TOUCH THE SKY

A quick casual outfit to go out shopping. I was happy to find this simple shirt in an applier for layering under other mesh pieces. The applier has two necklines and two sleeve lengths for a bit of flexibility.



... And some fun jewelry. Some amazing detail goes into the mesh of this ring for example. Lassitude and Ennui's lion head ring, texture changing to three metals.



These high-waisted pants are from Ducknipple. I'm glad they are still around and making the transition from system layers and sculpted attachments to rigged mesh. I love to see old favorite stores with longevity, and newcomers all in the mix!

Kimono: Boys to the Bone "Mys Kimono"
Shirt Applier: Alaska Metro "Norma"
Pants: Ducknipple "Corduroy Pants"
Glasses: Olqinu "Pierced Glasses" (texture change)
Ring: Lassitude and Ennui "Lion's Head Ring" (texture change)
Shoes: Katatonik "Okobo" (gacha)
Lipstick: Warpaint "Liquid Metal Lipstick"

Hair: Amitomo "High Five" (gacha RARE)
Head: Catwa "Catya"
Ears: by Aitui
Body, Hands and Feet: by SLink
Skin Applier: by Essences
Eyes: Song "Toki"

Love,
Serene

ARE WE THERE YET?

Are we at Spring yet? I am going nuts from cold weather and being cooped up. I am finally hating all the blah blah blah colorless weather so I slammed together some prints and textures and bright colors, and went on the grid looking for something visually exciting.

I am still stuck with sweaters and knits for another month, but no more grey for a while. Not for me !!

Sweater: Ducknipple “Olive”
Leggings: MIU “leggings009 (star navy*green)” (gacha)
Glasses: Miel “Bella Peepers”
Belt: fri.day “Wide Waist.Belt (Teal)”
Boots: FIR & MNA “Wellies SH” (last Seasons Hunt)
Skin: Curio “:GP: Petal [Dark] Sweetheart-Rose 1”
Hair: Dernier Cri “Taylor”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Eyebrows: Curio “:GP: Sweetheart Brows-Black”
Alpha: Imabee “System eyelashes – begone!”
Poses: by Dismorph and Glitterati
Location: Lunamaruna

Love,
Serene

THE MECHANIC

I held on to this Miel dress for a while, because I wasn't sure how I wanted to use it. Finally the other day, I received a group gift from Deco, which included these grungy goggles by Gutterblood Spoonhammer. (Love em! They remind me of Dad's welding goggles.) Before Mr. Spoonhammer started selling wares upstairs at Deco, I used to visit his shop at ROT dev (gone dammit). The rough goggles inspired me to grunge up the Miel dress. I toughened her look combining the booN topknot with a buzzcut hairbase, and the gauged and pierced ears. The gauges are actually timepieces. I love that kind of details!

In case you still had any doubts whether this chick is someone you want to mess with, she is sporting a garter with a rusty old pistol tucked in.

Dress: Miel “Raider Dress” (group gift in several lovely colors)
Undershirt: Pieces from the Pink Outfitters “Rocket Girl Jacket” (VERY modified collar)
Leggings: Ducknipple “Zwaffel 03: Majo (black)”
Goggles: Decompose “Roughneck Goggles – red” (from Deco group gift)
Garter: LouLou & Co. “Garter Pistolero”
Arm warmers: DeLa “Arm warmers Black” (old gift) … I tinted the metal studs
Leg warmers: DeLa “Leg warmers Black” (old gift)
Shoes: Gos “Docs 8 Hole” (with optional old finish)
Hairpiece: booN “MKT012” (love love love!)
Tattoo with Hairbase: Aitui “Biomech Web w/Hair Base” (old gift)
Skin: dekade “Claire”
Ears: Mynerva “Chrono-plug II Elven Ears”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene

SOFTLY

The last couple of weeks, I've been sick. It got me thinking. Along parallel tracks of thought:

a. I need warmer clothes;
b. it was stupid of me to take my daughter trick or treating in the rain, even with that big ol' golf umbrella;
c. It was fantastic going trick or treating in the rain; even if I got sick it was not to be missed.

So here I am in the cuddliest softest oufit I could get together. Just looking at the knitty sweaters and corduroy is making me smile.

Okay okay, so only in Second Life can I tuck cords inside my socks :) don't be a critic.

