~Weekend Shopping Trip~

Thank god shopping in SL is a whole lot easier than in First Life…because my feet would be falling off my ankles after my weekend shopping trip.  I tp’d to so many places, I started to get confused about what was where, what stores/shopping venues I’d already been too and where I actually bought things from.  My poor inventory groaned a bit with the added items…but I did purchase one of those closet inventory organizers.  I promise, as soon as I get it up and running I will do a post about the pros and cons of it.

In the meantime, I found some really fabulous goodies to share with you.

I’m wearing the ever-so-soft belted Haley Tunic from the incredibly talented designer, Aurelia Chauveau, owner of Molichino.  Her designs are new to me AND she makes her own mesh…I can’t wait to go back and indulge in more of her truly wonderful creations! <3<3  This tunic is very versatile…I have been seeing it on the feeds paired with skirts, pants, camisoles, and leggings. I decided to be daring and wear it all by itself…with the plunging neck and softly flared short hemline…how could you not feel sexy chic in it.

I decided to accessorize the outfit with a new pair of the [Gos] Sophia Peeptoes and [Gos] Butterfly Sunglasses.  Not only has Gospel Voom managed to create the ULTIMATE skin matching HUD for his entire line of shoes…but he has been designing some of the BEST sunglasses on the grid for a while now.  So while you’re there, don’t forget to also score a fabulous pair of  [Gos] shades.

My hair is Sound from [e]…where you can still pick up all her gorgeous styles for a HUGE discount at her retirement sale.  The ring is Tiger Lily from Maxi Gossamer, the necklace is Chakra from *Twishee*, hands are from SLink, my bag is Antigone from the oh-so-fabulous Miss Samantha S. Jones; owner and genius behind LIV-Glam, and I am still rockin the Aiko skin from Belleza.

The first pic was shot on location at Mont Saint Michel. and the second shot was captured at May Fair; using LUMIPro lighting and aDORKable Poses.

*Please note that I am NOT a mainstream SL Fashion Blogger and that I DO edit my pictures…please try demos before purchasing items.

~Love~

There are many in SL who vehemently insist that SL is SL and First Life is First Life and NEVER the twain shall meet. There are yet others who have managed to strike a balance between how much of the two worlds they allow to crossover. Then there are those, albeit rare, who find themselves completely immersing the two lives…my husband and I are two of those people.

The man wearing the fabulous new mesh tuxedo from LAPOINTE & BASTCHILD is my wonderful husband Douglas Caldwell.  Neither one of us was particularly in search of a relationship in SL and neither one of us ever gave thought to any SL relationship transmuting to First Life….it just happened.  Our first meeting in SL was completely random and it was clear from that first connection that this relationship was going to be different.

First, we didn’t go through that whole “madly in love” phase…we were just immediately comfortable with one another; like friends who have known each other for years.  Communicating with one another was just a flow of easy conversation…and before we knew it we were living together in First Life as well.  We are approaching our one year anniversary and I cannot begin to explain how much his loving presence has changed SL and FL.

I can’t tell you that mixing SL and FL is good or bad…I only know that for us it has somehow just worked.  Every relationship is unique to the two people involved; regardless of which “world” or “life” it is built in.  What has worked for us is simplicity…we have always just been the same, beautifully flawed, human beings in both worlds.  Our avatars may not look like our First Life selves, but our hearts and our spirits have remained the same in both worlds.

I love you Mr. Caldwell.

My hair is the fabulous Zoey (Saffron) from *Bliss Couture* and the stunning Harvest jewelry set is from CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELRY;  as is my Kismet wedding set.  My top is a classic “go to” wardrobe selection, Poet Shirt II (Cream), from ~Sassy!~ and my pants, Kay, are from MOLiCHiNO (Fabulous classic styles).

