Friday, June 5, 2015
This month in Tattoo Savage, Toxic Addiction!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
On the Road at Lady Cora's Black Lotus Tattoo Gallery in Columbus Georgia
Black Lotus Tattoo Gallery,
On the Road in Columbus, Georgia
 |
| The Black Lotus Tattoo Gallery crew |
by mAry d'Aloisio
photos by mAryD and submitted by Black Lotus (Please ask permision to repost)
7401 Fortson Rd, Columbus,
GA 31909
Owner Lady Cora
Instagram:
@blacklotustattoogallery
It's been said that tattooing is a man's world,
but you wouldn't know that in Columbus, Georgia home of Lady Cora's Black
Lotus Tattoo Gallery. We were
welcomed with traditional southern staple of sweet tea and tons of hugs and
smiles, and swept inside of the sparkling clean tattoo wonderland Black Lotus
Tattoo Gallery. There was a shop full of
the most endearing artists and loyal tattoo collectors and Black Lotus
super-fans. Black Lotus Tattoo Gallery
is ginormous, open, clean, and decorated with an amazing mix of art, jewelry,
tattoo work. There is a feeling of family, southern hospitality, custom tattoo
innovation, and a good solid anchoring of tattoo tradition. Lady Cora (nee Coralea Bragg) runs a tight
ship, but you can definitely feel the woman's touch and dedication to the
client's overall experience as well as the artists comfort and success. Simply
put, Black Lotus Tattoo is a great place to get tattooed.
 |
| Nicole Hall |
 |
| John Allred |
Mark Rice was next, and
he's kind of the fatherly traditional type, very cool. John Allred is soft spoken, but upon
inspection of his artwork, you can see his art does the communicating for
him. Rhea Rhea is the only Black Lotus homegrown--
she apprenticed with them and decided to stay.
"She has grown
incredibly solid from day one. She's our quiet strength with a feminine touch."
said Lady Cora.
Miss
Holly Clouse is hard to miss with her beaming smile and (at the time of the
visit) bright blue dreads. Her
appearance and demeanor is a good indication of the kind of beautiful delicate
but solid creative tattoo work exploding from her machines.
"She provides our
irresistible hippie magic!" beamed Lady Cora who is clearly smitten with
the doll.
 |
| Miss Holly Clouse |
The
diverse team are supported by counter women Katie Rice (Mark's daughter) and
Kelly White (total babe). The clients
and fans of Black Lotus should likely be included into the team, because after
meeting next door neighbor Misty Reed (Rebel Belle: Soap, Sundries, and Curiosities)
a southern belle covered in Black Lotus tattoo work, one gets the feeling that
they are just as much a part of the team as the people paid to be there.
"Black
Lotus is built on relationships....not just 'customers'. Black Lotus' mission is
to blur any imaginary lines or ideas that may give someone pause about what
tattoos and a tattoo shop are. We want the soccer mom to be just as comfortable
and at ease about her tattoo experience as someone who's done it a hundred
times." said Lady Cora.
"That all fits into
the tattoo community, because ALL culture is important for ANY community that's
going to thrive. Columbus is REALLY starting to embrace all forms of artistic
expression. Bringing in guest artists, being a part of the monthly art walk,
and joining in at EVERY opportunity to expose more people to what we do is
paramount. It's not just about tattooing, it's about art as a whole."
Lady Cora shared.
For a smaller town in
Georgia, it seems that Black Lotus is embraced and supported by the
community--even the folks they don't tattoo.
They spend a lot of energy staying involved, supporting the arts, and
giving whenever they can.
"We try to take every opportunity to help
and improve. This is where WE live.....where our customers and friends live.
These are the people and the city that make us who we are. Not giving back is
NOT an option." emphasized Lady Cora.
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| Mark Rice |
 |
| Morgan Duerfldt |
 |
| Rhea Blais |
Check
out the fine folks at Black Lotus Tattoo Gallery, and take in some of the cool
sights and rich history-- just remember to stay away from the public swimming
holes with that fresh tattoo!
Thanks
for the fabulous sweet tea, and introducing us to your fabulous tattoo family
Lady Cora-- we'll see "ya'll" on the road...
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Fridge Frittata, mAryD's Church of Leftovers
mAryD's Church of Leftovers
My grandparents would raise their eyebrows at my lack of fondness for tomatoes... They grew up in Chicago during the Depression, and couldn't fathom why I didn't want to just gobble up any fresh vegetable I could.
That hasn't changed, I still hate tomatoes. What's really eyebrow raising is the way my children won't eat leftovers. I mean, it's fresh, heats up quicker than a hot pocket, and is (usually) a hundred times better the next day (seriously, they've done scientific tests--lasagna, potatoes, ham--all at least 50% better if you discover them in your fridge the day after a cooking bonanza).
