RoastE

About Me

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Over the last few years I've worked in different tattoo shops, doing different things. I've covered greeting customers, cleaning the shop, making stencils, drawing tattoo designs, all the way to tattooing. Now, I've taken a break from tattooing for a while to learn new things about the industry. I'm taking trips and going to as many tattoo conventions as I can. After I do this, I will go back to tattooing. As for me, I currently have over 10 tattoos and nine piercings. Don't worry, I plan on getting many more.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Convenience Moving

Convenience Moving
Posted by Virgil Burks

When I moved to San Antonio I knew I had to find CLEAR internet providers in my area. I had Clear internet when I lived in Austin, and I knew I had to get it again since it was such a great and reliable service. They provide both home service and mobile hotspots which make it the best around. Since I had to move for work, mostly everything was taken care of for me. It was so nice to show up to an apartment that was all put together when I got there. Moving can be so tough, but it’s much better when someone else pays for it and does everything for you. I was glad that they didn’t hook up my internet though, because I am really particular about that. There is nothing worse than a bad internet connection that cuts out all the time. I don’t live near any of my family so I like to video chat pretty often. II also pay all of my bills and keep track of my bank account online. It’s so annoying when you don’t have a good connection and you are trying to get important things done. I knew if I got Clear that wouldn’t happen.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

My little honda

I have a Honda Accord. 2 door. I love it. I've had it about 3 years. Before I got this car I had a Ford F150. I loved it too. But going from that big truck to a smaller car, a tiny Honda was a change, but a good one. I never got to do the things I wanted to do to the F-150, like tinting the windows, better looking rims, maybe some cool head/tail lights. I want to do those same things to my Honda. I really want to start with tinting the windows. There isn't any at all. Everybody in my town has tinted windows so I feel strange not being able to see anyone, but everyone can see me. Other things I want to do: maybe add some lights under my car and get my leather seats re-done. They have a couple cigarette burns from friends. My car doesn't need any work done, but I do believe some new auto parts would be a nice addition to it.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

New Book

Hello. My wonderful husband Will Harper has just published his first book. It is titled I Will Ride. This book is a book of poetry, but it also has some great life lessons. I think everyone should read it.

The zoo

Guest post written by my buddy Keith Kramer

My dad worked at the zoo for 42 years. He gave behind-the-scenes tours of different animal habitats and even help host overnight field trips. I always thought it was cool growing up because he would let me miss school sometimes to go to work with him. Now that I’m grown up and have my own family, I can’t help but think that my kids probably find my job as a lawyer pretty boring. My dad always tells my kids about his adventures as a zookeeper, but since we got Direct tv, the closest thing that they have seen to a zoo is Animal Planet. My dad gives me a hard time about the fact that my kids have never been to the zoo, but I just have not made the time to take them. When I think back on all of my memories I had at the zoo, it makes me realize that I need to make the time to take my kids there in the near future. I think I will even let them miss school to go with me.

Monday, September 19, 2011

My newest in the collection

I'm getting my newest and best tattoo right now as I'm writing this post. It's a skeleton playing a guitar with vampire fangs and deadlocks, of course.  My husband is doing this tattoo, of course. He's the only person I  trust to do the very detailed and elaborate black and grey work I want. Plus he's my husband and on top of that, he was voted the best tattoo artist in Mississippi a few years ago.
Check out his work at.               WWW.Willthedrill.com.


Sunday, September 18, 2011

Lip piercings and how to care for them

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I've posted anything new. Since this is a "tattoos and piercings" blog (for the most part, anyway) and I just got a new piercing I have a great idea for a post.

Alright. If you get any piercing there is a risk of infection; however, you can greatly reduce this risk by doing certain things.
1. Keep it clean, keep it clean, keep it clean. Wash with a MILD UNSCENTED soap (dial, ivory) 3-4 times a day.

2. Do not touch or mess with the piercing for the first 4-6 days. No touching, don't turn the jewelry. Just leave it alone.

3. Do NOT put alcohol, peroxide or anything strong like that on the fresh piercing. ALL you need is mild soap and you can also use saline solution.

4. Be patient. It will swell and be a bit painful for a few days but that's only natural. Nothing will make the swelling stop. Deal with it.

5. Once all the swelling and pain and redness is gone, enjoy it. Have fun making old people think you are the devil. Little kids will call you a vampire, and you'll get a lot more stares from everyone. But, it's fun.

There are many different types of jewelry you can put into a pierced lip. My favorite for the labret is a CBR(captive bead ring). For the side of the lip a labret(also called a monroe) always looks nice, but you can always put a CBR there too. If you have snake bites either one looks great. Or go ahead and mix it up. Put a labret in one and a CBR in the other.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Nice weather

In the summer months in Mississippi the weather is SCORCHING HOT. Like triple digits for days in a row. Now that its September is starting to cool down to around 80 degrees.

