One Perfect Piece - Second Life Fashion

Welcome to 2011!

2011-01-08T06:35:00.000-05:00

Starting off the year with a nice surprise - a friend of mine messaged me that my picture was one of the ones up backstage at the new Patch Thibaud Auditorium at the Casablanca Hotel. The final exam for Avenue Models Academy is this weekend, so now that the holidays are over, I should be back blogging more normally once that is complete (and, of course, blogging the exam experience - cross your fingers for me). In the meantime - health and happiness to you and yours in the new year! :)

Times Change - Rez Day 2010

2010-12-19T12:34:00.001-05:00

Wow, I've had a blast - hard to believe it's been three years. I've seen tons of terrific builds, met great people, taken lots of classes, discovered amazing creations everywhere. And the changes - the clothes and hair and skin have changed so much, so many new things have been introduced and the techniques and skills of the designers have advanced by leaps and bounds. Anyway, for my rez day this year, I decided to go back and grab one of my early blog photos and put it together with a similar headshot from today. I wish I'd have done a headshot every year (but I think I will from here on out).

Now:

Then (early 2008):

Happy Holidays, Everyone! :)

While Rome Burned...

2010-12-15T07:06:00.002-05:00

Yes, 1st Life has kept me busy lately and I'm catching up - on blogging and on shopping. Earlier this week I walked into Glam Affair, saw the avant garde Nero Collection and fell in love. Beautifully textured blacks with clean lines and fierce details - utterly fabulous. The only way they could be more perfect is if I could afford them all. The nipple grazing bodice and bold shoulders of Black Mistress come with a short hip skirt over shorts, but I couldn't resist pairing it with the July pants with their draping waist and ultra wide legs. Keeping things simple and bold, my new favorite ultra short hair from Kin and the Afrika set from YS&YS finished the look.

Credits:

Outfit: Glam Affair Black Mistress & July Pants

Hair: Kin Cricket (Black)

Jewelry: YS&YS Afrika Set (Silver/Black)

Featured SLURLs:

Glam Affair

YS&YS

Kin

Just Mausin' Around

2010-12-14T06:49:00.001-05:00

OK, I love this helmet. I've loved this helmet since the first time I saw it. It's whimsical, it's inspired, and it's perfect for eveningwear - right? Paired with Eshi Otawara's Queen of Hearts, the fabulous Heroes of Fashion McQueen Goth boots and the tiny hearts on lashes from Miamai (careful editing these, the heart borders are separate from the hearts which are separate from... well, you get the idea, just plan to spend some editing time on them). Oh and hair - that's going to take you a bit of time to edit as well, but the new Costa style from Tukinowaguma lends itself nicely to combat helmets (and is pretty great without them as well).

Credits:
Helmet & Collar: Hat Mechanic Mini Maus
Hair: Tukinowaguma Costa (Ebony)
Eyelashes: Miamai No Alpha N22
Eyes: Ibanez Horizon Winter
Dress: Eshi Otawara Queen of Hearts & Carved Leather Gloves
Boots: Heroes of Fashion McQueen Goth Boots
Poses by Manifeste

Featured SLURLs:

Hat Mechanic (in the lower shops)

Avenue in 3D

2010-12-13T06:09:00.003-05:00

The Avenue Academy assignment this week was three outfits (formal, casual and swimsuit), 6 poses plus walk and default pose for each. Choosing, styling and setting up the animations ran about 2 hours for each outfit and I was lucky that I saved a bit of time by having a casual and formal outfit already styled. The first class was runway work and work it was - a very narrow runway high over water (with no walls) - a challenge just to walk alone then ramped up to a paired walk with a position swap. Once we had all finished our falls... er... walks and practiced getting back on stage, we spent the rest of the time doing a multi-stop coordinated walk with multiple models in motion at once. All in all, a terrific experience that took the training wheels off the standard "walk straight, turn and return".

Location URL: Empyreal Dreams, The Artbox Anthology

Credits:
Outfit: CoCo Highwaisted Bubble Skirt and Sleeveless Sweater (Black)
Jewelry: Mandala Kagetora Necklace & Takara Bangles
Hair: 2MB Beverly (Black)
Pose by DeePosed

The second class this weekend was classroom work on tips and qualities of being a professional model, so when it was over I took my casual and classroom outfits to the Empyreal Dreams sim for this week's pictures. The sim features 3D interpretations of works such as the Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Les Miserables as well as tributes to bodies of work from the likes of Edgar Allen Poe and it is visually stunning - definitely give it a visit.

Credits:
Outfit: Tres Beau Storm (Fire)
Jewelry: EarthStones Eternelle Marcasite Earrings and Pendant Watch (Garnet)
Hair: W&Y Hair 92 (Pack A, Black)
Pose by DeePosed

Avenue With A Twist

2010-11-29T06:35:00.000-05:00

There were two Avenue Models Academy classes this weekend - Styling and Pose Management. Styling was a very thorough and detailed assessment of last week's assignment (three layers, three designers, completely styled) including prim editing, overall effect, styling and shape and Pose Management was a repeat of the assignment adding a walk, default pose and four poses with the same level of feedback and runway walking until my fingers cramped. Talk about intense - I'm loving this course! After I finished styling for Pose Management, I asked several friends for feedback and one referred to my outfit as "Artful Dodger Chic", so I headed out to New London for a few Dickensian shots and discovered the offices of Scrooge & Marley (among other landmarks, fictional and real).

Location SLURL: New London Village, The Doctor Who Zone , TARDIS

Credits:
LeeZu - NOIR Efraims Daughter Pants
Glam Affair - Make-up Layer 05
[MANDALA] - Mikoto Belt (Black/Silver)
niciARTLINE - Leggings Muster Design #1
fri. - Comfy.Cardi (Wine)
~GW~ - Steampunk: Chemise
N-Core - Belt Ankle Boot Black
EarthStones - Asian influence Jewelry Set - Luck
W&Y HAIR New 38 (Black)
*Linc* Half Fishnet Stockings Black
Poses by Manifeste

Strolling Down the Avenue

2010-11-21T13:54:00.001-05:00

All the updates this round are Avenue - Couture and Academy. I was selected as one of the semi-finalists for the Couture Avenue Look 2011 contest for November (you can see my entry here) and had the opportunity to join the other four contestants on the runway. I didn't win, but I had a terrific time and met some great people - I also didn't fall on my face, into the triangular holes on stage or into anyone's lap, so all good there. For full details:

Couture Avenue Look 2011 - November Semi-Finalists
Couture Avenue Look 2011 - November Finalist

In other news, I started my first class of the Avenue Models Academy yesterday and it was completely fabulous. There is a very different approach from MVW with a lot of emphasis on runway work and I'm really looking forward to eventually being confident enough on a catwalk that I'm not shaking like a leaf and holding my breath the whole time. The first night was the info, overview and welcome and, along with a lot of information and links, we also picked up our first assignment: Create and style a look on any theme using three layers from three different designers with separates not allowed (in other words, gotta rip apart stuff that goes together). If you can't guess, I styled around a music theme.

Credits:

Top: LeeZu Noir Efraims Daughter

Leggings: niciARTLINE Muster Queen (Transparent)

Belt: [ATOMIC] Music Belt_Black

Collar: Hat Mechanic Maus Collar
Hat: Wild O Garden Hat Black
Pants: Baiastice Anna Lou (Black)
Boots: Heroes of Fashion - McQueen Goth Boots
Hair: MrS - Languid (Black)
[White~Widow - w/Eyeshadow] Face Tattoo 10

The Silk Road Hunt Begins!

2010-11-08T05:12:00.000-05:00

From the organizers of my favorite hunts (The Steam Hunt) comes the first semi-annual Asian themed hunt, The Silk Road Hunt! If you are interested, take a bit of time to read up on the history of The Silk Road. I just started this one over the weekend, so I'll be opening boxes when I finish and posting some of the bounty, but you can see previews of quite a few of the gifts (and they look great - as I would expect) at the hunt blog (URL at the end of the post). As with The Steam Hunt, the clues are clever, the participants are friendly, the group is helpful, the hunt is well organized, the gifts are great and the overall feeling is fun, so head to the starting point and pick up some pagodas! From the press release:

++++++++++The SILK ROAD Hunt+++++++++++

THE SILK ROAD consisted of an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe.

The SILK ROAD Hunt will take place from 1-30 November, 2010.

There will be SILK ROAD-themed gifts to find hidden all over the grid in more than 80 participating shops. You'll be offered a variety of gifts as you search for the hidden items. Only high-quality designers have been invited to participate, and their exclusive items will be available only for the duration of the hunt.

As with most hunts, you begin at a starting location. That location will give you the LM to the next, and so on.

THIS IS THE STARTING LOCATION LM:

Starting Point: The Silk Road Hunt, Mieville Dickens

However, if you join the group, in November you'll be given a list of all the merchants' shops and you can start wherever you like!

SEARCH the group The SILK ROAD Hunters and join for free!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://silkroadhunt.blogspot.com/

Contest Entry - Couture Avenue 2011 (November)

2010-10-31T11:06:00.000-04:00

OK, so I completely adore the Miamai Black Label Collection and was *thrilled* when they opened a shop on Couture Avenue (making them eligible as contest choices). It was a complete pleasure putting a look together for this month and tons of fun doing the face and head shots. I used items from several of the collection outfits and combined them with the Baiastice Anna Lou pants for a nouveau couture look with an Asian twist.

Couture Avenue 2011

Credits:
Eyes: Ibanez Eyes Horizon (Eire)
Hair: booN ANT213 hair (Black)
Skin: Dutch Touch JiP (Cream - PiP CL1 HB)
Face Tattoo: Lovely Mi Make-up Madame X [Eyes Only]
Jacket: Miamai [BlackLabel] Ansiotropic Jacket
Shoes: Miamai [BlackLabel] MothQueer Shoes
Nails: Miamai [BlackLabel] Myda
Pants: Baiastice Anna lou (Black)
Collar: Violator My Fetish (Platinum Black)
Poses by DeePosed

Couture AVENUE 2011:

Couture AVENUE, an exclusive shopping district, represents the finest style, creativity and sophistication hosting top fashion brands LeLutka, CheerNo, Chantkare, AZUL, Baiastice, Nicky Ree, Stylissimo and Miamai.

Couture AVENUE is looking for fashionista extraordinaires that are able to embody the spirit of these brands and combine top-notch looks and styling to be the face for Couture AVENUE in 2011. Do you have what it takes?

The 'Couture AVENUE LOOK 2011' search is open to both men and women, offering one top male and female winner an invitation to AVENUE MODELS, an exclusive AVENUE MAGAZINE cover and to be the face of Couture AVENUE ads and promotions.

Each month a finalist will be chosen and receive :
- an exclusive interview and shoot in AVENUE Magazine
- $3,000L shopping spree at Couture AVENUE
- a discount voucher of 2,000L for a course at AVENUE Models Academy.

All monthly finalists will be entered into the finals where one male and one female winner will be selected to be the face for Couture AVENUE Look 2011. Each winner will receive :
- A one year contract to be the face for Couture AVENUE ads, events and promotions
- A cover on AVENUE Magazine
- An invitiation to join AVENUE Models

RULES OF ENTRY
------------------
1. Join the AVENUE Magazine Readers group to stay up to date on the contest events and updates.
2. Place the Couture AVENUE location in your picks with the following LM & texture.
3. Purchase two or more items from the Couture AVENUE shops and place the transaction history at the bottom of the application notecard. Transactions will be verified, those incomplete or inaccurate will forfeit their submission.
4. Style your look and SHOOT. Each look has to be sourced from at least two different designers' stores at Couture AVENUE. You may employ any photographer of your choice but importance will be given to showcasing your look and styling.
5. You will have to present TWO photos of your styling: one head shot and one full body shot (size: 1024 X 1024 pixels). Make sure they are labelled CALook2011(month)_(your name)_(headshot/bodyshot). Example : CALook2011September_Sweetest Sands_headshot
6. Complete the application in this notecard, rename and submit it to the Couture AVENUE Look 2011 Mailbox. Applications will be accepted until 5th of each month, starting on September 5th, 2010, and ending on August 5th, 2011. Late submissions will be included to participate in the next round of the following month.
7. Each month, there will be a monthly runway showcase where a selection of semi-finalists will vie for a finalist position. Each semi-finalist will do a simple runway walk parading their styled Couture AVENUE look. One semi-finalist will be selected by a panel of judges to be a finalist. In the final showcase, 12 finalists will compete to be elected as "Couture AVENUE Face 2011" - one male and one female winner. The schedule for the monthly showcases will be :

2010
Round 1 - September 12th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 2 - October 17th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 3- November 14th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 4- December 12th, Sunday at 11am slt

2011
Round 5- January 16th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 6-February 13th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 7-March 13th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 8-April 17th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 9-May 15th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 10-June 12th, Sunday at 11am slt
Round 11-July 17th, Sunday at 11am
Round 12-August 14th, Sunday at 11am

Finals: September 4th, Sunday at 11am

8. Each entrant is allowed to submit only one entry and if you fail to be selected any month, you may choose to submit in another month with a new styled look.
9. All entrants must be able to commit to monthly showcase dates that apply to them as well as the grand final. Failing to turn up for your month's showcase and finals date will disqualify your entry with no exception. In the finals, finalists will compete in a final round of styling and showcase it on the runway.
10. Entries are open to everyone including models and members of AVENUE groups with the exception of staff and management from AVENUE and Couture AVENUE Designers teams.

For more information, kindly contact :
Sweetest Sands
Couture AVENUE Manager
sweetest@avenuesl.com

Contest Updates - October

2010-10-27T17:18:00.001-04:00

Well, all the contest results are in for this month, including the grueling selection for the EarthStones All Hallows Eve contest (what a fabulous pool of entries). Yours truly managed a runner up slot in the Agnes Finney My Precious Queen contest though I didn't make the top three - still, pretty pleased considering it was a first time entry. Congratulations to all the winners! Photos are from the Styling Forward Semi-Finals as promised in an earlier post, theme was Black & White Anything Goes, credits at the end. :)

EarthStones 3rd Annual All Hallows Eve Photo Contest Winners
EarthStones Flickr Group

Agnes Finney My Precious Queen (October - Winter Theme) Winners

Angel Dessous Angel of the Month (November) Winners
Angel Dessous Angel of Angel Dessous 2010 Flickr Group

Couture Avenue Look 2011 Finalist
Couture Avenue Look 2011 Semi-Finalists

Photo Credits:

Hair:
booN - QPT129 (Black)

Outfit:
LeeZu! - Mia Corset (Black )
*COCO* - BalloonPants (Black)
*Linc* - Half Fishnet Stockings (Black)
House of Beningborough - Vivaldi Short Jacket (Harlequin)

Accessories:
Stiletto Moody - Bare Olivia (Black)
Mandala - Takara Nail (Black Bright)
Mandala - Mikoto Belt (Black/Silver)
Chapeau tres Mignon - Golightly Hat (Black)

EarthStones 3rd Annual All Hallows Eve Photo Contest!

2010-10-15T16:59:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year again, so put on your finest EarthStones jewelry, polish your bat’s wings, stir up the cauldron, spread your cobwebs and shoot your way to infamy and fortune in the EarthStones Third Annual All Hallows Eve Photo Contest!

Singles or couples, ladies or gents welcome (only a single prize pack awarded per winning photo, though).
Theme: All Hallows Eve, of course!
Deadline: Midnight SLT on October 24th.
Winners Announced: October 26th
Judges: EarthStones Staff & Management

PRIZES
1st place: L$5000 CASH!! AND a L$2500 EarthStones gift card!
2nd place: L$2500 EarthStones gift card!
3rd place: L$1000 EarthStones gift card!
Winning pictures will be featured in the EarthStones blog and displayed in store until November 6th.

THE RULES
1. Read the rules carefully – any photos not following the rules will be disqualified.
2. 512 x 512 minimum square photos, post production allowed and encouraged.
3. EarthStones jewelry must be clearly visible, only EarthStones jewelry may be worn in photos. All jewelry must be *for sale* at EarthStones (Sorry, no Lucky Chair, group gifts, freebies, etc.).
4. Maximum of 2 photos per avatar may be entered in the contest. (You may upload additional photos, but only two may be tagged for the contest)
5. Join and upload your photos to the EarthStones flickr group (PG Only, please) – http://www.flickr.com/groups/earthstones/
6. Inworld submissions will not be accepted.
7. Photos must be uploaded to the group during the month of October 2010. Photos entered after the deadline on 10/24 will not be considered.
8. Photos must be tagged with: All Hallows Eve 2010 Contest, EarthStones, [Jewelry Name] (ie. EarthStones Falling Leaves Necklace – Autumn)
9. Photo Description *must* include (you can include additional information, but the following is required):
Your inworld name (this will be the sole recipient of any prizes awarded)
Jewelry credits (ie. EarthStones Victorian Keepsake Locket & Earrings – Silver/Onyx)
10. Photos not properly tagged and described will not be considered.

Please contact Retribution Fall by notecard with any questions. Name your notecard [All Hallows Eve Question] – [Your Name] to ensure a response. Inquiries to any other member of the EarthStones staff will *not* be answered.

That’s it! Have fun and Good Luck!!
Click to join the EarthStones Flickr Group

The Fantasy of Nature

2010-10-10T08:28:00.001-04:00

"I consider lace to be one of the prettiest imitations ever made of the fantasy of nature; lace always evokes for me those incomparable designs which the branches and leaves of trees embroider across the sky, and I do not think that any invention of the human spirit could have a more graceful or precise origin." - Coco Chanel

So much fabulous newness in the last week, it was simply irresistable. Agnes Finney released the essence of the cocktail dress in Serene Romance at nearly the same time as EarthStones released the perfect complement for it in the Gothique choker and earrings sets. Talk about perfection!

