An Interesting Question

For a while now I've been considering slipping in some simpler posts - just a single picture and the credits - as part of having both a more regular blog presence and getting through my inventory faster - as I often stall at an outfit until I feel up to typing up a more elaborate copy and sending out notecards to people. I've gotten a lot of feedback that creators love my copy, and I definitely wouldn't stop writing - dear gods no way could I - but there are times I want to pull together a look, take some pictures which might or might not be good, post them up, and call it a day. I'd love to hear other opinions, though - one interesting thing about blogging so much with intermittent feedback is that it's hard to know what really works, so I'd love to hear what anyone reading this thinks.

This is a fun look that I mostly pulled together to show off some amazing stuff people sent my way, and to serve as a contrast to all the pastel I've been mainlining recently. I think I ended up looking like a hooker - Charlie assures me I look like an expensive hooker, but I'm not so sure. Speaking of Charlie, he's just recently opened a sim for gathering Roleplaying Shops and Information in one place - the sim Imagine. I have a small spot dedicated to rainbows which has a few links to my website and a bunch of items I really like; the bulk of it is a little mysterious, so make sure to look around for nooks and crannies. There are a bunch of spots for affiliate stores, and events which will come later on, and hopefully it will be an excellent resource for roleplayers of all ilks. I particularly like how Charlie combined multiple genres smoothly throughout the sim. I stuck mostly to what I call his "Roman" section, because the shadows were a lot of fun, but believe me when I say the sim has a little of everything.

Anyway, back to my new attempt to support my Gacha habit. The shirt is a new release from a rename old favorite of mine. What was once Rue is Devae, and while the name has changed, the awesome textures have not. It's a delicate, wispy sort of thing, which reveals a lot depending on the angle. Pairing single pieces of clothing is always a challenge for me, and in this case I was helped by an old Rue miniskirt which has come to my rescue before, and which pairs beautifully with her new release. I added panties from Adam n Eve simply because the alternative was flashing everyone, and I ended up with a pretty little lace line along the top of my skirt that I rather enjoyed. Around my neck is a new I <3 RP release from Eclectica so that my allegiance to Death that Rises from the Deep can be demonstrated. To top it all off, I added an old crystal-style hair from Wasabi Pills which I really love. The crystal hair colors are ones she sometimes releases of Fifty Linden Fridays, and they are a wonderful addition to the spectrum of colors she uses. I also really enjoy the delicate hair strands of this style and how well they're rigged to move when my head turns.

I added in a bunch of new releases from Sax Shepherd Designs to my basic building blocks, some of which are meat to go together and others which are clearly not. The petals waist cincher and mules (available at The Theme Park) match beautifully and added a bit of pastel to my look - what can I say, it's a weakness. I was amazed at how well the cincher in particular fit; it's rigged mesh but it fits like a second skin and tucked easily under my shirt. The earrings - huge and fun - are in high contrast but really fit my anything-for-Linden aesthetic. They (along with a series of monocles) come with a HUD to change the colors of just about everything, which is a Sax Shepherd hallmark. The wings are also a new release, and I am so thrilled I can show these off. I got a lucky chance to see them a little early and simply fell in love; they manage to be at once metallic and delicate, and now that I have color changing you will likely see them flutter in and out of my life at regular intervals. The final touches were my cosmetics. My bright and rich eyeshadow from Souzou Eien was just released and comes in a variety of soft fades and heavy eyeliner that I think really make my De La Soul eyes stand out. I added an orange tinted shade from Pink Fuel - one of several shades of metallic lipstick which I simply fell in love with. I echoed it in a fun polish from Flair which has the same saturated shade of orange to contrast with the soft pinks in the rest of my look. I had a ball putting this together, and I hope you enjoy looking.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Ivette
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Earrings: Sax Shepherd Designs, 80's Glam
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Souzou Eien, Fairy Eyes
Lipstick: Pink Fuel, Metallic Lipsticks
Wings: Sax Shepherd Designs, Filigree Wings
Necklace: Eclectica, Octopus Neckpiece (We <3 RP)
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Flair, Applier 178
Shirt: Devae, Threads / Poet Cami
Corset: Sax Shepherd Designs, Petals Waist Cincer
Panties: Adam n Eve, Ana Lace
Miniskirt: Devae (Rue), Threads / Artist Miniskirts
Shoes: Sax Shepherd Designs, Petals Mules

Poses: HelaMiyo

Location: Imagine
Light Settings: TOR, DUSK Siennarel
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Advent of the Holidays

'Tis the season of giving, and getting, and an awful lot of Advent events start the first of December. FabFree has a lovely list of them, but personally I keep a folder of links for east of transport, and to weed out the places which don't suit my style as well. This year I want to try to open advent gifts each day, instead of having them build up, and I even managed to add a few to this look I'd been slowly building around Bare Rose's Bremen Players hunt prize from ages ago. Bare Rose does the best hunts, though I always seem to be missing them despite being in their group; I like the stories as much as I like the outfit one assembles at the end. This dress is a combination of unrigged mesh and flexible prims to make a simply stunning gown; it came with Lola appliers included, and I dearly hope that sooner or later they will include SLink appliers as well. I had to play a bit fast and loose to keep my SLink hands on without an applier, though; I paired lace gloves from Adam n Eve with a copy of the ribbon Bare Rose used at the upper arm to top off the gloves in order to cover the band of flesh where the Adam n Eve gloves ended and the SLink hand ended. I think it's actually fairly seamless from most angles, and the ending effect might be better than simply having glove ends.

