Yankee Doodle Dandy

The pin-up girl—idealized femininity for the wall—became a source of morale for men fighting overseas during WWII. (Not sure what the women fighting overseas got. I know they were there–my great-aunt was a WAC.)

This sailor girl would probably do well on someone’s wall. Moxie Polano made this swimsuit with sailor hat in honor of vintage fashioniasta Reghan Straaf to celebrate the pin-up. With its cleverly crafted wrinkles (especially puckering around the thighs), it’s more than just a swimsuit—it’s a piece of art. Moxie combines her great skills with system pieces with some great sculpties.

I love this skin from Rack Brautigan. I am not a freckle girl, but these freckles are so perfect—they fall so naturally on the skin and the shading is perfect on the collarbone. Rack has opened a new store next to MichiMi and shows a wide variety of skins that may appeal to ladies who are looking for a new look.

A Yankee Doodle do or die:

Hair: Nanak fiery red hair by Aleixandre Biedermann for #AB# Biedermanns Q Hair

Skin: (IS) Irene 2.0 – Este – Rita by Rack Brautigan for IMAGEN *

Swimsuit with Hat: MP Reghan Pin~UP Suit by Moxie Polano for Haute Couture *

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

Nails: *ByKay* ~ Prim Nails ~ *Basic Edition* by Kayleigh McMillan for *ByKay* *

Shoes: Maitreya Verve Red by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Born to Be Wild

There is something so sexy and exciting about animal prints.

For her fall line, Anyusha Lilienthal has combined snakeskin, leopard print and zebra print with lace and leather for a whole themed line. This cute dress with a handkerchief hem looks like she has sawn panels of zebra skin in pieces to create a skirt under the snakeskin bodice. Sexy and simple, it’s graced by a stylish neck scarf.

I show it with a new skin from Dragos Janus. His line of skins are more pronounced, very bold with bright makeups and strong features. I have thought about why such stronger make ups might be preferred by some residents, and I can only conclude that on smaller monitors, they are simply more distinguishable.

The shoes are the very fashionable bootie/high heel combos that are so stylish now, made by Claire Messenger. I am seeing boots with the peep toe in magazines for the fall and wondering why anyone would bundle themselves up just to expose their toes, but in SL it makes all sorts of sense—you wanna show off your prim toes. Add to that the sexy way the material wraps around the ankle and the brilliant color-change heels (I chose red just for pop).

Wild thing, you make my heart sing:

Hair: =TEKUTEKU= Marbles(black) by momo Foulon for =TEKUTEKU=

Skin: [eStyle Exquisite]  Venice X3 – fair 24 by Dragos Janus for eXquisite *

Dress: Ibizarre Zebra Dress by Anyusha Lilienthal for Ibizarre *

Nails: Armidi – (True Enhance) Painted Nails – Cherry III by Nicole David for Armidi

Shoes: N-core CHERIE XtremeHeel “Black pattent” BOXED by Claire Messenger for N-core

Poses by Rogan Diesel for Diesel Works *

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

Heartthrob

I have been writing my blogs while watching “Coffee Prince,” a Korean sitcom/drama. It’s hilarious. A rich bachelor is being encouraged to get married by his battleaxe grandmother. In order to get out of being set up on dates, he hires a young woman delivery person to be a young man he can be seen with so the rumor is that he’s gay. At one point he dresses the young woman up, and she learns how to “be a man.”

I had the same experience styling myself for this blog. While I found the jacket and jeans myself, I was critically assessed for my bad shape and hair (and my lack of “smooth” with the ladies) by a male. The jacket with shirt comes from mappy Handrick, who is currently having a very generous sale on men’s items. The jeans are my favorite boys’ jeans—loose where they need to be and tight in all the right places. The bracelet is from Jon Ree, who has some awesome pieces for men as well as women. I think these could pass as manly, right?

