Knoxville

Knoxville

On the rough wet grass of the back yard my father and mother have spread quilts. We all lie there, my mother, my father, my uncle, my aunt, and I too am lying there.…They are not talking much, and the talk is quiet, of nothing in particular, of nothing at all in particular, of nothing at all. The stars are wide and alive, they seem each like a smile of great sweetness, and they seem very near.

~ from “Knoxville, Summer of 1915,” as performed by Leontyne Price

Knoxville

 

A few hours after some people were attending their Xnth performance of Radiohead’s new tour (grrr), I was seeing Renee Fleming perform “Knoxville, Summer of 1915,” one of my favorite soprano pieces  Since cameras and phones were not allowed, I followed the rules (for fear of being whacked by all the rich old people around me—I was in the expensive seats) and didn’t record. I wish I had. Renee Fleming is a wonderful performer as well as soprano: gracious, graceful, graced. I admit I cried during the performance—the words are very evocative and the music is melodic and very American in its sound. One of the most famous to sing the piece is Leontyne Price, a big inspiration and teacher for Renee Fleming and an inspiration for today’s look.’

My dress with a buckle across the top is a chic and stylish look from ValentinaEvangelista for Shiny Shabby, one of her many self-designed knock out pieces. Paired with AvaGardner’s gorgeous feather-inspired earrings, also for Shiny Shabby, and t-strap shoes from Aleida Rhode for the Cosmopolitan Room, I hope the look evokes a modern sense of the ever-stylish and beautiful Leontyne Price.

Knoxville

 

Of course, my gorgeous skin from Nicole Button on the Catwa Candy mesh head is another inspiration. I used the makeup HUD from Nicole liberally in making my lovely Leontyne  The short wavy ‘do from Neveah Niu is the perfect cut for this look—a touch of finger waves and style that completes my look.

Knoxville

Hair: ICONIC:PEI-HAIR by Neveah Niu for ICONIC, available at Hairology *

Skin applier: EgozyFoxy (Nougat) with Egozy.Foxy (Make Up) Nougat – Coffee by Nicole Button for Egozy *

Mesh head: CATWA HEAD Candy V4.9 by Catwa Clip for CATWA

Eyes: Mesh – Marble Eyes – Journal by Soleil Reid for Dead Apples

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

Dress: :V.e. Shimmy Dress MAITREYA Violet by ValentinaEvangelista for Valentina E. Couture, available at Shiny Shabby *

Earrings: (Kunglers) Natalia earring – Quartz by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers Extra, available at Shiny Shabby *

Shoes: Elysium –  Asta strappy heels (Maitreya) – eggplant by Aleida Rhode for Elysium by Aleida Rhode, available at Cosmopolitan Room *

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

Knoxville

My Big Closet

My Big Closet

“Some people dream of having a big swimming pool. With me, it’s closets.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

My Big Closet

The RFL Home & Garden Expo opened today across 10 sims—the biggest shopping thing going on in SL right now with 100% donations from two exclusive and new items from each participant going to Relay for Life benefitting the American Cancer Society plus more.

I nearly squealed when I saw Ria Bazar’s pieces for RFL H&G: closets. OMG! She gets me! Available in modular pieces, the closet can be rezzed as a row as shown here or broken up into modules to fit your space. Ria kindly makes them mod so I went through and colored the textures of the individual clothes and shrunk it all up a bit to fit in my space. The tufted large stool is part of the set and includes poses for men and women and couples and a texture change menu.

My Big Closet

Said space is the skybox that Akahata is offering as one of her RFL donation pieces. With a grungy interior, it’s a perfect loft space with windows that let in light and look out over a cityscape she has placed outside. The sliding doors in the middle can be opened and closed to create distinct spaces.

I feature several of the donation and gacha items from RFL H&G as my décor: gold gacha items from Piraiyah Novikov, gacha rugs from Corvus Szpiegel, a modern floor light with on and off switches and enhanced lighting from Cain Maven as well as his wood dining room chair, a darling neon sign from Rosemaery Lorefield, an Arts and Crafts inspired ceiling lamp from my brother from another mother, Troy Vogel, and the cutest ever silly light from Persey Garcia.

My Big Closet

Thrift Shop is still on with everything at the place half off (in price, not your body though I did see some rather sexy items). This lovely dress from StellaJane includes a texture HUD with a ton of colors and she offers it in four different versions for a criminally low price. I paired Maxi Gossamer’s beautiful set for Collabor88 with the look and Senzati0n Domenitzo’s cute heels for Flower Power.

Umazuma Metaluna has created another gorgeous applier for the Catwa mesh head with a pretty freckled face. I paired Neveah Niu’s pretty long hair with the look, using her pretty ombre HUD set to color my look.

