The Miller’s Daughter

She spun gold from straw….

Enchantment opens on the first and as always, it is chock full of Grimm Brothers charm. The theme this round is “Rumplestilskin,” the story of a miller’s daughter who is commanded to spin gold from straw, who makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin and finds later she’s made a deal she can’t live with. The daughter in the story is, of course, comely, so this dress from Kiddo Oh makes all the sense in the world for this fairy tale. It’s beautifully rendered from mesh with a lovely floral pattern and a pretty lace decolletage. She has made matching chokers for the dress.

The fun part of Enchantment is, of course, the punchcards. You go to each store in the event and get your card punched and then take it to the special prize area to redeem for one of the many prizes. To get a card, you have to purchase simply one of the featured items. Cards are transferable if you want to give a gift to a friend.

The Body Modification Expo closes today but you can still sneak in and get this lovely skin from Sawsan Secretspy. With a sexy eyeliner and pretty lips, it’s a great deal. My hair is one of Truth’s newest with a bow with inexplicable spikes in it. (The hair with its bow was so darling I overlooked them.) My gorgeous eyes are Constance Daehlie’s, also featured for Enchantment.

Hair: TRUTH HAIR Demelza by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: .::WoW Skins::. Alena Darktan 03 by sawsan Secretspy for .::WoW skins::., available at the Body Modification Expo *

Eyes: #adored – firstborn eyes – green by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available for Enchantment *

Body: -Belleza- Venus by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Dress: .::Dead Dollz::. The Miller’s Daughter Choker – Pink by Kiddo Oh for .::Dead Dollz::., available for Enchantment *

Poses by Dove Swanson for Long Awkward Pose (no longer available)

Short Skirt Long Jacket

I want a girl with a mind like a diamond
I want a girl who knows what’s best
I want a girl with shoes that cut
And eyes that burn like cigarettes

I want a girl with the right allocations
Who’s fast and thorough
And sharp as a tack
She’s playing with her jewelry
She’s putting up her hair
She’s touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and a lonnnng jacket

~ “Short Skirt Long Jacket” by Cake

Finally! I can use this song. A while ago a friend of mine said this song reminded him of me and since, I have been wanting to use it and now, GraceHaddington has given me reason. This sexy dress came through with a great fit between the top and the skirt with a great mesh jacket with the sleeves rolled up. Now, Grace does use template mesh as many do but she adds a lot with her great patterns and her texture-change HUD.

I have worn these shoes from Kenadeecole that she has at the Body Modification Expo for another blog entry but need to show them again because are so sexy and so well made (“shoes that cut”). The great part is she gives two fitted shoes—one for Slink feet but also one for Belleza bodies. It’s really not a big deal (I think) for her to do a refit and offer the Belleza foot shoe and they look so fantastic. They come with a great texture-change HUD for color and metal options as well.

My skin is one of Shyla Diggs’ newer ones that she has released in full at the main store. There is something so sublime about her work, so subtle and lovely. She never has harsh colors or bold contrast. And of course, her skins all match the Belleza body, which makes it easier. A short sexy ‘do from Chiaki Xue, meant for women or men, makes this look sexy and exciting and shows off that pretty face.

Hair: *Dura-Boys&Girls*53(Dark Brown) by Chiaki Xue for Dura *

Skin: -Belleza- Grace SK 0 Br by Shyla Diggs for –Belleza– *

Eyes: #adored – cloud eyes – midnight – a by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Body: -Belleza- Venus by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Dress: [LG] Boutique-Fall 2014 Frech Kissing In The USA by GraceHaddington for LivGlam *

Earrings: *MM* Drop Hoop Earring by Pearlie Pedro for Miam Miam Jewelry

Shoes: REIGN.- Helix Heels- (Belleza)- FATPACK by kenadeecole for REIGN, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Poses by Maliah Naidoo for KaTink *

Hear Blessings

“But listen to me. For one moment
quit being sad. Hear blessings
dropping their blossoms
around you.”
― Rumi

In a few days, the EB Awareness Event starts. It’s a chance to tell people about Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare disease that affects 1 in 50,000 children born throughout the world as a result of a genetic disorder. It varies in severity among its sufferers. It is characterized by a defect between the anchoring of the skin between the epidermis (top layer of skin) and the dermis (second layer). People who suffer from EB suffer from skin fragility, blistering and constant pain. A group of designers and bloggers in SL are putting on the EB Awareness Event with proceeds going to DEBRA of America, a national research charity group dedicated to curing EB. Thanks to Cerise Emor for putting this event on. Cerise volunteers to help children with this condition in RL. Designers are all donating part of their sales proceeds.

