In or Out?

It has been snowing all day. The pond is finally frozen over and people are skating…



I am a wuss when it comes to the cold. I am not even wearing boots…



Ice fishing anyone? Ignore me as I perform a perfect face plant in the snow…



I have been here before…years ago I wandered in here one September and a guy in a red suit gave me the grand tour. I am told he is really busy…



My kids have a snow day today. I am told that our ski hills will be opening a week early. Winter is not officially here for another few weeks but don’t tell Jack Frost!

Credits: Pics shot @ New England Lakes, All Poses by Rogan Diesel of Dieselworks Kalli & Cyn {R}. Skin by Glam Affair Eva Skin Winter Makeup (Dressing Room), Outfit by Jane (All on Sale) aviator Jacket (raven), Essence Pants (raven), Aviator Sweater (blush), Shoes Surf Couture Saturday Moccasins (black), Hair (with hat) Clawtooth Cuddle Puddle (Vampire Red) (sale).

Don’t Look Back..

Because of time restrictions, I have been to a large part absent from the Blogging community for the last couple of months. I have shopped on the run, blogged on the run, and basically taken only a passing notice of thing that have been happening. I have noticed a number of changes; some wonderful new bloggers and reviewers, economy making it difficult on our creators with many closing up shop, viewers to a large part 2.2 (viewer drama I did take notice..), A number of alternate virtual worlds garnering notice, INWORLDZ and Blue Mars, just to name a few (I did check out BM at the beginning..), both of which I am planning on making a trip to see. Also a number of creators are opening shops in some of these worlds… Now that I have more time again, I am going to be responding where the winds blow me….



I do miss interacting with many of the creators, builders and bloggers whose work I admire. I still find myself a big fan of the people whose blogs sparked my interest in the first place. I haven’t had time for challenges, or skin reviews (I really miss those!) but I will continue to seek out great builds, and try my hand at learning to make more stuffs!!



One of the Bloggers whose work pulled me into the blogging community is Casja Lillihook. Teamed with Gidge Uriza, their blog, It’s only fashion has always offered a human face to the fashion world. Casja is a smart classy lady who has always managed to speak with intelligence, restraint and grace. I may not have a Mad doctor to send you but I am offering all the best vibes, and prayers for your speedy recovery!



Credits: Skin Ugly Duck Lai Gothic, [Gos] Platform Pump, Orinthia Puro Earrings, necklace, Miamai Never Hair Steelgray + Head jewel, wool skirt mini black, Plastik Tayla Souless Eyes {R}, soul Ink – Compendium master Face Tattoo {R}.

Shot @ Selenium Pulse, Second Dream. Poses a mix of Canydoll, >A&A<, and Dieselworks.

I sing a song of silly things with Kalnins on my feet!!!

Bubbles on Hairnets and Burnt Toast on Lipsticks
Pretty pink party shoes with heels made of ice picks
Doodads and Robots and Olive Juice slings
These are a few of my favourite things..



A Tableau of Houses where nothing real matches
feet stuck in Sea Holes and pants made of patches
Running amok in my out of tune flings
These are a few of my favourite things



When the nose grows
When the bee grins
When I’m feeling Plaid
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don’t feel so bad!!!!!
(aren’t you glad?) it’s over I mean..

Credits: Shot in Tableau, and the poses were by Olive Juice. Wearing (fd) Bird Skin essential 6 freckles, Sea Hole Thriftscore Dress (dark green gray), Kalnins Plastique Shoes {R} which I love by the way.., DooDada Red Robot Earring (purchased at last years Jewellery fair), Hair by Clawooth Rockin Rolls (Salty).

An Ode to the Hairiest Hair of the Hair Fair

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.  ~Kahlil Gibran

Attired to please herself: no gems of any kind
She wore, nor aught of borrowed gloss in Nature's stead;
And, then her long, loose hair flung round her head
Fell carelessly behind.
~Publius Terentius Afer

Those curious locks so aptly twin'd,
Whose every hair a soul doth bind.
~Thomas Carew



Credits: Pics shot at The lost World. Poses Glitterati Long Hair. Skin Dutch Touch Yri Cotton Night, Hair Boon VNS660.

