Back to Black: The End is Near

Back to Black ends on the 29th.  I had to show a few more of my favorite things.

Details: B2B is Back to Black Event
photo1:
Bodysuit: Nemesis: Friendship Bodysuit - Poppy: B2B
Hair: LeLutka: Jolie
Skin: Glam Affair: Linn: MedTan02
Shoes: Ingenue: Gatsby: Ruby: exclusively at Collabor88
Prop: Miamai: My Body is a Cage: B2B

photo2:
Dress: Peqe: Back to Jet (B2B)
Jewelry: DDL: To the Left - Black (B2B)
Shoes: (bubble) electric: I will Survive Wedges (B2B)
Stockings: are ancient

I really like this dress from ArisAris.  I wasn't planning on covering it for the Back to Black event but I saw another blogger in it and I was struck by how quite pretty it is.  There are lovely ethereal layers covering the skirt as well as the arm attachments.  I almost stuck wings on but I felt that was somewhat too expected.  I am still completely in love with the new hair from Wasabi Pills, Sybille, which comes in 2 versions because apparently MissAllSunday Lemon and Rouge Darcy could not agree on which version should be sold so both are available.  It is meshy loveliness, which I'm just now starting to purchase since Firestorm's new viewer does not lag me down as much as other mesh viewers tend to do (thank you!).

Aura has made new skins and Tyr Rozeboom has very generously given group members 2 different sets, each with 2 tones.  This one above is Briar - Berlin and below I am wearing Helena - Love Notes, which is in Paper, a group exclusive skintone (xoxoxo).

I adore the meshy awesomeness of MiaMai's Survive outfit.  It has the most wonderful corset that is cinched tightly. I feel a bit like a cancan dancer at the Moulin Rouge.  The tiled textures look so real on it and it is like nothing else I own which is a hard feat for a person with over 100 K in their inventory.  It is available in 5 sizes based on Standard Sizing standards.

Shag has a wonderful updo at Back to Black. I was drawn to it because of the optional rosary beads in the hair.  Those are color change.  I've my share of updos but this one is very versatile and can be kittenish or vintage...so it has range.  Elemental offers a great lapis lazuli set. The bright color beads against the black are representative of how life can outshine the darkness.

Lassitude & Ennui offers the lovely meshy Flutter boots in 3 different colors. Each contains 4 sizes for all different kinds of leggies.  I was somewhat surprised that I liked the medium size best on me because I am not a large avatar so do demo if you can.  I remember Lassitude & Ennui from one of my first jewelry sets from the Free Dove and I'm thrilled to see another long-standing brand that keeps up with the technology.  I love the victorian feel of these boots and am going to have to get on some of my goodies from Silent Sparrow and see how they work!  Man, I love clothes!

Credits: (B2B indicates that the item is available at the Back to Black event)
Photo 1 and 2:
Dress: ArisAris: Rig25 Sprit - B2B
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Sybille2: new release
Skin: Aura: Briar - Berlin - group gift
Jewelry: Artilleri: Make a Wish Necklace - B2B
Ring: Pididdle: Gaudy Ring - Lost at Sea Sp. Ed.
Shoes: Baby Monkey: Ultimate Margot
Photo 3 thru 5
Dress: Miamai: Survive - B2B
Boots: Lassitude & Ennui: Flutter Boots - B2B
Jewelry: Elemental: Back to Black Lapis and Beads - B2B
Skin: Aura: Helena - Love Notes in Paper: group gift/exclusive tone
Hair: Shag: She Sells Santuary

Poses: Diesel Works: Polywall Prop

Back to Black + Wasabi Pills

I am way behind in blogging the Back to Black Event which started last Friday.  Chic Management, the event host, has been around long enough now that we are seeing the second year of events and they are always superb.  Back to Black is a mental health awareness event.  Chic is not running this as a charity event though some designers have chosen to donate earnings to charity.  Sadly, mental health needs both.  According to the SAMHSA website in the US mental health and substance abuse funding grew slower than all other health funding, which is really sad when you understand that the public sector significantly outspend private insurers when it comes to funding mental health care.  What this boils down to is that for people with the most severe mental illnesses, they have to lose almost everything before they can get adequate mental health care.  This only serves to perpetuate stigmatizing views of people who have a mental illness/issue so I'm all for anything that promotes awareness.  Luckily treatment advances have occurred and there is no reason for anyone to have to suffer in shame or alone.

