It's not over until the fat lady sings

Culture Shock ends on the 26th but I am going to show stuff until the end: 1) there is too much good stuff to show yet and 2) the charity,  Médecins Sans Frontières, has challenged Chic Management to donate 2 Million lindens and approximately 575,000 still needs to be earned.  Each designer involved is offering at least 2 items where at least 50% of the proceeds go to charity. There are a few other stores, Aura and Ladies Who Lunch, come off the top of my head, that are offering a percentage of all sales to charity.  So go shop... open 24 hours a day... no script limits...hurr

I really wasn't planning on doing this post but I somehow ended up in this outfit so it occurred organically.  The awesome mesh theatre seating from Captivity Company is one of her sweet props at Culture Shock.  It has both male and female animations (but no sexys) and the poses are adjustable.  Don't forget that YS&YS has some skins that are exclusive to Culture Shock and will soon be gone.
Wasabi Pills has just released a new summer version of the Lola hair with cute pigtails and it had a hint of retro that worked just right today.  And then, to my utter glee, Tiffy Vella from Eclectica let me know about her new retro glasses.  This totally made my day as I have drooled over her amazing work for a long time and was always too shy to approach her.  What a nice lady who makes great stuff!  The 50's glasses come in either a rhinestone or pearls pack and they are infinitely changeable.  The scripting is very elegant and you can independently change texture, colour and shine in the frames, lenses and decorative details.  Below you can see the City shade that actually shows a skyline.  These are truly magnificent.  She has also updated some of her older styles and if you have those please contact her for a free upgrade.  Many of those are unisex.  I have no qualms recommending these as a great investment.

Ingenue has some spiffy new mesh boots at Culture Shock.  The mustard pair are exclusive to CS2012.

So I've been so busy between RL and blogging when I come in-world that I have not been shopping in ages and had to take a quick trip to The Wash Retro Swap Meet.  I tped to Bliensen & MaiTai's stall for the glamourous Pleasantville earrings for only 10 L each.  There are four colors to chose from as well as some sweet art deco ones.  Lo and behold! Artilleri was right next to Bliensen and I found some stuff I didn't already have.  This leo version of the Ulrika top was new to me.  I remember getting a different print at a FLF.  Speaking of FLF, she has a few of her old FLF items out, now for only 10 L so if you hesitated go pick them up now.  Ear Candy on the other side of Bliensen also had some cute mesh bags and jewelry for only 10 L.  Then I had to force myself to stop.

Ok, last blip.  [HANDverk], if you've seen my posts with them you know I love them.  They are going to be in an all mesh hunt in June and the amazing geode ring is one of their items.  It is unisex and you will not want to miss it!  

Credits: (please refer to the Culture Shock map and slurls for all event locations)

Prop: Captivity Company: Theatre Chair - at Culture Shock

Hair: Wasabi Pills: Lola Summer Hair: new release

Skin: YS&YS: Sofia Culture Shock - at Culture Shock

Lips: Redbird: sheer lipstick - at Culture Shock

Earrings: Bliensen & MaiTai: Pleasantville Earrings: 10 L at The Wash

Shirt: Artilleri: Ulrika Top - leo: 10 L at The Wash right next to Bliensen

Belt:  Ingenue: Traveler Belt

Boots: Ingenue: Jude Boot: at Culture Shock

Ring: [HANDverk]: Geode Ring for the Mesh Around Hunt coming June 1

Home Expo: Beachy Keen with Cory Edo

If you are in the mood to shop you've found the right time.  Some major events are happening right now,  many with the purpose of raising funds for charity.  Culture Shock 2012 comes to an end on May 26th and has raised well over a 1.4 million Lindens for the charity Médecins Sans Frontières.  The event has been fantastic and mesh is the star.  It's hard to imagine now what we ever did without it.  Chic Management has been challenged by the  charity to earn 2 million dollars so tp on over! The blue Mahvi Sequined Pants (mesh) from Miamai are an exclusive color at Culture Shock and a perfect tone for summer.  The sequined texture picks up all kinds of high notes making them really fun to dress up or down.  I'm in love with the Safari Back necklace from Finesmith and it is another Culture Shock exclusive so you really might want to get back for a last look before these are a thing of the past.