It took a hurricane coming through and rain for 4 days straight to cool off.

Mississippi weather is severely bi-polar. One day its 80 degrees, the next it may be 60. But I'm looking forward to some cooler days.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Great TV and easy ways to lose weight

I'm just posting this because I wanted to share something cool with my readers.

I've had DirecTv for about 3 years now. Aside from amazing customer service and an easy to use website, they offer great packages. I have choice extra and I love the options I get with that package.

Since I was in middle school, I've loved to work out. Back then I got up at 5am to go for a run around the neighborhood. Well, now I don't have time to do that. When I signed up with Directv the first thing I did was look through the channels and see if they had any exercise channels. They did. I was delighted. I personally enjoy Total Body Sculpt with Gilad. It's so much fun.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Losing Weight

I appreciate the guest post, Lindsay Valdez

Since I have hit my 30?s I have noticed that it is getting harder and harder for me to lose weight. I remember being in high school and college and being able to eat anything I want and as much of it I wanted. I have never been considered a ?skinny kid? but I could lose weight losseasily without any problems. It is easy to lose weight I guess when you are involved in two to three school sports throughout the year. My weight has certainly been harder to take off the older I have gotten and all of this discouragement sent me walking, not running, to my neighborhood gym. After a long speech by a fast talking salesman disguised as a trainer, I was no more committed to the weight loss journey. I realized I needed something that was convenient for me to do whenever I had a few moments. My well-meaning family and friends were not much help, but one friend did come up with a great idea. I found a great exercise channel on my TV courtesy of direct tv package. The workouts are helping me achieve my weight loss goals.

Monday, August 1, 2011

I'm the sheriff

People keep asking me what this badge is for. It makes me the sheriff, the sheriff of Emo Town. So get your straight irons and eye liner ready.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Dermal Anchors

Who's wondered what a dermal anchor is? The way they are inserted? Does it hurt? How long is the healing time? How do you care for this new foreign object that's been put into your body?

These are all important questions to ask before getting one.

In the next day or so I'll be posting new information pertaining to dermal anchors. I have experience with them myself being that I have two.

Hopefully this will be informative to many of you.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Summer

And to think I grew this from a seed.


Coffee and cigarettes

The house where my husband and I live has an amazing balcony. It's as big as the average bedroom probably. Although it doesn't have a view of anything spectacular, like the beach or a city, It's still very enjoyable.

Each morning my husband gets up and makes coffee and we sit on the balcony either talking about what the day will bring or reading books. We always drink coffee and smoke cigarettes. Those things may not be that healthy, but we enjoy them.

We worry about a lot of things; money, bills, life in general, but while sitting on the balcony we don't have to.

It's a simple joy in our lives, but it means a lot.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

I think I'll keep her

Recently, a tiny kitten showed up at my house. I believe she was born next door at an old house which is for sale.

I found her because when I was outside in my backyard one day playing with my dog I heard an awful sound coming from one of the kittens. I ran outside and saw her, but she fled. I tried to get her to come back but she was too afraid.

I decided I couldn't let her starve so I put some ham and milk out. She didn't really touch it the first day or so. After a couple of days had passed she got used to me and my husband and started coming to us wanting to be rubbed and petted.

Now she's just as playful as can be and doing very well. I think I'll keep her.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

My garden

 My flower bed my husband built. :))


I've been waiting all spring for these flowers to bloom.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My new work out and diet plan

Everyone always says they'll start eating healthier and exercising more for a new years resolution. Well, I'm just now starting my workout plan, but I'm gonna stick with it. I mean it. I used to work out every single day, even if it was only for 15 minutes.

I'm going to look online with Clear Wireless Internet Service to possibly get some new ideas for work out plans. I know Clear is a good service provider; good prices, fast service, etc. Clear Internet is a good choice for most people.

As far as the diet, I'm going to stick to low fat and calories, high fiber and the required daily percentage of protein. I plan to work out at least 4 days a week, mixing strength training and cardio, even though I hate doing cardio. :/ I'm not going to give up this time! Actually, I'm looking forward to it. :)

I'll keep updating on my progress!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Newest Tattoo

This is my newest tattoo, just got it today.


It's from MCR's new album, Danger Days.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

How to decide if you should get a tattoo

If you're thinking of getting a tattoo, you should think about a few things first.

1. Why do you want one?
    Figure out the reason behind wanting a tattoo. If you're getting one because a friend has one, that's the wrong reason. Do it because you really like the design and feel you are ready for it.

2. Are you even old enough?
    A lot of states will allow minors to get tattooed with a parents consent. Personally, I don't think this is a good idea. Wait until you are at least 18. You'll be more mature and can make better decisions.

