Vanity

I believe one of the best features of SL is the ability to have an avatar and dress it up. (Yeah, uh, that’s why I devote a whole blog to it.. duh.) I am about as vain as the next person (though I am not above laughing at myself or going for the cheap joke). I am also not above talking about my own vanity…

… or shouting about it. “Look how pretty I am!” Well it’s easy to do when I am wearing this lovely dress from Ravenlynn Templar, named “Vanity” and part of a series of dresses based on the 7 Deadly Sins. Built of just three system pieces—gloves, top, and glitch pants—and one prim skirt attachment, it’s beautiful work, full skirted, lush and gorgeous. Those little pearls on the bustle are prims. It’s really lovely. If this is sinning, call me a sinner. (I have a tip here: if you get there before the end of May 30, you can grab this dress for 100L as she has them all on sale for the weekend.)

Vanity requires adornment and I do this with Abraxxa Anatine’s beautiful work. This is the set Abraxxa made for RFL. With its lovely texture and great build it’s an alternative to diamonds and has a hand-crafted look that works with evening dresses or casual clothing.

And I show Tuli Asturias’ newest skin again. The eye makeup on this one is intoxicating.

“Vanity is my favorite sin.” ~ Al Pacino

Hair: >TRUTH< Chelsea – Walnut by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH<

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Jade (tone 4/br) :: 08b by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: lvs&co-7sins-Vanity by Ravenlynn Templar for LVS&Co.

Necklace and earrings: EarthStones RFL Karuka Necklace & Earrings – Amethyst by Abraxxa Anatine for Earthstones

Takin’ It Easy

It’s the weekend. I’m takin’ it easy.

It starts with this cute top from Moxie Polano. Made of a sculpty on top and cutely cinched flexi skirt, this is a hippy tie dye I can live with. (Check out that texture. It is so cool!) I wear it over olive shorts made by 5thAndOxford Monitor (who is really CJ Carnot and Roslin Petion embodied in one avatar).

I put on a choker from my friend, Aki Shichiroji. Aki is the queen of flowers. I have her Organica poppies and daisies all over my sim. My beautiful blush comes courtesy of Mallory Cowen.

Finally the boots. Darn you, Fallingwater, you have made me come over and grab all the boots in sight. Fallingwater has been in SL for years and still persists, carrying her exacting and beautiful work through to each piece she issues. These flower-embossed boots (check that texture.. wow) make my easy weekend complete.

“And the livin’ is easy…”

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

Skin: LAQ ~ Julie – 03 [Peach] Glow skin by Mallory Cowen for Laqroki *

Top: MP Tie Dye ~ Brittney by Moxie Polano for Moxie Polano’s Haute Couture *

Shorts: (5th&Oxford) 50L Seaside Sweetie Shorts by 5thAndOxford Monitor for (5th&Oxford)

Choker: [ Kitheres ] Sakura & Vine Choker by Aki Shichiroji for Kitheres Industries *

Boots: (Shiny Things) Ginger Boots – chestnut by Fallingwater Cellardoor for Shiny Things

It’s Golden

Part of living life is that feeling of bleah that sometimes creeps over. I had it yesterday. We really are living in tough times—people are out of work, oil is leaking like mad in the Gulf, a whole country in Europe is going bankrupt, we are still engaged in war, SL seems a mess, a friend passes away—should I go on? *sigh*

But then, as it always does, the sun rises to the next day. The flowers in my windowboxes are growing already and reflecting their color into my bedroom. The neighbor’s birds squawk joyfully (cockatoos next door—don’t ask). The weather is beautiful! I log in and someone makes me laugh right off with her stories. A newbie I once helped sends me one of her creations, and it’s absolutely amazing. I hear from a dear friend who I had thought I had lost to the aether of the internet, and he has a new wonderful job. I am so happy for him. It’s all golden. It really is.

