It's been a long time

Wow! I hadn't realized how long it had been since I did a blog post. A long, loooooooong time! In my defense, I haven't been slacking - just extremely busy. Holidays, 2 sim rebuilds, and my store. Ugh! Also, my inventory had gotten so bad, I didn't change clothes for weeks at a time, because it would of taken me an hour just to find an outfit. wheeee Luckily, I've had a little extra time this week, and I finally got my crap organized. Go me! *nerdsmile*
Anyhoo, I saw this dress on someone while I was on a routine shopping trip a while back, and I was all OMGZTHATISSOCOOL! It's from Peqe. I absolutely love the way the sleeves are. Totally awesome. I had gotten the wire collar from Zibska back during Mystic Realms Faire. I think it gives the dress an edgy flair.
As for the location of the photo, I looked all over, trying to find a spot with the right vibe. I found a sim called China. It is very minimalistic, but totally fabulous. The very few items on the sim look like charcoal drawings, of sorts. You definitely should check it out. I'll be squeezing out a few more photos this weekend, so stay tuned! <3

Credits:
Dress = Peqe - Majestic_White

Collar = Zibska ~ Alfihar Collar

Hair = ETD Again - Winter Whites (no longer available)

Skin = Essences - Lorde01 *lumiere*

Eyes = REPULSE - Rigor Mortis Eyes

Necklace = :Fusion: Chain cross necklaces

Lashes = [LeLutka] - LOLA Lashes

Location = China

7.24.14: LOTD

Thou shall not whine about how busy RL is and how the weather is unseasonably cool, i.e. not like living in a swamp, that makes me want to get out the edger and tend to my yard and go to yardsales and rootbeer stands and the old Dairy Queen or fall asleep on the porch swing while reading a book.  Or spend time with my 17-year-old son who in a year will definitely not want to "hang" with his mom.  These are all verboten!

But on the SL side I love "stuff", and there is absolutely no shortage of crazy good work out there right now. I love shopping in SL to the point that often I just buy it and don't get around to opening boxes (which I hate) but instead virtually hold it all close to me and smile, sighing "mine...".  When I actually open the packages I find marvelous things and have great fun styling ol' Eden. It all started with Lelutka's marvelous Francine hair, recently released at Hair Fair 2014, which is loosely swept up and held together with a flower ornament (which is of course texture change).  I about died when I saw *LpD*s precious Serena set at The Chapter 4.  It took me probably 15 minutes to decide which look to get; the texture options are not just easy recolors of the same fabric but each uses strikingly different choices for 3 distinct looks. tea.s' Shark Bait Bag that was featured in June at Summerfest '14 is probably one of my most treasured possessions and I kept it fair and feminine with Glam Affair's Cassia - Pink Rose that was a complete steal last week for 50 Linden Fridays.  Good times!

Credits:
Hair: Lelutka: Francine - Sweeden: new release for Hair Fair 2014
Outfit: *LpD*: Serena Top & Skirt Pink - Flowers: available at The Chapter 4
Skin: Glam Affair: Cassia - Pink Rose Arctic
Bag: tea.s: Shark Bait Bag - mint
Pose: Le Poppycock: from Afterglow A: available at The Chapter 4

1.30.14 Feat. Enfant Terrible, an lar, Beetlebones & DetTaleZ

Hi! It's almost here! The Fantasy Gacha Carnival begins on February 1st and the event is HUGE. I would guess that the event is at least twice as large as last time.  It includes lots of designers who's work I already admired as well as some new ones.  I have had some interest in enfante terrible and was very excited to show some of her works for the Carnival.  Her Midsommer Dream set is pure enchantment and includes horns, flowerbands, bracelets, necklaces and staffs.  The Ultra Rare staff has a lantern that has scripted fireflies. The pose is from an lar from her enforcer set at the fest. All poses include a gun but I thought it might conflict in this case with gentle image in the scene :)  I borrowed the new Little Red Mini from Beetlebones that will be available at Enchantment and the skin is a complete steal from DeTaleZ at My Attic which should be wrapping up soon.

Credits:

Accessories: Enfant Terrible: includes horns, flowerband pastel (rare), apple bracelet, horn necklace and silver staff (ultra rare) available beginning February 1 at The Fantasy Gacha Carnival

Dress: Beetlebones: Little Red Mini Dress - white: available soon at Enchantment

Skin: DeTaleZ: Jarla My Attic Exclusive - Nordic: available at My Attic

Hands / Feet : Slink

Skin Appliers: DeTalez: Appliers Delicious Skins

Hair: LeLutka: Josephine

Pose: an lar: Enforcer One: available soon at The Fantasy Gacha Carnival

Birding

A few more of my favorite designers from Geeks'n'Nerds as well as Shoetopia.  Shoetopia ends in a few days and right now it really is shoe heaven.  The crowds are gone and you can shop in comfort.  It really is a wonderful showcase and the build is fantastic.  Slink is introducing their new Av Enhance High Feet and has included some new shoe releases as well.  This is a great foot for uber sexy shoes and I cannot wait to see what she will release next.  Two designers that have reappeared on the scene recently are Sienia Trevellion from Lark and Fae Eriksen from Fishy Strawberry.  I have been a follower of each for years and basically rush to get my hands on any new releases from each.  Super talented women who do not cut corners.

