Saturday, December 31, 2011

12_31_2011

Testing out some landscaping ideas for the new home Dmitr's building me.

Tree: Tree SPRING (yellow) by MiaSnow
Grass: Magic Grass - Square 10x10x1 - v2 by OneDom

Friday, December 30, 2011

Happy Island and the Puffling Present Pursuit

Puffling Present Pursuit (3 of 3)

I was thrilled when I saw MiaSnow's ad for her new Happy Island, as it's just the type of thing I've been seeking for my current little skybox home. And, at only $199L, it was definitely in my price range. I was even more excited when I discovered it came with a hunt card for the Puffling Present Pursuit. Unexpected free things! Yay!

Choosing my gift was a tough decision - there were so many cute items - but I finally settled on the clothing & jewelry set from Silentsparrow & Schadenfreude. It comes with a million different options (2 skirts, 3 pair of pants, 2 pair of stockings, and several shirt options on various layers), making it perfect for mixing and matching with my other outfits. I then ran over to Schadenfreude and bought the matching vest - Allegory Malaprop's contribution to the final Fifty Linden Friday sale.

Fifty Linden Friday also led me to Fashionably Dead, a store I've not previously visited, but to which I will definitely be returning. I didn't end up buying their FLF offering, but I did take advantage of the 50% Off sale they were having on all of their hair. I bought an 8-color fatpack (including a full set of matching shaved head bases) for $175 and only paid $150 a piece for two different 5-color sets of her Flying Fortress hair - a must-have for any Tank Girl fan. I don't know how long the sale will last, so I'd pay them a visit as soon as you can.

Puffling Present Pursuit (1 of 3)

Hair: Olivia Watches Melrose Place - Space Destroyer hair with Stone base by Fashionably Dead ($175L/8pk - On Sale)
Skin: Alyx - Naughty (rdbrow) by Pink Fuel ($10L "With Love, Again" Hunt #26 - Ends 1.6.12)
Eyes: VaeColl.-Fool (Hollyblooms) by Plastik (A Very Rotten Christmas Hunt #11 - Ends 12.31.11)
Vest: Jay Deep V Vest (Striped) by Schadenfreude ($50 Linden Friday)
Earrings & Necklace: A Band of Jays by Silentsparrow (Puffling Present Pursuit - Ends 1.12.11)
Shirt, Shorts & Socks: A Band of Jays by Silentsparrow (Puffling Present Pursuit - Ends 1.12.11)
Bracelet: CHUM bracelet by Miel (Scripted text change. Group gift.)
Shoes: Eclipse "Brown Edition" by N-core (Group gift)
Tattoos: Shooting Star - Full Version by Para Designs ($175L)
Poses: Dance 38 by Animazoo (In the dance ball at The Rookery.)

Location: The Rookery (Accessed via the "Schadenfreude wants YOU for the Glamrock Army" poster on Lloyd.

Puffling Present Pursuit (2 of 3)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

$100L Sale at Nomine

Nomine $100L Sale (1 of 2)

It's sale time again at Nomine! With few exceptions, skins, shapes, hair, eyes, tattoos, lingerie, clothing, jewelry are all $100L until January 1, 2012. Many items are unisex, so drag your husbands, brothers, boyfriends, and boy friends shopping with you! The sale is also taking place on the SL Marketplace, so you can purchase items as gifts. While you're in the store, be sure to keep an eye on three lucky chairs which contain a variety of rotating items - including the dress I'm wearing here. (You can see other Nomine items in some of my previous entries.)

My skin is part of a multi-pack from Pink Fuel for the "With Love, Again" Hunt and my eyes are part of Plastik's extremely generous A Very Rotten Christmas Hunt gift for females. (There's a separate gift for males which is surely loaded with just as many goodies.) Please note that the items in the "With Love, Again" Hunt are not free, but $10L each.

Hair: Dawn (red auburn) by Nomine ($100L Sale)
Dress: Siobhan by Nomine (Lucky Chair item)
Eyes:VaeColl.-Fool (Hollyblooms) by Plastik (A Very Rotten Christmas Hunt #11 - Ends 12.31.11)
Skin: Alyx - Naughty (rdbrow) by Pink Fuel ($10L "With Love, Again" Hunt #26 - Ends 1.6.12)

Location: Nomine

Nomine Sale

Monday, November 07, 2011

Sweet Tooth

Sweet Tooth

Since the I Love Cupcakes Hunt is full of things which aren't really my style, I enlisted the adorable Annika here to help me show you some of the items offered in this month-long hunt. For a more complete preview of the gifts, you can visit the SL Freebie Hunters blog. (One of the most helpful SL blogs out there, in my not-so-humble opinion.)

I Love Cupcakes Hunt - Ends 11.30.11
Hair: Pink Frosting by Draconic Kiss (5 colors)
Dress: Pinkie Cakes by Lethe (1 of 3 gifts)
Shoes: Cupcake Heels by Pink Promise
Background: Cupcake Wallpapers by RO!ACT Designs

iTouch Hunts Perly Touch Hunt - Ends 11.15.11
Shape: Story Tale Collection - Tinkerbell by Anatomy ($1L)

Miscellaneous
Skin: Alice by Rotten Toe ($15L)
Pose: Poofy Dress Pls by Long Awkward Pose

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Moving Day

11_5_11_001

11_6_11_003

Initially, this entry simply started out as a way to show off my new SL home and avoid struggling with writer's block over a new fashion post. However, once I began writing, it decided it wanted to be an article on how to have an affordable, low-prim home that looks fancy - so that's what it is.

