There Will Be Guns

I got a new job, so my SL time has been significantly reduced. I hope to be able to keep this blog alive, but that may mean the focus shifts toward more arty photos and away from the more straightforward fashion blog photos.

Speaking of photos, my friend Nigel and I played dress up this afternoon as he indulged my request for an updated photo of the two of us. While he was setting up the shot, I snapped a few photos of my own. The two featured below are completely unedited.



Of course, as always, Nigel's work made me squee and want to stare at it forever...


Nigel is wearing Razor, Exile, Schadenfreude, Breach, and Lost Haven

Information about my Harley Quinn outfit can be found here.

Signs by 7 Emporium.

Brunch with Nigel

I'm Back!

Hair: Nina - Mystery by Exile ($1000L Fatpack)
Jacket: Maisie by FashionNatic ($280L for a full outfit w/ a ton of HUD options)

It took a lot longer than I'd anticipated - over 2 years - but I'm finally back in SL. Since I've been gone for so long, my avatar needed nearly a complete overhaul. Well, okay, she didn't need one, but I kept hearing about Slink hands and feet and the progress of mesh items and was feeling a bit shabby. So, like the day I first logged in nearly 8 1/2 years ago, my dear friend Nigel gave me a short list of "must haves" and took me shopping. That's him in the photo above, patiently loitering behind me as I try on skin& shape demos. (Doesn't he look like a cute little shoulder pet?)

I'm sure it will take me awhile to get up-to-speed with the changes of the past few years, but I hope to soon resume semi-regular updates here. For now, I'm going shopping to fill my closets and furnish my cute new home. (Seen behind me in the photo below.)



Hair: London to L.A: 4. Dark Red by Exile (Pending Release)
Skin: Nellie 08 [Fair] Glow skin by LAQ ($1999L/10pk)
Makeup: Corner of Olive & Vine Foiled Eyeshadow by M.O.C.K. Cosmetics (Old Hunt Gift)
Eyes: Dramatic - DeepSea by MiaSnow ($300L Fatback on Sale)
Jacket, Shirt, Tie (One Piece) & Skirt (Not Seen): Mason Suit (Blue) by A:S:S
($100L at Genre - Androgynous) (Shirt & Tie have color-changing HUD)
Madonna Piercing: Metal Mouth MESH Round Dermals - Silent Rage by Haus of Darcy ($75L/16pk)

I love you much, it's not enough...

(Pose: Dark Beauty 9 by Striking Poses)

There's so much information to pass along about the outfits in this entry, that I'm going to restrain myself to a few brief comments here and there. (I heard that, Nigel.)

ALL OUTFITS:
Skin/Eyes/Eyebrows/Tattoos: Fame Factory: Amy Winehouse avatar by Brigida Oliphaunt
Hair: Amy Hair 1 by Alli&Ali Designs ($175L)
Eyeliner: Eyeliner Cat (Black) by Mons ($70 6/pk @ The Dressing Room Blue)
Piercing: Monroe Stud Left - Platinum by Oh Tangerine ($50L)
Shape: Fresh Petite (Pale) by MiaSnow

My sincere apologies to anyone who would like to purchase their own Amy Winehouse avatar. I could have sworn the set was still available on the SL Marketplace, but a quick search reveals I was entirely wrong. However, Ms. Oliphaunt seems to have embarked on a new SL venture called Baroque, so it's possible she'd be willing to sell some of her older inventory as well.



This gorgeous dress popped up when, inspired by Amy Winehouse's look in the "Back to Black" video, I did a simple search for "pencil skirt" on the Marketplace. From the second I saw the demo on my avatar, I knew I was going to buy the dress, and that's before I discovered the detail in the texture and the way the wrinkles seem to move over my thighs as I stride across the grid. It's so worth the price tag. Oh, right, I was going to keep these comments brief. (I heard that too, Nigel.)

/me tiptoes back into the room to point out that the shoes are divine as well.

Dress: Maitreya Mesh Nolita Dress (Black) by Maitreya ($450L - 4 sizes - Demo Available)
Gloves: Leather Gloves (Black) by Magi Take Shop ($5L on SL Marketplace)
Stockings: Ebony by 1-800-Bettie's Vintage / Retro Shoe Store ($50L)
Shoes: Betly Heels (Onyx) by Label Mode ($50L @ The Fashion Garret)
Flower: Rose - White by Arctic Greenhouse ($45L)
Pose #1: Innocent Love 1 by Striking Poses ($50L)
Pose #2: Look at Me 2 by Striking Poses ($50L)

Please note that outfit shown above requires a mesh-capable viewer for the dress as well as one which which allows you to wear multiple alpha layers, since you'll need one for both the dress and the shoes. Phoenix 1.6.0.1600 renders mesh items, and I'm fond of its user interface, so it's my primary browser and I use Firestorm 3.3.0.24880 when I want to wear multiple alpha, tattoo, or clothing layers. (Alternately, you can wear the Khitten-Suede/Thick Heels from A-Bomb, which don't require an alpha layer.)




These are reworkings of outfits I put together a few years ago. In fact, I think everything except the bowling shirt is new. I've included links to the original images below.

OUTFIT #1:
Original Photo
Shirt: Tank Me White/Plaid by Yellow Berry ($110L on SL Marketplace)
Nails: Red Dark by MiaSnow ($0 - Wearable Demo)
Pants: Frayed Denim Shorts - Warm Blue by League ($150L)
Shoes: Ballet Flats - Soft Pink Satin by MooShooZ! ($150L on SL Marketplace)
Pose: Look at Me 2 by Striking Poses ($50L)

OUTFIT #2
Original Photo
Shirt: Mike - Bowling Shirt - Red by Hell Bop ($25L on Sale)
Pants: Lara Denim Capris - Blue by DGD ($125L)
Shoes: Ballet Flats - Soft Pink Satin by MooShooZ! ($150L on SL Marketplace)
Pose: Lust in the Dust 9 by Striking Poses ($50L)




If I had the talent, I'd create SL versions of all of my favorite Amy outfits, including (but definitely not limited to) the little black number with the checkered tie, the pink & black argyle outfit that inspired her own fashion line, and the cute black and white dress which never seemed to quite fit the belt she always wore with it. If anyone would like to tackle this project or knows of anyone who already has, please do let me know!

Pose #1: Innocent Love 1 by Striking Poses ($50L)
Pose #2: Dark Beauty 9 by Striking Poses ($50L)
Pose #3: Maximus 1 by Striking Poses ($50L)

PINK!

Tired of not being able to wear more than one alpha layer at a time, I installed Firestorm 3.3.0.24880. Unfortunately, this is what things looked like when I logged in, and I had the same exact problem with the official Second Life viewer 3.2.8. Since everything rezzed just fine when I logged in using the Phoenix 1.6.0.1600 viewer, I had no idea what the problem could be.

At the suggestion of my friend Nigel, I joined the in-world Phoenix/Firestorm support group. When I asked if anyone there was familiar with this problem, several people instantly passed me a notecard titled, "The World is Pink!" Since my card is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650, I followed the link included in the notecard, updated my video drivers, rebooted my computer, and successfully logged into Firestorm 3.3.0.24880. Yay!

Below is the information from the helpful notecard, in case anyone else encounters the same problem:

The World is Pink! - Rev 2

There is a known issue where people using ATI graphics cards may see everything pink.

This is apparently a new issue inherited from LL code:
jira.secondlife.com/browse/SH-2908

Please also see: jira.phoenixviewer.com/browse/FIRE-4945 - LL is asking for logs to try to fix this.

If you have a 3000 or 5000 series ATI card we suggest updating your graphics drivers from
support.amd.com/us/Pages/AMDSupportHub.aspx

If that does not solve the problem you can either disable basic shaders or do the following.

* If you don't have it enabled yet, enable the Advanced menu with Ctrl-Alt-D
* Open the Advanced menu and select "Show Debug Settings".
* It will open a new window; type into it "RenderMaxTextureIndex", it should auto complete it for you.
* Once you have typed it in there should be a description of the option and a text box for the value, set the value to 0.

Note that you may take a performance hit with this method.

All for the Love of Meat Pies

It all started with the boots. When I saw the latest offering from Lassitude & Ennui, I was hit with the instant pang of desire familiar to boot-lovers everywhere - the one which screams, "Want!" (I'm confident my friend and fellow blogger, Nigel, knows what I'm talking about.) Lassitude & Ennui has been selling quality SL footwear for many, many years now, so I knew their new Flutter boots were going to be nothing short of gorgeous. However, before I could make it over to Back to Black to try on a demo, I received a notecard from Nomine that was chock full of photos of new lolita dresses. The Juana seemed like it would be a perfect accompaniment to the L&E boots, so I grabbed my purse and a shoppin' I did go!



I was right about the dress and boots looking lovely together, but wasn't sure what I was going to do about my hair until I remembered this cute little number I recently received from Ari & Co's Midnight Madness board. The moment I placed it on my bald little head, I felt like Helena Bonham Carter, which told me I'd definitely made the right choice. (This messy updo is scripted with 6 different colors, and 8 color options for the pencils that hold it all together.) I then realized that I now had the perfect excuse to buy some of the gartered socks I'd had my eye on at League, so it was off for more shopping! While there, I stumbled across the Raven necklace you see in these photos and couldn't resist adding it to my purchases as well. I love that it hangs from a ribbon instead of a chain, especially since the bow adds a bit of interesting detail to the back of my avatar. This necklace comes with 3 different ribbon colors, 2 different metal colors, and 2 pendant versions, making the $195L price tag quite a bargain.

Speaking of bargains, Alchemy Immortalis is currently offering several of their Foy Porter rings for only $99L. These rings are usually sold in full sets at a more hefty $475L, so this is an opportunity to add a few pieces of intricately detailed jewelry to your collection for next-to-nothing. (Please note this is a marketplace only sale.) For more affordable everyday prices on jewelry, I suggest heading over to Kosh, where I purchased the other ring I'm wearing as well as the cute key earrings which are unfortunately hidden by my hair.



Last but oh-so-definitely not least is the gorgeous skin I'm wearing, offered up by M.O.C.K. Cosmetics for a mere $59L. Just look at those dimples! I also love the light smattering of freckles across the chest, but it was really those dimples that prompted me to add this skin to my collection. I've paired it here with a makeup layer from Adam n Eve, which added a bit more smokiness around the eyes, a barely-there pink lipgloss, and a glimpse of teeth. I found myself at M.O.C.K. Cosmetics because I'd received word of their Grand Opening Hunt (just look for the 12 large candy hearts scattered both in and around the store). They've also temporarily dropped the $250L group fee to $0, and the notices are jam-packed with even more freebies! The group fee goes back up tonight and the Grand Opening Hunt ends then as well. (I have no definite time for this, so I'd get there asap if I were you.) The store is also participating in the Tainted Love Hunt which ends February 29th. You can see most of the many free goodies from M.O.C.K, here in this FabFree post by Love Trill. (FabFree has been one of my go-to blogs for SL deals since long before I ventured into the blog realm myself.) The freebies may have initially drawn me to M.O.C.K, but their is what's going to lure me and my lindens back.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go rustle up a little something for my tea...



Hair: Morning Mess - Black by Ari & Co. (Midnight Madness Gift)
Skin: Olivia - Cleavage - Tone 1 by M.O.C.K. Cosmetics($59L)
Eyeshadow, Lipstick & Teeth: Glamover Teeth - Pink Gloss by Adam n Eve ($95L)
Eyes: Honey by Insufferable Dastard (January Gift)
Earrings: The Key by Kosh ($99L)
Necklace: Raven Necklace2 - Old Silver - Black Ribbon by League ($195L)
Dress: Jailbait - Juana - Black by Nomine ($300L)
Ring on Right Hand: Nebula by Kosh ($99L)
Ring on Left Hand: Foy Porter - Sapphire + Silver by Alchemy Immortalis ($99L on sale)
Socks: Gartered Socks - Overknee - Dull Brown by League ($149L/2pk)
Boots: Flutter - Raven by Lassitude & Ennui ($280)
Pose #1: Marlon Brando by Striking Poses ($1)
Pose #2: Ashanti by Striking Poses ($0)
Pose #3: Model 21 by unknown
Pose #4: Marlon Brando by Striking Poses ($1)
Pose #5: *V*Busted5 by Vain Inc. (very old hunt item)

He Waits

You leave the light on at your door
You cross your heart
You cross the bedroom floor
And through the window to your world
You can feel me there and you know I'm waiting...

'cause sometimes you just have to take a break from fashion write-ups to post photos of pretty boys.

This is my dear friend Nigel Riel, the person responsible for coaxing me into Second Life nearly five years ago, and a supremely talented SL photographer and builder. (In fact, he's currently hard-at-work constructing one of the sims for the upcoming Fashion for Life charity event which kicks off later this month.) I snapped this shot a few days ago while he was photographing the two of us.

Nigel best described our friendship when he said, "We have a long and very... intricate past, she and I. We know each other's demons better than we know our own."

I love ya man.