Tweed

-siss boom- reopened recently with an adorable new mesh release titled Afternoon.  The one thing that I have always loved about the products from this designer are the textures; they are very soft and feminine... very much like something I would wear in my real life.  Nine colors and textures are available, and your purchase includes five mesh sizes and an alpha layer.  Demos are always free at -siss boom-.

I have been wanting to visit Amorous jewelry for a while and finally decided to do so with this post.  The designs offered at this store are very interesting, and the amount of product you get for you money is wonderful.  I'm wearing the Cathartik set; both the necklace and earrings are included in your purchase.  The gems are color change and include ten different choices.


Credits
Clothing: Afternoon in Tweed by -siss boom-
Shoes: Ruffled Flats in Brown by Cracked Mirror
Jewelry: Cathartik by Amorous
Hair: Fight in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: Mary Natural 29 by Glam Affair (No longer available - Previous TDR item)
Makeup: Black Eyeliner Gentle Fume by Acid & Mala
Eyes: Eternal Eyes in Glass by IKON
Lashes: 2011 Lashes Curl by LeLutka
Hands: Mesh Hands Elegant by Slink
Poses: [1] Just Shut Up 8 and [2] Freestylin' 1 by !bang 30% Off Sale Main Store
Location: Whispering Wind

Pieces of My Closet XI

Sorting through my inventory is always interesting, but I've had a reoccurring problem of forgetting not only about the things that are unorganized but also forgetting what I have in the organized section of my inventory.  I came across a blog about a visual inventory organizer on Every Second Man yesterday that had me very intrigued.  I checked out the marketplace listing and thought that the system was a bit pricey; I definitely was not about ready to shell out 699L for a product that I wasn't sure would work for me.  Fortunately, the designer has a very thorough website with an example of how the system works.  In short, this program is designed to allow you to efficiently organize and catalog your inventory with pictures and custom tags.  I honestly do not know how I have survived without this for the past three years; it is most definitely worth 699L plus some.  If you want to use the wardrobe to not only organize your inventory but to be able to wear outfits directly from it, you do have to be using a RLV capable viewer.  No matter the size of your inventory, I highly recommend this product.

I'm not typically a fan of system layer dresses that have a prim piece stuck between the legs; too often the prim piece is shaded differently than the dress, and it just ends up looking bad.  I made an exception with the Malika dress by Baiastice (since the items from this brand are extremely well made!) that I found in my inventory.  I had been wearing the boots by LaRoo the entire time while sorting in the hope of finding something that would look good with them.  For some reason, when I saw the dress with the boots I was instantly reminded of a favorite movie from my childhood.... Teen Witch.  The combination looked like something Louise would have worn.  Unfortunately, the dress by Baiastice is an old Dressing Room item that is no longer available; the designer does have similar type designs offered in her store, some of which are mesh.

So the boots by LaRoo aren't technically something old that I rediscovered in my inventory, but they were already there when I started sorting this week; so, that should count for something!  LaRoo is a newly formed collaboration brand between Cracked Mirror and CrashOV Uladstron; all designs offered by this brand are completely original mesh creations.  The Clyde Boots are available in twelve colors and feature a partially laced shoe with a girly touch of studs adorning the toe and heel of the shoes.  A free demo is available for you to try, or you could pick up the free Christmas version via the subscriber; simply click the board to receive the shoes.


Credits
Clothing: [Dress] Malika in Scarlet Red by Baiastice (No longer available) and [Tights] Sheer Tights in Black by Izzie's
Shoes: Clyde Boots in Black by LaRoo Shoes
Jewelry: Chouette Earrings in Gray by je suis
Hair: Lewna in Indecisive Blonde 2 by ploom 50% Off Sale
Skin: Mistletoe (With Love Hunt 2011) by Atomic (No longer available)
Makeup: Black Eyeliner Gentle Fume by Acid & Mala
Eyes: Eternal Eyes in Storm by IKON
Lashes: 2011 Curl Lashes by LeLutka
Hands: Mesh Hands Casual by Slink
Pose: Moody 2 by aDORKable Poses @ Zodiac
Location: MadPea Carneval

Obscure

I hope everyone has had a great couple of weeks since the last time I posted.  A combination of a large amount of real life work to complete and a new found addiction to Pretty Little Liars has kept me away, but I should be back on a regular basis now.  I really need to stop finding new shows to watch on Netflix... especially when they have 2+ seasons available for you to watch.  I get so sucked in and then just have to keep watching episode after episode.  Lol  I suppose I could have worse addictions.

