~A Beguiling Tango~

Second Life is rich with creative people…each one expressing their genius in his or her own inimitable way.  Each time I set out to explore this amazing virtual world, I am awestruck with the depth of skill and attention to detail that goes into creating beauty, form and function out of pixels.  Pouring your heart and soul into producing something from your imagination is tough enough in First Life…add the challenges of translating that same work into pixels, on a computer, and you start to appreciate the dedication and perseverance required to do so.

I always feel honored and blessed that I have had the good fortune of becoming friends with truly artistic people in Second Life and one of those friends is someone I particularly cherish.  Jillar Lamar is not only an incredibly talented digital artist, in SL, she also has the ability to translate that eye for beauty into the landscape of her Second Life world.

The Beguiled; Art Gallery and Studio is where you will find the collective works from Jilla and where you will also find yourself immersed in a lush, whimsical landscape that invites you to slow down, wander the grounds and take in all the enchanting details.  Jilla has managed to build an artistic, three dimensional masterpiece worthy of Monet.

When I saw the Kara Little Black Dress and the Poppy Dot Chemise, from ~ghee~, I wanted to grab my husband and head to The Beguiled to tango the afternoon away; amongst the flowers.  We found the perfect spot, for dancing, right next to this wonderful Garden Piano from Boudoir.

You can find the Poppy Dot Chemise and the Kara Little Black Dress, and many more fabulous black themed dresses from ~ghee~, at the Black Fashion Fair.

Life is fleeting in any world…take time to explore and stay captivated! ❤ ❤

~X~

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Xiu is also wearing:

In Photo #1

Dress:  ~ghee~  – Kara Little Black Dress (available at the Black Fashion Fair)

Foot Ribbons:  ~ghee~ – Black Ribbon Wraps with optional Poppy Accents (available at the Black Fashion Fair)

Hair:  [elikatira]– Looking (retired style)

Skin:  Glam Affair  Aria – Asia (previous gacha item)

Hands:  Slink – AVEnhance – Elegant1

Necklaces:  MG-Maxis Gossamer Accessories – Jewelled Owl, Wild Honey Bee & Jewelled Peacock

Bangles:  [EY:NO] (store closed)

Pose: BODY / shots – Tango d’Amore 03

Shot on location at Beguiled; Art Gallery and Studio  

Photo #2

Dress:  ~ghee~  – Poppy Dot Chemise (available at the Black Fashion Fair)

Shoes:  ~ghee~ – Sequin Heels Ruby

Hair:  TUTY’S MOCAP ANIMATIONS, SKIN & SHAPE, HAIR– LIMBO

Skin:  Glam Affair  Aria – Asia (previous gacha item)

Hands:  Slink – AVEnhance – Elegant1

Necklace: Created by my husband and not yet available

Bangles:  [EY:NO] (store closed)

Pose: ::Focus Poses:: – The Tango  *Please note that the left side of the female avatar, in this pose, gets burried into the right side of the male avatar…I had to do a lot of repositioning of the “female” pose ball to extract her body out of his and get a decent shot (that is why my foot is off the ground).  I also had to heavily edit the arms in this pose, using Animare, in order for them to meet up with his body and arms.

Shot on location at Beguiled; Art Gallery and Studio 

***I used three point body lighting and projector key and fill lighting from the LUMIPro lighting system.

**My Husband is wearing his FATEwear suit, AKEYO Black Wool Fedora and I do not know which shoes he is wearing lol.

***PLEASE NOTE that I am not a mainstream fashion blogger.  My focus is telling a story through a photo…so I DO manipulate my photos.  TRY before you buy. ***

~Catching fireflies in Wisteria Starlite~

One of my few cherished childhood memories is catching fireflies, at twilight, in the field across from my grandparents farm in Maine.  I recall using a mason jar, that we’d poked holes in the lid, and leaping through the tall grass trying to capture what we called lightning bugs and  tinkerbells.  It was heartbreaking to see them die so we always made sure to release them shortly after capture; ensuring they’d grant our wishes and return another night.

I had not thought about the magic of catching firelfies in many years…then I saw the Moonlite and Starlite gowns from ~ghee~…and those enchanting evenings came flooding back.  The ~ghee~ Moonlite and Starlite gowns are actually a two piece ensemble…the Moonlite gowns come in deep rich jewel tones with an off-the-shoulder top and the Starlite gowns feature a racer back top and muted tones.  The moment I slipped into the Starlite Wisteria gown, I knew I had to capture its shimmering beauty surrounded by the quiet elegance of  the Angel Manor Gardens; while chasing firelflies at dusk.  I spent several wonderful hours in the Angel Manor Gardens…shooting the photos for this piece…and reveling in the childhood memories of evenings filled with moonlite, starlite and fireflies.

It’s a great big crazy world out there and life is fleeting…stay captivated! ❤

~X~

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Xiu is also wearing:

Hair:  Analog Dog – b – honey (Coral)

Skin:  Glam Affair  Aria – Asia (previous gacha item)

Hands:  Slink – AVEnhance – Elegant1

Ring:  Lazuri – Celseste Heirloom

Poses:  I used a Manifeste the Art of Posing (on hiatus) pose as my base and altered it using my Animare Hud…so that I could “hold” the firefly jar, from Outdoor Store & Osmosis; which is meant as a table top decor item.