Since joining SecondLife in 2006, I've moved sims at least eight times. That doesn't even include the multitude of times I decided my SL living space needed a complete makeover, nuked everything, and started again from scratch - I've lived in in castles, mansions, seaside homes both posh and grungy, various airships, and a bayou shack complete with an alligator in the front yard. Thankfully, moving is a lot easier to do in the virtual realm than in the one of flesh and blood!

After a luxuriously long period of not really having to worry about prim count, I'm back to having to be a bit more frugal. I knew this day would eventually come, so I'd been picking up nice cheap and free skyboxes when I found them. (One good place for such deals is A.S.S., who frequently offer beautiful, low-prim skyboxes for $100L or less. You can even view full-size demos at their store.) As seen in these photos, my home weighs in at 169 prims, and even that could be significantly reduced by picking up or editing one or two higher prim items.

This is the Hookah Lounge, a gift from The Sea Hole in the Stash Bash Hunt which took place earlier this year. (April 20th, of course. *wink*) It's 67 prims, including the beautiful garden you see through the windows, a shelf for decorations, functional hanging lights, a hookah, and a myriad of cushions containing a ton of animated sits. It also came with a bit of art baked into the wall textures, some of which I've covered up with art from my own collection. (Mostly by one of my favored artists, Trindolyn Beck. Trindolyn's artwork can be viewed and purchased at India Ink Gallery.)

Because I feel my talents in SecondLife home creation lie more in the realm of decorating than building, I usually rely on prefab homes or, if I'm really lucky, one of my multitude of talented friends will generously offer to build me one. (I'm spoiled and I know it, but I'm also greatly appreciative of those who've spoiled me.) So let's move on to how I made this prefab, partially-furnished skybox feel like home...

The plate of Deceptively Delicious Cupcakes (24 prim) - which dispenses a variety of fatal pastries - was a $50L Woeful Wednesday item from Relics of Kadath. This weekend's Super Bargain Saturday sales yielded a cute Thistle Homes copy/mod chair (13 prims) for only $60L, the absinthe table (41 prims) is something I put together using past hunt gifts from The Fooding and Post, and the round cushion (4 prims) beneath the hanging lights is an adorable texture-change chair from Cheeky Pea. (I think it was a gift or sale item, but I sadly failed to make any notes about it.) Finally, at $230L, the skulls and candles from New Trails were a bit of a splurge, but the pack is well worth the cost. The entire set is copy/mod and includes the following items:

~ 35 skulls in 6 different colors (3 prims each)
~ scripted on/off candles in 5 colors (2 prims each)
~ 2 scripted color shifting plants (single & patch options - 1 prim each)
~ stone wall with skulls and color-changing lights (24 prims)

It's early days yet, so I still have some more decorating to do, but I'm pleased with how things are coming along so far.

11_6_11_002


11_6_11_001

Sale Alert!

Hoorenbeek Sale 01

Sale at Hoorenbeek (June 25 & 26, 2011)

It's sale time at Hoorenbeek again! Just look for the red "special offer" tags scattered throughout the store. (The sale tag is very similar to their Fat Pack icon, so please exercise caution when making your purchases.) Hoorenbeek offers quality footwear for both men and women as well as many unisex items, including the Boots seen here. Make sure to check out the sneakers and sandals at the back of the store as well. (Hoorenbeek also makes clothing, but the majority of it is for men, so I don't have any personal experience with it.) As I mentioned in my Thrifty Tidbits post, sales like this are one of the primary methods I use to stretch my Lindens.

Sadly, today (11.06.2011) is the last day of this particular sale, so you'll have to hurry over to Hoorenbeek if you want to take advantage of it. While you're there, consider joining their subscribe-o-matic group to receive timely announcements about sales like this and gain access to group freebies.

Hoorenbeek Sale 02

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Día de los Muertos



Information about Día de los Muertos can be found at dayofthedead.com.

This photo was one of the winners of the Halloween sim KMADD Flickr contest.

Hair: Amy by Alli & Ali Designs ($175L)
Skin: Sugar by MiaSnow (Mini Mania Exclusive)
Shape: Fresh - Petite by MiaSnow ($120L/4 Shapes)
Dress: Skulls, Tulle, Red by PixelDolls ($99 at the outlet on MIA Island)
Eyes: Witch by Insufferable Dastard (Zombie Popcorn Hunt 2011 - No longer available.)
Braclets: Layered Bangles by Sigma Jewels (Zombie Popcorn Hunt 2011 - No longer available.)

Location: KMADD Events Sim

Friday, October 28, 2011

Frick Halloween Dollarbie Hunt 2011

Frick Halloween Dollarbie Hunt 2011 (1 of 3)
One of my favorite stores, Frick, is once again open for a limited time, with nothing priced over $150L. In addition to that, they're having a dollarbie Halloween hunt with 2 dresses and 5 skin packs. The clothing comes on multiple layers and each skin tone comes with dark/light brow options as well as freckles/no freckles.