Credits:
From Geeks'n'Nerds: 
Outfit: Fishy Strawberry: 3 wonderful separates - Bookworm Mesh Cardigan, Ivy League Tops and Freshman Skirts. Each comes in a wide choice of colors and tartans so you can mix and match.  Fatpacks are discounted which makes having to make hard decisions less painful
Glasses: ISON: Pegley Glasses - Tortoise
Furniture Set: Lark: Bird Nerd - quite a unique set of nerdworld are these folks!  My husband was a huge big bird fan.  You can purchase this set as a full set or if you prefer in 7 individual pieces.  Shadows have not been baked into the desk so it presents naturally.
Blocks: floorplan: Winter is Coming: fun accessory!
Handheld Game Console: c( TC ) : Yes, my favorite Pokemon are the Flying type. This little system comes in many colors and can be held or rezzed. It has a menu for a game as well as an animation that plays when you wear it
Pose: Elephante Poses: from the Dream Pack - includes wand and sparkly dust
From Shoetopia:
Slink: AvEnhance Feet Female High: Rigged Mesh in Standard Sizes. Easy to use and fully functional HUD for self tinting or skin and stocking appliers.
Boots: Slink Demi Boots - Chocolate: These are add-ons exclusively for the Slink HIGH feet.  Includes HUD to show or hide toecap.
Other:
Horsie: HANDverk: Carousel Horse: Ceramic Unicorn (rare) stretched and sized huge for a sneak preview for The Arcade December 2013!
This will be the last new release under the HANDverk brand, which has become ieQED.
Hair: LeLutka: Helen - Praline

Studious

Hey all.  I apologize for getting so behind on blogging; this has been one of the most trying weeks I've had in a long, long time on top of my continual struggles with my lame graphics card.  I now have strange objects, like big blue squares showing up in my photos, leaving me to take photo after photo until I finally get one without.  The two events at the top of my must-see list are Shoetopia 2013 and starting today, the Geeks'n'Nerds Fair.  Shoetopia is in it's second week and runs to November 30. Geeks'n'Nerds is a hugely fun event organized by Sash Arabello and Inka Mexicola that runs through December 7. It is full of witty, nerdy and goofy goodness.

I gave some thought to what qualifies me to blog stuff of nerdish character and my list is long.  For one, I am fairly oblivious to the "social" aspect of Second Life, preferring to adore people's creations and understanding their creative process.  In RL I am guilty of being a rabid fan of Pokemon and have been playing since the game was created.  I think that makes me more of a dweeb than a nerd :)

Credits:
From Shoetopia:
GOS: Dita from the Bordello Collection: Nerds can be incredibly sexy. Premiering at Shoetopia.
From Geeks'n'Nerds:
Dress: Orion: Sash Dress - Argyle.  Perfectly preppy yet body hugging.
Glasses: 22769: Nerd Glasses - repaired: everyone needs them.  I've been looking for a good replacement for my old textured ones forever!
Nerd set: Collage: literally! awesome detailing and shading
Shelf: Collage: Flower Power Shelf: Here we go!
Rugs: Collage: 8 Bit Ruglets - adorable
Pose: photo 1: Double Take: from the Neon pose set: ossum action poses!
Other:
Cabinet: junk: Milo Cabinet - Dotty
Chair: Di's Opera: Seated  - Mus: in-store gacha.  <3!
Hair: LeLutka: Serena
Ring: ieQED: araw ring - red: large set of special colors of red or blue currently available at Typhoon Haiyan Fundraiser

Girl Friday

One of my all time favorite looks is the ingenue look from around the 1950s.  That was before my time but I used to love those old romance movies where the new to the big city girl is "seduced" by some more sophisticated man.  Now I sneer at the sexism of those films but I recall daydreaming about moving to a large city and living at the Barbizon Hotel. It's still one of my favorite looks to put together in SL though mesh layers aren't always cooperative with that (thank god for those times when a larger size coat works!).  Tomorrow I might be wearing a phatazz, but today you can call me Miss Priss.

Credits:
Coat: ISON: Oversized Wool Coat: currently at Collabor88
Dress: Baby Monkey: Pilar: HUD driven color change: New group gift
Shoes: GOS: Peeptoe Pumps - Black Satin
Purse: The Secret Store: Girly Briefcase - Cherry (not mesh but still ridiculously cute)
Necklace: HANDverk: Mucha Necklace - Silver
Hair: LeLutka: Dulcina - Praline
Skin: Glam Affair: Katya - Europa 03
Lips: Pink Fuel: Elly Glam Lipstick - Vamp

Men's Department Stuff: Not just for the guys

Hi everyone! I'm back. I have missed blogging so much. RL continues to be hectic but my son is getting treatment and overall is doing much better. I had reached a point where I was blogging so much (event upon event) that something just had to go for awhile...and it ended up being my personal blog.  But I've missed it and the blogging community and it's time to do something that is me.

