Back to LOTD, apparently

So, as some of you know, things have been nuts for me in RL lately. Good nuts, just keeping me busy. So I haven't had much time to shop, let alone blog. But I have a couple of hours free to roam the grid right now, and haven't settled on the 52 Weeks of Color outfit I'm doing this week, so you get a look of the day!

A friend IMed me today asking if I knew where to get cute, cheap clothes. I didn't have anything quite as cheap as she was looking for, but I was reminded to go to one of my favorite inexpensive-but-adorable stores, Apple May Designs. And of course, while I was looking on her behalf, I had to shop on my behalf.

You can wear just about anything with this dress and look cute, so I pulled on some much-loved sandals that I've had in m inventory forever, threw on a skin of the same type, and a new hair from Exile that I am just loving, available at the Dressing Room now (or is it Dressing Room Blue? You'll find it.). The jewlery has been blogged before, except for the bangle, which is actually a cleverly disguised leash holder, made by a friend at the Dominion.

All in all, I'm happy with the look. It's light, fun, something a girl from ANTM might wear to a go-see, and you'd be amazed how often that dictates my clothing choice. I hope you enjoy, and stay tuned for a study in Iron. ;)

Style Credits:
Skin: LAQ - Elena
Hair: Exile - Josie
Dress: AMD - Brat (Who, me?)
Shoes: Maitreya Gold - Ixkin

I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

The holidays are finally over, though my family is still in town, and as usual I'm left with a feeling of "meh." So SL is all about doing what makes me feel good right now, and sometimes what makes me feel good is putting on a really unreasonable dress and parading around until I feel pretty. ~grins~

On days like this, Son!a always fits the bill. Sexy and seductive, but still couture, it's impossible to not feel ravishing walking around in one of her gowns.

 (I just realized I forgot to put on eyelashes. Oops!)

Turns out her jewelry is pretty great too, though I didn't know that until a few weeks ago. It's not the easiest in the world to fit - I do wish jewelry designers would tell us what the stats are on the shape they use to fit things, it would make SL just a bit prettier. But the detail work is excellent, and I love the design.

Style Credits:
Skin: League - Taylor
Hair: Truth - Madeline
Eyes: Fashism - 'Sunrise' Eyes
Dress: Son!a - Tracy
Necklace: Son!a - Loving Pearl Necklace
Shoes: Maitreya Gold - Allegre

Blogger's being a bit weird in Firefox (I usually use Chrome, but Plurk doesn't work for me there, so I'm trying to switch back), so here's hoping it actually posts!

Christmas Presents!

Yay, it's the redeeming feature of this time of year! :-P

I'm always amazing at the generosity of Second Life's designers, and this year has been no different. Since there are lots of gifts getting blogged, though, I don't want to duplicate their efforts. So, I'll show you a couple of things that I got just this morning!

G*Field makes my favorite pair of pumps, but also does stunning dress work that I just can't get enough of. While their Christmas gift is simpler than many of their dresses, it's no less well made, and is very cute.

It is a little long for my taste, I'm going to experiment with making it into a knee length, instead of calf length. But the flow of the dress is gorgeous, as always, and the delicate shimmer will grab the attention of everyone at your holiday cocktail party. It also come with a lovely, very delicate necklace, shown below.

Also shown below is the Christmas gift from LAQ. I am overjoyed that many designers are staying away from red and green, which was the trend last year, and going with the winter colors, ice princess theme.

And I have to admit, it's rare to see a "holiday" makeup that isn't overwhelming, so I'm really pleased with the makeup here.

Both these gifts are in their respective group notices, so be sure to grab them soon!

Style Credits:
Skin: LAQ - Ebba
Hair: Truth - Marianne
Dress: G Field -2011 Holiday Dress
Necklace: G Field - 2011 Holiday Gift Flower Necklace
Shoes: G Field Flower Pumps "Eve"

Don't Push Me

Today, I'm the kind of edgy that just might bite your head off. I'm not a fan of the holidays, never have been, and this year everything else that's going on is combining to make them hell on earth. So the look that came out today was very definitely one that discourages closeness, and I'm ok with that.

There's not a whole lot that's new here, though the face chain is new to me. It was surprisingly easy to fit, though I don't expect that to be the case for everyone. And trying to adjust it link by link would be... gods, I don't want to think about it. But it's cute when it fits!

And I am in LOVE with the Escarpa boots from Ladies who Lunch, so I was pleased to find that this sexy crimson pair was the prize in the With Love... Again hunt, going on until January 6th. It's a pay-to-play, every prize is 10L, and I'm not keeping as much as I'd hoped. But it's still a great deal for the gems I am finding, these boots included. You'll probably see a couple more hunt prizes when I finish it up today or tomorrow, and the hint blog will be included then.

I don't usually do "couture" looks, but I'm happy with how this one came out. Maybe you'll see more.

Style Credits:
Skin: Glam Affair - Eva (paired with L. Fauna lipstick)
Hair: MADesigns - Taisto
Eyes: Ellabella - Cellular Eyes
Outfit: Muhi - Asymmetrical Bodysuit
Boots: Ladies Who Lunch (LWL) - Escarpa Boot
Face Chain: oOXA ACCOo - Facechain - Y

Vintage Fair? Hah!