While this look wasn't completely free, it only cost $2L, which is still quite the bargain!

Frick Halloween Dollarbie Sale 2011 (2 of 3)

Frick Halloween Dollarbie Hunt 2011 - Ends 10.31.11
Skin: Pumpkin Alice - Sugar - Dk Brows - Freckles (Witch Hat #1)
Dress, Tights & Gloves: Alice in Pumpkin (Witch Hat #6)

No Strings Attached Hunt - Ends 10.31.11
Shoes: Gathering Memories by Lethe (NSA hunt gift #2 from this store.)

Zombie Popcorn Hunt - Ends 10.31.11
Eyes: Witch by Insufferable Dastard
Necklace Little Bat by Lou Lou & Co.

Runway Perfect Hunt - Ends 10.31.11
Pose: BeBo-RW-4M by BehaviorBody Animations

Miscellaneous Freebies
Hair: Aisline - Pumpkin by Ploom (October VIP Group Gift - Free to Join)

Location: Frick

Frick Halloween Dollarbie Sale 2011 (3 of 3)

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Desaturated Dolly (Freedom #2)

Desaturated Dolly (1 of 2)

Unfortunately, the hiatus I mentioned back in July lasted longer than I expected or would have preferred. I'm still uncertain about how often I'll be able to update this blog (life is being... well, LIFE), but I'm hoping it will be on a more regular basis than it has been recently. For now, I bring you the second installment in my Freedom series - complete outfits I've assembled for absolutely free. As always, I relied heavily on hunts and the diligent work of other bloggers, like those over at SL Freebie Hunters.

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to get a good shot of the spiders on the shoes from Lethe, but I did manage to get one of the spiderweb. (They actually offer three hunt items each for both men and women, resulting in a couple of gorgeous outfits.) The adorable dress by Indigo Oddities also comes with matching arm warmers, but I opted to wear the lace gloves which came with the beautiful hat by Vanilla C. Designs. Finally, though I really wanted this look to be completely comprised of hunt items, I couldn't find a hair I liked among the hunt items and the lollipop from Vanilla C. Designs matched my outfit too perfectly to resist.

Desaturated Dolly (2 of 2)

No Strings Attached Hunt - Ends 10.31.11
Skin: by Squeek!
Dress & Tights: Damaged Dahlia by Indigo Oddities
Hat : Dress Hat Amethyst Rose by Vanilla C. Designs
Gloves: Lace Gloves Amethyst/Black by Vanilla C. Designs
Shoes: Gathering Memories by Lethe (NSA hunt gift #2 from this store.)

Zombie Popcorn Hunt - Ends 10.31.11
Eyes: Vampire by Insufferable Dastard
Necklace Little Bat by Lou Lou & Co.

Runway Perfect Hunt - Ends 10.31.11
Pose: Runway Perfect 1 by PNP

Miscellaneous Freebies
Hair: White by Black Maria (Lucky Board Gift)
Lollipop: by Vanilla C. Designs (In-Store Freebie)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Job vs Blog

So... I recently got a new job in RL. It's a job I'm really enjoying so far, but which sometimes requires long hours of me. Unfortunately, after a 10-hour day, I don't have the energy to do much more than come home and fall on my face. My schedule should eventually even out into something a bit less taxing, until then I hope you'll forgive me for this brief hiatus.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Sale at Hoorenbeek

Sale at Hoorenbeek (June 25 & 26, 2011)

Hoorenbeek is once again offering many of their items at extremely reduced prices - just look for the red "special offer" tag. (Which is unfortunately similar to their Fat Pack icon, so please exercise caution when making your purchases.) I can't speak for their clothing, but I can say that Hoorenbeek offers quality footwear for both men and women. (Ladies, make sure to peruse the men's section of footwear, as it contains many unisex items, including my beloved Dr. H. Boots seen here.) As I mentioned in a recent entry, Hoorenbeek's generous sales are one way I'm able to dress my avatar in quality merchandise without spending a lot of money.

Unfortunately, today (6.26.2011) is the last day of this particular sale, so you'll have to hurry over to Hoorenbeek if you want to take advantage of it. While you're there, consider joining their subscribe-o-matic group to receive timely announcements about sales like this and gain access to group freebies.

Friday, June 17, 2011

$100L Clothing Sale at Nomine

$100L Clothing Sale at Nomine

Nomine is currently offering all clothing (including new releases) for $100L through Saturday. Both the sweater and pants I'm wearing here are among the sale items, as well as the dress seen in this entry. The sweater and dress both come in several colors and the pants are available in a variety of patterns. Details about the items I'm wearing can be found below. I'll try to talk more about my look (including that luscious skin) in a future entry (and when I'm not in danger of faceplanting on the keyboard), I just wanted to let you guys know about this sale before it was too late for you to take advantage of it.

Shirt: Lamb Sweater - Black by Nomine
Pants: Rusted Pants - Rose - Lowrise by Nomine
Skin: Ollisa - Natural - Breeze by Haut Monde
Hair: Baby Cocoa by Analog Dog (Free, look for the large bubbles on the beach.)
Eyes: Radiant - Brown by MiaSnow ($220L / 10pk)
Nails: Pinkaboo French by Purrfect Nails
Boots: Acolyte - Grey by Malfean Visions (Recent $60L Weekends Item)
Necklace: Dem Bones Dem Bones by Malfean Visions (Creature Feature Hunt #58 - Ends 6.30.11)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Lookin' Out My Backdoor

Lookin' Out My Backdoor  (3 of 3)

I recently got this lovely full-perm greenhouse from Be Enchanted ($150L on the marketplace), and have been scouring the hunts, sales, and usual freebie outlets for quality items to furnish it with; gleefully filling my inventory with all of the flowers, plants, and vegetable gardens denied to me in my First Life by cats and urban living. (Actually, since I love both cats and urban living, it's more of a willing compromise.) These images are some unedited shots I took tonight after I made a few additions - including Vince & Howard, who're paying the scarecrow no mind because, after all, they're bunnies, not crows.

Lookin' Out My Backdoor  (3 of 3)

Lookin' Out My Backdoor  (2 of 3)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Seamstress (Freedom #1)

6_13_11_003

I was inspired by the current multitude of hunts to bring you yet another new series. Joining Set Home to Here and the mini-blogs is Freedom, a series in which I will be striving to bring you looks I put together for $0L. Quality and style will count, of course. It takes no effort to put together a bad look in SL for free, the real challenge is putting together a good one.

The starting point of this outfit was the adorable patchwork dress that is The Delectable Doll's contribution to the Creature Feature Hunt. (You can get a good look at it here.) Lamp Light's suture tattoo offering in the same hunt was the perfect accompaniment and went beautifully with the skin Gala Affair put in their Zombie Popcorn bag. Next came eyes by Repluse in the Depraved Summer Nights Hunt, nails from Pulcino's Black Butler Hunt gift, Bliensen + MaiTai's Creature Feature Hunt necklace, and cute little flats from the Zombie Popcorn Hunt outfit by Monroes. On top of my bald head I perched a pink bob recently won on a lucky board at D!va, and my creepy little ragdoll was complete while my wallet remained nestled snugly in my handbag.


6_13_11_002

Zombie Popcorn Hunt - Ends 6.15.11
Skin (minus stitches): Layla Light - My Sweet Vampire D by Glam Affair
Shoes: Ridin' Nerdy Set Flats by Monroes

Creature Feature Hunt - Ends 6.30.11
Dress: Patched Creature by The Delectable Doll
Stitches: Veronica - Sutures by Lamp Light
Necklace: Happy Ever After by Bliensen + MaiTai

Depraved Summer Nights Hunt - Ends 6.30.11
Eyes: Undead - Silver by Repluse

Black Butler Hunt - Ends 6.30.11
Prim Nails: Wing of Swan White by Pulcino

Miscellaneous Freebies
Hair: Chika - Ruby - Forelock by D!va (Lucky Board Gift)
Background: Part of the Imperial Backgrounds set by Jessies Textures (MM Gift)
Pose: LW Hair Fair 4 by Laynie Link (Old Hair Fair Freebie. No longer available.)

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Lapointe & Bastchild Freebie Store

Lapointe & Bastchild Gothic Free Designs


If your idea of a lovely evening involves green faeries, clove cigarettes, and copious amounts of velvet, then I suggest heading over to Lapointe & Bastchild's Gothic Free Designs, where they're currently offering many of their older designs for, yes, completely free. I'll admit some of the items did seem to be showing their age a bit, but I also saw plenty of gems for both men and women.

Mini-Blog #5

Mini-Blog #1

My not-so-inner Crazy Cat Lady prompted me to snap this silly photo while shopping at MiaSnow today. Below are the details of my look, with prices included when possible.

Hair: Amerlee - Blacks by Ploom ($200L)
Eyes: Radiant - Multi 1 by MiaSnow ($220L / 10pk)
Shirt: Kashmir Blouse - Natural by The Sea Hole ($120L)
Jeans: Dark Denims - No Belt by Insanya ($170L / 4 options + prim cuffs & pockets)
Belt: Pirate Mate Sash - Plain by Deviance ($100L / scripted color change)
Boots: Cowgirl Boots - Brown by Hoorenbeek ($520L)
Skin: Layla Light - My Sweet Vampire D by Glam Affair (Zombie Popcorn Hunt - Ends 6.15.11)
Pose: Corset AO by Creative Insanity ($350L - Designed for prim corsets, etc.)
Location: MiaSnow (slurl)

Banksy Collection at Monroes

Banksy Collection at Monroes

While workin' on the Zombie Popcorn Hunt (and a new outfit to show you), I stumbled across this nifty collection of Banksy t-shirts for only $25L a piece. So, if you wanna get your Bansky on, just hop on over to Monroes.

Saturday, June 04, 2011

Tribute to a Doll

6_3_11 (1 of 2)

When I saw the eyebrows on Heartsick's Amor E Morte skin, I squealed with delight, slapped down my $75L for the fatpack, and scampered off to put together my best Amanda Palmer look. When I opened the box from Heartsick, I discovered the skin came in 3 tones with 6 makeup options each. As if that wasn't enough, each makeup comes with 2 eyebrow styles - normal and what I call "AFP brows," which are what's shown here. Each brow also comes with cleavage and no cleavage options. This is an older set of skins which is being retired, so if you're thinkin' about adding it to your collection, I wouldn't hesitate for too long. While you're there, grab the free fat pack of skins on the floor, as the Tairrie skin inside also has the lovely AFP eyebrows. (Actually, all of Amesha Jewell's skins are divine as are her voluptuous shapes.) I wish I could find more skins with interesting eyebrows like this or, even better, AFP eyebrows on a brow layer so I can wear them with all of my skins! I mean, just look at 'em!!

Okay, okay, enough about my eyebrows. (But, seriously guys, they're awesome!) I've been wanting to show you guys this hair from Dura for a long time, so I was pleased that it was just what I needed for this shoot. I then headed over to Rotten Toe who exceeded my expectations by offering up the perfect outfit for only $15L! (You see it very well in these photos, but it comes with prim fringe for both the skirt and top.)

I carried around a parasol for awhile before I remembered the free ukulele that I'd seen mentioned in the Virtual Vagabond blog. Hoping that it was still available, I 'ported over to the sim and, with a little poking 'round, happily discovered that luck was on my side.

Some gloves (with prim ribbons) from the SL Marketplace, my old standby Docs from Hoorenbeek, some MiaSnow peepers, a bottlecap necklace from Bliensen + MaiTai, and a tiny tophat from the Zombie Popcorn Hunt completed my look, so - resisting the urge to create a "Map of Tasmania" gesture - I set out to wander the grid.

6_3_11 (2 of 2)

Hair: Girl 16 - Black by Dura ($120L)
Hat:She Loves Black (w/o veil) by LaGyo (Zombie Popcorn Hunt #67 - ends 6.15.11)
Skin: Amor E Morte - Illusion - Absinthe w/ Faust EB2 by Heartsick ($75L Fatpack)
Lipstick: Lipstick v.12 by Garage
Eyes: Shine - Green by MiaSnow ($220L / 9pk)
Necklace: Bottle Cap ABC Necklace by Bliensen + MaiTai ($200L)
Tattoos: Shooting Star Full Version - Faded by Para Designs ($175L)
Dress & Stockings: Nekrotic Dress - Green by Rotten Toe($15L)
Gloves: Purple Knit Fingerless Gloves by Ross Seljan (SL Marketplace $30L)
Boots: Dr. H. Boots - Black by Hoorenbeek
Ukulele & Pose: Freebie from Sushi Train Marketplace

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Thrifty Tidbits

After the Show (1 of 3)

As promised, here is the outfit I said I was putting together a few days ago. It was built around one of what I call Schadenfreude's "wallpaper" corsets, because their fabrics match the wallpaper of the store's various rooms within the giant onyx elephant. I don't own nearly enough of these, but there was no way the cat-patterned one wasn't going home with me. As with all corsets in this line, the depth of the texture is delicious, it comes on several layers, and includes a matching tattoo (not shown here). At $200L, this corset is a bit more than I'd usually pay for a single outfit piece, but my past experience with Schadenfreude's merchandise told me it would be a good investment.

Speaking of money, since I made the decision to include prices in the item details at the end of each post, I've wondered if they give an impression that's contrary to my mission to bring my readers information about affordable fashion. Because, you see, I try to list the price that people who go looking for the item can expect to pay for it, which is often much higher than what I actually spent. (It seems a little cruel to list a bracelet for the $50L when any new customers who go looking for it will have to pay 4x more.) So, in an effort to give you a more accurate view of my SL consumer habits, I've decided to share with you a some of my favorite thrifty tidbits...

GROUPS
Retailer groups are a great way to keep up-to-date about sales and to pick up the occasional free gift. I also recommend joining a group or two which focuses on calling lucky chairs/boards like Lucky Chair Stalkers or Lucky Chair Zombies, or those which share deals related to a specific aesthetic like Dead Dolls of SL. Not only are such groups my top resources for saving lindens, but since they send out information from a variety of sources, they save me group slots as well. As far as I know, all three groups I mentioned are currently open to new members and free to join.

BLOGS
In addition to the in-world groups, I follow several blogs. Whereas the groups tell me about the freebies and sales, the blogs show them to me. I find blogs especially useful for deciding which sales to hit or hunts to participate in. I'm particularly grateful to the folks over at The Rumor and SL Freebie Hunters for all of the hard work they do documenting those things for me so I can spend more of my time taking photos and writing blog entries instead of 'porting all over the grid and standing around waiting for things to rez. Links for those two blogs and many more can be found along the right side of this page.

After the Show (3 of 3)

SALES
I own a few pair of Hoorenbeek's gorgeous-but-pricey boots, but I only paid $200L for each pair because I was able to grab them on sale. However, aside from the sales held by individual retailers, there are also the multi-retailer sales. My inventory holds several expensive pieces of jewelry and home furnishings which I was able to grab for only $50L or $60L as part of Project Themeory, Woeful Wednesday, Spruce Up Your Space, Fifty Linden Friday, or some other one-day sale. In fact, the Ploom skin I'm wearing in this entry retails for $950L, yet I only paid $70L for it as part of a recent Project Themeory sale. The same is true for my Para Design tattoos - instead of their usual $195L price tag, I paid $60L for them in a Super Bargain Saturday sale.


HUNTS/LUCKY CHAIRS/MIDNIGHT MADNESS BOARDS
Not only do I go through the information my groups give out about these things, but I keep an eye out in stores for lucky chairs/boards, Midnight and Mini Mania boards, and hunt advertisements. Some store owners put the hunt ads outside their store, so if you 'ported to a point inside, you might wanna swing your camera around and take a quick look at the entrance.


MULTILOOK
Yet another way I like to stretch my lindens is by buying items which provide me with a variety of looks, either with a color/texture change option or a selection of mix-and-match pieces. For example, as you can see in an earlier entry, the Ploom hair I'm wearing is color change - and not just the streaks, each color pack comes with a half a dozen choices for the primary hair color, as well as no-streak options. The leather pants I'm wearing are from Deviance and part of a fat pack which contains four pant options (on both layers) and two sculpted prim leg options. The Para Design tattoos fit into this category as well, with both color and greyscale options in three tones each - Dark, Medium, & Faded.

Whew! This entry ended up being a lot longer than I'd anticipated! If you stuck with it to the end, thank you, and I hope you found a tip or two to help you stretch those lindens.

After the Show (2 of 3)

Hair: Amerlee (Streaked) - Blacks by Ploom ($200L)
Skin: Maia - Vanilla - BR - Gloomy Day by Ploom ($950L)
Lipstick/Cleavage: Fresh Makeup 3 (Hair, Black Lip, Pale BIG) by MiaSnow
Eyes: Shine - Mint by MiaSnow ($220L / 9pk)
Necklace: Summer - Green by LouLou&Co ($40L gatcha prize)
Prim Nails & Rings: Eye Rings & Nails by Virtual Insanity (former hunt gift )
Bracelet: Summer - Green by LouLou&Co ($40L gatcha prize / 2pk)
Corset: Copper Cat Corset by Schadenfreude ($200L)
Upper Body Tattoos: Pink Rock - Black - Medium by Para Designs ($195L)
Belt: Strung Leather Belt - Black by Shiny Things ($150L / 2pk)
Pants: Leather Pants - Black by Deviance ($175L 4pk w/ 2 leg opts)
Shoes: Sense Xtreme Heel by N-core (prior group gift)
Pose - Standing: Pose_F07 by Ladybird (now closed)
Pose - Close-Up: Pose_F10 by Ladybird (now closed)
Location: After Dark (slurl)

Monday, May 30, 2011

Colorful Carbon

5_27_11_001

Remember when I raved about Dmitr Revnik's building skills? Well, I finally got him to stand still for a couple of snapshots, including one which shows off a bit more of the build I mentioned in that previous entry. In these photos, he's wearing a hair and hat combo by Indi with skin and eyes by MiaSnow. (Yep, I dragged him shopping at her store enough times that he became one of the converted.) More information about his look is at the bottom of this entry. (Much thanks to Dmitr for patiently indulging my request for a detailed breakdown of his look.)

My experience with SL builders is that they're never truly finished with a build, they're always tweaking the shape of this or the texture of that or knocking down walls to add additional rooms. Dmitr is no different in that regard - especially when it comes to builds he's living in. (Heck, even the house he built for me continues to see changes now and then.) As a result, the room you saw here has become the helm of his "hovering domicile" (to use Dmitr's favored term), housing glowing control panels and an old-fashioned steering wheel.

Colorful Carbon (3 of 3)

I love Dmitr's use of color and lighting in this particular build, making it feel more like a nightclub than a home. In fact, one side of the main living area includes a fully-stocked bar. Watching over the bar are a trio of steer skulls which seem oddly at ease among the vibrant flocked wallpaper and neon accents which surround them. (While the interior of Dmitr's home is definitely vibrant, I should note that the fabulous blacklight look of the photo below was achieved using the Orange Incubus windlight setting.)

5_27_11_008

If the "elegant sci-fi" look isn't your thing, Dmitr's also quite good at building quirky little seaside homes like mine, which can be partially viewed in previous entries. He's still resisting the idea of a retail endeavor, but I promise to keep working on him until he gives in.

Skin: Muerto Miguel by MiaSnow (mini mania exclusive)
Eyes: Genuine - Copper by MiaSnow
Hair/Hat: Fedora Hat Black (L) - Brown by Indi
Bracelet: Legacy Bracelet Preview ZP - Male by Blitzed
Tattoo: SnakeBite Color Medium by Para Designs
Shirt: Haunted Skelebeater - Sepia by Schadenfreude (group gift color)
Jacket: Liscio Vest - Hazel 1 by Gisaci
Belt: Classic Jeans Belt by Alphamale
Pants: Immortal Leathers Black MenStuffs Pants by RFyre (Menstuff hunt gift)

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Puddin'

Puddin' (1 of 2)

I'm in the midst of putting together a complete outfit to show you but, in the meantime, I thought I'd tell you about a couple of nifty freebies I got today.

First is this adorable pose stand disguised as set of bathroom scales. I stumbled across this at MMGraffiti's while checking out their lucky board. You get 4 versions - Female, Female (Tall), Male, and Kids. All versions come with a novelty pose as well as both forward and backward facing poses for editing attachments - no more rotating the pose stand or your camera! The Female stands come with the novelty pose you see here, the Male stand comes with an ego-stroking bicep flex, and the Kids stand has you crouching to peer intently at the scale's dial. Simply click each stand to cycle through the poses.

Second are these kickass heels from Purrfect 10. They're the current group gift for the free store group. (The VIP group costs $510L to join, but promises 10 limited edition items per year as well as offering a 10% discount on all purchases made while wearing the group tag.) Since these are a gift, they don't come with all of the texture-change features of the retail shoes, but you do get 22 different nail polish colors and the ability to match the skin tone of the feet to that of your avatar. To get these shoes, simply join the Purrfect 10 group (search for "Purrfect 10" under the Groups tab in-world), then click on the board here. Don't forget to grab the free skin toner on the wall above the shoes - it removes much of the headache of matching the color of your prim feet with your skin.

As usual, below are all of the details of my outfit, with prices included when possible. I started to gather the information about the furnishings seen in these photos, then realized it wasn't a task I have the patience for. If you want to know where anything else comes from, just ask and I'll look up the information for you the next time I log in. I will tell you that the superb piece of artwork that's hanging in my bathing area is by Trindolyn Beck. You can see (and purchase) more of his work at India Ink Gallery on Twomoons Island.

Puddin' (2 of 2)

Hair: Amerlee (Streaked) - Blacks by Ploom ($220L)
Skin: Fresh - Pale (nude, blush) by MiaSnow
Lipstick/Cleavage: Fresh Makeup 3 (Hair, Black Lip, Pale BIG) by MiaSnow
Necklace: Summer - Green by LouLou&Co ($40L gatcha prize)
Prim Nails & Rings: Eye Rings & Nails by Virtual Insanity (former hunt gift )
Bracelet: Summer - Green by LouLou&Co ($40L gatcha prize / 2pk)
Upper Body Tattoos: Pink Rock - Black - Medium by Para Designs ($195L)
Leg/Waist Tattoos: Shooting Star Full Version - Faded by Para Designs ($175L)
Skirt: Gutter Glitter Tutu - Sorrow by Silentsparrow ($225L / 4pk) *
Shoes: Serenity Ocean Heels by Purrfect 10 (group gift here, free to join)
Pose: Bathroom Scale Posing Stand - Female by MMGraffiti's (free here)


* By the way, if you happen to have the Jangling Jack vest by Silentsparrow, it looks super cute with this tutu.

Aria by Eliza Wierwight

Aria

Last night, my friends Nigel & Orlando pointed me toward a gorgeous art exhibit called, "Aria" by Eliza Wierwight. These are undedited shots I took within the installation, using the artists' recommended windlight settings. (Clicking the Aria sign at the entrance of the tour will provide you with this information as well as additional details about the artist and her work.)

Ms. Wierwight says, "Aria was designed to be 'walked' through. To slowly reveal. I understand it's cheeky of me but I strongly suggest that you don't fly or cam around. Of course it's entirely up to you!!!!!" She also recommends enabling music and media, as she considers them to be "an integral part of the overall experience." I fully agree with both of these suggestions and am even going to go a step further and recommend listening to the music stream through headphones to further the immersive experience.

If you want to make an impression on that special someone, "Aria" would be the perfect place to do it - there are even places to sit and sip champagne (click the bottles in the ice buckets), a couples dance ball, and a beautiful keepsake music box you can pick up for free. Just hop on over to Originalia and take a leisurely stroll along the pathway, following the wooden signposts and, ideally, stopping to enjoy the other art installations along the way. I don't know how much longer this exhibit will be in place, so sooner is probably better than later.

Aria (2 of 2)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Set Home to Here: February 19, 2011

Set Home to Here: February 19, 2011

After I made my initial Set Home to Here post last night, I found this image lurking in my images folder. (It doesn't really surprise me that he idea of documenting my log in screens has occurred to me before, as I'm also the type of person who photographs her hotel room on vacation.) Though you can't see as much of my SL living space in the March image, it still provides an idea of how much it's changed in just two months. (The desk, table, and blue chair in that image are where the television and brown chair are in this one.)

Since it wasn't a Dress for Blogging day, I didn't take notes on my look, so I've forgotten some of the specifics (like what skin I was wearing), but I've included what details I could track down below.

Hair: Doris - Blue by Amacci
Shirt: My Other Avatar is a Draenei by Boom ($1L)
Boots: Doc Mason's Tall Womens V3 by MK Fashion
Skirt w/ Belt: Tartan Miniskirt by Edge Grafica (Which now seems to be no more.)
Socks: Mismatched Old Socks by Canimal (Sadly, now defunct.)

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Set Home to Here: May 24, 2011

Set Home to Here: May 24, 2011

Since I like to change my home point somewhat frequently, usually after I've made significant changes to my living space (but sometimes simply because I've grown bored), I've decided to start taking screen caps of each new home point as a sort of scrapbook of my Second Life dwellings. This resulted in the creation of the Flickr group, Set Home to Here. If you're so inclined, please do join up and show us what your home point looks like!


