Love’s in Need of Love Today

Good morn or evening friends
Here’s your friendly announcer
I have serious news to pass on to every-body
What I’m about to say
Could mean the world’s disaster
Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain

It’s that
Love’s in need of love today
Don’t delay
Send yours in right away
Hate’s goin’ round
Breaking many hearts
Stop it please
Before it’s gone too far

~ “Love’s in Need of Love Today” by Stevie Wonder

Heard this on KCRW this morning and thought it was a great reminder cased in a beautiful song and luscious voice. And I felt love, true love, when Zaara Kohime came out with this dress today. In this dress you see great design and beauty combined. First start with the colors and texture—rich, textured, glorious. I can feel a million little silkworms working their magic to make the fine threads that were woven. I can feel the weight and quality of this fabric and the labor of the finest Indian artisans who wove it. I can detect the scent of the dressmaker’s perfume, the designer’s first sketch leading to this gorgeous piece. Wear it with materials turned on and you just go, “Wow!”

Lest you think I am waxing poetic over nothing here, let me point out the design. Zaara did her own mesh and did it wonderfully. She has cleverly made the silhouette of a lady with a perfect peek-a-boo at the calf, a nice simple wraparound at the bust and a form-fitting mesh that moves gracefully with the avatar. Combining the perfect alpha with great rigging is the secret here. There is no bump in the hip as it transitions from waist to hip (which I see a lot in mesh dresses) or a weirdly shaped rear-end. She even gets the transition of the fabric as is wraps around built into the mesh. I feel as exhilarated wearing this as I do driving my friend’s Audi—fine engineering and beauty give me chills.

This is why I had to style this dress with Truth Hawk’s newest hair, also a piece of beauty and fine engineering. He has finally got his HUD, his vendors, his textures down pat. Now he can send out pretty things for us to enjoy. I really have to hand it to Truth—he has never sat back on his success and let himself become obsolete as a result. H’es always seeking ways to make things better for his customers.

Izzie Button’s beautiful new skin at the Liaison Collaborative was my choice today. With several brow options, cleavage, eye makeups and lipsticks all in one pack, it’s a bargain and perfect for this elegant look. And I had to don AvaGardnerKungler’s gorgeous work again because nothing suits a beautiful dress as much as elegant and well-done jewelry. Finally, shoes with a lace overlay from Eboni Khan for Siddean Munro’s feet from Collabor88  pull it all together.

It’s a perfect moment with this look to tell you all about Harper Ganesvoort’s 5th Annual Oscar Fashion Photo Contest has started and runs until March 2. Harper funds the prizes herself and not with income from SL, so I think you would all agree the 28,500L in prizes promised so far is incredibly generous. This gown *hint*hint* would be an ideal choice for a photo.

People you know that
Love’s in need of love today
love’s in need of love today
Don’t delay
don’t de-lay

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

Skin: Izzie’s – Maci Skin sunkissed BLB CL with Izzie’s – Lipstick dark red and Izzie’s – Maci Eyeshadow gold by Izzie Button for Izzie’s, available at the Liaison Collaborative

Eyes: [UMEBOSHI] Ren eyes -Lolly- by Keiba for UMEBOSHI

Dress: Zaara : Suhina sequin gown *gold* by Zaara Kohime for Zaara *

Necklace: (Kunglers Extra) Walhalla necklace – Copper by AvaGardner Kungler forKunglers Extra *

Nail appliers: Izzie’s – Slink Metallic Nails Applier Huds (hands & feet) by Izzie Button for Izzie’s

Shoes: ::HH:: Hucci Kasos – NudeLace by Eboni Khan for Hucci, available at Collabor88

Poses by Rogan Diesel for DieselWorks Animations *

:*

Dream Within a Dream

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Whenever I wear one of LeeZu Baxter’s creations, I feel like I am in some sort of fantastic dream. With their explosion of texture and colors and shapes, LeeZu’s creations push beyond standard fashion in SL and challenge the status quo of slapping textures on mesh templates. LeeZu just released a gown of epic proportions—mesh with a variety of patterns and textures—and when I say “texture,” I mean texture. You can feel the gold in the stripes, you can sense the pull of the tentacles through the air from the headpiece and hear the tulle shifting around under the voluminous skirts as you walk. What better dream than the one in pure sensual technicolor?