So, I got in, for a few minutes. Nothing rezzed, and then the sim crashed. Oh, frabjous day. But I've got plenty of time, and it's not like anyone's depending on me to blog what's there. I just want to shop!

But I did get a couple of fantastic finds today, I think. A few things from Rhed Rhode's new bargain basement, the Black Market, and something I didn't even know I was going to love - mesh hair!

It looks like a fairly standard style, and it is. But it's a good style, and the fact that it's mesh means that it'll be moving with me. No more tossing out an otherwise awesome pose because my hair is sticking out my chest, or being eaten by my boob. Yay! Plus, I didn't realize how much I liked Wasabi Pills' texturing. It's hard to find a deep, rich brown that doesn't end up looking flat, or too dark to see definition. So thank you, Wasabi Pills!

Oh, and I did end up with something pretty vintage looking, even if it's not from the Vintage Fair. I have to admit, N-core has come a long way. When I first found them, must be a couple of years ago now, they were *the* place to get slutty/sexy spike heels. And I could not stand them. The skin was lifeless, the heels were cartoony, I just couldn't get behind 'em. So it's only because I forgot to read the name of the store that I went to Le.Look to scope out these bad boys.

And I'm so glad I did! The skin's easy(ish) to match and has some good texturing to it, the shoes are cute and realistic, and their prim feet have improved so much! I have a feeling I'm going to be wearing these everywhere, given how many options are available, AND I saw a few more of their latest releases that I'm going back for soon. Nicely done, N-core, I'm picky as hell, and I'm impressed.

Aside from the shoes, I was rockin' it pretty casual today. More casual than RL, which is very rare. But it was a t-shirt and jeans kind of day, and I had happened to pick up one of the cutest tees on the grid. At least for those of us with a soul. Yeah, debate me now. :P

Why, yes. Yes, that is a penguin clutching a heart, and yes, the entire shirt is the penguin. It is adorable. It's by Retro', and if you were at Fashionably Late last week you could have gotten this, or a whole slew of other adorable animal tees. They're closed while Vintage Fair runs, but there'll be more cute, discounted stuff in no time.

It's been a long day, so I'm off to bed. But given my mood, I have a feeling there'll be more shopping tomorrow. Have fun, you guys!

Style Credits:
Hair: Wasabi PIlls - Orion FEM (Mesh, compatible with 3.0 viewers only!)
Skin: Illusory - Paige, Winter A4
Piercings: {W&R} - Bleeding Love (available at the Black Market)
Tee: Retro' - Penguin T-shirt
Jeans: Decoy - Inferno 88 Jeans
Shoes: N-core - Jolie

Things are looking up

Not necessarily looking better, I'm not much more impressed with my photos today than I was yesterday. But, I got out today. I went to an event at my home sim, I met some new people, I played some games. I laughed a lot (Thank you, Pamela. <3)

And, I was actually motivated to get all mixy-matchy with my outfit. Everything I'm wearing today is something that was already in my inventory, since I'm still working on the big overhaul. I've got all my body parts done, yay! Now, on to clothing. ~dies a little inside~

Since I am still at SAG for a few hours a day, and didn't feel like changing a whole lot, I ended up pretty business chic. But it is more involved than what I've been wearing, so I'm happy.

I have to say, I love cute little jackets. They do so much to dress up an outfit and make it new, even if it's the same skirt and tank top you wear all the time. Finding just the right one to show off the high waisted skirt was a pain, but I think I managed it in the end.

Also, I'm finding myself at the forefront of the mesh craze. I'm picky about what I wear, but that's true of all types of clothing. At least in-world. And I have been loving SLink's mesh shoe offerings so far. I've seen the thigh highs and the glitter peep toes blogged elsewhere, so you get the ankle boots from me.

The detail is gorgeous, and the lines are perfect, just what I'd want to be wearing in RL. These mesh boots are a little different from anything else I've seen too, in that they actually come with a sizing HUD. No more trying on eight different sizes of boot (or dress, or tank top) to see which one almost fits you. You can customize as you like, for just about any size avi. Yay!

So that's me today. I'm going to try to get somewhere new tomorrow, meet some more new people, and hopefully have a damned good time. Oh! And I've got Silence on the MenStuff hunt, so we'll get something for the guys in here soon, and there's also VINTAGE FAIR HOLY CRAP I'M EXCITED. Lots to do today!

Style Credits:
Skin: Filthy - Jasmine 01
Hair: Truth - Paula
Nails: Mandala - Nail Palette 2/Long
Skirt: Riddle - High Waisted Skirt
Tank: Izzie's - Tank Top White
Jacket: R.icielli - MISSEILING Jacket
Necklace: Rozoregalia - Gemma Necklace

LOTD 11/2

Man, inspiration has been sparse lately. I've been so caught up working at SAG, which takes up virtually all of my online time these days - I barely even have a few minutes to shop! I know, shameful.
Don't get me wrong, I like the job. I really like the people. I just need to get out and explore more than I have been. So I'm trying to make sure I do that. No more than 4 hours a day at SAG now, and those are the days I actually have auctions. 3 hours a day, otherwise.

