Genre: Regency

Genre is back this month and it's Regency time - one of the eras of England I'm most familiar with, thanks to an attachment to the fiction of the time. For the wealthy, everything was about restraint and simplicity, sumptuous fabrics and delicate laces being the main markers of class, and this is the Empire that the empire waistline gets its name from. For women's gowns this is the Genre to hit - and there's even an awesome option for the men, entirely historically accurate.

Fit for a Princess: Sunlight in Moonlight

Fit for a Princess is back this month with some really cute looks some real deals - like this adorable dress from Baby Brat for under 50$L. There are four color options - the rather lovely gold I'm showing off, and three other pastel shades of orange, blue, and pink. I particularly liked the materials effect on the bodice, making it subtly seem to sparkle in the light. It's well rigged, and the spaghetti straps are delicate without getting too lost - one thing I love about rigged mesh is how spaghetti straps can finally look good! It's well rigged and fully lined, meaning there isn't a bad angle. I also found the invisilayer to be well made, without any gaps at the edges, though keep your panties handy! I paired it with the lovely Rosemarie set from Krystal in simple white diamond; the set has four parts, sold separately - a tiara and a necklace, which I show here, and additional earrings along with a hanging curve of jewels to hook up to the bodice of a gown to dress it up. She also has some lovely gowns set out along with a ring gacha and some lovely key necklaces in gold and silver. I like the size and shape of the tiara and necklace in particular, along with how they reflect each others shapes, creating a nice harmony in an outfit.

I added heels in a contrasting color from Bliensen + MaiTai. While often pastel on pastel can be a lot of fun, adding a richer hue at a single point can add some drama and make an outfit more interesting. I featured a limited edition version of these shoes for 21 Shoe, and the shape is just as much fun in a brighter shade! I still love the starburst of gold, and how lived-in the sheen of the leather is. The heel is very narrow, dressing up an otherwise simple spring gown to match my somewhat over-the-top jewelry choices. And in the same line as the elegant but simple effect of gown, jewelry, and shoes, I went with a sleek hairstyle with a little curl for interest - this gorgeous shoulder length style from Ploom with fun little tendrils and a row of curls along the back. I liked the bang-line in particular, how it flopped over the eyes without obscuring them - the kind of style which looks like you brushed your hair and went out, but which is cleverly held in place with several cans of hairspray or, in this case, clever rigging. I rounded out my look with some deceptively simple cosmetics from Wicked Peach - firstly a subtle combination of cream and red which stayed in the range of my gown while hinting at the contrasting color of my shoes, and secondly some sparkly nailpolish that remained more in the range of my jewelry and bodice - a bit of shine, but subtly so. The final touch was my lipstick from Mock, a creamy violet lipstick which caught the hue of my shoes but in a pastel shade to more closely hew with gown and jewels.

There is a lot going on, but I think the final effect is breezy, elegant, and just a touch too expensive for you.

Fit for a Princess: Born of Snow

Fit for a Princess is about halfway through, and there are still lovely wintery and love related glitz and glamour for all of the most discerning princesses. My gorgeous gown is from Evie's Closet, and is one of my favorite styles from her - a sumptuous ballgown with silver accents. I'm an enormous fan of the tight corset sleeve down the forearm, shooting out of it's puffy clouds of white, and the textured quilting of the bodice with it's tiny center dots. The alpha layer is also well down, skimming low enough that my decolletage is perfect even from above.  Many other colors are available at Evie's Closet, but I love the white for it's simplicity. I paired it with a simple, purple-stoned snowflake necklace from Krystal, available in her gacha. I've been playing a few rounds each time I run into it and amassed quite a collection of jewelry. I liked the little touch of color against the pure white of my gown, and I reinforced that with incredibly bright hair from Ploom - in an incandescent combination of teal and purple - and a rich, dark lip from Pink Fuel. The nice thing about a large, simple gown is that it allows for significantly more variety in accessories - letting the accessories take center stage and acting as a canvas that is rendered all the more lovely by the contrast of negative space.