So whatever, my kids are spoiled and crazy (and in need of military training). My little family of four has TWO birthdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we are blended. So all that extra information means that most years I'm crying as I throw out tons and tons of my own leftovers as well as the awesome leftovers (and free Tupperware) that comes from everybody's second families. I cry (hard) as I think of the potential fuel for being better people they couldhave enjoyed. I cry for the hours I spent preparing and or talking relatives into donating ("No, we'll skip the awful dry extra turkey, but we'd probably eat the heck out of your mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, or pumpkin pie!") that I'll never get back. Through my tears I literally add up the dollar amounts and the hours I have to be away from my kids to put all that great food in the trash (which has to be done to make way in our limited Tupperware/cottage cheese or margarine containers supply) for the next all-day cook-fest that probably won't get eaten or appreciated more than once either.
This year, I say enough is enough. They will eat leftovers and they will like it. Or else. (Or else "what" I don't know, I only know I should say it more often). In the meantime I'm going to do my part to church up the leftovers and not tell them (you don't go spilling the beans either).
Here is the post-Thanksgiving frittata (ish) I made from the leftovers in my fridge this morning.
Fridge Frittata
First, I started with the Hawaiian Rolls that were left out last night, they were nice and dried out this morning. I began building the base by cubing (tearing works too) the rolls into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking pan (spray a little non stick spray first).
I used the tablespoon (or so) of softbutter that was left out to sauté the 3/4 of yellow onion that was in a sandwich bag in the door (unsure of how old that was, so I sautéed it at high heat, muhahaha).
I cut up the last bits of ham from Thanksgiving last week and heated 'em with the now translucent onions. (This smell always does wonders for my mood).
While that was working, I discovered this block of Asadero Cheese (I'm sure I didn't buy that, but whatever) that didn't get wrapped tightly and was going to dry out if I didn't use it. I cut that up and threw it in the 9x14 on top of the rolls.
In a separate bowl, I whipped up the7 eggs I had on hand with some milk(I accidentally bought a gallon after my boyfriend already bought two-d'oh!) I added a little Cajun seasoning, some dry mustard andWorcestershire and left it to the side.
I found my boyfriend's favoritesmashed potatoes from last night hidden under a jello mold, and threw little chucks of the cold smashed red potato, cheddar cheese, and sour cream mixture on top of the rolls and cheese in the 9x15 baking dish.
The ham and onion mixture was hot, so that went on top (by now the 9x14 was 3/4 full, so I was satisfied). I would have added some veggies here, but I would lose any chance of my kids eating it if I'd added the kernel corn leftovers from two days ago (but it would have been delicious!).
A poured the light yellow egg mixture on top of all that and let the egg soak into the bread while the oven preheated to 350 (Fahrenheit)(I was guessing here, but it seemed like a good plan).
I received a phone call and had to email some files, in total, I let the mixture soak up about an hour or so (if I'd wrapped it up and set it in the fridge that now had room I probably would let it set up all day, but I'm out of Saran Wrap -- tattoo wives will understand).
I decided it was time to fill the house with the smells of domestication, and put the rather heavy now full 9X20 baking dish in the oven. Right before I did, I figured it PROBABLY needed a foil cover to keep it from burning. I found out I'm also out of aluminum foil. I didn't panic, I just used a cookie sheet my kid didn't wash last night on top of the glass pan (it wasn't touching the ingredients, but watch out, 'cuz I guess this concoction rises) and set the timer to an hour and a half (the time I gave myself to write/edit this).
The phone rang again, and I had to talk an old editor/writing friend away from stepping into traffic (he's going to find some stronger narcotics, bless his heart).
The dog needed to go bark at the neighbor's mastiffs and I when I walked in from that, the timer was going off.
I removed the cookie sheet and let it brown about 15 minutes while I wrote this on my phone as I was smoking in the garage (hopefully I can clean it up while enjoying a nice slice of leftover heaven while listening to my kid grumble about being forced labor for having to do the dishes from last night).
I think I'll make a spinach salad tonight.
Let me know if anyone tries a version of this with their own leftovers!
(And hang in there, they CANNOT BE CHILDREN FOREVER... Unless of course you're my ex-husband and/or they have a trust fund, in which case it's completely likely).
xoxox
m.
With Respect,
mAryd
Exit, pursued by a bear.
-Shakespearean stage directions, The Winter's Tale, act 3, sc. 3, l. 57 {1623}
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Christy Mack for Ink Addict
As seen in Tattoo Savage Magazine, Christy Mack shares about her tattoos and their place in her adult film career
“It’s
just a combination of my look, my whole attitude, how I carry myself,
my body shape and tattoos that match my personality. Mainstream has
started to become more accepting towards tattoos in general.”
“People
get tear drops when they kill people; I got a heart on my face when
my dog died.” Christy Mack works a lot with rescue Pitt Bulls, and
with various organizations, but one of her favorites is It’s
a Pitty Rescue
out of Indianapolis, IN (www.rescueapittie.org).
