Eastern Romance

The moon tries every month in vain
To paint a picture of your face;
And, having failed to catch its grace,
Destroys the work, and starts again.

~ Dharmakirti

The RFL Home & Garden Expo is opening on February 14, a perfect day to do double duty in the love department. First, you can go shopping with your sweetie to update your home or buy a new one and second, you can give love to the millions of lives the American Cancer Society helps save with their research, education and outreach.

I am giving you a Bollywood version of romance because I want to remind you that the ACS doesn’t just help people in the US, but also people around the world in conjunction with their many affiliate organizations, Remember, cancer doesn’t know a nationality, so research and education developed via ACS can help anyone. And besides, I love romance and Bollywood romances are the best!

I realize it’s rather incongrous that two people in Indian outfits (most of them supplied by Zaara Kohime, who is, as we all know, the chief devi of Indian wear in SL) should be standing in front of a Japanese temple but in this case it makes complete sense as the temple is one of the items that Ryo Ixxel and Ouka Ugajin are offering with 100% of the proceeds going to RFL. It’s a magnificent structure and a beautiful addition to the sims, which are all named “Hope” and were planned and constructed by Kaerri Rae, Cain Maven and Reven Rosca, who are the generous and frazzled organizers of this year’s RFL H&G.

Mr. Karthikeyan Engineer is my willing but handsome victim in these “wedding” photos. (A miracle because he’s usually outfitted as a panda.) He made the garland you see both of us wearing, which includes a texture change for different parts of the garland in the fatpack. The garland is a traditional item for the bride and groom in Indian weddings. He is also contributing two other items that will give 100% to RFL–a treasure chest and a dallawali cart (which I hope to somehow feature in another blog because it’s so cool). Karthikeyan is, as you might guess, in India and loves teaching about his culture and life in Southern India.

Besides wearing Zaara’s beautiful clothing and jewelry, I piled on the beauty, which is how an Indian bride is presented to her husband traditionally. Since many Hindu Indian marriages are arranged, the bride arrives bedecked and bejeweled so that the couple’s tour around the fire three times for their wedding ceremony allows the groom to see her sparkle and shine before they enter into their new life together. I was able to combine a darker skin from one of Umazuma Metaluna’s appliers for the Catwa Annie head with an exotic liner from Demi Placebo. Henna mehendi on my arms and hands is traditional makeup and Leti Hax has made a perfect applier that doesn’t go all over the body. My romantic poses are part of a wedding set from Olaenka Chesnokov that I slightly altered with Avimote Posemaker.

Hair: AD – top shelf – DARK BROWNS by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog, avialable at Hairology *

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

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

Makeup: .euphoric ~Nefertiti Eyeliner ~[Catwa] by demi Placebo for .euphoric

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

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

Outfit: Zaara : [Mesh] Chandni lehenga *scarlet* by Zaara Kohime for Zaara

Garland: MI Garland Female by Karthikeyan Engineer for Mesh India, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo (opens February 14) *

Henna tattoo: Letis Tattoo :: Mehndi :: H15005 :: by Leti Hax for Letis

Jewelry by Zaara Kohime for Zaara

• ZC : Nizam bajubandh (arm band) *white*
• ZC : Nizam Choodiya (bangles) gold *white
• ZC : Nizam Jhumka (earring) *white*
• ZC : Nizam necklace (long) *white* (chest)
• ZC : Suvarna kundan head jewel 2
• ZC : Suvarna kundan necklace
• ZC : Suvarna kundan nose ring
• ZC : Suvarna payal (anklet)

Shoes: Zaara : Janya jeweled sandals *crimson* by Zaara Kohime for Zaara *

Poses by Olaenka Chesnokov for oOo Studio *

Taken with the [[RH]] GOJYUNOTOU -Japanese Temple Tower-  (exclusive) by Ryo Ixxel and Ouka Ugajin for  [[RH]] Design House, available at RFL Home & Garden Expo (opens February 14) *

Poses assisted by Avimote PoseMaker PE 1.02 by Avimote Dreamscape for Avimote *

Taken using the LUMIPro 2016 HUD by Stefan Buscaylet *

Model: Karthikeyan Engineer

Taken at the RFL Home & Garden Expo