Maizon Rayna’s pretty Christmas tree drops down my back and hangs from my ears. The beautiful gold jewelry is better late than never in this blog. And once again I revisit Rocketta Haven’s newest skin, a delicate dreamlike beauty with full lips and a painterly visage. I can’t help but float in this dream within a dream.

“People think dreams aren’t real just because they aren’t made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes.”~ Neil Gaiman

Hair: TuTy’s ADORABLE – Updo hairstyle – Red velvet by Tutys for Tutys

Skin: [KOOQLA] Bisquit . Nude 02 (lb) by Rocketta Haven for Kooqla *

Eyes: (Big) Beatrix GIFT Realistic Eyes .:: eSSe STORE ::. by eSSeWorld for eSSe

Dress: [LeeZu!] Saphire Gown /plum by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Jewelry: TdO*NATHALIE necklace and earrings by Maizon Rayna for Terra d’ombrA *

Poses by Rogan Diesel for DieselWorks Animations *

Seduction

Seduction is always more singular and sublime than sex and it commands the higher price. ~ Jean Baudrillard

A long slinky dress in black with little flickers of skin showing, a strappy sandal, a sexy back, long wavy hair and deep red lips and nails. Who could be immune to this seduction? This incredibly sexy dress is a creation by Joeylin, who has exploded with gorgeous, sexy content since I last saw her shop a few months ago. The texture on this dress is peekaboo, as many of her textures are, though this is incorporated with the dress (the dress includes both lighter and darker skin versions).

I am wearing Gospel Voom’s latest shoe, the Eva. It’s a classic, old-school vamp with a stiletto heel. As always, the skin matching is a breeze with his special matched library of skins. I colored the nails red and ran out to get Jamman’s mesh nails, which I had been hearing a lot about in Fashion Emergency. With a special hud, I can adjust to three lengths and several colors of red with the set I bought.

Tricky Boucher probably has the most seductive skins in SL. With soft and sexy features, the Shyla skin has a ton of attraction power, especially with the red lips I added from the set. Long wavy locks from Truth Hawks’ new collection soften the look, making me old-school movie star fabulous and Deco jewelry from Tiffy Vella adds elegance and completes the look.

Pursuit and seduction are the essence of sexuality. It’s part of the sizzle. ~ Camille Paglia

Hair: TRUTH HAIR Candy – LightBrowns04 by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: -Belleza- Shyla Sk 0 with -Belleza- Shy/Betty SK lips 0 by Tricky Boucher for -Belleza- *

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

Dress: Joeys Mesh Black Leather Sheer Effect Gown by Joeylin for Paisley Daisy

Jewelry: Eclectica Deco Knot necklace and bracelet-pale silver by Tiffy Vella for Eclectica *

Nails: LITE Fingernails Mesh rigged round by Jamman for Jamman Jewels & Accessories

Shoes: [Gos] Eva Slingback – Colour Collection by Gospel Voom for Gos Boutique *

Poses by Tutys for Tutys

Mandarin Orange

When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out – because that’s what’s inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside. ~ Wayne Dyer

The beautiful girl in orange that shows up at the party—who is she who dares to wear orange and wear it so well? What does it say about her? Sonatta Morales made this gorgeous dress, offered at Fashion for Life this year, to catch the eye, and it does that with its exotic print and elegant assembly. From the bow at the shoulder to the sleek primmed skirt, it’s an evening gown for a woman who is bright inside and out.

My skin is a lovely Asian look from Gala Phoenix. What works for this skin is that it can be put on a shape and look just right—I have not modifed my shape in any way yet I look perfect. I love the coloring and skin tone. My jewels are courtesy of Tiffy Vella, whose aesthetic is truly based in the early 20th century with her deco motifs and lavish use of pearls. This lovely pair of earrings comes from a new set Tiffy is offering.

“Orange is the happiest color.” ~ Frank Sinatra

Hair: **Dura-Boys&Girls**16(Black) by chiaki Xue for Dura *

Skin: :GP: Honey [Light] Jasmine-Pure 1 by Gala Phoenix for Curio

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Deep Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Dress: Breeze by Sonatta Morales for Sonatta Morales

Jewelry: Eclectica Deco Knot bracelet-pale silver and Eclectica Deco Knot earrings-pale silver by Tiffy Vella for Eclectica *

Shoes: ! haut.monde – Gossip Pumps – Coral Rose by Teresa Republic for haut.monde *

From Blossoms

O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.

