If Zaara Builds It I Will Come

I'm a careful shopper in SL. I evaluate the designs that I see on blogs and in notices, carefully choosing items that I both love and really need in my wardrobe. I never just buy willy-nilly because an outfit was made by a specific designer.

Except, that is, where Zaara Kohime is concerned. All you have to do is say the word Zaara and my ears prick up. Everything she makes is amazing and I buy all of it. Without question.

Zaara's newest dress, Mahari, lives up to all her usual high standards. I bought it in burgundy but there are both light and dark options in the store.

With Zaara's lovely dress I'm wearing the DeVille pumps from Zhao and a pair of sheer black stockings that I found in my inventory with no attribution (sorry!).

My hair is Truth's new Milla in copper. Skin is Uma from Rockberry. My earrings are the Seasons set in platinum and aqua from Jewelry by Lyn. Which doesn't seem to be around any more so . . . bad blogger! But I liked the aqua with the detail on the blouse too much to change it.

I'm so prolific these days! That's what a short hiatus from SL will do, I guess.

And Now For Something Completely Different . . .

Here's another of my new poses from Long Awkward Pose and a dress I picked up at Triangle for $1L. This is called Lag Shadow. It's not my usual style, but for some reason I could just see it with the go-go boots and all. So I'm stepping out of character for a cool, retro look.


This skin is another $25L deal from Plastic Flowers. This one is Shattered in pale. I love good cheap skin! If you haven't been over to check these out, get going!


I'm also wearing the Dalmation boots from EvA Footwear, Kathy hair from Aoharu in Cherry Brown, and my favorite diamond hoops from Jador.

Poses!

This week I'm finally spending more time in-world since my RL houseguest has gone home. I did something that has been long overdue. I have a massive inventory folder full of dozens (hundreds?) of freebie poses. Well this week I deleted them all. Total wipe out. Then I went out to do something I've never done before in SL: buy poses.

Today I picked up a few at Long Awkward Pose and decided to show a couple off with some new acquisitions.

I found a gift card in my inventory for Sweeter Than Candy and I ran right over to pick up this pretty pea coat. It includes a hat and scarf, but I like it all alone. I live in a warm climate, so I really cling to my SL winters. I'm usually wearing coats and boots long after most residents are trading it all in for bikinis.

Pants are something I am always on the lookout for. I think very few designers are doing good cuffs. So when I saw these from Armidi Gisaci on another blog (I can't remember which or I'd attribute!) I literally ran right over to check them out. These are the Journey Tweed Slacks in golden bronze and I just can't get over the beautiful cuff. The texturing is nice too - you can see that in the close-up below.



The pose is called CC-Seduction and I especially like how it positions the head. My skin is from Plastic Flowers - the Luffly skin in pale that is currently out for $25L. There are a few discount skins there that are really nice. My hair is Luna from Calico Ingmann. I almost never take it off these days.


Shoes are Insolence's Natasha boots in camel. If you look closely, you can actually see the difference between the suede texture of the boots and the wool of the pants.

I've been shopping my butt off lately so more newness to come!

Guest Submission!

I have a guest submission! Which means I have a reader! Whoo-hoo! :)





My friend Ivy wanted to show off this great suit she got from Cattiva e Cattivo so she asked me if I'd blog it. Of course, I agreed. I learned a lot, including how much harder it is to take pictures of other people! It was a great experience for me.

The suit, Strictly Business, really is cool. It comes with tons of options on tons of layers. Long jacket, short jacket, peplum, skirt, pants, blouse and sweater options, too much to show in one blog post. The pictures will give you some highlights.

If you do any business in SL, or if you just like a businesslike look, check this one out!

Ivy's shoes are the tan Stephanie pumps, also from Cattiva e Cattivo. Her skin is Lazolli's Phoebe line and her hair is the Perfect Pile-up from Curve Appeal. She's also wearing bangles from Ticky Tacky. Part of the fun of this one was visiting some stores I'm not familiar with and making new finds. So thanks, Ivy!

Slurls:

Cattiva e Cattivo: http://slurl.com/secondlife/agard/197/192/26

Lazolli Skins: http://slurl.com/secondlife/mirabella/180/190/28

Curve Appeal: http://slurl.com/secondlife/nelleman/165/174/122

Ticky Tacky: http://slurl.com/secondlife/horst/52/84/23

Fanway Park

This one is short and sweet just to show off the cardigan. This is actually a picture I took for a challenge on the Fab Free flickr. (And if you're not reading the Fabulously Free in SL blog, you should be. Just about every freebie on the grid eventually ends up there.)

