Spring Forward

We have already had the time change where I live and it’s been a great boon to my spirits. It’s great to have daylight last into the dinner hour again.

SarahTheRed Aurbierre is selling this fresh and lovely dress as a Fashion for Life exclusive in her store. Click on the vendor, buy it, and all proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society. I can’t help but gush over this dress, which is light in its texture and movement and provides a simple canvas for dressing up in many different ways.

That’s why accessorizing is so important. AvaGardner Kungler’s beautiful jewelry set with its exquisite beads and textures pops on a simple background. Lara Hurley’s beautiful skin provides a richness to this look with its deep tone, smooth texture and nuanced highlights. Lara doesn’t overdo it, which makes this skin elegant and understated. Elikapeka Tiramisu’s ponytail with the face-framing short bangs, is a pretty top to this look.

The ultimate accessory are the shoes, of course, which can make or break you. Nardya Rousselot’s lovely new sandals (in gold!), complete this look stylishly. With a delicate little ankle buckle and some of the prettiest toes on the grid, these can go from a more casual look like this to something really dressy in a snap.

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”  ~Robin Williams

Hair: [e] Glory – Black 07 by Elikapeka Tiramisu for Elikatira

Skin: Lara Hurley-Ava green hairbase/Dark by Lara Hurley for Lara Hurley Skin

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

Dress: ***FFL Exclusive*** Vanitas Vesture – Languid Party Dress – Spring by SarahTheRed Aurbierre for Vanitas Vesture *

Jewelry: (Kunglers Extra) Marajoara – nature by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers Extra *

Shoes: NX-Nardcotix MANA Edith Gold by Nardya Rousselot for Nardcotix *

O sweet spontaneous earth…

thou answerest
them only with

Spring

~ e.e. cummings

I won’t whine. I won’t complain. I will wait patiently, dear Spring, for you to show your face. I will not sue the damn groundhog who promised an early coming. I will NOT bang on the weatherman’s door and plead for him to do something, dammit! However, I will dress up in a pretty dress, put on my spring hat, and perhaps that will coax Spring out.

Well I lucked out because I had the prettiest spring dress to wear from Tammany Goodliffe. With a garden of poppies beautifully covering this dress, Spring has to be enticed by what she could show if she could just get here! I love this dress for it’s silhouette and many details. Take, for example, the little cuffed jacket with the cap sleeves. She uses the sculpties in a perfect way to make those cap sleeves and puts a pretty little prim tie to keep it tied up. Her skirt—it’s sculpty but not stiff. And her system pieces are perfect—great seams (that edging is all lined up), perfect integration with the prims, and a great use of RL clothing ideas to make a perfect virtual dress. It truly is a triumph of design in a simple little spring dress.

I show this beautiful spring look with a fresh skin from Mallory Cowen. Spring needs something new, and this new skin from Mallory cures the ills of winter with its beautiful colors and pleasant mien. My hair is a new one from Elikapeka Tiramisu, who proves that being a long time content producer in SL never means you can’t come back and kick butt (which she has been doing with her new store).

Another content producer who consistently kicks butt is Fallingwater Cellardoor. She set the standard by which all others are and should be judged. This new offering from her shows the same attention to detail, the same expert texture work and eye for fashion and styling. Fallingwater has survived the many changes in SL and still sets the bar.

If you doubt
That I’ll be there
Don’t despair
Don’t you dare
~ In the Dirt by S. Carey

Hair: [e] Follow – Brown 08 by Elikapeka Tiramisu for Elikatira *

Skin: LAQ ~ Linnea – [Peach] Dark brows – 08 by Mallory Cowen for Laqroki

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

Dress: salt. silk poppies dress by Tammany Goodliffe for salt.

Hat: salt. birdwatcher’s hat by Tammany Goodliffe for salt.

Shoes: (Shiny Things) Charlottes – tan by Fallingwater Cellardoor for Shiny Things *

Flowers in Her Hair

My RL birthday is soon approaching, and I am in RL denial. I would like to believe I am ageless and timeless, dancing through life with nary a wrinkle or stretch mark or gray hair. What’s so wonderful about SL is that I can do that!