These really fun, quirky poses are all from Fashiowl - each with it's own fitting prop. I love how they inspire to sillyness - from me singing into the "cute princess" popsicle, to blowing kisses across the snow. They come in a box that is it's own pose-with-prop, a fantastic arm owl. The final pose, shown below, is from a previous Fit for a Princess event, and is available at their main store. All of them are fun and interesting - both the poses and the props. I love the idea of little images on blackboards, each one a different fun or flirty message going out to anyone watching. Fashiowl specializes in emotive poses with props, from cheerful divers with cameras, to princesses kissing a hundred frogs in search of that elusive prince. Definitely check out not only the four popsicle poses on sale at Fit for a Princess, but also their wide variety of poses at their main store! I selected Cadenza as a spot for my pictures because if it's use of white and light colors, which would allow me to keep the bright hair and lips the central focus of my look and show off both through these various playful poses.

Fit for a Princess: Rose Angel

This amazing, ankle-length gown in contrasting colors with a metallic sheen is a new release for Fit for a Princess from Greymoon. I've had the pleasure of watching this store mature through time, and this dress is one of the best yet. It is hard to pick a favorite aspect, but I'll pick a few and wax rhapsodic. Firstly, there is the silhouette - a high necked gown with a cutout along the back. I love how it brings us almost all the way to fully covered, only to bring in some sex appeal from the back. That combined with the three quarter length sleeves and the cross-cut colors truly make this an amazing, interesting gown. Secondly, there is the rigging and folds. The skirt is beautifully designed with enormous, rounded folds that move gracefully with a variety of poses. The quality of fabric is most evident here, something heavy and glossy that will buckle heavily under it's own weight. Thirdly, there is the texturing. I love the interlocking diamonds and how varying their shades is used to set apart areas without making it too blocky - the golden hues on this red gown are particularly fine. The gloss is simply amazing, and made pictures a lot of fun to light; you can see how the reflections really sell the contrast between gown and skin, one mostly matte while the other is high gloss. Greymoon has really outdone herself with this gown, and left me hopeful for future wonders.

I paired it with delicate jewelry set from Krystal, also released at Fit for a Princess. Perfect for Valentines, these gold hearts are set with perfect diamonds set within lovely swirls that frame a second, internal heart with a single, teardrop jewel. I love her jewelry and these are particularly fine - different thicknesses of gold wire adding to the verisimilitude. I love how simple the chain is as well - just a band - and I was able to increase the size of the necklace to fit well over the high collar of my gown.

My other favorite accessories for this look aren't from Fit for a Princess, but they are lovely none-the-less. The crown I'm wearing is a Gacha Mania prize from Modern Couture - one of about five, of which I landed two. I love the style, the delicate branches, the well-formed roses, and the dangling gems. The colors are lovely, and I had fun placing it so that the metal wires fitted into the braids of my gorgeous Wasabi Pills hair from Love is in the Air - it forms a heart in the back! The biggest addition to this look are these amazing wings from Remarkable Oblivion which have taken over the grid, however. I love the perfectly formed and enormous roses a lot, but even better is the streamer-style of the wings, which make them at once decorative and intriguing. Wing tops and roses are set to catch the light like metal, but the feathers themselves are more dully textured, like leather or felt, which offers up a fascinating contrast under light. The also fit well, with the main part of the wing slightly curved; with a little angling I was able to set each wing into my shoulder blade so that it was seamless. They are a striking addition to any look, adding both drama and class to the mix.

Unsettled but Grateful

I am suspicious of gratitude. All too often, like forgiveness, it's a word that gets thrown around to distract from injustice and inequality. Be grateful you have food, ignore how your wages are being cut in the name of increased profits. Forgive those who harm you, don't expect them to stop. There are times when I feel blessed and grateful, though; times when I recognize the positive things I've gotten out of what I hoped was a good idea at the time, and times when people have been generous and I appreciate it.

Advent in Second Life is a wonderful thing. Some store owners decide, out of the generosity of their hearts or as gratitude for group members, to give things away for twelve or even twenty four or five days! Usually there are also smaller events during that time - the odd store sale, or event. Some do discounts instead of gifts, or even two levels of give aways - one for everyone and another for group members. I've worn various advent things as the month went on, and in this post I'm showing off a few more as I continue to go though my backlog; I expect this will be a well of beauty I'll be plumbing for some time. I also thought I would list the store I liked the most, and the ones I found along the way, as a place to start next year when Advent season comes again.

