Fit for a Princess: Interlude

Some days, a girl just wants to take a break from tending dragons to read a good book... but where to go when the dragon flamed all the trees? Decisions, decisions.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Truth, Rocky
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Glitter Pop
Wings: Favole, Cawthorn
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Nails: A:S:S, Royal (Fit for a Princess)
Jewelry: Cae, Duchess (Fit for a Princess)
Dress: Fateplay, Dany
Book: Frogstar, LIAGBG (Fit for a Princess Gacha)
Cape: Fateplay, Dany (We <3 RP)
Shoes: Hopscotch, Dorothy (Fit for a Princess)

Poses: Flowey

Location: Twilight's Edge
Light Settings:
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Cherry Blossom Princess

This has been a very eventful month already, and I've had such fun - but I'm feeling a little poor. The nice thing is, even if my pockets are empty, my inventory is full, and I had such a ball pulling together items from a few different events to make a fantastic, royal look. I also found a gorgeous new sim for pictures - Nagare - which has a wonderful, formal design with beautiful cherry blossom petals flying around like magic. I found myself quite entranced by them, and by the ever-present rain which is only barely visible in these pictures; it was soothing without being overwhelming. I'm seeking soothing a lot these days; life has been pretty hectic and upsetting, and so I dive deeper into the things I love - pretty clothing, taking pictures, and baking. The poses I used are all from Fit for a Princess, a royal set from Lalochezia which worked well with my gown - though sometimes the sleeves caught on themselves here and there. I'm really looking forward to see more poses from this store.

Speaking of pretty clothes - this gown from Junebug is another of the Fit for a Princess event offerings, and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it on the feeds - though picking a single color was really difficult. I love the poofy quality of it, something difficult to render in rigged mesh, and the layers of fabric. The ripples of fabric fall well even with different leg poses - in the top picture you can see how a lifted foot kicks the skirt up like a breeze is ruffling it without causing unnatural jaggedness in the fabric. The corset bends with motion well, as well, and I love that the sleeves are bell like but don't cover the wrist, allowing me to show off some bracelets. The texturing is also gorgeous; the lace of the bodice adds some texture to the whole look, and then is repeated in the sleeves only semi-transparent; having only a few spots of complicated texture really make them stand out. The seams are thick and rolled at the waist, and bands of velvet trip along the sides of the bodice; I find touches like this add to the verisimilitude of an outfit and make it seem more polished. I paired it with the sets of creamy lilies and roses from The Annex at We <2 RP which I simply couldn't resist. I tinted them more cream to match the gown, but otherwise they were completely perfect - especially when I found the bands of pearls of the headband framed the forehead braid of this hair from Wasabi Pills perfectly. I love it when two completely different stores release items which fit together as if they were made for each other - and this is definitely an example of that. I added a necklace and bracelets from League for that final bit of creamy pearl, and again it looks like it was all made for each other, and simply perfect. Given how much older the jewelry is than the rest of my look, it's really amazing how seamlessly it melds in to make the perfect princess glow. The final piece were these gorgeous wings from Una, which I've gotten a lot of use out of - I'm glad I played the gacha so much to get so many colors, though I wish I could have been able to buy a fatpack. They have a formal, elegant appearance which makes me a perfect, clockwork pearl princess.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Stella
Flowers: The Annex, Purity of Spring (We <3 RP)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Adore & Abhor, Princess Wish
Wings: Una, Steampunk Wing
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Adore & Abhor, Princess Destiny
Jewelry: League, Pearls & Lace
Dress: Junebug, Principessa (Fit for a Princess)

Poses: Lalochezia

Location: Nagare: Home of the Blue Lotus Clan
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Precision Blue
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Endless Movement Stopped

