Holiday Season

It's the start of the Holiday Season - Thanksgiving is nearly over and then it's a month of Christmas parties and New Year's celebrations. This time of year, it's all about the fabrics and the details - velvets, satins, silks, laces and sequins. The glimmer of diamonds and platinums, golds and sapphires accompanies every evening out and it's a time to add more glimmer to the skin and darker lipstick and eyes. Yes, I do love dressing for the holidays.

Today, seeking a momentary escape from turkey and pumpkin pie, I found a new shopping area. (Well, new to me at least!) These velvet pants are absolutely spectacular. They are exactly like something I'd wear to a holiday celebration in real life. The texture is wonderful and the draped, lace, embroidered cuffs fall perfectly. They actually come with two sets of cuffs, the other pair are only one layer.

I paired them easily with the top of a dress from Pixel Dolls. The silver color pulling out the embroidery in the pants. I added a fur wrap because it is, after all, nearly December. But, once arriving at the party, the bare shoulders and low-cut back of the shirt are perfectly sexy with the pants.



Drop earrings compliment the easy updo. The starry necklace was added last minute to add a bit more sparkle and accompany the evening look.

I love a sexy ankle and an ankle strap with stockings and the calf-bearing pants create a smooth line.

The only thing missing is a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio, which "real life" Kristianne is going to find, now.

Happy Thanksgiving for those who celebrate it - and Happy dawning of the Holiday Season for everyone else. May we all be grateful for the things we have, the people whom we love and cognizant of those of us who lack. Tonight, I raise a glass to you all.

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Pants - wonderhul pants - Pants Layer, Prim Upper Leg Attachments
YumYum
http://slurl.com/secondlife/creators pavillion/151/132/27/

Shirt - Celeste Shirt, Black (part of Celeste Drese Freebie!) - Shirt Layer
Pixel Dolls
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port Seraphine/14/129/56/

Wrap - Fur in Black - Prim Spine Attachment
earth & sky design
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tellus III/233/179/23/

Stockings - Nylons, Special Vintage, Darker Black - Sock Layer
No.9 Nylons
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pacific Heights/161/164/21/

Shoes - Visions of Love, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Ankle Strap Attachments
Minx
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hauwai/46/95/98/

Earrings - Irina, Black & Onyx - Prim Chest Attachment
Lassitude & Ennui
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Necklace - Starry Night Evening Chain, Diamond - Prim Chest Attachment
7 Deadly Prims
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Penrose/98/68/30/

Hair - Emmy, Eclipse - Prim Head Attachment
Diversity Hair
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dacham/94/147/46/

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-Blood
Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23/

High Fashion?

When I received the notice from LeeZu Baxter Designs about the fantastic sweaters I featured a few days ago, there was one more element that caught my eye. The jeans were fantastic. I don't know as though I've seen that level of slouch and deconstruction in a garment in SL yet and I wanted them... I needed them... I lusted for them. After I bought my sweaters, I made my way over to the model "on duty" at LBD and asked her if she knew where the jeans were from. She did not but said she'd find out from the designer and let me know. The next day, I spoke to LeeZu myself, actually, about something unrelated and remembered I still wanted (needed) to know where those jeans were from! She directed me back to her shop, indicating they were a part of one of her top-of-the-line designs. She did tell me that she'd be making a less expensive version in the coming days (apparently, this happened yesterday). Well, I have a fancy-shmancy SL job that pays the good Lindens and I can appreciate the cost associated with stellar designs, so back I went to the store to check them out. I found the outfit quickly once I knew what I was looking for (tsk, tsk to the model on duty!) and brought my mouse to hover over it waiting for that little information box to pop up.

$1200L.

I rolled my eyes and pulled my mouse away. It wasn't that I couldn't afford the outfit, it was that I saw it as ridiculously overpriced for what it is. Cute jeans, yes, absolutely. Two intricate tops that do, upon brief inspection, show a mastery of clothing design, yes again. Some fancy high fashion accoutrement that one would never wear anywhere besides a costume party? Yes, yes indeed. After all, does one really need a peacock tail and a skirt that looks like seaweed wrapped around the legs?

Ohhh, but those jeans... I was in lust.

I couldn't let myself do it, though, and I left the store without the outfit in my shopping cart. I picked up a leather jacket that looked stunning, instead, but I couldn't justify the outfit and I'm not sure why, really, as I've purchased insanely expensive items in SL before. In fact, my favorite store has some of the higher priced clothing I've stumbled across but for some reason, the perfect simplicity of the pieces makes it more understandable to me. In this case, it felt like throwing prims all over something in an attempt to simply obtain that "high fashion" look (anyone else sick of that phrase?) and I just had a mental block against it.

