IN THE WILD

Fierce. Confident. Proud. And maybe dangerous, like this Medusa Mask by Aliza Karu.

I wouldn't want this place to be just like real life. What would be the point of that? I love the quirky, bizarre, unconventional opportunities.

Mask: AD Creations "Medusa" (Mix and Mesh Fair Gift)
Jacket: Bliss "McCullough Fur"
Pants: Abyss "Chaos Leather Pants" (cuffs not shown)
Shoes: Pixel Mode "Luna Leopard"
Hairbase: Aitui "Standard Hairbase 005"
Skin: Illusory "Paige Cocoa"
Makeup: La Malvada Mujer "Bi#3" (at Epoch Legend)
Eyes: Repulse "Rotten"
Lashes: Miamai "Catwalk Lashes Burst" (group gift)
Teeth: PXL "Mouth_open_Addon" (prim teeth)
Poses: by ImpEle and Long Awkward Pose

Love,
Serene

HUNTING SEASON

I stopped running about to take a little walk.

This spot has the sweetest little path with a covered bridge. It was calling my name.

I turned off my computer yesterday and went looking for colored leaves. These are brighter orange, but I saw the real leaves with dog and daughter.

Most of this outfit I picked up at Collabor88. I think I bought half the store before I noticed the little candy hunt that was going on. Find twelve candies that contain six colors of culottes and six bustiers too. Did I ever say I love long culottes with boots? This plum-colored pant is just my thing.

Jacket: The Sea Hole “Corseted Tweed Jacket” (Collabor88)
Bodysuit: The Secret Store “Cable Knit Bodysuit”
Culottes: The Sea Hole “Odette Culottes – Plum” (Collabor88 Candy Hunt)
Boots: Miel “Puddle Boots”
Jewelry: Gems and Kisses “Yummy Candy”
Hair: Exile “Maylee”
Skin: Curio “Fall TD Exclusive” (this makeup no longer available)
Eyes: Fashism “Sunrise”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent. eyelashes – pure”
Poses: by Dare, Diesel Works, and ImpEle
Location: Atomic Island

Love,
Serene

TRUE COLORS

I wanted to do another post inspired by the 1980s. Perhaps I should apologize in advance?

... nah, it could be worse. The hair is bleached blonde with colored streaks a la Cyndi Lauper, and pretty big on top, but not too big. Yes the jewel-toned collar is turned up, and the shoulder padding is quite large. My earrings dangle and my bangles jangle. Large brightly colored lips in honor of Kelly LeBrock. (If you never heard of her, she was the one with the pillowy lips when Angelina Jolie and Liv Tyler were in diapers.)

But I could be wearing an izod polo, a plaid shirt with gold threads in it, or an aerobics outfit with a headband, belt, stirrup leggings and striped knit legwarmers, a la Jane Fonda. I could have a giant spiral perm. Or ... hammerpants *shiver*

Even the deities of fashion know better than to recycle old fashion fads without alteration. They are modified and toned down to make them more palatable. Still, I cringed the other day when I saw the cork and hemp wedge heels at the shoe store. I can tolerate a lot of things in Second Life that I can't stand in real life.

Jacket: The Secret Store “Mrs. Jones’ Jacket”
Leggings: Leaks “Zombie Got Me” (unavailable I think)
Earring: Je Suis “Africain Earhoops” (Texture Change)(Accessories Fair)
Bracelets: Erratic “Twisted Bracelets” (Texture Change)(Accessories Fair)
Shoes: Purrfect 10 “Serenity Lazy Sunday Rose”
Hair: Exile “Voodoo” (Texture Change Streaks)(Chic Birthday Event)
Skin: Glam Affair “Layla” (Zombie Popcorn Hunt Prize)
Lipstick: Glam Affair “Layla Lipstick – risque” (a zillion colors available L$50 each)
Eyeshadow: Natural Beauty “Makeup Set 14 – makeup 5”
Eyelashes: by Exodi
Eyes: Fashism “Sunrise”
Nail Polish: Tres Blah “Nail Color (Eggplant)” (from multipack)
Poses: Dismorph and ImpEle

Love,
Serene

LA ROSE

The right dress.