It's been a couple of years since I last went to Spencer Art Museum; in 2010 I went there for the first Color Challenge I ever participated in, the color Gray in November. There's word it may be closing soon, which is why the abstract stylings of the sim are flooding across the decks of bloggers everywhere; sadly, nothing draws people more quickly than word that something is going away. It is an amazing sim, though, and difficult to capture in pictures in a way few sims on Second Life are - the ever-present motion means that things are always changing in a way static pictures simply don't do justice to. It's also so enormous that anything other than pure landscape pictures are sadly reductive, and the fun of bouncing around on a pink, stuffed chair is both fleeting and pleasant. I love the rusty, misshapen aspects of it, and the tiny details of platforms, cages, light-bulb trees, and long, misshapen arms. It is at once, mechanical, magical, and worn. I love it against a powerful color; it ends up being such a different look from my last look at this sim, and really shows the effect a good windlight can have.

The larger pieces of my outfit are from this session of We <3 RP, which had a few shining items but seemed less diverse and combineable than in the past; I pulled together hair, dress, crown, and a few poses but most of what I picked up are other outfits, and so they will filter out as time goes on with other accessories. The crown was a gacha prize from Plastik, and a gacha of rare and enviable bliss; three sets of crowns, with rarity being based on color instead of style, which meant I ended up with a number of lovely crowns and even a rare or two - which left me feeling upbeat and cheerful. I perched the crown on top of this hair from Calico, is a fluffy concoction of curls which cascade over one shoulder and tuck perfectly behind my ear - a rarity in hair and deeply appreciated. Like a lot of other stores, she's moved to HUD based recoloring of her hair and includes roots with the basic set - something I took advantage of in this look, though I'm normally not a roots girl. I also quite liked her set of fades, which covered many natural hair colors as well as unnatural; I adore the variety of options.

The dress - the largest part of my look - is a gorgeous new creation from Evie's Closet that is reminiscent of the best of her gowns. The colors are rich and dull, the styling unique and lovely - I particularly like the triangle of fabric over the back of the hand, and how the fabric parts at the tips in a natural manner for the laced up style. The gold lattice work on the bodice is echoed in the bright gold of the underskirt - my one wish here would have been for two layers of mesh supporting the layering in the texture more powerfully, but even as a textured underskirt it seems to glow in the light. I also love how it cuts in on the side and back, the top smooth field of red lava from which the gold emerges and cascades to the hemline. Finally, some of the poses are from Elephante, which is a fantastic emerging post maker who makes naturalistic, interesting poses of a wide variety of types. The We <3 RP poses available are in the style of Fairy Tales - a warrior and a wicked Queen - but if you go to many other events open right now you'll find even more options available to you.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Calico, Francine (We <3 RP)
Crown: Plastik, Syl Crown (We <3 RP - Gacha)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Glitter Pop Eshadow
Lipstick 1: Adore & Abhor, 13 Lips
Lipstick 2: Buzz, Gem Lips
Wings: Illusions, Apsara Wings
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Nails: A:S:S, Mermaid
Necklace: Max Gossamer, Summer Ladybird (Arcade June 2013)
Dress: Evie's Closet, Iseult Gown (We <3 RP)

Pose: Elephante

Location: Spencer Art Museum
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Lydian Dinosaurs
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Monday Meme: Advice for Newbies Challenge

Strawberry is back again, this time with an Advice for Newbie Challenge. I'm actually a semi-big newbie person. I carry gifts for newbies, and part of this blog - the Newbie Resources Page - is directly aimed at giving practical advice for how to get nice things and get around. They are some of my most visited pages, though usually I don't get much feedback on them and some of the sub-posts have been very difficult to keep up to date. They are more nuts and bolts, so for this list of five pieces of advice I'm going to focus on the more abstract issues of how to thrive in Second Life.

1. Start with something you're interested in. Is it music, philosophy, dance, charity, creation, fashion, or art? Is it socializing, romance, self-expression, games, or exploration? The search on Second Life isn't the best, but if you search for any of those words you'll end up somewhere to begin, and you can search on the wider web as well. I'd honestly recommend looking in at least two directions - I started with fashion and philosophy - so that you don't become too isolated in a small sub-genre and loose sight of the larger picture of how diverse Second Life is. Don't try too many, though, because it can be easy to get overwhelmed; Second Life is largely about who you meet and who you are, so be mindful of both.


2. Invest in a single persona at first. Second Life offers a lot of angles for re-imagining oneself, but to get the full effect, focus on one expression of yourself at first until you find your sea legs. This doesn't necessarily mean focus on one avatar form - I've known people who change avatars very often and with great glee, but that is part of the persona they are building, as someone transcendent of image. Spreading out all of one's aspects of persona across many accounts, however, can lead both to a shallow relationship with Second Life, but also make it much more likely that if something happens within that context, one has less to keep oneself in world.


3. Make a second persona about the stuff you want to hide - your shadow. In addition to being a wonderful way of pursuing things one enjoys and doesn't mind people knowing about, it can also be a wonderful place to explore the personally taboo with less risk of danger or discovery. This may mean a gender change, an appearance change, or moving into communities one normally avoids, but Second Life offers unparalleled freedom to explore the external unknown and our inner darkness both.


4. Remember that NPCs are few and far between. It's easy to begin to think of other avatars are players in our own stories, but the truth is that we are all the main characters in our own stories, and we weave in and out of each others' lives in ways both pleasurable and painful. One way to minimize the latter and emphasize the former is to not be so attached to ourselves as an isolated actor, and instead recognize that everyone has a lot going on and their own perspective which may or may not be equally valid to our own.


5. Keep several things going at once, if you can. People have a tendency to mono-focus, even in a diverse world like Second Life, and that can lead to stagnation, isolation, and cynicism. Most of the time when people talk about how Second Life is no longer the wonderful thing it was, they mean that something hurt them in one of their experiences, and since that was their main or only experience and focus it soured the whole rest of Second Life for them. This souring is often relationship based, which is part of why I encourage people to make friends in different social groups instead of focusing on a single community, or even a single relationship. I've had hurtful things happen in relationships in Second Life, but the positive other experiences I had - some community based and some not - kept me going and enthusiastic.

Everyone was new once, and I hope this helps you to be as successful and happy in Second Life as I have been.

( More pictures here. )

Deo's Grove

One of the pleasures of friends is when they do something lovely and wonderful to surprise you.

Years ago I met Charlie, who at the time was the owner and Vampire Prince of Wood Bourne, a small town in upstate New York. That was the seat of one of the more painful episodes of my time on Second Life, made up largely of the pains of human interaction which are inevitable wherever people go. It was also the seat of my becoming close to Charlie and his lover Aydryan, though - both in roleplay and, more importantly, outside of it. When Wood Bourne ended we moved on to the Isle of Amras for a few years, and then played around with a few ideas for future roleplay which fell through, and finally Charlie decided he wanted to make a shopping sim, someplace beautiful and centered around roleplaying where people could find everything they might need within a bunch of different stores - modern to medieval to fantasy to sci fi. I had been enjoying in particular his new "classical" section, full of pillars and white marble, but little did I know that he had tucked into the side of one of his plateaus a present for me - Deo's Grove.

I've squatted on his land, using a platform in the sky, for a very long time. He lets me leave some various useful things lying around, like an enormous photoball, and my scrips weigher. I usually go back there when I want to change, usually far enough away from others to not have to worry about flashing my half-naked self all over the place. I have a few other "guest" platforms for friends to use, too, and the whole thing is simple and lovely. This is different, though. Charlie decorated a lovely garden for me, with the rainbow pool he used to have over his store before he opened it up. It is right under the path the maglev takes you on when you visit the sim, so visitors can see the rainbow grasses among the beautiful, paintbrush trees as they ride past into the darkness under the classical plaza. I'm also within view of Aydryan's platform, where his new main store is in a wave of pretty, fantastical creations. Knowing me, though, Charlie gave me something extra - something special - something hidden for me to decorate and enjoy.

