30000 hits? You’re having a laugh!

30000 hits? You’re having a laugh!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

..oh my goodness, blimming heck, lawks-a-lawdy and any other relevant exclamations you can think of! Thirty thousand hits on this site!?! MADNESS, but an amazing number and as you can imagine I’ve been transfixed watching my stats increase towards this benchmark figure over the past few days. 

I thought that I’d perhaps hit the mark around Yule, and thought what a wonderful achievement that would be, but to hit it in November has seriously delighted me! The blog is certainly achieving more than I ever expected. I’d have been happy to have just a few hits, so to achieve 30k is just utterly astounding to me.  I’m very humbled, but also chuffed to pieces, because there are some absolutely stunning blogs related to all things metaversal out there, so to think I have a regular readershipwhen there is such superior competition out there is a real mind-boggler!

As regular readers know, this blog exists purely for me to witter on about the wonderfulness that is our happy little metaverse, and I do so like to witter..you’ve probably noticed! Despite all the pixels and prattle the blog has developed in a strangely organic way as time has progressed…Kitty has developed too. For a start I’ve developed a skin fetish that I never thought possible when I first started ( “What’s the point of different skins? Why make yourself look different? Shouldn’t you just stay as one character?) and don’t even get me started on hair!  Who’d have thought that the words ‘prim’ and ‘flexi’ would have become permanent fixtures in my vocabulary? It’s utter gibberish! Would I have even considered that one day I would be staring wild and goggle-eyed at my screen as a virtual fashion show takes place, or dancing like a loon down at the pub, in a virtual world but with MY REAL-LIFE DAD! ( Which is let’s face it, completely crackers…)

I’ve often said that Kitty is me and I am she..but it’s more than that.  I studied Journalism at college and like most good ideas it fell by the wayside when I discovered the mediocrity of real life, so writing the blog has provided me the opportunity to vent all my pent up creative juices.  It’s enabled me to enjoy clothing-something which may sound crazy but it really isn’t. In real life I am a complete slob…I’m not materialistic at all and think it’s utter madness to spend more than a couple of quid on a T-shirt, but Second Life allows me to unleash my inner goddess and wear couture gowns and designer threads that Gok Wan would cream his tight pants over. I’ve always been excited by haute couture, daft as it sounds for a Northern lass I’ve always had an Issey Miyake/Yohji Yamamoto fetish ( I blame the PSB’s for that though..)

In second Life I go to sleep on pretend Egyptian cotton sheets and I live in my house of virtual dreams, with amazing furnishings that have funny coloured balls on them that make you do all sorts of rudeness when you sit upon them.  To an outsider it sounds crazy when I explain that I write a blog about my exploits in a world that only exists on servers and microchips.  It’s not tangible; I can’t reach out and run the fabric from my virtual hemline through my fingers and I can’t smell the coffee brewing on my virtual stove, so why is it so enthralling? So utterly addictive?  For me, the answer is simple-I finally feel like I’ve achieved something, and it makes me happy.  I have never been an achiever, but now I feel like I have at last done something to be proud of, and people may scoff but you know what? I care not a jot.  I write this blog entirely by myself and it’s funded from my own somewhat threadbare pockets, but I’m not complaining because the pleasure it has provided me with is priceless! Here’s a thought to blow your noggin; if I’d had a pound for every hit I’ve had on this blog I’d have been able to quit my real life job (seriously!) or at the very least go part time,  and spend the remainder enjoying real-life and blogging the metaverse.  What a mad bonkers thought! But if Wagner James Au can do it, then why can’t I…?

So, what about the next 30,000 hits? What will Kitty be doing then? I have no idea.  I’d love to be able to earn some sort of living from my writing, that is certain, a pipe dream I know..but something to aspire to nonetheless! In an ideal world I’d host Kittywitchin on my own server which would allow for selective advertising, but there’s more to life than Linden dollars….honest!

