Until It Sleeps

It's truly amazing how relaxing I find Second Life photography.  In days past, it was source of frustration even though I did enjoy the adventure.  I hate that I am rarely able to find the time to sit down, put an outfit together, find the perfect location and then spend a few hours playing with the pictures.  If only we didn't have to have real life jobs!  Summer is almost here for me, however; I only have one more work day before my two month vacation.

The outfit I'm wearing today if from mon tissu.  Enough cannot be said about the quality of clothing from this designing team.  I really love the Bloomsbury Trousers; the textures are vivid and the mesh is shaped very well.  These pants remind me of capris I wear in my real life... Not so much because of the vividness but because of the length.  My legs are rather short; so, capris tend to strike me pretty low.  With the ultra-short everything in Second Life lately, these are refreshing!  The trousers are available in eight patterns, and a free demo is available.

The Oversized Shirt is also from mon tissu.  This shirt seriously looks so comfortable; I wish I really did own one!  It is the perfect addition to a wardrobe because it is casual enough to be worn with clothing you would lounge in but dressy enough to fit with... well, a nicely made pair of trousers!  The shirt is available in nine patterns, and a free demo is available.

I'm really not sure why I have put off the purchase of mesh feet for so long.  A reflection of being frugal in my real life, perhaps?  With the introduction of the Avatar Enhancement system from Slink, the mesh feet were well worth the price.  Why?  No longer having to spend very precious time trying to perfectly match skin tones is, honestly, priceless.  With Slink's new mesh feet, you simply have to purchase a Slink skin applier from the skin designer of your choice (provided availability of course) and click a button to get a perfect match every time.  It couldn't get any easier.  Also, if you want a new shoe, you do not have to purchase a whole foot with the shoe anymore; Slink has shoe add-ons and is also allowing other creators to design shoes to fit Slink mesh feet.

Slink has also created an add-on for nails.  Many designers are taking advantage of this; a simple search on the Second Life Marketplace will produce hundreds of nail appliers for your hands and feet at rather reasonable prices.  Although the initial price of purchase of the hands and feet is a bit up there, it is more than worth it especially if you are a Second Life photographer, blogger or model.

Irene is the latest skin from Izzie's, and just like all her others, it is a beauty!  The skin is offered in ten skin tones and includes a modifiable shape, freckles, moles, four brow colors (with the exception of the mocha and cocoa tones), cleavage, a nail base, twelve lipsticks, eleven eyeshadows, eyeliner and a brow shape.  A free demo is available.  Also, if you would like to try the skin at a cheaper price, three special edition skins are being offered at The Dressing Room Fusion through June 6th.

It is with very deep sadness that I have to tell you about the closing of aDORKable Poses.  If you have followed by blog very long at all, you will have noticed that I use a lot of poses from this designer and with good reason.  They are extremely well made!  Adorkable Peapod's real life is very hectic, and I understand the pressure of trying to keep up with both lives all too well.  I wish her nothing buy extreme happiness and success in everything she pursues.  Of course I do hold hope that one day she will design again in-world.  Through June 9th, you can grab everything at the main store location for up to 50% off per product.  There are a few events that Adorkable has already committed to that are coming up; so, you can also expect to see her posing products for a little while longer at special venues.

Credits

• Clothing: [Top] Oversized Shirt in Black by mon tissu and [Pants] Bloomsbury Trousers in Emerald O's by mon tissu
• Shoes: Ilena Sandals in Black by Slink
• Feet: Women's Natural Barefeet by Slink
• Hair: Teddy in Browns05Fade by TRUTH
• Skin: Irene Skin Pale DB by Izzie's New
• Skin Applier: Slink Hands Applier and Slink Feet Applier by Izzie's
• Makeup: [Eyes] Irene Eyeshadow Green and Smokey by Izzie's (Included with purchase of skin) and [Lips] Glossy Lip Highlights 3D by Izzie's
• Eyes: Ardent Eyes in Skyfall by IKON
• Lashes: 2011 Lashes Curl by LeLutka
• Hands: Mesh Hands Elegant1 M Left and Right by Slink
• Nail Applier: Slink Hands and Feet Classic Nails in Pastels by Izzie's
• Poses: [1] Ella 3m by aDORKable Poses Closing Sale
• Location: Missing Mile Dark Rural Community

Foggy Morning

The final round of FAIR opened last weekend which is where I found the adorable sweater I'm wearing by Zenith.  I'm almost always cold and wearing sweaters in my real life; so, my pictures today are definitely a reflection of the real me.  I've loved Zenith for a very long time and was really excited to see that they are now making mesh items.  After nearly a year of wearing mesh clothing, it is really difficult for me to wear outfits with prims and sculpts even from my favorite designers.  The sweater is available in six colors and includes five sizes, an alpha layer and a color change HUD for buttons and leather pieces.  A free demo is available for your convenience.

I couldn't believe how incredibly difficult it was to find a pair of flat shoes to go with this outfit.  I have the set by [elikatira] that I wear all the time, but I wanted to change it up a bit.  I considered the flats with bows by mon tissu, but the texture on the bow really didn't go with the look.  I wanted something that was frilly and not just a plain flat shoe.  With the help of the lovely people on my Plurk timeline, I finally (after two hours of searching) settled on the pair from Cracked Mirror.  The Ruffled Flats are absolutely adorable; they are available in twelve colors and can be purchased as singles or in a fatpack.  A free demo is also available for your to check out.