The House of Munster…

 

Last year, one of my favourite hairs at the Hair Fair was a style By the House of Munster called Axel. I thought it would be interesting to revisit HOM and check out the hairs this year. This style called Radical I really like and what the style offers are changeable textures, although blonde tends to be my most worn colour I also like the reds and tipped tones. It is also one of the styles which raises money (50% of the proceeds) for the Hair Fair Charity “Wigs for Kids”.



This week was a short one but still it was hell. I certainly felt as though a telephone cord got wrapped around my torso…. I have to thank Ryker Beck (of Exodi) for making dark lips for her new Skin, I always need a skin with black lips, and hers are some of the best I’ve seen!



Whenever I don’t post a slurl for my Location it’s usually because it’s in my backyard. I could take pics here and never run out of places to shoot. I do have to avoid the toxic areas though. Don’t light a match..



Credits: Pics shot in The Wastelands, Poses by Olive Juice. Hair by House of Munster Radikal, Blondes, Reds and Gore&Tips (500L scripted texture change) at the Hair Fair (charity item), Skin Exodi Isolde Vivante 14, RunoRuno Narke Black DU4 (Designers United4), Boots Hoorenbeek Cowboy Boots Black.

Dude!!!

I know that I’ve been quiet lately. Busy has a way of doing that… I have been around the grid though, managing to get to some events and some sales. I do like to write and miss putting my thoughts on .. a screen. Ok I know I’m not likely to be the first to wear anything anymore, if I ever was and I miss a lot of what is happening. Truth is I sometimes feel totally out of synch with the blogging world. There are so many new bloggers out there!! I am enjoying discovering them though. But I am missing messing about on my blog…gimping and playing with pictures!

 

I have had a few little projects, like finally getting my feed reader set up properly. Part of the issue for me is that I do scan the feeds almost every day. But I lose my favourite blogs in the overwhelming mass of blogs posted to the feeds. So, the feed reader is the perfect solution. I still scan the feeds but when I want to leisurely check out my favourites, I go to my feed reader, and they’re there…and growing every day. Like my nose (which I changed).



My favourite blogs are like an old worn out pair of pyjamas. Most have been around for a while, many shoot on location, a lot talk about daily life and how SL fits into the equation. Or they simply have amazing pics. A lot of newer bloggers seem to have appeared fully formed. (As in the fact that they’re good already, not like my initial attempts…) And I’m happy to see that. I am also sad when a blog disappears.. As quite a few have over the last months. To blog a lot, you need to have a fair amount of time. To blog well, you need to have a good eye and be willing to learn. To be a review blogger you need to be willing to keep in touch with creators, be timely in your postings and creative with a multitude of clothes. I am more of a part timer now..



Credits: Skin Mynerva Summer Nights Butterscotch (summer of love), Hair Truth Midori Cherry, Outfit Silent Sparrow Moonchild Suite Copper (on sale a while ago), The Abyss Barbed Choker, Barbed Wristband, Steampunk Rusted Spectacles (summer of love), Courtisane Allumeuse Boots (black) (shoe fair). Poses were from the LAP sale a while back –Dude!

Kallista

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
 


Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight:
 


Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end. William Shakespeare/Sonnet 30
 


Credits: Skin Rockberry Kallista O Light, Djinn & Tonic (Potter’s Field) The Widow Boot and  Rosalind (Hair Blonde), Tattoos CrowJane Silent Sparrow, Dress Kyoot Army Exquisite Corpse Gown. Pics shot @ Cari Lakebusch and Decay, Twas. If I am remiss in not saying more about all these items, I plead exhaustion, but please check them out, especially the new skins from Rockberry, there are some amazing make-ups here.

Jane..

