For those of you that don't know, Checkered Past in a vintage clothing and piercing studio in the Central Pennsylvania area that has exploded in the current wave of getting every body part imaginable pierced being the cool thing to do. Checkered Past has been a pillar in the small town of New Cumberland for the past five years, but on Saturday, May 1st, I visited their second location in Red Lion location for the first time to experience their May Day Piercing Party with a six hour art gallery for local artists.

    I had a chance to talk with the owner (and new father), Shane, about how he and his wife, Grace, have gotten to this point in their business. It has been a long a windy road for Shane, a former Honda employee and Gap Manager, and Grace, who received her accounting degree from Messiah College. They spent three-quarters of a year reconstructing and renovating this former bank into what it is today; with vaulted ceilings, an upper loft that displays a permanent art gallery, and an old vault that holds their jewelry collection, it was well worth it!

    Checkered Past is able to boast that they employ three of the eleven members of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) that are located in Pennsylvania. You can find out more about APP, the strict standards that must be met by their members, and where to find an approved piercer near you at www.safepiercing.org. When visiting either Checkered Past location, you can also be served by two very knowledgable apprentices.

    During the May Day event, there were also a group artists sharing their talents with patrons, giving you the opportunity to buy a piece of pottery or a photograph to take home, to find out about yourself through subconscious interpretation with a tarrott card or numerology reading, or to relax with a mind/body reconnection rubdown with a massage therapist. The artistic part of the day was hosted by Art is Freedom, a group that trys to provide exposure and opportunity for today's emerging artists. You can find out more about the artisits at www.artisfreedom.com. I would like to thank Karen, Julie, Vanyanna, Deanne, Dawn, and Sharon, part of the mystic Christian groupTwo Fish, for enlightening me mentally and spiritually throughout the day.

    In addition to the body modifications that you can have done at Checkered Past, you can also pick up a great new-for-you, old-for-someone-else garment in their vintage clothing section. The stuff that they have is so reasonably priced, and guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind. Two years ago, I bought an awesome dress there for a Halloween party (Keith was a '40s style ganster and I was a flapper) for less than I could have rented a plastic imitation.

    Check out Checkered Past's website at www.checkeredpast.info to find out how to get to one of their two locations, receive free or discounted piercings, read up on correct after-care, and check out other events that they have coming up.