Mouse in the House

“When the mouse laughs at the cat there is a hole nearby.” ~ Nigerian Proverb

I know I dissed elf ears the other day and now I am wearing mouse ears, but honestly? They are cute. This was all about building a look around these ears from Jenova Saeed and hair from Chiaki Xue. It seems Chiaki is taking a fun approach to creation and teaming up with several different Japanese designers to make different looks. I love the results. The ears twitch and have orbiting spirals around them (which are not easily seen in this photo—it’s subtle) and they come in several colors.

I just recently got this skirt, part of a dress set from dirty Adored’s new Themeory offering, and the skirt was so ideal for this look, especially over these stockings from Nena Janus that were a rez day present. I found this top from Vasha Martinek and colored it a bright red to match and donned a great rockabilly tattoo from Antonia Marat. My shoes were a Marketplace find from Ann Otoole because they had that exaggerated style I wanted. I had to hack them to get the invisiprims hidden—Firestorm makes a mess of those. Give us V2 options, designers!

My skin was a recently rez day purchase from Belleza. I love the red lips Tricky Boucher made. Finally, new black eyes from Ikon Innovia. You all wanted different colors but *I* wanted my black eyes. It makes my mouse girl perfect.

Woman or mouse? Squeak up! ;)

Hair with ears: *+JENOVA’s+* & **Dura**(Hair)(Black) with *+JENOVA’s+*&**DURA** :White Ear by Chiaki Xue and JENOVA Saeed for Dura and Jenova *

Skin: -Belleza- Melissa Med 13 (cleavage) with -Belleza- Melissa Med Lip 3 by Tricky Boucher for -Belleza-

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Black (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Top: +DV8+ Danse Crop (S-layer) – Silver by Vasha Martinek for +DV8+ (modified to make bright red)

Skirt: Bottle Bird Themeory Jive Skirt red by dirty Adored for Bottle Bird *

Stockings: *League* Side-Gartered Stockings -White -Black Garter by Nena Janus for League

Tattoo: /artilleri/ maggie tattoo (no chest) by Antonia Marat for /artilleri/

Shoes: Juicylicious Platform High Heels 8 Colors by Ann Otoole for Unique Needs

Losing My Edge

Yeah, I’m losing my edge.
I’m losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I’m losing my edge.
I’m losing my edge to the kids from France and from London.
But I was there.
~ “Losing My Edge” by LCD Soundsystem

Gah, I am four years old in SL today. That’s like MIDDLE AGED. I have caught up with myself. I went shopping with a friend last night and two lovely young ladies got in voice and gave me all sorts of advice about where to get free skins and free jewelry and passed me a bunch of freebies and landmarks. I graciously thanked them. As I said to my friend, they probably thought I looked like a hick because my boobs are kind of small, and I wasn’t wearing elf ears or showing butt crack. I’m clearly losing my edge.

I put together this look just cuz I like it. This dress was the first thing I purchased from a Fashion for Life vendor (one in a long string of “hits” at FFL), made by Umeki Yokosuka. Yes, it’s based on a template. She freely admits it. That doesn’t diminish her terrific work and the incredible styling and eye she has. I just loved this dress and its bold design and flirty flexi skirt.

I decided to wear deadly high fetish heels with the dress from Viktoria Brandenburg, who is the queen of fetish heels in Sl. These beauties come with a skin coloring hud which also allows metal changes, etc. My lolita ponytails are from Syndel Daviau, who has a flair for more fantasy hair. She has quite a lot of great hair for role playing and I really need to show more of it. These ponytails have color changers on the ribbons. Finally my skin is a group gift from Tricky Boucher (which you can still get at his store). Its great makeup and beautiful skin tone induced me to get a fat pack as a rez day present (which I will be showing more of soon).

I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody….
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know….
You don’t know what you really want…
You don’t know what you really want….

Hair: .::S::. Yuki – Onyx by Syndel Daviau for ::S::. – Secrets Hair *

Skin: -Belleza- Melissa Med group gift by Tricky Boucher for -Belleza-

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Deep Violet (L) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Dress: Smushyface: Vintage Stripe Print Dress by Umeki Yokosuka for Smushyface

Shoes: VvB 9inch COURT Platform Shoe BLACK V4 by Viktoria Brandenburg for VvB *

All to All

Like a good pop song, a good outfit can just make you feel good. It hooks into your thoughts and gives you a little boost.