Floral and satin, rich colors and textures. An outrageous hat and gloves.

This lovely dark version of the “A Mon Insu” Gown is one of LeeZu Baxter's exclusive benefit items at the Fashion for Life event, which will raise funds for cancer research beginning tomorrow, on 12 March. Of course this black is my favorite ... thank you Ms. Baxter!

Please visit the official Fashion For Life website for more information about this worthy cause!

Gown: LeeZu “A Mon Insu” (Fashion For Life Benefit Gown)
Skin: Curio “:GP: Bean [Light] Pout-Whine 2”
Hair: booN “QPT129”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Eyelashes: Exodi “Eyelashes”
Alpha: Imabee “System eyelashes – begone!”
Poses: by Dare, Diesel Works, and ImpEle
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene

FASHION NO-NOs: a Blogger Challenge

Fashion No-No: HORIZONTAL STRIPES! What was I thinking? Can I really pull it off? Will fashion bloggers everywhere do a spit take and get me permabanned for all their ruined laptops?

I double dog dare you all to choose what you consider the most binding fashion rules ... and break them all, but make it look steaming hot! I chose horizontal stripes, but you might combine plaid and paisley, wear bling, or patent leather shoes made of non-sculpted prims. Go crazy!

I figured cute girls can get away with anything, but some color at the eyes and beautiful jewelry should pull your eyes away from stripes, stripes, stripes.

Fashion Rules were made to be broken.

Necklace: Mandala “Shaka” (versions with and without shadows)
Earrings: Zaara “Tarika Claw Earrings”
Ring: Yabusaka “10 Ring (Sai)”
Bodice: Just Me “Hailey Top Black Stripes” (sculpted)
Shirt: Tyranny Designs “Find Me In The Rain” (unavailable)
Leggings: Pink Outfitters “The Bandage Pant”
Shoes: A-Bomb “Gidge Shoes Zebra”
Hair: Bishwear “Sweeny” (Hair Fair)
Hairbase: Tiny Bird “Blacks”
Skin: Curio “:GP: Petal [Light] Lovely-Firehouse 2”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: ImpEle
Photostudio: N30

Love,
Serene

p.s. Please put links to your Fashion No-No's in comments, or put a link in the Fashion Bloggers Group Flickr, so I can list them here! :P

1. Keira Seerose "Dear Serene"

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

Well, in shoe heaven. After resisting for months, I finally gave in at Shoe Fair and bought these yummy shoes. I had to have them. They were the perfect soul mate for this jacket. I don't care if you have seen this jacket on my blog before. :) It's my favorite! I moaned a little when I tried on these heels, partly from pleasure, partly hoping it wouldn't be too difficult to adjust the color of the sculpted toes to match my skin. But what was I worried about? Even with this gray tint, easy peasy lemon squeezy.

And this skin ... This lovely skin is part of a multipack available now in the Platinum Hunt for a mere L$10. The other skins have a few combinations of different eye and lip color. The package also includes matching ears. If you love fantasy, this is a Must Have. An ee-vill dark elf never looked so adorable.

Finally, the Necklace (and matching earrings) are available at AI's Le.Look location. Putting it on I was amazed by the details; the strands are held together by two beads shaped like tiny hands.

Jacket: Aoharu “BT Short Riders Jacket”
Shoes: Gos “Dare Bootie” (With HUD to tint skin and retexture shoe parts and nails)
Necklace: Alchemy Immortalis “Amaranthus Diminue Victoriana Clutch Pendant”
Bodysuit: mijn.t “Pepe is my Cat”
Jeans: fri.day “Low.Rise Jeans (includes three sets of leg attachments)
Hair: Tiny Bird “Girl Anachronism”
Skin: Mynerva “Platinum Red Lips” (part of Platinum Hunt Gift)
Ears: Mynerva “Platinum Drow Ears” (part of Platinum Hunt Gift)
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent.eyelashes – pure”
Poses: by ImpEle, Long Awkward Pose
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene

p.s. Can you believe someone is reading my stuff? A Fabbie? *faints*

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Nature is so beautiful that we usually forget her power.