The girl works at the store, sweet Jane St. Clair
Was dazzled by her smile while I shopped there
it wasn't long before I lived with her
I sang her songs while she dyed my hair

 


I'd bring her gold and frankincense and myrrh
She thought that I was making fun of her
She made me feel I was fourteen again
That's why she thinks it's cooler if we'd just stay friends

 

The girl works at the store, sweet Jane St. Clair
Was dazzled by her smile while I shoplift there
No promises as vague as Heaven
No Juliana next to my Evan



Lyrics Barenaked ladies..Jane, which strangely enough was inspired by a street in Toronto and every time I’m on Jane street I think of the song… One of those songs which gets in your head and sticks there.

Credits: Hair Fri. Hailey Jaded Blond, Skin Tres Blah Hazey Blur, [glow] Studio That Marylin leggings, Delyn Earrings, W&B Lola Bodysuit 50L fri Alice4, Pig Everything will be allright Tattoo, Ohmai Mildred Skirt (skirt was from The Crow show and sale back in November, 09) Sloes Kookie Lazies Desert 50L.

Woke up this Morning….

She said: You’re one in a million
You’ve got to burn to shine,
But you were born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.

When you woke up this morning
All that love had gone,
Your Papa never told you
About right and wrong.

You woke up this morning
The world turned upside down, (Lord above),
Thing’s ain’t been the same
Since the Blues walked into town.  Lyrics by Leonard Cohen..

OK so for some reason I started with Gangurro skin from pink fuel and ended up with a look which was vaguely Jersyish a la Soprano’s in San Fransisco!!!

Credits: Pics shot @ Fisherman’s Warf, San Francisco. Poses by Lap. Skin By Pink Fuel Ember Gangurro, LP Devotchka skirt BlacK, LG TD&theCity cycs, DM Vintage Screwbacks Picks Reward 2, SySY’s Ruffle Tanks Black (upperpt), Kalnins Footwear Wonder newly redone, ILOVEOLIVE Running wth sissors project Themory.

AeonFlux..

Trevor Goodchild: The unobserved state is a fog of probabilities, a window of and for error. The watcher observes, the fog collapses, an event resolves. A theory becomes a fact... What is the truth? Tell me, if you know. And I will not believe you. Things are never what they seem. Clean gloves hide dirty hands - and mine are dirtier than most... Without truth, there can be no justice. Justice will be done!



Child: What the flame does not consume, consumes the flame.




Trevor Goodchild: [opening lines of original 'first' episode, "The Demiurge"] Light, in the absence of eyes, illuminates nothing. Visible forms are not inherent in the world, but are granted by the act of seeing. Though the world and events do exist independent of mind, they obtain of no meaning in themselves: none that the mind is not guilty of imposing on them. I bid my people follow, and like all good equations, they follow; for full endowment of purpose, they do submit - in turn, they resign me to a role inhuman, impossible, and unaccountable. But I can no longer stand the sleepless nights... I think I am learning to love the Demiurge.




Credits: Skin League Pale Taylor Feline Blonde, Hair Truth Tilly Light blondes, Linc Ibiza Bikini Cow {R}, Linc Slutty Skirt White {R}, League Gartered Socks off white & Scarf Wrap Retro School. Pics shot at Aeon Flux Sim and poses are {just a pose} {R} Avant Hurr  and OMG and LAP Behind. This was one of those weeks…so SLURLS are not included but I would be happy to send you the SLURL to any of these stores just send a note or IM inworld..:)
Quotes from "MTV's Æon Flux" (1991) More at IMDbPro » and the 1995 movie of the same name.

It’s Plastik!!!!!