I'm not a huge girly girl unless I'm having an occasional pink explosion.  That being said, I love The Men's Department, a monthly event coordinated by Mikel Monk.  Mikel has put together a showcase of high quality items that includes both avatar and decor items.  All the designers do original work and the prices are never more than L$ 300.  It;s the perfect place to familiarize oneself with some of the best creators that design with men in mind and fills a huge gap for the guys.

I am totally digging the boots from Trauermarsch boots from Deadwool. The set includes both rigged and unrigged versions and the rigged come in two sizes as well as 3 styles so they can adapt to different pant styles.  This is so thoughtful as it is endlessly annoying when meshes don't play nice with each other. Bauwerk has 3 amazing arcade machines out.  I adore the Second Life one and it comes with 9 unique poses, all of which are easily adjustable. Eleventh hour made some really interesting Tube Beer Tap that dispenses a beer or a cup for your cold one when you touch the tap. Second Spaces did great Ezra pieces that includes the table shown (resized for my purposes) and a cigar set that includes an ashtray and rotary dispenser. Nicely detailed decor items to add masculine touches to your home.

My shots were actually inspired by LeLutka's new Seiko hair that is a messy androgynous style that I adore. My clothes are not new but in my opinion Coco's mesh denim shorts are the best I've seen on the grid and I wear them all the time. OK, time for me to shut up and roll the credits. It took me a lot of time to muster up the courage to blog again and I'm so glad  I finally did it. See you soon!

Credits:
Items currently available exclusively at The Men's Department :
Arcade Machine: Bauwerk: SL
Second Spaces: Ezra Table and Ashtray - sold separately
Beer Tap: Eleventh Hour: Weissbier version
Boots: Deadwool: Trauermarsch boots: - blue

Other:
Hair: LeLutka: Seiko -fades: new release
Skin: Glam Affair: Katya: Europa 03 - at Collabor88 for a few more seconds - maybe
Sweater: Coco: Cropped Sweater & Shirt
Shorts: Coco: Denim Shorts - Dark Blue
Stockings: Meil: Lo Socks
Flowers: Apple Fall: Poppies / Glazed Vase - available at The Arcade

Happy Bandana / Beach Day!

I'm running late for my mom's house so I'm actually going to be brief!  Hair Fair 2012 ends today and it is also Bandana Day!  Bandana Day is a longstanding tradition for Hair Fair where we take off our hair to show solidarity with Wigs for Kids, the organization that benefits from Hair Fair.  However, you don't have to go Kojak as on each of the 4 sims is a bandana booth!  There are bandanas made by designers, bloggers, and other residents of SL; each is only 50 L and they are transferable.  My tradition every year is to at least get LeLutka's bandana.  They are always super chic.

Boom has released a new bikini, Ellio, which comes in about lots and lots of yummy colors and patterns.  In total there are 256 mix and match combinations to chose from.   The bikini comes in full sets and as separates so you can go wild!  Full sets are available at a discounted price.

The backdrop for the outfits is the adorable Seraphim Pergola Lounge from Circa.  It is from the Seraphim hunt, that I think officially ended yesterday or today, but Cher told me she is leaving all her hunt items out until Monday.  It costs only a few lindens and includes everything you see in the top photo of the collage (except the tray).   It has several animations and sits many avatars.  Circa also has just released some new yummy drinks.  The Sangria tray is visually appealing and if you touch the pitcher it delivers a glass of sangria, making it a really nice item for parties and other gatherings.  You can also buy the new set of Mocktails.  It includes both drinks to wear and rez.  Note: I enhanced the colors a bit so that you can see the details of the drinks.

It may be the day to wear bandanas but there is no rule that says you cannot BUY hair on this last day of Hair Fair.  One of my fair favorites was pr!tty's Ally hair, particularly the Sophie pink color.  One of my guilty pleasures is watching America's Next Top Model (though the squealing is starting to really get on my nerves) and I loved Sophie in the last round of the show.  I'm showing the Ellio bikini again because I love them all!  OK, I'm off to do chores at my ma! Happy Sunday!

Credits:
Bikini: Boom: Ellio Bikini: New Release
Bandana: LeLutka: Faith for Bandana Day @ Hair Fair 2012.  You can purchase at any of the 4 sims
Hair: pr!tty: Ally @ Hair Fair 2012
Pergola: Circa: Seraphim Pergola: Hunt item out until Monday
Drinks: Circa: New Releases
Skin: Dutch Touch: Yri

meow

Zodiac, a new monthly themed event, opened for the first time yesterday.  One of my favorite stores, [HANDverk] is one of the participants.  Daphne Klossovsky modeled her Leo Claw Pumps after Christian Louboutin's Alex Paw Pumps and I think they are just amazing.  They are completely mesh and Daphne makes ever little bit of them herself.  They come in one color--lion--and are a steal at $L200.  Leo is a fire sign, like mine, Sagittarius, and I've dated more than my share of Leo's in my day. I wonder if someone will make a big horse's behind for my sign; it would be fitting.  [HANDverk] is also involved in the Hope for Emilia event which raises funds for victims of the earthquake in Emilia, Italy.  The Copper Ring and Silver Earrings of the Hammered Metal jewelry items are 100% donation items and Daphne's partner, Tobias Convair, also has a chair available at 100% donation.  

