Well….here we are WELL past the end of the 52 Weeks of Color Challenge and I am STILL challenged! And honestly with the way things are going in my life, I am not really sure that I would be able to finish the challenge before the end of the year! It is not really that my life is SUPER complicated at the time, it is just that my life is such, that the LEAST little thing sends me over the top and it BECOMES very complicated! It seems it has been that way for the last several years….mostly medical problems with some emotional things thrown in there for good measure. But when I met V MANY of my emotional problems ceased and after I came here to be with him my health improved to the point that I thought I MIGHT, just MIGHT be normal…and decided to take a German class.

That’s all…just one simple German class. But it DID involve me driving almost an hour each way 3 times a week for a 3 hour class, putting me home fairly late. That’s all…something that most of us do…or MORE, much more each week, but about 4 weeks into the class my health started to decline. I BARELY had ANY time to do my blogging…and if I DID have time, I just wanted to sleep. And then when I finally DID log in, my inventory was bulging and enlarged to the point of total frustration. I spent all of my spare time organizing it and once it was organized…well it was time to go back to class.

Before I could really get a handle on it all, I was about ½ through the class and it started to get really HARD! When I first started the class I was nervous about it, but easily started to learn and SPEAK some German, leading me into the FALSE assumption that this might be easier than I had anticipated. NOPE! Once we got to “verbklammers” I was at a total loss and before I could get THAT particular grammar down we would have another that blew me away!

Speaking of being blown away…about 3 weeks ago…when I only had 3 weeks left of school….the cold that has disabled half of the community in which we live, decided to FLY through our home, claiming me (and later V) as vicitm. That was it. I had had enough!

Vanish and I often talk about SERIOUS things….church, religion, politics, physcology and the demise of mankind.(And we still love each other, hard to imagine, I know!)   He often talks to me regarding theories of Carl Jung and others that he has read. And he agrees with them, that America tends to be a nation of heroes and hero worship. I laughed when he first told me about it. That was absolutely absurd. We were no such thing. But after more long nights of discussion, I began to think that he might (or Jung might) be right about this after all. We DO tend to LOOK for heroes. We want to BE heroes. And when we find a hero…we DO worship them. They are everywhere….all over the cover of every magazine and on every talk show imaginable. And I worship them too. I am guilty!

But even as a young adult, there was one thing of which I was certain: I was no hero. I never would be. I always wanted to help. And I always wanted to “make a difference”. But I knew that I did not have what it took to be one. I was too practical. I always looked at things and calculated the risks before taking them. And if I found the risks to be too great, most of the time I would not attempt it. Don’t get me wrong…it is not as though I never took risks…and if I took the time to tell you all that I have done in my life, you might be surprised at how “unconventional” it has been…and continues to be.

That being said, I have decided to “quit” the 52WOCC. Yes, it is true, I am a quitter…:/ I will always be grateful that the challenge got me “out there” and blogging fashion. I love it. And it is not that I COULD NOT finish the challenge…obviously all it would take is for me to finish the last few colors and be done with it. It is just that with all the other things going on in my life, it has become hard for me to do it. There are so many other things that I WANT to blog about, but they are not the right color, so I become frustrated, almost to the point of dreading it and not wanting to do it anymore. And that is not what blogging should be about. So…I am going to continue blogging the things I love, as I can and hope that this will breathe new life into my blogging.

That being said, let’s take a look at the last thing I will blog for the challenge. It is “Brick Red”. I have had these pictures done and ready to go for almost a month now and just have not had the will to write the dialogue. I hope that you will take one last look at my 52WOCC blog…and wave good by as we look forward to what is to come!

This lovely dress came to me from Paris Metro. I have been a fan of Paris Metro for quite some time now. They have such beautiful flowing dresses and when I saw this one, I knew I had found my “Brick Red”. The dress is certainly elegant enough and the mask that comes with it gives it an element of intrigue. But the thing I like the best is the bodice. It is SO sheer you can see through it. The trim that runs along the length of the bodice along with a few stratigically placed diamond shapes will hide MOST of the nipple area, for those of you that might be concerned about such things. But that is the element of the bodice that I like that most! It is elegant while remaining sexy, sometimes a hard thing to do!

The skin you see here is from one of my favorite skin designers, YS&YS. I am ALWAYS pleased with YS&YS skin. She just seems to put extra attention to the little places that can be problems in skins, such as ears, nose, hands….etc. This particular skin is “Alice” and was purchased at The Dressing Room.

WTG Jewellers is rapidly becoming one of my favorite “elegant” jewelers. His creations are really outstanding and the attention he pays to details, especially to nails, is incredible! His creations always feel “rich and heavy”…and most of all…REAL! Many of his pieces come with a color change menu, making them even more versatile! His jewelry should really be a “must have” for any girls wardrobe! And he has men’s pieces too!

The hair featured here is from Exile. It is an older piece that I had in my inventory, but as you can see it STILL has the beauty and flow for which Exile is known.

These gorgeous shoes are from Purr-fect 10. And they ARE perfect for this outfit. Who could pass up a Ruby red stiletto with ankle straps and a rose at the lower outside of the shoe? These too are a “staple” in my wardrobe, they have been there for a while, but P-10 continues to make some of the finest shoes on the grid. And as a bonus, for each full price pair of shoes bought, you will also get a basic black pair of the same shoe! Be sure and check out P-10.

The look was pulled together with lashes from Redgrave and eyes by Fashism. Poses were by Purple Poses and the pictures were taken at Mad Ninjaz, a quaint little site I stumbled upon quite by accident!

And there you have Brick Red. For those of you who take the time to read this blog…Thank you. Your continued support and kind words have truly held me up during the hard times and have given me the encouragement I need to continue. I am looking forward to many new blogposts to share….Until then…Tschüß

STYLING NOTES

Gown: Paris Metro – Masquerade Ball- Brushed Ruby-Upper,Pants,Waist Belt,Mask,Collar,Skirt,Gloves*
Necklace and Earrings: +:+WTG+:+ – **Plume**-*
Hair:  Exile – Love Story/sahara
Eyelashes: *REDGRAVE* – 31- ExtraLong
Shoes: P10 – Serenity Lazy Sunday Rose Heels
Skin:  *YS & YS* –  Alice – Rouge TDR
Eyes: FASHISM – ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Pale Grey (L)*
Poses: Purple Poses*
Location: Mad Ninjaz

Check out my Flickr stream!
[slickr-flickr tag=”Brick Red”]

This has been by far one the hardest posts I have ever had to write. I have been blogging almost a year now and I guess this is my first case of real “Bloggers Block”! It seems like no matter what I do…or don’t do, I just could not make this look come together. And there are SO many things I LOVE about it. I have ALWAYS wanted to do a “corner shot”…something where I am sitting alone in a corner contemplating and this pose prop from ComPOSEure gave me the perfect conduit for that! There are a TON of poses that come with it and the rezzer engine that comes with it is REALLY nifty and will allow you to load ALL of your pose props from ComPOSEure in it and scroll through them at will! It is great!  The only problem I have with it, is that I am not entirely sure that ComPOSEure is still around.  I tried to TP in to the LM I found for it, but did not come up to any shop that looked like it.  So maybe it is just me…and I was having a bad day in SL…it happens…:/  But I hope that they are still doing business, I LOVE some of the poses in the prop.

The hair for this look is “Imika” from Ali & Alli.  It is kind of messy and unruly, yet structured…just the way I like it!   It falls down in my face, casting a shadow across my eye, making me feel very sexy. And I LOVE the shading of this mixed brown color.