3. Do research.
    If you want a tattoo you're going to have to know how to take care of it. You need to avoid certain things a couple of days before you go in to get it. Avoid sun, alcohol and anything that can harm your skin. The tattoo artist should go over with you how to take care of it, but he can't tell you what to do before.

There are tons of things to think about before getting a tattoo and these are just a few. You want to make sure it's really what you want and where you want it; otherwise, you will regret it.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Beebs has a tattoo?

So, apparently Justin Bieber, 17,  has joined the world of scum, i.e., tattooed people. I'm just joking, not everyone that has tattoos is scum, I'm not, my husband's not, my friends aren't. Bad joke.

Recent pictures show him having 2 tattoos; one is a small bird head on his waist and the other is "Yeshua," which means Jesus in Hebrew.

Some might say, "But he's only 17!" In some states you can get a tattoo, with parents consent, at the age of 16 or 17. You can not be tattooed under the age of 18 in MS, LA, GA, TN, AK, CA, ME, IA, NH, OK, NY, CO and maybe a few more, but these states for sure.


As for Bieber's tattoos the meaning is unknown. Maybe he just liked the way they looked. Either way I love tattoos so I think it's pretty cool.

Auto Insurance

Does anyone else hate finding auto insurance? I do. I get so confused about which company I should pick. There are so many options, so many prices, and so many different insurance companies. There are various websites that help you to find the lowest rate, the best options for you, etc. One of those sites is AIM.

This website is similar to others; AIM will find the best providers, premium rates and the cheapest rates. At AIM.com they also find inexpensive coverage for students, which is really great.

If you don't like picking out auto insurance this site might be able to help you. Check it out.

I'm thinking of new shoes.

I've never really been the type of girl to wear fancy shoes. Usually, I stick with my converse. In the past I have bought a few pairs of high heels and some tall boots but, they only got worn once or twice. Lately I've been thinking of buying some stilettos or pumps and I'm going to go bold.

By bold I mean red and leopard print heels. That will get someones attention. I wear a lot of black, a whole lot of black, so I need some nice shoes to match. Any ideas? I've been looking on Become.com and they have tons of stuff- clothes, shoes, rainboots and much more.

Now, as for boots, I'm more into the biker boots, because I ride a bike. I don't just get them to look tough. Converse don't hold up too long when you ride in them. I could go more feminine and get some Ciao Bella Boots, those are pretty cool.

Well, if anyone has ideas for my shoe quest please let me know.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

What not to do in a tattoo shop

Tattoo shops and tattoo artists can be foreign to some people, actually they can be quite scary. Some of them really are, but for the most part, they're not. The thing is, tattoo artists have to stand their ground, if they don't customers will try to talk down prices, disrespect them and the shop, and all sorts of rude things people do when they take advantage of others. If you want to be treated with respect when you go to a tattoo shop, take the advice that follows.

Don't go into one shop and talk about another one. Telling artists what another shop charges or speaking ill of them won't go very well. So, just don't say anything about other shops and you'll be fine.
If you go to a tattoo shop, don't interrupt an artist for any reason. If they don't speak to you right away, there is a reason.
A very big mistake a lot of people make is taking pictures of flash. If you try this, you'll likely be told to leave. Told, not asked. It doesn't matter why you're taking the picture. The artist either drew that flash or had to pay for it, and it doesn't come cheap.
A big no-no: never ever go into an artist's station without permission and especially not if they're in there.

There are many, many things you shouldn't do in a tattoo shop, but these are big ones. I'll later post an article on what you should do, but for now this should suffice.

Clear Internet

I've used the Internet for quite some time now. It can be a hard task for someone who's never used it, I know, because it was for me. There are so many different Internet providers how do you know which one to choose? You have to search around and compare prices, speed, etc. With there being so many providers you may not know which one you want to try, but I know one that is a good pick...

It's called Clear. Clear Internet has plans starting at $35.00*, which is a pretty good deal. In fact, I'm thinking of switching. That's a lot cheaper than what I pay now. Clear sounds like a good deal to me. I did some searching and I know they offer home and on-the-go plans, which would be great for me. Check it out for yourself!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Doctor's Orders

Doctor's Orders

Guest post from: Joe Castro

My doctor told me that getting healthy was no longer an option since my blood pressure was through the roof in my cholesterol has never been higher. I was absolutely terrified when I got that news, so I immediately rushed home and got on my Clearinternetto look up healthy eating plans. While I was at it, I joined a gym only a mile from my house, and I've really been working hard these last couple of months to get my health under control. I h! ave a follow-up appointment in just three weeks with my doctor and I'm hoping he's going to give me some great news about my skyrocketing blood pressure. My father died when I was only 21 from a heart attack, so I'm especially scared that the same thing will happen to me. I needed to lose weight for a long time now, so maybe this news is just what I needed to kick me into high gear. I'm sick of being unhealthy and I'm really dedicated this time to changing my life.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

VistaPrint

I order business cards, flyers, pens, notepads and all sorts of things for my business. VistaPrint is the only place I get my business items from. They always have a sale, and even items not on sale are still a great price. VistaPrint also has great items for the holidays! Personalized mugs, T-shirts, hats and so much more to choose from. Check out VistaPrint to see what all you can find.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

So, You've Gotten a Tattoo. Now What?