A couple of days passed and I couldn't stop thinking about those jeans. Finally the other day, in a moment of weakness, I teleported in, walked straight to the back corner of the store (before the store had even rezzed - sorry if I ran over anyone), waited for the vendor to show itself and purchased the outfit before quickly teleporting home in an attempt to outrun my own guilt.

Why had I done that? Why did I purchase something that for whatever reason I was morally opposed to?

Well, because I wanted to write this blog, of course. And I was hoping I would love the other pieces so much that the price suddenly made sense to me. (Didn't happen.)

It's funny, I contemplated long and hard about whether or not I would ever write negative reviews on this blog. Initially I thought I wouldn't and instead wouldn't feature something if I didn't like it. In fact, this particular entry has been sitting, written in full, in my "pending" blogs for three days while I contemplated whether or not I wanted to go to a negative place here. But I do think that part of the responsibility of having a voice is also using it.

And so, here's the original outfit that I purchased.




Okay, so... I don't have to wear all the parts, I get that. But then, I started to look at the jeans... the jeans that I loved... and I realized that the cuffs around the thigh are black with silver hardware... and the belt that is part of the texture is brown with brass hardware. And, as I've mentioned before, that's one of the things that drives me crazy. So the only way to make an outfit that I could live with using these jeans was going to be by covering up the belt.

And then I remembered that the fantastic jacket that I had purchased instead of the jeans outfit may have had the same problem. Let's take a look.


The buckles on the sleeves? Silver. The buttons on the jacket itself? Brass. What do you think? A conscious design choice? Or just an unintentional fashion faux pas? The only way I can wear the jacket is by editing the prims... I don't get that choice with my jeans, though. The mismatched metals and leathers are part of the textures. And I hate to say it, but it just feels sloppy to me.

I'm a strong believer that a product is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. And so, if the market will bear a ridiculous mark up, so be it... but is there a point where it crosses a line? And if so, what's that point?

So, there's my negative review. And now, on to the positive spin - the outfit I did manage to put together with my jeans...

So, apparently, the jeans come complete with an infectious "high fashion" disease because that's the only type of look it seems I could put together. The cute little shirt I picked up months ago but didn't wear often because the prim skirt never fit correctly. I remembered editing it when I bought it and finally just wearing it with black pants to mask the exposed part between the top of the skirt and the bottom of the shirt itself, which of course wouldn't work here. And I couldn't have fabric gap showing with my $1200L jeans and so I edited each and every box-pleat prim to conceal that gap. Once finished, I had a shirt that looked like it should (and covered the brown belt) but I will warn you that it was a hell of a lot of work. The outfit was begging for another layer to add interest and dimension, but the shirt itself is on the jacket layer so there was nothing I could use to put over it and I didn't want to put something under it. Then I remembered that last weekend as we dressed for an event on the Titanic, I mentioned off-handedly and with a bit of a chuckle to Ben that my shoulders were going to be cold in my tank gown on a ship's deck at night. (Am I the only one who feels cold or hot for her avatar?) As I put the finishing touches on my hair and shoes, he teleported off and surprised me by buying a gorgeous fur coat. The glorious thing about the coat is that it's all prims (and it avoids looking like a life jacket... which, now that I think about it, had the potential of being handy for our afternoon on the Titanic but thankfully wasn't needed). Layered over the rest of the outfit, it becomes one of the central pieces of the look and it really facilitates in making it all about the luxurious, heavy texture. The fishnets and stilettos are damn sexy with the seams running up the back of the calves and I think they're unexpected with a jean fabric, thus completing the outfit.

A chunky bangle holds its own with the bulk of the fur coat and the textures (black and silver) pull the black and silver details from the cuffs of the jeans. I like the feathered drop necklace which adds interest but doesn't take over the top of the look - there's already a lot goin' on up there with the jacket and the v-neck shirt.

And voila... Expensive look for expensive jeans.