This skin is from my very FAVORITE skin creator, YS&YS. The light pink lips blend in with the brown tones I am wearing and there is not another skin in SL that “fits” me like YS&YS. Their shading and skin textures are remarkable. When I wear YS&YS skins I FEEL like “me”. It is the “El” I have always imagined in my minds eye.

My light brown eyes are from Fashism. There is not another eye like Fashism in ALL of SL. I don’t know WHAT he does to get the depth that his eyes have, but it is definitely something that makes them stand apart from any other eye. You can always tell when it is a Fashism eye!

My lashes are from Ema’s Secret and they are some of the easiest lashes I have ever had to fit! And have such a natural look!

The nails are from Finesmith Designs and are their “Painter” nails. They have a drop down menu allowing you to change colors and textures of the nails, rings and gems for endless possibilities. Finesmith has moved recently and I am not sure what nails she still has in the store, as these were obtained quite some time back, but they are some of my favorite “go to” nails and are of exquisite quality, as is everything that Finesmith does.

These shoes are from Heart and Sole and they TOO offer an assortment of color and texture options, including the shoe texture itself, nails, skin, metals and 3 different gem textures. They are really a lovely shoe and one that I TOO have had in my inventory for quite a while. A quick trip to her shop shows that these particular shoes have been discontinued, but there are some VERY similar there with gems and for 99L what’s not to love?

Last, but not least is this adorable outfit from one of my FAVORITE clothing designers, AnneJoy Paine of aDiva Couture. It is called “JLo” and I have to admit, it looks like something that JLo would wear.  The sheen on the vest, lets you know that it is made of the finest materials and of course, there is NO shirt under that vest, just a cute little tie and some ADORABLE gloves that set it apart! The pants with sculpted bottoms, the belt and the thong are all included with the outfit and I thought it was PERFECT for this shoot. AnneJoy’s attention to detail and use of textures ALWAYS make you feel like a movie star, no matter item of hers you are wearing!

And so…what’s not to love? What has plagued me and put me WEEEEEEKS behind in the 52 WOCC?
It seemed like the harder I tried to take the pictures the worse it got. Kirsten’s viewer did NOT like the setting and I am not sure why. I am always “pushing” my little laptop to take the highest quality pictures it can and I had used a really dark WL setting with a “projector” (Thank you Cajsa) to get the look I was going for and for some reason it just caused me to crash…over and over…..and over. It seemed like every time I would get things JUST right and start to take a pic, I would crash. And so I spent a LOT of time, just looking at my avie and thinking. I could just imagine some big time star having just finished a concert…or a movie premier…or a televised interview and see her running back to some lonely hotel, late at night and wondering to herself what it was all for. I could see her taking a back entry way reserved for the rich and famous to “hide” from prying eyes and just falling down in the corner of a dark elevator and wondering…”When did all this stop being fun???”

My wonderful husband Vanish and I have talked at length lately about this subject. And while I am not sure we came up with any real answers, it felt good to talk with someone that could understand and had wondered the same thing himself. I have heard people say…and I have said it as well, “When it is no longer fun, then it is time to get out”. And I have to admit, that now I am wondering just HOW does one “get out” and is it possible that one can just be in a “slump” and will find the “fun” again someday?

Life has been challenging for me lately. It has not been horrible. And I am quite happy with my life and the changes that I am making, but it has, nonetheless, been challenging and as is the case with me most of the time when I “challenge” myself, my health usually suffers, making things even MORE troublesome. SL and my photo editing and blogging are usually the things I do that help ease some of those challenges, but recently with deadlines and pressures and difficulties I have had to stop and think….”HEY….isn’t this supposed to be fun?” Unlike the great superstar in the elevator, I get no pay for this, it is TRULY something I do solely for fun…and so…what do you do when it is not fun anymore? I wonder about some of the well known bloggers of SL…many that blog on a daily or quite near daily basis and I wonder…do they ever get tired and/or frustrated and wish that for just a little while they could have those quiet care-free SL days back? I remember when all I had to do in SL was chat with my friends, find the best sales and organize my inventory! Needless to say, that is NOT the way my SL life is now…but you know what? I really LOVE putting things together to make a look…and I really LOVE taking pictures and creating an idea. And I really LOVE editing those pics to turn an idea into a dream!

SOOOOO…I will pick myself up off the floor of the elevator, look around to make sure no one is watching, lay down on the settee for a moment and contemplate my life, who I am, what turns me on, what moves me…

OK….I may have to make some changes to accommodate the new stressors in my life. I will have to “allow” myself the ability to miss a deadline on occasion. I will have to remind myself…and maybe even those around me, that this is not rocket science or heart surgery. No one will die if I am late with a blog and a nuclear war will not ensue if I do not get around to blogging today. This is what I do for fun…and it is fun…and I love it. And if that does not work out for everyone concerned, then I can always go back to organizing my inventory, god KNOWS it needs some attention and I can always hope that my friends will still love me and let me yak at them every now and then. I am SO grateful to everyone that reads my blog and to the creators that trust me with their creations. I am thrilled that I can share what I do with others and maybe they will like it too! SO…off we go…to a new week….a new day…and a new outlook.Thanks guys…thanks for listening…and V….thanks for walking with me through it all…immer.

STYLING NOTES
Outfit: aDIVA Couture – JLo Animal Print Vest, Jeans, Vest, Animal Print Panty, Leather Belt, and Leather Necktie*
Lashes: -Ema’s Secret- Eyelash Snuggle
Hair: A&A – Imika Hair Mixed Brown*
Nails (rings included): Finesmith Nails – painter
Shoes: Heart and Sole – ROYALTY
Skin: *YS & YS* – Megan 09 Smoky Mat*
Eyes: FASHISM – ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Light Incan Gold (L)*
Elevator Pose Prop: ComPOSEure

Check out my Flickr stream!
[slickr-flickr tag=”Bronze”]

Firebrick….OMG…I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Never mind that Bronze is due as we speak…:/ Firebrick and Bronze are starting to remind me of Autumn. I was driving home the other day with my beloved Vanish and he just kind of chuckled when I said “The trees are starting to change color!!!!!”….like it was some kind of major news announcement! We have been fortunate and have had SUCH a mild summer, I guess I keep waiting for the REALLY hot weather and still doubt that the summer is almost over…as evidenced by the trees all around me.

I cannot help but think about the beginning of fall 10 years ago. I was NOT looking forward to having to work at the Fair again that year….8 straight days of hell. I had started making preparations for it…had arranged for workers to be there during the allotted hours and coordinated with other agencies to have all services provided. I had gone to work that morning, just like any other, making sure that everything was in place as planned. We were getting our morning coffee, some of us still “snacking” on breakfast food, and I remember hearing someone call for everyone in the office to come look at the TV. I was not too keen on that idea. There were a lot of us in the office and the TV room was REALLY small. And besides…it was probably some silly something or other that I would see on the news a hundred times that evening. But there was something in the voice of the one that called us that made me think…maybe I needed to see this first hand.

I had intended to peek in and see what was going on and pretend to be interested before returning to work. Everyone was gathered around the tiny little TV and I could see the concern on my co-workers faces. I was always taller than most of the other people in the office, so I squeezed in at the back and tried to be unnoticed as I looked at what had the others so entranced. I remember seeing two buildings on fire. Up until that time, the World Trade Center was just something that I had heard about occasionally in an article or on TV, but if I had been asked to pick out the World Trade Center’s silhouette, I really would have had no idea. I could hear the panic in the peoples voices on the TV and the confusion I felt myself as I watched “things” “fall” from the building…not knowing at the time that it was people who had chosen to jump rather than face the fire.