Shot on location at Angel Manor Gardens  

**I used DOF and Phototools Hospital Light windlight….using the sun position slider I was able to capture the shimmer of the materials “satin” feel of the skirt and to pick up the highlights in the hair.  I also used a wearable projector and three point light from the LUMIPro system and adjusted them to create a soft key and fill lighting on the avatar…to prevent loss of detail from uneven windlight shadowing.

***PLEASE NOTE that I am not a mainstream fashion blogger.  My focus is telling a story through a photo…so I DO manipulate my photos.  TRY before you buy. ***

~LIV-Glam everyday!!~

I honestly wasn’t planning on doing a post today…I am already backlogged with things that need to be accomplished… yesterday. However, all these commitments are exciting…I have my first fashion editorial client and I am muddling through all the details of starting a new business; more information on that coming up in about a week.

So to blow off a little steam, and to reward myself for learning how to create 3D text in CS6, I stopped by LIV-Glam to check out her fabulous weekly sale items.

Not only did I find this gorgeous Anikin Bodycon Dress for an absolute steal at 99L, but I also scored the furniture, pictures and accessories displayed behind me; also for the amazing price of only 99L for the whole set!  Wait!!  It doesn’t stop there…part of the LIV-Glam genius is that her items are sold as HUDs.  What that means is when you purchase an item it is delivered as a HUD…you wear/add the HUD and choose the size you will wear…then the item is delivered to your inventory for you to use.

NO MORE cluttering up your inventory with a gazillion different sizes of the same item, no more tediously deleting ALL the other sizes that usually come with your clothing purchase…you simply wear the HUD, select your size and wear the item once it is delivered to you.  Once you are finished wearing the outfit, you can simply delete it…and choose a new one from the HUD next time you want to wear the outfit.

Don’t detach that HUD just yet…because most of the LIV-Glam clothing comes with a plethora of pattern or color choices that you change via the HUD.  Once you are wearing the clothing items you can simply click on the pattern/color choice you want, on the HUD, and your clothing will recolor/re-pattern itself!  Brilliant!

Now, let’s do the math…I purchased this dress for 99L, a HUGE bargain for all this sexy in just one color, BUT the HUD comes loaded with 6 dress color presets and six belt color presets….hmmmm I think I just walked away with a few free dresses!

EVERY week LIV-Glam puts out several new designs priced between 55L-99L.  Her textures and designs are fun and fabulous and the customer service is off the charts.  I had a small vendor delivery issue and it was resolved in under 5 min…not to mention I was treated incredibly well by Aisha and Maven; thank you ladies <3<3.  It just doesn’t get better than this….or does it?

Notice the chair now has new fabric on it…well the Air De Paris set also is delivered as a HUD…where you can either choose to have items delivered to your inventory piece by piece or as a set.  So, if you choose to have it delivered as a set…it rezzes as a linked set.  You will need to choose the chair to be delivered individually, because they come with 10 fabric pattern presets which also gives you the added versatility of mixing and matching the chair back and seat pattern.

Other Ephemera

Skin:  Belleza

Eyes:      Ikon

Eyeliner:     LpD

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* 

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB::

Beauty Marks:  [:T:]

Hands:     Slink

Hair:  .:EMO-tions:.

Shoes:    [Diktator]

Wedding Ring Set:  CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY

Agam Ring:     *TWISHEE*

Necklace and Earrings:     Indyra Originals

Shot at my personal studio using LUMIPro lighting and aDORKable Poses tweaked with Animare.

*Please also note that I am NOT a mainstream fashion blogger and 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.

~Yasum…you too can LIV-Glam!!~

I finally had the chance to visit *LIV-Glam*, a few days ago, and I was NOT disappointed.  Despite the fact that I am a bit late in “discovering” Ms. Samantha S. Jones’ store…I am making up for the lost time with my *LIV-Glam* purchases!  The l ALEIDA l bo furjacket set I am wearing today is actually a free hunt item in her store…however, you will likely see more of her things on my blog; in the future.

The funky shoes are from Yasum Design and are called *Geisha Geta Punk*…and with good reason…they have a delicious twist from traditional geta with their tip toe design.  The detail and texture, of the shoe, is fabulous…my only wish is that the foot were a bit more refined and the HUD were easier to work…but that isn’t deterring me from wearing them to death; they are just so much fun to wear and build outfits around.  Oh, and they come in several different pattern/solid tone choices and are priced at a very reasonable 99Lfor the single or 499L for the fatpack of all seven designs.

I’m also wearing yet another amazing hair, Looking, from [e].  Elikatira is having a HUGE retirement sale and you can pick up a single color pack or the “essentials” pack for the incredible price of only 70L!!  No outfit is ever complete without something from CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY.  In this instance, it is one of the gorgeous group gifts, Tabula Rasa (Necklace and earrings), the amazingly talented Belle Roussel generously blesses her members with. <3<3

Drop dead luminous eyes are from the Eternal Collection (Black/L) at Ikon.  Mr. Innovia…you have a new stalker!

