New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year: the turning of the calendar gives us each a good excuse for a bit of naval-gazing and the resolution to make changes where needed.  For me?  Since 2009 was quite possibly the most eventful, strange, wonderful, stressful, tumultuous year of my life, I am just yearning to keep all my lovely new things intact and enjoy them with a little more calmness.

I was inspired by these necklaces I bought a while back– called Ganesha.  I just looked at the notecard today that designer Lucas Lameth (luc) included with this charming set.  I know I should have looked at the insert card sooner, but in fact it turned out to be kismet that today was the day I opened it up.  Apparently, Ganesha is one of the most popular of Hindu deities, and is reputed to be a remover of obstacles, prayed to before the beginning of any new venture.  The elephant head on the necklace represents Ganesha himself.  !!!  The perfect New Year’s inspiration!

Also inspiring?  Yes… the clothes!  I adore yoga in RL, but have never given the SL variety a whirl until now.  I am half-ashamed to admit it, but I was wholly motivated to start because I picked up a pair of these Surf Couture yoga pants.  Shallow of me, I know, but come ON… these have the perfect waistband, perfect scrunchy leg, perfect fit.  They could get anyone into downward facing dog!

Another point of inspiration– this FREE skin.  It’s part of a woodland nymph avatar named Elfa, and you can get the whole av for free just by clicking her sweet little self.  Go ahead!  Find her here.  I just love the freshness, the flush on the cheeks, and the adorable nose.

And now, it is time for me to run and do some stretching of my own.  But in case I forgot to say it before– hope you are having a happy new year and may all your resolutions be successful!  (Well, not TOO successful… there is always next year!  hee!  XOXO )

Outfit details

Skin: Elfa, FREE GIFT

Undershirt: Decoy, Phoenix tee in Plum

Overshirt: silent sparrow, grape Chapiteau set

Pants: Surf Couture, Yoga Pants in white

Hair: Kyoot, Self-absorbed in Ginger

Necklaces: luc, Ganesh necklace (two lengths)

Yoga mats found at: Hot Springs Buddha Center and Yoga

Granny Goodness

I’m not sure if it is a theme, or the cozy-feeling time of year, or just a coincidence, but a LOT of this week’s 50L Friday stuff makes me think of raiding my grandma’s closet for treasures.  That is a very good thing, in my humble opinion– take a look for yourself.

Tyranny Designs is offering up a cutie little dress inspired by “Aunt Gertrude”.  I’m not sure my elderly relatives would ever be caught in such a short little thing… and I would rather not envision it.  Nonetheless!  It is a super cute little frock and there is a strong whiff of vintage about it, for sure.  Kyoot’s 50L prize seems perfectly intended to make sure you don’t get a chill, even with tiny skirts– winter leggings in two adorable prints.  I am wearing the flowers, and there is a more delicate print of vines in similar colors.  To top it off, a knit cap and hair set from Aitui.  Really cool style and a color change beanie, but it made me sad not to see any redhead selection for my 50L! 

Not part of the sale: some boots with cozy knit legwarmers from Surf Couture that I would marry, if I could.  LOVE them.  As do almost everyone else, since I see them everywhere!  Normally, that diminishes my love for SL items, but in this case… not a bit.    Oh!  And one last shout out, for the Duboo glasses, a cherry on the granny cake and a new fetish for me.   Lurve.

So until next time, kiddos– make Granny proud, and get down to do your 50L shopping before the day is out.  I’ll see you soon!

Outfit details

Skin: Curio, Elf in Petal, Snug makeup

Hair: Aitui, Ease long in blonde

Glasses: Duboo, Choucream glasses

Dress: Tyranny Designs, Auntie Gertrude Dress

Undershirt: fri.day, longsleeve layering tee in brown

Tights: Kyoot, Cozy floral tights

Boots: Surf Couture, Elsa boots in brown

Gray Skies

Blech.  I hate taking the tree down, I hate throwing away remnants of Christmas cookies, and I hate that it will be over 300 days before I can sing carols again.  Add to that– January is the grayest of gray months for much of the Northern hemisphere.  Optimists may think that means a peaceful respite from the busy December days, and it is.  But for me it often just leaves me missing the twinkly lights of yesterday!

So before I get tooooooo gray-mooded myself, I thought I would get back into SL a bit and see what cropped up while I was away being festive.  Luckily, this sweater was just waiting for me.  Thank the lord for This is a Fawn!    After that, I took a look at Mirone and found the first new hair I’ve seen there in far too long: Miaa is such a lopsided, fluffy masterpiece.  It makes my forehead look huge in an alien-esque way, and I don’t mean that as a bad thing. Almost retro, almost sci-fi, and really a lot of fashion fun.

I took out one of my all time fave skirts, from sugarcube, and some fantastic Decoy boots and voilá… a girl that matches her mood.  And although it is no longer the time for spangles and sparkles– red lips are always in season!

So… time to perk up!  Be back next time with cheer and color.  Until then, stay warm, and embrace the gray…

Outfit details

Skin: Curio, Vixen II in Petal, Gunmetal makeup

Hair: Mirone, Miaa in apricot

Sweater: This is a Fawn, Ira Sweater in Winter Blue

Skirt: sugarcube, powder skirt in grey

Tights: Ty Zvezda, Cut off tights in grey

Shoes: Decoy, Jully boots in navy

Scarf: Candy Nail, stole (color change) in gray

Out with the Old, Out with the New

And by “out”, I mean out of the closet.  A total mix up of old and new today, but all beloved.  AND all serving one purpose… to set the mood for a day of hideous decorating.  I am actually too cheap to spend money on SL Christmas décor this year… that would take money out of my fashion budget, you know?  So that means I have been trotting out alllll sorts of hideously out of date SL decorations from years past.  Interesting in a historical way?  Yes.  Pretty?  Errr.  Ummmm.  Not usually. (What was I thinking??)

Anyhow, I will forge on with the FASHION notes, because unlike my plaid and poinsettia wreath there, I feel very sure that these clothes are perfectly lovely.  I’ll concentrate on the new…

First up: the mittens.  I cannot go another second without talking about my love for these big, wooly, embroidered things!  They were bought on a random visit to Frippery thanks to one holiday hunt or another, and they are new and completely wonderful.  You can’t see it here, but each mitten is embroidered differently.  I would apologize for my ill-chosen pose not showing you both hands, but then again… now you have a surprise waiting for you when you buy yours.

Second: the SOCKS.  Not revolutionary, you say? What would you think if I told you I plucked them off a TREE?  A sock TREE?   Aha!  I knew I would get your interest.  Slow Kitchen has hit on an irresistible Christmas idea: socks on a tree, just L$20 each.  Fatpacks for just L$80.  Amazing selection, from the ordinary (like these) to the truly original and amazing.  Different bulks, different materials, different lengths… it is the most sock fun ever.

More new details: Christmas glasses!  Leave it to Duboo to do the most funky, cool little Christmas glasses, and then offer them up in 3 variations WITH 3 Christmas tights as well.  Completely wonderful.  Plus, they have an option to attach on the left ear, which left me room for candy cane and eyelashes as well.  Huzzah!

Oooo, that reminds me: candy cane.  A Sanu interactive toy that not only looks great, but is kooky and fun for you and friends to play with by just clicking it.  Perfect for Christmas!

So, there you have it… another red and green outfit for your files.  Eventually I *will* want to wear other colors.  Just… not today.  After all, I am the best decorated thing in the house!  Heh.

Go have fun decorating yourselves, and I will see you soon!  MUAH!

Details

Skin: LeLutka, Eclat Light in makeup 1

Hair: Miau Haus, Saeya hair in Saucy Red

Sweater: PBI, the Afternoon in fern

Jacket: Muism, Fur Leather Jacket in red

Scarf: Michami, Ebba Scarf in green

Mittens: Frippery, ET Christmas Morning in red

Shorts: Niniko, Rollup Jeans in red

Belt: Maitreya, Old Belt in black

Socks: Slow Kitchen, mix knit socks in green

Glasses: Duboo, Santa’s gift glasses 2

Candy Cane:  Sanu, Interactive Candy Cane in apple

Let It Snow

I’m longing for snow!  *sigh* And since I have none of the white stuff outside my door, I was determined that Jenopolis should have some fun playing around in it.  A mish mash of my favorite homey feeling snow clothes ensued…

The basis for this outfit was the new(ish) Lanie skirt from Modd.G, which has to be the most fashion forward interpretation of lederhosen I have ever experienced.  Toooo fun!  Another item that deserves mention: Untone Quilt handwarmers.  These are a lesson for me, proving my “buy now, buy now!”  philosophy is the right one in SL– I went around today to look for Untone Quilt again, and found… nothing.    I miss you, Untone Quiltie!  Are you really gone?  Or just hiding on me??  Hmmm.  In the meantime, check out my wildly unrealistic-for-snow but gawgeous pumps– “toadstool pumps” (cuteness!) from Beetlebones.  Lurve.

So, I am going to make some cut out snowflakes now, and decorate my windows.  Until next time, happy shopping!  Muah!

Details

Skin: Pink Fuel, Skye in Honey with Kaoru makeup

Hair and Cap: Cake, Zephyr beanie hair

Shirt: Etoile, Ahoy Thermal Pull

Skirt: Modd.G, Lanie skirt in gray

Scarf: BP*, crochet scarf 1

Arm Warmers: Untone Quilt, handwarmers in pink

Tights:  Ohmai, Basis Sheer Legging in nudist

Socks: Maitreya, Slouch Socks in Aubergine

Shoes: Beetlebones, Toadstool pumpsies in red

Oldie Diner Flick

Just a little faux movie fun today, and a few new fave items of mine.  Think 50’s technicolor movie meets hipster girl looking for some breakfast?

First off, the would-be heroine is wearing a fantastic dress from Slow Kitchen.  I know– is there any other kind?    I particularly love the bright purple plaid of this one, which is the inspiration for the super-colored photos here.  So warm and wintery, but so bright and cute.  New boots from Gbberish add another level of brightness, with a furry texture and animal print, and the fit of a pair of favorite galoshes.  Loooove them!  Finally, to cover up the legs against the cold, I slipped on a pair of socks I picked up from one of Narwhal’s newest outfits.  Alone or together, these outfit pieces can’t help but be squee.  It’s true.

Topping things off, quite literally– one of Maitreya’s four new hairstyles.  This one is Alex, and the thick bangs are super cute, especially with Maitreya’s typically masterful soft texture.  Not too severe, but not too boring, you know?

Now… if only I had a MOVIE SCRIPT.  Or a director.  Yeah.  That would help.

Details

Skin: Dutch Touch, Cleo Pipo in Cotton

Hair: Maitreya, Alex in Ginger

Dress: Slow Kitchen, wool check wanpi in purple

Socks: Narwhal, Purpul

Boots: Gbberish, Champagny Boots in blush

Down Through the Chimney with Good St. Nick

OK, this may have to be my favorite Christmas carol now.  The Down the Chimney Hunt was not only a good bit of fun, I can’t BELIEVE the amount of quality loot on offer.  What a happy holiday surprise!  Thanks to all the designers who generously participated… and also, thanks to the organizers for getting so many different stores involved.  I shop a lot in SL, but it never ceases to happen that every hunt shows me a dozen or more stores I just never knew existed– and which I will be going back to again and again, natch.  The gift that keeps on giving, eh?

In the meantime, I have finally unwrapped all the spanking new prezzies the hunt gave me and managed to pull together a few outfits to spotlight some of my favorite new pieces.  Heeeeere we go!