Credits:
Dress: Agnes Finney Serene Romance (Black)
Jewelry: EarthStones Gothique (Silver/Onyx)
Hair: W&Y 148 (Pack A - Black)
Eyes: Ibanez Horizon (Eire)
Poses by Manifeste

Featured SLURLs:
Agnes Finney My Precious Mainstore
EarthStones Mainstore
W&Y Mainstore
Ibanez Mainstore

Inventory Check - Hair Designers

2010-10-06T17:06:00.000-04:00

I know that in my head I have an imaginary and purely subjective list of "favorites", but I got to wondering if that was actually where my Lindens were invested. So, I figured it might be fun to total up the actual numbers and see how they stacked up to my mental list and, more importantly, what I was actually wearing the most. Why hair first? Cause I just spent time sorting through my "demos to buy" folder and my "stuffage from Hair Fair" folder as well as moving all those unfiled recent purchases to their proper categories. For the curious, I have hair under body parts instead of clothing and my categories are - Exotic, Long, Short, Mid, Ponytails, Updo, and Hats (which includes any hair that comes with a hat, scarf, goggles, etc). The "Top Ten" were:

Truth (15) mostly updos
Damselfly (11) mostly long
Tukinowaguma (9)
Detour (9)
Mirai Style (7) mostly scarves
Bishwear (6)
Cake (6)
EMO-tions (5)
W&Y (5) mostly short
BooN (4) mostly short

My "Go To" list of "hair I grab first on a regular basis in SL" in no particular order other than that of the photos in this article does come from this list of designers, but is mostly different from my "blogging go-to list" which pulls from more categories and designers:

Bishwear TossMeAround (Raven)
W&Y New 92 (Pack A - Black)
Mirai Style Ofif (Black)
Truth Grace (Crow)

One of the really interesting things I discovered was the huge number of onesies and twosies I have where I don't have a lot of different styles from an individual designer but I have a couple of really unique or interesting ones - I think I might own every short style on the grid. I had hairstyles from a huge number of designers and a whole folder of LMs (which I think I may turn into a nice inventory preserving notecard). I also noticed that I have an affinity for "slightly messy" even with more formal updos - must be some kind of commentary on my having come to terms with my more than slightly unruly RL hair. :)

SLURLs are within the article this time; I would like to additionally credit Cubic Effect's fabulous Knit Jacket (Black) and YS&YS Afrika Set (Silver/Onyx) seen in each shot. I think that my next few inventory checks will be jewelry, poses and tattoos (once I catch up a little bit on my backlog of locations, pictures and outfits).

Why Contests? (And An Update)

2010-10-04T20:33:00.001-04:00

Someone asked me today (after I finished up another set of contest pictures) why I entered contests. It's obviously not for the fame (since I don't win) or for the money (since most prizes don't cover the entry outfit). Then again, I don't blog for the freebies (since I don't actually get any) either. I simply enjoy really great SL fashion, great SL locations and taking pictures of both. I've also recently started playing with a photoLIFE studio and that's been great fun as well. It's a challenge to put together an outfit, find the right accessories, get a location or background that sets it off, find the perfect poses and get the ideal angle for the photos. And, after that, the real work begins. For October, I've entered three contests - the My Precious Queen contest blogged earlier this week, the Angel of Angel Dessous contest and the Couture Avenue Look 2011 contest.

Angel of Angel Dessous Couture Entry
Dress - Angel Dessous Iberia Rosso
Hair - Tukinowaguma Jelena SH (Ebony)
Fan - Urid Dal Black Lace Fan
Collar - Ezura Lolita Crown Black Neckdress
Earrings - EarthStones Eternelle Marcasite (Garnet)
Pose by Manifeste

Angel of Angel Dessous Lingerie Entry

Lingerie - Angel Dessous Glamour (Forest)

Hair - W&Y New 92 (Pack A - Black)

Jewelry - Zaara Vanisri Wrapped Necklace (Onyx/Silver)

Pose by DeePosed

Couture Avenue LOOK 2011 Entry

Top - Baiastice Cage Top

Pants - LeLutka Rockin' Pants (Black & White)

Hair - W&Y New 148 (Pack A - Black)

Necklace & Earrings - YS&YS Afrika Set (Silver/Black)

Bracelets - Mandala Reiki Bracelet (Black Diamond)

Garter - LouLou Garter Pistolero

Belt - EarthStones Leather & Laced Belt (Coal)

Pose by DeePosed

And the promised update - I didn't place in the Click photography contest, nor did I make the finals for Styling Forward, though I'll post my semi-final outfit in the next couple of weeks. The theme was Black & White (Anything Goes). The closing dates for this month's contests are October 5th for Couture Avenue (October), October 12th for My Precious Queen (October), October 25th for Angel of Angel Dessous (November). I promise I won't enter any more this month, since I have a final Steam Hunt wrap post to do and an absolutely amazing Halloween outfit to blog. And no, my fingers aren't crossed. Much.

Contest Entry - My Precious Queen

2010-10-02T15:20:00.003-04:00

A friend sent me this contest information and a gift card some time ago, eliminating all possible barriers to entering this contest. Unfortunately, while I went and bought an absolutely gorgeous gown, work buried me and I just now managed to get enough studio time to do the photographs and submit my entry into the Agnes Finney My Precious Queen Contest. The year is divided into two halves and four themes (the seasons) with three princesses chosen each month to compete for 12 finalists slots.

Credits:
Dress - Agnes Dazzle (Black)
Jewelry - Alienbear KrisCar II (White)
Hair - Sky Everett Lady Alanya (Black)
Pose by Manifeste

Featured SLURLs:
Agnes Finney My Precious Mainstore

What do you need to do to join each month's selection?
Step 1. Make purchases of:
- any items created by Agnes Finney. (Items that are marked 0L-10L are not counted.)
Different gown/ outfit have to be used when you are joining different month's selection. That is, no gowns should be repeated in your entries throughout the year. Different color of the same design is accepted though.
Step 2. Requirement of the pictures: (For your own reference: http://mypreciousqueen.blogspot.com/
-Take two pictures (Head shot and full body shot, 1024x 1024) with full perm
-Put the full perm pictures into a folder. Rename the folder as "MP Royal Princess+January+your full name." No need to put any words in the pictures.
- My Precious stores may post your pictures in advertising or on the blog. Any fees associated with the entry pictures must be paid by the entrant and will not be paid by My Precious stores. Please learn about the possible charges for which you will be responsible from those requiring additional payment for commercial use of a photograph they made for you.
Theme of the pictures:
Jan-Mar Princess selection: Spring
Apr-Jun Princess selection: Summer
Jul-Sep Princess selectoin: Autumn
Oct-Dec Princess selection: Winter
-If you want to wear any jewelry, please wear jewelry ONLY made by Alienbear Design. It could be just a pair of earrings or a necklace. It's your choice.
-Rename the folder as “MP Royal Princess + Month + your full name”
(Your entry will be ignored if you send us a notecard instead of a folder.)
The pictures to present the outfit and yourself as a queen. Touch-up with Photoshop is acceptable. :-) Send the pictures to Agnes Finney on or before 12th (midnight) of each month.
Step 3. It would be safe if you could notify me by IM after you send the folder. I will put the pictures up in the display area within 3 days and notify you about that. If you don't get my IM in 3 days, please IM again. :)
Step 4. Announcement of the in-store models, winners of MP Royal Princess will be made thru group notice and our blog. Therefore it is important if you stay in the group for updates.

Step 5. Contact Agnes Finney if you have any queries.

It Was A Dark & Steamy Day...

2010-09-19T22:52:00.004-04:00

A friend recommended that I tour Nemo several weeks ago but I was regrettably too busy to give this fantastic steampunk sim the time it deserved. No more. This morning I put on Nicky Ree's beautiful Larissa gown, pinned up my hair, added my EarthStones vintage inspired earrings and perched one of my much loved Hatpins hats atop the whole ensemble, ready to explore. From the observatory to the aeriel tour, around the teacups and down to Nautilus, Nemo is a feast for the eyes and a delight for the mind with its amazing detail and many many moving, whirring, spinning, floating and turning parts. Don't delay like I did... go now, come back often.

Location SLURL: Nemo, France3D Futuna

Credits:
Hat: Hatpins Lady Ophelia (Doves & Kisses)
Dress: Designing Nicky Ree Larissa Collection (Black)
Hair: Cake Afterglow (Black)
Earrings: EarthStones Eternelle Marcasite (Garnet)
Poses by Manifeste

Featured SLURLs:

Hatpins Mainstore

Designing Nicky Ree Mainstore

EarthStones Mainstore

Cake Mainstore

Blogger Goes To Modeling School

2010-09-14T19:28:00.003-04:00

Like a lot of bloggers, I'm a fashion consumer and, as such, I go to the shows, read the magazines, am a member of the groups and always kind of wondered exactly what the whole modeling thing was about. When a notice came through that the MVW Academy was taking students, I figured it would be something fun and different and I'd have that peek behind the scenes so I sent in my headshot and signed up. The course was divided into five classes, 101-105, covering pretty much all the bases in increasing depth. I took all five, though graduates of other academies and working models can skip the first two and move to 103. I learned something new in every class, picked up some great tips, met some terrific people and snagged a bunch of useful notes, recommendations and landmarks along the way.

The first four classes were from 2-3 hours in length and covered posing, photography, styling, walking, shapes, prim editing, dos and don'ts and involved a lot of instructor interaction with the students. I had Miaa Rebane, Mimmi Boa, Mui Mukerji and Kay Fairey for these - the classes are offered at various times with various instructors to accommodate timezones. The last "class" spanned three days over a weekend with Frolic Mills. The first class was lecture and discussion of styling and color selection, the second was a closed runway exercise and critique and the third was the open graduation runway walk "final exam" - pass or fail.

The theme for the 105 exercise and graduation was "Red Carpet" and my Saturday night outfit just wasn't right - not because of any of the individual pieces, but because I didn't style correctly for the theme and the color wasn't right for my skin. I should have been thinking Oscar and I went Grammy. For the Sunday graduation, I kept the bracelets and skin but pretty much changed the rest. Luckily for me, the changes worked, I didn't fall off the runway, freeze, crash or miss my poses and passed the exercise to become an official graduate. Whew!

Credits:
Dress (Top): Lady Mor Ginevra
Hair (Top): Truth Cyndi (Crow)
Shoes (Top): Stiletto Moody Bare Katherine (Black Diamante)
Dress (Bottom): Miamai Gretha
Hair (Bottom): BooN QPT129 (Black - Hair Fair)
Jewelry (Both): Rozoregalia Hydra Earrings & Bracelets
Clutch (Bottom): Septem Essentia Manhattan Evening Bag (Black)
Poses by Manifeste

Steam Cleaning - Part 1

2010-09-07T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I finished my third Steam Hunt and I have to say that they just keep getting better - terrific hints, great hunt prizes, friendly group and loads of fun. The participating designers outdid themselves in wonderful builds and incredibly detailed gifts. I'm still unpacking, but unlike most hunts where 80% gets deleted, I am once again running at an 80% keep rate. For the guys out there, the hunt is heavy on gadgets, ships, houses, furniture, hats, textures and toys with most clothing vendors offering both male and female versions, so it's well worth your time to participate. The only downside to the hunt? Listing your favorite five hunt prizes at the end - I'm already up to 15 top 5s and am only halfway through opening. Naturally I'm wearing, riding and surrounded by hunt bounty to give you an idea of what is in store for you.

Credits:

Hat: Hatpins Steamy Cogitator

Dress: Wishbox Steam Dream

Necklace: Jaquemate Pocket Watch

House: Kytheria Atrus Papilonis

Transportation: Twisted Metal Steamworks Steam Carriage

Featured SLURLs:
Steampunk Information Centre, Mieville Doyle (Steam The Hunt Starting Location)

It's Steam Hunt Time Again!

2010-09-01T10:38:00.000-04:00

*Bounces up and down excitedly* If you have never done the Steam Hunt, you have missed out on the BEST organized, executed and designed hunt on the grid. Not only are the hunt gifts always amazing but the sims you travel through are dazzling. Take your time, enjoy the trip and definitely join the group (it's friendly and fun)!

STEAM: Steampunk Travelers' Event, Adventure & Megahunt

++++++++++STEAM: the Hunt!+++++++++++

This is the third Steampunk Grid-Wide hunt! STEAM will take place September 1st-30th, 2010. The gifts will remain available for the entire month... if you can find them!

There will be Steampunk-themed gifts to find hidden all over the grid in more than 135 participating shops. You'll be offered a variety of gifts as you search for the hidden items. Only high-quality designers have been invited to participate, and their exclusive items will be available only for the duration of the hunt.

As with most hunts, you begin at a starting location. That location will give you the LM to the next, and so on.

THIS IS THE STARTING LOCATION LM:

Steampunk Information Centre, Mieville Doyle

However, if you join the group, in September you'll be given a list of all the merchants' shops and you can start wherever you like!

SEARCH the group STEAM HUNT PUNKS and join for free!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://steamthehunt.blogspot.com/

Great Art - Boxed

2010-08-31T20:01:00.000-04:00

If you haven't been to Art Box, you have missed some of the best photography fun in SL. You just pick a famous painting, picture, ad or original work, click and the entire scene rezzes in 3D with poseballs for your snapshotting pleasure. From Van Gogh to Warhol with side trips to the Moonwalk (the one *on* the moon) and Wonderland, there is something for everyone here. Both couple and singles poses throughout and several set for larger groups. Plan to spend plenty of time inserting yourself "into the picture" - and naturally I dressed in my best artsy fun for the excursion.

Location: Art Box, Klaw

Credits:

Hair: Mirai Ofif (Black)

Top: Gryphon Wings Steampunk Chemise (Pink)

Pants: LeLutka Ornella (Perky)

Belt: Manna Montmartre

Jewelry: Mandala Takara Bangle (Inca Gold), Amida Earrings (Gold), Kagetora Necklace (Wood)

Face Tattoo: White Widow Marguerite (Copper - Right)

Eyelashes: Miamai NoAlpha Lashes (No. 1)

Featured SLURLs:

Mirai Style Mainstore

Gryphon Wings Mainstore

LeLutka Mainstore

Manna Mainstore

Mandala Mainstore

White Widow Mainstore

Miamai Mainstore

Contest - Styling Forward

2010-08-29T08:44:00.001-04:00

So I'm hanging around doing nothing and folks start talking about the Styling Forward reality TV show (details at the end of the article) in one of my groups and then the notice comes through that the casting call is in three hours. I figure what the heck, might be fun since I've never done a runway before, so I start digging through my inventory. Now, blogging is a whole different animal since I like to feature a particular designer's outfit and accessorize it, styling is more a matter of combining a lot of different things for a "look". I decided to go for a edgy club look instead of an evening gown look, figuring that most folks would go for the gown thing and it seemed like the point was to stand out.

I have to say the lag was horrific, I discovered it's dang hard to count seconds and try to manage posing, turning and walking in a straight line at the same time and I have to admit I was worried sick about lagging into someone's lap. That said, I about fell over when I made it past the first round, so it couldn't have been that bad. Here are the results of my inventory digging (please note that the credits are a little more mixed up than usual since I used a lot of pieces):

Credits:
Hair: Emo-tions Stormy (Black)
Jewelry: Mandala Shaka Earrings (Red), Takara Bangles (Red & Silver)
Belt: Mandala Mikoto (Red Rock)
Top and Leggings: Glam Affair Julia (Red)
Pants & Gloves: LBD Efraim's Daughter & Brit Pants (combined)
Boots: Chapeau Tres Mignon (Heroes of Fashion) McQueen Goth Boots
Face Tattoo: White Widow Face Tattoo 6

Featured SLURLs:

Mandala Mainstore

LeeZu Baxter Designs (LBD) Mainstore

Glam Affair Mainstore

Chapeau tres Mignon (Heroes of Fashion)

White Widow Mainstore

Emo-tions Mainstore

Styling Forward Description (from the notice):
A new era in fashion begins ...
Some people say that being a virtual model is easy: You buy a shape and some stylish hair; then you get a nice skin, a pretty dress and a proper AO and off you go down the runway.
Maybe true! So what differentiates the hundreds of thousands of ladies that are dancing in a disco at any given time from the absolute top models?
It's their ability to style!
The ability to style and make themselves fabulous and unique every time, is the difference between anyone and a fashion connoisseur. They need to know when to leave an outfit alone (less is more), but also when to mix and match and accesorize in a fabulous way to create that look that will have everybody else inspecting them!
Frolic Mills & Mimmi Boa in association with METAVERSE TV are proud to announce the first televised master styling competition. This show is available for both ladies and gentlemen.

...we are pulse of pteron...

2010-08-19T21:34:00.002-04:00

One of the the sims that everyone should be required to visit in Second Life is the beautiful, mystical and utterly entrancing Pteron. As you enter, you have a choice of going to several different sattelite locations on the sim, each a world unto itself. It does not do the build justice to call it a floating city, though that will be a visitor's first impression. Make sure that your sound is on and prepare to be amazed (and to spend an incredible amount of time exploring). I took a futuristic look at the sim, courtesy of Hugo's Design, Emo-tion, Mandala and Stiletto Moody, but for a different approach, be sure to see the impressions of a Steam Wyrmling and a Neko Princess as they travel through Pteron.

Location: Pteron, Pteron

Credits:

Hair: Emo-tions Stormy (Black)

Catsuit: Hugo's Design Solar Cat (Black)

Jewelry: Mandala Takara Bangles, Takayama Necklace, Monica Earrings (Silver/Black)

Shoes: Stiletto Moody Lucille (Black)

Face Tattoo: Miamai LesMakeups (Masked 04)

Featured SLURLs:

Hugo's Design Mainstore

Mandala Mainstore

Emo-tions Mainstore

Stiletto Moody Mainstore

Miamai Mainstore

Contest Entry - Angel of Angel Dessous

2010-08-09T08:20:00.002-04:00

What can I say - I've got a huge collection of Angel Dessous designs as well as plenty of blog and Flickr space so here are the September entries. This time I entered in both the lingerie and evening gown categories for fun with the Provocateur lingerie in white and the Dolce Wedding gown in black. I have to give credit to My Little Stone Chapel, Phenomenal as the spectacular setting for the Dolce picture - just gorgeous. Be sure to check out the Angel of the Month Group Pool on Flickr and the Angel Dessous Angel of the Month Winners - August. If you are interested in entering, you can find the contest rules in my earlier blog post.

Credits:
Gown: Angel Dessous Dolce Wedding (Black)
Hair: Tukinowaguma Jelena (Ebony)
Jewelry: EarthStones Romance Set (Tahitian Black Pearl/Gold)
Pose by Manifeste

Credits:

Lingerie: Angel Dessous Provocateur (White)

Hair: Emo-tions Stormy (Black)

Nails: Mandala Takara Bangle (Buddha Cream Ring & Nail)

Set by Click Props & Sets (Detective's Office)

Pose by Manifeste

Featured SLURL:

Angel Dessous Mainstore

Wild Rumpus

2010-08-07T17:55:00.003-04:00

I'm so glad I finally stumbled across Where the Wild Things Are. One of my favorite books has been turned into a truly marvelous sim full of exactly the kind of spectacular scenery and detail you would expect. Plan to spend time here just exploring - looking under, over and around. This week is more wonderfulness from Cubic Effect, Mandala and Truth combined with the fabulous face tattoos of Tattanooga. So join me. "And on our way... I can show you your kingdom. This is all yours. You're the owner of this world. Everything you see is yours...."

