Kitty’s Starting To Feel festive…

November 30, 2013December 3, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’m all about comfort, and I’m all about jumpers at this time of year. I blooming love a nice, warm, soft comfy jumper, as a recent post proves! I don’t own a Christmas Jumper in real life, but in Second Life I’ve just acquired a festive and glamourous wee number that I had to share. Sn@tch has been in Second Life a very long time, but it continues to go from strength to strength, as the latest round of releases proves. This is the ‘Sorcha Sequinned Sweater’ by Sn@tch, and it’s rather fab. The template is one that is currently being used rather a lot on the grid, BUT I’m not complaining, because I love the baggy shape, bell sleeves and off-shoulder look. Ivey Deschanel has textured this one in a lovely uniform knit with added sequin sparkle which adds a beautifully seasonal touch to this epic winter-wear.

Of course, Sn@tch is the home of fabulous fat-pack happy as standard, so you always get exceptional value, and there are always consistently fabulous items to choose from. This sweater pack features ten scorching (see what I did there?) colours for a mere L$275. You really can’t ask for better value than that can you? Be sure to try a demo; personally I always go for XL because I like my baggy look and find that the mesh fits around the shoulders better on off-shoulder items. Whatever sparkly sweater you decide to wear this holiday season, you’ll sparkle and glow for all the right reasons, and not because you’ve had too much eggnog!

I must just mention that Elephante Poses have a rather fantastic sale on until Monday. I really adore the poses that MelissaJeanne Flores crafts. I’m using them frequently at the moment because I’m finding them to be incredibly expressive and great for capturing the look that I am after. The sale is a corker; 75% off the ENTIRE stock in store INCLUDING Gachas! I know right? Not only that BUT but joining the VIP group costs just L$50, as opposed to the normal price of L$300. Squeeee!!!

Just think you can get yourself some glorious wee poses, that go very nicely with this Sn@tch jumper, for not many pennies at all. Winning!! Here is your TP to Sn@tch, and here’s your TP to Elephante.

If you see Ivey or MJ, don’t forget to tell them that Kitty sent ya!

Saturday night, Sunday Morning

February 24, 2013February 24, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Like I said in my last post, I’m all about the kitty-prints at the moment!

It’s not hard to find Leopard print items on the grid and they can look both really funky and chic. I created two different looks for a weekend that both feature Leopard print.

My first look is perfect for a raucous Saturday night bash at a local rock club. In real life, this combo (wombo combo! Ahem, sorry ;P) would be ideal ‘cos if you got too hot and sweaty at a gig you could take off the shrug and tie it around your waist, and the print pants just scream rock and roll!

My two key parts to this look are a mesh shrug with tube-top from Cynful, and some jeans from Waffle.

Cynful is a beautiful, high-end store that really stands out from the crowd. Walking into the store truly is a feast for the eyes with all the wares beautifully presented and the colours zinging out at you. It’s like a colour-swatch brought to life, making for a really enjoyable shopping experience. I love whizzing around the store to see what’s new, and when I saw ‘Shruggable’ I knew it had to be mine!

‘Shruggable’ includes both mesh shrug and mesh tube top and comes in a glorious array of colours. I opted for black , so that I can mix and match both the shrug and top with other items in my inventory. The shrug costs L$290 a pop, with an applier costing L$100.

This makes for an expensive item, but I think when you consider the versatility these pieces add to your wardrobe, as well as the fact that they’re mesh and beautifully textured (as is everything in store) the benefits outweigh the cost. You’re paying for quality after all, Cynthia Ultsch’s designs are not cheap and the clothing sure reflects that.

Waffle! by contrast is cheap and cheerful and hurrah for that! This store comes straight from the imagination of the delightful Kiki Paine, and is located in the Dream Valley Plaza; a really neat and modern circular shopping zone.

Like Cynful the store itself is laid out in a really appealing manner and features some great items ranging from tattoos to underwear and separates, and you’ll find lots of outfits here that feature appliers as standard. (I purchased my Camo drawstring tube-top from here, and that’s fast becoming a favourite of mine.) There’s a lot of choice in store, with the ‘Troublemaker Lingerie’ being especially alluring, but my must-have item from here are the ‘Rock Chick Leopard Jeans’. Not only are they a bargain at L$99 a throw, and come in a choice of five fabulous colours, but they look bloody brilliant worn and go with loads of things lurking in my inventory, and looked excellent when worn with the Shruggable!

I teamed the outfit with a couple of necklaces; one which I’ve worn for a while now which is the Chinese motif necklace that’s sold as part of an outfit by Ducknipple. The Owl necklace was one of those things I’d forgotten that I had in my inventory, as you do. It was a happy find for me then, and funnily enough, it was from Happy Finds! (Run by the best named avatar in Second Life – Annoyingjapanesechild.dinosaur. Seriously!) I’ve no idea how I forgot that it was there because I love owls, and this necklace is really well made and super cute to boot.

To finish I’m still wearing the Belleza skin, ‘Ava’ that I acquired a few weekends ago. I just LOVE the eye-make up on this skin, which is making it really hard to take off. (I’m into eye-make up on skins in a big way at the moment.) Fortunately by buying some lip colours I can make it more versatile, but I do wish there were more eye make-ups like this in store!

Finally the hair is by Elikatira. The sale was due to finish on the 23^rd; and I confess that I haven’t visited in the past few days because if I had I would have probably bought the store. The sale sign did mention all styles would be retired once it finished; I have mixed feelings about that because part of me doesn’t want anyone else to miss out on the fabulousness that is Elikatira hair, but on the other hand I kinda like the idea of exclusivity that retirement sales bring. (Although judging by how many people purchased hair, most of the grid probably has this style anyway!) But here’s the thing, retiring these items means that new stock will be coming soon. Can you imagine? Squee! (And rumour has it that it will be mesh! Double yay!)

Of course, after Saturday night must come come Sunday morning, and my guess is that you’d be nursing a hangover and wanting something comfortable to wear. (I picture Kitty about to go for Sunday lunch in this outfit. In real life I guess the skirt would be a teensy-weensy bit too short but hey, this is Second Life so I can wear my skirt how I want!)

For this look I teamed a lovely’ Nia’ jumper from Sn@tch with this scrummy mesh print skirt from Tentacio. The sweater adds a little Schoolwear-chic, don’t you think? I’ve watched the store rise over the years and I’m so chuffed by how it has evolved and succeeded. Ivey Deschanel works damn hard at her designs and there is some amazing clothing to be found there.

There are now lots of lovely mesh items to choose from, and I’m delighted that her range of clothing with appliers is increasing, as this picture shows. Even if the darker side of fashion isn’t your thing, I would still pay Sn@tch a visit, and I doubt that you’ll come back empty-handed. (Trust me on this, you won’t.)

Once you’ve drooled all over my sweater, be sure to check out my skirt. I’m so excited by this mesh skirt! (Can you even be excited by a skirt? LOL)

I don’t wear skirts that often in-world but since finding this wee beauty I’ve not taken it off. Even better there are a few more to choose from in the range and they’re a fabulous price of just L$70! Incidentally if you haven’t checked out Tentacio before then I insist you stop reading and go there NOW. It’s just totally brilliant, oozing hipster styling from every pore and the prices are fantastic.

To finish the look I elected to wear my ‘Tassels’ necklace from Glow Studio, and the rather fetching Jamie hairstyle by Wasabi Pills, which is fast becoming a favourite hair store of mine. I love the textures that they use on their hair in store, and it’s a must visit for long-hair lovers. The Jamie style is beautifully crafted and I love the way it drapes over the shoulder and across the face. (It doesn’t interfere with mesh bewbs either !)

So what do you think? I hope you like both these looks as much as I do, and I am certainly having fun wearing them. And speaking of fun, see the jukebox that I’m standing in front of? Isn’t it bloody glorious! It’s from ‘The Stuff Store’, and the stuff that they sell is rather special indeed! I first discovered them when I decided to buy Dad something nice for his new pad. I thought a juke box would be ideal to finish off the bar area against his home, so I did a search on the marketplace and found ‘The Juke’. This mesh creation evokes a golden era, as does most of the other retro ‘stuff’ in Crias Rowlands’ eclectic store. It comes in both Modern and Retro versions, is mesh and weighs in at just 8 prims, which is astonishing when you consider the detail. It serves as a land radio featuring 80 stations, so there should be music available to suit every taste, and something I really like is the fluorescent tubing on the front of the unit which, when switched on, creates the perfect ambience. It really is a stunning, substantial piece of kit and really turns your house into a home.

Well that’s me sorted for the weekend, I’m just gonna sit in front of my Juke and enjoy some tunes I think!

Whatever you’re doing in world this weekend, real or virtual, I hope it’s a corker, and if you’re bored why not check out the stores I’ve listed in this post? Happy shopping!

Witchy Wednes..oh stuff it. LOOK AT THIS!!!

May 13, 2010May 13, 2010 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I missed my Witchy Wednesday blogging session yesterday, but I’m MORE than going to make up for it today (I hope!) by telling you about something AMAZING which was offered yesterday as part of the weekly ‘Hump Day Happiness’ gig…and is STILL AVAILABLE at Hump Day price until tomorrow, Friday. (Which means you haven’t got long to get one in my timezone, sorry!)The creator is Ivey Deschanel, better known to you and I as the uber-creatrix behind the Sn@tch brand. I’ve seen Sn@tch go from strength to strength over the years during my time in SL, and I know that Ivey works darn hard to make some of the most spectacular Goth/Alternative fashions on the grid. Put simply, you ain’t ever been shopping in Second Life UNTIL you’ve been to Sn@tch.

But I’d go so far as saying Ivey has excelled herself this time. Why? Because Ivey has made a mausoleum……

Exterior shot of the Mausoleum. Functional and tidy isn’t it?

And it’s rather f*cking fabulous. For 69L (I KNOW!!! Pick yourself up off the ground and dust yourself down..OK? Let’s proceed!) I became the owner of a rather glorious yet strangely simple concrete dwelling that would be perfect either on the ground or in the air as a skybox. Mausoleum sounds terrifyingly grandiose doesn’t it? But it’s not half as fancy as you would presume it to be, and that is why it works so effortlessly and is so bloody amazing to boot. Even better, Ivey’s applied the same logic that she applies to her clothing creations so that means quality and functional design embellished with lots of NOM, and I simply have to tell you all about it.

Interior shot of the downstairs featuring the fireplace..I’ve splashed some Witchy around..

The structure is two-story dwelling with a balcony. Nothing remarkable there, but it starts to evoke a Necropolictic ( I don’t *think* that’s a word, but it works so shush) air as soon as you walk toward it. There are a pair of faboosh metal-swing gates that open outwards towards you, and they’re so evocative that in my Kitty-mental head I can hear them spooky-squeaking as they move..I kid you not!! Yes, I make my own sound effects people…anyway, moving on… Above your head as you walk in hangs an Absinthe green gas light, and as you mount the steps you’re overcome with a feeling of…ok, enough of the Edgar Allen Poe. When you walk in you’re directly opposite a fireplace. Nothing fancy here but prime for decorating with your skulls and candles and zombie brains in jars.
You get my drift huh? There are logs crackling and spitting in the hearth ( there goes my mental again, making sound effects up!) and it’s got a load of potential to make into a really special focal point in the room. In fact, the space around you is AMPLE for whatever needs you may have, and Ivey has even supplied a one-prim bookcase to start you off decorating the place a bit. There’s a bearskin rug included too, perfect for laying in front of the fire as you read a grimoire by candlelight..again, a candle has been provided in the total package by Ivey, BUT all these items are optional, you don’t have to use them. Considerate, eh? One thing that I really do rate are the choice of textures that Ivey has deployed in the interior. I love the cracked-plaster effect upon the walls and although Gothically inclined the build is not so dark as to make the space seem plain and boring. She’s made really effective choices for the window texture too..I love it. For the price she could have gotten away with just black walls but she didn’t. Kudos to Ivey for that. Moving upstairs takes you into another large open space. There are two features here that really made me *wow* First up is the stained glass window which felt as though it came out of a Depeche Mode video circa ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’ ( If you’re a DM fan you’ll get EXACTLY what I mean, in fact with that in mind it would make a great hangout for a DM fan..hang some pictures of Dave up on the walls..you get the drift) The second is the large window opening out onto a balcony. Ivey has provided some black curtains for you to hang here and they’re super effective and atmospheric as they drift in the breeze.

Another shot of the upstairs area. It’s a great space to work in!

Alas I am TOTALLY prim-skint these days and I’m having to jiggle my objects around my land so that I can best enjoy them, but it struck me that this build is a perfect Witchy hide-out. It’s large enough to hold meetings in for starters, including circle work, and decorated with all your witch-wares ( from stores that I’ve featured previously on the blog, natch) it would look utterly perfect. I have tried to give you a flavour for how good it could potentially look by placing a few items from my collection in situ to give you a feel for the place, you can do so much with it. It would make a great club actually-the only limit is your imagination and your prim limits..oh how I hate those…<Kitty grumbles>

Guys, you NEED to see this yourself…so here’s a recap on ALL the deets:

Sn@tch ‘Angels Mausoleum’

Two story concrete pre-fab with iron gates, fireplace and balcony. Includes candles, plants bookcase, curtains, rug and Lamp. 75 prims unfurnished.

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY ONE!!!

Bare Rose is Belissima!

May 10, 2009May 10, 2009 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Bare Rose was the very first store that was ever suggested to me as a Second Life noob. I had no idea about fashion in the metaverse then, some would argue that I still don’t, and I didn’t know what to expect upon arrival, but what I found blew me away. It’s now over two years since my first ever visit and Bare Rose has become a constant in my SL fashion adventures. Bare Rose offers no compromises; just some absolutely fantastic fashion at the BEST PRICES ON THE SL GRID. Now, I’ve no doubt that your ‘higher end’ labels offer just as good value for money and quality goods, well I know this to be a fact seeing as I shop at such places myself, BUT the fact of the matter is June Dion, the uber-designer behind the brand, offers some astonishingly above average clothing at a fraction of the regular cost of Second Life clothing. When you go to the store prepare to feel overwhelmed- there is an exhausting array of clothing styles for any occasion and any fashion genre. From cosplay to gothic gowns you’ll find absolutely *everything* represented here and rendered to absolute perfection. I firmly believe that if the grid were to go ‘pop’ leaving one store behind, and that store was Bare Rose, you’d still have enough fashion to keep the even the highest maintenance fashionsta happy. The only problems I ever face at Bare Rose are location based rather than quality related. The lag can be an absolute nightmare because this clothing mecca gets VERY busy and the ARC of the regular shopper here tends to be a bit on the extortionate side. There are also such a vast array of outfits on show that it can take an age to search through them all. Not necessarily a bad thing but combined with lag it can be a pain in the rear. Still, despite these minor gripes Bare Rose manages to remain at the front of the pack amongst avatars, but it seems to me that it can often be neglected in favour of some of the more elitist, and dare I say it, more egotistical brands on the grid by some, but not all SL Fashion writers. But herein lies it’s strength: it doesn’t need to broadcast from the top of Linden Towers to let us know just how ruddy good it is, we all know and word of mouth keeps trade flourishing very nicely indeed thank you very much..So, kitty rave over-this leads me on to tell you about the outfit on display here. It’s called ‘Miri’ and it’s a bit spesh. I’m wearing the grey version here, but you also get pink and black options included in the pack, as well as a long skirt option. The texture and shading selected are spot on, but what makes this the dogs cogs are the details, such as the prim bow and collar, and extras such as contrast brass buttons. Looks uber smart doesn’t it? I’m wearing it with long grey socks (not included), one of my Redgrave skins and Zero Style ‘Dana’ hair for a smart casual Sundaylicious look. BUT that’s not all…look at the bag! OMG Bare Rose produce bags too and I had NO idea until my latest visit to the ‘Bare Rose Haute Couture’ outlet. This is one of those super trendy huge bags that all the celebs brand as weapons to fend off the paparrazi and it is *utterly* gorgeous.It’s a thing of beauty that I want in real life! Again, this is perfectly detailed with brass rivets (co-ordinates well with Miri don’t you think?) combined with super strap details that look super impressive in close up. I think this is just an exceptionally classy look, and the best bit is both Miri and the Belissima bag cost under L$200 each!!! I know! Pick yourselves up off the floor! June Dion has done it again and proves without a doubt that Second Life style doesn’t have to cost a bloody fortune..perhaps if other designers followed June’s model there would be less griping across the grid with regards to pricing and the freebie culture, but that’s a whole different debate for another day. (Look, there’s only a very select few designers out there that offer similar quality, content and fabooshness to June for such low prices, the only other example that springs to mind is the ever wonderful Ivey Deschanel and her Sn@tch empire but it’s late and I’m tired:)
So, rave over. If you require further convincing zoom on over to Bare Rose HQ and if you can get in fall upon it, make like a vampire and feast yourself on ferocious fashion until you’ve gorged yourself silly and turned into the grid equivalent of Anna Wintour. Eep!