A sprinkle of silver

Mesh Body:  Maitreya Lara
Mesh Head:  Catwa Catya
Applier: Pink Fuel Alabaster
Lipstick and eye shadow:  Alaskametro Wytch Makeup Palette
Eyes: Avi-Glam Solstice
Hair: Navy & Copper Cinnamon (group gift)
Dress:  Art & Fashion Gothika (group gift)
Necklace & Earrings: Pure Poison Black Arachnide
Bracelet: Maxi Gossamer Voodoo Rocker
Pose: Diesel Works Diva

#525 Marbelized

Today's post brings together a beautiful and brand new mainstore release from DE Designs, a fantabulous Fifty Linden Friday (still available as I publish this post, but don't delay grabbing it!) fatpack of heels from Reign, plus goodies from DeeTaleZ, Truth, Meva and more.

 I love all Doc Eldritch creations, but I absolutely love love love love this one!  This brand new cami is absolute perfection on my Maitreya Lara, is beautifully crafted and the textures are simply gorgeous.  It comes in an extensive range of colours which made it very hard for this Libran to choose which to wear today!  It comes in standard sizing and is also compatible with just about every mesh body you could want - including TMP. 

I have teamed my cami with my favourite pair of white pants from Neve (previously Cold Logic), which come with with a texture change hud and a boot helper which make them wearable with just about any length of heel without poke through.

As for my heels from Reign, they cost just 50L for a fatpack including 2 massive (in scope, not size!) texture change huds.  They are for Fifty Linden Friday and yep, the whole bundle for 50L!

Credits:

Mesh body (including hands and feet): Maitreya Lara
Shape:  based on  Strawberry Singh Zara but tweaked 
Mesh Head:  Catwa Jessica   

Applier:  DeeTaleZ Cynthia

Hair:  Truth Isolde

Eyes:  Avi-Glam Ardent Eyes, nature pack
Manicure & Pedicure:  Dark Passions - Koffin Nails  Marbelized Pastels

Top:  DE Designs - Sara Cami
Necklace:  Meva Alis
Earrings:  Meva Alis 
Bracelet/Bangle:  Maxi Gossamer Damasc bangles 2 & 5
Shoes:  Reign Hierarchy Heels - 50L for Fifty Linden Friday
Poses: Kirin Florence
Peacocks:  Jian Peacocks - available at Collabor88

Tools I use in most blog posts

SecondSnaps Photo Studio
Fate Eye Poser (before this I used Anypose Expression Hud)

Pose Anywhere Pose Huds

Lumipro Lighting System

Combo Fix to fix broken ankles, wrists, neck etc

Bits n Pieces

If an item is for sale at an event, I give the slurl to that event.  However in case this blog post is read after the event has finished, I also include the slurl to the mainstore.  

All Slurls are current at time of posting.  If you are unable to find an item, or need help with anything I have blogged, feel free to send me an email, inworld IM or nc, or a plurk (all links on contacts page).

I wear a mesh body, head, hands & feet in all posts. I use alpha cuts where necessary, and if I can't get an item to work with my mesh body, I will neither wear it nor blog it  Most items I blog fit various mesh bodies and/or feet, and often classic avatar standard sizing and/or fitmesh. Please make sure to demo anything you see here that you are thinking of buying to be sure it works for you.

#466 Here's looking at you, ZsaZsa

Now I am using a good pc, one of my favourite things to do is search for locations to take my blog pics, and I really liked this Casablanca styled sim.  I will definitely be back for more pics as Zsa spotted a few great photo opportunities here.

I am a little late with this release due to my unexpected hospitalisation, but here it is, and well worth the wait.  I love all Doc Eldritch's work but this dress is definitely one of my favourites.  It comes in a selection of beautifully rich deep colours, which can as always be bought separately or in a hud controlled fat pack - but Doc's fatpacks are so reasonably priced, I say, don't think twice, get the fat pack!  It is compatible with Belleza (all 3 bods), Slink (2 bods) and Maitreya and also comes with a fitmesh version for classic avvie.

