Bryn There, Done That

Photo Tip #1 - Continued

2009-09-15T18:43:00.003-05:00

I think I figured out where I initially found this very helpful hint and wanted to give them credit - www.vintfalken.com. There's lots of other useful info there as well so please pay them a visit if you are so inclined.

I wanted to address a question that someone left in regards to my last post. They wondered if you couldn't just use the /1 show or /1 hide commands to achieve the same effect as the technique I described. I was under the impression that those commands didn't work unless you owned or had permission to edit an object but I wanted to check it out. I went back to the couch I used as a demonstration in the last post and discovered that I could indeed type "hide" in the chat window and the pose balls disappeared. I was pleasantly surprised because I had just learned a new helpful hint and I appreciate the person who asked the question for opening my eyes to that capability.

So then I was wondering if I had just wasted my time making the blog post and decided test it out in different parts of the sim. It turns out that the "hide" command doesn't work everywhere PLUS it gave me a chance to test an even more helpful tip that I got off of Vintfalken.com using the same process.

Press the Read More button below to find out even more uses for this technique....

It seems you can also use this technique for just about ANY object that is in your picture and you don't want there. Notice the difference between the two pictures above. I have used this technique to not only remove the pose balls but also several boxes, a cherry stem, big red letters, etc. from the background. This is an amazing find for me and I hope it helps other SL photographers get those perfect pics.

Best wishes everyone!

Photo Tip #1 - Disappearing Pose Balls

2009-09-13T22:27:00.006-05:00

Hello again everyone. This post is brought to you by a gentle reminder that I haven't posted in awhile from my friend Maia. Thanks girl. *hugs*

It seems that most of my time in SL these days is dedicated to creating outfits, taking pics of them, working on those pics in the GIMP and posting them to my Flickr account. I know that probably doesn't sound like it should take up that much time but I would have to beg to disagree. It can take me up to an hour to figure out an outfit I want to wear then match up skin, eyes, hair and jewelry with it. Then, once that is done I have to figure out what background I want for the pic and then what pose. You might as well add another hour for that. After the pic is actually taken then I take it into the GIMP and work on it for another few hours in some cases. So, as you can imagine, a full day of my SL time can be used taking and processing a single pic. *Sigh* But, I do it because I love it and it's a wonderful creative outlet for me.

So, since SL photography seems to be my main passion at the moment I thought I might as well bring some of that here and share it with my readers. I thought that I would pass along an awesome and useful tip that I read about on another blog. My apologies for not remembering which one so that I could give them their deserved credit.

Press the Read More button below to see the tip...

Have you ever been out exploring and found a great place with very scenic views and a ton of pose balls to play on and you are all ready to snap that perfect picture but find that the pose balls that you aren't using are cluttering it all up? Nothing ruins a romantic picture quicker than Pepto pink and baby blue pose balls laying all around you. Sure, you can edit them out after the fact in Photoshop or GIMP, but that can be a real pain in the ass and completely unnecessary.

Here's what you do to make those ugly pose balls disappear before you even take the picture.

1. You will need the Advanced option on your menu at the top of the screen. If you don't already have it, you press Control+Alt+D to make it visible. This menu option has lots of other neat functions, other than the one I'm about to discuss, but also be aware that you can screw things up pretty good from this menu so use with caution.

2. Once the Advanced option is showing, click on it to get the full drop down menu. Now, go to and select the Rendering option to get that menu and then finally the Hide Selected option. Selecting this option will make anything you select to "Edit" disappear even if you don't have permissions to edit that item.

3. Now all you have to do is a right mouse click on a pose ball and select Edit. It should disappear when you do this and then you can press the shift button and click on all the other pose balls that are in the way and they should disappear too. As long as you have the edit window open, the pose balls you selected should stay invisible.

4. If you are seeing particles coming from your hand to the first pose ball you selected then there is a remedy for that as well. Simply go back up to your top menu and select the View option and then the HIde Particles option from that drop down menu.

If you follow these steps, then you should never have to deal with ugly pose balls in your pictures again.

Best wishes everyone and thanks so much for taking the time to read my little blog!

Reality Check

2009-08-29T20:16:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been quite a while since I have posted anything here. Thanks to my friend Jac for giving me a kick in the butt and reminding how long it has been. He's always been my #1 supporter. :)

I've been spending most of my time in SL either sorting inventory (yes..still) and have made some progress but it's a never ending job. Here's a helpful tip when sorting your inventory: In your inventory window to go File and then Open New Window. Now you have two inventory windows open and it's much easier to sort stuff into different folders rather than incessantly scrolling up and down one inventory window. Here I've been in SL for almost three years and I just learned that a few weeks ago...doh!

I've also been working on taking photos in SL and working on them in the GIMP. I've made some progress in that area but still have a long way to go. At least I think I've finally grasped the concept of layers and that's a pretty big step. Now I need to learn more about brushes and textures and the such.

I'm gonna try to get back up on this horse and stay more motivated to make more regular posts. I hope I haven't lost my few regular readers and hope to gain a few more to make this all seem worth the effort.

Okay, so check out this video a friend of mine helped to make. I had never heard this song, but it just cracks me up and is oh so true. The song was originally created by a group called The Guild and they are avid World of Warcraft players, thus the WoW references throughout, and their original video can be found on YouTube as well. But, since this is a Second LIfe blog then I will be showing you the SL version. Best wishes everyone and see you soon.

Lion Skins 10L$ Blowout Sale!!

2009-08-11T11:02:00.003-05:00

OMG, OMG, OMG!!! I'm a few days behind on getting this news out but it's not too late to get in on this AMAZING sale! Lion Skins, one of my favorite skin makers, is going to be discontinuing their SU line of skins and has decided to practically give them away. From this very moment until August 15th at Midnight SLT, you can buy these gorgeous skins for only 10L$ per makeup!

This is only one of the makeups available in the SU line and I've gotten a lot of compliments on it.

Press the Read More button below to see all the available makeups....

There are 40 makeups available in 4 different skin tones. I bought several during their last sale when they were 120L$ each and you can be assured that I'm going back to pick up all the rest before this mind blowing sale ends and these skins are gone forever.

If you've never tried a Lion Skin, now is the time to do it. If, like me, you are already a fan, don't miss out on this chance to stock up on these beautiful and artistic skins.

Here is a tip for you current and future Lion Skins fans. Join the in-world group as opposed to the Suscribo Board as the in-world group is the only group that gets frequent group gifts. Those on the Suscribo Board only get updates.

Best wishes!

Eyes - Ashes to Ash's - FieryBrown - DSN freebie
Lashes - Miriel - Glamour
Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - LionSkins - SU - Sunkiss 20
Hair - CiC - Sadria II - Mocha Sunkiss - Group Gift
Dress - Cupcakes - Mini Dress - Tangerine
Earrings / Necklace - Miriel - freebie / hunt gift

GIMP Baby Steps

2009-08-03T13:38:00.008-05:00

I made a post waaayyy back about downloading the GIMP and my intentions on learning how to use it but I haven't been as proactive on that front as I would like to be. I've looked up several YouTube tutorials and such but it's difficult for me to learn such a complex program in a piecemeal fashion. That fact and trying to find the time to experiment and play around with it has made for slow going to say the least.

I did manage to find a few hours the other day to snap a pic in SL and work on it a bit in the GIMP and here is the outcome.

Click the Read More button below for details on how photo was altered using the GIMP.

First thing I did was create a duplicate layer to work with so that I didn't mess up my original. I actually ended up creating several different layers, one for each type of adjustment, but I'm not sure that was entirely necessary. Still, it gave me some practice in that area.

In the original picture, the arm behind her had a hand that came up and hovered over her hip. I really didn't like how it looked so I used the Clone Tool to clone the wall color and cover over the hand and the Smudge Tool to blend it better. In retrospect, the hand would look cute actually resting on the hip and I suppose that it is possible to cut out and adjust using the GIMP but for now I chose the path of least resistance.

Next, I used the iWarp Tool (Liquify in PS) to round out her booty. As you probably know, many poses in SL result in lots of ugly angles and corners that don't look remotely realistic. With a few swipes of the iWarp Tool in both Grow and Move modes I was able to give her a much more smoothed out and natural looking derriere.

My biggest accomplishment, and the one I am most stoked about, was the addition of the heart shaped ball of yarn stock image. The pose had the hand closest to the floor kind of angled up and I thought that a ball of yarn would be cute to add under the hand (being that I planned to name the pic "I Love It When You Call Me Kitten") as well as give it a reason to be angled like that. So I went to DeviantArt.com, found the most perfect stock image and downloaded it. I then opened the newly downloaded image in the GIMP, copied it and then pasted it onto a new transparent layer. The red heart was on a white background so I then removed the background using the eraser and the color selection tool until I was only left with the ball of yarn. I then moved and sized it until it looked right with the SL pic.

I used the Clone and Smudge Tools again to try to smooth out all the edges and corners on her entire body as well as correct a few clothing issues that the pose caused. I used a Gaussian Blur overlay for the first time as that seems to be one of the most basic tools most people use. I think it did help soften things up a bit and helped it to look less flat.

Overall it took me waaayyy longer than it should considering the minor changes I made but I feel that I made some significant headway in learning a bit about layers and stock images so it wasn't a total loss. I'm looking forward to learning and practicing more so that the only limits to my creativity will be my own imagination.

Eyes - Tekuteku - Eko-eye - Wine Pink - store freebie
Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - Dulce Secrets - Ammi Champagne Skin - DSN freebie
Hair - Tea Lane - Cindi - silver / tearose w/ Tea Rose Sequined Hat - freebie
Outfit - Thalia - Belted Top (pink) & Pink Pants - freebie
Necklace - Tickled Pink - Hearts Cascade Necklace
Pose - XStreet box of free poses - tablewoman
Photo taken in La Petite Morte Photo Hall - DSN freebie

Technical Difficulties…cont.

2009-07-31T11:35:00.001-05:00

I CAN NOT believe it’s been a whole week since I last posted here! I’ve been pretty busy in my first life and haven’t been able to long into SL much lately and when I have managed to do so I’ve mostly been working on organizing my inventory as it’s gotten a bit out of control lately. I guess time flies even when you’re NOT having fun.

The last post talked about technical difficulties with this blog template and some of the images showing Photobucket upgrade ads due to exceeded bandwidth. I did hear back from the template designer and he told me that none of the images in the template were saved to Photobucket and said that the demo template was working fine so I should just reinstall the template. I checked my blog again and the Photobucket ads were gone so I figured that everything must have worked itself out and I was ready to drop it and move on.

Alas, a quick and easy solution was not in the cards...press Read More to for continued drama.

Then I looked at my blog again yesterday and the issue was back! UGH! I did a little more research and found out that it’s an off and on issue depending on the amount of traffic on that template at any given time. I decided to respond back to the template designer with more information in hopes for a permanent solution.

As I mentioned above, the designer indicated that none of the images for that template were stored on Photobucket but when I looked at the HTML file of the template I was able to identify several images that had addresses linking them to Photobucket. I did a quick copy and paste on one of those links and put it into my response to him and asked for further clarification as to whom these images might belong. I also checked out the demo he had indicated was working fine and was able to recreate the issue when I moved my cursor over different areas. The issue wasn’t as prominently displayed on the demo because several of the affected fields were not filled out (i.e. Catagories and Friends & Links) on the demo and I mentioned that to him as well.

Kudos for the designer for his prompt responses and willingness to look into the issue because he responded the same day and said that I was right, he had mistakenly forgotten to move some of the images over to his own server and in fact some were still stored in Photobucket and were exceeding their bandwidth. He then went on to mention something about the images were removed from Photobucket because of the bandwidth issue and he wasn’t sure if he could get them back to put on his own server and that he was continuing to work on the issue. His English is a bit broken so I’m not entirely sure about the meaning of that last part, since I still see the images on the template, but I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and a bit more time to work things out before I decide to switch templates.

So, you may or may not see ugly Photobucket ads when you visit my blog but if you do please rest assured that I know about it and am working on getting it resolved. Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you’ll return soon.

Technical Difficulties...Please Stand By

2009-07-24T11:59:00.006-05:00

I looked at my blog today and was slapped in the face with "Bandwidth Exceed" and "Upgrade Now" adds plastered over some of the graphics that are provided with the template I used. Not very pretty, to say the least, but at least they still function properly.

As I mentioned, those particular graphics are a part of the template and therefore it's not an issue that I have any control over. I have left a couple of messages with the designer of the template as well as the provider and I hope that it will be resolved shortly. If it's not resolved, I guess y'all have a new template to look forward to because this one just looks ghetto right now and y'all deserve better.

In the meantime, let me try to make it up to you. I found this link to a funny video on Banana Vella's blog and wanted to share it with y'all. It's a Bear Grylls parody and it's called Man Vs. Second Life. Enjoy!

Man vs. Second Life

Passion for Purple

2009-07-24T11:20:00.003-05:00

I haven't been in-world much over the last week but was feeling the need to post something here so once again I'll reach into my Flickr pool for a quickie Look of the Day. I can't leave all 5 of my readers hanging for too long. :P Bless each and every one of y'all. *kisses*

I received an absolutely gorgeous mask through the Designer's Showcase Network (DSN) and I fell in love with it the moment I put it on.

I encourage you click on the above pic so you can go to my Flickr page and enlarge it by selecting All Sizes at the top of the picture. The details on this mask are to die for and to see them up close is the only way to truly do them justice.

Click on the Read More button below to do exactly that....

Once I put on the mask I knew exactly what I wanted to wear with it as I already had the perfect thing in my inventory.

I bought this gown at Blaze a while ago but you would think the two items were made for each other. I threw on another one of my RockBerry Uma skins and voila..I am instantly feeling sexy, powerful and mysterious! Although, this particular dress doesn't leave much to the imagination. ;)

That is all for now. Thanks so much for reading and best wishes!

Eyes - Miriel - Standard Eyes -Watercolor - freebie
Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - Rockberry - Uma D - Natural
Hair - ETD - Phoebe - Black - freebie
Dress - Blaze - Lush Gown - Purple
Earrings / Necklace - PRIMALOT - Synapsis set - group gift
Mask - Moxie Polanos Haute Couture - Purple Haze Face Mask - DSN freebie
Pose - Striking Poses - Anna Wong Pose - Dollarbie to members

Rockin' Out with RockBerry

2009-07-20T17:37:00.005-05:00

Today’s post will be a little different because instead of showing you just a place to visit or fashion tip, I’ll be showing you both!

Click the Read More button below to continue reading....

So let’s start with the new place I visited the other day. I was feeling rather rocktacular in my little black dress and mane of red hair and was looking for a place that would reflect how I felt for some pics. I did an in-world search for Heavy Metal and found this club named Machine Shop and it’s billed as a “True Metal Club”. This place really reminded me of my younger, more rebellious days when I would rip up my jeans and dye my hair jet black. Oh, the good old days.

