Twelve Months of Color

It's been an amazing year, a lot of colors. I've learned a lot, but not strayed form my essential goal of taking pictures in the wilds of Second Life and presenting them as taken, no photoshop - just cropping.

I had an awful time trying to pick my fifteen favorite pictures, so I went instead with views - mostly. I ended up re-cropping a couple of them so I'd end up with a clear rectangle. Some of the highest viewed surprise me, or are not my favorites; others are ones I still really enjoy and like. I'm struck most of all by the sheer variety; some are subdued, others over-saturated; some are melancholy, others triumphant. In most of the highly viewed ones, I'm not actually looking out at anyone - which surprised me a lot. The clothing also varies a lot - from very scanty and skin revealing, to full coverage.

I'm on the fence about whether I'm going to pick up another challenge as I'm waiting for the Color Challenge Deux to begin in January; part of me will be grateful for not having a drive to post every week, and maybe turn some of that energy to clearing out my Promotional Folder. There are a few challenges going on which look fun, though - the alphabet one looks way too difficult, but there was an old prop challenge that looked fun. I also have some thoughts on doing group pictures, with me and my alts; doing some deliberately cultural pictures by hunting down traditional costumes from a lot of places (anyone know where I can get a dirndl?) and making shapes to match; I also have a vague thought of photographing my inventory to create an record and further sub-sort it for ease of finding what I'm looking for.

Looking back is a fantastic inspiration to look forward.

( More pictures here. )

Color Challenge: Week Fifty-two - Orange

I got all dolled up in Halloween finery, much of it the result of gifts or hunts - but all of it available! The dress is the largest note - from Spyralle; it was a lovely gift as a thank you, but when I put it on, I new immediately it's what I wanted to wear for the final color of the Color Challenge - Orange. Made up of a combination of warm cinnamony-browns and rich pumpkin oranges, the fractal design that is Spyralle's signature forms a very flattering pattern on the torso. I barely had to fit the prim pieces at all - moved the skirt up a little, but anyone taller than my little fae self won't have to lift a finger. I paired it up with my newest favorite shoes from G Field in shiny orange that is perfect for this time of year.

I ended up settling on Octoberville as my picture-taking haven, celebrating the final day of October and seeking out all of the pumpkins before their carved up and made into soup! I'm not as fond of the buildings as I am of the pumpkin fields and trees; the former seems a bit off in the stonework and wood textures somehow, but taken at a distance and not as the main focus it works out. The little schoolhouse is charming, though, and I adore the pumpkin fields to get lost in, and the rolling curves of the landscape. There's some kind of hunt or mystery going on there, but I didn't manage to find out many details. I've been running around frantically trying to finish hunts before the deadline!

The skin is one of my hunt prizes, from Falln Angel Creations and the weekend Halloween hunt that has only a day to go. Azriel certainly doesn't make it easy on us, but each prize is an actual whole outfit, skin, or piece of furniture - so believe me, it's worth the work and the single Linden each brain costs! I put the skin on my accident - double clicking or something - and ended up really liking the effect; I'm normally not terribly cattish, but I might make a halfway decent calico, I think. Tinting my ears to match was a little bit of a challenge - maybe next time I should invest in some cat ears!

The jewelry is also a hunt prize, from Earthstones, though they were each fifty linden instead of free or one linden. There are some free prizes in the hunt, and the highest price is fifty - which most of them are. Like the Falln Hunt, it's a challenging hunt. I recommend wireframe and derender as two of your nearest and dearest friends. Like Falln's prizes, though, all of the Earthstones ones are well worth it; however, each prize is a mystery until you open them. I can tell you the color themes are purple, green, and orange - with orange predominating.

