LOTD: Graphic Novel Kitty

LOTD: Graphic Novel Kitty

Comic Book KittyIt’s always a bit tough looking at photos on Flickr because so many times I’m not just absolutely blown away not only by what I see but by the knowledge that my images will never come close. Not that I’m seething with jealousy, but it’s fair to say that a lot of the best visual artists who post their Second Life snaps to places like Flickr also have access to some of the best photo-processing kit you can buy, the jammy chuffs! This doesn’t detract from their achievements because there are some truly talented Second Life photographers out there who deserve our praise and admiration, but what can we do to make the best of our photographs if we don’t have access to Photoshop etc? Well, you can do a lot worse than check out PICMONKEY. I’ve been using it for a few years now and I absolutely love it; it’s great for adding oomph to my pictures along with text, stickers and filters and is just the ticket for quick tidy-ups and tweaks. I pay a few dollars every month for a pro account, and it’s one of the best things that I’ve ever done. I don’t just use it for Second Life either, I use it for my real life pictures too, but there’s no doubt in my mind that my blog would be a lot less interesting without it!
Something that I really enjoy is the theme area of the website. Picmonkey provides a variety of themed items including text, filters, stickers, fonts and everything you need to make pictures that really come into their own on occasions like Christmas and Halloween. You can have hours of fun adding ghoulish tints to photos or hanging baubles on images for home-made Christmas cards.
I’m particularly enjoying their ‘Comic Heroes’ theme at the moment. It features a selection of visual options, such as newsprint, that you can use to decorate your images, along with graphic-novel inspired fonts. The results are excellent and you can knock up a fun image in no time at all, which is what I have done with my LOTD shot for today!
Actually, I wouldn’t have messed around with the picture had it not been so light-blown when I took it but I just couldn’t get the right windlight setting. Fortunately, by using some of the Picmonkey features I’ve been able to turn my image into something that really does belong on the pages of a graphic novel! (Quick Kitty-Note: There are two graphic novels I urge you to read at the moment by the way: ‘Saga‘ and ‘God Is Dead‘. Both of these are amazing and you will thank me for recommending them, I promise!)
Of course, my picture is just a way to display the urban touches to my look. The majority of my items are from this month’s round of UBER which is continually jam-packed and with good reason, it’s an absolute corker with practically every contributor getting the theme spot on. In fact, my look is exactly the same as the one I was wearing in my previous post, with a couple of exceptions. First of all, check out this jacket by PIXICAT. Yes, PIXICAT strikes again with another awesome item, this time a perfectly rendered jacket. I’m thinking I should stop talking about PIXICAT because I’m not on their payroll, but it’s very hard not to talk about Areve’s work because it’s just so damn good.
Reason to like this ‘London’ Jacket? Well, first of all, it’s incredibly easy to wear, and I found that I was able to layer it over other items very easily without other mesh coming through. It’s available in pattern and prints and the range of options is very solid indeed. What I really like however are the sleeves; it’s much easier to spot this on the plain versions of the jacket but take a good look at all the creases and folds in the fabric. It looks as though the sleeves have been pulled up and dropped down suggesting a worn feel, which I’m really liking.
I’m also wearing yet another new hairstyle (I’ve bought so much hair this past month it’s unreal, and has been incredibly painful to my Linden balance!) but this one is from a brand I’ve never worn before. The brand is DOE, and the style is called ‘Puddin’ and is obviously a homage to everyone’s favourite psychopathic ex-girlfriend, otherwise know as Harley Quinn. I could have opted for traditional Harley Quinn colours, but I know that I’ll get more use out of brown shades, especially ones with dipped options, and that’s what I plumped for. I love the shape of this hairstyle; the ponytails on either side are perfect and I love the little curls that flick upwards. I like how the fringe is over to one side too meaning you can show off your brows. I think this is as close to perfect-ponytails as I’ll ever get in-world, and I’m especially chuffed with them!
Last but not least are my spectacles which are actually about five years old! I doubt very much that you’ll find them anywhere. I bought them in 2011 and they’re from a brand called DECEMBER which no longer seems to exist but they’re so well made that they stand the test of time. You know, if I was a content creator from a few years ago and someone was still wearing items I’d made after the fact, I’d be pretty chuffed, wouldn’t you?

