Gidge Uriza has been doing a fun weekly word challenge over at It’s Only Fashion, and I finally remembered to take part in it. I’m a day late, but ever since I saw that last week’s word was “elevate”, I’ve had “up, up, and away in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon” firmly lodged in my head. This is my attempt to finally let that go. I think the balloon is an old hunt gift from Julia Collection, but you should still check out the shop even if the balloon is unavailable.

Here’s a close-up of the outfit I’m wearing on the balloon. It started as a contemporary spin on the “these boots are made for walking” era with the white mesh boots from TenFifteen. (Insert a squeal here for heeled boots that fit me!) Then I saw that the Sn@tch-N-Grab Special at Sn@tch was 5 colors of the Serenity dress for only L$75, and it felt like the perfect complement to the boots. At that point, I had to go with Exile‘s Valerie for the hair, and purple just seemed like a fun choice.

Body
Skin: LAQ Mini – [Peach] – 08
Hair: Exile Valerie:Roots-Passion
Lashes: Exile Lashes – Lush
Eyeliner: DAMNED BodyShop Tribal Make-up
Eyes: Shine Monet Iris

Clothing
Dress: Sn@tch Serenity (Aqua)
Boots: TenFifteen Kimberly Boots – White Leather (Size Four)

Pose
Terho The Fluffy Girl 2A (Only available on the marketplace.)

Today I visited Collabor88, a new monthly event where designers put new items at discounted prices. The items will rotate on the 8th of each month, and I’ve heard that future months will include collaborations between multiple creators as the name would suggest. My first purchase there was the adorable vintage camera from Artilleri. I have a bit of a “thing” for both Artilleri and camera props, so this was a must-have for me. For your L$88, you get a camera to hold (shown below), a camera without the hold pose, and the camera on a tripod. Such a bargain!

While shopping at Collabor88, I also picked up a set of 2 tank tops from Boom because I love the wide stripes and bright colors. My jacket and skirt cover up a lot of it here, but the name of the tank started a subtle theme that I didn’t even notice until I was writing up the credits. This is the Boom Ice Cream Tank in cotton candy swirl paired with a plum jacket from The Secret Store, a wine skirt from Sn@tch, grape shoes from Zaara, LAQ Mini skin in peach, and Exile’s Nomi hair in pecan. And I wasn’t even hungry when I was putting this together!

Body
Hair: Exile Nomi:Roots-Pecan
Skin: LAQ Mini Peach 02
Eyes: Shine Monet Terra

Clothing
Jacket: The Secret Store Les Bleuets – Plum
Top: Boom Ice Cream Tank (cotton candy swirl) at Collabor88
Skirt: Sn@tch Noblesse Skirt (Wine)
Shoes: Zaara Ilaida Mojri *grape*

Poses and Props
Pose: Long Awkward Pose Stance 17 Mirror
Camera: Artilleri Lumoflex camera at Collabor88
Bench: Clutter Botany Bench

I think the theme of this post is versatility. Let’s first look at this stunning Corbie Suite release from silentsparrow. I purchased it in azure, but there are also other colors available. When I first started throwing on the many layers of this suite and mixing them around, I loved the look of the sweater underneath the dress bodice because it gave lovely coverage while adding a dash of bright embroidery and still showing off the detailed bodice.

Then I took off the sweater, and thanks to the enhanced cleavage on this drow skin that is currently a free hunt item at Mynerva, my first thought was va va voom. The suite also includes two other skirt types, a ballgown and a layered option, along with panties, garters, and stockings, so there are so many ways of putting this together and mixing it with other pieces you already own. In particular, I noticed that pieces in this azure Corbie Suite mixed really well with my azure pieces from the older Dominion collection from silentsparrow.

Another versatile item is makeup! I continue to be thrilled with the makeup tattoos that are out in abundance these days because of how quickly I can now customize my skins. This Mynerva gift skin is great on its own, but then with the addition of the white makeup from Kyoot, I think the skin gets a whole new flavor.

Body
Skin: Mynerva Bday Gift – Night Drow Cleavage
Makeup: Kyoot Makeup – Cateye 1 (Winter 1)
Hair: Exile Sasha / arctic
Faun Legs: Gauze Faun – Black
Horns: Illusions Cylindriculus Horns (These were a hunt gift, but there are styles similar to this available at the store.)
Eyes: Shine Garden City ForgetMeNot

Clothing
Everything!: silentsparrow (azure) Corbie Suite

Poses
Terho – I forgot to note the particular poses, but all of them are from The Fluffy Girl and The Fluffy With Long Hair sets.

