Peanut Blossoms

“We wanted our Peanut Blossom Cookies recipe to have a smooth texture with a roasted flavor, so we used creamy peanut butter and replaced a portion of the flour with ground roasted peanuts.” ~ Cook’s Country

I have officially run out of titles and quotes today so you are being subjected to my topic of interest at the moment: Christmas cookies. Yes, I am starting now but this will be a banner year for cookie baking and I have made room in my freezer and purchased many pounds of butter and chocolate for the festivities. Then I give the cookies as gifts to teachers, relatives and friends here and afar. For example, Barely Texan nearly got down on his knobby knees earlier this year to beg me to send him a batch again. And Callie hinted around several times. For the Celebrity Auction for MadPea, benefitting Live & Learn in Kenya, I offered to send Christmas cookies as part of the prize, if the winner takes me up on it, he will receive a few of the said peanut blossoms as well several other cookies (which will title blogs in the future).

I also want to point out that this blog has been nominated as “Favorite Fashion Blog” in the Avi-Choice awards, which is quite an honor to me and my fellow bloggers who sometimes contribute to this blog. There are SO MANY fashion blogs for SL, so this is truly an honor, especially to be in a group of such distinguished bloggers. I would sure appreciate a vote from you and if I win, I will send you cookies. Click this link and scroll down to the bottom and up a bit to find my listing and thanks!

That being said, a quick trip to the grocery store to get hazelnuts, raspberry jam, dulce de leche, and several pounds of chocolate was in order, so I put on this hot little dress from Spooky Mistwallow (that includes a great texture change HUD with ten choices), struggled into tights from Alaska Metropolitan, threw on my scarf from Izzie Button from Gen Neutral, and grabbed my purse from Snow Martiel and ran out the door in my highly practical and sexy high heeled boots from Senzati0n Domenitzo. Yes, I always dress like this when I go cookie ingredient shopping—don’t you?

Umazuma Metaluma is offering a seasonal blush for cheeks and nose at Tres Chic, so I employed the blush layer over Nicole Button’s latest conversion to the Catwa head. I also used Nicole’s great eye makeups though I struggled with the lipsticks—they just didn’t conform to the lips the way I had hoped, even when I dialed them down. I also had to keep reapplying the blush as the lips overrode that. Not sure if it was a problem with the head’s HUD, the head or the makeup HUD.

Last, I want to give a big plus to the hair I am wearing which includes ANIMATION just like my face. Other people have tried this in the past but Thora Charron has finally made it work with mesh that seems to move in the breeze. I tried to capture an animation (and will attempt again on a future blog), but the side tendrils and the ponytail sway as if a gentle breeze is blowing on me. It’s pretty fabulous!

Hair: .LeLutka.Brittany hair.FIT.Swish by Thora Charron for LeLutka *

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

Skin Applier: Egozy.FACE.Faiza(Fair)Catwa with Egozy.EYESHADOWS.Faiza.Catwa by Nicole Button for Egozy *

Blush: [theSkinnery] Winter Blush (Catwa Applier Hud) by Umazuma Metaluna for [theSkinnery], available at Tres Chic *

Eyes: AMITOMO.Eye Collection 2 – 10 by Woomi Latte for AMITOMO, available at Kustom9

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

Dress: :KR: Giana Sweaterdress by Spooky Mistwallow for Kastle Rock Couture *

Scarf: Izzie’s – Winter Scarf Stripes by Izzie Button for Izzie’s, available at Gen Neutral

Handbag: Bens Boutique – Fiona Tote Bag by Snow Martiel for Ben’s Boutique

Earrings: (Kunglers) Ciri earring – Copper by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers Extra *

Tights: alaskametro<3 “Kat” tights – Olive – Omega Classic HUD by Alaska Metropolitan for AlaskaMetro

Boots: Essenz – Oklahoma (Maitreya) by Senzati0n Domenitzo for Essenz *

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

Look Into My Eyes

Look into my eyes, let them hypnotize
These eyes long to make you a perfect work of art

Fall in love with me only then you’ll see
What these eyes have been planning for you

~ “Look Into My Eyes” by Janelle Monae

A dramatic song from Janelle Monae suits this gorgeous dress from Kiddo Oh, one that she sold at Fashion for Life to benefit charity and now presumably has at her store. (It came and went without a chance to get to it!) With the skirt cut up my thigh, it has a touch of Moulin Rouge, especially with the cut-open back. The dress comes with a HUD that allows you to change the texture of the top to suit your skin tone, making it lie beautifully against your body (be it mesh or system). Big bowed stilettos from Bens Beauty for Slink high feet—a whole set of colors in one pack for one low price—are found at Fi*Friday.

