Ah, New Jersey. The land of all night diners and grease trucks, the Turnpike, the Parkway and I-295, where we enthusiastically pump our fists, not our gas. Mistakenly identified by the rest of the world as "New Joisey", the Garden State is in a prime location--no matter where you are, you can be in a major city (either New York or Philadelphia) within the hour. Of course, it has it's downfalls. We're the butt of many jokes, home to several landfills, and subject to bizarre smells, particularly near Newark Airport. But a true born and bred Jersey girl has a demeanor and attitude that is unparalleled: open minded, down to earth, cool as hell (yes, I'm being biased). Is it any wonder that we want to tattoo our Jersey pride permanently on our skin?

Of course, nothing shows Jersey Pride like a basic outline of the bust-of-a-man-shaped state--that's practically a given, and a simple silhouette is all you really need to get the point across. New Jersey is awesome all on it's own. But there are a trillion and one aspects you can choose to highlight your NJ pride, as the people pictures in this hub have amptly demonstrated. Here are some basic facts:

NJ Nickname: Garden State

NJ Area Codes: 201, 732, 609, 856, 973, 908

NJ Sports Teams: Mets, Nets, Devils

State Capital: Trenton

State Motto: "Liberty & Prosperity"

State Bird: Eastern goldfinch

State Flower: Purple violet

NJ Landmarks/Places of Interest: Burlington County Prison, Monmouth Battlefield, Sandy Hook lighthouses, Seaside, LBI, Atlantic City boardwalk and casinos

Phrases: NJ Pride, Born and Raised, Born and Bred, Dirty Jersey, Jersey Girl

Famous People from NJ: Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Costello, Whitney Houston, Jack Nicholson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Liotta, Meryl Streep, Kevin Spacey

But don't be afraid to get creative and embrace the more underground side of New Jersey culture, such as it's REAL nickname, Dirty Jersey, or bring attention to it's long looming boogeyman, the Jersey Devil. If you're a "Weird NJ" fan, tattooing the name of your favorite haunt is another option. Let it reflect the part of New Jersey you delight in, whether it's the city of your birth or a local legend. And no matter what anyone says, don't be ashamed!

Last but not least, it would be a glaring omission if I did not mention the Jersey Girl, one of the Garden State's most endearing icons. Jersey Girls, in general, are confident, witty, independent, not afraid to speak their mind, family-oriented, and a slew of other adjectives. According to The Star Ledger, "A Jersey Girl is crunchy on the outside, and soft in the center. A Jersey Girl has the tenacity and drive of a New Yorker, but with the beauty of warmth and humility that being from Jersey is all about. Don't mistake her toughness as a lack of refinement. Don't misjudge her sometimes “brash” manners as a lack of 'classiness.' At the center of the crunchy sweet exterior, she is tuned in and knows how and what she's working."

• "Diamonds are nice and so are pearls, but nothing compares to a Jersey girl."
• "Nothing matters in this whole wide world when you're in love with a Jersey girl." --Bruce Springsteen

• "Jersey girls ain't trash. Trash gets picked up."
• "Jersey girls have that special inner glow that makes them more beautiful than any other girl." --Jon Bon Jovi