First, to what I'm wearing! My hair is one of the many Ploom Advent releases, a style which made me giggle and wriggle when I saw it - the bell shaped puffs at the end of each pig tail are amazing. One of the things I love about her "candy" color pack is how the colors show up differently on different parts, and in this case the bob of shades at the tips just makes me happy. They are, in every way, delightful. My jewelry is actually the result of picking up all twenty-five of Krystal's jewelry advents (she had a separate one for clothing which is similarly priced) and collecting the ornaments inside of them. Once you had a full set, you could send it and a notecard for a desired item from the store (Krystal or Kouse's Sanctum respectively) and get a free set of jewelry or a lovely new gown.

My clothing is another advent which involved a small outlay of Linden - in this case Purplemoon Creations, which in addition to her usual generosity with group gifts (monthly at least, usually an exclusive color) also took a few days before Christmas to offer up several sets of lovely jewelry and clothing at dramatic discounts. I took the chance to round out some of my ballgown and formal jewelry collections with offerings from Purplemoon Creations and Lazuri, which offered the same deal in nearly the same place. I'm still only a hair's breadth into unpacking all of the riches I accumulated, and I'm already thrilled.

In addition to the stores mentioned above, I had a lot of fun with the tree under Cosmopolitan, which had a few different additions each day and the added bonus of including pictures in the announcements; you could wait until the last days for picking things up, as they remained in play until the tree came down. Abranimations had an entire wall of Advent, from the first day to the twenty-forth, each clickable in their own day and offering up a remarkable panoply of avatars, objects, and dances. The same boxes were hidden all over DMC's store, offering up dance balls and single dances among many other things - the searching for the boxes added a fun frisson to what is usually a walk-and-click. Alice Project offered up three different hair modifications, one ofr anyone and two for group members, to a bunch of the hairs she released this year; she does something similar at a bunch of other events, and over the years I've accumulated quite a selection of themed hairstyles to play with. Falln Angel Creations offered up his usual advent capped with a hunt through the store - clothing, skin, and fun world items all available for free or a single Linden.

The widest cast set among the advents had to be the one at Kittycats, though, which had a multitude of gifts from all kinds of stores, and all of them available the entire advent period - I will admit to having brought a few of my alts through for a full set of gifts near the end. Another store that I missed a few days on but was able to catch up later was Loordes of London, which offered up tons of shoes and outfits in their sleek, modern style. Also modern, but sweeter and for your house, is the incredibly offerings from Sway's; the gift cycle starts with a hunt for ornaments that give passwords, and then the passwords are used to get the advent gifts. Much more straightforward is the jewelry from Virtual Impressions, available once each day by clicking on a disordered and lovely calendar; I've been a member for a long time because of the generosity of her group gifts and the discounts on new releases, but the generosity of her advent is likewise immense. And finally, I found NaYu Designs during Advent time and got a lovely selection of shoes, jackets, and dresses for my troubles. One lovely thing about advent is finding new stores through their generosity, and marking them down for future visits - their generosity is so appreciated.

Fit for a Princess: Sakura in the Weeds

This is my first post on my new computer, and it's amazing the amount of things I had to do to get things pulled together. Somewhere in this apartment is a box with Photoshop in it - but it's no where near findable, and so I cut my teeth, and my photos, on Gimp. I can run shadows much more easily on this new setup, which made taking pictures a dream. I've also not had much in terms of crashes despite running very high graphics so far, which makes things a lot more fun. Having an all but naked computer is always interesting in terms of deciding what one needs for day to day running, and one remains on the archival hard drive, and also seeing what a new setup with different costs in the build period has in store for me. So far I've installed a bunch of other games, a bunch of free programs, and Second Life - and all of them are running splendidly, often at the same time. I've also been in a state of bliss from being able to type exclamation points again; for the past nine months I've had to cut & paste several symbols and numbers, which was tolerable most of the time, but I lamented the loss of my favorite punctuation.

I'm happy to show off this sweet pink look, though I can only hope I got all of the settings correct - apologies for any errors! I'm decked out in things from the latest Fit for a Princess from literal crown to toes, which is always a fun way to show off the sheer variety and ingenuity in Second Life. My starting point was this adorable dress from Nomi which comes with black and white banding on the bodice, underskirt, and lacing, and a variety of sweet pastel colors for brightness. I went with pink and black, but the purple and white was a very close thing! The narrow ribbon over the shoulders is a delicately sweet touch, and one which highlights the advantage of mesh. The textured equivalent never looked good, cutting jaggedly across the shoulders even int he hands of the best creators. Mesh allows for a smooth line, though, with a delicate bow at the top of the bodice. It's rigged well, keeping close to the body, and the skirt itself only goes a little jagged around the edges with some of the more energetic leg poses.