I've been inspired by the sharing of so many designers as well as event organizers of their own experiences with mental heath. I would feel like a complete hypocrite if I did not also share that I have both Major Depression and an Anxiety Disorder for which I receive treatment.  My first real depressive episode happened while I was in graduate school and it was easily treated with medication.  When my husband died suddenly a  few years back, it felt like the world fell out from under me.  However, I had a toddler to care for and was a busy professional (in mental health :) and I did not take very good care of me and eventually my symptoms snuck up and bit me back.  I continue to experience symptoms of impaired concentration and anxiety but luckily it's all pretty well managed at this point.  Recovery is possible.

I've talked a lot about mental health and not enough about the fantastic items I am showing here, most of which are available at Back to Black.  Instead of writing more here, please read the credits for more information on what I am wearing.

Credits: (B2B means it is available at the Back to Black Event
photo 1:
Dress: Vanita's Vesture: Restless Dress - Charcoal (B2B):  The skirt is a system skirt but I find that the baby doll top helps reduce that really pronounced bubble butt but that can happen with them.
Jewelry: LouLou & Co.: Hyperion Necklace (B2B): includes 2 versions and chest and spine attachment points.
Shoes: Purrfect 10: Rose Heels - Cream (B2B): these shoes are available in 3 different primary colors and can also be made completely or partially black. The roses can change to 9 different accent colors.
Skin: Adore&Abhor: Flora skin: pale (B2B): Sileny does the best freckles!
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Sybille2 Mesh hair - Cinnamon - new release!  She just gets better and better!
Photo 2:
Outfit: Izzie's: Leisure Outfit (B2B): this outfit is perfectly made.  I adore her work.
Jewelry: Caroline's Jewelry: Serenity Necklace (B2B): Inspired by the Serenity Prayer, it has 3 discs that say "Courage, Serenity, Wisdom".
Hair: Amacci: Emma (B2B): comes in about a billion colors and includes the nifty feathers
Skin: Anymore: Denis - pearl: exclusive at B2B

Thank you to Cajsa Lilliehook for sharing the background image in photo 1 with the Flickr Stock Images group! 

Suzie Q & Back to Black

Lovely Plurabelle Laszlo from Bliensen & MaiTai has released a new jewelry set called Suzie Q that I absolutely adore.  It suits my penchant for things mod and structural.  I always try and figure out what is Plurabelle's source of inspiration when she creates but this time I've not a clue and that does not leave me any less satisfied with the results.  She has made the sets in 3 color sets which I've shown in the photos.  Her inworld group, Bliensen & MaiTai, which is free to join has a pair of Suzie Q earrings in a special color, which leaves me yearning for the rest of the set in those colors.

Chic Management is returning to it's roots with the Back to Black event which launches on February 11. The event is a mental health awareness event (not charity) that is thematic.  Designers were giving categories such as Survival, Hope, Fighter and asked to create at least one new item that was inspired by the theme.  The designers have included an informational notecard that sometimes discusses their own experiences with mental health/illness and Keira bravely shared part of her own story online. I have my own stories about this issue as well as an over 25 year career in the field, which I may share if so inspired.  Right now, however, I have a lot of ground to cover because there are so many great items offered at the event.

The Back to Black event has a wide variety of products in it's offering. It is not just female clothing. There are male items, skins, poses, prefabs, furnishings that should appeal to most sensibilites.  In the credits I will note which items are part of the Back to Black event as B2B.  The location will be available when the event begins so slurls will be to the designer's main store.

Credits:
Jewelry - all photos: Bliensen + Mai Tai: Suzie Q - new release
Photo 1:
Dress: Sleeping Koala: Beaded Dress (B2B)
Skin: Vershe: Bianca Strength Skin - Olive (B2B)
Hair: Red Mint: Hair no.20: Group Gift: thank you!
Photo 2:
Dress: Kunglers: BTB Silk Dress (B2B)
Skin: Glam Affair: Linn - MedTan01
Hair: Nushru: Wayward Heart: I'm unsure whether Quiver has this hair out.  Her store is in a bit of a state of reorganization.
Photo 3:
Top: Nemeis: Friendship Bodysuit - Coffee (parts of it were used) (B2B)
Leggings: Sleeping Koala: Bandage Leggings (B2B)
Skin: Idiosycrasy: Imogen - Back to Black skin (B2B)
Hair: MINA: Yva (the fatpack is a wonder of colors and hair bases!) (B2B)