---

Jacket - Fur Jacket, Black - Prim Spine, Upper Arm and Forearm Attachments (forearm attachments not worn in this outfit) earth & sky design
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tellus III/233/179/23/

Shirt - Amplify - Jacket Layer, Prim Ruffle Stomach Attachment Layer Refuge (Sinistyle) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Koreshan/51/69/24/

Pants - JenFall - Pant Layer, Prim Upper Leg Attachments (for gathered effect) (part of full outfit) LeeZu Baxter Designs
http://slurl.com/secondlife/centro italia /123/148/22/

Stockings - Black Fishnet Stockings - Freebie! No Creator Available in Properties

Shoes - Visions of Love, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Ankle Strap Attachments (ankle straps not worn in this outfit) Minx
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hauwai/46/95/98/

Necklace - Irina, Black & Onyx - Prim Chest Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Bangles - Wood & Metal Bangles - Prim Forearm Attachment Last Call http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dazzle/68/11/27/

Hair - Mica, Mahogany - Prim Head Attachment Maitreya http://slurl.com/secondlife/Superieure/94/43/451/

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-OhWow Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23/

A Girl in a Fantasy

The other night, Ben and I were rebuilding our photography studio on new land. We work well together when we're building, both clicking away in silence in our own little corner of the world stopping occasionally to laugh about something or ask a question. I snapped open a notice from FashCon advertising new sweaters and was struck by two things immediately. First, the model featured in one of the pictures could be my twin. In fact, I had to think back for a second to make sure I didn't actually model for the shot. Now, I've read all the hubbub about "stolen" shapes and identities in Second Life and I in nooo way think that's what happened here. Put the same Minnu skin on a taller, auburn haired girl with more of a square-shaped face as opposed to the heart shape or longer jaw lines that many have, and yeah, she's gonna look like me. But it's rare that I see someone that actually makes me pause. The second and far, far more important thing I noticed was the fantastic sweater!! They looked great on my doppelgänger which was an easy way to know they'd look good on me, too! I excused myself from scripting the teleporter that was insisting on launching me to the edge of the SIM and dashed to the store to snag a sweater. I picked it up in three colors because the red print I wanted wasn't available in the vendor for some reason (that has since been fixed). I came back home to resume teleport-scripting donning my new perfectly deconstructed sweater and feeling down right glorious. I thought I should spend some time getting the corner of the studio I use for my blog pictures set up and ready so I could take some shots of the sweater but then I figured this sweater would show up all over the blogs so I opted out of featuring it.

It just occurred to me today that I haven't seen it pop up on ANY blogs which is surprising and also fabulous... it gives me an opportunity to settle in to its cozy luxury once again.

As a side note, when I began writing this blog, my itunes kicked on a song I've been somewhat addicted to lately. As I belted out the chorus at full volume, I was struck by its appropriateness in Second Life. So, I've included the song here for you, too...

Eyes are magic, see right through me - makes me feel like, a girl in a fantasy... turned to real life... Stars in the morning makes me feel like, a girl in a fantasy... turned to real life...

I love the prim attachments on this sweater. There are three sets of attachments and they're all optional. The forearm sculptie cuffs are my favorite part, though... they're baggy and comfortable looking and fall to just the right point on the hand. The upper arm shoulder attachments complete the turned over neckline that does glorious things for the shoulder, neck and clavicle.

The texture on all of the colors is different and equally wonderful in each iteration and I love the drape at the hemline that slides perfectly over the waist of my favorite worn jeans. I topped (or, I guess, bottomed?) them with an upturned cuff to balance the neckline of the sweater.

A short hair that shows off the exposed shoulders and simple jewelry complete the look!

---

Sweater - WoolPulli, ornawhite, black, ornagrey - Shirt Layer, Jacket Layer for extended hem, Glove Layer for extended sleeves, Prim Sleeve Forearm and Upper Arm Attachments, Prim Collar Spine Attachment LeeZu Baxter Designs
http://slurl.com/secondlife/centro italia/166/163/22/

Jeans - Used-Look - Pant Layer, Prim Cuff Lower Leg Attachments Redgrave http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sands Shop Art/217/47/24/

Shoes - Ruffle Boot, Black - Shoe Base and Prim Foot Attachments Shiny Things http://slurl.com/secondlife/Shiny Falls/173/181/37/

Earrings - Solitaire Earings (sic), Platinum/Diamond - Prim Ear Attachments Xessories http://slurl.com/secondlife/Urbane/175/122/22/

Choker - Chasm Necklace, Silver/Black - Prim Chest Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Hair - Tina, Cranberry - Prim Head Attachment Diversity Hair http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dacham/94/147/46/

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-Blood Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23/

Color Pop

WOW... So, today, I'm totally NOT going to do the little game I decided to play in my last blog with wearing "old" inventory items. I started with the best of intentions. Really, I did. In fact, I wasn't even going to blog tonight (okay so I started this at the crack of dawn and fell asleep and finished it this morning...). I just decided to toss on some clothes and do some random shopping. I've been somewhat busy lately with some business-type ventures I'm working on, so I started a little folder for the notices that I've been receiving through FashCon and my other groups that I didn't want to forget about. And tonight felt like a good night to wander to a few of those places and see if there was anything that caught my eye. I hate to say it, but I'm a bit Halloween-ed out. There's just SO much out there and I really don't need any of it. Not only that, but I'm sort of "Fall Clothes-ed" out, too. I have sooo many cute little pea coats and longer jackets... several cozy turtle neck sweaters and boots... and, well, honestly it's all starting to run together. So I decided to take a bit of a shopping hiatus - I even succeeded for, well, a whole 36 hours. So anyway, I saw a few notices come through that I was anxious to check out so I tossed on a little outfit to run around in. In honor of the Halloween I'm so wanting to be over, I even pulled out a dramatic, jet black hair that I haven't worn very much at all because it's just a bit too severe for my everyday look. And off I went. The first stop resulted in several "nopes" and then I left empty handed. Unheard of - I can usually talk myself in to at least ONE piece or two. But, not tonight. I've become a PRACTICAL shopper. I check the items by selecting the "buy" button without clicking "buy" again so I can see the details of what I'm about to receive. I'm trying to use a bit of foresight and look at the layer options and imagine what I think I'll want to pair it with the future. For example, I passed up a fat pack tonight of an amazing sweater/skirt combo because the sweater was short sleeved - not immediately a problem, just put it on over the cute thermals I grabbed this weekend. *clicks buy* Wait, wait, wait! It's only available on the shirt layer - NOT on the jacket layer. *checks thermals* Also only available on the shirt layer and not the undershirt layer. Well, so much for that. And off I went. Sad, so very sad. Anyway, I grabbed a few odds and ends at Cake - a bracelet I've been wanting for awhile and keep forgetting to go grab and the demo of a hair that looks like it has potential but I'll need to wear around the house tomorrow while I'm building to make sure I like it. (Okay, okay - and ONE of the aforementioned short-sleeve sweater outfits... I couldn't help it! They look so cute!) I also grabbed a scarf that I had made a notation about at some point and then I was off the next locale. Oh yes, Artilleri - I know what I wanted there...

Oh my god am I in love, lust and adoration for the new scarves! I've already issued a plea on the Artilleri blog beggggging Antonia to release a fat pack because I literally want them all. (UPDATE: I just received word from Antonia that she put out a Fat Pack of the scarves! It's a huge discount of $500L for all of the styles and colors versus $75L for one - so it's so worth it! Thank you, Antonia!) I decided to wait and see if she humors me and so I snatched up only one. When I got home and tossed it on to see if I really did love it as much as I thought I was going to, I literally exhaled audibly with glee. It's GORGEOUS. Not only is the texture to die for, but the color is absolutely phenomenal. I foresee working this little number in to many, many outfits to come. Paired with my decidedly warm and comfortable men's cashmere sweater that looks adorable with another set of tights from Armidi Limited and it's the perfect fall look. The colors of the off-white and black mixed with the pink of the scarf - yeah, I love it. The belt is one of the Shiny Things belts that fit on the first try (almost - but required VERY little editing)! The boots... well, they're a new release from Redgrave and I'm ashamed to admit I bought them in every color (and then proceeded to declare that I wouldn't shop for 36 hours). I love them - but I do have two small, small "complaints" - to start with, the hardware on them is gold... and I'm primarily a silver metal girl. And I'm also totally anal about mixing metals - especially bright gold metals. (I WILL do it - it just as to be the right look and the mixing needs to happen within the same piece or at least the same area on my body - two different bracelets or necklaces, for example... or stacked gold and silver rings.) No biggie, I figured. I can just edit. Uh, no I can't. The invisible prims are blockin' my view. And honestly, I'm afraid to start messing with them because I don't want to keep them from functioning as they should.

About those invisiprims - I do wish they were just a little bit thicker. They're not totally doing their job around the ankle joint and, well, like I said - I'm a bit, erm, anal, and it bugs me. But, I will let them be because I love the texture and the heel height and shape are great. Plus, they pull me away from the ever beautiful and ever present Melisande boots from Last Call.

Accessories are minimum - well, nil really. The pop of the scarf and the great colors of the Minnu skin are all it needs. It's framed by a different feeling hair for me usually. I like the dramatic black and like it more with the color of the scarf to frame it. I don't usually do a bang because in real life, I have a very small forehead (no really - look at my RL pic in my profile in SL - it's tiny!), so I've also made SL Kristianne's forehead small and that limits her hairstyle options, too. But the bang on this hair works - the fringe is a bit sexy, I think! My new favorite bracelet to top it off and we've got an outfit to die for!

Yes, I do think I'm in love!

---

Sweater - Cashmere Turtleneck, Black - Jacket Layer or Shirt Layer, with Spine Turtleneck Attachment (not pictured) Gisaci
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/135/128/26/

Pants - Metallic Tights, Champagne - Pants or Underpants Layer Armidi Limited http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/132/104/26/

Scarf - Colour Thread, Pink Threads - Prim Chest Attachment Artilleri http://slurl.com/secondlife/Artilleri/91/123/26/

Belt - Stoned Belt, Black - Prim Stomach Attachment Shiny Things http://slurl.com/secondlife/Shiny Falls/173/181/37/

Boots- Boots, Black- Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Attachments Redgrave http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sands Shop Art/217/47/24/

Bracelet - Amor Vincit Omnia, Silver and Moonstones - Prim Forearm Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Hair - Fernanda, Black - Jet - Prim Head Attachment Sirena
http://slurl.com/secondlife/West Sunset/160/50/22/

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-20s Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23/

A Vintage Flair

Last night was one of those boring nights. Everyone I usually run around with - be it shopping, club hopping or people watching - was all off doing other things. So I was forced to entertain myself. That consisted of reading blogs for awhile and catching up on what everyone else out there is wearing and talking about. It made me realize that I'm going to have to start doing a new trick. For a week or so, I'm going to open my inventory and sort by "Date" and wear some of the older things in my closet. It's not thrilling to go from blog to blog seeing the same new release over and over again. It starts to make all of us SL fashionistas look like we were cut from the same cookie cutter. The same hair; the same skin; the same clothes - and there's nothing really distinguishing one avatar from the other. I don't know if my style is really that distinctive from everyone else's - I like to layer; I like high quality; and I like to look fantastic. But I'd also like to think I can insert the same originality into SL Kristianne's appearance that I do in real life. So let's see if venturing back in time a little bit helps me accomplish that!

Now, this entry just took on an entirely different spin than I originally intended and it has NOTHING to do with the cute little look I put together last night as I braved the clubs all by my lonesome.

I wanted something that was cute and a bit different but not too "I'm a sexy tramp," if you know what I mean. I dig the leggings I picked up from Armidi Limited. I like that they look a bit thicker and do a great little gathering thing around the knee and top of the calf. It's not as easy to see in the black, but I still like them. I decided to go for a bit of a vintage-y look in the bold color combination of black, white and red. The great men's white button down from Blaze offers the sexy spin with its open buttons. And you gotta love the Fat Belt from caLLie that offers a color punch and the finishing touch.

I kept it simple on the details. A fun necklace from Lassitude & Ennui and the "Love Conquers All" bracelet complete the jewelry. They're subtle enough details to pop the whole look and tie the accessories together. I love the messy hair with the crisp white men's shirt... it almost gives that illusion of hopping out of a day in bed and throwing on his shirt and some quick details to dash out the door. The peep toe heels add to the "vintage, Sandy post make-over in Grease" look. Fun and different for a night on the town.

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Shirt - Boyfriend Button Down - Shirt and Skirt Layers *free giveaway to group members* Blaze http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blaze/71/118/23/

Pants- Metallic Tights, Black - Underpants or Pant Layers Armidi Limited http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/132/104/26/

Belt - fat belt, bright red - Jacket, Shirt or Undershirt Layer caLLie cLine http://slurl.com/secondlife/caLLiefornia/224/194/22

Shoes - Vidalia Pump, Metallic Noir - Foot Base and Prim Foot Attachments Armidi Gisaci http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/128/140/26/

Necklace - Irina, Black and Ruby - Prim Chest Attachment (feather color edited) Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Bracelet - Amor Vincit Omnia, Silver and Moonstones - Prim Forearm Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Hair - Eva, Mahogany - Prim Head Attachment (glow and non-glow styles) Maitreya http://slurl.com/secondlife/Superieure/94/43/451/

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-OhWow Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23/

Pedicure - Pedicure 04 - Sock Layer RaC
http://slurl.com/secondlife/RaC City/187/136/27

Petroleum

I've had a couple days of frustrating outfits. You know how sometimes it just comes together perfectly and then other times, you don't have a shirt on the right layer; the glitch pants aren't editable but for some reason are too long (or short) for the skirt; the prim belt won't stretch or shrink to fit your hips; the stockings you want to wear are on the pant layer and the glitch pants with the perfect waist band are ALSO on the pant layer and neither one is available on the underpants layer? Yeah, it's been two days of THAT. Designers, please hear my plea:

Glitch pants -

Please make them so I can change the length. Nothing frustrates me more than pants sticking out from the bottom of my skirt.

Please, please, please provide them on both the pant and underpants layer. I have so many skirts I want to wear with other pieces and I just can't.

Shirts -

Please provide them on all layers - jacket, shirt and undershirt. Again, there's so much layering I want to do but can't with the limited options presented.

Follow the lead of some of the inventive designers out there who provide longer shirts on the shirt and undershirt layer by providing a corresponding underpants that fills the gap between the bottom of the shirt and the top of the pant.

Pants -

Please provide pants on both the pant and underpants layers so that a longer baby doll with glitch pants (on the pant layer) can be worn. My favorite jeans get minimal exposure under some cute longer prim shirts and sweaters because I need the glitch pants on the pant layer.

Stockings -

Please provide the stocking tops on both the pant and underpants layers, too. See reasons listed above. To wear them with a babydoll, you gotta be able to wear the glitch pants, too.

Belts -

This is just a general comment - belts that are offered on the jacket layer are really great. There's no need to mess around with prims and the disappearing edges in to my (not THAT wide) hips.

Okay, my complaining is over.

All that said, I did manage to put together a pretty cute outfit. A few days ago, I was wandering through Shiny Things trying on fabulous sculptie demos and wondering just how many pairs of tuxedo heels one girl really needs (answer: all of them) when I "overheard" a conversation between two other fashionista shoppers. They were both wearing the same shrug in different colors and I eyed it up and down and decided I had to have it and jumped in to their conversation to inquire about its location. They directed me to MG Fashions and I scooped it up in, well, every color. And I love MG's "Petroleum" color that is featured in a few of her designs. And I love how it looks with the black and white of the rest of the outfit. While at MG, I also nabbed a few (okay, all) of her t-shirts. I love the detail on them... the neckline and sleeves, the drapey fabric around the stomach. And, you can't see it here, but the hem does this awesome little lift and fall. Here, though, I paired a white undershirt with the t-shirt to close the gab between the waistline of my skirt and the bottom of the t-shirt. The exposed skin didn't look right with the covered legs and arms.

Speaking of the legs and arms, the skirt from Devilish Cupcake is fantastic. It's available in a few different muted colors and comes with both the "smart" skirt and the regular skirt option. This, however, is the skirt I was mentioning where the glitch pants are too long and not editable. It's hardly noticeable with the fun "Weird Plaid" socks from Shiny Things and I did drop the skirt down a little bit to compensate as well. The belt is from the Last Call Sweater dress I wore in the last blog. I have to say that I love the look of it with this outfit, but it was one of those miserable headache inducers that actually prevented me from wearing it with the dress it came with. The black of the skirt absorbs some of the issues I had fitting the belt, though, so it works here. The detail of the leather straps and the charms is great - but the prim shape makes it really hard to fit on a girl with a bit of hips and butt. The belt and skirt also both attached to the same point (pelvis), so I had to attach the skirt to my stomach and move it down.

Maitreya's Blossom Boots are just indescribable. The detail is truly amazing and I spent a few minutes camming around them to take in the texture of the suede... the finishing touches on the buckle... and even noticed the scuffed soles under the toe of the boot. Maitreya also does a perfect heel, in my opinion. It's the right height, the right thickness. Just all-around gorgeous. (And, I second Iris Ophelia's comments here that this is a shoe designer who should "get real".)

I'm addicted to my Armidi SoHo hair. I can't seem to take it off. It's just the perfect casual hair look and I like the color of it very, very much. I'm trying to broach back in to my old standards, but this one is just too good.

Last Saturday night, in a fit of boredom, I headed out to Talisman for a "witch" hunt of free stuff. Last I heard, there were upwards of 50 funky witches hidden all around the area with free stuff from all of Talisman's vendors. (I was there for an hour and found less than 20 - seriously.) While there, I nabbed these awesome silver bangles. I've worn them almost every day since.

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Sweater - Crocheted Shrug, Petroleum - Jacket Layer, Prim Upper Arm Sleeve Attachments MG Fashions http://slurl.com/secondlife/Portucalis/64/166/22/

T-Shirt - Line Flower Tee, White - Shirt or Undershirt Layer MG Fashions http://slurl.com/secondlife/Portucalis/64/166/22/

Undershirt - Kadesh Sheer Tank - Shirt or Undershirt Layer combined with Pant or Underpants Layer Last Call http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dazzle/68/11/27/

Skirt - Claire Tiered Skirt, Charcoal - Glitch Pants, Pant Layer, Prim Pelvis Attachment (attached to stomach for this outfit) Devilish Cupcake http://slurl.com/secondlife/Talana/220/42/26/

Socks - Weird Plaid Socks, Black - Sock Layer, Prim Thigh Bow Upper Leg Attachments Shiny Things http://slurl.com/secondlife/Shiny Falls/173/181/37/

Belt - Starley Charm Belt, Noir - Prim Pelvis Attachment Last Call http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dazzle/68/11/27/

Boots - Short Blossom Boot, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Attachments Maitreya http://slurl.com/secondlife/Superieure/94/43/451/

Choker - Chasm Necklace, Silver/Black - Prim Chest Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Bangles - Lady Thin Bangles, Silver - Prim Forearm Attachment (both Right and Left arms available) Talisman http://slurl.com/secondlife/Talisman/106/160/97/

Bracelet - Single Checkered Bangle, Black - Prim Forearm Attachment (both Right and Left arms available) Woo's! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Stadtrand/28/207/21/

Hair - The SoHo, Sangria - Prim Head Attachment Armidi http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/135/127/26/

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-Blood Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23/

It's Black and White

It's a chilly day here in my RL hometown. Fall has, er, fallen and I'm dragging my feet slowly towards my fall wardrobe both here and SL. This morning I thought I'd get myself into the spirit and go explore some of the Fall and Halloween SIMS out and about. After all, who doesn't love a trip to the pumpkin patch? After about 20 minutes of that, I was bored and needed to reestablish my roots in a more urban atmosphere. A little shopping trip; a stop in New York and I was feeling decidedly more myself. But the cute little green quilted jacket, brown skirt and boots I was wearing were just a bit sweet for my mood. I didn't want to go too punk as it is still the middle of the afternoon and all; but I figured I could get a bit edgy. I knew my new Armidi hairstyle captured the look I was going for and so I put it on and the rest just came together! It's a bit more layer-y than I usually do, but I'm getting more in to that. (After all, the rest of these blogging fashion mavens are all about wowing us with their incredible mix'n'match and layering capabilities and I do want to keep up with the trends!) I'm one who likes the unexpected mix of a Summery white skirt with the darker fabrics and knits. And leather and linen has always been one of my favorite mixes. The detail on the jacket is great with the little zippered pockets on the sleeves and I've been wanting an excuse to wear the great damask cami. Top it off with the tousled hair that looks eerily similar to how my RL hair is worn today and we've got a winner!

See, it really just as simple as black and white... Ha!

The linen pleated skirt is consistent with Last Call's usual quality. It's constructed well; it fits well; and the shading makes it look like more than just prim triangles on a white-panted rear. The appearance of the fabric has a weight to it that allows the linen to work with a heavier, Fall look.

I absolutely love the knit socks from Shiny Things. The texture is incredibly realistic and they just look so soft and cozy. They come in several different colors, but I had to stick with Black and White for today, obviously!

The "junk" bracelet from Illuminare has been one of my favorites since very, very early on in my SL days. I like the different colors and textures and it adds a bit of interest to any outfit. And, it dresses both up and down well. The "Chasm" choker is really well made and works well with the outfit. The silver, or steel, links in contrast with the diamond in the "chasm" is the perfect balance of (forgive me) shabby chic. And I love that I can layer it with another longer necklace as I've done a couple of times in the last few days.

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Jacket - Mylene Fierce Zippered Leather Jacket - Jacket Layer (part of Mylene outfit) Last Call http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dazzle/68/11/27/

Shirt - Sloxie Legend Cami-Lace Trim-Damask BW - Undershirt Layer (available on all three layers) Second Wave Apparel http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush Gamma/96/211/21

Skirt - Callista Pleated Skirt - Glitch Pants, Pant Layer, Prim Skirt Pelvis Attachment (part of Callista Outfit) Last Call http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dazzle/68/11/27/

Tights - Indian Summer Tights - Underwear and Sock Layers Battered Boudoir http://slurl.com/secondlife/Boudoir Isle/225/31/23

Socks - Stripe knit thigh highs, black - Sock Layer Shiny Things http://slurl.com/secondlife/Shiny Falls/173/181/37

Boots - Old Laceup Boot, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Attachments Shiny Things http://slurl.com/secondlife/Shiny Falls/173/181/37

Glasses - Danielle Black Glasses - Nose Prim Attachment Insolence http://slurl.com/secondlife/Emmelia/93/166/65

Choker - Chasm Necklace, Silver/Black - Prim Chest Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Necklace - Pave Heart and Wings Necklace - Prim Spine Attachment *Miam Miam* http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sunset Arts/167/178/25/

Earrings - Black Pearl Drop Earrings - Prim Ear Attachments Paper Couture http://slurl.com/secondlife/Barcola/80/125/26

Bracelet - Junk Bracelet, Black - Prim Forearm Attachment Illuminare http://slurl.com/secondlife/Retrology/141/234/40

Hair - The SoHo, Nutmeg - Prim Head Attachment Armidi http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/135/127/26

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-20s Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23

"Amor Vincit Omnia"

Love Conquers All... I'm in love. Head over heels, crazy-mad, undeniably in love. It happened instantaneously, immediately and I just knew. I just... knew.