Cardigan: Ducknipple “Cardigan – Pink”
Sweater: Ducknipple “Le Sweatere - Pink”
Pants: Doppleganger “Cuffed Cords – Brown” (includes rolled cuffs not shown)
Scarf: Miel “Lia Scarf – flor” (texture change)
Glasses: Miel “Genius Peepers” (texture change)
Socks: Miel “Jane Socks – Plaid Dark – brown brumble” (texture change cuffs)
Boots: Miel “Far Boots – Plaid” (texture change)
Hair: Maitreya “Natalie – Crayon”
Skin: Mynerva “Fudge Plain Jane v2 w/eyeliner”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent.eyelashes – pure”
Teeth: Glam Affair “Tattoo makeup TDR 13 – 2”
Poses: by Dismorph and Gesticulate
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene

ALONE IN PARIS

How long should I wait?

Hm.

Time to walk.

Billet Doux: Sanu “Love Letter Gold”
Trenchcoat: SLink “Milli Military Coat” (unavailable from the Platinum Hunt )
Shirt: Ducknipple “Scoop”
Boots: hoorenbeek “Pleaser Boots”
Purse: PACADI “Yfke Bag” (Rumors of Pacadi’s demise seem to be exaggerated.)
Hair: Clawtooth “French Connection” (50L Friday)
Skin: dekade “Claire” (unavailable from the Dressing Room)
Eyes: MADesigns “EYES_LIGHT ~ copper” (MHOH)
Poses: Long Awkward Pose
Location: New Paris

Love,
Serene

WE'RE ALL OUT OF TITLES TODAY

Shirt: Juice “Route 66 Greaser”
Pants: Juice “Dirty Mucker Jeans”
Hair: Pocket Mirrors “Simon Brown”
Skin: Ricochet “Tristan Dark”
Eyes: MADesigns “EYES_PROMISE – green”
Pose: momomuller “MHOH4-0920_sit_m_13”

Shirt: Gabriel “Drape Shirt (blue)”
Pants: Shiki Designs “Caramel Striped Pants”
Necklace: GQ Fashions “Tribal Necklace Large Bone”
Pose: Pulling Strings “Yoga Tree” (not from the MHOH, a group gift :P )

Jacket: Klam Design “Kevin”
Pants: Adjunct “Tipped Trouser”
Necklace: Zenith “Feather Necklace”
Pose: d.can “Strong 6”

Sweater: Ducknipple “Foebel”
Pants: BalAni “B&W Madras Slacks”
Glasses: Kumaki Glasses Style “Moore/MHOH4”
Pose: d.can “Strong 4”

Love,
Serene

SEPTEMBER

September is here and fall is so close I can hardly stand it. I am looking forward to soups and cooshy sweaters. The first pumpkin pie and hot chocolate.

I'm trying not to get ahead of myself. I'm going to slow down and enjoy the fall leaves, and the aromatic smells of the lavender and catmint and russian sage in my flower bed. I'm going to take my daughter on that hayride, to the pumpkin patch, and the petting zoo and fall pony rides. We are going to make sugar cookies and harvest fennel seeds and the last tomatoes.

Shirt: Ducknipple “Mole”
Pants: Callie Cline “jeans – floral wash”
Earrings: Mandala “Monica Earrings / inca gold”
Boots: J’s “Western Boots”
Hair: Truth “Paige” silver
Skin: Mynerva “Summer Nights”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent.eyelashes – pure”
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene

MAGICALLY DELICIOUS

It's true that fae do not always blend well into the human world.

We try to pick up on human mannerisms and style of dress, but sometimes we just get it wrong. We might wear suspenders fifty years after they are out of style, or rainboots with a ballgown. But the suspenders will be from an expensive London atelier; the ballgown from a Paris salon; the rainboots, probably filched from a Wisconsin barnyard.

But not these boots honey.

Hat: DPyumyum “Straw Hat 02”
Glasses: Reek “Junior Shades” (with texture change HUD)
Jacket and Shirt: Hoorenbeek “Jacket 1” and “Short White 1” (from the "Business Suit" outfit)
Undershirt: Nicky Ree “Lady Darcy Shirt Top”
Cane: Deco “Duckhead Cane” (Fifty Linden Friday)
Belt: fri.day “Wide Waist.Belt”
Shorts: Ducknipple “Hobbs”
Socks: League “Gartered Socks” (includes over-knee socks not shown)
Boots: Hoorenbeek “Alberta”
Ears: Mynerva “Plain Elf Ears” (includes Frontflop, Straight, Backflop ears, tinting HUD)
Hairpiece: booN “COCO73” (intended for wear under hats)
Skin: LeLutka “Dark Friday” (Fifty Linden Friday)
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: Long Awkward Pose
Location: iTutu Forest Skybox

Love,
Serene

GEORGIE GIRL

Well the hair makes me think of Boy George.