The golden today starts with Sysy Chapman’s 69L dress from this week. With its two-toned top, cute halter and darling wavy prim skirt, this is a cute dress for bopping around the grid.

I accessorize with bracelets from Babyhoney Bailey which I have had for a while and loved. I would wear these in real life—they are very chic with their abstract textures.

What makes me even happier is wearing Tuli Asturias’ new skin with a new hair from Lamb Bellic. I love this low gathered ponytail with the strands escaping, the fullness of the ponytail. I have already given my review of Tuli’s new skins.. *happy sigh*

There’s always another day… always.

Hair: !lamb. Lost – Kit Kat by Lamb Bellic for lamb.

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Jade (tone 4/br) :: 05b by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: SYSY’s HDH wk 29 – Peachy 69 dress by Sysy Chapman for SYSY’s

Earrings: * *Primagine* Victoria Set by Trixie Bumbo for Primagine

Bracelets: Djinn & Tonic – CoCo Bangle and CoCo Blvd Bangles with Skinny Bangles by Babyhoney Bailey for Djinn & Tonic

Shoes: ::Mine!!! Carla Heels_Brown/Gold by Marcy Susanowa for ::JustMine!!

For Daisyblue

I logged in tonight to find out that a dear woman who was a vital part of fashion in SL in its earlier days passed away this week. I was so saddened to hear of this. Daisyblue Hefferman was my first contact to the world of fashion blogging. She was one of the fashion bloggers for the now defunct Linden Lifestyles, and she gave a weekly report on fashion happenings in SL. (This was before there were 1000s of bloggers–Linden Lifestyles was the go-to along with Second Style. Her content has, sadly, been removed from the site.) She came to SL as a librarian and contributed much to SL in that capacity, making her friends smile and enjoying SL in many capacities: as builder, fashionista, machinamist, educator, and always, librarian.

This outfit is dedicated to Daisyblue, who loved daisies, blue and Victorian. She also loved the work of Random Calliope and once recounted to me a memory of dancing with him among his flowers, which enchanted her, so I have taken photos at his once-sim, Ode, still beautifully kept by Elizabeth Tinsley.

I am showing a lovely Victorian dress from Teaa Demina with ample embellishment and beauty, suitable for a lady of Daisyblue’s magnificence.

I show with the new skin from Tuli Asturias. Its lovely bloom speaks to Daisyblue’s essence—truly a flower, a joy to her many friends in SL.

My condolences to her many friends, especially Krull Quar.

Hair: [V] Vignette Gibson Blond by Rachel Boram for Vignette

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Jade (tone 4/li) :: 04b by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: M’Lady “Miss Brooke” by Teaa Demina for M’Lady Designs

Earrings: Earring – Pearl Stud – White – Unltd by Random Calliope for Worthwhile *

Photographed at Ode

Legally Blonde

In my SL, there is one blonde and one redhead and one black-haired Raven. It so happens that Callie Cline is the blonde (though I have seen her in brunette hair many times). I am the red head. Raven Pennyfeather is the black-haired beauty. Today I am putting the kibosh on the rule—legally.

Who sez Callie is the only blonde in town? This blonde wears a cute denim flirty dress from Hinano Runo. If you are going to do flirty, denim is the way to go. As with all of Hinano’s work, the textures are clean, well done, and alpha free.

Shoes are from machang Pichot. I think we all agree that machang has brought a lot of goodness to SL with her wonderful textured sculpty work and fun fashion aesthetic. These beauties are some of her first. Her toes are cute and of course, the whole set comes with a skin and nail color changing HUD.

What makes me a blonde today, however, is Tuli Asturias’ new line of skins called Jade, due out May 28. Absolutely beautiful, as all of Tuli’s skins, this skin is a smoother skin than her Eva line, less glittery than Belle, more caucasian than Sayuri. The dewy freshness of this line of skins, the perfection of the lips with their gentle gloss, the beautiful eye make up and lining around the eyes.. I am beside myself. I chose to wear the light brow because after all, I am legally blonde today.