Achariya may have stopped blogging at her own site, but she’s still floating around Flickr and some group blogs from time to time. It’s because of her that I found Miss Shippe’s Studio and some of my favorite makeup layers. Maybe that’s why I ended up wearing so much orange with this outfit.

Body
Hair: Exile Laya aqua
Skin: Mynerva Group Gift 1
Eyes: Shine Monet Atlantis
Makeup: Miss Shippe’s Studio Mako’s Girl Shark Face (Seawater Blue)
Tattoo: silentsparrow fire belladonna:lepidoptera tattoo

Clothing
Top: Artilleri Annie top orange
Skirt: Grixdale Payote summer – burnt (May not be available now. It was a Fifty Linden Friday Kids special.)
Socks: Shiny Things stripe knit thigh highs – retrostripe
Shoes: UBU PornStar Lo-Tops

Poses
Terho The Fluffy Girl 3B

I spend most of my time in SL up in the sky on one sky island or another. It’s usually pretty quiet in my little world, but recently a fluffy little gift initiated a storm of activity. Meet Eunice Hyacinth Coriander, my little purple sheep.

Eunice Hyacinth Coriander had big dreams of becoming a rock star, but she felt her size was holding her back. It was either that or her lack of a singing voice or perhaps her lack of opposable thumbs, but those all seem like minor details when you have a dream. When she met me, she decided she finally had her vehicle for stardom as she perched on my head and suggested I pick up a guitar.

Finally little Eunice’s dreams were becoming a reality! Then she heard a series of clicks and was blinded by the bright lights of the paparazzi’s flash bulbs. It was all too much for her, so I shielded her the best I could and prepared to fight off the intruders with my handy pillow if necessary.

Body
Skin: Pink Fuel Kumi – Amethyst at Pacific Crisis Fundraiser
Hair: Exile Evangeline / whiskey
Eyes: Shine Monet Antique

Clothing
Top: Zaara Yauvani tank *lilac* (This color was a Fashion for Life item and may not be available now, but other colors are available.)

Poses and Props
Poses, Guitar, Pillow: Terho, the shop formerly known as Lazy Places, at Pose Fair 2011
Sheep: Adore&Abhor Sheepie Purple (from gatcha machine near new releases)
Greenhouse: Funky Junk Weathered Greenhouse
Teacup decor in greenhouse: LISP Bazaar

The Pacific Crisis Fundraiser opened today, and I just wanted to share a quick shot of one item you’ll find there before I get lost in the many wonderful items that have been generously donated. This Sakura hair from Exile is available in a naturals pack that includes the Coffee, Mink, Sand, and Scarlet hair colors. The flowers change colors, but my favorite is the pink shown here because they pair so well with some of my favorite wings from Material Squirrel.

Body
Hair: Exile Sakura / mink (at Pacific Crisis Fundraiser)
Skin: Pink Fuel Skye – Pink Pearl
Eyes: Shine Monet Antique

Clothing
Wings: Material Squirrel Twig Fairy Wings – Shimmer Pink
Tattoo: AITUI Cherry Blossoms
Dress: Rotten Toe Vintage Ballerina (I believe this is from a hunt and no longer available, but the shop has similar items.)

Pose
Ana_Mations Fairy AO

Shine is taking part in a fundraiser (SLURL) for relief efforts in Christchurch, New Zealand after the recent devastating earthquake there. My item is a set of 5 pairs of eyes, including prim eyes, priced at L$200. These are new recolors of the Monet series base I released a few months ago and exclusive to the fundraiser. If you’d like to test out the size of the eyes before you buy, there is a freebie pair of the Monet eyes at Shine.

Check out Garden City Relief of Second Life for more information, and look at the Flickr group for previews of some of the available items. 100% of all the proceeds from the fundraiser will be going to relief efforts in Christchurch.

It seems fitting to come back to my blog on my 4th rezday, which I just remembered a little bit ago. There’s been lots going on, but very little of it related to SL, so I won’t go on about it. Instead I’ll go on about all of these goodies, some related to Valentine’s Day and some not, that make me feel like I’m walking around wrapped up in loving wishes from awesome people.