Kitty wears:
Skin: ZOUL CREATIONS (Della sk1 – Dk Brows – chC worn with Della Eyeshadow – Carbon 03 and Della Lips Red 02)
Lashes: HUSH – Lashes – Flirt
Lips: PXL SweetLips v1.4
Ears: AITUI – Ear: Gen 4 Heart Plugs
Body: SLINK Physique Mesh Body (+ SLINK Casual Hands)
Tattoo: WHITE WIDOW ‘Insidious’ WIZARDING FAIR 2015
Eyes: BUZZ Cora Eyes – Honey {Medium} THE EPIPHANY
Eyeliner: MONS / Makeups – black eyeliner series-8
Septum Piercing: YUMMY Spiked Septum – Silver
Dress: EATERS COMA – Dress w/ waist tied shirt / Dark Gray (S)
Shoes: REIGN.- Thigh High Sneakers (Slink Body)- Red
Jacket: PIXICAT – ‘London’ Jacket in Red – UBER SL
Hair: DOE ‘Puddin’ (Browns) UBER SL
Pose: BOUNCE THIS –  Pose from  ‘Destiny’ Pack (Cannot recommend these poses enough, check out the MP store!)

LOTD: The Bones Of What You Believe

LOTD: The Bones Of What You Believe

DoubleAbsolutely blinking brilliant round of  UBER this month guys and gals, LOTS to love, and lots to feature on these ‘ere pages over the next few posts so let’s begin shall we?
First of all, LOOK AT MY BOOTS. Look at them, faint, weep and generally bow down to their glory because these are the boots I’ve been waiting for. Yet again, if fat-packing was in my budget I would have bought ALL.THE.COLOURS, but as we’ve previously discussed it ain’t, so I didn’t. But what I did do is buy two colours, so first up a Kitty-plea to any designer reading this: not everyone can afford fat-packs, BUT they might be able to afford a duo, or a triple pack? Could you consider featuring that perhaps? You could theme it; a monochrome pack, primary colours, Pastels, Patterns; the combinations are endless. (Hey, you could call it a Kitty-Pack if you wished! ) Suffice to say I  flipping love these. REIGN has knocked it out of the ballpark yet again, after featuring a particularly tidy submission for Fifty Linden Friday yesterday and the ball is so far out of the park friends that it’s currently orbiting Pluto.
Everything about these boots is glorious, but what I especially love is the lacing. It’s incredibly neat and I love that the laces have been left free rather than tied. As is the nature of the footwear (a take on the ever famous Chuck Taylor brand) that there’s a logo on them, but I’ve actually no problems with that at all. As we’ve discussed before logos are a personal bug-bear of mine, but this one I’m completely happy with because it fits in with the product and also, for making such fantastic footwear REIGN deserve some free advertising!
I’m wearing SLINK Physique and Casual Hands at the moment so opted for the SLink fit that’s included in the pack. The fit is snug, so I used the HUD to block out the length of the boot, and I have actually taken my feet off. No point in them if you can’t see them, right? Lessen the server load (not that flat feet add much) and just wear the hell out of these boots. I think they’re going to be absolutely huge this round of UBER, and rightly so.
Moving on I’m wearing a frock from EATERS COMA at THE SEASONS STORY and it’s a cracker. As I said in my previous blog-post, EATERS COMA have made quite a few of my favourite items and this dress and tied shirt (tied again, there’s a theme going on here, have you noticed?) is an absolute inventory essential. The textures are great,  but it’s the HUD options that really make this item sing; there are all kinds of patterns to select from: pick from an almost gingham check, a bold tartan or more subtle, flatter square design. There’s something for everyone and you won’t be disappointed.
I’m wearing a necklace from YUMMY that gels together the street elements of my look beautifully; there;s a combination of pendants on here in different finishes,  but this is no gaudy trinket. Like all YUMMY jewellery,  it’s crafted with the fine attention to detail that you would expect from someone with Polyester Partridge’s credentials. I’ve opted for the ‘Eclectic’ combination but this is a necklace that I’ll wear a lot, and each time I know I’ll be zooming in frequently and admiring it. (You can build a story to this piece in your head, you know? The pearl is from Grandma’s old necklace; the stars are from my Father’s dress uniform that I tried to rescue from the fire, the heart pendant is the necklace that my Mother always wore, the circular pendant is from the necklace I wore at graduation and the ring-pulls were from the cans of coke we shared on our first date. See what I mean? Works well, doesn’t it?)
As in previous posts I’m still rocking the WHITE WIDOW ‘Insidious’ tattoo and it’s probably time I changed it but I can’t help it; it wears so utterly brilliantly and I cannot even begin to tell you on these pages how much I love it. I absolutely adore owls in real life so having a tattoo that pays homage to them so utterly brilliantly is more than I can bear to part with. I’ll probably end up swapping for another WHITE WIDOW tattoo anyway…hair_011Last but not least, check out the body on this hairstyle. Yup, Nova Faerye’s done it again and taken more of my Lindens because of this awesome style. It’s called ‘Chorus’ and has the kind of volume that a 1980’s pop-star would kill for. It’s massive in both size and appeal. The way it frames the face is nothing short of perfect; the cascade of curls begin at just the right part of the style by beginning to tumble down just as the style passes the cheekbones. This style is unbelievably beguiling and draws attention to the face but luckily for me, my chops are ruddy perfect. I’m still wearing ZOUL CREATIONS skins at the moment, but Shantia Soulstar creates such fantastic eyeshadow combinations that you get endless wear out of just one skin. I’ve added my favourite MONS winged-eye-liner into the mix and my PXL SWEET LIPS are polished to perfection. Again, Shantia has provided an extensive palette of colours to choose from in her Sweet Lips Applier for this skin.
Urban, stylish streetwear completes the kind off look that just screams of hanging around with skateboards and boys on street corners  and loitering with intent. What’s not to love? Here’s the credits, time to go shopping!PicMonkey Collage 3Kitty Wears:
Skin: ZOUL CREATIONS (Della sk1 – Dk Brows – chC worn with Della Eyeshadow – Carbon 03 and Della Lips Red 02)
Lashes: HUSH – Lashes – Flirt
Lips: PXL SweetLips v1.4
Ears: AITUI – Ear: Gen 4 Heart Plugs (they’re under the hair, trust me they’re there!)
Body: SLINK Physique Mesh Body (+ SLINK Casual Hands)
Tattoo: WHITE WIDOW ‘Insidious’ WIZARDING FAIR 2015
Eyes: BUZZ Cora Eyes – Honey {Medium} THE EPIPHANY
Eyeliner: MONS / Makeups – black eyeliner series-8
Septum Piercing: YUMMY Spiked Septum – Silver
Hair: LITTLE BONES -Chorus (L-Dip Dyes)
Dress: EATERS COMA – Dress w/ waist tied shirt / Dark Gray (S)
Shoes: REIGN.- Thigh High Sneakers (Slink Body)- Red
Pose: BOUNCE THIS – Slection of poses from ‘Candy’ and ‘Destiny’ Packs (Cannot recommend these poses enough, check out the MP store!)

*No post-processing done on these images, windlight used was CalWL*

Kitty Takes Four…Knotted Shirts

Kitty Takes Four…Knotted Shirts

There’s something incredibly whimsical about a knotted shirt; it hints at hems getting in the way when erecting a tent, or seams getting soaked when frolicking in tide-pools looking for shells. It epitomises Summer, and this year Second Life is really feeling those sunshine vibes. You can find some great examples of tied shirts and tops across the grid. Here’s a selection of four of the best shirts that you’ll find! (Note: You can find patterned along with denim style tied-shirts too, I’ve just chosen to feature four plain for easy mixing and matching happiness!)Kitz_005

First up is a purchase from THE SEASONS STORY a few months ago (April to be exact) and it’s from EATERS COMA.  This is perhaps the most relaxed fitting of all of my shirts and it feels roomy and looks as though there’s a breeze blowing through it.  I love the shape of this, and the knot at the front looks very realistic. I also like how this isn’t fitted at all, it looks  baggy, worn and loose and is a real favourite of mine. Kitz_006I had to squeeze a PIXICAT item into the mix, and Areve’s ‘Cut-Out Tie Top’ has been languishing in my inventory for a while but I do love it.  The knot is tied at the front of this tee, and coupled with the cut-out sleeves makes for a really fashionable look that’s exceptional with any kind of denim wear. It looks good from the back too. I own this in a couple of colours, if I like a plain top I tend to plump for a few shades (if I can’t afford the fat-pack), and that’s what I did with my next choice, a knotted tank from LAZYBONES.Kitz_004

What I really like about this tank is the bow at the front, and it is definitely more of a bow than a knot. There is some gathering and creasing near the knot at the front which I think is pretty effective, and I got both black and white versions of this to wear in-world. Because it doesn’t have sleeves I’m hoping that it will be easy to wear with some of my mesh jackets, I guess we’ll have to wait and see!Kitz_003Last but not least is a very original tied-top from K CODE.  This top is unusual because each pack includes an option with nipples which I’m wearing in the picture.  I think that this option would be useful in a wet T-Shirt contest  and also for wearing with bikini bottoms on the beach.  It’s tied to the side rather than the front and costs just L$95 at the MY ATTIC event.

Kitty Wears:
Skin: ZOUL CREATIONSDella sk1 – Dk Brows – chCZC (+ Della Eyeshadow – Kiwi 03)
Lashes: HUSH – Lashes – Flirt
Lips: PXL SweetLips v1.4
Ears: AITUI – Ear: Gen 4 Heart Plugs
Body: SLINK Physique Mesh Body (+ SLINK Casual Hands and Feet (Mid))
Tattoo: WHITE WIDOW ‘Insidious’ WIZARDING FAIR 2015
Eyes: BUZZ Cora Kitty Eyes – Chocolate {Medium} THE EPIPHANY
Eyeliner: MONS / Makeups – black eyeliner series-8
Tattoo: WHITE WIDOW ‘Insidious’ WIZARDING FAIR 2015
Septum Piercing: YUMMY Spiked Septum – Silver
Hairstyle: LAMB ‘Crave You’ Variety/Ombre/Eccentric
Pose: BOUNCE THIS ‘Candy’-6
Windlight used: StrawberrySingh.com – Closeups
*NO Post-processing performed on these images*

Knotted-Shirt Details:

Pic 1.EATERS COMA Tied-Up T Shirt

Pic 2. PIXICAT Cut-Out Tie Top (m) Red

Pic 3.LAZYBONES Tied Tanktop (Black) (M) IDK EVENT

Pic 4.K CODE Robin M-Nips MY ATTIC

Witchy Wednesday: IDK Neckwear Special

Witchy Wednesday: IDK Neckwear Special

I dunno, you wait around for a blog-post and then you get three in one week? What is the world coming to? <Chuckle> Well, I thought I’d post a very quick ‘Witchy Wednesday’ for you as I haven’t featured one on the blog at all for quite a while now.  Both the items that I’m featuring are necklaces that come with tattoo-style chokers.  They’re both available at the IDK event, and the theme for latest round of is the 1990’s, hence the plethora of choker-style neckwear because you can’t get much more 1990’s than a choker, right?Witchy WednesdayFirst up is the ‘Louise’ choker by DAZED, featuring a pentacle design.  Other symbols are available but this is Witchy Wednesday so is of course the most appropriate choice from the available selection. What I like about this is that you’re not just buying one pentacle, you’re effectively getting four because of the metal change hud that includes, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Black metal options.  It’s simple and effective and just the ticket at a very reasonable L$145.

Witchy Wednesday 2Next we have the ‘See My Neck’ set from TABOU IRISISTIBLE. I really like the fact that you can combine or wear seperately all the necklaces in this package.  You get three necklaces in each pack; the first is the mesh choker, the second has an off-centre eye design and the third is a crystal drop.  There are 4 metal colours available (each of them are sold seperately) but there’s a HUD that enables you to change the colour of your crystal (choose from blue, a deep pink and a yellow tone). This is a great little set and I think I’ll be wearing the necklace featuring the off-centre eye motif quite a look because it’s pretty and quirky, and it costs L$230. Here’s your taxi to IDK! Enjoy! 
(Oh, before I go, a few words about my look that I’m rocking in this post because I think I’m looking pretty hot if I do say so myself! The hair that I’m wearing is a group gift from TRUTH and comes complete with an ‘Essentials’ hair-colour HUD. Truth Hawks  isn’t a frequent gift-giver but when he does they’re pretty special, and I think this style is an absolute belter. It’s a tousled, mid length style that can be worn a number of ways but it screams for summer clothes and beachwear.  My eyes are unusual too; they’re a rare item from THE EPIPHANY, which is the latest Gacha event to hit the grid.  It’s a nice event too, although the majority of items were a little too fantasy orientated for my tastes. It looks beautiful though,  and the selling point for the event is that you can redeem your gacha prizes for points which enable you to obtain exclusive items. I love the concept and the location and it’s definitely worth a visit. Click HERE to take a peek! Last but not least my lovely, simple ‘boho’ top is from AMERICAN BEAUTY at the latest round of SHINY SHABBY.  Don’t get me wrong this is a perfectly adequate top; with good texture and styling but I do think at L$200 it’s a bit on the steep side price-wise!)

Kitty Wears: 

Skin: ZOUL CREATIONS: Gina  (Eyeshadow- Date Night 03)

Eyes: BUZZ Cora Kitty Eyes – Chocolate {Medium} THE EPIPHANY

Lashes: HUSH – Lashes – Flirt

Lips: PXL SweetLips v1.4

Ears: AITUI – Ear: Gen 4, Naked

Body: SLINK Physique Mesh Body (+ SLINK Casual Hands and Feet (Mid))

Tattoo: WHITE WIDOW ‘Insidious’ WIZARDING FAIR 2015

Top: AMERICAN BEAUTY Red Shoulder Top-M SHINY SHABBY EVENT

Necklace Picture 1: DAZED. – Pentacle Louise Choker IDK EVENT

Necklace Picture 2:  TABOU IRISISTIBLE ‘See My Neck’ IDK EVENT

Septum Piercings: From a selection available at MONS