LEA 11

Mourningstar... a virtual pilgrimage: Created by Fox Nacht
Instructions for the ideal experience are in a notecard given to you at the landing point and on a nearby texture wall, which also contains the following text:

"Mourningstar is an immersive installation informed by combined studies in Computer Arts and Religion. An exploration of the ideas of the fallen angel, the vengeful god, and the diverse perceptions of Lucifer in various religious and social traditions."

Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA11/127/237/1501

Dates: January to June 2016

Related Links:

• Announcement by LEA

Old Exhibits: 

Future Cave sight of: 'Cyberpocalyptic' HIVE City no. 1: Created by Porter
Dates: July to December 2015
Related Links:

• TBA

Cinema The Return: Created by Mary Wickentower and Team Wickentower
Dates: January to July 2015
Related Links:

• TBA

Tur Kue Kwam Fun: Created by Octagons Yazimoto and Kush Zepp
LEA Light Installation
Based on the movie by
Nicolas Winding Refn
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
Tur Kue Kwam Fun is heavily reliant on the use of Second Life lights and projectors. Please make sure you have them enabled.
Dates: August to December 2014
Related Links:

• Image 1 and Image 2 by Torley Linden

Round 6
Creature from the Black Lagoon: Created by Livio Oak Korobase

"It’s the middle of the night and you sit, scrunched down, in your most comfortable chair watching one of those old movies you love. The film might be in black & white but, in your mind, the world around you has become full of surreal colour..." from the Sim Description

Dates: February to June 2014

Related Links:

• Review by Honour MacMillan

Round 5

Musiclandia: Livio Korobase created an amazing build made up of musical instruments and things which create music all over it, including a gorgeous little village under a piano.

Dates: August to December 2013

Related Links:

• Review by Sol Existance

Round 4
My Second Life Vision: Daco Monday describes his exhibit as: "An artistic pathway, a hymn to utopia, a light, a North star which leads mankind. My art starts from existential issues and reflections that occur in the cultural change which affects mankind nowadays. Art is simply a tool which makes “human knowledge” more human. It simply disseminates modern global culture; it interprets it as a multi reality, a reality made up of different individuals, of interconnected universes that create the dynamism of global universal culture."

Dates: September 2012

Related Links:

• Review by Honor McMillan

Round 2
Mcarp Land & Sea of Aley: Description of Exhibit

Dates: Ended August 15, 2012

Related Links:

• Review by Quan Lavender

LEA 10

XXX: Created by XXX

Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA10/219/87/22

Dates: January to June 2016

Related Links:

• Announcement by LEA

Old Exhibits: 

Metamorfaces: created by Art Oluja
Dates: July to December 2015
Related Links:

• Announcement by LEA
• Review by Deoridhe

Nothing Endures But Change: created by Whiskey Monday
Dates: January to June 2015
Related Links:

• 15,000 Prims and Lend a Hand? by Whiskey Monday

La Palma Sculpture Garden: created by Peli Dieterle. The sim is "[a]n abundant Canarian landscape as an immersive experience, a work in progress by Peli Dieterle. Multimedia events will take place in October and November 2014."
Dates: August - December 2014
Related Links:

• Review by Spanki Moulliez

Second - Transit't - Taciturnly: Created by Selvy Oh
The moaning and groaning,
     
The sighing and sobbing,
Are quieted now,
     
With that horrible throbbing
At heart:
—ah, that horrible,
      Horrible throbbing!
(For Annie BY EDGAR ALLAN POE)

First - Your breath was shed: Created by Mimesis Monday and Heidi Dahlsveen. It includes four artworks exploring the themes of Suffocation, Energy, The game of life, and Delirium.

Dates: March - June 2014

Related Links:

• Review by Ziki Questi 
• Review by SL Newser

Tears on/in Rain: Noke Yuitza begins her description of this exhibit with: "Like an echo, thousands of people connected leave each day behind them a trail that remains in cyberspace while they are AFK (Away From Keyboard). And this expands and grows greedy fueled by the social technologies of our Digital Era. It’s what is called the Ghost, a piece of the human spirit that, as a tear that is mixed with the rain, forms a common virtual global footprint and represents a new type of human heritage. But how will be this Ghost in the future?" [Source]

Dates: January 2013

Related Links:

• Noke Yuitza's Project Description
• Review by Ziki Questi
• Review by Caitlin Tobias
• Review by Svanya on Bladerunner 2 Forums
• Review by Mel Fabrikant on The Paramus Post
• Video by Telchar Elf
• Video by Angel Mejuto Fraile

Celebrity Blow Your Tits Off: Maya Paris created a interactive art piece, maze, and puzzle for people to explore with enough WOW to bring down the house.

Dates: June 27 to August 15, 2012

Related Links:

• Maya Paris' Blog :: Specific Exhibit Post
• Review by Kara Trapdoor
• Review by Ziki Questi
• Review by Nalates Urriah
• Video by Iono Allen

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 49: Relaxed Greenlands

In the spirit of Relaxed Greenlands, I decided to go red and green this time. The actual colors were a sagey kind of green and a lovely gray, but when I put on this hair from Underscore and it happened to be red, I adored the effect so much I simply couldn't resist. Underscore is good for big, relaxed hair - the kind of hair that looks good on music albums and fashion plates. I'm really loving this color, too; rich and red with enough pale highlights to not be totally unrealistic. It's rigged, and the shape is loose enough that it looks good with many a head tilt. I tucked on one of my many gatcha prizes from Schadenfreude, this amazing crown. I am lacking only one of the rares (Majesty Crown, oh how you taunt me) but even the commons are lovely and striking; this one is a common, though I ended up buying it at a yard sale, as the gatcha machine was obsessed with giving me hearts and diamonds. My eyeshadow is from Nuuna, who always does a wide variety of colors, and I like the fierce edge this style gives my eyes, especially when combined with bright red lips from Essences. The lower lip is a little thinner than my skin, but I actually rather like the effect - it looks like I'm a refined vixen, instead of a lipstick slatherer. These wonderful poses are at least partially the result of my finally joining the !bang VIP group, just in time for two on-sale sets of poses. I particularly like how casual and natural !bang poses are - much less "on the runway," and much more out in the world.

The jewelry is a combo of two stores - Earthstones for the earrings and necklace; I hadn't planned on buying this style, but it was so perfect with the color scheme that I indulged, and I'm so glad I did. The bracelets were free, part of a hunt, and are from DV8 - a store which went on hiatus a while ago but which has re-emerged onto the grid with some new offerings. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with the changes to the grid while they were gone - mesh rigging has become much more refined, mesh bodyparts are rampant, and can you imagine DV8 velvet with materials? The dress is an older release from Lassitude & Ennui, an it really fit the challenge better than I could have dreamed. It's one of the rare dual-layer dresses - a sheer layer only slightly above an opaque one, with an invisilayer which will smooth away any pesky hip bits that might otherwise peek through. I particularly like the satin shine of the ribbons along the bottom, and the variances of green over the entire gown - the darker and lighter sage of the bodice are rich without being overpowering, and the paler skirt is simply lovely and fades naturally into the hues of my shoes. These shoes are one of the latest releases from Eclectica - an her shoes have simply become divine. Unique, lovely, and always with tons of color options, I'm really excited to see what she'll come up with next.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Underscore, Bad Medicine
Crown: Schadenfreude, Storybrook Royalty (Gatcha Arcade)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Nuuna, Ara Green
Lipstick: Essences, Lipstick Red 02
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Bliensen + MaiTai, Strawberry
Jewelry: Earthstones, Genie Set
Bracelets: DV8, Palais Bracelet (Hunt Prize)
Dress: Lassitude & Ennui, Patience Dress
Shoes: Eclectica, Catherine Gothic

Pose: !bang

Location: Flanagan Falls
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY An Incongruent Truth
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 48: Heraldic Call

I'm going to end up overshooting the year, I think, but I really enjoyed pulling together Heraldic Call - the combination of bright yellow and dark red I ended up pulling together with a vibrant orange and a lot of black. The combination fits my mood - some bright spots but mostly dark, tired, and wispy. During my brief stint of time in a motel - not recommended, by the way - I learned about a television show that somehow manages to hit my mystery and serial killer loving heart, but which doesn't have the one thing I dislike most about those kinds of shows - the long, slow lingering on the suffering of the victims. It's an interesting thing about serial killers; even while we decry what they and other mass murderers do, we focus on them and not the victims of their violence. On television, however, while the killers are always the focus, what they do is usually lingered on with such length and care that it's simply horrifying to me - its the same reason I think horror movies disturb me so much; the suffering of others, even simulated, is distressing to me in a way which is actively harmful to my peace of mind.

One thing I like about this show, Criminal Minds, is that the vast majority of the times they cut away before any violence can be seen, they angle away from bodies, and while they'll often show the after effects of the violence, the actual violence itself had hit the screen only once that I can remember, when the target was one of the main characters. I find that shielding of the viewer very soothing; I also like the comforting lie of these interesting, ethical people with enough clout to not play the political games which keep the machine of espionage in the government rolling. It's all a lie, of course. Anyone who has excelled enough to actually be in the positions of leverage these characters are would have been sufficiently bent to not blink at what they would be asked to do. It's the neophytes and naifs, the Eric Snowdens and Sherron Watkins who either have nothing to lose, or who honestly believe their ethical compass is more universal than it actually is, who bend the world around them instead of vice versa. I am more bent than bender; I shift to fit the circumstances I am in and I don't know what I would have done in the place of others who were benders and not bent.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: D!va, Flora
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Musa, Tarja 5
Lipstick: Mock, Mizu Lipgloss
Mask: Madrid Solo, Filigree
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Stellar, In Bloom
Jewelry: FabFae, Gold Ring Bracelets
Collar: Souzou Eien, Elegant Throat Corset
Dress: Miamai, BL Elapse
Stockings: Stella, In Bloom Tights
Shoes: Bliensen + MaiTai, Mazurka

Pose: Grafica

Location: Muzik Isle
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Plesantrie
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

On the Edge of Purple

It's always difficult to know how far to push light and shadow in windlight; too much light and the skin becomes washed out - which can be artistic but also too sketchy; too much shadow, and the images don't catch peoples attention or stand out at all. In this case, I started with a very misty windlight, modified it from being colored throughout to pale and smokey, and then I darkened the sky and made it electric to catch the same tints as my lips. Offline, I rarely go for neutrals; I like electric and bold colors. On Second Life I find that barrier, like so many, bending and warping even while I fit those bright colors I like into the frame in what I hope are unusual ways. In this case, outside of the electric purple sky, the only color in my look is lipstick from Adore & Abhor; it's a rich, vibrant color that really stands out against all of the peach, gold and black. The windlight I modified also included a rich, dark shadow to echo the black of my gown for Coquet, which was released at FaMESHed this round. It's an interesting kind of setup - you buy a wrap dress of one of three colors, with the cutout a plain white, and then you can add on texture changes for the white section - in this case, I went with the peach set because I thought it was an amazing high-contrast look. I was tempted by the rest - and I may go back and pick them up later - but I'm trying to watch my pocketbook. Part of me also wished there were more options, though three different patterns per set is a lovely thing. The inside of the dress is textured fairly high as well, though sharp angles upward will catch sight of nothing where something should be - I ended up adding in Fateplay's thigh shadow from his Sailor Fuku set for some verisimilitude, and I think I may well just keep a copy of it handy in my Normal Kit folder. It was one of those touches I didn't realize I wanted until I had it, and now I can't easily go without it.

The jewelry I'm wearing is from Amorous, but I modified it to add an anklet. One of my sadnesses about Second Life jewelry is how rarely it includes things like bracelets and anklets; both are fantastic for adding a spot of color or darkness to long limbs; the nice thing is, this set was modifiable, so I was able to copy the bracelets and turn one into a secondary use with only a little tweaking of it's size and location. This is why I love stores which leave their accessories modify-ok; while it is a deviation from what I purchased, it really adds value to the overall look. My hair is a new, windswept style from Wasabi Pills that was released at the Golden Thread Event - a clothing release by Miamai for a new line which seems to be combining natural forms and shapes in innovative ways - I was particularly struck by a flower afro which may soon be joining my inventory. Second Life offers fashion something completely unique to virtual worlds - the opportunity to bend the laws of physics and reality to create entirely new clothing and avatars. Much of Second Life is about imitation; shoes are often styled off of existing shoes - and when spike covered heels became big across the fashion blogs I was unsurprised to see it showing up in Target. Most of this outfit is realistic; my only consistent unrealities are my wings and my eyes - the wings should be obvious, but the eyes are rainbow. My shoes, however, the Hera heels from SLink, are an example of something which looks realistic but which could never actually be worn offline without additional transparent bits to hold everything in place. The curve of the shoe and how it never really meets itself; the bare nub of an impossibly high heel; even the smoothness of the curve over the top of the foot all would fail if they were attempted offline. The overall effect is a subtle one, though, and one where I doubt most people would think they're looking at anything unrealistic. I hope SLink - and other creators - continue to push the boundaries of what can be worn in Second Life; it makes dressing so much more interesting than offline.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Mia (The Golden Thread)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Pantone Fall eShadow
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Fluff Lips
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Collar: Ginza, Milk Crown Necklace (Advent)
Jewelry Set: Amorous, Antiquarian (anklet made from bracelet)
Dress: Coquet, Twist (FaMESHed)
Dress Shadow: Fateplay, Rena
Shoes: SLink, Hera Wrap Heel

Pose: Grafica

Location: Binemist
Light Settings: TOR, FOGGY The Pink Tower (highly modified)
Water Settings: TOR, Eyeballin'

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Bittersweet Advents

There is sometimes a lag time between when I take a picture and when I upload it, and sometimes this means things get lost in the gaps - I start something new and before I know it most of my old notes are over-written. That happened in this case, with an outfit mostly put together out of hunt prizes and advent gifts, while I was flipping through my sad, bad, mad couple of weeks which is now slowly slipping into ecstasy. Sometimes I think it's only now that I really appreciate what it means to no longer be depressed - to ride the highs and lows of my emotions with their full strength. It often feels like trying to hitch a ride on a hurricane, with only an old, gray house to hold on to. The advent has been a joy, though - so many wonderful gifts to keep me going when I thought I didn't know how to sooth myself through another evening of anxiety. My one complaint is all of the fullbright; I know it makes jewelry shine up more, but it makes it so much harder to photograph in shadow. The stars should glow, not my necklace. I'm back to trying to find water to do reflections with, though it's been harder to find good spots lately. So any places have the land steeply dropping into the water, so much so that I can't easily perch right above it as I want to.

Today is Friday the Thirteenth - my grandmother's lucky day. She came to the United States on Friday the Thirteenth when she was only a child, and the year she died there were two Friday the Thirteenths in a row. I know because the first made me think of her, and when the second happened a month later I called. It was our last conversation, and it was short and - for my grandmother - sweet. Bittersweet now, in my memories, just as the memories of my Grandfather have their bite. As we go towards the darkest night, as the days grow shorter and darker and colder, it's a reminder of how everything is in cycles. Everything moves endlessly in the sky and on the earth. Nothing ever really stops, even in death. Mothernights is coming - the night when we honor our mothers, and our father's mothers, and our mother's mothers, and all of the ancestors who have remained as Disir watching over the family and our luck. I have felt that luck powerfully in the last few days, and I honor the women in my family who guard it and give it to us, their grateful descendants.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Alice Project, Serena (Advent)
Crown: Last Ride, Holly Crown (Advent)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Cosmetics: Couldn't Replicate
Wings: Illusions, Apsara
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Jewelry Set 1: Unidentified, but an Advent Gift
Jewelry Set 2: Virtual Impressions, Bells (Advent)
Dress: Romance Couture, Starlight Gown (Peace On Earth Hunt)
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Opium

Pose: Exposeur

Location: I Don't Remember
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY - Vintage Village
Water Settings: Glassy

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

Advent Games

This is the Advent Season, a time for merriment and games, and finding and opening a box a day across the grid. I'm decked out in a smattering of day one gifts and a few day two ones, thoroughly enamored with several old stores and a handful of new ones I want to share with you. Firstly, this amazing Santa Claus is from Storax, a store I just found out about through the Advent that has been blowing me away. It's only eight land impact - eight - and it's detail and texturing is simply glorious. My hair is the holiday release from Alice Project that I got yesterday, and is the general gift instead of the VIP gift; I've been in her group for simply ages, which really come sin handy when we hit Advent time since she is so incredibly generous. The VIP gifts are the same style of hair, but with silver and gold strands instead of blue. My hair combs and the 2 necklace are both from Ginza, and they are simply lovely. I tucked them in at the top of my hair, and I think they look rather nice that way. My other necklace and my shoes are from Loordes of London, and both of them are charming. I particularly like how the beads simply end, as if I casually wrapped them around my neck and went out on the town. And finally my dress is from K2K United Enterprises and was one of four different options just for day one - incredible, isn't it? Add in the poses, and knick knacks, and lovely things from all over the grid, and even two days in I've already had a very happy holiday season. Feel free to share your favorite advents or good advent stores in the comments.