Location: Where the Wild Things Are, Pax

Credits:

Shirt: Cubic Effect Shirt H5 for Women (Pansy)

Pants: Cubic Effect Flare Trousers (Gray)

Hair: Truth Mena (Crow)

Necklace: Mandala Kagetora (Purple/Silver)

Earrings: Mandala Monica (Purple/Silver)

Face Tattoo: Tattanooga Catwalk 003

Poses by DeePosed

Featured SLURLs:

Ce Cubic Effect Mainstore

Mandala Mainstore

Tattanooga Mainstore

Truth Mainstore

American Gothic

2010-07-14T20:51:00.000-04:00

I think I was one of about 4 people that watched and adored "American Gothic" - not the famous painting, but the incredibly twisted and unfortunately short lived television show. The Missing Mile dark rural community is the virtual representation of everything I loved about the show - small town decrepit with a hint of noir absurdity. Sit at the Waffle Hut, walk down the railroad tracks to the abandoned engine, wander through the houses, lean up against the police car or play in the deserted playground - it's brilliantly dark and therefore a great foil for the fabulous Cubic Effect Sheer Knit dropped strap dress, my new Stiletto Moody "best pumps on the Grid" (from the Linden sucking member sale) and my latest jewelry addiction, Mandala.

Location URL: The Missing Mile, Soap

Credits:
Dress: Cubic Effect Sheer Knit (Crimson)
Hair: MrS Malice (Black)
Shoes: Stiletto Moody Bare Brigitte (Red-Nude)
Necklace: Mandala Kajetora (Red)
Earrings: Mandala Monica (Red)
Bangles & Nails: Mandala Takara (Red Leather & Fur)

Featured SLURLs:
Cubic Effect Mainstore
Stiletto Moody Mainstore
Mandala Mainstore

Contest - Angel of Angel Dessous

2010-07-06T07:07:00.004-04:00

Well, I didn't win last month, but the Angel of Angel Dessous July 2010 winners were excellent, so I can't complain at all. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a copy of the Patty Bridesmaid gown in cream for entering but it inspired me to try to disprove the old adage "Always a bridesmaid..." with another entry this month. For those of you who are interested in the contest, I published the rules in my earlier blog article, so warm up your cameras (you will need a Flickr account). This month I again went with lingerie, though I may do a formal or casual wear entry this month or next, since you can enter once per month in each category.

Correction: You can submit two entries in any mix - 2 lingerie, 2 formal/casual or 1 of each.

Credits:
Lingerie: Angel Dessous Suzy (Red/Gold)
Hair: Je Republic Alessandra (Onyx)
Bangles, Rings & Nails: Mandala Takara (Inca Gold),
Earrings: Mandala Takayama (Gold)
Pose by DeePosed (Down on My Knees Collection)

Featured SLURLs:
Angel Dessous Mainstore

Paradise Worth Painting

2010-06-28T05:32:00.002-04:00

Brackish has to be one of the most beautiful sims I've seen - you portal in to a small attractive shops area where you are greeted by a series of teleport lanterns to various spots on the sim. Be sure to set aside enough time to walk through each one and to take some pictures. Indeed I was so inspired I dug through my closet until I found the amazing Montemartre belt from Manna (my pictures are with v.1, but it has been released in an equally detailed v.2), the "perfect for painting" H7 Shirt from Cubic Effect and my new Medala jewelry from Faceted. A pair of jeans, a pair of boots and I was ready to adventure among the lizards, flamingos, and elephants inhabiting the gardens.

Location: =Ja Nye(t)=, Brackish

Credits:
Shirt: Cubic Effect H7 Shirt (Ivy Green)
Hair: BishWear TossMeAround (Raven)
Skin: Dutch Touch MaAn (Cocoa - Copper)
Jewelry: Faceted Medala Set (Silver/Jade)
Belt: Manna Montmartre (V.1)
Jeans: Naima Sexy Ripped Jeans
Boots: Redgrave Girls' Bikers Reloaded (Caramel)
Poses: DeePosed

Featured SLURLs:
Cubic Effect Mainstore
Faceted Mainstore
Manna Mainstore

The Swimsuit Issue '10

2010-06-22T20:52:00.000-04:00

A friend sent me a landmark out of the blue to a place called The Lazy Tuna. Naturally, with a name like that, I had to take a look and once I got there I knew I had to either pull out the swimsuits or miss a great opportunity. The Lazy Tuna is a club with a very laid back Keys feel from the bonfire to the parrots to the surf crashing over the rocks - everything says sit back, have a cold one (or an umbrella drink) and relax. So, pop over to Miamai, Chaospire or Luck Inc, pick up a suit, grab a beer and head on over to fish, dance or just hang out. (More pictures, credits and SLURLs after the cut.)

Location: The Lazy Tuna, Tawhaki

Hair: Truth Isle (Blood)

Swimsuit: Miamai Uka Bikini (Red)

Skin: Dutch Touch MaAn (Cocoa - Copper)

Poses: DeePosed (Centerfold Collection)

Swimsuit: Luck Inc The Hotness Bikini (Cards)

Swimsuit: Chaospire Naiad (Blue Sheer)

Featured SLURLs:

Dutch Touch Mainstore

Contest Entry - -CLICK- Photography Contest

2010-06-20T08:23:00.002-04:00

I was roaming around buying poses last week and, in the process, stumbled across -CLICK- Props & Sets and was overwhelmed by the coolness of the idea of full sets, poses and props, conveniently packaged in a self rezzer. You can use either a control panel or a HUD to rez and switch between sets and then access the included poses (from some of my favorite pose creators - see pose SLURLs in the right bar) or use your own to click away to your heart's content. Multiple avatars can access the poses in many of the sets and many have additional included props. Since "The Ritz" elevator set was perfect for Azul's gorgeous Malena evening gown and EarthStones Zahra Limited Edition release, I decided to go ahead and toss my (admittedly amateur) hat in the ring and submit a few pictures.
First picture is one of the ones I submitted, additional photos, credits, SLURLs and contest rules after the cut.

Location: -CLICK- Props & Sets, DReaMiNG OuTLouD

-CLICK- PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
Sponsored by:

-CLICK- props for the professional
The Best of SL Magazine
Glitterati
Long Awkward Pose
Exposeur
DCNY
Shaft SLDVD
Exodi

The -CLICK- Photography contest is open to all residents of SL. All pictures must be submitted to Click Memo by June 22nd: The CLICK gallery for the contest is here http://www.flickr.com/groups/1433580@N21/

RULES:

To be eligible for submission the picture must include a -CLICK- Prop with use of at least one pose from a -CLICK- Product.
Photos must be done in high resolution (exception is the Most Natural title. These will be accepted as snapshots ONLY to ensure no post-processing has been done). Photos should be perfectly square sized as a 1024x1024.
Only the photographer is eligible for the prize, not the model. Photographers may model in their own photos.
You may submit up to 10 pictures but you may only win 1 prize per category.
Photos for the Most Popular prize will be sorted and a max of 100 will be displayed for popular vote at http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Renaissance%20Galleria/160/106/2
Winners will be announced in The Best of SL Magazine Readers Group. You MUST be a member of this group to be eligible.

HOW TO ENTER

Please title all photos: -CLICK- Photo Contest (Title of picture, Your Name).
Place photo(s) in ONE folder titled: -CLICK- Photo Contest (Your Name) **Even if you only submit one photo, please place the photo inside a FOLDER.**
Photos must be submitted as FULL PERMS. Submitting a photo grants -CLICK-, The Best of SL and all sponsors full rights to the picture. Photos will not be sold or altered (other than possible cropping or resizing, and typeface may be added for ads), but may be used for advertisements in The Best of SL Magazine or at any of the sponsor locations.
Failure to title photos properly or failure to submit a full perms photo will disqualify your entry.
Submit your folder to Click Memo by Midnight SLT on June 22nd. LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Pictures will be judged and winners announced in 6 categories:

Overall Best Picture
Best Use of Prop
Most Original
Most Artistic/Creative
Most Popular
Most Natural (No photoshopping or other post-processing)

Judging criteria will be done on a grading scale based on several aspects of the picture. Overall quality, originality, artistic merit, use of subject material, etc. From these we will sort the pictures into categories for prizes. Picture MAY win several awards depending on the subject matter. i.e. you could win Best use of prop and Overall best picture.

PRIZES:
Overall Best Picture:

*1st $10,000L + 4 Sets from -CLICK-(10k value), A Gift certificate from Glitterati (5k Gift), LAP(5k Gift), Exposeur(5k Gift), Exodi(5k Skin fatpack) ,Movie card from Shaft (4k) and DCNY (2k cloth package) total prize worth 46,000L

*2nd $5000L + 2 sets from -CLICK(5k)-, A Gift certificate from Glitterati(1k), LAP(1k), Exposeur(1k), Exodi(2.5k jewelry package)Movie card from Shaft (2400) and DCNY (1k clothing package) total prize worth 17,900L

*3rd $ 2500L +1 set from -CLICK-(2500), A Gift certificate from Glitterati(1k), LAP(1k), Exposeur(1k), Exodi(2.5k jewelry package)Movie card from Shaft (1600) and DCNY (1k clothing package) total prize worth 12,100L

Most popular

*1st $2,500L + 2 Sets from -CLICK-(5k), A Gift certificate from Glitterati(1k), LAP(1k), Exposeur(1k), Exodi(2.5k jewelry package),Movie card from Shaft (2400) and DCNY(2k cloth package) total prize worth 16,400L

*2nd $1000L + 1 sets from -CLICK-(2500), A Gift certificate from Glitterati(1k), LAP(1k), Exposeur(1k), Exodi(2.5k jewelry package),Movie card from Shaft (1600) and DCNY(1k clothing package) total prize worth 10,600L

*3rd $ 500L +1 set from -CLICK-(2500), A Gift certificate from Glitterati(1k), LAP(1k), Exposeur(1k), Exodi(2.5k jewelry package).Movie card from Shaft (800) and DCNY(1k clothing package) total prize worth 9,300L

All other categories

*1st $2,500L + 2 Sets from -CLICK-(5k), A Gift certificate from Glitterati(1k), LAP(1k), Exposeur(1k), Exodi(2.5k jewelry package)Movie card from Shaft (2400) and DCNY(2k cloth package) total prize worth 16,400L

Total prizes valued at 210,000 Linden. Any and all questions should be directed to Flix Saiman. Please make sure you carefully read all the rules and guidelines before making contact for questions.

Credits:

Hair: BishWear TossMeAround (Raven)

Skin: Dutch Touch MaAn (Cocoa - WinRedLips)

Jewelry: EarthStones Zahra (Black Opal/Gold - Limited Edition)

Gown: Azul Malena (Nude)
Poses: ComPOSEure

Featured SLURLs:

Azul Mainstore

EarthStones Mainstore

It's All Wright!

2010-06-13T02:16:00.001-04:00

Tamil Isle is a beautiful sim with waterfalls, wedding chapel, residential areas and a plethora of hidden delights scattered about the island. When I saw the bright flowered fields and the stained glass windows in the fabulous recreation of Taliesin East, I was immediately reminded of the bright and ever so hot Beaute Volcanique dress by Modern Gypsy. When you arrive, follow the signs to the Guest House or just start walking - there will be plenty to amaze and amuse along the way. From the sign at the house (which can be purchased):

The real Taliesin East was the summer home of Frank Lloyd Wright. Begun in 1911 Wright built Taliesin as a way to explore his ideas on organic architecture, the harmony betwen human habiltation and the natural world using local limestone and sand from the nearby Wisconsin River.

Credits, more pictures and SLURLs after the cut.

Location: Taliesin East Guest House, Tamil Isle

Credits:
Eyelashes: Hollywood lashes (Greta Garbo) by glow
Skin: kEira (Olive, Sunset) by Dutch Touch
Hair: TossMeAround (Raven) by BishWear
Necklace: Knotted Elegance III (Tahitian Black Pearl) by EarthStones
Dress: Beaute Volcanique by Modern Gypsy
Nails: Sculpted Nails V2 (HUD) by Pixel Mode
Poses by DeePosed

Featured SLURLs:
Modern Gypsy Mainstore
BishWear Mainstore
DutchTouch Mainstore
EarthStones Mainstore

Contest Entry - Angel of Angel Dessous

2010-06-06T05:22:00.001-04:00

I don't enter many contests anymore, but while wandering around Caledon Glengarry I saw this terrific stained glass in The Red Dragon tavern and, later that day, was in Angel Dessous and saw both the Glamour lingerie and the contest board. I dusted off my flickr account, took a few shots and figured what the heck. My entry (which I don't expect to win or even place, but enjoyed taking) is below, followed by the contest notecard information and credits after the cut.

Location: The Red Dragon Tavern, Caledon Glengarry

Hello Angels,

On 1st of February 2010 we will start our new *Angel of Angel Dessous Contest * during 10 month ( final round in December 2010 )

For every month you can apply 2 photos, one in Angel Dessous lingerie and/or one in formal wear. First Place in each category will be the Angel of the Month, earn 2000 L$ cash prize, get the newest not released Angel Dessous Design Set and will be entitled to set up a pic in her gained category in December 2010 for the final Angel of Angel Dessous Contest round. The winnerphotos will be displayd at the Angel Dessous Mainstore, Angel Dessous blog and some of the best known SL Fashionblogs. 1st runner up of each month will get a Angel Dessous gift card 1000 L$ and also the newest not released Angel Dessous Design Set

For the final contest in december we set up ****** 50.000 L$ ****** total gain. 25 ooo L$ for the winners of each category ( Angel Dessous lingerie and formalwear ).

The final round will run from the 1th till the 20th of December, decision of the 2 Angel of Angel Dessous winners is the 23th of December. Qualified to set up shots are the monthly category winners of the february till november 2010 contest. A five judges comprised panel of SL fashion -and photographer professionelles will select the winners. Selection will be based on model looks, styling and creativity of the shot.

How can you apply:

Send 1 lingerie and/or 1 formal wear photo wearing Angel Dessous to the flickr Group: www.flickr.com/groups/angelofthemonth/
Photos should be tagged with “Angel of Angel Dessous”, the month of submission and the name of the lingerie or formal wear set.
Photoshop work and editing is allowed, but the lingerie/dresses have to be seen well.
Pic size min. 1024x1024

Start date is the 1st of each month, the monthly winner in each category will be selected on 25th of the current month. The Winners and 5 runners up will have the chance to be instore Model in our Mainstore. For those who won a monthly category.... you can join in next month again but if you win twice or more times in the same category, you can set up even so only one pic in your won category in the final Angel of Angel Dessous 2010 Contest round in December.

Main Photo:
Hair: Truth Grace (Crow)
Jewelry: Earthstones Dusk Velvet Choker Set (Triquetra)
Lingerie: Angel Dessous Glamour (Forest)
Shoes: Stiletto Moody Pinup Pumps (Blacker Patent)
Pose: DeePosed Framed Collection (Framed 41 - free this month)

Featured SLURLs:
Angel Dessous Mainstore

Full Steam Ahead!

2010-05-28T21:08:00.001-04:00

I fell in love with the spectacular Katinka Clockworks Gown from The Laughing Academy the first time I saw it. Like virtually everything in the SL Steampunk arena, the details are simply amazing from top to bottom, the colors are rich and there is a lovely little keyhole in the back to complement the bodice gears on the front. Paired with the equally amazing Vapor Vanity heels from Grim Bros (with working gears), this outfit was begging for a trip to the Caledon Victorian Steampunk sims and, in this case, The Primgraph Press where you can peruse the books or lounge on the chaises and scheme (the pose names are more than enough reason to drop in here). (Credits after the cut)

Location: The Primgraph Press, Caledon Glengarry

All Pictures:

Dress: Katinka Clockworks Gown by The Laughing Academy

Hair: Afterglow (Black) by Cake

Jewelry: Faith Cross Set (Gold/Labradorite) by EarthStones
Shoes: Vapour Vanity Ornate Heels (More Metal) by Grim Bros.
Poses by AnimaH (no longer available)

Featured SLURLs:
The Laughing Academy Mainstore
Cake Mainstore
Grim Bros. Mainstore
EarthStones Mainstore

Save the Earth - Bit By Bit

2010-05-21T05:09:00.000-04:00

Cisco Systems is one of the large technology firms represented in Second Life with demos, virtual classrooms, technology feeds and information. The Sustainability Center focuses on green computing, offices and data centers and has interactive demos, tours, videos and notecards galore outlining all the ways technology can support green initiatives. It also seemed an ideal setting for the fabulous "business with a punch" Ilenya dress from the Glam Affair Element Collection and the equally amazing Chandraki necklace and earrings from EarthStones.

Location: Cisco Systems Sustainability Center

Top Photo:

Hair: Cake Dakota (Black)

Skin: Dutch Touch Jolie (Olive - Dark)

Eyes: Poetic Eyes Bright (Fairy Dale)

Jewelry: Earthstones Chandraki (Silver/Onyx)
Outfit: Glam Affair Element Ilenya

Bottom Photo:
Outfit: Glam Affair Element Ilenya
Shoes: Stiletto Moody Bare Ava (Black)
Poses: AnnaH (now Storin)

Featured SLURLs:
Glam Affair Mainstore
Cake Mainstore
EarthStones Mainstore

C-Beams Glitter

2010-05-15T13:53:00.015-04:00

Science Innovation Company is a Blade Runner themed sim - perfect for your cybertech wardrobe and, in this case, the perfect setting for my newest latex cybersuit from Graves. Replicants and humans alike can enjoy the noir atmosphere of the Philip K. Dick and Ridley Scott inspired Los Angeles streets of the distant (or perhaps not so distant) future.

Location: Science Innovation Company (SIC)

Top Photo:

Outfit: Graves Escape (Steel)

Hair: Bishwear TossMeAround (Raven)

Shoes: Stiletto Moody Bare Lucille (Black)

Skin: Dutch Touch Jolie (Olive - Dark)

Nails: Love Soul Colors (Black)

Lower Photo:

Outfit: Graves Escape Add-On (Transparent)

Tattoo: HUZ Henna Secret (Black Faded)

Featured SLURLs:

Graves Mainstore (Oxymoron)

HUZ TATS Mainstore (Copley Square)

Stiletto Moody Boutique (Stiletto Moody)

Steam: The Hunt (Pt. 2)

2009-09-21T19:59:00.010-04:00

Ohhhh, what a terrific hunt! There's still time, so be sure to get out there and steam through. The gifts are pretty universally high quality, the hints are well done, the group is fun, helpful and polite. There were only a few locations where I got frustrated and had to leave (and come back), the organization was quite good with defunct participants clearly designated. The hunt still has more than a week to go - get your steam on.