My Second Life aspirations are to keep enjoying it, increase my enthusiasm, rather than curb it and avoid all the dramas. I want to keep loving the clothes and discovering talented new designers, as well as worshipping at the altars of the established in-world  superstars.  I want to go to tons of events in world,  I want to see more real-life celebrities here (I hear Stephen Fry is a regular? I bloody love him!!) and using the metaverse as a way to connect with the people who keep their careers afloat by buying their books and records. I want to log in to a world that rezzes relatively swiftly and doesn’t crash that often.  I want to be visually excited by what I see and thrilled to be a part of it. I want to see how M Linden and co fare, especially as the global downturn really kicks in , and I wonder what our metaverse will be like in 6 months time. Will Second Life even exist? (God-can you imagine? what the hell would I do if it didn’t? Perish the thought!) 

I want to make my mark on this metaverse and revel in my 15 minutes of virtual fame, and each time I power down my PC I want to do so with a smile on my face, reflecting upon the wonderful time that I’ve just spent in world with all the friends that I’ve made from all corners of the globe..and most of all dear reader, I want to do this with you tagging along for the ride….I truly hope you’ll stick around and see where Kittywitchin goes from here. 

Thanks for reading, thanks to all the amazingly generous content creators for the wonderful freebies and words of encouragement, but most of all thanks for sharing this amazing experience with me:)

/Me raises her  glass of dirty Vimto in the air and says “Cheers, here’s to the next 30000 hits!

Hey sugar, you looking for a date?

Hey sugar, you looking for a date?

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment
I’m not saying that I’m a tart or anything, BUT this get up seriously feels like ‘Pretty Woman’ updated for the noughties, don’t you think? I wandered into Digit Darkes for a bijou moochette (mooching-it’s the future I tells ya!) and you know how occasionally an item just LEAPS at you shouting ‘Woohoo! Look at me! Look at MEEEE!’? (That never happened to you before? Does to me all the time..strange..) Anyway, that is *exactly* what happened with this gorgeous piece of loveliness..also known as ‘The Dictator’ shrug. Why you would infer that something as squashy and snug and downright sexual as this is dictatorial I have no idea, but just LOOK at it! Isn’t it the hotness? It’s deceptively simple too. Sleeves and ruffles and a short back to hold it all together, make it PERFECT for throwing over a frock to up your styling enough to make it that wee bit extra special. For example, this Blaze ‘Crush’ dress is stunning as is, BUT add the shrug into the mix and well, it just takes things up a notch doesn’t it? I know I started the review hinting that there was something a tad risque about this, which there is, BUT don’t underestimate it, because it’s capable of taking a lot of your existing outfits up a notch and breathing new life into them, and dare I say it, a touch of class even! As well as the frock from Blaze I’m wearing hair by ETD (Roxie) accessories by Yummy and the latest PXL skin release, called ‘Linda’, which I shall be reviewing separately. Anyway, back to Digit Darkes. As well as the shrug ( which I also have in ‘Ocean’, a really stunning blue colour) I picked up a pack of ‘Addicted’ stockings. I *LOVE* stockings, and you can just see them peeping into shot. They’re some of the most original I’ve seen in world actually and they’re pretty much opposite the shrugs, so be sure to check them out because you really are going to want to hop along to the store and see ‘The Dictator’ for yourself. Finally, if you don’t have a frock fetish and fancy something different to wear with your shrug (because you’d be just plain daft if you didn’t buy one) may I be so bold as to suggest the ‘Sasy’ corsets? These uber-modern and ultra fashionable corsets feature no frills but ooze style with their clean lines and fitting. They look great against the shrug and look perfect with black trousers or for the even more fashion concious amongst you, team them with this season’s longer length pencil skirts for an ultra-modern silhouette. (Remember that you have to wear them so tight that you can barely walk…but don’t worry about that, you’ll be wanting to stand still so that everyone can gawp at your Digit Darkes enhanced loveliness!) Enough of the wibble!
Go and get yourself one of these digital delights! Ooh, see what I did there?
Labradorite Kitty

Labradorite Kitty

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

So, as I look out of my window onto real life what do I see? Chuffing rotten grey skies and damp puddles and the kind of Monday weather that makes you hold the duvet tightly up to your neck and beg, scream and plead to not have to get out of bed in the morning. Alas, unlucky moo that I am, I’ve had to venture into the great outdoors and endure the cold drizzle which has put me into the foulest of foul moods,and only one thing can rectify it…SHINIES!
Did you know that each star-sign has a bird associated with it? Well, I’m a Virgo, and apparently our bird is the Magpie, which figures when you consider my previous statement. I do like my trinkets I do, if it sparkles and it shimmers then I’m there with my beady-eyed gaze, cooing in wonder at the loveliness on show.
One of the BEST places on the grid to discover wonderful things is at Earthstones. Imagine a mind, body and spirit shop scented with the musky smell of frankincense and you’re there! That’s the ambience that Abraxxa Anatine has imbued her virtual store with, and as a VERY regular customer I can vouch that she never fails to disappoint with her range of wonders and latest releases. Here’s something new, the ‘Knotty Beads’ which are quite lovely. No, these aren’t anything to do with Knotty Ash, diddy men or mad comedians with tickling sticks (Ken Dodd, comedy genius!), but twisted gemstone bead necklaces and earrings are the order of the day here. The styling is fairly traditional which means that these jewels work well with officewear and formal day wear but especially boho-inspired outfits. Of course I opted for my favourite stone, ‘Labradorite’, and this is where Abraxxa wins brownie points. I’m pretty sure I’ve bored you all with my Labradorite obsession before, so I won’t repeat myself, suffice to say that Abraxxa’s work really does do this stone justice. The thing about Labradorite is that it is such an unusual stone, and it resonates with a myriad of colours depending on the light shining upon it. It’s highly reflective when polished and upon first glance it seems to be a quite boring dull grey stone, but when the light catches, the magic happens! My own pieces at home demonstrate this beautifully…it flashes green, gold, violet and appears to glitter with flecks of bronze through to silver. Abraxxa manages to re-create it’s stunning beauty very well- of course you couldn’t match the stone’s beauty 100% but she certainly gives it a good go..the textures that she employs for all of her jewellery are absolutely top notch, and I wish I’d asked her when I saw her in world recently if she sources the textures herself. She did tell me that it (understandably) takes ages to create each piece; instead of colouring all the beads with the same texture, she rotates and rearranges so that each prim bead looks unique… So it follows that when you group all these beads together the result is truly stunning, and so it should be. This is obviously a labour of love, but the result is always constant- jewellery that is uber-realistic, wearable and hugely desirable…Alas, a trip to Earthstones is always a challenge for me- I can’t NOT buy something while I’m there so avoid at all costs if you’re uber skint because you’ll seriously depress yourself! Having said that, there are lovely freebies available and a lucky chair too, with some glorious presents secreted under the seats for you to win! While I was there I got lucky and came away with an absolutely stunning water feature that is now situated beside my front door. Many don’t seem to realise that Abraxxa makes other items as well as jewellery and there is a great range of gorgeous agate slice windchimes, incense bowls and stone fountains to enjoy. If you’re compiling your virtual Christmas list I heartily suggest that you ask for some Earthstone’s goodness and see if you get lucky when Santa pays a visit:) Click HERE for your crystal taxi!

Nikita Kitty

Nikita Kitty

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

It’s like buses….you wait ages for one, and then two come at once. Well that’s been my winter coat experience so far this season, no sooner had I discovered the wonderful fluffy parka that is my twice blogged Aohura Military coat, than I found this stunner of formal coat from Panjen. I haven’t been to Panjen for a looonnnggg time, BUT as I was pulling on my favourite ever gloves, bought on my first visit there I decided to pay a repeat visit. This coat, also called ‘Military Coat’ had me as soon as I saw it. It didn’t even have time to say ‘Hello!’ It’s a gorgeous airforce blue, with shiny hand-drawn buttons and prim adornments on the sleeves. It’s beautiful, and L$300 well spent. THEN I wandered upstairs, and found this stunning ‘Morgane’ skin, and walked out L$1500 lighter for my trouble. I got 6 skins for my money each with beautiful lip colourings; here I’m wearing Coral, but also there are Black, Silver, Red, Maroon, and Bronze too. I rounded off the look with ETD hair and voila! Now all I need is for Elton John to start singing ‘Nikita’ to me and I’m all set!