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

Pieces of My Closet IV

While sorting through my inventory last night, I came across a few older dresses that will more than likely never be worn again, but I couldn't bring myself to delete them... especially the dresses that were from stores that no longer exist!  My lovely Plurk friends suggested that I should box them which of course makes perfect sense.  I always hated the idea of packing and unpacking inventory, but if it is something that I won't use a lot, it is definitely more logical to pack it.  I remembered an inventory 'closet' by Tiny Spaces that I have which is extremely easy to use; unfortunately, the owner no longer has an in-world store, and I cannot find the item on her marketplace.  There are, however, a lot of inventory organizers on the marketplace for you to choose from to help you clean up your item count.

I have technically already blogged the dress I am wearing from Scribble, but it was ages ago before I even knew how to take a high-rez photo.  That's a scary thought.  The design was an exclusive from the designer for an event called it was a blur.  At the time, it was definitely the most unique environment I had ever emerged my ava in.  Since Scribble has disappeared from the grid, the thought of deleting this really bothered me especially since I like it.  However, it is now tucked safely in a box where I can pull it out when and if the occasion calls.


Credits
Clothing: Her Ghost by Scribble (No Longer Available)
Hair: Sybille 2 in Chocolate by Wasabi Pills
Skin: Love (Milk) Daydream by Illusory (No Longer Available)
Pose: Dressed 10 by Glitterati (No Longer Available)
Location: T Town

Copacati

You know I'm all about the dressy casual wardrobe, and I have always loved The Secret Store.  Put the two together with a brand new release and you will have a very happy me!  The Copacati Silk Sweater was released last weekend in seven colors.  Each purchase includes five sizes in standard sizing and an alpha layer.  I really love the geometric shapes the top features, but perhaps that is just the math dork in me trying to poke its head through.  A free demo is available for you to to try.

I haven't been a huge fan of mesh hair yet because most of the pieces I have tried have this weird crinkled texture problem; I'm not sure if it is a problem with my viewer or if it is a problem with the mesh.  Nevertheless, I absolutely adore the style put out by Exile at the latest edition of The Dressing Room Blue.  It's a short, sassy look and includes four colors (and doesn't have that weird crinkled texture problem).  At 70L, it's an absolute steal.  A free demo is available.

Credits

Clothing: [Top] *Copacati Silk Sweater in Raven by The Secret Store and [Pants] Zooey Wide Leg Pants in Raven by JANE

Hair: Late at Night in Maple by Exile @ The Dressing Room Blue

Skin: Love (Milk) in Frenchie by Illusory Skin (Former Collabor88 item - no longer available)

Pose: *Pencil II 7 by aDORKable Poses

* Denotes promotional copy.

Sally Has Seashells

I'm really in the mood for warmer weather to be here today with this recent design by Siss Boom! Sally Has Seashells is a cute minidress with sculpted features which include the skirt and the belt. The sculpted pieces include resize scripts which make it very easy to size the outfit to fit your avatar. A note that includes tips and suggestions for fitting sculpted pieces also comes with your purchase. Your purchase also includes the cute matching bag. The dress is available in three colors: blue, aqua and red.

The poses I used for this post are brand new by aDORKable Poses. I really love the poses by this designer because of her uniqueness and her inclusion of mirror poses. It can be extremely annoying to find the perfect pose for a picture but in the opposite direction of what you need it to be! You never have to worry about that with aDORKable poses because mirror poses are included in all of the packs! Photo 1 features a pose from the Bag Lady II pack available at the main store location, and Photo 2 features a pose from the Legs pack available at the Festival of Sin.

While you are at Siss Boom you should pick up this adorable group gift titled Black Angel which includes both the top and the jeans. If you aren't a member of the in world group, simply click the board in the store and join for free!


Credits:

Photo 1
Clothing: *Sally Has Seashells in Red by Siss Boom
Jewelry: *Chic Gold by je suis
Pose: *Bag Lady II 8 by aDORKable Poses
Location: Izzie's

Photo 2
Clothing: *Black Angel by Siss Boom (Group Gift)
Shoes: Shox in White/Black by [ hoorenbeek ]
Pose: *Legs 3 Mirror by aDORKable Poses @ Festival of Sin

Both
Hair: Good Morning in Girl Next Door by Clawtooth
Skin: Love (Scarlett) in Milk by Illusory @ Collabor88

* Denotes promotional copy.

Back to Black

CHIC Management is returning to its roots this weekend with the Back to Black event. The organization began in 2010 with the Black and Blue Fair to raise awareness of mental health issues. The new event will also be designed to raise mental health awareness; items have been designed around words of encouragement including strength, serenity, fighter, heart, spirit, friendship, home, comfort, life, hope, courage, determination, survival, family and endurance. The doors open this Saturday, February 11th; so, be on the lookout for the landmark!

The cute outfit I am wearing is one of the designs that will be available at Back to Black by Izzie's. The Serenity Leisure Outfit has a very comfortable feel to it; I would actually love to have an outfit like it in real life. The prim pieces blend perfectly with the system layers just as you will find in other Izzie's creations. There is also a bottom prim to the shirt that features a peace sign. Unfortunately, it didn't fit well with my pose, but it does, on the other hand, work very well with an AO! So, no worries there! I am wearing the brown and beige combination; the outfit will also be available in grey/white and black/grey.

Speaking of the pose, it is also an item that will be featured at Back to Black by EMBODY. The At Peace Pose is a couple/individual poseball. If you are posing only one person as I did, turning off the other ball is very simple; simply type /1 hide in local chat and the ball disappears! You have both copy and modify privileges with the poseball which makes individualizing it very easy. Although I do believe this is a type of yoga pose, I also see a praise pose when I look at it. My husband and I may be going through some financial hardships in the very near future, and whenever I look at my picture I just keep thinking about lifting my hands in praise to God who I know will take care of our every need. Whatever the pose may mean to you, it is very well crafted and will be an excellent addition to any pose collector's inventory.

I don't typically blog furniture, but I have been wanting to get into setting up my own photo scenes instead of relying on those already made. I spotted the Esme Living Room by FD Decor, also available at Back to Black, and thought that it would match perfectly with the color scheme of the photo. The furniture features multiple poses, texture change chairs and vases, lighting with on/off options and a cute fountain that includes sounds. There will also be a black version of the suite available at the event.


CHIC Management Back to Black


Credits
Clothing: *Serenity Leisure Outfit in Brown/Beige by Izzie's @ Back to Black
Shoes: Sparkle Flats in Orange Crush Light (Edited) by A.D.D. Andel!
Jewelry: Radiance Diamond Dangle Earrings by EarthStones
Hair: Here in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: Paige Milk - Culture by Illusory @ Collabor88 (No longer available)
Makeup: Kyra Lipsticks in Pink by Apple May Designs
Pose: *At Peace Pose by EMBODY @ Back to Black
Furniture: *Esme Living Room by FD Decor @ Back to Black

The Back to Black landmark will not be added until the event officially opens on February 11th.

* Denotes promotional copy.

My Hair Fair Favorites

I can't believe that tomorrow (well... technically today) is the last day of Hair Fair 2011 and I still haven't blogged what I spent six hours finding a couple weeks ago. -.- Yes, I claim the title of Queen of Procrastination. Please and thank you. Lol This post is going to be a little different than most I do simply because of all the pictures I'm posting from various designers. The style names along with the designers will be listed below each picture as well as what pose I used in each particular picture.  All hair designer landmarks are set to the Hair Fair locations.

Khloe in Brown Bittersweet by Raspberry Aristocrat - Pose: Model 144 by Glitterati

Boyfriend in Kit Kat by !lamb. - Pose Model 116 by Glitterati

Milena in Golden Brown by Decoy - Pose: Model 100 by Glitterati

Shy Little Thing in Brown 3 by Head Mistress - Pose: Long Hair 3-3 by Glitterati

Sex Symbol in Brown 3 by Head Mistress - Pose: Long Hair 3-8 by Glitterati

Wind in the Willows in Brown 3 by Head Mistress - Pose: Long Hair 2-2 by Glitterati

Rolling Tides in Brown 3 by Head Mistress - Pose: Long Hair 6 by Glitterati

Luna in Brown by Magika - Pose: Long Hair 3-3 by Glitterati

Kimi in Golden Streaked by Illusory - Pose: Model 023 by Glitterati

Story in Brown 08 by [elikatira] - Pose: Model 034 by Glitterati

Pretend in Brown 08 by [elikatira] - Pose: Model 071 by Glitterati

With in Brown 08 by [elikatira] - Pose: Model 089 by Glitterati

Credits

Clothing: [Shirt] Dahlia Top in Brown by Purple Moon and [Pants] *Flared Pants in Caramel by The Secret Store
Jewelry: CHUM necklace by miel
Skin: *Paige in Ivory 04 by Filthy Skins


* Denotes item provided by designer for review.