Christy Mack’s Tattooed Heart
Story& Photos by mAry d'Aloisio
Petite
Midwestern sweetheart Christy Mack is doing big things with her
tattooed life. Measuring just 5’1” tall, the little girl is
attacking the world with her ginormous personality and dedication to
positive living. She’s helping to break down tattoo prejudice in
the mainstream adult film industry, races modified Subaru’s, and
rescues dogs with an inspiring ferocity. The girl is a certified
bad-ass.
Indiana
native Christy Mack is well on her way to becoming 2013’s “It
Girl” in the mainstream adult film industry, which is no small feat
for the tattooed sweetheart. She was told very early on that her
tattoos would work against her.
“My
very first agent in Miami looked at me and said ‘You’re not going
to get any work at all. You should never get any more tattoos and you
should consider getting the ones you have removed-- it won’t help
your career at all.” Christ Mack told Tattoo Savage. “It was
kind of difficult at first-- but once I hit the scene, I hit the
ground running. Things just took off from there. I sure threw that in
his face.” She giggled.
How
tattoos would affect her career wasn’t a consideration when she got
her first one, and she’s not interested in changing her mindset
now. “My mom bought me my first tattoo a couple of days before my
16th
birthday. My mom has always been super cool. She doesn’t care
either way—it’s the same with the porn thing, as long as I’m
happy—that’s all that matters.”
Her
collection of American Traditional inspired designs has grown quite a
bit since. Some of her tattoos had meanings for her; some were just
cool, and most of the characters on her have a name.
“My
first tattoo was when I was 15, it’s on my lower back, it’s a
couple of sparrows and a nautical star—I named them Fredrick and
Raul.” She said. “I had three tattoos before I turned 17.”
Then
she met up with her current artist John Haas from Artistic Skin
Design and Endurance Tattoo in Indiana. “John Haas has pretty much
always been the best artist I have ever had—he’s done the
majority of my work.”
His
work on her includes a cover-up of an Owl on her left arm, an Eagle
and roses on the back and side of her neck for a dog-rescuing war
veteran who inspired her, and some fancy traditional designs on her
arms.
She
did stray once to get a tattoo from Myke Chambers at Hell City --a
girl face on her right forearm. “I’ve been a fan of his for
years. There was no real meaning to me; I just wanted a piece from
him. Her name is Penelope.”
The
tattooed heart on her face was to memorialize the loss of her first
rescue dog, Fannie May.
“They
do such great work and find hundreds of dog’s homes; they're just
great people.” She said.
Real
must recognize real—with her fair share of haters, and folks that
have an opinion about her job she had this to say:
“I am a
housewife without the husband, with a passion for cars and animals
and a very interesting job. For those that try to hate on me, I just
realize that they aren't as happy as I am so I tend to leave them
alone. Sometimes I get my little attitude though, and I tell them
exactly how it is.”
Follow Christy Mack on Twitter or
Instagram at @ChristyMack , and watch out for the petite ones—they
pack a tremendous punch.
http://christymack.com/
Monday, November 4, 2013
For my brother, Tony
I heard the best joke today, on the "House of Cards" TV show (and this is how I heard it, more or less).
Two girls were moving into their first dorm before their first year of college. One girl was from Atlanta, the other Connecticut somewhere. The Southern girl greeted her roommate and her parents with a smile and asked "Where are ya'll from?"
The Connecticut girl made her s.nob'by (sine nobilitate) family proud and said "I come from a place where they know better than to end a sentence with a preposition."
So the girl, struck for just a moment and asked again with a smile
"Where are ya'll from, cunt?"
fly, fly, away...
I just wanted to remember the moment I heard that the greatest most naked artist I ever knew of died, and was 71. I wanted to remember the moment so strongly that his naked stark honesty would finally be ingrained in my timorous soul that is mostly only hiding the same cum, piss, and shady motives as any of you.
Thank you Lou Reed, you were sorely needed in this world and we're better for the legacy of honesty you left us.
dime store mystery
He was lying banged and battered, skewered and bleeding
Talking crippled on the cross
Was His mind reeling and heaving, hallucinating
Fleeing what a loss
The things He hadn't touched or kissed
His senses slowly stripped away
Not like Buddha, not like Vishnu
Life wouldn't rise through Him again
I find it easy to believe
That He might question His beliefs
The beginning of the last temptation
Dime story mystery
The duality of nature, Godly nature
Human nature splits the soul
Fully human, fully divine and divided
The great immortal soul
Split into pieces, whirling pieces, opposites attract
From the front, the side, the back
The mind itself attacks
I know this feeling, I know it from before
Descartes through Hegel belief is never sure
Dime store mystery, last temptation
I was sitting, drumming, thinking, thumping, pondering
The mysteries of life
Outside the city shrieking, screaming, whispering
The mysteries of life
There's a funeral tomorrow
At St. Patrick's the bells will ring for you
Ah, what must you have been thinking
When you realized the time had come for you
I wish I hadn't thrown away my time
On so much human and so much less divine
The end of the last temptation
The end of a dime store mystery
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