My heels are so hot off the press they burned my toes a little.  They from KC Couture and are truly fabulous and of course as always come with their fantastic texture change hud.  They are compatible with more mesh bodies than you can shake a stick at - I have no idea how Klari does it.

Credits:

If an item is for sale at an event, I give the slurl to that event, but in case this blog post is read after the event has finished, I also include the slurl to the mainstore.

Body

Maitreya Lara
7 Deadly s{K}ins - Izadora v6 taupe
enVOGUE Isabella - Diversity Hud

Cosmetics

Encore Maitreya Nail Appliers - Set 16 

Clothing
DE Designs - Taylor 
KC Couture - Excite heels

Accessories

Maxi Gossamer - Earrings - Matinee Shimmer

Poses
Nantra KK

Location
Pelican Point

Info

There are often more photos of blogged items on my flickr account here.

SLURLs are current at time of posting.  If you need help with anything I have blogged, feel free to send me an email, inworld IM or nc, or a plurk (all links on contacts page).

#449 What's purple, purple and purple all over, and a little bit shadowy?

This post starts with a tale of two pc's, and is the reason this first post of 2016 has taken longer than usual.  The first pc was woefully unequipped for sl, and crawled on an average fps of 7-9 (seriously), crashed multiple times a day, and advanced graphic settings were impossible.  SL and this blog became a real slog and it was no fun, so towards the end of last year I had reached the point where it was so bad that I was seriously thinking of giving up this blog, and even leaving sl for good.  

Thankfully, due to a totally unexpected event irl (thanks mum xx) this has all changed as I am writing this from my new pc which averages 70 fps, and on which I can run round the grid on high, suffer no lag, and even better, can use advanced graphics - shadows, yay!  It is like the shade has suddenly been lifted on sl, and I am almost dazzled by the colour, the speed, the general awesomeness.

Anyway, I am now hoping that I can raise the standard of this little blog and produce far better pics, and again I say - shadows!!  I have also invested in Lumipro so am having fun playing with that, though it will take me a while to become proficient.

This is my first post using my new graphics set up and I am happy to share with you this stunning gown by Just Because which is available at the current round of FaMEShed (which I could move around without an issue - I had stopped going to events last year as my pc couldn't cope).  Back to the gown, which is undoubtedly daring but in a classy way. The sheen, the way the material drapes and creases really add life to this gown which comes in a myriad of beautiful colours, and the brooch is hud driven for more colour choices.  

Credits:

If an item is for sale at an event, I give the slurl to that event, but in case this blog post is read after the event has finished, I also include the slurl to the mainstore.

Body

Maitreya Lara

IKON Triumph Eyes 

WoW Skins 2016 Selia Tan

Elikatira Karee - Ravens

Cosmetics

Encore Maitreya Nail Appliers - Designer 06 (available at The Wash Cart Sale for 10L - closes 6th Jan, so run!)

Mon Cheri Falsies Eyelash 

Izzies - Patty Dark Lipstick purple

Izzies - Double Wing Eyeliner

Clothing

Just Because Maya Gown - available at FaMESHed

KC Couture Yuuna Heels

Accessories

Maxi Gossamer - Delightful Dahlia earrings & necklace 

Poses

Diesel Works Diva & Prima Donna

Info

There are often more photos of blogged items on my flickr account here.

SLURLs are current at time of posting.  If you need help with anything I have blogged, feel free to send me an email, inworld IM or nc, or a plurk (all links on contacts page).

#434 Sometimes when...

...things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place (source unknown)

My gorgeous skin is a past Lumae 75L Sunday item, but even bought at full price it is an amazing bargain as along with the skin, Lumiya Rae also gives you lots of extras, including every applier you could possibly want.  

My pants are brand new from DE Designs, and are available in fabric and leather - I am wearing the leather.  They are compatible with Maitreya Lara, Belleza Venus Isis and Freya, and Slink Physique and Hourglass, as well as standard sizes plus alpha for classic avatar.   You can buy any of the four sizes separately or buy the fatpack and get the hud system - the fatpack is so reasonably priced, I would definitely recommend it.

I have teamed the pants with an earlier release from DE Designs, a fabulous leather corset.  Again you can buy it in single colours or in a fatpack and it is compatible with Slink Physique, Belleza Venus natural and push-up, and Maitreya Lara. 

