Water

Water is the driving force of all nature. ~ Leonardo di Vinci

One of the most beautiful and almost tangible parts of SL is the water. It shimmers, it reflects, it envelops us in its cool blue. So to drop into its sweet depths and walking in it is a beautiful fantasy. This dress from Mami Jewell makes that fantasy come to life. With shimmering sheer watercolor translucent hues, the soft swirl of materials around the body is nothing so much as the flow of water around the body.

I pair it with a beautifully natural skin from Gala Phoenix. Somethign about the definition of this face makes the entire look so much better—the darker brows, the well-defined eyes, and the soft neutral pink lips.And of course, the beautifully drawn body peeked between the sheer scarves of the dress. My blue flowing hair is a beautiful silhouette and remarkable texture for this look. MissAllSunday Lemon knocked it out of the park with this one.

Finally, I draw attention to my eyes, the creation of Ikon Innovia. Before Ikon brought his eyes to the public, I begged him not to make crazy colors. I was tired of seeing the unnaturally flat light blue eyes so many people thought were attractive. Ikon’s first line presented some beautiful choices, both light and dark, and nothing outrageous. However with his newest Utopia line, he brings in the fantastic colors without making them absurd or flat. The depths of this particular pair is artistic, arresting and captivating. Who knew a simple pair of eyes could do so much?

In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it. ~ Lao Tzu

Hair: /Wasabi Pills/ Sybille2 Mesh Hair – (BOOBS) – Aquatic by MissAllSunday Lemon for /Wasabi Pills/ *

Skin: :GP: Sundust [Dark] May-Blackbird 1 by Gala Phoenix for Curio *

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Bahama Green (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: -AZUL- Calypso/Opal(MVW2012/Miss Greece) by Mami Jewell for –AZUL- *

Shoes: Ingenue :: Audrei :: Teal by Betty Doyle for Ingenue *

All Your Tomorrows

“She seems so cool, so focused, so quiet, yet her eyes remain fixed upon the horizon. You think you know all there is to know about her immediately upon meeting her, but everything you think you know is wrong. Passion flows through her like a river of blood.
She only looked away for a moment, and the mask slipped, and you fell. All your tomorrows start here.” ~ Neil Gaiman

He thought he was cool and beyond enchantment. Hundreds, maybe thousands of women had tried to catch his eye, had tried to entice him but he was not easily moved—until he met her. Tall, lithe, her skin flushed with a translucent ruddiness, possibly from being wrapped up in her LeeZu dress, wrapped around her long legs with strips of satin, bound around her chest with a strip of black, a netted undershirt the only air in the ensemble. Long black gloves moved gracefully with her gentle expression and the feathers around her neck floated in ebullient response to the tip of her head. She was a rare bird, a finely-feathered creature.

Her visage, beautiful and blushing from Hush Darkrose, caught his imagination and he thought about taking down her loosely tied up hair from Truth Hawks, the curls falling around as he removed the headpiece from her hair and ran his fingers through her soft locks.

He was smacked, afflicted, defeated.

… start here.

Hair: >TRUTH< Vicky w/Roots – coffee by Truth Hawks for >Truth< *

Skin: Hush – Samantha – Grape – Honey – LtBrws NC by Hush Darkrose for Hush Body Shop *

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Purple + Blue (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: [LeeZu!] NOiR Nightingale Gown <Mesh> by LeeZu Baxter for [LeeZu!] *

The Moulin

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” ~ Jacques Crepineau, Moulin Rouge

The girls of the Moulin Rouge probably got used to having it all hanging out and to walking around like finely trimmed birds, fluffed and feathered and laced. This little number from the queen of satin and sexy, Solange Cerveau, is a perfect example of a perfect Moulin Rouge outfit. With its demure *ahem* lace skirt and sexy loose gloves, this is a piece of lingerie that is dressed up for more than just taking off. A pretty girl could do her slow burn in this, taking it off piece by piece until all that is left are those pretty gloves….

This gorgeous new skin from Gala Phoenix’s Mardi Gras line, which certainly made ME want to party with its smokey eyes and pale sensuous lips. I pair it with Ikon Innovia’s bewitching Bermuda Blue eyes and this terrific updo from Marisa Kira that comes with removable hair band and ribbon that also have color change. Love the curls on top.

“Are we out of our mind or is this really special?” ~ Jacques Crepineau, Moulin Rouge

Hair: “”D!va”” Hair Ruri” (Type B)(Citrine) by Marisa Kira for D!va

Skin: :GP: Sundust [Dark] Mardi Gras-Ash 2 by Gala Phoenix for Curio *

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Bahama Green (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Outfit: *Solange!* Carnal in AQUA by Solange Cerveau for *Solange!* *

Shoes: [e] Move Pumps – Teal by Elikapeka Tiramisu for [elikatira]

How the Other Half Lives

I should actually say “how the 1% lives,” but the title is a better known cliche. There is no denying SL is aspirational. We get into SL to live the life we can’t have or afford in real life. For some of that, that means being thinner, better looking, more fashionable (I know it’s true for me). For some it means owning the big sailboat, having the ginormous house, or running the big charity event. (*sigh*)

There is no doubt the better half lives pretty well in SL. We have big beautiful grand houses, beach cottages on prime real estate, sailboats, scads of shoes, and even designer kittens. How can we not like this second life? I am wearing an outfit from Salah Axel that only wealthy beautiful ladies could pull off—a long legged outfit with a sheer cropped pullover and a teensy scarf tied around the middle and the neck. I love the trousers with the wide legs, how she has engineered the top to have a graduated hem, and how she layers while showing off my great shape. See, in SL I also have a smokin’ bod from, theoretically, great trainers but in all honesty, really effective sliders.

My bod and face are made even more smokin by Sissy Pessoa’s newest line of skins. I appreciated that she included many brow shades and beautiful makeups. I thought this was a clear choice for a beautiful, sophisticated woman. Also perfect is Kavar Cleanslate’s new mesh hair—a side ponytail that does not cut into me when I move. I love it!

Finally, all the photos were taken in Cory Edo’s newest skybox, which she is offering at her store. With a built in nighttime setting (dark skies, glowing uplights around the water feature, underneath lighting on the stairs), this is a moderated version of perhaps a Julian Shulman scene. All she’s missing is the nighttime lights of LA.

I have about concluded that wealth is a state of mind, and that anyone can acquire a wealthy state of mind by thinking rich thoughts. ~ Andrew Young

Hair: ::Exile:: Rivers Run:Chardonnay by Kavar Cleanslate for ::Exile:: *

Skin: Baiastice_Nico-sunkiss-make up 6- BL by Sissy Pessoa for Baiastice*

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Pale Gray-Green (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Outfit: *Connors* PANTALOON ENSEMBLE Bl/Wi by Salah Axel for *Connors*

Earrings: : Amorous : Simplicity (Earrings) by Matchbook Monday for : Amorous : *

Shoes: N-core COQUETTE “Garnet” by Claire Messenger for N-core

Poses by Valencia Southard for [marukin]

Building: Ka’u Beach Skybox by Cory Edo for Trompe Loeil *

Who Is Your Hero?

Yesterday I found out one of my heroes died. Anthony Shadid was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, based in the Middle East. He was a nice guy who was of Lebanese descent, and he grew up in Oklahoma City. He went to college in Wisconsin and from there, could have lived a comfortable life simply as a journalist for a local paper. He could have settled into an easy middle-class life, worrying about his tax bill, the cost of gas for his SUV, the score for his fantasy baseball team. He could have been any one of us.

But he decided to do more–much more–to understand, explain, examine, and report the conditions and lives of people in the Middle East during dangerous times, bringing empathy to both Middle Easterners and Westerners in a time when empathy and compassion are in short supply.

He was a brilliant and brave journalist. He won a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2004 and 2010 for his coverage of the Iraq War. He wrote a book about the Iraqi people and how the war has affected them personally. He was shot in Ramallah while reporting there. He was captured in Libya with a group of other journalists last year, certain of imminent death. Most recently he had been reporting from Syria, and he died from an allergic reaction to the horses he was riding on.

To be honest, I am heartbroken. Anthony Shadid was a representative of my generation and my nation, and I greatly admired his work and his philosophy. As JJ Sutherland wrote today, “[T]o me, Anthony’s most powerful legacy is his generosity of spirit, his optimism about a world whose dark side he knew well, and his penetrating insight into what made people tick.”

This is not a fashion entry today. I am sorry I have no pretty pictures. It’s just a tribute to one of my heroes.

The Sundress

Barney: I’m sorry, I’ll let you work.. But first a riddle: What piece of woman’s attire, most stokes a man’s desire?
Ted: A sundress.
Barney: Correct! What light weight outfit, pink or white, makes the front of my slacks abnormally tight?
Ted: I really have to get this done.
Barney: Of course, of course. Sundress, by the way.

~ From “How I Met Your Mother”

More than one male friend has told me their favorite women’s garment is a sundress—not lingerie, not tight jeans, not high heels—a sundress. Something about bare shoulders, the carefree swish of the loose skirt, long legs, the bright color, kind of easy access—conveys sexy femininity like nothing else. I had a pink sundress just like this in high school, and as I recall, my boyfriend had a hard time keeping his hands off me (lo those many years ago).

Felicia Helendale brings me back to happy memories of carefree warm days with her version of the sundress with its smocked top and polka dot skirt. An easy string ties up the bodice, cinched with a bow and a little daisy. This dress comes with darling little sandals with prim feet, but I opted for a higher heel from Oct Oakleaf, with its pretty-enough-to-nibble toes and wedgie cuteness.

My blushing skin is a lovely one from Mochi Milena. One of the bonuses of her skins is that you get two different makeups per purchase plus a ton of lipsticks, so it’s really a great deal for a top notch skin. I see this skin on a lot of girls whose faces are quite different than mine, but it still seems to fit me, which is always the sign of solid work.

My hair is one of Truth Hawks’ newest mesh styles. I like that Truth decided to include a flexi piece so the hair has all the advantages of mesh with the movement of flexis. However, one thing I would question is where the hair is rigged on the avatar because it doesn’t move quite as well as other mesh hairs I have tried. Otherwise, a great first mesh from Truth!

All women’s dresses are merely variations on the eternal struggle between the admitted desire to dress and the unadmitted desire to undress. ~ Lin Yn-tang

Hair: >TRUTH< Jayney w/Roots (Mesh) – caramel with >TRUTH< Jayney (Flexi) – caramel by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: [PF] Elly <Honey> – Baby Doll (dkbrow) with [PF] Elly <C/M/H> – Glam Lipstick – (Hard Candy) by Mochi Milena for Pink Fuel

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Gray-Blue by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: ~*~Felicia’s Fashions~*~ Angel Sundress – Hibiscus by Felicia Helendale for ~*~Felicia’s Fashions~*~

Shoes: +ADDiCTIA+ PLATFORMA Wedge Sandals – Braids Pink by Oct Oakleaf for +ADDiCTIA+ *

Poses by Luth Brodie for Reel Expression

P.S. No, it’s not about Valentine’s Day. Did you need me to remind you?

Pure and Simple

A beautiful woman delights the eye; a wise woman, the understanding; a pure one, the soul. ~ Minna Antrim

Sometimes something pure and simple is the best choice. This cute and simple mesh sheath dress from Eclectic Wingtips and CrashOV Uladstron is a case in point. With its simple shape, this silhouette can accommodate the sort of funky, small proportion pattern and seagreen color and still seem simple. Add to it a pair of buckled sandals with cute toes from Pixieplumb Flanagan, and you’re set, in low-ARC fashion, to wander the grid.

My beautiful eyes are Ikon Innovia’s concession to the crowd who likes a lighter, more pale eye. He has struck on a good balance with his dark pupils surrounded by color and well-defined irises. I really don’t like pale eyes—they seem soulless—but somehow Ikon has reached in and found soul with his new eyes. Gala Phoenix adds the “pure” to this equation with her beautiful skin and pale glossy lips.

Kavar Cleanslate has jumped in with both feet with his new mesh hair. I am so grateful he has, because he has never really been a big user of flexi in his longer hair, and that’s always made me shy away from his longer styles because they seem stiff and “fake.” Now his locks can lie on the avatar with ease and I can move and turn without feeling I have a stiff wig on my head. His brilliant new textures really make these new styles pop.

Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler. ~ Albert Einstein

Hair: ::Exile:: Domino:Vanilla by Kavar Cleanslate for ::Exile::  *

Skin: :GP: Sundust [Light] GoGo-Bang Bang 1 by Gala Phoenix for Curio *

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Pale Gray-Green (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: e! Louisa Dress (Sea) by CrashOV Uladstron and Eclectic Wingtips for E! *

Nails: [ Love Soul ] Posing nail*Oval-Natural* by BluestarRUI Villota for [ Love Soul ]

Shoes: BM Ultimate Nevada All Colour Pack by Pixieplumb Flanagan for Baby Monkey *

Poses by Luth Brodie for Reel Expression

The Triumph of a Heart

The nerves are sending shimmering signals
All through my fingers
The veins support
Blood that gushes impulsively towards
Is the triumph of a heart that gives all
That gives all
The triumph of a heart that gives all
That gives all

~ “Triumph of a Heart” by Bjork

The song fits. The connection is perfect. Eshi Otawara is releasing her first ensemble in quite a while, just in time for Valentine’s Day, and it is a triumph of the heart. With the bold red and black feathering, its intricate waist and bustle, its well… triumphant head piece, Eshi gives us that pulsing passionate art that we have missed so much in the past year. Look closely and you see Eshi packs this piece with passion, from the animated red pulses running up the swirls to the cosmic anemones in the headpiece to the side veils streaked with red edges.

The song from Bjork, if you listen to it, is from her 2004 album, Medulla, and features a montage of human vocal sounds with a “mew” on beat. Those who know Eshi personally know that her cat (named “Cat”) is a beautiful black and white calico, and sometimes I think his lush beautiful coat and self-reliant character are inspiration for her pieces.

I accompany it with aida Ewing’s Valentine’s Day offering, a set of skins that will be available at The Dressing Room. With bold red lips and makeup and aida’s au courant, minimalistic features, it’s a perfect match for this incredible piece of wearable sculpture.

