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)

I'm Your Mardi Gras Superhero

It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally broke down and bought a pair of the Changeling Ears from Schadenfreude. I opted for the Spiral Horn version because I liked that the set came with two different ears for each side - one with just the spiral horn and one with a variety of small metal rings. As I've mentioned before, I have a fondness for accessories with multiple options, and this set not only gives me several different color options for the spirals, but I can also mix and match the different ears. I love them so much that I haven't taken them off since I purchased them, even though I've changed outfits and looks several times since then. This particular set costs $300, but you can get plain ones for a mere $150 or a pair with color-change plugs for $250. There's also a pair with a variety of Electro-Cute earrings for $325.

My hair is from the lucky boards I've been stalking at A&Y Bunker CyberShop and, like most of their hair, offers a variety of scripted color-change options (and some extra glowy bits I'm not wearing in these images). This hair is actually marketed as a male hair but, as you can see, it works just fine on female avatars.



My latex bodysuit and gloves are from Sn@tch, their contribution to the first Flux event. Flux is "a new [monthly] event starting in February featuring exclusive content from an eclectic and diverse selection of designers." Along with this outfit that makes me feel like a Mardi Gras superhero, I bought some artwork from Silent Sparrow, a chair for my house from Weather! or not?, a tattoo from Vestigium, and dropped a few handfuls of loose change into Schadenfreude's bead gatcha. (No boob flashing required!) I'm still tempted to go grab one of katat0nik's Jester dresses. You can see a lot of these items on the Flux website and pay a visit to the event in-world until February 27th.



Hair: Ritron Cyber - Grape by A&Y Bunker CyberShop (Lucky Board)
Hair Base: Etched Hair Base - Egypt - Black by Aitui ($299L/5pk)
Ears & Earrings: Changeling Ears with Spiral Horns by Schadenfreude ($300L/2pk/Color Change)
Skin: Mosaic Female Pierrot - 3 by Nomine ($100L on Sale)
Eyes: Shine - Mint by MiaSnow ($220L/9pk)
Eye Lights: Alive - Drake by les Fleurs Du Mâle ($1 on SL Marketplace)
Piercing: Monroe Stud Left - Platinum by Oh Tangerine ($50L)
Shirt, Pants, & Gloves: Parade by Sn@tch ($99L at Feb 2012 Flux - Ends 2.27.12)
Belt: Pirate Mate Sash - Plain by Deviance ($100L / scripted color change)
Boots: Overknee Boots - Purple by Guti Extravagant ($10L on SL Marketplace)
Pose #1: Ready to Fight by Essential Soul
Pose #2: Pose 3 by Ray Lunasea
Pose #3: Tess 04 by Doll
Pose #4: Ima Model by Snooky's Poses


Confession: When I changed back into this outfit to photograph it for this blog entry, I forgot I'd edited the spiral earrings to match another outfit until I was a few photos into the shoot. I thought about switching the color back to the original green and re-shooting the images, then decided I liked the contrast of the red to the traditional Mardi Gras palette.

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

You can take the goth out of the country...

I always get a bit nostalgic when I shop at Nomine because it's where I bought my very first skin back in June of 2006. (For those who are curious, it was Leanan Sidhe in red.) While the layout and location have changed over the years, Nomine is still one of my go-to places when I'm trying to pull together a particularly gothy look. As you can see from the Dust Storm dress I'm wearing here, Nomine's Munchflower Zaius isn't afraid to deviate from the cliched styles and colors which so many goth designers rely on a bit too heavily for my tastes. I grabbed this dress at a $100L sale Nomine had awhile back, but paying the regular list price of $300L would be a worthy splurge. (Except for brightening it a bit, the first image here is untouched so you can see how well the prim bits of the dress mesh with the textures of the surrounding pieces.) The dress is available in 7 different color schemes, including Voodoo Pink and Bleeding Black. Stop by the store and slap the subscribe-o-matic to be notified of new releases and future sales.

My hair is a recent group gift from Magika ($50L for everyone else) in a limited Valentine's Day color which is sadly no longer available. However, they do currently have a free fatpack of female hair in the store (a bob with several different hud-controlled appearance and color options) as well as a back room with a wide variety of $49L and $99L hairs.

Though the Dust Storm dress comes with matching stockings, I decided to tomboy things up a bit and wear some of Schadenfreude's stripey socks. These come in a fatpack of 10 colors, which each color on 3 different layers for layering with other clothing ($100L). Schadenfreude's Elephant on Lloyd is one of my favorite places to peruse for pieces for my carny outfits (and not just because I get to slide down a fireman's pole), so I'm sure this isn't going to be the last time they appear in this blog.

