Genre: Aerial Silks

A legend of an acrobat using silks in her routine date back to 1959 in a French Circus school, but the earliest elaborate presentation was by Cirque de Soleil in 1996, a show known as 'Quidam'. It's spread incredibly rapidly, the images it creates striking and powerful. Distorted Dreams made a set of four iconic poses for this month's Genre, two hanging high above a stage and two with gentle curls of fabric touching the ground. They're color change by touch through a spectrum of rich colors, and the pose and silks are on two different items - linked but editable - so that you can resize one without the other. I had to do some major editing on some, minor on others, and occasionally the fact that my arms and legs are roughly the same length worked against me - but not badly. The curves are very useful for hooking bodies in and giving them a sense of weight that is critical for these sorts of images to work. Second Life is a world without gravity; it can be applied, but it it ultimately unnecessary. This leads to a curious unreal quality to many acrobatic Second Life images. Distorted Dreams did a good job of giving these silks, and the bodies which hang from them, an appropriate sense of weight.

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

Mahou Shoujo

Honestly, when it was first talked about in Second Life, it never occurred to me that I would be able to see Materials. It wasn't until this year that I was able to render shadows in Second Life and not have my browser die, and I still don't run things on ultra, mostly because I'm sure my laptop would catch on fire. It wasn't until I was setting up lighting on one of Fatewear's older releases - which I finally picked up because a) SALE!!! 8D 8D and b) I really wanted at least one mesh fuku in my inventory - that I even realized I could see materials and the subtle but profound effects they have on adding verisimilitude to a look. The back of the ribbon, tinted blue because I got the white fuku so I could tint things with wild abandon, catches the light in a manner entirely different than the duller texture of the shirt and skirt, and yet it's subtle enough that it isn't hopping out of the picture screaming, "Look at me!" This is the sort of texturing which could have been aped by a clever texturer, but which would never respond to light quite correctly. One other thing Fatewear did, besides excellent materials texturing, was also to include a shadow tattoo for the upper thighs under the fuku - one I plan on swiping for other similarly short skirts. Combined with the black interior lining, the shadow does an excellent job of combining no panty shot with non-obvious invisiline; it looks so natural that even when I was reflecting up under my skirt in another picture it simply looked as if the shadows were too dark for one to see anything. Simply flawless.

The rest of my look coalesced around my new favorite fuku; I wanted a simple, youthful style for the hair even though I hope I don't look like a high schooler anymore. Wasabi Pills delivered with a special release for FaMESHed, complete with a perfectly tinted pink bow. I carried the pink through on my lips, once more combining Adore & Abhor with Mock for the perfect glossy finish; I wanted something on the dark side of bubblegum - what happens to a bright pink when it ferments down into reality. My nails are an adorable release from Alice Project, who finally got into the nail business; I love the dual heart with the subtly different shades of this one. On my shoulder, I brought my talking companion, the tiny a watermelon-eating bat who scolds me when I oversleep or am late for work. It was from Pink Fuel, but I don't remember the context of getting it - perhaps an old-school gatcha? It's completely adorable, though. Finally, on the tips of my toes are one of the new colors that SLink released for her ultra-high heels. She did some surveys to pick additional colors, and then those of us who had bought fatpacks got extras - and I bounced all over when I got mine. While the included Fatewear boots were quite nice, I really like the added effect of a completely different style of boot, and my color scheme actually started from here, even as the outfit began with the fuku.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Sally
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Liz Shadow in Smoked
Lipstick 1: Adore & Abhor, Shreveport Lips
Lipstick 2: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss
Wings: Illusions, Apsara
Pet: Pink Fuel, Watermelon Bat
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Alice Project, Two-Tone Hearts
Outfit: Fateplay, Rena
Shoes: SLink, Demi Boots

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: Steampunkables
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY - Vintage Village
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 45: Magician’s Life

The Magician's Life is one of slight of hand - of drawing the eye one way while magic goes on the other way. Much like the Lost Town display by Rebeca Bashly, the direction you're looking in changes everything. For a long time I have thought, I'm not sure why, that bell hooks was no longer alive - that I had her books to relate to and think on, but that she herself was in the past. Like how we talk about slavery and discrimination against Native Americans as if it happened hundreds of years ago, there is a way in which my perspective and inherent racism set me at a distance from bell hooks, and it was only through one of those incredible rabbit holes we cannot plan that I had the pleasure of seeing her and Melissa Harris-Perry speak on a wide range of topics related to gender, race, and class - as well as seeing the give and take of discussion, and a small smattering of how they handle various kinds of interactions with others in the community. I finished the talk with a mind stuffed full of thoughts and an increased appreciation for my own blindness. Sometimes it feels as if I spend my whole life preparing for these moments where I will discover I am wrong, I was unable to perceive what is around me - and then all at once it springs forth in front of me. There is barely any room for the shame, so lost am I in the joy of new discovery.

One thing which stood out for me is how we loose other people in our rush to make statements about the circumstances we all live within. This is something I've struggled with myself. In my rush to condemn sexism, I have often ended up targeting other women - policing their dress and appearance, judging their lives and choices, holding myself up against them as somehow better because of my relative wealth and circumstances. This paves over a fundamental insecurity, one which Harris-Perry touched on when she discussed how her voice was amplified at the behest of powerful white men. How power is created, gathered, maintained, and transferred is at the root of a lot of the inequality in the world. Once it passed through land and lineages. Now it passes through cash. In both cases it passed through the hands of men in the history of the culture I am within, and that tendency bends the world. I have a lot more to think about, but I and deeply grateful to bell hooks and Melissa Harris-Perry for sparking so much thought in only an hour and a half.