It all seemed to be happening really fast and yet in slow motion at the same time. I heard the reporters talking about the “strength” of the buildings and how they had been constructed to withstand catastrophes of most kinds. I remember thinking to myself how difficult it must be for those people to evacuate a building if they were on the upper floors. I was in a building 7 stories tall myself…and was not sure that I could make it down SEVEN flights of stairs under those conditions, let alone 77!

All these thoughts were fleeting through my mind as I watched the smoke bellow from the buildings and then there was a collective gasp in the room….and silence….terrifying, bone shattering silence….as we watched the first building collapse to the ground in horror. By this time they had deduced that the planes had been hijacked, that there were at least one or two more that were missing….and this was indeed a “terrorist attack”……a phrase that I had seldom seen or heard in my part of the country, up to that time.

I remember the immediate panic that set in and telling my boss that I needed to go get my kids and that I hoped to be back in a few hours if all was ok. I honestly cannot tell you what she replied. It did not matter to me. The fact that I ASKED her if I could leave was a mere formality. At that moment, my kids were all that mattered to me. I HAD to have them all in one place, safe and sound…under my wing.

All my babies are all grown up now…and have kids of their own. But those events changed us….it changed who we were as individuals and especially who we are as a country. It changed us in many good ways…ways that NEEDED to be changed. And it changed us in ways that I wish it had not. I still thank God that my sweet baby boy returned home to us after not ONE but TWO tours of duty in Iraq.
It has been 10 years and sometimes it seems like we squabble over silly things and are more vulnerable than ever. I only hope that we have learned something…and better yet, that I…as a component of the whole have changed and evolved to become a “better” me. My heart still grieves for those families that lost loved ones that day. And as the day comes and goes…with all the fanfare that a 10 year commemoration usually has, I hope we have at least begun to scratch the surface on what “living together in harmony” really means and that we have finally begun to learn to judge people on their actions and not the color of their skin, sexual preference or religious beliefs. To all of my fellow Americans “at home” and my new European friends and family…may September 11 be a day of peace and rest to you all…a time to reflect on who we were and what we have become…a special day…to mark new beginnings and past lives….a day mixed with joyful celebration and somber reflection.   May you all…..be blessed.

On to “fashion”….

I have been wanting to blog about this outfit since I first saw it about a month ago! AnneJoy Paine of aDiva Couture is one of the “hottest” designers I know! And no….I am not talking about the sexual prowess of her avi (although she IS really cute!) There is hardly a day that goes by that Annejoy has not released something new for her clients…making me feel like a LAZZZZZZY blogger! Every time I see her new release I think to myself “Oh god…..that is SOOOO cute…I cannot WAIT to blog it!” And then the next day there will be something EQUALLY amazing ready for consumption!! Her designs are of the finest quality and she always takes the time to make a little something special for almost every outfit! This one comes with the beautiful “Firebrick” red dress trimmed in gold, but also comes with the necklace and earrings shown here along with a matching head scarf and another scarf with attached hair. I felt like the scarf/hair combo fit me better a little farther back on my head than some might wear it, so I added a tattoo layer hairbase by Essences as well.

This is probably the darkest skin I have in my collections and I have worn it on several occasions. It came from Essences. The last I heard, Essences is no longer in business on the grid, but I am hoping that Inka Mexicola will just take a break from creating before she decides that she just HAS to do it…and comes back to create beautiful skins for us, once again. Thank you Inka for your time and talent!  It was not “wasted” and you are missed.

Nails, rings and bracelet are from Finesmith Designs. Finesmith has recently released several lines that have a “tribal” “boho” feel to them and would have looked excellent with this dress, but all I used was the bracelet from the “Wild” collection.  The nails are from the Metallic line and have a nice color change menu to change rings, gems and nails.

I wanted some simple, elegant footwear for this amazing design, so I pulled out this zipper back sandal from Serina Lacava Collection. It has a color change HUD for the skin, SEVERAL colors for the sandal, optional toe ring,  and nails.

My beautiful brown eyes are from Fashism, and lashes are from [Glow] Studio.

The backgrounds are all from Props-N-Poses and the poses are from Purple Poses.

There you have it…my take on “Firebrick”….as I look forward to the next entry featuring “Bronze”!

Until then….have a sweet, peaceful weekend….and as always….be challenged.

STYLING NOTES
Outfit: aDiva Couture – Inspiration Red Earth Top, Bottom, Skirt, Brooche, Choker, Earrings, Hair with Band*
Shoes: SLC – Zipper Sandal Shoe*
Hairbase: Essences – Hairbase – Black
Nails and bracelet: Finesmith Designs – Metallic Nails, Finesmith Wild Bracelet*
Lashes: [Glow] Studio – Innocent. eyelashes – gentle
Skin: Essences – Serenity Skin – Makeup8 (Dark)
Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Deep Brown (L)*
Backgrounds: Props-N-Poses
Poses: Purple Poses

Check out my Flickr stream!
[slickr-flickr tag=”Firebrick”]

Well…here we are….almost at the end of the 52 weeks of color challenge and I just seem to keep getting farther and farther behind. Each week I will VOW to myself to catch up…and even think that I can SEE an end in sight….and low and behold…something will happen that will keep it from occurring. Anyhow…at this rate, I am hoping to be caught up and finished with the challenge sometime in mid January 2012…:/

But whining and crying does not a post make…so…here we go. I decided to try something a little different this week. I have recently come across a few nice items from Zoe’s Garden and I decided to try to combine my “fashion” posting with some “decor” items. I had recently acquired a nifty little sky platform from Props n Poses. It was not anything that you could buy in their store, it was just a little something that one of the creators had made and offered to share with those of us that happened to be listening in to group chat that day. (Did I tell you how you should put one of those 42 group slots to good use by becoming a PNP member??? You will NOT regret it!) It was “grass” textured and so I took the lovely Weeping Cherry Tree and the Reading Nook that I had gotten from Zoes Garden, placed them on the platform and started shooting.

The poses that you see used on the Reading Nook are included with it. The standing pose is by D!va and is free, as are several other really cute poses! I hope you can get a feel for the Reading Nook, it comes with 2 different prop books, is loaded with several different laying and sitting poses and I LOVED the red little vine that runs across the back of it. It is also lit, so that is makes a LOVELY place to lay and read at night! The Weeping Cherry Tree is in the background and I hope you can see it behind me in several of the shots. It is TRULY lovely and comes in 4 additional shades, Green, Pink, Purple, Fall and the White that is shown in the pics.

When I heard that the color for this week’s challenge was going to be “Liver”…I was in a panic! I was not even sure what color liver was…even after looking at the color swatch I was still confused. But it was my good fortune that week that I ran across this little outfit from “Graffitiwear”. It was an unusual color to me…and so…I decided to call it liver. I HATE that something SOOOO incredibly cute should be called something that brings up so many unpleasant thoughts for so many of us…but what’s a girl to do???

It is a fairly simple denim outfit, but the textures are SO lovely. The lace on the top LOOKS and FEELS like real lace! And when I tried on the shoes and socks…..oh my…..that was all it took! I am a HUGE fan of stilettos….usually the taller the better. But these little flats were SOOOO adorable and the fluffy socks that went with them made me feel SO feminine!

I felt like this little white belt from E D E N completed the outfit.  The belt comes in white (shown) pink, blue and green.