Last spring I was begging for cardigan sweaters and couldn't find any. This year they're everywhere. Since we're on the As in my inventory you get to see the Wonderland sweater from A-Bomb. This was originally a freebie but now you have to pay all of $50L to get one. I've paired it with the glitch pants from Baiastice's Grandma Glitter suit. The entire Grandma set is available for free at Baiastice. (The slurl below will hopefully take you directly to the freebie area.) Take a minute to browse the store, too. Sissy Pessoa is one of those designers really pushing the envelope of SL fasion.

The shoes I'm wearing are an old pair I picked up forever ago - I have no idea where. Sorry! The Hair is Miss B's Natalie hair - that store doesn't seem to be around any more. Geez, Lessa, what good are you?

The skin, on the other hand, is available and free. It's Cher's Rez Day Skin - designed by Cherlindrea Lamont, the founder of the Fabulously Free blog. They have a site in-world where you can pick up this skin and a bunch of other nice freebies.

The baseball stadium is a little place called Fanway Park. I go there surprisinly often to take pictures. It's small and usually empty. If you ever need a baseball backdrop, that's a good place to go.
Here ends this lame post. If nothing else, go grab the freebies at Baiastice and Fab Free!

Slurls:

Fanway Park: http://slurl.com/secondlife/fairchang%20vista%20ne/88/88/23

A-Bomb: http://slurl.com/secondlife/snatch%20city/97/30/29

Fabulously Free: http://slurl.com/secondlife/mc%20east%20river/95/39/30

Baiastice: http://slurl.com/secondlife/baiastice/46/176/35

The Magic of Oz

The first thing I'll say here is that if you haven't been to The Magic of Oz sim, you've got to go. If you have one tiny ounce of whimsey or fantasy or nostalgia in your body this is a place you don't want to miss. It's also a place I figured I'd never find a way to blog because I just don't have outfits in my inventory that scream "Magic of Oz."

The second thing I have to say is that the Aimee dress is totally not me. I just don't go for the "living doll" approach to dressing my avatar. But that dress has been haunting me ever since it first popped up on the blogs a while ago. "It's so beautiful!" "I'll never wear it." "But it's so beautiful!" "But I'll NEVER wear it."

Of course, when I was at A Piece of Candy last week prepping my Princeton post (alliteration alert!) there it was in all its glory, and I thought of the Oz sim, and next thing I knew my balance was down by $250L.

This really is a nice dress. Beautifully textured, totally affordable, great fishnet stockings included. And it works perfectly here in Oz. This post will be a bit more picture-heavy than in the past because there's so much to see in this great sim. You land at the crossroads and can follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, the Witch's Castle, Munchkinland, the poppy field, the Scarecrow's cornfield; there's tons to explore. And it's full of nice little poseballs which I've already said I appreciate.

Here I am checking out an emerald fountain. The boots I'm wearing with this outfit are the very first shoes I ever bought in SL - they're the tapestry ankle boots from Lassitude & Ennui. These are the black, of course, and they also come in taupe. (Note to self - remember to take more close-ups!)

The Aimee dress definitely needs some fairy-tale hair and I found that in the Maiden style from Bewitched. Bewitched and its sister-store House of Heart have great sales and lots of freebies. If you're not in their group, you should be! And, oh God, bad blogger, only my 3rd post and I can't remember what skin I was wearing. And I can't find it. Ah well, nobody's perfect.

So I'll leave you with one of the coolest parts of the Oz sim - the witch's castle. Flying monkeys and all. (Clicking on the pictures, by the way, will bring up a larger version so you can see Oz in all it's glory.) And next time we'll be back to more of my normal style, I promise!

The Slurls!



The Magic of Oz: http://slurl.com/secondlife/magic%20of%20oz/138/125/24



A Piece of Candy: http://slurl.com/secondlife/jersey/215/93/24



Lassitude & Ennui: http://slurl.com/secondlife/nouveau/61/61/30



Bewitched: http://slurl.com/secondlife/tropical%20escape/181/77/22