Hannah Daviau is one such designer, a married mother of one in Denmark who makes fashions in SL from mesh templates, adding her own special touches. Hannah is donating 75% of all her sales to DEBRA of America to bring awareness about this condition. Her generous offer is much appreciated, and I am thrilled to show her gorgeous dress, shoes and necklace as a darling ensemble. Hannah is willing to share her blessings as an artist with this worthy cause and to support Cerise as well in her wonderful work. Please honor her by buying and wearing her great work.

I wrote about EB last year and am quoting it here if you want to hear a personal story about why I am glad to support this event:

I agreed to blog for the EB Awareness event because I knew a boy in my high school when I was growing up who had this devastating disease. Rolled from classroom to classroom in a wheelchair by a special education teacher, Adam was one of the best students in my Advanced Geometry class. His skin was friable and ruddy. His face looked raw and painfully exposed with scabs and irritations all over his face and head.  His hands and feet were stumps. He resembled an old man more than a child.

No one picked on Adam—that would have been too overt. He was simply invisible. He could not participate in regular school activities; he was rolled around between classes to avoid getting hurt by the boisterous physicality of high school kids. He was welcomed by us geeks in Advanced Geometry; we understood being invisible. When he participated in class—raised his hand or laughed with us—we were heartened. (He was really cute when he laughed.) That year in that class was solely remarkable to me for his presence.

I am sure Adam has died. His skin was very fragile; he was truly debilitated physically, though clearly not intellectually or emotionally. He was a normal boy in a body that failed to contain him due to a genetic anomaly that was no one’s fault. I am glad he got the opportunity to join us in that class and in high school. We were the better for having him in our company.

Sawsan Secretspy is offering this gorgeous skin at the Boho Culture Fair. I have to say, without fail when someone sees me in SL with one of her skins, they are blown away by how beautiful I look. There is something sexy and sensuous about her skins. Perhaps it’s the subtlety of the makeup colors or the beautiful eyes or the sexy blush. MissAllSunday Lemon’s lovely hair for the Sun Market, a little mini-event at Fallen Gods, is a gorgeous casual look with a wonderful braid as a hairband. Get it!

Hair: /Wasabi Pills/ Ariel Mesh Hair – Chocolate by MissAll Sunday Lemon for /Wasabi Pills/, available at the Sun Market *

Skin: .::WoW Skins::. Nessie Darktan 01by sawsan Secretspy for .::WoW skins::., available at the Boho Culture Fair *

Eyes: {S0NG} :: Gloom~ Abyss Eye by Funeral Plutonian for {S0NG}, available at the Cosmetic Fair Halloween Edition

Dress: DMZ – Linda Dress – Cocoa by Hannah Daviau for DaneMarkZ, available at the EB Awareness Event (opening October 25) *

Necklace: DMZ – Tears Of Joy – Coal/Brandy by Hannah Daviau for DaneMarkZ, available at the EB Awareness Event (opening October 25) *

Ring: Ariskea [SkyStone ] Gold Ring 1by Diaxm for Ariskea, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Handbag: Ariskea [SkyStone ] Brown Leather Clutch 1by Diaxm for Ariskea, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands – Casual by Siddean Munro for Slink

Shoes: DMZ – Hera  – Cocoa by Hannah Daviau for DaneMarkZ, available at the EB Awareness Event (opening October 25) *

Poses by Valencia Southard for Marukin

Behind the Smile

“Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.” ~ Marilyn Monroe

A quick dose of pink today starting with this darling mesh dress that Poulet Koenkamp is selling exclusively at the Vintage & Cool Fair. With her typically excellent texture work, Poulet has taken a standard mesh dress and turned it into some girly and delightful and perfect as a vintage dress. I accessorized with new shoes from Betty Doyle that she is offering at Collabor88 (made for Slink feet and the Belleza body, which I am wearing) and a great necklace from AuroraWinter from the Body Modification Expo. A matching ring is also offered.

My skin is one of Shyla Diggs’ beautiful faces for the Vintage & Cool Fair. a great look for a blonde with the pink makeup and delicate lips and the cat-eye liner. A pale glowing blush compliments the face. My hair is one of Chiaki Xue’s newest, a pile of curls pulled over the shoulder to the side, mesh so it all moves with you.