She can turn on you anytime.

She is safe. You are the one who might need to run.

Avatar: Violent Seduction “Nymph” (includes skin, ears and hooves)
Dress: The Plastik “Hale” (modded male shirt from 50L Friday Set)
Armwarmers: The Plastik “Leo Warmers” (from 50L Friday Set)
Hair: Wasabi Pills “Earleen”
Eyes: The Plastik “Frozen Soul Blue”
Poses: by Animazoo, ImpEle and Long Awkward Pose
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene

WITCHIONISTA

Forget what you think you know.

A successful enchantress does not sit at home over a pot of herbs.

She has a image to create. When it is time to commit sorcery, her reputation and charisma have already done most of the work.

Hair: Lamb “Witch”
Mask: Illusions “Goblin Mask” (Halloween Ball exclusive, unavailable)
Ring: Elate! “Square Stone Ring – Jade”
Shoes: Kookie “Nudes”
Jacket/Necklace: Baiastice “Bigbolero & Waspie Necklace” (gift)
Bodysuit: Baiastice “Macrame body suit”
Skirt: LeeZu “Nell Skirt” and “Monokini” (mixed sculpted attachments)
Pants: silentsparrow “(serene) grimly skirt shorties”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Skin: Curio “:GP: Moonbeam [Light] Elf” (gift)
Poses: ImpEle, Long Awkward Pose, Lost Angel Poses
Photo Studio: N30

Love,
Serene

MASTER OF UNDERDARK

The raving crowd pushes me through the doors of the church but I am relieved and grateful that I might find help ... I should have known better. Staring at the strange idol I begin to feel peculiar. My stomach clenches and I feel cold and sweaty.

I don't know how much time has passed. I don't remember feeling sick but just waking on the rough floor. I still feel ... outside of myself. Someone is whispering?

I accept you ...

you are my slave ...

serve me and live ...

With a mad laugh I salute my new master. The sun is going down.

For the next couple of days the second Black Bacchanal is visiting at the Hollow Earth sim, hosted by Tekeli-li, and its theme is H.P. Lovecraft and the World of Cthulthu. *shivers* I hope you like the dark. :P Tekeli-li Tantalus has crafted a creepy and beautiful little city hidden beneath the store. Enjoy!

Weaponry: Tekeli-li “Cultist’s Ritual Painblades”, (Bacchanal exclusive, L$31)
Jacket: Blue Blood “Cosa Ocre” (part of Bacchanal exclusive outfit, L$113)
Skirt and Armwarmers: Blue Blood “Call Gold” (part of Bacchanal exclusive gacha, L$13)
Boots: House of Curios “Noir Boots”
Hair: booN “KUM236” (L$80 on sale)
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent.eyelashes – pure”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Skin: YS & YS “Emma Milk”
Poses: by Dorcas Poses, ImpEle and Long Awkward Pose
Location: Hollow Earth Barony

Love,
Serene

CUL DE SAC

Now where did that little thieving booger get to? I would've sworn he ran in this way.

Crap. ... Trap.

*listens*

*listens*

I must be getting paranoid.

Jacket: Blue Galaxy “TechJacket”
Skirt: BjD “Ga-Dou Overskirt”
Undersuit: PixelDolls “Hai! Nakama Plugsuit”
Boots: Coco “Flat Ankle Boots” (gift no longer available)
Hair: Irollic “Hae”
Weapon: Operations “Chimera”
Natural Eye: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Cyber Eye: BjD “Laser Eye” (colorchange with HUD controls)
Skin: JM:Mai “devonz sakuran black”
Poses: Long Awkward Pose, ImpEle and Operations (built into weapon)

Love,
Serene

THE FUTURE IS NOW

Waiting just inside the gates to the flight deck. Duty calls me to fly with her imperial majesty's guard on a diplomatic mission. Her ship is still being fueled.

Yes, I fly light. I wear body armor, and my electronic personal assistant. In the military, everything else I need is provided. Meals and rack included.