Other Ephemera

Skin:     Glam Affair

Eyes:      Ikon

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* 

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB::

Beauty Marks:  [:T:]

Boots:     SimiLar Quality Italian Ladies Shoes and Boots

Hands:     Slink

Poses:     aDORKable Poses

On Doug

Skin:     Belleza

Eyes:     FDM ALIVE EYES

Hair:     Calico Creations

Shoes:     Immerschon

Shot on location at Zenshi using LUMIPro HUD V3 Version 3.2 lighting.

*Please note that I am NOT a mainstream SL Fashion Blogger and that I DO edit my pictures…please try demos before purchasing items.

~Snowy Evening~

I was born and raised in New England, I love lobster, chowder, the beauty of the changing seasons and the small towns of coastal Maine.  My residence of the past four years is in a city situated in the northwest corner of South Carolina.  Not only am I terribly homesick for the coast of Maine…I am also very much missing the snow.  As I sit by the open window, with the temperature nearly 70,  all I can think about is taking a lovely walk in the evening; with snow softly falling around me.

Come September, I shall be moving even further from my beloved Maine.  My husband and I will be traveling back to Tennessee; to be closer to our family.  So, for now, my longing to take a walk through the snow at twilight is only a click away…on the many beautifully landscaped sims of SL.  Tonight, I strolled around the gorgeous sims of Winterfell.  An enchanting place to wander and enjoy quiet reflection.

I leave you with the words of the inimitable Robert Frost.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The Details

Clothing:

Black Fur Bolero and Hat:    Eshi Otawara

Poet Shirt II (Black:)     ~Sassy!~

Memoire’ Pencil Skirt (Pearl/Black):     Indyra Originals

Curved Wedges (Black):     [RA] RunAway

Midnight Sheer back seam Stockings:  -CG- ChronoSlap Galaxy

Accessories:

Tabula Rasa Necklace and Earrings:    CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLERY

Kismet Wedding Set:     CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLERY

Hapa Bangles (Bronze):     Indyra Originals

Avatar:

Skin:     Glam Affair -Jadis- Natural 09(a)

Eyes:     Ikon Eternal Eyes (Black/Large)

Hair:     booN DES423 Hair Black with booN Black Hairbase

Hands:     Slink Mesh rigged hands Elegant.

Eyeliner:     LpD  Prim Eyeliner (black)

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* Eyelashes- 11-Showgirl

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB:: (Beetlebones) Mesh Lashes V.01 (SLEB Black)

Beauty Marks:  [:T:] Beauty Marks tattoo layers (layer option 2) [:Tuli:]

Poses:     aDORKable Poses Sleek Dork Pack

Shot on location at Winterfell, Anodyne using LumiPro V3.2 and edited using PicMonkey (Royal Pack Edition).

~Rush Hour~

I often stumble across the best things just from having a serendipitous conversation.  I am in the process of rolling out an Autumn Art Walk and had the wonderful opportunity to have a fabulous conversation, in the wee hours of the morning, with one of the artists.  We started talking about the blustery weather and keeping warm…which eventually lead to talking about fall fashions in SL.

M became very excited about an outfit she found on the Marketplace…from KIKI Designs.  The outfit was indeed fall fabulous and extremely well priced.  With my interest piqued, I flipped through the pages for this store and found another outfit that said “BUY ME!!”.  Now how can I resist that?

This Pied de Poule outfit in pink houndstooth comes with the smashing belted jacket, tights, bag and sky high platform pumps…all for 175L!!  The textures, draping and fit are spot on. I don’t usually like everything to be all matchy-match…but this just works without being overdone; especially when using minimal accent jewelry.

As soon as I put it on, my first thought was  to do a location shot in a city scape…so into search I went and entered “New York”…which took me to this amazing scaled replica of Central Park called “Midnight Manhattan Reverie” @ Virtual Reverie.  A definite MUST see and fantastic location for photo shoots!  I LOVE finding new places to explore and shoot photos!

The Details

Oufit (Belted Jacket, bag, pumps & tights):     KIKI Designs– Pied de Poule OUTFIT(Pink) MESH (175L)

Earrings:     ZIBSKA Severine earrings in Gold (Gift from Hair Fair)

Glasses:     Maitreya Mesh Jackie O Sunglasses

Hair:  *booN DES423 Hair (black) with *booN hairbase mid gather (black)

Skin:  – Glam Affair – Jadis – Natural 09(a) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beauty%20Avatar%20couture/164/134/25

Eyes:  [Curio] Tragic Eyes – Fatpack (Purples and Blues) Watercolor Shine Large (Prim eyes) Not currently available.

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* Eyelashes- 11-Showgirl  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/REDGRAVE%20Skins%20Fashion/97/162/23

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB:: (Beetlebones) Mesh Lashes V.01 (SLEB Black) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beetlebones/48/39/2098

Beauty Marks:  [:T:] Beauty Marks tattoo layers (layer option 2) [:Tuli:] https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/T-Beauty-marks-tattoo-layers/1829557

Hands:     Slink Mesh rigged hands Bag R, Elegant L

Poses:     aDORKable Poses Bag Lady Dork Pack

Shot on location @ “Midnight Manhattan Reverie” @ Virtual Reverie

She’s a CHOP ZUEY Fascinator in her *Bliss Couture*…

Ok…so Halloween is now only a few short days away and you’ve seen just about every type of costume there is in SL.  What if you’re looking for a costume that isn’t really a costume…something with a little bit of that dark All Hallows Eve edge but with elegance.  Then you are in luck!  This fabulous Halloween Dress from *Bliss Couture* is dark and edgy, airy and elegant, and sleek and sexy.  It is also FREE when you become a *Bliss Doll* (member group/free to join).  The detailing on this wonderful dress is a gauzy netting with bats in flight…I love that the edging on the top and skirt is formed by the bat silhouette.  Perfect for dancing the night away with your immortal beloved.

I couldn’t resist pairing the dress with the equally edgy yet elegant Itsy Bitsy Spider Fascinator (group gift/350L to join and worth EVERY linden!) from CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY.  The detailing in this amazing hat contrasts and yet compliments the dress.  The Bat necklace is a 2009 group gift from Alienbear Design….which is free to join, however, you won’t need to join the group to score this amazing piece of jewelry…just follow the embedded link to the Marketplace and it is yours for FREE!  I also picked up the Jewel Bat Earrings *PROMO* (15L) on the Marketplace from Xia’s Boutique…these earrings are loaded with color/texture and size change options!

So what are you waiting for…grab your favorite undead dance partner and haunt the night away in style.

The Details

Free!!!

Dress:  *Bliss Couture* 2012 Halloween Gown Gift Bag (group gift/free to join) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gown/74/209/354

Necklace:  Alienbear design (2009 halloween gift Bat Necklace (black)) https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Alienbear-design-2009-halloween-gift-Bat-Necklace-black/98092

Prim Eyeliner:  Group Gift (free to join) *LpD* Skins Mainstore http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GoldenSand%20Island%20008/173/81/606

Almost Free!!

Earrings:  Jewel Bat Earrings *PROMO* (15L)  from Xia’s Boutique  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Jewel-Bat-Earrings-PROMO/4109505

Color Change Claws:   (5L) available from Mini-me Productions https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Color-Change-Claws/2778198

Group Gift/with join fee

Hat:  Itsy bitsy Spider Fascinator (group gift/350L to join and well worth it!)  from CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chop%20Zuey/39/138/27

NOT Free

Shoes:  Venezia (black)  from Similar Quality Italian Ladies Footwear http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sleeping%20Beauty/173/189/26

Hair:  booN des423hair attachment and booN matching hairbase (sold separately) from SAIKIN and booN http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SAIKIN/128/125/698

Skin:  –Jadis- Natural- 9 (a) (not free) from Glam Affair http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beauty%20Avatar%20couture/164/134/25

Eyes:  [Curio] Tragic Eyes – Fatpack (Purples and Blues) Watercolor Shine Large (Prim eyes) Not currently available.