This outfit from Shinichi Mathy makes me feel like my male avatar looks pretty darn good. It has all the good qualities you wnt in a men’s outfit: multiple layers for different looks, easy to adjust prims and a great set of textures layered upon each other in the clothing. If you get close to Shinichi’s work, you see he has executed everything with the kind of exactitude that a dude wearing something like this would like. A set of stitches runs along the edge of the collar, buttons line up along the cuffs, the sweater gapes open slightly to show the striped shirt underneath. It’s a great look.

I have been dying to show this “maletail” (a word I made up) because it’s really made for men. With the hair falling out and curling around my guy’s face, it makes me want to reach up and let it loose for him. Chiaki Xue has a set of alternative hair for men and women that I found really inspiring. Tricky Boucher’s handsome Ewan completes my look with its sensual lips and sexy eyes.

You made your life on everything
~ “All to All” by Broken Social Scene

Hair: **Dura-Boy**06(Black resize) by chiaki Xue for Dura

Skin: -Belleza- Ewan v2 SK 0 (hair) by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza- *

Outfit: SHIKI-CITY STROLL by Shinichi Mathy for Shiki *

Necklace: HardWear BDSM  Necklace (no script) by Shea Paule for HardWear *

Ring: Majikal Rings stacked pewter by Mhaijik Guillaume for Guillaume pour homme

Shoes: Franken Black by Eponymous Trenchmouth for Jeepers Creepers

Oh Argentina

I secretly harbor a desire to go to Buenos Aires. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s an article I read a couple years ago in Slate saying Buenos Aires now is like Paris in the 20s. Maybe it’s reading about the tango so much and the beautiful words of Jorge Luis Borges. Maybe it’s from watching too many Argentinian movies and TV shows. I think Buenos Aires is my other Berlin. (Of course, this is a lot of idealization. I have a friend who lives there who would probably laugh at me.)

Women in Buenos Aires are beautiful (like aforementioned friend) and cosmopolitan. But they bring a bit of the ranch with them to their fashion. I thought this outfit would do well in Argentina, which is, as you recall, in the middle of summer this time of year. A short skirt with leggings from yurio Ellils and a crocheted camisole from Umeko Shan (over a skin tone bra from Annyka Bekkers) gives a great funky look for a sporty Argentinian girl.

Women in South America are not all dark haired with dark eyes. Many beauties there have blonde or brown hair, and so our beauty has a light brown hair, cut short and cute with a little barrette. The new group gift from Tricky Boucher is a perfect skin—a little tan for the summer but not too dark with light brown brows.

The boots? Made of several animal pieces including leather uppers and a feathered and furred leg. These boots from yorinminaty Beresford were too fun and funky to pass up and in SL, no animals ever get hurt in the making of boots.

Don’t cry for me….

Hair: :::{{trico}}::: ADELE (auburn) by miyu Paule for :::{{trico}}:::

Skin: -Belleza- Erika Sk group gift by Tricky Boucher for Belleza

Top: *::UM::*  Crochet set A vol2 by Umeko Shan for UmeMode

Skirt and leggings: Denim_No.30 by yurio Ellils for *VERONICA*

Bra: *blowpop* Yvette – nude  bra 1 by Annyka Bekkers for Blowpop

Jewelry: Mariposa: Jewels: Aubade Reloaded! – Jade by Felicity Winslet for Mariposa (no longer available)

Belt: MP Hippie Belt ~ Brown Leather by Moxie Polano for Moxie Polano’s Haute Couture

Boots: (yorim’s F)lFeather >< Fur boots(=FOOT=one_size) by yoriminaty Beresford for yorim

Blizzard Warning!

We have been issued a blizzard warning today. It’s a little alarming because normally we don’t get those. We get snow—sometimes lots of it—but it doesn’t blow around like we are on some arctic substation (which is what I presume “blizzard” means). Of course, I am complete wimp and let someone else do all the shoveling and shopping while I whimper under an electric throw in front of the fire. (Yes, really, I have an electric throw.)

However, IF I were going out (and that’s a BIG if), I would be bundled up. This fur coat from Govindra Galatea does the trick with its piles and piles of lynx furs and cushy comfy hat. (And the skirt layer is kind of puffy, which will hide the 3 layers of long underwear I have on underneath.) My boots are cozy and comfy from Shibuki Aeon with great leather laces up the back.