Before I get started on Home Expo I wanted to quickly mention that Mimi Coral from Cupcakes had her 8th Rezday yesterday and they are having an amazing sale on select items.  All clothing is 25 or 50 lindens, the Charm skin line is 50 L, several full perm templates for mesh clothing and skins are steeply discounted as well as discounts on eyes and some Model Kits.  Being a frugalista, I had to grab the St. Patrick's Day model kit for 50 L as it included the skin above in 3 tones, 2 mesh dresses, and several pairs of eyes.  I've been a Cupcakes supporter since before Mimi and Rosemary Galbraith merged their two stores; they are so generous and sweet.

This gorgeous piece of furnishing is from Trompe Loeil and makes it's debut at Home Expo 2012.  Home Expo 2012 is the largest home products event of the year and features 13 sims, musical entertainment, a breedables fair as well as a hunt, silent auction and a grid-wide raffle.  This event continues it's tradition of benefitting Relay for Life, the fundraising arm of the American Cancer Society.  The event has a short run of only 10 days, ending May 28th at 10 PM SLT.  Please follow this link for tons of information for the expo, including maps and slurls and a catalog of exclusive items.

The Tropical Beachside Bed above is a 100% donation item from Trompe Loeil.  It is a mesh product and with a land impact of 38 prims.  It comes in an instant set-up and includes everything seen here (except my land, lol).  Both the bed and the deck have single and couples poses.  The  sheltered bed, as well as each pillow and billowing curtains, have several texture changing options for a myriad of possibilites.

Another stunning Trompe Loeil offering with 100% of it's proceeds benefiting RFL is the Tropical Scoop Bed.  It is also a mesh product and is available in 3 wicker colors.  The deck is from the Beachside Bed above so is not included.  The Scoop has a touch-activated top that smoothly moves up and down for stargazing/sunbathing.  All fabric elements are individually texture change and I am showing a sample of colors available.  The palm trees in this photo are part of a mesh megapack of 48 trees that includes 3 models with 4 bark and 4 leaf textures for each.  This is also a 100% donation item and with the exceptional attention to detail that Cory Edo offers in this product you should never need another palm tree again.  Thank you, Cory!

Other Credits:
Hair: LeLutka: Rykiel
Tank: MichaMi: Washed Out Tank - Turquoise
Belt: fri.day: cinch belt

Color Challenge: Lemon Chiffon

I think I fell of the edge of the SLearth for a few days there but RL just got super busy.  I am trying to be diligent about Luna Jubilee's color challenge and this week's color, Lemon Chiffon, was just too pretty.  I'm getting ready to do about a billion posts for the end of Culture Shock and for Home Expo, but I had to go digging for some light summery yellows.  I was able to combine both old and new items for this look.  It started with Atomic's Summertime skirt, which I've had for 2 years now so it might be retired. Ingenue's Mon Petit Cami worked well under the highwaisted skirt.  I had to include Pididdle's new little mesh scarf, Parisian Summer, that is out at The Attic's adorable new collection. Baby Monkey's Erin pumps are out at a discount for group members as part of her weekly color challenge offering.  MissAllSunday Lemon from Wasabi Pills, has cranked out yet another amazing new mesh hair, Cookie.  This one is non-rigged mesh and has two resizable parts to it, the asymmetrical bang and the back so that you can edit their placement individually.  You really do amaze me!  Finally, Culture Shock ends on the 26th of May and the darling Postcard from the Beach pose prop from Magpie and the exclusive skin from Glam Affair are both charity items.

Location: my beach

[HANDverk]: How I love thee

Ok.  I am going to try to keep my nerdiness to a minimum but my passion is 20th Century designer furniture, particularly the first half of the century.  I discovered [HANDverk] when I was previewing Culture Shock and since that time I've grabbed about anything I can get from them.  [HANDverk] is the creation of Tobias Convair and his partner, Daphne Klossovsky.  From what I can garner it appears that Tobias makes the furnishings and Daphne, the jewelry and other wearables.  Both are stunning.  All of the [HANDverk] items are a mesh creation.  The jewelry is all unrigged so that you can make adjustments.