~ From “From Blossoms” by Li-Young Lee

A favorite poem of mine is from Li-Young Lee, about eating warm summer peaches at a roadstand. The simple enjoyment of sunshine and life is so abundant in this poem I love to read it out loud just to roll the sweetness on my own tongue. (Please, click the link and read it in full yourself.) This glorious dress from Mami Jewell reminded me of the poem with its beautiful simplicity and elegant lines. Lace and an undertint of a peach color is all that’s needed to bring life to this gorgeous gown.

My glowing skin is a new one from Brendon Papp. With its luscious tone, soft dusting of freckles, elegant eyebrows and simple loveliness, it’s a welcome blank palette for makeups. I chose a sophisticated eyeliner from Kianna Noel and matched a slightly messy updo from Thora Charron. Twinkling earrings from Belle Roussel dress the look up a bit (check out the very slight bit of bling). This is a sweet young peach who has had to work a little to make herself seem more sophisticated.

There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

Hair: [LeLutka]-JULIET 2.0 hair – IrishRed by Thora Charron for [LeLutka]

Skin: !Imabee: Stigma – Olivia – Base Skin / REDbrow / by Brendon Papp for Imabee

Makeup: -[AddiCt]-Aki Eyeshadow/liner-Rust by Kianna Noel for -[AddiCt]-

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Hazel (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Dress: -AZUL- Dailey/Coral (MMV2011finalist/Miss Bolivia) by Mami Jewell for -AZUL- *

Earrings: Ajisai Earrings Wht by Belle Roussel for Chop Zuey

Leather Cinderella

Once upon a time in a homestead sim far far away (probably Zindra), in a stately sculpty chateau lived a widowed gentleman and his lovely daughter, Cinderella. While he loved his daughter, he was concerned for her well-being—he thought she needed a mother to teach her how to tweak her shape and position her eyelashes. So he partnered a woman, HotMama51 Paine,  who had two daughters—Squeakieee278 Resident and 2Fly4U Afterthought and gave her an allowance for all the girls’ needs. Then he was called away to Open Sim so he left Cinderella with his new partner.

While the mother and her daughters ran around the grid looking for shoes to match their eyes, Cinderella had to resort to camping and hanging out at lucky chairs. (C does not come up often, she found.) Cinderella found herself having to pick up all the packages the sisters and mother opened and left lying around the sim, even in her small 117-prim corner. Through it all she remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn (4 times in 24 hours), she found new hope that some day her dream of a happy second life would come true.

One day she rezzed in to see a huge invitation with particles flying out of it in the middle of the sim. “Come to the ball—meet Prince Philip. Wear your best bling for a night of dancing and romance.” She clicked the invite and it spewed a notecard with a landmark attached. “The Big Ball, Magical Forest (128, 100, 1001)” it said. The particles were causing sim lag, so Cinderella deleted it.

“Leave that there!” sneered her stepsister, Squeakieee278. “I like how it looks.”

Her other sister, 2Fly4U snorted. “She thinks she can go too. Well, she can’t–she still has newbie eyes!”

For days the sisters flew back and forth from stores and dropped boxes from Marketplace all over the sim, trying on outfit after outfit, dressing up their avatars enough so that Prince Philip would spot them through the haze of gray and lag at the Ball. Hair, shoes, dresses, eyes, skins—all were tried on to the point the asset servers were slowed down for the rest of the grid. Cinderella continued to clean up after them, deleting prim after prim to keep the sim clean.

The evening of the ball, Cinderella settled in to sort the Midnight Mania items in her inventory while the sisters adjusted and primped. When every last prim was in place, the sisters tp’d out (or tried to—their scripted shoes and hair made it hard for them to get anywhere). The sisters finally relogged at the ball sim while Cinderella was left behind alone to delete the remainder of their packages.

Suddenly in a poof a tiny rezzed into the sim. Her name, “FairyGodmother” included the display name “The Real Deal.” A bunny, she was holding a great big wand with particles flying out of it. She waddled up to Cinderella and said, “You’re going to that ball. Sending items.. ready?”

Cinderella nodded, confused but opened her inventory. A folder dropped in and Cinderella donned it. A beautiful dress with an ethereal pink-tinged ballgown rezzed on her body. FairyGodmother fluttered up to cinch the laces on the back of the leather corset a little tighter and fluff the material at the bodice. “Mami Jewell,” the bunny smiled. “Only the best for you dear. And my, leather suits you.”