Hair: *Dura-Girl*57 (Strawberry) by Chiaki Xue for Dura *

Skin: -Belleza- Mae Med 1 Bl by Shyla Diggs for –Belleza-, available at the Vintage & Cool Fair *

Eyes: #adored – cloud eyes – midnight – b by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Body: -Belleza- Venus by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Dress: :: PM :: Maureen Dress in Pink MESH by Poulet Koenkamp for PurpleMoon Creations *

Necklace: AURORA – Gold Rainless Necklace – Coral by AuroraWinter for AURORA, available at the Body Modification Expo

Shoes: Ingenue :: Grady Heels (Belleza) :: Rose by Betty Doyle for Ingenue, available at Collabor88

Poses by Valencia Southard for Marukin

The Cats are Back!

“What’s your name,’ Coraline asked the cat. ‘Look, I’m Coraline. Okay?’
‘Cats don’t have names,’ it said.
‘No?’ said Coraline.
‘No,’ said the cat. ‘Now you people have names. That’s because you don’t know who you are. We know who we are, so we don’t need names.”
― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

The cats are back—the KittyCatS, that is. As per the season, two new breeds have come out for Halloween—Scarecrows and Monster Mash. I personally like the monsters as they are more my speed but the scarecrows are winsome and darling. I think it’s the blinking eyeballs on the heads that grabbed my heart. Who can resist a big eyeball? (The one on my head, incidentally, is going to be a gift at KittyCatS when Callie gets it out. Check in a few days. And she will have a couple gifts at the Fright Fair as well.)

This new dress from Ariadna Garrigus comes with a texture-change HUD that gives you one of three darling designs. I preferred this pattern because it reflected the colors of the KittyCatS and has an autumnal look. My shoes are Kenadeecole’s great set at the Body Modification Expo and fit both Slink and Belleza feet (which is good because I am still wearing the Belleza Mesh body). They are sexy defined.

I found this darling skin from Inka Mexicola had an affinity for the hair Mina Nakamura just put out. Inka has put the skin out at the Candy Fair with a number of delightful candy-colored lip and brow colors, so they could make your sweet look shine. Mina has this great hair for the Mystic Realms Faire, perfect for an adventuring woman with its ragged ends and implied messiness. And my orange eyeball and blue horns look great with it! And it’s really all about the big eyeball.

Hair: MINA Hair – Simone (no materials) by Mina Nakamura for MINA, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Skin: Essences – Ingrid (CandyFair) medium01 *makeup02* Essences {Ingrid – Uber} Dark01 *brunette* by Inka Mexicola for Essences, available at the Candy Fair *

Eyes: #adored – cloud eyes – clarity – a by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Body: -Belleza- Venus by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Dress: ***ArisAris AA61 In The world by Ariadna Garrigus for ArisAris *

Hat: blue horns and orange eye by Callie Cline for KittyCats (gift!) *

Shoes: REIGN.- Helix Heels- (Belleza)- FATPACK by kenadeecole for REIGN, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Poses by Valencia Southard for Marukin

Featured guests: KittyCats Monster Mash and Scarecrow by KittyCats for KittyCats, available at Fright Fest *

Isobel

in a heart full of dust
lives a creature called lust
it surprises and scares
like me
like me

~ “Isobel” by Bjork

While I photo’d and documented this blog entry, I listened to a mix of Bjork and PJ Harvey on YouTube so my look is a combination of the two (kind of like this amazing performance of “Satisfaction” by the pair). And speaking of amazing, this dress that Kinu Mayako has made for the Mystic Realms Faire is a strappy sexy look with a wonderful color change HUD for the straps on the top and the underlying part, the skirt and the arm cuffs. Then I paired it with a strappy set of platforms from Poulet Koenkamp that include a texture-change HUD as well. I will remark that these are Slink-compatible but fit the Belleza body feet just fine. My necklace is from Paul Lapointe and Bastchild Lotus and include 4 metals and 10 gems, available exclusively at the Body Modification Expo.

My ‘do is one of Truth Hawks’ new fantasy hairs for the Mystic Realms Faire. With his great texture-change HUD, I was able to choose this great color combo. Sawsan Secretspy has released this lovely skin for Designer Showcase and I dressed it up with eye liner from Constance Daehlie and lips from Mocksoup Graves. I like when a skin is plain enough that a third party makeup works well on it. This is pretty seamless.