The Wassily Lounge Chair was created by Marcel Breuer in 1925.  Breuer was one of the protégés of the founder of the Bauhaus, which was a school in Germany that combined the fine arts and crafts and was founded on the idea of creating a "total" work of art in that all arts, including architecture were combined. The Bauhaus school was short lived as it was shut down by the Nazis in 1933 but it's impact has shaped our world.  The Wassily lounge chair, produced in RL by Knoll, can be found at the [HANDverk] booth at Culture Shock 2012, as well as the Wassily jewelry that I am wearing in the first four photos.  The jewelry is a very clever interpretation of the Wassily Lounge, something I think the members of Bauhaus would have enthusiastically embraced.

The Barcelona Chair was created by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929 for the German Pavillion for the Barcelona Exposition. Mies was director of the Bauhaus at one point but he is more often known as a modern architect.  His most famous building is the Seagram Building in Midtown Manhattan and you can find a number of his high-rise office towers in Chicago.  He is attributed with the aphorisms "Less is more" and "God is in the details", guiding principals of Minimalism but adopted for everyday language.  The Barcelona is also manufactured by Knoll.

The final set of jewelry at Culture Shock is the Bauhaus Face jewelry and is inspired by the Bauhaus logo.  It includes both gold and silver versions.

[HANDverk] does more than historical sets.  The Fan jewelry, which is featured this month at FaMESHed, is bold yet intricate and consists of many small pieces.   It is available in gold, silver and steel and includes both brown and black leather laces. I decided that it leant to a tribal look and so I had to wear la petite morte's fantastic tribal makeup in black.  It paired perfectly with YS&YS's Jenny Skin and Mon's Shocking eyes in brown.  These items are available at Culture Shock.

Just out today for Stumblebum is the Strand set.  Stand is available in four color combinations. I am wearing the "manic maize" set but is also available in crazed cerulean, lunatic lime and psychotic pink.  You can purchase the necklace and bracelets as a set or individually.  They are fantastic statement items and a must-have if you are looking for something new and vibrant.  You can purchase through the end of the month at a 25% discount so get them all now.  The Blanca skin from AKERUKA is an exclusive at Culture Shock and is gorgeous.  The yummy Wrapped & Strapped Bandeau from Pididdle comes in seven bright colors and can also be found at Culture Shock.

I wanted to show again the furniture items that are available at Culture Shock (does not include painting).  The table, lamp and tea set are all Bauhaus inspirations.

At FaMeshed you can get the Marshmallow Sofa and the Sunburst Clock.  I apologize for the ridgy appearance.  I'm on an older computer and sometimes I can get antialias under control and other times it seems to be impossible. Anyway, the Marshmallow Sofa was created by George Nelson in 1956 for Herman Miller. Nelson became the Director of Design at Herman Miller, which was one of the foremost creators of mid-century modern furniture.  Like the Wassily and Barcelona you can get reproductions of the Marshmallow sofa and a variety of Nelson clocks but the originals go for very high prices at auctions.  Nelson made several brillant clocks for Howard Miller and are now reproduced by Vitra Design Museum.

I could go on but I would bore most of you and probably get kicked off all the feeds unless they cut me off several pictures ago.  [HANDverk] has a fantastic blog that provides all kinds of other information about the items and their inspirations.  Daphne and Tobias are very gifted craftspeople and I cannot wait to see what they create next.

Credits: please refer to the Culture Shock website for a map and slurls to all CS items.  As of yesterday, Culture Shock had earned L$1,144,106 for Médecins Sans Frontières and every Culture Shock item I am showing today is donating a portion of the proceeds to charity.