I bring you plates from rome
You say they look fantastic
I say we're having fun
Nothing like that italian plastic 

I say we're on a trip
Look's like we're on vacation
I say we're having fun
In our little constellation
When you wake up with me
I'll be your glass of water
Crowded House Italian Plastic Lyrics

Every now and then I put on a skin which just opens up worlds of possibilities for pictures. Both of these new skins from Aikea Reiko of the Plastik are based on her new release and come in all the tones previously out, with new ones added in the case of the fingerprintz. Poet is an add-on to Lionskins and each make-up comes with all the tones included.Its very exciting when multiple skills, like texturing and colourizing make their way into another skill set (like skinning).  Each skin comes in many different tones and makeups and I’d definitely say they are well worth demo’ing. I am also liking the new hairs from Amacci, lovely and soft they are with great flow and movement as well as different textures on the band.And still in love with the hairs which I showed before from Calico Ingmann, with the Lillies this time. The Bikini’s I think were a free gift from a while ago but very pretty and in many colours from Pig. And well worth mentioning, the earrings from Dark Mouse, a group gift but exquisite all the same.



All Pics shot at Utopia4 – Marcus Inkpen No Sound, All Poses LAP (from Dove’s recent sale).

Credits: 1&2 - Skin The Plastik Fingerprintz Metamorph – Tribe (1100L comes in 1 tone + different Make-ups), Hair Calico Ingmann Creations Monique + lillies (sterling Midnight), G*Field Ribbon Slingback shoes (silver&gold), Dark Mouse Vintage Fleur de Lis Earrings (group Gift),Pig Tableau summer Bikini (turquel). 3&4 -Skin The Plastik Lionheart Poet Fable Nouveau + Elf ears, Amacci hair Coleen (light copper) with texture change hairband.

Schools out for Summer!!!

(or they’re aint no cure for the summertime blues!!)



I’m rockin a bit of a white trash look today..since I don’t feel the need to be all dressed up like..



And if I’m a tad annoyed it prolly because I DO NOT GET ANY SUMMER HOLIDAYS!!!



Credits: Skin by L.Fauna Lapine pale1 Morphine, Hair by Exile Kinsey (harlow) {R}, Gingham Dress by BP (dark blue), Yummy Floral Dangle Earrings (silver),Tight by Rotton Toe Plain Moth Stocking(tinted), Shoes by Sand and surf Co.Nantucket Spectators (navy), Tattoo by Dreams* Become {R},All Poses Everglow, pics shot at Pando.

Because it’s Kyoot!!

Whenever life takes a turn to something new, I find myself changing many things in my day to day routines and this tends to affect my SL as well. In my part of the world, people move this time of the year, as soon as the kids are out of school, the moving trucks pull up and large numbers of people are going from one part of the country to another. And so again I have moved in SL. Unlike RL, moving in SL tends to be pretty easy, you need to inform your landlord or estate owner (or sell your property), get all your stuff from the original location, place it in your inventory, make your move, buy your new land….in my case I moved into larger digs on the estate, and voila!



The fun begins when you start decorating. I live in a post apocalyptic sim, which surprisingly gives a lot of leeway with the designs, the only thing you can’t have is a place too neat and tidy or trendy. This kind of sim invites a lot of creativity, there are a lot of bunkers, towers, ramshackle buildings, pretty well anything that would survive a disaster or exist in a desert environment will do. I have been putting together a collection of rustic dwellings, bone piles, windmill and water storage, weird trees etc.which is appropriate to an area called the Fissure!



I bought many of my stuffs, at Botanical Straylight, buildings (windmills etc.) from an interesting builder specializing in rustica…called Never You Mind. (interesting and versatile) bones on XStreet, LC Sculpts,and other items out and about at various stores specializing in all things dystopian. People might wonder why a fashion blogger would pick this sort of place as the inhabitants tend towards the odd and malformed variety but I have found it a perfect contrariness to always trying to get things right. Mainly because the opposite is true here… I tend to build my skyboxes myself and am looking forward to moving on to a texture search…



I have been dressing fairly casual of late and my looks today reflect that. Clothing from the sale at Kyoot, hair Lamb and fashionably dead, skin the gorgeous and beautiful new skin from Tuli Asturias (I love the make ups and eyes), boots shiny things and UBU (some of my most worn shoes are from here). New Tatts from HUZ and earrings from LC, Dreams belly rings. I have to say that I am missing blogging a great deal but know that as I adjust, I will find my way back here as well.

Credits: 1&2 – Skin by Tuli Jade Tone 2 10c glow eyes {R}, Outfit Kyoot Tiny Collar cropped Jacket, Zipper Cords (dark gray), Belt (on all) CoCo group gift, (fd) Messy Bessy (salt), Shoes UBU pornstars low-tops, Dreams Gothic Cross belly rings {R},  Huz Tatts Kanji reborn (black). 2&3 - Skin by Tuli Jade Tone 2 4C eyes honey {R}, Outfit Kyoot Laced Top Knit, Nonsensical Pants (argyle or something), Shiny Things Ginger Boots (oil) {R}, Hair Lamb Lost (powder)LC pierced Heart Earring {R}, Sanu Sticky Notes {R}.Poses by Everglow. If you need help finding any of these stores, send me an IM or note and I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction.

Knock, Knock!!

A knock sounds at the front door and the kettle is boiling….

I wrote my first post in this blog September 24th, 2008. At the time I blogged solely for myself. Through the next year and a half I  honed my skills, learned a great deal about shooting pics on location, reviewing for designers, attending sales and so many things I could never mention them all. I have gone to fashion shows, multiple fairs and had the privilege to meet and talk to a whole host of talented people. I have seen my share of drama but rarely commented on it and generally gotten more out of blogging than I have put into it. I have learned about editing my work, writing and even the fact that you don’t need very expensive programs to be creative within SL.

I started to learn the process which designers use to create clothes, skins and other items for sale within this virtual world. Second Life can be an all consuming passion, and while I blogged I realized that the demands of this world cannot supersede real life concerns.  I knew one day, real life might come calling and I wondered how I would respond to it. I have seen many farewell posts from people too busy to blog, design or be in SL any more. I have always felt sad about this but hopeful as well, as one chapter ends, a new and exciting chapter can begin.

Therefore this is not a farewell post. I am not going anywhere but it is with some regret that I must set aside the review side of blogging, at least for a while. This is not for any reasons of discontent or dislike for the process. On the contrary, if my skills as a blogger have improved I hold reviewing in large part responsible. This type of blogging requires one to be self disciplined, organized and creative. I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging skins, reviewing fairs and trying new looks which maybe aren’t my style but challenge my views. A very wise designer once said to me “ Don’t ever feel you have to blog an item or apologize for being late..” That’s not me I’m afraid. I value the relationships I have built in SL, with our designers too much,to continue to receive items gratis if I cannot promise that I will be able to blog them. Now that I am working full time and spending the rest of my time taking care of my family, I do not have the energy to put in the hours that my style of blogging requires.

I love blogging too much to say goodbye and for me it is something totally mine, a little bit of sanity in a sometimes insane world. I don’t know what the future will bring, I like to think that there is always something new to learn and that moving out of one’s comfort zone can be a very good thing. At the same time …SL and blogging is my cup of tea.

A knock sounds at the front door and the kettle is boiling….

ALaFolie

This ensemble by pixivor Allen of ALaFolie, comes with several pieces which allows for a number of different looks. I had some trouble fitting the belt, which I fixed by making my waist slimmer (and I must admit I like the willow slim look).



The hair is an interesting style from Boon and skin is new from Fashionably Dead. I used a couple of different accessories from several jewellery stores. The outfit comes with the sweater and 2 different skirt options. The shoes are included.



Pics were shot @ Blades Sanctum Land, Annamarie Eterno, which is a RP community friendly to outsiders and with Sonic the Hedgehog as their theme.

Credits: Outfit ALaFolie Graphite 800L includes Shoes, Skin Fashionably Dead (bird skin) Princess, Hair Boon FTN683 Blond, Jewellery JD (JD Design) Bracelet simple, Necklaces Dark Mouse Reversal 0f Fortune & Ticky Tacky Fly Honey – Hot Mama.