Category: second life blogs

Kitty Keeps It Simple

Kitty Keeps It Simple

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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DUCKNIPPLE is a great favourite of mine. Whilst not every clothing release is to my taste, they offer fabulous outfits which offer superb value for money with impressive options such as HUD colour change facilities. You really can’t go wrong.  Beanster Potato (awesome name!) has just dropped some new items on the grid and I immediately fell for this tied vest dress.  It’s just L$195 (a total bargain) and has some serious dressy uppy and downy potential.(That’s a technical term that, honset!) It’s incredibly well-made and even though the styling is simple it’s really effective. I like the delicate tie-string embellishment to the front, and the range of colour options (accessible via the HUD), for both dress and cardigan offer tons of styling possibilities. In my opinion it’s a must-have. Fab isn’t it?

ImageAs you can see it works incredibly well with this utterly stunning  ‘SHADE’ hair from MAGIKA. Sabina Gully has promised us a more regular new release schedule this year, and I for one am incredibly excited by that prospect.  She’s always produced fabulous hair but her mesh creations are really proving to be something else.  She’s actually having a mini-sale at the moment, which will run until the 18th. As you can see from the diagram below,’Color Pack 03′ has been revamped. However, only styles released this year have been updated (Those styles are: Many, Such, Never, Road and Shade). Because Sabina doesn’t have a redelivery terminal she’s having an in-world L$50 sale on Color Pack 03 of the updated styles. It’s a fabulous opportunity to get your mitts on the new colours, which are all rather fab, as you can see below!

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Last but not least I’m wearing the Spring Skin that was BELLEZA’s contribution to FIFTY LINDEN FRIDAY this week. I’ve enhanced it with my favourite eye-liner from MONS, and added my most adored bangles of the moment, from MAXI GOSSAMER for FAMESHED.

Kitty Wears:

  • Hair – ‘Shade’ by MAGIKA (Color Pack 3, L$50 until the 18th)
  • Skin – ‘Spring’ by BELLEZA for Fifty Linden Friday (May no longer be available, go and try your luck anyway!)
  • Eyes -‘Destiny’ Eyes by IKON (Size ML)
  • Eyeliner – Eyeliner Series #8 by MONS
  • Lipstick – ‘Ria’ Glosslip 2 by BELLEZA
  • Dress – Tied vest with HUD by DUCKNIPPLE
  • Nails – Classic Manicure Collection from IZZIE’S
  • Bangles – ‘La Cerlique’ from MAXI GOSSAMER (@ FAMESHED)
  • Pose – ‘Saffron’ #4 by OoO STUDIO
Aside

KITTY GOES SUPERNOVA

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

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! 

Berry’s Memes: New Years Meme

Berry’s Memes: New Years Meme

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

My Angel Gabriel

New year, new Meme! Yes, time for one of the delectable Strawberry Singh’s Monday Memes.

This is the first one of 2014, so fittingly Berrycakes is asking us about our plans for the new year, but also asking us about how we feel about the one that we have just left behind. It’s got me thinking. Well, it’s actually got me following a train of thought that started with my last post, hence the picture of Jez above. I’ve decided that you’re going to see a lot more of Jezmond this year (whether he likes it or not!) Why? Because Second Life male fashion is just as captivating as female, and if there’s anything that 2013 proved it’s that there are just as many talented menswear designers out there as there are Womenswear designers.  (In fact menswear is almost eclipsing womens in terms of originality and great design, so I really hope to feature more of it on the blog, with Jez’s help, in 2014!)

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.  I present to you my responses to the questions posed by Berry. If you’re tempted to join in you can participate in any of the memes/challenges that Berry has posted at any time. You’ll find them all under the  Blog Challenges category on her website, Strawberry Singh.Com

  • How did you spend New Year’s Eve?

I spent it at home with my pack; that’s my RL partner Phil (Jez), my cats Piu, Pud and Mylo and my dog, Indiana. We watched Hootenanny on BBC2 as is our yearly tradition, and got slowly drunk after a sumptuous beef rib dinner cooked by beloved himself!

  • Did you keep any New Years’ resolutions?

No, because I never made any to break in the first place, clever Kitty!   I haven’t made resolutions  for a long time because I think the problem with them is that people tend to make ones that are going to be incredibly hard to keep. For some reason we believe that setting difficult goals at this time of year is the right way to go about fulfilling them; when in actuality we’ve got it completely backwards. The last thing you want to do on a cold and stormy January night is eat a salad. No, you want a massive bowl of hot soup and crusty bread, washed down with gallons of mulled wine, so setting a dieting goal at this time of year is just a nonsense. If you want to set a goal in 2014, set one when the time is right for you , not just because of tradition!

  • What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? 

Real life was pretty steady for me this year and trundled along in its mundane way. Second Life’s been interesting in that I’ve achieved a lot with the blog in 2013. I’ve surpassed 165,000 hits on the blog, have over 200 blog-followers and that really does mean a great deal to me. I also blogged more events this year than I ever have before. I blogged Skin Fair 2013 which was a real high-point for me, but I’ve also blogged some other truly amazing events such as Gothmas By Gaslight and The Homes And Gardens Expo For RFL.  The whole point of blogging events is to arouse people’s interest enough to encourage them to visit so that the creators can make sales, and I really hope that I have in some small part contributed to their success this year. I’m an ardent supporter of the content creators we have in-world and nothing pleases me more than seeing hard work get rewarded. If I can publicise someone’s work on the blog and encourage a reader to go and check them out,and buy something then that’s my job done. And nothing makes me happier than that!

  • What was the best thing you bought?

In real life? That’s a tough question. I don’t have that much cash to splash around so I tend to be cautious when making personal purchases (cash goes much farther in Second Life!) so it has tended to be little treats that have given me the most pleasure. For example, with some money I was given for Christmas I bought myself a USB salt-lamp that sits on my desk and changes colour. It wasn’t even that expensive, but I have this weird fascination with things that change colour, or glitter and sparkle, you know like lava lamps and that kind of thing, so I’m pretty chuffed with it. I bought a necklace of the Gayer-Anderson Cat from The British Museum last time I visited (to match the earrings I bought the year before) and I’m rather keen on that too. Oh, and some really geeky tee-shirts have made me very happy this year as well! <chuckle>.

In Second Life the best purchase I made in 2013 was undoubtedly my Bazar Arizona House. Even though I’m living in a different style of dwelling at the moment, it’s the one that I will continue to hold dearest to my heart. It’s just perfect in so many ways (the only way it could be made any better is if Ria Bazarmade an Arizona 2.0 and made it bigger, or added another floor..*hint* My review post of it was so enthusiastic, and I got a lot of feedback about it that I got to know Ria and have reviewed a lot of her work since, and I have to be honest and say that she has become one of my favourite designers in-world. I’ve also gained a lot of pleasure in 2013 from seeing the development of Sienia Trevellion as a designer too. I’ve known Sienia since for a long-time and she has consistently crafted beautiful builds, clothing and artefacts throughout her SL design career but in 2013 she went stratospheric and made some of the most amazing items I’ve ever seen on the grid.  Her contributions to The Arcade have become legendary, and I can’t wait to see what she releases in 2014. It’s sure to be equally amazing!

  • What do you wish you’d done more of?  

I don’t honestly know. I have a great life ; I live with my fella and our pack of animals. I have a good real life job and friends and family whom I adore. Had I had money to spare I would have been able to accomplish more in the way of going out and travelling, but I’m happy with my lot and satisfied that I did what I could to make 2013 an acceptable year for me. It wasn’t great by a long shot, in fact it only really became fun later in the year, but it’s over and done with now. The past is just that.

  • What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eating probably! I’ve become a little too tubby for my own liking in RL, and it’s time to get that in check. Not because I want to be a size zero or anything ridiculous like that, but for health reasons. I’ve noticed my back gets a wee bit more uncomfortable if I’m carrying a few too many extra pounds, so I need to pay attention to my body more.
In SL? Nothing. I keep away from drama as much as I can and I’m glad that I do because I’ve seen it cause so many issues for people, and so much hurt too. I don’t really have an opinion on what other people think of my SL persona or my blog, because my primary audience is, and always has been myself.  I blog because I enjoy it. The fact that people read my random thoughts and jottings is a fabulous bonus.

  • What was your favorite movie you watched this year?

Hmmm. I normally go to the movies a lot but had to keep an eye on the purse-strings in 2013, so I wasn’t able to see as many films as I liked. I missed ‘Gravity’ and ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug’ on the big-screen which is unheard of for me! But the movies that I did manage to see I really enjoyed, especially ‘Man Of Steel’ and ‘Iron Man 3’. (I do like my comic-book heroes!)

  • What did you do on your birthday in 2013?

It was my 40th this year, so I was treated to a trip to London and tickets to see ‘The Book Of Mormon’, as well as a couple of fantastic meals out in the city and some amazing presents. It was brilliant, I couldn’t have wished for a better birthday!

  • Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned.

I don’t think I learned it but I almost did. My Mum has always said that I am too trusting and that I “..make too much of people..”, and as much as I HATE to admit it she is of course correct. I have experienced a few reminders of that this year and have been let down by a few people. My problem is that I am a tad too trusting, and have 110% faith in people. I’ve thought about this for a long time though, and I confess that even though it causes me hurt on occasion I don’t want to change my personality and be cynical, or feel differently. So perhaps the life lesson is that I’ve learned to accept myself and understand aspects of my personality may leave me vulnerable and perhaps more prone to disappointment than the average Joe, but hey, that’s ok!

  • What does 2014 hold for you?

Who knows where the frog jumps? It’s Phil’s 40th this year, so I am looking forward to that. It’s also my Father’s 70th and my Mother’s 80th birthday too! This is proving to be slightly problematic in that I don’t have an unlimited source of funds with to work with, but I’ll try my best to ensure that they all have a great time on their special days. I am hoping for more fulfilling work challenges and I’d love a pay-rise, and also a ginger kitten!

In Second Life I’m looking forward to the big events like Skin Fair 2014, but I’m also looking forward to seeing fabulous new releases from my favourite designers, as well as discovering exciting newcomers too. I hope my writing and photography skills improve and that the blog continues to grow, after all I have so much fun with it.

But most of all I want to spend the year loved up with my pack and being loved, and giving it back ten-fold, every single day.
Here’s wishing you all a fabulous 2014! Allons-y!

Phil, Lisa and Indy

The Men’s Dept: Jumpers For Goalposts!

The Men’s Dept: Jumpers For Goalposts!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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..

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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.

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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.

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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!