I was a little concerned about what skin to wear with the outfit. I was not sure that I would have something “young and innocent” enough for it. And then I came upon this skin from JeSyLiLo and those pretty red cheeks, untouched lips and dark brows were just what I was looking for.

This cute little updo/ponytail with color change headband is from Beautiful…Dirty…Rich. I loved the way the long bangs fell down just touching the tops of my eyes…and this beautiful blonde color (Along with the dark eyebrows from the skin) gave one the impression that perhaps this young lady was NOT as sweet and innocent as she may appear!

Nails are from Finesmith Designs, eyes are from Fashism, lashes from Ema’s Secret and necklace is from Favole.

And there you have my rendition of liver. I am hoping within the next few days I will be able to post “Firebrick”…and then be SOMEWHAT caught up in time to do “Bronze”…so many colors….so little time….

Until the next time we meet….be challenged!

STYLING NOTES
Outfit: Graffitiwear – Comfy Cozy Top, Skirt, Crumpled lace socks, Lilac Denim Ladies Loafers*
Reading Nook and Weeping Cherry Tree: Zoe’s Garden*
Eyelashes: –Ema’s Secret– Eyelash Sun
Hair: …:::Beautiful Dirty Rich:::… Rinoa Hair Platinum I*
Necklace: ::{Favole}:: Rise Scripted *Chest*
Pose: D!va
Belt: E d e n. – studded belt (white)*
Nails: Finesmith NailsL 20 Solid White*
Skin: *JeSyLiLO*:::Niran:::*PaleSkin**
Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Pale Cool Silver (L)*

Check out my Flickr stream!
[slickr-flickr tag=”Liver”]

Well…as is usually the case with growing up, there are a few minor things that go wrong from time to time and require a little attention to correct it. So it is with some trepidation that I gladly announce that THIS time I am a “Big Girl Blogger” and have finally gotten my blog syndicated with Virtual Fashion Feed. There were a few hiccups, but thanks to the kind people at VFF and the brilliance of my partner, Vanish, we got them solved and should be up and running. And what better post should that happen with than Chartreuse!

Little did I know when I called “Electric Lime” Chartreuse that I would be eating those words a few weeks later! The first time I had a hard time finding what I thought would be a fitting entry for Electric Lime, but this time I had the good fortune to have stumbled across Adiva Couture. Many of you may have heard of Adiva Couture before. It is my understanding that it was in SL sometime back and then due to RL circumstances the wonderful creator, AnneJoy Paine had to take a leave of absence. But I am pleased to know that she is back in SL and if she was ever better than she is right now, it is hard for me to imagine! She truly almost puts out a new design daily!

Adiva Couture is, at this time, comprised of two different stores; one location here for gowns and special occasion and one here for everyday and casual. As you can see from this entry in Chartreuse, AnneJoy goes above and beyond with each design and includes little “extras” such as jewelry, belts, glasses, purses and even hair! In this particular case she has included the belt, necktie, earrings and eyeglasses! (Don’t you just adore those glasses?!?!) All things that REALLY make the outfit! She makes looking good easy! Thanks Anne! I don’t know what I would have done without your Chartreuse Cutie!

Looking for skin for my 50’s-ish Cutie made me think of fair skin, simple eyes and RED lips. It just so happens that I bought a skin not too long ago from YS&YS at TDR that fit the bill. YS&YS has become one of my FAVORITE skin designers. In fact, most anything I wear, I can find a YS&YS skin to match it! So you may be hearing a lot more about YS&YS from me!

Quite some time back I had bought a hairstyle from Vanity Hair that I tucked away in my inventory waiting for the right time to wear it…and that time has arrived. When I tried it on with the outfit I knew I had found just what I was looking for to create my 50’s look! Vanity hair has SO many hairstyles that are SO different and unique.  It truly places them in a hair category all their own!

Shoes I knew could be a real problem with this outfit. Of course, I could always wear just plain black or white, but wouldn’t a little Chartreuse be nice down there on my feet? I wanted some wedges. And so I began to look thru the wedges in my inventory when I came across these from SSUS (She’s So Unusual Shoes). I have blogged once before about these shoes. In fact, I think it was the first time I blogged about Adiva Couture, but what is SOOOO nice about these shoes is the ability to change colors. Yes, yes I know. You can do that with almost ANY shoe now days you say? This is true, but these will let you change the main part, the bow AND the tie to three different colors. Still not impressed? These shoes will let you perfectly match whatever you are wearing by using the RGB menu! No longer will you have to settle for a CLOSE shade of green…you can have CHARTREUSE! And tomorrow you can have Melon! I LOVE having that kind of control in my clothing…especially in a shoe! So these have to be my FAVORITE wedges!

My nails this week are my favorite french tip from Logo & Kin and the eyes…as always are from Fashism.

The cool backgrounds that you see in my pictures are provided by PNP.  The poses that you see are ones that were provided in the photostudio that was GIVEN AWAY as a free gift from PNP.  You never know what will just be GIVEN to those listening in on PNP group chat.  So…if you are not a PNP member….you NEED to be.  And if you are….be sure and listen to group chat while you are in world.  You never know what might be falling into your lap.  Today the group was given a free facial HUD.  I can’t wait to use it in some of my pics!

And there you have this weeks color, Chartreuse. Next week (next week= the next color in the challenge) is…..Liver! Yep….you heard me right. In a challenge that has consisted of more food colors than any I have seen, liver STILL takes the cake. As I thought about liver….I think a lot of that depends on the age of the liver and whether or not it was cooked…ewww….I know…I know. Anyway…all I can say is that I have found the CUTEST little outfit to go with “liver”….and while I am not at ALL sure that it is actually liver color, based on some of the “liver” outfits I have seen thus far, I think we are ok…:))

Until then….be challenged.

STYLING NOTES 

Top, Shorts, Necktie, Earrings, Belt, and Eyeglasses: aDiva couture – Little Cutie Chartreuse*
Shoes: SSUS – Peeptoe Wedge
Skin: *YS & YS* Alice – Rouge TDR
Nails: Logo & Kin – Square Tip
Hair: Vanity Hair – Alice-Teen Blonde
Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Pale Green (L)*
Backgrounds and poses: PNP*

Check out my Flickr stream!
[slickr-flickr tag=”Chartreuse”]

Yes, it is true! With this post (hopefully) I will officially be a “Big Girl “Blogger!

About a year ago my precious partner, Vanish came to me and suggested that I start blogging about fashion. He seemed to think that I had a good eye for putting things together and he KNEW that I was always scavenging the grid, looking for a good sale or the best bargain. He felt like I should share with the world the tips and tricks I had learned on dressing and hunting for bargains. But I was not so sure. I felt like there were enough fashion bloggers out there. And so I considered writing a one time blog post on general fashion tips (like the importance of knowing how to re-size your belt, so it actually fits….or how to remove the bling from your shoes or earrings) and how to find, what I considered to be the BEST sales in SL. But I could never bring myself to do it. I always felt like what I had to say really did not matter that much and that no one really needed or wanted that information. Most of all, I hoped that V would forget about it and find some other cause to champion. But Vanish is not the type to forget something once he has given it attention and so he would quietly and patiently wait…choosing to bring it up every month or so…and watch me wiggle my way out of it, yet once again.