My glorious skin is the group gift from Tricky Boucher. I do realize this is a bit tan but I intend on maintaining this beautiful skin tone by teleporting to a beach sim as soon as is practical. I am looking forward to seeing Tricky’s new line. It’s been too long since he did a release.

They do say that SL is a place for fantasy. Well, seeing me shoveling is its own form of fantasy. Gaze on cuz it’s not happening… ;)

Now that the worst is over, they predict
Something messy and difficult, though not
Life-threatening….

The shift of the wind matters again,
And we are so simple, so happy to hear
The scrape of a shovel next door.

~”The Blizzard” by Phyllis Levin

Hair: >TRUTH< Chalice – almond by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: -Belleza- Erika Sk group gift by Tricky Boucher for -Belleza-

Outfit: Winter Cat Coat (kot zimy), flex prim coat and prim hat by Govindira Galatea for D3volution!

Tights: [MG fashion] knitted socks – red brown by Maria Gherardi for MG Fashion

Boots: * M’z winterboots brown * by Shibuki Aeon  for M’z

Shovel: -RC- Snow Shovel (snow)(black) by Redd Columbia for –RC Cluster-

The Boy Next Door

Remember the boy next door? What was his name? Brian Gerdes. Yeah, Brian of the failed rocket experiments that one summer, the year of no bathing when he was 12, the face full of braces through junior high, the cracked voice and zits and obsession about the Cure, the oil-leaking Corolla parked in his parent’s driveway. Boy, you haven’t seen him in years. Yet there he is, pulling up in his Saab this holiday in the neighbors’ driveway, alone, looking utterly changed and fantastic.

You never thought Brian knew anything about fashion. That leather jacket from hiwinyu Fazuku is clearly made of some expensive animal skin with its soft buttery textures. The details are spectacular with its double-breasted tailoring, military cuffs and epaulets and gorgeous buttoned vent in back. Underneath a vest is buttoned over an uncommonly beautiful black silk shirt with a great ascot. A scarf is thrown around his neck. What has happened to the gawky, dorky Brian you once knew?

He sports a rugged handsome look thanks to Tricky Boucher. Now that Brian has grown up and shed the braces, he’s pretty darn tasty. You remember how his father would give him a buzz cut in the back yard every Memorial Day weekend and again at Halloween. He has clearly outgrown that style with his long curly locks from chiaki Xue. Your fingers tingle at the thought of touching it. Brian’s all grown up!

How are you going to manage to get next door to talk to him? Just make yourself look all delicious and grab a plate of Mom’s cookies to take over to Mrs. Gerdes….

Hair: **Dura-Boy**05(Black resize) by chiaki Xue for **Dura**(Hair shop)

Skin: -Belleza- Ewan v2 SK 3 (hair) by Tricky Boucher for -Belleza-*

Jacket with shirt and vest: ::[ Mr.Poet ]::Peacoat and Pleated shirt-Vest set_Brown by hiwinyu Fazuku for ::[ Mr.Poet ]::

Pants: ::[ Mr.Poet ]::Leather woven pants black & belt brown by hiwinyu Fazuku for ::[ Mr.Poet ]::

Shoes: DB – Brown (Copy OK) by Eponymous Trenchmouth for Jeepers Creepers *

PS Thanks to Vaki Zenovka at Insert Funny Name Here for the link to Mr. Poet.

The Advantages of Being Male

In looking for inspiration for this blog, I tripped across an interesting list: 90 Advantages of Being Male. So in lieu of my saying anything pithy, please allow me to share some of my favorites:

1. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat… 3. You know stuff about tanks…. 6. Your bathroom lines are 80% shorter…. 8. Old friends don’t give you crap if you’ve lost or gained weight… 11. Your ass is never a factor in a job interview…. 13. A beer gut does not make you invisible to the opposite sex… 23. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

Yaszi Mornington gets that it’s easy to be a man. Just throw on this tweed hoodie and it’s all good. Shelly Toonie has you covered with a great sweater and Rob1977 Moonites makes your terrific cords.

34. You don’t have to shave below your neck. 35. You don’t have to curl up next to a hairy ass every night…. 39. Everything on your face stays its original color…. 43. Flowers fix everything…. 45. You get to think about sex 90% of your waking hours… 47. Three pair of shoes are more than enough…. 53. You can whip your shirt off on a hot day…. 61. Hot wax never comes near your pubic area….69. Wedding Dress $2000; Tux rental $100…. 72. People never glance at your chest when you’re talking to them.