Credits
Clothing: [Top] Billie Lace Tank in Cream by Pink Outfitters 50L Sale, [Sweater] Hoodie Sweater Coat in Cocoa by Zenith Fashions @ FAIR and [Pants] Cotton Pants in Army Green by mon tissu
Jewelry: Voyante Necklace Plain Long by je suis 50% Off Black Friday Sale
Shoes: Ruffled Flats in Brown by Cracked Mirror
Hair: Details in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: Geanna Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyeshadow] Geanna Eyeshadow Moss 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] Elegant 2 by aDORKable Poses 50% Off Sale and [2] Clever 3 by aDORKable Poses @ Zodiac
Location: Mer de Trudeau

A Fair Trade

This past week has definitely been long and crazy.  Six days of working and one day off can be tiring to say the least.  With things as they are, however, I'm simply thankful to still have a job!  I hope all of you had a great week and will have an even better one in the week to come.

In my previous post, I mentioned changing the aim of my blog from one that simply publishes what I find stylish to one that publishes stylish items found at bargain prices.  While I do love finding amazing deals in real life and Second Life, I don't think that it is fair to the designer to simply purchase items that are free or very cheap.  Owning a store in Second Life is not free; tier fees and uploading designs costs designers money.  Also, the amount of time it takes to create original (and even template) items deserves to be compensated.  With that being said, I'm not limiting my blog to only free items or bargain items... I will be posting a mixture of full priced, bargains and gifts just as I always have.

The outfit I am wearing is made up mostly of bargain items and free gifts since I put this look together last weekend but didn't get a chance to post it until this weekend.  The dress I'm wearing is the VIP Group Gift at FaMESHed from Valentina E. Couture.  I honestly had never heard of this designer before checking out the September collection of FaMESHed, but after wearing this dress I am very much inclined to visit the main store location.  I have always loved gifts for the sole purpose of sampling the quality of the designs being offered by the vendor.  The mesh dress features a zebra pattern and a translucent overlay that softens the look of the outfit.  Joining the VIP group is absolutely free.  The FaMESHed venue is currently closed so that designers can switch out items for the new round starting tomorrow, October 1st.  However, it is very easy to use your cam controls to zoom into the building and snag the group gift just in case it disappears before tomorrow (I'm not sure how long gifts are available).

I know that it is really difficult... if not impossible... to see the earrings I am wearing.  For some reason, I never think about posing for the tiny things until I've taken my photos, done small edits (cropping, liquify, etc.) and am writing my post.  I picked up these cuties at a new event from CHIC Management called FAIR which encourages designers to set high quality items at fair prices instead of only at discounted prices.  I couldn't agree more with the goal of the new monthly event, but I must admit that I was a tad surprised and a bit curious to find a free gift at the event from the new store Stargazer.  Not that I mind free gifts (obviously)... I was just not expecting that at this event.  If you visit the main store location, you can find another free pair of earrings!  While you are there, join the VIP group which is free to join until October 1st.

I was so disappointed to have missed the annual [elikatira] sale last year; I was away getting married at the time and didn't get internet for almost two months after moving.  After being offline the past two or so months, I thought to check the notices in the VIP group and was ecstatic to see that the sale is now going on and I hadn't missed it a second year in a row!  If you haven't heard, [elikatira] has marked down every item in her store by 70% through October 1st (everything seems to be ending/beginning on that date!).  I know that I am giving you a very late heads-up about the sale, but you still have a chance to teleport in and snag hair and shoes at extremely cheap prices.  I have personally loved her designs for many years (even back to the ETD days) because of their classy, elegant styles.  I do believe that I just picked up every mesh style that I had missed from her while I was MIA and even some of her older sculpted hair.  If you have never tried an [elikatira] hair, right now is the perfect time!

I mentioned the new skin from Izzie's in my last post, but unfortunately the windlight I was using wasn't very good for showing off skin.  I wanted to give you a better, up close look at the skin in this post.  Faith is available in ten skin tones at just a shade over 1000L each.  With all that is included with these skins (check out my last post) and the quality with which they have been created, it would be very difficult to find a similar skin at a better price.

Poses have been one of my passions in Second Life for years... even before I started blogging.
Although I love poses and have collected so many, I still have only a handful of favorite pose designers... actually probably less than a handful.  aDORKable Poses is one brand that I always know I will be getting unique, quality and versatile poses with.  If you are just starting your own blog or if you are a veteran in the 'business', I highly recommend this designer.  Other than uniqueness, versatility and quality, I love the fact that all aDORKable sets come with mirror poses!  This feature has come in handy many, many times while photoing.  The two poses I used for the above photos are part of the Elegant set currently at Zodiac and can be purchased at the venue through October 17th.  


Credits
Clothing: Long Summer Dress Black Zebra by Valentina E. Couture @ FaMESHed (VIP Group Gift)
Jewelry: [Earrings] Dream Catcher by Stargazer @ FAIR (Free Gift)
Hair: Return in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: *Faith Skin Pale DB by Izzie's
Makeup: [Eyeshadow] *Faith Eyeshadow Smokey and Faith *Eyeshadow Smokey 2 by Izzie's [Lips] *Lipstick Cherry by Izzie's
Pose: [1] *Elegant 4 and [2] *Elegant 3 Mirror by aDORKable Poses @ Zodiac
Location: Pretty Island

* Denotes promotional copy.