Hair: TRUTH HAIR Olinda by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH<, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Skin: .::WoW Skins::. Marita Darktan by sawsan Secretspy for .::WoW skins::., available at Designer Circle *

Eyeliner: #adored – go to liners – curlt up by Constance Daehlie for #adored

Lipstick: M.O.C.K Cosmetics Nerd Purple Lipstain (Lipcolor only) by Mocksoup Graves for [mock cosmetics] *

Eyes: #adored – cloud eyes – alchemist – b by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Body: -Belleza- Venus by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Dress: [ SAKIDE ] Anawyn by Kinu Mayako for [ SAKIDE ], available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Necklace: L&B “Pear Drop” Necklace by Paul Lapointe and BastChild Lotus for Lapointe and Bastchild,  available at the Body Modification Expo *

Shoes:  :: PM :: Croco Boots -all colors by Poulet Koenkamp for PurpleMoon Creations *

Poses by Tutys for Tutys

Power

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” ~ Margaret Thatcher

Power, besides being the focus of thousands of graduate courses in humanities, is the focus of this look. Shai Delacroix has come out with this set, a merry widow with thigh high boots and a mask, for a look that is absolutely drop dead without being slutty. In fact, this is how a woman of power looks—she knows what she wants to show and what she doesn’t have to. And this look is feminine, not macho, so our powerful woman is all woman from her puffy sleeves to her lacey frills. The mesh has a great shiny materials to it, so crank it up for maximum effect.

I accessorized with pieces from the Body Modification Expo. My choker, from Pamela22 Igaly, is akin to the ethnic rings piled on but more modern with a texture-change HUD for different metal choices. My ring is a sexy mesh piece from Shina Shan that serves both sexes.

Shyla Diggs is coming out with a new set of skins for The Liaison Collaborative. They have vibrant makeups for a wilder look. This red shadow/red lip is perfect for my intentions, providing this pop of color to intensify the presentation. They match perfectly, of course, with Tricky Boucher’s body, which I am wearing. My hair is one of Truth Hawks’ new ones for the Mystic Realms Faire. It comes with horns but, while I am sexy, I am not horny. Power!

Hair: TRUTH HAIR Neria by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH<, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Skin: -Belleza- Brooke TLC Pale 3 Dk by Shyla Diggs for –Belleza-, available at The Liaison Collaborative *

Eyes: #adored – cloud eyes – foggy – a by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Body: -Belleza- Venus by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Corset: *Shai* Chantel Lace Corset by Shai Delacroix for Casa del Shai *

Choker: Bokeh – Abuk Necklace ‘all colors’ by Pamela22 Igaly for Bokeh, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Ring: .:E.A.Studio:. Tribal Wings Ring Silver by Shina Shan for Eclipse Art Studio, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Crop: [NN] – Crop by Nastasia Tuqiri for NaughtyNaughty

Boots: *Shai* Chantel High Boots by Shai Delacroix for Casa del Shai *

Poses byTutys for Tutys

Dilettante

Slow down, dilettante
So I can limp beside you
And follow in your rush too

Hang on, street savant
My bank in my pocket
How far you think you’ll take us?

You’re like a party I heard through the wall
Invite me

~ “Dilettante” by St. Vincent

I thought a song by St. Vincent was a perfect choice for a dress by LeeZu. Both throw together colors, patterns, ideas into a melange of perfect sound and thought. LeeZu’s latest mesh has ruching in the back and front and a little lace peekaboo slip at the hem. Other creators would make this a simple shape; LeeZu does more with it. Then she applies her amazing art, combing graphic color with actual feel-touch textures and detail.

I added one of Abraxxa Anatine’s jewelry sets for Mystic Realms Faire to the look. Obviously this is meant for some elven look but it works just as well with a regular outfit which bespeaks its stylishness and versatility. Nails from Cyclic Gears for My Slink Obsession give me a stylish orange metallic touch.

Gina Lurra has created a pair of mesh boots with a HUD that allows you to change everything except the color of your underwear—vamp, heel, sole, studs, zipper, etc. She includes rigged and unrigged versions (for those of you who can’t resist tinkering).

Queue Marlowe has come out with a new style that is out to there in curls and style. Once again, Queue blew corkscrews out of the water with this look. It is made of bouncy flexi prims with a color-change hairband. My skin is Aleida Rhode’s sensual coppery skin for the Body Modification Expo. With a beautifully shaded body and a lovely face, it’s a great offer at the Expo. I added a slick of gloss from Mocksoup Graves to soften the look.