I came across the oversized sweatshirt I'm wearing when I was covering FROST for Seraphim.  I have to admit that I have always been a bit turned off by the store name Cynful since it doesn't really sound very conservative at all.  I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, right?  After checking out the designer's profile, I think the name of the store may actually be a play off of her name, Cynthia Ultsch.  Curiosity lead me to check out the main store location, and I actually do like quite a few of the designs available.  Perhaps you will be seeing more from this store on my blog in the future.  The oversized sweatshirt is available in six colors and includes five mesh sizes and an alpha layer; a free demo is available for your convenience.

Izzie's is participating in this month's round of Collabor88 with an exclusive version of Geanna available in two skin tones, fair and pale.  Each skin includes four brow colors, a nail base and a brow shape.  A free demo is available for you to try; you may also want to snag the exclusive nails by Izzie's while you are there which include nine colors and three sizes.     

A new jewelry set was recently released by je suis titled Chouette.  Eleven strap colors are available for both the necklace and the earrings.  The pearls and metal pieces are both color change; ten colors are included for the pearls and five colors are included for the metal pieces.  The jewelry is resizable by script.  While you are at je suis, check out the We Are Back! section; a lot of previous event exclusives have been placed out for a limited time.  Grab them while you still can!

LaRoo Shoes officially opened their main store location about a week and a half ago with two new releases.  All designs by the two founders of the brand are completely original mesh creations.  The Arsene Boots are available in twelve colors and come with twelve strap colors and four heel colors changeable via a HUD.  The boots are extremely well made; the mesh is very smooth and the straps give a little extra dimension to the look of the shoe.  I honestly love how mesh boots bend with my avatar's legs.  I used to avoid boots when we had to rely on prims and sculpts because boots that contained two or more pieces per shoe could end up looking extremely odd when walking or posing.  That is something that we thankfully don't have to deal with anymore since mesh has come along.  A free demo is available for your convenience.


Credits
Clothing: [Top] Oversized Sweatshirt in Snow by [Cynful] @ FROST and [Leggings] Sheer Tights Colors in Pink by Izzie's
Shoes: Arsene in Black by LaRoo Shoes
Jewelry: [Necklace] Chouette Necklace in Gray and [Earrings] Chouette Earrings in Gray by je suis
Hair: Indulge in Brown 03 by [elikatira]
Skin: Geanna Frostbite Skin Pale DB by Izzie's @ Collabor88
Makeup: Black Eyeliner Gentle Fume by Acid & Mala
Eyes: Eternal Eyes in Storm by IKON
Lashes: 2011 Curl Lashes by LeLutka
Hands: Mesh Hands Relax by Slink
Poses: [1] Model 219, [2] Model 228 and [3] Model 254 by Glitterati
Location: Pretty Island

O Little Town

It's funny how simple things can trigger so many memories.  I had a flood of them come back to me while I was shopping The Arcade last weekend.  I remember wearing footie pajamas as a child, and the holiday town was something I just could no go without getting.  I suppose that some things are sentimentally invaluable.

My sisters and I grew up in a single parent home; we actually all lived with my grandparents until I was eight years old.  My mom was there with us, but she didn't make enough money for us to live on our own.  I never felt weird or different because of where we lived; I loved spending time with my grandmother and would never trade those moments for anything.  My grandmother was truly like a second mother to my sisters and me, and there hasn't been a day in the past seven years that I haven't missed her.

My grandparents' house was really old; parts of it were over 100 years old (there had been additional sections added over the years).  The age made the house a bit drafty, and there definitely hadn't been any updates to add central heating and cooling.  Needless-to-say, it got cold in the winter.  Mom would always have us wear footie pajamas to stay warm, and when it got really cold, we would move one of the mattresses into the living room where there was a fireplace (Don't worry... it was a large living room, and we were a safe distance away from the fireplace).  I know it probably sounds silly, but I sometimes miss the days of us all being snuggled up together trying to stay warm.  I did have a taste of this a few years ago, however, when our electricity went out for five days after a massive snow storm; we were once again all snuggled up by the fireplace.

I hadn't thought about wearing those pajamas for years until I saw the footie pajamas by Cracked Mirror at The Arcade.  Eight common colors/textures and two rare textures are available.  A rare item is designated as such because there is a much smaller chance that you will get one of these items compared to the common items.  When playing the gacha, you have to choose one of five mesh sizes that you want your prize to come in; a free demo is available for you to check out before you make your gamble at 50L per play.

As I mentioned earlier, when I was eight we were finally able to get our own house.  It was bittersweet since I loved spending so much time with my grandmother, but we did need our own space to grow in at the same time.  I still got to spend a lot of time with my grandma though since she only lived half a mile away; she watched us after school, and I stayed all night with her almost every weekend.

I know most children look forward to putting up a tree every Christmas... and I did as well, but what I really looked forward to was putting up our Christmas village that we got after moving to our new house.  That was my job every year!  We had glass coffee tables, and I would use two of them for the town.  One table was taller than the other; so, it added a little bit of depth to the overall look.  I was so careful when placing each of the fragile pieces, hooking the lights up to them, spreading all the snow around, deciding where the frozen pond was going to go, adding trees all over the place... The list goes on and on.  I loved that village so much!  My mother does still have it, and even though I'm no longer there to put it out each year, I still look forward to seeing it when I stop by her house.

I suppose I will need to purchase my own Christmas village someday, but when I saw the village by PILOT at The Arcade, I knew that I had to have it for my virtual home. There are eight common pieces to the set and two rare pieces.  I really wish that I had had a display table like the one that was made for this set; I guess I can keep that in mind when I purchase a real life set for my house.  The pieces are very low prim ranging from one to nine land impacts each (Only one house is nine... all the rest are three or less).  I love how much detail can be put into mesh pieces at such a low land impact cost.  It really is amazing!  The gacha is 50L per play, and I must warn you... it is very addictive trying to get all of the pieces!

Credits
Clothing: Footie Pajamas in Pink by Cracked Mirror @ The Arcade
Hair: Kimmi in Dirty by Illusory (Re-branded Auxiliary)
Skin: Geanna Frostbite Skin Pale BLB by Izzie's @ Collabor88
Makeup: [Eyeliner] Black Eyeliner Gentle Fume by Acid & Mala
Eyes: Eternal Eyes in Storm by IKON
Lashes: 2011 Lashes Curl by LeLutka
Hands: Mesh Hands Relaxed by Slink
Props: Christmas Village by PILOT @ The Arcade and Friendship Bear by Damien Fate Free
Build: The Porcelain by [ABODE] (No longer available)
Poses: [1] Floored II 5 and [2] Flower Child 2 by aDORKable Poses

Caged

I haven't really had a lot of time this week to sort through inventory; so, I decided to forgo a Pieces post and do something with new items instead.  It seems that this time of the year is always so busy.  I am definitely ready for the holiday break!

I really love working with props and should probably use them a lot more than I do in my posts.  This full mesh prop is the latest release by Diesel Works titled Nightingale's Sorrow; it comes loaded with fifteen fully adjustable poses.  Needless-to-say, it is perfect for dramatic shots.  If you are looking for something a little more cheerful, Diesel Works released a 'sister prop' in gold titled Nightingale's Glee; this version comes complete with a swing and sixteen fully adjustable poses.  Both props can be demoed at the main store location and are also available via the Second Life Marketplace.

The shoes I'm wearing today are a new release by the recently opened LaRoo Shoes.  This brand is a collaboration between Cracked Mirror and CrashOV Uladstron that features entirely original mesh shoes.  The Anca Boots are available at the current round of FaMESHed; there are twelve beautiful colors to choose from, and each color includes twelve strap color options changeable via a HUD.  Four sizes are included in the purchase, and a free demo is available for your convenience.