My hair is a gorgeous release from Alice Project; it was a gatcha prize with this coloration, but the hair itself can be bought at her store. I love her rainbow hued hair, especially when it's all winking in and out of the light like this. I tucked under it a delicate crown from Deviance, another gatcha prize and one of a number of gorgeous choices - all tintable, which is what I did in order to make a silvery circlet match up with the purple and cream of Magician's Life. My wings are also from Deviance, their usual shimmering white tinted ever so slightly toward cream to balance out the purple of my gown. My layered lips are a combination of two lips by Adore & Abhor - the larger purple lips forming a frame for her smaller baroque style, this time in sparkling gold. I tipped my nails in cream and gold thanks to Orc Inc, who has some of the most complete and economical nail sets on the grid. And finally, the gown - this gorgeous gown from Baiastice released for the FaMESHed event, caught my attention from the very first. I especially like the scalloped patterns on the sleeves, and how they are ruched above the elbow, but the careful rigging of the skirt so that it almost always appears like the skirt is skipping along the ground or flowing up with my movements. While I didn't photograph it, one of the !bang poses I flipped through is of my avatar holding her knee, and the dress bent almost perfectly at that joint, with none of the noodliness that you sometimes see with other dresses or boots, where the knee joint is rubbery and rounded. Instead it moved beautifully, and the ruffled edge makes even simple standing poses look elegant and natural.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Alice Project, Steph II
Crown: Deviance, Erulisse Circlet
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick 1: Adore & Abhor, Fluff Lips
Lipstick 2: Adore & Abhor, Silent Star - Shine
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Orc Inc, Pastel Shimmer
Necklace: Lassitude & Ennui, Stacked Pearls
Dress: Baiastice, Shannon

Pose: !bang

Location: Lost Town
Light Settings: TOR, NIGHT That Spells Moon 1
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Pod People Back from Vacation

You may have noticed a distinct lack of Deo around for a while, and there's a very simple explanation - no internet. I was on vacation, a vacation that involved a lot of sleeping in cars and waking up in new and amazing places. I apparently really needed the sleep because until the last couple of days, any time I was in the car for longer than twenty minutes I would be snoozing. I had planned on catching up on a ton of podcasts, but it turns out that doesn't work so well when one keeps falling asleep and waking up at random times, so I switched to music or silence pretty early into the vacation. I had a ball, though; I was out with my family, seeing more distant family and beautiful places, and sometime soon I should upload a few videos of animals, as it seems like I'm no longer capable of going to a zoo without ringing out my phone to make animal videos. It's like some sort of weird sickness, or something. I missed my bed and my cat, but I'm afraid, darling internet, I didn't really miss you much. It still feels a little weird to be stepping back into the routine, but I did manage to pull together a new outfit and snap some pictures, and I'll be gradually catching up on memes and challenges over the next week or two. Right now I'm trying to get into the Halloween Spirit by being creeeeepy in a sort of understated, cute way, and I had a lot of help from some really fun designers.

These amazing, really fun horns are a recent release from Remarkable Oblivion at the Body Modification Expo, which I have to admit I bailed from early. Not to rant too much (I'm totally going to rant), but events where there isn't a single path to follow reasonably easily just frustrate me to no end; if I am feeling lost and not sure where I am one layer into your event, there's a better than even chance I will just give up. I was really glad Remarkable Oblivion was near the beginning because the discounted price on these horns tempted me to buy them even though they aren't my usual style - and they ended up blending so perfectly into the hair from Alice Project (currently a special deal at her store - one free a day - go and get and join her group for more free stuffs) that I couldn't resist building the rest of the outfit around a sort of creepy, bloody punk look. I also wanted a drizzly, smeared mascara, and Virtual Insanity came through for me - there were a bunch of different styles, but I really liked this totally drippy one. I think is sort of looks like oil is leaking from my eyes... eyes of the pod people. The pod people eyes are totally the creepiest from Rue, free and shiny as part of the Horrorfest Hunt (I totally have drowned in hunts now that I'm back - yay hunting). The necklace is also part of a hunt, specifically the EarthStones Mystery Hunt, where you pay a certain amount of Linden for an unidentified item, but all of them are really cool.