There is a path of bright green grasses that goes through the grove and toward the tiny cave under the mountainous plateau. This is a cave which dates back to before Amras, to a window of time when we all raised a bunch of different breedables on a tiny, private island and spent a great deal of time giggling and hanging out together. Originally, this is where we had put the briefly present, breedable plants that produced a set of lovely, sound making, light glowing plants one could keep afterwards, the final form one which floated int he fire when this cave made the transition to being the secret hideaway of the Gods of Amras. This time the fountain is outside, though, where everyone can enjoy it, and inside is the loveliest little island with a well on it. Charlie gave me free reign in here, and while I stuck with the lowest prim I could, I'll admit to going a little wild. I have a lot of one prim prizes from various arcade events, and many of my favorites made it into my lovely, hidden cave. Also hidden in there is some of my artwork and, in a lovely recursive loop, a link to this blog so that people can see more of my art.

This is one of the loveliest things a friend has ever done for me - making it so clear how well he knows me, how much he cares about me, and making me a place in his new endeavor even though I'm not really bringing much - I blog, but I've always blogged him and his stuff; I'm entertaining, but I don't really bring in much financially, but in many ways this is more than the financial - this is returning to the messy, scale of human relationships, of the people we like to have around us. This is about love and affection which carries its way across distances through the medium of electricity.

I love you, too, Charlie. ~<3

( More pictures here. )

Watercolor Moments

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. 

~Robert Frost

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Olive, the Roise Moon (Cutie Moon)
Horns: Sublime Shroud Kreations, Aggapo Horns (Rare) in store gacha
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Adore & Abhor, Princess Blithe
Blush: Adore & Abhor, Princess Star Blush
Lipstick: Mock, Glasside
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Nails: Wicked Peach, Spell Cast
Necklace: The Sugar Garden, Hoshi Crystal Compact (Cutie Moon)
Dress: Pesca, Star Magic Dress (Cutie Moon)
Stockings: Atomic, Twinkle Tights (Cutie Moon)
Shoes: Bliensen + MaiTai, Cha Cha Cha

Pose: !bang

Location: Alirium
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Cheery Cyan
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fit for a Princess: Conjunction of Fairy Tales

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

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

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

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

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

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

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

Furniture:

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

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

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

MadPea Hunt: The Lost Mine of Stonehaven

MadPea has started a new hunt, this one precipitated by Professor Peabody who purloined a map then misplaced it. He claims to know how to get to the Lost Mine of Stonehaven, but he needs our help, and it's rumored great rewards await those who dare to find the mine.

MadPea's Blog has a brief Introduction to the Hunt; I started in Mad City, walking a few steps from the landing point to the enormous board where you can buy the HUD (in the middle) and a variety of avatars (optional and offer no advantages) and companions (optional, but provides hints).I picked up a little Pea who looked lonely and we quickly became fast friends. He's extremely chatty - saying whether there's a something I want every five to ten seconds or so, but when one is flying around a sim that pace is actually appreciated. He only helps for the first two legs of the journey, but as those are the farthest flung steps I have to admit I appreciated him a great deal and I don't think I would have finished those steps half as quickly without him.

Welcome to the Lost Mine Hunt, Adventurer!  Professor Madrigal Peabody invented a portal into another world and found a lost mine full of riches! He wrote down a map to get back to it, but unfortunately, ripped it up thinking it was his grocery list!

Now he needs your help to find the pieces and put the map together again. If you succeed in this task, you will get to access the portal that takes you to the Lost Mine full of gold, gems, chalices, and other such wonders. Riches untold to be sure.
 
What are you waiting for? Start looking for the map pieces around Mad City and put the map together again! Please understand that this game is a point-and-click treasure hunt. Clicking items will give you clues to advance in the game. Make sure to pay attention in nearby chat for instructions.

Clicking the ? -symbol on the HUD will take you on our help blog. We also have help available in MadPeas' group chat 24/7.