I'm feeling the chill of winter starting in now, and the desire to curl up and hide as the weather turns cooler, sipping my cocoa and dreaming time away. One of the nicest side effects of cooler weather is how my kitty likes to snuggle up against me when he naps, keeping my sides and lap warm. He likes my cocoa, too, but I don't let him have much; he does get some tasty tunafish when I make up my tunafish salad, and he has a real interest in ham which leads him to crawl all over me every time I make some noodles with ham (and I end up giving him large pieces - I'm such a bad mom). Halloween passes tonight; in Irish and Celtic tradition, it's the night when the veil between this world and that one is thinnest - when ghosts ride, and when the Wild Hunt begins to gather for it's winter scourge of the countryside.

I'm fonder of apple cider, pumpkin pie, and peppermint cocoa, though.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Falln Angel Creations, Feline Calico Feminine (1$L Hunt Prize)
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee - Rainbow
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 5A
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Pompon Hair - Rye (Review Copy)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Jewelry: Earthstones, Ti'ana Set (150$L in Hunt)
Dress: Spyralle, Candy Corn Fractal Frock (gift)
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Stockings: Blacklace, Red Riding Hood Stockings
Shoes: G Field, Strap Shoes "Alex" Patent Leather - orange (gift)

Poses: Glitterati,

Location: Octoberville
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Cragelica

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Fifty-one - Cream

Cream was actually easy for me - I have loads of it in my inventory - but the hard part was figuring out what to pair it with and how to accessorize. I ended up with blue highlights; my favorite bits have to be the necklace and bracelet, which I impulse-bought from Axiom in a different color and now am rapidly accumulating all the available colors. If only there were more colors! I adore the curve around the neck - it fits better than almost every necklace I've worn; it's definitely Little Boy Blue level of quality. The rings are two I've been wearing for a while - from Alchemy Immortalis and Earthstones. One is a Nesting ring; it's scripted to hold images in it of people you love. I'd had plans for the pictures in there, but as of now it's empty, waiting for a special someone. In a way, it's a promise to myself. The other is a tri-rose ring that was the first time I spent money on jewelry; I loved the colors, the symbolism of three roses, the purity of three.

The hair is from one of my newest, favorite hair stores - the .b sidebrand of Analog Dog - and is one of the dual hair designs that hit the grid a few months back. The shoulder pieces are separate from the hair, which allows them to remain in place even when the head moves. This is a glory for picture taking; often long hair really limits the poses in play and with dual-piece hair it widens the opportunities a lot. The flower bits are from a new-to-me store called BP; they're free gifts in the foyer of the store - look for little stacks of boxes. The dress is from Hal Hina and I own it in every color. It's a gorgeous little floof of a dress, all froth and flowers, and really seemed to fit the rest of the theme.

I love the ephemeral quality of the roses now at World's End - how they seem to mingle and intermix with each other. It's easy to get lost within them, to sink in, and amazingly they only somewhat seem to interfere with my wings - in a way which makes it seem like I'm always rising up out of the bushes - born out of them like a flower that then floats on the waves toward the horizon.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee - Rainbow
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 5A
Eyeliner: cheLLe, Cleo Called Black
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Coal & Blue 2
Lipstick: L.Fauna, Neutral 3
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy
Hair: .b, Tangled - Cornsilk
Flower Effects: BP, Inner Tree & New Spring 3
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: Hal Hina, Flower Mini Dress - Cream
Gloves, MRS, Cream Mesh Gloves
Jewelry: Axiom, Transmigration of Souls
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Stockings: Vetra Messing, Sheer Stockings
Shoes: G Field, Flower Pumps "Eve" - cream

Pose: Glitterati

Location: World's End
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Cranche

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Fifty - Mulberry

We're coming to the end of the challenge, and I'm feeling a bit sad about it, to be honest. I ended up in a shiny, Mulberry dress and a scary, mulberry sim for Halloween. I'm not a big horror and gore fan, but Halloween seemed to call for it.

Ever been unable to think of a thing to say?

