~Autumn Leaves~

In case you don’t yet know, ~ghee~ is having an Autumn Leaves hunt!  I’ve tried on all the pieces and they are rich with the beautiful colors of Fall and perfect for a day out shopping, meeting friends for coffee or a romantic afternoon with your sweetheart.  I’m wearing the Oatmeal Coat, Pumpkin Thermals top and leggings and Oatmeal boots.  You’ll find more details below my photo!

~Autumn Leaves~

From the  ghee promotional packet:

The ghee Autumn Leaves Hunt is underway! The ghee gals have created an amazing Autumn Leaves Collection and have turned it into a hunt. This hunt contains 27 co-ordinating pieces that you can layer, mix and match in so many ways! All you have to do is look for the 27 Golden Leaves that are 10L each and the whole collection is yours! This fantastic hunt will end on November 30th, 2014.

For hints check out the ghee blog:

http://ghee-sl.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/spruce-up-your-fall-wardrobe-with.html

Items in the Autumn Leaves Hunt:
ghee Autumn Leaves Hunt Poster

Life and Fashion are fleeting…stay captivated! ❤ ❤

~X~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xiu is also wearing:

Skin:  Glam Affair  – Aria

Hair: Magika – Dots

Poses: Label Motion  – Autumn Leaves prop/pose pack (ONLY 60L!)

Shot on location at  Private Residence

Scarecrows and fencing:  BAZAR

Fallen Leaves:  3D Trees

Haystacks:  Diavolo Creations

***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. ***

Ghee Fall14 Collection at Penumbra today!

Greetings!

I know it has been far too long since my last blog post, but I’m back and bringing you a very tiny peek of the drop dead gorgeous new Fall14 Collection from ~ghee~.  The Fall14 Collection has over 70 pieces, from thermals to boots and nails,  which you can see today at 2pm SLT at the Penumbra AW14 fashion Week event.

The choices that I am wearing, from the Fall14 Collection are the Russian Fur Hat (Claret), Fall14 Opera Coat (Claret), Fall14 Satin Sheath Dress (Sangria), Noir Tights, Couture Boots (Gold Metal) and Couture Handbag.

~Fall14~

~ghee~ Press Release:
Inspired by the idea of dramatic opulence, the collection uses fine wools, fur, embossed leather, knit, velvet and satin textures combined in a deep rich color palette inspired by the AW14/15 Pantone Colour Trends. Cassis – vibrant blackcurrant purple; Royal – bright blue; Aluminum – muted mid grey; Claret – rich red; Saffron – deep yellow/gold; Sangria – luscious purple red; Mauve Mist – soft muted mauve; Cognac – rich brown; Cobalt – deep green toned blue; Cypress – muddy grey green, Fog – pale grey; and Noir – charcoal black.

An original abstract pattern, created by Warm Clarity, in 4 lush colorways brings the whole palette together and provides ample opportunities for mixing and matching different looks.

The Fall14 collection includes rigged mesh clothing, rigged and unrigged mesh accessories and system layer ribbed knit sets. The Thermals Set includes different neckline options, and a choice of mesh cowl and turtle neck and sleeve cuff options, giving you a huge range of choices of how to wear it – we’re sure this will become a wardrobe essential this winter!

Fall14 also brings you ghee’s very first exclusive custom mesh items! The Fall14 Couture Boots are original mesh, created for ghee to our design. The Couture Boots for Slink High Feet come in high gloss black leather with stunning ribbon laces and bow detailing – they include a color change HUD for the laces and bow giving you 11 color options in one, and are materials enabled. **.PENUMBRA. FW EXCLUSIVE**

The Fall14 Couture Handbag is also original mesh, in high gloss black leather with a bow detail that matches the boots. Materials enabled with a color change HUD for the bow, and a resizer, it’s a wonderfully chic addition to your look. **.PENUMBRA. FW EXCLUSIVE**

The Couture Handbag and Boots come in either gold or silver metals options.

Other accessories include a chic Russian Hat, an embossed leather wide belt, Opaque Tights (with appliers for Slink feet).and suede clutch bags and boots with rose detail. A Matte Manicure and Pedicure set for Slink Hands and Feet is also available using all the colors in the collection.

ghee Fall14 ~ dramatic opulence.

Selected items will be available EXCLUSIVELY at the Penumbra Fashion Week Retail Area from September 13th.

The rest of the Fall14 Collection in other colors will be available at the ghee Main Store from September 14th.

Join us at 2pm SLT today!