Finally, after bringing it up once more, I pressured him to go a little further and tell me WHY he wanted me to do this so badly. And the only thing he said was “I just want you to do it so you will see what happens!” At that point it almost became a challenge. I did not press him further for any more answers. I was not sure that there were any more, but in my mind it became one of those magical events that chain letters are made of! “Just begin blogging…and see what will happen! If you tell the SL readers of your blog your magical tips and tricks, small children in Ethiopia will no longer starve! And that war thing…it will all but be gone. Only traces of styling tips and bargain basements will be left in it’s wake. Go on…I DARE you…just DO IT and see what happens! But if you DARE defy this request…then you shall die in 7 days!

I had mulled the idea over and over in my head and felt like a one time post would not be enough to share my “vast” amount of knowledge, but I was no fool….and knew that I did not know enough to sustain a weekly blog. And so I remained in this blogpost pergatory WAITING for something GLORIOUS to snatch me out of it. And it happened! I was checking out the specials at one of my FAVORITE designers (Siss-Boom) and stumbled upon a notecard regarding the 52 Weeks of Color Challenge. And after I read it I KNEW I wanted to do it, but I was still not certain about the blogging thing. I still felt like I had nothing to share. But once I finished my first entry, I was hooked. How hard could it be to write a few lines and tell people “who” you are wearing, right?

And so….here I am almost a year later. I have gone from barely knowing how to upload my pictures to Flickr…to having my blog be a part of Virtual Fashion Feed! That’s RIGHT! My blog has been syndicated! I am a big girl blogger now! Well…kinda. There are a few more feeds I would like to be a part of and a few other things that I have in the works, that I have a feeling will “grow me up” mighty quick.

So to those of you reading my blog for the first time on Virtual Fashion Feed…WELCOME! And for those of you that have been readers all long <whispers in their ears> I have a lot of new and exciting things I want to share with you in the next couple of months….so don’t be running off!!! (And oh yeah….that dying in 7 days thing is NEVER the truth!)

And now for Fashion!!!!

Jazzberry almost kicked my color challenged butt! And then I got an ad for new dresses from VMC.  I just had to go check them out and gobble a few up (for 10-20 L each how can you resist??). And this one came in a shade of pink that made me say “Jazzberry”! It was simple and sexy and just what I needed!

Once I found this cute little dress, I wanted a skin that was dark and smokin’. So this one called “Sade” from Bare Sensual was just right. The cleavage was just what I wanted for this low cut number and the upturned eyeliner gave it the exotic feel I was looking for.

The only thing that needed tweaking (as is SO often the case) was lip color. Where else would I turn but to M.O.C.K.? Her lip colors are just the BEST as far as I am concerned. Mocksoup has just opened a new main store and have some luscious new lip and eye colors that I am just going to HAVE to try! If you have not been by her store, it is a MUST for your makeup inventory section!

Shoes for this hot little number are from Baby Monkey and are “Aalaya” in Black. They have a beautiful gold zipper that runs up the front, topped off with a sweet little gold heart and matching gold clips that run up both sides. Aalaya comes in MANY different colors including a “Multi brights” color that will match almost any bold outfit you can come up with this summer!

I wanted some kind of cute little ponytail to go with this dress and found just what I wanted from Creatives! Sharon Lupindo, designer and creator of Creatives!, has been working her creative little tail off and has come out with SEVERAL new color combinations for some of her hair do’s along with several sets of the multiple face piercings that are all the rage right now! Her hair is definitely cutting edge and is the place to go when you are looking for something urban, edgy and/or futuristic.

Nails and jewelry this week are from Finesmith Designs! They have a new store!!!!! It is roomy and chic…just like Finesmith! And there is a new group gift OUTFIT out on the center counter along with their August group gift, a cute little pearl and bow necklace with matching earrings. And if I know Yula Finesmith, there will be plenty of more group gifts to come with some amazing new designs in the works!

Topping off the outfit are some CUTE little black and diamond sunglasses from ChiChickie! They TOO have a new store and these glasses were a gift…and are still sitting out on the counter, but not sure how long that will last. So RUN and grab them while you still can.

And if you look behind those glasses you will see the prettiest little set of “Verdigris” Eyes you have ever seen from Fashism.

The backgrounds featured this week are from PNP as are the “Daria” poses. If you have not met AnneMarit and Spishak, the owners of PNP then you are missing out. Not only are they wonderfully talented, they are extremely nice…and REALLY generous! You never know what Spish might be giving away for FREE to the group members online following PNP chat….so check it out and allot it one of your coveted group slots! It is well worth it

And that is it until next time when the color will be Chartreuse. (YESSSSSSSSSS! I know I am behind and hope to catch up this week!)

Until then….be challenged!

STYLING NOTES
Dress (including stockings): ::VMC:: – Mini Dress Tyta – Pink
Lipcolor: M.O.C.K Cosmetics – Camelot Lip Gel
Shoes: Baby Monkey – Ultimate Aalaya Black*
Glasses: ChiChickie! – Rhinestone Sunglasses – GIFT – Black & Silver
Hair: creatives! hair – .: ukkie hazel :.*
Jewelry and nails: Finesmith Designs – Fearless Blossom Bracelet,earrings,necklace – Finesmith Nails 20 Solid black*
Skin: Bare Sensual – Sade Bare dark Beauty
Eyes: FASHISM – ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Verdigris (L)
Backgounds and Daria Poses: PNP*

Check out my Flickr stream!
[slickr-flickr tag=”Jazzberry”]

Man oh man! Is anyone else as far behind as I am? It seems like the more I try to get ahead…the farther behind I get! I guess a LOT of it stems from the fact that I took a day “off” from taking and editing pictures and worked on getting my house in order. And I have to admit…it was SO fun! I really enjoyed placing the furniture in there that I had bought AGES ago. And I am no where near done with it, but I HAD to go to bed. And so that…combined with multiple RL appointments this week has put me posting “Apricot” when I should be posting “Jazzberry”.

To top it all off, my pretty little lingerie set that WAS a soft kind of pink/apricot/nude/peach….just turned all kind of funky colors when it was photographed and edited….<sigh> So I ADMIT….this is my Apricot post, that is not quite Apricot. I am guilty. But it was too late to change it and I honestly am not sure there is anything else in my wardrobe that would qualify any better as Apricot, so I will just have to post this as a post of some of my many favorites.

OKAY….I know each week I talk about “my favorite” this or that…and I DOOOOOO love each item I blog, but this week, there are some things in here that I really, REALLY love. So let me take a minute to share them with you.

One of my all time favorite designers is Lestat Reuven. I just LOVE her clean lines and beautiful gowns. And she even has/had (not sure if she is going to put them out at her new shop or not) a small line of skins that I really like and have worn several times during my 52WOCC posts. So you can imagine my dismay when I thought that she had left SL forever! I would look up her profile and look for a LM to her store, Siss Boom and there was just not one. FINALLY…I got a notice that Siss Boom had returned!!  I was SO excited! We lose SO many talented designers and I was heartsick to think that one of my fav’s was gone.  But now I can breath easy!   Siss Boom has periodic sales that are well worth stopping by the store for.  I found this lingerie set on sale and just fell in love with it.  And her gowns always impress me.  Some of my most beloved gowns are Lestat Reuven gowns!

Recently I picked up a YS&YS skin from TDR and a love affair was born! I know that people are always swearing by a certain skin that they LOVE…or a designer that is better than all the rest, and while there were a couple that I liked really well, I was not really certain that a certain designer would have a skin that I liked better than ANY other on the grid. I was wrong.

