Aunt Floriana

“What is the girl’s first name?” my grandmother asked when my uncle came home after being in the Army to tell her about his fiancee.

“Floriana,” he beamed.

“Floriana? What kind of name is that?” She frowned.

My uncle smiled. “Italian, Mom. It means ‘flower.’”

My grandmother, being a good stoic Lutheran mother, said nothing but sighed.

My mother said her brothers couldn’t keep their eyes off her when she arrived. Dark lush long curly hair, deep eyes, thick lashes, and a beautiful face. My other uncle told me it was her thick Italian accent they liked, which made them think of Sophia Loren, when she spoke, which wasn’t much. She was pretty quiet and shy, which was funny because my uncle didn’t say much either. No one could figure out how the two had gotten up the nerve to utter two words to each other, much less get married.

My uncle said Grandmother fretted over as to whether she could cook, keep a house clean, take care of her son. “She never says a word so I don’t know what she knows,” my grandmother complained before my uncle and aunt got married. She needn’t worry. Aunt Florie’s house was always clean to the last inch, though crammed. She liked flowers–everywhere. Anything with a flower pattern on it, she stuffed into their bungalow on the north side. The curtains, the chairs, the china—all blooming with flowers. Their bedroom, which I only saw when we put piled our coats on the bed, was a riot of blossoms and blooms and roses. My dad wondered how my uncle could sleep at night with all that going on. It was quite a decorative statement from such a quiet woman and my plain, easy-going uncle.

One Easter the whole family was invited to their house for dinner, and she served us meatballs with “Sunday gravy,” a thick red sauce she had kept on the stove for two days that had cooked down to the deep heart essence of tomatoes and garlic and meat. My Grandmother and aunts daintily picked at their plates and tut-tutted, put off by not having the traditional ham on the holiday and the boldness of a blood red meal. My uncles all asked for seconds and thirds.

My mother said  once my uncle’s co-worker had remarked on her “fine legs,” and my uncle hauled off and clocked him. She invoked a passion in my laid-back uncle that was hard to fathom. He was uncharacteristically protective of her. And she returned his passion with a comfortable home, a steady love, and a tolerance for his family that I doubt few others could have borne.

On their fortieth wedding anniversary, they invited us again for dinner. The house was, if you can believe it, jammed with more flowers, inside and out. My aunt slaved over her Sunday gravy, yet again, on her own anniversary, denying any need to relax and visit. When my uncle finally caught her wrist and got her to sit down, he raised a glass in toast and said to her, “Il primo amore non si scorda mai, Floriana.” She smiled and translated for us all in her Italian accent. “He said, ‘The first love you never forget,’ which means in Italy that the first love never grows old.” She touched his face, kissed him, and then rose to finish serving the meal.

Perduto e tutto tempo che in amor non si spende.

Hair: >TRUTH< Tymber w/Roots – night by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: -Belleza- Mya SF SK by Tricky Boucher for-Belleza- *

Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes – Chocolate (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: Zaara : [Mesh] Aamani wrap dress (S) *print-roses* by Zaara Kohime for Zaara *

Wedding Ring: + Divinity + Limerence w/ Wedding Band by Noah Bodenhall for + Divinity + *

Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular by Tya Fallingbridge forPixel Mode *

Shoes: Maubray // Marijen Wedge.red by Meg Nowles for Maubray

Furniture: Thrift Shop Accent Chairs by Cory Edo for Trompe Loeil, available at Collabor88 *

• Trompe Loeil – Thrift Shop Accent Chair Aunt Mabel Floral
  Trompe Loeil – Thrift Shop Accent Chair Aunt Gladys Floral
  Trompe Loeil – Thrift Shop Accent Chair Aunt Helen Floral
  Trompe Loeil – Thrift Shop Accent Chair Aunt Patsy Floral
  Trompe Loeil – Thrift Shop Accent Chair Aunt Agatha Floral
  Trompe Loeil – Thrift Shop Accent Chair Tiny Flowers
  Trompe Loeil – Thrift Shop Accent Chair Aunt Ethel Floral

Poses: Alex female set by Rogan Diesel for Diesel Works Animations, available at the Pose Fair

Horse Love

A [wo]man in passion rides a horse that runs away with [her]. ~ Thomas Fuller

I am not a horse girl; I admit it. But I can appreciate something beautiful, and Tyrian Slade is bringing beautiful to SL in a few days. With the release of her mesh horse avatar on April 5, you will get to experience SL in a whole new way—as a horse. Shenlei Flasheart, who has been developing accessories for her horses, invited me over for a ride, and as you can see, it’s an incredible experience.

