Lady Thera - Tatoo Gown

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

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.

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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

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

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

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

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)

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

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.

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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).

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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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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

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...

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.

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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.