So I also haven't been putting as much into my outfits. I'm at work, so I need clean, simple, elegant. I don't want to take attention away from the lots on display, I want to look professional. And that's one reason that fall is my favorite season, for clothing. Why? Two words.

Sweater dresses!

I must have 15 of these goofy things; I'll try to remember to do an exact count once I'm done with my inventory overhaul. But I love them! They're simple, classy, and you can dress them up or down, depending on what you put with them. With a nice pair of Bax's heeled boots, and a belt from Earthstones, I went just a little bit up, but stayed far from formal.

The belt was my only new purchase today, I got it specifically to go with the dress. I've known about Earthstones for a long time, but have only recently started coming to want... well, everything they make.

I hate the picture of the belt, but I love the belt itself. The metal is color change between silver and bronze, and the stones are color change as well. All of them. You can get a huge number of combinations, so it'll go with anything. And it was easy to fit, although if it hadn't been, I'd have changed my shape rather than trying to mess with the mod script.

And as you've been able to tell, I've been in a punky mood recently. So I was also sporting a new favorite set of piercings, a hunt gift from Pekka.

Wow, my photos are crap today. But the piercings? Still cool! These didn't quite fit right when I first put them on, and the shadows behind the balls were a bitch and a half to edit. But well worth it, in the end, and it really only took a few minutes.

Tomorrow, I'm visiting some place new. I don't know where, don't really care, I just need a new SL experience. Hopefully it'll get me writing something a bit more novel than a look of the day. Until then, cheers!

Style Credits:
Skin: League - Taylor, Apricot
Hair: Truth - Pandora
Dress: Riddle - Basic Sweater Dress
Boots: BAX - Prestige Boots
Belt: Earthstones - Sol Mix Belt
Piercings: Pekka - Mushroom Hunt (Mushroom Hunt Prize, L$0!)

Insert witty title here?

I've had a loooong day, emotionally speaking. Maybe I'll post about it in my whiny baby-pants blog. But I won't trouble you all with it. Suffice to say, I don't have a lot to say today.

As usual, I opened my 15,000 item inventory this morning and thought "I have nothing to wear." So off to the Marketplace it was, to randomly browse the featured items. And lucky me, I stumbled upon Grasp, who gave me a few nice new pieces, but most notably the focal point for today's outfit.

Hmm. That's displaying really small on my screen. Whatever, click through, you know the drill.

I have to say, I was very impressed with the texturing of this dress, and it was super easy to fit to me, despite the bottom piece being a little oddly shaped. And it's a great combination of classy and punky, without veering into slutty territory, like a lot of their Western pieces. The kimono are also not slutty, kind of by definition. >_>

The boots are Gos, and when you get them, they are one color. In my case, black. But - and I love this - you can get paint jobs for the boots, in a whole mess of other colors, and you load the paint jobs into the boots themselves, which means you can dye different parts of the boot different colors. Seriously cool.

Oh, did I mention it was a long day? That'll explain the other important part of the outfit.

Nothing cheers me up more than a sassy hat! I love fedoras especially, and they're so hard to find in SL. If they're not attached to the hair, they're about fifteen sizes too big and look ridiculous, and if they are attached to the hair, the hair is usually crap. Thankfully, Truth Hawks heard my prayers (a long time ago, I think) and fashioned this beauty, with the retexturable hat, and it makes me supremely happy. The hair isn't perfect, but it is very cute, and goes with a whole bunch of different looks. Thank you Truth!

Style Credits:

Hair: Truth - Trina
Skin: LAQ - Vilda 04
Dress: Grasp - Hooded Mini Dress
Boots: Gos - Curvaceous Boots
Bracelets: Insanya - Zed is Dead Baby
Necklace: Rozoregalia - Gemma Necklace

Look of the Day 11/9

Well, I promised that I would do LotD posts, so I may as well start with today. I'm doing a massive inventory overhaul (I've already dropped almost 3,000 items!), so most of the things I'm wearing are things I already owned and found again.

The hair, however, is new. I'm falling in love with this new trend of wearing a hairbase, and then the actual hairpiece only covering part of the skull. I had thought MADesigns did it best, I wear a lot of his hairpieces, but yesterday I found out that lamb. is pretty on top of the trend as well.

This is the first long hairpiece I've tried to wear, and it is mostly sculpted, so it can look a bit odd sometimes, in some poses. But I love the overall effect, and I hope lamb. keeps pushing out more pieces in this style.

I don't usually wear tees with "funny" sayings on them, by the way, but this one I just can't resist. It has to be one of my most worn casual shirts, and one of my favorite "witty" tees on the grid. Why? "I've got the dick, so I make the rules." What's not to love?

Style Credits:

Skin: Illusory - Paige (Winter A4)

Hair: lamb. - Phenomena   **Now available from the new Collabor88 collection**

Hairbase: MADesigns 

Nails: Mandala 

Tee: Glad Rags - Dick Tee
Jeans: [Decoy] - Inferno 88 Jeans
Jewelry: Fusion - Winged Charm Set
Shoes: INDI Designs - Olivieri Sneakers