The Bare Rose "Orphion" is one of two offerings that they have presented at Rezzable's "2010: The Future is Now" exhibition. This outfit is intended to be the men's version. Often men's armors require radical refitting if you have substantial breasts, but this armor did not need anything more than basic resizing. Be careful making your adjustments: like most Bare Rose outfits it is "No Copy/Transfer", so if you destroy it you will have to buy another.

Outfit: Bare Rose “Ophion” (men's version)
Hair: Red Queen “[rQ]Anger”
Skin: Frick “Geisha Sakura”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: by ImpEle and Snooky’s

Love,
Serene

MY NAME IS BARBARA

"Please don't call me Barbie", she said with discernable acid in her voice. I nodded and smiled at her. The smile was a nervous reaction. Thing is, she gives me the creeps. Always perfectly coiffed, a little too fond of pink. I think she must sleep in lipstick.

Don't laugh! What do you really know about her? She always has a new model of pink sports car, even though she can never hold down a steady job. One year she's a Malibu Surfer, Stewardess, Policewoman, Astronaut, Race Car Driver, Paleontologist, Doctor, Gymnast, Fashion Model, ... on and on and on. Was she fired? Did she quit? Are these jobs just for cover?

Who is she really? A drug dealer? A spy? A mystery shopper? A dishonest debutante with a rich daddy?

Damn. I knew it.

Jacket: Aoharu “BT Leather Riders Vest”
Suit: Pink Outfitters “Socialite Romper”
Weapons: Breach “Sawedoff Supershorties”
Scarf: Ibizarre "Rosa Flower Lace Scarf"
Earrings: GField “Pearl Rose”
Bracelets: Second Wave Apparel “Asian Bangle Rose Quartz”
Boots: Surf Couture “Elsa Boots”
Hair: Truth “Anya” (tinted)
Skin: Frick “Rosy Goth”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose and ImpEle

Love,
Serene

DAWN AFTER BATTLE

The battle was vicious and I broke my sword early in the evening. My blade was useless, I threw it aside and fought with magick. Even as sorceress and commander I barely survived.

All night long we fought for control of these stone walls and finally drove them up into the towers. The last few jumped from the parapets when it became clear that I would show them no mercy. As they fell they cursed me and this place.

After the battle was over and the remains cleared away, I threw open the gate and watched the sun rise from the front steps.

I have looked into the Stone of Vision and seen the farthest ends of this ancient kingdom, all the way to the shores of the sea. I shall rebuild it and enlarge its borders into the barbaric wilderness.

The throne is mine.

Hat: Hat Mechanic “Lilith” (also includes a crest, veils and eyes)
Coat: Angry Monkey “Coat of Wulfric” (also includes bracers)
Boots: Cats of a Feather “Minotaur Classic Casual Hooves”
Gloves and Bracelets: LouLou &Co. “Enigma”
Shirt: RFyre “Providence” (part of outfit)
Pants: Ibizarre “Leather Pants”
Skin: Curio “:GP: Acorn Defeat [Dark] Battle Royale-Shiner 2”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: Animazoo, ImpEle and Long Awkward Pose
Location: Angmar

Love,
Serene

p.s. I met the proprietor of "Cats of a Feather" on a random shopping trip when I noticed him sporting some fabulous cyber legs. He mainly makes cyber-neko things like legs and a few ears and tails, and these minotaur hooves seem to be a new direction. He says that the cyber hooves should be released in a week or two, in various metals. *grins* I love finding a new store. ... When I saw the hooves I thought of my collection of "Hat Mechanic" headgear. The only problem I have with Hat Mechanic stuffs is that it's hard to find other things that are sufficiently over-the-top to wear with them. :P

AUTUMN SO BRIEF

autumn so brief
to winter falls

last leaf descends
year's ending calls


Time passes quickly. Use some of it for Love.

Scarf: Kunstkammer “Comfy Cozy Scarves” Harvest (texture change)
Bodysuit: mijn.t “Pepe is my Cat Bodysuit” Purple (also includes turtleneck)
Skirt: Maitreya “HighSkirt” Chocolate
Socks: C’est la Vie “socks argyle purple”
Shoes: Duh “Women’s Cowboy Boots” Brown
Hair: Deviant Kitties “Callie” Coal (texture change headband)
Skin: Curio “:GP: Acorn [Dark] Breeze-Sepia 2”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: by ImpEle and Animazoo
Location: iTutu “Forest Skybox” and “Fallen Tree Chair”

Love,
Serene

THE BLOOGERS

The Bloogers liked Hyasynth Suits quite a lot.
But this Blooger who’d spent all her money did not.
Not satisfied with Severin and the whole Suit-y season.
Now please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason.

