As regular readers will know I’ve been in love with and lived in my BARNESWORTH ANUBIS ‘NYC Apartment’ skybox for an incredibly long time. I’ve virtually resided in it for a good few years; it was ‘Mi Casa’, and whenever I logged in-world I was immediately familiar with my surroundings, I felt comfortable with the layout and I felt no need to change. Until I saw the TARTE ‘Primrose Skybox’ at January’s COLLABOR88. As soon as I saw it I was compelled to have it, and have it I did with gusto! I don’t really know why it spoke to me, but I had been considering a change for a while and this was the kick-up-the-butt that I needed. I’ve always enjoyed TARTE’s work, and this ‘Primrose Skybox’ is no exception. It’s a simple design, just four large rooms with excellent texture in each, with one of the main rooms featuring a rather splendid 3D design on the ceiling. It was fancy but had a worn look to it, and I knew it would make a great residence. 
So, yeah, I moved all my belongings from one skybox into the other. It felt a bit strange if I’m honest, and I was a bit sad, daft as it sounds. But it gave me the opportunity to have a tidy up and remove some elements that I wasn’t keen on in my existing abode and empowered me to add more to my surroundings too. I’ve added tons of plants for a start, and a few new pets courtesy of JIAN’s ever extensive range of creations. I’ve even gone a bit pink! Pink is a colour I struggle with immensely, although I’m starting to be able to cope with it a little more as I’m getting older, and this new home gave me the opportunity to completely revamp my bedroom, using Gacha wins from NOMI. 
My living room and kitchen are pretty much the same, as I’m pretty content with them and have a severe lack of imagination when it comes to revamping their layouts, so I just lifted them from my old place and added them, nae bother. Of course, there are cats everywhere, and cat-related themes festoon the place, but what else would you expect from me? As virtual homes go I am really chuffed with it; I feel settled and I’ve always considered my skybox residence as my sanctuary. Just logging in and virtually slobbing out fills me with a lot of happiness, which is what it’s all about really, isn’t it?
If I had to make some changes to the skybox I would have liked a texture change option for the floors and walls; although the textures used are lovely it would have been nice to have a few decorating choices. I would also have liked an extra room to make into a dedicated bathroom too; I know these are things that some people do themselves but I’m not a creator and I’m not confident doing that kind of alteration myself. But all things considered, these are just minor quibbles; this place feels like home already and I am loving filling it with my junk and look forward to many happy hours spent here.
Tag: Collabor88
SOTW: Black Magic Woman
Kitty wears:
SKIN: AMARA BEAUTY ‘Anita’ (Won on CATWA ‘Kimberly’ mesh head and MAITREYA ‘Lara’ mesh body)
EYES: CATWA MESH EYES featuring IZZIE’S ‘Tokyo Lights’ applier
EARS: SWALLOW ‘Pixie’ ears
HAIR: BEUSY ‘Lolita’ mesh hair
MAKE-UP: PINK FUEL ‘Smokey Boudoir (II)’ Catwa eyeshadow and lipstick from the ‘Pure Matte’ (Reds) collection Catwa lip palette
TATTOO: IVORY & ROSE ‘Moth and Moon’ tattoo (faded) @ SEASON OF THE WITCH
MANICURE: GO & SEE ‘Stripes 1’ (Maitreya) @ SEASON OF THE WITCH
JACKET: BOOM ‘Duveteux Rayonnant’ Jacket
DRESS: OUBLIETTE ‘Gold Vega dress’ @ SEASON OF THE WITCH
BOOTS: REIGN ‘Witchy Thigh High Boots’ @ SALEM
NECKLACE: VIOLETILITY ‘Persephone’ @ SEASON OF THE WITCH
GLASSES: YUMMY ‘Ellery’ Glasses
CHOKER: YUMMY Corset Choker
EARRINGS: REIGN Pentagram Earrings
RINGS: YUMMY Nightmare Ring Set @ C88
FOREHEAD:!NFINITY ‘Hekate’ piercings @ SEASON OF THE WITCH
Pose is by PAPER RABBIT #14
Picture taken at ‘SEASON OF THE WITCH’
WITCHY WEEK: ‘Bia’ by Baiastice
Make no mistake guys, this latest round of COLLABOR88 has been an absolute winner. Of course I’m bound to say that I suppose, seeing as the blog is called Kittywitchin’, I’m ‘The Kittywitch’, and the theme for C88 this month is ‘Muted Coven’, but even if I hadn’t been of a Pagan persuasion I genuinely feel it would have been a runaway success owing to the quality of the items.