My Advent List

Abramations

Alice Project (Free and VIP)

Artistry by ~E~

DMC

FabFae

Falln Angel Creations

Ginza Jewelry

Virtual Impressions (VIP)

Loordes of London

Luziefree

Storax

Advent Courtyard (Hunt Advent)

Sways (Hunt Advent)

MadPea (Hunt Advent)

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Skin: Izzie's, Baby It's Cold Outside
Hair: Alice Project, Aphrodite Frosted (Advent)
Combs: Ginza Jewelry, Advent Butterfly Comb (Advent)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Necklace 1: Loordes of London, Jubilee Necklace (Advent)
Necklace 2: Ginza Jewelry, Advent Cage 2nd
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Orc Inc, Rich Darks
Ring: Freya's Finest, Celtic Red (Advent)
Dress: K2K United Enterprises, Mesh Dress Stars (Advent)
Shoes: Loordes of London, Ballerina Flats (Advent)

Poses: Flowey

Location: Falln Angel Creations
Light Settings: TOR, NIGHT Wuxia
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Monday Meme: The Winter Season Challenge

Strawberry has a Wintery Meme for us this month, with some wintery questions. Ironically, I had taken wintery pictures and already blogged about them, so I decided to pull out some old wintery pictures - and there were fewer than you might think. Apparently, I don't go to many winter sims, and when I do I rarely dress appropriately. I had such fun answering these questions, and really look forward to reading everyone elses. Winter is such a striking season - not the spring I adore, but stark and pure and murderous.

1. What is the December/Winter season like where you live? – I now live in one of those seasonless places, but I grew up with seasons and went to school in upstate New York, where winter takes over for half the year. One of the things I love about where I live now is that my birthday month, February, is actually a pleasant month to live during; everywhere else I've lived, it's been horrid - neither the shiny puffiness of snow, nor the warmth of spring. I do sometimes miss snow, but most of my missing of it is a dream of childhood; snow is much less fun when one has to still go to work.


2. When you think of winter, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? – My first year of college. Halfway through November, about four feet landed on he ground all but overnight. Various people across the school built things out of snow, and there they remained until the thawing in March. I had known lessar snows - six inches or a foot - but this was my first time meeting Snow in all of it's power. Secondarily, I think of one of the ice storms of my High School years. Everything was covered by half an inch of ice, and the whole area was just shut down for days at a time. There were brown-outs going on all over, so I ended up starting a fire in the living room and keeping it going into the evening to keep that area of the house warm. It was the first time I ever appreciated why fire has been so powerful through most of history; it's relatively recently that heat was a matter of turning a dial instead of a great deal of physical labor.


3. Have you ever played any extreme winter sports? – Not at all. I'm a hopeless skier, a halfway decent skater, and mostly made snowpeople when I played in the snow.


4. What do you like most about this season? – I love the effect of the snow and ice on the landscape. It looks so gorgeous - the pure white blanketing everything with the gleam of transparent ice on branches and grass. I used to be transfixed by it, it was so lovely; somehow pure and frozen all at once.


5. Do you celebrate Christmas, Hannukkah, Kwanzaa or another holiday during this time of year? –I personally celebrate Yule, as I'm Asatru. I like to do an offering of alcohol to the Disir on the first night of Yule, Mothernights, and I've always dreamed of doing the full twelve days, with offerings to each of the Halls in Asgardhr, but I've never managed to pull together the research and time I need to do so. Really, I should start in January and take a month to set up each night, so by the time it's next December I'm ready. With my family, I celebrate a non-religious Christmas, as the rest of the family is culturally Christian but effectively metaphysical, agnostic, or atheist. We do stockings on Christmas morning, and presents in the afternoon, and an afternoon of time spent together, eating, and good fun. We also have a very impressive tree, with ornaments that go back generations and honor our Danish ancestry.

( More pictures here. )

Advent of the Holidays

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

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

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

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

Poses: !bang

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

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only