Hair: H058 Group Gift by Black Maria (group is free to join)
Skin: Fresh - Pale (nude, blush) by MiaSnow
Lipstick: Lipstick v.1 by Garage
Eyes: Xpressive - Green by MiaSnow
Necklace: BC Naturals range 'yUKay' necklace by Black Crocus ($95L)
Shirt: *1-2-3 GO!* Tanktop by Artilleri
Nails: Bitten Nails - Onyx by Figure 8 (Sadly no longer available.)
Pants: SerieZ Capris - HC - UK by Insanya ($200L)
Shoes: Mary Jane Clogs - Black by Shiny Things
Ankle Tattoos: Blue Star Ankle Tattoos by katat0nik

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Anglophile Overkill

Anglophile Overkill (1 of 3)

Though I was born and largely raised in the United States, my heritage is primarily British. Due to that and the influence of Duran Duran on my formative years, I've been an Anglophile for the majority of my life. This means that I'm always on the lookout for quality Second Life merchandise with a Union Jack theme, and Insanya's UK SerieZ Capris are exactly that. The capris are only the second item I've purchased from Insanya, but so far I've been very pleased with their quality of merchandise - the prim cuffs and thigh pockets fit perfectly right out of the box and the textures have a nice grungy depth to them.

While attempting to figure out what to wear with my new pants, I decided to see if I could put together an outfit comprised entirely of well-made items based on the Union Jack. (I swear, it wasn't just an excuse to go shopping.) While this was definitely a project of a silly nature, I decided to avoid garish items like Union Jack patterned eyeballs, Dr. Seuss hats, etc. My one concession to that was my nails, because I simply couldn't resist the Anarchy nails Virtual Insanity released for their Super Bargain Saturday offering this week. These nails come in three different hand sizes (10/20/30) and offer a multitude of color and design options for each nail, allowing you to create a look truly your own. As you can see in the photo at the bottom of this post, I eventually opted to wear the Union Jack on only two fingers of each hand and went with plain blue polish on the rest. (Note: Each nail size comes in 2 different versions. The menu options available to you depend on which set of nails you're wearing and, yes, you can mix and match them.)

I then rummaged around the SL Marketplace where I found a great-looking $1L tank top, a pair of size-scripted sneakers, and a necklace with an artistic twist on the Union Jack. At that point, I decided that I'd probably reached the acceptable amount of flagwear on one body outside of a national holiday, so I hopped on the bus to London for a couple of photos. Below are all of the details of my outfit, with prices included when possible.

Anglophile Overkill (2 of 3)

Necklace: BC Naturals range 'yUKay' necklace by Black Crocus ($95L)
Shirt: Grunge Tanktop - British Flag by My Ts ($1L)
Prim Nails: Anarchy v1 by Virtual Insanity ($60L until midnight May 14, 2011)
Pants: SerieZ Capris - HC - UK by Insanya ($200L)
Shoes: Union Jack by McChucks ($125L)
Hair: H058 Group Gift by Black Maria (group is free to join)
Skin: Fresh - Pale (nude, blush) by MiaSnow
Lipstick: Lipstick v.1 by Garage
Eyes: Xpressive - Green by MiaSnow
Wrist Tattoos: Nautical Wrist Stars III by Aitui
Pose 1: Ashanti by Striking Poses
Pose 2: Luth Rockabilly 03 by Reel Expression
Laughing Expression: Lemmontree Emote HUD 1.1 by The Lemmontree (free)
Location: Mainland London West End (slurl)

Anglophile Overkill (3 of 3)

Friday, May 13, 2011

Black Maria

Black Maria - Lucky Board

Because I want to bring you informative content on a more regular basis, and because sometimes bargains have a very short lifespan, I'm experimenting with a more bare-bones style of entry. That doesn't mean you'll no longer see full-outfit fashion posts from me, just that they'll be supplemented with with posts like this one.

For my maiden post in this "series," I've chosen the hair store Black Maria. Not only are they currently offering 2 free hairstyles to group members (the group is free to join) and a variety of cute punky pigtails in their lucky board, but the second floor of the store contains over 30 completely free hairstyles! If that's not enough to tempt you, they also have a $20L gatcha vendor for pigtails and 6-packs of brand new hair for only $125L.

Click here to hail a taxi to Black Maria.

Black Maria - Group Gift
(Note: Mohawk hairbase NOT included with group gift.)

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Mini-Blog #4

5_7_11

At home with one of my 6 cats. This is just an untouched test shot of my costume for the aforementioned photoshoot I'm helping a friend with.

Skin: Fresh - Pale - Smokey by MiaSnow
Eyes: Xpressive - Green by MiaSnow
Tattoo: Cupid's Vine by Para Designs (I think this was a hunt gift.)
Mohawk:: Glitch - Midnite + Tips by House of Munster
Shaved Sides:: Etched Hair Base - Egypt - 004 - Black - Fem by Aitui
Earrings: Horn Earrings by Adore & Abhor (StashBash Hunt Gift)
Nails: Bitten Nails - Onyx by Figure 8 (Sadly no longer available.)
Shorts: Denim Short Pants by Edge Grafica (Only L!)
Belt: Studded Leather Belt by Drudi's Design ( Free! )
Socks: Ripped Stockings and Socks - 1 by Insanya ($150/9pk)
Boots: Dr. H. Boots - Black by Hoorenbeek
Jacket: Ferocious - Moth by Davinel ($120L) (Includes additional prim pieces not shown here)
Couch & Pose Patchwork Woodcutter Chair v2 Blue by Lisp
Cat: 2prim Anim Cat - Oci by Shop Seu
Curtains: Parisi Curtains by Phi
House: Custom made by Dmitr Revnik