Haunted Halloween Sim 2014

While poking around for gatcha machines tonight, I stumbled across the Masoma County- Haunted Halloween Sim.  Less than 5 minutes into my journey through the gloomy sim and I knew I had to share it with you guys.  If you have a bit of time today, I recommend paying the sim a visit for a bit a spooky fun time while you do a bit of shopping.

Who knows?  You might make a new friend...


Just don't get too close.



Hair:  Nina - Rust by Exile ($1000L Fatpack)
Cat Ears:Special Pussycat Headband by Sn@tch ($50L) (color-changing HUD)
Skin: Nellie 10 [Fair] Glow skin by LAQ ($1999L/10pk)
Ears & Earrings: Steking_ears_ver2 by Mandala ($497L)
Makeup: Mile High Eyeliner by M.O.C.K. Cosmetics ($40L)
Cat Makeup: Kitty Face Tattoo by It Figures ($5L - Marketplace)
Eyes: Dramatic - DeepSea by MiaSnow ($300L Fatback on Sale)
Jacket & Shirt : Paris Jacket by  FashionNatic (350L) (color-changing HUD)
Madonna Piercing: Metal Mouth MESH Round Dermals - Silent Rage by Haus of Darcy ($75L/16pk)

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)

Peace Off

Several months ago, I began having trouble staying logged into SecondLife, but I wasn't sure if it was my dodgy dsl connection or my computer. After my dsl was finally repaired earlier this month [insert rant about AT&T here], I hopefully logged in to SL, where I immediately went to MiaSnow to check out the hands I've been seeing in her blog. I bought sets of both the Peace Sign and Relaxed hands, as well as color expansion packs for the nails and rings.

Because I'm me, I couldn't resist trying out the Peace Sign hands with Schadenfreude's "Eh, Piss Off" pose, and was delighted to discover they worked perfectly! I've left all of these images completely unedited so you can see the awesome craftsmanship of MiaSnow's hands.

Unfortunately, shortly after these shots were taken, my computer crashed, confirming that the problem wasn't with my dsl. Since I'm likely still several months away from being able to purchase a new computer, I'll probably go quiet again for awhile. Here's hoping I'll be back before the end of the year.







Hair: Destroyer 2 [Special Edition 2-1-12] by Raw House (JOJ Hunt Male Path #34)
Shaved Hair Base: Etched Hair Base - Egypt - Black by Aitui ($299L/5pk)
Skin: Gaby - Pale Pink by Iren ($88L at Collaborat88)
Eyes: Dramatic - SM - SpringGrass by MiaSnow ($300L for 15 colors/3 sizes)
Septum Piercing: Circular Septum Barbell - Steel - by Mela's ($?)
Lip Piercings: Snakebite Captive Bead by Mela's ($?)
Hoodie & Headphones: Dissident - Black-09 - Female by [JP]:dsg ($429L)
Earrings: Gemma Earring 4C by Rozoregalia ($400L on the SL Marketplace)
Pose: Eh, piss off by Schadenfreude

Mini-Blog #6

Once again, RL has stepped between me and SL. I don't know what that means for the future, but in the present I bring you a new Mini Blog entry...

Hair: Destroyer 2 [Special Edition 2-1-12] by Raw House (JOJ Hunt Male Path #34)
Shaved Hair Base: Etched Hair Base - Egypt - Black by Aitui ($299L/5pk)
Skin: Gaby - Pale Pink by Iren ($88L at Collaborat88)
Eyes: Dramatic - SM - SpringGrass by MiaSnow ($300L for 15 colors/3 sizes)
Septum Piercing: Circular Septum Barbell - Steel - by Mela's ($?)
Lip Piercings: Snakebite Captive Bead by Mela's ($?)
Hoodie & Headphones: Dissident - Black-09 - Female by [JP]:dsg ($429L)
Earrings: Gemma Earring 4C by Rozoregalia ($400L on the SL Marketplace)

The hoodie is scripted and comes in several different colors & patterns - you can see more of it over on (ir)regular guy's blog. (Which is where I found out about it. Good blog, that one.)

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)

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

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

Happy Island and the Puffling Present Pursuit

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.



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.

$100L Sale at Nomine

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

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

Moving Day

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.

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.

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

Frick Halloween Dollarbie Hunt 2011

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 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

Desaturated Dolly (Freedom #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.



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)

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.

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.