A Double Bit of Style by Zoe Demar & Friend, Emmy Benigni

This bit of style is literally jam packed with fashion! I squeezed all the outfits into my typical format so thus you might want to check out the photos in zoomed view to make out all the brands packed into a total of 4 looks!

I just happened to be at Armidi when I was thinking about an item that I had recently seen blogged about and went to check out the feed. It was then that I noticed that Armidi had finally opened their new website shoparmidi.com to the public! And low and behold I go to the slurl Shop Armidi location and happen to run into one of my good friends, Emmy Benigni, at the same time. Long story short, we both ended up buying a few items from the site.

Its quite impressive the amount of work that can go into a project like a shopping website and I will say that Armidi definitely lives up to the quality that I have known them for. I think some RL companies could learn a thing or two from their site! I am sure that most shoppers like myself are happy to see some new items hit the virtual world and thus I wanted to do a quick mix-up using the items that Emmy and I purchased. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Thank you Emmy for continuing to be a great friend to talk to and shop with! If you ever meet her, make sure to say hi she is really sweet and funny to boot!

MARCO - POLO

The inspiration of course has to be the newly released Armidi Polo Dresses

GOWNARMIDI

Just because the gown is the focus doesn't mean that you shouldn't accessorise!

*Edit-in* Please note that the Armidi items will not be purchasable on their sim as they want shoppers to register on their new website (linked previously). They do an excellent job of marketing! The items are only available via online at the moment. Please be responsible and read through their terms & conditions and privacy policy before registering.

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar

Ever tried to go with a very limited selection of clothing or shoes for a year or two? I have and I will tell you that its like a major present to finally be with all my belongings again - even if they are old!

I am back from having moved the majority of my belongings from the States into Canada after going through the permanent residency immigration program into Canada. And marriage is supposed to be the quicker way! Do be kind to immigrants, it isn't easy going through the government processes to be where they are now! No wonder so many people do it the illegal way! However, I do believe that everyone should follow laws and act accordingly. If any reader is or knows of someone going through immigration my advice is follow-up, follow-up, and ask a LOT of questions!

Alright enough about me and my real-life baggage, this message has been brought to you by FASHION!


Close-up of Ciel Skin by The Obscene and Essence Eyes by Canimal

Time to hit it back to the basics of a nice transition from fall to winter.

The Inspiration:

The outfit was mainly inspired by the sweater/scarf top by Argrace found at their new sim location. If you haven't visited recently there is a ton of new clothing and hair to chose from as well as some great picture opportunities around the sim. I love the scarf color selections paired up with the different colored sweaters and had a very hard time choosing but decided to go for the white.

The other item of influence has to be the Babyhoney hair by Truth. I love the messy look of the pigtails under the texture/color change hat! Though not his newest release (he released some new stuff today) it still is rather new. I do find that I am seeing Truth hair worn on many peeps lately. I keep spotting hair that I didn't think I had seen! Make sure to check out the ponytail hair section rather than just the up-do area as you will probably find styles that could hit both categories there. Also, if there are any male readers of my blog, I would recommend Truth as a place to get some quality men's hair as well as clothing.

The Rest:

I love these jeans from Decoy! The pockets on the butt are in perfect placement! I own all of the four colors of the 88 style jeans and wear them frequently when not sporting my personal juju faves from Tres Blah. The jeans also feature two prim options or a non-prim system flare version. (prim option worn in picture)

ETD does more than hair! Elika released these trainers awhile back in a wide assortment of colors. Though I picked only brown, I have debated going back for more. They are definitely feminine which is a nice change from the typical sneaks available.

Paper Couture has released their 2008 Fall Collection of goodies available at the Tableau Sim. If you look in my past blogs you will see what a huge fan of all their items especially the jewelry. I like it for its quirky type of style and simple elegance all wrapped into high fashion fun. The Everbloom Ring was the perfect size to add a bit of glam punch or at least a nice mark if you ever happen to get into some fashion drama.

The Obscene is something more new to me on the skin scene. I did like a variety of the make-ups but ended up choosing this one for the pale lip and another which I hope to blog about another time. I do wish that the freckle was an option, but understand if they're going for a trade/beauty mark in the skin scene.