My hair was shamelessly poached from a dear friend of mine and is a new release from LCKY, a new-to-me store which re-opened recently. I completely fell it love with it and had to have it the second I saw it; the shape, the flow, it's all so fun and unique. It's rigged mesh, of course, and moves pretty well overall, though the shoulder pieces have a tendency to go through the shoulder depending on the pose. Definitely a store I'll be checking out in the future, though, and they have a couple of men's hairs as well as another woman's hair besides this one. My earrings are day one of Virtual Impressions' Advent Calendar, and I simply love them. The bow is almost offensively shiny, just like actual Christmas ribbons, and I love how the bow is echoed at the earlobe itself. My necklace is actually the packaging for Ginza's Advent Calendar, and quite as enjoyable to wear as the lovely earrings in blue and pink which are contained within it. I love thoughtful packaging, and this one is like getting an extra trinket as well. My poses are from !bang and show the smooth simplicity of her poses off well; I especially like the slight sway to a lot of her poses, which make them look less rigid and posed than the common model types of poses. The lovely place where I took these pictures is hosting another Advent, a slightly more complicated one than the usual. You have to hunt around Sway for little gold stars which have fallen to the ground to give us all notecards with a password, one each for each day of the Advent and each giving a new prize. They are usually charming little items for your home, and this is one of the advents I've been doing for years simply because it's fun.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irenel
Hair: LCKY, Drugs
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Earrings: Virtual Impressions, Advent Gift 1
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Necklace: Ginza Jewelry, Advent Cage 1st
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Gloves: Adam n Eve, Lace Gloves
Dress: Bare Rose, Bremen Hunt Gift
Shoes: SLink, Hera Wrap Heel

Poses: !bang

Location: SwayLand
Light Settings: Phototools, Meni Light 1
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 39: French Quarter

French Quarter is an amazing combination of colors, a soft dull brown and a gleaming gold, and I was instantly inspired to something a touch more... sensual than is my usual style. This gorgeous, flirty bit of lingerie from Baiastice seemed perfect for a burlesque review when dressed up with stockings and spike heels, and the color was simply perfect when I saw it at My Attic. It's corset-centered with soft, fluttery cloth over the top of my butt. I really love the shape and style of it, especially when I could dress it up with a flash pair of heels, like these beribboned ones from SLink. The steel heel is a particularly nice touch - perfect for keeping off customers who get a little handsy. These were the first SLink heels I picked up, and what really sold me were the thin ribbons wrapped around the foot - I simply adored how it looked, and now that is can add these stockings from Adam n Eve over top, they're simply sublime.

I added these amazing wings from Illusions and tinted them to match - the gold is one of the vein textures included, but you can edit the membrane separately to tint it to any color you want - which is such a boon to rainbow fairies like myself.Topping my head, and rounding out the brown a little bit, is this new hair from Wasabi Pills - this really cute, casual style worked surprisingly well with the higher glam style of this burlesque outfit. I really like how loose and easy the braid is - it looks natural and fun. I added some bright red lips - a combination of Heartsick and Mock - to make sure the whole look didn't get too casual. I love Mock for the glossy and rich color it adds to solid colors below. Finally, my amazing jewelry from Eclectica rounds out the gold end of the French Quarter - this is one of her older releases, but I really love the chunky style of it, and the double chain. It also comes with a bracelet (worn) and a belt (not shown), which really add to the set as a whole. Finally, a look is only as good as the poses which show it off, and I was able to pull out some of the more fun dance poses from Grafica to show off, thanks to the abbreviated bottom on my outfit, and I really had a ball. I need to invest in some more micro-minis so I can show off the rest.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene Skin porcelain
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Akiko
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick 1: Heartsick, Morticia
Lipstick 2: Mock, Mizu Venetian
Wings: Illusions, Apsara
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Jewelry: Eclectica, Deco Knot
Outfit: Baiastice, Lingerie Corset (My Attic)
Stockings: Adam n Eve, Brown Seam Stockings
Shoes: SLink, Lulu

Poses: Grafica

Location: The Looking Glass
Light Settings: Abracadabra 2

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

SL DisneyBound – Week Five: Dory

I actually had a lot of fun with Dory, though the style is much more modern-casual than I usually wear. The color contrast was really strong - a vibrantly bright yellow and a rich, bright blue - and while the blue is relatively common in Second Life, the particular shade of eye-blinding yellow that Dory sports is much rarer, and I actually dialed it back to more of a gold because I ended up not being able to make it work well.This is a very different style than my usual, modern and casual with a bit of a club edge, and I've completely fallen in love with it. I especially like the effect of the bare back in between the corset laces - I think it is edgy without slipping out of what I find attractive. This overbust corset from Dilly Dolls is an old purchase but one that I pull out even today when I'm looking for a good corset with a lot of coverage. I thought the relative brightness of the blue on the corset actually went well with the slightly duller blood of her new boots release; too much bright color can appear cartoonish instead of couture, and this look is one of the ones which walks that line. I really adore the boots, though - in the line of the cloth-over-boot effect with an angled opening on the outside and large buttons which really set it apart from other, similarly styled boots. There's all kinds of texturing available, and like usual Dilly Dolls clothes come in sets of colors that are HUD driven, which means lots of bang for your buck. My hair is a very old release from Wasabi Pills, I think; my Wasabi Pills folder is alphabetical, so I always end up getting confused about when things come in and, eyes crossed, just sort of wear whatever I like most for a given look.