(Indulge me while I think about the eighties. Not exactly Pat Benatar or Heart, not exactly John Cougar Mellencamp before he quietly abandoned his Cougar, more of a flashy Boy George or Stray-Cat-Strut kinda eighties. Fun!)

Admiring my Pony Earrings?

This guitar includes a HUD that lets you control several strums and stances to let you get your Rock on. This version was a gift in the Hunting9 hunt, but Kumaki is rapidly turning into a rockers' dream with guitars and gorgeous drum kits.

Guitar: Kumaki Glasses Style “K_gs MTG/hunting9 version” (guitar/animations/HUD)
Tattoo Sleeves: KatatOnik “(light) Sakura Storm Tattoo Sleeve 2”
Jacket: Touche “Ski Bunny Parka”
Shirt: Tyranny Designs “Find Me in the Rain”
Leggings: Ducknipple “Foul Purple” (on underwear layer)
Socks: Zenith “Star Socks” (gift)
Shoes: Creativ Design “Free Graffiti Sneakers” (free on XStreet)
Earrings: Mauve’s “MB’s Punk Pony Earrings” (DSN sample)
Hair: Posh “Zombielicious” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Hair Braids: Exile “Laya Braid Attachment/ violetdawn”
Skin: Garage “Cyber Punk skin ton-3 mk-2”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Photo Studio: N30

Love,
Serene

E.L.F. RECRUITER

You might think she is a wannabe except for her ears. Rough notches look like they have been taken out of each ear, with a tool that wasn't very sharp. They're still healing.

Still, no weapons. At least not that you can see. Unless you count lace as a weapon.

She strolls the street talking to herself a little.

"They call me a radical, an anarchist, a whack job. The E.L.F.s cannot accept this way of living. ... Can you believe it? Here is all that is left of my woods!!"

(About the Hair! I cannot recommend enough that you go try on a demo of this hairpiece. Two of my hair wishes found a solution in this one hairpiece. ...

First, I wanted hair that is wearable under hats. This hair does not cover the top of your head but it's not intended to be worn without a hat. In the past I have enlarged hats to fit over various hairdos, but that never really looks right. I have also worn short men's hair under hats but wished for something more feminine. This style is actually much cuter in three dimensions than I could easily show in a snapshot.

Second, I wanted hair that is designed around my pointed fae-elf ears. Typically hair is designed to lay flat over human ears. This hair parts around each ear, with most of the hair behind and a couple of bits of hair curving appropriately around the front of each ear. Often I have to do lots of editing to fit hair so that it does not poke through my ears. Again, you really will see what I mean better if you go try on a demo. I also like having some hair in front of each ear to cover the juncture between the ear and the face, which never blends perfectly no matter how good a job you do matching the color.)

Hat: End “corduroy castro hat”
Neckscarf: Tonktastic“Shemagh Scarf 2”
Shirt: The Plastik “Tomboy Tee Reverb”
Belt: WinkL “Belt Chain”
Shorts: Ducknipple “Shorts.jeans blue dirteh”
Undies: Angel Dessous “Provocateur”
Boots: Miel “Hai Boots”
Ears: Scribble “Pointy Ears Notched”
Hairpiece: booN “COC073”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent.eyelashes – pure”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Skin: PXL Creations “Luthien Blue”
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose
Location: Primitive City

Love,
Serene

A SPRING MORNING WALK

It's still pretty nippy even if it's supposed to be spring. Better wear a scarf and thick socks.

Always remember, no matter how hard the climb, it's worth it if you get to the top. Great view! (I mean the sea, but yes my butt looks nice in these shorts too.)

But if it's gonna be a hard climb, wear some tough shoes.

(Wearing this belt again to show you another color option.)

On a whim, I decided to go back to my roots a little and show you some sweet ears I bought recently. I have several sets I love already, but I fell in love with these 'cause they came with the earrings built in. The gems look like little berries, but up close they are faceted and the metal settings are more interesting than simple rings. And I love this hair but prefer it with a hairbase skin to soften the edges around my face.

Scarf: Mr. Poet “Wide Scarf” (gift, texture change)
Sweater: Ibizarre Cardigan (unavailable)
Shorts: Ducknipple “Hobbs”
Belt: Blitzed “Plugged Belt” (texture change with HUD)
Boots: Hoorenbeek “Military Boots – Loose”
Socks: Acid and Mala “Urban Tube Socks” (gacha)
Ears/Earrings: Plastik “Animalistic Elven Ears Frozen”
Hair: booN “TOM245”
Skin: Your Skin & Your Shape “Stella Cute Skin” (the Dressing Room, unavailable)
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent.eyelashes – pure”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: Animazoo and Long Awkward Pose
Location: Empress and Hierophant

Love,
Serene

p.s. Yes I was playing with Torley's Windlight settings.

ANOTHER YOUNG BLONDE ZOMBIE

He was just a little apprehensive about meeting me in the cemetery, but that was easily overcome by testosterone.

He was surprisingly slow on the uptake. But most humans don't believe in things like me.

!

Vest: Young Urban “Test Match Vest” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Pants: Boingo “Mens Gladiator Leggings” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Boots: Ducknipple “Smug Black” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Belt: Berries “Belt Airtime Black” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Bracelets: Blitzed “Spiked Bracelets” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Hair: Exile “Sadie Blonde Frost” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Skin: Plastik “Zombie Femme Stage Two” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Eyes: Plastik “Brains Collection Gasoline” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent Eyelashes Pure” (okay I need to adjust them better)
Poses: Poses for Posers (Zombie Popcorn Hunt gift)
Location: Wretched Hollow Cemetery

I don’t go on very many hunts these days, but what intrigued me about the Zombie Popcorn Hunt was the over the top grossness of its name. Try not to get a mental picture. Let’s just move on ... What impressed me about this hunt was more than the usual number of skins. I showed the Plastik skin, but there were several other nice ones, notably another very nice zombie-themed skin by Mabee, and a scarlet-lipped human skin from Glam Affair. The Plastik package also includes a male zombie skin so the Guys don't have to feel left out. The hunt has a hint page if you are having a hard time finding some of the more difficult ones.

Love,
Serene

SNOWY

I went for another tramp through Spellbound Woods today and as it started to get dark I headed to the top of the next hill to watch the sun set. I pushed through a patch of tangled branches to get to the top and stopped to catch my breath. It's colder than I thought. Maybe I should have worn a coat.

But it's so beautiful, maybe I'll just sit here a while.

Scarf: anuenue “mufbon(B-turquoise)” (gacha)
Sweater: Ducknipple “Zonar Blue Hoodie”
Pants: Royal Blue “Zip Up Leggins 2” (50L Friday)
Boots: Kookie “Pomski Boots” (includes three colors of fur trim)
Hair/Hat: Argrace “Knit Beret Loose Up”
Skin: Curio “:GP: Acorn [Dark] Lovely-High Tea 1”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Location: Spellbound Woods

Love,
Serene

THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT 4/4: best laid plans

Well you know what they say about the best laid plans. I had Halloween laid out: On Friday October 30, finish up the halloween decorating, carve pumpkin with my daughter, last touches to costumes. In the evening, I would attend the Illusions Ball in costume, then swing by the Loco Pocos Trick or Treating and a couple of haunted houses after she went to sleep. I saved them for the end of the month because for me, it's more fun that way. On Halloween it would be all RL cause, well, I do have a Life.

Here's what really happened: on Thursday my Dad dropped by in the afternoon, and we had fun with my daughter a while. This put a pinch in my shopping plans, but I figured I could make it up later. Walmart is open 24 hours. He stayed till about 7:30 and got up to go home before dark. He doesn't see very well in the dark for driving. A minute later he came back with a bloody hanky at his face. He's been having bad nosebleeds that won't stop, and had a couple visits to the Emergency Room already that week. It was getting dark and I figured he shouldn't drive with one hand pinching his nose with the other, so I took him to the hospital. Carrying sleeping toddler, bag of baby essentials, coats etc., we wait there for forty-five minutes to see the doctor. By then the gushing blood miraculously stopped, so I took him home. The next day he had early surgery, and I picked him up afterward because he couldn't drive home after the anesthesia. Took him back to my house to keep an eye on him for a couple of hours but he looked OK, so I ran around trying to do Halloween decorations. Forget about carving a jack-o-lantern or pumpkin pies. I made Dad and daughter lunch instead. Run through the day and evening like a madwoman, no time for the Illusions Ball.

On Halloween Sara and I had so much fun getting ready and in the afternoon she went trick-or-treating with her Daddy while I stayed home to terrorize all the kids in the neighborhood in my witch costume. Finally late at night, after they came home she slipped into a sugar coma, and my husband was vegetating in front of the television. I turned on the computer and tried to salvage a few of my Second Life plans. I had two hours, so I ran over to Loco Pocos and Bloodmoon Manor.

Well, I had planned to wear the Loco Pocos Skeleton Avatar and the Orange KatatOnik Dollie Dress. It was late and I was the only one there.

I really did like this haunted house. This one was, well, the grossest. The Art Maze Haunted House was great fun too: it had puzzles and pieces you had to find, and some very nice treat bags all over the house to find too. I intended to show you some of their prizes too but, you know what they say about plans ... :)

This was the one place in the house that made me jump. There were all kinds of gross abbatoir sights, bloodspatter etc. that doesn't rattle me, but this guy startled me as he suddenly popped out of the wall. Sweet.

Oh, yeah I was wearing (still):
Skin: The Plastik (from their Halloween Gift)
Hair: Calico Ingmann Creations "Luna"
Jacket: DeLa “Short Jacket Bette”
Corset/Shorts: from Cupcakes "Brocade Dress Halloween" (i think 75L?)
Pants: Adam and Eve "Catwalk Leather Pants" (0n underwear layer)
Skirt: Silentsparrow "Gutter Glitter"
Socks: Miel "Lo Refurbished Socks" (100L at the Dock)
Shoes: Ducknipple "Harry"

Love,
Serene

THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT 1/4

People talk about the spirit of giving that shines at Christmas but I think in Second Life its the Halloween Spirit. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of spirit going around in December, but there is just something special in the air the last couple of weeks of October. I have to say to all the marvelous designers THANK YOU !! I love all the spookies and pumpkins and bats and candy and everything black and orange and purple and red ... YUM! I wanted to show you a few ...

Miel Lo Refurbished Socks (100L at the Dock location) .. also there is a group gift dress which matches pretty well. But I gotta love on these ripped up patched up socks.

Ducknipple "Harry" Sneakers (Pumpkin Print Hunt prize) *nommy*

Love,
Serene

GRAY DAY

Just a quick outfit for a gray day. Now that fall is sweeping in, I am more in the mood for layers in my clothing. Yesterday I bought a sweater too.

If I am going to dress all in one tone of clothing, I love to layer in lots of texture. Houndstooth, worn print and the velvety corduroy keep me interested! The pants include two other cuffs options, a narrow pair of rolled cuffs, and a very wide set of 70's bells.


Shirt: Mr. Poet “Houndstooth Blouse”
Shirt: Ducknipple “Tessa Floral”
Pants: Sassy Kitty Designs “Hippie Velvet Pants Grey”
Shoes: Duh! “Slip-on Clogs”
Hair: Sand Shack Surf Co. “Georgie”
Skin: Curio “:GP: Acorn [Dark] Breeze-Sepia 2”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose

Love,
Serene

IN KOWLOON

Walking in Kowloon, I smile nicely and act respectfully ...

... But I carry a weapon just in case. Today I am armed with the Hunter's Bow from Harbinger and Stormie designs. This store specializes in all kinds of ancient weapons needed in many roleplaying sims but does not manufacture guns or other modern weaponry. I love that their weapons include a HUD (heads up display) that lets me control my weapon features without constantly referring to notecards for chatline commands. Their bows and crossbows use several types of arrows for roleplay in addition to traditional weaponry, including signal arrows, flaming arrows, rope arrows and (my personal favorite) dung arrows. *low dirty laugh*

I'm still wearing my AM Radio aviator glasses that he gifted us at his hangar on the Refuge and Expansion sims. The sims are gone now so they aren't available anymore. You can also just see the IndustrialRevolution earrings made of great steampunky cogs.

Sweater: Cupcakes “Cropped Cardi”
Shirt: Whippet & Buck :Hykova Buttoned Tank” (tinted)
Skirt: Kurotsubaki “boro_skirt”
Boots: Studio M’z “M’z Lace up Boots B.H.black”
Socks: Ducknipple “socks – 01”
Glasses: AM Radio “Aviator Goggles Brown”
Earrings: Bliensen+Maitai “IndustrialRevolution”
Bracelet: Raven’s Nest “Feather_Bangle(raven)”
Weaponry: Harbinger & Stormie Designs “Hunter’s Bow”
Skin: IC Skins RIO Gia Neutral Lizard”
Hair: Kosh “Fanny From the Tree”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: [LAP] and Reel Expression
Location: Kowloon Sim

Love,
Serene