Tea Leaves

Wow! It's been a week since I've been back from the Dandy's and I've barely had a decent chance to sit down and blog, so I'm hopelessly behind.  Most of this week had stunningly perfect early summer days to be outside or working on the house with all the windows open, so I took advantage before the muggy summer set in.  I've wanted to talk about Cory Edo of Trompe Loeil's NYC66 skyhome that is available this month at Collabor88.  I am a huge Mad Men fan and loved Don's Park Avenue apartment from the moment I saw it and am so thrilled to see it replicated for us in SL.  I make no secret of my love for all things mid-century modern and this is a perfect setting.  The fact that the skybox is partially furnished in fully animated furnishings is a bonus.  The apartment is modifyable and I did a bit of messing around with the original to show you.  I switched out the living room seating with different colors that you can pick up at C88 for 88 Lindens each and I easily altered the tint of the carpet.  There are 9 photo frames throughout the build for you to drop in your own photos.  The skybox is also copyable so you can rez it over and over again when you want to start fresh. 

Chic2 continues for another week and is chocked full of great items that have been made new for the event.  I thought that Bilo's mesh Talullah dress was perfect for my Betty Draper look.  I added CIA Designs bolero jacket to gussy it up for a day on the town.  I added [HANDverk]'s new Octopussy jewelry for an accent.  The jewelry is all mesh and is unrigged so you can resize it as you need.  It is available for the remainder of June for Stumblebum.

Credits:
Dress: Bilo: Tallulah - maroon @ Chic2
Jacket: CIA Designs: Black Bolero Jacket @ Chic2
Skin: al vulo: Baba2 - coquette custard @ Chic2
Hair: LeLutka: Bonjour
Shoes: Ingenue: Freynii
Purse: je suis: Coquet bag: was exclusive to Culture Shock 2012
Jewelry: [HANDverk]: Octopussy - soothing saffron: note new store location!
Skybox and all furnishings: Trompe Loeil at Collabor88!
Poses: Estetica: Chic @ Chic2

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

Color Challenge: Deep Pink

Jacqui should really be around for this one because she is definitely the pink girl of the Crybabies but I'm no slack when it comes to the color.  I didn't need to dig far to find the color in my inventory as I had just hit the Mesh Me Up sale at Purple Moon, where all of the new items in the mesh collection are just L$59.  We've all seen plenty of tube and balloon mesh dresses by now but this one has wonderful pleating that reminds me of some of my favorite non-mesh MichMi dresses.  It's chic and elegant and and comes in satins (solids and gradients) and leathers for the sale, which runs through the 20th.  The Cachet shoes are one of my favorite newer releases from Baby Monkey.  Pixieplumb Flanagan finds a wide selection of her shoes for each weeks color challenge and offers a 50% discount to group members.  The group is usually 250 to join but every month she offers a free-join weekend and as of this moment it is free to join (and she is not online to change it) so if you hurry you can get in for free! Je Suis' short Aimee necklace works perfectly with the dress and since so many of her items are color change it was easy to make matchy.

Credits:
Dress: Purple Moon: Audrey Tube Dress - Gradient Pink Satin
Necklace: Je suis: Aimee
Shoes: Baby Monkey: Cachet Pumps
Hair: Truth: Georgina
Skin: Glam Affair: Linn - Natural 06
Pose Prop: Sparrowtree Studio: Circles of Light - currently at Culture Shock 2012

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

Factory Girl

Ingenue's latest release is aptly named Sedgwick. I'm assuming so as it conjures up images of Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol's "Superstar" of 1965, who's trademarks were mini dresses and chandelier earrings among other things.  I adore all things mod and love that Betty Doyle did these dresses, with their Jetson/Lost in Space flair and would love to see more along this line.  This dress works because of it's splashes of color and could be accessorized in a myriad of ways.  You can find it in 4 yummy colors along with the fabulous Bridget flats only at Collabor88 for a month.

Credits:
Dress: Ingenue: Sedgwick Dress - Lime: exclusively at Collabor88 for only 88 L!
Shoes: Ingenue: Bridget Flats - Lime: exclusively at Collabora88 for only 88 L (you will never get these colors at the main store)
Hair: .lamb: Sleepyhead
Skin: Laq: Tess2
Earrings: Kycies: closed - :( I know!
Bangles: Je Suis: Asymetrique
Pose Prop: Behavior Body: Photo Room: Free (TY, Anto, you are always so generous)