The other store I'm wearing a lot of is De La Soul - both these jeans which were a much older release but still stand the test of time - and a preview of a new skin that I nagged Charlie into giving me so that I could wear the latest SLink hands with the modifiable nails. Despite an overload of pestering and begging, Charlie won't be releasing hand HUDs for Aestali, my old favorite, but he will be releasing them (and boob appliers, and all kinds of things). Except for the brows, Candace is a softer face than Aestali was (I'd love to hear what you think of the brows; I can pass on feedback to Charlie as he finishes Candace up) with some of the quirks of the Aestali face smoothed, but still recognizably De La Soul. He passed over the hand tinters (which will also tint her feet) after only a little pouting and now I can show off my amazing nails from Adam n Eve, complete with little flowers. I love how long they are; I could never keep nails this long offline, so it's a dream to have them both online and smoothly connecting with my hand. One nice thing about the SLink hands is you can make the nails go away, so if you have modifiable nails you can edit them to match perfectly; isn't it amazing? Finally, I found this amazing necklace and earrings set from a new-to-me store called Lazuri; I really love the texturing and shape, and it's a fantastic chunky large set which can be dressed up or down depending on your mood.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace - Creamer (promotional item)
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Ears: Illusions, Seelie
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Amelie (promotional item)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Jewelry: Lazuri, Classic Glamour Midnight
Corset: Dilly Dolls, Dola Corset
Jeans: De La Soul, Cross Jeans - Sunny
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Nails: Adam n Eve, Rhine & Rose
Shoes: Dilly Dolls, Dina Plaid Boots (promotional item)

Pose: !bang

Location: Armenelos
Light Settings: Places Kunming
Water Settings: Mirror Glass

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2012 Color Challenge: Week 28: Astronaut Blue

Astronaut Blue was difficult, and briefly I considered going more astronauty before I opened this outfit and decided it was the one, but I do love the shade. The difficulty was more in not repeating an outfit, which I try to not do for pictures, at least. This gown from Dilly Dolls was a remake of an older gown and has been in my inventory for ages, but I love it - so here you are! The hair is new, though, from Truth and on sale (yay sales~!), and the jewelry is also an old inventory-find from Eclectica that I picked up ages ago, likely on 60$L Weekends. I know, I know, I'm cheap, but I have good taste! I layered Adam n Eve cosmetic details over my staple Mock cosmetics for double the effect - isn't that lip heart simply the cutest thing ever? I now wonder how I could have ever done without both cosmetics and my eyelashes. I wanted to switch over to mesh lashes, but my eyes are simply too oddly shaped (I based them on my offline eyes) to fit most places. I keep hoping some mesh eyelashes will come out that are sectional, so I can edit them to fit my own curves. My face is one of the features I prefer to not change; I worked hard to base it on myself, and when I look at it I see myself (but thinner and prettier!).

Earlier in the week I made a more-serious-than-usual set of paragraphs in a post, and I was thinking about why I posted them here instead of at my more-serious-than-this-blog. There is an aspect to online debates about the abuse and harassment women receive online which causes me deep and abiding pain. I have gotten less than many, being largely in female-dominated areas and with a gender-neutral name, but I'm far to aware of my own vulnerability to it, and I don't know if I would react with as much grace as Watson and Sarkeesian have. Counterbalancing something that painful with pretty pictures of myself in beautiful places calms me in a way I can't easily put into words; it reminds me that there is hope and beauty int he world, despite the destructive actions of some of the humans among us. I know that for many it would undercut the message, but for me it's central to my being able to type about those issues - that I can balance the disturbing with the reassuring in my own place.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De la Soul, RooMee Rainbow
Ears: Illusion, Seelie Ears
Eyelashes 1: *X*plosion, PrimLashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Less of a Blues Girl
Lipstick: Mock, Micare LipGlimmer - Hypoxia
Lipheart: Adam n Eve, Lip Strip Heart Blue
Hair: Truth, Cynthia (Sale Item at Truth District)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle Wings
Jewelry: Eclectica, Rococco - cobalt
Dress: Dilly Dolls, Amaranth II Blue
Shoes: Dilly Dolls, Freddi Boots - Lace

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Leroy
Light Settings: Sim Default
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2012 Color Challenge: Week 24: Raspberry Glace