A wave of the magic wand and poof, a skin appeared in Cinderella’s Body Parts. Cinderella dragged it on and gasped and her new face and body. Her eyeshadow glistened, her lips puckered in a full juicy smile. The bunny grinned (as bunnies do) and said, “esra Noyes—quite exotic, quite sexy.”

The bunny tossed another object at her and Cinderella threw it on. Wild, windblown hair from Mirja Mills. Cinderella felt suddenly glamorous. Another object appeared and upon putting it on, Cinderella discovered it was an exquisitely ornate choker from Abraxxa Anatine.

The bunny squinted. “For goodness sake, you have NEWBIE eyes. Who let you walk around like that?” A pair of eyes popped into inventory and Cinderella double clicked. She went from glassy-eyed stare to soulful and sexy in the time they took to rez thanks to Ikon Innovia.

The bunny dusted off her paws. “My work is done here. You do realize it’s not about getting Prince Charming–it’s about looking good. You know how to teleport–the rest is up to you.” Cinderella restored the landmark from trash, took a deep breath and double clicked. Finding the rest of her fantasy was up to her….

“A dream is a wish your heart makes….”

Hair: .:EMO-tions:. * WINDBLOWN* /deepblack by Mirja Mills for EMO-tions *

Skin: DREAM INK-SF-ARIANNA-D-4-HAIRBASE by esra Noyes for Dream Ink

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Silver&Rust 3 (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Dress: -AZUL- Suzana/Sakura by Mami Jewell for –AZUL- *

Necklace: EarthStones Gothique Choker Locket – Gold/Opal Mosaic (BOX) by Abraxxa Anatine for EarthStones *

Champagne

“Three be the things I shall never attain: envy, content and sufficient Champagne.”  ~ Dorothy Parker

Champagne—a heady, sparkling, rare—not unlike a romantic evening with a new someone special. This evening gown from Mami Jewell is the ideal dress for such an evening with its elegant lace bodice and smooth silk skirt. Mami makes the dress even more special with huge blossoming roses slung below the hips and trimmed with black lace. The dress moves gloriously.

Someone whose taste I respect suggested I wear a light blonde hair with this dress. I chose Onyx LeShelle’s platinum blonde in an updo, which is striking with the dress and against Monicuzza Babenco’s lovely preview skin for Sole. My almost-retro jewelry is an older set from Cora Lu.

“Champagne makes you feel like it’s Sunday and better days are just around the corner.” ~ Marlene Dietrich

Hair: Maitreya Siri – Platinum by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Skin: *YS & YS* Sole Reborn – EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW  4 TDR with *YS & YS* Sole Reborn LightBrows by Monicuzza Babenco for *YS & YS*

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Pale Clover Green (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Dress: -AZUL- Kathe/Champagne by Mami Jewell for -AZUL-

Jewelry: P.C; Antique Pearl Choker and P.C; Antique Pearl Earrings by Cora Lu for Paper Couture

Shoes: (Shiny Things) Delphine pumps – sand by Fallingwater Cellardoor for (Shiny Things) *

Tragedy

Some days I am convinced we come to SL to create the tragedy and drama we don’t have in our own lives. This doesn’t diminish the pain people truly experience—the pain of the death of a loved one or lost hopes or the pain of physical illness. Rather, we come to SL to make stories that are human-based rather than based on natural causes. That’s why drama has such a good hold here—it’s what propels the narratives in our minds.

Sascha Frangilli’s newest creation—Wicked Swan—is a perfect accessory for your tragic moments. With its huge full skirt, subtly glittering brocade texture, elegant bodice and opera-length gloves, this beauty will fill all your nights with the drama you desire.

Add to the drama Hart Larsson’s newest skin, Candy. These have been several months in development and Hart, who enjoys painting in his other life, has crafted beautiful and evocative skins. This make up in particular, matches the drama ideal. I especially appreciate the subtlety of the pushup option (which I wear here). It’s perfectly appropriate for a bodice such as this to show more lift and this option is not crass or overdone.

“Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live.” ~ Robert Francis Kennedy

Hair: Tukinowaguma Jelena ebony by KateForster Akina for Tukinowaguma

Skin: [PXL] Candy NAT Drama DEB with [PXL] Candy NAT PushUp by Hart Larsson for PXL Creations *

Dress: SAS – Wicked Swan Formal Version by Sascha Frangilli for Sascha’s Designs *

Jewelry: Donna Flora ASIA black set by Squinternet Larnia for Donna Flora

Little Black Dress

Read any fashion magazine and the key word for any woman’s wardrobe is the Little Black Dress or LBD. Simple in cut and style, it serves to make a sophisticated sort of blank slate upon which a woman can write fashion.

