My Tattoo Is A Month Old, But It Is Still Raised? Is This Normal?

The very first thing I would recommend to those of you looking to get a new tattoo is to plain and simply not listen to what your friends say about their process.

I had so many varying answers to my questions regarding the level of pain when it comes to getting a tattoo for the first time. Some described it as unbearable, others stated it was relaxing, and some said it felt like being stung by a hive of angry bees.

For me though, it felt like someone running their fingernail across my skin. I barely felt it. Does this mean that will be your experience as well? Definitely not.

The same went for when my new tattoo was healing, that unbearable demonic itch everyone else said they experienced seemed to skip me over. Perhaps I got lucky?

I was beginning to think something was wrong with my tattoo, when in fact this was normal, it was just how my body was healing my tattoo.

However one thing that alarmed me was when I noticed that my tattoo was fully healed a month later, that it was still raised on the outline. The rest of the tattoo healed fine, and felt smooth to the touch, however the outline never seemed to go down.

Instead of jumping the gun and blaming my tattoo artist, I looked into the other possible reasons for why this happened to me, and not to others.

There are many reasons, the artist could have had a heavy hand, or worked the area too much and the raised outline is scar tissue that healed that way. It could also be a reaction to the ink, or just the way your body heals to a deep cut.

Is it normal though?

Yes, a raised tattoo is actually relatively common, and normal. In fact I prefer my tattoo to have this raised effect as it looks unique this way, almost like branding.

Raising also occurs randomly to smooth tattoos temporarily. Some experience some raising in warm water, or in the sun. Like a permanently raised tattoo, having temporary raised areas on your tattoo is also normal.

How To Keep Zombies From Killing Garden- Sims 3 Supernatural

The absolute biggest annoyance in EA's newest expansion pack for The Sims 3, The Sims 3 Supernatural, is the fact that the concept of zombies roaming the neighborhood was not exactly executed the way EA presented it in their commercials. Not by a long shot.

Instead zombies become spawned during the full moon, and will show up wherever you are during this full moon.

The most annoying thing about this though, is that they will destroy your garden, and you are left with absolutely nothing to do to stop them from eating your plants until they are dead.

There are however a few ways around this, they will not always work however, but it is the best advice I have to offer when it comes to dealing with having zombies not kill your entire garden, rendering all of your hard work useless.

The first method to keeping zombies away from your garden would be to visit another lot during the full moon. Zombies only tend to spawn up wherever your active Sim may be, so if you are not home during the full moon, the likelihood of zombies spawning there are less.

The second method seems to be the most helpful way in dealing with zombies.

You can simply place a fence around your garden with a gate. Once you have the gate placed on it, click the gate, and lock it to only allow your family in. This will keep zombies from going in. The unfortunate thing about this however is that zombies may sometimes spawn up in your garden. It's a rare occurrence, but it can happen.

The final solution to ridding zombies from killing your garden is to strategically place zombie pea shooters near the garden. The shooter is available however only to those who purchased the limited edition version of the game. What is unfortunate about the shooter though is that it is not very effective at keeping zombies at bay, especially if more than 1 spawns.

Nintendo Wii U Game Pad Flaws

I was amongst the few who managed to get a brand spanking new Nintendo Wii U console the week of its release date. The console has become more and more difficult to get hold of, and it will only grow more tedious as the holidays draw in on us.

However, with being one of the lucky ones, I had to mention that the new system, 32GB or 8GB, it does not matter; this console has one major flaw that has new owners of the system raving mad.

The Game Pad

Now do not get me wrong, the new game pad that comes with the Nintendo Wii U is nothing short of gnarly, with a beautiful 6.2 inch responsive and flawless touch screen stealing all of the attention. It's interesting, and reeks of divine technology, but with that said, the game pad has a battery life that touches in at just around 3 hours even on a full charge.

Gamers, especially those who just picked up the new console are bound to waste away way more than just 3 hours trying to make their way around the new controls, and toying with the new on screen applications. What an unpleasant surprise that the game pad only gives 3 hours of game play till it turns black.

Talks of possible higher end game pads that are less lower end in quality, and have more battery life being sold in the future has been mentioned amongst gamers most wanted wish list for the Wii U.

Besides the poor battery life, the Wii U touch screen game pad has a few other flaws that need to be mentioned.

Although the game pad is sleek, with a nice design and feel. The undeniable fact is that the controller feels very low in quality, with lightweight plastic that feels cheap in your hand. I imagine a spill to a hard floor and it could easily crack.

The touchscreen itself is also quickly scratched with lots of use. If you plan on getting a Wii U, please make sure you pick up a screen protector, as I have managed to scratch mine after just 4 uses.

The next issue that I am sure will be quickly remedied, is the fact that you cannot find game pads being sold separately at this time. If you break your game pad before Nintendo releases a stand alone game pad for purchase, you are out of luck. Or you will be forced to buy a brand new console. So if you pick up a Wii U early on, be sure to baby that game pad until Nintendo begins selling them alone. God only knows what the game pad pricing will be either if you would ever need to replace yours. My guess would be in the $120.00 range, possibly more.

New From CoverGirl!!!

Ladies, you are going to absoultley love this one. The new Blastflipstick from CoverGirl comes with not just one lip color, but 2. You have the option to flip the stick to add either a flat matte color to your lips, and wear that alone, or you can mix and blend it with a lighter shimmery color lipstick which changes the color into something new.

I consdier it my night and day lipstick, as you can go lighter during the day by using the shimmery color, and darker at night by using the bold matte color.

I recieved a BZZ Kit containing 3 new colors from the collection, I loved them so much that I ended up going out and buying even more colors from the collection.

Pucker in particular is a gorgeous tickled pink color, with a shimmery pale pink duo on the flip side.

Besides the bold and pretty colors this collection offers, these lipsticks last, and I mean they last LONG! I apply in the morning and still have bold, bright and beautiful lip color easily into the evening, even with drinking from a can throughout the day. I was pleasantly surprised by this.

Each lip duo sells for $7.99 at local retail stores, which is a steal in comparison to other high end lipsticks, which do not even provide an hour of lasting color.  Love, love, love this one!!!

Sims 3 Showtime, Expansion Pack Coming In March 2012

I like thousands of other Sims fans get giddy with excitement whenever we hear about the upcoming release of new expansion packs for our beloved games.

Sadly when it comes to this installment of the franchise- Sims 3, nearly every expansion pack has been a huge disappointing pitty party whenever we install the new expansions and have a gander at what each one has to offer....which is not much.

The very last expasion pack, which was Sims 3 Pets, was so horrendously dissapoinnting that I have not played the game since the release.

It is sad that it takes a new expansion pack to rekindle my love affair with this game.

I am not so sure my love affair will last that long when it comes to Showtime though.

This new expansion pack that is set for shelves this March 2012, just may be the ticket to getting me back into the game, and jazzed up again. This one is titled Sims 3 Showtime, and I feel like this one is more like an update to Ambitions, or a newer version of the original Sims Superstars.

With the not so unique vibe being present, I had to spy across the web for information on what this new expansion pack really would offer. Hopefully it was not just a re-make of what fans have already seen, unfortunatley EA is legendary for delivering the same crap, with an amped up look. Or not so amped up?

My Take:

So the game is pretty similar to the whole theme we saw in the original Sims 1- Superstars. However, with that being a reality, Showtime features an all new and interesting aspect to gameplay.

You have the option to travel to other Sims towns... thats right---- real life friends--- once in their town you can preform gigs, or just go on a tour.

I have to say this has to be one of the more attractive features about the new game...but what worries me is this:

Say I allow a friend of mine to visit my town, and they meet their actual character that I have created?

Yep, I am one of those players who create Sims based off of real life people. Like Facebook, I wonder if this new feature could actually ruin lives, or embarass the hell out of people.

At any rate, I feel that with this new 'visit your real life friends towns' feature, the game could be killer cool, or reallybad deoending on the situation.

Word to the wise, just don't be friends with your crush, and allow him into your town. God forbid you are married to him in your Sim Town. Haha.

I however pray that EA did not focus entirely on bringing us this new feature, and not adding much else besides that.

What I like though, is that EA seemed to have listened to my non-stop pleas to make the game more like Animal Crossing, where you could visit friends towns... they brought my lifelong want into a reality, and I am excited to see how it all works.

Americas Next Top Model All Stars- Episode 4 Recap

Now do not get me wrong, I love Angelea, she's sparky, spunky, and interesting, but in my humble opinion she definitely did not deserve last nights best photo of the week moment. Nor did I think the runner up... uhm...(was it Dominique?) deserved that spot either; especially...over Allison, whom delieved a gorgeous cameleon of a photograph. Everything about Allison in photographs excites me, from her doe eyes and dolly disposition, she's a true photogenic star. Now in person though, she is quite the polar opposite.

At any rate, last nights picks angered me so much that I had to cut to the chase from the get go.

During this weeks challenge the girls all had a few minutes to remember lines for a very popular TV show, CSI. The winner who recites their lines best will win a role on the show. The problem with the challenge however is that a lot of the words the girls must remember are long medical terms.

Here is where I think Angelea was shafted, as she seemed to me, to be the one to deliver the lines more flawlessly. Her on screen presence however is not as vibrant as Bre's and I think that may have been a possible influence as to why Bre took home the acting role, and not Angelea.

