Grand Illusion...

I'm pretty sure many of us will go out and make purchases only to organize the item and never see it again. This tends to happen to me with hair. I love the demo, buy the hair, fit it just right, and then forget about it completely, or, worse...no longer like the hair when attempting to fit it in with an outfit. Recently I have been involved in a long debate with myself about the Maitreya hairs and finally, happily, settled on the Piper style. I still feel like I am walking around Second Life like a bobble head from a dash board, so hairs that are on the smaller side, flatter or more smooth for example, never seem to compliment my features at all. This one, does.

What I didn't expect was to go browsing around and find more items to purchase in their clothing department. Even more unexpected are the lengths they have gone to make sure you can wear some of their clothing, by including an AO! Who else does this? I will gleefully be a regular customer, as this is one of my biggest issues with clothing lately. An unfriendly AO! I have fallen in love with this shirt by Maitreya and paired it with a skirt and scarf from them as well. I love it, period. Nuff said.

Dina's Duds:
Shirt, Skirt, Hair, Scarf: Maitreya
Shoes: Kitties Lair
Skin: Redgrave
Location: My home

Sneaking in my latest piece, just because I rather enjoyed the photo shoot and the results. So, just sharing. Click any image to view larger. Larger is better.

Labels: Avanista, Redgrave, Second Life

0 comment(s) / 12:23 PM

Winter never seems to last as long in SL as it does in RL *notes the snow falling outside* and I don't think that many residents mind that fact at all. My notices have been filling with spring fabulousness and even my land has left winter behind. In the coming weeks I look forward to filling my flickr and the blog with all of the colorful creations that sing happily that spring has sprung in Second Life!

I hadn't really intended on making this a spring post, as you can see from todays look, but the freebie from Sways Creations was too adorable to not blog and the lil bear is ready for spring rain. Since I have an over abundance of things from Dutch Touch after their recent card sale and notification of those cards needing to be used before the end of the month, I clicked the first folder my mouse landed on and picked add to outfit. I would be wearing boots, but the Tesla boots I purchased never really got to me. SL, why do you dislike my inventory? I try to keep it clean, just put my boots right here please. Pretty please?

I've adored Dutch Touch for some time, always perfect for mixing and matching and my comfort level sky rockets in their clothing. I also cant resist a good full head of hair like Babo here from Magika. I have a happy fat folder full of Magika hair that I have been using lately and I never tire of how warm and fluffy I feel in them. I know, fluffy? Don't ask.

Dina's Duds
Outfit: Dutch Touch
Hair: Magika
Bear: Sways Creations
Skin: Redgrave
Boots: Tesla....ok, they would have been
Shrooms & Stepping stones: Creative Fantasy
Bench: RekidStyle
Flowers: Organica

Labels: Avanista, Dutch Touch, Second Life, SL, Sways

0 comment(s) / 3:57 PM

Happy Valentines Day! Whether you are spending it with one special someone, or a group of friends, I hope the day brings you nothing but love! My first SL love today was finishing up a handful of hunts. Now comes the fun of digging through folders and boxes and organizing the insanity that has become my inventory. A huge thank you goes out to all of the designers and content creators that have participated in these events and handed out free items to us hunters. I am sure many of us will be visiting again soon to make purchases, I know I will!

This week, after a decent break, the designer of [42] is back and creating up a storm! A fabulous pack of skins and tats were dropped on me last night that I rushed right in to check out and take some pictures with. As always, the skins come with hair or shaved options, a variety of make ups and a shape. I don't know how she does it, but these skins are also so reasonably priced you simply shouldn't pass them up. Ever! Included at the store with this release (today!) are a set of VDay tats for free. No matter if you are Taken, Available or not in the mood to even discuss it (see image) its a fabulous set of tats to have on hand. These are free for a short time and then are included on the wall of past freebies for 42L

Take a moment or two and stop by Apple May to get this lingerie set free for Valentines Day. Super cute and sexy, I think I am in love with this holiday simply because I can shop around and wear a ton of pink without being picked on...too much! This set can be found by the new items at Apple May.

Dina's Duds:
Lingerie: Apple May
Hair: WAKA & Yuki
Skin: [42] In Bloom
Tats: [42]

Labels: [42] Second Life, Apple May, Avanista, SL

0 comment(s) / 8:38 PM

It's not about me. It's not about the dress. It's not even about the people that are dedicating their hard work and time to donate and help others, again. Second Life may be the last place the victims of the Victorian Bushfire are expecting help from, help comes none the less and this is about them. Here is only one of the items that content creators have set aside all profit from to assist and donate to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Make your donation and receive this gown, or find any of the other items spread across the grid and all proceeds will be sent to assist the people that are dealing with this tragedy.