You finally got up the courage to walk into a tattoo shop, sit down with an artist, and get a tattoo. It's there now, so what do you do to care for it, you wonder.
The artist who put the tattoo on you should have gone over aftercare instructions with you, but if he or she didn't, you can follow these.

-The number one thing you must do is keep the tattoo and the area around it clean. I promise you don't want it to get infected. A tattoo is essentially a wound, and for wounds to heal they must be kept clean.
Wash the area of skin with a mild antibacterial soap. Good choices are Dial or Ivory. You want to do this 3 to 4 times a day, especially in the morning and before you go to bed.


-DO NOT put alcohol or peroxide on your tattoo. Please, trust me on this. I can back up what I'm saying. The reason for no alcohol: alcohol dries out skin, and that's the last thing you want to happen to a fresh tattoo. Peroxide just isn't needed because you're washing it with an antibacterial soap. Using peroxide can irritate the skin and lead to it drying out and becoming very irritated.

-Stay out of the sun. When sun hits a new tattoo it burns and stings like crazy. Once it's healed you can get some sun. The only problem with sun, even on a healed tattoo, is it will make it look faded. A moderate amount of sun won't really fade the tattoo, but as your skin tans the color seems to fade away, even with black and gray tattoos.

-Keep the tattoo moisturized. You'll want to apply unscented lotion or a cream made especially for tattoos about four to five times a day and always after washing it. This will speed up the healing process and keep it looking new. If you use lotion don't slather it on, you want it to absorb properly. Apply just enough to cover the tattoo and to moisturize. Great picks are Eucerin and Lubriderm, unscented.

-NEVER ever pick at the tattoo. It is going to scab and itch, but picking the scabs and scratching it will lead to scarring. Resist the urge to do this.

The healing time is usually anywhere from two to four weeks. Take into consideration how your body heals and your overall health. Some people may heal in three days, others may take two months (hopefully not).

If you follow these steps you'll have no problems. If for some reason you do encounter a problem, please contact the artist who did you're tattoo. Tattoo artists know more about tattoos than doctors, because that's what they do. Doctors do not study tattoos and how to care for them. The artist will be able to tell you what to do if anything should happen.

Friday, May 20, 2011

What to do before getting a tattoo

So, you've decided to get a tattoo, but you aren't sure what to avoid or how to prepare. Tattoo artists give you instructions to follow after you get a tattoo, but they usually can't tell you what to do before hand. It's not because they don't want to, but because you typically won't see them before you get a tattoo.

The most important thing to do before getting a tattoo is to avoid the sun. Tattoos are already painful enough; you don't want a needle going over burned skin.

Next, don't drink. Drinking decreases your ability to think clearly. You want to make the right decision about you tattoo. It also thins your blood, meaning you'll bleed more during the procedure.

Another important thing you might want to do is eat something. If you get dizzy or faint a lot, definately eat before your appointment, especially if it's a large tattoo. You don't want to get sick or pass out during the tattoo.

There are other things to avoid before an appointment to get a tattoo besides the ones listed here. You can always call the shop and ask what they suggest you avoid before coming in.

Tattoo 101

Thinking about getting a tattoo? There are a few things to consider before you actually do it.

1. Do it for the right reason. Getting a tattoo because of a dare or bet will come back to haunt you.
2. If you are unsure about the design, don't get it yet. Think about it some more and make sure it's what you want.
3. Be prepared for the pain. Tattoos can hurt. Some people like the pain and some don't. Take into consideration your threshold for pain and if you'll be able to handle it.
4. Whatever you do, don't get a lover's name tattooed. It seems like a great idea now, but you never know what will happen. It's possible to just simply get tired of the person. If you get tired of the tattoo of their name, that's too bad because it doesn't go away.
5. Check out different shops. You want to make sure you're getting a tattoo in a clean and sanitary place. Look at the bathroom. Take notice of the countertops. If those are dirty, the artists' stations are likely to be as well. There's nothing wrong with asking about sterilization and cleanliness.

A tattoo is a permanent decision. It's something you should think a great deal about before you actually get it. If you're unsure about it now, you could cost you on down the road.