At any rate, this weeks photo-shoot sucks all around, and even though I feel Allison took the best shot, the entire 'point' of it all made no sense to me. I miss the creativity the photo-shoots used to include. I mean remember Allison as an owl in the woods? Or when we were all shocked with the grace and beauty of that mermaid shoot where that awkwardly tall girl (whatserface) won best shot?

All Stars has yet to deliver any clothing/shoots that have been really interesting to me as far as creativity goes.

I was hoping with this season, that Tyra would have each girl combat her worst photo-shoot from the past! It would have made more sense to me, so far the only one subjected to her worst fears was Joker smile face Bianca, with the 'stilts' photo-shoot.

I would have liked to see moments from the past, brought out in the present, in the actual photo-shoots, such as the models in diapers to represent Lisa's embarrassing moment, or blond evil women fighting to represent that mean one (who now looks like Cameron Diaz to me).

At any rate, I guess I just miss the past seasons creativity in shoots, and I hope that this will occur as the show goes on. We are still very early in to the cycle, so anything could happen, but right now it just seems like everything we loved about our All Stars has been striped. The mean girl is now the shy quiet one? The red head beauty Kayla is as boring as ever, and Allison's only camera time seems to be when she is on stage at the very end of the show, or during a shoot being praised.

Anyhow, with that being said the show ends with someone being kicked off... only she was so stiff and boring I do not recall her name. Sad.

Americas Next Top Model All Stars- Episode 5 Recap

Last night we were graced with episode 5 of Americas Next Top Model All Stars, and finally the show has delivered an interesting photo-shoot. I was truly getting bored with the lackluster themes.

Before getting into that though, let us cover the drama that has unfolded within the house.

We start off with some sort of argument regarding private telephone calls, and phone time use. Shannon set up some 20 minute rule, so that way everyone who needs to call home, gets their share of the phone. It seemed like a fine plan to me, but Bianca ends up confronting her about it. Instead of gunning for herself, Shannon buckles under pressure, and tells Bianca she can have her phone time. Tears swell, she looks like an idiot, and Lisa jumps in.

Lisa and Bianca end up yapping back and forth, but truly it was one of the shows most lackluster drama filled scenes.

Next we fast forward on to the episode challenge. This week the girls will be doing a catwalk wearing the Kardashians clothing line. The runway is a simple walkway, with a carousel to finish it off. The girls must walk the runway, and then gracefully make their way onto the spinning carnival ride. Take one cycle around on it while posing, and then exit.

Mind you, they must master this in heels.

Nothing stuck out as off or bad, except the judges found Bianca to have no energy at all, as if she was bothered to even be there. I did not get that impression, but apparently the arguing with Lisa and Shannon earlier got to her, making her look bored and slightly angry while doling the walk.

Lisa and Shannon win this weeks challenge and are awarded a head to toe outfit from the Kardashians collection.

Shortly after being somewhat scolded by Miss Jay, Bianca breaks down in a hissy fit about how she once again feels she is the best, and yadda- yadda- yadda. Point a finger, and blame the other girls, and that was that.

Back at the house the tension is still high for Bianca, and she mentions wanting to go home. Bre, her sister comforts her by telling her to come and play, seeing that all of the girls were downstairs talking badly about her. Bianca buckles up, and that scene is a wrap.

Next we have the photo-shoot, which is one of the funnest ones this cycle has done thus far.

All of the girls will be dressed up in a different period in Michael Jackson's lifetime. The fun part though is that his sister Latoya joins the cast to meet everyone.

Lisa stuck out as my favorite model during the shoot, with fun dance moves and sky high energy.

Unfortunately the judges later on think otherwise.

Nobody in particular stuck out as looking bad or doing a bad job. Allison had the most interesting costume though, which made her look more like a clown doll, than Michael, but nonetheless, her photo, as always was my favorite. Allison wore a costume from when Michael was a young boy, where the other girls were placed in costume more recognized from the 80's and early 90's.

On to the chopping block

The best photo of the week went to... the country girl. Sadly I still do not like her 'in person appearance', so I cannot recall her name. For the sake of the article, I had to google it. Laura. yeah.

In the bottom 2 we have Lisa and Angelea. Poor Angelea, I thought she did an awesome job on the set, and I thought Lisa had the funnest energy. I swear sometimes I think they pick their least favorites worst photos.

Regardless though, of the photo chosen, this weeks chop would be handed over to LaToya Jackson. I had a hunch LaToya would send no one home, and my hunch was right. LaToya mentions that her brother was about love, and therefore she would be sending no one home.

This week, everyone is safe...as Angelea would say, thank you Michael, or LaToya, or Jesus!