Soup Season

“I live on good soup, not on fine words.” ~ Moliere

It’s the last of photos taken in Barnesworth Anubis’ house. The event has already switched over but this was such a fabulous place to showcase the great pieces I have recently acquired. Finally we’re in the dining room, where the centerpiece is Kalie Firelyte’s sexy dining set for ROMP. Now, typically this may not seem so sexy but it includes several animations in chairs and table that makes it sexy. A very innocuous piece can suddenly become amorous with the right person (especially if you thought you wanted to do it in every room of the house). I decorated with various pieces from gachas at Shiny Shabby, including some darling pieces like the photo hanger from AnaisTerpallie and DanielEstro, the garlands and side table. Jake Vordun does some great work and he’s featuring a picture perfect chandelier at Shiny Shabby and I found pieces from Jammeh’s gacha to make perfect side pieces. Thanks again to tastemaker Sabein Streeter, who organized my stuff and placed a lot of it. All I had to do was go in and put the final touches.

The story is about soup because it’s on my mind a lot. I have made Mark Bittmann’s chunky vegetable soup three times now in the past couple weeks (as delivery of my CSA boxes winds up for the season), and today we had a carrot squash soup with ginger that my mom made. A ratatouille will no doubt make it to the table because there is an eggplant and a box of thyme on the counter. (When did this turn into a cooking blog?)

I put together this casual look with Miffyhoi Rosca’s cuddly soft knit mesh dress as the centerpiece and Darling Monday’s boots as the accompaniment. Available in several autumn-pretty colors, the dress includes a HUD for changing the belt color, so I was able to match it to my boots. Queue Marlowe’s beautifully wavy, side-caught ponytail is a lovely top for this casual look. Umazuma Metaluna made actual system skins for Chapter Four, a lovely set with her characteristic moles and finely-groomed brows. I added Constance Daehlie’s pale lipstick to the look to accentuate my soup warmed blush.

Hair: AD – september – DARK BROWNS by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog *

Skin: [theSkinnery] Nicky – Bare face(honey) CB CL1 by Umazuma Metaluna for [theSkinnery], available at the Chapter Four *

Lipstick: #adored – slayer lips – barely by Constance Daehlie for #adored *

Eyes: .ID. September Eyes / Blue by Audrey Lamede for Insufferable Dastard

Lashes: .LeLutka.Kyra lashes.01 by Thora Charron for LeLutka *

Body: -Belleza- Isis by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Dress: =Zenith=Autumn Long Dress (Blue) by Miffyhoi Rosca for =Zenith=, available at Shiny Shabby *

Earrings: (Kunglers) Philippa earrings – Cobalt by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers Extra, available at On9 *

Bangles: *YS&YS* Antibes Brac Brown by Monicuzza Babenco for*YS&YS*, available at the Dressing Room Fusion *

Boots: fri. – Rosie.Boots (Buck) by Darling Monday for fri.day, available at Shiny Shabby*

Poses by Luna Jubilee for !bang

Décor:

• Apt B // Snuggle Up Shelf by FadeArcade for Apt B, available at Shiny Shabby *
• Apt B // Snuggle Up Rug by FadeArcade for Apt B, available at Shiny Shabby *

• [ zerkalo ] Fall in Love – Garland by DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie for [ zerkalo ], available at Shiny Shabby *
• [ zerkalo ] Fall in Love – Chair by DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie for [ zerkalo ], available at Shiny Shabby *
• [ zerkalo ] Fall in Love – Photo Frame – Light by DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie for [ zerkalo ], available at Shiny Shabby *
• [ zerkalo ] Fall in Love – Table by DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie for [ zerkalo ], available at Shiny Shabby *

• Toro. Shinjuku Framed art by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby *
• Toro. Shinjuki Dining Table by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby *
• Toro. Shinjuku Cabinet by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby *

• Jian :: Saxton Dining Chair (Adult) by Kalia Firelyte for Jian, available at ROMP *
• Jian :: Saxton Dining Table by Kalia Firelyte for Jian, available at ROMP *
• Jian :: Saxton Dining Setting (Clean) by Kalia Firelyte for Jian, available at ROMP *

• concept}  Corner set –  01. Plant box by ConceptDesign for concept}, available at Shiny Shabby *

• {what next} Winter Harvest Soup Tray by Winter Thorn for {what next}

• Fancy Decor: Classic Chandelier (gold) by Jake Vordun for Fancy Décor, available at Shiny Shabby *

• :HAIKEI: white cosmos pot by qo0op for :HAIKEI:, available at Shiny Shabby*

• Con.&floorplan. framed poster / aeronautique by Tegin Serin and Wavie Haller for Consignment and floorplan *

• AF Annan Reclaimed Wardrobe by warehousefifteendesign for Apple Fall

Bittersweet

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps

Around the fireplace

Welcome to this omnibus blog, where I show photos of my living room from Barnesworth Anubis’ house for Collabor88 jam packed with wonderful goodies, mostly from this month’s Shiny Shabby, showing you CAN do one-stop shopping and walk away with a sim’s worth. I can’t comment on everything shown but will make passing comments on each photo.

There are a ton of gachas at Shiny Shabby, including those from Kunst and Hoorenbeek, Toro, Reverie, Apt B, and Concept. ConceptDesign’s awesome plywood chairs come with color change for the cushions and pillows for lots of mix and match fun.

The horse’s corner

Take a ride on Eku Zhong’s antique horse for Shiny Shabby. Rugs abound among the gachas, of course, but if you want an alternative, Whimsy Winx and Sasy Scarborough have cooked up several sets of wonderful rugs for décor, sold at their stores.

The bay window

Barnesworth chocked this house full of cozy bay windows for sitting or decorating. I threw Kunst Himmel’s pillows up there (which include poses), and put a fern from ConceptDesigns out.

The front window

A sitting area by the front windows (with a crisp fall breeze floating in) includes hand chairs jammeh and a pretty chest of drawers and mirror from Paolla Flux’s gacha at Shiny Shabby.

The “kinky” bookcase

ROMP is opening today, and I will be featuring more from that later this week, but I couldn’t help but put one of Anaisterpellie’s kinky lamps from ROMP up on the bookshelf from ConceptDesign, holding a very cute country shelf from FadeArcade.

My obligatory close-up shows Abraxxa Anatine’s funky eyeglasses matched with jewelry from Maxi Gossamer for Fameshed and the yummy sweater set from Theatra Blackheart for Shiny Shabby. An easy ponytail from Karla Marama makes sense with this casual look and another one of Sawsan Secretspy’s luscious skins has hit her store.

And yeah, this was a fuckload of work with more coming. Thanks again, Sabein, for helping me get there.

Hair: pr!tty – Nahla – {Medium Roots} by Karla Marama for pr!tty, available at Shiny Shabby*

Skin: .::WoW Skins::. V2 Fatma Golden 03 by sawsan Secretspy for .::WoW skins::. *

Eyes: [theSkinnery] Flirtacious  eye collection – 4 by Umazuma Metaluna for [theSkinnery], available at The Cosmetic Fair *

Lashes: .LeLutka.Kornelia lashes.01 by Thora Charron for LeLutka *

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

Sweater/skirt combo: E-Clipe Jolie V4 by Theatra Blackheart for E-Clipse, available at Shiny Shabby*

Eyeglasses: EarthStones Eyeglasses – The Classic – Brights by Abraxxa Anatine for EarthStones *

Necklace: MG – Necklace – Celestine Heart – Short by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer, available at FaMESHed *

Leggings: erratic / basics – leggings by Erratic Rain for erratic *

Boots: shine by [ZD] VINTAGE COWBOY BOOTS cognac by Cecilia Blachere for shine by [ZD]

House: [ba] tabor cottage by Barnesworth Anubis for Barnesworth Anubis, available atCollabor88 *

Around the fireplace:

• concept}  Corner set –  08 Chair Classic- RARE by ConceptDesign for concept}, available at Shiny Shabby*
• concept}  Corner set –  07 Chair Colors – RARE by ConceptDesign for concept}, available at Shiny Shabby*
• concept}  Corner set –  09 Chair Pastel – RARE by ConceptDesign for concept}, available at Shiny Shabby*
• Apt B // Snuggle Up Basket by FadeArcade for Apt B, available at Shiny Shabby*
• Soy. Solid Wood Center Table by Soyoy for Soy., available at Shiny Shabby*
• Toro. Magazine + Espresso shot by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby*
• Soy. Book one is reading by Soyoy for Soy., available at Shiny Shabby*
• .08 [ kunst ] & [ hoorenbeek ] – Mason jar & candle by Kunst Himmel and Limer Hoorenbeek for [ kunst ], available at Shiny Shabby*
• W.Winx & Flair – Rug Set – Striped by Whimsy Winx and Sasy Scarborough for W.Winx & Flair *
• Soy. Mini Leather Stool w/ texture change by Soyoy for Soy., available at Shiny Shabby*
• {Reverie} Day Dream – World’s End Clock  – Autumn [RARE] by Paolla Flux for {Reverie}, available at Shiny Shabby*
• :HAIKEI: white cosmos pot by qo0op for :HAIKEI:, available at Shiny Shabby*
• Con.&floorplan. framed poster / football by Tegin Serin and Wavie Haller for Consignment and floorplan *
• Apt B // Snuggle Up Logs by FadeArcade for Apt B, available at Shiny Shabby*

Horse’s corner

• Soy. Mini Leather Stool w/ texture change by Soyoy for Soy., available at Shiny Shabby*
• Trompe Loeil – Classic Newsprint Wall Art Penn Station by Cory Edo for Trompe Loieil *
• Dutchie hanging fern by Froujke Hoorenbeek for Dutchie *
• .07 [ kunst ] & [ hoorenbeek ] – Wood planks stool (b) by Kunst Himmel and Limer Hoorenbeek for [ kunst ], available at Shiny Shabby*
• W.Winx & Flair – Rug Set – Creamy by Whimsy Winx and Sasy Scarborough for W.Winx & Flair *
• Culprit Beloved Rocking Horse B by Eku Zhong for Culprit, available at Shiny Shabby*
• 6. Apple Fall Shauna’s Chair by warehousefifteendesign for Apple Fall

Bay window:

• .04 [ kunst ] & [ hoorenbeek ] – Wood planks table by Kunst Himmel and Limer Hoorenbeek for [ kunst ], available at Shiny Shabby*
• .10 [ kunst ] & [ hoorenbeek ] – Autumn carpet by Kunst Himmel and Limer Hoorenbeek for [ kunst ], available at Shiny Shabby*
• .03 [ kunst ] & [ hoorenbeek ] – Pillows (wall) by Kunst Himmel and Limer Hoorenbeek for [ kunst ], available at Shiny Shabby*
• .02 [ kunst ] & [ hoorenbeek ] – Pillows (floor) RARE by Kunst Himmel and Limer Hoorenbeek for [ kunst ], available at Shiny Shabby*
• concept}  Corner set –  01. Plant box by ConceptDesign for concept}, available at Shiny Shabby*
• Dutchie hanging fern by Froujke Hoorenbeek for Dutchie *

Front window:

• {Reverie} Day Dream – Dreamers Frame – Autumn [RARE] by Paolla Flux for {Reverie}, available at Shiny Shabby*
• {Reverie} Day Dream – Dreamers Dresser – Autumn by Paolla Flux for {Reverie}, available at Shiny Shabby*
• [ zerkalo ] Fall in Love – Chair by DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie for [ zerkalo ], available at Shiny Shabby*
• Toro OK handchair by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby*
• Toro Plain handchair by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby*
• Toro. Shinjuku Floor Lamp by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby*
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Wall Art Wood 1 by Cory Edo for Trompe Loieil *

The “kinky” bookshelf

• [ zerkalo ] Kinky Games – Lamp3 by DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie for [ zerkalo ], available at ROMP *
• Apt B // Snuggle Up Shelf by FadeArcade for Apt B, available at Shiny Shabby*
• Toro. Shinjuku Rug by jammeh for Toro., available at Shiny Shabby*
• concept}  Corner set –  05. Book box by ConceptDesign for concept}, available at Shiny Shabby*

Chance

shopping chance: the chance of finding something magnificent on a shopping trip when you need nothing at all ~ Urban Dictionary

Threw my purse in the car and took off shopping. It’s just one of those days when I hope I might find a perfect something by chance, a sort of psychic gacha. I know I had lucked out yesterday with this gorgeous dress from StellaJane that includes a texture change HUD with a ton of gorgeous east Asian silk textures (like nothing I have quite seen before in SL). Lush and beautiful, I could choose a number of different looks off the one HUD at a great price. I loved how she got the texture so satiny with perfect proportion. I paired with it Glamistry’s new strappy platforms, sexy and simple with his great texture change HUD to control different parts of the shoe. Lovely earrings from AvaGardner Kungler, a great find from On9, and my Arcade gacha handbag from Fashionboi Landar, and I was set to shop ‘til I dropped.

Inka Mexicola will be releasing a set of makeups on a medium01 skin for the Cosmetic Fair. They are lovely and compliment different looks without being too outre as some gacha skins can be. My hair is Shylah Honey’s lovely side-parted and brushed look for Tres Chic, which is opening in a couple days. I love these pretty blue eyes from Audrey Lamede from The Men’s Dept. (Yes, eyes are unisex—”pretty” on women and “handsome” on men.) I rode in style at !ndustry with Wavie Haller’s rockin’ convertible from the Arcade.

Hair: *~*Damselfly*~*Donna Rigged-Mesh by Shylah Honey for *~*Damselfly*~*,, available at Tres Chic (opening September 17) *

Skin: Essences {AmelieRR01} Medium01 *brunette* RARE by Inka Mexicola for Essences, available at the Cosmetic Fair *

Eyes: .ID. September Eyes / Blue by Audrey Lamede for Insufferable Dastard, available at The Men’s Dept

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

Lashes: .LeLutka.Kyra lashes.01 by Thora Charron for LeLutka *

Dress: Stellajane Strapless Mini Dress – East Asian Silk by StellaJane for Stella Jane *

Handbag: Rowne.A.u Dix Leather Bag – Powder by Fashionboi Landar for Rowne, available at the Arcade

Earrings: (Kunglers) Blanche earring  – Tropical by AvaGardner Kungler for Kunglers Extra, available at On9 *

Shoes: Glamistry : CYNARA Heels – maitreya by Glamistry for Glamistry *

Wheels: [Con.] Wax On/Wax Off Convertible – Navy by Wavie Haller for Consignment, available at the Arcade

Poses by Luna Jubilee for !bang

Photos taken at !ndustry

Imagine

“Everything you can imagine is real.” ~ Pablo Picasso

The MadPea Productions Art Gacha opened yesterday, and I have to say, if you want some fun or beautiful pieces for décor or gifting, this is the place to go. One of my favorite artists is participating—Garvie Garzo—and if you like whimsical pieces that add a touch of though or fun to your space, hers are the best. I chose three pieces to show from her set, which are very much her style. The sign flashes on and off (but not with in world light) and has that great neon sound. I would highly recommend you check them all out as they are fun and inexpensive.

Beanster Potato was one of the first designers I went to way back when when I wanted a complete and cool outfit. She did sweaters with skirts and then tights and a little bracelet and maybe cute boots—she thought it all out but made her pieces separate enough you could wear them with other things. With the advent of mesh, beanster has not stopped but continues in this great tradition with her SLX Outfits. This set I am wearing comes with everything—top, jeans, hip belt and jewelry, even pumps though I opted for my own shoes. They fit and look fabulous and come at a terrific price. Bonus is the texture change HUD she packs with the top so you can have a number of looks out of this package. I chose KenadeeCole’s feathered sandals, also with a texture-change HUD for the feathers, to make this look a bit more casual.

Kuranosuke Kamachi is cranking out hair and I have to say, it’s all luscious and long with great textures. Included is a pretty comprehensive texture-change HUD so you can find just the tone you like. I am wearing the Alex mesh head from Maximillion Grant and this time I opted not to fool around with the expressions. This head can be more than that—you can actually walk around wearing and enjoying it (and who walks around with their tongue hanging out besides my dog?). It’s a great shape for Sawsan Secretspy’s lovely skin for the Mesh Body Addicts fair, a skin that comes with several makeup options. I popped in Eleri Catlyn’s mesh eyes and adjusted them to size for the head.

Finally, my seat is a collaboration between Wavie Haller and Tegin Serin for the LTD round. I walked around and was amazed by the offerings at that particular event. There were some lovely pieces for decorating, especially this chair, which comes with a ton of poses and great textures for the pillow and blanket, all scripted in for your decorating and redecorating pleasure. One thing I really like about Wavie is that he is willing to collaborate with many designers and groups and seems to do so with ease. That’s a particular difficulty with many creators in SL and RL too. To work and seamlessly combine efforts is sometimes impossible, but he seems to make it happen again and again. That’s real.

Hair: =DeLa*= Fitted Mesh Hair “Lila” (Browns) by Kuranosuke Kamachi for =DeLa*= *

Mesh head: Mesh head: LOGO Infinity Alex Omega Hybrid Mesh by Maximillion Grant for LOGO *

Skin applier: V2 Nour 01 GOLDEN [LNL] Omega Advanced Applier – Skin 1.4 by sawsan Secretspy for .::WoW skins::., available at the Mesh Body Addict Fair *

Eyes: [Buzz] Aura Eyes – Hazel by Eleri Catlyn for Buzzeri, for the Mix Event

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V3.3 by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Outfit (includes belt, necklace, and ring): SLX Outfit: Fraulin by beanster Potato for SLX Outfit Shop *

Nail appliers: Nailed It – Maitreya – Bonita Set by Giela Delpaso for Nailed It *

Sandals: REIGN.- Avian Sandals (Maitreya)- BLACK by KenadeeCole for Reign

Chair: Con. & floorplan. spool bench / driftwood A by ValiantCo and Tegan Serin for Consignment and floorplan, available at LTD: Love to Decorate *

Art pieces: meadowWorks MadPea ART GACHA by Garvie Garzo for meadowWorks, available at the Art Gacha Festival by MadPea Productions *

• This Is (a) Sign
• Golden Age Stag
• Gilt Frame ~ Nothing Gold Can Stay

Big Yellow Taxi

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

~ “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell

A casual summer look starts with a lace top from Apple May for Shiny Shabby. She has made several versions of this top including those to fit the Freya and Isis bodies from Belleza (yay!) and the lace is a lovely texture for many looks. I paired it with a flirty skirt from LouLou Teichmann and darling flat sandals from Monicuzza Babenco, both also featured at Shiny Shabby. My great necklace set is Mirja Mills’ great boho set for My Attic, which goes perfectly with the casual clothes I have on. I am showing ValiantCo’s terrific cab sofa for Uber, part of their city theme. It includes a ton of single poses and cuddles and a few adult.

Shyla Diggs has released a new skin for Uber with eyebrows in separate shades beyond the typical blonde, brown, etc. I am really glad to see this because sometimes a blonde brow is just too light, for example. The makeups, as always, are subtle but fashionable and the features are gorgeous. Because of the dark blonde brows, I was able to wear this shade of M4ri1yn Magic’s hair for Shiny Shabby, two braids which come with and without the hat, which also includes its own variations via HUD. The whole look is a little folksy, a bit of pop, just like Joni Mitchell’s song.

Hair: Tableau Vivant \\  Koca hair [with hat ] by M4ri1yn Magic for ~Tableau Vivant~, available at Shiny Shabby *

Skin: -Belleza- Amber Uber SK 1 Dk Bl by Shyla Diggs for –Belleza, available at Uber *

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

Body: -Belleza- Isis by Tricky Boucher for –Belleza– *

Top: Lace Tops (Belleza Isis) – White by Apple May for Apple May Designs, available at Shiny Shabby *

Skirt: Bauhaus Movement – Switchback  MIDNIGHT Skirt by LouLou Teichmann for Bauhaus Movement, available at Shiny Shabby *

Necklace set: .:EMO-tions:. * ABIGAIL * by Mirja Mills for.:EMO-tions:., available at My Attic *

Nail applier: [LB Chrome Brown] *Belleza* Manicure and Pedicure by Santana Lumiere for La Boheme

Shoes: *YS&YS* Santorini Flats Mail (Belleza) by Monicuzza Babenco for*YS&YS*, available at Shiny Shabby *

Couch: [Con.] Checkered Cab Seat – A by ValiantCo for Consignment, available at Uber *

Decorating Help

“If you love something, it will work. That’s the only real rule.” ~ Bunny Williams

It’s time for spring cleaning and redecorating so I picked up a ton of prims and started setting some new ones down. Cory Edo has a new living room set a Fameshed that is perfect for redecorating, including sofa, chair, artwork, tables and lamp and several choices of blanket chest. The sofa and chair include color change for the upholstery and texture change for the optional pillows and quilt. The chest has the same texture change for the blanket. I spent a good hour clicking colors in and out, prepared to surprise Mr. Beresford when he got home, especially after I decorated with Cory’s artwork and wood wall art and Kunst Himmel’s rug and custom-colored Max Graf’s mesh curtains. I knew he would be so surprised!

I put on a pretty dress from Vitamingirl from Shiny Shabby that comes in several looks, all gorgeously ethnic with embroidery and a lovely cotton top detailed with buttons and lops. I also custom-colored my sandals from TeamRedgrave with their great HUD. Pretty jewelry from Plurabelle Laszlo added the finishing touch to my look.

Truth Hawks’ newest ‘do added a touch of casual elegance to my look, especially with Sawsan Secretspy’s latest skin for Designer Circle. She has recently introduced a V2 skin tone to her appliers, so make sure you apply the right one with these new skins. Soleil Reid’s eyes are heart-breakingly beautiful with this look.

Mr. Beresford was, indeed, thrilled with the redecorating (and my look), but he asked if he could add a piece or two of his own. He said he had found something at Fameshed that would fit in perfectly and add his own touch of manliness to the decorating. I had given him permissions over my things, and I had to run, so I left him in charge. I was relieved to see in my email he had only sent back one chair. I was looking forward to see what he had done when I logged in later. His IM in email said, “I finished my decorating. I think the color matches perfectly so you’ll be happy, honey.”

I was pretty excited to see what he had done when I was able to log in. Mr. Beresford indeed added a touch of manliness. Wavie Haller’s Comfy Chair, a recliner fit for a man cave, had taken place of my sent-back chair. Sigh.

Hair: TRUTH HAIR Willa by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: .::WoW Skins::: V2 Enya Golden Designer Circle by sawsan Secretspy for .::WoW skins::., available at Designer Circle *

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

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V3.0 by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Dress: B.C.C Good Feeling Long Dress Mix by vitamingirl for B.C.C, available at Shiny Shabby *

Jewelry: Bliensen + MaiTai – Yesterday – Coral – Necklace and Earrings by Plurabelle Laszlo for.Bliensen + MaiTai *

Feet: Slink Avatar Enhancement Feet High V2.1 by Siddean Munro for Slink

Shoes: Raven Sandals – REDGRAVE by TeamRedgrave for Redgrave

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

Furnishings: Trompe Loeil – Enfield Living Room Set PG [mesh] by Cory Edo for Trompe Loeil, available at Fameshed *

• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Chair PG
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Trunk Open Barbados
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Wall Art Wood 1
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Wall Art Wood 2
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Wall Art Wood 3
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Chair PG
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Table Square
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Couch + Blanket/Pillow PG
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Table Round
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Wall Art Sunrise
• Trompe Loeil – Enfield Wall Art Tree

[ kunst ] – Boho carpet #2 by Kunst Himmel for [kunst], available at Shiny Shabby *

Rustica – Mesh Drape GATHER PANELS by Maxwell Graf for Rustica * (modified)

Punchline: [Con.] Comfy Chair – PG – Brown by Wavie Haller for Consignment, available at Fameshed *

The Feminine Mystique

“Each suburban wife struggles with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night- she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question– ‘Is this all?” ~ Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique

When I was in college, I did a paper about the watershed that World War II brought  to women’s liberation. After working in the factories and offices of America while the men were away fighting, women were once again relegated to the homes when the soldiers came home. And they discovered it wasn’t enough. Past the beautiful lawns, the lovely houses, the equipped kitchens, middle-class women were slowly realizing their dissatisfaction with the suburban life.

It’s an irony that women seemed to have it so good but rebelled in the 60s and 70s. I was inspired by a few pieces that have recently come out. This look reminiscent of a 50s housewife made me think of June Cleaver or Harriet Nelson. An easy dress from monlmanl, which she made for Shiny Shabby, is a perfect outfit for our ideal housewife, especially with flats that Senzati0n Domenitzo will be featuring at the Luck of the Irish Gacha (opening on the 10th). A great big handbag from Gianna Brody carries her wallet, head scarf, gloves and tube of lipstick for touchup plus the keys to the big Buick her husband bought her to drive to the grocery store.

Maybe it was because their lives were unfulfilling. With this full array of cleaning items from MadPea’s gacha at the Arcade, a 50s housewife could carry on the task of her womanly duties. The vacuuming and rug-cleaning, the mopping, the window washing, the ironing and the sauna are all covered with these darling pieces, perfect for scattering around your SL house to show you keep clean in your other life. (Remember that the MadPea crew’s top dog comes from a Scandinavian country so sauna supplies are not that odd.)

Bubbles Clawtooth’s hair was also the inspiration for this look. This drop-dead darling cut, reminiscent of the prettiest of 50s ladies, made my look perfect. I can see this hairstyle easily being used for contemporary looks as well, it’s so versatile and cute. I vamped up Umazuma Metaluna’s skin with firey red lips from Constance Daehlie that she is featuring at Anybody. My pearls are oldies but goodies, hand assembled from prims (!) by Polly Pavlova.

I am floating on a cloud because who wouldn’t dream of this? The dress, the housework, the cleaning. Oh yay.

 

Hair: Clawtooth: Audrey H. by Bubbles Clawtooth for Clawtooth, available at Collabor88 *

Skin: [theSkinnery] Cristy 1 (toffee) RARE by Umazuma Metaluna for[theSkinnery], available at the Arcade *

Lipstick: #adored – cherub lips – firebrand by Constance Daehlie for #adored, available at AnyBody *

Eyes: #adored – dawn eyes – hazel by Constance Daehlie for #adored *

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

Dress: *_M.birdie Story_* kara dress long 5 by monlmanl for birdie, available at Shiny Shabby*

Jewelry: LOGO Everyday Pearls Necklace by Polly Pavlova for LOGO (probably no longer available) *

Handbag: -David Heather-Dolce Purse/A1/Navy by Gianni Broda for David Heather, available at Shiny Shabby*

Shoes: Essenz – Auckland Maitreya by Senzati0n Domenitzo for Essenz, available at The Luck of the Irish *

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

MadPea Squeeky Clean! by Wavie Haller and Harter Fall for MadPea, available at the Arcade*

• MadPea Dust Free
• MadPea Stainless Toilet
• MadPea Wrinkle Free
• Sauna Freshness
• MadPea Spotless Floors
• MadPea Sparkling Windows Harter Fall

The Simple Life

“The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t.” ~ Marie Kondō

I have a bit of cabin fever. I need to just get out, hit the road, do something. So I suggested to Mr. Beresford that we take to the road. I imagined a life of leisure, of thoughtful moments and quiet repose. A life where we could enjoy the fresh air and the flowers and the springtime. Where I could wear flowers in my hair (Bubbles Clawtooth’s fabulous look from the Arcade) and flirty ruffled dresses (ValentinaEvangelista’s specifically, from Shiny Shabby) and lounge around.

He was amenable but when he saw our proposed living space (a great camper from Wavie Haller from the Arcade), he snorted and said, “Your *shoes* will not fit in there.”

“But honey,” I said, “We can go through our things and sort out what we don’t need to take. It’s time to simplify our lives.”

Of course, we went back and forth. His programming books, of course, had to go along and well, all my fiction (see the huge pile of books from DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie from Shiny Shabby). He wanted to take all his computers along but I said no, we have other things to occupy our time. (See the checkers from DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie, the trivia game and cornhole from Wavie Haller from the Arcade, and the candles and incense from MadPea next to the very cozy bed in the camper from Wavie). (And yes, two fit cozily in that bed.)

Of course, I had just gotten the new collections from the Arcade of the Cupcake Bunnies from Sway Dench and the Cats Out of the Bag from Trace Osterham, so I wanted to bring them along because they were so cute, which caused quite a fuss between us, but I managed to shrink them up and put them on a shelf or two. He grumbled and tried to sneak in an extra monitor (or two or three) but I put the kibosh on that.

We sorted, we argued, we hemmed, we hawed. After all our negotiations, we realized we would have to pull an additional trailer behind us for everything we simply couldn’t do without (including, yes, my shoes). But we did manage to pack up a couple boxes of things to discard….

Hair: Clawtooth: La Bella Donna (with flowers) by Bubbles by Bubbles Clawtooth for Clawtooth, available at the Arcade *

Skin: [theSkinnery] Leigh 4 (honey) with [theSkinnery] Leigh 4 (honey) by Umazuma Metaluna for [theSkinnery], available at the Arcade *

Eyes: #adored – dawn eyes – hazel by Constance Daehlie for #adored *

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

Dress: :V.e. Stevie Lace Dress Lilac by ValentinaEvangelista for Valentina E. Couture, available at Shiny Shabby *

Shoes: Essenz – Lisbon (Fatpack 1) Maitreya by Senzati0n Domenitzo for Essenz, available at Whore Couture *

 

Furnishings:

[Con.] Open Road Collection by Wavie Haller for Consignment, available at the Arcade *

• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Americana poster
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Cornhole
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Flamingo
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Lawn Chair – purple
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Lawn Chair – Yellow
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Paper Map
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Postcards
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Radio
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Route 66
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Trailer – RARE
• [Con.] Open Road Collection – Trivia – Blue

 

HEART – WILDFLOWERS – Daisies and Buttercups by Lilith Heart for Heart Garden Centre, available at FaMESHed

 

My Father’s Shiny Shabby Treasures by DanielEstro and Anaisterpellie for
[ zerkalo ], available at Shiny Shabby*

• [ zerkalo ] Globe
• [ zerkalo ] Draughts
• [ zerkalo ] Huge pile of books RARE

 

Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] Arcade Gacha by Sway Dench for Sway’s, available at the
Arcade *

• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny]
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] art
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] balloon RARE
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] book
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] butterfly RARE
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] crown RARE
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] flower
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] heart
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] pinwheel
• Sway’s [Cupcake Bunny] present

 

{theosophy} Well, Cat’s Out Of The Bag by Trace Osterham for {theosophy}, available at the
Arcade *

• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Bikini Bod)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Birthday)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Coffee Break)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Emotional)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (False Advertising)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Hot Bod)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Nature)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Pizza Party)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Recycle)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Spooky)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Suit And Tie)
• {theosophy} Cat in a Bag (Thank You)

 

MadPea Squeeky Clean! by Wavie Haller for MadPea, available at the Arcade*

• MadPea Ex-girlfriend’s Junk
• MadPea Ex-boyfriend’s Junk
• MadPea Pure Mind

P.S. Yes, doing these slurls and the formatting is a bitch. Thank you for noticing.