Tricky Boucher teased his group members last week with two new men’s skin offerings. I donned the Shawn here because the eyeliner on the other was just too much for me. I will tell you, I inspected this skin thoroughly (*cough*). It passes all my tests. And Truth Hawks decides to give a nod to the guys with great new hair that came out this week. Why is there so much less hair for men in SL? “57. You don’t give a rat’s ass if someone notices your new haircut.”

77. You needn’t pretend you’re “freshening up” to go to the bathroom. 78. If you don’t call your buddy when you say you will, he won’t tell your friends you’ve changed…. 85. If something mechanical doesn’t work, you can fix it or bash it with a hammer and throw it across the room. 86. New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet…. 88. You don’t have to remember everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries.

90. Your pals can be trusted never to trap you with: “So…notice anything different?”

Hair: >TRUTH< Drake – cocoa by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH<

Skin: -Belleza- Shawn Med group gift by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza-

Jacket: Meriken Co. “HOOD” Brown by Yaszi Mornington for Meriken

Sweater: MS-Knit Vee Olive by Shelly Toonie for Moonshine *

Pants: *FIR* Brown Cords by Rob1977 Moonites for FIR & MNA *

Shoes: (Shiny Things) Murphys – brown by Fallingwater Cellardoor for Shiny Things

A Little Secret

A very popular fantasy entails a trench coat and lingerie. It’s a very sexy one for both the wearer and the gazer. It is always a trench coat, always a trip to his office midday in a busy city, always a taxi ride over. There is something so piquantly delightful about the secret of what’s under the trench coat—and what isn’t.

Imagine the satiny lining of a trench coat against your skin, its warmth as it slides against your body and the thrill of being the only cover between you and exposure as you ride over in the taxi on the way to his office through traffic. Thankfully, Emma Gilmour’s trench covers just enough and gets you from taxi into his office. Beautifully sculpted and rendered, it certainly makes this fantasy seem almost real, especially with stockings peeking underneath.

And those stockings… well they are attached to the garter that is skillfully made by camilla Yosuke, the doyenne of lingerie in SL. As your coat is drawn open, the scent of your fragrance floats out, warm off your skin, and the sheer swiss dot of the garter and bra is enticingly revealed. Your coat slips off your shoulders and drops to the floor and his eyes follow the lines of the lingerie around to the back, seeing a little sweetheart cut out on the panties. Your intent becomes suddenly clear, as you can see the expression on his face.

Tricky Boucher’s skin is the ideal for this look. Sensuous, glowing, freckled and shadowed in all the right places, it compliments camilla’s lingerie. A sexy updo from Truth Hawks with stray tendrils falling out means this hair will soon be taken down. Pretty pumps from Fallingwater Cellardoor get you past the receptionist with their proper and classy styling and right into his office.

It’s not what you wear – it’s how you take it off.

Hair: >TRUTH< Leighton 2 – seaspray by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: -Belleza- Elle Dark SK 5 by Tricky Boucher for Belleza *

Jacket: [SC] Surf Couture – Corriedale Coat by Emma Gilmour for Surf Couture

Lingerie: Dee Cream Outfit  by INSOLENCE Lingerie by camilla Yosuke for Insolence *

Shoes: (Shiny Things) Delphine pumps – sand by Fallingwater Cellardoor for Shiny Things *

A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi

Summer is almost over and I just want to go out dancing….

A cute short skirt, a choker, some sexy shoes and a stylish hat, and I’m ready to go. The dress is courtesy of pixivor Allen, a lacy outfit with a cropped tank that she offered for the ISSD hunt. Pixivor’s work is getting more refined and this outfit is almost too nice for a hunt gift.

I wear a wild and sexy hair from Mirja Mills. Mirja caters to the RP set in SL, making hair that is wild and messy and often fantastic. These sexy locks with their smart little hat are perfect for a party. The shoes are a new fashionable offering from Sissy Pessoa with clever ankle wraps, very up-to-date with today’s RL fashion and cleverly hiding the ankle/leg joint. My skin is a glowing makeup from Tricky Boucher, who combines sexy with innocence and youth in his beautifully rendered skins.

What time will you pick me up?