My boots from Baby Monkey are on their new release wall which means they are half price for a week, but I think they must be coming to the end of the week, so you need to snap them up now.    They come with the Baby Monkey basics hud, with 9 textures, plus 3 choices for the studs.  You can see the colours here just before the credits.

Credits:

Body

Maitreya Lara, Lara hands, Slink feet

 Lumae  Jewel : 4 - Peach :: Plum Delight {DarkBrow}

Elikatira  Nataline, reds - available at FaMESHed

IKON  Charm eyes

Cosmetics

Mon Cheri Falsies Eyelashes

 Koffin Nails - Maitreya HUD - Pumpkin Fright (Slink and Maitreya)

Izzie's - Double Wing Eyeliner

Clothing

DE Designs - Tara Halter Corset -Black- Maitreya

DE Designs - Andrea Pants - Maitreya - Leathers
Baby Monkey Babbele Boots 

Accessories

Maxi Gossamer - Bangle - Ramona 77 - Spikes
Maxi Gossamer - Bangle - Ramona 77 - Studs Large
Maxi Gossamer - Earring - Voodoo Rocker - Skull Heart
Maxi Gossamer - Love Rocker Necklace Combo 2

Poses
Diesel Works

Info

There are often more photos of blogged items on my flickr account here.

SLURLs are current at time of posting.  If you need help with anything I have blogged, feel free to send me an email, inworld IM or nc, or a plurk (all links on contacts page).

#429 Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness - and selfies

(with apologies to John Keats)

I am again wearing the group gift skin from LAQ which I blogged here, but this time I have added some of their make-up tattoos which give it quite a different look, but just as pretty.  My hair is new from Elikatira for Shiny Shabby - I can never have too many relaxed, messy kinda pulled back-a-little do's, and I love Miya as she is all of these things.

My spider rain necklace is a special offer for 60L weekends and is available in 3 different packs, each with an extensive texture change hud.  If you hurry you will hopefully still be able to pick them up at this discount price.  

I have decided to do the little black dress thing today as it is something I rarely wear, so it makes a nice change.  I love the classy silk and velvet dress from Basta! which also comes in a range of other deep rich colours, exclusively at The Showroom.  My shoes are new from KC Couture, only available at the Mesh Body Addicts Fair and are absolutely stunning (see close up below).  They are compatible with Slink, Belleza, TMP, Maitreya, N-Core and Eve, and come with KC Couture's amazing texture change hud.

My pose pack is from Repose and includes 5 poses and 5 camera props, two of which I have shown here.

Credits:

Body

Maitreya Lara,

 LAQ ~ Camille Essential skin - Tone 2.0

Elikatira Miya - Redheads Hair - available at Shiny Shabby
IKON  Promise Eyes

Cosmetics

Mon Cheri Falsies Eyelashes
LAQ ~ Eye Makeup 10
LAQ ~ Elle Lips 03
 Encore Maitreya Nail Appliers - Set 20 

Clothing

B!asta Westend Girls Silk & Velvet dress, black - available at The Showroom

KC Couture  Stardom Heels - available at The Mesh Body Addicts Fair

Accessories

Indulge Temptation Spider Rain Necklace Hud 2

Maxi Gossamer  - Bangles - Damasc Bangles

Poses
Repose  Self Assured

Info

There are often more photos of blogged items on my flickr account here.

SLURLs are current at time of posting.  If you need help with anything I have blogged, feel free to send me an email, inworld IM or nc, or a plurk (all links on contacts page).

#424 Do your thorns have roses?

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses - Abraham Lincoln

I feel I need to explain why I have reverted to something I did when I very first started blogging, and that is the use of quotations.  Losing my mum and my godmother within the last 7 months, plus other rl stuff, has hit me really hard and to be honest, left me struggling at times to keep going.  Blogging helps as it keeps me busy, but I still need to remind myself to stay positive, or find silly stuff to make me smile because I feel like over the last year I have lost my smile.  Hence the quotations.