When I arrived at the club my eyes soaked in the skulls and skeletons, motorcycles, burning crosses, pentagrams and stripper poles while my ears were assaulted by fast and furious music accompanied by growling vocals. I arrived here on a Sunday morning so things were a little slow at the time but the owner was there as well as a couple of pretty ladies and everyone was very friendly.

They invited me to dance with them and to join the group and said that the place really gets to hopping on Friday nights and that they are just like a big 'ol head bangin' family. That’s good I guess, because this isn’t the kind place I would think you would want to bring your SL wifey with her talking prim fetus (although if I had my druthers those creepy fetus’ would just be left at home and not be taken anywhere).

Annyywayyy….next time you are looking for a place to rock out with your cock out or jam out with you clam out (figuratively speaking, of course) then stop on by the Machine Shop.

Okay, now on to the fashion tip I mentioned. I wanted to tell y’all about RockBerry skins, specifically the Uma line. I got my first UMA skin as a freebie and was just blown away at the beauty and detail of it. The lips were so luscious without being too pouty and the nose and eyes were just gorgeously done. I know there is debate as to whether freebies are an effective form of advertisement and I can tell you that in this case it definitely was because I bought the six pack of makeups in the Uma line a month or so ago and didn’t even experience a moment of buyer's remorse. It also helps that the price is very reasonable, especially if you can catch them on sale like I did.

RockBerry is a popular place with 4 lucky boards and 1 lucky chair (stocked with the Megan skin line) that is always being stalked by a multitude of ladies. The other day, my friend Maia told me that RockBerry has now added an MM board and stocked it with their newest offering, Uma skins with tintable lips! She also said that the mad rush of women trying to get those skins was so crazy that the sim crashed twice while she was trying to register herself on the MM board. I stopped by there this morning to see if I could get registered myself before I had to rush off to RL work and didn't find an MM board but did find an advertisement board that gave the skins for free as soon as you touched it with your group tag activated. Word on the street is that people were complaining so much about the lag / crashes and telling the owner, Heather Beebe, how she should run her business she just took the MM board down. Bless her generous heart for still providing these skins for free to her group members. I'm not sure how long these will be available so hurry on down to RockBerry, join the group if you aren't already a member, run upstairs, touch the ad board and begin your love affair with RockBerry skins.

Eyes - Miriel - Standard - Vivid Hazel
Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - Rockberry - Uma - C - Natural
Hair - Damselfly - Paxtyn - Hibiscus Warm
Dress - Thalia - Dolce Dress - Black
Shoes - Baby Monkey - Ultimate Addie Glitter - Silver
Earrings - Primagine - Chandelier Earring - Silver
Bracelets - Ticky Tacky - Bah-di-ah Bangles - Silver and Insomniac Bangles - Skully Pout
Pose - Striking Poses - Paula Abdul - dollarbie to group members

Here Comes the Rain Again

2009-07-16T12:59:00.004-05:00

I was feeling down in the dumps and just felt like giving up.

Press the Read more button to do just that...

Maybe you know the feeling, like life has just snuck up and blind-sided you. So, to commiserate with my mood, I decided to find a place that fell in line with my funk. So, I whipped out my handy "Interesting Places to Visit" notecard that I picked up at SL6B and checked out the section under Rainy / Water sims. The first one listed was the Cream Shop sim so I took the next taxi that didn't run me over and checked it out.

Oh yes, this place was absolutely perfect! It was raining like mad with water sheeting off the windows and canopies, lighting and thunder shaking the place up and even puddles that made great splashing sounds when I walked through them.

First thing I did was to find a nice place to sit with a book and a cup of tea and try to be more an observer of the rain rather than the creator of it. I'm no stranger to the rain and I know that, as in most things, this too shall pass.

Once I felt a little more centered, I looked around in the eclectic shop that shares the name of the sim. There were the ever present clothes, hair and fashion accessories but there was also funky furniture, a deer to pose upon, a mini acting stage, dress forms, trash bags (as seen in first pic) and...umbrellas! Just what I needed!

Rain with come and rain will go and sometimes the best you can do is find a bit of shelter and wait out the storm.

worn:
Eyes - Ashes to Ash's - FieryBrown - DSN freebie
Lashes - Miriel - Glamour
Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - LionSkins - SU - Sunkiss 20
Hair - CiC - Sadria II - Mocha Sunkiss - Group Gift
Dress - Cupcakes - Mini Dress - Tangerine
Shoes - Cheeky Shoes - Xstreet
Earrings / Necklace - Miriel - freebie / hunt gift
Bracelet - PRIMALOT - Namaste! - freebie

Luscious Lara Skins

2009-07-13T14:38:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to tell y'all about Lara Skins. I found these skins totally by accident while searching out freebies and I can't tell you how impressed I am with the quality of these skins!

The skin shown in the picture above (Aida skin) is the third freebie that I have picked up at Lara Skins and each is just lovely as the one shown here. Word on the street is that this freebie won't last long so hurry on over to her shop to pick it up and see what other wonderful offerings she has as well. I personally think Lara skins are right on par with the big-time skin makers and at 800L$ each they are a great deal.

This entire Divalicious look was put together with mostly freebie items, proving that you don't have to spend a lot of L$ to look good. Best wishes everyone and happy shopping!

worn:
Eyes - Miriel - Realistic Eyes - Watercolor - freebie in store
Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - Lara Skins - Aida - freebie (run, don't walk to Abel(227.139,701))
Hair - Historical Heroines - Miss Gemma - Love Letter - freebie in store
Dress - XFactor - Pink Roses - DSN Freebie
Shoes - Vinyl Cafe Orchid Stilettos - freebies
Earrings - Miriel - Teardrop Earrings - Silver - freebie in store
Bracelet - Miriel - Wave Bracelet - Silver/White Pearl - freebie in store

Outback Awesomness

2009-07-11T19:25:00.006-05:00

A friend of mine, Maia, and I were looking for something to do and she suggested that we drop by Australia. She had heard that the sim was under new ownership and that they had done some renovations. I'm always up for an adventure so we grabbed a taxi and were on our way! Care to come along?

Lots more to see on next page..just press Read More button below.

There are several different places to visit on the Australia sim but today we are gonna rough it and head into the Outback. To do that just find the silver TP signs located at the TP arrival point and select Outback.

G'day mate! Watch out for those Dingos!

It's wild out there, perhaps we should brush up on our shooting skills at this free Shooting Gallery or that Clay Pigeon launcher.

There are several ways for us to get around and explore, choose your poison.

You have GOT to jump into one of these trucks and drive around leaving dust trails in your wake. Be sure to hit any smoking barrels while you are in the highest gear...I guarantee it will be a BLAST!

There's even a place to settle in for the night and reflect back on your great adventure.

On a very serious note, the Australian government is making moves to begin to censor/ filter the internet that the citizens access. This is shocking to hear as I always assumed these types of things only happen in Communist countries, but I guess I was wrong. The filters will block out anything the Australian government deems inappropriate or adult in nature, including Second Life. To learn more and have a chance voice your opinion you can visit here.

Worn:
Eyes - Miriel - Standard Eyes - Vivid Hazel
Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - Cupcakes - Seduction - Copper - Serenade w/ freckles
Hair - Celestial Studios - Annie May Hair III - Smolder
Shirt - Thalia - Open Shirt - Green
Pants / Skirt - Cupcakes - Corduroy Skirt / Leggings - Brown / Green
Jacket - Bare Rose - Inferno - Light Brown
Boots - Bare Rose - Studded Jockey Boots - Brown
Earrings - Ticky Tacky - Everyday Hoops
Bracelet - Miriel - Double Metal Bracelet - Copper/Gold

I've Gone Global!