Other Ephemera

Ring (on right hand):  *TWISHEE* (no longer available)

Wedding Ring Set:     CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY

Skin:  Belleza

Eyeliner:     LpD

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* 

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB::

Beauty Marks:  [:T:]

Hands:     Slink

Poses:     aDORKable Poses

Full body and foot pics shot on location at Avenue Headquarters, using William Weaver’s phototools windlight Horizon Building Light preset and LUMIPro HUD V 3.2.  The headshot was captured in my personal studio aslo using LUMIPro V 3.2

*Please also note that I am NOT a mainstream fashion blogger and 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).

Me and my Zibska shadow…

I just scored this fabulous Plaisance dress from Zibska~Jewelry, Roots & Couture!  It was really tough to decide which outfit to purchase, because Zibska has some really creative…or, as she aptly describes it, punk nouveau designs.

I absolutely love the geometric, three dimensional, hollow boxes with their gray scale harlequin design.  It makes me think…art and fashion meet science…just brilliant!  (click through the pics to see the detail of the dress)

I chose to accessorize the dress with the ethereal Glam Affair Roza Unamed skin, the fashion forward Just Design Mesh Creations Deviant Shoes, Tuty’s LIMBO Short Wet Hairstyle, and Mime Eyes from Dirty Cute-Ugly Duck (store is empty and eyes not currently available).

William Weaver’s build 002 served as a perfect backdrop for the shoot and The Apple Spice Fighting Gravity Poses from Apple Spice, cStar Limited and AnTi-Social highlight the fabulous quirkiness of this dress.
I’ve been visiting the Lumipro blogspot to learn more about how to get the best usage out of my Lumipro HUD from Stefan Buscaylet.  So, on this shoot, I kept fiddling with the lights and found a way to make the shadows pop and become part of the focal point of the pics.

I know they aren’t perfect and I broke the rules…but I had a blast composing and taking the pics. My biggest disappointment with them is knowing how much I really need to learn more about using layering/masks so that I can get a better color balance to the pics.  The skin is wayyyy to bright here…despite adjusting the intensity, fall off, radius and color of the Lumipro lamp.

It’s all part of the journey and staying captivated.

The Other Details

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:]

Teeth:     PXL creations [ PXL ] OpenMouth PRO with HUD

Lips:     .:Glamorize:. Rival Black Combo Makeup

Phototools, William Weaver & Firestorm 4.3 Beta

Ok, so I think I have my viewer/video card issues fixed.  I downloaded the Firestorm 4.3 Beta; which now comes loaded with the amazing Phototools.  It appears to be playing nicely with my video card…but I’ve only had it two days and haven’t done any serious photo shoots…so the jury is still out.  If you don’t know who William Weaver is or what his Phototools is all about…he is definitely worth checking out and Phototools is indispensable for SL photography.  Also, check out Mr. Weaver’s fabulous FREE photography builds on the Marketplace.

Here are a few quick snaps using the Edward Hoppper build 001:

I didn’t use a specific windlight…instead I used a combination of the sky setting sliders and my Lumipro lights…so I don’t have specific details on the lighting for you:(…

I took one from inside and one  from outside the build so you could see how the different perspectives look with the shadows.

Anyway, Firestorm 4.3 Beta is working great so far…hopefully I can stick with it and not have to bounce back and forth between it and Niran’s Viewer.  I REALLY like the quality of photos that I can capture in Niran’s…I’m just too dang stubborn and lazy to learn a whole new viewer.  I’m also spoiled by all those windlight presets that I can access in Firestorm, but are limited in Niran’s.

If you do download Firestorm 4.3 Beta and want to use the Phototools…make sure you read all the documentation on the Paperwork Shows site; where you will find all the information you need to utilize Phototools to maximum advantage.  Don’t forget to follow William Weaver and his amazing work! I don’t know him personally nor have we ever conversed or met…I just truly admire his work and builds. <3<3

The Other Details

Sari:   Zaara  ZC : 7 Menaka Sari

Hair:  “D!va”  “Maya” (onyx)

Shoes:     Maitreya Gold  Yaxkin Pearl sandals

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

Armband:  !!!Quality Designs!!! Athena set

Necklace:  *~*Illusions*~* Orinthia Puro set (Texture & Stone change)

Ring:  Zaara Raga oyster ring *paua*

Wedding Rings:  CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY Kismet Engagement ring and inset & women’s wedding band set.

Skin:  – Glam Affair – Jadis – Natural Clean(a)

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

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:]

Hands:     Slink Mesh rigged hands Elegant.

Poses & Props:     None…I used my Perfect Lady AO from Vista Animations

Props:   

Bed:     {what next} Morning Tea Bed

Luggage:     Sweet’n’Tart Skins & Tindy Creations [Boxed] Tindy Creations : I’m Leaving Home(Coconut)

Shot at: ~Ephemera Studio~