Photos 1 - 4 and 8
Furniture: [HANDverk]: Wassily and Barcelona chairs, and Bauhaus Decor set are available at Culture Shock.  The tea set is also a stand alone gift at CS.
Lingerie: D.Select: Lingerie Negligee in black and cream
Shoes: Gos: Pimp your Pumps - Point Platform
Hair and makeup: ICON hair by Joy Laperriere (Shi) - go to the hair section at Euphoria
Skin: LAQ: Ebba

Photo 5:
Jewelry: [HANDverk]: Bauhaus Face Jewelry @ Culture Shock
Skin: Laq: Ebba
Makeup: Cheap Makeup: Zeitgeist Eye Makeup @ Culture Shock
Hair: ploom: Dusty Beehive

Photo 6:
Jewelry: [HANDverk] Fan Jewelry @ Famished
Skin: YS&YS: Jenny Skin CS2012 @ Culture Shock
Makeup: la petite morte: Tribal Makeup @ Culture Shock
Hair: Elikatira
Eyes: Mons: Shocking Eyes - Brown @ Culture Shock

Photo 7:
Jewelry: [HANDverk] Strand Jewelry for Stumblebum
Top: Pididdle: Wrapped & Strapped Bandeau - Ruby @ Culture Shock
Skin: Akeruka:  Blanca: Exclusive at Culture Shock
Eyes: Mons: Shocking Eyes - Green @ Culture Shock
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Clementine

Photo 9:
[HANDverk]: Marshmellow Sofa and Sunburst Clock @ Famished
   - Tea Set: See Bauhaus Decor Set above
 Table: Noguchi Table: an oldie of mine

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

Culture Shock: Orion / Di's Opera / Mango Mango

First off, my apologies for the blogging gap, but several RL obligations have kept me from doing much on SL this week besides checking messages and sorting out a few things.  Right now there are so many events going on, many being fundraisers for awesome charities, that it is difficult to decide where to go first.  Both Skin Fair and Culture Shock will be ending on May 22nd so if you've not made it to either, now is a great time to go.

Orion Gant of Orion does great things with sculpts in his clothing and I've picked up many pieces over time.  He has 3 items where a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders as well as a new dress that is one of my favorites.

Summer Flowers comes in four colors with a dramatic sculpted skirt and floral trim on top.  The sculpts are modify and copy so you can adjust it to fit your personal shape.  Sileny Noel, of Mango Mango, has the lovely Vintage Sweetie skin available at Culture Shock and it was perfect for the clean retro look I was going for with Orion's clothes.  It is available in five skin tones.

Sileny has included many options in each skin pack.  I love her freckles but it also includes a non-freckled version as well as cleavage and various brow options.  She also made a full body freckle tattoo layer that I just love and you can pick up at Culture Shock.

I've way too many leggings (and skin and hair and shoes and dresses and poses and houses, etc.) and I've been starting to thin them out but the Zebra leggings from Orion are becoming fast favorites for me.  I really like the shading on them with adds to their realism.  The sculpted bottoms include both a copy/mod version and a resize scripted pair so that you can fuss with them to get them just right.  I've been completely gonzo for Di's Opera's Old Luggage set, also at Culture Shock.  There are three different bags as well as special poses (one shown above) included in the set.   It my latest fix for pixelated retro items.

One of my friends calls this my Bo-Peep dress but I've also been called Florence Henderson and Bea Arthur and I adore the Arienette 2 Dress. The Custard version above is exclusive to Culture Shock and I love it because I could play this dress so many different ways.  It could easily get myself up like campy Bo-Peep or grunge it up with heavy boots and messy hair, but I'm not going for Look of the Day here. I want you to see the hard work Orion put into the sculpts on this dress. Again, its modifiable for your fitting needs.

I need to get back to Culture Shock and get another good luck before all the wonderful exclusive items are gone after May 22.  For a map and complete list of store locations visit here.

Credits: (Culture Shock slurls should direct you to each store)
Photo 1:
Dress: Orion: Summer Flower - Rose: available at Culture Shock
Bracelets: Mandala: Milky Way Bangles
Hair: fri.day: Tatum
Skin: Mango Mango: Vintage Sweetie - Pale: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Photo 2:
Leggings: Orion: Zebra Leggings (also available in blue): available exclusively at Culture Shock
Shirt: GField: Ruffle Tops: Turquoise: available at Culture Shock: this one was free!
Bag/Pose: Di's Opera: Old Luggage: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Shoes: Theosophy: Caerau Ribbon Pumps
Necklace: Bliensen & MaiTai: Beware of Wolves: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Hair: Truth: Trinity
Photo 3
Dress: Orion: Arienette 2: Custard: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Bag: Di's Opera: Old Luggage: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Necklace: Artilleri: Chunky Bead Necklace (I've had this piece forever so Im not sure its still available)
Hair: Clawtooth: Woman of the Year

