FFL: Mash-up

I am playing catch-up again on posting but I hope my excuse is allowed.  I have been working all week at Laughfest, which is a huge event in my city that raises funds for Gilda's Club, that provides support and education to people in the midst of cancer or the grief journey.  Research has shown that laughter is indeed good medicine and it has been a great honor to be involved.  I am a big supporter of FFL because I love how we in SL can also come together and provide help to worthy causes.  There is a huge perception that SL is a one big sex orgy, which is certainly there if you wish to partake, but I am entranced by the creative possibilities, especially when it helps others.  FFL is one of the big shopping trips I take each year (one of - lol) and thus I am showing a variety of items available, spiced up with Wasabi Pill's new hair releases and the occasional item from my huge collection of stuff.

It's hard to believe that only last year there was no mesh because it has so much steam behind it on the grid.  In each of my sets there is more than one mesh item and I am such a fan of it, especially for it's fluidity.  In the top collage I am wearing the Mari mini from Kim.  The prim skirt is mesh and comes in two versions.  There is a regular prim skirt for those of you who are not using mesh, but I can say that my range of movement was more restricted in the non-mesh version. The leather jacket from LaPoint & Bastchild is not mesh but uses the resizing system that I adore from their boots and I can see the practicality of it in a non-mesh format.  I am a fan of Je Suis and picked up both the eternelle necklace and earrings at FFL.  They are incredibly versatile pieces and all parts of it (stones, metal and band) are color change. All my hair is from Wasabi Pills, whom I think is heads and tails above others in creating one fantastic mesh style after another.

The outfit in the middle photo is a new release from Vanita's Vesture.  SarahTheRed Aurbierre is offering special editions of her upcoming Restless dress for FFL.  The top includes a blousy prim attachment but I was so in love with the mesh pencil skirt that I had to forego it and add a wide belt instead.  The mesh pencil skirt easily fit me and also includes a curvy version.  My avatar is slim to average in size though I have some junk in the trunk and strong legs but you will definitely want to try a demo since it is not based on standard sizing (I am usually a small using SS).  The jewelry is from Bliensen + MaiTai.  The Tick-Tock necklace is available in 3 different styles and the cute It's Time bracelet is Plurabelle's hunt item and includes adorable earrings.  The Nadine pumps are a cute new release from Baby Monkey and the metal studs on the back (which I forgot to shoot - sorry Pixie) are color changeable.

ArisAris, whom I was introduced to at the Back to Black event, has introduced mesh items at FFL.  The Balloon dress in chocolate comes in four sizes and includes a pretty brown bow that I did not add because I tend to be a rather strict adherent to limiting my number of accessories.  As Coco Chanel said, "A woman can be over dressed but never over elegant.”  The pretty Virginia shoes are also from ArisAris and I found the HUD to be user friendly with preset tones, as well as adjustment abilities and easy RGB entry.  The Suzie Q necklace from Bliensen + MaiTai is one of my favorite styles of hers and the earth version is available as a donation item at FFL.

As if I have not said enough, the skin I am wearing is different styles of Hush's Amy skin which is at FFL.  I had not worn Hush skin before and I really like it.  The skin is only available at FF and all proceeds will go towards charity.  Each skin includes 6 different skin tones, light and dark eyebrows, cleavage/no cleavage options and a modifiable shape (not shown).  At the booth at FFL there is a 200 L giftcard to Hush available for 25L and the FFL hunt item is a special version of her Paige skin in honey as well as another 200 L giftcard. I look forward to seeing more from Hush Darkrose.

Credits: (ALL FFL items are 100% donation items and FFL slurls will be to sim landing point)
p1:
Dress: Kim: Mari Mini - Red @ FFL
Jacket: Lapointe & Bastchild: S'Wear Drift Jacket - Black @ FFL
Jewelry: je suis: eternelle necklace @ FFL
Skin: Hush: Amy in KissMeBlue@ FFL
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Kumi Pony : new release

p2:
Dress: Vanita's Vesture: Restless Dress - Tangerine @ FFL
Belt: Pacadi Jasha - store is now closed :(
Jewelry: Bliensen + MaiTai: Tick-Tock necklace: Sakura
                                              It's Time bracelet: hunt item - both @ FFL
Shoes: Baby Monkey: Nadine Pump - Antique Gold @ FFL
Skin: Hush: Amy Skin in Glossy Grape @ FFL
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Monique2: newer release
Purse: House of Fox: SteffaniLux tote

P3:
Dress: ArisAris: Balloon Dress Chocolate @ FFL
Shoes: ArisAris: Virginia Tan @ FFL
Necklace: Bliensen + MaiTai: SuziQ - Earth @FFL
Skin: Hush: Amy Skin in Sultry Sage @ FFL
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Kumi : new release
Bag: Pididdle: Anya Tote

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!