Hair: AD – amber – dark browns by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog *

Skin: Elysium – Devine II skin – medium by Aleida Rhode for Elysium, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Lipstick: M.O.C.K Cosmetics Sweet Coral Lipstain by Mocksoup Graves for [mock cosmetics]

Eyes: #adored – siren eyes – kelp by Constance Daehlie for #adored

Dress: [LeeZu!] Cala Dress <mesh,rigged,materials> /olive by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Necklace and Earrings: EarthStones Elena Necklace and Ball Earrings – Chrysocolla by Abraxxa Anatine for EarthStones, available at the Mystic Realms Faire *

Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands – Relaxed by Siddean Munro for Slink

Nail appliers: [LVLE] Fall Textured Fingernails by Cyclic Gearz for LVLE, available at My Slink Obsession *

Boots: [IRENA] Spikes boots Fitted by Gina Lurra for [IRENA] *

Poses by Valencia Southard for Marukin

Komorebi

Komorebi (Japanese): The sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees. ~ “11 Untranslatable Words from Other Cultures”

I got a link to a great blog entry about some words that exist in languages that are not directly translatable. Whenever I think of untranslatable words, I think of things like schadenfreude and ennui, but this blog had quite a few others that I found lovely and fascinating. Take, for example, iktsuarpok, which is Inuit for “the feeling of anticipation that leads you to keep looking outside to see if anyone is coming.” Or what I have in my house—pochemuchka, Russian for “a person who asks a lot of questions.”

If I think about SL, there is so much that is not quite translatable to people I know in other parts of my life: teleporting, inventory, prim. Then among us in the SL world, there is a lot that might not quite translate but somehow we made SL coming from many different cultures. Mind blowing when you think about it.

So it’s kind of cool to think about the Bitacora Travel Fair, which is opening October 17. Ariadna Garrigus, whose brand is one of the sponsors, is offering two African dresses and an Asian ensemble. The dress I am wearing, with a bold African pattern, is a chic look when you want to get in touch with your African roots. I am not sure this would survive safari but it will manage a walk along a catwalk, sans lion.

JohnFrancis Laville sent over this new Kufi hat he is working on. It has not been released but will be soon in a set of several colors. I couldn’t resist showing it with this dress (sorry JF). Please note Johnfrancis is using materials in his mesh—the light reflects off the shiny surface of this hat.

Circe Ishtari was out of the loop for a bit but has come back with this lovely new skin, which I have made more intense with lipstick from Mocksoup Graves. Tabata Jewell has released this wild and wooly hair with her color changing hud.

Finally my necklace from Paul Lapointe and BastChild Lotus, which is their offering at the Body Modification Expo, includes their ingenious HUD imaginations. This time the necklace can color change in the beads, have resizing and metal changing but even more importantly, you can change the sentiment on the tab from anything to “Forever” or “Always” to “Friends Forever.” Even better, you can include your loved one’s or friend’s initials on one of the rings with yours via the HUD. Callie Cline, of course, gets place of prominence as she is always willing to tolerate my jayus, which is Indonesian for “a joke told so poorly and so unfunny that one cannot help but laugh.”

Panapo’o (Hawaiian): The act of scratching your head in order to help you remember something you have forgotten. (Often used by me.)

Hair: Vanity Hair: Say my Name by Tabata Jewell for Vanity Hair *

Skin: Tokyo.Girl Skin Anna X Natural by Circe Ishtari for Tokyo Girl *

Lipstick: [mock] Cosmetics Strawberry Taffy Lipstain (1) (Lip only) by Mocksoup Graves for [mock cosmetics] *

Eyes: [theSkinery] Maple eye – Indian Summer by Umazuma Metaluna for the Skinnery, available at Cosmetic Fair Fall *

Dress: ***ArisAris Igs97 Zambeze dress by Ariadna Garrigus for ArisAris, available at Bitacora Travel Fair *

Hat: JfL Kufi hat V.3 camel by Johnfrancis Laville for JfL Men’s Store, to be available soon *

Necklace: L&B S’wear “Lover’s” (W) Necklace by Paul Lapointe and BastChild Lotus for Lapointe and Bastchild, available at the Body Modification Expo *

Shoes: CGG Beaded Mesh Sandal by Gisele Grizot for MIA

Poses by Dove Swanson for Long Awkward Pose (no longer available)