Culture Shock: Bliensen & MaiTai

Plurabelle Laszlo, the creator behind the Bliensen & MaiTai, is a goddess. Nothing less describes her level of talent in jewelry making.  On a surface level her jewelry is gorgeous but what I particularly love about it is the humorous play on kink and the dark side that is evident in much of her work. Her charity items, of which 50% of the proceeds will be donated to Doctor's Without Borders, best exemplifies that aspect of her work.

Beware of Apples depicts scenes from the Prince's discovery of a dead Snow White.  Snow White, one of Grimm's collected Fairy Tales, is a story of jealousy, wish fulfillment and resurrection, as well as the polarization of women into evil and passive characters.

Beware of Wolves depicts Little Red Riding Hood alongside the wolf (Oh what big teeth you have!).  Most of are familiar with the Perrault  or Grimm version of the story about not talking to strangers, but this tale had been told in various forms as early as the the 14th Century about werewolf trials of the times.  In those versions the wolf leaves dead granny's meat and blood for poor Red to eat as well as disrobing her and throwing her cloak into the fire.  This story has so many levels of interpretation from naivity to sexual awakening to solar myths.

Geiko is a term for Geisha from the Kyoto districts, who is a woman trained to entertain men with conversation, dancing and singing.   Geisha are not prostitutes but often worked alongside the highest classes of courtesans. One primary way to tell the difference between geisha and maiko (courtesan) is that the makeup of a geisha is much more subtle.  Plurabelle offers two versions of Geiko in each set, a light and a bright pink, which I am guessing is a reference to this difference (or she might just say stfu). Anyways, they are simply stunning pieces with sublime texturing.

If you are still reading my text, you probably need a break from my thesis. Tomorrow's Cherries all depict cherry blossoms (viginity - lol).  What I love and you need to get close to the ads to really appreciate is Plurabelle's use of antique textures as the background for the blossoms.

The final piece she if offering at Culture Shock are the Yesterday's Bloom earrings.  I love this particular style of earring that she creates as it works so well with the mod style clothes I love to wear, especially with its starburst segment that could be interpreted as the skeletal remains of a spent blossom (you can take this from here by now, lol).  

Culture Shock remains open through May 22nd and is now very enjoyable to get through.  For a map of the event and a complete list of slurls visit here.  Each designer has provided at least 3 items where at least 50% of all proceeds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.  

Credits:

All Jewlery: Bliensen & MaiTai: available exclusively at Culture Shock

Skin: Fall Out / Fall In: Deliciouz skin: Devin: available exclusively at Culture Shock

Hair: Photo 1: Elikatira: Comfort

         Photo 2: mikan: Melmo

         Photo 3: le salon: Anna May: has been closed forever

         Photo 4: lamb: Babys On Fire

         Photo 5: lamb: Lost

Culture Shock: Swansong

If you've been avoiding Culture Shock because of worries of lag, crashing, no rezzing and all the other assorted good times that can accompany SL events now is your time to start going.  The sim is less crowded, probably because Skin & Shape Fair 2011 started today and that looks positively packed on the map.  I'm lucky enough to have some more items from both events to show but today I want to show you the gorgeous Siam Maxi from SwanSong.

AtomicSparkle Skytower, the creator at SwanSong as well as Atomic Bambi and Evoke, knows so well how to make gorgeous things!  Many of her outfits from SwanSong have a tropical and carefree attitude while maintaining elegance.   I've been picking up pieces from SwanSong since it opened and the Siam Maxi, with its halter top and open back, is one I will wear throughout this summer season.

SwanSong has 3 offerings for Culture Shock, each of which will donate 50% of the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders.  Each item is available individually as well as in a fatpack.  Culture Shock runs through May 22 so there is still lots of time to shop!  For a map and list of store slurls visit here.

