Tag: Auxiliary

The Story Of The Season

The Story Of The Season

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Image

The problem with September is a VERY skint Kitty. Why? Well this is because there are way too many wonderful events going on in world at the moment. It’s driving me mad, but in a GOOD way.

The Arcade is still busy and bustling, but there’s also the fantastic latest Collabor88 collection and a new kid on the block, The Seasons Story.

The Seasons Story was incredibly busy upon the first few days of opening so that I couldn’t actually get in, but when I did I realised why it had been so popular. This is a real quality event, the theme being Autumn (of course)and each stall is arranged around a beautifully decorated sim featuring trees, fruits and flowers of the, erm, season.  It’s delicious to look at and walk around. You can practically smell pumpkin soup and warmed cider as you meander down the pathways investigating  each vendor.

There’s a vast array of fashion, hair, skins and furnishings on show for the fall-addicted avatar. I confess that I was like a kid in a sweet-shop once I managed to get in, because there’s some truly wonderful shopping to be had here.

In the photograph I am sporting the fabulous flannel shirt from SHEEP DOOR, and I really like it,  although I do wish the demo had included examples of the textures rather than it being a demo for fit. Still, as you can see it looks perfectly snug and wears really well.  Ripe for layering in this cool September sun.

I also really fell in love with this glorious hair and beret combo from  INK.  It’s a great unisex style, available in a limited selection of colours but an absolute bargain at L$150 a pop.  Not only that, each style comes replete with hud for beret colour-change happy, and includes a couple of hairbases, one of which is specifically aimed at the male avvie and includes a beard.  I love thoughtful touches like that!

I combined my choices from The Seasons Story with some quality purchases from Collabor 88.   I cannot get enough of this Belleza ‘Leila’ skin which is the perfect choice for the season. I’m wearing combo 3 ,which features a winged eyeliner against a palette of golden hues and a lovely warm red lip. The colours are just breathtaking, and I’ve realised now that Belleza probably draw my favourite brow in SL; it’s *perfect* and frames the face beautifully. I can’t get enough of it.

I’m also sporting this delicious jumper from TEE*FY  in  ‘Pumpkin’ shade. I’m really loving this brand at the moment.  This is a brilliant example of a wardrobe staple being perfectly re-created in Second Life. It features a generous roll-neck collar and comes with both a no-sleeves (for wearing under jackets) and long sleeved versions plus  alphas layers to suit. Another example of a designer actually giving thought to how something will be worn, and again it’s a touch that’s truly appreciated.

What do you think to my foxy tail? This beautiful brush is  available at Collabor88 from AUXILIARY, and even better no beautiful foxes were harmed in the making of it! You can purchase it pre-attached to a denim skirt, or you can buy separately to add to your own items.  It’s available in a variety of shades and is a really unusual enhancement to your wardrobe.  I really love it!

The Seasons Story is a perfect environment for taking photos.  The backdrop above is actually comprised of the Gacha items that virtual design Goddess Sienia Trevellion (the name behind the LARK label) has at The Arcade this round. The books have been enlarged to create a really effective display, and they demonstrate the awesome imagination and skill that Sienia possesses. She is one of those people in-world who is a constant source of wonder to me and I cannot praise her work enough. In fact, all the designers I’ve featured here today are an absolute joy, and one of the reasons why I love my Second Life so much.

And finally let me tell you about the pose.  This is from a pose maker that I discovered at The Seasons Story called MODEL POSESand I am really impressed!  There are two packs available of five poses for L$60 each, and they’re excellent quality with a natural grace and finish to each movement.  I’ll certainly be keeping an eye for this brand in future! (The pose in the photo is number four from the ‘Martina’ collection)

Have I wet your shopping appetite? Good, I am pleased to hear it! CLICK HERE to visit The Seasons Story, and HERE to visit Collabor88.  Enjoy!

 

 

Even More Astonishing Arcade Happy!

Even More Astonishing Arcade Happy!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The more photos that are added to The Arcade Flickr Group, the more I realise that the majority of my September will  be spent bouncing off sim walls wearing a low-lag avatar.  Dear me, are we in for an absolute TREAT!

I featured some, but absolutely not all, of the animal-themed items that are going to be available yesterday. Today I’ve spotted a few wearable’s that I want to share.  As I go to press more pictures  are being added to the group, so don’t  be under any impression  that what I’m posting will be the  entire selection because this round of The Arcade is going to be HUGE with even more vendors than usual. You may want to consider selling a kidney.

So, first of all, I want ALL OF THESE:

9581938206_14b5a1a24d_b

 

Aren’t these simply exquisite? These cuddly Sci-Fi characters from HOPSCOTCH are absolute must-haves for geeks like me and I love every single one of them. I’m of course drawn to the Doctor Who dolls (who would have thought that The Silence could be cute?), but I’m also really taken by the Star Trek dolls too.  I just started watching Star Trek TNG on Blu-ray, and watched a few episodes featuring Q (the wonderful John De Lancie, also featured in My Little Pony as the voice of ….) last week, so it’s cool to see that he’s included.  Of course the Star Wars dolls are pretty astonishing too, as are the Harry Potter characters (especially Dumbledore) so I will be guaranteed many a happy return on my Lindens when I use this machine.  I expect there will be queues and tantrums at this Gachapon!

Up next we have  a collection that is deceptively simple but incredibly well executed: Headbands

My name is Kitty, I love cats, and occasionally I like to wear cat-ears.

Therefore I want ALL OF THESE from AUXILIARY.  Especially the ‘Unicorn’ rare. ‘Nuff said!

In total contrast to the above is my next selection, which is a wearable nightmare!

9596603940_31abce8c39_b

 

These CURIO OBSCURA boots are completely mental and are, quite frankly, the stuff of too much cheese before bedtime.   You’re looking at the Abomination Boots, and never has an item been so aptly titled in-world before! They look astonishing don’t they? Pandora Wrigglesworth has created some very special footwear here, perfect for stomping around the grid.   The five different styles that you see above are available in twenty different colours, just in time for Halloween. What’s your favourite? I really like the teeth and the eyeballs, and I can’t wait to see how people incorporate these boots into their outfits. These ‘abominations’ are definitely  the kind of imaginative awesomeness that Second Life should be applauded for.  Nice one Pandora!

9577263725_fe2da69f5a_o

Last but not least are these amazing items that will be featured in the REMARKABLE OBLIVION Snow Gacha. Ten stupendous snowboards designed for carrying on your shoulder and looking cool can be made even more impressive if you are lucky enough to win the rares, which are goggles and snow boots.  I already know my mate Mands has got her eye on these, let’s hope she gets lucky and wins the entire set!

Have I wet your appetite for The Arcade? I should ruddy well hope so, I’m drooling here! Remember to check out the Flickr group for more hints at the treats yet to come, and come back tomorrow when I will be featuring some of the astounding furniture items that are up for grabs!

 

 

Weekend At Kitty’s

Weekend At Kitty’s

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Image..is going to be a relaxed affair. Slobbing about and eating nonsense while the weather plays silly beggars outside. At least the sun always shines in Second Life eh? 

There are still LOADS of events to enjoy in world. The Arcade is still going strong, as is the Skin Fair, and you’ll find it a lot easier to get into both at the moment now that the initial hysteria has blown over. Both events are still busy though, and this pleases me. So much hard work goes into arranging and organising events such as these that it’s satisfying to know the contributors will be heartily rewarded with lots of lovely Lindens.

So, speaking of Lindens, I spied something nice and sassy to splash mine on earlier this week. It’s all Sable’s fault. She turned up at mine wearing a splendid shirt and sweater combo that it was all I could do not to kick her and her missus out of the house while I rushed off to grab myself one.

Quality meshwear is reassuringly expensive, and this ‘Cropped Double’ from Auxiliary is just that.  But that’s because it’s entirely original, created using Photoshop CS5, Zbrush and Maya by the brand owners Ivy Graves and Tyr Rozenblum. No templates are used here. It’s all hard work, and the quality shines through, with the textures perfectly applied and the shaping  made just right. Even though it’s a simple shirt and sweater combo it would be so easy to make a hash of it. Sloppy design and crude detailing are the undoing of many a mesh item, but no such worry here, it’s utterly spot on in the execution.

The plaid texture choice is perfect, the buttons and stitches are clearly visible and the shape of the jumper with its chunky cuffs compliments the attached shirt perfectly.  Something else that impressed me about it, daft as it sounds, was the sharpness of the collar. It’s well defined and sits beautifully on the body, and here’s another thing, the back of the Cropped Double is just as impressive as the front.  Where the textures meet at the back the item is finished well, and it sits in a pointed hem just above the centre of the buttocks. It wears very well indeed.

In fact, it’s not hard to picture wearing this in real life, and I also discovered  when wearing it I could wear a size smaller mesh than I usually sport, which was interesting to me…quality counts!

Probably the best thing for me about this piece though is that it looks like it took time to make, and that’s always what I want to see when I wear something in Second Life. When I splash the Linden-cash I want to be able to love what I’m wearing and know that I got good value for money.  I also want to make an impression for the right reasons, and Auxiliary is the kind of label that ensures that will always happen. Cropped Double is available in a number of designs  at L$300 a pop, and I think I’ll be making a return visit to stock up…

But that’s no hardship, the store is a joy to wander around, filled with enticing items that are clearly lit and well laid out.  I wasn’t the only avatar paying a visit to the store either, which is always encouraging.  It’s impossible NOT to make a shopping list during your visit either; I’ve got my eyes on the Owl ‘Slouchy Tank’ for example, as well as the very ‘Alluring Mini’ skirt range. I’ve also fallen totes in love with the brilliant ‘Bunneh Hoodies’, perfect for Easter of course!

A final note, just because this is a virtual world it doesn’t mean that  customer service should ever slip.  When I purchased my Cropped Double, Second Life was having a fit, so I didn’t receive my item. I’m pleased to say that when I dropped a notecard on  Tyr Rozenblum  with my transaction history it was remedied in a flash, no quibbles at all. That’s something that I always find reassuring and makes me want to return to buy more!

So however you choose to spend your weekend, I hope it’s a corker. Mine as you can see will be spent raiding the fridge for wine and cooking up a nice juicy steak..although I should really be wearing an apron to avoid splashing my nice new top! Ah well…toodles!

Image

Kitty wears: