Save A Fallen Owl: It's NOT all about the tattoos this time.

So I'm talking to my mom the other night and the subject of my tattoo shop and their upcoming charity event comes up. They are doing $25 owl tattoos on Sunday, October 20th, from 12-5pm, and all of the proceeds go to a local organization called Nature's Educators, which strives to educate people on wildlife and birds of prey.  And since the shop's name is Fallen Owl, the event is called Save A Fallen Owl. Hey, they are finally working with an organization that works with their name. :) We are talking about what owls we want to get tattooed on us (Mom's still on the fence, but I think I'm breaking her down...) because the tattoos are being selected from a pre-drawn sheet of owls. And as we are talking, we are both commenting on how amazing the event is and how many people are going to be there and how awesome the shop is for doing an event like this...And then, it dawns on me; it's NOT all about the tattoos this time.

For almost two years now, I have been talking to my friends, family, and clients about this AMAZING tattoo shop and the awesome artists who make up Fallen Owl. And usually, it's all about the artwork. Everyone is always asking me what I'm getting next, where it's going and if it has a meaning behind it. I don't think I have many friends, family or clients anymore who DON'T ask about or compliment the artwork on my body. And whether I'm telling them what's next or taking off articles of clothing to show them my latest piece (it has happened more times than I care to admit), it is always about the tattoos themselves and how my artists are amazing. 

But for Save A Fallen Owl, the artwork is NOT in the forefront. Yes, the owl tattoos are getting people in the door, but it's not the primary reason for the event. The artists are just doing what they do best: tattooing. It IS still about those amazing artists, but in a totally different way. The shop is normally open on a Sunday, but most of the artists are coming in on a day off. And tattooing for five hours, which is a decent stretch of time, and doing it all so that they can donate the money to charity. How many other tattoo studios...hell, how many other normal businesses do you know that would do that? Not many...

So in two and a half weeks, this little-tattoo-shop-that-could needs your help. And not for them, but for Nature's Educators. They want to raise as much money as they can, even if their hands are killing them by the end of it. They would probably prefer that way actually. :) If you're in Denver and need another tattoo, go on their Facebook page, check out the pre-drawn owls, pick something out and be ready at noon on the 20th with your $25. Even if you just want to stop by, donate, and see the live birds (oh yeah, there will be LIVE owls on location), that's cool too. Out-of-staters, I have a funny feeling they would accept donations from you as well. :) I will make sure not to spend too much money on my vacation the week before so that I can get tattooed and donate to an awesome cause. I will be there (hopefully with Mom and a few friends in tow) and I will be ridiculously proud to take part in this awesome event. I will even volunteer my little massage therapist self to the cause that day and will be ready and willing to work out any hands, arms, shoulders, backs, etc., that may cramp up or get sore during the event. This event is yet one more reason that I am proud to go to this shop and know the artists in it. So please come out on the 20th and tell all your friends!

The "right" tattoo shop with the Rose-colored heart

I have never been the type of girl to stick with one thing for long. Massage therapy is my third degree. I have moved back and forth between three states. I guess you could say I have always been looking for something that just felt... right. So it's no shock to me that I haven't stuck with one tattoo shop either. I have never found a shop that just felt...right. Now, both massage and Colorado have worked in my favor for the past two years, so could I also find a tattoo shop where I could stay put for a while? Enter Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio...
 
A friend of mine wanted to get her first tattoo and she wanted to see someone get one before she got hers. Enter her good friend who is always game for another tattoo. *raises hand* And since she has this healthy "obsession" with owls (and every review we had read was good), we decided to waltz into Fallen Owl one Saturday afternoon in January of 2012. We were immediately greeted with smiles (yep, smiles) and were told that we were in luck because Freddie just had a cancellation and could take us both. Coincidence? I think not...

I got my Venus flower/star on my right forearm first, and to say the whole experience from consult to stencil to application (the needling part) was a pleasant experience is a severe understatement on my part. Tattoo artist Freddie Arroyo was beyond friendly and accommodating, but would also tell you if something wasn't going to work on a certain body part or the design wouldn't work. Even though the tat went on one of my very resilient forearms (I AM a massage therapist after all), I could also tell that he had a very light hand. The fact that I was comfortable with him and Fallen Owl right off the bat just made it that much easier for the friend of mine to jump on the table right after me. And her experience was equally as pleasant.

But it wasn't just Freddie and his vibe. It was the whole vibe of Fallen Owl that had the friend of mine and I sold from the minute we walked in. Beforehand, I had read some online reviews and no one was talking bad about this tattoo shop. I thought, what makes this shop so special that everyone is singing their praises on EVERY review? Well, I got my answer after walking in there myself. The answer is ... everything.

Everything about this shop makes it special and a step above your stereotypical or "normal" tattoo shops. Shop owner Adam Rose definitely knew what the hell he was doing when he opened this shop almost three years ago. And if you know him at all, you know he put his whole heart and soul into this shop. From the decor to the vibe to the energy that pulses through this small Lakewood, CO, shop, the whole thing is...Adam. And talk about someone who loves what he does...Try finding a picture of him tattooing where he doesn't have a big-ass grin on his face. And that smile and laugh are definitely contagious, which makes for the insanely positive vibe of Fallen Owl.

Oh, and did I mention that they do charity work as well? They had their Sh%ts and Giggles fundraiser over the summer, where they had all of their artist friends paint toilets seats and they auctioned them off for charity. And if you have to have me explain that one to you, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog...

Right now, there is a week left in their Tattoos for Toys fundraiser, which benefits their Colfax Avenue neighbor, The Action Center. Bring in three unopened toys to help out underprivileged kids during the holidays and Fallen Owl will give you a $40 gift certificate toward your next tattoo. This is the second year they have done this fundraiser and, while most Denverites are bringing the toys into the shop, they also have people mailing them in from as far away as Hawaii. And while, yes, they want to help out the kids, most people are doing it because they LOVE this shop and its artists and would do anything to help them. Because their clients love and care about them like they are members of their own families. They probably see them more often than they see their own families. I know I do. :)

And if all of their clients feel the same way I do, they keep coming to Fallen Owl because it just feels...right. From the vibe to the artists (Side note: Paul and Sherley are also artists there. Both are incredible, just wrote about the two who are always around when I am. Haven't met the other two yet. :)) to Tattoos for Toys, Fallen Owl is defying tattoo shop "standards". You don't always get a smile or the best customer service when you walk into a tattoo shop. With this one, you do. I always get a huge smile on my face every time I walk into the shop, which is usually accompanied by a hug from either Freddie or Adam, if they are not in the process of tattooing. I can honestly say that I will continue to get artwork from the artists at Fallen Owl as long as I live in the state of Colorado. And I feel very lucky and thankful that my friend and I stumbled into this tattoo shop that just felt...right.



***Tattoos for Toys runs through December 1st, 2012. Bring your three (or more) unopened toys into Fallen Owl Tattoo at 8789 W. Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80215. Visit www.fallenowltattoo.com to check out the artists' portfolios or call (303) 232-1350 to schedule your next tattoo with one of their amazing artists! ***

"Once I had a halo, but then it caught on fire..." and  my Celtic dragon. Tattoos by Freddie Arroyo

The red couch that greets you when you walk into the lobby, along with a stuffed owl and a skull in the display case. :)

This year's donations for Tattoos for Toys and the pile keeps growing! 

My Venus star/flower. First tattoo at Fallen Owl and done by Freddie Arroyo