Hair (with Hat): .:EMO-tions:. * NATALIE * / brown by Mirja Mills for Emo-tions *

Skin: -Belleza- Elle Dark SK 12 by Tricky Boucher for Belleza *

Dress: ensemble dentelles noires court by pixivor Allen for Ala Folie, available in the ISSD Summer Hunt

Choker: Laced Choker [Black] by Kylarai Hayek for KaWaii Jelly

Shoes: Baiastice_Damasamba-dark tan by Sissy Pessoa for Baiastice

Shoot to Thrill

My second guest blogger is Raven Haalan, scripter, builder, artist, thinker. I met Raven initially through the fashion bloggers’ group and then got to know him at Burning Life. Raven and I clicked pretty quickly—we’re both very task-oriented people; hanging out and doing nothing in SL is not for us. As I got to know Raven, I found out that he was pretty public about his alter-egos, Jaime, a beautiful redhead with looks that kill, and Bin, a brainy coder.

Raven is a very experienced and prolific photographer and blogger in SL himself. You can find his work in the pages of Prim Perfect or on his personal blog, Raven’s Roost.  This month, you can view his great photography at a joint exhibit with GM Nikolaidis at Tricia Aferdita’s Gallery.

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AC DC’s Shoot to Thrill was in the headphones as I was sending a friend the LM for a fabulous trench coat… at that precise instant Harper’s invite to guest blog arrived. It seemed fitting that great looking coats and guns should be the theme of this post.

Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will.

The coat mentioned above was Laine Markova’s stunning Red Trench. The secret is to combine it with rust Caela Jeans by Dick Wiesel – they fit in perfectly as the flexies show leg. A white basic cami from Heather Connolly and the red Bax suede boots round out Jaime’s ensemble.

It was time for Raven to catch up, building a look around the Redemption coat by Arken Soothsayer. Add in a Cowboy Hat from Whenever Timeless and Western Boots by JB Gazov. Include a black checked shirt by Yelmer Pfeffer and Zaara’s Classic black jeans (tinted darker than purchased) and we’re ready for a gunfight.

Classic weapons equip our intrepid protagonists for elegant action. Dual Colt 1860 Army revolvers by Vegoth Munro suit the Blackbird’s taste. Red gets nasty with an ornately styled 1864 side by side, double barreled shotgun by JoMilla Gears.

I’m gonna take you down – yeah, down, down, down
So don’t you fool around, I’m gonna pull it, pull it, pull the trigger

With the gunfight over, our heroes depart, stepping gingerly over the corpses. The victims might be lucky and live long enough to catch the rear view of these outfits as a final visual treat to aid their passing.

Jaime:

Hair: Valerie (Sangria) by Truth Hawks for Truth Hair

Skin: Sundust Vixen by Gala Phoenix for Curio

Eyes: Jaime Kenin Blue Skies Calm by Kitten Krakauer of Kitten Designs

Mascara (Natural) by amandine Arai for Pixelfashion

Coat: Trench Coat – Red Female by Laine Markova for LAINE’s

Basic Cami: Blanche by Heather Connolly for astraia

Jeans: Caela Jeans – Rust by Dick Wiesel for WoE

Necklace: Aubade (Silver/Blue) by Felicity Winslet for Mariposa

Nails: Manipedis – Ruby by Ryker Beck for Exodi

Ring: Celtic Knot Femme Wedding Ring by BastChild Lotus of Lapointe and Bastchild

Boots: Bax Prestige Boots: Red (Black Cherry) by Bax Coen for Bax Coen Designs

Weaponry: 1864 Side by Side Shotgun by JoMilla Gears for Gears Trading Co.

Raven:

Skin: Miguel Tan (with hairbase) by Tricky Boucher of Belleza

Eyes: Zbilja (Brown) by Ryker Beck for Exodi

Coat: Redemption Coat by Arken Soothsayer of Super Possessed

Shirt: Checkered Shirt – Black by Yelmer Pfeffer of Alphamale

Jeans: ZC Classic Jeans (Black) by Zaara Kohime for Zaara

Tattoo: Huxley by Hatzfeld Runo for Tiki Tattoo

Hat: Timeless Cowboy Hat by Whenever Timeless of Timeless Hats

Gloves: Narcisse Black by Paul Lapointe of Lapointe and Bastchild

Boots: Western Boots (Black) by JB Gazov for J’s

Pistols and Gunbelt: Colt 1860 Army Revolver by Vegoth Munro for V&N Creations