Yeah.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee - Rainbow
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 5A
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Lipstick: L.Fauna, Lipstick - Pink 2
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Juliette Hair - Jellyfish
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: Icing, Mulberry Cordial
Jewelry: Beloved, Pearls and Ribbons
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Shoes: G Field, Knot Wedge - Pink

Pose: Glitterati, 109

Location: Mulberry Orphanage
Light Settings: TOR HORROR Rancid Milk
Water Settings: TOR Trandshan

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Fourty-nine - Wenge

Wenge honestly makes me think of the word whinge - best defined as the word used by upper class Brits to make their whining sound somehow categorically different from the whining of everyone else. In honor of this thoroughly fascinating word, permit me a moment to whinge - despite my neither being upper class nor British.

The gorgeous headpiece I'm wearing almost wasn't. I remembered seeing it, or something like it, on one of the fashion feeds as a deal, but I hadn't picked it up for several reasons, including that I don't often wear skulls. When I was putting together this outfit, I felt the desperate need for a small skull with some kind of black thing behind it; I remembered the skull as vaguely bird-like. I went to the first place for searching for things in Second Life - the marketplace - and was frustrated by the fact you can't search within subcategories.

After six 96-item pages of accessories and about five searches with additional keywords to try to narrow the field, I started asking in groups - one fashion-oriented and the other goth-oriented. No dice. I went back through about two months worth of discount reviews. No dice. Finally, I did a broad search through a search engine, found a mention of this on one of the blogs along with it being a 1$L deal at some event. It even included the store name - Ripe. Yahtzee! Plugged Ripe into inner-SL search (I prefer to purchase in sim if I can, so the Linden-tax isn't applied). Three places popped up - teleported to each.... no ...dice? Went back to the blog post - the person had included the creator name! Yahtzee! Opened up the profile, looked in picks... no dice. Looked in classifieds. No dice. Checked webpage.... and it led me back to the marketplace.

WTF, Second Life?

On a more pleasant note, I'm decked out in clothing from one of my favorite people, jewelry from the second, and a skin from the third, which makes me a very happy Deoridhe. The dress is from Falln Angel Creations and it was one of my dresses in my "photograph before sorting" folder - that lives in my inventory and accumulates clothes. I've been trying to go there first when I'm looking for things to wear because, well, it would be nice if things in there got sorted! The jewelry is from Little Boy Blue, and was part of a massive Linden-drop into his random vendors last Halloween. If we're lucky (unlucky?) he'll put them out again and I'll be even poorer this year! As it is, I managed to accumulate most of the Sugar Skull set, and I adore it so much! It reminded me of these awesome set of horns from Rue, that were from a Sugar Skull Hunt a couple years back - I'm delighted to have a chance to wear them again. The skin is my usual lovely one from De La Soul, and this time I tinted my Illusions ears to match a bit more closely.

The eyeliner is my usual Adam n Eve Hepsut, and I've paired it with one of Elymode's hunt specials - autumn eyeshadow. I'm really enjoying her fades of color for eyeshadow, especially since I can often match them up to my outfit or mood. The lipstick from L.Fauna is another new favorite. I was drawn to it when I saw it at the 50 Linden Friday special, but I'm definitely planning to go back for some more lipstick. The colors are sublime, and the match to my lip line is perfect, even though it's a completely different maker. Finally, I have to take a moment for a word about the new hair from Calico Ingmann Creations. I love the curves and style of it (there's also a version with longer hair) and I had a ball playing with the streak colors - I made the streak white then manually recolored the hair to match my Sugar Skull Accessories.

I ended up back on Immersiva, which has to be one of my favorite regular haunts. Ms. Oh brought the skeletons and dandilions she had at Anna's Many Murders and festoon them across a mountainous scene with some bones thrown in to make things interesting. The black box with it's changing, glowing interior has also reprised here from another show, and the tower from Daughter of Gears is still in place to climb up. My only wish might be for some ways to sit on top of the different dandelions - but then I always like to insinuate myself into the drama created by other people.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee - Rainbow
Eye Shadow: Elymode, Autumn Leaf Mix
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Lipstick: L.Fauna, Red 3
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy
Horns: Ruin, Horned S.E. Sugar Skull Shaman - Ivory
Hair: Calico Ingmann Creations, Genevieve 1
Hair Skull: Ripe, Elegant Raven Skull Hat - black
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Necklace 2: Little Boy Blue, Sugar Skull Set
Dress: Falln Angel Creations, Fellice Dress - brown
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Skully Pumps - black