It was the hair - an adorable bow style from Sweet Thing - that cemented the pink. I bought the blond set and it came with pastel tipped edges, the pink already in place; I was in love in seconds. There are tiny tendrils along the back of the neck which add verisimilitude, and the curve of the hair around the temples is lovely. It isn't editable, but the included editing script allows for single axis adjustment as well as more universal resizing - useful for me, as my head is wider than most. I perched a delicate crown from Krystal on top of my head, and I haven't loved a tiny crown so much since Kyccie's was open. It's from a gacha, as is the lovely not matching but equally lovely armband, and both the price (25$L) and the variety (at least twenty shades of gem, all set in platinum) made it fun to try to get a matching opal set. I have a few more sets, and may very well go back and try to capture a ton more jewel shades simply because I adore the crown so much. The final touch were these adorable pump shoes from Stargazer Creations, also a gacha prize but again a quite reasonable one. It also had the bonus of giving me a wide variety pretty quickly and easily, including both the black and white ones - which means I'll be able to use them with a bunch of different looks. The flowers are separate from the shoes, so you can wear them either with a simpler band or with a more complicated clip-on; fantastic versatility.

Fit for a Princess: In Exile

I'm decked out in a ton of Fit for a Princess finery again, in something which has become a wonderful habit. This month is "Happily Ever After", and it is living up to its name - a ton of stylish and shiny finery for the Princess on the go. My mood is darker, though - this is a princess who, despite her finery - has been cut off from her seat of power, like Elizabeth I in exile. My gorgeous, satin gown is a release from Junbug, and it is divine; rich color, flouncy lace, and rigging which holds up to even some of the strangest poses I could throw at it. I love the double puff of the sleeves and the smooth line of the bodice. The sleeves are also a good length and width, covering my SLink hands without obscuring them.

Left to walk the high reaches in the gloom surrounding her estate, the Princess in Exile dreams of a day when she can take her rightful role as Queen. She's keeping her crown, a lovely starburst set above a frame by Luminary, close at hand and practicing balancing with it on her head even through the most athletic of long, boring walks on cliffs. The frame is particularly fun, curving across the from of my hair; it can actually also serve as a forehead band on a different, tighter style of hair. The gorgeous matching necklace is from Krystal and I adore it. I have a total weakness for keys, and this one is completely lovely. It comes in four different colors with diamonds, and if I could also have it with color changing in addition my little key-loving heart would be gleeful. The final bit of Fit for a Princess gear is my nails - soft but rich colors with silver tips from Frogstar.

2014 Fashion for Life: Promenade

Sadly, Fashion for life is gone for the year. I saw it through to the end; or, rather, while writing my last post I lingered on Promenade until suddenly I was bouncing in the air getting "you are banned from this sim" notices. I assume it wasn't personal. Luckily, less than an hour earlier I had managed to catch these last pictures of Promenade and even explore the ship at the heart of the sim. It was really a wonderful and amazing experience, and completely different from the other sims - for despite the common windows, there was no way out into the sim to explore the waters within which more futuristic buildings stood. I think the control room, all glowing red with bright panels of flashing lights, was my favorite part of the whole thing. I have a few things left in my inventory which might make their way fluttering out sometime in the near future, perhaps as part of the Birthday Celebrations beginning tomorrow, but for now memories will have to hold me to the next Fashion Fair.

ZOZ is back, this time with nails and shoes both. You've seen tons of shiny new nails, but these shoes are really something special - set over SLink's high feet, they are of an ankle-yolk design with layers of leather and chain. It's open toed with studs covering the vamp to echo the silver of the chains. I really love how edgy it is; I definitely tend much more toward sweet and frilly, but this offers up shoes for a different kind of Deoridhe. I echoed the silver in my shoes with the silver of my Sabina jewelry, from Krystal. I love the off-centered hang of the chains and the three drops hanging down. It's a novel design, interesting and off center with soft gem textures. Stylish and not at all subtle being the name of the game, I finished my look with this incredible gown from Legal Insanity, complete with cow textures and ruffles along the edges so extreme that from certain angles I was flashing a great deal indeed. I love how revealing it is, and how thick the fabric of the dress seems around those rather extreme plunges; it offers up a delightful contrast that is then mimicked in the stark black and white of the ruffle.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Sparkles: Folly, Rainbow Sheen
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Michelle
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: MiaSnow, Dark 5
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, 13 Lips
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Nails: ZOZ, Urban Silver (Fashion for Life - Promenade)
Jewelry: Krystal, Sabina (Fashion for Life - Promenade)
Clothing: Legal Insanity, Evita Gown (Fashion for Life - Perambulate)
Shoes: ZOZ, Synful Heels (Fashion for Life - Promenade)

Pose: Glitterati

Location: Fashion for Life: Promenade
Light Settings: TOR, NIGHT Moony
Water Settings: Blackwater

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fit for a Princess: The Bee's Knees

There is about a week and a half left in the Fit for a Princess event, so you have plenty of time to explore and find something for your inner, or outer, princess. The selection is all floral, which is really quite a lot of fun. It's been seriously difficult to figure out what to feature, but the second I saw these wonderful dresses with the fluttery gathers around the arms, and the daring, but not plunging, neckline. It moves well in a variety of poses, even ones which can be unforgiving like walks and knee bends. I also love the wide waist sash, and the colors are Kouse Sanctum's usual right, soft shades. There is a delicate pattern which begins right about at the knees which I really liked, and the way she used materials makes the fabric glow slightly gives it the effect of silk. I also think a velvety pattern would have suited both the dress and the fabric; materials has added a wonderful subtlety to how clothing can be made. I paired it with jewelry from Krystal, which is the same creator - and the flower theme continues to this amazing diadem and the wonderful matching earrings and necklace. They are color changing, which means they can be matched to any of her gorgeous gowns. I particularly like the line of the diadem style crown, which can be placed right below the hairline, but there is also a standard crown design for over the hair as well. I would have loved to have seen bracelets and/or anklets as well, simply because I adore decorating my limbs extravagantly, but the sets are a lovely addition to any flowery ensemble.

The hair is also a Fit for a Princess release, a twisted updo from Calico with tiny rose-and-feather details. The flowers themselves are color changing using the same HUD that changes the color of the hair - and she has a wonderful assortment of haircolors including some of the gorgeous ombre that are sweeping across hairstyles in general. The hairline across the front is also quite nice, especially for diadems, which would be regular occurrences for a princess. I was also glad to see that the hair curved over my larger-than-typical ears, which is always a plus; while a bit of ear overlay can be hidden via angle or editing, I'm always happiest when my ears remain unmolested. Finally, my shoes are from Hopscotch and have the cutest daisies on them, ones which really make me smile. They're a smooth, Mary Jane style with a modest heel which are fit for SLink medium feet, and come with black or white shoes, four different flower color options. They're a wonderful sedate option for under your prettiest flowery frocks. My poses are not, this time at least, from Fit for a Princess - but they are a lovely set of coquettish and fashionable stands from Diesel Works and I really like how they work with the skirt of my dress in particular, offering variety without either pose or dress becoming to strained.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Sparkles: Folly, Rainbow Sheen
Hair: Calico, Aiyana (Fit for a Princess)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Earrings: Illusions, Mystic Chains
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Pantone eShadow
Lipstick: Mock, Glasside
Wings: Deviance, Seelie
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & feet
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Colorful
Jewelry: Krystal, Marguerite (Fit for a Princess)
Clothing: Kouse's Sanctum, Sharon (Fit for a Princess)
Shoes: HopScotch, Ayana (Fit for a Princess)

Pose: Diesel Works

Location: Bee Swing
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Spartz puft
Water Settings: mirror water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fit for a Princess: Under a Full Moon

The month is over half done, which means we're nearing the end of the first Fit for a Princess Event - and the theme for next month has already been announced: Floral. I'm looking forward to seeing things made more around a theme, rather than the grab bag which was the first month. This is my first time of doing an event of this scale, and I have to admit I really loved it - the opportunity to try new things, to try a lot of different outfits and hair, and to try to present what at first blush seems like a singular idea in a variety of ways was really fun. The sheer volume of things was both exciting and a little overwhelming, though I think I did a pretty good job of covering most of my bases - and my stores. It was interesting to try to keep up the pace of a post a day for a while; I managed fifteen days before I stared into this box and simply didn't have anything to say at all, or any pictures to show. The featured item for this look is this gorgeous gown from Kouse's Sanctum; she has largely shifted over to jewelry - now and then she wows us with something bigger, though, and I'm really glad she did. This dress features a low cut bodice and layered skirt - a style of dress seen in a few different textures, but gleaming and glowing in the moonlight. The one flaw to the gown is the leg rigging; the dress is rigged to the waist and hips, but not at all to the legs, which means it floats wide for most poses but can move awkwardly with an AO. I adore it despite this, though, especially with these amazing textures.

My hair is from Tableau Vivant, and was sold at the Cutie Moon Faire and isn't currently available at the mainstore, but it is gorgeous and fun and the stock there definitely deserves a second look. The hair and the head fluffy bits were sold separately, and the fun thing is that you can mix and match the hair ring things and the longer, elegant base hair. I ended up picking up a couple of different color combinations, and they were all set up to match the various Sailor Scouts - an awesome, unique addition to any inspired look. The jewelry I'm wearing, including the tiara tucked in between the headdress loops, is from Krystal, which is the jewelry brand for Kouse's Sanctum. It's color changing on touch, which offers a lot of options, and it comes in silver or gold base. It's also available at Fit for a Princess, and it goes perfectly with the gowns she released. Keeping to the same clear, pastel shades as the gown, I added a set of nails from A:S:S which have a lovely tiara edge to the colors. I added in a very simple lip to finish the whole look - one of the many shines from Mock which I have the pleasure to have in my inventory. It has a sparkly edge to it which stands out despite only being the texture. The eyeshadow is from MiaSnow and looked a lot brighter on the ad. I was very glad to try it on and see how clean and simple the colors are in it, and how it added to the shine of my whole look.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Tableau Vivant, Moon Hair (Cutie Moon Faire)
Headdress: Tableau Vivant, Moon Headdress (Cutie Moon Faire)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: MiaSnow, Blurr 3
Lipstick: Mock, Micare LipGlimmer
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Jewelry: Krystal, Purity Set
Nails: A:S:S, Tiara (Fit for a Princess)
Dress: Kouse's Sanctum, Anna Gown (Fit for a Princess)

Pose: Glitterati

Location: Kats Beach
Light Settings: Phototools, Moon Light 02
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fit for a Princess: Conjunction of Fairy Tales

I usually don't make sets and photograph within them, but one of the nice things about review items is getting a chance to do things we don't normally do - and building a tower for my princess was surprisingly easy with the gorgeous tower from Alouette, a bed from Positure Poses, and a lovely office set from Krystal augmented by the most adorable princess bookshelf from llama. For the end of the story - one which started with a Pea, continued with a long spot with no exit but my long hair, bound up in a braid, and finished in a glass coffin from Free Bird, waiting for my prince to come. It's a rather confusing and sad storyline - especially since there's no sign of my Prince! I felt the Pea, though, so at least we know I'm a real Princess.

The Tower from Alouette is a pleasing, round shape with several windows evenly spaced and a trap door in the floor, easily concealed by a rug and table so that I could never find my way out. The door and window open at a touch and stay open, making them perfect for looking out or posing for pictures. It's large enough for several areas to be established, but not to large that it no longer seems like a tower. There are also windows going up the stairway along the side, something which would help my captor more than I, unless I moved that particular rug. The bed from Positure Poses is clearly out of The Princess and the Pea, a warm stack of mattresses with a ladder to the top. I particularly like how the mattresses are all different - some are half the size of others, and the patterns they make together are pleasing while also looking mismatched. I also like that the bedstead looks like a standard one - it's a tall four poster but obviously not originally meant to have four feet of mattress. It's simply a fun, entertaining piece, that I really enjoyed playing with.