The skin is from Aeon Jiminy, one I have been wearing a lot in these blogs. I like this skin a lot—it doesn’t look like all the other guys. It’s masculine and sexy with a youthful look and great whiskers. My revised shape helps it greatly. The hair is amazing—from Winter DiPrima, it’s a great offering for men who want to look sexy and cosmopolitan. My stylist was right on about this hair–it’s packed with “smooth.”

Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles. ~ Korean proverb

Hair: LAQ ~ Radiant M05 (L) – Midnight by Winter DiPrima for Laqroki

Skin: no.07 :: Demetris – Natural :: Goatee 01 – Hair by Aeon Jiminy for no.07 *

Jacket: *ARAI* Leather Jacket_black by mappy Handrick for Arai

Jeans: AOHARU_BT_VintageDenim(Pack A) by machang Pichot for Aoharu

Bracelet: Bracelet — Men’s Domingo silver links by Jon Ree for Mustang Trading Post

Shoes: HOC Industries – Easy Striders by Guu Nishi for HOC Industries

Rehab

Harper: I am going out of town this weekend for vacation and won’t have Internet.
John Z: That’s not vacation; that’s rehab.

I *will* be out of town this weekend because I will be enjoying the natural beauties of the upper Midwest, visiting roadside stands, breathing in the fresh air, and going absolutely berzerk without Internet access. No worries—you’ll be getting my blogs fresh every day on time.

Today’s look starts with Dakota Buck and beanster Potato, two casual pieces perfect for vacation days. I love the pull-on leggings from beanster—they look horribly casual in RL but perfect in SL because we have the bodies to wear them. The top, which includes a beaded yoke, is a lovely piece with well-drawn wrinkles and shadows.

The skin is a new one from Mallory Cowen, a fresh-faced woman of color. I am glad to see Mallory is concentrating on the different colors and styles that beautiful women can come. This skin, made for a more Asian looking avatar, has a rich hue and luscious make up. This cute hair is from Kavar Cleanslate and blessedly modifiable so I could darken it slightly.

My boots come from the gacha at Marea Kirax’s store. In this case, I have jammed all my quarters into the machine in order to shake out boots in the colors I want. This only took—3 tries—and friends got my repeats. I love the crocheted texture, the great shape around the ankles and the brown suede on the feet. Funky and comfy and fun.

Hooked on Internet?  Help is a just a click away.  ~Author Unknown

Hair: Exile Bianca/dark brass by Kavar Cleanslate for Exile, exclusively at The Dressing Room (modified)

Skin: LAQ ~ Mima 10 [Nougat] Glow skin (hairbase) by Mallory Cowen for LAQ

Top: [W&B] Neelia Beaded Yoke Tank DUST by Dakota Buck for Whippet & Buck

Leggings: Leggies – Brown by beanster Potato for Ducknipple

Jewelry: Ear Candy ~ Hunk of Pink Earrings Set and Bangles Set by Maeve Mortlock for Ear Candy

Boots: “anuenue. Patchwork knit boots-PINK by Marea Kirax for anuenue

20,000 Leagues

“The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.” ~ Jules Verne

It’s clear Eshi Otawara needs a trip to the beach. She has come out today with a set of gowns based on being in the ocean, near the floor—20,000 leagues under. With her fantastic Japanese-influenced fish and fronds of kelp, she has constructed a dress of fantasy, complete with rising bubbles (courtesy of Arminasx Saiman) and a beautifully constructed sea urchin hat. She has made a limited edition version of this dress as well.

The skin is from Brendon Papp, who has recently come out with a new set. For some reason I like to wear Brendon’s skins with Eshi’s work. They are delicate and otherworldly—a good counterpoint to Eshi’s bold work.

The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace. ~ Kate Chopin

Hair: fri. – Amelia.2 – Delighted Blond by Parvarti Monday for fri.day *

Skin: !Imabee: Stigma – Umeko – Solid Gold / LTbrow / by Brendon Papp for !Imabee

Dress: Kelp Dress (gold) by Eshi Otawara for Eshi Otawara *

I Love Emerald!