Credits:
Dress: SwanSong: Siam Maxi (Ocean & Noir): available exclusively at Culture Shock
Skin: LAQ: Tess2
Hair: 69: Olivia 02 & Keri: both in Sandy Blonde which is only 50 L for a few more days! 

Culture Shock: Baiastice

One of the nice things about being an active fashion blogger in SL is the opportunity to occasionally preview events before they are officially open.  This results in a lot of work, too, but that isn't what I'm going for here.  My prolific blogging partner, Jacqui, IM'd me and told me I had to see Baiastice's Mattina chiffon dresses at Culture Shock because they were so me.   She knows me so well!

Sissy Pessoa, the hardworking designer of Baiastice, must have worked her fingers to the bone making these beautiful dresses.  The dress is primarily sculpted prims with all the requisite clothing layers.  Sculpted clothing is becoming quite prevalent in SL and those of you who have tried it know how difficult fitting can be.  Sissy has obviously put a lot of thought into that as the top comes in 4 sizes to fit a most avatars.  The sculpts are not resize scripted so if you have decent editing skills you can modify the top to fit your specific height and width requirements.  If you are anything like me and want to immediately start messing with the sizing,  I recommend you copy the pieces before you start messing with them or you could ruin these beautiful pieces.

The skirt on the dress is available in 2 versions; a multilayered option shown in the top photo and a single skirt as shown just above.  Again, these do not have a resize script so you can manually adjust as needed.  Again, copy before you edit, particularly on the layered skirt!  What truly impresses me about the skirts is that Sissy has added an AO with both walking and standing animations that let you avoid having your hands get buried in the sculpted pieces.  

The Mattina chiffon dress is available in 3 colors, mixed cold (blues/greens) mixed hot (pinks/golds) and royal (violets).  It is a a high quality piece that displays the breadth of Sissy Pessoa's talent that makes her a fashion leader.   The purchase of this dress benefits Médecins Sans Frontières, so please, reduce your scripts, brave the lag and pick it up!

Médecins Sans Frontières most recent donation total from Culture Shock is $L1,007,003.  This is more than $4,000 USD earned for the charity and the event runs through May 22.  We are blessed to have so many generous designers and caring individuals in SL!  For a complete map and list of slurls for all participants visit here.  

Credits:
Dresses: Baiastice: Mattina Chiffon Dresses: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Bracelet and Hair Ornament: Bliesen & MaiTai: Geiko: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Skin: Fall In: Deliciouz Skin: Dee (photo1) / Devin (photo2): available exclusively at Culture Shock
Shoes: Baby Monkey: Ultimate Ingrid - Lime
Hair: Elikatira: Away (photo 1)
         69: Jessica 01 (photo 2): currently only 50 L in new shades: Dusty Blond and Silver

Culture Shock: Ingenue

I've been a long-time fan of Betty Doyle, creator and designer for Ingenue.  Over time her pieces have become less "vintage" or strictly period pieces to include classic pieces that work with a wide variety of looks.  If I were to sum up Ingenue into a few key concepts it would be: impeccable quality, an eye for detail and timeless appeal.  Betty's work ranges from basic, well made pieces that are a wardrobe staple to clean, elegant outfits that amaze me with their sophistication.  Anything Betty makes, from clothing to shoes to accessories, has the same level of high quality, so I'm guessing she is a perfectionist and I am glad for it.  Her releases for Culture Shock have a sweet and springy flair and instead of continuing to fan-girl all over Betty I will get on to the photos.

The new Bicyclette tank also doubles as a body suit and has all the requisite layers you need.  It has a racer-back design and 100% of the proceeds of the Cocoa version benefit Doctors Without Borders.  I've paired it with LeeZu's new Yve pants.  I had a really hard time choosing which pair to buy!  The skin I am wearing in this post is another of Arcy Halfpint of Fall Out/Fall In's Deliciouz Skin in the Dee version.  I really love the glow added to the face of these skins.  Working perfectly with the outfit are Bleinsen & MaiTai's Yesterday's Bloom earrings.  The Lilly Bracelet is a new subscriber gift from Kouse's Sanctum.  TY, Kouse <3!