I've been slack on the pictures, but I did fall in love with this hunt item to the point that I had to put an entire outfit together around it and track down the perfect location to set it off... definitely a most excellent steampunk hat from The Hatter is Mad. Enjoy!
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(Skin by Dutch Touch, Hair by Bizarre, Eyes by Poetic Colors)

Photo taken at Dave Rumsey Maps

Steam: The Hunt (September 1-30)

2009-09-12T16:33:00.016-04:00

I've decided to start back blogging slowly and with a bit of a theme to keep me on track. I emerged from a work bubble to discover that gridwide hunts seem to have mushroomed to the point that one could hunt nearly continuously and never buy anything. That said, I enjoy hunts for the chance to see new places and designers whom I might otherwise not come across - which is why I selected the Steam Hunt with it's Steampunk theme.

I've decided to post (at least) once a week a look built of hunt items with a style card and hunt information, starting tomorrow. I have completed picking up the hunt items (and will be giving the hunt an overall rating), but have designated a surprising number of these as "keepers" so there should be quite a bit of material with which to work. I make no promises to show all (or even close to all) the hunt items, I will not give hints to item locations and I will not break any hunt rules. I will be including SLURLs in the style cards, but won't indicate where in the hunt the creator falls.

To start off, the basic information:

Name: Steam: The Hunt

Theme: Steampunk

Hunt Group: STEAM Hunt Punks

Website/Blog: http://steamhunt.blogspot.com/

Starting Location: Czari`s Attic

Number of Participants: 105

Rules:

STEAM: Steampunk Travelers' Event, Adventure & Megahunt

This is the first ever Steampunk Grid-Wide hunt! There has never been a Steampunk-themed hunt before, so this will be very exciting and fun. STEAM will take place during the month of September, 1st-30th. The gifts will remain available for the entire month... if you can find them!
There will be many Steampunk-themed gifts to find hidden all over the grid in participating shops. You'll be offered a variety of gifts as you search for the hidden items. Only high-quality designers have been invited to participate, and their exclusive items will be available only for the duration of the hunt.
As with most hunts, you will be given a starting location. That location will give you the LM to the next, and so on.
Please drop by this shop closer to the hunt, click on the GEAR, and receive the starting location!
We ask you these favours:
Please do not contact shop owners directly. All enquiries should come to Perryn Peterson or Kashya Bellic in the form of notecards as I/M are frequently capped. There will be a website and blog as well.
Please respect everyone participating: designers, shop owners, other hunters.

Please keep your prims as low as possible whilst hunting; do not wear a lot of primmy items, scripts and laggy items like meters and HUDs. These items will slow things down for everyone.
If you open packages on anyone's sim, have the courtesy to delete said package or pick up your items before you leave.
Enjoy and bring lots of friends with you!
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN STEAM: THE HUNT!

Holiday Spirits!

2008-12-06T10:25:00.010-05:00

Ahhhh... yesterday was a glorious day for my holiday spirit - Bax released the absolutely incredible ankle boots in red patent, Moxie Polanos released both Candy Cane and Holiday Bliss and I finally got over to EarthStones to pick up my Snowflake collection. Combined with my favorite Air reading glasses, I'm kicking off my Yuletide today with two terrific holiday looks (and a wonderful excuse to buy those red patent leather boots...).
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Starting at the top with the Snowflake pearl jewelry, the asymmetrical earrings (no two alike, you know...) sets off any winter ensemble. The entire Snow Flurry Pearl Snowflake collection consists of earrings (L$249), necklace (L$299) and bracelet (L$299) - breathtakingly detailed in small pearls to contribute to the feeling of each piece being unique. The bracelet is absolutely elegant over a velvet or satin evening glove with that special holiday dress, the necklace has the perfect lines for strapless or scoop necked gowns. The Rosetta glasses in Crystal White by Air set off the delicate primwork in the jewelry to perfection for you studious gals...
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So, off to find the perfect dress? Try Moxie Polano's holiday collection - I bought both Holiday Bliss, a sexy Ms. Claus look, and the Candy Cane Victorian influenced holiday gown. Holiday Bliss (L$250) is a richly textured jacket and booty short combination with fur collar and cuffs for all your sexy holiday moments and is the outfit I was waiting for - though I do wish a fur trimmed skating skirt had been part of the package. The Candy Cane gown (L$400) is the best holiday formal I've seen so far, but I'm on a Victorian Christmas binge. The red and white corset with lace up back and amazing detail on the prim skirt guarantees there is more than enough to keep you the center of attention at any holiday festivities.

Finally, the purchase you know you want to make but are trying to justify - Bax Boots just released the newest entry in the must have ankle boot line - Red Patent Leather Ankle Boots. Droooool - I admit that I elbowed my way in to throw down my L$700 without hesitation. With options for three colors of red, fur or lace tops, color change for all parts, these are *the ultimate* in versatile footwear. I own the black patent, black suede, brown suede and red patent and practically live in these boots - a true investment in a classic.

Start your holiday off right at the MP Haute Style Main Store, EarthStones Main Store, Air Main Store and Bax Boots Main Store.

Credits:

Top Left:

Hair - TossMeAround (Wine) by BishWear
Gown - Candy Cane Gown by MP Haute Style
Jewelry - Snowflake Collection by EarthStones
Glasses - Rosetta Crystal White by Air

Center Right:

Hair - TossMeAround (Wine) by BishWear
Gown - Candy Cane Gown by MP Haute Style
Jewelry - Snowflake Collection by EarthStones
Glasses - Rosetta Crystal White by Air

Bottom Left:

Hair - TossMeAround (Wine) by BishWear
Gown - Holiday Bliss by MP Haute Style
Jewelry - Snowflake Collection by EarthStones
Glasses - Rosetta Crystal White by Air

Boots - Red Patent Ankle Boots by Bax Boots

EarthStones - Halo of the Dark Sun

2008-11-30T11:43:00.007-05:00

RL yeesh... but enough about that. Other than the holidays, I've got smooth sailing into the new year, so I've been busy sorting and sifting through huge piles of clothes and shoes and tattoos and, yes, even more lingerie. I'll be blogging a few scraps of leather and bits of lace from Nymphetamine, then headed to the I's with Insolence and Intimizzio...but I'd like to start with a breathtaking design from a staple of my wardrobe - EarthStones.

For my "Yup, I'm back" post, I'm featuring a gorgeous little piece that Abraxxa Anatine over at EarthStones did first as a custom piece and has now released to the lucky public. In both men's and women's styles, Halo of the Dark Sun is a delight in blood red and black stones, dramatic enough to stand alone as the focal point of an outfit, stylized enough to blend with the noir side of your wardrobe. At L$500, this is a spectacular piece of artwork, with symbolic filigree orbited and centered with runed spheres.

Pick up the Halo of the Dark Sun (but don't stop there) at the EarthStones Main Store at EarthBound.

Credits:

Hair - TossMeAround (Black) by Bishwear

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz

Glasses - Danielle Black Glasses by Insolence

Earrings - Desmodus (Black Steel/Red Jasper) by EarthStones

Piercing - Bali Lip Ring (Labradorite/Silver) by EarthStones

Necklace - Halo of the Dark Sun by EarthStones

Sweater - Full Sculpted Knit Jacket (Black) by CE Cubic Effect

Goth1c0 for Crimson Shadow

2008-10-25T10:36:00.006-04:00

In a moment of weakness, my All Hallow's spirit overcame my slim Linden wallet and I found myself drooling at Crimson Shadow. Ahhhh... to just have unlimited Lindens what fun I would have. Instead, I proceeded to shop. And then stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the absolutely fantastic ensemble by Goth1c0. I didn't even hem and haw, just hit buy and prayed. Minutes later I was cycling through all the possibilities of this multifaceted outfit.

Only available in black and red, the play of textures and fabrics is absolute perfection. The movement of the long skirt is graceful and flowing, the short skirt is flirty and sexy. And without either skirt? Corseted lingerie at it's best with garters and stockings. Black patent leather ankle boots or sky high stilettos - every combination in this set begs for the edgiest footwear in the bottom of your closet. Add a bit of graceful gothic jewelry and you are ready for anything.
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The set consists of top (jacket), glitch pants (pants), gloves, stockings and prim skirts. The sheer lace and blood red satin ballgown will take you to the most formal clubs in SL and have people ask you about your outfit, while the short and flirty skirt is perfect for a night of clubbing - really three full outfits for the L$1000 price tag. I've practically lived in this since I bought it, so I think well worth it and it has gift friendly perms - No Copy, No Mod, Transfer (Prim Skirts - Mod).
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Two landmarks this week, first to Crimson Shadow and second to the Goth1c0 Main Store.
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Credits:
Dress - Goth1c0 for Crimson Shadow
Hair - Toss Me Around (Black) by Bishwear
Jewelry - Lampir Cross (Bright Silver/Carnelian) by EarthStones

Carnal - Lingerie Special, Pt. 2

2008-10-22T08:14:00.011-04:00

Continuing through the lingerie alphabet, Carnal stands out not only for their gorgeous in-world intimates but for the fact that they have a First Life presence as well as a Second Life presence. From basic foundation sets to more elaborate ensembles, Carnal provides a broad range of colors, fabrics and styles. I had the pleasure of running into Gabriel LeShelle while gathering the details for this article and took his purchasing recommendation on the first featured set - the gorgeous lace bordered teddy, Moscou.
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Available in 6 colors including Mint, Lilac, Red, White, Black and Pink, the set uses the undershirt and underpant layers as well as adding optional gold prim details in the form of a triple chain crossing the midriff. Each set sells for L$300 and Carnal has joined forces with other designers to create shoes and jewelry designed specifically to accessorize the set.
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One of the things I love about the stores and designers who are entirely focused on lingerie creation is the ability to find beautiful basic sets. Creators who mainly design outerwear tend to release lingerie that is more elaborate for special occasion or integrated tightly with a full ensemble. Carnal has a selection of elegant foundation sets that go easily under ballgowns or sweaters and I bought the Lace Bra Set for just this reason. Let's face it, a gal just doesn't need a 34570979 item folder with 387 adjustable prim pieces for a quick shopping trip or to go profile hopping.
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The Lace Bra Set is available in White, Black, Pink, Green, Grey, Red and a fabulous Sheer for L$250 per color or in the Fat Pack of all seven for L$1400. Again, the pieces are only available as the bra on the undershirt layer and panty on the underpant layer, which is my only real criticism of the Carnal sets in that it limits options with respect to tattoos and some outerwear. That said, you can't beat it for simplicity. Permissions aren't as gift friendly as other lines (though some sets are available in Mod/Trans in the gift area and Gabriel will create and deliver Mod/Trans by request), but the Copy, Mod, No Transfer means if you prefer creating outfits, your underlayers are covered. ;)
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Bring a touch of First Life to your Second Life at the Carnal Main Store at Carnal Plaza.

Credits:

Lingerie - Moscou (White) and Lace Bra Set (Sheer) by Carnal

Jewelry - Floating Circles Set (Gold/Diamonds) by EarthStones (top)

Belly Ring (Yin Yang) by EarthStones (middle)

Desmodus Set (Black Steel/Red Jasper) by EarthStones (bottom)

Hair - Forest Child (Black) by Songfeather Designs (top)

BON75 by booN (middle & bottom)

Angel Dessous - Lingerie Special, Pt. 1

2008-10-20T06:37:00.009-04:00

I noticed my lingerie "to blog" folder was overflowing just as even more new release announcements came in, so I figured it was time to catch up and the best way to do that is to salute the designers of some of my favorite "mostly unseen in public" clothing in Second Life. I love and adore lingerie - stockings, heels, corsets, bras, thongs, strings and every other spectacular foundation in SL. So, starting with Angel Dessous, I'll be looking at a sampling of sexy (both new and classic) from a series of designers who think the underthings are the thing. Word of warning - while the photos are PG, this *is* lingerie, so if you are expecting neck to ankle coverage, skip this series.

The first of three outfits from Angel Dessous is the Amber new release which comes in three colors, the traditional red and black as well as a leopard patterned set called cat. There are three different top layers, all with 3/4 sleeves but varying in length and detail. The undershirt layer is a short bra, the shirt layer is a midriff corset and the jacket layer extends the corset to the hips and adds garters and snaps for the included stockings. Coordinating panties, upper arm bracelets and short prim skirt are included to finish a very flexible outfit with several different looks for L$390 per color.

Suzy is also a multi-faceted lingerie set but does not have quite the layer versatility with both the revealing half bra and the more traditional full bra being on the undershirt layer while the tiny string panty is only on the underpant layer and the garters only on the pant layer. There are two included stockings, one specifically designed for the garters, the other designed to be worn without. Suzy comes in four combinations at L$320 per color in black/creme, red, green and white/black.

The final outfit is a personal favorite - Jennifer comes in both soft patterned and delicate lace versions with a classic bra on the undershirt layer and a corset on the shirt, providing three different looks from the demure to the fully exposed. Stockings are included, but this is not a garter set, so they settle at thigh high below the traditional bikini style panties (underpant layer). The lace version comes in black and white, while the colors of the traditional set are gras (green), heaven (blue), hell (wine) and flower (black and white) at L$290 per color. All lingerie is no copy, no mod, transfer to make for easy gift giving, though the limited layers can cause problems for tattoo fans.
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Find lingerie for any intimate occasion at the Angel Dessous Main Store.

Credits:

Lingerie - Suzy, Amber & Jennifer sets by Angel Dessous

Jewelry - Floating Circles (Gold) by EarthStones

Hair (top & middle) - Toss Me Around (Auburn & True Red) by Bishwear

Hair (bottom) - BON75 (Black) by booN

Insolence - Lilly Satin Lingerie

2008-10-12T13:36:00.014-04:00

I hate it when RL keeps me from blogging something spectacular for way too long, but at least with Insolence lingerie, the look is timeless. One of the many reasons to join the Insolence group is the beautifully written release notecards. When I received camilla Yousuke's card for this set, it perfectly matched my "curl up by the fire with a glass of wine" fall is here mood and, in fact, similar feelings were what inspired her to create this gorgeous satin ensemble. 28 pieces, all layers and prim details combine to create so many different looks you will wonder if you will ever run out of combinations.
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Sumptiously patterned satin is used throughout in full corset, short corset and bra for the upper body, tied with satin ribbons and edged with prim lace. All varieties come in shirt and undershirt with a full corset jacket layer as well. Back seamed stockings add even more possiblities as all bottom layers include options both with and without garters, with and without panties, panty only (both boy cut and tiny string) and prim lace attachments for both corset and panty combinations. Yes, it's dizzying - and I didn't even mention the fabulous prim satin ribbon back tie.
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The Lilly set comes in a palette of fall colors - black, emerald, blue, purple, red and gold - with all combinations included for only L$290 per color. Ah, how I wish there were a fatpack, but don't despair - it is no copy, no mod, transfer and perfect for gift giving (or receiving) - just find a (close) friend to help you finish out your collection. In camilla's own words, "I really hope this ensemble will satisfy the most exigent, and bring you that warm, comfy sexy feeling I get wearing them on the sofa as I write these lines.
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Hoping to meet you soon at the Insolence Main Store, at Venom."

All photographs:

Hair - Moody (Coal) by Diversity Hair

Lingerie - Lilly Satin Outfit (Black) by Insolence

Jewelry - Crystal Charm Earrings (Creativity) by EarthStones

Piercings - Bali Face Piercings (Labradorite) by EarthStones

Tattoo - Gecko by Muism (Mu Mei Do)

Warning - When I Am An Old Woman...

2008-10-01T19:08:00.005-04:00

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
and run my stick along the public railings
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick the flowers in other people's gardens
and learn to spit.

- from Warning by Jenny Joseph

Fabulous hat (not purple) is part of Joan Miro's Tattoo Gown by Lady Thera's.

Persona - Dita Knit Blouse

2008-09-28T09:08:00.014-04:00

I think that I'm just going to make myself a huge sign for the wall that says, "Buy the Fat Pack!" because I never do and I always regret it. I knew that the Dita Knit Blouse from Persona was going to be fabulous and I knew I was going to have a use for each and every one of the seven colors, but do I listen to my little inner frugal shopper? Of course not! That would make sense! (Naturally, I wound up immediately buying two after trying on the first, LOL!).

Absolutely perfect for fall, this beautifully textured, highly detailed, soft and fuzzy beauty comes in warm, muted shades of white, purple, black, brown, red, green, and blue and works equally well with jeans or skirts. The individual price is L$125 per color and the Fat Pack (yes, buy it) of all 7 colors sells for L$611. The layer options are quite nice with a two piece combination choice of shirt/undershirt top and pant/underpant bottom or a full jacket layer. Add the prim sleeves and collar and you are out the door. (One note: The pants layer is mislabled as "top" in the green - it is indeed the wide knit bottom.)

Pull on an autumn delight at the Persona Main Store.

Top Left:
Top - Dita Knit Blouse (Green) by Persona
Hair - Miranda (Coffee Bean) by House of Heart
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Forest Green) by Glanz
Skin - Sunkissed V1 (Smokey 02 DB) by [KA] Skins
Jewelry - Crystal Charm Set (Money) by Earthstones

Bottom Right:

Top - Dita Knit Blouse (Black) by Persona

Kilt - Ruffian Blue (Women's) by Boom

Boots - Ankle Boots (Black Patent) by Bax Boots

Stockings - #24 (Torn, Lace Top, Black) by Sheer

Hair - Solid Wave (Neo Black) by Find Ash

A Perfect Place - SiniStyle (Goth Horror)

2008-09-27T12:05:00.017-04:00

Graveyards, desanctified churches, gas lights, and absolutely magnificent trees make the SiniStyle Design Main Store sim a photographer's dream for All Hallows' Eve. From the Addams Family architecture to the occasional bat (both in the trees and in the air), this is simply a wonderful setting for any dark and stormy shoots. I received a review copy of EarthStones newest set, Desmodus, in gold and opal and decided I wanted to do a few shots as if I was entering the photo contest - All Hallows Eve theme with jewelry as the focus. Wow, so much harder than it looks...
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I bought a few copies of Desmodus myself (the bats are just too wonderful) in black steel and silver, red jasper and moonstone - so that I would have a few combinations to play with. Then I pulled out a variety of outfits and hairstyles and started posing, turning, playing with lighting and desperately trying to get a perfect shot. 104 photos. All over the sim. With and without bats, in church, in the graveyard, near the wrought iron gates. Black. Red. White. Lace and no lace. Updos and down, long and short. Heck, I finished a pot of coffee before I ever got to the first crop.
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Finally, though, after twisting and turning and zooming and moving - some shots I thought were about the jewelry and the goth horror atmosphere and not me or the outfit. I tucked the SiniStyle Design sim landmark in my "Great Settings" folder and you should consider doing the same (and don't forget to check out the store as well - it's haunted!).
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For all the Wednesdays in the world, feel at home at the SiniStyle Design Main Store Sim.

Top left:
Hair - Jasmyn (Black) by Analog Dog
Skin - Sunkissed V1 (Smokey 02) by [KA] Skins
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Top - Knit Jacket (Black) by CE Cubic Effect
Jewelry - Desmodus (Gold/Opal) by EarthStones

Bottom right:

Hair - Coral (Black) by House of Heart

Jewelry - Desmodus (Silver/Red Jasper) by Earthstones

Dress - Scheherazade (Bloodstone) by DG Innovations

Contests From The Other Side

2008-09-26T19:31:00.007-04:00

So, I was chatting with Abraxxa Anatine at EarthStones about how Halloween was the absolute best holiday and how stoked I was that this was going to be my first SL All Hallows Eve. Well, the conversation wandered and roamed as conversations are wont to do (now there's a word you don't see used a lot...) and it seems that I'm trying contests from the other side by being the notecard taker for the EarthStones All Hallows' Eve Photography Contest. Seemed pretty cool until I realized I'm not eligible to win, of course, but I'm enjoying the heck out of seeing how folks work with the theme - and, of course, I'll be posting my "if I were eligible" pictures here on the blog.

Here's the rules for those of you wanting to dress up, find a nice graveyard, castle, haunted wood, punkin patch, whatever and click your 'lil cameras:

How to Enter:

If not already a member, join the EarthStones Group (search for EarthStones, no cost to join)
Plan the perfect outfit for the contest theme (don't forget the pond shops at EarthBound if you *need* something new).
Take a fabulous picture of yourself or a friend wearing your favorite EarthStones jewelry or accessories. (PG, please. Post-production encouraged.)
Create a new note and rename it "All Hallows Eve Photo - [Your Name]"
Drag your full perm picture to the note and save.
Send the note to Retribution Fall before midnight SLT, Friday, October 10th.
Rejoice.

Prizes:

1st Place: L$2000 EarthStones Store Card, a pre-release piece of EarthStones jewelry and your photo and credit on display at EarthStones through October 31
2nd Place: L$1000 EarthStones Store Card and your photo and credit on display at EarthStones through October 31
3rd Place: L$500 EarthStones Store Card and your photo and credit on display at EarthStones through October 31

Details & Rules:

Please submit no more than two pictures total. Male, female and duo pictures welcome.
Please do not IM or ask about the contest in group chat - send a note to Retribution Fall or Abraxxa Anatine if you have any questions.
Please follow the submissions instructions carefully, your entry may have to be discarded otherwise.
Please only EarthStones jewelry in your picture.
Deadline for entries is midnight SLT on October 10th. We will be unable to accept entries after this time.
Winners will be selected based on theme, quality of photography and creative presentation of the jewelry/accessories.
Winners will be announced via EarthStones group notice on October 15th.
You do not have to be online to win, but you must be a member of the EarthStones group.
And, finally, all entries become the property of EarthStones and may be used, displayed or distributed at our discretion.

Go get 'em! Pick up a notecard with rules and info at the EarthStones Main Store at EarthBound.

Then & Now... Again.

2008-09-22T15:05:00.008-04:00

Every now and then I like to look back and see how things have changed, so the other night when I pulled out one of my staples, the Tedious outfit by Apple May Designs, I remembered that it had been the subject of one of my earliest posts. I decided that it could be fun to pull out the original blog pictures and take another set with my more recent hair, skin, accessories. The whole look is utterly schoolgirl, so perfect for fall with a soft, warm, barely legal sweater top over a short tartan skirt.
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The outfit just screams for body art and, not surprisingly, both sets of photos are "inky" - the earlier with iNFLiCT's [name] and the later with Nambya's Sunburst. It's a very leggy outfit and while it looks great with just Dark Eden's Thetis ankle boots, the white stockings from Insolence's Melanie set paired with AW Design's CourtX Patent Leather Stiletto Mary Janes pull the "back to school" look together. Of course, for the serious, studious finish, Air's Rosetta Glasses in Crystal White are perfect for perching on the end of one's academic nose.
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Obviously the look lends itself to short hair, with Novocaine's Edwina in the more recent shot and Armidi's Poynter in the older. Tuli's S5 skin rounds out the earlier picture, Glanz Transparency Shine eyes are worn in both and today I was wearing KA's Sunkissed skin in Smokey 02. Jewelry in both is by EarthStones, with the Wire Wrapped earrings, Yin Yang earrings and the newly released Yin Yang belly piercings as well as the virtually never removed Bali lip ring.
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Almost all items listed here have had posts of their own, so I'll leave you to the tags for more information, you can pick up Tedious in several colors at Apple May Designs Main Store.

Skinwalkers - Super-Ego

2008-09-20T08:07:00.015-04:00

I've had this for quite a while - let's face it, with my name, how could I not own a bodysuit that just oozes righteous anger (or slight mental bend, take your pick)? When I got an invitation to a "Seven Deadly Sins" event, I started enumerating vices - Lust, Sloth, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Pride and... oh yeah... Wrath. You gotta figure every guy is going to be Sloth surrounded by a flood of Pride and Lust - Wrath just isn't that easy to visualize unless you have Super-Ego in your inventory, waiting to bring the spiked cuffs of vengeance to the party.

Interestingly, while bodysuits are notoriously hard to mix and match, I found this outfit to change substantially in overall feel with accessory and footwear changes, which makes it a great wardrobe addition for clubbing. A red, grey and white on black latex graffiti texture clings to every curve while spiked cuffs (arm and wrist) and "brass knuckles" combine with a "Hate" belt and matching boots to give a complete look. A little spike to the hair, ears and tail and you are the edgiest girl next door kitty in town, long curls and high boots and you are mistress of the mean streets.
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The outfit includes the bodysuit on the underwear layer, which is my only complaint as I would have preferred a layer choice, gloves, stockings, boots, belt and spiked accessories - 16 pieces in all for L$550. While you are there, take a look around at the other bodysuits - the Super-Ego accessories mix beautifully with almost all of them, adding to the value of the ensemble. Skinwalkers carries post-apocalyptic styles for men and women as well as a selection of skirt and top combos for the urban schoolgirl.
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For those nights you feel like taking on the world (or just being the center of attention) slip into a different skin at the Skinwalkers Main Store.
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Top Left:

Outfit - Super-Ego by Skinwalkers
Ears - Neko Ears (Black) by Acid & Mala Creations
Hair - Solid Wave (Neo Black) by Find Ash

Eyes - Transparency Shine (Forest Green) by Glanz
Collar - Lilith Collar (Red) by Dark Eden

Center Right:

Super-Ego by Skinwalkers

Neko Ears and Tail (Black) by Acid & Mala Creations

Solid Wave (Neo Black) by Find Ash

Lilith Collar (Red) by Dark Eden

Bottom Left:
Super-Ego by Skinwalkers
Lilith Collar (Red) by Dark Eden
Thetis Boots (Bloodrage) by Dark Eden
Jasmyn (Black) by Analog Dog

Skulls, Wire, Roses & Bones Week (Pt. 2)

2008-09-14T08:17:00.015-04:00

OK, so due to RL sucking last week, I'm continuing the theme posts into this week with another round of body parts, barbed wire and flowers. One of the styles I picked up at the Hair Fair was the Deshu hair from Curious Kitties, which was a perfect fit for the subject matter as well as being the ideal finish for Passionate Neko Dreams' new release, Gothic Punk. I also pulled out a more traditional (well for a skull dress) look from DE Designs to round out the second post in the series.
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Curious Kitties' Deshu Hair comes in two sets of colors, the 2008 Special Colors (Deep Water, Ripe Strawberry, Greyscale Dark and Light, Pink Floss, Greenery, Rainbow and Golden) and the "regular" CK Colors (Whitish, Blackish, Redish, Orangish, Goldish, Mintish, Greenish, Bluish, Purplish and Pinkish) with an attractive spray of bones and skulls across an adorable punky updo. The 2008 colors are L$200 each, L$1400 for the Fat Pack of 8, the CK colors are L$150 each and L$1400 for a Fat Pack of 10. Don't forget to check out the other styles in the New Releases section while you are there - I know I'll be back for more.
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The second I put on the Deshu hair, I knew there was another new release out there waiting for it - the Gothic Punk outfit by Passionate Neko Dreams goes so perfectly with the hair and the theme, you'd think they had been made to go together. A short and sexy "club to bed" (and vice versa) outfit, Gothic Punk comes complete with complementary mismatched stockings and skull 'n' lace choker to go with the loose garters and sweet as sin corset. No Fat Pack here, but three colors to choose from - red, green and purple - each for L$350 and the perfect excuse to bring out those heavy punk boots or lacy goth ankle boots, depending on the occasion.
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Finally, for a more casual look, DE Designs has the short toga-inspired Mekala outfit in three designs - Black, Daiquiri and, yep, Skully. You can get just one for L$325, but the Fat Pack gives you a three for two with all included for L$650, a bargain for such a flattering style. A single shoulder draped outfit with a jacket layer cinch belt, the skull pattern puts a surprising edge to an otherwise totally sweet and innocent look - perfect for a day of shopping or an evening out with a friend.
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Gothic Punk can be found at the Passionate Neko Dreams Main Store and topped with Deshu from the Curious Kitties Main Store, while Mekala can be found at the DE Designs Main Store.

Shown:

Deshu Hair (Ripe Strawberry) by Curious Kitties

Gothic Punk (Red) by Passionate Neko Dreams

Mekala (Skully) by DE Designs

Insolence - Flore Lingerie

2008-09-13T10:15:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that I've had this set in my inventory for so long and haven't blogged it, but I missed the original release notice and by the time I'd raced over to Insolence and picked up a set, I had stacks of posts in the works. That said, the best way to handle an oversight is to admit it and fix it, so that's what I'm doing here before I return to skulls, roses, wire and bones tomorrow. The Flore Lingerie Ensembles by Insolence are light, delicate, airy sets with lots of optional details and combinations, the perfect offset to the heavier fall colors and fabrics.

The set has several different looks included with both a balcony bra and a triangle bra as well as traditional and string panties. You can add optional tiny ties and lacy underbra ruffle to tailor the look to any mood or preference. This set is available only in light colors of Cream, Lavender, Peach, Green, Pink and White - sorry red and black fans, but darker colors would overwhelm the delicate textures. As always the ensemble is flexible with tattoos, coming in all layers except jacket. This set does not come with stockings, but any of you Insolence fans like myself know that you can easily grab any other Insolence piece and it will work, though this outfit is very sweet and innocent without and at L$290 per color it has more than enough options to be a smart purchase.

Slip into something where a little less is definitely more at the Insolence Main Store.

Credits:

Lingerie - Flore Lingerie Ensemble (Cream) by Insolence

Hair - BON75 by booN

Earrings - Wire Wrapped Crystal (Labradorite) by EarthStones

Shoes - Silver Studsides Pumps by Stiletto Moody

Bangles - Silver Bangles by Spork

Photos taken at Fross Maruti's Free Photography Studio

Haven't Disappeared, But...

2008-09-11T18:22:00.004-04:00

It's been a heck of a RL week - lost power in thunderstorms, work has been a bear, you name it. I've got a pile of clothes, shoes and other goodies piled up waiting for pictures, so look for this weekend and next week to be a posting marathon. =)

Obligatory picture (because every post should have a picture) is of the Cephalopod Boots (Remix, Midnight) by Dark Eden, Melanie Lingerie panties (Black) by Insolence and De/Konstrukt top (Black) by MekaNoiZe Labs (no longer available, sadly).

See ya Saturday morning after I get a little sleep and have a chance to hit the studio for a while!

Skulls, Wire, Roses & Bones Week (Pt. 1)

2008-09-06T21:38:00.018-04:00

Today I was doing some shopping, hunting down a few specific accessories (and buying outfits along the way, of course) when I noticed that I have a startling number of items with either skulls, bones, barbed wire or roses, including several new releases I was dying to blog - easily enough for multiple posts over the course of a week. Hence, we kick off "Skulls, Wire, Roses & Bones Week" with the spectacular Yukio Kimono from FallnAngel Creations and the fun and flirty Bloomer Set by KaoSome. Interestingly, neither of these outfits can be described in terms of color as they are detailed patterns and textures instead.

The Yukio Kimono is, for lack of a better description, a silk influenced kimono (you will find this in the kimono section of the store) with a leather strapped corset obi, silk styled prim sleeves and skirt, gloves, fishnet stockings, garter and Zori shoes. As mentioned, the colors are more a fabric design than a color change with 17 textures including Purple Floral, Tan Sand, Kogane Tsuru, Midnight Reverie, Sakura Black Red, Aqua Dianthus, Soft Sakura, Forest Trees, Flights of Gold, White Rabbit, Beautiful Lilies, Midnight Roses, Crimson Swirls, Mystical Butterflies, Orange Gold Fans, Sweet Peonies and Jade Gold Fans. Each individual set sells for L$450, no Fat Pack available, but well worth investing in more than one once you see the fabulous lines of this outfit. This set is, of course, easily worn with the included shoes, but I found it was also perfect with ankle boots. You also have a myriad of complementary hair options from updos to spikes that subtly alter the feel of the ensemble.

Once I put on the Exodus hairstyle from Deviant Kitties for the FallnAngel kimono, I knew I had to keep it (with a color change) and add the Skulls and Flower accessory to shoot the Bloomer Set by KaoSome. This stylized upsweep is available in a huge range of colors with the prim accessory included with each for L$225 per pack of six related colors (I purchased the Black Natural Tips set). The Bloomer Set, like the kimono, rather than colors, comes in three patterns named Psycho, Skullz and Roses and Flowers. Each outfit is comprised of a bodice with an intricately detailed lace trim, shimmery skirt and gloves in a (surprise) skull and rose pattern as well as (my favorite part) lace trimmed bloomers peeking out from underneath. Each design is a bargain at L$200 and even with no fat pack available you should consider picking up more than one.

You can find the Yukio Kimono at the FallnAngel Creations Main Store and the Bloomer Set at the KaoSome Hub. To top them off with Exodus, stop by the Deviant Kitties Main Store as well.

Top left:

Hair - BON75 by booN

Tattoo - My Gift My Purpose (Medium) by iNFLiCT
Earrings - Small Silver Triskelion by BastChild Designs

Outfit - Yukio Kimono (Midnight Roses) by FallnAngel Creations

Middle right:

Hair - Exodus (Black White) by Deviant Kitties

Tattoo - My Gift My Purpose (Medium) by iNFLiCT

Outfit - Yukio Kimono (Midnight Roses) by FallnAngel Creations

Bottom left:

Exodus (Black Red) (Skulls and Flower) by Deviant Kitties

Outfit - Bloomer Set (Skullz & Roses) by KaoSome

Boots - Phobos 2 (Black) by Dark Eden

Update - EarthStones Crystal Elements

2008-09-05T20:53:00.007-04:00

Earlier this week I did a post where nearly all my jewelry was credited as [pre-release] - and it was absolutely killing me (though I do love Abraxxa for it). But, since they have been officially released (including the earrings), I'd like to update the full information on this gorgeous set. The Crystal Elements double necklace is actually two necklaces that can be worn either separately or together to travel easily between the casual and the formal. The four crystals suspended from either gold or silver circles float beneath a short necklace with a drop crystal creating an elegant yet grounded classic piece. The earrings are single circles with suspended crystals.

There is one set for each of the elements, set in gold or silver - Air, Earth, Fire and Water with a fifth set named Spirit (Labradorite) priced at L$449 each or L$1499 for a gold or silver Fat Pack. The earrings are L$149 single, Fat Pack in the metal of your choice for L$499. Did I mention that the chain and earring wires are accented with small beads that perfectly match the Bali Face Piercings? You need these. You really need these.

Find your elemental self at the EarthStones Main Store at EarthBound.

Silks of the Siren - Darkness in Torment

2008-09-02T12:03:00.014-04:00

I haven't blogged a lot of silks in general, but sometimes I run across one that just begs to be written up - Darkness in Torment by Silks of the Siren is one of those. This is not a huge store with a massive line, but the detail of each piece shows the time that has gone into it, making for a small but stellar selection of silks. A flowing combination of lace cutout panels and beautifully textured prims, Darkness in Torment moves smooth and sinuously, following all but the most extreme AOs flawlessly.

While many of the outfits at Silks of the Siren come in a selection of colors, this particular silk is only available in black - appropriately enough, given the name. I am always concerned about prim adjustment with silks as I'm not SL's best editor - these fit me nearly perfectly straight out of the box with only minimal shifting required. The set is made up of a shirt, glove and pant layer (very tattoo friendly arrangement) with both a PG and X-rated pant included, as well as a prim cape, skirt, chest and arm pieces. The asymmetrical design adds interest to the outfit as does the crosshatching pattern supporting the sheer insets. The set will cost you L$500, but well worth it for the right occasion. Yes, your nipples will be partially exposed in this ensemble, but, really now - you *are* wearing a silk, aren't you? ;)

Drape yourself in sensual fabrics at the Silks of the Siren Main Store.

Both Photographs:
Hair - BON75 by booN
Skin - Sunkissed V1 (Smokey 02, DB) by [KA] Skins
Outfit - Darkness in Torment by Silks of the Siren
Tattoo - My Summer Calls by iNFLiCT
Earrings - Wrapped Crystal Earrings (Labradorite) by EarthStones
Lip Ring - Bali Bead Lip Ring (Labradorite) by EarthStones
Shoes - Gladiator Boot (Black Patent) by Stiletto Moody

Hair Fair '08 - Where Have All The L$ Gone? (Pt. 3)

2008-08-30T21:29:00.012-04:00

As promised, this is the third article of four about Hair Fair 2008 and this is where you see some of the (silly number) of hairstyles I purchased. I'm leading off with Solid Wave by Find Ash in Neo Black. Not only is it a terrific short spiky style, but 50% of the sales go to Locks of Love - in fact 50% of all styles at the Find Ash booth goes to the charity, making them a very special vendor. There are three fat packs (L$840) and an all color pack of 12 (L$1680) as well as individual colors in Neo Black, Charcoal Grey, Amber Brown, Sweet Brown (Dark Color Pack), Royal Blond, Platinum Blond, Dark Silver, Strawberry Blond (Light Color Pack), Darkness Blue, Deep Red, Golden Brown and Vintage Wine (Funky Color Pack) for L$280 each.
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Possibly one of the best mid length styles at the Hair Fair, Verena by Damselfly was my first purchase - I'm a sucker for that "just fell out of bed" look and it's near impossible to find in shorter styles. Damselfly styles are available in 25 packs of 4 colors (L$200) in 5 categories of fat packs for L$500 and an all color pack for L$2000. Individual color sets are: (Blonde) Beach Beige, Sand Dollar, Blonde Dusky, Bamboo, Starfish, Sunrise; (Black) Black Pearl, Forest, Mystic, Night Shade, Onyx, Raven; (Brown) Caramel, Cocoa Harbor, Driftwood, Suntan, Dusky, Mocha Splash; (Red) Cinnamon, Tropic, Hibiscus, Russet Glow, Ginger, Ruby Twilight and (Shaded Tips) Belladonna, Atomic, Diva, Manic, Voodoo, Panic.

Finally, from Deviant Kitties, I couldn't leave without Exodus. Even though I'm showing it here without, it is a gorgeous upsweep style with a skull and flower accessory in complementary colors that make it a must for virtually any goth inspired outfit out there. DK sells their hair in packs of six colors for L$200 - Blacks, Whites, Blondes and Browns in just the color or with Rainbow or Natural Tips, Red Tips, Deviant Punks, Taffys and 2 sets of Unnaturals and an All Color Pack for L$2000.
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Since I need a teaser for my final Hair Fair post, here's a preview of one of the many stylish bandanas available - definitely one for every taste and plenty for both men and women. September 7th is Bandana Day - a Gridwide event where you can replace your hair with a bandana for the day to support the Locks of Love charity and the children for whom it supplies wigs. Be sure and stop at the Bandana booth (there is one in every sim, straight out from the landing point) and pick up one (or 30) bandanas. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of bandanas goes to Locks of Love.
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Be sure to visit each of the Hair Fair Color Sims until September 7th - individual sim landmarks are in Hair Fair '08, Pt. 1.

Top Left:
Hair - Solid Wave (Neo Black) by Find Ash
Necklace - [Pre-Release, you'll have to wait to see the whole thing] by EarthStones
Skin - Sunkissed V1 Smokey 02 DB by [KA] Skins
Ears - Neko Ear (Black) by Acid & Mala
Tattoo - Skull Jacket by SLinked
Top - Effing Work of Art Tank by LessThan3

Middle Right:

Hair - Verena (Onyx) by Damselfly

Earrings - [Pre-Release] by EarthStones

Skin - Sunkissed V1 Smokey 02 DB by [KA] Skins

Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT

Top - Feel (Jazz Blue) by ARGRACE

Bottom Left:
Hair - Exodus (Black Red) by Deviant Kitties
Earrings - [Pre-Release] by EarthStones
Skin - Sunkissed V1 Smokey 02 DB by [KA] Skins
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT
Outfit - Elven Series Drost (Crimson) by House of Rfyre

Bottom Right:

Bandana - Hair Fair Bandana (Retro Reds) by Persona
Skin - Sunkissed V1 Smokey 02 DB by [KA] Skins
Tattoo - My Summer Calls by iNFLiCT
Top - Open Shirt (Red) by E. Watkins

Hair Fair '08 - Dear Stylists... (Pt. 2)

2008-08-27T11:37:00.000-04:00

I love you all, I really do. The time and work involved, the effort and the experimentation - not to mention the sheer creativity of creating hair out of prims - amazing. And I know that preparing for a event like Hair Fair is an additional drain on already scarce time, but as I walked (OK, slogged) through the Rezzable sims, I found myself scribbling notes. Once I got home and started sifting and sorting and swapping I have to admit that, on more than one occasion I found myself saying "What were they thinking?" or "Oooooh!" or "Yoiks!". So, the good, the bad and the downright weird, with Fair Goer Tips for navigating them and pictures of more wonderful freebies...

1. Hidden and obscured gifts - Hunts are a lot of fun (sometimes), but a massively overcrowded sim just isn't the right place to give folks a challenge. Trust me, just getting to your booth is a challenge - do you really need a lagging gaggle of bald, near naked avatars crowded in your booth digging under the shrubs only to fall into gridlock when Barbie Lagalicious blings past?

Fair Goer Tip - if you don't see a gift, take your time and keep your eyes open, walk all the way into the booths and read the signs. Not all booths have freebies, but it's worth your while to check and it gives you more time to browse while everything shows up. Make a note on your designers card when you pick up something and check back at the booths where you didn't.

2. Stuff that didn't sell - While the main point is to raise money for Locks of Love, the Hair Fair is a huge opportunity to draw new customers. Trust me, it's better to not put out a freebie than to put out one that isn't representative of your current line. I would far rather have one unusual color of a great style or a full set of style demos than 45098735 "normal" colors of something that didn't quite work out. First impressions and all that, yanno?

Fair Goer Tip - Take some spare change and buy at least one demo from shops you haven't seen before. Oh and delete anything you don't love - my inventory expanded by close to 3K just from freebies and demos. Eeep!

3. Textures, labels and landmarks - One day, Hair Fair will end and you will go back to your home sims and wonder why we aren't coming to see you. If you didn't include a LM in your freebies, named your folder something like "Neat Junk Goodie Box" or require that a megapack of four billion colors be rezzed just to see what the style looks like - that may be the reason.

Fair Goer Tip - Take notes and buy demos. Use that designer list for each sim so that when you start digging through objects named "Putrid Green Snickerdoodle 24DL3" you have some reference point. Rename folders. Also, create 4 new folders named "Orange", "Purple", "Red" and "Pink", put your sim map and designer lists into them and sort as you go.

Finally, I'd like to thank each and every one of the stylists participating in the fair for their time, effort and generosity. I am incredibly grateful for all your work and for the fun I've had trying on the incredible range of hairstyles at Hair Fair 2008. So much so that Part 3 is going to be all about what I went back and bought and the stores I discovered...

Individual Sim Landmarks are in Hair Fair '08 (Pt. 1)

Hair is all Hair Fair 2008 Freebies

(Jewelry by EarthStones, Top by Persona)

Top left - Puety by Eat Rice!

Center right (clockwise from upper left)
Miya by Dernier Cri

Shay by Exile
Mandi by Curl Up and Dye
Flow II by Magika

Lower left - Monique by Sinsation

Hair Fair '08 - A Perfect SLag Guide (Pt. 1)

2008-08-25T10:38:00.017-04:00

I knew I was going to have to go to Hair Fair 2008 and I knew I was going to get scooped by every blogger on the planet who was insane enough to brave the early lag. I tried, I really did. But there's just nothing fun to me about standing and waiting for stuff to rez and then still not being sure it's all there before slingshotting through molasses to the next booth. So, I waited. For those of you that did the same, welcome to my guide to the Hair Fair, including sim specific SLURLs, pictures, must have freebies, tips and tricks.

I started at the Pink Sim since that was the only sim-specific LM I had at the outset - when you first teleport in, step aside (to avoid other folks landing on your head) and wait - I swear there is a sim there. Don't head off yet - there are things you *need* here - like the designer list and map of the sim. These will be on the board nearby, which also allows you to TP within that sim to points near each of the stall sections. If you are just coming for specific designers or to buy something you didn't earlier, by all means, use the TP links - otherwise, I found them more trouble than they were worth. Just open your sim map texture and designer list and fly. For the more methodical and curious, pick a starting point and surf the whole sim from the air and please, remove your various attachments and ultra primmy accessories. No one is ever gonna see you as more than a grey blob anyway. ;)

Many of the booths have freebies and, if you are like me, you will wind up grabbing a ton of demos as well. For purchasing, look closely at the styles marked with the 50% (or higher) signs as those are the ones where a portion of your purchase goes to Locks of Love - the charity benefiting from the event. Please don't try on your demos at the fair - buy 'em, go somewhere quiet and lag free later, try 'em and go back with a purpose. Remember, you have your designer list and sim maps, so easy enough to do - just make your notes on your designer list notecard, which is conveniently listed both alphabetically and by booth number within the sim. I was lucky enough to go at a (relatively) low volume period, so I did all four sims in a row - otherwise, I'd recommend one per day for your sanity. You do have until September 7th, after all.

Next installments - more pictures, more credits, more tips and more rambling plus an assortment of bandanas. Today's taxis are to the individual color sims, all the photos are of freebies available at Hair Fair 2008.

Sim Specific Landmarks:

Pink Sim - Rezzable Explore

Purple Sim - Rezzable Design

Red Sim - Rezzable Create

Orange Sim - Rezzable Discover

Top left - Roflcopter by LaynieWear

Center right (clockwise from upper left)

Eve GenII by by Tekeli-li

Emoh by Bryce Designs

Twin Tail by BP

Sandy by Kiss

Lower left - Tree Hair by Curious Kitties

EarthStones - Bali Face Piercing Collection

2008-08-23T08:13:00.015-04:00

It's certainly no secret that I absolutely adore EarthStones jewelry - the Yin Yang set was one of my first purchases when I became a resident. No one does crystals and stones better than Abraxxa Anatine and anyone looking for jewelry that can traverse casual to formal with ease needs to stop by her store pronto. Recently I was whining about the dearth of high quality piercings that didn't bling one blind or bore one senseless and, next thing I knew, I had a gorgeous labradorite and silver nose ring dropped on me. It seems that piercings had been laying around on the workbench for a while, with more customers than just me tapping their size 0 feet and waiting for their release.
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The day has come - the Bali Bead Face Piercing Collection has been released in Baltic Amber, Amethyst, Labradorite, Moonstone, Turquoise, Carnelian, Onyx, Lapis Lazuli, and Malachite. Each set includes a nose, eyebrow and (offset) lip ring with matching stones set in silver. The metal texture perfectly matches the recently released Bali Hoop earrings. Now, there's no Fat Pack (dangit), but at L$149 it's very affordable to buy 'em all. As usual, they mix with all the other EarthStones accessories beautifully or stand alone as distinctive accents, enhancing rather than overwhelming a variety of outfits. They are no modify, no transfer, but come with a sizing script that makes them easy to fit for either men or women (the whole set is unisex) and the newly arrived store cards let you treat your friends to a shopping spree.

Get a few more holes in your head at the EarthStones Main Store at EarthBound.

Top left:
Hair - BON75 (Black) by booN
Skin - Tasha 04 (Cocoa) Portrait Skin by Laqroki
Piercings - Bali Bead Lip and Nose Rings (Amethyst) by EarthStones
Earrings - Yin Yang Earrings (Amethyst/Onyx - RFL Release) by EarthStones
Sweater - Woolpulli (Black) by LeeZu Baxter Designs

Bottom right:
Hair - BON75 by booN
Skin - Tasha 11 (Tan) Portrait Skin by Laqroki
Piercings - Bali Bead Nose and Lip Rings (Labradorite) by EarthStones
Earrings - Crystal Charm Earrings (Creativity) by EarthStones
Sweater - Woolpulli (Blue) by LeeZu Baxter Designs

Discord - EN-GI Set

2008-08-17T20:56:00.015-04:00

Back during the Linden birthday celebrations, I attended quite a few fashion shows, one of which featured several very talented Japanese designers from Cubic Effect, Discord and Azul. I've always been a fan of the clean lines, lush fabrics and texture contrasts found in much of the Japanese clothing in SL and the incredible attention to detail in the accessories, so I was looking forward to seeing more from each of them. Two outfits in particular moved so well they caught my eye and had me scribbling notes so I could teleport in for the buy after the show - both of them by Orange Meili of Discord.

Once you teleport in, be warned - it's a very visually intense sim and store, a little confusing to get through and it is packed with outfits when you arrive at the clothing - be prepared to spend some time - but not a lot of Lindens. The EN-GI Sets come in Purple, Red, Blue and Black with complementary trim and embroidery over a brocade fabric - there isn't a fat pack available, but each color is a budget conscious L$99. Oh and it moves beautifully with the leg revealing fan panel skirt.The outfit has 8 pieces - shirt, pants, prim skirt and obi. There are two part prim sleeves, both tied upper and dramatic tulip lower arm. For all you gifters, all the outfits I purchased were no mod, no copy but transferable and with a very broad range of styles.

Slam your hands down on the keyboard (no, not your computer, LOL) and visit the Discord Main Store at Nightmare City.

Both pictures:
Hair - BON75 by booN
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait (Tan) by Laqroki
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Gray) by Glanz
Jewelry - Jaded Dreams Earrings & Necklace (Black) by Purple Rose
Outfit - EN-GI Black Set by Discord,
Shoes - Silver StudSides Pump (Black) by Stiletto Moody

FAB.PONY - Paint Crop T

2008-08-16T10:38:00.018-04:00

One of the really neat things about blogging is that, every now and then, you will hear from a new or relatively new designer and discover something you wouldn't have otherwise. When I heard from Tatianna Faulkes of FAB.PONY, we chatted for a while and then I headed over to take a look at her store (open since February), which is nicely laid out, well lit and filled with 80's inspired casual dresses, separates and accessories.

Several things caught my eye immediately - don't miss the Denim RahRah skirt with its wonderfully detailed ruffles or the gauzy animal print Silk Shaza blouse (which looks great with the Wild Pumps in Zebra). When I started taking pictures, though, the Paint Crop T was just screaming to be the center of attention. It comes in both black and white versions, with the black splashed with neon greens, yellows and blues (perfect with those bright shiny belts and accessories) and the white splattered with pastels for a lighter look. Each color is L$120 (no fatpack) shirt layer, but that still works under jackets and over tattoos, so not a big deal at all. With jeans or flirty skirts, alone or paired with a jacket, this is a terrific casual look that will get you noticed.

Indulge your retro soul at the FAB.PONY Main Store.

Top left:

Hair - BON75 by booN
Earrings - Bali Hoop (Malachite) by EarthStones
Top - Paint Crop T (Black) by FAB.PONY
Jeans - Boyfriend Jean (True Blue) by FAB.PONY
Tattoo - What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT
Belt - Lilith (Midnight) by Dark Eden
Shoes - Silver Studsides Pumps (Black) by Stiletto Moody

Bottom Right:

Hair - BON75 by booN
Earrings - Bali Hoop (Malachite) by EarthStones
Top - Paint Crop T (Black) by FAB.PONY
Belt - Garbage (Neon Blue) by Cachet
Flirt (Black) by Kiki's Closet (now PERTURB/ation)

Shoes - Thetis (Midnight) by Dark Eden

Update - Contest Round-Up

2008-08-15T09:39:00.015-04:00

Yesterday was filled with lots of contest notices, from the sublime to the absurd (no, I didn't win anything - though still in the running for some). A friend encouraged me to enter my first contest (the JCNY Model'Fest) back in June and had a blast (I got selected to be a Showcase Model), so I picked a few others here and there and entered to see what the contest thing was all about. I have to say it's been a mixed bag. I submitted entries for a variety of contest types - voting contests, panel selection contests, fashion specific and general photo contests.

The most annoying (and challenging) contests to prepare for are the in-world snapshot only. I did two of these and it took forever (and a stack of Lindens) to get the perfect shot. Of those, one sent me an IM that the contest had ended already (there was no date on the notecard) - but the store was great, so that all worked out. The other was the Dark Eden Girl contest - neither July nor August finalists have been announced for that one, so I don't know if it is suspended or not. We'll see - that one is a (free) popular vote contest between four finalists selected by panel and the picture concepts have been really great in past months.
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I only entered one "Vote with Lindens" contest, which appeared to be plagued by SL issues. The location and rules changed several times and then the contest suddenly ended with different rules for the upcoming month. What I discovered from that is that I dislike harassing my friends (OK, so I sent a notecard) as much as I hate prom queen popularity contests.
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In summary, the JCNY Model'Fest is run very well and very professionally - and can be a lot of fun. The only pure photo contest I did was for the Lucky Fortunes Contest and that was a blast - a concept shoot for a swami/fortune teller look. At the moment, I've got entries in for the JCNY August contest, the Dark Eden contest (assuming it resumes) and the Miss SL Universe contest and I'm pretty happy with those in that I had fun doing the pictures, I'm more comfortable with their voting/judging process and the rule cards were clear as to the requirements and entry information - and that, I've discovered, is rare.
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Credits are going to be a bit different for this one. Since I've blogged many of the outfits and contests already, I'm going to link to those and only provide the ones not seen yet.

Top left (left to right):
Picture One - Entry for Miss SL Universe
Picture Two - JCNY Model'Fest Entry Aug '08
Dress - J. Pollock Dripping Colors by Lady Thera
Picture Three - Entry for Doll of the Month
Background - Miss SL Universe contestant wall

Middle right:

Dark Eden Girl Entry Aug '08

Hair - Sparkle (Black) by Detour

Skin - Tasha 04 Portrait (Cocoa) by Laqroki

Outfit -Oshun Mega Set (Midnight) by Dark Eden

Bottom left:

Background photo: JCNY Model'Fest Entry June '08

Foreground photo: JCNY Model'Fest Entry July '08

Dress - Quiet Voice by Baiastice

Shoes - Elegant Slingback (Black Dazzle) by Stiletto Moody

Jewelry - Precious Seas Earrings and Necklace by JCNY

Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki

AIR - Lace & Arabesque Glasses

2008-08-13T20:00:00.014-04:00

Sometimes really amazing things come in small packages. Air is a small store with a fabulous line of very sexy reading glasses. Yes, you read that correctly. Reading glasses. Beautifully detailed glasses. You will fake a vision problem just to have an excuse to wear them. Don't buy all the demos - they will just make you want every single pair. And I can guarantee from the comments I got while wearing these that guys definitely make passes at girls in these glasses.

My pictures don't do justice to the amazing level of detail in these - lacy frames with drop chains and jewels that look as good with an evening dress as they do with a sweater and jeans. There are multiple styles for all face shapes and preferences, but not all styles come in all metals or colors. The first pair I fell in love with was the Arabesque which only comes in Antique Copper and sells for L$600. I couldn't show them all, but the Lace Glasses can be bought individually for L$500 or in a Fat Pack of gold, copper and silver for L$1000.
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See everything more clearly at the AIR Main Store.