2009-07-08T14:56:00.007-05:00

Cheers, obrigada, danke schön, grazie, bedankt, ta, sagol, takk, multumesc, dziekuje, komapsumnida, jule, tack, gum xia, arigato, merci, tienu, gracias, ke a leboga, kiitos, go raibh maith 'ad, and THANKS!!

It's been one month to the day since I installed Google Analytics (or sometimes fondly referred to as Anal Tics since it's the retentive type of personality that relishes in these things) on my blog and since that time I have gotten hits from the following countries:

United States, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Germany, Italy, UK, Netherlands, Australia, Turkey, Norway, Romania, Poland, South Korea, India, Sweden, Singapore, Japan, France, Estonia, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Finland and Ireland.

More love on next page..just hit Read More button below.

I think that it's so incredibly cool that people from all over the globe have visited my blog at least once and I just wanted to say thank you for your interest. I know that I have a few return visitors and I want to extend a special thanks to them for their continued support. I would also like to express my gratitude to Banana Vella and Shangreloo for placing me on their blogroll lists as I know I've gotten traffic from their blogs. Thanks ladies!

If my arms could reach around the globe I would give y'all all a huge hug!

I'm gonna do my best to keep the posts coming and I hope that y'all will feel free to leave a comment or two every now and again to reassure me that, in fact, someone is remotely interested in my ramblings.

Hugs and kisses and best wishes!

Pure Vanity

2009-07-07T15:05:00.003-05:00

Eyes - Shine Lustrous - Golden Teal (large) - DSN Freebie...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Cupcakes - Seduction - Copper - Easter Skin Gift
Hair - Truth - Novacaine Hair - Leona - Smoke - 50L on sale now...Dress - Alchemi - Sylphia - FabFree gift (at their headquarters...Jewelry - PRIMALOT - Butterfly Necklace - Turqoise - freebie

For YEARS I was determined to always be a redhead in SL and I just couldn't fathom making a change from that glorious color. But, when I started looking into modeling I figured out very quickly that I needed to have more options to go with different clothes and skin tones so I reluctantly started trying out different hair colors. Now, as evidenced by these pics, I have found that I also enjoy being a brunette!

Press the little Read More button below to do just that.....

It's really not all that surprising since I am a Gemini and enjoy change and novelty much more than routine. What IS surprising is that it took me so long to figure out how much fun it is to change up my look, especially since it's so darn easy in SL!

Eyes - TEKUTEKU - Eko - Wine PInk - Freebie in store...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Tuli - Hope - Sunkissed / br - June 2009 picks reward - still available in store...Hair - mikan - pigtaile01- black - dollarbie in store
Shirt - Capri Designs - Stone Roses Top...Pants - SLink - Buckle dress pants - Spring Blue - DSN freebie...Jewelry - PRIMALOT - Synapsis Set - freebie

As the title of this post indicates, it's all about ME! I enjoy coming up with different looks / poses and taking pics so I hope you will enjoy the result and maybe find out about some great deals while you are at it or even be inspired to do the same.

Eyes - Miriel - Vivid Hazel - Standard...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula
Skin - Lazolli/L'oring - Linda 01A - freebie...Hair - Tiny Bird - Bella / Bella Bangs - Dragees - freebie...Dress - SteamBound - Cornflower Summer Corset Set - group gift...Shoes - Baby Monkey - Celeste - Mint Suede - freebie...Jewelry - DM Designs - Ice Princess Collection - Journey Set - DSN freebie

Thanks for indulging me everyone (women love that)! Best wishes!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T13:55:00.003-05:00

For all my American readers...Happy Independence Day! I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday and try to remember what those fireworks stand for and appreciate your freedoms.

Best wishes!

LionSkins Sale...Raawwwwrrr!!!

2009-07-02T11:33:00.005-05:00

I fell in love with LionSkins a few months back when I ran across a sale they were having on their now discontinued Suzanna skin line. Up until that point, I had been making due with the few Gala skins that I had collected over the years. Boy, did I open up a can of worms once I picked up several LionSkins. Suddenly, my eyes were opened to all the possibilities of different looks that different skins provided. Now you could say that I'm a "skin whore" and I love to collect as many skins as I can.

Push the "Read more" button below for details of the sale and pictures of available makeups.

The sale is on the SU line of skins and there are 40 wonderful makeups to choose from in 4 different skins tones. LionSkins has a reputation for creating dramatic makeups that are great for strutting your stuff on the runway or high-fashion photo shoots but there are also more natural makeups to choose from.

Each skin is on sale for the exceptional price of 120L$ each but only until July 6th so get over there ASAP and find yourself your next favorite skin. I know I will!

Best wishes everyone!

To see better details, click on a photo to be taken to my Flickr photostream and then select All Sizes at the top of the photo and then choose Original Size at the top of the photo at the next page.

Studio Genre ~ Boundless Art

2009-06-30T17:48:00.005-05:00

Shown: Sculpture hovering above the main stage at Studio Genre built by Jacobo Sands and textured by his partner Rowan Argus.

Second Life provides all kinds of places to feed your ever growing inventory, libido or vanity but what if you are looking for a place to also feed your soul? Those places are definitely fewer and farther between but they do exist and today I want to point you in the direction of one of them. (Just push that little "Read More" button below)

A friend of mine, Jacobo Sands (/me waves..hi Jac!), has been hard at work with several artists to bring you an amazing place named Studio Genre. It’s an arts sim “run by artists for artists”, all of whom create and sell their art in the real world and seek to begin to promote and sell their works in SL as well.

Each artist has created an avatar in SL and have their own individual gallery building at Studio Genre so when you visit there is a chance that you might bump into the artists themselves as you are enjoying their genuinely original works. It is hoped that this concept will also create a sense of community between the different artists so that ideas can be exchanged freely with the goal of inspiring new art.

Besides all the wonderful and diverse art to be seen at Studio Genre, you will find a lovely tropical environment with various places to sit, relax and enjoy the view and even a dance floor to share a romantic moment with that someone special.

Studio Genre has been open for a few weeks and there are big plans for the future. Currently there are seven artists with works on display and there is still room for a few more. Some are even planning events that will take place simultaneously in both the real and virtual worlds with feeds of music and activities flowing in both directions. There are also plans for the artists to give lectures on different aspects of art, such as color, the use of mixed media, etc.

I will be exploring Studio Genre myself and highlighting the works of the different artists here on my blog in individual posts but there is no need for you to wait for me as you can go there yourself and check out all the wonder and beauty that is art.

Happy 6th Birthday!

2009-06-26T19:43:00.004-05:00

Second Life has been around for six years this month and to celebrate they have all kinds of activities and displays for you to check out. You can find landmarks to all the event areas by doing an in-world search and going to the Showcase tab. Just like that, you have five different landmarks to various SL6B celebration areas at the very top of the search window.

More after the cut ====>

There's obviously a ton of things to do and see but for now I'll be showing you the Linden Labs Expo area that I ran across. This place is packed full of SL history and lots of Linden memorabilia, past and present. It is also full of pictures, art works and generally interesting things from around the grid.

If all that wasn't enough, the Lindens are giving US gifts on their birthday! Inside the building you will find a huge collection of quality, full perm textures from Torley Linden as well as TONS of adorable teddy bears. I guess the Lindens have made lots of commemerative teddy bears for holidays and special occasions over the years and now is your chance to pick them up. In fact, that giant teddy bear in the first picture is available as a freebie along with a smaller version.

Go check out the celebration and enjoy learning a bit more about Second Life's history and let them know we are looking forward to being a part of it's future.

Party on and best wishes!

Cupcakes Update

2009-06-26T10:43:00.006-05:00

I told y’all earlier about the store Cupcakes selling awesome Model Sample Bags for only 250L. In case you didn’t read the first post, the Model Sample Bags contain a shape, a single makeup skin (in all skins tones), an outfit and a selection of eyes. Yes, you can get all that for only 250L…what an amazing deal!

In the first post I showed y’all pictures of the contents of the first five Model Sample Bags if you want to get an idea of the quality and value of these items. Since I made that first post, there has been an additional 5 unique bags added to make a total of 10 from which to choose!

I’m not gonna post pictures of the additional five so you will just have to head on down to Cupcakes to check them out for yourselves. But, be quick about it because the word is that this amazing deal will only last until sometime in early July so don’t dawdle!

Not Loving SL ATM

2009-06-23T23:00:00.005-05:00

Since I downloaded the new viewer, I've been running into this glitch where all my menus, chat and notification boxes are clear. The text is still there but it's almost impossible to read without a solid background behind it. Is anyone else having this issue?

More ranting after the break =====>

Aren't these new viewer releases supposed to improve things? I know it seems like a small issue in the large scheme of things, but when you can't even see the header bar to grab on to to move boxes around or can't find the X to close a window it gets old really fast.

I suppose I should stop whining to y'all about this and actually open a ticket and tell someone that might actually be able to do something about it. I guess I thought it might work itself out but it's been a couple of weeks now and enough is enough.

Thanks for listening and best wishes to you all!

UPDATE: It seems I'm not the only one having this difficulty and the official JIRA is VWR-13604. So far there's only 4 votes for this issue so if you are feeling generous you could pop over there and vote for it, even if you aren't experiencing it yourself.

Quicky LOTD

2009-06-22T14:14:00.012-05:00

Here’s a quick LOTD since I’m at work and can’t get into SL to search up anything better (but I can still get to my Flickr account).

More details after the break ======>

Every single thing in this pic was a freebie of one sort or another (except eyes and shape) and I just love the way they all came together to bring me a little bit o’ happiness.

The skin was a group gift and inspired by Kat Von D. I’ve always admired the star tattoos on her face and secretly wished I could live a life that free from social convention. My favorite thing about the dress is the netting underskirt as the texture on it is amazing and it has the perfect amount of sway when I move. The "Caged Heart" necklace is also a new fav of mine as it's so detailed with it's plump little red heart and even a key!

The pic was taken in a photo hall that I received through the DSN (Designer’s Showcase Network). If you haven’t joined up with them yet then get your booty in gear and do so ASAP! I’ve gotten some awesome stuff through there already and more is delivered to me daily without me having to even step out of my house!

BTW…I try to take all my pics in a large format and crop as little as possible so that more of the details can be seen when it’s expanded to it’s full size. If you ever want to see any of these blog pics in a larger size, just click on it and it will take you to that picture in my Flickr album then select “All Sizes” at the top of the photo and you will see the large version.

Enjoy and best wishes!

Eyes - Miriel - Vivid Hazel - Standard...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Coquette - Celeste - Light - Kat! - recent group gift...Hair - ETD - Kiley - Black Bronzed - freebie...Dress - Caremnia Designs - Gothic Poppy - dollarbie...Shoes - part of one of Vinyl Cafe's recent combo group gifts...Necklace - PRIMALOT - Caged Heart - freebie...Bracelet - PRIMALOT - "Namaste" bracelet - freebie...Photo hall by La Petite Morte - DSN freebie

Landmark Lotto

2009-06-20T14:30:00.003-05:00

As quickly as things change in SL, it's always a like playing the lotto when you teleport using a landmark that's been in your inventory for any amount of time. You never know if you are gonna win or lose but it never fails to be an adventure.

The other day I played Landmark Lotto and stumbled upon a place that caught my interest. It's a restaurant / club named subdue and it's the place to go if you are interested in an "erotic dining" experience.

Press the "Read More" button for more details =====>

Subdue has been open for a few weeks and the interior is lovely with a very zen feeling and relaxing atmosphere. They advertise live music and DJs on the schedule so it's fitting that they also have a dance floor on which to boogie the night away.

You might be thinking to yourself that there isn't anything particularly special about a well decorated club with live music / DJ and you would be correct. What makes subdue unique is the "erotic dining" offered either on regularly scheduled Sunday hours or off scheduled hours by appointment. This experience involves you and your guests being served sushi from a "human platter" of your choice.

Your "human platter" will lie down on the table with a delectable selection of sushi for you to sample while your eyes are given an opportunity to enjoy the feast as well. The erotic sushi suits are comprised of handmade and textured prim items that were created by Ryan Radio. The sushi goes alpha (disappears) when touched and can be replenished easily with the use of a HUD.

The owner of subdue, Lias Leandros, is demonstrating the human platter concept in the picture above. If you are interested in owning one of the erotic sushi suits for yourself, and that can be used anywhere, they sell them at the restaurant for a very reasonable 500L and have a version for both male and female avatars. They are currently hiring human platters so contact Lias Leandros if you are interested in a unique way to earn some spending cash.

You Need More Potassium

2009-06-16T23:36:00.009-05:00

Worn: Potassium ~ Off Shoulder (Blue / Green), Jeans (Turtles - Blue) and Bangles (Ocean4)

How do I know that you may wonder? Am I psychic or maybe medically trained? Nope, neither of those guesses would be correct but it would be really cool if they were true!

Jump to the next page for more ====>

The way I know you need more Potassium is because this great new store hasn't been open long enough for you to have possibly gotten enough of what it has to offer yet. The owner / designer is Banana Vella and she is new on the scene and showing great promise. She uses lots of vibrant colors which floats my boat just fine and she obviously has an eye for detail when it comes to seams and textures.

She has lots of different ladies casual tops as well as blue jeans with prim bottoms. No, I did not get a picture of the prim jeans bottoms, which I didn't realize until I went to write this...remember, I'm still learning. Anyway, take my word for it, the prim bottoms on the jeans look excellent with perfect color matching and overall shaping. Besides that, the jeans themselves cover your ass crack which is always a plus. Hell, you don't even have to take my word for it just get over there and check them out yourself. The jeans have different images on them from turtles (seen above) to a bitchin' skull image that really caught my eye (nope, didn't get a picture of that either). Banana will even make you some custom jeans if you don't find you are looking for already in the store.

Worn: Potassium ~ Halter (Off White), Jeans (Turtles - Blue) and Bangles (Ocean4)

Don't you just love the cut of the neckline on this halter? It hides just enough to keep you out of jail but not enough to keep you out of trouble.

The shop is in a big rustic barn surrounded by trees with cows and horses sharing the space in true starving artist style. Banana has kept the vibe causal and fun by providing lots of photo props and poses around the outside of the barn so you can take some cool pics in your new Potassium clothes. All the pictures in this post where taken there. Speaking of fun...

OH NOOOOZZZZ!!!

...there are several of these funny SL related shirts as well as other cute "variety" off the shoulder tops for only 20L. In fact, nothing in the store is over 100L.

Banana has been hard at work on getting Potassium together and I know she is diligently working on more designs, probably as you are reading this. I think I heard a rumor that she was working on some men's clothes as well. So head on down and check it out, I know I'll be stopping back by (probably to get those skull jeans ^.~).

Best wishes everyone!