 

Life and Fashion are fleeting…stay captivated! ❤ ❤

~X~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xiu is also wearing:

Neck Piece:  The Forge & EZ Weaponry – Scale Armor [gold]

Earrings:  Lazuri – Fall Romance Earrings

Eyeliner:  Eshi Otoawara– Eastern Star Eyeliner

Skin:  Glam Affair  – Aria

Hands & Feet:  Slink – AVEnhance – Elegant1

Poses: aDORKable Poses   modified with Animare

Shot on location at  Angel Manor Estate

***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. ***

~Noa at Enchanted Photopia~

While checking in on Facebook today, I saw this great youtube video posted for Enchanted Photopia.  I watched the entire video and was so inspired by it, I knew I had to go explore the place further.  What an incredibly magical place, full of vignettes featuring familiar animated movie characters and scenes.  Trust me, that description does not do this wonderful place justice.  At the very least watch the video…but it is very much worth the visit!

Enchanted Photopia was the perfect backdrop to try to capture my fun outfit; featuring the Noa dress from Sascha’s Designs.  The Noa dress is the latest release form Sascha’s…you have the choice of purchasing three separate HUDs and each has a choice of six different dress textures. I will show all three HUDs below.  The dress texture I am wearing in the first photo is from the Noa No.2 HUD…I really love the Sugar Skull feel of the graphic.
~Noa at Enchanted Photopia~

The Noa No.1 HUD has stripes, plaids, florals and paisleys…a great mixture with choices suitable for any occasion.
SAS - Noa No. 1 Dress

The Noa No. 2 HUD features Candy Skull designs that would be great for creating a very Retro Rocker or Kawaii look.
SAS - Noa No. 2 Dress

The Noa No. 3 HUD has a mixture of florals, plaid, a plain white and a celestial looking black pattern; a great mix to suit any style mood.
SAS - Noa No. 3 Dress

I styled my look a little more on the Kawaii side and chose the Sunday Hair (Rainbows) from+Spellbound+,  MARYJANE Wedges (Romance) from Reign, the {Turquoise} necklace and bangles from Ariskea (previously available for purchase at the 21 event), the Tiger lily ring from MG-Maxis Gossamer, and my fabulous nail appliers are from the new Romantic Sparks polish collection by ZOZ!  My incredible Immortal Eyes are the latest mesh eye release from Ikon…these eyes are just amazing!

PicMonkey Collage2

Check out Enchanted Photopia or stop by the fabulous stores featured here and shop til you drop!
http://youtu.be/k3eTaG4Wbs4

Life and fashion are fleeting…buy now and stay captivated!

~X~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xiu is also wearing:

Fawn:  Alchemy  – Dreams-Spirit Fawn Familiar-RARE (past event gacha/gift from a cherished friend))

Dog:   Alchemy – Doge-French Bull Dog-Snow (past gacha item from The Chapter Four Event)

Socks:  Mimikri– -Maxine-Overknee Socks

Hair:  [elikatira] – Looking (retired style)

Skin:  Glam Affair  – Aria

Hands:  Slink – AVEnhance – Elegant1

Wedding Ring Set:  CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY Kismet

Pose: {Sugar Heart} -Cotton Candy~5 Static Model Poses (available on the Market Place) *includes cotton candy prop shown.  Pose edited using Animare

Shot on location at  Enchanted Photopia 

***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.

~Catching fireflies in Wisteria Starlite~

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

~X~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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. ***

~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.
Molochino Dress333

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.
Molichino Dress_011PM
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.
Zenshi6

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.
Zenshi4

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.

~Change~

It is always around this time of year that I become more reflective.  I start shifting things around the homestead, organizing my desktop, and assessing my avatar for updates.  Usually these updates are minor, but I will admit I look drastically different from my rez day on October 5, 2008.
Xiu Sing's

Yes..this is me…fresh off Welcome Island.  Well, actually, it is about a week out…by this time I had switched out my eyes to these neon aqua ones and attempted my first “editing” project by lengthening the back of my hair. Of course, I thought I looked pretty good, but it didn’t take long to notice that there were better options to change my look.  There have obviously been a multitude of changes in skin and tweaking my shape over the years…but I have always wanted to keep a “Eurasian” look for her.  It hasn’t been easy, and there have definitely been some mis-steps with skins, but I think I’ve finally found a skin that compliments the look I have been working toward.  The Belleza Aiko (Pale) skin looks just stunning on me!
~Change~

I have absolutely adored Belleza skin for ages…but kinda gave up on it as an option because it never really fit the look I was trying to achieve.  Having said this, the ONLY place I took my husband for skin was Belleza; it is simply flawless on him.

