You know what my daughter did on Friday? She tried to take down two of the Willis sisters (Scout and Tallulah, specifically). And she very nearly succeeded.
Here’s what happened.
We drove down to LA for a couple of days to see my friend who just had a baby, and to touch base with a few people who I love and haven’t seen in ages. I had an errand to run over on Melrose and found myself stopping into Body Electric Tattoo “just to say hi” (#famouslastwords). And then all of a sudden I was getting not just one piercing, but three (plus replacements for two existing holes) – more on that in a minute – and as I was leaving I found myself standing at the top of a verrrrrry steep, verrrrrry long set of stairs right next to Scout and Tallulah, because when you’re in Hollywood and find yourself standing next to two people, there is a very good chance that they are related to Demi Moore.
And then my daughter decided to take that opportunity to launch herself through the air in my direction without letting me know that she was about to do so. She came about two inches from taking all four of us down and sending us rolling towards the bottom of the stairs in a big old toddler/Willis sister/Jordan pileup.
(They were very nice about the whole thing, if perhaps slightly traumatized by their encounter with a flying three-year-old with a death wish.)
Can we please talk about my ear makeover, though? I’ve been going to Body Electric for years, and they’ve pierced everything from my upper-ear cartilage to my tragus. The reason I keep going back to them over and over is that the owner, Brian, doesn’t just “give you a piercing” – he creates actual art. And I mean this: he won’t just throw a stud or a hoop into your body in whatever spot you point to: he’ll sit down with you, talk through everything from your existing piercings to your lifestyle, and only then come up with a concept that achieves the perfect balance between beauty and originality and practicality; the perfect balance for you, and only you. In all the times that I’ve visited the shop, I’ve never left with what I expected to walk out with – and that’s always been a good thing.
Here’s the before and after of this weekend’s makeover:
First, Brian said that he didn’t love the lightning bolt in that particular spot, and replaced it with another continuous gold hoop, so I’d have three in a row. I was a little hesitant because I do love that lightning bolt, but now I totally agree that it looks cleaner and more elegant this way. Next, he did an upper ear cartilage piercing with a large-diameter continuous hoop (which apparently heals much more easily than a stud).
Last (and best): he stacked two tiny diamonds (two separate piercings, very carefully placed) in that space in between my second and third hoops. The one on top is apparently called a “high lobe” piercing – meaning it rests slightly above the traditional spot where you’d pierce an ear – and I’m absolutely crazy about it; I’ve just never seen anything like it anywhere. When Brian first suggested the high lobe piercing I wondered if it’d look messy, or like a mistake, but I decided to trust him…and once again, I discovered that hushing up and letting him do his thing was a phenomenal idea.
A closer look:
Summary: I’ve always assumed that the terms “body modification” and “body art” were more or less interchangeable – but after this experience, I understand the difference. If you ever find yourself in Los Angeles, here’s my advice: Call up Body Electric, book an appointment with Brian, and then, when you arrive, tell him to do his thing…because when an artist is that kind of talented, my feeling is that you should go ahead and let them make a little magic.