I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde. ~ Dolly Parton

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

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Jade (tone 4/li) :: 04a by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: [indigo] FrontZipperDress by Hinano Runo for =Hal*Hina=

Earrings: Ear Candy ~ Large Creme Pearl Teardrop by Maeve Mortlock for Ear Candy

Shoes: AOHARU_WALK_SuedeLaceupSandal_White by machang Pichot for AOHARU

Transatlanticism

the rhythm of my footsteps crossing flood lands to your door
have been silenced forever more.
the distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
it seems farther than ever before

~ from Death Cab for Cutie’s “Transatlanticism”

I start out the blog with nothing whatever to do with the look, though it could be. As may or may not be known, I am the Resident PR for the SL7B party, which will be underway later in June. I heard these lyrics today and thought about some of the applications that have come in—stories of people who are far far apart, working together in SL to create something wonderful. There have to be days when it’s frustrating but something about SL makes the rowing seem not so hard.

That being said, I show a look today from an international contingent. First we have LeeZu Baxter’s great blouse laid over Aimee Weber’s sexy bra (yes THAT Aimee Weber). LeeZu really hit on a great model here with her translucent system pieces and prims. It’s so.. sexy and real. (And LeeZu manages to avoid alpha clash because she has her channels down right AND she does her translucencies in the texture and not in the prim.. hint hint hint!)

Leggings are from monica Outlander, another cutting edge fashion maker in SL. One system piece in this—that’s all it needs. She nails it. Boots are from Megg Demina’s tribute to Alexander McQueen.

These photos are really a testiment to several days of fumbling with 2.0. Despite the rushed release, despite the complete mess it’s made of asset servers and worse, the search functions in SL, there is something to be said for 2.0. I am still fumbling, I am still confused and really sick of the font and the opaque windows, but I am moving along.

Minnu Palen’s newest skin line makes using 2.0 an incentive. She has included with her skins a set of lipsticks on the tattoo layer that can be laid over the main skin so that you have 8 eye makeups with 11 lipsticks. Removing all the eyebrow and cleavage options, that gives you 88 different skins in one fat pack. Minnu still has a hold on people who want to model. Her Model skin marketing was ingenious. I like the skins though I think the collarbone is dangerously dark and the lips were built for a frownier avatar (and they flatten out the lip cleft quite a bit with the lipstick). Nevertheless it’s an arresting skin.. noticeable and photographable.

“I need you so much closer….”

Hair: booN OOJ343 hair black by boo Nakamura for booN

Skin: [LeLutka]-LOLA_stan-makeup2(D Brows) by Minnu Palen for LeLutka

Tattoo: [LeLutka]-LOLA -Lipstic_German Red by Minnu Palen for LeLutka

Top: Valerie Blouse Black by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu!

Bra: *PREEN* Bra Lace Black by Aimee Weber for *PREEN* (no longer available as far as I can tell)

Leggings: Miamai_Labelle Pants Black by monica Outlander for Miamai

Earrings: Ear Candy ~ Fancy Dancer Earring bigger by Maeve Mortlock of Ear Candy

Boots: McQueen Sequin Boots by Megg Demina for Chapeau tres Mignon

Trinket

I am a victim to cute things, pieces of jewelry, trinkets. I styled this WHOLE LOOK around the necklace around my neck.

Let’s dispense with the trinket. I got this darling little necklace and the matching bangles at a little out-of-the-way place courtesy of a friendly tip. Inexpensive and cute, I just like what Spinnetje Jewell has crafted.

That being said, I wanted to build on the reds and blacks so I started with a jewelry-displaying top from Sysy Chapman, part of a larger fat pack. With its well crafted sheen, clean edges, and sexy cut, it’s very typical of Sysy’s great work.

The skirt is a shortie from LeeZu Baxter she recently released. LeeZu, for all her extravagant textures and complicated couture, shows she has the chops to make an eensy mainstream skirt too.