I know Aiko was released a while ago, but, as I said, I had given up on Belleza as a skin option; I don’t think Aiko was around when I stopped trying on the Belleza demos. I am so thrilled that I decided to take a random trip back to see what Tricky Boucher had created lately!  The moment I tried the Aiko demo on…I knew I had finally found THE skin for me…THE skin that took over four years to find!  It is simply the perfect Asian skin…rendered with a deft and talented hand; crafted with an eye for the true nuances that mark the subtle beauty of ethnic skin.  Thank you Mr. Boucher…my husband and I both adore our Belleza skins! <3<3
~Change~

My outfit today starts with the Amy top and Zoey pants from /erratic/.  I can’t effuse enough about how fabulous this shirt and these pants are!  The shirt has gorgeous draping…with the front loosely tucked in…the back is untucked but lies wonderfully against the pant. It isn’t easy to wear separate mesh pieces and have them “layer” over each other without issues….but this shirt works!  The pants fit like a glove and have a buttery soft texture to them…with attention to even the smallest detail; such as the pull tab and slider on the zippers.

I finished off my look with the gorgeous Sound hair from [e].  Elikatira is having a HUGE retirement sale (HURRY back with your gorgeous newness soon!!).  It isn’t easy trying to get into the store right now…but WELL worth it…so RUN!!!  My necklace is part of the latest release set, **Attar**, from +:+WTG+:+; found at the new round of Limited Bazaar.  My Bracelet is part of the Harvest set from CHOP ZUEY COUTURE JEWELLRY, the Agam ring (no longer available), on my right hand, is from *TWISHEE*, and my adorable Beagle, named Bagel, is part of the Z Bag from ZOOBY’S.

Other Ephemera

Eyes:      Ikon

Eyeliner:     LpD

Prim Eyelashes:  *REDGRAVE* 

Mesh Eyelashes:  ::BB::

Beauty Marks:  [:T:]

Curved Wedges (Black):     [RA] RunAway

Hands:     Slink

Poses:     aDORKable Poses

Shot at my private studio using Scarlet Creative For William Weaver Art Gallery build using Lumipro lighting.

*Please also note that I am NOT a mainstream fashion blogger and I DO edit my pictures…please try demos before purchasing items.

~Reflection~

Because I am in a reflective mood…
~Reflection~

Evening

This evening

of solitude

sand softly relents

to my thought filled tread

recalling

one soul yielding to another

High moon cradled

in the trailing vapor

of a warm summer day

soft mist

caressing my skin

memories of fingertips

tracing lazy love patterns

distant sound of ships

calling to one another

voices in the dark

leaning in

whispering

catching the breath

the calm

surface

of the vast expanse

inviting

reflection

one gaze mirroring the other

air laden with

the brine of

life

evocative
of

the salt

of skin

a solitary shadow

ahead

familiar form

still quickens

the pulse

an invitation

to another

evening

Details

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

Eyes:  [Curio] Tragic Eyes – Fatpack (Purples and Blues) Watercolor Shine Large

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:]

Pose:  *Marxi* Pose Sphere (a personal gift from a cherished friend…many many moons ago…thank you Bunneh <3)

Shot on location at a previous home

~Embracing the Ice Queen Teaser~

I LOVE those moments when you are just chatting with someone and they say “Would you like to see my latest creation?”!!  Ummm…let me think about that…hell yes!  It is one of the many things I absolutely adore about Sascha Frangilli, owner/creator of Sascha’s Designs…only one, mind you, because she is simply one of the most fun, caring, creative and generous people I’ve met in SL.  She is just sooo spontaneous…and a conversation with her will leave you laughing till it hurts and loaded down with gifts of her incredible designs!!

So, even though it is not yet released, here is her latest creation…the Embrace IceQueen Christmas Gown.
Snapshot_012PM5

I am NOT doing this dress nearly the justice it deserves.  In the pic I am wearing only one of several skirt options (the grande skirt).  I am also wearing both the breast feather decoration and the shoulder feather decoration; each piece is individual so you can wear one decoration on just one side.  The feather head piece can be substituted with her amazing Halo; which is a large multipointed star that halos the back of the head and shoulders. There is also a ruffled collar piece if you do not want to wear the feather decorations.
Snapshot_017OM3

The hair is booN DES423 hair black with the booN gathered mid hairbase, the skin is – Jadis- Natural Clean (a) from Glam Affair and the gorgeous necklace and earring set is the Silvester set (white) from Alienbear Designs.
If you’d like to see the dress…I will be wearing it all weekend at the Weekend of Art & Fashion Event at The Beguiled Art Gallery & Studio…stop by and take a peek before it is released!

While you are wandering the grounds and admiring the art…you can also pick up two exclusive gowns from Sascha’s Designs…available ONLY at this event for the weekend!!

The Beguiled Art Gallery & Studio

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:]

Poses:     ADORKable Poses Sleek Dork Pack (pose modified using Animare)

Shot on location at the amazing Calas Galadhon!!

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.
Me and my shadow...
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).
Me and my shadow...
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.
Me and my shadow...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