Mmmm...<3Cupcakes!

2009-06-15T15:35:00.003-05:00

There's a great sale going on at Cupcakes!

It seems that they have created what they are calling Model Sample Bags and offering them at an amazingly low price. Each bag contains a Cupcakes skin with one makeup and in all the tones, three sets of eyes, a shape and an outfit. All this amazing stuff for only 250L$ and there is even 5 different bags to choose from!

See pictures of the contents of all 5 Model Sample Bags on the next page. =====>

GIFT BAG 1

GIFT BAG 2

GIFT BAG 3

GIFT BAG 4

GIFT BAG 5

If you haven't been to Cupcakes before then you are missing out on some beautiful skins and clothes. Besides this great deal, which is worth thousands of Lindens, they also have an entire wall of 25L$ clothes that are amazing. While you are there, think about joining the Cupcakes Update to get any future notices and gifts. They have recently reduced the price to join to 100L$ from 250L$ so there's never been a better time to jump in.

Better go fast though because the Model Sample Bags won't be around for long as they are limited releases created to help familiarize people with their product lines.

Now, just to figure out which one...or two...hmm, maybe three that I want!

The Simple Life

2009-06-14T22:56:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to drop y'all a quick note about a neat little place I found. It's called Rikugun Farm and it's a great place to go to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday second life.

Click below to see more------>>>>

You can relax around the a campfire with friends while singing songs and maybe even make some S'mores.

Be sure to stop at the open air market to pick up some farm fresh food for a picnic by the pond while you watch the ducks.

If all that exploring makes you thirsty then you are covered. There's nothing like a tall glass of fresh squeezed lemonade with just the right balance of tart and sweet.

You'll see all the typical farm animals while you are there as well as lots of pretty scenery. This is a family friendly place in a PG sim and they cater to the entire crew with a swing set and a kid friendly activity center featuring gymnastics and even a rock climbing wall.

Check out Rikugun Farms next time you are looking for a wholesome adventure and a simpler life.

Eyes - Cipria Couture - Light Blue (glossy) - freebie...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Tyranny Designs - Dazzle Me - Tone 5 - lucky chair freebie...Hair - Tekuteku - freebie hair2 - freebie in store...Dress- Capri's Designs - Pretty Woman Dress - 1L until 6/13...Bracelet - Dionysia Designs - Celtic Rose and Leaves - group gift...Necklace - Flavor Designs - Silver Heart Charm Necklace - freebie

Further Insanity

2009-06-13T22:41:00.005-05:00

As if going head-to-head with GIMP wasn't enough to torture myself with, I just had to upgrade the blog template / layout today.

I have less than 10 posts on this blog so far and being that it is my first blog you would think that I might be content with a basic layout and generic template while I get the hang of things. But nooooo. All I could do when I saw it was think how bland it looked in comparison with the other blogs I kept up with. I had played with changing the background and text colors a bit, but nothing really appealed to me.

Then I thought that I'd use my newly downloaded GIMP program to at least create a custom header for the blog. HA! Read the post below to understand why that won't be possible anytime in the near future. Next I turned to trying to find a non-standard Blogger template. There were many websites that offered them and I settled on the one you are seeing now. I think that I may have swung a bit far to the opposite end of the bland spectrum but at least it appeals to me and I enjoy looking at the page now.

Of course, by the title of this post you know that can't be the end of the story. I downloaded and installed the new template with no problems and the text and pictures copied over just fine. The insanity began when I started to try to add back some widgets, get the menu links to work and find and insert HTML code. I also wanted to make it easier to navigate and read without having to scroll like crazy just to read a single post. Many frustrating yet rewarding hours have gone by today and I've learned a bit more than I knew before but still have some issues to resolve. Yeah, I'm looking at you Mr. Search bar.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new template as much as I do and don't hesitate to let me know if something isn't working properly.

Dangerous (Learning) Curves Ahead

2009-06-13T21:49:00.005-05:00

Oh don't worry, you'll be fine. The only true danger is to my mental health and well being. I'm sure you are relieved.

I've gone and done something that is guaranteed to drive me certifiably insane. It will overwhelm and consume me until I hate it with every fiber of my being and want nothing more than to walk away and never look back.

There in lies the rub.

I won't be able to walk away because as much as I hate it I will be obsessed with conquering it and won't be satisfied until it is my bitch.

The atrocious act which I've committed and has potentially changed my life in both positive and negatives ways is that I've downloaded GIMP. Da..da..da...dummmmm! If you aren't in the know, GIMP is a 'poor man's' Photoshop. It's free to download and is said to be approx. 90% as robust as Photoshop although the interface is supposed to be less intuitive.

I've been thinking of buying an image editing program so that I can do more with photos taken in both the real and virtual world which I inhabit, ranging from minor touch ups to major artistic manipulation. I've also been curious about making clothes and hair in SL and know that at the very least I'll need a program such as this to get into that hobby. I knew that I didn't want to pay almost a grand for a full blown copy of Photoshop and had considered the much more reasonable Elements but finally settled on giving GIMP a try first.

I was able to find excellent instructions on where to locate the download and how to install the program and I was able to accomplish both those tasks with no issues. So far, so good. Then I opened the program...

um...

WOW! So many buttons, brushes, tools and menu selections! I had a two hour class on Photoshop Elements a few months back so I had a rudimentary understanding of some of the functions so forged forward despite the sense of trepidation I was feeling at this point. I wanted to try to cut out an image from two different photos and put them side-by-side onto a white background in typical fashion blogger fashion. Long story short..i cut, I pasted and I layered and I cried. I like to think of myself as someone who has some skill with computers and technology in general but GIMP reduced me to a simp very quickly.

That was a few days ago. Since then I have learned how to crop, adjust brightness, color and contrast and have played around with the clone and burn tools. I'm still recovering from my first foray and want to take it slow for my own sake. Thank goodness there are lots of great online tutorials for GIMP. I think I can do this....I think I can...I think I can.

Momma Didn't Raise No Llama

2009-06-10T20:36:00.018-05:00

It seems like you can’t take two duck steps in SL without bumping into some drama. Before I started reading the fashion blogs the only real drama I was aware of involved either a rather public and nasty dissolution of a hastily entered into partnership that resulted in stalking and an alt being created or griefing of some person, event or store by way of dropping lots of lag or laugh inducing prims on top of them. Ah, the good old days.

In comparison, since I've started joining up with fashion groups and reading the fashion blogs my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of drama. There's the drama of one group of bloggers swearing another group as their mortal enemies and pointing fingers at each other when asked how the latest debate started. Or, detailed deliberations as to whether or not someone with an avatar in SL has actually died in RL or if it's all just a big mind fuck. And, let us not forget the ever present debate on whether or not someone stole photo sourced skin textures from artistic websites and used them as their own with the type of elaborate evidence presented (in the form of marked up side by side pictures comparing highlights) that would make any lawyer weep. Tying into that last drama is the issue of skin and hair being stolen by a copybot and resold or even given away for free.

I recently received a group notecard in-world from a popular shoe store and what it said is what prompted me to write this entry. The notecard stated that a certain tropical themed store on a certain sim was selling stolen hair and also had it in their Midnight Mania board and it went on to encourage everyone not to visit this particular tropical themed store. So far, I'm okay with this as I understand that people far more talented than me worked very hard on their original creations and they should be the only ones to benefit from the sale of those items. What really caught my attention and raised my ire was when I read that the owners of the shoe store would "perma ban" from the group anyone found in their store with stolen hair. I got to thinking about that statement and wondered:

1. Will the owner be inspecting the hair of everyone that enters their store?

2. If they find that someone IS wearing stolen hair in their store, will they take their money if they choose to buy something there?