Good luck, Adventurer! Begin the game at Mad City: Da Vinci Isle (112,100,33)

The HUD is blank when you start - and so you end up going around Mad City picking up pieces of paper - fifteen in all - until you piece together the map. By far, the best thing I found as I went was to look inside the stores when my little Pea of Knowledge started chattering that a piece of map was near. Besides this one spot inside a movie theater, inside of stores was the most common place for me to find paper. I think because it's off of the street and out of immediate view, it avoids most peoples' attention.

You did it! You pieced the map back together! Quick, click it to open the magical portal and you will get taken to the long lost mine with all the riches! Woot, you'll be rich!

Clicking the map offers a teleport and brings up a weird looking door with twenty little slots in it over the map. Once you accept the teleport, you are standing in front of the actual weird door, set into the side of a mountain.

Hmm... I shouldn't have thought it would be this easy to get the riches! This door is stopping me from entering the Mine! It seems to have 20 holes in it.. wonder what goes in there. I'm pretty sure though that if I insert the right things in, it will open. Hey, don't get any crazy ideas here! The shape looks like a crystal.. maybe I should go and look for some dirtpiles around here to see what I can find!

There are all these little piles of dirt all over the place, and when you click on them shining jewels glimmer for a moment before you pick them up. They are all over, and again I had a lot of luck with the store like areas, where fewer people seemed to go.

All that effort sure paid off! Now I have 20 crystals! I should go and take them to the door and cross my fingers that it will open! I think I can get back there again by clicking the map.

Click on the door, and a whole bunch of crystals fit into place before the door swings open. Walk inside, and suddenly you find yourself... teleporting... without even meaning to.

Wow, this is awesome! Now I'll just walk in and get my treasure!

Pea Clue Finder: Oh my! The Lost Mine!  How glorious it is! I've never been here and will be of little use to you though.

A little ways inside the door is a figure with a single red gem in it and six other empty spaces. Clicking it gets you a message about needing a different kind of gems.

Wait! What was that sound?! It sounded like I activated something somewhere. It seems like finding these gems is needed for something later. I'd better find them all!

I have no easy way to describe the next few movements. It's a confusing, circular cave system with different gems, sometimes hidden along the edge of a wall, other times findable after solving a puzzle of light, and still other times just along a long ways and tucked behind some falling sand. I also missed a door near the beginning, thinking it was an end game thing - don't make my mistake; I ended up having to go back for it and then make my way to the end again.

Mysterious Door: Deoridhe Quandry, a faint grinding sound is coming from the door, better hurry. 
Mysterious Door: Deoridhe Quandry rotating the last ring into place, the door rolls out of the way

It's a lovely snowy room inside but I'm left wondering how it snows underground...? There are lots of amazing, narrow passageways with lovely crystals and hanging bits all over the place, too, which made it really fun to explore. However, one of the other places I ended up in had a cave in, and I ended up having to do some hard labor. Boooo~

Dumbar: LOOK OUT! THERE'S A CAVE IN!
Dumbar: Oh no! The falling rocks have blocked your way! Touch me for a mining pick to get rid of these infernal boulders! (Wear the pick axe then touch the boulders)
Dumbar: Because I have so much experience in mining, I will sit here and supervise!
Dumbar grins at you

Click, click, click - it was only a matter of moments before the stones were all cleared away.

Dumbar: Great work! Looks like you're all clear to move on!  Better hurry though, cave in's happen quite frequently here!

A lot of the puzzles are fun little logic puzzles, and the most complicated thing is getting your chance to try it out. On the last puzzle before the end, I was always an adjunct to someone else solving it - and I went through three times in total. Once you have your seven gems, though, it's time for a lovely ride through the mineshafts to the prize area. The nice thing about how they set it up is that you have to click on the store treasure boxes you want, so if you use the handy MadPea Gift Guide you can pick what you prefer and nothing more - something I really appreciated. Much as I love an avalanche of gifts, my inventory is becoming too unmanageable for them; being able to pick and choose was really an amazing bonus to a really fun game.

