By Mary N. DiZazzo

"Say have you met Lydia the tattoed lady?
Lydia, oh Lydia, that enclyclopidia,
Oh Lydia the Champ of them all
She once swept an admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
For he went and married Lydia!"

Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg

Ciao bella,

Recently at the Third Annual Boston Tattoo Convention, I saw many Lydias." It's a form of expression where body and art connect. There I also met Ivan from Milan, Italy at his booth, named, appropriately, Crazy Tattoo.

He said how sad to live your whole life and have pink skin. Tattooing was a special form of art that you carry on your body your whole life. Scott from Grin and Bare It, says some people do it for pain therapy. Jason Keene of Tiki Tattoos can draw a colored portrait of your loved one! I saw his work --it's incredible and precise.

Tattooing is one of the oldest forms of art. It is noted that tattooing was first practiced by the Egyptians in approximately 2000 B.C.

The Maoris of New Zealand refined color tattooing, which made it gain popularity and spread through China, India, and Japan. It landed in Europe during the sixteenth century.

To want to have a tattoo is a primeval human instinct. But everybody doesn't have the nerve or hasn't acquired the urge for their needs so far.

The goal of the Boston Tattoo Convention is to elevate the art form of tattooing and share the creativity with the people who are seriously looking for a good tattoo.

So whether you choose Bad to the Bone salon in Lynn, Lucky Soul Tattoo in Ansonia, Conn., Eureka! Electric Tattooing in Ontario, Canada, or Redemption Tattoo in Cambridge, Mass. -- just grin and bare it!

Buona giornata

--Mary

Have you missed any of Mary's columns in the Post-Gazette? Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns on her website www.mary4nails.com. She is a third-generation cosmetologist and owner of Mary for Nails, etc. natural nailcare salon in Andover, and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183. She also sees select clients by appointment in Boston at (617) 742-6881.