Week 5 of 52 Weeks of Color - Patina

This week's color has proven to be the most difficult for me yet. The cute mesh dress I'm wearing was not my first outfit of choice. I began with a really adorable dress from Donna Flora, but the translucent skirt proved to be a bit too much for shadows, and I found myself shopping once again. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Oxford Dress by LeeZu, I just wish that I hadn't spent money on something that I didn't use. Who knows though... it may prove to be useful at a later date. If you drop by LeeZu in the near future, be sure to check out the tops section of the store; there is a mesh shirt in four different colors for only L$50 each! What a steal!

I had never tried an Atomic skin until they started showing up in The Dressing Room Blue a few weeks ago. I have a habit of snagging up the discount skins every week from the two shops even though I typically have no idea when or where I will use them. But, you never know what will pop up with this challenge, so I'm really glad that I bought it! I do believe that this may be one of my favorite new skins; Ivy Graves' work is absolutely amazing. I will most likely be making a trip to the main store location soon to check out what other goodness she has. Unfortunately, the skin I'm wearing is no longer available at TDRB, but there is a new Atomic skin with luscious red lips just waiting for you to buy it!


Credits
Clothing: [Dress] Oxford Dress Mesh in Wool Turquoise by LeeZu and [Pants] *White Cotton Leggings (edited) by Siss Boom
Jewelry: *Leah by je suis
Hair: Faith in Mocha with Roots by TRUTH
Skin: Grace Skin - Buff - Winter Kiss by Atomic @ The Dressing Room Blue (No Longer Available)
Pose: *Poofy 8 by aDORKable Poses

* Denotes promotional copy.

Spring Frill

The new mesh dress by Siss Boom is making me long for spring! I love the frilled accent at the top of the dress; it gives it a very fun, girly feeling. If this dress were system layers and sculpts, the accent piece would definitely be difficult to work with when wearing an AO; just one of the reasons that I am completely in love with mesh.

The pose I'm using for this photo was one of the very first poses with props that I purchased in Second Life. Olive Juice has always been a fun store for me to visit because of its unique, interesting products. Unfortunately, the designer no longer has time in her real life to continue her brand in Second Life and is closing shop. Until February 19th, all poses and props have been marked down 50%.


Credits
Clothing: *Spring Frill by Siss Boom
Hair: Evelyn with Roots in Mocha by TRUTH (New)
Skin: *Sweetheart [Dark] Jealous 2 in Sundust by Curio
Pose: Morning Glory in Bloom 4 by Olive Juice
Loction: Alirium

* Denotes promotional copy.

Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Color - Champagne

I tend to not make resolutions for the new year anymore because I never keep them. I do have a goal for this year, however... even though I'm about a week late getting this up here! My goal for this year is to participate in every week of the second round of Luna Juiblee's 52 Weeks of Color. Hopefully real life won't kick my butt as badly as it has this week for the rest of the year!

Two of the pieces I am wearing are from the current collection at The Dressing Room. The bodysuit and pumps by R.icielli aren't technically champagne (they are beige and creme), but the color was so close to Luna's champagne swatch that I couldn't pass these items up for my photo. You get both pieces plus seven more for a mere L$70! What a great deal!

The skirt I'm wearing is another piece of evidence to support the fact that I am totally addicted to mesh. I have found myself in the past couple of weeks passing up coats, dresses, skirts, etc that aren't mesh. I don't think I have totally given up on prim pieces; I just prefer to not have to deal with them when I don't have to! The Oxford Pencil Skirt by {mon tissu} is so pretty and classy; I think I eventually want to own the entire pack.


Credits
Clothing: [Bodysuit] Pietra by R.icielli @ The Dressing Room and The Oxford Pencil Skirt in Dark Brown by {mon tissu}
Shoes: Carmeelia Pumps by R.icielle @ The Dressing Room
Hair: Adora Hair in Brown Cocoa by Raspberry Aristocrat (50% Off)
Skin: *May [Sundust] Blackbird 2 by Curio
Pose: Stand 158 by !Bang

* Denotes promotional copy.

Shadow♥Love

I truly cannot describe how ecstatic I am to finally have shadows on Second Life! I have been mesmerized by them since the first time I saw pictures with them on the feeds and have been terribly envious of everyone who could do this! My poor laptop just couldn't handle the extra oomph that it took to run them. Last weekend, my amazing husband purchased a gaming computer for me; it runs SL so smoothly... I still cannot believe that I'm seeing shadows and can take high rez photos without crashing. Thank you so much, sweetie face!

I do need some practice with using shadows; it's a tad bit trickier to work with than I thought it would be, but I am rather pleased with how my first go at it turned out!

I guess I should tell you about what I am wearing! As I mentioned in my last post, I absolutely adore layers both in real life and Second Life. When I saw the Empty Hearts sweater from Tulip, I just couldn't stop myself from purchasing it. The textures are beautiful and the sculpted pieces add a touch  of comfort and warmth. The sweater is available in four color combinations which can be purchased separately or as a fatpack.

One of the two shirts I am wearing is also from Tulip. The Henley is a well made system top that fits perfectly with the Empty Hearts sweater. The top come in sets of two shirts at L$75 per pack; these are beautiful tops at an extremely reasonable price! The undershirt that I am wearing is once again the Intrinsic Tank by JANE; this really seems to be my go to shirt when I need an under layer. Since these tops are free; there is no reason why you shouldn't have them all! They are also modify which allowed me to tint the shirt to match the sweater. You can get much better than free, well made and modify!

