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

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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