Though I don't have too much say about the eyes as much as I do about the other items found at Canimal. I do like how she uses diversity in the shading to get the overall brown to form a realistic overall appearance. The eyes come free with every skin purchase and I do believe for sale separately as well.

Finally, sometimes a girl needs an extra bit of color on her nails, thus I wanted to pull in a bit more tone by using a flesh shade that I have had for awhile from Adam & Eve.

Thanks for reading and ENJOY STYLING!

Little bit of Style by Zoe Demar

Going out of town for a few days but thought I'd keep it warm and BRIGHT!

Inspiration - Paper Couture's Buckle Boots!

Enjoy!

Blacklace Fall Contest 2008 Results

Blacklace Fall Contest 2008 Results, originally uploaded by Zoe Demar.

Thank you to everyone that participated and congratulations to the winners!

Quick Reminder -- EB Benefit Concert Today!

Quick reminder to bring awareness to everyone about children and those suffering from EB aka Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Today (Saturday the 25th) starting at 4pm SLT all the way until Midnight. For more details about EB and the event check out this blog post.

EB Awareness Week Benefit Concert Slurl

Thank you!

Blacklace Model & Photography Contest Opportunity

This is a great opportunity for those looking to be a Model and/or Photographer!

Blacklace Lingerie is looking for a new face to join the group of models regularly used in their advertising and promotional photos. This contest will reward both the model and the photographer but it doesn’t last long! All photos must be submitted by noon SLT on October 31st and the winners will be announced at the Masquerade Ball at Midnight Jazz on November 2nd.

See the Alphamale & Blacklace Blog for all of the details and submit photos to the Blacklace Flickr Group.

Best of luck to all participants!

2nd Annual EB Awareness Week Benefit Concert

An extremely dear friend of mine, Caeleigh Lamington, started a benefit for a disease that isn't as well known as cancer or heart disease but does effect children and adults throughout the world. I do hope that those reading this blog will take what I post here to heart if not to stop by and donate but to learn about this disease.

It is called Epidermolysis Bullosa or EB. Children that are sufferening from EB are often referred to as the Butterfly Children. Please read the following note from another dear friend of mine, Persephone Milk.



EB Awareness Week Benefit Concert Slurl

Hello my dear friend :)

It's that time of year again. The last week of October is National Epidermolysis Bullosa Awareness week. To help children suffering from EB, my dear friend Caeleigh Lamington and I are having an event to raise awareness. Our goal is to have some fun, share a little bit about EB, and give you some ways to learn more or make a donation.

We have a very special evening of music planned for you. Five wonderful live performers are donating their time to this cause, and Trinity and Nala will bring their weekly show to my island. In all we have eight hours of music and fun planned for you:

2nd Annual EB Awareness Week Benefit Concert
Saturday, October 25th

04:00-05:00 PM SLT - Frogg Marlowe and Jaycatt Nico
05:00-06:00 PM SLT - Lyndon Heart
06:00-07:00 PM SLT - Tone Uriza
07:00-08:00 PM SLT - Kyle Beltran
08:00-12:00 PM SLT - The Trinala Show

100% of the proceeds from all sales made at Musical Alchemy and Persenickety during the events will be paid directly to two EB charities (see below). So if you have waited to buy a grand piano until now, this event is a wonderful time to make a purchase and help some hurting kids and their families.

I hope you can join us!

Yours truly,
Persephone Milk

===================

About Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)

If you are like I was last year about this time, you don't know anything about Epidermolysis Bullosa. You have never heard about it, and you certainly can't pronounce it. When you hear that EB is a genetic skin disorder, that causes severe blistering in babies and small children, that these blisters - inside and outside of their body - will eventually lead to a painful and heartbreaking death - well, your your first thought may be to close your eyes.

This is perfectly natural. I closed my eyes too.

I know how painful this disease is, because a very dear friend of mine has it. Oh she is quick to remind me that she does not have the most severe form. But this says more about her heart for the small children she knows suffer a little more than she does, than it does about her own condition. She has seen first-hand, the incredible suffering of these children, and at the same time, seen the hope in their eyes that a cure is only around the corner - if only they can save the energy and heart to survive long enough.

What is EB? Well, as you know, your skin is composed of layers. In a healthy person, the dermis, and the epidermis have strong anchors that hold them together so your skin acts as a single organ to protect you. In a person with EB, those anchors are missing. So the layers of the skin are free to slide and move against one another. This motion causes very severe blistering.

These blisters are not like the blisters you and I get. A child with severe EB can have blisters covering as much as 75% of their entire body - the pain is as excruciating as second and third degree burns and these blisters do not heal. A child with EB cannot play like other children. Some cannot eat solid foods. Parents of children with EB spent hours each morning changing their bandages in a desperate attempt to comfort and preserve their children.

You can learn more about EB at these sites: EB Kids and The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America (DebRA)

If you only have a moment, you may want to watch this video. In just a few minutes you will learn a lot about EB:

EB Kids Video

Thank you for reading this far into the notecard. :)

Persephone
EB Relay Official Website

==================================================

All money from donations and sales collected during this event will go to the following two 501(c)3 charities, dedicated to supporting those with EB:

EB Medical Research Foundation (EBMRF):
Established in 1991. Donations are dedicated solely to medical research into the causes, treatments and cure for EB

The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America (DebRA):
DebRA of America, founded in 1979. Donations are used to provide information and support to people with EB and their families, and toward medical research for new treatments and a cure

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading! I hope that everyone will learn about this disease and if possible donate to the cause. I would also like to thank my friend Caeleigh for getting this benefit started and for Persephone for doing so much to help.
I am merely a messenger - Zoe

Mind the Face Light

Minding my own business and starting off the day with a casual shopping trip I demo some new product when all of a sudden I'm so blurred out by white that I can't even see myself anymore. I think, alright I'll just take a few steps to my left, no problem. Then its back! The fuzzy blur of what used to be me looking at a demo. I decided to find out what the culprut was and turn on my transparency view (ctrl+T). And then I spot it. A face light that isn't just a tiny little prim, but huge and there are multiples of them. Has this ever happened to you while shopping or out on the town? Or do you find yourself the one that is actually blurring out your friend's pink sweaterdress?



The solution: awesome free or close to free face lights! Note that if somebody wears a face light and it tends to light up the floor, it is most likely too bright. One face light should be enough or maybe two that are not at the max intensity or radius.

Here are two places one can visit to find a great facelight:

Caliah has a FREE notecard that you can buy for 0L!! It shares tips on a good windlight setting and includes 2 face light options thatyou can see in the following picture I created.


Click HERE for a slurl to the spot!

The facelight that I have worn since I got it is by Usagi. It is near free for 1L. One can see how tiny the prim is in the following picture.



It's one of those cases where size does not matter as the radius and intensity of the light is what makes all the difference. It also has a cool script feature to show and hide the prim. I also created copies of it to attach to different parts of my face when I wear objects that attach to the mouth where the Usagi face light typically attaches when first worn. Click HERE to visit Usagi.

I hope this is helpful to those shopping or taking photographs!

Always remember - it's also OKAY not to wear a facelight!

Late Edit-in: There was a post on the fashion feed just yesterday about another FREE face light by Amacci - read that HERE

Halloween Costumes for all!

It is that time of year where a lot of people will have costume parties to celebrate Halloween! I had to take some pictures of myself in a few!



Star Wars stuff ranks big with me, so I had to include Yoda and my version of a Twi'lek along with plenty of pirates! I searched EVERYWHERE for the pirate outfit by Rebel Hope when I first around. At the time I didn't know who Rebel Hope was! I had seen a picture of it and finally found it at a tiny store vendor on some pirate sim. People are soo lucky to have such a variety of stuff to choose from! When TCKZ productions released their full pirate avatar I was thrilled! If anyone has looked through my flickr they would see famous Uncle Marty in a few. I absolutely adore the whole Wigglesworth creations over at Tableau.

I put together the following list of places that I have personally had a lot of luck finding great costumes over the years. These are just a few that I chose offhand.

If you would like to be added to the list, shoot an email to zoe.demar AT gmail.com with the subject line: Halloween Costumes. I will update the list weekly until the 31st hits!

Barerose
Celestial Studios
Furious
Nomine
Rebel Hope
SiniStyle
Tableau
Temenos
Titaria's Court

Happy Hauntings!!

----late addition---
My friend Foxy thought this post needed a little ewok too...