Raspberry Glace seems like it would be a difficult color - and it is difficult to find it by name but it's relatively easy to find a smokey pinkish-purple by a million other names, and here's mine. It's one of my splurges, from when Nomine lowered their prices and I absolutely went wild in their Lolita section. I found a water and forest laden roleplaying sim and wandered around feeling cool and melancholy for a while. It's always amazing to me what a profound effect the windlight settings have on a sim. I can go from cheerful, to sad, to sweet, to frightening with only a few clicks of a button (in Firestorm, at least). Int his case, the melancholy plums and aubergines reminded me of that feeling you have when all you have to do is wait for someone's return - the mixture of melancholy from missing them and anger from being kept waiting has it's own distinctive, emotional feel that leaves an indelible impression.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose (promotional item)
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow MESH (promotional item)
Ears: Illusion, Seelie Ears
Eyelashes 1: *X*plosion, PrimLashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Solstice Frost Purple
Eyeshadow 2: Adan N Eve, Dragon Tattoo
Lipstick 1: Skinthesis, Deep
Lipstick 2: Croire, Glittery Gloss - gold
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Anais Mesh (promotional items)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: Nomine, Jailbait Catherine Dress
Stockings: Sleeping Koala, Cat Scratch Tights
Shoes: G Field, Flower Pumps "Eve"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Ravenhurt and Surrounding Sims
Light Settings: EUPHORIA Plum Sunset
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Castle Arcanum

I've taken photos outside in Arcanum before, but it wasn't until the Peatonville Hunt that I realized how much inside there is! This is a small look at a couple of rooms - I was most taken by one of the mage rooms, with an entire window of amazing, glowing, gorgeous plants along one side. My favorite is definitely the musical box flower, though I think the stained glass flower reflects my clothing the most! My dress is a gorgeous new release from Dilly Dolls with a slightly retro-fifties feel to it; I'm really fond of the hint of animal print along the bust line and the hem of the dress - it takes an older design and makes it unique. It's released for the Vintage Faire and available in a variety of colors, though I'm really partial to this teal!

I paired it with a new hair from Tribal Soul; I'm not usually a "hat hair" kind of person, but this one was adorable, and the floofy hair really seemed to suit the sleeker, simple style of the hat. It's fully editable, so you can do things like tint the hat - like I did - to match an unusually colored dress. I added in a new release of eyeshadow from Adam n Eve (I'm getting so addicted to being able to change cosmetics - I can barely remember what it was like to be stuck with one makeup style!) and used the nude lips from my favorite De La Soul skin because the faint pink seemed to complement the vibrant teal I'm covered in. (On a side technical note, I'm trying linking to all the stores of the things I'm wearing - but it's a huge pain in the ass. Comment if you think it's worth it, or if I should let everyone use the search function, like the gods intended.)

One of the enjoyable and frustrating parts about Second Life - and life in general - is that there is so much going on and only a limited amount of time to react and a limited amount of attention to give. Life begins to be a series of priority lists - do I want to do this, or this? How can I combine multiple goals? Is that really worth my time to do? I spent that amount of time to do WHAT??? Trying to finish up one of those damn Sims Online challenges in a week, I found myself spending an hour waiting for different rooms to load and my desire to continue, to try, to even care was waning quickly. One of the mental fallacies people struggle with is the Sunk Cost Fallacy, and a lot of Facebook games seem to hinge on these. One side effect of Sunk Cost leveraging, though, is when the current challenge is severe enough and the current results are thin enough that it's worth not sinking more time and energy into it. I find the Sims Online rapidly moving into that along with Farmville; in both cases, the time spend doing things is increasingly not worth the reward - the mental space it needs to take up in my head is not worth the fun I get out of it.

Developers - don't rely on Sunk Cost too much; when you hit the tipping point, the loss of interest is rapid.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Eyeshadow: Adam n Eve, Glitz Groovy Greens G
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: Flugeln Brise, Eyelashes 5A
Hair: Tribal Soul, Vodka - Platinum (Promotional Item)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Jewelry: Eclectica, Pearl Mixables - Deco Redux
Dress: Dilly Dolls, Delilah - Teal (Promotional Item)
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Shoes: G Field, Square-toe Shoes - Sophie

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Arcanum
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Coral Reef

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-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-two - Chartreuse

Chartreuse Week was totally easy. I rarely say that, but this time I plugged in the word and this gorgeous bathing suit from Ingenue. I don't know when I got my hands on it - I don't often buy bathing suits - but the little butt ruffle is totally the cutest thing ever. I'm even pleased with the little spots of light on it; normally I'm not the polka dot type, but between the wide-strapped style and the cute ruffle, this seems like a stylish modest bathing suit pulling from the fifties in style!

The hairstyle is an old one I bought from Tekeli-li, and I thought the swirling seaside style would work well with a beachy feel. I followed that through with my favorite sandal set from Deviant Designs - one of my real splurges since I picked up every color, but I think you can see that it is simply perfect for any breach-front day of pleasure!The cosmetics are my usual mix - Adam n Eve offering some floral designs with cheLLe layered on top, and an addition of a new lipcolor from Mock that I think really rounds out the look.


I also added a ring from Earthstones as part of my default look. Default looks are kind of funny - my skin and eyes from De La Soul, my ears from Illusion, my wings from Fancy Fairy, my shape, and now this ring show up in almost every picture I take. When I switch from one to the next, it's a total switch. Unlike clothing and hair, and now cosmetics, they comprise what is my central "look" in Second Life. This brings up the fundamental irony of Second Life; while I have a solid and unchanging identity as Deoridhe, every part of my look is not only freely available but also the creation of someone other than myself!

It also brings up the irony that while these creators help define me, by doing so they work themselves out of being fiscally supported by me. Unlike the places where I buy cosmetics, or clothing, or hair, I purchase skin rarely, the wings I wear are literally my first purchase in Second Life (no exaggeration), and the ears are the second version of the first ears I ever bought! If you take into account that Siyu saw me wearing her ears and gave me some money, you can even argue that I made a net win on the ears. In fact, only the skin and eyes have changed a lot and almost always within a similar theme and - in almost every case - with rainbow cosmetics or to a skin made by a friend.


In order to make money consistently, you need either the same people buying things multiple times, or a lot of people buying things once. This is often done through tapping into a "need" a person has, or creating it. I remember watching the "need" of teeth whitening grow over the nineties through television adds. One tooth paste company started marketing their teeth as "brightening," then there were the faux-scientific tooth color tests, and lots of pictures of people given makeup so their teeth changed in color (want really white teeth? Wear really red lipstick; does it every time). Now every toothpaste brand has teeth whitening types and we're back in the downswing of 'get everything in one ultimate toothpaste' again. You can watch the same movement of adds with cough syrup, another product everyone uses where adherence to a brand is created by creating positive feeling toward that brand rather than due to being unique.

In Second Life, creators often do a similar thing. They can create a cult of personality, or have a style which draws a lot of people in, or create a sense of need for their product. In the day of makeups only being on skin, skin creators could make a lot of money with a variety of similar makeups with variations of lip and eye color. With cosmetics, a lot seemed to fear money loss due to people sticking to a single skin and changing their cosmetics (which I do) but didn't count on the amount of money that could be made with a wide variety of cosmetic styles that could then be mix and matched. I'm far more likely to spend 500$L on a pack of ten makeups that I ever was on a single skin (and skins tend to be twice that), and I feel like I can't be alone in that. Often one closed opportunity opens up a wealth of new doors; that's something I always try to remember.


( I wanted to take a picture in the little house in the distance there... but it had a security orb and I got kicked away. Woe. )

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Kei Cream
Eyeshadow: Adam n Eve, Forest Deity
Eyeliner: cheLLe, Cleo Called Black
Lips: Mock, Agua Gloss Lip in Blood (Veronique II)
Ears: Illusion, Mystic Ear
Hair: Tekeli-li, Undine - Honeyblond
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle Wings
Bathing Suit: Ingenue, Bathing Beauty - Chartreuse
Ring: EarthStones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Shoes: Deviant Designs, Beach Baby - Mint

Poses: Long Awkward Pose

Location: Surf Braata Beach
Light Settings: Abracadabra2
Water Settings: Blackwater

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Forty - Apricot

Apricot week was rather difficult for me because most of my apricot was more orange or brown! I ended up settling on peach instead (it's a similar fruit!), swinging around to one of my favorite stores of all time, Blue Blood. A while ago, Ghanima started making whitegoth styled clothing as well as standard gothic clothing, and it's really been a wonderful way to extend my Classic and Sweet Lolita styling.


This dress also comes with a black checked vest and skirts to match, but I liked the paler color for this challenge. The delicate ribbing is very sweet and adds some texture to it. I paired it with G Field shoes; the square toe and simple band is meant to carry over the simplicity of the dress. The outfit was rounded out with a set of pearls from Wretched Dollies that I simply couldn't resist (someday I will return and buy them ALL!).

I went with simple cosmetics to match - eyes a combination of two Adam n Eve designs, a peachy blush that I thought suited, and a very dark lipstick from Rue. It's a little dark for Sweet Lolita, but then I'm not your average Sweet Lolita! The hair is a Hair Faire purchase from Raspberry Aristocrat, and they may be on my list as a new store to check out semi-regularly. I love the bits of hair flying loose, which makes the whole style look casual and natural.


I've really been grateful for my friends this week - complementing me, teasing me, listening to me whimper and complain, worrying about me, and giving me advice. When things are hardest in my life, they always seem to be there to cheer me up and make me feel like I'm a valuable person. It encourages me to take care of myself - something I'm not always the best at. Indulging myself, yes. Taking care of myself... not so much.


I don't know if all the exploring and picture taking counts as taking care of, though. it's definitely distracting. When I'm cursing shattered unicorn horns for being so hard to find, I'm distracted from the pains in my life. When I'm impatiently waiting for my auction spot to go, to see how much I'll make, I'm distracted from the pains of my life. when I'm trying on new clothes, or sorting my inventory, there isn't room in my mind to fret over the many things I could fret over.



( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Kei Cream
Eyes: Adam n Eve, Winter Garden and Hepsut
Cheeks: Honey Kitty, X'mas Cheeks 3
Lips: Rue, Cold Kiss
Ears: Illusion, Mystic Ear
Hair: Raspberry Aristocrat, Jane Hair - Blond Honey
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle Wings 
Necklace: Wretches Dollies, Pearls & Diamonds
Dress: Blue Blood, Piper - Peach
Shoes: G Field, Square-toe Shoes "Sophie" - white

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Enchanted
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Why So Blue 1
Water Settings: TOR, Atomist

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Bubblegum Weekend: Rainbow Love

I've never been particularly attached to having limited edition things.