The horse come with 3 head options, 3 body options and 3 leg options. Additionally you get 4 base skins, 4 body markings, 4 leg markings, and 4 face markings. Tyrian includes an AO with the horse, of course, that allows it to walk, trot, canter or gallop. The HUD also includes 16 animations. Additionally, you can tint the horse whatever color you like (blue, purple, puce if you like but who would like that?). Without the tinting, you could possibly have 442,000 versions of the horse as it is (based on being able to swap out different sides of the horse). No, you won’t look like every other horse on the block.

The best thing is the horse is rideable so if you want to wear your horse avatar and give someone a ride, you can carry them all over. OR they can drive your avatar. I was Shenlei’s passenger and enjoyed shooting photos while she galloped and jumped all over the Water Horse sim. Later Tyrian allowed me to drive her and the controls were so intuitive I didn’t have to ask her how to operate them. Double up arrow to speed up, page up to jump, etc.—all the stuff we do in SL already with our avatars.

A static horse is one thing to see. However, when you see the horse “live,” you can nearly smell it. Tyrian has included in the AO all sorts of details of horse behavior including the body-length shiver that runs through a horse at times or the nodding that a horse can do. I was absolutely fascinated just watching the horses. Tyrian has also developed Western and English riding AOs, sold separately, for using in riding and dressage. (My photos show me with the English dressage.)

The textures on the horse are marvelous. They were created by Ladyjess Przhevalsky, who has been doing horse textures in SL for years. Ladyjess is currently developing more textures for the horses to be sold as add-ons, and Tyrian showed me a few that were just lovely. Additionally, Tyrian will be including a development pack with the horse, similar to those with Lolas and other mesh content, where you can make your OWN skin to use personally or sell.

Tyrian has put the first ten horses up for auction at her place on the Water Horse sim. If you want to get the horse 24 hours ahead of everyone else, complete with all the goodies, tp in and bid big. (Read more here.) Or wait til they are released on April 5. With a price tag of 2899L, the horse avatar is a bargain for the kind of fun and creativity it will provide in SL.

Tyrian provides a bareback rideable horse, but there is so much more you can do. Shenlei Flasheart has made over 650 pieces for the horses to “dress it up” including tack (saddles and such). Shenlei showed me the German armor for a war horse…

… and a gorgeous Arabian set. She also showed me a flowered fairy set, which has flowers adorning all the tack, and a bejeweled set for a royal princess. There is a whole subset of folks in SL who love to dress up their horses, and Shenlei provides all the accessories for making your little pony dreams come true.

If you have the eensiest bit of horse love in your soul, this is a wonderful way to indulge it without the feed, boarding and maintenance of a real horse.

I sit astride life like a bad rider on a horse. I only owe it to the horse’s good nature that I am not thrown off at this very moment. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein

Horse talk:

Horse: ~* Water Horse* by Tyrian Slade for ~* Water Horse*~, available April 5 (Auction for prerelease horses here.)

Horse accessories by Shenlei Flasheart for Carriage Trade or on Marketplace

On Harper:

Hair: /Wasabi Pills/ Lily Mesh Hair – Rouge by MissAllSunday Lemon for Wasabi Pills *

Skin: -Glam Affair – Zara – Jamaica 02 RED by Aida Ewing for Glam Affair, available at Skin Fair (open until March 31!) *

Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes – Bone (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON, available at The Boutique *

Top: {Happy} Confidence Blouse (White) by Alika Luminos for {Happy}

Jodhpurs: !HI! Jodhpurs (charcoal) by Erin Talamasca for Hoof It!

Necklace: MTP Ladies Lucky Heart Necklace by Jon Ree for Mustang Trading Post

Boots: !!! Tribe !!! Ascot Boot – Taupe/Tan by Driftwood Miles for Tribe Wear *

One last note: Happy birthday to my RL dad, who is in SL as well. Keep playing like you’re 29 and we won’t have to put you out to pasture!