And once again I show the LeLutka mesh head, worn on my standard shape with the Maitreya mesh body. Here you can see the detailing up close. You can also see MissAllSunday Lemon’s gorgeous updo for Uber with her beautiful textures and AvaGardner Kungler’s gorgeous earrings for Cosmopolitan Room.

Hair: /Wasabi Pills/ Lindsey Mesh Hair – Gingerbread by MissAllSunday Lemon for /Wasabi Pills/, available at Uber *

Head: .LeLutka.Mesh Head-ARIA v1.0 by JadenArt for LeLutka (available April 1) *

Eyes: {D.A} – Marble – Journal by Soleil Reid for Dead Apples

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V2.1 by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Dress: Tanguera Pink S by Kiddo Oh for .::Dead Dollz::., available at Fashion for Life *

Earrings: (Kunglers Extra) Amala earrings – Crystal  Cosmopolitan Room by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers Extra, available at the Cosmopolitan Room *

Feet: Slink Avatar Enhancement Feet High by Siddean Munro for Slink

Shoes: Bens Boutique – Bowella Stiletto (Slink High) – Black by Snow Martiel for BenS Beauty, available at Fi*Friday

Poses by VestigeCreations for Vestige Poses *

Charmed Life

When I hold you in my arms,
And look back on my charmed life
My charmed life
I hope, I hope if nothing more
That one day you’ll call your life
A charmed life

~ “Charmed Life” by Divine Comedy

When I listen to the radio, I hear about the economy struggling, the problems in the Middle East, the poverty in my own country, and it’s really depressing sometimes. But then I think, well, oppression is less in this world, more people than ever have access to food, technology, medicine, and beauty. And certainly I live a charmed life. It’s something I keep reminding my son too—we’re lucky.

I am lucky in SL too because I can see so many beautiful creations people make and wear them! Start with this darling dress from Maya Levane, which she is offering at the Dressing Room Fusion. With a lovely William Morris kind of print and a brown belt, it’s a simple shape with a great texture. I show it with shoes from Onyx Leshelle, who is having a half off sale on ALL her shoes, hair and clothing until mid-July, when they will put up a new mesh build.

Alexandra Barcelos has reopened Filthy Skins and she is back! The news was greeted with great happiness in the Skin Addiction group, and everyone rushed to get this group gift, which has well defined features and a lovely cupid bow mouth. One thing I found with her skins was they could be a little blurry at times around the features—that’s gone and I am very pleased. Check out those great brows! I pair it with one of Truth Hawks’ new-color styles—a high banged ponytail. Secret: it’s one of my favorites for every day wear.

Well I never really worried that much
About making lots of money and such
And I always seemed to land on my feet.
Though there’s been some difficult times
The good times where never far behind
I snatched all of my victories from the jaws of defeat

Well sometimes this life is like being afloat
On a raging sea in a little row boat
Just trying not to be washed overboard
But if you take your chances and you ride your luck
And you never, never, never, never, never give up
Well those waves will see you safely to a friendly shore

Hair: Truth Delta – Reds01 by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: :F: Group.Gift#1.2013 ___( Beach ) by Alexandra Barcelos for Filthy

Eyes: IKON Ascension Eyes – Sahara (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON

Dress: (TokiD) Mira Dress_S (raspberry) by Maya Levane for TokiD, available at TDR Fusion

Necklace: // the egg // Torus (necklace) by Yolks Resident for // the egg //

Ring: ..:: BenS Beauty ::.. Anabella Ring by Snow Martiel for BenS Beauty, available at Fi*Friday

Shoes: Maitreya Gold Shiki * Cargo by Onyx Leshelle for Maitreya

Poses by Darling Monday for fri.day