Filthy Skins released a new skin last week titled Maria. As with all of Alexandra Barcelos' designs, Maria is exceptionally made with beautiful shadows, highlights and makeup choices. Each skin tone comes with eight makeup options; I am wearing Tan 03. The smokey eyes with the beautiful pink lips simply got me! There is also a new group gift out from Filthy Skins!


Credits
Clothing: [Sweater] Empty Hearts - Tan by tulip., [Top] Henley - Brown by tulip., [Undershirt] Intrinsic Tank - Orange Melon (tinted) by JANE and [Shorts] Denim Shorts - Light by Zaara
Jewelry: Lish Necklace by MIEL
Hair: Rina - Chestnut by Exile (Clearance @ L$50 per color pack)
Skin: *Maria - Tan 03 by Filthy Skins
Pose: Model 03 by Glitterati
Location: Where it Begins

* Denotes promotional copy.

A Little Bit of Fresh Air

It's no secret that I love shopping; it's also no secret that I love a great sale. I have always enjoyed being able to conveniently locate sale information via blogs that cover events and sales. What I have not loved was the drama that seems to come along with having all of that glorious information located in a single place. Last week I was pointed in the direction of a new blog that covers events and sales but doesn't make it a point to tear other people down; it is actually frowned upon by the authors and the readers. I was so impressed that I contacted the blog owner and offered to blog if they needed more help, and they did need more help! So, now you can find me here at my personal blog and at Seraphim SL. Check it out... I'm sure you will love it!

Seraphim

Week 36 of 52 Weeks of Color - Celadon

Yay!! I’m so proud that I have done two color challenges in a row now. Bahaha! I still really need to make up those weeks that I missed… but, it’s just so daggone hard to find the time. Is it pathetic that I recently purchased a date book to keep track of what I need to blog and when it needs to be posted? I honestly have a crappy memory, and small pieces of paper just aren’t cutting it anymore. Does anyone else have a way they keep track of what they need to blog?

In all honesty, this week’s color was super hard for me. I bought a cute little skirt at the beginning of the week that had the very pale green in it, but I just wasn’t feeling it when I was getting ready to take pictures. So, here I was at one this morning trying to find something to wear. I remembered that Grixdale was having a sale and teleported over to see if I could find something that would work. When I came upon this cute little sundress, it instantly reminded me of my grandmother which I’m sure is completely not what Tyr Rozenblum had in mind when she designed it. My grandmother always wore sundresses in the summertime, but of course they were much longer than the adorable design by Tyr. I happily snagged it up for a whole L$50 and went to take my pictures! The sale lasts through July 16th, and you can find a lot of really great items marked down to L$100, L$75 or L$50. Tyr also has a set out a pack of seven pair of adorable panties for Project Themeory for free!

When I get new items to blog, I have a tendency to rez the packages around my studio and then clean up the clutter after I have posted the new products. It’s definitely a good thing that I did that this week, or I probably wouldn’t have realized that I had this awesome new skin from Filthy Skins that had just the right eye shadow color for the color challenge! Alexandra Barcelos recently released a new female skin design titled Paige which is absolutely stunning; I hope to have my full review up by Monday. The makeup that I am wearing is a special edition of the Paige skin currently available at the Grunge Soul Project for L$100. I personally think that the open mouth design is absolutely adorable! It gives more realism to the look by creating depth.

I was so super excited when [elikatira] started participating in Fifty Linden Fridays. She is most definitely one of my favorite hair designers in all of Second Life; I’m sure that you could tell that, however, by how much I use her products in my posts. Yesterday marked her second appearance in the sale event where she placed out a new hair design, titled Falling, with two options (bangs in the front or clipped to the side) for only L$50! And, she doesn’t just include one hair color for her sale item, but she places out the entire Essentials Collection which typically goes for L$250. This really makes me just happy as a clam since that is the pack I always purchase anyway! Unfortunately, if you didn’t stop by yesterday, you have sadly missed out on a great deal, but I am sure that she will have another design in the sale in a few weeks! The full collection of Falling has not been released yet but keep your eyes peeled for it!


Credits
Clothing: Sun of a Gun – Vintage Doll in Mint by Grixdale
Hair: Falling in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: *Paige GSP Edition by Filthy Skins @ Grunge Soul Project
Poses: [1] Tell Me Again and [2] That Is Not True by TeaSoup (No longer available)

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Summer Rose Heels

Purrfect 10 has shoes out for Lazy Sunday, and as usual, they are gorgeous! The Summer Rose Heels would have went so beautifully with the Jillie Dress I featured by JANE last week; keep that in mind if you snagged that up!

Purrfect 10 also released a new pair of boots as well as a new VIP gift; I will be featuring those later this week since I needed to make this post kind of a quick one! The Summer Rose Heels, however, will only be available until midnight tonight. They feature many of the options of most P10 shoes including resizing, walk on/off, invisi on/off, sound on/off, food lock/unlock, skin change and skin sync. You cannot, however, change the texture on these shoes, but they are honestly so pretty that I wouldn’t want to anyway! For only L$75, these are a definite must for your inventory!