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Top left:
Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Glasses - Lace Glasses (Silver) by AIR
Skin - S5 Tan Natural 1 (Freckles) by ::Tuli::
Top - Full Sculpted Knit Jacket (Black) by Cubic Effect

Bottom right:

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Grey) by Glanz

Glasses - Arabesque Glasses (Antique Copper) by AIR

Skin - S5 Medium Classic 1 by ::Tuli::

Top - Full Sculpted Knit Jacket (Black) by Cubic Effect

Spork - Silver Bangles

2008-08-11T14:14:00.019-04:00

Yes, Spork - as in those hybrid eating utensils distributed by KFC to meet the needs of both the spooner and the forker. Make what you will of the name (there is a spork on display at the store), Spork has put together a small line of very nice and reasonably priced casual separates, eyes and jewelry that deserve a look or three. I was originally playing around with the Victoria camisole-style top and a variety of jeans, skirts (long and short) and pants when I ran across my lingerie folder, remembered the new chaise prop at Fross Maruti's Free Photography Studio and we were off and playing.
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The Silver Bangles are reasonably priced at L$75 - both left and right arm included (I was wearing both quite a bit lately) and work well with any casual or dinner outfit as well as (obviously) lingerie. They are an attractive mix of textures and I found I liked them best with the grey scale but they also set off any strong color nicely. The Victoria top was (based on the store ad) intended as a casual top, but I couldn't resist pairing it with stockings and heels - proving its versatility and giving me a chance to play with the studio poses. There is a lot of detail in the corset texture and I found that it worked nicely with almost any metal tones as a result and was tattoo friendly in all three layers. Would love to see this in grey on black and red on black as well - so many possibilities...
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Whether you are a spooner or a forker, pay tribute to the hybrid at the Spork Main Store.

Top left:
Bangles - Silver Bangles by Spork
Earrings - Jaded Dreams (Black) by Purple Rose
Lingerie - Flore (White) by Insolence
Sweater - Knitted Cardi (Black) by Fuel
Belt - Song Bird Belt (Black) by Cubic Effect
Jeans - Sexy Ripped by Naima

Bottom Right:

Top - Victoria by Spork

Bangles - Silver Bangles by Spork

Panty and Stockings - Melanie (Black) by Insolence

Shoes - Silver Studsides Pump (Black) by Stiletto Moody

Paper Couture - Silk Gypsy Dress

2008-08-11T06:42:00.016-04:00

At Paper Couture, black is the new black and hopefully always will be. Honestly, no one does black quite the way Paper Couture does - warm and liquid and flowing. I've never had a dress from there that there weren't parts that could be used in all kinds of outfits and Silk Gypsy is no exception. If the full prim sleeves and deep v-neck of the blouse don't convince you, combined with the waist enhancing corset this outfit is worth well more than its weight in Lindens. Which isn't a lot - this dress is a bargain. At L$250, there's no reason that Silk Gypsy shouldn't be in every gal's inventory.

A single color offering like the rest of Paper Couture's line, Silk Gypsy comes with a blouse (shirt), corset (jacket), prim sleeves and three skirts, both scripted and unscripted (perfect for pictures) as well as a mesh layer (skirt) and glitch pants (pants). Obviously the top can be worn with many combinations of skirts, so I paired it with a comfy old pair of ragged jeans and soft boots and had a terrific, soft casual look - perfect for a relaxed evening out with friends (new or old). I was planning to change shoes when I switched to the full dress shot, but the first pose I hit looked perfect with the boots and gave it a more period look, so I kept them - though I can assure you the dress looks spectacular with just about any heel height and shoe style.

Discover why I hope nothing will ever replace black at the Paper Couture Main Store.

Top left:
Hair - BooN75 by BooN
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki
Glasses - Arabesque by AIR
Top - Silk Gypsy by Paper Couture
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT
Nails - Deep Dream Collection by bijou
Belt - Song Bird Belt (Black) by Cubic Effect
Jeans - Sexy Ripped Jeans by Naima
Boots - Bot's Black by Storm Schmooz

Bottom right:

Hair - BooN75 by BooN
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT

Outfit - Silk Gypsy by Paper Couture
Boots - Bot's Black by Storm Schmooz

Eeek! I've Got "The Flu" - Newbie Doo

2008-08-09T17:08:00.006-04:00

There I was, innocently shopping, when "Bam!" - a friend gives me The Flu. Sniffling and snuffling, I crawled into my barcalounger, wrapped in that favorite old soft quilt, tissues by my side (and on the floor), sucking down the chicken soup... and knowing that it is completely transferable, so I can pass it on to my friends. =)

Yes, you can send your friends a complete case of the flu - including recliner, blankies (one wrap around, one throw), balled up tissue, supply stand (with remote and vaporizer), thermometer and chicken soup. The only thing you have to be careful about is drinking your hot tea from your Newbie Doo mug when the sneezing animation (included) kicks in. At L$50, infect all your friends for a song!

Pick up a bundle of virus-filled fun at the Newbie Doo Main Store and spread it to all your friends. =)

EarthStones - Wrapped Crystal Jewelry

2008-08-09T11:12:00.012-04:00

I bought the Wrapped Crystal Necklace right when it came out and it is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. It was, however, missing what I was sure would be fabulous earrings. Alas, time passed, new releases came out and my necklace was still a solo piece - a great solo piece, but sometimes a gal needs some earrings. Imagine my delight when I got the notice from EarthStones that, after much work, the earrings I lusted for had been released!
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The necklace is a drop necklace with a natural shaped polished crystal wrapped in a delicate wire frame. The earrings are delicate and detailed triple stone versions of the necklace. Both come in Labradorite, Baltic Amber, Watermelon Tourmaline, Moldavite, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Opal, Rose Quartz and Quartz Crystal. The earrings are L$249 purchased separately or all stones in a Fat Pack for L$1569. The necklace is L$225 and L$1399, respectively.

This is an incredibly versatile set that mixes equally well with casual wear, formal wear or club outfits. It neither overwhelms an outfit nor does it fade when paired with a strong outfit. Obviously since I've had the necklace forever, both the earrings and necklace can stand alone as well as making a stunning pair.

See some of the most beautiful crystals SL has to offer at the EarthStones Main Store.

Top Left:

Hair - BON75 (Jet Black) by BooN

Glasses - Arabesque (Antique Copper) by Air

Earrings - Wrapped Crystal (Labradorite) by EarthStones

Tattoo - What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT

Outfit - Elite by Eclipse Development

Bottom Right:

Hair - BON75 (Jet Black) by BooN
Earrings - Wrapped Crystal (Labradorite) by EarthStones
Tattoo - What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT
Outfit - Three Woodpeckers by Chambre du Chocolat

Inventory Tips - Clothing, Pt. 2

2008-08-06T22:42:00.012-04:00

Obviously, clothing is a big deal to me and being able to find the right shoe or accessory is critical - especially when you are deep into shooting a photo series and realize that you need that one perfect thing to bring it all together. Now, if you haven't noticed, I'm a big folder renamer - I add colors and keywords to names all the time to make searching faster and to give better results. I also occasionally add notecards to folders (mainly for blogging purposes) with information like the colors, prices, LMs, pictures, designer information and such.

The clothing folders are in categories and this is probably something that everyone will have their own logic in setting up. The important thing is that you can find what you want when you need it. The majority of my clothes are simply organized by designer, but I have separate categories for shoes (of course), jewelry, belts and hats, lingerie, swimwear, tattoos (of course) and "specialty" (which is costumes, period pieces, wings, tails, ears and similar). I also have hair, but that's a post (and pictures!) for later. If I have more than one item by a designer in a category, I create a folder for the designer, drop the mainstore LM into that folder and then delete all the duplicate LMs I pick up along the way. This is easy to do, BTW, if you just search on a word or two in the name of the LM and then delete all the dupes other than the one in the designer folder.

Now, I love designers as much or more than anyone else in SL, but I'm just never going to think of searching for "bile" or "spring leaf" or "mint julep" when I'm looking for something green. Rename is your friend - add the color (like green) or the style (such as formal) or whatever makes it easier for you to find that edgy, postmodern, rusted, casual pair of stilettos that keeps sliding to the floor of the closet and hiding under the newbie skin that you keep for sentimental reasons. So get going, right click, rename and make your inventory searches more rewarding.

Next up in the inventory series will be "Stuff I Wear When Naked". :)

Top left:
Hair - The Poynter (Black) by Armidi
Dress - Lizz (Black) by LeeZu Baxter Designs
Shoes - Verve Heels (Black) by Maitreya
Earrings - Stone Doughnut (Labradorite/Black) by EarthStones

Bottom right:

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Dress - Three Woodpeckers by Chambre du Chocolat

Group Gift of the Month - July

2008-08-04T12:12:00.003-04:00

Well, this was a huge month for dresses and gowns - Dina from Evie's Closet, Cayon Classic from LMC, Satin Shine Glitter Gown from Nicky Ree, Amicitia Amy from Tuli, Vivaci from Kouse's Sanctum, Elsinore from Beauty Avatar and Amity from PixelDolls. Any one of these would have made me happy for the month, much less the hair from House of Heart and Philotic Energy or jewelry from Earthstones and Baiastice. There were also poses by Long Awkward Pose and Striking Poses as well as elemental particle effects for hands from Designs of Darkness. Maitreya gave away a terrific casual belt, silent sparrow gave a richly detailed suit and LeeZu Baxter treated her group to a great pair of leggings. An abundance of riches for sure, so I parked myself for a few hours and tossed on various combinations to try and get as many included as possible.

This was a month for a lot of group changes - some closed their doors, some were inactive, some overly spammy. I also dropped a few where all the notices seemed to be about my adding the store to my picks (which have even more limited numbers than my groups). That opened a few doors, however, and this month's winning gift came from one of those - the Ewing Events group. I joined this group after attending several of their Linden birthday runway events and have been overjoyed by some of the terrific post show bags from a variety of designers - not to mention the opportunity to attend some amazing events. One of the "party favors" just screamed winner - the House of Heart gift bag with 9 different hairstyles in colors to make everyone happy - even Ruth. ;)
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Ewing Fashion District at Ischia

(Group Name - Ewing Events VIP Guest List, Cost to Join - IM Required, L$0, Group Tag - Ewing Events VIP)

Update - Dollz Magazine Contest

2008-08-04T06:34:00.006-04:00

My apologies to all of you who have been trying to vote for me in the Doll of the Month contest, but the magazine has been relocating to a new sim and then the LM that was sent wouldn't let you in the door, LOL! The new landmark works, so here's a brief summary of the full previous post:

1. Go here - Dollz Magazine

2. Vote for me (please, just the L$1 vote)

3. Rinse and repeat (you can vote daily)
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Thanks much! So far this contest (which is the first voting one I've done) has been a bit wonky with all the sim moves, but we'll see how it goes now that they are settled in permanent home. Seems like everyone is moving these days - I've been updating landmarks like crazy. Must be an end of summer thing, eh?

What About Ruth?

2008-08-03T08:35:00.012-04:00

I never change my shape. I like my shape and I've adjusted so many things in my wardrobe to fit it just right that it seems like a silly thing to play with, especially since I'm happy with it. That said, when I saw Alaska Metropolitan's Ruth Challenge at My Virtual World, I just had to play. Since I was also working on my July Group Gift of the Month post, I decided it would be fun to see if Ruth could be a fashionista wearing group freebies as well since it was a terrific month for gowns and hair. Could some of the freebies from designers all over SL help the poor girl look less like a linebacker and more like runway material?

I created a brand new Ruth shape, hopped on the old pose stand and started analyzing. First, the shoulders. Eeek! Poor Ruth - I bet she can ring the bell at the county fair, but she sure needs some softer edges, so I went digging for feminine gowns and hair with some size to them. The Feral hair gift from House of Heart not only deemphasized the shoulder width, it softened the look overall enough to risk a more fitted dress to accentuate Ruth's waist. Nicky Ree's Satin Shine Glitter Gown complemented the deep chocolate of the hair perfectly and the delicate earrings and necklace from SLink finished the look. The full skirt further balanced the shoulders and and the classic restrained jewelry gave Ruth a very ladylike look overall.
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Update - Candy Flanagan over at iCandy has compiled a link list to the many blogs that gave Ruth a makeover.
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It's good to know that, if Ruthed, I have a backup plan. Check back for my next post where I look at more of the July freebies like the ones Ruth is wearing.
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Both photos:

Shape - Ruth (default) by Linden Labs

Hair - Feral (Bitter Chocolate) by House of Heart

Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz

Dress - Satin Shine Glitter Gown (Red) by Nicky Ree

Jewelry - Diamond Solitaire by SLink

The Hat Shop - Bogart Fedora

2008-08-02T20:51:00.008-04:00

I love hats. I mean I seriously love hats. Which is why it is strange that this is my first hat feature. I've blogged quite a few outfits with hats and I was recently horribly depressed when an adorable 1920's style outfit I bought came with everything but the hat. (Worse, the hat wasn't anywhere to be found in the shop.) And yes, I have a folder of "hat hair" pre-modded just for tossing on a jaunty cap before heading out for the evening. So, with great enthusiasm for a great piece from a classic era, I present my first featured hat - the Bogart Fedora from The Hat Shop.

The Hat Shop has a variety of hats, including several fedora styles if you are more Godfather than Bogart, but I'm pure Bogie and Bacall and I adore this hat. It comes in 6 colors at L$150 per color or a L$400 fat pack that contains them all - cream, white, toffee, grey and black. With it's wide band and slightly crumpled feel, this hat is the perfect finishing touch for a wide range of outfits. From fitted dresses to menswear, topping your look with this detailed fedora will let you stroll into the smoke filled corners of the dimmest jazz clubs with style.
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So, play it again and again at The Hat Shop.

Top left:
Hat - Bogart Fedora (Black) by The Hat Shop
Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour
Shirt - Oversized Shirt (Red) by Muism
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT
Earrings - Precious Seas by JCNY

Bottom Right:

Hat - Bogart Fedora (Black) by The Hat Shop

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Shirt - Runway Collection 09 by Digit Darkes

Belt & Bracelets - Runway Collection 09 by Digit Darkes

Pants -Denim Cotton Jumpsuit (Black) by Armidi Gisaci

Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

Six Months And Still Blogging

2008-08-01T22:57:00.008-04:00

It looks like I am getting ready to cross the 1000 hit mark on the blog tonight or tomorrow and I am in my sixth month of blogging. Sometime this month, I'll hit my 100th post. When I first started, I was thrilled if I got one or two hits a day - today more than 30 people were interested enough in my thoughts on Second Life fashion to stop by and look around. How cool is that?

I've moved from pictures against a white wall at the house with a few poses to N30 and PhotoSphere studio shots with thousands of combinations of poses, backgrounds, lighting, props and effects. My inventory is rapidly approaching the 10K mark, I can "Name That Designer" with disturbing accuracy and I'll IM a complete stranger if I see the perfect outfit, skin or accessory. I've had conversations with some of the most talented designers in SL, both established and new. Good stuff.

I'm having a blast and I'd like to thank each and every one of you who has dropped in to join me for the adventure.

Lady Thera - Tatoo Gown

2008-07-30T20:04:00.016-04:00

There is art in Second Life and then there is ART in Second Life. If you haven't been to Lady Thera's, be prepared to be awestruck. The Great Painters Collection features gowns inspired by the masters - Cezanne, Renoir, Monet, Pollock, Klimt, the list goes on. This is a store much like Chambre du Chocolat - each dress is a unique creation. If I could afford to, I'd own everything in this shop. As it is, I was utterly and irresistably drawn to Lady Thera's Tatoo gown, the design for which was influenced by the art of Joan Miro, the Spanish Surrealist/Dadaist. (See? Blogs are educational!)

Starting at the top, there is THE hat and THE scarf - both absolutely must be seen to be believed. The gown has two tops and two pants that provide slightly different nuances to the outfit, as well as a jacket, gloves and underwear layer. Topping this are two prim skirts which can be worn separately or in combination - I had to do a bit of adjusting, but despite the complexity and detail of the gown, had no difficulty at all. This dress fully lives up to the artistry of the painting it was drawn from - Ciphers and Constellations, in Love with a Woman. This is a pure impact gown and if you want to turn heads at a special event, you will consider every single one of the L$850 for this dress (or any of the others) to be Lindens very well spent. I am positively captivated by these gowns (especially the impressionists) so I highly recommend that you...
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Become a work of art at Lady Thera's Main Store.

Both photos:

Gown - Lady Thera's Tatoo

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Eyes - Transparency Shine (Fresh Blue) by Glanz

Skin - Tasha 10 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki

Designs of Darkness - Gears Tattoo

2008-07-28T11:51:00.004-04:00

Inspired by Da Vinci's sketches, this tattoo caught my eye immediately and has become a staple in my ink collection. The only thing I really really wish is that it was a full body suit - I can just see the thigh gears in my mind. Still, it's hard not to be drawn to the beautifully inked gears, delicate lines, artistry and balance of this tattoo. A very clothing friendly tattoo, Gears comes in undershirt, shirt and jacket layers included for L$250 - a bargain for body art of this quality.

Initially I was skeptical about the fully inked left breast, but when I put on the tattoo I realized that it was sufficient "coverage" to be able to wear several "lifted" tops that had been languishing in the closet. The back design looks wonderful with either low backed dresses or midriff tops, and the sleeves alone are interesting enough to carry a look. I was very happy to find this shop - and to have the chance to chat with new designer Rezit Sideways. As well as tattoos, you will find quite an assortment of well done wings, pasties, stockings and a personal favorite - the Barbed Wire and Roses Tiara.

Tattoos and much more at Designs of Darkness (D.o.D.) Main Store at Bay City.
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Outfits:

Top - Lifted Black Floral Tank by WWI

Shorts - Booty Shorts (Spattered) by League

Boots - Desert Boots (Beige) by Maitreya

Tattoo - Gears by D.o.D (Designs of Darkness)

Lucky Fortunes Contest - Runner Up

2008-07-27T09:02:00.004-04:00

Wooo hooo! A friend of mine sent me the entry information for this contest and, after reading the requirements (they sent a pose to use in the picture and wanted a "fortune teller" look) I knew that the Romany's Kiss gown (L$1 RFL gift) from Evie's Closet and my Hazy (Burgundy) hair from Detour were going to be perfect. Well, runner-up perfect, but still....

Here's the notecard I got today:

Thanks for taking part in the "Lucky Fortunes" photo contest.
First prize in the contest was awarded to Cherie Parker. Cherie's picture will ship as the "default" texture on all copies of my new product, "Lucky Fortunes" - congratulations Cherie!

Due to the high standard of entries, I've also nominated half a dozen runners-up: Cuffman Payne, Emerald Goldflake, Moon Fairymeadow, Retribution Fall, Vanda Maertens, and VictoriaRose Daniels. All these pictures will appear in the final product as alternative "skins" (owner-selectable from an in-built menu).... so don't be surprised if you see your face in a Lucky Fortunes game whilst on your travels! (And remember to nag any lucky-fortunes-owning friends to switch their unit to display *your* face!). Cash prizes should be on their way to all runners-up shortly.

Lucky fortunes will be on sale at Lucky Designs, commencing Sunday 27th July - and early-release copies are already starting to appear in stores around SL; be sure to check them out!

Thanks again to everybody who helped out!
Shep Korvin.

Dollz Magazine - Doll of the Month Contest

2008-07-25T13:56:00.020-04:00

I have a photograph entered in the Dollz Magazine September '08 Doll of the Month contest and would love to have y'all drop me a vote or two if you get a chance. From my (hopefully tasteful)notecard:

A couple of folks asked for the short version, so...

