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!