I want to see how many hits I get off that title in a lame grab for traffic. Ha! What I really mean is I love the COLOR emerald. The viewer debate—I am kind of over it. I really REALLY hope they get the alpha layer in Snowstorm. And fwiw, I like Snowglobe :p

The good news is (and there is some) that I am seeing lots of old friends showing back up on the grid. Today I show you a creation from Vindi Vindaloo. Lots of you “newbies” won’t know who this lady is, but she was probably one of the first who made fashion creation a viable consideration in SL. At one time, Vindi Vindaloo was what you aspired to. Her business models for advertising, driving traffic, and creating content were all smart and lucrative. Then Vindi dropped off the grid for a while (to welcome her gorgeous son into the world). But she’s back now and better than ever, creating her own graphics and sculpties.

I show this terrific outfit from Vindi, showing her European fashion sensibilities. I love the longer skirt with the leggings underneath and the green stockings. The texture is rich and sophisticated in its color palette and glistens with emerald and amethyst.

I wear a pretty skin from Twilythula Sorbet that has the same color ways as the outfit. I really like how this looks with the outfit and the tone of skin against the emerald. My boots are from Cerberus Noel’s terrific collection.

“The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick.” ~ L. Frank Baum

Hair: [ Love Soul ] Hair*031-B*Mocha by BlueStarRUI Villota for [ Love Soul ]

Skin: .:Twilythula:. PaNina Berry/Tan by Twilythula Sorbet for .:Twilythula:.

Outfit: (Vindi) Scent of Autumn Green/Pink by Vindi Vindaloo for Vindi Vindaloo

Ring: *KUROTSUBAKI* flower ring by sato Yifu for *KUROTSUBAKI*

Boots: *GF* Short Lace-Up Boots –Moss by Cerberus Noel for G Field

Betty, Betty, Where Are You?

Oh, Betty, Betty, where are you, you mean mother inside all of us mothers, you dissatisfied wife in all us wives, you pretty thing who thought all you needed to do was look good and get knocked up to be happy? When did all your hopes and dreams turn into lumps of black rock in your stone cold heart? Will you ever find fulfillment, our Nordic goddess?

Betty is actually one of my favorite characters in Mad Men because she is the enigma, the most complex, I think. She’s no dummy—we know she can speak fluent Italian and read quite a bit.  She has a much better education than Don, who learned from the school of hard knocks. While Don has his existential crisis, Betty’s own personal crisis is in being stuck as who she is. Who can blame her for being a bit bitchy?

Today’s Betty is brought to you courtesy of Aree Lilibub, Tiffy Vella, and Bubbles Clawtooth, via Mallory Cowen. Aree has a store full of cute clothes—lots of vintage sun dresses and cute capris and nice little tops done with great detail. And this skin from Mallory Cowen is ideal for blondes, especially our Betty, who was once a fur coat model when Don met her. Glowing beautiful skin, pretty make-up—perfect for a former model.

Our shoes are a little more contemporary but nonetheless perfect for a woman who wants to show off her legs. Gospel Voom has made this set versatile, with color changing scripts in the laces, ribbon, seam and toe material. The number of combinations seems endless. And the photosourced woven sole is a great touch.

“I was an anthropology major. Imagine that.” ~ Betty Draper (Season 3, Episode 7: “Seven Twenty Three”)

Hair: CBC: Mrs.Mittens – Bombshell Blonde by Bubbles Clawtooth for Clawtooth

Skin: LAQ ~ Pearl – 09 [Peach] Glow skin (blonde hairbase) by Mallory Cowen for Laqroki

Dress: ::P:: Bus Stop Sundress, Purple by Aree Lulibub for .:Petunia

Earrings and Bracelet: Eclectica Jazz Purple Paisley Set by Tiffy Vella for Eclectica

Shoes: [Gos] Espadrilles Model by Gospel Voom for [ Gos ]

What Sexy Is

We all walk around SL trying to be sexy, trying to attract our respective objects of interest. Some women do it by showing skin. Some do it by kneeling or wielding a whip. I like to do it a little more subtly.