The office set, which includes a chandelier as well as little details for the desk, is from Krystal - who I usually know for her clothing and jewelry but who, it turns out, makes really nice furniture as well. The bookshelves come with a variety of colors, and there are some color change options so that things can be mixed and matched and you can shift away from the bright pink I showed off to mellower greens, sweet and soft blue, and dark black. I really love all the details, from the adorable diary, to the tiny votive candles, it's all sweet and simple and a lovely addition to any home. They are gatcha items, which means you need to bug your friends to pull together a full set, but at only fifty linden a pop it's not a huge money sink, and even a few items will add some fluffy personality to your home. The final accent I added is a really adorable wall-hanging bookshelf from llama. It really is styled more for the budding princess' bedroom, with tiny dolls on it and lovely, simple details and books, but I thought it fit in with the Krystal office really well.

Outside, I placed the simple glass coffin from Free Bird, with a pose for me - the Snow White princess - and another for my prince, should he ever happen along. It's not connected together so make sure to rez it in edit mode so you can place it smoothly. Luckily it is copy-ok, which means that if you mess it up a new one is only a click and drag away. While I was waiting for my prince, I decided to get all gussied up in some lovely clothing, and here the Fit for a Princess event delivered as well. This princess is very different from the last two, neither a wild elven wanderer, nor heir to a dragon's throne; I figured I'd go traditional with a simple green gown of satin from Luminary, which is as beautiful as it is modest. It covers from neck, to wrists, to ankles, with large, regular folds in the skirt which means that it poses well. The only flaw is that the edges are unfinished, meaning that there's a hard edge line where the dress ends and it's invisible inside; from most angles it isn't visible, but it does mean certain angles simply don't work.

I added some lovely hair from Calico, which is a simple, slightly curling at the ends style with a soft wave framing the face and a few long strands which fall in my eyes. It's solid to the waist in the back as well, and it's rigged well. I picked up the fades pack and it made it really fun - in this case my pink tips set off the mossy green of my gown to perfection, and I still get to be a blond. Tucked over it, and over the high neck of my gown, is Evie's Closet's Alatariel, a silver version of her filigree leaf jewelry set which is simply exquisite. It's a remake of an older set of hers, and you can really see how mesh has improved on old prim and texture work. My nails are another set from A:S:S, this time a bright colored one with white tiara detailing along the top edge of the nail; I chose the yellow version, but like all A:S:S nail sets, you get a lot of choices in one HUD. Finally, my tiara embossed toes are further embellished by these shoes from Hopscotch. They have a tiara clasp holding the band on one side, and also have a nice chunky heel, good for a princess who wants to keep her bling but not fall over. I'm wearing the bright pink set, which really stand out among the rest, but there are also more sedate colors and even some black and silver or gold neutrals for the classy princesses among us.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Calico, Kismet (Fit for a Princess)
Crown & Collar: Evie's Closet, Alatariel (Fit for a Princess)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyshadow: Mock, Dk Green (light ice)
Lipstick: Mock, Red Berry
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: A:S:S, Tiara (Fit for a Princess)
Dress: Luminary, Grace (Fit for a Princess)
Shoes: HopScotch, Dorothy (Fit for a Princess)

Furniture:

Glass Coffin: Free Bird, Sleeping Princess Glass Coffin (Fit for a Princess)
Tower: Alouette, The Princess's Tower (Fit for a Princess)
Bed: Positure Poses, Sweet Pea (Fit for a Princess)
Furniture: Krystal, The Princess Study (Fit for a Princess)
Hanging Bookshelf: llama, Princess Bookshelf (Fit for a Princess)

Location: Imagine: The Plateau
Light Settings: TOR, SUNRISE Teaching
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Adore & Abhor's Sixth Anniversary

Adore & Abhor is having a sixth anniversary, and she's throwing a party where the Special Releases are all for us.

Adore & Abhor was one of my first stores, back when it was very small, used a lot of system skirts (remember skirt shapes?). I was almost tempted to wear one of her fifty linden friday purchase in bright pink and blue... but then I remembered this amazing Valentine dress she made in mesh based off of one of the first dresses she ever made, and I simply couldn't resist. The overall color scheme is more 'mature coral and teal' than 'brilliant hot pink and neon blue' this year, but that doesn't mean I've abandoned my hot, neon roots - and neither has Alice Project, who released three ombre hairstyles for the party, shiny and sparkly enough to make me a very happy faerie. They really are a throwback to oldskool Adore & Abhor, which makes me so happy. I found then initially through a hunt and was drawn to the bright colors and cheerful setting - and ended up chatting with one of the owners before I realized she was the owner. It wasn't until much later that I became a blogger for the store and got a better idea of little things like... there being two owners; I had met both Airedine and Sileny - in the context of Adore & Abhor even - and somehow just been continually confused about who owned the store, instead of sensibly thinking there were two of them. I can be a little bit of a slow study - ask them about the couple of months where I sent each of them complements about something the other had done!

A lot of the rest of my look is either from Adore & Abhor, or being released in honor of the sixth anniversary - like my really cute skin from Pink Fuel. I picked it up and the SLink appliers to match - you spend about a hundred linden per skin tone and limb, and there are appliers for just about everything else under the sun. The shade is a lightish-medium one, and comes with a panoply of rainbow colored eyebrows; I'm planning on keeping it handy for any future improbable hair moments. I embellished it with some cosmetics from Adore & Abhor, but please believe me when I say it's adorable on its own as well. Pink Fuel was actually on the short list of skins I was considering when I did my skin change. My shiny little crown is another Anniversary Special, this time from Krystal, and it reminds me so much of Adore & Abhor's crown theme that it simply makes me wriggle all over with glee. I finished the look with bright and sparkly things form elsewhere - a mismatched pair of heels from Boom which caught the colors in Alice Project's hair perfectly, and lovely wings from Una which I managed to mismatch even though they're gacha; lets call that proof I have a problem, hmmm? I had such fun dressing up in pink and blue; I can't wait to do it again soon.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Pink Fuel, Sora - Sugoi
Hair: Alice Project, Steph for A&A
Crown: Krystal, Miss Imperial
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Blush: Adore & Abhor, Princess Star Blush
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Princess Arisen Lipstick
Wings: Una, Steampunk Wings
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Dress: Adore & Abhor, Valentine Lolita
Shoes: Boom, Locale Heels

Poses: Don't Freak Out

Location: Mysterious Wave
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Lilack
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

SL Disney Bound – Week Twenty One: Rapunzel

I have been wanting to show off this dress from Jane for ages, and Rapunzel made the perfect excuse for a textured, purpley-pink robe that allows for swinging around, climbing, and general tomfoolery. I love the layered effect, and all of the different designs Jane did with it - this lighter fade over a darker pattern is in three tones, while three different tones have a more elemental aesthetic. You can see how well and smoothly it moves, and I love the broad shoulder straps and squared bodice as well. The length is short enough to be flirty, but long enough to cover everything critical, and the mesh is line inside up quite a ways, though if one uses alpha layers to prevent clipping there is a certain height where it stops working well. I chose the shoes to match with the lower, crosshatched layer of dark purple and light pink; they're a very new release from Schadenfreude, and if you get the fatpack you can tint all different parts of it different shades. I chose pink for the toe and heel, and the darker purple for the sides, and I really think that they are glorious together.

The Schadenfreude shoes are available at the Collabor88 Birthday Event, as is the hair from Wasabi Pills. It's a gorgeous short, curling style with the most adorable headband, perfect for layering with some of the jewelry available at that same event. What I love about her hairs is that almost always the curls are far enough back to easily clear my ears (my eternal favorites, from Illusions), which means I can take pictures from every angle, instead of having to be careful. I tugged out a caged bird necklace and a shiny little crown from Krystal as the icing on this particular look;I have no idea when or where I got these, but aren't they adorable? I love the pink and blue together, and the gleam of each tiny prim as I wear them. Finally, the wings from Deviance are one of the commons from the Fantasy Gatcha Event, and I really adore them. One thing I discovered between now and then is that when you fly, these wings flap in response. Isn't that delightful? I love learning new things, even if I probably should have learned them from reading a notecard...

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Claudette
Crown: Krystal, Miss Imperial - Mini Tiara
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: De La Soul, Charlie Makeup - Ink
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe  Wings (Fantasy Gatcha Faire)
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: A. E. Meth, Tie-Dye Nails
Jewelry: Krystal, Bird Cage Necklace
Dress: Jane, Carolina Dress
Shoes: Schadenfreude, Casinelle

Poses: Long Awkward Pose

Location: Isle of Amras: Castle
Light Settings: Mod of TOR Foggy Windlight
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only