...which can be found at Soap

Doubled Bit of Style by Zoe Demar

Being a huge fan of Shai as I am I have been a long time fan of her system skirt outfits. I decided that I wanted to mix two looks using two of her outfits with different hair, skin, and accessories. I’m calling this appropriately, “double trouble.”


One of my all time favorites by Shai is the Zebra Fever tube dress and the other is a brand new release of hers called the Siobhan dress in red.



Now for the stuff some might read...

(I'm a visual person myself but like to add a nice summary for those that aren't. TIP: I don't always post slurls and recommend doing a search for the names under places - and if you have a problem feel free to shoot me an IM and I'll be more than happy to provide LMs or give you a slurl)

Upon going to the jewelry expo (which I suggest visiting at least once) I enjoyed finding new designers that I haven’t visited before. One of these was Kraftica. I absolutely adored every single piece that they had at the fair and didn’t dare go to their main store location for protection of my linden count. I ended up using some of their pieces in both of my looks. On the zebra side I used a matching styled zebra bracelet called No 301 and paired it up with a gold and black beaded necklace called No 129.

When it comes to shoes I couldn’t pass up using my favorite shoes thus far by Maitreya called Virtue in patent black. I picked them up at the shoe fair and have been wearing them ever since. I can’t get over how well made the shoes are with the perfect shine. I think it really suited the wild side of the zebra print. On the flip side I love hitting the classic feel that the Siobhan dress brings to the table and had to pair it up with my retro sweet shoes from Shiny Things. Both of these shoe makers have my top notch when it comes to quality and they always bring something new to SL.

When it came to adding the icing to the cake it was an easy choice. I visited JE*Republic for the first time yesterday and couldn’t help picking up their hair Tarae in smoky along with the huge hair pin called Myth. I absolutely love things that stand out and this style along with the hair pin definitely comes to mind. There is also another hair pin option that I didn’t picture here but hope that my readers will check it out for themselves. The hair is very affordable and has a lot of good variety of styles. On the flip side I wanted to pull of a similar look and have had the Blossom hair by Kin immediately pop into my mind. There is something about the hair that I personally enjoy, maybe it is the flow of the flexi or how the edge of the bangs doesn’t line up perfectly but whatever it is I certainly enjoy it.

The skins that I chose I felt fit each look. A lighter lip for the more classic style is by Redgrave’s newest skin release of Jennifer. I tend to always go back to Redgrave because of what each skin does to my shape; it gives a lot of different looks without having to change my shape at all, which I absolutely enjoy because I am such a huge fan of diversity. On the flip side I used more of a red lip to stick with the edge of the look and I chose La Sylphide’s Liliana skin in almond, smoky shadow. The lips in red really pull off the passion I wanted to create.

Finally when it comes to eyes it is extremely important for my clients to have eyes that make the picture pop. There are a lot of great eyes out there but two of my personal favorites have been Tuli and Glanz. I chose the Luminous Blue by Tuli for the Zebra Fever dress and the Ocean Blue by Glanz for the Sioban. If you look back in my own posts you will see me use these quite often. I prefer eyes with a pupil that is not very large and have a nice amount of shine to them that bring out a spark in the eyes especially if positioned correctly. I really feel like that is one of the keys to making a good photograph not only in Second Life but also in the so called first life.

Alphamale & Blacklace Fashion Show!

Alphamale & Blacklace Fashion Show!, originally uploaded by Zoe Demar.

I have been working hard ALL WEEK to produce images for the fall releases that will be unveiled today (Sun Oct. 5th) at noon SLT. Then KMADD produced a fashion show that will be at 2pm SLT.

Hope you all can come :D

Search for the Alphamale sim to get there!

(Image created by KMADD)

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar

This style is a mix-it-up between two designers - Barerose & Bijou.

Both designers create unique looks to Second Life. I've been visiting Barerose for almost as long as my avatar has been around. I received a random freebie prize from Barerose that I still keep but don't wear all too often. Bijou on the other hand is rather new to me but I find myself keep going back to see what they've done now. Mixing the two designers was a bit of fun for me and I leaned a bit more on the exotic side. I love absorbing diversity and thus why it is hard for me to wear the same thing for too long, aside from my shape.



First thing you might notice compared to my typical blog-post is the lack of shoes! I was going to pair up the look with something but preferred the thought of this look being worn barefoot. I am not a bit shoe wearer myself if it can be avoided.