It could be perhaps that her shoes were too tight.
Or it could be her head wasn’t screwed on quite right.
In the whole store she looked, she looked all around
but new gowns were scarce; there was none to be found.

Then she got an idea. An awful idea.
She got a wonderful, awful idea!
“If I can’t find that gown, I’ll make one instead.”
She took suit and scissors, seam ripper and thread.

“I know just what to do!” She laughed in her throat.
“I’ll make a Victorian Frock from this coat.”
And she chuckled and giggled! “What a great Mash-y trick!”
So she cut and she sewed and the Frock was done Quick.

(Click images to see more detail. The first image is my modified mashup; the second shows pieces from the original outfits.)

I love all the detail on the jacket from the Severin Suit, but I wanted more of the look of a period gown. This second picture shows some of the pieces from the two original outfits I mashed together. I used the Jacket, Shirt and Jabot from the Severin Suit (that was the easy part) and then combined the Dolly Skirt and Bustle from the Severina Suite. These are both pelvis attachments so I rezzed them on the ground, linked them, and attached the whole thing to my hips.

That's where the real work started. First, I stretched all the prims in the dolly skirt to slightly above my ankles. The dolly skirt and bustle looked too different to look like parts of the same garment, so on the back half of the dolly skirt I pulled out the lace underskirt prims so they are outside the fabric. I enlarged to bustle quite a lot. Finally I stepped back and tried the skirt with different poses. My legs tended to stick through in some poses so I spent a good hour fiddling with the prims to minimize that and adjusting the area where the skirt prims meet the waist in front.

I sat and tried to think of an original way to write about the new Severin Suit and this moddy mashup was the ee-vill result! Too much fun.

Suit: Silentsparrow “Severin Suit (kohl)” including three jabot shades, two shirts, two jacket lengths, two pants, cuffs with or without lace, jacket tails, different sized attachments for men and women.

Gown: Silentsparrow “Severina Suite (kohl)” including top with or without lace inset, knee length bloomers or shorts, bustle or dolly skirt, optional sleeves, thigh high stockings.

Also:
Shoes: Dilly Dolls “Kadies” (color and texture change)
Skin: Your Skin and Your Shape “Vanessa Tan” (hair base option including chignon)
Hat: Crimson Shadow “Black Latex n Top Hat Set” (unavailable)
Ring: Twisted and Spoiled “Glimmer Diamond Ring”
Poses: ImpEle, Long Awkward Pose and Pffiou!

Love,
Serene

INSPIRED BY LOONY

erm, I mean Luna Lovegood. For those of you who don't read J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, Luna has an enchanted Lion Hat that she wears to cheer on the Griffindor Quidditch team. When I saw this headgear I laughed and had to have it, but I couldn't bring myself to buy it in blonde.

This lovely skin with some bruises and a little bandage near my eye are perfect for the brilliant yet absentminded girl who has occasional accidents whilst brewing potions.

Now Luna is messy and unconventional and doesn't spend much time worrying about whether her clothes really match. Stripes? Florals? Knits? Sneakers? Sure bring 'em on. (I modded this long skirt to knee length to show off the leggings.)

Hair: Nikita Fride “Jungle King”
Scarf: Gypsy Soul “Holiday Wrap”
Skirt and Leggings: L’Abel “Sigrid” (from dress)
Sweater: Fishy Strawberry “Stripey McGee”
Socks: Scribble “Slouchy Socks (Green)”
Shoes: House of Curios “Velcro Sneaks”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Skin: Ssal’z Gururu “Bad Girl”
Poses: by ImpEle
Location: Hogsmeade

Love,
Serene

p.s. Anyone know where I can buy some radish earrings?
p.p.s. What can YOU do with this hair? Jungle Queen? raging Neko? bring it!