3. What's gonna happen to the poor noobie that won some stolen hair on an MM board or had some given to them and they have no idea that it's stolen or even how to check if it is? Will they be banned or ostracized publicly (i've seen that happen before)?

4. Is there really so little to do in SL that people have to create and perpetuate never ending drama?

5. Why can't we all just get along like circus people?

Hair - Tiny Bird - Emma - Ginger - Freebie...Eyes - Tacky Star - Strange Purple Rainbow Medium: vein 2 - freebie
Shape - 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skins - Tuli- Hope (tan/br) - freebie for June 2009 Picks reward...Shirt - Donna Flora BEA top / collar (scarf) - part of freebie outfit...Skirt - Black Leather Skirt - old freebie...Boots - Thalia - Laced up Sculpted Boots - Black w/ Beige...Earrings - Miriel - Teardrop Earring - freebie in store (if store still exists)...Bracelets - Ticky Tacky - Bah-di-ah-Bangles - freebie...Ring - Elate - Pink Rose Ring - DSN freebie...Belt - Baby Monkey - Chain Link Belt - Group gift

Home, Sweet, Home

2009-06-07T22:53:00.020-05:00

There is definitely something to be said for having your own little space in SL. Someplace to land when you log in, someplace to change clothes in private, someplace to express your personal style, someplace to just relax and get away when you need to. I know that I didn’t really feel “at home” in SL until I actually had a house to call my own. I’ve never felt the need to buy land but instead opt to rent for a few different reasons such as:

* I can rent with just a basic account
* I won’t ever have to worry about selling land if I decide to move
* I don’t need much space and it’s hard to find small tracts for sale

My first rented plot was very tiny (less than 500sqm), only had 200 prims and was pretty expensive considering the size and prim limit. But, I loved it nonetheless because it was right on a beautiful lake with mountains all around and quite a bit of privacy. I built two houses there, my first being a small one-room cottage and the second being a more elaborate two-level lake house. Unfortunately, that sim was sold and was turning into a commercial area so everyone had to vacate. I was heartbroken to leave but felt a sense of adventure about finding a new place to set down roots.

Let me tell ya, I had no idea exactly how much adventure it would end up being! I knew I wanted someplace scenic, semi-private, fairly small and with the availability to build my own house. I looked high and low and was amazed (overwhelmed) to find sooo many different types of rental plots all in different sizes / prim limits, permissions and environments. There were the plots that were too big, too small, too expensive, too ugly, too restrictive or not restrictive enough. I know I must have visited over 50 unsuitable locations and was feeling just about at the end of my rope when I happened to visit Romantic Isle Rentals. I instantly fell in love with a small plot on top of a mountain that had a wonderful sunset view and was beside a lake with a waterfall. The price was right, the location exceptional and I was so excited to have found this small piece of paradise. I was anxious to find out more about the island and kept my fingers crossed that I was going to be able to build my own house on the plot since there was a cute little tree house there at the time. I sent the landlord, Ben Turas, an IM and plunked down a few days worth a rent to make sure I didn’t loose that little slice of heaven in the meantime.

I heard back from Ben and he was very friendly and helpful. He told me that he could either provide a house (several available to choose from that didn’t count against the prim limit of the plot) or I could build my own (WOULD count against the prim limit). He also told me that he would be happy to do some teraforming on the plot if I desired. I was just in awe about how accommodating he was being as that was quite a change from some of the other landlords I had met in my travels. I told him that I would be building my own house and he whisked away the treehouse so that I could begin to create my own space in SL again. Woo hoo!

That was several months ago and my new house is mostly built (still lots of details to work on..ugh, I hate detail work) and I’m still loving living there. So much so that I wanted to share it with y’all in case you were looking for a place of your own. Ben recently sent out a group notice stating that he is now providing a Shoutcast radio (plays top 50 Shoutcast stations) and a YouTube Video viewer to all the renters. Just a little icing on an already yummy cake. :)

Here’s some general info obtained from a notecard provided to prospective renters:

We have 18 retreats for rent, each with their unique house on it, or your own house if you prefer. Privacy is accomplished between the retreats by waterfalls and hills between them. Our rents are very modest, 2L(inner land retreat), 2.5L(one beach retreat) or 3L(two beaches retreat) per prim per week. The rent varies from 700L to 4500L per week, no TIER! You decide how many prims you would like to have, within certain limits: The number of prims has to be at least 25% of the sqm of a retreat, the maximum is about 75% of the sqm. If you require a bigger retreat, or want to combine two retreats into one, we can accommodate that.

Capri's for You and Me

2009-06-04T23:27:00.020-05:00

I couldn't wait to tell y'all about an awesome sale going on at Capri's Designs!

The store is expanding and moving to a new location and the designer, Capri Amaterasu, has decided to mark all her current designs down to 1L$ until the move is completed, which is scheduled to be on June 13. She has over 90 designs available at this price so you could own the entire store for less than 100L$! Her designs are sexy and sassy but not trashy. Complete outfits abound plus some single tops for those who like to mix it up a bit.

I just love the colors and realistic textures of these pieces and the feminine cuts of the necklines, plus there are several colors of each top to choose from. The outfit in the first picture was a gift for joining the Capri's Designs group.

With the new, bigger store will come over 50 new designs. I can't wait to see what she's come up with next! Capri regularly has 10L$ sales and strives to keep prices affordable for everyone so stop by to look around and join the group so you won't miss a single one!

Picture 1: Eyes - Miriel - Peacock...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Tyranny Designs - Spring Showers - Bronzed - Loved...Hair - Truth - Amy Jane - burgundy - freebie...Outfit - Capris Black/Green shirt and pants - group gift

Picture 2: Eyes - Miriel - Antique Pearl...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Lara Skins - freebie - found in hunt (i think)...Hair - ETD Anya - Chestnut Burnt - freebie...Shirt - Capri's - Daisy Black Belt and Red - currently on sale for 1L (entire store is until 6/13)...Pants - Donna Flora - pants to PAT outfit - freebie

Picture 3: Eyes - Miriel - Diamond...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Tuli - Faith (light/br) - group gift...Hair - Goldie Locks - Peachie - Dirty Blond...Shirt - Capri's - Valentine Shirt (purple) - currently on sale for 1L (entire store is until 6/13)...Pants - Donna Flora - pants to PAT outfit - freebie

Fur Therapy

2009-05-31T23:47:00.013-05:00

I’ve always been an animal lover and have had pets my whole life so I was thrilled when a friend took me to Canis Dog Park in SL. This is a great place to kick back and unwind with some friendly pooches that are always happy to see you. You can even “adopt” one and take them home with you!

The dog park is located on Canis Beach, home of VKC dogs created by Enrico Genosse. There are 12 breeds currently available and each has it’s own animation when you choose to pet them. Some of the dogs definitely look more realistic than others but they all obey the same set of commands, are touted as possessing “artificial intelligence” and “obey physics so they seem more natural and alive. They are active and aware and they learn, so you can teach them to behave the way you like.” Some of the basic commands you can issue are sit, stand, down, bang (play dead), beg, howl, heel, sniff, etc.

When you arrive at the dog park you will first notice that the dogs closest to you will “notice” you and come over to be petted. Once you start to pet one dog then it seems they all come over to get their fair share of loving..just like the real thing!