Credits

Shoes: [HANDverk] Claw Pump - Leo: available at Zodiac

Jewelry: [HANDverk] Hammered Metal Jewelry: available at Hope for Emilia

Shirt: Kyoot: Prey Bustier: available at Zodiac

Shorts: Miel: Fit Shorts

Hair: LeLutka: Salome: available at Hair Fair 2012

Skin: Glam Affair: Leah - Spring Breeze

Lashes: FlugeIn Brise: Eyelash02 matel

You can be Bad on your Birthday

Sometimes it's healthy to strip off my good-girl image.  I have a thing for blindfolds.  !Je Suis makes it's glam with diamonds.  *L.inc* never fails when it comes to sexy clothing. *YS&YS* has three new skins at CHIC Management's 2nd Birthday event.  All these items are new and exclusive at CHIC2 until June 24th.

Credits: (Visit the CHIC2 page for all the info you need) TP to start shopping!
Dress: *L.inc* Nicki dress - black sequin @ C2
Blindfold: !je suis aveugle diamond studded blindfold... yummm @ C2
Skin: *YS&YS* Irene 10 w Sensual Lip makeup @ C2
Hair: LeLutka: Daisy
Ring: [HANDverk] Geode Ring for Mesh Around Hunt

Blue in Green

I'm just talked out. Rejoice! Credits say all.

Please refer to the Chic Management website to find a map and slurls to all things Culture Shock 2012.

Credits 

Dress: Celoe: June Dress - Lake - CS2102 exclusive (100% donation)

Skin: Glam Affair: Giselle - Culture Shock (100% donation)

Shoes: YS&YS: Brera - Gloss Taupe

Jewelry: Donna Flora: Laura - amazing sale - hurry for 70% off selected items

Hair: LeLutka: Jolie

Chair: Estetica: Mod Cafe Chair - from the lights set, incl. 7 poses (50% donation)

Lamp: Lisp: Rainy Day Umbrella Floor Lamps (50% donation)

Culture Shock: Colour Shock

One of the fashion trends that continues this summer, inside and outside SL, is color blocking.  It's nice that SL is on-trend as often it lags a bit.  Step into Culture Shock 2012 and you will see it everywhere - clothing, accessories and home decor.  My natural clothing tendencies go toward neutrals but I am enjoying this trend, especially since often the design is very clean and mod.  I am going to show you just a sample of items that I found at Culture Shock that fit this bill.  I think one of the tricks with color blocking is to choose accessories wisely so you don't end up looking like a coloring book.  I've exaggerated my looks a bit here to show you the range of items so you can find ways to add color to your look.

Sleeping Koala hit it out of the ballpark for me with the Bold Print Dress (100% donation) above. It is so mod and while the colors are bold they have been toned down just enough for me to not feel overwhelmed. It is partial mesh, which in this case means you can have a smooth mesh skirt prim or the usual one.  I actually liked the normal prim as she uses two pieces and sometimes I am too lazy to unlink (lol).  Speaking of skirt prims, nothing irritates me more than a nonmodifiable skirt prim, especially when there is not even a resizer.  Have you seen the variety of hip width and buttock size in SL? Anyways,  I laid off on the accessories as I chose Wasabi Pills Shiori (50% donation) hair as well as the Gwen skin from CIA Designs (50%) as they were both in very bold tones.   If you know me at all you know I am a huge mid-century furniture fan and if I see it I have to have it!  As soon as I saw the items from [HAND]verk I started to get the happy brain sensation I get when I see really well made high-design items.  In this photo the marshmallow sofa and starburst clock, amazing replicas of Herman Miller and Howard Miller items, are actually sold at FaMESHed, but the teaset in the style of Bauhaus designer Marianne Brandt, is at Culture Shock and is their gift to you.  Lastly, the adorable little radio from {what next} comes in 5 versions and reminds me of old Fisher Price toys, which I am an avid collector of in RL.

Apple May's new dress, Danni, is available in the Retro version exclusively at Culture Shock (50% donation). The top of the dress is mesh and comes in 4 standard sizes. I find that often even with Standard Sizing I often have to make adjustments to my shape or go up a size to get the right fit but this fit perfectly!  Please demo the dress as it is mildly revealing though I didn't notice the bit of nip until I had been stomping around in it for a day.  The dress includes clothing layers and the skirt is not mesh.  Ingenue has released new mesh boots, Jude, and the mustard color that I am wearing are a 100% donation item.  The purse is part of an adorable pose set from Sparrowtree Studio poses and includes 5 poses, poseballs and 5 purses.  The poses also work well with other purses so it's a great deal.

I adore the skin from Acide!  All of the Muriel skins are new and exclusive for Culture shock and this particular version, Violet tan, is a 50% to charity version.  Mons wonderful sparkling eyes are a 50% donation item.  I've been wearing these since I got them and I've been a die hard devotee to my other eyes for ages.  You can see a tiny glimpse of [HAND]verk's Bauhaus Face Necklace here. I am going to do another post about their designs as it's my new obsession and I will show the full set there.

Not exactly color blocked but bold in their own way are The Plastik's Katyana top (100% donation) and YS&YS's exclusive Brera CS2012 shoes (100% donation).  Both items worked perfectly with a pair of skinny jeans.  I am wearing YS&YS's CS2012 exclusive Roxanne skin (50%) donation which tones perfectly with the shoes (bonus!). It's gorgeous and I will get a better face shot soon.

Finally, alterego's cute Candy Dress (50 % donation) is all mesh and also sized perfectly with my XS shape.  The dress comes in three color blocked version and includes necklace, earrings and hair bow.  I laid off the hair bow because Wasabi Pill's Shiori hair comes in all of the usual fantastic textures.  The Brera shoes from YS&YS are available in other colors and the Gloss Fuxia pair were perfect.  I fell in love with la petite morte's Diffused Makeup and the blue was a perfect matchy matchy!

The Color Blocking Prop I used in the bottom 3 photos is from Magpie is perfect for a strong pop of color.  It contains 6 separate poses that are well placed for still shots.  The object is modifiable so you can adjust poses for your avatar. This is also at Culture Shock.

Each shop at the Culture Shock event has at least one item where a portion of the proceeds benefits Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders). I had to stop by there today and noticed they have upped the script limit to 75 so make sure you remove HUDS and items that contain a lot of scripts.  I noticed one woman repeatedly trying to get in with nearly 500 scripts on her body.  That will not cut it and I for one am thankful that this decision was made.

Credits (any items from Culture Shock will not have a slurl by them.  You can go to the Chic Management webpage and find a complete map and list of slurls for all the stores.  Once you have passed the landing point you can use those to directly TP around the sim.

Photo 1:
Dress: Sleeping Koala:  Bold Print Dress
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Shiori
Skin: CIA Designs: Gwen
Poster: What Next: Got Music? - gift!
Radio: What Next: Retro Radio
Tea Set: [HAND]verk: Tea Infuser Set - gift!
Marshmellow Sofa and Spoke Clock: [HAND]verk at FaMESHed
Noguchi Table: I've had it forever

Photo 2/3
Dress: Apple May: Danni - Retro
Boots: Ingenue: Jude
Skin: Acide!: Muriel
Necklace: [HAND]verk: Bauhaus Faced Necklace
Hair: LeLutka: Toni

Photo 4
Top: The Plastik: Katyana Top - Revolution Culture Shock 2012
Shoes: YS&YS: Brera Pumps Culture Shock 2012
Ring: [HAND]verk: Black Wassily Ring
Jeans: Maitreya: Mesh Zipper Skinny Jeans
Skin: YS&YS: Roxanne

Photo 5/6
Dress: alterego: Candy Dress
Shoes: YS&YS: Brera Pumps Gloss Fuxia
Skin: YS&YS: Roxanne
Makeup: la petite morte: Diffused Makeup
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Shiori

Photos 4 - 6
Magpie: Colour Blocking Prop

Color Challenge meets Culture Shock

Late to the game as always on the Color Challenge.  I will never be first but possibly last, just like being picked in gym class.  This week's color challenge was Thistle and it was not as easy as I first imagined it to be.  It's kind of a lavenderish pink and purple is not generally my thing.  My old (2009) dress from TART (now Evale) fitted the bill just about perfectly but then I chose the remainder of items from the upcoming Culture Shock 2012 event. 

Chic Management hosts some of the best events on the grid and the 2nd annual Culture Shock event aims to incorporate the cultural influences of those involved.  This event, sponsored by Modavia Productions, is also a charity event where each of the 184 stores involved must include at least one EXCLUSIVE item where at least 50% of the proceeds will benefit charity. The chosen charity is Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) for the second year.  The event opens tomorrow, 4.4, at 4 PM SLT and runs through May 26th.  It is important to note that some things have been done to create less lag and one of them concerns you.  If you have more than 50 scripts running on your avatar you will not be able to gain entrance.  Right click yourself on most viewers and you can retrieve that information.  Some scripts are more taxing than others so be aware of what you are wearing.

I always love Wasabi Pills mesh hair selection and the amazing MissAllSunday Lemon has created yet another lovely piece for Culture Shock, called Shiori.  Wasabi provides a "BOOBS" version of the hair for those of you who are endowed as well as tattoo hair-bases and a HUD to change band colors (easy to detach and that script is gone!).  The skin from YS&YS is exclusive to Culture Shock and comes with about a billion options from cleavage to brow colors to lashes and freckles.  I am wearing the teeth version and I love it.  I generally despise teethies in SL because I look ridiculous in them but this one is subtle enough to make my purist heart happy. I added the sweet lip tattoo from Redbird, which is a new store to me, from their Candied Lip pack (as well as an older Lelutka eyeshadow to get the color challenge effect).  The Shocking Eyes are new from Mons. These are a donation item and are really bright and and clear with enough dark tones to give them a nice depth.  Last but not least, I love A.S.S.'s new Decade Rings.  The rings include a hud so that you can change the texture (again detach and no scipts).  They best fit a large hand, but I like em!  Even my pose from Status was found at the event!  