Anyway, enough of the ramblings.  Today I am showing a beautiful new top from Just Because which is available at the current round of Uber.  It comes in many colour packs, each containing one plain and one printed version such as the one I am wearing, or you can choose the hud operated fatpack.  The textures are absolute perfection, and the fit over my Maitreya Lara mesh body is faultless .  As well as Lara, the top is compatible with all three Belleza bodies, Slink Physique and standard avatar 5 sizes.  

I am teaming my top with an an oldie but goodie Just Because item from my inventory, one of my favourite ever pairs of skinny pants, available in an array of colours.  They are compatible with Belleza and also classic fitmesh, so to wear over my Maitreya Lara mesh body, I had to do some tweaks to my alpha, but nothing major.

My shoes are new from Glamistry and are sheer perfection as you would expect from him, and his fantastic hud system where you can buy extra colours via the hud is the cherry on top.  No fatpacks littering your inventory, just a pair of shoes and a hud.

Credits:

Body

Maitreya Lara

 Lumae Niska 4 - Peach, Sangria {LightBrow}

Truth Heloisa

IKON Promise Eyes

Cosmetics

Mon Cheri Falsies Eyelashes

Encore Maitreya Nail Appliers - Set 24

Clothing

Just Because Danika Top - available now at Uber

Just Because - Skinny Pants

Glamistry Heather Heels 

Accessories

Maxi Gossamer - Damasc Bangles

Poses

Diesel Works Prima Donna

 KaTink Backdrop

Info

There are often more photos of blogged items on my flickr account here.

SLURLs are current at time of posting.  If you need help with anything I have blogged, feel free to send me an email, inworld IM or nc, or a plurk (all links on contacts page).

#423 You can't change the desert....

....you can only take the fastest course through it.  Wishing it's an oasis won't make it so.  - Nefertiti, Michelle Moran 

I have been slow to jump on the mesh head bandwagon.  I was maybe even more slow with the mesh body - but I eventually jumped on board, grumbling all the way about how blogging was hard enough and expensive enough without adding another component, blah blah blah.  However, within a very short time of finally jumping, I got to where I am now, where the concept of doing anything without wearing one of my mesh bodies is unthinkable.    

So I approached mesh heads in much the same way, the first few that came out I had no temptation to try, I demo'd a few heads and none of them felt right to me.  Then Catwa came out with their first mesh head, Jessica, and after a demo, I took the plunge - even though I didn't love it right away, I felt this was the head that I could make work for me.

I played around with it, not impressed, it has to be said, but I decided to put it away and try again next day.  I did, but again, not terribly successfully.  Next day I received an IM from SlackGirl asking if I wanted to blog her eye-shadows which are on sale at this month's Fashion Limited.  She told me they come in classic avatar too and I thought I would probably use those, not the Catwa applier - but I like a challenge and sat down to make these appliers work for me. 

It really didn't take long before I realised I had done it and it didn't look half bad.  I will admit, though I love the look, thanks to the amazing eyeshadows, I don't feel like "me", so I have a lot more playing with Jessica to do before I feel "me" wearing it.    

I absolutely love these eye-shadows though, they have a real Egyptian Queen kinda vibe, very dramatic, no wilting flower Zsa here.   Only 25 copies of this eye-shadow set (the 8 colours I show above) are available and are exclusive to Fashion Limited.  You get the applier plus the tattoo system layers in case you are still on the mesh head fence.  They come with some great hints from SlackGirl so you never know, she might just tip you over the edge like she did me, thankfully!

Credits:

Body
Maitreya Lara Mesh Body

Catwa Jessica Mesh Head

 WoW Skins  V2 Nour Tan

Catwa Anna Hair

IKON Sovereign Eyes

Cosmetics

SlackGirl Prue Eyeshadow - available at Fashion Limited

 Encore Maitreya Nail Appliers Set 23

Accessories

 Maxi Gossamer Bridget's Faith Heart earrings

Poses
 KoKoLoReS Poses - Portrait Me

 KaTink Backdrop

Info

There are often more photos of blogged items on my flickr account here.

SLURLs are current at time of posting.  If you need help with anything I have blogged, feel free to send me an email, inworld IM or nc, or a plurk (all links on contacts page).