Optimist

Waiting, but I don’t mind
I’m all bus stops and heat
I’m neon in your daylight
I’m the optimist of 30th Street
How it is is how it oughta be

~ “Optimist” by David Byrne and St. Vincent

When you see the buds on the trees, Radiohead drops a new song, sunshine arrives, you can’t help but be an optimist. I put together a casual, about-town outfit and strolled the streets of St. Pete’s City. My top and jacket are Ariadne Garrigus’ newest separate with a texture change HUD for the top and sweatshirt. She gives you a ton of cute patterns and solids for the top. I matched them up with the funky harem-style pants from AscendSL that comes with a color-change HUD and bejeweled sandals from Lilo Denimore, both featured at Shiny Shabby. Aikea Reiko has a selection of darling embossed handbags and Empyreanforge has a terrific bracelet set with texture change HUD at Shiny Shabby.

Queue Marlowe is bringing this great ponytail back from the Fantasy Faire and putting it in her store soon. My skin is Inka Mexicola’s generous group gift for the Essences fans, a system skin with all the beauty we are accustomed to from Inka. And I am totally in love with these gorgeous eyes from Audrey Lamede for Cosmopolitan Room.

Hair: AD – omega – LIGHT BROWNS by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog *

Skin: Essences – Hope *medium01* brown by Inka Mexicola for Essences *

Eyes: .ID. Cosmic Eyes / Dark Brown by Audrey Lamede for Insufferable Dastard, available at the Cosmopolitan Room

Lashes: .LeLutka.Kyra lashes.02 by Thora Charron for LeLutka *

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V3.5 by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Top with jacket: ***ArisAris~Gara36~Imagine~jacket and shirt~ MAITREYA by Ariadna Garrigus for ArisAris *

Pants: //Ascend// Inga Harem Pants – Maitreya Lara by ascendsl for Ascend, available at Shiny Shabby *

Necklace: (Yummy) Small Crystal Necklace  – Silver by Polyester Partridge for Yummy

Bracelet: EF: Ankara Bracelet Left – Gold by EmpyreanForge for Empyrean Forge, available at Shiny Shabby *

Hip chains:  Hip Chain – Babette – FULL SET – Curvy – BLACK – V1 by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer

Handbag: :[P]:- Amy Rose Bag [Down Hold]:// Love by Aikea Rieko for The Plastik, available at Shiny Shabby *

Sandals: :::ChicChica::: Nancy Mokko by Lilo Denimore for ChicChica, available at Shiny Shabby *

Poses by Valencia Southard for Marukin

Taken at St. Pete’s City

Mexican Chocolate Butter Cookies

To cram big chocolate flavor into a tender, crisp chocolate butter cookie recipe, we found that cocoa powder—with a much higher percentage of cocoa solids than other forms of chocolate—was clearly the best candidate. ~ Cooks Illustrated

Today’s cookie (which turned out excellently) is the Mexican Chocolate Sugar Cookie. Forget the sugar—it’s all chocolate, dark dark chocolate (thanks to Dutch process cocoa and instant espresso), with an eensy touch of cayenne pepper to give it a little afterbite. This is not your Grandma’s Christmas cookie. I thought the idea of the cayenne pepper touched cookie went well with this outfit, which includes a darling integrated shawl and top from AscendSL and a great set of leggings from Rucy Byron with feet shaped to fit Slink or Maitreya shoes and a texture-change HUD for three different neutral shades. I picked up a pair of boots made by InfinityStore that includes a texture-change HUD for the socks and the hardware and a scarf from xMike Deed from Thrift Shop at half off to complete my look.

Avenge is a new skin line made by AvengeStore, and she includes appliers for Slink hands and feet and Maitreya and Belleza bodies and tells me she will be working on Catwa and Logo head appliers very soon. The body is nicely detailed and the face is quite pretty with several makeup options available. She’s still getting things together but for a unique look that many won’t have, you might check her store. Bubbles Clawtooth features this wavy and wild hair at N21 with some great ombre textures she has made. The barrette includes its own color change HUD.

Hair: Clawtooth: Magnolia – Dark Ombre Pack by Bubbles Clawtooth for Clawtooth, available at N21 *

Skin: [Avenge] Athena (bronze) – brown eyebrow with [Avenge] Athena skin makeup (eyes) – sun by AvengeStore for [Avenge] *

Eyes: .ID. September Eyes / Brown by Audrey Lamede for Insufferable Dastard

Lashes: .LeLutka.Kyra lashes.02 by Thora Charron for LeLutka *

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V3.4 by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Top: Ascend – Fringed Out Cardigan RED by ascendsl for Ascend, available at Shiny Shabby *

Leggings: !APHORISM! Knitted Tights – Maitreya Flat Monochrome by Rucy Byron for !APHORISM!, available at Shiny Shabby *

Scarf: Kenvie. Wool Scarf—Sienna  by xmike Deed for Kenvie, available at the Thrift Shop *

Boots: !NFINITY Winterboots Back Lace -Grey – Isis  by InfinityOwner for !nfinity, available at the Thrift Shop

Poses by Rogan Diesel for DieselWorks Animations *

Taken at Flux Sur Mer