Especially on a place like Second Life - my inventory is so voluminous that I've rarely seen something I own on someone else and I've never worn the same thing. If I did end up wearing the same thing, I think I'd be more inclined to want to pose together for a picture than get affronted like a fifties television character!

My drive to get a custom rainbow dress done was more about how difficult it is to get really well done, solid, bright rainbows. It's similarly difficult to get good orange and teal clothing, and some shades of green are particularly elusive, simply because people tend to stick to the big favorites - white, black, red, blue, pink. For someone like me, who really craves a variety of colors and well done fades, it can sometime seem like a sea of torment.


When I ordered this dress from Falln Angel Creations - and ordered is the right word - I specified rainbows and roses with sparkles. I think it more than fit the specifications - and beyond! All of the roses are actually color changing in a slow fade, which means there's a constant, slightly fading effect all over my body. The tulle of the skirt is a separate layer, which means when I move there's flashes of paler and darker colors. The wings were a complete surprise, and something I have dear Tomoyuki to thank for! I love how the colors of all the roses are staggered, too - so there's always a rose of each color at any given time even though they're constantly changing.

I paired it with the Rainbow Addict skin from De La Soul, though it matches up well with my Curio skin as well. I also took advantage of starting up with Phoenix's Firestorm viewer to layer Adam n Eve's Hapset eyeliner over it, and I think the effect is rather striking! I paired it with a brightly colored hair from Wasabi Pills for Bubblegum Weekend, a secondary challenge I'm trying to do where you wear an unusual shade of hair for a picture (or in my case a set!). I bought these at the hair faire after getting some samples from the creator - I love the bows over the ears!!!


I figured since there's a chance Viewer 1 may no longer work in August that I finally need to bite the bullet and move to a 2.~ based viewer. The multiple body layers is a wonderful side effect, and I'm looking forward to trying shadows and more naturalistic photography in the future as I settle into it. The one thing I miss - and this is a nitpick truly - is being able to easily move between windlight settings using the arrows one way and the other - I used that every time I took a picture, so without it I struggled. I also really missed the inventory screen coming up over notecards - having the notecards always float on top means I'm constantly moving things around my screen, since I tend to layer. I'm sure I'll get used to it, though!


I'm at the Arctic Greenhouse sim, which is actually a flower and plant store but is set up in a fascinating way! It's actually set within a snow globe, with little models of the snow globe set all over the sim in varying sizes! The concordance between the snowglobes was amazing, and I had a total ball watching the sun and earth rise over the rim and then fall again! I tried to get them in a few pictures - though I didn't pull off the sun, if you look closely you can see the earth in a few places. It also has some garden areas decorated with plants formt he store and little moving things, and as you can see, it's simply breathtaking.


( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Skin: De La Soul, Rainbow Addict (with blond brows)
Eye Liner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Ears: Illusion, Mystic Ear
Wings: Falln Angel Creations, Rose Vine Wings - color changing
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Mochi Hair - Aquatic
Dress: Falln Angel Creations, Deo Custom Gown
Stockings :R(S)W, Socks Brigh Rainbow Gradient
Shoes: G Field, Flower Pumps "Eve" - whiter

Poses: HelaMiyo

Location: Arctic Greenhouse
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY - Morally satisfied
Water Settings: Valdez

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Broken

There are a lot of Japanese Charity Events going on - they sprung up like mushrooms! - and another is being hosted and run by Dead Dolls, a group in Second Life. Set in a gorgeous sim decorated with an Edo Japanese theme, complete with sacred trees and open porches.

I ended up going modern for the photoshoot, though, seeking out Tochigi Japan, a modern cyber version of what Japan might someday be. It looks like it is mostly a mall with a club attached, though in the time I spent there I didn't see anyone else about. The setting is lush and complicated, though - including a cute little cafe and a market. I had fun flying high and low, looking for little nooks and crannies I thought you would enjoy seeing.


Poses: Glitterati, Long Hair 3 - 5; Cosmetics: De La Soul, Charlie Makeup - Red Lips; Dress: Blue Blood, Camelia - purple; Shoes: Favole, Lilith

Blue Blood has released two different dresses, Camelia in purple goth and whitegoth. I adore her textures; here you can see patterning on the black, the purple ruffles, and the detailing with skulls at the waist, chest, neck, and wrists. The ruffly edge along the bodice line is simply charming, open and provocative without being flashy.

I've paired the dress with these Lilith Boots from Favole, which you can get a closer look at here. They have an adorable bow and chain detailing in your back, above the platform heels festooned with rivets. Favole's characteristic eye for detail is seen in how well they fit, as well as the charming flash of chain here and there in the pictures I took.

The cosmetics are the first of several from De La Soul, an entire set of red cosmetics that include an incredibly variety of options. Shown above is the red eyeliner with red lips; it also comes with a nude lip, and with lips that show teeth.