I wish I could tell you what it was, but there is just SOMETHING about YS&YS skins that I love. They fit my avi like NO other…and when it comes to taking pictures, they outshine all the others. Shadows just seem to be where they are supposed to be…my ears don’t look dirty…and my nose…omg….my NOSE…it looks like a nose! <takes a deep breath> I am spoiled! I just LOOOOOOVE their skins. They make my life easier…and they make my avi look GOOD! What more could a girl want?

I have TONSSSSSS of hair. I mean GOBBBBBS of hair. I love hair. I model hair for Alli and Ali and I LOVE their hair and they have several designs that I just adore. But I have ONE hair in my folder that is my ALL time favorite and it is from Dernier Cri. This hair is just GORGEOUS! It falls across my face in sweet loose curls, covering one eye that just makes me feel SOOOO sexy! It comes with a color HUD that allows you to SEE the color you are choosing and keeps from cluttering up your inventory with 20 different hair colors. It flows and moves when I walk just like hair would in RL! It is just a BEAUTIFUL hair and I am SO glad to have it in my inventory!

I have recently ran across a new jeweler in SL that has REALLY impressed me. It is WTG Jewelers. The sets that they put together are AMAZING! And the nails that come with them, are truly a work of art! I have not seen any like them on the grid. The detail and attention that is paid to each nail is truly remarkable. This set is one of my very favorites from him. (So far, I have a feeling I will have MANY favorites to come!) But this set is gold toned with a white inlay. The nails have an almost lace-like pattern to some of the edges and there are 2 sets for you to choose from. One that is simpler, just nails and rings….and another that is more ornate and has a jewel piece that travels up on the hand, this being the one that I chose to wear in this set. PLUS, his nails come with a “reset Hud”…that WORKS! I wear it on ALL my photo shoots, because inevitably I am going to use some pose that is going to make my prim nails fly in the air like butterflies looking for a home! One click on the HUD and my nails are perfect again! The set I am currently wearing comes with 2 choices of earrings, a necklace, a choker, bracelets and shoulder pieces! They are SOOOO pretty. I feel like I have not done the set justice in these pics, so I would encourage everyone to stop by the shop and see the set for themselves, along with ALL the other beautiful sets you will find at WTG.

The shoes in this set are no longer available in world. Sorry. I try not to do that too often, but they were just too pretty to leave sitting in my inventory…:)

The poses used in this set are from PNP, their Greta line. I wanted some “pin-up” “Calendar Girl” type poses and they had several to choose from. They are REALLY nice creators and quite generous. Not only do they give out great group gifts, it is not unusual for Spishak Sorbet (one half of PNP…the other half being AnneMarit Jarvinen) to just start giving out FREE photo studios to anyone following the group chat that asks for one! I immediately went to their store and obtained quite a few of their backdrop sets (although the photo studio came with about….40 backdrops in it). So all the backgrounds you see in this set are from PNP and were used with their photo studio

As usual, I topped this set off with 2 more of my favorites. My lashes are from Redgrave. I love prim lashes and are always looking for fun, new ones…so if anyone knows where I can get some cute ones, let me know! My eyes are from Fashism. The last few weeks you have heard me go on and on about HOW much I LOVE Fashism eyes. SO I will not spend too much time tell you how AMAZING they are….AGAIN, BUT he has come out with 3 new colors! And I am going to HAVE to get down there to get a few of them! There are just no other eyes that tickle my fancy!

All of this would not be complete without me telling you a little secret I used on this weeks photos. Remember I told you that PNP has great group gifts?…And gives free stuff away randomly??? Well….one of the benefits of being a group member is that they will post tutorials from their staff on Youtube and tell you about it so that you can take advantage of them! And boy I did! This tutorial was from Grizel Halberstadt and can be found here. It saved me TONS of time and showed me how to get the soft hazy look that I was looking for and did not know how to get. I was really impressed with it and SO glad that it was shared with me. I will be using the techniques I learned in it for MANY SL years to come! THANK YOU Griz! You did an AMAZING job and I am truly looking forward to more! I hope you are pleased with my pictures…they have “YOU” all over them….:

That is it for this week! I have NOOOOO idea what I am going to do for “Jazzberry”…so…we will see which way the 52WOCC winds will drive me this week!

Until then….be challenged

STYLING NOTES:

Lingerie: –siss boom–
Skin: *YS&YS* Megan 13 Impero
Hair:  (Dernier Cri) Taylor
Jewelry and Nails: +:+WTG+:+ **Myth** bangle,ear pierce II,necklace,#1nail with ring, and shoulder pieces
Eyelashes: *REDGRAVE*-37- Extended
Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Light Lagoon (L)
Poses: PNP – Greta
Backdrops: PNP

Check out my Flickr stream!

[slickr-flickr tag=”Apricot”]

Most of the time this….this being actually writing the blog, can be the hardest part of all. “Melon” was not something that came together really easily to begin with…and when I saw that Apricot was the color for next weeks challenge I literally felt my heart sink. Apricot is just like Melon 2 but lighter…kinda like the Bud light of the challenge….Oh my. Although I DO have a few ideas in my head. I am just not really sure it is apricot, but I am hoping with the right lighting, I can fake it!

When I saw the color swatch that Luna posted for “melon” last week I was immediately taken back to my childhood once again and my box of crayola crayons! If you have not figured it out yet, my box of crayons and I were REALLY close! And when I pulled out “melon” for some reason I always wanted to pair it with purple. I know that sounds crazy…but I LOVED that color combination.  My Barbie color book was full of melon and purple combinations and I was always happy with them! So when I pulled this outfit out of my inventory from Pixel Dolls I was immediately drawn to the melon in the top mixed in with LOTS of colors to compliment it. I know it is not something that will just make you say….”WOW!!!! MELON”. I know it is kinda mixed in with all the other color and you kinda have to look for it. But I liked it…and it was the only thing I could find that had melon in it and with which I was happy! SO I hope you are pleased and if you squint your eyes and turn your head just right, you will see the melon in it too!…:)

This week’s skin is from Essences and is one of the skins she offered a few weeks back on sale for her anniversary and the opening of her new store. Be sure and check it out! I was especially pleased with the green eye make up on this skin, but as is usually the case, while I LOVED the eyes…I wanted a lip color that was just a LITTLE more “melon-y” and so I found this one from Dulce Secrets in my inventory and was really pleased with it. It was not too matte but not too glossy….just right!  Dulce Secrets also has her own line of skins, makeups and eyes.  They are really lovely and I have many of them in my inventory!

Most of you that follow my blog know that I model hair for Alli and Ali...and so you see a LOT of it on here. But this particular piece is just one of my favorites of any hair designer out there. It is just right for that relaxed, casual “I am just naturally this beautiful” look that I wanted for this dress. If it is not already in your inventory it would make a nice addition!

I have just recently discovered PRIMALOT and LOVE this set from them. It comes with earrings, necklace (in a short and long length), bracelet and a color change menu that I love. The NC included in the set states that this is a revised version of a previous release and I did not see the prior release, but this one is REALlY nice! The color of the stones LOOK like real stones and there are some really unusual colors in there! I was certain I would not find anything even remotely melon in there, but then I came across this color and it was perfect! I love the natural feel and look of the jewelry and it reminds me of something that I might find in some expensive little boutique in RL.

Shoes for this week are from Baby Monkey and I have decided to put a small close up shot of each pair of shoes that I wear in my post so that they can be better viewed. It seems like no matter how hard I try….or how many shots I take making sure that shoes can be seen…they are nothing more than a colored blob at the end of my foot. And I know that if you girls are like I am, the shoes are IMPORTANT! So I want to make sure that you get a good look at them. These shoes from Baby Monkey come in several different colors and have a drop down menu for skin and nail color along with anklet and toe ring metals, as well as an invisible option for the jewelry. I thought they were perfect for my melon gypsy—-(WTH is a melon gypsy???)