Boots are from one of those random dispenser things, this one located at “anuenue. I love these boots that Marea Kirax made and I think I must have bought at least 10 pairs trying to get red (which I never got). They are, however, transferable. Go try your luck and send your friends your doubles.

Nails are another trinket, and I got these beauties from Candy Nail for the Hunting 9 hunt, which is quite rewarding but also exasperating. I am not a big hunt fan, but this was only 9 items and at great content makers. I ended up purchasing at almost all of them because something pretty inevitably caught my eye.

The hair I love. Truth Hawks just came back with this great style, which will find its way on my head over and over. I love the textures, the shape and most importantly, the streaks, which are menu controlled. I keep putting the hair on and changing the streak colors. Give me a streak over a bow any day!

Don’t even ASK about my inventory….

Hair: >TRUTH< Sylvia Streaked – mocha by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Eva (tone 5/bl) 05a by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Top: SYSY’s Anais-top(layer1)-1tone-indianred by Sysy Chapman for SYSY’s *

Skirt: [LeeZu!] O`LaLa Micro Jeans Skirt /blue ink by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Necklace and Bracelet: !Spiders*  Necklace and Bangles ‘Kokeshi Doll’ by Spinnetje Jewell for !Spiders*

Nails: Candy Nail #H9 STUDS LADY’S by peche Bury for Candy Nail (part of the Hunting 9 hunt)

Boots: “anuenue. Patchwork Ribbon boots*secret1(BLACK) by Marea Kirax for “anuenue.

Poses by Diesel Rogan of Diesel Works Animations *

Queen

Ever meet a woman with magnificence? It’s the only word I can think of—magnificence. She’s a queen. She’s strong, quiet, commanding.

I found the outfit for such a queen at Isaura Simon’s store. With her beautifully drawn textures (especially the gems wrapping around the torso and the motif gem piece), Isaura knows how to dress a powerful woman. Her garments say she owns this place. This ensemble comes complete with the staff which has a mini AO built in that includes poses such as the one you see above.

Isaura carefully constructs her skirts with tiered prims and a close-up look will show gems falling off the shoulder pads—an incredible touch. Her system pieces are clean—no ghosting and a very gently rendered drop shadow to give more depth to the piece. The bra and panties underneath include a brilliant sparkling texture. It all works.

I wear hair from Sky Everett. Sky has been quiet as of late—producing but not spending a lot of time in SL, it seems. We miss you Sky :( Isn’t this hair magnificent?

I forewent the shoes sold with the outfit to go with some wonderfully detailed shoes from Rosie Lavochkin. Not only did Rosie include the signs of the zodiac across the main strap, but she imprints the big toenail with a gem and builds a shoe that is sexily strappy. (Check out the swirly on the heel.) These shoes are for women who mean business.

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Hair: Sky Everett Designs-Lady Saelanar (CAHH 2010) by Sky Everett for Sky Everett Designs (It was for the Crazy Arse Hair Hunt, and I thought it would be gone, but guess what? It’s still up there!)

Skin: -Belleza- Elle Dark SK 7 by Tricky Boucher for Belleza *

Outfit: Dream Walker Outfit by Isaura Simons for Designs by Isaura

Shoes: *Deviant Designs* Astrology (Taurus) by Rosie Lavochkin for Deviant Designs

Bowling Night

People in SL have regular nights. My Sunday night I *always* go to Tiphares, almost without fail, to dance with my pals and chat about .. well.. geeky things. We have gotten to be good friends just from this regular meeting. We visit each other, we send support and greetings, we care about each other from that simple weekly exchange. It’s the 21st centure version of a weekly bowling night.

Bowling night.. it’s where people meet up and tease and cajole and celebrate together. I wanted to put together a sort of vintage look so I relied on this terrific top by Floatie Hock, generous proprietess of the Car Wash sims and creator for Hell Bop. Check out the great detailing on this shirt—the pocket placket, the wrinkles, the little logo over the pocket. Floatie has a terrific sense of “retro,” and she outfits men even better than women. (This shirt looks absolutely terrific on a man.)