Delora Starbrook, normally known for her sexy camisks and silks, has been venturing into the dressmaking business as of late, and this little black number (one of several colors she offers), fulfills all the requirements for a good LBD. First we have the shorter length that thankfully doesn’t venture into mini-skirt range. Then we have the beautifully textured bodice leading around back to a sexy but not risque V’d back. Delora chooses to use one prim for the skirt and it fits well, making the entire silhouette elegant and sexy.

Hair is from an increasing product offering by BlueStarRUI Villota (who also made my terrific nails, scripted especially for model posing). Specializing in bobs of various lengths and hat-topped styles, BlueStarRUI offers some terrific cuts for the lady who wants more elegance than fluff. My necklace and bracelet by Rama Anatine are an elegant accompaniment to the dress with the mix of pearls and metal—a very classic adornment.

Finally these pumps by Nardya Rousselot with their clever little strap and almost spectator pump pattern provide a little flair to the LBD. Nardya always seems to have an incredible sense of style and elegance in her designs—these shoes are no exception. Black pumps would not do for this dress; colored pumps would stand out too much. This black and white pump is the perfect solution.

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. ~ Coco Chanel

Hair: [ Love Soul ] Hair*039-A*Auburn by BlueStarRUI Villota for [ Love Soul ]

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Eva (tone 5/bl) 09a by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: *HD* Alexa – Black by Delora Starbrook for Haven Designs *

Necklace and Bracelet: “R.A.Crystal”*Frola*W.P.necklace and “R.A.Crystal”*Frola*W bracelet by Rama Anatine for “R.A.Crystal”

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

Shoes: NX-Nardcotix Nuria MJ B&W by Nardya Rousselot for Nardcotix

Black Orchid

I read a lot about the day to night look but don’t see a lot of it in SL. Come on. We don’t have to leave our offices to go to an evening party. And how hard is it to just sift through folders to find something? No wrinkles, no messing around.

However, it’s an intriguing thought, and LeeZu Baxter gives us an answer with her Elisabeta jacket and dress. I show first the jacket over a pair of her BritPants. Clearly LeeZu has copped some textures from the BritPants and there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it provides a consistency through LeeZu’s collection and allows us to mix and match, as I have done here, putting her very groovy pants from April, 2009, with this new top.

I love how the top slips up around the buttock on the right side—very sexy. And the fins on the top echo the fins on the pants. The neckline is graceful and leads to a sexy deep cut back.

I set the look up with a skin from Minnu Palen. Minnu’s skins are truly “model” skins. They look best in a well lit environment with glamorous accoutrements. The dramatic eye make-up, the matte skin, the glossy full lips and the absolutely stunning eyebrows make this the model look, as Minnu has always intended. Do we all need to walk around SL looking like models? No. But if this is our desire in this second life, this skin will take you there.

Switch to nighttime and Minnu’s skin becomes less a statement of prettiness and more a statement of boldness. I show here the Elisabeta gown from LeeZu in its full glory. Again, we see the same top but this time it wraps around in a graceful silhouette with the slim brocade skirt and fish tail prim skirt. The once casual-seeming cuffs bunched around the wrists are now airy.

Most brilliant is the bustle with its big dark almost prehistoric flowers bunched around the back. The low cut back, once just sexy for day time, is now elegant and the entire silhouette is complex but not fussily complicated (due to LeeZu’s use of busy textures with muted subtle shades, as I have mentioned before). This is couture at its finest.

The subtly sweet dark perfume of the black orchid:

Look 1:

Hair: :Liriope: ELN black by Ilze Erin for Liriope

Skin: [LeLutka]-IFElight-makeup3(D Brows)hairbase by Minnu Palen for LeLutka

Dress: [LeeZu!] NOiR Van Elisabeta Dress Version by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Neck bow: =DeLa*= Ribbon “Keira” on Chest by Kuranosuke Kamachi  for =DeLa*=

Look 2:

Hair: delora black by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog

Skin: [LeLutka]-IFElight-makeup3(D Brows)hairbase by Minnu Palen for LeLutka

Top: [LeeZu!] NOiR Van Elisabeta Jacket Version by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Pants: [LeeZu!] BritPants /black by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Boots: .*Courtisane*. La Vivien /Blacks by Enktan Gully and LeeZu Baxter for Courtisane *