Life’s a Beach

“Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was twenty-six. If anyone young is reading this, go, right this minute, put on a bikini, and don’t take it off until you’re thirty-four.” ~ Nora Ephron

The skies are clearing; the weather is suddenly getting better. I switched back to LL’s viewer on the prompting of Trilobyte Zanzibar, and gosh, I am glad I did! Everything is so much better, though I am still ironing out some settings. I will probably will do a more comprehensive view later but for now I am enjoying the sunshine.

My bikini for surfing is Grizel Halberstadt’s offering for the SL Buddy Walk. If you hadn’t heard about it, it’s an awareness campaign and fund raiser for the National Down Syndrome Society (presumably in the US). Some vendors have set up donation vendors, including Grizel, so a visit there to drop a few linden for this cause would be a nice thing. I sure didn’t mind as this bikini fits me perfectly, especially with these barefeet with bonus flip flops from Nuria Augapfel and Claire Messenger. You can toggle the shoes on or off in six colors while employing N-core’s web-based skin matching. Their database has grown a bit since I last saw it.

If you’re in the surfing mood, you can get these great surfboard props with poses from Winter Thorn, who is having a 50% off sale on her pose props through the end of the month. I found this set, a brilliant little pose chair for next to nothing and some other goodies.

My skin is Tricky Boucher’s offering at the Skin Fair. At first I hesitated. I mean, who wears so much makeup to the beach? They I remembered Baywatch and felt much better about dressing up. With cat eyes and his typical luscious lips, this skin is a wonderful exclusive you must grab at Skin Fair. (And yes I was playing with treatments on this photo. I admit this is not as-is like the other photos in this blog.)

“The bikini is the most important thing since the atom bomb.” ~ Diana Vreeland

Hair: >TRUTH< Marisol w/Roots – beach by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: -Belleza- Mya SF SK BL 4 by Tricky Boucher for-Belleza-, available at Skin Fair

Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes – Skyfall (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON, available at the Boutique *

Bikini: FABOO.  HYDRANGEA HIPSTER BIKINI by Grizel Halberstadt for Faboo, available at the SL Buddy Walk

Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular by Tya Fallingbridge forPixel Mode *

Shoes/feet: N-core BAREFEET Flat by Nuria Augapfel and Claire Messenger for N-Core

Pose props: *{what next}’Surf’s Up’ Pose Set For Girls (boxed) by Winter Thorn for {what next}

Taken at Potential, not a photo place but a fine friend’s sim. Thanks, Gil!

Special Delivery

“Came the Spring and all its splendor,
All its birds and all its blossoms,
All its flowers leaves and grasses.”
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I had just put on this gorgeous dress from Mami Jewell and was admiring her skill with system pieces, particularly the elegant criss-cross bodice on the dress, when Callie IM’d. “TP me!” she demanded. So, of course, I did because you don’t say no to Callie when she is in this kind of mood. She arrived, covered in black soil and splattered with bright dyes, her hair in a wild frazzle. It looked like something had blown up.

She began rezzing colored eggs and then KittyCatS all over my sim. One set of kittens was dressed in wild blossoms, the centers of their flowers made of furry leopard skins and other animals. The others had been dipped and dyed like Easter eggs. I gingerly stepped away, worried they would get dirt or dye on my dress, marring the beautiful spring blue.

“Aw, stop being neurotic,” Callie said, and plopped a cute pink one on my shoulder. “Don’t get your head out of joint.”

She was talking about, of course, the mesh head I was wearing from Maximillion Grant. It was the original Chloe head, but new and improved. To bring it up to snuff with the Sadie head, he had completely revamped the scripts and HUD so that rather than wearing an additional HUD to add on make-up choices, I could easily drop a script in the current HUD. He also added all the split expression choices and the open and close menus. He has set out updates for all current owners of the Chloe head (you first adopters) so you can go get them. You’ll love the improvements!

“sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love”
~ e.e. cummings

Hair: “”D!va”” Hair “Flora” (Type A)(Moon stone) by Marisa Kira for D!va, available at Collabor88

Head and Skin: LOGO Chloe v2 Mesh Head Almond with LOGO Infinity Chloe Base Skin Almond – Style 1 by Maximillion Grant for LOGO, available at Skin Fair *

Dress: -AZUL- Rehana /aquamarine by Mami Jewell for –AZUL- *

Featuring: Wildflowers and Scrambled Eggs by KittyCatS for KittyCatS *

Poses by Rogan Diesel for DieselWorks Animations

Atomic Fire Ball

“Fireball, I’m atomic all day now….”