The Harvesting Daisies dress is a sweet little summer dress with perfectly made sculpted skirt.  I recently changed my body dimensions to be more curvaceous and it still fit me perfectly. I love the top that is part of the skirt and will totally wear it with other clothing.  I can see it with some high-waisted pants for a retro look. All proceeds from the emerald version benefit Doctors Without Borders.  I'm also wearing Bliensen & MaiTai's Beware of Apples necklace and earrings but will show them again in a feature post because they are way cool.

The Madeleine tank has a sculpted shirt and adorable bows at the shoulders.  Take a look at how well the sculpt fits!  I did no adjusting at all to the shirt.  It simply fits that well and the continuity of texturing is that good.  I try on, wear, buy, etc. a lot of clothes and trust me, they aren't all this well made.  All proceeds from the Sunshine (yellow) version benefits Doctors Without Borders.

Culture Shock continues to run through May 22nd.  Each designer must include at least 3 items that are exclusive to the event and at least 50% of the proceeds benefit Doctor's Without Borders.  Many designers have at least one item where 100% of sales benefit the charity.  For a complete list of participants and locations at Culture Shock, visit here.

Credits: (Culture Shock slurls should give you a beacon to the correct shop)
Photo1:
Shirt: Ingenue: Bicyclette Tank: Cocoa: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Pants: LeeZu: Yve Pants: Hippie Orange
Earrings: Bleinsen & MaiTai: Yesterday's Bloom: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Bracelet: Kouse's Sanctum: Lilly: subscriber gift: TY Kouse!
Skin: Fall Out / Fall In: Deliciouz Skin: Dee: Sweety: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Hair: LeLutka: Rykiel
Photo2:
Dress: Ingenue: Harvesting Daisies: Emerald: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Jewelry: Bliensen & Mai Tai: Beware of Apples: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Hair: Elikatira: Horizon
Photo3
Shirt: Ingenue: Madeleine Tank: Teal: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Pants: Ingenue: Katherine Trousers: Mink: available at main store
Hair: Love Soul: Hair*088: Cocoa

Culture Shock: Sassy Kitty / Di's Opera / Mango Mango!

Culture Shock is in full swing and runs through May 22nd.  150 of the best designers in SL have gathered to earn funds for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).  Today I have a variety of items to show you, including a freebie, from the event.

Sassy Kitty has a slew of items in which they are offering a portion of their profits to Doctors without Borders.  My personal favorite are the black Puffy Shorts, with it's undone belt and bloomer bottoms.  I'm a sucker for bloomers!  I paired it with the free gift from Somnia, an argyle corset and black bra.  The  bra and panties are available as a tattoo layer in addition to clothing layers, which is way cool.  I absolutely adore the Old Luggage set from Di's Opera.  It is one of Di Hoorenbeek's charity donations for the event.  The set includes 3 suitcases and high-style poses that rock because the suitcase doesn't eat into your body.  I am not using one of the poses here because I needed to show the pants but I will on another post.

The skin I'm wearing is from Mango Mango.  My pal, Sileny Noel, the creator of Mango Mango, worked her little tushy off for Culture Shock and has released her new Vintage Sweetie skin in bunches of tones and options.  It's a nice clean makeup so its easy to add eyeshadows as you choose.  She also made a full body freckly tattoo layer, which I am wearing.  Really cute, Sileny! <3

For a map and a complete list of slurls for culture shock visit here!

Credits: (Culture Shock slurls should direct you right to the store)
Shorts: Sassy Kitty Designs: Puffy Shorts Black: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Corset / Bra set: Somnia: Free gift available exclusively at Culture Shock: thank you, Sanura Snowpaw, for such a lovely gift!
Bag: Di's Opera: Old Luggage: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Skin: Mango Mango: Vintage Sweetie: Golden: available exclusively at Culture Shock
Hair: Elikatira: Escape
Tatoo: I<3 Rein: Power Doll (I am unsure if this store is still open)
Piercings: Ellabella: Star Child
Stockings: Pig: Argyle Sock M. Suspender - Ziegfeld S.
Boots: Coco: Lace-Up Work Boots