( More pictures, including pictures of the other puzzles, here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Discord Designs, Abney
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Una, Steampunk Wings
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Nails: Pin Me Down, Neon
Necklace: MV, Shadowcat Necklace
Outfit: Asteria Creations, Wild Bedrosian
Watch: Eclectica, Mechanika fob
Bracelet: Snugabugs Designs, Chunky Bracelet
Bag: MadPea, Lost Mine Accessory
Shoes: Fri, Jet Heels (VIP Gift)

Poses: Olive Juice

Location: MadPea Hunt: Lost Mine of Stonehaven
Light Settings: Sim Default
Water Settings: sim Default

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Cutie Moon Faire: For Love of Magical Girls

I have a deep and abiding love of Magical Girls.

Magical Girls are a genre of Japanese fantasy, for people who don't know, and their stories center around girls - ages about nine to fifteen - who are given special abilities and use them to transform and, usually, to battle for justice. The simplest stories have two dimensional forces of evil which want to remove something from the world - love, or mercy, or energy. There is often a lot of maniacal laughter, long speeches about how horrible light or kindness are, transformation sequences which save budgets, and a mysterious love interest who can be either pursuer or rescuer. On the more complicated end, the stories interrogate ideas of power and freedom in the lives of some of girls who are simultaneously powerful and powerless. They explore issues of identity, romance, and individuation during the complicated promise of a Magical Girl becoming an adult woman, who has different stories. The closes US analog is Jem, where Jerika has to face issues of honesty, integrity, and identity as she tries to co-exist with her more famous form, Jem, but Jerika is an adult woman as seen by a pre-teen (most of the plot holes vanish if you're twelve) instead of a peer who has been inexplicably given both the power and the responsibility of an adult. Sailor Moon is the Magical Girl associated with the Cutie Moon event, and she is a fine example of the genre; a girl with many faults, who doesn't seem at all special, but who under it all is a Princess who will end up saving the world.

I was never a huge Sailor Moon fan, though I've seen enough of the anime to have a working knowledge of it. My gateway Magical Girl was Kaitou Saint Tail, a largely mundane Magical Girl who steals in order to bring about justice. I was shortly thereafter introduced to Wedding Peach, which is an extremely fluffy Sailor Moon analog complete with these amazing speeches on the part of the main character about the weather and how the villain she is about to fight has offended the universe. It's complete fluff, but so enjoyable. After that I did a quick run through a lot of manga, including Card Captor Sakura, which is aimed at younger girls, until I hit the twisted and adult end of the genre with a hard slap into one of my favorites, Princess Tutu. The one which really gave me insight into the recursive nature of the genre, and the profound aspects of character growth possible, was Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which offers up a main girl like no other, and a Möbius strip of story which is so delightful I finished it and wanted to watch it all over again. I love Magical Girl stories and the powerful girls whose stories are told in so many wonderful ways.

The Cutie Moon Faire offers a lot of different things inspired by Sailor Moon, and I had a ball putting together a look with a few pieces, including one lovely gift. The hair is a really fun release at the Faire from from Wasabi Pills with adorable upswept pigtails and a bang line that I really enjoyed. Usually her bangs are heavier, but this has the little peep hole I could show off a forehead jewel from Souzou Eien in, and it also works beautifully with diadem style crowns. I paired it with cosmetics from Adore & Abhor with stars across the cheeks and a soft, bright red lip to match the red accents to my look. The look itself is an amazing recolor of Fateplay's Sailor Fuku release at the Faire, and I am as in love with it now as I was the last time I wore it - perhaps even more with the pink, yellow, and red color styling. It comes with the wand I'm wearing, and that wand comes with the most amazing HUD which lets me spin around and blow hearts at everybody! I love it so~! I'm also wearing the included boots, which I think would look a touch better if my legs were longer, but which I quite like nonetheless; they have a simple, streamlined style which look like they poofed out of ribbons. The stockings above them come from Kyoto Couture and include the cute bows at the sides of the thighs; if I could get this ribbon style in a SLink adapted form, I would be one happy Faerie. The final touch which sealed the deal is this adorable purse - a gift from someone who made it into the Faire before I did - from Atomic. When I finally got into the faire I was able to try my hand at landing a few others, and ended up with five of the six - which isn't bad at all. I like the stuffed head dangling from the front, and I love how the shoulder band was made, as it let me adjust the purse for different shots so that it always looked natural. Very well done indeed!

