T-R-O-U-B-L-E

I've been wanting to put together an outfit around Fashionably Dead's superb Flying Fortress hair ever since I grabbed it on sale a few weeks ago. Then I stumbled across a sale on Angels Base - it seems Ancayi is having a closing sale and some of the other stores on the sim are also selling select items 50% off until January 31st. I grabbed up the pink leather jacket by Bubble and immediately threw it on with the pink Flying Fortress hair. I really liked the Minimini top I'd found in my inventory (a past DSN gift from DeeTaleZ) and the uneven socks from Kosh, but that's where the outfit stalled. For a couple of days I tried on various combinations of pants and shoes but couldn't quite get an outfit to gel; and my determination to wear pants instead of a skirt only seemed to make the process more difficult.



Since the jacket was from Bubble, I took a trip to the main store to see if they had anything to satisfy my picky nature. Unfortunately, they didn't have quite what I was looking for, but I did luck into a wild card on the lucky board and got a brand new freckly, punky skin to go with my outfit. After that it was off to League, another favored store of mine and where I hit the jackpot. Not only did I find a wonderful pair of tatty cut-offs, but they actually fully cover my bum and are completely closed in the front! (Is anyone else a bit weary of pants which display a significant portion of crack and/or are unzipped/unbuttoned?) So thrilled was I, that I decided to splurge on a pair of their leather suspenders, which matched up perfectly with the shorts. (The bracers come on several layers and with silver or gold metal bits as well as optional creases for the waistband of your pants or skirt.)



The black Docs I'd been wearing were switched out in favor of brown cowboy boots, which created a unity between the hat, suspenders, and shoes. Pleased as punch with my outfit, I twirled in front of Dmitr, who said, "You know what you need? A thigh holster." I laughed... and then realized he was right. Damn! Just when I thought my outfit was complete! This launched another search which also lasted a few days, partially because I wanted a holster and gun which looked good, but have no need for expensive scripted weapons. I finally found what I was looking for in Evolution's 9MM Thigh Belts. I'll admit that $350L was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but they're full perm, so I can tweak 'em to my little heart's content. As a finishing touch, I splurged on a thigh flask from Dirtyland, which comes complete with a little chain to keep the cap from getting lost. (You can see that and the other lovely details on the marketplace.)

Now... whadda ya say we blow this joint?



Hat w/Hair: Flying Fortress - Rainbow 10 by Fashionably Dead ($150L/5pk - On Sale)
Skin: Ophelia w/Freckles Dark Brow by Bubble (Group Only Lucky Board - Free to Join)
Eyes: Shine - Mint by MiaSnow ($220L/9pk)
Piercing: Monroe Stud Left - Platinum by Oh Tangerine ($50L)
Tattoos: Cetus MM933 Stars & Piercings by Letis Tattoo ($200L)
Jacket: Short Leather Jacket - Pink by Bubble ($80L - On Sale)
Shirt: Minimini Top - Camouflage by DeeTaleZ ($120L)
Nails & Fingertape: Taped Fingers & Black Nails - Index, Middle by SiniStyle Designs ($25L)
Suspenders: Grandad Braces -Brown/Silver by League ($115L)
Shorts: Frayed Denim Shorts - Warm Blue by League ($150L)
Socks: Stripe Sox - Pink by Kosh (Discontinued?)
Thigh Flask: Pocket Flask Legband by Dirtyland ($165L)
Gun & Holster: 9MM Thigh Belts by Evolution ($350L)
Boots: Cowgirl Boots - Brown by Hoorenbeek ($200L - On Sale)
Pose: I'm Standing Here by Somatica (Closed?)

Location: Sarcastic

Sale Alert!

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.

Sale at Hoorenbeek

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.

Mini-Blog #5

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)

Tribute to a Doll

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.



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

Thrifty Tidbits

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.



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.



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)

Mini-Blog #4

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

What if we all wore the Same Damn Thing?

Achariya Rezak once said...

What if we all wore the same damned thing?
I think...
We'd still look very different.

The second entry which was postponed by Real Life was a response to Cajsa Lilliehook's suggestion that we "wave a blogger’s goodbye" to Achariya for her 3 1/2 years of blogging service to the Second Life community by replaying "one of her best Blogger Challenges, the Same Damn Thing Challenge."

For this particular challenge, Achariya chose the Oxford Shirt from Schadenfreude. This shirt comes in 30 different colors with a variety of tucked/untucked options on several layers. Individual colors can be had for $160L each or you can grab the fat pack of all 30 colors for $3500L.

For your accessory needs, Schadenfreude also offers a plethora of neckties for as low as $80L for a 2pk. Each tie comes in both female/male sizes with a variety of attachment points. However, the neatest thing about these ties is that they also offer you an Oxford Collar option with a color-changing HUD which allows you to match the collar to ANY of the Oxford Shirts you may own. How cool is that?! (They also come without the attached collar so you can wear them with anything else you please.)

I wore my Indigo Oxford Shirt untucked with a Fluorite Tree Tie, a silver belt by La Boheme, leopard-print pants by Sn@tch, and cowboy boots by Hoorenbeek. Also, as promised, I've finally ventured into the world of prim nails with a gorgeous red set by La Boheme. Below are all of the details of my outfit, with prices included when possible.

Thank you, Achariya, for giving those of us with quirky fashion sense somewhere to turn to for ideas for so long and for inspiring me to finally start my own damn blog. I wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors.



Skin: Love - Pale (Liner, Red Lip) by MiaSnow
Eyes: Xpressive - Blue by MiaSnow
Facial Piercings: -Dimpled Piercing - Silver Lining by Haus of Darcy
Prim Nails: Manicure Red08 by La Boheme
Hair: H058 Black/Blonde_01 by Black Maria ($125L/6pk)
Shirt: Oxford - Indigo by Schadenfreude
Tie: Fluorite Tree Tie by Schadenfreude ($80/pr)
Pants: Reject Cheetah Pants - Green by Sn@tch (Part of the Rodeo Reject Set.)
Belt: Silver Flower Sun Belt (with color-change stones) by La Boheme ($100L)
Boots: Cowgirl Boots - Black by Hoorenbeek
Close Up Pose: *Luth* pose 37 by Reel Expression
Full Body Pose: LB Stand 20 by Reel Expression
Location: Devil's Moon

Dishy Digits

I know it's been awhile since I've posted here and, for that, I apologize. I had a couple of entries in the works when Real Life intervened, as it so often will. The first post to get delayed was this response to Strawberry Singh's "What's your digits?" query. My avatar's stats are as follows:



My height was determined using the Avatar Height Measure. According to the Edit Appearance window in Phoenix, I'm an even 6' tall. However, based on the trouble I often have with poseballs and long skirts, I'm more inclined to believe the Avatar Height Measure.

The outfit I'm wearing is something I was trying out for a photoshoot a friend asked me to assist them with. Because this isn't really a fashion post, I'm not going to speak much about what I'm wearing except to say that I'm especially pleased with the freebie belt. I have something of an hourglass shape, so items like belts and prim skirts are often too small for me and resist my attempts to edit them into something which fits properly and is still aesthetically pleasing. That was not the case at all with this belt, which comes in both female and male sizes and is scripted for resizing. The bare bones info about the rest of my outfit is below, with prices included when possible.

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.)
Hair: H058 Black/Blonde_01 by Black Maria ($125L/6pk)
Nails: Bitten Nails - Onyx by Figure 8 (Sadly no longer available.)
Shorts: Denim Short Pants by Edge Grafica (Only $1L!)
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)
Pose: Stock Stand 182 by Sylva's Animation Factory

Cheap & Cheerful

"Cheap & Cheerful" - The Kills
I want you to be crazy

'Cause you're boring baby when you're straight

I want you to be crazy

'Cause you're stupid baby when you're sane

Since this journal has been sitting here collecting dust since 2007, and I've been making detailed Second Life fashion posts over on Flickr since 2008, I decided to use this space as a little Second Life fashion blog. Yes, there are a million of them, but I'm simply doing this for the fun of it. I will mostly be focusing on cheap and free items, but I'll also feature the occasional splurge and even sometimes venture into the territory of home decorating and furnishing.

The photos in this entry were taken at Dmitr Revnik's current work-in-progress. Dmitr always builds the coolest houses, each one better than the last. Perhaps someday the residents of Second Life will get lucky and he'll venture into the world of virtual retail. Until then, you'll just have to be satisfied with getting glimpses of his builds here.

Frick is having a massive sale right now -- EVERYTHING in the store is AT LEAST 50% OFF -- which means fat packs of 24 skins can be had for only $299L! I grabbed the following two items at the sale along with a bunch of other stuff:

Skin: Dragonfly L'Exposition - Ghost - Dk Brows - Clvg by Frick - $50L (4pk)

Lingerie: Belle Epoque Set in Dragonfly by Frick - $75L (This is a HUGE set with two skirt options.)

Frick is also currently having a Sweetheart Mini Hunt.

Hair: Doris - Blue by Amacci
Tattoo: Ruck-A-Pit Bridge - Light 3 by EtchaFlesh Tattoos
Nails: Prism Nail Gloves by Nevermore
Shoes: Stiletto by Hoorenbeek
Bracelets: Skull Bangles in blue & green by Sprawl
Pose: Mein Herr 12 by Luth
Expression: FREE Lemontree Emote Hud smile combined with a blink.
Windlight Setting: [TOR] SCIFI - Awesome atmo 3