~ “Fireball” by Dev

I wanted to throw a fireball at the weather. More snow came and cold and it’s just not right. Of course, last winter it never snowed, so I guess this is payback. I thought a little red and black might heat things up so I put on this new dress from CheerNo Destiny, who somehow wandered over into the women’s department. I love how the shadows are rendered in the ruffles of the skirt. I think a lot of mesh misses these little details. I again wore Bax Coen’s leggings ebcause I found the polka dots so charming for this look. And my boots are a pair from new designer, Syntella Rhapsody, who also pays attention to those little details in rendering her textures on the mesh she makes.

Aida Ewing participated in the Skin Fair this year, offering this gorgeous new Zara set that includes a basketful of brilliant makeups. Aida gets it—bold lip, neutral eye or neutral eye and bold lip. I always feel sophisticated and sexy in her skins. She has come a long way from her first sets and she and her partner and colleagues have grown Glam Affair into a strong brand. A pretty cut from Chiaki Xue and I have made black and red hot.

I’m a fireball, baby
I’m a fireball, baby
And I’m driving you crazy
‘Cause I’m the lady

Hair: *Dura-Girl*44(Black)resize by Chiaki Xue for Dura *

Skin: -Glam Affair – Zara – Jamaica 07 D by Aida Ewing for Glam Affair, available at Skin Fair *

Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes – Skyfall (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: [CheerNo] Dress_Cake Red by CheerNo Destiny for [CheerNo] *

Leggings: BAX Ornament Leggings Dots short by Bax Coen for BAX

Necklace: MG – Necklace – Ritzy Shimmer Pearls – Group 1 by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer, available at Limited Bazaar *

Bracelets: MG – Breacelets – Ritzy Shimmer Pearls – Small R by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer , available at Limited Bazaar *

Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular by Tya Fallingbridge for Pixel Mode *

Boots: 7E Infatuation *Black/Rose* by Syntella Rhapsody for Seven Exits *

Poses by Valencia Southard for Marukin and Olaenka Chesnokov for oOo Studio

The Pithy Statement

“instead of feeling guilty about leaving my apt a mess I just tell myself the obstacle course is stimulating for the dog” ~ jezebel dodai @jezebeldodai on Twitter

I wish I were more brief. As anyone who reads my blogs knows, I can never restrict myself to a statement 140 characters or less. I was reading the “Funniest Tweets from Women This Week” on Huffington Post and in total awe of the women who posted—funny, dramaless, interesting. (I found it by reading Brittany Gibbons’ great article about why she will wear a bikini on the internet.)

I enjoyed reading these tweets, though I wonder sometime if we are simply going to be reduced to the 140 character wonder statement for the rest of our lives, the evolution of the “soundbyte.” The only brief thing I am showing today are these shorty shorts from Erratic Rain, who is having a 50% off sale at her new location (slurl below) to get you shopping. I also ended up picking up the wrap top, the excellently-done suede jacket (that includes an open and closed version but I show open), and the thigh highs. You can assembly a pretty funky outfit just shopping at erratic and do it on the cheap!

My skin is a buy at the TDR Fusion from Hlin Bluebird. I am not sure how she manages to output so much goodness on to the grid, but she does it, and this is no exception with beautiful blue to the cheeks, a lovely pastel purple eye make up and luscious lips, providing a canvas for make-up add-ons. And it’s so inexpensive!

Also inexpensive is this fun rainbow-tinted hair from Alice Demonia that she is offering at the Adore & Abhor 5th Anniversary. She offers it at a discount price in celebration.

“Who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life.” ~ Emma Watson @EmWatson on Twitter

Hair: *Alice Project* Hyori [M] – Black – Rainbow Glitter by Alice Demonia for Alice Project, available at  Adore & Abhor 5th Anniversary

Skin: al vulo- Ramona* magic night dark brow sunkissed by Hlin Bluebird for al vulo, available at TDR Fusion

Eyes: IKON Lucid Eyes – Machine (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Jacket: erratic / vanity – leather jacket / dirty white open by Erratic Rain for erratic

Top: erratic / kenzy – glitter wraptop / pink-purple by Erratic Rain for erratic

Shorts: erratic / nikki – sequin hotpants / hotpink by Erratic Rain for erratic

Hip chain: Hip Chain – Babette – FULL SET – SLIM – IVORY by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer

Leggings: erratic / patterned stockings – stripes / white (thigh) by Erratic Rain for erratic

Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular by Tya Fallingbridge forPixel Mode *

Boots: Maitreya Radical Boots * Suede Crème by Onyx Leshelle for Maitreya

Poses by Tutys for Tutys

Back in Black

Any color – so long as it’s black. ~ Henry Ford

Black is my go-to in RL and in SL. It’s sleek, sophisticated and a perfect palette for other fashion statements. Start with a wrap mesh mini from Cynthia Ultsch with optional Lola appliers (I don’t show here), and criss cross short leggings from Bax Coen (love!) with strappy sandals from Nuria Augapfel and Claire Messenger (with improved skin matching), and you have a deep dark palette perfect for showing off new jewelry from Mirja Mills. Mirja has been working mesh in beads lately, enjoying making intricate necklaces, earrings and headpieces plus hair jewelry (see some of her new hair creations). Bravo, Mirja!

Skin Fair is still going on, and if you haven’t gotten over there, now’s the prime time to gorge yourself on beauty. Esra Noyes is offering this gorgeous skin with its rich and bold details as part of her Skin Fair exclusive. Esra’s look has always been lush with a sexy burnished body and glowing features evoking a sort of Mediterranean sensuous. My hair is the brand new curly confection from Mirja Mills.

Never saw a black top I didn’t like. (See my drawer for proof.)

Hair: .:EMO-tions:. * COSMIC*/black by Mirja Mills for .:EMO-tions:. *

Skin: DREAM INK-SF-AMARIS-T-10 by esra Noyes for Dream Ink, available at the Skin Fair *

Eyes: IKON Lucid Eyes – Silver (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: [Cynful] Draped Dress Black by Cynthia Ultsch for Cynful, available at TDR Fusion

Jewelry: .:EMO-tions:. * EVERLASTING *  by Mirja Mills for .:EMO-tions:. *

Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular by Tya Fallingbridge for Pixel Mode *

Leggings: BAX Ornament Leggings Bands short low waist by Bax Coen for BAX *

Shoes: N-core DELICIOUS “Black” by Nuria Augapfel and Claire Messenger for N-Core *

Poses by Rogan Diesel for DieselWorks Animations

Bachelor Pad

“Life is too short to be living somebody else’s dream.” ~ Hugh Hefner

Yesterday I posted about the dream of partnering whomever you would like. Today I am going to talk about the dream of being the perpetual bachelor. For some men coming to SL, it’s a real dream—their own home, no boxes of tampons in the bathroom, no Legos underfoot, no family watching “American Idol” at top volume. Imagine your own space guys, complete with black and white furniture from creators like Tya Fallingbridge, Kaerri Rae, Tobais Convair, and Ravyn Hynes. And a great big photo of a young Hugh Hefner, the idol of bachelors everywhere, hanging on the wall.

You can get your own place, way up in the sky, like this build from Tobais Convair. Completely in mesh, this Okemos prefab is loosely based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian builds (which were much more modest in scale and materials). With only 58 prims for the entire build, it will leave you lots of room to fill it in with goodies, like tiny little 35 prim martinis and complicated 49 prim stereo systems.

It’s all a grand concept! The only problem with this? It’s kinda lonely for a bachelor all alone. Solution? Your own Playboy Bunny! If the Hef can do it, you can too!

She can dress up in little things, lingerie and sequined bunny suits like this one from Mzzy Wytchwood that is being sold in three versions at Genre, with a little powderpuff on her tail and bunny ears. She can serve you drinks or make you coffee, giggle at all your jokes, sing, “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” for you in a breathy voice while she shows you her sexy new shoes from Gospel Voom.

And what a babe. In this skin from sawsan Secretspy, an exclusive for the Skin Fair, she can give you a private show, especially with her bold show-girl makeup. And long auburn locks from Truth Hawks make her the redhead you always dreamed of.

It’s a dream come true, no? I mean Hef does it. Always has a Bunny at home.

Of course, even Hef came to realize it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. He had three beautiful blonde women living with him and he spent a lot of time hiding in his private bedroom from them. And then he almost married his young blonde girlfriend Crystal, only to have her break it off at the last minute. (They did finalize it last year.) He pays extraordinary alimony to his ex-wives.

OK, guys, maybe not such a good idea. But worth the fantasy.