You can access Culture Shock 2012 beginning tomorrow, 4.4, at 4 PM SLT.  A zoomable map with a complete listing of slurs  is available so you can find your favorite stores or enjoy wandering and discover someone new to you.  The landing point is here. 

Credits (the slurls will be to the actual stores - use the links just above to find the shops when Culture Shock opens)

Dress: TART (now closed): Mia - reopened as Evale) - not at CS2012
Ring: A.S.S. : Decades Ring - Key 
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Shiori
Skin: YS&YS: CS2012 - Roxanne
Lips: Redbird: Candied Lips - Strawberry
Eyeshadow: Lelutka: Makeup1 (I think I got it with a skin - lol) - not at CS2012 but Celoe is!
Pose: Status: Glamah Shotz5

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

Color Challenge: Alice Blue

I'm a bit behind the 8-ball doing the color challenge this week.  RL and my inventory took over my time on Monday but with some new releases and events to cover I am moving back into major blogging mode.  However, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't do Luna Jubilee's weekly color challenge.  Being a northern girl, it appeals to my sense of climate and happily I didn't have to don an Alice in Wonderland dress as this color a color that was favored by Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth. The dress is a golden oldie of mine, a DCNY dollarbie for New Year's 2010 as well as other things found in the treasure trove which is my inventory.

Details:
Dress: DCNY: Gloria Dress - Ice Blue
Hair Ornament: Natural: Triste - White/White - awesome hair pieces for a song!
Necklace: GField: 2011 Holday Flower Gift Necklace - Ice Blue
Hair: LeLutka: Rykiel - Arctic
Skin: Glam Affair: Amelie Skin - Contessa (from a previous TDR)
Nails: Candy Nail: #P050 - Pure Blue
Makeup: Cheap Makeup: Warhol's Muse

Then and Now

More Vintage Fair goodness to share.  I have heard from so many friends that they are having an impossible time navigating Vintage Fair.  The lag is thick and folks continue to go there heavily primmed. I empathize because it's fun to get all fussed up but the biggest favor you can do for yourself and others is reduce the amount of scripted objects you wear.  A high arc is only going to hurt you but so many objects we adorn are scripted.  Most people have you derendered anyways.  I am going to try and remember to show details of items, especially accessories, because I know that textures often load fuzzy.  I needed to go there to check the details of an item and the first thing I noticed were people AFK at the landing point.  If I could boot you from the sim I would.

One of my favorite items from Vintage Fair was Connors Georgette Cocktail dress.  It fit me divinely and the textures on it do so much to accentuate the female figure.  It is adorned with lovely florets on the side and back and the lowered skirt prims give it a great flapper feel.  I accented the dress with the Queen Sophie jewelry set from Ripe, which is available in a "traditional" version that has pearls and standard metals as well as "nontraditional" versions that have more color accents in the stones and metallic texture.  I fell in love with Dilly Dolls new shoe releases after Hempy wore some for a previous post and I ended up having to buy the adorable Cura pumps. I picked up the medium color pack because I am so darn practical and they can be worn with so many of the looks at the fair.  They have about a billion color options to select from in an easy to use HUD.

The thing that struck me immediately about the Connors dress was how easily it could be used as a sophisticated contemporary dress with some simple hair and accessory changes.  I used the classic Wish style from Elikatira and my most favorite Saffron Pumps from LeLutka.  The jewelry is a new release from U&R Dogs for the Vintage Fair.  The Caro Mio Ben set continues the meticulous attention to detail that I know I can count on from U&R.  Even large earrings such as shown here have such a sense of elegance.

The skin I am wearing in all the photos in this post is the very glamourous and understated Vintage - Ritz skin from Curio.  I've been just loving some of the new skins that Gala Phoenix of Curio has been creating and this one has an amazing combination of purity and detail.  The skin packs contain 4 tone options that have subtle gradations in shading: Lights and Darks in 2 options.  The packs also contain a Vintage Brow Pencil tattoo layer which I am showing in the larger photo on the contact sheet.  I chose the Petal tone for the Vintage look as it is in keeping with the era. In the modern version I chose the Sundust shade for more color.  These are a lovely set to have around, not only for purely vintage looks but any time you want to have an understated and classy look.

Classy ladies insist on wearing the right undergarments as a foundation for their ensemble but there is no rule that says they must be frumpy.  My friends tease me all the time for wearing too many prims and dressing like Bea Arthur but they have no clue that underneath all that is my penchant for sexy lingerie.  I'm just confident enough to not have to show all my goods for free...rofl!  d.select, rebranded from DeTaleZ, went uber sexy with the yummy Negligee for the Vintage Fair.  This item is made solely from clothing layers so you can wear it underneath an outfit and not have to worry about any prims.  Again, the textures are a dream.  I will be putting these to a lot of use!

The Chic Management website, which organized the Vintage Fair, now has a page that contains a map of the fair (2 sims) as well as direct slurls to the shops.  The Fair runs through December 3.  It is well worth the visit. Rarely have I been so impressed with the quality and selection of items as I have seen here.

Credits:
Photo 1
Dress: Connors: Georgette Lace Cocktail Dress: located on Fred Astaire Lane
Jewelry: Ripe: Queen Sophie Jewelry Traditional (Gold): located on the corner of Tina Turner Drive and Cary Grant Avenue
Shoes: Dilly Dolls: Cura Pumps Medium: located on Audrey Hepburn Blvd
Skin: Curio: Vintage Ritz (shown in all photos in Petal and Sundust tones): located on North Street
Hair: booN: ELG108 chocolate
Photo 2
Dress and Skin: see above
Jewelry: U&R DogsU&R Dogs: Cara mio ben earrings and bracelet: located on Tina Turner Drive
Shoes: LeLutka: Saffron Pumps
Hair: [e]: Wish
Photo 3
Skin: Curio: Vintage - Ritz: located on North Street
Photo 4
Lingerie: d.select: Lingerie Negligee: located on Fred Astaire Lane

Poses: All Poses for this post were done by Mavi Beck of Miamai for her Editorial Set, available at the fair on Rita Hayworth Ave. near North Street

The World Would Totally Suck if Everyone Was Like You

 

All the world's a stage,

                                             And all the men and women merely players;    
                                               They have their exits and their entrances,
                                             And one man in his time plays many parts...
                                              As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, Wm. Shakespeare

I've been in a very dark state of mind lately...and it does not take a genius to figure out.  My husband's birthday was 9/11 and he passed away suddenly at a young age in 2000.  So THE 9/11 was the first birthday without him.  My loss is nothing compared to that horrible day but at the same time I feel a connection to the event. Since the anniversary, I've been thinking a lot about transitions, particularly some of mine...from married to my soulmate to a single parent with a busy career and now that my child is older trying to find my happy place again.  This is just a thing I need to dig myself out of and I've come far, but if my posts seem weird or off or whatev (than usual), please bear with me. 

There are 2 looks I love.  One is very tailored and clean, and the other is a bit more bohemian and funky.  The new dresses from Fashionably Dead at Collarbor88 absolutely fit my sensibility. I think I need to go back and get every color but like usual, my mouse finger instantly went for the black.  It's quite sheer on it's own, quite fine by me, but also makes it fun to play peekaboo with various colors.

I love myself some Ellantha Larsson and she has just come out with some new stuff in time for Jewelry Fair, which opened today.  Puritan Spirit is a rerelease of a piercing she made a year or so ago and has been completely revamped with new textures, shadows and all the bells and whistles.  It includes a nifty new HUD so you can have a field day with options.  Best of all, it is her charity item and is only 100 L.  Get it or forever rue that you didn't.  Here is a lovely photo of the HUD for your SL enjoyment.

Credits:
Dress: Fashionably Dead: Dead Wheat: exclusively at Collabor88
Stockings: Coquette: Ripped Fishnet Stockings: store closed long time
Shoes: haute.monde: Bilson Wedges - Black
Piercings: Ellabella: Puritan Spirit: @ Jewelry Fair 2011
Bracelet: grasp: Heaven Bracelet
Undershirt: JustB: Tweed Jumpsuit - Slate
Hair: LeLutka: Toni
Skin: tres blah: C88 Neon Corner w/ GreenBlue Shadow tat: exclusively at Collarbor88
Chair: Glitterati: Wingback Chair: Male (sure, sure): Today only 50 L for FLF!!!
My good pal, Chuck: Deco Greenhouse: Gnome
Photobox: Tableau Vivant: The Crow Stage: Group Gift

Hair Fair: Lelutka and Other Things I'm Loving

I'm a bit behind on my posts for Hair Fair.  This time of year is always busy with the holiday and several family birthdays all in the course of a week.  However, I need to do my own share of squeeing and loving and I had to start with LeLutka.  I did not purchase all the hair but I did have some favorites which I will show.

I completely fell in love with Shoop from LeLutka. I swear I don't know why I don't just instantly fatpack these and toss out half my hair that I've stopped wearing since Thora Charron has been hitting one home run after another lately with gorgeous hair.  The amazing scalloped hair band and the Bridget Bardot frame across the face are hard for me to pass.  The Natilde skin from haut.monde is another one of my new obsessions.  I picked up my first set recently during a pre-release for Lazy Sunday or something like that and I've ended up joining the group and have become a huge fan.  More on the skin later.  I am going to have to show you more of Boom's new Element tanks that can be layered over her Everyday tanks as this shot does not do them justice.  They come in 29 different color options and make a normal tank all kinds of sexy.

