tattoo

Hot Rod Flame Pillowcase Set

mandy — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Shopping for bed linens is a mundane and utilitarian task for me. The usual fare of floral, paisley, and striped designs do not interest me at all, so I usually opt to buy a set of plain sheets and leave the store as quickly as possible. Taking a look at the designs from Sin in Linen has caused me to change my mind.

Sin in Linen is an online shop featuring bed linens, kitchen and bathroom accessories, and apparel. There are also designs for baby and dorm bedding. The designs range from animal print to retro pin up girls to pirate-inspired skull and crossbones. There are designs for every taste – from the conservative damask prints to more adventurous tattoos. The items featured on the website are reasonably priced and of a high quality.

Sin in Linen is the creation of entrepreneur Sandy Glaze. Sandy began the company after not finding home products that suited her taste and style. So she launched the company with her mother, Iris, in 2004. Furthermore, Sandy has been an active participant in the Seattle arts and alternative scene since the late 1990's.

The Hot Rod Flame Pillowcase Set I received for this review were great. The design matches my plain bright orange bed linens and don't clash with the traditional décor of my bedroom. The pillowcases fit easily over the standard sized pillows I am currently using, have a thread count of 300, and are 100% sateen. They were very comfortable to sleep on and did not scratch my face or hold heat during the night. Due to the quality of the pillowcases, I am thinking of purchasing the matching Hot Rod Flame sheet set.

Written by: Rekesha Spellman, November 7th 2010

Forever Tattoo Almond Standard Pillowcase Set

mandy — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

By Sin in Linen

Bedding that’s cool. Bedding that’s hot. Bedding that’s fun. Not how one would usually describe the material that covers the place they sleep. But then again most people haven’t been introduced to Sin in Linen.

A passionate lady with a penchant for the “seductive whimsy” of 1940s and 1950s pin-up, Sandy Glaze decided to start her own “soft goods enterprise” when she realized there wasn’t any bedding that suited her style. With the help of her mother, Iris, the two launched Sin in Linen. The company is based in Seattle, Washington and home to a wide range of counterculture motifs. From pinup to skulls, and with colors to suit any fancy, the company ensures everyone’s alternative aesthetic will be satisfied.

Not only are Sin in Linen's products stylish, but they are high quality as well. I had the good fortune of experiencing pure pleasure when I unpacked my Forever Tattoo almond standard pillowcase set. The soft feel of the 300- thread-count Egyptian cotton made me want to snuggle up in bed with my new linens.

For those who are not familiar with thread count, it is the number of horizontal and vertical threads in woven into one square-inch of fabric. The thread count is used to identify the quality and strength of the textile. In addition to the higher-the-average thread count, Sin in Linen uses Egyptian cotton, an extra-long staple cotton that is usually equated with luxury products. Both of these features make for a softer more sensuous feel. So, it was no wonder I was eager to cozy up with my new well-attired pillows.

In addition to bedding, Sin in Linen offers curtains, towels, glassware, and some apparel. It’s the perfect place to find a treat for yourself and a gift for a friend. The easy-to-navigate website is also informative, as one visitor wrote, and provides a forum for events and Sin in Linen's product sightings on its blog.

Some favorite prints to keep an eye out for when visiting the site are Flash Tattoo (for the tough-edged princess who looks heavenly in white), Night Shade Vine (for a touch of indulgence), and Wish You Were Here Pinup (for some plain old sexy fun!). For now I’ll be sticking with my Forever Tattoo pillowcases and encouraging anyone who is a sleep-time queen to check out the rest of this company's gratifying selection.

Written by: Irene Wazgowska, September 18th 2010

The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:48:00 +0000

By Margot Mifflin

University of Nebraska Press

The Blue Tattoo tells the story of Olive Oatman, a nineteenth century woman with an unusual life. In 1851, Oatman was violently abducted along with her younger sister by Yavapais after watching this group of Native Americans brutally slaughter the rest of her family. What happens after this life-altering event, Mifflin argues, sheds light on American attitudes and treatment toward Native Americans, as well as the role and expectations for women in the 1800s.