Credits
Clothing: Needful Things Romper in Black Raven by JANE Free
Shoes: Anca Boots in Red by LaRoo Shoes @ FaMESHed Main Store Coming December 7th
Hair: UKA687 in Black by booN
Skin: Geanna Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyeshadow] Fuyu Eyeshadow Silver by Izzie's (Included with Fuyu Skin purchase), [Lips] Lipstick Dark Red by Izzie's (Included with Geanna Skin purchase) and [Eyeliner] Black Eyeliner Gentle Fume by Acid & Mala
Eyes: Eternal Eyes in Storm by IKON
Lashes: 2011 Lashes Curl by LeLutka
Hands: Mesh Hands Casual by Slink
Poses: [All] Nightingale's Sorrow Prop by Diesel Works

Gacha

I definitely have a shopping problem when it comes to gachas... Especially with all the cute new items that are available at The Arcade which opened a new round yesterday.  I keep thinking... "Oh, that's not that much money," and end up spending a ton before I realize how much that little bit of money has added up.  They are really fun, though, and you can get a lot of cute stuff that makes great stocking stuffers.

The best feeling at gacha events is getting the product that you wanted on your very first try.  You feel like you have completed some magnificent feat.  Well, that's how I felt when I landed the slate color of Tulip's cute mesh sweater anyway.  Nine colors of the shirt are available at 50L per play; be sure to try on the free demo before you buy since you have to choose the size of your shirt to play.

I've never really been much of a 'big bows on your head' type of girl, but the mesh bow from Auxiliary at The Arcade was absolutely too adorable for me to pass up.  There are ten total colors of the bow with studded and unstudded versions available at 50L per play; the studded bows are a 'rare' item which means you have less of a chance to score one than the unstudded bows.  

Bright lemon yellow pants are definitely not my usual style, but I think they just go with this outfit.  When I was searching for flat shoes last weekend I ran across these pants from Cracked Mirror and knew that I wanted to blog them.  Although you cannot see it my pictures, the pants have a really cute white belt attached.  They are definitely a versatile piece that can be dressed up or down.  I got the gray pair first, but they just didn't do it for me with the color of the shirt; so, I decided to spice it up a bit and go with a color I would typically find outlandish.  Your purchase includes five mesh sizes and an alpha layer; a free demo is available for your convenience.

Are the phone poses not adorable?  I wouldn't really expect anything else from aDORKable Poses, though!  The With Love Hunt started last Friday, and the Call Me set is aDORKable's prize for the event.  The collection includes ten poses with mirror poses and the cell phone prop for each pose.  Items in the hunt cost a mere 10L each but are worth at least 400L each; you definitely can't beat ten poses with props for such a low price!  While you are at aDORKable Poses, be sure to get the free pose the designer has set out for Christmas; a total of twenty-five poses will be given away, but only one pose per day is available.  So, you have to come back every day!

My husband suggested that I take a picture of what the photo would have looked like if the phone had actually taken the picture.  I have to admit, it was a cute idea, and I liked the way it turned out!


Credits
Clothing: [Top] Baggy Sweatshirt in Slate by tulip. @ The Arcade and [Pants] Mambo Jeans in Yellow by Cracked Mirror
Accessory: Slouchy Leather Bow Studded in Brick by Auxiliary @ The Arcade
Shoes: Ruffled Flats in Ruby Red by Cracked Mirror
Hair: Reema by Alice Project
Skin: Geanna Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyeshadow] Geanna Eyeshadow Teal by Izzie's (Included with purchase of Geanna Skin) and [Eyeliner] Black Eyeliner Gentle Fume by Acid & Mala
Eyes: Eternal Eyes in Storm by IKON
Lashes: 2011 Lashes Curl by LeLutka
Hands: Mesh Hands Casual by Slink
Poses: [1] Call Me 1 and [2] & [3] Call Me 4 by aDORKable Poses With Love Hunt 10L
Location: Virtue