I found the jeans at Ayame Musashi’s sim, called Musashi on the map but called Hoshikuzu as a community. She has one of the best arcade areas I have seen.. I can almost smell the popcorn and soda spilled on the floor and feel that sort of sticky grimy dirt on the machines.

The skin is a new one from Keiko Morigi. She gives copious instructions in her notecard about how to adjust the mouth so it doesn’t look like… well, an intimate body part. I didn’t have to adjust my mouth, however; the lips look great on me. So if they ARE turning out to look bad on you, perhaps it really is your shape making you look like.. you have an intimate body part on your face and not the skin. The skin is beautiful—wistful and nostalgic—her ads look remarkable but they are clearly true to the skin. I especially like her eyebrows this time and the delicious little beauty marks.

I show it with Bubbles Clawtooth’s 50L loveliness. He keeps cranking ‘em out week after week, to the delight of us all. I think this hair deserves more than 50L. I can’t wait to see him bring it out in other colors.

Finally the shoes. I have gone on and on about Eponymous Trenchmouth’s craftmanship and artistry. These babies are years old and still stand the test of time. These are all prim, baby—none of that sculpty stuff. And look at the details—stitched soles, shiny and even eyelets, terrifically textured laces. Epy’s da man!

Mine’s Sunday night. Todd or Erehwon show up with the music, Aki supplies the beer, Zha brings the chips, and sometimes Mir shows up with artichoke dip or Love and Peta bring some pork rinds. Me? I provide the fashion show ;)

Hair: Clawtooth: Woman of the Year – Delicious wine by Bubbles Clawtooth for Clawtooth

Skin: &Bean – hounds of love LIGHT Rav 3 brow by Keiko Morigi for &Bean

Shirt: HB – Mike – Bowling Shirt Red by Floatie Hock by Hell Bop *

Jeans: SlowRez Jeans 701 by Ayame Musashi for SlowRez

Glasses: /artilleri/ gladys glasses *red* by Antonia Marat by /artilleri/

Earrings: bowling pin (made into earrings) by FuzzyHusky Crumb purchased on XStreetSL

Bowling ball: Made by me

Shoes: ST Women’s R&B Strike! WH by Eponymous Trenchmouth for JCS-Jeepers Creepers

Adventurer

Take a step outside your sim once in a while and you might run into the power players of the RP sims. These are the women who carry heavy duty scripted weapons and have kill ratings floating over their heads. They are always gorgeous—well dressed and beautifully detailed in their character appearance.

One of the places the best RP’ers go is Eclipse Development, where Bryce Randt and Eclipse Lykin make being an RP’er a work of art. Their newest outfit comes with so many combinations, you’ll be able to traverse the plains, survive the apocalypse, engage in hand-to-hand combat, and seduce the prince with just a few clothing changes.

The outfit comes with the wicked boots and gloves as well as a sculpted chest piece that discreetly covers the breasts and another shoulder piece that comes with or without cape. Add a veil and long skirt, shoulder pads, and layers upon layers of stockings, pants, shorts, corset and sexy bra, and you get a lot in this bundle.

Mirja Mills’ hair is another great place for RP/fantasy wear. Her hair (which she is producing at an unbelievable rate) is perfect for outfits like these—a bit wild, very untamed and perfect for fantasy.

“You wouldn’t think it would be Toby—she was so tough and hard—but if you’re drowning, a soft squashy thing is no good to hold on to. You need something more solid.” ~ Margaret Atwood, The Year of the Flood

Hair: CRISS hair ( blood) by Mirja Mills for EMO-tions

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Eva (tone 4/bl) 05a by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Outfit: ED – Enclave – Ebon (Boxed) by Bryce Randt and Eclipse Lykin for Eclipse Development *