The inspiration is all about the peacock skirt from the Prayer outfit by Bijou. I saw this originally in a picture done by Lux Yao of Three Fall (can be seen here) for Hathor. I love how it organically sits low and wide on the hips. The full outfit is awesome but I wanted to pull in from another designer to mix up the look a bit and help inspire others to try something new.

As I said before Barerose is definitely the place to go if you're looking for unique. The Over The Rainbow outfit hits a bit close to home as it references a bit of "Oz" which of course has me automatically linked to my original home state of Kansas. I love the simple geometric printed tube top with a lot of character mixed in with the straps that fit the full outfit with wings (not pictured here). I also kept around the other accessories including gloves and lamp.

To finish the look, an older favorite is the Mofumofu hair from Shop Seu. It was one of the first hairs created there and a personal favorite because of the way it flows down over the front of one's torso. Upon visiting a shopper will find a few other must have styles along with skins and clothing. I visited Redgrave last night and picked up this Niaomi2 skin. I personally love how well the realistic skins photograph and how each diversify on my body shape. Last but not least, the pale blue eyes from Madesigns. They completely have me sucked into the deep glistening pool of blue when I see them. I'm not a fan of large pupils and these fit the bill perfectly.

Store Slurls:
Barerose
Shop Seu
Bijou
Redgrave
MADesigns

Other References:
Lux Yao (flickr stream)
Three Fall (flickr stream)
Hathor Model Agency (website)

Getting to know Zoe & A bit of style mix up

First I want to embark that today is the anniversary of 9/11/2001. I was in college at the time and by close association also knew someone that survived the tragedy. A lot of people can say that their lives changed on that day, but I had another incident that same week that personally changed mine. I do hope that anyone out there whose lives were effected in such a way that you are in a better place now than where you were on that day. There have been a lot of tragedies throughout history and instead of focusing on the bad, I try to celebrate the good.

The reason why I am celebrating specifically is that I can now finally work again without having to report to an immigration office. For those that don't know me well, I have been going through an immigration process for over a year. That now is changing and I can't wait to get my life back, so to speak. In celebration of this I will be having to get some new work clothing and thought that I would mix an outfit together that would be work appropriate in Second Life® too. Yes, I am a shop-a-holic like many out there. And btw, I do this blog just for my personal fun!



The influence for this look started with the hair. I stumbled upon Novocaine after a blog report on the Fashion Feed and went out and bought almost every style in at least 1 shade box. The style, Antoinette, is one of her newest releases at her store.

I thought about doing something full out glam but decided that I wanted to tone it down a bit to reflect on what I'm going through in my first life. Thus I took a dress that I adore from Shai called Roison Cocktail Dress in Zebra and detached the skirt and instead paired it up with another fave of mine, Chachet's GoldGlam full outfit, but keeping the shirt out. I love the wide legged pant that covers up the shoes.

And though one could just about wear anything under these, I wanted to glam it up with some WLB Gold & Diamond heels from Jador. The detailed flowers are amazing! With that I had to tie in the designer Jador for a second time with the ultimate bling ring that uses over 200 prims!! Not something to wear to fashion shows in SL!

To tie in the look, I used Redgrave's Rihanna eyes that truly feel like a reflection of first life. Along with this I'm wearing a PXL Linda skin that I absolutely adore the lips on. And last but not least, the lashes I'm wearing are prim ones by Celestial Studios Deviant line.

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar

Looking for the ultimate eye catcher to get the attention of the "just friends" guy or gal? Slip into this ultimate mini-dress by NanoGunk for a steamy change of scenery.



This head turning number comes in 5 hot shades (other colors shown below) and paired with the thigh high boots from The Abyss will surely knock the socks off of any passer-by. I wanted to keep it rather modern yet simple with a newer hairstyle by MMS called Ribbon, shown here in Platinum. Definitely one of my personal must have hairs from their collection of styles.

Keeping the attention where it belongs I paired up the look with a neck clincher of a choker with matching bracelet by Tuli. Wearing skin by Celestial Studios that draws them into the wearer's eyes and bewitching lips. To finish it off Zoe is wearing Tuli's Mesmerize eyes in steel that will heat up any room if stared at long enough!