It was a blue tattoo on her chin that marked Oatman for the rest of her life and served as a testament to her experience. After her abduction, Oatman was later adopted by the Mohave and assimilated into the tribe. This was evidenced by her tattoo, which Mohave women usually had themselves. Mifflin argues, despite what Oatman and others said later, that the tattoo was one symbol, among others, that she was accepted into the tribe and wanted to be a part of the tribe as well.

Years later, Oatman was “rescued” from the Mohave and had to transition back into White society as an adult. While she was an unusual woman for her time (she was the among the first white women to be tattooed in the United States and went on tour for speaking engagements, another uncommon act for a female to participate in), Oatman allowed her experience with the Mohave to be twisted into one where she was a victim of Native American oppressors. In fact, in subsequent photographs, and at some lectures, Oatman would cover up her chin tattoo with makeup, as if erasing her friendly ties to the Mohave.

Although Oatman’s story on its own is full of intrigue, Mifflin adeptly uses her tale as a springboard for larger issues of the time. Mifflin highlights America’s history of westward expansion through either war or simply seizing new land. The slaughter of Oatman’s family took place as they were heading through what was then Native American territory in the Southwest. While an occasional action by Oatman after her release gave some indication of the affection she felt toward the Mohave, she did not use the spotlight to defend Native American rights or acknowledge the kind treatment she received from the Mohave tribe. After her release, she seemed to bury any of the fondness and goodwill toward the Mohave, and instead, perpetuated the notion that Native Americans were savages.

Mifflin adds that Oatman's tale also reflects upon the unique lifestyle she had as a woman after her release. Oatman, ultimately, had only one immediate family member who survived the massacre and, therefore, little financial support after her release. This was a time when women did not work outside of the home. When faced with being reintroduced into white society, however, Oatman was forced to try to make a living for herself through endeavors like releasing a book about her experience and by attending public speaking events.

In the end, Oatman did what was necessary for her survival in White society. She did what she could to financially support herself by telling the American public what they wanted to hear about her years in captivity. We’ll never know how Oatman really felt about her time with the Mohave, but it is certain that, at the very least, Oatman did push the boundaries of what was thought to be appropriate for women during her time, even if what she did was at the expense of Native Americans.

Written by: Beverly Jenkins-Crockett, November 7th 2009

The Mark of Cain

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 00:55:00 +0000

Directed by Alix Lambert

Pink Ghetto Productions

Although prison life is a dreary subject and Russian prison life even more so, The Mark of Cain is a film anyone interested in post-communist Russia must see. The documentary features interviews with Russian prison inmates. Director Alix Lambert examines the changes Russian prison tattoo art has undergone since the fall of communism and winds up vividly capturing both the changes in Russian prison life since the fall of communism, and the problems Russian society faces as it grapples with its communist past.

During one scene, a prison administrator proclaims, “To speak of the history of our correctional labor institution, it’s worth going back to the year 1930” as a statue of Lenin is shown. He goes on to give a brief history of the modern prison system. Then an elderly inmate complains that tattoos have no meaning anymore. He proudly shows off his tattoos of Joseph Stalin and Vladmir Lenin. A younger inmate then implies that prison tattoos do still have meaning when he says, “Certain questions just don’t have to be asked…If a person ends up in prison again then those tattoos will say a lot about them.”

The conditions of Russian prisons are actually worse now than they were during the communist era, as is the present economy. Lambert expresses just how dismal the conditions in Russian prisons are in a scene where a bowl of watery soup the color of vomit is shown as an inmate says, “And you live off of that.” Another inmate remarks that family and friends bring inmates extra food because if they only eat the prison food they will have a “lack of vitamins.”

In another scene, a Russian criminology expert says, “The first testimony of terrible torture came in 1989.” He goes on to describe the "cell-press,” a particular torture method used by communists where an inmate was placed in a small cell with other inmates who were allowed to do anything they wanted to him. The past becomes not so distant in the next shot when an inmate describes the torture methods currently used in prisons, and the ‘cell press’ is included in his list.

Despite the dark subject, this documentary captivates you. Alix Lambert is to be commended.

Written by: Gina-Marie Cheeseman, July 7th 2007