Nails this week are once again from Logo & Kin. They have several different sets to choose from, if you look at the closeup pics I took for this set you can see the little hearts and gemstones on these nails. Each of these is color change along with a MULTITUDE of nail colors and french tips. The set up for the nails take a little bit to get used to, but there are detailed instructions and once you get them set up, you will be SOOOO happy to have them in your inventory! I LOVE the set from them that has roses on it. And there are several others that you just have to go see.

Lashes were of course, from Redgrave and eyes are from Fashism. That seems to be all I ever wear anymore, but why mess with perfection, right?  If you have not already done so, stop by Fashism and get a few pairs of eyes from his new collections, they are…as always, beautiful!

Poses this week are from PNP. If you are not familiar with their shop, not only do they have some really nice poses, they also have a multitude of backdrops for you to use in your own personal studio! Check them out…I know of a little blogger that is considering using them to see if she might like to have a few of them to create a certain mood!

Locations are always difficult for me to come up with and I have to admit MOST of the time my location choices come from the “Avatars in Motion” website.  It is really invaluable for those of us looking for cool places in SL to take pics.  I found Cafe Adrastea from their website. It is a nice, quiet little spot with several different areas to explore. I was really pleased with some of the shots I got there. And I thought the colors of the location were just what a melon gypsy needed to….do whatever it is that melon gypsy’s do….LOL? (Hey…V’s suggestion to me was to type in melon and sex into google and see what I could come up with to write about! Be glad I decided on melon gypsy!….She DOES look gypsy-esque, no????)

Until next week….be challenged!

STYLING NOTES:

Top: (PixelDolls) Tiffany Fleur . umber . Shirt
Skirt: (PixelDolls) Tiffany Scales . gold . Skirt
Lip Gloss: ::DS:: Delicate Lips 3
Nails: Logo & Kin
Hair: A&A Taylor Hair Chocolate
Shoes: BM Ultimate Perdita – Copper
Eyelashes:*REDGRAVE*-37- Extended
Poses: PNP –  Poses Sammie and Emily
Jewelry: PRIMALOT ‘Gravitation annulee 2.0′
Skin: ~Essences ~Alma 08 / nougat
EYES: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Celtic Green (L)
Location: Cafe Andrastea

Check out my Flickr stream!

[slickr-flickr tag=”Melon”]

Patriarch is one of those colors that immediately conjures up pictures of royalty in your head and as much as I did NOT want to wear a gown this week, I just could not find anything in my inventory that said “Patriarch AND Royalty” that was NOT a gown. So I ended up putting together TWO looks for patriarch. The first look was quite acceptable. But the closer I came to actually shooting pictures of the gown…the more I wanted something else. And so I continued to rummage through my TERRIBLY unorganized inventory in search of the perfect patriarch.

Quite a LONG time ago, I came across a gown…I am not even sure if I found it in a hunt or if it was on sale or what, but I remember every time I would try it on I would think “WOW! That is exceptional. I just need the right occasion to wear that. And it would always be this gown from LVS&Co. It has lovely wings that look as thought they are kind of made of wood perhaps, trimmed with purple gems that match the ones found in the tiara.   There is sheer, gossamer fabric suspended between the “framework” and here and there are ribbons or thread hanging from them.  V says my “wings” remind him of antlers, so maybe it was a Christmas sale offer although the gown is called an “Autumn FaeRoyal”? But I think that the wings look like dream catchers…so I am going to believe that she is a dream catcher fairy that hangs sweet dreams from her wings to bestow on those that need quiet, peaceful sleep. It is certainly a gown worthy of the 52 WOCC….:) The wings are included with the gown, as is the matching tiara.

This is the second time in the last few weeks that I have worn a skin from YS&YS. I must admit, I am kinda lovin them! The lips are SO pretty. I do not have the “mega” lips that so many choose to have in SL. (and if you do…I apologize, no offense intended) But I often have trouble finding a skin with lips that are luscious while not being too large for my face. The YS&YS lips seem to fit just right and are textured SO well along with soft, glowy eye makeup!

A beautiful autumn, royal, reindeer, dreamcatcher, fairy cannot have just ANY old hair on her head! This was a hair that I found in my inventory from Tiny Bird. It is just lovely and was perfect for this outfit. Unfortunately, Tiny Bird is no longer in Second Life, although a few items can be found on the marketplace, but hair was not one of them….:( It is always so sad to see a talented creator fold up shop…for whatever reason. We need to support the designers we love and give them a reason to stay in SL!

The jewelry this week is a new release from Finesmith Designs called “Hara”. Hara comes in a necklace, earrings and matching arm cuff as opposed to the traditional bracelet. The NoteCard that came with the set said that “Hara” means necklace in Hindi and this is a traditional set with wood, beads and turquoise. As you can see, it is elegant enough for any wood nymph fairy out there!…;) Yula Finesmith always amazes me with the many different paths her creativity takes. Just about the time you think you have her all figured out, she will come out with something new and different from anything else she has done. LOOOOOOVE the Hara…and the Neta Earrings and the “Wild” set, each of them giving us a feeling of wood and nature. Yula not only does all the AMAZING jewelry and wallets and nails, but she has also done a set of lashes and I pull them out when I want an extra special look.  They are more than just lashes as they have tiny diamonds strewn along the top brow areas, making them fit for any princess!

As I was strolling through my weekly sale ads and listening to the background chatter from my Fab Free group, one of the members announced a brown PACK of shoes, free from Mimi’s Boutique. I had never been there, but a PACK of free shoes could not be passed up, so I put on some clothes and off I went. Mimi’s is a small shop, but her prices are reasonable and her clothing and shoes are really cute so….she may not be small for long! The Brown PACK was indeed a PACK of 3 colors and each color is REALLY cute. I thought they would look good with my forest fairy look as they have a natural, yet high class feel. Here’s a tiny pic….just so you can see!

Nails this week are from Logo and Kin. The shape of their nail always fits my hands perfectly and I LOVE the selection of colors and french nail tips that their drop down menu offer. They have always been once of my faaaaaaavorite standby nails!

And not to be forgotten are eyes. These eyes are from Fashism. If you have not been by Fashism you are missing out. Everytime I see a picture and the eyes just “speak” to me, they are from Fashism. I wear little else anymore.

Poses this week come from a store that is new to me, called Avante. They are oriented toward the virtual world model and have EXCELENT modeling poses for both male and female, although I DID see one set that was made for furries.  They feature a nice, slow movement which elegantly transitions your avi into the next pose…GREAT for runway modeling. They have just moved into a new shop, so excuse their mess, while they straighten up, but stop by and see what you think! The top floor is FULL of older poses that are just 10L each and REALLY nice model poses!  Not too far from the store is the Avante modeling agency, so if you are looking to make modeling your career, Avante could be a perfect fit.

This weeks’ location was: A Long Forgotten Garden. The Garden is rather small, but is an excellent location for taking pics.  I got several really nice shots.  It is nice and quiet and even has several different areas to explore.

One last side note before closing: I would like to say a special thanks to Firestorm for making a viewer that allows me to copy what I am wearing to my clipboard, making my styling notes SOOOO much easier AND more detailed! Firestorm is not my fav SL viewer, but I must admit that they have placed a mark in the “For” column with this fine detail. I am hoping some of the other viewers will follow suit and realize that there IS a market out there for those of us in the blogging community.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and read my blog. I am already feeling REALLY nervous about next weeks challenge: Melon. Oh my….SURELY with almost 43K items in my inventory there HAS to be something with melon in it…:/ Or maybe I will just eat something with melon in it…will that count???….<sighs>

Until next week….be challenged!

STYLE NOTES
Gown: LVS&co-AutumnFaeRoyal-Amethyst gown
Lashes: *FS* Lorin EYELASHES
Jewelry: Finesmith Hara cuff, earring, necklace
Nails: Logo & Kin ::. Square Tip Prim Nails
Shoes: Mimi’s Risque Heel – CHOCOLATE
Hair: Tiny Bird – Postcards from Italy – Deep Brown
Skin:*YS & YS* Sole Reborn
EYES: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Deep Rising Sun (L)
Poses: Avante
Location: A Long Forgotten Garden

Check out my Flickr stream!

[slickr-flickr tag=”Patriarch”]

When virtual life gives you lemons???….

I had something interesting happen to me this weekend. Not life changing…not globally important…not even conceptually amazing, but it WAS very interesting and the principle that runs through the core of it DID change MY life.

I had joined a group a while back. It was just a second life clothing group….like tons of others, but none the less, I liked it enough to assign it one of my COVETED 42 group slots! (Who would have known that 42 would never be enough????) I liked the clothing. It seemed to be above average quality for SL…and the pricing was fair…and it seemed as though the creator gave out a fair number of group gifts. I walked around the store…it was quite “modest” by most SL standards. And I got the impression that it was a new store….but the quality of the clothing was anything but “new”. So I was somewhat confused as to how the two matched up.

I had followed the group chat off and on and from what I could gather, the creator had just returned and that being so, already had a “following”. It was interesting to sit back and watch those that had known the creator before and those that were new to the group. I found it odd that several times a “new” group member would ask what seemed to be an innocent enough question about the store or pricing or perhaps suggest a simple way that the creator could make things easier and I could almost PHYSICALLY see the “troups rally”! It was quite interesting. It was as though the “older” group members were going to make sure that NOTHING would hurt or offend their “Leader” and I even found myself at the end of their “arrows” a couple of times; most of the time just leaving stunned and dazed and wondering what I had done wrong. But over the weekend, this same type of thing ensued…and I decided that I was not going to quietly leave the group…I was going to get answers.

I don’t like to be “nasty” or “bitchy” but I can be when I have to be (Don’t you just HATE it when people put that in their profile, cuz the first thing you think is “They must be nasty and bitchy A LOT!”…but I REALLY try not to be…:/)and I decided that all I wanted was some simple answers to simple questions and I was not leaving without them, dammit! And so…I began asking questions, knowing what would happen…and it did…just like clockwork, except this time, another group member was nice enough to pull me over to the side and answer my questions personally. She told me of how she had followed this creator since day one and how amazingly talented the creator was and what kind of amazing clothing the creator offered. She went on to tell me how that the creator had clothing that was quite reasonably priced and how that she herself even thought that the creator needed to charge more.

I tried to tell her that I didn’t NEED any convincing! I TOO thought the creator exceptionally talented and that the creator had an excellent product at an excellent price. I did not need to be “sold”. All I needed was some general answers to questions regarding sales prices, group gifts and group discounts….nothing more.

I FINALLY got the answers to most of my questions, BUT in the process I found out that the creator had been in some kind of “accident” (and I use the word loosely, because they did not tell me exactly what and I did not ask…it really was not and is not relevant to the story) and that many had thought that the creator might not ever return to SL. When they told me this….EVERYTHING made sense. I COMPLETELY understood and ADMIRED the way that everyone had rallied around the creator making sure that the creator felt safe, loved and needed. It made me glad to be an avie in SL. It reminded me…..

Not TOO long ago, I was in a similar situation. The circumstances were different, but I had had to leave SL…and was not sure I would ever come back. During that time, my SL sister, put up a park in my name…and sent pictures and kept in touch with me the entire time, which turned out to be a year! She was my sister. She was not going anywhere. She loved me and supported me no matter what. When I did finally come back to SL, it was to her house that I first went. I felt safe and loved there. She supported me and was SO happy to see me back. She loved me through all my RL ills and woes and while she occasionally offered advice, what she mostly gave me was love…and support. She was with me…no matter WHAT road I chose. It was she that introduced me to the man that I now share my life with. And when RL got REALLY hard and I felt trapped and alone, it was HER that offered me a way out. SHE put her mouth where her money was….SHE DID what no other friend I had at the time would do…she put her own self in harms way to offer me a life. She put up with me for 6 months and listened to me cry and scream. She saw me when I was sick and tired and depressed and loved me anyway…she took me to all the places I had never been before  and watched my face light up as a saw things that I had only dreamed of up until that time. It was an SL “NON real” person that helped me change my REAL life. It was an avie…a picture on a screen that gave me the love that I needed when no other “real” person did. I am grateful. I am SOOOO grateful. Thank you sis….YOU made a difference…YOU changed a life….never forget that.

And so…I am PROUD to be part of a group that loves and supports its’ creator in that way. I am glad I am a small part of that. When virtual life gives you lemons….we all get together and share recipes, before making lemonade and sharing it…even serving it to each other. I am proud to be a part of this virtual world that calls itself second life and can only hope as I awake each day to the man/avie that completes me, that I can make a difference in someone elses life too. Life CAN be good…..NOW…on to fashion….

When I read the announcement that this weeks color challenge would be “lemon” I had the good fortune to be looking through the 60L weekend sales ads, when I came across this CUTE little dress with matching hat and separate matching shoes from Fior Di Perle! I knew as soon as I had seen it that I had found my “lemon”. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE 60L weekends! There is seldom a week that I don’t spend some of my lindens on these sales items….and most of the time I buy SEVERAL items.

My skin this week came from Glamorize. Glamorize has a whole store just jam packed full of jewelry , makeups, skins…even shoes.  And the whole store is REALLY reasonably priced.  If you have not checked out Glamorize then you should!

Hair was a sweet little pony tail pulled to the side by (Posh), which seemed to be the perfect hair for this outfit, simple and sweet. The jewelry was an orange agate set (except for rings) from Duh!. Duh! has some REALLY cute shoes and jewelry for next to nothing….so if you have never gone…you should!!!

Nail were the “sunkiss” set from Finesmith Designs which come with the rings shown. Finesmith specializes in edgy jewelry or “Body Sculpture” pieces as they call them.  They are really exceptional!  Lashes were from Redgrave and eyes…once again, were from Fashism.

This week I chose to go to a little sim called “Solandria“. It was simple and sweet and had some really NICE places for pics. The poses I used were from POSEbility.

And there you have lemon! Stay tuned for next week when the color will be…..Patriarch! (Otherwise known as purple…LOL) Until then….be challenged.

STYLING NOTES:

Dress: !FDP Spring Mini Dress- yellow

Shoes: !FDP Spring Sandals- yellow

Hair: (Posh) ; Gardenia-Carrot

Jewelry: ::Duh!:: Orange Agate (Silver)

Eyelashes: -37- Extended *REDGRAVE*

Nails: Finesmith Nails-Sunkiss spring

Poses: POSEbility

Skin: .:Glamorize:. Cybil Skin-Blush

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Turquoise (L)

Location: Solandria

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[slickr-flickr tag=”Lemon”]