I have to point out that everyone needs a hair or two named Brandy, so run to Exile immediately! I’m a fan of fun hair, and this one is just adorable. It makes me think of an updated 80s ponytail for some reason, and that kind of set the theme for the rest of the outfit. This great high-waisted skirt in a black and white leopard print with the big floppy bow was a Christmas present from a dear friend, and it’s perfect for my mood. I really need to go pick up more of these at [ bubble ] because it was a breeze to fit and so cute!

I know I’m late to the party when it comes to gushing about this Emma skin from Tuli, but I don’t care. I just can’t be quiet about the cute little nose and the pretty lips.

My necklace is an incredible bargain from Lolapop! Just go there and buy up the little purple hearts for L$1 each to get this Stupid Cupid necklace in all the available colors. I had to go with purple of course. Another item for all you bargain seekers is my Valentine date, the Mustache Snug from Lazy Places. Either wait at the lucky board to get him for free if your letter pops up, or buy him for yourself or for a friend through the box by the lucky board.

Body
Hair: Exile Brandy2 / whiskey
Skin: Tuli Emma / fair / bl :: 02 Orchid with Tuli Emma / fair / lips Ruin and Tuli Cleavage / fair :: Boost tattoo layers
Eyes: Shine Monet Antique
Lashes: Exile Lashes: Lush

Clothing
Top: Plastik Courtesan BlackSun
Necklace: Lolapop! Stupid Cupid Necklace – Purple
Skirt: [ bubble ] High-waisted skirt Leo
Tights: TaP Opaque Tights (no longer available)
Heels: *G Field* Bow Strap Shoes “Kate” -plum-

Poses and Props
My Valentine: Lazy Places Mustache Snug
Other poses: Clique Take Me Somewhere Nice

It’s time to head back home after spending a few days with my parents and brother, and I thought I’d take a few minutes to post a photo that my mom likes as my last post of 2010. Mom regularly reads this blog and checks up on my Flickr account, but for some reason, she won’t actually use the SL avatar we set up for her a couple of years ago. Perhaps I’ll be able to convince her to try again in 2011.

Mom loves to see me dressed up in retro-inspired outfits, and I’m sure my love of the same comes from years spent going through her photo albums and yearbooks. Neither of us is particularly crazy about wearing yellow, but it’s perfect against the black and white here. The dress is from The Secret Store by Maylee Oh. Mom specifically requested the Exile Mavis hair as it’s one of her favorites, but I have to admit she would prefer either whiskey or mink over the pearl texture I’m wearing here. We’ll call it my mini act of rebellion. The pose is from the Zaftig collection at aDORKable Poses.

Let me state at the beginning of this short post that there isn’t anything fashion-related here. I know I’m on one feed that’s tilted heavily to SL fashion, but I hope you’ll indulge me this once so I can briefly try to put into words why today is special to me.

I don’t remember a lot of what I was doing in SL back in December 2007, but I can piece most of it together from old blog posts and photos on Flickr. My account was about 10 months old, but I’d only be in world for about 6 months, and everything still seemed new and fresh.

I met this great guy named Kere Delcon around that time, and going by the creation date on his calling card in my inventory, we friended each other on December 11, 2007. At some point in early 2008, I did a purge of all my calling cards, but I kept his and one other for no other reason than I had this feeling they were going to be special to me. Three years later, they’re the only ones from that time to whom I talk regularly, and we co-own a sim together. I should trust my instincts more often!

Kere is one of my dearest friends in all lives. I love sitting at my computer in the evenings and getting a random video link from him as he’s working. He’s one of my favorite excuses for staying up way past my bedtime whether it’s because of SL or WoW or just chatting. Even when I’m completely disillusioned with SL and not in the mood to deal with it, it has a special place in my heart in part because it’s how I met Kere.

This was us 3 years ago. He’s outlasted the land, the house, and most of that furniture. I’ll gladly sacrifice more pixels to the inventory gods if that’s what it takes to keep him around.

And here we are earlier this month as he showed off one of his new builds to me. Kere has been building for a long time both for joy and for pay, and I think 2011 might be the year we finally see him set up shop to sell some of his creations. If you’re a prefab addict like me, keep an eye out for Kere Delcon. Maybe I’ll even get to do some previews for you when he’s ready to go.

Thank you Kere for being in my life, and you better stay there!