The new corset and sleeves from Dilly Dolls are really awesome and unique. They come separately, so you can add the sleeves to another look, and the bows on the wrists are totally cute. It has a peek-a-boo back, too, so you can wear it alone for that extra-sexy effect, or show off a pretty blouse underneath. One thing I love about the corset in particular is the enormous jack-o-lantern smile across the front; very festive and halloweeny. Under it I tucked this miniskirt from Rue, which has once again finished a corset look. One of the really fantastic effects of getting blogger packs is the inevitable Object That Isn't Your Style. I usually keep them kicking around in folders just in case, and in this case, with this micro-mini, this has been an unexpected butt-saver. It fits beautifully under almost every corset I've gotten so far, and in this case it perfectly bridged the divide between the richer, redder orange of the corset and sleeves, and the yellower orange of my tights and boots. My tights are from Frick (yay Frick - pretty Goth Loli clothes nao?) and were a cursed color in her tights gatcha; I have about ten million of these, even after passing them to everyone who was still online when I was spending (too much) money on the gatcha. Ironically, I got doubles of both of the Rares before landing a green - see, cursed? The gorgeous bats of my tights are echoed in the batty blue of my nails, too; also from Frick, there is even a candy corn coloration. Finally, Dilly Dolls returns with these awesome ombre boots which, in a stroke of unexpected luck, matched my tights perfectly. I really like how they're styled, with the heavy fabric wrapped around the calves and angling over the heels like legwarmers but without losing the boot feel at the top. I've long liked the combination shoe effect, and this one also has a fade, which is totally my favorite.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Alice Project, Delirium (Halloween Massacre Special)
Horns: Remarkable Oblivion, Baphomet Horns
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: Rue, Lotus Eater
Eyeshadow: Virtual Insanity, THE DIRT Face Tattoo3
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick: Skinthesis, Liquid Heat
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Necklace: EarthStones, Karin Necklace
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Frick, Halloween Nails
Corset: Dilly Dolls, Vivian Halloween Corset
Gloves: Dilly Dolls, Vivian Gloves
Skirt: Rue, Threads/Artist Miniskirts
Stockings: Frick, Batty Tights (Gatcha)
Boots: Dilly Dolls, Calypso Boots

Pose: Grafica

Location: Asalia House
Light Settings: Phototools, July Light 02
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 34: Preppy Violet

I pulled together Preppy Violet a while ago, and then got completely distracted and didn't photograph it until today. It's a pulled together outfit - while the top and the bottom are both from Sn@tch, they're from different outfits at Sn@tch, and this marks one of the few times I have gone and purchased clothing specifically to try to fulfill a challenge - because these colors are rare and difficult to find. Pastels that are this pale are very difficult to separate out, and Sn@tch is awesome for giving a variety of colors of a certain type - including pastel only. I kept my hair very pale as well, using one of the rainbowtastic prizes from Alice Project to top my head and add a bit of variety to my pastel. My gorgeous jewelry, made of blocks of gems and long-threaded, softly shaded pearls is from Donna Flora, and is an absolute credit to her style and taste. In addition to the earrings and necklace there is a lovely, loose bracelet and a ring.

Finally, at the tip of my SLink feet are these amazing slip-on shoes from Lassitude & Ennui. I had originally been considering some sort of flimsy neglige outfit, as these seemed the sort of shoes one would keep within a boudoir, but when I saw how cute and flirty this outfit was, with the transparent top, I simply couldn't resist adding them in. I love that SLink is inviting other shoe makers to make shoes for her feet, too - it makes wearing them a snap. I also spent a chunk of time organizing my poses today, and re-discovered a store I had found during one of the pose events - Grafica - to try out in the field. They're really lovely, fluid poses without noticeable buckling of the body mesh. One issue I run into with poses is that my arms are longer than standard SL women's arms (I aim for fully proportional), which means that often my hands end up in my head. In the case of Grafica this hasn't been a problem in the two head-approaching poses I have, which is nice.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Alice Project, Alexis
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Solstice - frost purple
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe Wings
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Adore & Abhor, Shimmer Fades
Shirt: Sn@tch, Topsey Crochet Sweater
Jewelry: Donna Flora, Eccentrica
Shorts: Sn@tch, May Crystal Set
Feet: SLink, Mesh Feet
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Opium Mules

Poses: Grafica

Location: Scribbled Hearts
Light Settings: Phototools, Angles Light
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 33: Wine Cellar

I went more to the red than the purple of Wine Cellar, but it's a gorgeous combination and I really embraced the Twenties in Europe and the US - the shapeless sheaths that were early reflections of women's desires to be equals to men, along with the widespread embrace of smoking as a symbol of empowerment. Short hair served the same purpose, as well as being easier to take care of; World War One had given women a taste of the public life, and they wanted more. In retrospect, there is a headlessness to the time between the two World Wars; although we know no one could have known what was coming, the combat which would shatter an empire and set the ground for another to take root seems to be reflected in the metal and glass, in the delicate roughness that exemplifies Art Deco and the Twenties. I have always loved Art Deco and the detached, stylish, ironic air which surrounded it. It seems like a desperate, beautiful time, when everyone knew things were profoundly disordered, no one knew what to do, so we might as well drink. The class war was still reasonably well hidden, colonialism loomed largely, and people would non-ironically name a largely European War a worldwide affair. I found an exquisitely rendered Twenties haven in Mad City, the sim built for MadPea's latest two hunts. This set is centered mostly around the Hotel, which is gorgeous, but there is also several other areas as well as an enormous park and a multitude of cars. I really encourage you to go check this sim out before it vanishes in the maw of MadPea's next game.