The boots I'm wearing are one of two free pairs of shoes being offered to N-core group members. The other pair can be seen in my previous entry. Both pairs of shoes come with several hud-controlled options (including on/off and color options for the slouchy socks seen here) and the group is free to join.

Finally, I think the Croire pose I'm using in the photo below was one of the store's offerings in a recent hunt but, for the life of me, I can't remember which one. I try to keep better track of such information, but sometimes I get careless (or lazy) and the Forgetfulness Faeries gobble up the information like sugar junkies in a chocolate factory.




Hair: Nayla - Heart by Magika (Special Valentine's Color)
Skin: Fresh - Pale - Nude Blush by MiaSnow
Eyes: Xpressive - Blue - Lite by MiaSnow (FREE at the Fab Free Headquarters)
Face Piercing: Monroe Stud - Left - Platinum by Oh Tangerine
Necklace: Beaded Key Necklace - Trinity Blue by Magpie
Dress: Dust Storm Dress - HyaBlue by Nomine (matching socks not worn here)
Bracelets & Watch: Troupe Watch - Natural by Miel (scripted color-change)
Tall Socks: Knit Stripey Socks - Blue by Schadenfreude
Boots & Ankle Socks: 3" Ankle Multicolor Boots by N-core (Current Group Gift)
Tattoo: Shooting Star - Faded by Para Designs
Pose in First Photo: Show Off Yer Bling 3 by Croire

The first photo was taken on the island I call home, the second photo was taken outside of Haus of Darcy on Dark Tranquility.

Brandied Cherries

Remember when I mentioned that MiaSnow is one of my favorite designers? And remember when I told you about the skin sale she's having this weekend? If you do, then you probably aren't at all surprised that I did some shopping yesterday. After much deliberation, I settled on the Fresh skin in Pale, along with Makeup Packs 1 and 3. (At only $200L for 10 styles, I suspect I'll be going back for Makeup Pack 2 sooner rather than later.)

Each Fresh fatpack comes with 6 skins with tintable brows. At a sale price of $599L, that's only $100L per skin! (To be clear, ONLY the fatpacks are on sale.) I'm wearing the Scarlet skin from the Pale fatpack, which inspired me to put together the Rockabilly look you see here. Never fear though, Makeup Pack 1 has many carny-worthy options and Makeup Pack 3 is going to be perfect for those days when I'm feeling nostalgic for my goth phase.

MiaSnow also offers a very affordable shape pack for this series ($120L for all 4 shapes). There's one shape for each skin tone, though while trying out the demos I discovered they can sometimes be mixed and matched to create unique looks. Additionally, the shapes are copy/mod for further personalization. (I'm wearing the Petite shape for the Pale collection, with a few modifications to the body to suit my personal preferences. However, I left the shape of the face as MiaSnow created it.)

Other accessories for the Fresh skin line include a set of 12 colored brows (including a tintable option) ($50L) and a set of two breast options (big & small) for all skin tones on both tattoo & undershirt layers ($200L). Each style of makeup in the makeup packs comes with three versions on the tattoo layer -- both breast options as well as a make-up only option.

The skin sale ends this Sunday night and only applies to specific fatpacks, so take a gander at MiaSnow's blog entry with all of the details and head on over to beautiful TwoMoon Island. (There are several male skins on sale as well, so grab the men in your life and bring 'em with you!)



Skin: Fresh - Pale - Scarlett by MiaSnow
Eyes: Xpressive - Blue - Lite by MiaSnow (FREE at the Fab Free Headquarters)
Tattoos: Rollin' Hard - Dark by Para Designs ($60L 2/26/11 ONLY)
Shirt: SweetLady Blouse - Red by Xplosion (The Valentine Diva Hunt - ends 2/28/11)
Shape: Fresh - Petite by MiaSnow
Brows: Fresh by MiaSnow
Hair: Sabina II - Toffee by Artilleri
Earrings: Everyday Hoops - Silver by Ticky Tacky
Face Piercing: Monroe Stud - Left - Platinum by Oh Tangerine
Necklace: Cherry Necklace by Twisted & Spoiled (Hair Fair '09 Gift)
Navel Piercing: Star Belly Ring - Ruby by DbNR
Jeans: Spring Belted Capris - Blues by Moonshine Designs
Shoes: Espadrilles by Twisted & Spoiled (Hair Fair '09 Gift)
Nails: LB 179 by La Boheme
Pose: Stock Stand 146 by Sylva's Animation Factory