I haven’t “adopted” one of the dogs myself, nor do I know anyone who has, so I can’t attest to the experience of owning one of these canine companions but I can tell you that it’s an enjoyable and unique place to visit by yourself or with a friend. While you are there, you can also jump in a sailboat and take a tour around the island or even take a dog for a walk through an underwater garden. It’s a nice place to get your fur therapy in SL.

Shameless Plug

2009-05-31T21:37:00.041-05:00

I thought I'd let y'all know about a shop that I've visited a few times since I don't see it blogged too often and I think they've got some great stuff to offer. The store is Shameless Caleta and they definitely deserve a looksee if you are a lady looking for something to make you feel irresistible. While you are there, sign up for their group so that you will get notices of their very frequent 10L sales. All the outfits I'm about to show you were bought during one of these sales.

I love the texture on this bodice, especially where the fabric "pulls" in the middle. It's delicate and sexy while still being somewhat modest (as long as you don't turn around :P).

If you are feeling a little more racy, this cute little number should fit the bill nicely. The bra cups are teasingly sheer (thus the modest pose) and the bows add a girlie touch. This skin is also available at the store right now for 1L.

Now that summer is here we are all looking for that perfect swimsuit. Well, look no further than Shameless. I like the suede-like texture and the coverage plus the extra decorative details.

They have just recently moved the shop and there is still a bit of construction dust around and I don't think they have all their stock out just yet. But why not go ahead and drop by to see the two dresses and one shirt that's for sale for 10L and the skin shown in the second picture for 1L? I don't think you will be disappointed.

Picture 1 : Model / photographer - Braunwyn Cleanslate...Eyes - Miriel - Vivid Hazel...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Tyranny Designs - Spring Showers - Bronzed - Loved...Hair - ETD Jolleen - Cinnamon Burnt - freebie...Outfit - Caleta Shameless - Sexy in Sea - 10L (bought on sale)...Shoes - Cheeky shoes - XStreet...Jewelry - Phoenix Design - Mayoness set - freebie

Picture 2: Model / photographer - Braunwyn Cleanslate...Eyes - Miriel - Vivid Hazel...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Caleta Shameless Tayta 1 Skin - dollarbie...Hair - ETD Melinda - Black purple - freebie...Outfit - Caleta Shameless - Sexy funk purpled - 10L (bought on sale)...Shoes - Heartbreaker Heel Black - freebie found at hunt

Picture 3: Model - Braunwyn Cleanslate...Photographer - darkevilone Demonia (as part of portfolio provided by The Model Book)...Eyes - Miriel - Vivid Hazel...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - FreeSpeerit - Kimberly Tan - group gift...Hair - Celestial Studios - Annie May III - Smolder...Outfit - Caleta Shameless - Naruid Bikini - 10L (bought on sale)

Suggestions Welcomed

2009-05-29T14:55:00.005-05:00

Please feel free to leave a comment and suggest a place that I might like to visit or that you might like to see here on the blog. I've always felt that the best places are found by word of mouth...NOT the search function in SL.

Japan Tempura Island

2009-05-29T11:06:00.020-05:00

So I was browsing through the discussion topics in the Photographers of Secondlife group on Flickr and someone had mentioned Japan Tempura Island as a good place for photo ops. It just so happened that I had on the perfect outfit for such a place so I decide to jaunt over there and see what's what.

OMG...this place is gorgeous! It always amazes me when someone puts in that much time and effort to provide an enjoyable place for residents to use at no cost. Kudos to those that provide such wonderful and imaginative spaces for us to explore.

As I looked around, I discovered that there are so many different areas to this island that I would definitely not be able to fully explore them all in one, two or even three visits. You will find a variety of different landscapes, each with areas to sit and reflect by yourself or dance and romance with another.

Besides some breathtaking landscapes there is also community areas to meditate and do some Tai chi. There is an elaborate ballroom in which to dance the night away and even a cozy submarine.

There is a little building just off the Tai chi platform that is decorated beautifully inside and the perfect place to catch up on some reading, cuddle with a loved one and even get a foot massage!

In catacombs underneath the main building, you will find a romantic spot with fountains, flowers and love nests.

There is so much to see on this island that it's impossible to describe it all here. You just need to go check it out for yourself. Be sure to turn on the local music stream while you are there as it really adds to the overall experience. Fair warning, there can be a lot of lag but that's not surprising with such a complex build that has so much going on. Don't let that stop you from visiting though, because this island is worth the wait.

You can see more pictures of this sim at the Japan Tempura Island group on Flickr.

All pictures: Model / Photographer - Braunwyn Cleanslate...Photo taken at Japan Tempura Island...Eyes - Miriel - Vivid Hazel...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - LionSkins - Suzana - pale 80 (discontinued)...Hair - Celestial Studios - Annie May - Auburn...Outfit - BareRose - Rose Aozai - Black...Earrings - Ticky Tacky - Pearl Teardrop Earrings - freebie...Bracelets - Ticky Tacky - Daily Bangles - freebie

Inagural Post

2009-05-27T15:18:00.017-05:00

Howdy y’all! Thanks for stopping by!

My name is Braunwyn Cleanslate in-world, but all my friends call me Bryn. I’ve been in SL fairly regularly since November 2006 and let me tell ya, it’s been a crazy ride. Despite that, Second Life has so much to offer and two and a half years later I feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface.

Up until this point, my main creative outlet in SL has been building and decorating three of my own houses. I’ve also enjoyed snapping a few pics here and there as well as meeting new people and cultivating friendships. Despite those activities, to be honest, I was feeling like I was in a bit of an SL rut.

Over the last few months though, I’ve picked up a number of new hobbies, each one seemingly leading to the next. It all started when I met someone who had done some style consulting in SL. This person had long given up that profession, but it got me to thinking about my avatar and what improvements could be made. This person had also made a few blog entries about their previous profession and that got me started reading the SL fashion blogs.

Now a whole new world has opened up to me in SL. Just in the last few months I have probably tripled my selection of skins, hair, clothes and shoes while at the same time clearing some very old and unattractive freebies from my inventory (boy, was that a time consuming task!). I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a fashonista at this point but I would feel comfortable with the title frugalista since most of my new stuff is either very inexpensive or free. I’m amazed at the quality of some low cost items in SL, it’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

With my new and improved avatar I was feeling froggy when I saw a notice for an open model call for one of the in-world agencies, so I jumped. I was overjoyed and a bit intimidated to be selected as one of the agency’s models. That particular “job” lasted only a few weeks before the agency merged with another and had to cut their stable of models in half. I unfortunately didn’t make the cut that time around, but I wasn’t sad because my interest was fully peaked and by exploring modeling opportunities I knew that there were many more options available to gain exposure. Since I already had an interest in photography, I feel that hobby will also grow and develop as I pursue modeling.

I am constructing this blog (my first ever) as a creative outlet for me as well as a place to document the Second Life and times of Bryn. I won’t be focusing on any one thing but instead present a slice of Second Life as seen through my eyes and my interests.

Now that those formalities are out of the way, let's get this show on the road!

Model / Photographer - Braunwyn Cleanslate...Photo taken at free studio in the Ivalde store...Eyes - Tuli - intense eyes - blue - group gift...Shape - Alady 2009 Perfect Tribute to Jula...Skin - Genesis - Candace Peach "Glitteratti" - group gift...Hair - ETD Kiley - Blonde red - freebie...Shirt - Capris Abby Dawn Sweater - Navy blue - 10L sale...Shorts - Hell Bop - Leonard - hunt gift
Shoes - ETD - Demi Trainers (starley white) - welcome gift...Jewelry - Tickled Pink - Hearts cascade necklace - freebie