My hat is a very old release from Eclectica that I gleefully ripped the hair out of and resized to fit new hair. I love the style of it, and the slightly uneven brim, and her gorgeous textures. I tucked into it this bob from Alice Project and tinted it blond with rainbow streaks using her amazing HUD system. I love how versatile that makes her hairs - I can really shift them to fit a lot of different looks. My cosmetics are from Mock - I layered two shades for a dull, brownish red to match the reds of the rest of my look, and it worked beautifully. One wonderful thing about Mock's lips is that most of them are at least a little translucent, which makes customization a matter of layers. My pearls are these lovely knotted ones from Deco, the colors delicate and the arrangement just a lot of fun. It looks like I've been out dancing all night and not noticed what happened below my chin. I'm semi-saturated on jewelry these days, but something unique and quirky like this always seems to steal the Linden out of my pockets. My wings are free - f r e e - and do not look it; they are the Apsara wings from Illusions in rainbow, and part of the Taste the Rainbow Hunt. I simply adore them, and the curls and colors fit the Art Deco aesthetic beautifully. My dress is an astonishing release from Volstead which is a lot more scandalous than it looks - the mesh dress is actually semi-translucent, and it's only the texturing layers on my skin which make it look like clothing one could wear in public. It also moves beautifully, and wasn't quite as square as some of the other dresses I've seen. My cigarette, and my poses, are all from Flowey; I have Whiskey Monday to blame for turning me on to her, and I've never regretted it; one wonderful thing about her poses is how natural they often seem - not posed or false but rather how one stands when no one is looking. Finally, I've shown off these shoes before but they deserve a second look - released by Schadenfreude, the heels have a gorgeous Art Deco style heel and are tintable in five different places, which means they can be adapted to an awful lot of looks.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Alice Project, Mary
Hat: Eclectica, Cloche Hat
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick 1: Mock, Sahne Bitter Chocolate
Lipstick 2: Mock, Lucir LipColor Vin Rouge
Jewelry: Deco, Marilyn Pearls
Wings: Illusions, Apsara Wings (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Cigarette: Flowey, Heirloom Cigarette Holder
Dress: Volstead, Scandal Dress
Shoes: Schadenfreude, Casinelle Shoes

Pose: Flowey

Location: Mad City - The Silent Peacock Hotel
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Herr Gracken
Water Settings: NB, Sparkling Depths

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Taste the Rainbow Hunt: Rainbowtastic

The Taste the Rainbow Hunt is a very small hunt, but one that is extremely heavy on high quality, wonderful things which I completely had a ball collecting and making an outfit out of. I'll do a complete review of the hunt soon, but for now I'm just showing off one of the many looks available. I am by way of a rainbow fiend, as many who know me know, and so this hunt was right up my alley; in addition, the ratio of "keep" to "not quite" is extremely high - I simply adore everything I'm wearing. The hair is from Alice Project, and comes in every natural color, each of them with rainbow highlights woven in. I'm hugely fond of her highlighted textures, and the rainbow ones in particular fill me with glee. This is a gentle, curving style that went sweetly with the rest of my look. The horn, tail, and star-struck eyebrows are courtesy of aisling, and they are simply delightful. Both the horn and the tail have bundles of roses at the base, and there are little bits of sparkle coming from the tips of the horns. I really had fun tucking them into the accessories that came along with my corset from deviousMind. The roses with a rainbow veil, the necklace, the corset, rose pasties I ended up tucking into the top of the corset, a pair of textured bloomers, the tulle bustle, and the fishnet stockings all come as part of the same look in a wide variety of sizes and also as a textured top. I stuck with the rigged mesh, and was miraculously able to pair it with something I didn't get on the hunt, this pair of ruffled shorts from G Field to protect my modesty.

From Ellabella came this really intricate set of piercings, which at least for me fit out of the box with only being moved a little into place. I am not a piercing heavy person, but these are really cute and delicate, and I simply adore the texturing. The lipstick underneath them is from Pink Fuel and is one of a whole bunch of rainbow colors. Sometimes I have difficulties with lipsticks that are designed for the very pouty mouth a lot of avatars have - I have a wider, thinnner lip than a lot of the skins I see, so it's always fun to find cosmetics that work with my preferences. The wings are another set from Deviance, this time in a pale pastel rainbow instead of a rich, dark set of rainbows that were released in the gatcha. I was glad to see a paler set since finding a wide variety of rainbows of different hues can be a real challenge, and these add significantly to my collection. My only complaint about the hunt is the sad dearth of rainbow shoes, and so I ended up returning to my faithful surety, these gorgeous pale pastel shoes from katat0nik. Thus arrayed, rainbo from head to toe, I frolicked across Second Life a very happy fae.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Alice Project, Alexis Glitter/Rainbow (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Unicorn Bits: Aisling, Rainbow (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeliner: Mock, Glitterotica Eyeliner (Group Gift)
Lipstick: Pink Fuel, Metallic Lipsticks (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Piercings: Ellabella, Ballad of Stars (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Wings: Deviance, Titania Fairy Wings (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Butterfly
Dress: deviousMind, Sweet Rose Valentine (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Shorts: G Field, Mesh Frill Shorts
Shoes: katat0nik, Candy Rainbow

Poses: Flowey

Location: Chouchou
Light Settings: Nacon's Afternoon
Water Settings: TOR, Atomist

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 20 - Simply Cider

Simply Cider is a fun Twisted Color combination. I actually had the outfit set up, but ended up spending most of Saturday in a meeting and then the rest of the night as an awesome alpaca dancing in a row. One of the things I continue to love about Second Life is how untethered we are with out appearance - how in a moment's notice I can become something entirely transformed. Evens light changes can be unnerving, like adding these new eyes from Rue in, giving me dark, catlike eyes. She has a whole slew of releases, all of them the eyeballs which means that you can mix and match, but I stuck with a single set - the closest to rainbow. Aren't they gorgeous? Along with unnerving - the inclusion of black instead of the usual white really catches me off guard, looking at myself. I'm used to a much more innocent, less alien Deoridhe. My hair is from Wasabi Pills, a short, almost birdlike affair which adds to the disquiet; I think of myself as having long hair, so whenever I don a short hairstyle it's always an enormous change. My dress is an incredible release from Valentina E Couture, who has really come into her own with mesh clothing. I love the ribbon around the waist, and the dual-colored hem. My one complaint is how far down the invisible layer goes - far enough that I took it off for the picture below so that my upper legs are visible.