This dress from Barbra Kungler, currently being offered at The Dressing Room, is one of the sexiest dresses I have ever worn in SL. Barbra has successfully combined system pieces with prims to make a long lean silhouette, a dress that clings in all the right places, that looks like its wearer could loosen the tie with one move. (Which is probably wishful thinking—because chances are she won’t loosen it for you.) Barbra’s texture work—the shadows and highlights, the wrinkles and sheen, all add up to one hell of a sexy dress.

Tuli Asturias’ skins are some of the sexiest on the grid and honestly, Tuli has been more than generous to her fans. This skin, a gift on the Iconically Sexy hunt, is a version of her new skin set, Audrey. With its smoky eyes and bare lips, it’s a sexy and understated look. I am wearing darling earrings from Maeve Mortlock. The name of her store is appropriate—Ear Candy. I click through the store, buying up all sorts of inexpensive treats.

Sexy at the millennium means having a solid sense of self but never taking yourself too seriously. ~ Rebecca Romijn

Hair: CriCri-gShort02-D by Aska Watler for CriCri

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Audrey (tone 2/br) :: ICONICALLY SEXY by Tuli Asturias for Tuli, in the ISSD Summer Hunt

Dress: (Kunglers) The Dressing Room Blue #6 – Heaven Dress by Barbra Kungler for Kunglers, exclusive to The Dressing Room Blue

Earrings: Ear Candy ~ Swirl Earrings by Maeve Mortlock for Ear Candy

Bracelet: MTP Ladies Santa Rosa Cuff by Jon Ree for Mustang Trading Post

Shoes: Maitreya Gold – Aequus Blue by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

I’m a Little Teapot

I’m a little teapot,
Short and stout,
Here is my handle,
Here is my spout,
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout,
Tip me over and pour me out!

I cried while I sang “I’m a Little Teapot” when I graduated from preschool. I looked out into the big audience of smiling parents and could see strangers everywhere–everyone except my parents (who were there but standing the back where it was too dark for me to see). There’s a whole metaphor there, a poem, (and probably two years of therapy) but I won’t get into it. And perhaps it’s an apt story about being a newbie in SL. (You enter, knowing no one, and stare out at a whole bunch of very strange strangers. It’s the ultimate in performance anxiety.)

What brought the song to mind was this cute little dress with its blue and white chintz pattern made by Quinlan Quimby. I loved the shape of the dress with the shirred sides and sheer underskirt. The textures Quinlan uses are soft and shiny and very perfect for this outfit. Had she extended it to ballgown length, it would make perfect sense in a historic RP sim. However, she has opted for a more contemporary silhouette with the short skirt.

I wear it with a new skin from Lorac Farella, part of her Tomorrow line. I really like this set with its more subtle and burnished make-ups and painterly details. Lorac includes a wee beauty mark near the lips, a lovely touch. The porcelain skin is a perfect piece for this silly little teapot trope I have going.

Finally new and funky boots from LeeZu Baxter, done under her own label. One thing LeeZu does so fantastically well is create artistic textures with subtle shadowing and wild colors. The boots, the torn stockings from Canimal Zephyr, the cameo from Jackal Ennui (with the BEST ironic store name on the grid, imho) all add up to a cute little outfit, fit for this teapot (who has been known to get steamed up).

I’m a very special teapot,
Yes, it’s true,
Here’s an example of what I can do,
I can turn my handle into a spout,
Tip me over and pour me out!

Hair: fri. – Marie – Anxious Blond by Parvarti Monday for fri.day

Skin: Pulse Skin-Tomorrow/M1 by Lorac Farella for Pulse *

Dress: TOSL *Teacup* Dress v1.1 Blue&White by Quinlan Quimby for TOSL

Stockings: Canimal – Ripped stockings – white by Canimal Zephyr for Canimal

Choker: Cameo choker – pure / silver by Jackal Ennui for Lassitude & Ennui

Boots: [LeeZu!] Dncorde Danse Booties /sky by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *