Wear Your Love Like Heaven

Lord kiss me once more
Fill me with song
Kiss me once more
So I may, so I may

~ “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” by Donovan, sung by This Morning Jacket

Nothing more heavenly than this beautiful dress by Barbra Kungler, created to support the Hope for Emilia fund raiser. With a great mesh shape forming a dress that includes a halter top with a sexy cut out and a beautiful, perfectly proportioned flower print, this dress shows my love—for fashion and the victims of the Emilia earthquake.

My hair is one from Alice Demonia, featured at the Hair Fair, which closes at midnight tonight (hurry!). My makeup is a beautiful tangerine coloring over the newest skin from Aida Ewing, which she has offered in several differently-named skin tones. Tall wedges from Tya Fallingbridge complete my look and let me say—easy peasy to match the skin!

Cannot believe what I see
All I have wished for will be

Hair: Alice Project – Hyori – Infinity by Alice Demonia for Alice Project, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: Glam Affair – Cassiopea – India 03 BR by Aida Ewing for Glam Affair *

Eyes: IKON Horizon Eyes – Dark Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: (Kunglers) Hope for Emilia dress by Barbra Kungler for Kunglers, available at Hope for Emilia *

Nails: Leverocci – Round Nails_1FA_MagentaPlain by Jin Elfan for Leverocci

Shoes: [PM] Pixel Mode: Fae [A] White by Tya Fallingbridge for Pixel Mode *

Tush

I been bad, I been good,
Houston, Texas, Hollywood.
I ain’t askin’ for much.
I said, Lord, take me downtown,
I’m just lookin’ for some tush.

~ “Tush” from ZZ Top as done by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

A few months ago I saw a video of Grace Potter with Kenny Chesney (“You and Tequila,” which I have blogged), and Grace Potter was THE SL avatar. Long legged with perfectly flexi hair, Grace Potter is absolutely gorgeous and she has an amazing voice and stage presence. Then I saw a video of her doing the old ZZ Top song, “Tush,”and I knew I had to make her in SL. (I modified the lyrics some because I think I would rather be bad in Houston than Dallas ;))

This look replicates her look in that video with a glittery silver fringed dress from Swaffette Firefly. This is one of my favorite dresses in SL, to be honest. Swaffette took advantage of flexi by building layers of prims around a nice system base and using a lovely glittering texture. This is old technology—just system and flexis—but it’s sure done well. (By the way, I realize my guitar is not the Gibson V that she sports—Boyd Krastins made this Gibson, which he gave to me as his little gift to this enterprise. Thank you, Boyd!)

Truth Hawks came out with this beautiful mesh hair with fringed bangs, and I knew I had Grace complete. If you see her in performance, her hair is layered so that when she swings around, everything flies. You can’t do that with mesh BUT you can see it curl up nicely as in my photo.

My skin is Aida Ewing’s newest, a beautifully pale blank slate for me to make up with cat eye liner from Shyla Diggs (a 50L Friday item from a few weeks ago).

And check out these guitar poses I found on Marketplace. I had to modify Tea Soup’s—she embedded them in an acoustic guitar so I just edited the whole thing to make the guitar sink into the floor so I could hold my own Gibson.

Take me back way back home,
Not by myself, not alone.
I ain’t askin’ for much.
I said, Lord, take me downtown,
I’m just lookin’ for some tush.

Hair: >TRUTH< Ebony w/Roots – barley by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: Glam Affair – Cassiopea – America Clean BL by Aida Ewing for Glam Affair *

Makeup: -Belleza- Eyeliner 3 by Shyla Diggs for –Belleza-

Eyes: IKON Horizon Eyes – Dark Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: sf design martine cocktail dress – silver by Swaffette Firefly for SF Design

Shoes: Leverocci – Knox Wedges_Pewter Glitter by Jin Elfan for Leverocci

Guitar: Gibson 59 TV special white by Boyd Krastins (who gave the guitar to me just cuz)

Poses: TeaSoup – My Acoustic [ Female Set] by Tea Soup for Tea Soup (modified) and :: Bebotes :: Guitar Women by Bebotes for ::: Bebotes ::: Poses Motions

This one’s for you, Laird ;)

Life’s a Cinch

“[W]earing a corset certainly changes your state of mind.” ~ Radha Mitchell

This post is ALL about the corset, this one from Jenica Penucca for Quarantine. I finally found my way over to the Zombie Popcorn thing. I had never gone because the name made me think it wouldn’t be my kind of event but Jenica’s corset changed my mind. Finally someone can make a truly authentic wasp waist corset in SL and it makes sense. In this case, she used mesh (good idea!) and styled it tied with a velvet bow, so it can go from sexy to elegant in a flash. (I actually threw a ball gown on with this as I had to go get something at the corner store and it looked terrific!) The only thing I didn’t get was—why did I have to wear two alphas? Makes it a pain for those of you in Phoenix.

My flowing locks are one of Kavar Cleanslate’s head toppers from the Hair Fair. I have to say, I love love love mesh hair and Kavar is one of the best. I love how I can turn my head and the hair still hangs down! My skin is one of Tricky Boucher’s newest, unadorned with anything but darker brows. Thanks to feedback from my friend, JF, I could put the whole look together with a simple necklace and look sensational.

“Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life’s hard.” ~ John Bytheway (Is that a real name? Yes, it is. It’s the name of a pious Mormon writer. What pleasure to include his quote with this look.)

Hair: ::Exile::Sea of Love:Marone by Kavar Cleanslate for Exile, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: -Belleza- Lily V2 Med 3 HB (cleavage) with -Belleza- Lily V2 Med Dark Hair/Brows Tattoo by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza- *

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

Corset: – Quarantine – Temptress Mesh Corset – Daisy – Grey by Jenica Penucca for Quarantine, available at Zombie Popcorn

Lingerie: Cecile Black Ensemble by INSOLENCE Lingerie by Camille Yosuke for Insolence *

Necklace: JCNY – NY@NIGHT, Diamond Necklace by JD Hansen for JCNY

Ring: FuLo – “Tina” ring – Diamond by Dita Tran for FuLo *

Nails: Leverocci – Round Nails_1FA_RosyManicure by Jin Elfan for Leverocci

Boots: [Gos] Curvaceous Boots by Gospel Voom for [Gos] *

 

Lemon Cake

When life gives you lemons… make lemon cake!

A bright splash of lemon with sweet sugar is just what is needed in these hot and trying times. A dear friend was telling me his boss makes him lemon cake as a treat and this look reminded me of that. A simple layering tank from Parvarti Monday matches this darling skirt from lemonberry (it’s entirely incidental that the name includes lemon). A set of color change beads from Maxi Gossamer (seven strands clicked into the right colors) and pretty bowed shoes from Fallingwater Cellardoor and I have the right amount of sour and sweet to enjoy the summer.

My skin is a pretty one from Moon Meiyo that has, surprise surprise, adjustable eyebrows. I was able to color change in editing mode so that I could make the eyebrows more blonde. Glasses are from Antonia Marat’s last 50L Friday thing but I think she has them out full price.

I had already shown this hair but I am so beguiled I must show it again. Adzebills Accountant, the RL sister of Indyra Seigo, opened her hair store over a year ago, debuting at the Hair Fair, and now she is really getting the hang of it. Combining mesh and flexy, she has made a hair here with beautiful textures and life.

Sour but sweet.

Hair: ! Sugarsmack !  : Elaina/Lemon Drop by Accountant Adzebills for Sugarsmack, available at Hair Fair 2012 *

Skin: B Cup[MyDear]May Skin- Tan 1 by moon Meiyo for [My Dear] *

Eyes: IKON ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Sand (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Top: fri. – Layering.Tank – Scoop (Gray) by Parvarti Monday for fri.day *

Skirt: LE:MON backdrop skirt #5 by lemonberry for LE:MON

Sunglasses: /artilleri/ Keyhole sunglasses (chin) *yellow* by Antonia Marat for /artilleri/

Necklaces: Pearl Necklaces – Combo – Long – MIXED COLOURS by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer *

Shoes: (Shiny Things) Charlottes – gold by Fallingwater Cellardoor for (Shiny Things) *

Beautiful Protest

In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty. ~ Phil Ochs

Trill Zapatero makes fashion and art in SL. That fact is true. She has pushed her art to a new level, however, using it to gently protest the injustices of a global economy and the oppression of women in Afghanistan. Her recent exhibit (now closed) at Split Screen installation tells a story of redemption—a post-apocalyptic world where the oil companies have closed up, global warming has done its work, and cities are destroyed. You can see photos of the exhibit (taken by PJ Trenton) behind me.

Trill donates ALL proceeds from her stores Boho Hobo and Meena to RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, a group that supports women’s rights in Afghanistan. They also collect funds to support hospitals, schools and orphanages in Pakistan and Afghanistan and speak to human rights in their country and elsewhere.

In that vein, Trill uses beautiful “ethnic” prints in her clothing, and in this instance a calico combination of prints with a beautiful sheen to the fabric. The mesh, made by NyuNyu Kimono, fits quite well and compliments Trill’s great textures perfectly. She offers this dress in five options, one of which is a group gift. And all proceeds slip through Trill’s fingers to the women of Afghanistan.

My beautiful lush dark skin is Shai Delacroix’s newest. It’s not a white girl skin made dark—it’s completely, ground up, her artistry to show a woman of color. The eyes are deep and seductive, beautifully made up and lined with expressive eyebrows and beautiful full lips. She provides a full lipstick set with the skins as well.

My cute little short ‘do is one of Mirja Mills’ pieces at Hair Fair. I absolutely love the tousled look with a textured sheen in this dark hair. A lot of hair creators blow this—their dark hair is too flat or too gray. This hair is terrific (and the charity is too)!

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. ~ Elie Wiesel

Hair: .:EMO-tions:. * KAREN*/black by Mirja Mills for Emo-tions, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: *Shai* Jamaica Skin – Green by Shai Delacroix for Shai *

Eyes: IKON Horizon Eyes – Dark Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: BoHo HoBo Mesh Tube Dress (tibetan silks)  by Trill Zapatero  and NyuNyu Kimono for Boho Hobo *

Necklace: (Yummy) Sea Trinkets Charm Necklace by Polyester Partridge for Yummy, available at Collabor88

Bag: :) BCC. Jenny Summer Bags orange juice by vitamingirl for BCC, available at the Pals Shopping Sim

Shoes: (Kunglers) Morgana pumps – teal  python by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers *

Backgrounds from photos taken by PJ Trenton of Trill Zapatero’s now-gone installation at the Split Screen Installation Space. They were used with his permission.

Lobster Claws

“A truly destitute man is not one without riches, but the poor wretch who has never partaken of lobster.”

Eshi dropped by the other day and we went down to the market and had lobster. There is a little restaurant in the market that serves Maine lobsters relatively inexpensively and Eshi had a craving, so I joined her. As I watched her rip apart the crustacean, daintily dipping the flesh in melted butter and savoring it, I realized I invited Eshi to the wrong city. The problem we have is that we are in the dead center of the country, and Lake Michigan doesn’t have any decent shellfish. This is a woman who knows the Gulf and the seas of Croatia.

Eshi is definitely a water girl. She took a set of charming paintings she did in real life and replicated them on this gorgeous new dress, called “Joy.” The fish swim merrily around the dress, vibrantly alive and turning somersaults in the cool water. Seaweed and fronds move about as they do underwater, hiding and revealing the creatures.  And as I told her, she does joy better than anyone else.

I wear Emilia Redgrave’s skin fashioned after the Bella character from Twilight. It fits my shape well and has very lovely, almost realistic, classic features. Redgrave has cut their skin prices so now you get the whole set for the price of one skin, so it’s a very good value. My own gripe is that the base skin includes a hair base that is considerably darker than the brows, making it impossible to find a hair that matches. I fixed the problem by overlaying the skin with the “bald’ makeup included. (The pack also includes several lipsticks for mix and match fun.)

My hair is one of Calico Ingmann’s offerings for the Hair Fair, a lovely cut with an included HUD that allows streaking and resizing as well as recoloring. I love the shape and the textures. I would say that Calico’s assortment of coloring and streaking HUDs confused me—not sure why it can’t all go in one HUD but I am sure there is a reason. Either way, I found my way to the color I wanted, an otherworldly bright red to compliment the bright colors in Eshi’s dress.

“A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands.” ~ Lord Byron

Hair: !!CiC!! Marcie – Dark Reds by Calico Ingmann for Calico Ingmann Creations

Skin: 09   Pale Skin -Bella- /*wedding *REDGRAVE* with Scalp (pale skin Bella)  *REDGRAVE* by Emilia Redgrave for Redgrave

Eyes: IKON Horizon Eyes v2 – Deep Glass by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: Joy by Eshi Otawara (red) by Eshi Otawara for Eshi Otawara *

Peeking out from beneath a broad brimmed hat

“Summertime is always the best of what might be.” ~ Charles Bowden

Peeking out from beneath a straw hat is always a different experience. It’s like you are in your own personal room, sheltered from the sun, viewing things from beneath a protective canopy. And dang hasn’t it been hot? That is why this tropical sundress from melissa46 is so perfect—stylish and cool, its simple mesh shape has the best texture for keeping cool. I really love how she placed this abstract look on this dress.

My hair is one of Kavar Cleanslate’s offerings for the Hair Fair, and gosh, I love these swept aside bangs. The style is ideal for being under a straw hat like this. I love my pale skin from Aida Ewing, an inexpensive offering at Collabor88 and a great way to grab this premier skin maker’s work at a below-value price.

“In summer, the song sings itself.”  ~William Carlos Williams

Hair: ::Exile::Crush:Marone by Kavar Cleanslate for ::Exile::, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: -Glam Affair-  Roza – Natural 01 D by aida Ewing for Glam Affair, available at Collabor88 *

Eyes: IKON ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Bleached Aqua by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: ][PULL][ Herx Dress by melissa46 for ][PULL][

Hat: SAIKIN straw floppy hat plain by saikin Inaka for SAIKIN

Earrings: *Paola Hoop Earrings RED J/SILVER* by Danielle Astonia for LaForgia Jewels *

Bracelet: Djinn & Tonic – Coco Blvd Bangle by Babyhoney Bailey for Djinn & Tonic

Shoes: NX-Nardcotix MANA Edith Electric Red by Nardya Rousselot for Nardcotix *

Northern Lights

Be yourself. The world worships the original. ~ Ingrid Bergman

I fell in love with Barnesworth Anubis’ new Stockholm skybox the moment I saw it. Between the view over the city, the wood floors, the cozy fireplace and library and the whole idea of being in Stockholm in an upper flat, I was smitten.

A casual cozy flat like this deserves a dressed-down look. I found this lovely top from Maria Gherardi and these cute striped shorts from yaho Hyun in my inventory. New slip on clogs from Driftwood Miles and a cute mesh necklace from Maxi Gossamer complete the look. I love these slip-on clogs—they give an alternative casual look for running around SL.

Finally, this fresh skin from Tricky Boucher makes the hair Marisa Kira has made all worth it. I opted to turn the daisies off so I could have this messy set of braids create the look I wanted. Ikon Innovia’s hazel eyes make it all worthwhile.

(Peeking out the window for Alexander Skarsgard.)

Hair: “”D!va”” Hair “Tomoko2” (Type A)(Red amber) by Marisa Kira for D!va, available at Collabor88

Skin: -Belleza- Lily V2 Med 7 with -Belleza- Lily V2 Med Dark Hair/Brows Tattoo by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza- *

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

Top: [MG fashion] Gigi Tank Top (light brown) by Maria Gherardi for [MG fashion]

Shorts: [BUKKA]stripe short pants ::darkgreen:: by yano Hyun for BUKKA

Necklace: MG – Necklace – Garbo Graduated Pumpkin Beads – BLEACHED by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer, available at Collabor88

Nails: Leverocci – Round Nails_1FA_BrownYellowGradient by Jin Elfan for Leverocci

Shoes: !!! Tribe !!! BG’s Smart Clog (tan) by Driftwood Miles for Tribe *

Skybox: [ba] stockholm attic by Barnesworth Anubis for Barnesworth Anubis, available at Collabor88 *

Pose by Trieste Minuet for !bang, available at Collabor88

Hair Flair

Imagine your head being bare
When you’re small and unaware
From sickness, something rare
Your scalp tickled by the air.

I wonder if you’re aware
If you spend Linden for some hair
A pretty child sick somewhere
Will receive some tender loving care.

Hair Fair is on again this year. The sims look, as usual, professional and have one unified build so you won’t be rezzing 10,000 non-necessary textures and dealing with graphic lag. The path is nicely laid out, especially for the geographically challenged like me. Just keep walking ‘til you loop around the four sims.

It’s all about the shopping, and this year they have added a new service. You can get redelivery from the vendor immediately if you don’t get the item you purchased. (Make sure you click them very soon after discovering you need redelivery—the vendors can only search back in history so far. Don’t wait!) They also refund you if you make a double purchase (and I accidentally tested this—I was refunded when I purchased twice). It’s further reassurance that through the excitement of the fair, you don’t miss anything.

As usual, my standard tips apply. Dress down. Remove unnecessary prims. Buy a bandanna and wear it. (All proceeds go to charity. I saw the one Dita Tran made and it’s really cute!) Don’t yell at others about their scripts or looks—I really really hate that. Most important, join the Hair Fair Demo Group here, check past notices, and try on demos in the lag-free air conditioning of your own home.

Hair: Slink Nicolette Hair Caramel by Siddean Munro for SLink, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: .la petite morte. iris med M3 CL by Voshie Paine for la petite morte *

Eyes: IKON Horizon Eyes – Dark Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Earrings: Zaara : Sarayi hoops *wood* silver by Zaara Kohime for Zaara

Hair: Alice Project – Helga – Infinity by Alice Demonia for Alice Project, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: Akeruka Twiggy Medium Mk5 by Agony Helse for Akeruka *

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

Hair: ! Sugarsmack !  : Elaina/Maple-Berri Blondie by Accountant Adzebills for Sugarsmack, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: -Glam Affair-  Roza – Natural 03 D by Aida Ewing for Glam Affair

Eyes: IKON ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Bleached Lavender ML by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Hair: Vanity Hair: Playful-Blonde with Vanity hair base blonde by Tabata Jewell for Vanity Hair, available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: -Belleza- Lily V2 SK 3 by Tricky Boucher for Belleza *

Eyes: IKON ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Light Aspen (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON

Earrings: MG – Earring-Shell-Teardrop-Sea Green by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer

Hair: Amacci Hair Cassie ~ Chocolate by Carina Larsen for Amacci, available at Hair Fair 2012 *

Skin: 06   Pale Skin -Bella- /*kajalRed *REDGRAVE* by Emilia Redgrave for REDGRAVE

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

Hair: ging brown by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog, available at Hair Fair 2012 *

Skin: A Cup[MyDear]Salma Skin- Medium 6 by moon Meiyo for [MyDear] *

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

Poses by Dove Swanson for Long Awkward Pose

Feeling Good

Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by
You know how I feel
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me..
And I’m feeling good

~ “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone

I’m feeling pretty good. This is, in part, because mesh is coming together so nicely. As I guessed, people are working around the constraints and making some fantastic stuff. Take, for example, this super sexy suede skirt from Michell Tomsen, a beautifully shaped piece with fine details on the texture including a sexy zipper. I top it with one of Cerberus Noel’s older blouses, still sophisticated and usable for mixing and matching. The little ankle strap suede heels from Ariadne Garrigus are perfect punctuation for this look.

Yes I admit I am a bit infatuated with Tricky Boucher’s newest skins. How could I not be with their beautiful lips, smoky eyes and shimmering skin. He has stunned the grid for several years now (remember the first time he came out with skins.. as if it were a revelation?) and has played a big part in influencing the progress of skins in SL.

I started singing this song one year and one day ago. Thank you.

Hair: *Dura-Girl*37(Sienna) by Chiaki Xue for Dura *

Skin: -Belleza- Lily V2 Med 7 by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza- *

Eyes: IKON Horizon Eyes – Hazel (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Top: *GF* Bow Neck Tops  -brown- by Cerberus Noel for G Field

Skirt: :FANATIK: Pencil skirt leather rose gold by Michell Tomsen for FANATIK

Bangles: The Sea Hole – Parisian Bangles Pearl by Drinkenstein Sorbet for The Sea Hole

Shoes: ***ARMONY Suede Pumps Rig8 Natural by Ariadna Garrigus for ArisAris