My shoes are a very old set from Alice Project, and I still simply adore them. They have so many options they still blow me away - you can change between the stiletto above to a wedge, in an enormous variety of colors; I pull them out every now and then simply because I love them, and the band over the toe of the shoe is perfect for dual color outfits. My jewelry, which is amazing, is another color changing marvel, this time from Virtual Impressions which has quickly become a favorite. It's also dual colorable, with a delicate winding pattern to it which is really enchanting. The store has some wonderful group gifts, which also allow you to pick up some fantastic sets with a lot of options for much less than expected. My nails are from Nine Inch Nails, a very new store with some amazing options for your nails. I particularly liked these divided nails, with the lace across the divide, and couldn't resist picking up several other similar styles. As time goes on, the additions for SLink nails are becoming more ornate and beautiful, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what creators come up with next.

patt

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Candace (promotional item)
Eyes: Rue, Pluto: Radium
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Brown & Purple
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick : Mock, Lucir Lipcolor
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Skye
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: Valentina E Couture, Berries Dress Grape (Liason Collaborative)
Jewelry: Virtual Impressions, Cindy
Hands: SLink, Enhanced Mesh Hands
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Stockings: Vextra Messing, Sheer Stockings
Shoes: Alice Project, Faelin Pumps

Poses: Glitterati

Location: .XVIMCI
Light Settings: Sim Default
Water Settings: Sim Default

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 12 - Hemingway in the Sienna

I think I'm going to be a week late for a while. Hemingway in the Sienna is another orange challenge, and I'm late once more! Go me! This has been a very busy end of the month for me, and I think one can tell in the sudden drop off in posts! Working my butt off at the Fashion Faire didn't help either! In the near future is the Fantasy Faire, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be an official blogger there again. This Twisted Color Challenge was surprisingly fun despite the surplus of orange, though; the combination of orange and creme is a very soothing one, though I'm not sure I quite hit the shade of orange head on. I adore this dress from katat0nik, though, so how could I resist showing it off? I particularly like the lacing down the back and how it blends into the skirt - which is a flexible prim skirt, not a mesh one. One thing I do miss in mesh is the sense of movement that you can sometimes achieve with flexible prims, and you can see that in the tilt of the skirt above. I paired the dress - which comes with the adorable nurses hat shown with it - with a curly-ended pony tail hairstyle from Alice Project. The color of the hair is a new one, though I'm not sure I quite managed to capture it in these images. Part of her new Sparkle Princess release, this new HUD of colors adds sparkles into the lives of all who love Alice Project. I chose sparkles at the tips of my hair, but it's hard to capture in images even if it's very pretty in avatar.

I have a couple of other very special releases to show off, and the first are these simply breathtaking new boots from Rue. Now, those who know Rue, know her mostly for her eyes and her horns - and for both of them she does these amazing color combinations and fades which really blow me away. She has decided to tackle shoes next, and I have to admit I'm amazed at the result. These boots are color-changable by a HUD which allows for changing the main part of the boot, and the alternate color heel and toe. She started with the normal pack, but for Ostara she released and incredible variety which simply gave me the vapors - seriously, I felt a little faint when I first began to try on the different HUDs. There is also an extra special release just for her group, because she really loves us, but what I'm showing above is one of the ones for public release. She also told me, though I haven't tried it yet, that you can mix and match between different HUDs. I love customizability, seriously! The other recent release that I'm just in raptures about is the headwings - earwings? - from Remarkable Oblivion. These were sold at L'Accessories, but I live in hope they will show up in his store afterwards because they rule! I ended up buying another set on an alt, since I'm setting her up to look awesomely weird.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Ears: Illusions, Seelie
Headwings: Remarkable Oblivion, Elysium White
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Makeup Gold
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss - toast
Hair: Alice Project, Persephone
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: katat0nik, Happy Nurse - orange
Jewelry: Mariposa, Simplicity
Heels: Rue, Soles/Sass

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Gayhaven Parish
Light Settings: Places Abracadabra
Water Settings: Mirror Glass

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

ICHP: Dilly Dolls Free Style

This is the blog post that took two days and an assistant! A very kind person, upon hearing me whinge in group chat, helped me figure out how to reset my avatar so I could add cosmetics - which is why I'm able to showcase this brand new hunt prize from Dare Designs, which is taking part in the horrifically difficult Twisted Hunt. Dilly Dolls is as well, with a white-textured version of the above boots, but these are the very special release for the new FreeStyle Store which opened recently. Everything in it is under 50$L, and quite a few things are 0$L, so it's a good place to send your friendly impoverished or new friends. The FreeStyle version of these boots and the crown are color-changing, so if you aren't prepared to goth it up with black, there's a bright and shiny white version. The dress is not, sadly, available at FreeStyle, but it is a recent release at the Dilly Dolls's store. As always, her clothing comes with a wide variety of colors with a HUD to change the textures, and this dress has an added bonus - you can remove the top, the skirt, or both to wear just the corset, so it's incredibly adaptable. These boots and crown from Dilly Dolls are also mesh, but are not rigged, so they can be very easily resized and fitted. I ended up making the boots a lot larger because I am not a bird! Belying the not-a-bird, I added wings to my head as well as my back - the creator behind Remarkable Oblivion send me a second set of these headwings with a white option, and then I heartlessly used the black texturing instead because I have no gratitude (no, really, thank you!). I have no idea if these are for sale anywhere, or if they're reserved for bloggers who complain - you could try a notecard complaint, too, and see if it works! (No, don't do that, wait... bad idea.)