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Chibi (Cutie Moon)
Jewel: Souzou Eien, Precious Bindi
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Blush: Adore & Abhor, Princess Star Blush
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Fluff Lips
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Pin Me Down, Neon
Outfit: FATEplay, Rena (Cutie Moon)
Purse: Atomic, Scout Bag (Gacha - Cutie Moon)
Stockings: Kyoto Couture, Socks No.2

Poses: !bang

Location: Skyrah: ReiKai
Light Settings: TOR, FOGGY Pink Chapterhouse
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fit for a Princess: Future Ruler of Dragons

The first Fit for a Princess Event is beginning today, April Fool's Day, and if it's a joke please don't ever tell me because everything on offer is completely lovely and there is even a shopping guide for people who want to look before they go. It goes until shortly before the end of the month when the sim will close for creators to set up for the next round of royal loveliness. There is a solid mix of clothing, hair, jewelry, shoes, poses, and some items to decorate a home - and even a tower to put everything in. The color scheme is highly variable, from pale pastels to rich, dark colors, and I decided to show some of them off with a very dark skin in honor of De La Soul making SLink appliers for his Lumi skins. This skin started on petites and then was sized up for the regular avatar, and I really adore the speckles on it and the magical shading. The dots continue all over, but you'll have to try it out yourself to see! The horns are from Lassitude & Ennui, and they are from We <3 RP; I initially wasn't going to keep them, but then the idea of a Dragon Princess occurred to me - and I ended up really liking the effect! Pretty much the rest of my look comes from Fit for a Princess, and you can see how amazing all of the offerings are. In particular, I want to note these poses from a new-to-me store named an lar; I particularly liked that for one of the front holding poses (see below) there was a regular version and one for a poofy skirt - those kinds of options really make a set of poses more versatile.

The hair, a long braid down the back, is from Milk and comes with a color-change HUD for easy tinting options. I'm wearing a pale blond, but there are all kinds of natural colors and several unnatural, so you have a lot of options. The long braid-tail is well rigged and moves with your lower body. I love the open front of the style, perfect for diadems and forehead jewels, and it comes with a leather band but I substituted in a crown from Keystone, which hang easily on the brow with tiny gems dangling down. Keystone's diadem comes in gold, silver, and onyx, and I really like how it fits across the forehead, though it gets lost a little in my spots. The gown, from Fission, is one of several offerings - including a shirt gacha - and is definitely fit for a princess. The style is a little more 1950s than 1250s, but princesses didn't stop being themselves when the Enlightenment happened, and I love the subdued Modern Princess Diana edge to this gown. The nails are from A:S:S and are a brilliant purple with subtle tones embossed on them - in this case I have little crowns - and it's one of several nail HUDs available. The final touches were a purse and a shoe set from Sysy's; the purse is one of many from a gacha and is simply lovely. It has a simple, sleek design and a slight bit of shine in the texture of the body. The shoes go with the SLink Medium feet and have a cute, offset bow with the same sparkles as the clutch, and a sweet open-toed design. Fit for a Princess really has made my dreams come true.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Lumi
Hair: Milk, Spell Bound (Fit for a Princess)
Horns: Lassitude & Ennui, Spring Horns (We <3 RP)
Crown: Keystone, Vaika's Jewels (Fit for a Princess)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Purse: Sysy's, Scarlet Clutch (Fit for a Princess)
Nails: A:S:S, Royal Purple (Fit for a Princess)
Dress: Fission, Lisa Dress (Fit for a Princess)
Shoes: Sysy's, Shoes (Fit for a Princess)

Poses: an lar (Fit for a Princess)

Location: Skyrah
Light Settings: AnaLutetia, outdoor
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only