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* Eyelashes- 11-Showgirl  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/REDGRAVE%20Skins%20Fashion/97/162/23

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB:: (Beetlebones) Mesh Lashes V.01 (SLEB Black) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beetlebones/48/39/2098

Beauty Marks:  [:T:] Beauty Marks tattoo layers (layer option 2) [:Tuli:] https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/T-Beauty-marks-tattoo-layers/1829557

Pose:  Diva  and Mode Dork Packs (not free) from aDORKable Poses http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Deck/77/192/21

Shot on location at:  The Glass Pavillion http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/BAY%20OF%20BALFALAS/69/56/24

She’s an aDORKable D!va in her Sascha’s…

Shhhhhhh don’t tell Sascha…but I am previewing her November Member Group Gift…it is 50L to join her group, Sascha’s Designs…but she does that to keep the spammers out AND she makes it worth your lindens to join!!  Once you become a member you have access to an amazing array of previous monthly group gifts.  Sascha is also very generous with her members…with impromptu sales and 60L weekends…not to mention you usually get several skirt & top options in each dress you buy along with whatever accessories she has created for that gown/outfit (yes she does create more than just those gorgeous gowns). This monthly gown comes with the FrubbelDubbel (hey I didn’t name it!) skirt you see and you will also have the options to purchase the extra skirt styles.  Trust me…they are worth it!

I scored more fabulously free items with two more group gifts!!  The adorable Norma hair in Ruby is from D!va and it comes with a Bat Wing option…just in time for that haunting holiday coming just around the corner.  Norma is a group member gift but the group is free to join AND membership gives you access to lots of more pretty previous member group gifts….that is just all kinds of awesome.  The gorgeous peach and white diamond necklace is part of the Romance Set from Virtual Impressions (previous group gift/free to join)…Chrissy designs wonderful jewelry and she generously puts one of her designs out for her members to grab every month.  In addition to the monthly group gift…Virtual Impressions features other items at fabulous sale prices throughout the month.

My oh-so-enchanting pose is from aDORKable Poses.  It isn’t free (200L)…BUT you get four beautiful poses and the petals to wear for taking equally enchanting pictures of yourself in your Sascha’s gowns.   When you purchase your aDORKable poses at the inworld store you automatically bank 10% of the purchase price, as store credit, to put toward future store purchases….group membership NOT required!  I purchased some of my poses at her Marketplace store and had a few minor issues that ADORKable graciously and promptly rectified.

My shoes, skin, eyes and eyelashes were also not free but I shall list the details below.

The pics were shot on location at the Virtual Impressions landing point.

So what are you waiting for…go grab these fantastic freebies and get all gussied up…you deserve it <3<3

The Details

Free!!!

Norma Hair (Ruby with Bat Wing attachment option):  D!va (member gift/free to join) *Be sure to read he group notices for where to pick up the Norma Hair…it isn’t at her Main Store  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/CalanDiva/148/157/25

Romance Jewelry:  Virtual Impressions (previous member gift/free to join)  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ekho/138/127/24

Almost Free!!

November 2012 Group Gift Dress:  Sascha’s Designs  (member gift/50L to join) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Coco%20Beach%20Kelina/220/113/25

Not Free

Petals in the Wind Pose/Prop Pack:  aDORKable Poses (200L) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Deck/134/191/22

Skin:  – Glam Affair – Jadis – Natural 09(a) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beauty%20Avatar%20couture/164/134/25

Eyes:  [Curio] Tragic Eyes – Fatpack (Purples and Blues) Watercolor Shine Large (Prim eyes) Not currently available.

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* Eyelashes- 11-Showgirl  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/REDGRAVE%20Skins%20Fashion/97/162/23

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB:: (Beetlebones) Mesh Lashes V.01 (SLEB Black) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beetlebones/48/39/2098

Beauty Marks:  [:T:] Beauty Marks tattoo layers (layer option 2) [:Tuli:] https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/T-Beauty-marks-tattoo-layers/1829557

Shoes:  Venezia  (Silver/Gold RGB) Similar Italian Footwear http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sleeping%20Beauty/176/189/25