My hair is an older release from Alice Project, making use of her incredibly versatile HUD which allows you to not only color the hair with fades and tints, but also to tint different parts of the hair with different colors, thus allowing for entirely weird styles like above, where I attempted to put every color in my outfit into my hair. I think it worked pretty well, actually. The collar is a very old purchase from DownDownDown; I had found it during one of the gatcha festivals on the sim her store was on; it wasn't a gatcha prize, but it was reasonable and unique, and I fell in love. The collar has a wire which arches from the back, curving around my body elegantly. One thing I love about shopping malls, and miss now that they've become more rare, is the way that events would introduce me to brand new stores I might have never run into otherwise. To an extent, sales and themed events can do a similar thing, but it often seems like the stores are frequently the same - not that I don't love them, believe me I do, but I sometimes feel more insular than I used to be. That being said, blogs are a great way to find new places to take pictures, and I found the Nitroglobus Gallery through one of the blogs on my sidebar - now I have no idea which one, but thank you! It's an extremely changeable place; the basic idea is simple, mushrooms and a bridge, but the mushrooms have ever-changing textures on them, and there are eyes floating around to look at you, and the final effect is rather creepy. I really like it, especially with the floating lens-flares and mist.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 04-A
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Cosmetics: Dare Designs, Delirium 01 full (Twisted Hunt Prize)
Hair: Alice Project, Grace
Headwings: Remarkable Oblivion, Malificient Head Wings - RGB
Crown: Dilly Dolls, Hearty Crown - Freestyle Edition
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Collar: DownDownDown, Code choker
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Dilly Dolls, Kasset - Black & Dark
Boots: Dilly Dolls, Matilda Boots - Freestyle Edition

Poses: !bang

Location: Nitroglobus Gallery
Light Settings: In Situ

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Watermelon Spring

This is a gorgeous new release from Dilly Dolls - a spaghetti strap dress with dark detailing and brilliant colors. I found that the medium fit me like a glove out of the box, except for my belly which is unfashionably large; once I shrunk that, I didn't even need an invisible layer - which was good since the included one cut a little too wide across the chest. It's a fun, flirty style accepted by dark black ribbons - a really high contrast look which could only be matched by an older set of her shoes - these really fun skully heels. I could only match the brilliance of the outfit with the watermelon hair coloring from Alice Project. I adore her HUD based coloring system, which means I have an eternity of fades at my fingertips. This one I really adore - green tips, with the melon-white before the hot pink begins; it was perfect for the overall look. Getting jewelry for it was a real challenge, but in my first picture I was inspired to dig deep, and I ended up pulling back up this amazing jewelry set from Eclectica, which allows for dying with different colors.

The final touch was the eye cosmetics from Boom. I really adore these, and my only thought on how they could be improved (eyes open or closed) is if the eyes were each done separately so that I could mix and match more freely. After setting myself up as a living, flying watermelon by tinting my wings from Fancy Fairy and my nails from SLink to match, there was only one place on the grid I could go - to Torley Island. Torley is a Linden who loves hot pink and lime green, and has accumulated a sim full of these things. His usual drop point leaves one in a modernistic world made mostly of white, with the occasional highlight of pink and green. I ended up hunting those up, posing in front of them with careless abandon while I waited for the perfect moment. He also has some free textures available for anyone who wants to have at - so go and enjoy! Me, I'm just enjoying the bright colors which always remind me of that greatest of summer joys, watermelon.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Boom, Eye Paint - watermelon
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss - appleblossom
Hair: Alice Project, Kumi
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Jewelry: Eclectica, Clusters Jewelry
Dress: Dilly Dolls, Nykki 2 - Pink & Green
Stockings: Grass green thigh highs
Shoes: Dilly Dolls, Dasha Skully Pumps

Poses: Adorkable

Location: Torley Island

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2013 Twisted Color Challenge: Week 2 - Pinky and the Brain

I'm doing two pinks in a row, which is unusual for me. Usually I like to space out the colors, do something if haven't done recently, but the demands of challenges are neverending, and the second week of the Twisted Color Challenge is Pinky and the Brain - all pink and gray and creepy. I love the old cartoons, and that one always made me giggle; serious enough to be thought provoking, silly enough to be fun. I tried for a similar vibe with this cute dress from Sublime Shroud Kreations, a pink and gray confection of fluff and ruffles in a cotton candy medieval style. I especially love the ruffles around the neck; I'd love to see a similar style done in mesh. I added in one of the special hairstyles from Alice Project - blonde with rainbow highlights. I love her streak hairstyles, especially the rainbow ones. I added on this sweet jewelry set from Eclectica, gold with pink enamel that I always try to sneak into outfits just because it's so sweet and simple. Rounding out the look is an eyeshadow and lipstick combination from Mock which I really like - I took off my eyelashes for it! I adore the zebra texturing up into the eyebrows in particular.

I had planned another place for a photoshoot, but I settled on Lost World after hearing it's about to be removed from the grid - only about ten days left to enjoy it before it closes at the end of the month. Some of the texturing is a bit odd - it might be the effect of shiny, I'm not sure - but it's a lovely, outdoor spot with little hidden areas and gorgeous vistas, so seek it out while it's around to be sought. A lot of sims are going this way - fading out into the ether for whatever reason, usually a lack of cash. I know a number of bloggers consider this fading a deathknell of sorts, a statement on how Second Lie is doing. I'm never sure, and if there's one thing I've learned as I grow older, it's to be careful of my predictions. So often they are wrong; remaining closer to what I'm experiencing instead of what I think will happen is simply more comfortable for me. One thing I do like, though, is the heads up to check new places out. I wish there was a more reliable way of passing the word before there a countdown to closing; I suck at deadlines.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Mock, Aos Sl Zebra Masque
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, May Lipcolor - iCandee
Hair: Alice Project, Tessa Blonde/Rainbow
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Sublime Shroud Kreations, Lady Drianna (promotional item)
Jewelry: Eclectica, Herbals Rose Set
Shoes: G Field, Bow Strap Shoes "Kate"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Lost World
Light Settings: Phototools, rara Fall Home Light

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2012 Color Challenge: Week 52 - Amazon

I'm late for the last installment of the 52 Color Challenge - the holidays were amazingly fun, of the sort of fun which didn't inspire me to sit on a computer and take pictures - and so I am horribly tardy! Boo me! Amazon is a really fun color, though, and I ended up being inspired by a new release from Wishbox for the final challenge of the final end of the Color Challenge. A few more options have popped up or a replacement, but I'm not sure how many I'll try to do; I try to minimize my stressors, and leave this blog a fun place, but I also really enjoy inspirations to delve into the depths of my inventory and pull out new, fun, and beautiful things. We'll see how the balance ends up finding itself in twenty thirteen. At least I'm starting out in a gorgeous, lacy gown by Wishbox, inspired by the best in Gothic Lolita style - I adore the lacy sleeves. My one complaint, if it can even be called that, is that the sleeves don't bend with my arms; I've been very spoilt by rigged mesh, and it amazes me to realize how briefly it has been used for clothing in Second Life. I paired it with a lovely, simply style from Alice Project - another of her Advent releases. I like how the subtle green and red in the hair catches the green of the dress, and each little bow and ribbon of lace makes me squee.

Going from vacation back to work has been a trying affair; most evenings I find myself incredibly sleepy, and not really much of the energy or temper for photography or exploration. That being said, it's clear the grid itself is surging with secretive new releases - both in terms of releases from a variety of stores, and in terms of changes ot the programming of the grid to try to make it more stable. Stability and speed of loading have long been problems in Second Life, and I have to admit I'm thrilled to hear that they're being addressed, even if the doomsayers are all over saying Second Life is dead and dying. Sim are going away - these pictures are taken among the cottages of Alchemy Immortalis as a sort of swan song to the design and beauty. The store is remaining, but the sims around it are going away - in one way or another. They're a gorgeous combination of rich textures, so take a change to swing through while you can.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Virtual Insanity, Twisted - Grass
Eyelashes 1: Flugeln Brise, 04-A
Eyelashes 2: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Mizu - Russian Red
Hair: Alice Project, Hyori (Advent Gift)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Wishbox, Coquette - Green
Boots: G Field, Strap Shoes "Alex" suede

Posse: Glitterati

Location: Alchemy Immortalis and Surrounding Sims
Light Settings: Natural High
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Vengeance in Oil

I both love and hate the MadPea Hunts. I love them because they are expansive stories, covering a lot of ground, with intriguing stories and amazing settings which invite photography and immersion. I really hate how people hide things, how small the hunt items are, and the sometimes backlash in the group chat against helping people hunt. I'm a big believer in things remaining fun and not taking too much time (too much usually defined as over an hour). It's not that I want things handed to me, but I have a somewhat stressful job and I find struggling with laggy sims and trying to find tiny objects half hidden under other objects to also be frustrating. That's at least in part why I've mostly stopped doing hunts - but MadPea remains my main exception; I do it every time, and try to get it done early so that I can blog the prizes (yes, there is a Room 326 Post coming), but I also like to include little additional hints in the places I really struggled and I absolutely adore helping people find things. Yes, maybe people should think through things a second time before asking for help, but also hunts are supposed to be fun, not something to shame people about or make them feel bad, so I will always default to helping people and being thrilled when they finally get to those final creepy rooms which solve the mystery of Room 326 in the Silent Peacock Hotel.

I had originally thought to take pictures of these recent releases from Dilly Dolls. The dress is now available in light colors, and their creator made some changes to the dark; now you can wear it with and without the shrug and boobie-options (see my old blogpost here), and it's fixed so that it blessedly no longer bugs out your eyes so I'm not blindfolded for the pictures! I really love the little details on it - the ruffles on the hips, the curve of the rear end, and the contrast between itty bitty dress and big stompy boots which regularly appeals to me. I paired it with a gorgeous jewelry set from Eclectica, with chandelier danglies and shiny gems. The hair is no longer available, though - I cruelly taunt you with one of the Advent Prizes from Alice Project, but to salve your pains I do assure you the style is available in her store. I finished the stompy fairy look with very simple cosmetics - a gold and coal eyeshadow from Elymode and a simple neutral lip from Mock. The images are form the End Game of Madpea's hunt, which I'm not linking too, but I did link to the beginning of the hunt if you want to check it out.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Coal and Gold
Eyelashes 1: Flugeln Brise, 04-A
Eyelashes 2: SLink, MeshEyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss - Toast
Hair: Alice Project, Seohyun (Advent Gift)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: Dilly Dolls, Kitty Light (Yellow)
Jewelry: Eclectica, White Opulence
Boots: Dilly Dolls, Kitty Stompers Light (Yellow)

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Endgame for the MadPea Hunt
Light Settings: In Situ

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Advent Gifts

The Advent season is a time of cheer in Second Life, particularly in the hands of generous creators! I have mixed feelings about Advent simply because I'm a forgetful fae and having to do something every day is pretty much designed to trip me up! So far I'm doing pretty well, though; almost everything I'm wearing is an Advent prize I've gotten over the past eight days, though all muddled up and needless to say not available anymore. The dress is from Falln Angel Creations, and is one of the many free things available at the store; there's an advent tree along with additional lucky prizes under the tree nearby and a free gift every time you enter the store as well! The glasses and horns are fun gifts from 22769, one of the more confusingly named stores, but definitely a generous creator. I'm particularly fond of the horns, with their flickering candles giving off light. The cosmetics on my eyes are from Elymode, and there are also outfits in the offing - a picture above the Advent prizes shows ranges of prizes to tempt you. The amazing hair with red and green highlights are from Alice Project, and she's releasing a new hair a day with the special coloring, which is really fun! Finally, the necklace and ring are from Ginza, and I really have loved a lot of the other jewelry releases already, so I'm looking forward to blessings in the days to come.

SL Blogger Support has a sweet list of Advent Prizes, some of which don't start until the twelve days before Christmas. I don't know o anyone who is actually together enough to show off all of the prizes every day, but personally I identify the stores I really like the products of and then swing around them every day! Other stores I've been going to include Adorkable Poses, Swayland, Hopscotch, and Dark Moon Creations - all of them have really awesome prizes. I meant to use some of the poses, but I utterly forgot until after the pictures were taken (remember what I said about forgetful?). I'm having fun hunting out wintery sims and posing in inappropriate clothing all over them, though! A lot of places have decorated, though I always wonder if it's completely weird for people on the southern half of the planet, where it's summer right now.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Glasses: 22769, X-Mas Glasses - fir green (Advent Prize)
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Holiday Liner and Shadow - gold (Advent Prize)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: L. Fauna, Red 1
Lipgloss: Mock, Mizu Venetian Red
Hair: Alice Project, Hyori Christmas (Advent Prize)
Horns: 22769, X-Mas Aries Horns (Advent Prize)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Necklace: Ginza, Dove necklace (Advent Prize)
Ring: Ginza, Bird ring (Advent Prize)
Dress: Falln Angel Creations, Amrita Gown (Advent Prize)
Shoes: G Field, Slingback Shoes

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Incendia Outdoors
Light Settings: Paulina, Fairy Dark Blue
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2012 Color Challenge: Week 45 - Bittersweet

None of my outfits are called Bittersweet, but I think I matched the color pretty well! I actually started full sized, then remembered one of Skinthesis' Flights petites I had gotten at the fantasy faire, and that the dress I was wearing from Evie's Closet came in a petite size, and I simply couldn't resist going tiny once more. The green of the dress is echoed in the butterfly - this is the Monarch one but it comes with five different shades - which I thought was a nice effect. Setting up a look around a color is really an area of strength for me, but even this week I struggled - orange is my least favorite color, and this was an odd pinky-orange shade which very few people make. The hair was the final holdout, but luckily Alice Project's fatpack gives me shades of red. I'm not regretting passing up on her limited edition flamingo color set for Collobor88, though! I had seriously considered it at the time, and I think the pinky-orange of Bittersweet was better matched from that set, but a highlighted red works out well enough. I thought finding a place for pictures would be even harder, but when I saw the name claudia222 I had high hopes, and when I teleported to Mesh Mellows I was hooked. Like a lot of her art, this is bigger than it first appears; the tiny island exists as a starting point to a hundred other views I could insinuate myself into even easier than usual, since I was so tiny. I adored in particular being one of a flock of tiny, orange birds which made up the better part of hair and clothing for a woman frozen in time.

One thing I noticed this time in particular as well, claudia222's art is always full of faces - most of them female but with the occasional male - something else which simply makes my own face and body fit in, albeit as much less Gigerific. Her art is always such a mix of the beautiful and the disturbing that I find myself lingering, time and again, watching the tiny movements of figures and the flexing of aspects of their body without being able to look away. The tiny insertions of normalcy - an old fashioned car, a Victorian house - just seem to highlight the bizarity of the trees and watching faces even more. While there, try to sit on things. I ended up riding around a rather charmingly disturbing vehicle, dangled beneath an enormous bee, but I'm not sure exactly what I sat on to get there! You can also fly about on your own, but somehow the vehicle makes it even more engaging. I'm not sure I actually reached the top of it - I know I didn't in this set of pictures but I kept going afterward. claudia222 is always good for hiding things and making you hunt, though - and it's always worth the effort. I don't know how she does it, but I'm content to watch until I figure it out!

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Body: Skinthesis, Flights - Persimmon (promotional item)
Eyes: Skinthesis, Dollie - Salmon (promotional item)
Hair: Alice Project, Petite Namie
Outfit: Evie's Closet, Bugaboo Fairy - Orange Sorbet
Jewelry: Elemental, Moonglow

Pose: Glitterati

Location: Mesh Mellows
Light Settings: TOR, FOGGY Chouchou Rockets
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only