The Story Behind the Two Little Foxes Now on My Arm
It finally happened. After years of thinking about it, debating it, and quietly wishing for it, I got my very first tattoo this past Thursday.
If you had told me a decade ago that I'd willingly sit in a chair and let someone trace thick black lines into my skin for a few hours, I probably would have laughed and said you were crazy. For the longest time, a profound fear of needles kept me far away from tattoo parlours (even though there was an allure to getting a tattoo!). It wasn't until I finally managed to override that fear enough to start donating blood that a tattoo even felt like a physical possibility.
But once the fear was managed, the next big hurdle arrived: What on earth do I get that I will want on my body forever?
The answer had been growing right under my nose —and in my hoop— for years.
Meet my very own two little kits.
They aren't my business logo (because that might feel a bit weird), but rather a beautiful, custom illustration in a wonderfully cartoonish, bold style. The piece sits on my inner left forearm, just below my elbow-pit.
The design is a layers-deep play on words and family.
As many of you know, a baby fox is called a "kit". I have two wonderful daughters, and I love foxes. When I started my small business, Two Little Kits was the perfect name to tie my love for my girls into my love for creating.
But these two foxes mean so much more to me than just a clever brand name.
Back in 2017, I found myself in a deep, dark hole of depression. It was a heavy, overwhelming time, and Two Little Kits —well, the literal act of picking up a needle and thread and creating something— quite honestly saved me from myself. Immersing myself in designing, picking out thread colours, and losing myself in the slow, repetitive, grounding rhythm of cross-stitch gave my hands and mind a safe place to land.
Stitching didn't "cure" me, but it supported me. It gave me a daily practice of patience, progress, and gentle focus when everything else felt chaotic. Today, this business is something I am incredibly proud to call my own, and it continues to help me navigate life every single day. Getting a piece of art that represented all of this mental growth, resilience, and healing felt entirely apt. Poignant, even.
Of course, knowing why you want a tattoo doesn't make the actual needle hurt any less!
I went to Glenn at Caledonia Tattoo, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Because it was my first time, he was incredibly patient and kind. He walked me through every single step before we did it, let me know exactly when to expect pain, and gave me an honest heads-up on how intense it might feel. We chatted the entire time he worked his magic, which was a fantastic distraction.
Because let's be real: it hurt like absolute hell.
Those thick, beautiful black outlines you see? It felt exactly like Glenn was slowly dragging a sharp knife through my skin. As I sit here writing this, it's still tender and smarts a bit.
Plus, I keep catching it out of the corner of my eye and giving myself a mini-jumpscare because my brain hasn't quite registered that my arm has a permanent resident now!
But despite the sting and the temporary jumpscares, I am so, so glad I did it. It's a permanent badge of how far I've come, a nod to the two girls who inspire me, and a reminder of the quiet power of a needle and thread.
