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.

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.

Layer Me

My mind is almost completely blank this evening, and I really cannot think of much to say. Perhaps it has something to do with watching Star Trek all day with my husband. I have to admit, however, that I have liked the show a lot more than I ever thought I would.

The magic of Second Life for some people is being able to transform into anyone you can imagine, but honestly for me it is being able to express my real life self in a digital world and continuously discover new and exciting things each day. The outfit I put together today is completely something that I would wear in my real life. I love layering pieces and matching them with simple jewelry that adds a little personality to the design.

Jackets are one of my favorite items of clothing in real life, and I am constantly on the lookout for them in Second Life as well. The problem that I have found with most of the jackets in world, sadly, is poor shading and blending with the impossibility of properly lining up the prim pieces with the system layers. As she has proven time and time again, however, Izzie's is a step above most when it comes to blending the textures of prim pieces and system layers. Her new Suede Blazer is absolutely stunning; the texturing is very realistic while leaving an artistic drawn look. The blazer is available in ten fabulous colors. The clutch I am holding is also a new item from Izzie's that is also available in ten color choices.

As you probably know by now, I love poses and can never resist new sets from great designers especially when the sets are set at sale prices! Bang Poses has two new sets out today, a mini set for Super Bargain Saturday at L$60 and a full standing set for Lazy Sunday at L$75. Pick these up before the prices jump!

The 50% Off Black Friday Sale at je suis has been extended until Sunday at 12 pm SLT. I am wearing the Sophistique necklace and earrings in dark. The pearl color as well as the metal color is changeable via a HUD. Ten options for the pearl color and five options for the metal color are included.


Credits
Clothing: [Top] Intrinsic Tank in Avocado by JANE (Freebie), [Jacket] *Suede Blazer in Black by Izzie's and [Pants] Classic Jeans in Light by Zaara
Accessories: {Clutch] *Clutch in Green by Izzie's and [Jewelry] Sophistique in Dark by je suis
Hair: Isolation in Honeycomb Roots by !lamb.
Skin: *Laika II . Tan . 01 by Filthy Skins
Pose: *Stand 225 by !bang
Location: Where It Begins

* Denotes promotional copy.

Butterfly

I was more than a little sad when Siss Boom closed it's doors a while ago. Not only is owner and designer Lestat Reuven amazingly talented, but she has a heart of gold as well and I knew I would miss her terribly. Thankfully, Lestat didn't decide to stay away forever and opened her shop back up a couple days ago.

Butterfly is one of Siss Boom's newly released designs, and I must admit that I am in love with it. I remember wearing poofy, elegant dresses almost every day when I first joined Second Life. There was just something about being able to dress up that seemed almost magical. The textures featured on Butterfly are very soft, feminine and beautiful. This dress would be perfect for a night out ballroom dancing or even a romantic stroll through a park!

If you like Siss Boom designs, be sure to join the in world group to receive notices of new releases and specials!


Credits
Clothing: *Butterfly by Siss Boom
Jewelry: Ansuka Pearl Drop Earrings *Night* - Silver by Zaara @ My Second Wardrobe
Hair: With - Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: Sundust [Dark] Elf 2-Sprite 2 by Curio
Poses: [1] *Poofy 4, [2] *Poofy 9 Mirror and [3] *Poofy 7 by aDORKable Poses

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

Belinda

Have you ever been so tired that it's difficult to think? That is kind of where I am at the moment; so, please forgive me if my entire post makes no sense whatsoever!

Izzie's is most definitely turning into one of my favorite shops; I am more and more convinced of this with each new release. Her new Long Top is feminine, conservative and very fun! The blouse features system layers as well as five beautiful prim pieces; the sleeves are actually composed of two sculpts each which blend fantastically with each other. Honestly, the designer's ability to beautifully blend all the pieces of her clothing is what first caught my attention. Too often in Second Life, designers will make their vendor pictures look like the sculpted pieces blend well when in actuality they do not; Izzie's clothing actually does blend that well! Nine colors are available at L$150 each or $1,050 for the fatpack.

Like my bag? It's the newest release from je suis, and I have to say that I absolutely love it! Every girl needs a great bag for the summer, and Prete definitely fits the bill. The contents of the bag are perfect for a trip to the beach or a relaxing day in the park! You have everything you need: shades, water, towel, a magazine and most importantly... sunscreen! The bag does contain a very nice holding pose which works with your AO. A random person actually IMed me while I was trying to shoot some photos to ask where I got the pose to hold my bag like that. Hehe Twenty color choices are available at L$199 each or L$1,990 for the fatpack.

Not only does Izzie's make beautiful clothing, but she makes beautiful skin as well! Belinda is Izzie's latest skin release, and I have to say that I really love this look. I always look for realism mixed with artistry in new skins, and Izzie has definitely delivered! The skin purchase is set up a little differently than what you may be used to; Belinda is sold in three skin tones at L$700 per tone. Each tone contains a skin for black, blonde, brown and red brows and with options for cleavage as well. There is only one eye makeup included in the pack, but you can purchase lip gloss sets to change up the look. If you have ever really loved a designer's eye makeup but wished the skin had a different lip color, this type of purchase would be a good choice for you! The skin itself has a very basic lip color; so, it is easy to apply a lip gloss tattoo over the skin and still look beautiful. Three different lip gloss sets are available at L$120 per eight color pack.