Credits
Shoes: *Summer Rose Heels by Purrfect 10
Skin: *Summer [Dark] Lake 1 (Sundust) by Curio
Pose: Model 089 by Glitterati

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Sarah

So… I know that I have waited forever and three days to post pictures of the remainder of the Sarah skins by Essences, but that may have just worked out to your benefit! Until Monday, everything at the new Essences location has been marked down to L$10: clothes, skin… you name it. A whole ten lindens each! Only two of the female skin sets by Essences is present for this sale, but Sarah does happen to be one of them!

You have to admit, she has a gorgeous face! I am so happy with all of the makeup choices included in this set; they are all subtly striking. They are most definitely not overdone… or underdone for that matter. Just the right amount in all the right places. Sarah is available in five skin tones with eight makeup choices each. As mentioned, everything is on sale for L$10 until Monday. That means that you can have the entire set in one tone for only L$80! Or, all of them for L$400 of course. Note: If you choose “Buy the Line,” you will end up paying L$20 more than if you had purchased each individually because the Sarah shape is included in that purchase.

Black, red and white have to be one of my favorite color combinations ever. It always looks so classy. The Jillie Dress is one of the newest releases from JANE which comes in three terrific polka dot color combinations. Each dress is available for L$150, or if you love ‘em all, grab the greedy pack for L$295. If you have never visited JANE, I highly recommend that you do! This store truly has some of the cutest clothes on the grid: not overdone but with just the right amount of realism and artistry.

Credits
Clothing: *Jillie Dress in Raven/Cherry by JANE
Jewelry: Spanish Dreams by Vincenca Rosca
Hair: Amelia.2 in Timid Brown by fri.day
Skin: *Sarah in Peach by Essences
Pose: Model 092 by Glitterati

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Down on the Bayou

I really have a mishmash of goodies for you today. One of the many things that I completely love about Second Life is the ability to change. I can change everything about myself in a matter of minutes: what I’m wearing, what ethnicity I look like, even where I live. There is so much freedom that you have here that we aren’t able to experience in real life.

Probably the first thing you noticed about my look today is that I have gone darker! Typically I do wear lighter skin tones since that reflects the real life me whose skin is so light it is nearly transparent. When I saw this skin, however, at the Grunge Soul Project, I just had to have it! Al Vulo is a new to me skin designer whose work I am absolutely loving. I also picked up a skin she has out at the Fashion Garret which is another version of the skin I am wearing except a tad lighter and with pink eye shadow instead of blue. I really love the makeup on this skin; the eyes are captivating, the blush is perfect and the lips are screaming for some attention from my hubby. For a mere L$75, it is a total win!

Accessories truly have the ability to add that finishing touch to make a perfect outfit. I am completely loving the styles that are offered at je suis. There you can find everything from bold and beautiful to delicate and elegant. All of the pieces, however, have class! The Asymetrique pieces really caught my attention during my last visit; they are what I would call a statement piece. The big, chunky pieces are beautifully textured. Nine color combinations are available in this collection at L$149 per necklace, L$99 per earring set and L$149 per bangle set. The pieces are color change which allow you to choose different shades of the main color for each piece of the jewelry. If you want the entire collection, prices for the fatpacks are L$999 for the necklaces, L$399 for the earrings and L$599 for the bangles. Scripts are also included which allow you to easily resize the pieces to fit your ava.

Since I have had the privilege of blogging Izzie’s designs, I honestly don’t think there has been one release that I haven’t completely fallen in love with. The one constant theme that I can see in her work is the ability to beautifully blend sculpts with system clothing, and the Off Shoulder Top is no exception. The shirt is very versatile in that it can be worn with a dressy pair of pants as I have in my pictures or with a casual pair of jeans; it also looks fabulous with the hot Leo Print leggings which Izzie’s also recently released. The piece is beautifully textured with soft fabrics which is available in ten gorgeous colors at L$150 each or L$1,200 for the fatpack.

Boots! Guess how much I paid for them… go ahead, guess. Nothing! These absolutely amazing boots are the newest group gift being offered by Hoorenbeek. I absolutely love the designs put out by this store; it’s just too bad that most of them are designed for men instead of women. Perhaps if we beg and plead he will design more shoes for women? It’s worth a shot! He does, however, have the most amazing athletic shoes that I have seen on the grid, and it just so happens that he is having a L$200 sale this weekend on select items. Hoorenbeek has one of these sales every so often, and I always go to see if he has marked down a pair of the athletic shoes that I don’t yet have. My collection of his redention of Nike Shox is complete; now I’m just waiting to complete my SL Balance collection. I suppose I could also start a collection of a new type of sneaker! This sale runs through Sunday, and you most definitely do not want to miss it! To receive the fabulous group gift, you do have to be a member of the subscribo group for at least fifteen days, but gifts are typically left out long enough for you to go slap the board and then wait a couple weeks to pick up your gift.


Credits
Clothing: [Shirt] *Off Shoulder Top in Blue by Izzie’s and [Pants] *Flared Pants in Cream by The Secret Store
Jewelry: Asymetrique Necklace, Earrings and *Bangles in Blue by je suis
Shoes: Zahra Boots in Black by Hoorenbeek (Group Gift)
Hair: Again in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: Miha 2 (Choco) in Shine Peacock by Al Vulo at Grunge Soul Project
Poses: [1 and 3] Model 71 and [2] Model 04 by Glitterati

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Purrfect 10's La Venta Eventa Special

You really have to love all the sale events happening in Second Life, and quite honestly, any day that P10 puts something on sale is a good day! La Venta Eventa … (Don’t you just love that name?) … presents us each weekend with a batch of amazing designers who set out an item at fantastic sale prices. This weekend, Purrfect 10 is participating in the sale event and has placed out a beautiful pair of Gemini Heels in Blue Nouveau. Like all other P10 shoes, these heels feature options for resizing, walk, sound, toenail color and skin color. For only L$95, these are a definite no brainer! I love, love, LOVE the texture on these shoes. They are an extremely reasonably priced pair of fantastically made shoes which would make a happy addition to any inventory! Pick them up before midnight tonight when the sale price will disappear.

Credits
Shoes: *Gemini Heels in Blue Nouveau by Purrfect 10
Skin: Elf 2 [Dark] Enchant 2 (Sundust) by Curio
Pose by Glitterati

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Taste of Second Life: At the Zoo

Unfortunately, I only have time for a very quick post of some of the items offered in this week’s Taste of Second Life, but on a positive note, tomorrow is my last day of work for nearly two months! I see lots of sleep and lots of blogging in my near future!

The designers for TOSL truly embraced this week’s theme of “At the Zoo.” If you are looking to add some animal print to your wardrobe or your home; this weekend was definitely the weekend to do it! Not to worry though, you still have a little over three hours to pick up these goodies before midnight SLT.

The outfit from Izzie’s is absolutely amazing! The texture is exquisite, which is exactly what I have come to expect from the designer. I absolutely love her products, and she delivers with every single release. For a mere L$120, you truly get a lot of products in this purchase! Included are leggings, two versions of the shirt, and two bangles for each arm.

The scene is created from the TOSL offerings from Clutter and Tranquility Way Station Designs. The Pavilion from Clutter is simply amazing! Included with your purchase of only L$100 is the shelter with moving drapes and a beautifully lit ‘lamp’, four texture change seats, a table and a vase of flowers. The entire set is composed of 41 prims, which definitely isn’t too bad!

The Round Ottoman with Draped Blanket from Tranquility Way Station Designs is also a texture change piece priced at L$100; this would look simply amazing in bedrooms ranging from elegant to teenage girly. I absolutely love it! At only four prims, it is an extremely reasonable choice for seating in your home! Even better, the ottoman is copy! Invite your friends over and rez as many seats as needed!

For a complete listing of this week's designers, please visit the official Taste of Second Life Blog.


Credits
Clothing: *Leo by Izzie’s
Jewelry: *Included with Clothing
Shoes: *Maia Lace Heels in Black by Purrfect 10
Hair: Soma in Snickers by !lamb.
Skin: *Ana (Pale) Tropics by Filthy Skins (NEW)
Scene: *Hemmingway Collection Part 1 by Clutter and *Round Ottoman with Draped Blanket by Tranquility Way Station Designs
Poses by Glitterati

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Romance

Everyone can use a little romance in their inventory, and The Secret Store’s latest release is just the way to do it! Romance is an adorable babydoll type shirt that features a high neck and a sculpted prim skirt. I really love how shiny the texture is and how soft the colors are. Six color combinations are available for L$189 each or L$1,000 for the fatpack. Two special edition color combinations have also be left out from a previous Lazy Sunday event for only L$70 each!  Grab them before they are gone!

I really needed a cute pair of black leggings to go with the adorable Romance top; so, I headed for my favorite shopping place of late… the marketplace! It’s so easy to just type in what you are looking for and browse through the choices; it really cuts down on all the time you would spend looking through various shops! I do have to be honest, however; sometimes I am a little nervous about buying products from vendors I have never heard of. I hate spending money on clothing that looks fantastic in a picture and absolutely horrible on me. I typically prefer to grab a freebie from a store as a basis for quality before I spend Lindens, but since the leggings from Art Decade were only L$30, I decided to give them a shot anyway. I have to say that I am completely impressed with my L$30 leggings! The texture is absolutely beautiful, and at such a cheap price, I can afford the fatpack of seven colors for only L$150! I just had to visit the store in world as well, and I really love their products. You just may be seeing more posts featuring Art Decade products!


Credits
Clothing: [Shirt] *Romance in Light Pink by The Secret Store and [Pants] Leggings in Black by Art Decade
Shoes: Buckle Flats in Black by Phoenix Rising
Shoes: Brande in Cynical Black by fri.day (SALE)
Skin: Elf 2 [Dark] Sprite 2 (Sundust) by Curio
Pose: *Knee High Fashion 5 by !Bang
Background by FairieGoodMother

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Kimi

Lately I have shied a bit away from doing exclusive skin posts because it took me entirely too long to take the photographs (crash after every snapshot), and I have been running very short on time (planning my wedding and taking masters courses!). I am completely loving how my Second Life has been behaving since the last update. No more crashing after one snapshot! I was able to completely photograph the beautiful new line by Filthy Skins with the new skirt from The Secret Store in under thirty minutes. Words truly cannot describe how happy that makes me.

Kimi is the new face by Filthy Skins, and I absolutely love it! I have discovered so many fantastic designers by visiting discount shops; Chic Boutique is where I found the lovely Alexandra Barcelos. So, to all you designers out there who think that discount shops are a waste of time and effort, they are definitely not! You will attract more customers who always hunt for a bargain. Kimi is a soft, gentle skin for the most part. The eye shadows are evident but not overdone, and the lips are beautifully colored. I love how the designer has only added a touch of eyelashes; this gives you, the customer, complete freedom to add your own favorite eyelashes. I should have added a tattoo layer eye shadow to my pictures for an example; I’ll remember to do that with my next Filthy Skins post. Six makeups are available in four tones each. Also, a closed mouth and ‘teeth’ version are included in your purchase. Single makeups can be purchased for L$ 1,000 each or L$4,000 for a single skin tone fatpack containing all makeups. If you are a Filthy Skins VIP Member (L$199 joining fee), you will receive a 50% discount on your purchase if made in the first two days of the release (today and tomorrow)! Be sure to activate your tag BEFORE your purchase!

The Secret Store is another one of those amazing little shops with absolute beautiful designs that I found through, no… not a discount shop, but a hunt! Just another example of how designers who are so good to their customers can attract more traffic. Maylee Oh has added a new design to her shop at Euphoria titled Froufrou. I really love the super cute name! To go with the super cute name is a super cute design. I always love The Secret Store sculpts; they are all beautifully crafted with amazing textures. Of course, the new skirt is no exception. Three layers of beautiful ‘fabric’ give this skirt a very girlish look. I really love the belt attached to the top; it definitely gives the skirt a little extra personality. Resize scripts have been added to the skirt which allows you to easily make adjustments for your ava. The skirt is available in six adorable colors at L$189 each; a fatpack is also available for L$900.

Last, but most certainly not least, Ingenue is having a 25% to 50% Off Sale on everything through Saturday! I’m sure you are as happy as I was when I first heard about it. Angelique is just one of the many beautiful designs on sale right now. The body suit features a corset style design with a hint of an adorable floral texture. Ten colors are available in this designs at L$82 each. Love them all? Pick up the fatpack for only L$412!


Credits
Clothing: [Shirt] Angelique in Lilas by Ingenue and [Skirt] *FrouFrou in Purple by The Secret Store @ Euphoria
Hair: Details in Brown 04 by [elikatira]
Skin: *Kimi (Pale) by Filthy Skins
Pose: 062 by Glitterati
Background by FairieGoodMother

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Taste of Second Life

What can be much better on a Saturday in Second Life than a really great sale? A sale that lasts all weekend of course! Taste of Second Life is a weekend shopping experience which brings customers discounted items from various, very talented artists. The sale runs from 12:00 am Saturday through 11:59 pm Sunday. For complete sale information, please visit the official Taste of Second Life Blog.

I remember very early in my Second Life visiting a store where I was simply awed by the creations. Being so young, I had not yet talked myself into purchasing Lindens; so, of course I didn’t buy anything. Those days seem so long ago now. Thanks to Taste of Second Life, I have rediscovered the little shop titled Indie Rose. After visiting the store many long months later, I do believe the designs are even better than I remember. I absolutely love the short, spring time Embroidered Silk Dress that Indie Rose is offering for only L$75 this weekend. I really cannot wait until the real life temperatures where I live start matching all of the lovely spring outfits cropping up everywhere. While you are visiting Indie Rose, be sure to look around the store as well; a 50% - 75% off sale is underway with fatpacks included in the discounts!

Divine is a new to me store which offers everything from skin to clothing and accessories. Their contribution to Taste of Second Life this weekend is a beautiful skin titled Bashyra – Candy, and it definitely looks good enough to eat! I love the smokey look of the eyes; I wish I could create this look on my real life eyes, but I am way to pale to pull it off. I guess that’s why I have Second Life skin; I can be any color I want! The lips are very colorful without being over the top; I love the hint of gloss and shine. The blush is also very nice; I would love to have this color for the real life me. Highlighting and shading can be found throughout the body to give a more realistic look; a cleavage and normal cleavage version are included with your purchase as well as a hairbase for only L$99!

The pose I used, titled Who Are You Wearing?, is also from another new to me store titled Just A Pose. It’s no secret that I absolutely love poses of all shapes and styles; so, discovering a new store is just the thing for me! I literally have thousands of poses in my inventory, and I don’t plan on curbing my appetite for new ones anytime soon. As their contribution to Taste of Second Life, Just A Pose has set out two pose sets, one male and one female, for only L$60 per set. I absolutely love that each of the female poses contains a thin and curvy version since my ava is a bit wider at the hips. The poses included in these sets are ‘Red Carpet Poses’ in honor of the upcoming Oscars. You really must TP to Just A Pose to check these out!


Please note that the first picture has been post processed while the second picture has only been cropped with an added border to show the true look of the skin.


Credits:
Clothing: *Embroidered Silk Dress by Indie Rose @ L$75
Shoes: Move Pumps in Antique by [elikatira] – VIP Exclusive
Hair: Sonya in Mocha by TRUTH
Skin: *Bashyra Skin Candy by Divine @ L$99
Pose: *Who Are You Wearing? by Just A Pose @ L$60 Per Set
Background by Angelia61 Stock

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

No More Mondays, Please

Why are Mondays always so long? I often wonder if Tuesday would be as bad as Monday if I had Mondays off. Probably so… It’s so hard to get motivated to get up and moving after the weekend. I really need a job that allows me to sleep in every day. I know… Keep dreaming, Alice. Lol

Just because the weekend is over doesn’t mean that all the great deals are gone. The new collection at Chic Boutique is being placed out, and Siss Boom has an adorable mini available for only L$50. With all these great discounts, I’m starting to wonder if I will ever pay full price for anything again. Of course Siss Boom has daily specials where NEW designs are placed out at L$100, which is typically about 75% off regular prices.