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Immersiva
Light Settings: London 2026
Water Settings: TOR, Eyeballin'

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Forty-eight - Moss

Moss Week was surprisingly easy, though I'm not sure all of the "moss" colors quite match! They have a similar olivey hue, though, so I suppose they'll do. I got the sense of being cool and chill and all covered over with moss when I put on these colors. I've always liked the darker shades of green; they seem so cool and remind me of spring, when the colors are as bright as possible and the skies are a brilliant shade of blue. The wilder sections of The Looking Glass were perfect for pictures, and I ended up finding a gorgeous crystal cave behind the vines concealing the entrance.

It's interesting to compare the different mosses. Grix is the palest - a green bandaid on my nose in the color of moss, but sort of a greyish pale moss that might be found near lichen. They almost exactly match the pale green pearls in the necklace from Eclectica, set in silver which makes them seem to glow. These lovely boots from G Field are slightly darker and duller in shade; they match the hue of sun-touched moss near the edges of shade. The ribbed tights from Sn@tch are only slightly darker and keep that sheen of dullness to them which leaves them in line with the boots. The dress from DV8, by contrast, is a darker yet richer color, like the moss found along the edge of cold streams in the springtime - rich and vibrant in hue with shadows nearing black. The eyeshadow is olive, but contains all the darker hues in it, and my moss eyes from Miriel finish the look out in almost continuous named colors (I'm only lacking moss colored hair, substituting in Magika's green hair instead).

It's amazing how much similarity can be found across a broad spectrum of stores and styles. DV8 and Sn@tch are on the gritty, urban side of things, while Eclectica tends toward stylized and sleek, with a touch of whimsy from Grix. Many of these stores are long time favorites that I wear over and over again, but some - like Grix - are entirely new to me. The cosmetics from De La Soul, by the way, are on sale right now at the 25 Linden Tuesdays Fete that's going on until this upcoming Tuesday.

I'm playing a secondary game, now, called Glitch. It has fun details, like you milk butterflies and then shake the milk to make butterfly butter (the world needs more butterfly butter), get grain by squeezing chickens, and get eggs from egg trees. It's one giant world that everyone plays in, and according to the creators our actions can change the world itself - making it more complex and broader. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of a simpler version of Second Life; in Glitch you're working off of pre-set options and in Second Life the imagination and skill are the limit, but in both of them the world made is shaped by the people within it. We decide if we seek beauty or ugliness. We decide if the world is one of kindness or cruelty. We shape the world and build it up between us like a glittering span of imagination and creation that reflects the best and worst of humanity all in one.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyebrows: De La Soul, Aestali Tintable Brows
Eyes: Miriel, Mossy Rock
Eye Shadow: De La Soul, Gemini Makeup - Olive Roots
Bandaid: Grix, Opps - Moss
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy
Hair: Magika, Luxury - Wild Green
Jewelry: Eclectica, Spring Pearls - Moss
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: DV8, Danse Macabre - Moss
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Stockings: Sn@tch, Ribbed nit Tights - Moss
Shoes: G Field, Short Lace-Up Boots - Moss

Poses: Glitterati

Location: The Looking Glass
Light Settings: TOR, EUPHORIA - Natural High
Water Settings: TOR, Meridian verde

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Forty-seven - Khaki

Khaki Week was a challenge - largely because the only khaki I had was closer to a shade of light yellowish-green, so I cheated. Milk Tea is kind of the color of khaki, right? After dressing up in so many G Field ruffles, I felt like I needed an antique set of jewelry, and Little Boy Blue came through with Shilo's cameo; smokey blue always goes so well with brown, don't you think?