1. Go here - Dollz Magazine, The Hamptons (138, 199, 25)

2. Vote for me (just the L$1 vote, please)

3. Repeat daily (or as often as you feel like)

Or read on for details:

Yes, I entered another contest - unfortunately (or fortunately, not sure which) this one is a voting contest. The bad news is that it is two tiered voting - every "real" vote (meaning each avatar) counts as one but costs a Linden. The second tier is, of course, total Lindens. Please do *not* feel like you need to throw Lindens at my entry, OK? I entered for kicks and to see how this type of contest works - blog fodder and all that. :)
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Note - individual avatar votes appear to count higher than L$ votes and you can vote daily (I think), so go cheap, but go often. ;)
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Of course, gotta throw in some details for you - I'm wearing a 1940's vintage Hollywood mermaid gown (no, it's not a wedding dress - I knew I should have gone for the cigarette holder and a Dietrich look....) from A Piece of Candy, hair by Detour (Writer in Burgundy) and photos taken at Fross Maruti's Free Photography Studio using a Photosphere. I'll blog the full outfit so you can see the rest of the dress as well.
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The contest is for the Dollz Magazine September "Doll of the Month" contest and the prize is a photo shoot, L$25K and a magazine spread in Dollz Magazine. Anyway, here's the landmark and thanks! (Oh, and feel free to vote for another entrant if you would like - there are some great pictures up on the wall.)
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Retribution

Bijou - Grandene Furs

2008-07-23T02:59:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I was cruising all the Linden birthday events, including several fashion shows. One of the great things about Second Life is that things you wouldn't or couldn't have in RL are available and the Grandene fur and leather dresses from Bijou are among those. The instant I saw them I knew I was going to be teleporting to the store.

Available in 5 different furs including Black, Red and Silver Fox as well as Tiger and Mink for L$550 each, I freely admit that I screwed up once again. I absolutely should have bought the fat pack for L$1375, but instead I have the Black Fox and broke down and went back for the Tiger version. These dresses are absolute soft, fuzzy textured perfection. Made up of 17 pieces, the base dress is shirt, pants, skirt and jacket with optional underwear layers. Add to this prim attachments for the neck, trim and 2 arm options (muff or gloves) and you have several different looks available in the same outfit.

The cinched corset waist gives the outfit an edgy tailored element while the prim fur pieces soften and emphasize the face and legs - an absolutely perfect look for fashionable events where you want something that can go almost anywhere but makes you stand out from the crowd.

Don't be penny-wise and fur foolish like yours truly. Buy the Fat Pack at the Bijou Main Store at Takaraduka.

On the left:
Outfit - Grandene (Black Fox) by Bijou
Glasses - Danielle (Black) by Insolence
Boots - Lizziey Black Myla Boots by Whittenton's

On the right:

Outfit - Grandene (Tiger) by Bijou

Shoes - Virtue (Patent Black) by Maitreya

SLink - Button Down Dress Shirt

2008-07-21T22:09:00.008-04:00

I barely made it to get in the promised post tonight, but I did make it and boy, was it worth the wait. Yep, superb detailing, exquisite texturing, wardrobe classics. I took a hint from the display and did indeed buy them all. At L$600 for the fat pack of 6 colors or L$200 each, with such versatile colors as teal, gold, black, grey, red and white, the fat pack is an easy buy once you see the Button Down Dress Shirt by SLink.

There are two versions of the top, with and without sculptie waist section being the difference, and they come in jacket layer only. You can then add various combinations of prim cuffs, collar and tucked in waist to refine the look, depending on the skirt, pants or shorts you pair with the shirt. I'm positive that anything short of a formal ballgown (and I didn't try one of those) will look spectacular.

Of course, you could just pick up the Buckle Dress Pants while you are there (L$230 each, L$690 fat pack) in Brown, Green, Red, Black, Silver and Teal (again, the fat pack is a terrific deal) and instantly have a multitude of options. The pants come in underwear layer with two lower leg prims and combine thoughtful textures with understated detailing in the buckle. So, like the sign says, buy 'em all! In my humble opinion, the Button Down Dress Shirt is a must have, so...

Leave now and head over to SLink, The Art of Beauty Main Store.

On the left:
Hair - Writer (Burgundy) by Detour
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz
Earrings - Crystal Charm Earrings - Money by Earthstones
Top - Button Down Dress Shirt (Teal) by SLink
Pants - Buckle Dress Pants (Black) by SLink
Tattoo - Hathor Garden (Faded) by Garden of Ku

On the right:

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz

Earrings - Yin Yang Earrings & Necklace (Red Jasper/Onyx) by EarthStones
Top - Button Down Dress Shirt (Black) by SLink
Pants - Buckle Dress Pants (Red) by SLink

Shoes - Court X by AW Design

Meltdown... Computer Woes (Fixed)

2008-07-20T22:56:00.003-04:00

Processors really need those finny things with the fans on top and if one of the (cheap) plastic clips that holds it down nice and firm on top of the chip gets loose, the temperature starts rising and then your system... just stops. And, if you don't leave it alone until you can get it replaced, all the magic smoke escapes. So, I left mine alone (for now) and will be picking up a new heatsink tomorrow. Meanwhile, I've been installing and patching and updating to get a working system...

Look for a new post in the morning - I've got several sets of pictures all lined up and ready to go, but I have to collect all the inworld info for you guys. Promise it will be worth the wait. :)

Inventory Tips - Clothing Pt. 1

2008-07-17T19:09:00.010-04:00

Earlier this evening, I was complaining about my ever burgeoning inventory, my clothing addiction and what a mess I'd be in if I hadn't started organizing my SL closet early on. Well, a friend suggested that it might be a good topic for a series of blog posts. One thing led to another and a couple of beers later I had planned out a couple of posts in my head, so here we are. Now, if your inventory is perfectly conditioned or only consists of jeans and t-shirts, skip this post and pop back in this weekend for my Shoe Fair purchases. If, however, your closet looks a lot like the grab boxes at the swap meet or the new donations area at the Goodwill, read on - hopefully, you will find something useful.
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I'm going to start with the biggest topic for me, Clothing. Which is actually broken down into a series of subcategories that I'm going to cover in sections. My first four subfolders are *Blog*, *Demos*, *Group Gifts* and *New Stuff* - the asterisks force these folders to the top of the list so they are easy to find. Blog and Group Gifts are specific to the things I cover in the blog and my monthly group gift post - once I finish with them, I sort them into "long term" folders after I add the letter B (for Blogged) to the end of the outfit folder name.

New Stuff is things that I've not tried on yet, Demos holds both demos I've picked up and review copies I've been sent. I'm brutal with these two. If it's not right, it's not right and it's never going to be suddenly right. I don't care if it was expensive or great in the ad or almost right - there's too much perfect out there to clutter your SL with near misses. Delete and don't look back. New Stuff and review copies that I'm blogging usually go in the Blog folder next before moving into permanent folders. Clothing demos that I am positive I am going to purchase get their folders renamed with a B (this time for Buy) and then deleted when I actually make the purchase. This has a double function as a shopping list (for things you can buy now) and a wish list (for big or future purchases).

In the next inventory post, I'll do a high level overview of the keeper clothing folders and follow up with details on the different subcategories. Oh and the photos are completely gratuitous - I just couldn't have a clothing post without clothes. The first is HSC's Red Rum Gown, the second is Slinked's Skull Jacket tattoo paired with Insolence's Melanie (Red) and Maitreya's Verve Pumps (Red).

Skins Deeper

2008-07-13T15:01:00.010-04:00

I have a ton of skins, I mean a stupid number of skins. An especially stupid number since I wear maybe 5 on a regular basis. I certainly don't need to go hunting for new skins to try for sure. So, naturally, I spent the day trying on skin demos, surfing skin shops and (predictably) buying a skin. Yes, just one. But it may indeed be a big part of my blogging photography from here on and has rocketed into the regular wear rotation already.

I decided it would be fun to take pictures of several of my favorite skins in identical lighting, setting, shape (as always) and clothing to do a side by side comparison of the impact of a skin. It almost worked until I simply had to make a hair swap, but I played fair and didn't include it to keep everything the same. By far the most commonly worn skins in my wardrobe (is that the right term for skin storage?) are from ::Tuli:: and I am showing my personal favorite out of a large (very large) sea of both s5 and new generation skins - S5 Tan Diva 1 (top left).
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Unfortunately, the second skin has recently been retired - the dramatic Vivant Bronze Feline 3 (middle right) by Fleur (formerly Tete a Pied). It was one of my first purchased skins in SL and it always looks spectacular with swimwear, lingerie or animal print clothing. I took all the pictures using an Animah pose - Arched Back out of Shooting Poses (pack 9) and while wearing Glanz eyes in FreshBlue, Writer hair by Detour and the black knit cardigan by Fuel. The last skin to be added to my arsenal is Laqroki Portrait skin - Tasha 11 in Tan (bottom left). I definitely think it deserves it's spot in the ranks with the smooth yet interesting features and smoky dramatic makeup. Oh, the face light used for all the pictures was by Laqroki, the earrings are Crystal Charm (Creativity) by EarthStones and the body art is Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT.

Transportation Links:

::Tuli:: Main Store

Fleur Main Store

Laqroki Main Store

Grand Moving! NewbieDoo

2008-07-10T21:06:00.009-04:00

I know I've mentioned my friends Suzette and Keeba of NewbieDoo as the proprietresses of the best new resident oriented shop in SL as well as the creators of the fabulous leather ballerina dress from the JCNY Model'Fest. Well, they have just recently moved from their Fable location to a gorgeous new home at Brikell. The store will be familiar to those who have had the pleasure of stumbling upon it in an attempt to de-noobify and a great experience for new shoppers.

The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is friendly and, most importantly, folks have and take the time to answer all those questions like "Why do I have a box on my hand?" and "Should hair have gaping chunks of scalp showing?". Never been? Thinking you should? Still not convinced? Well, apparently NewbieDoo had a mystery shopper who reviewed the store on YouTube, so you can take a virtual tour of the previous Fable store before you teleport over to the new digs.

The picture is of Keeba at the new sim while folks were furiously building and discussing the relative merits of butterflies vs. frogs in the fountain. Well, they were building, I was watching visions emerge. The paint is still wet, the landscaping is evolving, but NewbieDoo is definitely open for business, so pass a landmark on to a new resident and make SL a prettier place. ;)

Drop by and say hello at the (still under some construction) NewbieDoo Store at Brickell!

Gisaci - Buone Vacanze Blouse

2008-07-08T08:58:00.000-04:00

I rediscovered this outfit when I was digging around looking for a red blouse and am I glad that I did. The blouse is amazingly detailed and fitted, the shorts are perfectly detailed and understated, making for a fabulous summer look. No sooner had I put on the outfit than I started having ideas to mix and match with the blouse and belt. Both look wonderful with both fitted and unstructured separates, long, short and in between lengths and a variety of accessories including stone, lacquer and gems.

The outfit comes in a blinding array of choices, colors and combinations with white, black, tan, blue and creme shorts paired with blouses in Purple, Pink, Fusain, Gold, Rosso, Giallo, Crema, Navy, Silver, Tarnished Gold, Blue, Aqua, Red, Mirtilli, Verde, Porpora, Nero, Bianco, Blu, Divinti, Yioli and Bianco. 24 combinations in all at L$325 each, no fat packs available. Both the blouse and shorts come in multiple layers with prim cuffs and sleeves. The short cuffs required a bit of adjusting on the legs to work with my standing poses, but most will probably not have an issue. All in all, the Buone Vacanze outfit is a classic summer look with a lot of wardrobe versatility.

I am giving a direct link to the Gisaci Store, but be sure and visit the other sim stores while you are there.

On the left:
Top - Buone Vacanze (Mirtilli) Blouse by Gisaci
Pants - Sarrouel Pants (Black) by Ce Cubic Effect
Tattoo - What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT
Jewelry - Yin Yang Earrings (Red Jasper) & Drama Bracelet by Earthstones
Shoes - Verve Pumps (Red) by Maitreya

On the right:
Top - Buone Vacanze (Mirtilli) Blouse by Gisaci
Tattoo- What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT
Jewelry - Yin Yang Earrings (Red Jasper) & Drama Bracelet by Earthstones
Shoes - Verve Pumps (Red) by Maitreya

A Perfect Color - Teal

2008-07-07T08:14:00.001-04:00

I realized that I'd not done a color post in a while and, remembering how much fun the last one was, I decided to do another one - this time with teal. Teal isn't all that common, with other blues and greens predominating, but I did find quite a bit. Sadly, nothing yet that matches my lucious teal Dune boots from Maitreya, but I'm still looking. The first outfit that turned up was Gunkalicious by Dulce, a Victorian inspired confection of textures, beautifully detailed, lightly bustled and including an adorable feathered hat to finish the look. Pick yours up at Dulce for L$500.

One of my lingerie staples, Melanie by Insolence, also comes in teal (as well as black, chocolate, red, violet and white) and has both a bra and corset to match the panties and stockings for only L$290 per color. While the April sandals by Insolence don't come in teal, they are available in a variety of neutrals and metallics and look wonderful with the set.

Finally, one of my most worn and least publicized separates, the AC Courant sweater in teal, part of a fat pack for L$275 or sold individually by color for $50. All of these colors are deep and rich and perfect over a pair of jeans when you don't feel like investing a lot of time but still want to look good. The available colors are brown, red, purple, dark teal, blue, forest green and dark green. Top Left:

Outfit - Gunkalicious by Dulce

Skin - S5 Medium Diva 1 by ::Tuli::

Boots - Thetis Boots Midnight by Dark Eden

Stockings - Emee Stockings by HSC

Middle Right:

Lingerie - Melanie (Corset, Teal) by Insolence

Jewelry - Stone Donut Earrings Labradorite by EarthStones

Skin - S5 Tan Natural 1 by ::Tuli::

Bottom Center:

Shirt - AC Courant (Dark Teal) by Aphrodite

Jeans - Hell and Back (Black) by The Abyss

Jewelry - Stone Donut Earrings & Necklace by EarthStones

Skin - S6 Elf Rose by ::Tuli::

Boots - Thetis Boots Midnight by Dark Eden

Cubic Effect - Song Bird Belt

2008-07-06T08:36:00.004-04:00

Well, I spent the weekend at various fashion shows - it seemed that every time I turned around another group was sending an invitation. One of the shows yesterday featured various Japanese designers - Orange Meili of Discord, Mami Jewell of Azul and Mirai Jun of Ce Cubic Effect. Since there is a good chance that I own more Cubic Effect clothes than any other designer (or at least close) and I had just recently been to pick up my must have copy of Song Bird - the blog post was inevitable.
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Like all of Cubic Effect's clothing, Song Bird has a soft draping feel and texture that makes you want to reach out and run your hands over it. The skirt is built with a combination of clothing and prims, there are two included top styles to extend versatility. Each set comes in a primary color with a secondary trim and there are 10 combinations - Black\white, Pink\white, Black\red, Green\brown, Beige\brown, Grey\white, Red\brown, Yellow\blue, Grey\green, and White\black. Each color combination is L$420, unfortunately no Fat Pack is available.
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Now, as for the belt, it is sold separately from the outfits, though I have to admit that I think it is a pretty critical component to make the dress look "done". That said, it's a minimal expense at L$120 each and it comes in black, brown and white so you can change the look of the outfit depending on the base colors. I picked up both the black and the brown and have found a variety of clothes to wear them with - the soft suede crinkle and understated buckle make the Song Bird belt a nearly perfect accessory.

Take the time to visit the Ce Cubic Effect Main Store in its new location at Chantilly.

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On the left:
Outfit - Denim Cotton Jumpsuit (Black) by Armidi Limited
Belt - Song Bird Suede Belt (Black) by Cubic Effect
Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya
Earrings - Stone Donut (Black, Labradorite) by EarthStones

On the right:

Outfit - Song Bird (Green/brown) by Cubic Effect

Belt - Song Bird Suede Belt (Brown) by Cubic Effect

Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

Earrings - Stone Donut (Black, Labradorite) by EarthStones

Group Gift of the Month - June

2008-07-05T08:21:00.003-04:00

June was an absolutely fabulous month for group gifts. It seemed like nearly every day one group or another was showering me with notices. ::69:: was in the summer spirit with a variety of sandals for both men and women, Pixeldolls gave out a box that included a lovely indigo bikini. Philotic Energy sent out a gift bag with both gift hair and demo hair and EarthStones sent a Nature's Beauty ring in Bloodstone to the group.

As always the dresses were bountiful and beautiful with Kouse's Sanctum's Spirit in Blood and a gift box of tea dresses from Baiastice in grey, black and white. Most groups this month gave multiple gifts in boxes or bags and the Gift of the Month for June also came from a doubly generous source. LeeZu Baxter's La Vie En Fleur Flexi Dress in Night was one of two gifts from LBD along with the Leila Blouse in Forest. La Vie En Fleur is a confection in black with silver accents shot through the bodice. The strapless style and airy feeling of the dress make it the perfect "LBD" for summer.

LBD Main Store at To The Nines
(Group Name - LeeZu Baxter Designs , Cost to Join - L$0, Group Tag - LBD Diva)

JCNY Model'Fest - And The Winner Is...

2008-07-03T21:59:00.008-04:00

Not me. But we all knew that. Yes, I went over to JCNY and waited for the announcement, but I was pretty sure from the way the notices had been phrased earlier in the day that the winner had already been told and the announcement activities prearranged. When I arrived, I noticed that one of the audience members was dressed way beyond the norm for either the crowd (which was packed full of fashion hopefuls in high prim couture) or the Showcase Models on the runway - and was wearing a crown. I sent an IM to a friend who was providing distraction from the lag saying that I was pretty sure I knew who the winner was - and about 20 minutes later, I was proven correct when the following notice went out to the group:

JCNY Collection - MODEL'FEST Winning Model

Global Model Summit

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:::::::::: June Stats:

Entrys: 10,000+
Total Photos: 15,000+

TOP MODEL for June 2008

JCNY ::: TOP MODEL
1. Chalice Carling

Runner Up:
2. Takeshi Ugajin

Congratulations to both Chalice (top photo) and Takeshi! Pretty cool that my photos (bottom photo) got noticed out of 15K submitted and that I had the opportunity to be in the 60 (15 per week) Showcase Models for the event. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot of new things that will be very helpful in taking photos and met a lot of very nice people. Heck, I might even enter another contest or two here and there.

For those who want to try their hand at modeling and photography, the JCNY Model'Fest for July '08 is under way, so head over to the JCNY Main Store and pick up a submission packet.