“The notion of the single man began in the 1950’s. The idea of the bachelor as a separate life was new and obscure.” ~ Hugh Hefner

Hair: >TRUTH< Haven w/Roots – auburn by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: .::WoWSkins::. Candy Sunk MK 02 by sawsan Secretspy for .::WoWSkins::., available at the Skin Fair *

Eyes: IKON Lucid Eyes – Ice (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Outfit: +REDRUM+ Bunny –Silver by Mzzy Wytchwood for REDRUM, available at Genre

Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Long by Tya Fallingbridge for Pixel Mode *

Shoes: [Gos] Angelina Peeptoe – Black Python by Gospel Voom for Gos Boutique*

Poses by Rogan Diesel for DieselWorks Animations

Furniture by:

Rayvn Hynes for Mud Honey

• MudHoney Priya Trunk coffee

Tobais Convair for [HANDverk] *

• [HANDverk]Swan Chair.white
  [HANDverk]Nelson Side Table.black
  [HANDverk]Half Nelson Lamp.chrome
  [HANDverk]Coffee

Tya Fallingbridge for Pixel Mode *

• [PM]Pixel Mode – Basevi – Candle – Wood 3
  [PM]Pixel Mode – Basevi – End Table – Brown
  [PM]Pixel Mode – Basevi – Chair – Eggshell
  [PM]Pixel Mode – Basevi – Sofa  – Adult – Eggshell
  [PM]Pixel Mode – Basevi – Sofa  – Adult – Black

Kaerri Rae for Kaerri *

• Piero Black Rug
• Piero Eiffel Screen
• Piero Mirror Silver

Skybox: Okemos prefab by Tobias Convair for [HANDverk] *

The Dream of Love and Home

“Gay marriage is spreading around the country, first Massachusetts, then San Francisco and now the small town of New Paltz, New York. The mayor said, ‘If God didn’t want two homosexuals to marry, He never would have made old charming farmhouses upstate.” ~ Bill Maher

When I first joined SL, I was overjoyed to see a partner box that was non-gendered and non-prescriptive. I was thrilled that two people could decide to be “partners” under whatever connection they chose to make—friendship, business or romance. That partner box has always remained a source of wonder and thought for me. For example, I am partnered to Callie Cline, one of my besties, and non-romantic. This is probably why we are partnered three plus years later. It’s been one of the best partnerships I could have asked for—our friendship has developed to be one of mutual support and growth.

For many of us, SL is a place to live what they can’t have in RL, and this includes marriage to someone of the same sex. Right now only 9 states, the District of Columbia and three Native American tribes recognize marriage between people of the same sex. It’s a ridiculous prohibition. Marriage is a commitment that builds stability and creates life-long networks within a society. It’s stupid not to encourage it for everyone. And besides, I want gay people to have the same rights and the same taxes and hassles I have in being married.

That is also why I was thrilled to see that Froukje Hoorenbeek recently came out with a set of furniture specifically made for gay couples with Froukje’s special sensitivity and sensuality. With her new Gustavian set, Froukje makes love between a woman and another woman or a man and another man a beautiful thing in SL. Equipped with over 100 animations specifically geared towards gay lovers, the bed makes a romantic and ideal homelife for gay couples possible. Add to that her low-script color changing for the furniture in 6 versions (so you buy one piece and can “repaint” it as you move or change your mind), and you have a dream come true.

Add to that dream the possibility that you can have that new log cabin out in the countryside with Cain Maven’s newest, the Sierra. Fully made of mesh, this luxurious log cabin smells like fresh wood (and not the standard plywood) and fresh air. With a land impact of 332, this spectacular cabin would fit perfectly on a homestead sim, for example, surrounded by woods or prairies. I can’t say enough about the textures, the layout, all the tiny details that make a house a home including the beautiful staircase, the rock interiors, the kitchen and bath. Everything has been attended to with particular care and love. With two bedrooms, two baths, three fireplaces and a generous outdoor area, it’s really the home of your dreams.

One of my special dreams in SL is great weather. Yeah, it’s getting to that point where I am getting stir crazy and really not at all happy seeing snow on the ground any more. Usually after St. Pat’s, we see green but not this year. So a wander around outside in SL is welcome and a cute outfit even more welcome. This brilliant mesh piece from ValentineEvangelista is innovative and beautiful. I really like that she is doing her own mesh and doing it so well and then adding such brilliant color to it. She doesn’t do anything halfway, I know for a fact, and this is clear evidence.

My skin is Apple May’s entry for the Skin Fair. Apple May, as seen in the SL ads out in the wild on the internet, is a lovely lady herself and she brings a lot of gorgeousness to this new set of skins. An exclusive to the Skin Fair, she provides a clean natural palette on this skin for you to add makeups to make it your own.

“Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us. Society is stronger when we make vows to each other and we support each other. I don’t support gay marriage in spite of being a conservative. I support gay marriage because I am a conservative.” ~ David Cameron

Hair: /Wasabi Pills/ Ivette Mesh Hair – Rouge by MissAllSunday Lemon for Wasabi Pills *

Skin: (AMD) Farrah – Tan by Apple May for Apple May Designs, available at the Skin Fair *

Eyes: IKON Lucid Eyes – Field (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: :V.e. Barely Dress S Grass by ValentinaEvangelista for Valentina E. Couture*

Glasses: HOC Industries – Goto Glasses by Guu Nishi for HOC

Necklace: (Kunglers Extra) TDRF #008 – Copper necklace by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers, available at TDR Fusion

Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular by Tya Fallingbridge for Pixel Mode *

Shoes: BM Carnie Wedge by Pixieplumb Flanagan for Baby Monkey *

Furniture by Froukje Hoorenbeek of Dutchie *

Dutchie gustavian lesbian bed (also available in PG and gay versions)
Dutchie colorchange gustavian dresser
Dutchie envelopes
Dutchie framed vintage poster 1
Dutchie diary
Dutchie plafonniere
Dutchie trunk
Dutchie travel clock
Dutchie colorchange bedside table

Building: The Sierra by Cain Maven of Maven Homes *

Model: Lauren Wyx

Poses by Rockstarroo Gossipgirl for Atooly

Thank you, Cain, for letting us rez stuff in your preview cabin and then make out like lesbians.

Float

“It is about burning up the past, meditating on mystery and loss…dreams. The title is Float=Nought.” ~ Blue Tsuki

Blue Tsuki recently opened a build at the Assis Gallery that was commissioned for extra space they wanted to fill with something beautiful. Blue came up with this gorgeous exhibit, one that is about dreams and loss, and it’s a very quixotic display. You enter from a carousel of pink with Blue’s signature chairs in the middle. (Blue always has chairs in his exhibits.) There you teleport into a tunnel of yellow undulating strings of light. At one end is a solar eclipse with a chair. At the other end is the entrance to his dream, I presume, with a gallery of chairs arranged around a pool of water with chairs on fire in the middle. Sit in the little boats and you warm your hands over glowing drops. What does it mean? I let Blue tell us.

I decided to go haute for the build, wearing a new dress from Mami Jewell, one of several she has recently released. With a huge shoulder bow, this lovely satin dress is rich with her signature touches—lace flounces artfully arranged, a beautiful satin texture, and the skillful use of system pieces. My shoes are Gospel Voom’s Mae shoes which include the special skin color matching system he devised.

Kira and Voshie got some excellent, not oft-mentioned skin creators at Skin Fair this year. Circe Ishtari has been out there with some excellent East Asian skins, with delicate textures on the periphery of my world view, but now I get to focus right in and enjoy. Her faces are distinctive and elegant. I ended up putting a translucent lip from Mocksoup Graves over the lips to pop the color a little more purple but I really liked the lips Circe had as well.

My hair is Queue Marlowe’s offering at Genre this month. With braids wrapping around in convoluted turns and a color change HUD (which changes one braid to an entirely different hair color or tints it), it’s priced very affordably and a steal for hair of this quality.

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float. ~ Alan Watts

Hair: jenova – COLOR CHANGE – natural black by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog, available at Genre *

Skin: Tokyo.Girl – Skin Miru – Sunkissed by Circe Ishtari for Tokyo Girl, available at the Skin Fair *

Makeup: [mock] Tyrian Purple Lip Jelle (Lip)-(1) for [mock cosmetics]

Eyes: IKON Lucid Eyes – Coffee (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Dress: -AZUL- Eve/Champagne by Mami Jewell for –AZUL- *

Earrings: VIOLETTA earring by Squinternet Larnia for Donna Flora

Shoes: [Gos] Mae Platform – Naturelle Collection by Gospel Voom for Gos Boutique*

Poses by Luth Brodie for Reel Expression (no longer available)

Taken at Blue Tsuki’s Float=Nought