Smooth soft red velvety lungs
Are pushing a network of oxygen joyfully
Through a nose, through a mouth
But all enjoys, which brings us to
The triumph of a heart that gives all
That gives all

Skin: -Glam Affair – Valentine skin 01 D by aida Ewing for –Glam Affair-, available at The Dressing Room *

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Black (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Eyelashes: Detour – Klee Dot Lashes by Keri Clip for Detour

Outfit: Asteria by Eshi Otawara for Eshi Otawara *

Poses by Luth Brodie for Reel Expression

I’m Only Sleeping

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I’m still yawning
When I’m in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)

Please, don’t wake me, no, don’t shake me
Leave me where I am, I’m only sleeping

~ “I’m Only Sleeping” by the Beatles

I stayed up way too late last night, reading….

Now I can’t get up.

It may be the cozy top from Bonadea Avedon or the uber cozy bed from Cory Edo, which is her offering for Collabor88 this week. It might just be the snuggly bear and bear slippers Bonadea gave me.

I get up, yawn and stretch, get ready for the day in Camilla Yosuke’s special valentine’s gift to all of us (free on Marketplace and at her store—grab it because Insolence is the best lingerie in SL). My fresh, pretty skin from Mallory Cowen makes the morning not so hard to face.

Kavar Cleanslate has released three new mesh hair pieces this week, and I will say I am stoked! This is what mesh hair is supposed to do. I am so pleased with this style, which turns with my head, doesn’t cut through my body, and has Kavar’s rich textures. This is what mesh is about!

Lying there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling…

Please, don’t spoil my day, I’m miles away
And after all I’m only sleeping

Hair: ::Exile:: Girls of Summer:Mahogany by Kavar Cleanslate for ::Exile:: *

Skin: LAQ ~ Thea [Peach] 04 by Mallory Cowen for Laqroki

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Light Blue (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Top: wailing bunny pink by Ruca Tease — \(-_-)/ — by Bonedea Avedon for Ruca Tease *

Undies: Valentine’s 2012 Lingerie Gift by INSOLENCE by camilla yosuke for INSOLENCE

Slippers: fluffy slippers by Ruca Tease by Bonedea Avedon for Ruca Tease *

Bear: ruca bear by Bonedea Avedon for Ruca Tease *

Furniture: Trompe Loeil – Novel Decor Bedroom Duo [mesh]  by Cory Edo for Trompe Loeil, available at Collabor88 *

Claire Fraser

“…well, if women’s work was never done, why trouble about how much of it wasn’t being accomplished at any given moment?”~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross

One of my favorite book series is the Outlander series from Diana Gabaldon. I picked it up at the recommendation of a lady where I was donating blood—her starry eyed smile and adoration of the book piqued my curiosity. I read the first book, Outlander, as I was travelling in London. The rest of the series was devoured over the next five years.

Claire has an amazing capacity for adventure, an incredible intelligence, and frankly, the hottest man of the ages—Jamie. She is a doctor and uses herbs and other remedies to help the people of 18th century Scotland and the Americas. This dress from Luna Barak reminded me so much of her with its incredible textures and ideal RP styling. With two different skirt styles (open and closed), two different colored tops and a modesty panel, it’s a versatile piece for RP. My favorite part is, of course, the belt with gathered herbs and documents. As Luna shows, the play is in the details.

I wear with this gorgeous skin from Carina Larsen. I have been showing it a lot because, frankly, I think it’s beautiful and it has a very individual look. Carina includes a set of lipsticks so you can change out as you please, and for Claire, I prefer a more matte look. My updo from Thora Charron is the kind of casual elegance Claire would prefer. (Claire always gives you the feeling she is frumpy but you know she can’t possibly be with Jamie loving her so much.)

My potions cabinet from Chandni Kohndji is the ideal spot for Claire to do all her experimentations. (I have to say, besides the sex scenes, the scenes where she does her experiments and medical things were fascinating to me. OK. I admit I am a science geek sometimes. Go figure.)

“Lord, ye gave me a rare woman, and God! I loved her well.” ~ Jamie Fraser in Dragonfly in Amber

Hair: [LeLutka]-KNOTTED hair – Burnt with [LeLutka]-HAIRBASE Burnt by Thora Charron for [LeLutka]

Skin: Amacci Skin – Liane (Nutmeg) – 00 Clear – Cleavage with Amacci – Liane (Nutmeg) – Lip Tattoo 3 by Carina Larsen for Amacci *

Eyes: IKON Utopia Eyes – Light Blue (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: !! MOONSTRCUK !! Violante Blue by Luna Barak for Moonstruck *

Shoes: Ballet Flat Navy by Karrie Kweller for Karried Away

Posing: *~*HopScotch*~* The Potions Cabinet by Chandni Kohndji for *~*HopScotch*~* *