I love messy hairstyles.  In RL my hair is slick straight so messy just means it hangs there yawning and LeLutka has been doing amazing tousled styles lately. Loose is another hair I just should have fatpacked!  Quickly get over to Peqe!  Peqe is celebrating it's first anniversary and have at least one item in each style marked 50% off.  I love her sculpts and picked up the M.I. Dress and matching Keira boots along with umm a "few" other things at great prices.  Role Optic's new Advantage sunglasses notch up the style just to where I want it.  2 new styles for both men and women are hud driven and come with 9 colors that can be changed on various parts of the frame for many combinations.  The lenses are also adjustable as well as options for flares.  I love their glasses, which are not just textures on a prim, and are impeccably made.

Back to haut.monde.  I was shopping with Jacqui, which is a sure way for me to go broke.  I wanted to show her the new shoe releases there and she did her "OOOO" thing which is pretty much a dangerous thing.  We started demoing the Natilde skins which we both had picked up a pre-release version of a few weeks ago and she starts her "Eden that is so you" talk and I had to agree.  I looked great and cuter than her.  The most awesome thing?  For 700 or 800 L you don't get just one skin... you get a fatpack with a whole bunch of makeup layers for a fun day of SL Barbie!  FYI - the base layer does not have a mouth but it includes several tat layer lips. I IMed Teresa Republic, the creator and one of my new goddesses, who assured me my graphics card hadn't croaked on me and that this is how it should be.  I'm sure some people would rather I not have a mouth in hope I would not say some of the things I say in IM.

Lots of good times for all can still be found at Hair Fair '11.  Lelutka can be found on Sim 1 and a complete list of slurls can be found on the Hair Fair blog as well as all kinds of tips to make it easier to visit.

Credits
Hair: Lelutka: Swoop, Loose: LeLutka @ Hair Fair '11
Skin: haut.monde: Natilde
Eyes: Glam Affair: Stella V2 - 14
Dress: Peqe: M.I.
Tanks: Boom: Everyday and Element Tanks
Shorts: Whippet & Buck: Saeya Resort Suit Shorties
Glasses: Role Optic: Advantage I
Shoes: Peqe: Keira Boots
           Miami: Deco Rumba Fly @ My Second Wardrobe

G Field Group Gift

GField just sent a cute and feminine gift to their subscriber group today.  With the conclusion of Culture Shock, the new maxi skirts have been moved to the main store and Cerberus Noel has also released new puff-sleeve tops.  A yellow version of each is a gift to us!  Thank you, Cerberus, for your kind generosity!

Credits:
Outfit: *G Field*: Group Gift: Puff Sleeve Top and Maxi Skirt - Yellow: Subscriber Gift
Necklace: Addiction: Alluring Necklace: from Lazy Sunday set of awesomeness: Still out @ 75 L
Skin: Idiosyncrasy: Natasha -Natural 6: released at Skin & Shape Expo and now at Main Store
Hair: LeLutka: Rykiel - Sweden
Hair Accessory: Pididdle: Feather Extensions

Skin & Shape Expo 2011: Idiosyncrasy

Ashia Tomsen, the creator and genius behind Idiosyncrasy, will forever hold a very special place in my heart. Ash was one of the first people with whom I revealed my obsession with all things fashion in SL.  Ashia is the person that started me blogging and she is one of the the most savvy, honest women I've had the honor to meet in SL.  Ashia has been making skins for several years now and she is undoubtedly a stickler.  Any skin you get from Idiosyncrasy has been painstakingly made and checked from top to toe hundreds of times for imperfections.  Her new line, Natasha, named for a treasured friend, receives it's inspiration from the rebellious spirit of Biba cosmetics as well as MAC's Surf Baby collection.  It premiers exclusively at Skin & Shape Expo 2011, which runs through May 22nd.

Natasha is available in 3 skin tones: Pale, Natural and Dark.  Each single pack contains 12 skins with 3 cleavage options, teeth options, light and dark brows, as well as a dark and light tat layer hair base and a full body tattoo layer.  Ashia is nothing if not thorough.

I wanted to show you the full body tattoo layer because Ashia has so carefully placed freckles in proportion to where they would fall in real life.  Ash doesn't do anything half way and the grid is a lovelier place for it.

Skin & Shape Expo 2011 is donating to Direct Relief International and each store has at least 1 items where 100% goes to the charity.

Credits:
All Skins: Idiosyncrasy: Natasha: Makeups 01 through 07 shown in serial order in various brow, teeth and freckle options.  There is also a natural base layer in each shade that also includes all the various options.  They are exclusively available right now at Skin & Shape Expo here. ]
Hair:  Pale 01: Elikatira: Comfort; 02: 69: Keri
          Medium 06: Elikatira: Me; 07: LeLutka: Rykiel
          Dark 03: Elikatira: Mood; 04: Mina: Thulani
          Body Shot: Medium08: LeLutka: Rykiel
Bathing Suit: Mimikri: Starlet Bikini