(outfits and slurls and hunt details after the jump…)

Winter Schlump

There is one good thing about being off the SL grid for a while– when you get back, you have a whole season’s worth of beautiful clothes to try on.  Today, I reveled in my accumulated mass of fashion, and fixated on creating a little Winter Schlump… you know, the kind of clothes you wear to hole up in with your friends, enjoying a hot chocolate spiked with whisky and watching old Christmas flicks.  The art of the cozy yet aesthetically pleasing schlump.

The first outfit was totally inspired by this Pr!tty hair, which was a new find for me in a tiny corner of Black Market– it is so dramatic without being fussy and formal, and it is BIG.  I love big!  And the rose-studded hair band is super sweet, no?  So sweet, in fact, that I couldn’t resist a little bad attitude…

I am also a little (err, a lot) in love with my winter whites here.  The cardigan is courtesy of Ohmai, and if she isn’t genius with creating fashion forward schlump, I don’t know who is!  The cardi here is just great, with a perfect length and hang to wear with a million things.  Complementing it here is a skirt I couldn’t love more, the Niniko skinny skirt.  Of course, leave it to Niniko to make the skinny skirt an outstanding cargo, devoid of the Mad Men sex kitten thing and all about looking cozy as can be without a hint of poof.  I adore the belt, and the sculpted pockets on the back are just GAWgeous.  To spice up the neutrals, I tossed on another tee from my incresingly tall pile of Gbberish stuff– such a statement piece!

One more thing– these BOOTS.  If I had them in rl, I just know I would have a hard time taking them off.  Ever.  Beetlebones at its best, they are quirky and comfy and so different!  The tassles make me smile like crazy, and I can’t wait to wear them in another color with another outfit and see what other magic they can spin.

Outfit One

Skin: Rockberry, Mia natural with freckles

Hair: Pr!tty, Runway model hair in Rose

Shirt: Gbberish, Urban Tees in Dark Maiden

Cardigan: Ohmai, Basic Pocket Cardigan in Nudist

Skirt: Niniko, Tight Skirt and Belt in Beige

Necklace: beetlebones, Clamshell Necklace in black and gold

Tights:  Royal Blue, Line to the Crown in Toxic Spill

Bag: Royal Blue, Slouchy Pouchy in Thoughtful Nutmeg

Boots:  beetlebones, Snuggies low boots in green

Details on the other two outfits after the jump.  (Go on, jump!  I’ll catch you!)

Two Faces of Shopping

Hello again!  Sorry for the long break, but I finally found my way back into SL this week, and have had one heck of a shopping spree.  It will take many many many blog posts to properly rhapsodize on allllll the wonderful stuff I have collected.  Even longer to catch up on all my favorite bloggers and realize I am about 6 weeks late, and all the cool kids already have this stuff! 

Come to think of it, there is a lot of shopping to do everywhere lately: toy stores, grocery stores, party dresses, online gifty buys, Xmas tree, Xmas cards… on and on.  It’s a darn good thing there I love to accumulate!  But even I have my days when one more store, one more uncrossed-off-list item gets to be a bit… overwhelming.  I suppose that is where this post comes from.  The two faces of holiday shopping.

OK, so I may appear panicked,  but that is clearly not because of the way I look.  Seriously, have you seen this coat?  It is off the hook yummy, from Gbberish.  The patterns and ideas in that store make me feel like I am raiding the most awesome vintage store ever.  This pattern is called Maple in honor of the cutie maple leafs all over it, and comes with a warm-looking sweater underneath.  Can I get a squeeeee??

Because the coat is so darn toasty (and a bit floofy and bulky on bottom) I just paired it with my fave Ohmai basic sheer leggings.  I don’t know why, but these tights are a part of pretty much every outfit I put on, now that summer is over.  Oh wait, I know why– because they RAWK.  Look at the texture!  Yayyy, Ohmai!!

As if the coat isn’t distinctive enough, I had to pull on some brand spanking new shoes from Courtisane– “La Vivien”, if you please.  They are super chic, to the point where my toes seem to disappear and I’m not sure how they would do on ACTUAL ice as opposed to pixelated.  But who cares?  They look outstanding– and even with disappearing-foot technology built in, they are super easy thanks to covered toes.  (phew!  I knew there was a reason I liked winter– no skin matching…)

After the panic subsides, isn’t this the feeling you really hope to achieve?  A minute out in the snow, looking at the lights of the stores, feeling like a little kid again?    I am a raging, sappy-ass sentimentalist about the holidays, so you have to forgive my cheesiness. But I have to tell you, I felt that lovely magical holiday shopping bliss come over me when I went to Black Market to pick up some elf shoes by beetlebones– and that’s where I snapped this pic.  The sim is looking outrageously wonderful with the snowstorm on the water and the nighttime with the scattered shops all doing some fun Xmas lights.  On top of that– great Christmas sales!!  Each week for the month of December a different group of designers will be selling a limited collection item for just L$100 or less.  Up this week: the aforementioned beetlebones elf shoes and four other goodies from skream, Mudhoney, Sanu, and Tarnished.  On the 9th, a whole other group of designer exclusives will be out… head to Black Market for all the details and designer names.  So worth it!

That’s all for now, kiddies.  I’ll be trying on all my new stuff, though, and blogging it as much as I can.  Until then, ho ho ho and merry merry, and may you find your holiday shopping bliss!

Outfit Details

Coat dress: Gbberish, Isabeau Coatdress in Maple

Leggings: Ohmai, Basic Sheer Leggings in Maroon

Shoes:  Courtisane, Vivien in Orange

Bag: Gbberish, I Love Doggy Bag

Earrings: beetlebones, Harem earrings in golden fuchsia

Hair: Curio, Gertrude in Natural red

Skin: KA Designs, Sayria pale freckles

Poses: Diesel Works, Shake Set– BRAND NEW RELEASE!

Shopping Suggestions

Black Market: The Black Market, fashionista finds

Xmas Décor: NIRVANA Winter & Christmas Decoratations

Walk in the Fall

This is the first year I’ve spent the fall in such a warm climate, and it has my heart aching for real autumn weather!  My New England girl roots wish I had a little less hot sun, and a little more sweater weather.  So, if I can’t take a walk in the crisp, cool fall woods, at least Jenopolis can. 

I have been waiting for months to wear this sweater from Hotch Potch.  I can almost feel how cozy and sporty the fabric is, and the detail of the baggy fit is perfect: not too shapeless, not too tight.  It comes in some fun and funky colors, as well as the basic black I am wearing.  And the sleeves are the perfect length– something I looove to see.

I think you all know by now I am a fan of the uber-cute suetabulous yootz and her store, Beetlebones.  I was thrilled when I found out she was expanding her repertoire into hair!  This one is a preview of a style for the Designers United Crow event, and the cap is unbelievably fabulous in its detail.  Not only is it a touch-to-change pattern, the shape is so different.  Little points on the top, and almost floppy but not quite.  Yayyyy cute!

The skin is JM Mai, and what can I say about it that you can’t see?  I am a huge fan of the red cheeks, perfect for a cool autumn day, and the lips are shiny and so real, and the freckles are perfectly placed.  Super cute, and not tooooo perfect.  One of my favorite casual skins, hands down.

To top off the outfit (or… uhhh… bottom it off?)  I slipped on my favorite hoorenbeek slip-ons.  These have an easy pattern changing system, and today I was feeling the hello kitty.   But for tramping around on fallen leaves and soft wet grass, nothing could be better or more comfy.

Details below… and if you have nice cool crisp fall weather where you are, send me some, would ya? 

Outfit Details

Skin: JM Mai, skin yen in t04

Hair and Cap: Beetlebones, Designers United for Crow (preview hair) in ginger red

Sweater: Hotch Potch, rakugaki jersey in kuro

Jeans:  Doux Petit Dahl, The Jeans in pedal pusher length, dark and dirty

Socks: Maitreya, Sculpted Socks in Fuchsia

Shoes: Hoorenbeek, Women Slip Ons in girl prints