If you would like to donate outside of SL please consider making your donation to The Australian Red Cross. Second Life may be a small community, in the grand scheme of things, but when we all come together we can make a big difference in peoples lives. Additional information may be found here.

0 comment(s) / 7:50 PM

Its spreading, the mentions, the references, the plurking has taken over many people on the grid as well as their blogs. What is it? You can take a look and find out *points to side bar* and you might be surprised at what you find.

People from all sides of 'the track' from Second Life have gathered and are forming friendships in ways you might not have expected. The shy girl who spends most of her time in her house snapping pictures is actually having conversations with the people many might call a SLebrity. Silly enough as that word is, some put a lot of stock into it and are often reluctant to speak with designers or content creators for fear of not being 'good enough' for a conversation. Not so, at plurk.

People are connecting again in ways that Second Life was intended for in the first place. I am there, watching it happening, participating and having conversations with people whose creativity I have admired silently from afar. These are real people, try not to be afraid, if they bite its not anywhere where the marks will show. They appreciate words of kindness or praise for their hard work as well as a simple 'thank you' now and then for their freebies or gifts.

Designers, bloggers, insane nymphos, shopping addicted women, men chasing after the skirts...its all here. With a sprinkling of artists sharing their photography, literature, and just about anything you can think of. I often wonder what a real 'Plurk Party' might look like in Second Life. I would actually like to meet more of these people in world.

What I didn't expect, when I joined, was to find people that I now consider friends. I thought it was a nice social experiment, I would play with it for a bit and go back to my camera in world. Instead I found people that are insanely amusing and keep me laughing for hours. I also happened upon a woman that I am sure has been peeking in my flickr and inventory in world for months. She looks almost exactly as I do (both home made shapes) has much of the same inventory, flickr images done with the same look and feel as my own, even similar AO animations. Not common ones either.

I'm thankful to of met her, and the people I have met through her and through plurk. I get to drag Kerra along for the ride too, though she hasnt become as addicted to plurk as I have. If you would like to see more of these people then join us here or take a look at some of the photos that have been created here on my flickr page. Hope to plurk you later!

0 comment(s) / 7:33 PM

I fell in love with this outfit when it came through the Apple May update group. I actually went and got it as soon as the pictured rezzed. After grabbing it quickly and snapping some pictures I realized I have seen so little of the Apple May line so I am eagerly planning to return soon. Oh, just click the image for a closer view, the outfit is fabulous.

I also purchased the Boudoir chair pose set from Lonstangel recently. I love these pieces! If you haven't visited them in your rounds of pose shopping, I highly recommend that you do. I admit, I have gone a bit pose crazy lately. If I fail to post the name of the creators of a pose I will try and get back in and update it.

Dina's Duds
Outfit: Apple May
Shoes: Stielleto Moody
Skin: Redgrave
Hair: Zero Style
Pose and chair: LostAngel

0 comment(s) / 9:25 AM

There has been a lot of talk about freebies lately. Some good, some bad, some...a bit indifferent to the entire freebie culture that lives in Second Life. I have too much of a shopping addiction to become an entirely freebie based woman, its sad, I know. However, I am often amazed at the generosity of so many designers and the quality of their freebies these days and never pass up the chance to use something in a 'look' when I can.

Recently I saw a plurk that mentioned a new newbie pack and set out to see what it was all about. This required a newbie, of course! Popfuzz has put together a fabulous set of items for the newbie woman and has it available for all Second Lifers that are 30 days old or younger. I also ran by Long Awkward Pose and tried out their free AO, also to young sl-aged avatars. I am seriously amazed that I was able to use these items, a 10L hair from Magika and with a bit of playing with the shape came up with this more than livable AV, in under an hour. Had I been a true newbie, I would no doubt have spent any and all of my first lindens trying to create this look. I also would have made Popfuzz my number one store and, as a matter of fact, will be taking my Dina over there to shop around as well. Freebies may be a thankless gift sometimes, but they truly do bring in customers. This is my little thank you to both Popfuzz and Long Awkward Pose for their newbie free love, as well as Magika for the affordable and cute hair.

Granted, most newbies aren't going to know where to go for these items. If you see a newbie, be nice, don't give them a large body part that they wont ever figure out how to take off. Gently lead the poor lost critture to the freebie adventures and maybe, just maybe, you will be welcoming one of the next major content creators...or shopping addicted SLers...into their Second Life. Yea, I know, I'm lubbin the newbies today.

The Newbie's Duds
Skin by Popfuzz
Tank by Popfuzz
Jeans by Popfuzz
Shoes by I have no idea, think I got them at her landing point. Bad blogger!
Hair by Magika
Eyes by Popfuzz
AO Long Awkward Pose