Credits:
Clothing: *Siagon by Siss Boom @ Chic Boutique
Shoes: Province Riding Boots in Vintage Red by Mon Tissu
Hair: *Rylan 2 in Mocha by TRUTH
Skin: *Swedish Essential Stygian Makeup V2 by Siss Boom
Pose: *Model 427 by EverGlow
Background by JoesSistah

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

It's On Sale!

Unfortunately, this is the last week for the It’s On Sale event. I always hate to see a good discount event go, but with real life issues and responsibilities, it is definitely understandable.

The sale for this week is still on though; so, get those discounted products while you still can. One item I am featuring this evening is the B&W Dress from SHIKI which I love! I normally can really not stand the mini dresses with the sculpted prim piece between the legs because it never fits right, and honestly it looks horrid when it moves. Although I know in the picture it may look like a small sculpt is included with this dress, you may be surprised to know that it is actually a small flexi skirt which is something I have not seen on a dress of this style before. I really like the concept since I love the movement featured in flexi skirts. The half black/half white design is classic, and at half price you can’t pass it up!

I love a great pant outfit, and the Nicole outfit from G&N Quality Design is no exception. The high waisted pants featured with this outfit are beautiful. I really would love to wear this type of pants in real life, but since I don’t have the body type for them, I guess I will just have to settle for wearing them in my second life. The included shirt is a beautiful pink color; which, of course, is my favorite. Although the shirt is relatively modest in the front, the complete back of the shirt opens up with only two straps crossing the back.

I seriously love shoes… of all types! I’m not sure what the style of the shoes being offered by Republic would be called, but they are interesting to say the least. They kind of remind me of ballerina meets stiletto. The glitter texture featured on the shoes is really pretty; I absolutely LOVE glitter in real life and can always use a little more in my second life. A little heart is attached to the back of the shoes which is absolutely adorable!! These shoes are a Valentine’s Special and will be gone after this week. Hurry and pick them up while you still can!

Credits:

Photo 1:
Clothing: *B&W Dress by SHIKI Designs @ 50% Off
Jewelry: Timeless Pearl Earrings by EarthStones
Shoes: Dante by Kalnins Fashion Footwear @ 50% Off
Hair: Early in Black 06 by [elikatira] @ VIP Exclusive
Skin: *Sweetheart [Dark] Deeply Madly 2 (Sundust) by Curio
Pose: Model Pose 135 by Glitterati

Photo 2:
Clothing: *Nicole by G&N Quality Design @ 50% Off
Shoes: Dream.Booties in Pink by fri.day
Hair: Details in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: *Sweetheart [Dark] Beguiling 2 (Sundust) by Curio
Pose: Model Pose 093 by Glitterati

Photo 3:
Shoes: *Alexander in Red Valentine by Republic @ L$75
Skin: *Sweetheart [Dark] Beguiling 2 (Sundust) by Curio
Pose: Model Pose 140 by Glitterati

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Our Flying Angel

I would first like to apologize for being MIA this week and not getting posts of sales and events out as quickly as I should have. As many of my readers know, I am a high school teacher in real life. I always hoped that I would never have to experience the death of one of my students, but in reality the student lost this week was more than just a student since our families have been friends since our grandparents were young. I teach in a very small school of only around five hundred students total; even if you don’t personally know someone, you still know who they are. The most difficult day I have ever have had teaching, including those days when students just won’t cooperate, is when my students looked at me wanting answers to the unanswerable. Please keep her family as well as our entire school family in your prayers.

A new sale event started last weekend on the grid, and honestly, who doesn’t love a sale? I know I sure do. Even in my real life, I rarely buy something unless it is on sale. Horrible… I know. Lol The It’s On Sale event features items from multiple designers who have marked down a design to 50% off for one week only. To get a full list of participating stores, please visit the It’s On Sale blog. The above photos feature the sale items from Lemania Indigo Designs, [WAP Design], MEB Fashion and Republic (shoes).


Credits:

Photo 1
Clothing: *Nouveau Casual by Lemania Indigo Designs @ 50% Off
Shoes: Included with Clothing
Hair: Me in Black 04 by [elikatira]
Skin: Jasmine [Dark] Tangerine 2 (Shell) by Curio
Tattoo: Lash Set 3 by Apple May Designs
Pose: *Knee High Fashion 8 by !bang

Photo 2
Clothing: *Short Black Roses by [WAP Design] @ 50% Off
Shoes: *Jannifer Boot in Stingray Leather (Black) by Republic @ 50% Off
Hair: Here in Black 04 by [elikatira]
Skin: Jasmine [Light] Mysterious 2 (Shell) by Curio
Pose: *Glitz 5 by !bang

Photo 3
Clothing: *Sabrina by MEB Fashion @ 50% Off
Shoes: Included with Clothing
Hair: Later in Black 04 by [elikatira]
Skin: Jasmine [Dark] Wood 2 (Shell) by Curio
Tattoo: Lash Set 3 by Apple May Designs
Pose: *Love My Boots 4 by !bang

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.