Pose: Glitterati, 047; Cosmetics: De La Soul, Charlie Makeup - Red Rising Sun; Dress: Blue Blood, Camelia - purple whitegoth; Wings: Favole, Peace

Here is Camelia in purple whitegoth, from Blue Blood; the patterning is harder to see in whitegoth, but I have to admit I like the look. It looks almost neon, perfect for clubbing in Tochigi Japan. I love the fall of the skirt, too, with it's wide sides and graceful movement. It moves well with you when you walk and dance, making every entrance and exit an event.

The wings (more easily seen here) are from Favole, which offered a truly stunning panoply of choices. I'm wearing a Favole accessory in every picture, but I only bought half of what's available there! They come in a shoulder version, without the silver chain, or a spine version chained together; an amazing effect and touch of detail.

The cosmetics are the second of several from De La Soul, the Rising Sun version with nude lips. I love the tattoo effect on the face of the sun - it would be good for a thematic avatar outfitting, or over the top drama for fashion.


Pose: Glitterati, Pin up 1 - Curvy; Cosmetics: De La Soul, Charlie Makeup - Red Rising Sun with Lips; Eyes: De La Soul, Luminis, Rising Sun; Hat: Favole, Vepar; Collar: Favole, Prolific; Cuffs: Ezura, Lolita Crown Red Cuffs; Dress: Malfean Visions, Tsuki-Yomi; Shoes: Malfean Visions, Amiage Sneakers
The next outfit shows a truly epic combination of accessories from the Charity Event. The dress and shoes are both from Malfean Visions - a style which also comes in a black base and a white base, all of them matching these awesome sneaker heels. I wish I could have picked up all three dresses, but alas the pocketbook forbid! It's a cute babydoll style, with a scoop neck and funky black and white detailing on the bodice and hem. I am actually even more in love with these sneaker heels, though; I love the stripes on them, and the oddly casual elegance. They took a bit for me to fit, since I'm shorter, but the shoe base that comes with them is modifyable. I ended up raising the heel quite a bit, and then they fit like a dream!

The hat and collar are both from Favole, and though they don't outright match, I thought the combination of black, white, and red made them work well. The collar is largely white with a stylish rose (there's a black on black version available as well, see: Deo wanting and eyeing pocketbook sadly), and fits well around the neck. It's modifyable, which is a blessing when one hasn't the swanlike neck required for a lot of collars on Second Life! The hat is closer to a crown with wings, with open view at the top, and has cute batwings coming off form either side, as if it's about to go fluttering off into the stratosphere.

The cuffs are from Ezura, and will show up again along with a set of boots that I quite love.There is a matching outfit and collar, but the collar I couldn't make fit - my lack of a swanlike neck being exacerbated by it being no modify. It's a gorgeous set altogether, though, so if you have either a swanlike neck, or more comfort with modifying your shape for clothing than I do, I highly recommend picking it up!

The cosmetics are from De La Soul, the Rising Sun face with red lips. I think this is quite my favorite, this or the red eye makeup with bright red lips. This is a good itme to note, I think, that this set is made to go with her Charlie skin, available in store, but works well over the Adam n Eve skin I paired it with here.


Pose: Mannequin, Broken3; Cosmetics: De La Soul, Charlie Makeup - Red Lips; Eyes: De La Soul, Luminis, Rising Sun; Hat: Favole, Vepar; Bracelets: Ezura, Lolita Crown Red Cuffs; Shirt and Pants: De La Soul, Japan Relief Jeans and Sleeveless White Turtleneck; Shoes: Malfean Visions, Amiage Sneakers
This picture shoes one of the first of the poses I got at the Event, the Broken set by Mannequin. It doesn't work as well with skirted outfits, but the effect is awesome with pants, and if I hadn't been trying to get quite so many pictures taken, I might have tried it with heavily modified skirts. I love how realistic the slumped positions are; take a moment to check out the full photoshoot and you'll see all five that are available.

The outfit is from De La Soul, and comes with many more varieties than I have room to show! I chose the white t-shirt to pair with the black jeans; the shirt also comes with the logo just on the back, and the collar comes in male and female sizes. There's also a black version of the same style, with the red cross on it, both with the front design and without the front design. It's a simple sleeveless t-shirt, but striking and a fantastic addition to any wardrobe.


Pose: Mannequin, Broken2; Cosmetics: De La Soul, Charlie Makeup - Rising Sun with Red Lips; Eyes: De La Soul, Luminis, Rising Sun; Hat: Favole, Vepar; Bracelets: Ezura, Lolita Crown Red Cuffs; Shirt and Pants: De La Soul, Japan Relief Jeans and Sleeveless Koi Turtleneck; Shoes: Ezura, Lace Ankle Boots - Red

You can see the De La Soul jean style more clearly, here, with the white version of them. The jeans come with sculpted cuffs, but can also be worn without - as I did here. I'm also wearing, and have been for many of these pictures, the Rising Sun eyes - you can see them more clearly here, though. I love the koi version of the sleeveless t-shirt; this comes just in black, but is also wonderful with it's dramatic simplicity.

The cuffs and boots are from Ezura, and have a matching collar and outfit also available there. I love the silver crown detail against the red lace, and I'm sure these will come out of the inventory many times in the future for the edgy, lacy look.

