Category: virtual worlds

COLLABOR88 – ON SAFARI WITH KITTY

COLLABOR88 – ON SAFARI WITH KITTY

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Jacket front

 One of the reasons I’m so addicted to Second Life, as I’ve probably said many, many times before, is that I get to live vicariously ‘through’ my avatar. 

For example, Kitty gets to wear things that I can only ever dream about.

In real life I’m a bit of a chunky monkey, not that I care especially as I’m happy just the way I am (The horror! Someone who is fine about their flab! Have I no shame?!), but in Second Life I tend towards a more slender yet curvaceous figure.

In other words, I actually have a waist instead of a spare tyre..oh the humanity, so boxy jackets have become a thing for me in recent months. You may have read my post from December 2013  where I waxed lyrical about the  EMERY Denim Jacket, which is to my mind still one of the best jackets in-world and brilliant for teaming with other items like long dresses and skirts and the like, but I’m always on the look out for another for my collection.
And I’ve just  found it.

Now, when I heard that C88 was going to be a ‘Safari Chic’ theme I have to confess I was a tad disappointed because to me Safaris automatically conjure up images of Victorian moustached men-types proudly showing off the latest beast that they’ve shot and are shipping home to their parlours to be stuffed. I can’t say I’m keen on hunting, especially big-game which I think is the most pointless and cruel kind. So my initial thoughts were that I’d give C88 a miss this round.

But I haven’t, and boy am I glad I changed my mind because if I hadn’t ventured forth and battled my way through the crowds I’d have missed out on so much. In fact, I’ve brought an absolute shit-ton of amazing fashion at this month’s event already, and I’ll be sharing it with you this week, but by gum I MUST tell you about this jacket. OH MY GODS JUST LOOK AT THIS RUDDY JACKET! Isn’t it PERFECT?!

It’s from THE SECRET STORE and is the kind of jacket that I have been after for an absolute age. It’s more formal than my denim number, but still casual enough to wear anywhere without looking out of place. It’s one of those items that you see and automatically stop in your tracks and squeal “I NEED THIS!!” in a pathetic manner. It’s a banquet on a stick of jacket happy.

For a start the shape is beautiful. There are no sharp angles or zips, just undulating curves and a lovely, slightly raised neckline too. I’m incredibly taken by the fact that there is no random frippery and fanciful decoration to the front either. To be honest I’m sure it would have looked swell with buttons and adornments of all types, but for me it is absolutely stonking just as it is, with pockets to the breast that are neither fussy nor boring, instead they sit flush to the fabric and are just enough to stop the front from looking too plain.

The shoulders do see some militaristic detail; there are buttons, but they don’t scream “Look at me! I’m a military jacket!” at you, they’re quite subtle and unobtrusive really. The sleeves are a delight; a little gathered at the top to create a slightly puffy appearance, but not so much that the jacket tips into the Gothic realm. They are finished nicely too, with the cuffs ending neatly on the wrist.

Jacket back

The back of the jacket is just as excellent as the front. It’s gathered into the middle and is finished with the same button detail that featured on the shoulders, but again it’s not too ostentatious. The detailing on the buttons is rather good and the creasing that is etched into the whole item is very authentic looking. I can’t quite work out what the fabric is; in close up it seems to be some sort of herringbone linen/cotton mix, but I can’t tell. (I do know that if you swap the buttons for some with a touch of bling and change the fabric to velvet you’ll have the perfect going out jacket for Autumn/Winter- there you go THE SECRET STORE, you can have that idea for free! )

But I digress. This is a really smashing item and one that you really should include in your virtual wardrobe. I’ve invested in the black option, BUT there are ten colours available and if you can splash out on the fat pack at L$888 then I’d strongly suggest that you do. This singular item will finish off so many outfits beautifully that it would be almost scandalous to not own the ‘Noah Jacket’ in every tantalising option.

I’ve teamed it with another absolutely cracking find, the Kafue Mini-Skirt by BAIASTICE. It always gives me a lot of pleasure to see Sissy Pessoa’s latest designs because she’s worked so hard to become one of the most successful labels on the grid and really deserves her place among the fashion elite. The Kafue skirt is another example of a simple idea executed beautifully by Sissy, featuring a stylish belt that sits on the waist and a skirt in either pattern or plain fabric. Sissy always makes great fabric choices I think, and this skirt offers some great options and will offer heaps of wear. Of course, I had to have the cat print, but there are ten colours and six prints to choose from in the range at just L$88 a pop.

SHOES
Last but not least, on my feet I’m sporting some rather splendid recycled tyre sandals courtesy of BOOM. This work so well that I think I’ll be wearing them for the entirety of my virtual summer! You all know what a texture whore I am, and these have been textured perfectly to represent their origins; when you zoom in you can ‘see’ the dimples and roughness that suggests they’re recycled items. There’s a tarnished look to the buckles and a suggestion of a cork inner-sole too. They look really comfy actually! They can only be worn with SLink flat feet, but that’s no hardship; throw on your favourite nail lacquer and your feet will look a treat!

Finally, I found some cracking poses at COLLABOR88 that I really do need to mention. They’re from PURPLE POSES (a guest at this month’s event) and I confess I hadn’t heard of the brand before. As soon as I’d purchased these I knew I wanted more, so I popped over to Audrey Guter’s studio where I was pretty dazzled by the range on offer all at really decent prices too! The set available at C88 is called ‘Rachel‘ and they’re really nice modelling poses that I can see myself using lots in the future, not just in this post. Sometimes you just want a pose that isn’t too Avant-garde, but still suggests movement and will look great in photos without too much hassle; these poses fit the bill and are just what I was after.

I would say go and buy all of these items right now, but seeing as it’s day one of C88 you don’t need me to tell you that your chances of getting in first try are slim to none!

Instead, why not check out the Flickr feed or the official blog for a while before you try your luck. And trust me when I say it’s definitely worth it!

KITTY WEARS:

I’m ALL ABOUT ANTHONY…

I’m ALL ABOUT ANTHONY…

by Lisa Millar ♥ 3 Comments

mesh body_cut I make no bones about my love for TMD- The Mens Dept. It’s entirely possible that I look forward to it more than FAMESHED or even COLLABOR88 ( and that’s saying something!) especially when you consider I’m not a male avatar! But the fact is that each month it sells some bloody glorious stuff, it really does.

I’ll be honest, the fact that it’s expanding in size fills me with both hope and dread; hope because I think this means that male avatars are finally being seen as just as important as female, especially when it comes to fashion, but dread because I’m worried that the standard of the showcase will slip. I’ve got to be honest here and say a couple of the brands included this month were a little bit, hmm how can I put this? ‘Not up to the usual standard’, shall we say, BUT hopefully they’ll use the opportunity of being part of such an auspicious event to improve their products and prove that they’re worthy of inclusion. The one thing you have to say about TMD is each month it’s an absolute roaring success. It’s always jammed to the rafters and filled with some utterly gorgeous avatars too..not that I go looking or anything, ahem! Now that little intro  is out of the way let me tell you about what Jez and I fell in love with when we visited today. A MESH BODY FOR MEN. GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!

Now, when you consider we’ve just had the release of the SLink Physique and there’s a number of other female mesh bodies on the market it had to be that the fully-fledged male equivalent was just around the corner, and it seems that it’s been launched at TMD.And you know what? I really, REALLY like him. Take a look. That shot at the top of the page isn’t touched up in any way, shape or form, I’ve merely trimmed the picture for the blog. Is your jaw still on the floor? Are your pants ever-so-slightly damp? I know mine ruddy well are!  LOOK!!

mesh body_005

Isn’t he an absolute dish? His name is ‘Anthony’. He’s a SIGNATURE MESH AVATAR creation, and comes complete with body, shape, four skin tones and Alpha Hud.  

The product itself is straightforward to fit- there are alphas for full body and one for the head, meaning you can use your own chops should you want to. However, this will prove tricky due to skin tone matching; there are just four shades to select from and unless you plan on wearing polo necks you’re going to see seams UNTIL we start getting appliers for this product. (Skin creators are going to be an incredibly busy bunch in the next few months aren’t they? APPLIER ALL THE THINGS!!)

Fortunately ‘Anthony’ has a very lovely face. In fact, he is incredibly handsome. There’s something a little, hmm, Nordic or even Baltic about his face, and I’m not complaining about that in any way, shape or form. In profile he is a sensation, with his nommable lips and thick, shapely brows making him an extremely attractive guy. I love his nose. He looks good bald, but he’s a real treat when worn with some rather surprising hair choices; for some reason I decided to try some Dura hair on him, not for a moment thinking it would work…and just LOOK AT HIM! He’s a sensation isn’t he?! OOF!!! The skin tones, whichever one you opt for, are each pretty darn lovely featuring great shading, blemish details and tone. He’s a very realistic guy. I always thought that Jez looked great in his REDGRAVE skin before, but now there’s just no comparison and I don’t think there’s any going back, he looks way too good in this!   Of course, this being a mesh body means he has decent feet and hands. I’ve always held a special loathing for the bog-standard male avatars hands and even though SLink produced some amazing male add-ons Jez ain’t my avatar so I didn’t fork out for them, and subsequently whenever I’ve photographed him I’ve tried to do it in such a way as to hide his shovel-like claws.

For some reason, and I’m sure I’ve not been the only one to notice it, whenever Jez posed his hands would occasionally look really ‘off’. It wasn’t something I ever really noticed replicated by the female avatars, but I often saw it with Jez and ruddy hated it.

I don’t need to worry about it now, because he has nice hands and they work beautifully with the rest of the mesh. In fact, his body is rather ruddy delightful. (I predict this torso will be one of the most photographed in SL over the next few weeks!)

You know, upon reflection It’s just ever so slightly possible that I’m a wee bit more impressed by this than I am the SLink physique  mesh body, even though it’s not something I’ll ever wear, and I’ll tell you why that is. I wasn’t convinced that a male mesh body would be as successful as a female. For some reason my kitty-fried brain just didn’t think it could be achieved; I knew Siddean Munro would nail her mesh body creation, but when it came to the boys I had no expectations really, so it’s great to be so pleasantly surprised. I guess I was a little narrow-minded in my expectations, but I’m so chuffed that they’ve been surpassed!  It’s not perfect though, of course it’s not. There’s room for improvement. I’d like to be able to change my eyes for a start, and I’d also like to see eyelashes. I’d like the ear shape/detail to be slightly improved, picky puss that I am. But these are relatively minor quibbles on my part (and perhaps something I can change anyway, I just don’t know it yet) but as I keep saying to myself, it’s ‘early days’. I mean, look how bad mesh clothes were in the beginning against where we are now. Who’d have thought it eh?

Incidentally Jez is wearing ‘Anthony’ against his usual shape, and that’s something that I really like about this mesh, it fit onto his frame without any alterations needing to be made and looked good from the get go. The HUD is also exceptionally easy to use and works a treat, no problems there at all.  In fact, the only problem that I did encounter with fitting was a serious case of bug-eye, but that was swiftly addressed by using the sliders.

I can’t wait to see how my peers are going to style ‘Anthony’ on their blogs, and I have a really good feeling about him. In fact, this Kitty is about to go and test him out in the bath..you know..for science or something. Oh, and a final point. This mesh avatar is just L$300 at THE MENS DEPT. Which is so cheap as to be scandalous, so what are you waiting for? I’m guessing the price reflects that he is a ‘Lite’ version, whatever that means, but even so it’s an absolute gift at that price. Go and try him out!! (Also check out the SIGNATURE MESH AVATARS Flickr and Facebook pages, where you can leave comments to help with product development, something I always love to see!)

Congratulations to Brox and all the team behind this epic creation, now you must excuse me as I’m being called from the bathroom..apparently the water is warm, the champagne has been poured and I’m being missed….LUCKY KITTY!!

mesh body Jez

Jez wears: 

WITCHY WEDNESDAY- ‘The Maiden’ By Ellabella

WITCHY WEDNESDAY- ‘The Maiden’ By Ellabella

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

witchy wednesday_001I haven’t written a ‘Witchy Wednesday’ post in an age, which is a poor show when you consider that the blog is called ‘Kittywitchin’..ahem!

Anyway, fortunately this week I do have something rather lovely to share with you all, and it costs next to nothing!  This gorgeous ‘Maiden’ pentacle necklace is from ELLABELLA and costs a mere L$100.

It’s available at this month’s THE MENS DEPT (as you walk in, on the wall to your right) and is perfect if you want a pentacle that’s a little more fancy than usual. On closer inspection you’ll find that the pentagram is surrounded by five Rubies, separated by purple squiggles (evocative of Theban Script) against a black base. There are crescent moons for the Goddess to either side, and the piece is finished with three violet pendants.

witchy wednesday_002

 

I think it’s a great piece of jewellery and it’s very eye-catching too.  Here’s your taxi to THE MENS DEPT where you’ll find this piece, and other fabulous items too! 

Kitty Writes: Some random thoughts on blogging…

Kitty Writes: Some random thoughts on blogging…

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Keeping a blog is a commitment, especially if your blog is sponsored. It takes time and work to maintain and requires updating regularly to retain its audience.

A couple of weeks ago I started a new RL job, so I haven’t been updating as much as I would like. This made me feel pretty miserable. But then I realised something; I felt so obligated to my own blogging regime that I was making myself feel like a failure because I couldn’t update as regularly as I wanted to.   Beyond everything this blog has always been an outlet for my writing and founded on enjoyment, rather than necessity. So I had a word with myself, relieved the pressure and felt much better for it.

I don’t owe it to anyone other than myself to keep this blog updated, which is a freedom many bloggers don’t enjoy.  That’s the problem with being a mega-successful blogger, content has to be fresh and new to bring readers in and keep page sponsors happy.  But the fact remains that updating a blog every day is just impossible for me these days.
The reasons for this are many, but in my case it’s primarily because of how long it takes me to write a post and create the photographs that go with it. To illustrate what I mean, let’s break down a typical blog post:

  • For a start I have to source something to write a post about. This means purchasing item(s), styling my avatar and creating a look that’s interesting.
  • I then have to choose my location for photographs.  More often than not I’ll shoot against a white background because I love the way it looks, but I still have to erect a photo studio and choose a pose.
  • Take photographs. Often this will take time because the shot that I imagined initially proves not to work, or I get carried away and take way too many pictures making it hard for me to choose!
  • Post-processing photographs (If required; now that my graphics card is more sprightly I’m finding that I don’t need to do much work on my pictures unless I actually want to)
  • Writing the actual post and publishing.
  • Promoting the post via news outlets like Facebook.

Of course, writing the post is what takes the longest, for me at least!
I have NEVER been the kind of blogger who writes a few brief sentences about the item I am featuring. There are plenty that do that and if that works for them that’s excellent, but it’s not really Kittywitchin’s style. I like to talk about creators, textures and items in-depth. I often like to write about how they make me feel, and my emotions too. In short, I like to waffle a bit, but that’s what makes this blog unique in a number of ways.  I’ve had a lot of feedback from creators telling me that they like that too, because they feel that their products are valued and appraised properly, and ‘sold’ to the audience more effectively.

Something new that I do now is publicise my posts via my FB page, and a number of FB groups that I am a member of.  I’ve found this to be a really effective way of generating traffic for the blog, and I’ve noted my blog-followers increase too, so it is well worth the effort.

The truth is a blog-post is not something that can be accomplished in a matter of minutes, not an effective one anyway, It can take me a couple of hours to write, edit and then publish. Add to that the length of time it takes to create the picture, and then list the items featured and yup, you’re looking at an afternoon of work at least. Are you surprised by that?
This is why my intention is to keep to my blogging regimen of two-three times a week. I would LOVE to write more, but I don’t have the time (or the money) to be able to do that. (Bear in mind I don’t get that many blogger packs sent my way so I have to self-fund. No that isn’t a whine; I don’t mind at all!)
In short,  I love keeping a blog, and that’s why Kittywitchin’ has been around for as long as it has; it stems purely from my love of Second Life.
A love that grows constantly, and long may that continue.