Winter Walk—KittyCatS & Friends Advent Calendar, Day 11

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” ~ Lewis Carroll

A walk in the woods is good for the soul, especially on a brisk sunny winter day. I slipped out to the KittyCatS Winterland to take photos of this great outfit: a mesh top from Fae Eriksen that she is featuring at Winter Trend, including materials on the mesh, and tights from Lisanna Lauria that will be sold at the soon-to-open Frost. Boots from Senzati0n Domenitzo, also at Winter Trend, keep my feet warm.

I donned Shyla Diggs’s beautiful skin to feature new eyes from Constance Daehlie and this pretty holly accessory that Taiko McCaw is offering at Frost when it opens. (I can imagine many pretty photos coming from this look).

Most importantly, however, is the GIFT that Queue Marlowe is offering in the KittyCatS & Friends Advent Calendar today, a beautiful up-do available in three colors: cinnamon stick, snickerdoodle and sugar cookie. Queue made these colors JUST for this calendar, so get it now!!

Hair: AD – Angel – cinnamon bark with .b cinnamon bark hair base – root by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog, GIFT available exclusively in the KittyCatS & Friends Advent Calendar *

Skin: -Belleza- Eva Uber Med 7 R by Shyla Diggs for –Belleza-, available at Uber *

Eyes: #adored – dawn eyes – green by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available at

Tunic: *Fishy Strawberry* Belted Tunic – Military Green by Fae Eriksen for Fishy Strawberry, available at Winter Trend

Tights: MoDANNA [Myriade Collection] Wool Tights Green by Lisanna Lauria for MoDANNA, available at Frost (opening December 13) *

Holly: *N*FUYUICHIGO – RUBUS BUERGARI by taiko McCaw for *NAMINOKE*, available at Frost (opening December 13) *

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

Feet: Slink Female Feet (AvEnhance) – Mid by Siddean Munro for Slink

Boots: Essenz – Chicago (Fatpack 1) by Senzati0n Domenitzo for Essenz, available at Winter Trend  *

Poses: Mistress and Just Stand by Mavi Beck for Ma Vie *

Rights

Thomas Hobbes has an interesting, brutish argument about rights: we have no rights except that the Authority or the State give us. “Inalienable” rights don’t exist. In SL that’s totally true (unlike in RL where rights ARE inalienable—go Egypt!) You simply can’t do stuff unless the client/server/LL let you. You’re simply not going to rez if the client ain’t havin’ it. You’re not logging in if LL shuts down the servers, period. And you’re not moving my prims unless I give you the right to.

What amazes me as I scroll down my list is how many people have given me the right to mess with their stuff, a function of the structure of SL. Raven has, of course. But also a famous builder in SL, a few shop owners, and some nice friends. I could literally blow away someone’s sim with these powers—but I don’t. Why? Well, first, they also have rights over my things and could return the favor. But that’s not a deterrent really. There is trust there—and respect. I respect the work they have done immensely and would NEVER touch it. In fact, I work especially carefully when I know I am around prims belonging to someone who has given me edit rights. They gave me the rights, but I handle those rights with respect. It’s a mutual set of responsibilities, a careful balance that seems to work 99.9% of the time across SL.

Enough of my ruminating (and there was more to come.. I erased several paragraphs). One thing that is important we have been given is the right to dress up our avatars. (And remember, what LL gives you as “rights,” like attachment points, layers, etc., is purely a function of what is in their best interest economically.) I wear this shorty short, drop-shoulder sweater from Hina Cheri over cute striped tights from Fae Erickson. This seems a good outfit for the season—a little push for spring without being too cold, cinched with a handsomely stylish belt from sachi Vixen. I will concede the sweater has some difficulties—the prim had to be adjusted several times, the sides wrap around oddly on the leg. Nevertheless it’s a cute fashion statement.

I have me some cute boots from Pixieplumb Flanagan, who offers stylish footwear at an affordable price. She has given me the right to change colors on these lovelies with a mere click of the sock or boot. Mirja Mills does the same with the hat and scarf of this lovely new release from her. I love her natural hair color!

The biggest right I received today was the right to show you Hart Larsson’s newest release, Linda. As per his other skins, this is a hand-drawn piece of work with sensual detailing and Hart’s own aesthetic preference for a woman with more defined and sophisticated features. I have put the cat eyes on over the regular makeup. Hart ingeniously decided to offer a base skin with lip colors and then eye shadows that can be worn on the tattoo layer (unlike many who offer lip choices for eyes on makeup). I am  not sure which I prefer—having eyes or lips separate.

Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don’t give up the fight. ~ Bob Marley

Hair with Scarf: .:EMO-tions:. * NELE * /naturals with NELE shawl by Mirja Mills for .:EMO-tions:. *

Skin: [PXL] Linda G3 TAN WineLips LEB with [PXL] Linda G3 TAN Cat Eyes (tattoo 2.x) by Hart Larsson for [PXL] *

Sweater: “:::BaLaC:::”Kinit one-piace WHITE by Hina Cheri for “:::BaLaC:::”

Belt: Adam n Eve Sculpts – San Belt Charcoal by sachi Vixen and Damen Gorilla for Adam n Eve

Leggings: *Fishy Strawberry* Woolen Tights – Pink Stripes by Fae Eriksen for *Fishy Strawberry*

Boots: BM Shannen Boots – Browns by Pixieplumb Flanagan for Baby Monkey *

Masked

Who is the woman behind the skin? For some people, the mask is so much a part of existing that it’s integral to one’s self. We hide behind the masks of our avatars, sometimes revealing only what we want others to see.

We use fashion as a sort of mask. Or a cultural representation. What does a top like LeeZu Baxter’s say? Well it might say we are fashionable, cutting edge, or simply girly (considering its beautifully rendered ruffle sculpties). The tied neck in back–is it sweet or sexy? Are you casual? Are you cutting-edge? Wealthy?

But what about the mask? In this case, Alia Baroque, who has generously sponsored the Dark Realms sim at the Fantasy Faire for RFL, presents a new set of skins to benefit RFL based on a spooky clown set—with fangs and without. Alia’s work is artistic, truly fantastical, and genuinely unique. We don’t see here just white on a face—it’s actually painted on. Our girl’s underlying facial structure is a little tough—she has a sort of stiff upper lip and a petulant bottom lip. The eyebrows are exaggerated but underneath the face paint, we can see the real eyebrows. This isn’t blobs of color slapped on a template—it’s true art. There is quite a story here about this masked woman. By wearing her skin, we begin to tell it.

All the world loves a clown. ~ Cole Porter

Hair: [!SyDS! Hair] Opera without Music – Cafe by Serenity Stransky for !SyDS!

Skin: CLOWN xx +Fallen Gods Inc.+SKIN+ HUMAN Bianco Severo by Alia Baroque for Fallen Gods found on the Dark Realms sim

Top: [LeeZu!] Mailiin Blouse /silver by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Leggings: *Fishy Strawberry* Topolinia Black Leggins by Fae Eriksen for Fishy Strawberry

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

Poses by Rogan Diesel for Diesel Works Animations *

Big Snuggly Sweater

I traded my summer clothes for my winter clothes the other day, which requires hauling a prim out of my studio, unpacking it, watching my inventory blow up, and then taking said same prim, packing it with summer clothes, and scurrying it away. (You think this is not true? Well, it’s not entirely true but I do have prims packed full of stuff in my studio.)

So after I wrangled the Fishook dress into the prim (and got a little hurt in the process), I looked at what I had. A few holey sweaters, some socks without matches, and a skirt I somehow got spaghetti sauce on. (How did I do that? I NEVER eat in SL!) Clearly I had to go shopping! (That is my excuse and I am sticking to it!)

I found myself at SMS (So Many Styles), tripping over the Fifty Linden Friday sign on the way to the good stuff. Inside I found, well.. so many styles–granny dresses, patchwork, vintage, ethnic, jewelry. My cam landed on this cute sweater. It looked just like the oversized snuggly sweater I would wear on a nippy day with its generously sculpted cowl neck collar and bell sleeves. Irie Campese clearly has a lot to say to the fashion world in SL, all of it good.

I ran home and pulled on these versatile leggings from Mimikri Kit. I can see these being utilized in many ways—with a sleek sexy top out dancing at a club, with a dress and boots to keep my legs warm, on a lazy day when dressing up and feeling uncomfortable is out of the question.

I found a sweet deal on a set of skins and hair for 200L for the batch on the second floor of Fishy Strawberry—similar to Cupcake’s gift packs of skins and dresses. Put together a pretty good look pretty cheaply with these packs from Fae Eriksen, and get a taste of her great work. This skin is one of the varied tones in the pack, all with blue eye shadow and the pale lip.

Truth Hawks pumps out hair every week, week after week, all varied, all beautiful, all perfect for the beautiful avatar about town. How the heck does he do it? This casual but stylish do, held back with color change hair bands, suited the curvy shapes of the sweater perfectly.

And of course, my trusty old Bloom boots from Onyx LeShelle. I remember when I first got these, in Maitreya’s little store with its five pairs of boots and five shirts and two posing stands and a Buddha on the wall. Remember that? I nearly fainted when I first found these boots—soft supple suede, richly colored, stylishly buckled. Find these babies in RL for me and I will be your best friend forever.

Cautiously eyeing that prim in the corner to see if it is going to blow from everything in it:

Hair: >TRUTH< Lauren – chestnut by Truth Hawks for TRUTH

Skin: *Fi-St* Skin Lan-Cappuccino-Sky dark by Fae Eriksen for Fishy Strawberry

Sweater: {SMS} Winter Sweater Blue by Irie Campese for SMS

Leggings: Mimikri – Roma/Leggins black by Mimikri Kit for Mimikri Hot Couture

Boots: Maitreya Bloom – Blue by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya