Genre: Wild Derby Girls Run Free

This Genre look is a combination of bunches of things, and I think it turned out rather well! One of the things I love about Roller Derby is how the looks can combine femininity and aggression into a single, cohesive whole - neither undermines the other in this world of battle. In addition to a bunch of things pulled in from my inventory, I combined pieces from Sn@tch's Roller Rebel Bodysuit - most of the textures on my form - and :{MV}:'s Hellcat Derby rigged mesh pieces into a cohesive whole. It amazes me how seamlessly everything fits together; the textured bodysuit with it's long sleeves and high waisted corset piece tucks beautifully under all three :{MV}: pieces. I used the white bodysuit to balance out the dark red of my :{MV}: top, and balanced the red out with a pair of tights from Stellar and the Anachron helmet in black, red, and white.

Sou by creation.jp: Pretty as Sunshine

Sou is celebrating it's first anniversary, which means not only amazing offerings, frequently on sale, but also some amazing freebies.It continues until the 25th of July, so you have plenty of time to swing by, and a note for the boys - there is quite a lot of things for you as well.

A ton of my outfit is actually free, which blows my mind. My dress is from Azul, and is completely and gloriously free. High-cut in the front, square-cut under the arms, the dress has an uneven hem that is longer on each side and simply awash in folds. It moves wonderfully, bending with the movement of my legs and hanging smoothly over my hips. I also really like the random splotches of color across the surface in varying shades of yellow - I don't have a lot of fun yellow clothing, so this is a wonderful addition to my inventory. I'm also wearing matching free earrings, though these are from Earthstones. Gold and white enamel twist in an arch around my earlobe, and the earring is complete with narrower wire to go through my ear - a lovely bit of verisimilitude. My nails are also free, but they're free from an entirely different thing - the Body Art Hunt at La Boheme. You're looking for a cleverly hidden purple bottle - and I promise it is there!

Once I had indulged in piles of free stuff, I tossed out some Linden. While I've been on a bit of a gacha break, I did toss a few Linden into studio Akini's shiny, bitey jewelry gacha and picked up a couple of rares. I resized one to be a bracelet and shifted it to the opposite wrist for some balance. It's always a little risky to resize and move gacha things, but in this case I felt like it was worth it for the effect. Another must-have was this hair from Doe, which comes in single color and split color versions - obviously I went split here, adding a bit of rainbow to an otherwise monochrome look. I love the enormous buns, and the bangs are delightful - I especially like the tiny curls around the ears. And finally, it's katat0nik's ballet slippers that are gracing my toes, available for SLink and Maitreya flat feet. They're rigged, which means the ties around the ankle remain in place no matter what your feet do, and I look forward to stuffing my feet into their square toes the next time I need to get my ballerina on.

Genre (Anime): Scarlet Luck

I have a deep and abiding love for anime, the theme for this month's Genre. My actual favorites are the magical girl anime, where one or more girls - usually in the 12-16 range - get special powers to save the world. It is a powerful series of images at a time when girls are becoming women, stepping into a wider world, and dealing with all which that entails. My first favorite was Mysterious Thief Saint Tail, the story of a young acrobatic thief who steals form the criminal to bring justice into the world, pursued by someone who only slowly begins to see her in the chase. The eternal fan favorite was Sailor Moon, but I was always more of a Pretear or Wedding Peach sort - Pretear for it's complicated story of love and friendship, and Wedding Peach for the introductory speeches which won my heart.I've just recently tun into LaGrange, a combination of mecha and magical girls which makes me truly happy. On the twisted side of the genre, there is Princess Tutu, the story of a bird who becomes a girl who becomes a Ballet Magical Girl; it begins in a world of lightness and playfulness but rapidly evolves into a meditation on depression, pain, self-discovery, and the power of stories. And a celebration and critique of the entire genre is part of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the powerful tale of recursion, fate, and friendship.

All of these stories are about women with the will and power to change the world, but also about the challenges and glories of friendship between girls and women, and how we influence each other to grow and become better people. Sometimes, like with Pretear, the relationships between women are more tenuous, but most of the stories have a central theme of love and understanding primarily between women who may often work at cross purposes.

My outfit is in the style of magical girls, short and bubbly with plenty of ruffles and cuteness. I pulled largely from Genre this look but flavored it liberally with bits from katat0nik, who draws heavily from anime aesthetics. Her arm bands are one of my new favorite ways to accentuate an outfit, and I simply don't want to take my froggy cap off! I picked my eyes - gem style anime eyes from The Stringer Mausoleum - to match the bright blue froggy eyes of my cap. They come in a bunch of types and are fit for petites as well as full sized avatars; I'm wearing the mesh ones in these images. In true anime style, though, my eyes are almost completely hidden behind these astonishing bangs from the Kazama Store. I love the shape, and the cel shading, and the fact it is modify-ok so I could fit it to my fat head and around my enormous ears! It's all of a piece, so you can't resize individual parts, but since it's one piece you can make it wider without making it taller, which is almost as good! It comes in a bunch of colors from the naturalish to the entirely not, and would be especially perfect for an avatar more inspired by anime's artistic conventions than mine is.

Pretty much the rest of my outfit from shoes to collar are all from Faster Pussycat. There are very few ruffled skirts of this style and I really love the many layers and intricate curves. I also like the cut-out on the front of the scoop bodice and the delicate strings tied between them. The heels are entirely impractical - good things I have wings! - but that makes them a fun example of high, stylistic platforms. The polka dot detailing pulled the outfit together, and I really liked the skull touch - that and the rich shade of red round out what is otherwise a sweet and adorable outfit. The hint of death among the cute is definitely a recurring theme of anime and magical girl anime in particular. Under the cute and frills there are darker drives and painful experiences that gradually transform girls into women, if the girls survive the process. I accented my outfit's colors, and it's theme, with my nails, an elegant circle and stripe motif from Dark Passions, not available at Genre but definitely worth picking up oh its own. Referencing Ophelia and her destruction as a teenager, it seemed entirely appropriate.

Left of Center

Winter can be a melancholy time, an exhausting time, a time for inward turning, and a time for deep thoughts. I've been dwelling on a few different things - one being power, how we know we have power, how we identify being powerful, what empowerment means, and the difference between actual and perceived power. Knowing when one does and doesn't have power is complicated because perceived power can give rise to actual power, and actual power can be perceived as powerlessness. I was also thinking about that in the context of groups, group dynamics, the prejudices individuals-as-members-of-groups are prone to. I've been really struck lately by the rhetorical plays people make and trying to figure out why - is it accurate all the way down to bone, or is there a calculus for winning which steps in? A discussion of creating a woman-dominated space was responded to using stereotypes of weakness and pink, and it was all intra-group; a woman and feminist objects to sartorial and language choices of other women; women organize to police and exclude each other as part of seeking equality; there is something bent here when it aggregates. There is something also in the stories we tell, and how we work with and against them as individuals. The world is made up of layers of meaning, and sometimes I think truly understanding is completely impossible.

I'm wearing a couple of things from Level Up, specifically this wonderful dress and necklace (the latter a gacha) from katat0nik. The motif  of the dress is froggies, the style adorable, the skirt semi-transparent. I'm wearing the average size here; it goes larger and smaller on both ends and works well on both thin and curvy bodies. I actually want clothes like this offline - the fluffy skirt is a favorite of mine, and who doesn't love a sailor suit top? The necklaces, which are gacha prizes like I said, are all fruit themes in a wide variety of colors. The little bow in the same color is adorable. I went with a loose, flowy ponytail from Clawtooth in a very simple blond. One nice thing about rigged hairs is that ponytails can now stay nicely tucked against the body instead of going every which way whenever one turned ones' head, and this is a waist-length ponytail worth having, as much for the flyaway bangs as anything else. My stockings are an old, lucky purchase from Stellar which I really love; they actually came in all green, but I thought the white contrasted more nicely with my shoes and were less overpoweringly a saturated green - the touch of the clover is enough to echo the green of the frogs. Capping off my toes are these fun variants on a Mary Jane style heel, with the delicate ribbon along the edge of the shoe and the shiny, silver buttons. They come from Mango Cheeks, and are a fantastic, elegant shoe - I ended up picking up the fatpack! I especially like how the band is tapered instead of steady, reflecting the pressure put on it by the feet, and giving it that little extra touch to set it apart from other shoes.

Genre: Sacred

I've never been accused of being particularly androgynous; if anything, I tend sharply toward the femme end of the spectrum, being a fan of skirts, frills, ribbons, and shiny jewels. That's part of what makes Genre so fun, though - offering up opportunities to go against the grain stylishly. One thing I particularly liked about what I've seen so far is that contrary to the tendency for "androgynous" to be most often translated to menswear for women, Genre offers up several types of womenswear for men, and some truly lovely clothing that meets in the middle - like this long skirted suit by A:S:S. It's available with and without boobs, and somehow manages to meld together feminine and masculine in both pieces - the narrow simplicity of the suit top complements slighter builds while the length of the skirt is reminiscent of robes worn as much by men as women, especially historically. I'm not normally a suit wearer, but this one tickles my fancy much more than I would have otherwise expected. I echoed the narrow tie in the earrings from claMberry, which feature silver findings (gold is also available) and long, thin ties. They're quite fun as an accessory, especially with an androgynous theme.

I wanted relative simplicity for the rest of my look, and so focused immediately on this neutral, extremely pale skin from Even Tide. It's delicately shaded, and would work as well on a man's shape as a woman's; the body shading is delicate and lets the mesh shape do much of the work. It also comes with a selection of tattoo layers for different effects and shadows, but I wore it plain and it is lovely without a single addition. It doesn't come with appliers for any of the body add-ons, but I was able to match the skintone using SLink's basic utility. Even with the more feminine touch of my Mock lipstick, the effect is much more boyish than my usual. I wanted a similarly boyish hairstyle, and so went with The Stringer Mausoleum's wilted mohawk in a startling shade of white called, happily, "Unicorn." I love the jagged edges of it, and how it drapes beautifully over the temple. There are a bunch of other colors, but I found a certain glee in going white on white under the darkness of my severe suit. Speaking of severe, by far my clompiest accessory is these amazing boots from C L A Vv, in shiny patent leather. I adore the weight of them, and the angled shine. My poses are all suited for men or women, and are from Mien. They're fairly straightforward overall, with arms set wide enough to not cut into the body whether boob bedecked or otherwise!

And finally, Schadenfreude not only released a treat bucket, but she released four - one of them as a special gift for members of the Silent Sparrow group and at the tail end of a lot of up and down stairs, because that store is a three dimensional labyrinth. If you aren't one of the lucky members, you can get a free brown and orange one at Schadenfreude's store as well, and if you're a member of that august group there's also a group-only bucket hidden somewhere around the elephant, but I love my red and blue carnival bucket so dearly! I also have it on good authority that katat0nik has a similarly individualized and fun bucket in melon shades for her group members, which means one can match trick or treat buckets with almost any look.

Hoofing It

Sometimes I make a look from odds and ends, and after events close, and I really like it, and this is one of those times, so apologies for anything you can't get yet. I put on the dress from katat0nik, which came out of the last collabor88 event (we've already started the new one - nope, haven't been there, yet). It hasn't made its way to her Main Store yet, but her other collabor88 outfits have, so it's just a matter of time. This is a cute miniskirt with color matching collar and necktie, something which can be dressed up or down depending on your mood. I did both; to dress it more casually, I added this ponytail style from Wasabi Pills, a release from during the Cutie Moon Faire that's now at her Main Store. See what I said about everything being a little late? It's gorgeous, but one of the effects of all of these events is that I feel like I'm perpetually behind the eight ball. But I look so pretty when I'm scrambling to catch up! In light of the scramble, I kept my cosmetics casual - a nice eyeshadow from Mock dark enough to make my eyes stand out, and a double layer of lipstick from Blacklace in an orangey hue of my symbol of power.

I dressed this look up with said symbol of power, this awesome crown from Alchemy, one of many I got when I did my casual drive by of her Gatcha at the Secret Affair Event, which goes until the end of the month. I did one of those, "Oh, just passing by give me a rare" walks a couple of times and hit the jackpot - but you'll have to wait a little to see the fruit of that particular luck. The Iron Crown is lovely in platinum, though, and I love the jewel in it - though I have to admit, my color obsessive soul really wished the jewel was color change. I know, I know, common in a gacha, but it would have been cool. How it fit in with the bangs of my Wasabi Pills hair, though, is as accidental as it is awesome (and a big part of why I kept the hair even while I was dressing my look up), and I really love the boldness of the design. The final bit of formality for this look is these amazing shoes from Lassitude & Ennui, which I have been trying to match with a look for ages because they're simply awesome. Reminiscent of Seventeenth Century France, at least to me, they come in frosty shades and fit beautifully on a standard foot. I especially like the large buckle across the front.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Bunny Mesh
Crown: Alchemy, Iron Crown
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Less of a Blues Girl
Lipstick 1: Blacklace, Beauty Pout Gloss
Lipstick 2: Blacklace, Beauty Pout Clear
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: A:S:S, Precious 2
Dress: katat0nik, Working Girl
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Versailles

Pose: HopScotch

Location: Miskatonia
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Herr Gracken
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Down the Rabbit Hole - A Hunt, Lolitas, and Me

The RMK Bunny Hunt has about another two weeks in it, so there's still time to get some of the awesome prizes available. In this case, I'm wearing the outfit and shoes from the two Flagship Shops of the sim, which were made both charming and to match. RokumeikaN offers a single size outfit, but I found it fit well out of the box and hopefully it will for other people as well. I love the pale pastel blue of it, the frills on the shirt - even the shorts, though I'm not normally a shorts kind of girl. This is a distinctly Prince Lolita look with some girly frills - the bow, the purse - to frill it out. The shoes, made to match and also available in other colors, are from Theater Chain and seamlessly meld with the outfit. I took my ensemble further Prince-like in my styling - removing the bow and the purse and adding on this adorable tophat from katat0nik, which is a reminder of why I love her Lolita styling so much. It is a gatcha prize from the Arcade Event, which means that it's a gambling to get the one you want, but all of them are so inventive and adorable that even a few should settle you well. I paired it with a short, boyish hairstyle from Wasabi Pills, and otherwise kept the look very basic and neutral - sticking with a bare skin and simple nails from Pulcino - a final RMK Bunny Hunt, and an awesome set of striped nails - metallic and colorful. I used the white and gunmetal, but there are bunches of different colors included in the set. The pose sets I use, with their accompanying props, were an old purchase from Uncertain Smile, and are part of why that store is a growing force in my inventory for sims which don't allow scripts to be run (which is a distressingly high number of them for a HUD-based poser like me). The props are well-made and suite the poses, and my only complaint would be how few are in a set; it's hard to do a full set of six pictures when I'm working off of under ten poses. That problem will be best served with time, though, as I see a lot of Uncertain Smile in my future purchases.

The following is a little dark - so if you want to leave everything on a sparkly note, read no further.

One of the interesting things about the Lolita style and community is that while it started in one very proscribed place - and some of the tendency for rigid classification remains in the bones of the style - it has branched out incredibly far in terms of what is possible and considered Lolita. I rarely go full on, though my favorite style of all is Hime Lolita, the girliest and frilliest of the lot; if I were to make a dress offline, it would be in a rainbow Hime Lolita style with hair to match. My relationship with Lolita is not without it's quirks, though; one of the common critiques of Lolita is that it is about the sexualization of cuteness. Another is that it's about infantalizing women. Both have their valid perspectives - while Lolita is culturally about modesty, the name is most closely associated with the book by Vladimir Nabokov about the systematic predation of a stepfather on his stepdaughter, which included the common inaccurate rationalization of her seducing him (one which is often repeated by people who don't read the text closely - this is one flaw with unreliable narrators) and the subsequent damage to her which is observed but not understood by the society which surrounds her. There is a dark irony to the fact that so many people blame Lolita for what happened to her - an echo of the thousands of children who are still blamed for being targeted successfully by sexual predators. There is another irony to a subset of women claiming the same title for a community based not only around women, but also women as non-sexual but still attractive people.

In the end, the charge of infantalizing has more teeth than a double irony of a name - making Lolita into what she should have been, an innocent girl who became a woman without the predation of a man. There are definite issues with women retreating into a false innocence, and while the individual reasons may vary widely, the cultures they are responding to are disappointingly similar. One of the twisted aspects of societies in which sexual abuse is used as crowd control over people is that the history and identity of the victim is more relevant to whether they are blamed for being abused than any actions on the part of the predator. So, pre-pubescent, white children are the most innocent, prisons in jails pretty low on the list, and the culpability of a woman based on her life, even if the predator had no way of knowing about it; young, white, virgin gives one a decent chance of not being blamed, but every step away from that - even a perceived step based on dress - and the more likely people will blame the victim for what happened to her or him. Within this twisted trap, it's easy to see the appeal of a non-sexual, infantile presentation - it is simply safer in terms of the level of blame one will happen if anything "goes wrong" (see: if a predator targets you). Innocence may not be a defense before an attack, but it might serve that after if one is very lucky.

This is a very dark place to go, especially in the context of something so bright, colorful, and lovely - but I think the motivations of adults are often much more complicated than we initially believe. On the one hand, I cannot deny that part of my draw to Lolita style is the flow, the ruffles, the pretty hairpins, the refined behavior, the white gloves. I have a crown I wear sometimes when I feel down in an echo of a character I read about long ago, who kept her crown in her bed room. I have pretty, work-appropriate clothing that I wear that receives many complements, and crystal-embellished hair clips that I wear as much as I can. The light, sparkling, giggly, fun aspects of the world simply appeal to me on a profound level, and I consider that a basic part of my nature. However, I can't deny that some of it is an escape on a variety of levels from a society which objectifies me and those like me; some of it is an escape from experiences of sexual predation and abuse that I've had; the brightest things in my life often cast very dark shadows, and even as it's in my nature to be drawn to every rainbow that ever was, I'm simultaneously driven to stare into every shadow I find to see my own reflection within it.

We are made up of light and dark, rising and falling, sun and shadow.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Katie
Hat: katat0nik, Cameo Hat (Arcade)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Pulcino, Coffee Time (RMK Bunny Hunt Prize)
Outfit: RokumeikaN, Alice (RMK Bunny Hunt Prize)
Shoes: Theater Chain, Alice Lolita Shoes (RMK Bunny Hunt Prize)

Poses: Uncertain Smile

Location: RMK Gothic
Light Settings: Phototools, Huffepuff 2
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 52 - Deck the Halls

This is the last twisted color challenge - Deck the Halls - and I think I've come up with something rather delicious to round out the year. I've started playing around a bit with the expressions in Second Life, and it gives a little more life to otherwise doll-like inexpressiveness of my avatar. Up close the expression changes are cartoonishly enormous, but at a distance the hard edges are softened into moods and manner - sly smiles, bored expressions, a moment of laughter. I wish there was a smoother set of expressions - its one of the aspects of the Second Life avatars which is an artifact of how old they are, and the low bar they set for appearance. I keep wondering if down the pike some new avatar meshes are coming out way - after all of the mesh add-ons, the hands and feet I'm displaying in these images, for example, which greatly improve on the basic avatar, but which have seems and additional restrictions which can be challenging.

It's interesting to think about how minimally important the initial creators of Second Life found the avatars - just stand-ins for themselves, often unchanging for years - along with how baffled they were by how much people wanted to recreate the world of cars and houses that exists outside of the virtual world. Second Life is a world of imagination, but imagination is not as unmoored from reality as I think people often believe; we get our inspiration from the world around us, our life experiences, and the things which are important to us. One of the fascinating things about a low-investment thing like Second Life fashion, where high fashion can be purchased for under five dollars, is how varied and interesting peoples' fashion senses are. In a world without accidents, where bodies can be augmented and can fit the most demanding or extreme style of body - from the thinnest, to the most voluptuous, personal style becomes not just the meeting point of bodies and cloth, but also a fully realized dream of what we could be if only we could chose everything.

My dress is from LivGlam, and was - if I recall correctly - part of one of her holiday hunts. She does completely dreamtastic hunts; I think my favorite part is the enormous images of every possible prize, so if one has an inventory the size of mine, one can pick and chose what works without having to pick up and try everything. If one doesn't have an overflowing inventory, though, or one seeks to expand into new areas of style, one can pick up everything and have an awesome working wardrobe right out of the gate. Her store is worth a good look, too; in addition to taking part in half a dozen weekly events, her prices for just her standard clothing are such that there's little guilt in picking up a few "must have" items. In this case, this is outside of my usual style but actually reminds me strongly of a shirt I had - and loved - with the flower-and-animal-print motif. It's subtle enough to not be overpowering, and the rich red color was perfect for Deck the Halls.

The rich, tomato red was echoed in my nails - from the always exemplary Orc Inc - and in my lipstick - from one of my go-to brands, Adore & Abhor. To balance out the black of the bodice (check out that awesome open back, too) I added a necklace I simply couldn't resist picking up from Cyrious, and which came with three other colors bundled with the same style. I love the shape of it, like little faerie wings holding the dust in the vial. My shoes also managed to match, a recent collabor88 purchase from Hucci. From the top they seem like a single lacy style; it isn't until you're diving into the river that you realize the red can be overpowering. The notes of pale, yellowish green are much more subtle; I tinted my amazing wings from Deviance just slightly enough for the green to stand out from the other iridescence, and I pulled on these amazing tights from Cannibelle, with tiny, perfect angel wings on the calves. Both they and the shoes are SLink ready, which is really a blessing in this day and age; one of the major bonuses of SLink is how smoothly they cap a look - so smoothly you hardly notice them. Finally, as I flitted around the grid, it quickly became obvious I was going to flash everyone, tights or no tights, and so my darling katat0nik came to my rescue with a cute set of green panties. You can see them in a shot or two, so I figured they were worth a shout-out even if you weren't really supposed to be able to see them.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Emily
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Adore & Abhor, Mono V2 3
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Shreveport Lips
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Necklace: Cyrious, Fairy Dust Vial
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Orc Inc, Rich Darks
Dress: Liv Glam, Boutique - You Send Me Flying
Panties: katat0nik, Holiday
Stockings: Cannibelle, Angel Wing Tights
Shoes: Hucci, Kasos

Poses: Flowey

Location: <a href="http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Vana/200/100/32">Vana</a>
Light Settings: Phototools, Dead End Sky
Water Settings: TOR, Impure

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 51: Festive Eve

Festive Eve is a combination of a creamy white with a dark, dull green which seems to perfectly reflect the winter season. I accessorized my outfit, holly-like, with bits of bright red here and there. It was an irresistible addition - starting with the lips and hair baubles and ending with these amazing shoes, until I became a sort of Holly Nutcracked Doll. The outfit, which started it all, first; it's a full set from Violent Seduction - complete with the cap, the stockings, and a shirt which can also be removed. The inside skirt is beautifully layered, but the framing around the bodice is not, which means the shoulder straps can disappear from oblique angles; the collar is likewise flat but well textured enough that it isn't obvious from most angles. The stars are wonderfully three dimensional and hook in beautifully with the gold braid up the front, which is similarly three dimensional, and I love the ruffles of the skirt and how natural and curved they are. I especially like the texturing of the skirt - the green is actually diamonds of lighter and darker fabric, and the gold leaf patterns embroidered on it are simple stunning. My hair is also from Violent Seduction, though a completely different genre, and I adore how well the pig tails curl down the front and how soft they look. The size and roundness are simply perfect, and they move extremely well with the head - though of course turned-head poses don't work as well as straight ahead. The red baubles are included, and it's available in a ton of colors, though I went with my signature blond here.

My masks is a new release from katat0nik for Collobor88, and I simply adore it. This is actually the white-and-blue mask, but I discovered she had faced it very well, and I could tint the jewels separately - which means shiny green gems. katat0nik usually makes her creations no-modify, but I am so glad she didn't this time, because the effect of the green is simply stunning with the rest of my outfit, and I love this mask and how versatile it is dearly. I was also able to very carefully fit the mask to my face so that it looked natural and if it was made for me, instead of the cheeks hanging over the sides excessively, and I love how it was tucked under my hair when I was done. I darkened my eyes with one of Souzou Eien's lucky board prizes so that they would all but vanish, and took my lips from red to candy apple red with a combination of an Essences base with a Mock layer of shiny, gleaming gloss on top. The final bit of bright red comes from these amazing shoes from Lassitude & Ennui - one in a long list of gorgeous shoes they've released lately. These are simply gorgeous - shiny and gleaming leather with a low heel in a classic style. The double row of gold echo the gold stars on my Violent Seduction dress perfectly, and I love the gear detailing which gives it a steampunk edge that I love so much I can hardly express it. I look a perfect Nutcracker, laughing and dancing my way across the grid.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Violent Seduction, Usagi
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Souzou Eien, Fairy Eyes
Mask: katat0nik, Missing You
Lipstick 1: Essences, Red 01
Lipstick 2: Mock, Lucir Cabaret
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Orc Inc, Rich Darks
Dress, Hat, Stockings: Violent Seduction, Royal Star
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Emily steampunk shoes

Poses: Olive Juice

Location: Goatswood
Light Settings: AvatarOpt2 whiter
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Blood in the Snow

Within Second Life, it's easy to not make any significant decisions. Second Life is, in many ways, safe. Falling won't kill. Guns won't hurt. Even the words are often insulated by miles an mysteries. Offline, I spend a lot of time not being sure if my decisions are sound. I spend time doing things, then being afraid for the results. Bad things happen, and they're partially my fault, and then I blame myself. I try to do my best, and I so, so often fall far short of the goal. More and more, I'm beginning to wonder if the enormous output of energy I have on reminding myself of how much I suck is really worth it. It makes me stressed and unhappy. It's like those times as a teenager I would get a bloody nose and just watch the blood drip down onto the pure white of the porcelain basin, entranced by my own suffering. The contrast of red on white is a stark one, and one usually associated with a wound or injury. Second Life is a fangless world without actual physical wounds, but the ways in which we preset ourselves through our avatars can reflect the more subtle emotional wounds so many of us carry. Our pain and self-hatred can form themselves as bruises, or gems, or a cracked doll skin. We can reform our weaknesses into beautiful shapes and pictures, somehow redeeming pain with self-expression. The very safeness of Second Life makes it a prime place to flower free in ways we might be afraid to offline, to be honest in ways we may not offline, to relax our boundaries. The lack of consequences has it's own effects, encouraging me to rethink large aspects of my offline life in a place where it's easy and pleasant to pretend to have no cares.

I'm layered and warm in this look, starting with a curling Truth hairstyle which all  but engulfs my ears, large as they are. One thing I like about Truth's style is how it is open and loose without being too flyaway or formal. I also love the little bows, which are included and matched my outfit perfectly. My lips are a gorgeous shade of deep red from Adore & Abhor, and I was aiming for something rich and slightly dull to go with this charming cape top from Ur Favorite One. The invisi-layer is critical for this, but I quite like the effect of it overall; the hood is adorable, the collar looks soft and warm, and the length is charming. It's also quite unique, which is why I picked it up despite my usual resistance to separates. It's a little difficult to find clothing for underneath, but it works well with a knee length skirt or a pair of pants. I went for the former by layering under it one of katat0nik's latest releases, which unfortunately hides it's wonderful metal bodice but which still shows off a sweetly rigged, knee-length skirt with the simple, clear texturing that katat0nik is known for. My stockings are an old favorite - Stellar - and are a much darker color; I thought they balanced out my wings, from Deviance. I also wanted to capture some of the darker tones right before slipping into these elegant new shoes from Eclectica. I love the way the bows are done in particular; they really look like ribbon tacked on to the back. I also love the texturing - look at the rich red and soft cream, the gentle wood of the heel. It's such a simple design, and yet so lovely.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Truth, Velvet
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, 13 Lips Earth
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Finger Nails: A:S:S, Glamour silk
Cape: U.F.O., Ponpon Cape Coat (Collabor88)
Dress: katat0nik, Metal Corset Dress
Stockings: Stellar, In Bloom Tights
Shoes: Eclectica, Brocade Court Shoes

Poses: Diesel Works

Location: Crash Boat
Light Settings: Phototools, rara Home Fall Light
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 44: Autumn Grasshopper

Autumn Grasshopper makes me think of a new show I just found called Omaki-san and her Seven Companions, a story about the Wolf, the Hunter, and Red Riding Hood which just happens to also have the slothful Grasshopper and the industrious ant (along with a number of other fableline creatures). It is supposed to be a story about how sloth is bad, and industry is good, but re-imagined with Okami-san, it can also mean that what appears to be sloth is sometimes cleverness, and what appears to be industry is... well, it's still getting a lot of things done, but this time with a sarcastic comment as well. I love revisions of old, simple stories that mess with and remake their messages, and Okami-san and her Seven Companions does this over and over again in a thoroughly entertaining manner, all at the whim of the Jinn.

In stories, large groups usually function smoothly, with regularly timed conflict so that everyone can learn a lesson and grow a bit older. Outside of fiction, this is a much messier prospect - allies and enemies are much less clearly defined, and people can want to help each other and do it so ineptly that they end up no longer friends. While sometimes there is actual malice involved, a lot of times it really is a matter of people becoming so caught up in their own way of seeing the world that they miss where the other people are in it. I've seen times when people are saying the exact same things using different words and seemingly fighting over it; it's both amazing and enlightening to the many difficulties in connecting between people. Communication is a lot more of a fraught thing than people think, with flaws both in expression and reception.

I'm decked out in several of my old favorites today - katat0nik with Wasabi Pills for hair, jewelry from Lassitude & Ennui, a gorgeous mask from Spyralle, and feet by SLink. It feels like I've been doing a lot of things outside of my comfort zone lately, so it feels really nice to return to a bunch of stores that I've worn and loved for years. The dress, from katat0nik like I said, is actually the texture-changing fatpack. katat0nik has been experimenting with HUDs and not only does my inventory thank her, but also it offers up a bonus in the form of two areas to texture change, so I could mix and match orange and yellow between the gown and the apron section. You have to buy a fatpack for this kind of service (ouch, my aching pocketbook), but man is it ever fun and worth it - and I'm not just saying that because she leaves cute messages on most of my pictures (ilukat).  This cute, short hair is an example of why Wasabi Pills is, in many ways, "my" hair store. When I'm not sure what to wear or what I feel like, I go traipsing through and usually end up in something from them; the mesh fly-away detailing is part of why - look at those thin strands of hair which a year ago would have been a texture, but now is fully realize locks of hair. Simply splendid. It also interferes with my wings less than the textured hair strands do - mesh textures often make each other disappear when alpha is involved. The bird I tucked in among the locks is from Birdy, a new-to-me store; isn't it completely adorable? It comes in a set of three with blue and pink shoulder birds, but I love the effect of a bird on the head (worth two in the bush).

The really fun mask is one of a long line of gatcha prizes (damn you Kerryth) that I obsessively collected with the exception of one. In the continuing dramahumor of me and gatchas, I got multiples of both Rares but not one of the Commons - it's rigged, I tell you. Rigged. 8D Anyway, the mask is from Spyralle using a form she put out ages ago for some awesome emotional masks, but the textures on these are simply divine. I chose a delicate Mandelbrot of yellow over pink for this look, but there's a reason I gatchaed until I had as many as I could - each one is a tiny work of art for your face. The jewelry from Lassitude & Ennui is an old release for Harry Potter, and marks me inaccurately as part of Gryffindor (I'm actually a Ravenclaw girl, but the blues clashed). I thought it was a super cute idea when I saw it, though - little symbols to wear to show your affiliation; nothing flashing or extravagant, but simple and clear. Finally, hands and feet both are by SLink, and so are these thri-colored shoes which keep mysteriously ending up on my feet for Twisted Color Challenges. Honestly, it's so hard to resist the urge to cover the color spectrum of the challenge on ones feet, and I am quite lazy, all things considered. Also, these are simply stunning shoes which I can return to time and again for both casual and dressing looks.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Cora
Bird: Birdy, Lil Tweet
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyeshadow: Mock, A touch of Magic (Group Gift)
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Mask: Spyralle, Samhain Mask 7
Lipstick: Mock, Machine Envy Lip Jelle
Wings: Illusions, Apsara Wings
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Virtual Insanity, All Hallows Eve 1
Necklace: Lassitude & Ennui, Heraldic necklace
Dress: katat0nik, Choco Dress
Bloomers: Sn@tch, Bloomers
Shoes: SLink, Tri-Colour Wedges

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: Collins Land
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY - My Noon
Water Settings: Nam's Beach Scene

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Music by Moonlight

I was last here for the Surrealism Challenge, but I vowed to return for more shots and I finally made it back tonight. Musiclandia is a lovely sim full of musical instruments, water, and whimsey, and it looks lovely under moonlight.  I had some fun playing around with windlight this time - shifting where the moon is, adjusting the cloud layer, making the stars larger and smaller as it suited me; you might be able to tell now and then from the hue of the light that a lot of things have change, but overall I think the changes are seamless. In one picture, I used an attached light to make things brighten up; can you figure out which one?

I've been bouncing around in this outfit for a while, thoroughly enjoying it. The gown is a quite old one, but still lovely; Blue Blood makes the most exquisite clothing, and I think her wide-hipped ones like this are my favorite. I love the sleeve design, too, and the gray and white quality of her whitegoth styles. I substituted lovely stockings from Stellar for the included ones, though, so that they could slip over my SLink feet - feet I'm rather loathed to go without, these days. Luckily for my sense of completion, though I didn't angle a shot to see this, the Blue Blood gown included garters separate from the stockings - so there are still little hearts holding everything up under my skirt. I had to wear my SLink feet, you see, because of these sweet, simple update on his shoes, slipped to me on the sly by Sax Shepherd Designs - like the other SLink shoe I reviewed, these have a color changing HUD which changes pretty much every part of the shoe; bliss for my inventory. This time I went for a soft set of gold hues to catch the threads of gold and the hearts in my dress - something small to tie the whole look together. In the same way, I covered up the fact that my SLink hands cut a little high on the Blue Blood dress sleeve by moving up the prim finishing piece on my wrist so it becomes a forearm design instead - just another of the many ways one can alter prim and texture clothing with rigged mesh attachments; I doubt you'd notice the alterations unless you were looking for them.

The rest of my look was calculated to echo the whimsy of the Musiclandia - sweet, a little geeky, and exquisitely textured. My dear reptilian friends are a release from Silent Sparrow - the latest in her quest to populate all of our inventories with the cutest animal friends on the grid. For a single purchase, one gets three rezzable, single prim turtles and two wearable ones - I'm showing off both wearable locations; the forearm turtle also comes with an included pose to keep him up against your chest. The green of Mr. Keylime on my head modulated beautifully with this strawberry patch headpiece from the Gatcha machine for World's End Garden, which can be found at her RMK store (I have extras of most of them, gained in my failed quest to get them all); remember her full sim is closing later on in the month, so make sure to swing by and enjoy it one last time. Sadly, a lot of the more complicated builds that had been there are gone, but there are a couple very simple ones, and if you move to the right spots, you can find the same soothing music that used to comfort me for so many hours. I added katat0nik's recent group gift strawberry glasses to this, just to tip us over toward geeky in the best way; these have the most adorable pink strawberries along the edge, and the green was a perfect match for my Head Turtle. My Clawtooth hair is another gatcha prize, but this time an extra from a dear friend so I've no idea which event it's part of;  Finally, I echoed the red again in my lips, a sumptuous color from Adore and Abhor that was exactly the color of my World's End strawberries; mmmmmm... tastes of flame and apocalypses.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Jade
Hairflowers: World End's Garden, Primavera K
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Virtual Insanity, Spring
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Glasses: katat0nik, Strawberry Glasses
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Fluff Lips
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Flair, Set 98
Pets: Schadenfreude, Turtles
Dress: Blue Blood, Inima
Stockings: Stellar, In Bloom
Shoes: Sax Shepherd Designs, Frills

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: Musiclandia
Light Settings: Phototools, Moon Light 03
Water Settings: Glassy

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

A Very Rainbow Deoridhe

I've been having a very rough month offline, and apparently a bunch of creators are psychic, because this week they all conspired to make me a very, very happy Deoridhe. It all started with katat0nik, who had made these adorable shirts with a tulle skirt ages ago, and then made me an incredibly happy Deoridhe by releasing them separately - and including a RAINBOW one. Yes, rainbow. I know, isn't she fantastic? And isn't it a gorgeous fade 'round the sides, smooth and clean without any of the colors becoming muddy. She released a shirt to go with it - with a pretty rainbow heart on it, and that isn't mesh so it can slide under just about any top; I'm seriously hanging on to it for ever and ever. With mesh separates, having some system layer bits to add on is incredibly important. Then, while I was still goggling over what katat0nik had made for me, I ended up taking a quick run around the Fantasy Gatcha Festival and... lets just say that I hit rainbow multiple times over.

At the top of my head is my incredibly lucky score from De La Soul in the form of a crown of thorns that I had loved the first time Charlie showed it to me, and which I'm so glad he released now. The Super Ultra version has a HUD in addition to the horns, and a gorgeous hanging gem. The glow makes it a little difficult to see the details - I'll have to do another show off of some of the other options - but they are delicately formed and gorgeously made, with tiny gems hanging down from each of the horns. You can modify simply everything on it, from glow and shine to texturing and they remain editable so you can also tint them. This is the Ultra rare, though; all of the colors are available in separate commons and rares, too, so if you're aiming for just one color combination, that's the way to go.

The final cherry on my rainbowgasm of a look is something you are likely to see several times again in the future - these amazing wings from Deviance. Now, very recently you all saw me wriggle around like an overly excitable puppy when I saw her last wings, and can I just say that these are even better? Delicate, curving, with a delicious ruffled edge and curving veins. They don't flap like her other wings do, which is understandable since they're a gatcha prize, but I am completely in love. The rainbow ones aren't even her rares, too; her rares are a gorgeous set with little butterflies settled along the edge. I cannot express enough how much I love these; I was in all-caps mental breakdown for the first five minutes. ICly, Deoridhe has always been a rainbow fairy, and one of my quiet pains has been that I didn't have non-glamoured wings for her which I felt really fit her. Now that has changed completely.

I rounded my look out with three things from my inventory, some of which I've owned for a while. All of the corseting is from Rosal and is part of the same set - Unmei. It comes with a HUD which lets you tint each part of the corseting separately, so while it was time consuming to render the corsets vaguely rainbow, I think it was really worth it. Tucked in among my horns is a hat from Split Pea which I picked up a long while ago and which spreads the rainbow love across several flowers. I also really liked the shadows it cast, though they were hard to capture in the pictures. And finally, this amazing Love-Love Justice wand from Curio Obscura, which makes me giggle every time I see it, or even it's name. It's like a world of Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon all wrapped up with a bow.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Fashionably Dead, Moon Pigtails
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Horns: De La Soul, Royal Crown of Thorns (Fantasy Gatcha Faire)
Hair Flowers: Split Pea, Your love is a stag int he white sand
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Taste the Skittles
Lipstick: Mock, Lucir Lipcolor Frostbite
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe Wings (Fantasy Gatcha Faire)
Wand: Curio Obscura, Magical Love-Love Justice Staff (Past Arcade Gatcha)
Lingerie: Adam n Eve, Ana Lace
Shirt: katat0nik, Rainbow Heart Shirt
Gloves: Rosal, Unmei
Corsets: Rosal, Unmei
Skirt: katat0nik, Tulle Skirt
Shoes: Rosal, Unmei

Pose: !bang,

Location: Ghostville
Light Settings: Phototools, Dead End
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 26: Plums and Berries

I'm running a bit late on my challenges again, but I had a lot of fun with this one - Plums and Berries - and it's a really gorgeous, subtle pink and purple color combination. It's actually a very simple setup on my part; the purple is from Wishbox, her gorgeous Coquette dress which is one of her older releases. I love the combination of lace and shadowy satin on this, along with darker satin ribbons, and the amazing ribbon around the neck. She's managed to work prims so carefully that is could appear like mesh - especially along the arms and the neck, but this is all static prims and flexi - astonishing, isn't it? I'm also continuing my play with shadows and seeing how they work out across the grid. I definitely slow down when they're turned on, but they add a verisimilitude which is difficult to resist. I definitely feel like a novice, though, starting over from the beginning again with a new set of toys. I may end up shifting around some of my facial features as well - I'm noticing flaws in the mesh more than I used to, and they're harder to combat with shadows in play, especially around the nose; I think I can correct for some of them, so we'll see what happens. Being able to use shadows has really change the entire tenor of my work, and I can see why so many people were so enthusiastic about it. I pity my poor computer, though.

The pink half of the equation comes in three places, and are a little more overpowered by the purple than I had planned, but I think they are each lovely on their own. My wings, a new release from Deviance, are the first mesh wing's I've seen that give serious competition to my longstanding Fancy Fairy wings. I picked them up in white, and they tint beautifully. My one complaint is the shape of the tines - since they are wide and narrow, they look more like curled wire than the veins of wings, which is awesome for anyone going for a human-realistic look, but which belie the fact I'm aiming for a natural fantastical look. I love how they take up shadows, though, and how the shadow they cast isn't the blockiness of flat prim wings but rather curled and shaped like actual wings. It's a tempting combination. The second set of pink is this gorgeous formal jewelry set from Virtual Impressions, which was on sale to her store group. I love the high collar effect of the necklace, and how the pearls can be tinted a gorgeous array of colors. They do come default full bright, but they're editable so you can remove that easily. She does a gorgeous chain, and the pattern of large pearls and small is really striking - I'm very glad I started picking up her jewelry. Finally, I have pink on my toes in a set of shoes from katat0nik which I simply adore - I took a close up you can see in the set for this photoshoot, and I think you're agree they are without parallel.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Jamie Mesh
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyeshadow: MiaSnow, dark 1 purple
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick: Mock, Opal Lipcolor Hopbush
Wings: Deviance, Titania Mesh Fairy Wings
Jewelry: Virtual Impressions, Silvia
Hands: SLink, Enhanced Mesh Hands
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Dress: Wishbox, Coquette Purple
Shoes: katat0nik, Wingtip Mary Janes

Poses: Flowey

Location: Leroy
Light Settings: Phototool - B/W Light
Water Settings: TOR, Eyeballin'

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

SL Disney Bound – Week Fourteen: Vanellope Von Schweetz

I'm breaking one of my own rules, but it's for a good cause, so I hope you'll forgive me. First of all, the outfit for Vanellope Von Schweetz was really a struggle - not only was I not familiar with the source material, but the style was so clear and so not what I wear; I am not a casual dressed in Second Life. Granted, I'm not all ball gowns all the time, but my style definitely skews Gothic Lolita with frills and bits, so the hoodie in particular just caused me no end of trouble - but more on that in a bit. The rule break has to do with these amazing shoes. I seriously tend to try to sit on things until they're released so people can hopefully find them. This isn't the case for some limited edition things that I wear in the course of making an outfit, but if something is going to be for sale, I try to not photograph it until it is for sale.

And then I saw these shoes.

The whole outfit was done, with a different set of shoes even, when I got these from Violent Seduction. They will - I promise - be for sale soon. I love them. I love them like a loving thing who loves. I particularly love that the heel is recolorable in various kinds of stripes and solids, so you can match them to an outfit, and the star is also recolorable to a variety of metals. I am a huge fan of customizability, but more than that I adore the shape of them, the curve down to the star, and the fact I'm literally walking on stars. They are unrigged mesh, and I ended up making them just a little bigger and they fit perfectly.

So I'm sorry. They should be on sale soon. Please don't hate me!  

(I just checked, they're on sale. That whole rant was useless. Why do I not check things first? I'm leaving it because I think it's funny; enjoy.)

The rest of my outfit is a study in compromises and inventory hunting. The hair was another late addition, from D!va and for sale at Collobor88, and I found it when I was trying to find a hoodie that I swore got made but I couldn't find except for some concept pictures, which took up the better part of an evening; I tell you, I bled for this look and it's nothing like her. I was sold when I saw the adorable red bow, though, and into my inventory (and onto my head) it went. I literally don't know where the candy came from - it's from Evie's Closet, but I have no memory of getting it even though I adore it and am now craving old fashioned lollipops. The hoodie was actually a prize from Forsaken for one of the Twisted Hunts, and there is nothing like it for sale in the store, and I think that is a crime - it is awesome, and I love the pattern, and why was it not modify-ok so I could tint it? Picture me pouting - this is a pouting faerie right here.What's moving me is an amazing new set of poses from Studio Sidhe for Genre, for the Art Deco theme, which I really adore. I'm all elegant and side-eyeing, sauntering all over Second Life's second birthday event.

The sole nod to Vanellope's teal hoodie is this shirt, stolen from a gorgeous dress from G Field which you have absolutely no hint of in the current outfit. She looks like a young to teenage girl, though, so it was very important to me - in addition to needing the teal - that I portrayed her fully dressed, even with otherwise somewhat scandalous accessories. Scandalous would be the miniskirt from Sn@tch, which is so outside of my comfort zone that I'm roughly in Poughkeepsie now, but the ruffly was perfect for the look and half a day in I was getting kind of desperate, and it's a really cute skirt, there's just much less of it than I'm used to. The stockings are another piece from a bigger set, from katat0nik, and were one of the few dual-legged stocking styles I could find; she actually has another dual legged style which is stripes on one side and hearts on the other, and I was desperately hoping for it in teal (when I saw it in pink on flickr) but no luck. See? Pouting faerie. I am not kidding when I say I went back at least a year through flickr looking for all kinds of things and finding none of it for sale - this was a nightmare.

Also very funny in hindsight.

Other funny things in this picture set? My wandering eyes because I couldn't use my facial animation HUD. I have not forgotten how annoying all that is, oh no I haven't.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: D!va, "Lili" (Collobor88)
Candy: Magic Candy Stash
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Jewelry: Silver Wheel, Candy Slices
Hands: SLink, Enhanced Mesh Hands
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Colorful
Hoodie: Forsaken, Delirium Smoked Hoodie (Twisted Hunt Gift)
Shirt: G Field, Classic Dress "Clea"
Skirt: Sn@tch, Ruffled Mini Skirt
Stockings: katat0nik, Lunar Dragon
Shoes: Violent Seduction, Tacky

Poses: Studio Sidhe

Location: SL10B: Turtle Stage
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Coral Reef
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only