Aside

KITTY GOES SUPERNOVA

Supernova

February’s Collabor88 has landed and as you would expect it’s a bit of a corker.

Every month when I eventually get in to the Sim I always have the same thought, “They’ll never better this round”, and guess what? The following month they do just that.

I know a lot of people are unhappy at the moment and vocalising loudly that events are taking interest away from individual stores and content creators and that there are too many of them. I can see why they would be so alarmed, especially when you consider that every time you try to get into C88 you’re unable to because of the sheer volume of avatar traffic.  Perhaps there are too many events but not every one is quality, featuring original and inspired content.  I’ve no doubt the less professional events will eventually fall by the way-side leaving room for even better ones to take their place, but the harsh fact is that quality events will always bring in an audience, and  regular events such as C88, Fameshed  The Liasion Collaborative and The Mens Dept certainly have dedicated fans who eagerly await the new releases each month with baited breath.  And it’s no wonder, because they are excellent .

This month the theme is Supernova, and you can expect to be faced with an intergalactic explosion of colour and style when you eventually manage to get into the event. There’s a sensational array of clothing, hair, skins and furniture as well as accessories and jewellery all ready to be drooled over, with all the items meeting the space-age brief in an original and exciting way.

For my look of the day I’ve mixed a couple of C88 finds with some old classics from my inventory.  I’m wearing an old favourite of mine, the ERRATIC Cory Oversized Sweater, and I’ve teamed it with the absolutely out-of-this-world  ‘Nebula Leggings’ by NYLON OUTFITTERS.  I’m always excited to see what Nylon Pinkney has contributed to C88. She has an original, quirky style, and it mixes in really easily with more conventional pieces to help you create a totally individual look. It’s effortless but really effective styling. To complete this ensemble,  I’m wearing just one piece of jewellery, but it sure makes a statement and brings the look together. It’s the ‘Galactic Necklace’ from PILOT.  I really like the fact that this pendant features an animated, swirling galaxy and like every one of Kaz Nayar’s creations it’s expertly crafted.

I’m also wearing the BELLEZA ‘Ria’ skin here, from the last round of C88, although at first glance you may not recognize it. That’s because I’ve been really cheeky  and added some tattoo make-up layers, in this case from the IZZIE’S ‘Asia’ range of eyeshadows and lipsticks. Last but not least I found an old hairstyle in my inventory that I had completely forgotten that I had from EXILE.

I’m really pleased with this look, I hope you find some space-age  inspiration at Collabor88  this month too!

Kitty wears:

  • HAIR- EXILE ‘Arihana’ in Moreno
  • SKIN- BELLEZA ‘Ria’ (Med tone, option 5, dk brow)
  • EYES – IKON ‘Destiny’ Eyes in ‘Maya’ (ML)
  • LASHES- MC ‘Falsies’ (Upper and lower)
  • MAKE-UP- IZZIES ‘Asia’ Range-Purple Eyeshadow and Brown Lipstick
  • TOP-ERRATIC ‘Cory Oversized Sweater’ (Purple)
  • SHORTS-EMERY Mesh High Waist Denim Short ‘Hope’
  • LEGGINGS-NYLON OUTFITTERS ‘Nebula’ Leggings in ‘Purple Galaxy’ COLLABOR88
  • NECKLACE- PILOT-Galactic Necklace in Purple/Gold COLLABOR88

Click HERE to see if you can get into the C88 sim! Good luck! 

They call it stormy monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad..

They call it stormy monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad..

21January

Being Bipolar isn’t especially nice.  I manage extremely well, all things considered.  And I really don’t like to moan about it, because there are so many out there who have it far worse than me. But it can play absolute havoc with plans, and when I’m on a bit of a downer the only way I can cope is by shutting the world out and functioning at the bare minimum. 

The depression that is a particular symptom of mine can be crippling. If I had to choose between the manic highs and the thundering lows of this condition, I’d opt for the highs everytime. But even so they’re not exactly fun. When I’m on a high my brain races, I hear incessant music, chatter and sounds (I call it my ‘head radio’), and I can’t sleep. But when I’m feeling low, I feel crippled. I feel shut off from everyone and everything around me and just want to be left to hide. Thinking becomes difficult, I become exceptionally forgetful and morbid and procrastination is the theme of the day. It is incredibly hard to function; even basic tasks, like blogging, become the toughest of challenges.

This is why sometimes you’ll not see me update for a week or so. I work in real life, so obviously that takes priority, but occasionally if I find my symptoms are starting to go haywire then I shut myself down from all kinds of activities, blogging and Second Life-ing being the main one. Which is pretty crap really because it’s the one of the few things in my real life that give me lots of joy!

But I always come back.

And here I am; still feeling a little out of sorts but there is just so much wonderful stuff occurring in the world at the moment that it would be silly if I didn’t log-in to experience it. To ease myself back-in gently, here’s a look of the day that I am really relishing.

First up is the hair. This is available at MY ATTIC and is from MINA. It’s a lovely, mid-bob style called ‘Nikky’ and I really do adore the shaping of it. The face is slightly hidden creating a really sexy profile, and the hair is also materials ready, which means that it has an extra bit of oomph (that’s a technical term, that, obviously).  It has a lot of volume too, which can be a little over-powering BUT that’s easily fixed if you increase your head size a smidgen. I think it’s glorious, and the colour choices that are available are really very impressive too.  It was hard to know what to plump for truth be told, but I liked the Light Brown options best of all, and I’m incredibly happy with the result. Even better  the hair packs cost a mere L$95 a pop, so what’s not to love?

Next we have the skin which is by BELLEZA. I’ve written so many times on these pages about that brand, but they never cease to amaze and astonish. This skin is called ‘Ria’ and  includes a number of delectable make-ups in the pack. What really appealed to me were the subtle winged-eyeliner options featured in the range, and also the array of gloss and matt lips. Feeling a bit low I needed colour, so plumped for the gorgeous red lip. Tricky Boucher always creates perfect lips and the suggestion of shine upon these is very special indeed. Ripe for kissing I think!

My Jewellery is an old favourite; it’s the ‘Wanderer’ set from LEAGUE, an esteemed Second Life brand that is having a fantastic 50% off sale until January 26th. Guys, don’t miss it. There are some stunning items of clothing and exceptional footwear, as well as skins, included in this epic event, but my tip for you is to stock up in the awesome accessories that LEAGUE has always excelled at. This jewellery purchase  is a replacement for a previous Wanderer set of mine that went, well, wandering from my inventory a few years ago. (There’s NOTHING worse than looking for something in your Outfits folder and seeing the words ‘Broken link’ is there?) I’ve opted for the version that includes different kinds of mixed wood shades, but I am tempted to return and pick up the other colour-ways if I can scrape together the funds before the sale finishes It’s always been one of my favourite jewellery sets and as an added bonus the bracelets are incredibly good at hiding SLINK wrist seams. The set is available for a mere L£123 at the moment, and be sure to check out the scarves and other adornments while you’re in-store. Stock up, you’ll thank me for it!

I wrote previously about my favourite jacket of last year, and here it is again, the EMERY Hollywood denim jacket.  Any opportunity to wear it and I’m there, and it goes extremely well with this dress from GATO. I *had* to get this frock because it features a cat print, and of course you know how I feel about cats. I must confess though I very nearly didn’t get it because rather than it being full it’s just a partial-mesh piece, and I have had disappointing experiences with those kinds of outfits before. I couldn’t resist though, so I had to indulge, and I’m really glad that I did because as you can see it actually works really well. I’ve made an exception though, and I really hope that GATO as a brand starts to lean towards full-mesh pieces. It’s a really great label with a great feel to it and some of the best styling I’ve ever seen.  Don’t believe me? Check out the GATO Flickr, it’s sassy and vibrant and just really rather wonderful.

Last but not least back to MY ATTIC, because I’m using a fantastic pose from PLOOM’s latest pose release at the event. This is a five pose pack that features some really great stands, with both a standard and curvy option for girls with a bit of oomph on their avatar. This stand, number #6, is destined to be a favourite of mine from a very impressive and original pack of poses indeed.

So that’s my look fo the day, hope you like! I’ve a list as long as my arm of things I need to blog, and I’m catching up..albeit slowly. Until then if you need your blog fix (and even on my down days I sure as hell do!) Why not peruse some of the entries on my sidebar, or check out my Bloglovin feed? 

KITTY WEARS: 

Hair: MINA ‘Nikky’ (Materials) in Light Brown L$95 – Available at MY ATTIC
Eyes: IKON ‘Ardent Eyes’ in Pewter (ML)
Skin-BELLEZA ‘Ria’ in Medium 4 (Dk, worn with Gloss Lip #2) (NOTE: Individual  skins L$188, fat pack of five is L$788) – Available at C88
Jewellery – LEAGUE ‘Wanderer’ Wood Medley – L$123  Don’t miss the sale!! (Ends January 26th)
Jacket – EMERY Mesh Denim Jacket Hollywood-Dark L$350 (Check out my blog post HERE)
Dress – GATO Kelly Dress. L$100
Pose – PLOOM  ‘DNCR’  kitty wears #6  L$95- Available at MY ATTIC

(Huge thanks to Heidi Volare for blogging so many beautiful things recently that she got my arse in gear and helped get me out of my blog-funk)

The Men’s Dept: Jumpers For Goalposts!

The Men’s Dept: Jumpers For Goalposts!

ImageWell actually, no.  Not even once. This lovely woolly number should never be used as a goalpost, nor should it be tied around the waist in a hap-hazard fashion. Instead, it should be lovingly caressed and fondled. Better still, caress it and fondle it on your beloved..or even better than that, BOTH of you wear one of these fabulous ‘Crew-Neck Sweaters’ from APHORISM at THE MENS DEPT, then you can caress and fondle each other lovingly whilst safely ensconced in the snuggly warmth. 

Granted, you may find that you don’t actually wear it for long, but be sure not to throw it upon the floor in a fit of gay abandon, no, please fold it before you carry on with your naughtiness.

Because this is a sweater that deserves more than being thrown around, turned into a dog-bed or used as an emergency tea-towel. This, dear readers,  is sweater heaven, and demands respect. So listen up while I tell you a little more about this glorious crew-neck sweater that has made me feel all amorous in a way that normally only happens in February each year. It’s from one of my favourite labels, Aphorism, and by gum it is a corker. Even better than that, ladies aren’t left out so that we can enjoy some sweater-happy too! YAY! But first of all cast your eyes over my man-piece looking resplendent in his..

jez_003

Doesn’t he look simply astonishing? There’s a very high-class feel to this sweater, don’t you think?  I’ve also been wearing it for a couple of days now, and I can vouch that it’s really well made. We’ve both commented upon how well it fits both of our avatar shapes well, and it has smashing  detail too,  which I hope these pictures amply demonstrate. The collar and cuffs are finished beautifully with just the right amount of shadow added to the contrast weave to add definition and the torso of the sweater itself, no matter which option you choose, is extremely well shaded making it look authentic. Oh, it also makes your norks really stand out too…ahem.

Image

I’m wearing a large in the picture above because I like my jumpers to be a bit on the sloppy side, and I’m really liking the way that my curves are highlighted in this.  Look at the picture above and check out that lovely crease by my left hand; just a little thing I know, but it looks perfect. I love little details like that. I really like the colour options for this sweater too. The selection of plain colours is good, but for me the striped variations are just fabulous, in particular the red/black and the brown/cream.  For such a  humble item it can lend itself to a legion of looks successfully too; the purple and black in particular is very Emo/Goth, but can be worn with a pair of slacks or jeans and look super casual, yet elegant too.

But you see that’s the thing; in my experience it’s often the case that the items that can be styled the most effectively are the simplest, but what makes them stand out from the crowd is the way that they are made.

Even a simple vest top can take you to another dimension of oomph if it is carefully sized, textured and detailed. The Aphorism Crew Neck Sweaters are an excellent example of  this principle, and the fact that they look so good on girls as well as boys is a reason indeed to be cheerful, ESPECIALLY when you learn that they are a mere $150 each.  So cheap that they’re almost criminal, but there’s nothing dodgy about these at all.

Snapshot_006

 

You’ll find the Crew Neck Sweaters just to the right as you walk into The Men’s Dept. Be sure to try the demos first and make sure you hit the subscribo too, and then buy yourself a sweater. And treat your beloved as well; after all the best thing about wearing a sexy sweater is getting all sweaty and..I’ll leave it there!

CLICK HERE to go and grab yourself one of these beauties! 

APHORISM SWEATERS

 

Aphorism on the Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/63251

Aphorism Mainstore: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Legione/162/172/21

Note:  The jeans Jez is wearing are also from Aphorism.  They’re called the ‘Men’s Regular Jeans’ and he says that they are the best jeans that he has ever had in Second Life, and he refuses to take them off. This is all well and good BUT they’re starting to smell a  bit now, and Febreze only goes so far.  Whilst I know Raw Denim is a thing, I don’t think it applies to people who parp out new elements for the periodic table on a regular occurrence, so if you see him in-world, have a word would you? Thanks! 

KUSTOM 9 KITTY AHOY!

KUSTOM 9 KITTY AHOY!

Happy New Year

Hey There Kitty Readers!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 I hope you had an amazing Yuletide season! I know I did; I was absolutely blooming ruined and it was marvellous:)

 I am still wading my way through tons of calorific treats and drinkies and yes, I have grown to the size of a small planet, but I care not, a fabulously festive time was had by one and all. Well, until I acquired yet another stinking cold. Regular readers will recall that back in November I was really ill and alas I managed to acquire some more germs yet again after Christmas! I mean how totally ridiculous is that? It’s just not on, it really isn’t. So basically I didn’t log in world over Xmas much due to RL-work and then being ill, so I missed out on a heck of a lot of Yuletide festivities, which is pretty unfortunate. But now I’m back online and playing catch-up. (Let’s not talk about the fact that I’ve missed out on a L$500 Gos Boutique credit shall we? I mean no, let’s NOT TALK ABOUT THAT!)

It’s funny, but I really do miss my time in-world when I’m not able to log-in so it was with mucho Kitty Gusto that I burst into Second Life earlier with a pressing need to go shopping. I knew exactly where I wanted to go too; FAMESHED and KUSTOM 9.   Let’s start with Kustom 9. I don’t really know much about this event at all but meandered over in an excited manner to check out the goodies on sale and the Gachas that are available to play. I’ve seen a number of lovely items on various blogs from this event, most noticeably the glorious  AMITOMO coat combo that Heidi Volare recently blogged, but my Lindens are somewhat limited so alas, I couldn’t splash the cash around as much as I would like. (In Second Life, just like real life, I am a skint Kitty, but then again who isn’t in January?)  But I have been very poorly so therefore deserved a treat, obviously. And what a glorious treat I found!

Feast your eyes on the splendidness of this epic jacket that I found at Kustom 9. It’s from MARSHMALLOWS,  a brand that I am familiar with but I’m now even more keen to learn more about.  This jacket is called ‘Lisa’, so I had to have it really. *blushes* (Kitty insider tip: that will be because that’s my real name..shush!) It’s a fabulous leather jacket that is reminiscent of the classic Aviator style, but with a modern twist. Instead of a bulging sheepskin collar this piece features a more refined edge to the collar, cuffs and bottom, and rather than being festooned with buckles it has one simple buckle at the collar teamed with a zip to the front.  There’s a feminine twist courtesy of a built-in bow belt (try to say that after a few too many cheeky Vimtos!), and the dramatic, bold and super-stylised shape of the shoulders make for a shapely silhouette.  I knew as soon as I saw this that I HAD TO HAVE IT.

Kustom 9 'Lisa' Jacket From Marshmallows

It’s not just the shape that appealed to me about this jacket either, the leather texture is one of the best I’ve seen yet  in Second Life, and it’s been applied beautifully. The lighting and shading and creasing all look spot on too; zooming in for a close-up look  is very satisfying indeed. The jacket is chunky and ‘feels’ substantial,  and detail such as belt-loops and even the tortoiseshell buttons on the cuff-straps look excellent. Nothing has been neglected.  To top it all off it fits like a dream; I opted for the medium jacket and have had no issues with it suiting my shape. I opted to team this with a skirt available at the event from the same designer. I’m a sucker for a short, denim skirt and MARSHMALLOWS has three at the event in blue and dark-blue denim, as well as black. I opted for the darker shade and again, this is a great piece of mesh.  There are no added studs or stitching elements here, instead texture is used to suggest those elements and on the whole it works really well. The bum-pockets stick out to add a 3D feel, and the skirt looks authentic.  It will wear really well with tees and other mesh items in my inventory, I’ve no doubt about that.  The skirt when worn with the medium jacket presented me with no fitting issues, which is a blessing when wearing multiple mesh pieces,  and I couldn’t be happier with my outfit. Congratulations to RoMy Dash on her sensational work, and I’m looking forward to more of the same in 2014!

  • Marshmallows ‘Lisa’ Jacket – Available in Beige, Brown, Black and Tan -L$199 (Kitty wears Brown)
  • Marshmallows ‘Rozy’ Skirt – Available in Blue, Dark Blue and Black -L$99 (Kitty wears Dark Blue)

Second Life pricing can be a minefield and it must be difficult to know what to charge, especially after you have spent hours working on a piece and shed blood, sweat and tears whilst crafting your creation. I expected to pay at least L$350 for the jacket alone , and believe me it is worth it, so I almost died when I realised I could buy this beauty for L$199! Even better, the skirt is a measly L$99 too, so that means that if you’re a Second Life premium subscriber when you receive your L$300 stipend  on Tuesday you can go and get this entire outfit and still have change!  OOF!

Click HERE to TP to Marshmallows at Kustom 9. Happy shopping!