This is also another Mannequin pose; I love how the neck doesn't look quite right, and the bent in of the wrist. It makes it hard to accessorize for the poses, but the effect is worth it!


Pose: HelaMiyo, Looking back 1; Cosmetics: De La Soul, Charlie Makeup - Red Lips; Eyes: De La Soul, Luminis, Rising Sun; Hat: Favole, Vepar; Dress: Likka House, Victoria - blue; Shoes: Favole, Lilith
This gorgeous dress I simply couldn't resist. It's from Likka House, and I believe the green variety of it is on sale for a different Japanese Charity event - Project Fur, perhaps? I love how it swings. The combination of static and flexy prims is absolutely charming, and moves beautifully as you can see from above. I love the collar, too, and I paired it with the Lilith Boots from Favole I was wearing earlier, to gorgeous effect.

Hat: Favole, Vepar; Dress: Likka House, Victoria - blue; Shoes: Favole, Lilith; Prop with Poses: FlufferNutters, Cherry Blossom Branch

Finally is this adorable prop from FlufferNutters, a branch with cherry blossoms on it with several seats included. I really love the delicate coloring, and the poses are very fun! It's would make a whimsical, charming  addition to any woodland scene. Laely, the creator of FlufferNutterz, couldn't be sweeter; I had a delivery issue when I bought this, and she'd handled it by the end of the same day. Truly awesome customer service.

I want to say a quick word about the other, non-event things I'm wearing. My ears are my usual Mystic Ears from Illusions - a staple of my appearance. I've tinted them pale to go with my Adam n Eve skin, Astelle, which was from the Fantasy Faire and had become my new obsession. The wings are my old standbys from Fancy Fairy, recolored to match; I literally bought these as my first thing in Second Life, and still wear them - and still get complemented on them! The hair is a new purchase from Tukinowaguma, and I thought it fit the overall Gothic Doll look I was going for, and so could carry through all of the clothing.The rest of the poses are from Glitterati, where I recently blew a lot of Linden.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy
Skin: Adam n Eve, Astrelle Fae
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hair: Tukinowaguma, Esther - tan

Purchased at: Broken, A Dead Dolls Charity Event for Japan
Locations: Tochigi Japan Cybercity and Tol Narwa Vire
Light Settings: Shadowset

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Fantasy Faire: Fantastical and Magical

Fantastical and Magical is like the daydream of a child on a sugar high. Sparkles and bright lights, wildly colored mushrooms and chocolate lakes, even the threat of a gingerbread house is here to entice you into forgetting all your troubles and having a snack.




I love the layering of cotton candy tufts of grass with candy canes and donuts. All the cutest stores are here, too, tucked in among the whimsical decorations and toothsome seats. There were too many things to focus on, look at, for me to possibly capture it all. I managed to catch some of the few things, a shot here and an angle there - but every time I wander through I notice some new delight to catch my attention.




Everything childlike is here, inviting you to delight and wonder. I loved the little crannies hidden within the stores and between them, or spread out gloriously in the middle of the sim.




Everywhere there are things to sit on, and things to ride. The Pinocchio above spins in a circle with the donuts swinging around it - and you can sit on the donuts and go for a sweet ride while you look out across the sim. It's all set inside of a giant tea cup - which I simply loved as a feature! Especially when there was a teapot nearby to pour down tastiness for us to swim in.




The plant above had a moving head, too! I found a couple of those as I wandered around - the flowers which follow you as you move - and I never tire of bouncing back and forth, making things move. This one particularly delighted me because his expression was so affably threatening!




You can't really say there's a single centerpiece to Fantastical and Magical, but I think one of my favorite features was the chocolate lake with the boat spinning around on it. I never figured out how to sit on the cushions, but I loved just watching it spin around, cutting through the chocolate like Willy Wonka was at the wheel. I simply couldn't resist waiting until the shot took in the giant strawberry, too. Yum, chocolate and strawberries!




What I'm wearing is not, for once, something you can get at the Fantasy Faire. Instead it's one of the Flower Mini dresses by Hal Hina, a Japanese store I'm quite addicted to. I paired it with G Field shoes and jewelry, and I'm wearing the Adam n Eve skin which I've simply been refusing to take off. I paired it with her Hapsut eyeshadow, which is a classy simple black outline.




I found a ginger bread house here to go into, but luckily for me there was no old with there to try to make me into dinner! It's the cutest house ever, though, with a fireplace built inside. I simply fell in love with it, as well as the cake slide, and the donut leapy things.




Come to the party! Check out Fantastical and Magical, while it still remains among us!

( More pictures can be found here, a couple more sims left to add! )

Credits:

Eyes: Tacky Soul, Pride
Skin: Adam n Eve, Astrelle Fae (light brows) with Hatsup Eye Tattoo
Hair: Majika, Bean - Blonde
Wings: Fancy Fairy: Azarelle Iridescent Wings
Jewelry: G Field, Peart Set "Blossom" - white
Dress: Hal*Hina, Flower:mini dress [cream yellow]
Shoes: G Field, Ribbon Slingback Heels - cream

Location: Fantastical and Magical
Light Settings: Nam's Optimal Skin 2

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only