In fact, I get the feeling that the COLLABOR88 team have taken some time out to think and assess what works and what doesn’t about the event. For a start, the majority of the items this month are bang on target with regards to the brief. I didn’t spot any startling faux pas as I have in previous months (Oh the theme is this month is flowery sparkles? I know, let’s have latex underwear, that works! (Said no-one ever)) The content itself including all the clothing, accessories and builds are astonishing which probably explains why it has taken me days to get in. It’s absolutely rammed (you stand a better chance of getting into THE ARCADE than C88!) C88 doesn’t do duff stuff but this month it’s in another league.
So because it’s all things witchy, and it’s all things bloody fabulous as far as this blog is concerned, AND it’s my RL birthday tomorrow (13th) I’ve decided to celebrate with WITCHY WEEK!
I’m not even an official C88 blogger (and they sure as hell don’t need the publicity!) BUT when you find things that are so far up your street as to be in your pantry pinching your crisps then YES I’m going to blog about them. (Edit: I do sometimes wonder what people who aren’t from the UK and/or used to my sense of humour actually think about the nonsense I write upon these pages; for that I apologise but what can I say, when I’m enthusiastic I verbalise drivel by the bucket load. You’ve probably noticed!)
So let’s begin ‘Witchy Week’ with something absolutely stonking, the ‘Bia’ collar and dress from Sissy Pessoa, the creative Goddess behind BAIASTICE.
To be honest, I don’t know what I can write about Sissy and her label that I haven’t said before. Her work is consistently outstanding and she’s been a right little trailblazer carving out her own niche in the SECOND LIFE fashion world with her consistently breath-taking designs. Sissy makes some of the best high-end fashion on the grid, and each release is as satisfying as the last. She uses the best textures, applies the most exquisite details and shapes each creation with style and panache that is only mastered by a handful of creators on the grid.
Her latest release, ‘Bia’, has all the hallmarks of a SECOND LIFE classic. This gown and accompanying collar scream haute couture with a twisted edge, yet are so adaptable that they could be worn at a Christmas Ball, a Yuletide extravaganza or a Halloween party. The paler versions of the gown lend themselves perfectly to weddings, and because this is ‘Witchy Week’ let me draw attention to the fact that any of the colours of the dresses could be worn by High Priestesses at Sabbat gatherings. Imagine casting a circle wearing this ensemble, oosh!
Here I am wearing two examples of the gown. I’ve chosen the brown version for my main shot because it feels very ‘Mabonesque’; by that I mean that we’re approaching Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, and it struck me that this ensemble would be perfect for that. The red would be wonderful for Yule, although I feel it would actually be more appropriate to a Pagan fire festival such as Beltane.You can wear these gowns without the long skirt, which adds a nifty twist to an already near perfect ensemble, and the matching collars with their feather embellishment really finish off the look.
To further enhance this beautiful ensemble I decided to add my ‘Moonriver’ hair by VANITY HAIR, along with the latest skin from ZOUL CREATIONS. This is ‘Brianna’ and by gum she’s gorgeous. As always, not only has SHANTIA SOULSTAR created a perfect base-skin, but the makeups are sublime, whichever lipstick and eyeshadow you choose to compliment your appearance. I really love the brows on this skin as well; they’re not overly thin and have a delicate arch which really sets the whole eye area off. The lipsticks really enhance the pout as well and each one is a real treat to wear.
I don’t think this is the last time you’ll see me wearing this particular outfit during ‘Witchy Week’, and I hope you’ve been inspired to try to get into COLLABOR88 and pick up this glorious gown. I promise you won’t regret it.
Kitty wears:
BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.4
SKIN: Zoul Creations ‘Brianna’ SK3 Dk Brows chA
(First pic: Bronze 03 eyeshadow, Orangey 3 lip)
(Second Pic: Black 03 eyeshadow, Red 03 lip)
EYES: IKON ‘Triumph Eyes’ Armor / ‘Hope Eyes’ Crimson
LASHES: Hush ‘Flirt’
EARS: Mandala ‘Steking’ Series 5 (Pixie)
HAIR: Vanity Hair ‘Moonriver’ (Materials Ombres) (Crown worn with red ensemble was a free gift at the Vintage & Cool Event)
DRESS/COLLAR: Baiastice ‘Bia’ Dress and Collar (available in ten colours; Kitty wears Choco and Red in these shots) COLLABOR88
LOTD: Forever inspired by Amy
I remember one day about six years ago I was sat at my desk in RL work and was raging about how badly Amy Winehouse was being treated (yet again) by the press. It was clear that poor Amy was going through sheer hell battling her own personal demons, yet the press seemed to relish nothing more than hounding her as she seemingly self-destructed. I recall a colleague at the time saying to me in an astonished voice “You really do care what happens to her don’t you?” and the fact was yes, I did very much.
I loved Amy’s work. It wasn’t just the fact that she had a soaring voice and a vocal range that belied her young years, she also wrote lyrics from the heart that were totally relatable to. That said, I didn’t like her very much; she came across badly in print and on screen and it took me a while to see through how she was being represented, but once I did I understood (as well as I could) that her behaviour stemmed from the fact that she was deeply troubled. Her drunken TV appearances and completely crazed antics were fuelled by more than drink and drugs, they were acts of utter despair and cries for help that only now we seem to recognise. And yet either no help was offered, or for some reason it was refused. Of course, it ended tragically and we lost someone that we should have cherished and nurtured rather than criticised and condemned.
I won’t watch the recent documentary about her, not yet anyway, although this clip gives me the shivers..
I don’t think I can bear to watch the progression of her condition and the ultimate sad outcome. Many people scoffed when she passed that it was a certainty that she would die young, but did it really have to be so? I can’t help but think we were cheated by her death. She was an amazing artist but she could have become so much more had she lived, and when I listen to her I sometimes feel very angry because we lost her.
For me she was at her most beautiful when she was recording the album ‘Frank’. She had long hair, hooped earrings and an absolutely fantastic figure; she looked healthy and happy and stunningly beautiful. Contrast that image with her in the ‘Back To Black’ video and she looks completely different; styled to within an inch of her with the melancholy beginning to really show.
But I think the most enduring image we have of Amy is of the towering semi- beehive hairstyle and the powerful black eyeliner that she sported along with Fred Perry shirts, short skirts and ballerina pumps. That’s what I’ve been inspired to recreate here; using the outstanding hairstyle named after her from VANITY HAIR and my old favourite eyeliner from MONS.
Amy was almost ten years younger than me; she was born 14th September 1983 (I was born 13th September 1973) and since we (almost) share the same birthday I always raise a glass to her on mine, and thank her for the wonderful music she left behind. I’ll be doing that again this year and I’d like to think that wherever she is now she’s at peace, she recognises her own talents and finally feels the love and admiration that all her fans, myself included, continue to have for her. RIP Amy.
Kitty Wears:
Basic look:
BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.4
SKIN: Glam Affair ‘Katra’ (Polar) August NB
EYEBROWS: Just Magnetized – Diva Brows – Brunette02
EYES: IKON ‘Triumph Eyes’ – ‘Armor’ GROUP GIFT
LASHES: Hush ‘Flirt’
EYELINER: MONS Black Eyeliner Series No.8
LIPS: PXL Sweet Lips
LIPSTICK: Arise ‘Jenn’ Reds 6 pack – VINTAGE & COOL FAIR
EARS: Mandala ‘Steking’ Series 5 (Pixie)
HAIR: VANITY HAIR ‘Winehouse’ (Ombres Naturals)
Outfit:
SHIRT: FOXES ( I cannot find a LM for this brand?!) ‘Throw back and tied-Red’
SKIRT: BUENO Denim Skirt -Midnight Dark (Ripped)
BRA: (Just seen) FOXES Brasserie ‘Animal’ COLLABOR88
Kittywitchin' 