I live in a world of distractions, of different calls for my attention, of complications and pointless goals. Within the maze of the world I seek beauty, I seek meaning, I seek connection, I seek peace. I think in the seeking, though, I often loose track of that which I want most. It's times like that I have those sort of pathetic wishes, to have people pamper me and give me pretty things and tell me I'm wonderful. Silly things like that. So I dress up pretty, and put on jewelry that friends lovingly made, and take pretty pictures, and obsessively check my blog and flickr stats!

And do some dishes, pick up the floor, take out the trash, and go to bed to hope for better humours on the morrow.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Kei - Cream
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Lashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 5
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear
Hair: Illusory Hair, Kimmi - golden
Necklace: Little Boy Blue, Shilo Necklace
Dress: G Field, Classic Dress "Julia" - milk tea
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Boots: Wireflys, Tan Laceboot

Poses: Glitterati

Location: The Black Road
Light Settings: TOR, EUPHORIA smokey blue sky
Water: TOR, Linear Puddles

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Forty-six - Brick Red

It took me a little while to find an outfit for this color challenge, especially coming fast on the heels of firebrick. I ended up with an entire costume put together which I ended up remaking when I remembered a pair of G Field shoes I hadn't been able to fit into my firebrick outfit - though I have to admit I ended up more chocolatey than brickey! In the right light, though, it matches up to the boots, and I think the final effect is quite glorious. I adore this "open" boot style - with the cuff and shoe visible beneath. I'm hoping she'll come out with some more shoes, though her most recent empire waistline dress is completely luring me into spending more than I should!

The dress and hair ornament is from Ruru Pino, and is completely gorgeous and charming. I love the chocolate roses, and the framework of the skirt is amazing. I love the quality of Ero-Lolita, where the hoop skirt is visible with the ruffles tucked in underneath. The key is included, and I love how it looks just like molded chocolate! My only wish, and it is a small detail, is that the neck ruffle had a solider center - something molded-looking like the key; I think a simple collar of some sort would have really finished it beautifully.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Lipstick: Skinthesis, Liquid Heat Expensive
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Autumn - brown/gold
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 05
Ears: Illusion, Mystic Ear
Hair: Raspberry Aristocrat, Red Fireweed
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: Ruru Tear, Chocolat au Rhum
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Shoes: G Field, Open Boots "Vilda" - brick

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Chocolate Serenity
Light Settings: TOR, DUSK Apts

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Forty-five - Bronze

Bronze week was a lot of fun! I had the great luck of being sent information about a new roleplaying sim, Wonder Lost, before I took my pictures and being able to discover it was perfect for taking pictures in the shades of bronze! The water is actually tea, and apparently it's tinted all of the trees and buildings, too! In sharp contrast to the week before last, this is a very bronzy look from stem to stern, and largely due to the sim coloring itself, not anything I added to it or any windlight I used.

I'm wearing a lot of things labeled bronze, though - which kind of amuses me since they don't all match! The eyes are De La Soul's RooMee eyes in Bronze, rather than my usual rainbow, and offer a lighter counterpoint to the bronze hair by Honey Hair (closed) which was a freebie I picked up somewhere (don't ask me where, I don't remember!). The lipstick is a bronze stain from Mock, which is starting to be one of my guilty cosmetic pleasure stores. It layers beautifully with my skin, and the eye cosmetics from Adam n Eve just finish off the look by giving me sooty goodness to support my Flugeln Brise lashes (Tomoyuki and Chelle totally converted me; I am now one of those gray-flapper-eyed people when partially rezzed!). The necklace from Earthstones isn't bronze, but the shadings of brown match the other actually bronze things I'm wearing, so I think it gets a pass.


This is the end of the Mad Hatter's Table in Wonder Lost, and as you can see it's more than tea and crumpets; dark fantasy demands more alcoholic libations! And apparently faeries!

The dress is from Celestial Studios, which I also think is closed, but I loved how they used the system skirt layered under the top skirt to create a distinctive style. I'm fairly certain I got this during a closing sale, as I own every color, and I'm very glad I splurged! The shoes are from my near-constant, G Field, and are a fantastic set of wedges I picked up a while ago. Do I have to mention how addicted I am to her shoes? I didn't think so; my flickr is evidence enough! I'm also wearing two rings which I love - one a picture holding ring from Alchemy Immortalis that is still waiting pictures to put in it. Once I had a circle of friends I had planed to input, but when that exploded rather messily and hurtfully I set aside the thought of quite such a thing along with the ring. I've taken to wearing it now, though, which perhaps is a sign that - a year later - I'm ready to move on. The other ring is literally the first piece of jewelry I was willing to spend serious money on, also from Earthstones. It's a set of different color roses and I simply love it. I'd intended to wear it instead of the nestling ring, but when I saw they were on different hands I couldn't resist upping my arc some more.


Relationships in Second Life are a funny thing. I've tended to focus on friendships, at least in part because every guy who has show interest in me has either later turned out not to be a guy, or rather clearly was interested in fitting me into their Girlfriend In Second Life slot instead of interested in getting to know me (I actually had one guy tell me explicitly that he had a girlfriend offline, and now he had to have one in Second Life or he'd be miserable!). I've definitely been burned a couple of times, and it's given my the cynicism which is the only thing that could lead to my How Not to Pick up a Chick in Second Life series. I have gotten into a few In Character relationships, though the first one led to the person almost immediately ignoring me in favor of hitting on another guy, and the second... well, lets just say threesomes are fun when you're the only girl, and leave it at that. I deeply value the friendships I have with people, and they're the glue that keeps my Second Life together even when I'm jettisoning across the grid snapping wile pictures, but I'm doubtful of ever getting a romantic relationship inside of Second Life unless some very different guy shows up.


( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Kei - Cream
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee Eyes - Bronze
Eyeshadow: Adam n Eve, Corsage
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 05
Blush: Mock, Dark Tan
Lipstick: Mock., Brazen Bronze Lip Stain
Ears: Illusion, Mystic Ear
Hair: Honey Hair, Bowtie Bella - Antique Bronze
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Necklace: Earthstones, Mahika Set - Autumn
Dress: Celestial Studio, Nena Dress - Bronze
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Shoes: G Field, Knot Wedge Sandal - bronze

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Wonder Lost
Light Settings: Foggy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Forty-four - Firebrick

Firebrick was actually a lot of fun to do, as I had a lot of things brick-colored, even if not specifically firebrick! Hair, dress, shoes - all of them were brickly! All of the brick items are pretty old, too, which is always fun. I like shaking outfits out of my inventory that I haven't looked at for a while, and this gave me another excuse to put on those gorgeous G Field Boots - though you can't easily see them under the long skirt of my Purple Moon dress. I'm pretty sure the hair from Plume came from a hunt - probably the Hair Hunt that was going on a year or so ago. I love the flowers in it, and I think they mimicked the spottiness of the dress pretty nicely - almost fawnlike. The horns are also an old prize from the Sugar Skull Halloween hunt from Rue - perhaps two years ago? It was the last prize before Rue closed for a while, and I can remember scouring the store for them because I found the candy horns so charming.


I ended up pairing the older brick-items with something brand new from Favole - wings which came from the mini-hunt going on at that sim along with the Fall Twisted Hunt. I've been picking up some of the items early, but I'll freely admit to picking and choosing my stores; the days when I tried to do an entire hunt are long behind me and are unlikely to return unless it's something unique, like MadPeas' Peaster's Castle was. Twisted in particular is a hunt I like to skip around on; I stopped finding a lot of the things done to keep the hunt "interesting" entertaining a long time ago. I know I'll likely be dismissed as looking gift-items in the mouth, but I think at the very least we have to have the right to not hunt for things in peace!