I've been looking for the perfect white pants, both in real life and in Second Life for as long as I can remember. I got pretty close in Real Life this summer with a nicely tapered pair of thin white khakis from Old Navy of all places. Still not perfect, but close.

In my blog reading frenzy last week, I crossed in to MichaMi's Style Blog and glimpsed a pair of great white satin pants from Last Call. I made a mental note and moved on. Last night, it was time to find them and I couldn't. I looked across every wall and placard and examined every outfit looking for these white satin pants and I couldn't find them. To make it even worse, I couldn't relocate Mischa's blog, either, to get the style name. In frustration I settled in to google and Firefox history and finally found her blog. I spotted the outfit I was looking for, and thus the pants. But I noticed she was wearing a fantastic shirt, as well. I couldn't bear the droves of fashionistas at Last Call again (and of course, the accompanying lag) so I figured I'd head to Redgrave first to pick up the fantastic top. After doing the dreaded walk to the edge of the SIM before being bounced back to my screen location that had me nose-to-nose with a wall, I shook myself off and decided to cam my way through the store.

I'll take that.

Oooh, and that.

And I want THAT.

And then, I rounded a corner... and there under a sign that announced "New!" - I found them. Yes, it was love at first sight... an experience the equivalent of which I've only experienced once before (and it wasn't for an article of clothing that time)! Quickly, oh so quickly, I right clicked, chose "Buy" and they were MINE! (If only real love were that easy, right?) I dashed home to try on my new purchases and put together an outfit that would show off their fabulousness right here on this page. Well, it wasn't that easy... and that's how I knew it was love... take a look:

Delectable! The satiny gathers of the prim cuffs... the perfect creases around the hips and upper thigh... the drape at the back of the knee...

And they go with EVERYTHING! They work for a luncheon or casual daytime business gathering and transition easily in to a warm evening look. The prim belt that accompanies the package changes the simplicity of the front and makes them a bit more "rock and roll" - perfect to wear for an evening out and about!

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Outfit 1:
Pants - White Satin Pants - Pants Layer, Prim Leg Lower Leg Attachments, Prim Belt (pictured in Outfit 4) Redgrave http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sands%20Shop%20Art/217/47/24/

Shirt - Grey Jacket with Ribbons - Jacket Layer, Prim Arm and Waist Ribbons Redgrave http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sands%20Shop%20Art/217/47/24/

Camisole - Soft Lace Shirt (part of Soft Lace Dress Outfit) - Shirt Layer Sensual Designs http://slurl.com/secondlife/Le%20Cadre/76/235/21/

Shoes - Sparkle, Silver - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Attachments Minx http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hauwai/46/95/98/

Outfit 2:
Shirt - Milano Halter Top, Hibiscus - Jacket Layer Gisaci http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/135/128/26/

Shoes - Shes Good, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Attachments Minx http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hauwai/46/95/98/

Outfit 3:
Sweater - Grey Transparent Jacket - Jacket Layer Redgrave http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sands%20Shop%20Art/217/47/24/

Shoes - Visions of Love, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Attachments Minx http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hauwai/46/95/98/

Outfit 4:
Jacket - Red Jacket - Jacket or Shirt Layer Redgrave http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sands%20Shop%20Art/217/47/24/

Shoes - Shes Good, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Attachments Minx http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hauwai/46/95/98/

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The sweater that prompted my initial trip to Redgrave is pristine. The small details are what make it so eye catching - the shimmer of an implied white bra hiding under the sheer fabric; the wrinkled bow of the belt and the soft gathers of the fabric at the hem and wrists. And I of course had to add the bracelet that screams the message of love that I now feel so deeply - "Amor Vincit Omnia".

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Choker - Chasm Necklace, Silver/Black - Prim Chest Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Necklace - Feather Pendant Necklace - Prim Spine Attachment *Miam Miam* http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sunset Arts/167/178/25/

Bracelet - Amor Vincit Omnia, Silver and Moonstones - Prim Forearm Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Earrings - Chasm Earring - Prim Ear Attachments Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/

Hair - Katya, Cherry Brown - Prim Head Attachment Deviant Kitties http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deviant Kitties/128/127/22/

Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-OhWow Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23