And I can do it wearing this gorgeous dress from Kotobuki Jewell, a beautiful reminder that spring will someday return. (It’s been rainy and gray and cold.) Kotobuki’s textures are, as always, vibrant and shining. She has somehow mastered the skill of making her materials look expensive and satiny. Her shadow work is impeccable and her seams are top notch.

Additionally, Kotobuki knows how to build a versatile outfit, in this case a dress that is built from the ground up. First you have a very pretty one-piece swimsuit, then the top with a wrap skirt…

Then a dress with long prims reaching to the ground.

And finally the beautiful flounced skirt prim seen in the first photo. It can be worn with or without the long skirt prims. I chose to wear without.

I have paired the dress with a glowing skin from Tuli Asturias, complete with spring green eyeshadow. My hair is a beauty by Kavar Cleanslate, complete with the aforementioned daisies and a vibrant *youthful* messiness. The hairband has a color change script, so it’s also versatile.

“Someone told me there’s a girl out there with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.” ~ Going to California by Led Zeppelin

Hair: Exile Clara/copper by Kavar Cleanslate for Exile

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Eva (tone 3/br) 08a by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: :bijou: Adagio [Green] by Kotobuki Jewell for :bijou:

Shoes: Kalnins Shoes – Rhapsody by Maris Kanto for Kalnins

Happy Mother’s Day

This is really one of the best days of the year for me at this time in my life. I am bookended between my own mother and my son, so I get the deep pleasure of thanking my mom for giving me a life and thanking my son for making me a mom. There are a lot of us on the grid: mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, mother figures. Second Life is very much a women’s place.

So I show with happiness this ensemble that makes me feel the flowers of spring and reminds me of the gifts so many creators bring to SL. First of all, Nicky Ree offered this lovely top (which includes orange pants but I show it as a dress) as a Mother’s Day item this weekend for only 50L.

I wear it with a jewelry set from Trixie Bumbo. The colors and beads are perfect for this top—cheerful and bohemian. It’s very well made—doesn’t look like jewelry machine work.

The skin is a lovely gift from Tuli Asturias for the first anniversary of The Deck, a shopping area in SL. I have gone on about the beauty of Tuli’s skins before, particularly this line which has made it easy to be a beautiful East Asian woman in SL.This is a true gift, being able to get this skin. I encourage everyone to grab it—if you can get in. Took me forever. And it’s only available through today.

If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother.

Hair: Exile Carly/hazelnut by Kavar Cleanslate for Exile

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Sayuri tone 2 :: The Deck LE (a) by Tuli Asturias for Tuli available only at The Deck this weekend

Dress: *DNR* Janice Pretty in Casuals (Orange) M day by Nicky Ree for Designing Nicky Ree

Necklace and Earrings: * *Primagine* Victoria Set by Trixie Bumbo for Primagine

Shoes: Pump(kin)s from Shiny Things by Fallingwater Cellardoor for Shiny Things

All the Time

Have you ever felt just free and beautiful? I heard a song today on KCRW (y’all know I almost only listen to that) that had such a free and open beat.

Wearing a breezy pretty dress from Sissy Pessoa is the perfect thing for a day like today. Sissy presents us with a spring/summer dress that is perfect for garden parties or weddings. With its almost abstract flower print on the bottom, sexily criss-crossed back and full translucent skirt, it is light and free, elegant and happy all at once.

Lorac Farella has come out with yet another skin line, this being the Isabella II, a revamp of her Isabella line. I have styled it with dark eyes because of its lovely olive tinge and bold features. The elegantly shaped eyebrows, luscious full matte lips and gentle blush make me a knock out. Lorac’s almost painterly attention to her skins make them a different proposition for wearers. This woman is not nor ever will be “cute.” She is beautiful, striking, and mysterious.

“I love her all the time, I love her all the time, I love her all time…”

Hair: PE Portia Kohl by Aemilia Case for Philotic Energy *

Skin: Pulse Skin – Isabella ll /M13 by Lorac Farella for Pulse Skins *

Dress: Baiastice_Printed Chiffon on blue by Sissy Pessoa for Baiastice *

Jewelry: Ear Candy ~ Purple Briolette Necklace and Earrings by Maeve Mortlock for Ear Candy

Shoes: B&G WOMAN SHOE MELODY – BLANCO – T000 by BG Planer for B&G

Poses by Rogan Diesel for Diesel Works Animations *

Listen to the inspiration: “All the Time” by A Race of Angels