I think I lost my taste for the Twisted Hunt during the last one, when I went to a store and was IMed by someone asking me not to fly; the store was textured almost entirely in the box texture and set to fullbright, which made my eyes want to cross, and I was already in a bad mood from derendering twenty visible boxes a store or two before because I kept losing track of which I had found, and having decoy-box notecard names insulting me in a store a few before that, so getting IMed by someone asking me not to fly - when it was my AO - because it would 'ruin the hunt' was just the nail in the coffin. The store offered the next landmark in a giant box out front, labeled for cheaters or pathetic people, or some insult of that sort - and I just skipped. I enjoy hunting, but the extent to which I've had to deal with being called a cheater for camming around things, or a cheater for camming inside of a wall, or dealt with people telling me not to do something before a sim has even rezzed, has soured me on the more "difficult" stores and lead me to focus on the stores where I'm reasonably certain I'll like the prize, and where I'm not being insulted everywhere I go.


I've been reluctant to say this much about hunts, as there's a solid history of some store owners banning people who complained - and that's part of why I'm naming no names. I have stores I avoid, stores I delete the prizes of, stores I refuse to hunt in, but I won't put their names on the net. I greatly appreciate the generous gifts from store owners, and enjoy hunts - especially fun ones which take me around a store or through interesting places - but I'm done with being collateral damage for the anger and frustration of store owners. Since I made the decision to skip when my frustration gets too high, I've enjoyed hunts a whole lot more!


( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Kei Cream
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee Eyes - Rainbow
Horns: Ruin, S.E. Sugar Skull Shaman - black
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 05
Eyecolor: Esk-Imo, Red Japan Makeup
Lipstick: De La Soul, Red
Ears: Illusion, Mystic Ear
Hair: Plume, Spring - Brick
Wings: Favole, Destruction Black
Dress: Purple Moon, Elie - Red Brick
Ring: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Shoes: G Field, Open Boots "Vilda" - brick

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Doomed Ship
Light Settings: Places Midian

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Forty-three - Liver

Evil, evil, evil Liver! I hates the liver! I ended up not finding anything called liver, so going by the swatch and ending up seeking out the gray. This is the second dress I tried, since the first was no-mod and set to fullbright! And no way to turn it off!! I tried every windlight in the book and couldn't find one that worked, much less one that altered the gray in the manner I wanted it altered.


The eyeliner is a new gatcha prize from Lolapop and I got ALMOST every color and started giving away my duplicates! Have I mentioned lately how much I love cosmetics in SL? LOVE THEM. The hair is from Exile, though not a color I bought. Don't tell anyone! I tinted it GRAY! To try to match my dress in the weird light. I was trying to make the gray almost a purple gray, but matching across hair and wings and clothes was a real challenge! The necklace is from Eclectica, and I love the triad design on it and how it dangles low, but not too low (recently I've been getting a lot of to-the-belly necklaces and they can be a trial to photograph!). The dress is an uber old one from The Delectable Doll, most likely an impulse purchase or a lucky board but I'm so glad I shook it out of my inventory, especially when my first choice from WhoNose didn't work out. The boots are from my everpresent G Field collections, a set of boots I haven't matched stylistically much before this and I forgot how much I love the dual layering of them.


Liver's one of those things that everyone says is good for you, which is only appealing to very strange people like my mother. Packed full of vitamins and stuff, like vegetables, but ick ick ick on the taste (though I like vegetables a lot more now). Recently has been a lot about distasteful things I don't want to do and don't enjoy now. A lot of emotional upheaval, goodbyes and endings, reasons for tears and fears - and in my fantasies it would be so much better if I could womanfully face down my trials with a brave face and a true heart! And discovering that in these hard times I most often act like a whiny, spoiled child who shirks my responsibilities and hides behind pretty pictures, and watching television shows, and pitying myself.


( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Kei Cream
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelash 05
Eyecolor: Lolapop, La Llorona - black
Ears: Illusion, Mystic Ear
Hair: Exile, Gina - Roots Holywood tinted grey
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle Wings
Necklace: Eclectica, Irridescent Glass
Dress: The Delectable Doll, Starlight Dress
Stockings: Vextra Messing, Opaque Stockings - Grey
Ring: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Shoes: G Field, Open Boots "Vilda" - grey

Poses: Studio Sidhe

Location: Nexus Prime
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Awesome Atmo 1
Water Settings:

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only