Pieces of My Closet IX

My outfit this week is completely inspired by Black Friday shopping.  I don't participate in real life (I tried that once, and it didn't work out so well.), but I know there will be lots of sales in Second Life as well; so, of course Seraphim is covering it!  We wanted to do a group shot to head the coverage page, but I didn't really want to go out and buy a new outfit.  So... I decided to pair it up with my Pieces of My Closet post!

When I think of all day shopping, the first thought that comes to mind is to wear something that is comfortable but still cute.  I had completely forgotten about purchasing this top from Maitreya.  I'm almost positive that I bought it for a 52 Weeks of Color post, but the color wasn't close enough to what I was looking for.  So, like everything else, it got lost in my inventory.  The sweater is available in twelve colors and includes four sizes and an alpha layer; a free demo is available for your convenience.

I know that I said absolutely no new purchases for my inventory cleaning posts, but since I actually bought this stunning hair by Alice Project for the Seraphim photo... that lets me off the hook for wearing it for this post as well... Right?  Thought so!  I first remember coming across this designer when I was covering Hair Fair this past summer.  I thought it was odd that the hair comes in a base color and you have to change the color via HUD, but the more I think about it, the more genius I realize it is.  Since these posts are all about reducing the number of items in my inventory, one hair with a HUD instead of multiple items for all the different colors really helps to get my inventory smaller!  Your purchase comes with a mini dye HUD that includes ten natural colors and twenty more 'colorful' colors; you also have options to tint the ends of the hair with dark, light or white.  If those aren't enough colors for you, Alice Project also has other dye HUDs available for purchase!  Demos are free; so, I definitely recommend checking these out.


Credits:
Clothing: [Top] Athena Sweater in Black by Maitreya and [Pants] Leggings in Pearl by Maitreya
Jewelry: Jackie Nekclace by LaGyo
Hair: Yuri by Alice Project @ Around the World
Skin: Geanna Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyeshadow] Geanna Eyeshadow Silver and [Lips] Lipstick Dark Red by Izzie's (Included with purchase of Geanna Skin); [Eyeliner] Black Eyeliner Gentle Fume by Acid & Mala
Eyes: Eternal Eyes in Storm by IKON
Lashes: 2011 Lashes Curl by LeLutka
Pose: Elegant 2 by aDORKable Poses 50% Off Sale
Location: Mayfair

Textures

I got a bit braver this weekend playing with PhotoShop... I decided to work with textures!  I've seen a lot of other people do it with their photos and wanted to try it myself, but as I have stated many times, PhotoShop makes me nervous.  I would love to take at least one formal course dedicated specifically to the software, but for now, I will just have to keep working with YouTube tutorials.  Adding the texture to the photo was a lot easier than what I thought it was going to be; the difficult part was finding one that I liked.

As soon as I saw the new mesh top, titled Sanya Draped, from Zaara at FaMESHed, I knew I had to have it!  The flow of the shirt is absolutely stunning and the texture is so beautiful.  The top is available in twelve colors which can be purchased individually, in packs of 'gold' or 'silver' or as a fatpack.  Five sizes and two alpha layers are included, and a free demo is available.

I purchased my first pair of Maitreya mesh jeans to go with this outfit, and I must say that I am deeply in love!  They are a bit expensive for a pair of jeans (coming in at 420L per pair), but I don't regret spending the extra lindens on them because they are well worth it.  The shape is absolutely beautiful and the texture is amazing.  Even though you cannot see it in either of my pictures, my hinny looks amazing!  Your purchase includes twelve sizes and an alpha layer; you can purchase the jeans individually or in a fatpack for 1750L which is an excellent price for all eight colors (you save 1610L total). A free demo is available.

I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to accessorizing, I tend to stick with a necklace and some earrings.  I've never really bothered with nails before because I'm a little OCD when it comes to fitting them.  The nails from Izzie's are absolutely fool proof; simply size your hand to 5, 10, 15 or 20 and attach the appropriate nail size.  Don't panic if it doesn't look like they fit correctly when you are on your pose stand; as soon as you hop off, everything lines up just right.  The Metal Stripe nails are just one of three sets released by Izzie's this weekend.  This set includes thirty-four colors which are changeable via a HUD, scripted and unscripted versions, four sizes and thirteen modifiable nail bases on the gloves layer.  The nail bases work perfectly with Izzie's skins... I really love that convenience!  I loved how well the color of these nails matched up with the top from Zaara; I actually had a difficult time finding a pose to show the nails off because the pink portion of the nails was blending so well with the top.  These are a definite must have for any wardrobe!


Credits
Clothing: [Top] Sanya Draped in Fuschia by Zaara @ FaMESHed and [Pants] Flair Jeans in #8 by Maitreya
Jewelry: Alice Earrings by LaGyo
Shoes: Mesh Sequined Heels by DECO (Fifty Linden Friday)
Hair: Control in Black 04 by [elikatira]
Skin: *Fuyu Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyes] *Fuyu Eyeshadow SilverPink and [Lips] *Lipstick Rasberry by Izzie's (Included with Fuyu Skin purchase)
Nails: *Metal Strip Nails by Izzie's
Poses: [1] *Breezy 5m and [2] *Pencil 10m by aDORKable Poses
Location: Petit Pas

* Denotes promotional copy.

She's Got the Look

My husband is away on a trip with his dad this weekend which left me with a little extra time to play around with some photography effects I had been wanting to try.  I have always loved photos that incorporated the depth of field feature.  Unfortunately, my experiment was full of frustration and left me confused as to what I was doing wrong.  My viewer camera would capture in-world DoF when I took small snapshots, but the effect was completely lost when I switched to high resolution snapshots.  I took my frustration to Plurk where the lovely Harlow Heslop shared that this was very common.  On one hand, the information was a relief since I really hadn't been doing anything wrong with the viewer, but on the other hand, it stressed me a little to think that I would have to use PhotoShop to really get the effect that I wanted.  I panic a little every time I think about learning something new with PhotoShop... I'm not exactly good at it.  I ended up finding a very easy tutorial on how to create a depth of fiend effect in PhotoShop, and trust me... If I think it is easy, anyone can do it!

coldLogic released several new designs this past week, including the adorable skirt I'm wearing.  I have been in love with this brand's designs since their opening this past January.  They have a very classy casual look, and to be such high quality items, you can purchase them for an extremely reasonable price.  The Gemma skirt is available in four colors and includes standard sizes; the same skirt design is also offered under two other names (Glass and Giles) in four colors each.  The Matta shirt was released in early September and is also available in four colors with standard sizes included. All demos are free at coldLogic.

This entire look was inspired by such a simple item... The new tights from Izzie's!  Two packs of fifteen colors each were released this past week with one pack containing colors and the other pack containing the basics.  The tights come on the underpants and socks layers; they are modifiable which really allows you to make them your own and fit any look you are going for.

aDORKable Poses is participating in this month's round of My Second Box.  If you aren't familiar with this 'event,' each month you join the in-world group at a cost of 300L per month.  A selection of designers will send out samples of products via the group starting on the 15th of each month.  You have until the 25th to snag the items from the group's notices section; on the 26th of each month, everyone is ejected from the group and new enrollment will begin on the first of the next month.  If you would like to check out the featured designers and products before joining, check out the My Second Box website and Flickr.


Credits:
Clothing: [Top] Matta in White by coldLogic, [Skirt] Gemma in Charcola by coldLogic, [Undershirt] Intrinsic Top in Red Delicious by JANE (free) and [Stockings] *Sheer Tights in Cherry by Izzie's
Jewelry: Jackie by LaGyo @ The Dressing Room
Shoes: Amina Mesh Platform Booties in Black by Baiastice
Hair: Spark in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: *Fuyu Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyeshadow] *Fuyu Eyeshadow Silver and [Lips] *Lipstick Cherry by Izzie's
Poses: [1] *Attitude 2m by aDORKable Poses @ My Second Box and [2] *Honey 1 by aDORKable Poses
Location: Izzie's

* Denotes promotional copy.

A Brisk Fall Day

I have always loved watching the leaves change colors each fall... Even if it means the trees will soon be bare for a good five months.  I have never been fond of the extremely hot temperatures that summer brings or the extremely cold temperatures that winter brings; spring and fall hold the wonderful in-between temperatures that I long for most of the year.

I have always preferred fall and winter fashion over spring or summer.  I love coats and sweaters and layers upon layers of warmth!  I'm very excited to see what designers put out this season; the quality of mesh has improved so much over the past year, and I am sure those newly found skills will shine through in their new releases.  I think I have a bit of an obsession with coats in my real life and my second life, but before mesh, I didn't purchase a lot of outerwear in world because the prims and sculpts simply did not look realistic.  Posing for photos with those primitive designs was a nightmare; mesh has most definitely made photography a lot easier.

The coat I'm wearing for this photo is NYU's contribution to the October collection of FaMESHed.  I love the high collar and the large buttons and buckle.  The texture is also amazing and adds a lot of depth and character to the piece.  The coat is available in nine wool colors, three leather colors and includes five sizes and an alpha layer.  As beautiful as the coat is, I do have to say that I would have loved it a little more if the backside had been a bit curvier; a flat behind is something I have never been accused of having... and I like it!

I know that I am a little late on the Maitreya mesh boots train, but when I saw the jacket, these boots were the only thing that I thought of to put with it!  Shoes are something I have never allowed myself to indulge in since good quality comes at a rather high price in world... and in real life to be honest.  I think I may allow myself to splurge a little more often than I have in the past to build up a nice variety for my inventory.  I have so many clothes... I'm sure I could spend a little less there to get a little more elsewhere.  The boots are available in twenty-five colors; if you would like to grab more than one color, it is more affordable to purchase a pack of three (1250L) than it is to purchase colors separately (750L each).  Of course the downfall to that strategy is that you cannot choose the three colors in a three pair pack.  Maitreya has also set out a pair of these boots in a tan color for only 225L for VIP members; the group is surprisingly absolutely free to join.

The perfect mesh accessory for this outfit came with LaGyo's addition to the latest release at The Dressing Room.  Titiana is a color change piece with three main colors and three metal colors.  I absolutely love texture change jewelry since it allows you to have so much variety for your money.


Credits
Clothing: Trench Coat in Wool Scarlet by NYU @ FaMESHed
Shoes: Radical Boots in Suede Coal by Maitreya
Jewelry: Titiana by LaGyo @ The Dressing Room
Hair: Control in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: *May Blackbird 2 in Sunset Light by Curio (Currently not available)
Poses: [1] *Go-Go 4 and [2] *Golightly 5 by aDORKable Poses
Location: Water Reserve

* Denotes promotional copy.

On the Sidelines

Hello, loves!  It's been a while... for a number of reasons.  I think I burned myself out a bit being on Second Life all the time during the summer.  I simply needed a break, and real life work offered the much needed vacation from my 'second existence.'

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it before, but my husband was laid off from his mining job last February and hasn't been able to find a job since.  Needless-to-say, money has been a bit tight.  I never felt bad about spending money on Second Life since it was pretty much the only entertainment I spent money on (minus television and books of course).  I have never been one to go out and party or to sporadically go shopping in real life.  But, with only one household income, I have felt a bit guilty spending money on something that isn't an absolute necessity.  So, after some consideration, I think the focus of my blog is going to change.  I will always want to showcase fashion that I personally consider to be beautiful, but I most likely will not be blogging a lot of full priced items in the near future.  With the US economy in the shape that it's currently in, I know that my family isn't the only one out there effected by lay offs and a lack of extra cash.  I've always been a bargain hunter, and I plan to put those skills to use in my Second Life shopping.

I'm sure that most of you have already spotted the outfit I'm wearing on other fashion blogs since Collabor88 has been open for over two weeks this month.  But, I haven't been around and had to go check on the newness for myself.  I love the high-waist shorts by Igenue; at only 88L per pair, Hetty is very affordable and comes in seven pretty colors with standard mesh sizes.  The jacket, also available at Collabor88, is a tad bit more expensive at 188L each from House of Fox.  I consider jackets to be versatile pieces and don't mind spending a little extra on them.  The same concept goes for jewelry... especially texture change jewelry like the Mother's Pearl Necklace (188L) and Mother's Pearl Earrings (88L) by LaGyo also at Collabor88.

I'll admit that the lighting I used for my photos isn't necessarily one of the best for showing off skin, but since we are talking about bargain hunting, I had to use it and definitely had to mention it.  I know that producing a quality skin for Second Life takes a lot of time and a lot of skill; so, I understand why most of them are very expensive.  Izzie's is one of the very few designers who offers quality skin at a great price.  For a little over 1000L, you can purchase Faith, her latest creation, which includes a modifiable shape, freckles, four eyebrow colors, cleavage options, a nail base, twelve lip shades, ten eyeshadows and an eyebrow shape.  Anyone who has purchased a full price skin in Second Life will know how great of a deal that is!  It is easily 1/3 the price of most quality skins.


Credits
Clothing: [Jacket] Color.Me in Purple by House of Fox @ Collabor88, [Shirt] Intrinsic Tank in Brown Truffle by JANE and [Shorts] Hetty in Coffee by Ingenue @ Collabor88
Jewelry: Mother's Pearl Necklace and Mother's Pearl Earrings by LaGyo @ Collabor88
Shoes: *Ute Mesh Pumps in Coffee by Baiastice
Hair: Briony in Mocha by TRUTH
Skin: *Faith Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyeshadow] *Faith Eyeshadow Brown by Izzie's and [Lips] *Lipstick Dark Rose by Izzie's
Pose: *Bag Lady 1 by aDORKable Poses
Location: Warrumbungles

* Denotes promotional copy.