My Big Closet

Hair: ICONIC:NADZIEJA by Neveah Niu for ICONIC, available at Hairology *

Mesh head: CATWA HEAD Annie V4.5 by Catwa Clip for CATWA

Skin applier: [theSkinnery] Maddie (Catwa Skin Applier) honey by Umazuma Metaluna for [theSkinnery], available at Collabor88 *

Eyes: .ID. Attraction Eyes / Mesh by Audrey Lamede for Insufferable Dastard

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

Dress: Stella Jane Sheerly Sexy Dress (Slink) – Dark Royal Lace by StellaJane for Stella Jane, available at the Thrift Shop *

Thong: Solange – Thong Panty – MLara by Solange Cerveau for Solange *

Jewelry: MG – Necklace – Mata Hari – Low Neck and Earrings by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer, available at Collabor88 *

Shoes: Essenz – Stuttgart (Maitreya) by Senzati0n Domenitzo for Essenz, available at Flower Power *

Poses by Luna Jubilee for !bang

RFL Home & Garden:

*Shabby* Twin Hearts Light by Rosemaery Lorefield for Shabby Tabby, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

Little Llama – Lamp of Shame – Blonde by Persey Garcia for Little Llama, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

Wooden dining chair by Cain Maven for Quantum Luxury Homes, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

NOMAD // 06 // Gilded Gold Room Divider by Piraiyah Novikov for NOMAD, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

NOMAD // A // Antique Palm Tree Lamp // RARE by Piraiyah Novikov for NOMAD, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

NOMAD // B // Golden Pinapple Deco // RARE by Piraiyah Novikov for NOMAD, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

[ht:home] neo-baroque rug – square light grey by Corvus Szpiegel for [hate this], available at RFL Home & Garden Expo

[ht:home] neo-baroque rug – square grey by Corvus Szpiegel for [hate this], available at RFL Home & Garden Expo

Wavy shade floor lamp by Cain Maven for Maven Homes, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

Glam-FEMALE closet 05 WHITE by Ria Bazar for ~Bazar~, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

Glam-Ottoman by Ria Bazar for ~Bazar~, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

MHS: HGE 2016 Pendant Lead Glass Lamp 1meter by Troy Vogel for Mission Home Store, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

-aKa- Expo Skybox (New release) by Akahata for Akahata, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo *

My Big Closet

Greetings from Chicago

Greetings from Chicago

I send you a postcard
It says, “Pulaski at night”
Greetings from Chicago
City of, city of light

Come back to Chicago
City of, city of light

Come back to Chicago

~ “Pulaski at Night” by Andrew Bird

Greetings from Chicago

I giggled when I went to 6 Republic for this round with Chicago vs. California. There really is no competition. California is way warmer. Ever see a winter in the Windy City? It’s no fun—the night dropping suddenly like death, piles of lake effect snow, and yes, wind. However, Chicago has the most beautiful architecture, orderly streets and beautiful neighborhoods, masses of unpretentious diverse hard-working Midwestern people who wear boots in the winter so they can get around, and a thrum and noise that rumbles overhead from the El. (BTW, 6 Republic organizers, remove the “Subway” sign. There is no such thing there. It’s called the “El” and it’s elevated.) When I first heard the cozy music of Andrew Bird’s “Pulaski at Night” a couple years ago, I thought, yes that is exactly what Chicago is.

Piraiyah Novikov got a flavor of Chicago with his Art Deco pieces for 6 Republic. Chicago is an architecture lover’s dream with Art Deco, the promise of a bright new world at the World Fair in 1933, and understated glamour along the Magnificent Mile. Pira’s club chair and sofa are pure Chicago with its strong rounded shoulders and cozy softness. Pira got it. I wear a wool cowl-neck dress from StellaJane that she has made as an exclusive for the Thrift Shop. With a texture-change HUD with 10 choices, it’s a bargain at 50% off and a positively Chicago dress in wool but still fashionable and sleek. (Just put a cardigan sweater on if you get cold.) Frilled boots are an indulgence from Hilly Haalan at Cosmopolitan Room and a beautiful necklace from AvaGardner Kungler for On9 completes the look.

Greetings from Chicago

Hairology opens tomorrow so I am in hair heaven right now. What a great simple shopping area Tabata Jewell created for easy viewing and the hair coming up is amazing. This side styled ‘do from Neveah Niu includes fantastic textures and a great fit. Umazuma Metaluna has created a beautiful applier for the Catwa head for this month’s Collabor88. With and without freckles and option dimples, the skin is her usual combination of realism and perfection.

And now I need to go outside and get a breath of air for a slap of reality because I just got teary-eyed about Chicago in the winter. Andrew Bird does this to me every damn time. A cold fall breeze off the Lake portending winter oughta cure me of that.

Greetings from Chicago

Hair: ICONIC:VANESSA-HAIR by Neveah Niu for ICONIC, available at Hairology (opening tomorrow!) *

Mesh head: CATWA HEAD Jessica V4.2 by Catwa Clip for CATWA *

Skin applier: [theSkinnery] Sienna (Catwa Applier) mocca by Umazuma Metaluna for [theSkinnery], available at Collabor88 *

Eyes: [theSkinnery] Maple eye – Autumn by Umazuma Metaluna for [theSkinnery] *

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

Dress: SJ Mallory Wool Cowl Neck Dress – MAITREYA by StellaJane for Stella Jane, available at Thrift Shop *

Necklace: (Kunglers Extra) Dulce necklace – Silver quartz by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers Extra, available at On9 *

Nail applier: [LB Razor Color] *Maitreya* Manicure by Santana Lumiere for La Boheme

Boots: [hh] MAITREYA Beatriz by Hilly Haalan for Hilly Haalan, available at the Cosmopolitan Room

Poses by Fanny Willis for Everglow *

Décor: NOMAD // ART DECO Industrial Gacha by Piraiyah Novikov for NOMAD, available at 6 Republic *

  • NOMAD // Art Deco Industrial // Couch
  • NOMAD // Art Deco Industrial // Sculpture
  • NOMAD // Art Deco Industrial // Table Lamp
  • NOMAD // Art Deco Industrial // Coffee Table
  • NOMAD // Art Deco Industrial // Factory Wall Clock

Black Heart in Love

I promised I would be bringing in some new stuff for Valentine’s Day gifts and I am getting there… but first one more evening gown.

Black Hearts in Love

Mariska Simons is known for her sexy lingerie but she has expanded out to evening wear as well. In simple black, this gown is elegant and simple. A halter top leads to a low cut open back and opera-length gloves dress the outfit up. I would say this dress is on par with most nicely done evening dresses in SL—nothing overly spectacular about the textures or shape. However, it comes with a bonus….

Black Hearts in Love

Underneath the gown is a set of sexy lingerie. You didn’t really think I would get out of there with a simple long gown, right? I mean.. come on! The best part of this gown is the pretty underthings, which include the bodice you see with the gown but also a garter belt, stockings, and panties. So after a long night of dancing and romancing, you can go home and get busy.

Black Hearts in Love

I show a beautiful skin from Nicole Button, ideal for certain women of color. With its glossy dark red lips and kohl-lined eyes and sweet little beauty mark on the chin, it’s a delicious sultry skin.

Black Hearts in Love

Black hearted but not cold hearted:

Hair: fri. – Tatum – Cynical Black by Parvarti Monday for fri.day *

Skin: .:ICONIC:. Tamya ::Delicious:: by Nicole Button for .:ICONIC:.

Dress with Lingerie: ~Blacklace~ Wistful: Black Satin Gown by Mariska Simons for Blacklace Lingerie

Necklace and Earrings: JCNY – NY@NIGHT Collection, Jewelry by JD Hansen for JCNY

Shoes: Black Stiletto Slingback Pumps by Saki Galliazo for SKG Shoes (no longer available :( )

In theme: “Black Hearts in Love” by JET

Elegant Houndstooth

A visit to the Modavia Fashion Week last week filled my inventory with several wonderful pieces. Designers are out in full force, making beautiful, inspired clothes.

Houndstooth Elegance

Sassy Pessoa showed this innovative and stylish gown as part of her new collection. The silhouette is not unique—we have seen the bustled dress before. But with its unique houndstooth texture over a random splattered texture, it makes a very fashion-conscious and artistic dress.

Houndstooth Elegance

I am wearing a great skin from Nicole Button, one that is meant for a woman of color. The skin, clearly photo-sourced, is a very beautiful representation for a woman who wants to look more Latina or African-American. Most of her skins are for that market and they share the same lusciousness.

I wore a great necklace from Emiko Harvey at Twinkleberry. Her building is well done and modern in this necklace. She has sweeter pieces available as well. LGM Jun has very reasonably-priced, very fun hair at Junwave. This one is a great updo, and I got it on sale recently for half price.

Houndstooth Elegance

The shoes are from another of my favorites—Maitreya. The Verve pumps have a sleek and fashionable line that will carry one from this season to the next.

Houndstooth Elegance

Elegance abounds:

Hair: ((JUNWAVE))SWEET Lady*Black* by LGM Jun for JUNWAVE

Skin: .:ICONIC:. Tamya ::Delicious:: by Nicole Button for .:ICONIC:.

Eyes: [IC-skins-store] Soulful Eyes :: Hazel by Ina Centaur for IC Skins

Dress: * Baiastice_Satin in Pied des Graffiti by Sissy Pessoa for Baiastice

Necklace: necklace_placido(black)) >> **~Twinkleberry~** by Emiko Harvey for **~Twinkleberry~**

Shoes: Maitreya Verve Pumps – Black by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya