos rated R so be prepared to see flesh pulling and some blood. You have been warned. The shows were fabulous.

My Take Aways

There were many vendors beyond tattooers. Tattoo suppliers, t-shirt makers, jewelry makers, and other vendors were there. I can also say it had a distinct So Cal vibe to it.

I’m grateful to have been able to experience this. After attending the convention, I had a whirlwind tour of Los Angeles which will be coming in another post so stay tuned. Thanks for reading xxooC

me before tattoo convention on sunday
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Tell Me Something Good

About The Blue Widow Chronicles and Me

The Blue Widow Chronicles began after my husband, Eric, died suddenly in 2020. I became a widow overnight, and the writing became the place I went to make sense of a life that no longer made sense.

What began as writing through grief has grown with me.

Over the years, I’ve written my way through widowhood, PTSD and trauma, solo travel, love after loss, losing Greg to suicide, starting over, complicated relationships, and the ongoing work of figuring out who I am when the life I once knew no longer exists.

This isn’t a blog about having grief figured out. I write from wherever I actually am—sometimes healing, sometimes questioning, sometimes rebuilding, and sometimes admitting I have no idea what comes next.

Odin and Freija frequently find their way into these pages too, along with the people, places, memories, and ordinary moments that remind me life continues even when it looks nothing like the one I expected.

What You’ll Find Here

The Chronicles are personal essays about grief, trauma, identity, love, relationships, travel, rebuilding, and life after loss. Some were written from inside the experience. Others look back years later with a perspective I couldn’t have had when everything was happening.

There are more than five years of stories here. You don’t need to read them in order. Start wherever something speaks to you.

Beyond the Pages

Some stories can be told publicly. Others need a smaller room.

Beyond the Pages is the more intimate side of The Blue Widow Chronicles on Patreon—a growing private library of previously unpublished journal entries, deeper reflections on the Chronicles, member-only writing, and guided writing resources.

Membership is $5/month and includes access to the complete growing library.

Come further in —Beyond the Pages

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