Credits
Clothing: [Top] *Long Top in Pink by Izzie's and [Pants] Classic Jeans in Light by Zaara
Hair: *Pandora in Mocha by TRUTH
Hair Clip: Gem Clip - Flowers by EarthStones
Bag: *Prete in Stripped Black by je suis
Skin: *Belinda Skin (brown brows)- Sunkissed by Izzie's
Lip Gloss: *LipGloss Rose 2 (Set 2) by Izzie's
Lashes: 2011 lashes/curl by LeLutka
Poses: [1] *Take A Look 3, [2] *Ohai There 5 and *Freestylin' 1 by BANG
Location: Everwilde 

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

I Always Come Back ♥

Heaven help me! I have sat down to write this post a good billion times in the past three weeks, and without fail something comes up or goes wrong and it never gets completed. My latest problem is that my Second Life viewer refuses to open. :| After the latest update, I get to the “Initializing VFS” box and then the viewer completely crashes. I have tried manually deleting my cache, completely deleting everything related to Second Life from my computer and reinstalling, and even contacting tech support. I cannot believe they actually had the audacity to tell me that since I’m not a premium member, they could not help me. Excuse me, but I spend a crap load of money on this ‘game’ even though I wasn’t a premium member. I did upgrade my membership in the hope that they would help me, but I’m not holding my breath. If anyone has any words of wisdom for my problem, I would gladly accept them. =)

On to fashion! I really love this outfit from SE*Designz even though by now I’m sure that they have something much newer out. I love the simple feeling it gives me; the feeling of freedom… to be able to run barefoot across soft spring grass! Before I took my very short hiatus, I saw a lot of the folded shirts on the fashion feeds. I absolutely love the look; it’s so roomy and pretty at the same time! The textures included in the skirt are very soft as well; this is definitely a perfect match! Both the Nested Neckholder Top and the Denim Skirt can be found at SE*Designz for L$125 each.

Although the top is very beautiful in itself, I personally found it to be a bit too low cut for my tastes. So, what was my solution? Exactly the same thing that I would do in real life! I took advantage of the layering abilities of V2 and put on the Intrinsic Tank in cream by JANE which are absolutely FREE!  You really cannot pass these up!

I am really glad that I was able to cover Fashion for Life last March; while serving an amazing cause, it also exposed me to many new to me designers. One of those designers is the very talented Zaara who specializes in Indian clothing and accessories. I absolutely fell in love with her jewelry pieces; they are all very bold and full of color. I picked up the Indra painted stacked bangles while I was at the fair and then paid a visit to the store where I picked up the Karmuka necklace (colored) to add a little flavor to my simple outfit. This is most definitely a designer I will be keeping my eye on!


Credits
Clothing: [Shirt] *Nested Neckholder Top in Broze by SE*Designz, [Undershirt] *Intrinsic Tank in Cream by JANE and [Skirt] *Denim Skirt by SE*Designz
Jewelry: [Bangles] Indra and [Necklace] Karmuka (Colored) by Zaara
Hair: Breath in Brown 08 by [elikatira]
Skin: *Jealous 1 [Dark] Sweetheart (Sundust) by Curio
Pose: Model 50 by Glitterati

* Denotes item provided by designer for review.

44BC Rome in Egypt

Today is the last day of Fashion Fest 2010, and I still have two more SIMs to highlight! The SIMs will close at 10 pm SLT; so, if you haven't made it there yet, you better be moving quickly! Featured designers from 44BC Rome include Kunglers, Total Knockout and SpellBound, and featured designers from Egypt include Zaara, Viviane Fashion and Evica.

☆★ 44BC Rome ★☆

Clothing: Scarlet Marine by Kunglers @ L$299 Relay for Life Donation
Hair: Denna in Happy Blond by fri.day
Skin: Pearl 2 (Peach) by LAQ
Pose: model.pose 6 by fri.day
Background by JoesSistah

Clothing: Denim Romper in Black by Total Knockout @ L$100 Relay for Life Donation
Hair: Kalista in Swedish by TRUTH
Skin: Pearl 2 (Peach) by LAQ
Pose: Glitz 3 by !BANG
Background by JoesSistah

Clothing: Heidi in Cream by SpellBound @ L$225 Relay for Life Donation
Hair: Josephine in Mocha by TRUTH
Skin: Pearl 2 (Peach) by LAQ
Pose: model.pose 16 by fri.day
Background by JoesSistah

Clothing: (Shirt) Bribe in Black by SpellBound @ L$75 Relay for Life Donation
Jewelry: Included with Clothing
Hair: Bethany in Mocha by TRUTH
Skin: Pearl 2 (Peach) by LAQ
Pose: model.pose 8 by fri.day
Background by JoesSistah


☆★ Egypt ★☆

Clothing: Esha Bikini by Zaara @ L$150 Relay for Life Donation
Jewelry: Vyomini Bracelet in Amethyst by Zaara @ L$300 Relay for Life Donation
Hair: Tatum.2 in Timid Brown by fri.day
Skin: Pearl 2 (Peach) by LAQ
Pose: model.pose 22 by fri.day
Background by JoesSistah

Clothing: Alice Pink by Viviane Fashion @ L$199 Relay for Life Donation
Shoes: Included with Clothing
Jewelry: (Necklace) Included with Clothing, (Bracelets) Dented Metal Bracelets by Evica @ L$50 Relay for Life Donation
Hair: Deena in Emo Black by fri.day
Skin: Pearl 2 (Peach) by LAQ
Pose: model.pose 30 by fri.day
Background by JoesSistah