Colors Shown Left to Right: Silver, Red, Black, & Chrome (colbalt shown above)

SLURLS:
NanoGunk
The Abyss
MMS
Tuli
Celestial Studios

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar

A little bit country with a little of rock’n’roll is the styling behind this look. As much fun as it is to get all dolled up, I don’t think one can beat dressing it down to something more casual. I really wanted to take a look and twist it up a bit from different designs from across the grid.

After taking this shot I decided that I really like this look enough to blog about it. I might blog some looks from some pictures but mainly the outfit has to hit the mood that I am in.
I had previously used these pants in a shot that’s almost a year old now, but I wanted to modernize it a bit with things I have picked up more recently.

The pants are retro pair in maroon from Canimal. I’m pretty sure country isn’t what she had in mind designing these, but I really like how the black belt like material is in the lower portion of the leg instead of just as a belt at the top. The boots from Shiny Things are my old stand by that I tend to pull out often. The texture on them is still amazing, and they aren’t sculptie made as much as one would think! I tried to mimic the texture on the hat which I modded the heck out of. It’s originally a hair design with sculptie hat from Celestial Studios called Cowgirl.

To top the outfit off, I mixed in some more Celestial Studios with the tank in brick color. I have multiple colors of this top as it has all the layers you need, is quality created, and just goes with anything. The jacket is definitely something that sticks out when it comes to detail. It’s from the Inferno outfit by BareRose. I’m always impressed with the individual items as well as the overall outfits. And the best thing is, they aren’t over priced for the quality and color choices a buyer receives.

The curly ponytail hair named Chelsea is by Aden shown here in the color brown. I’m always floored by Aden. If one reads my blog they would definitely see a lot of Aden styles popping up because of uniquely styled and textured they are. I typically do have to adjust to fit my head a bit but with mod permissions I have not had many problems. The skin is Samantha by Soda; I like how natural looking it is which is what I was going for here. Overall I felt like this look could be used in a number of ways depending upon how you accessorize it. The boots and hat definitely give it the country feel but by only adding the wrap bracelets by ETD, it really gives it more of that rock’n’roll edge.


Thanks for reading :)

Alphamale & Blacklace Sim Grand Opening & Impressione's Natural Beauty Competition Fashion Show

Three major events are going on today - Saturday August 9th.

ALPHAMALE & BLACKLACE:

(Image by Zoe Demar)

Alphamale & Blacklace are hosting their grand opening of their new sim at noon today SLT!
Click for slurl to the new Alphamale Sim

THE MIDNIGHT JAZZ CLUB:

(image by Zoe Demar)

The Midnight Jazz club, located at the Alphamale Sim, is a romantic style venue that will provide live entertainment on a weekly basis. It opens today at 3pm SLT.
Click for slurl to The Midnight Jazz Club on the new Alphamale Sim

IMPRESSIONE'S NATURAL BEAUTY:

(Image by Miabella Foxley)

Also for those interested in a bit of beauty battles, Impressione is showcasing their first show of their Natural Beauty Competition. Show Starts at Noon SLT.
Click Here for a slurl to the Natural Beauty Fashion Show

Hope to see you at anyone of these events today!

Duck Diving with Argrace

Creativity goes a long way when it comes to the fashion purchases that I make, Argrace is definitely no exception to the rule. Upon going to the store to see the new releases I immediately fell head over heels in love with the new hats with hair along with the new shirts. After inviting over a few friends I knew that I had to blog all about it.



I decided that I wanted to show the two new styles for the ladies and thus decided to ask my good friend, Emmy Benigni, over for a shoot at my studio and to put together her own look with the hair.



We both wore our hats with hair from Argrace as the base and went from there. The hats are scripted by touch to size and to select from a variety of colors and textures from a Second Life pop-up menu. I am wearing my hat style in red and hers in pink. All that shoppers have to do is choose the style and color of the hair. There are other varieties of hats and hair to check out if you have never been. I think I probably own at least one hair shade in each style.

To finish the look I opted to wear the new shirt that I picked up from Argrace in Navy while she went with a cute tank from Riddle. Both wearing awesome styles of blue jeans for the relaxed style from Decoy and Armidi. Even our shoes somewhat matched wearing chucks from PornStar and Akeyo. For all the other details be sure to check out the picture for a complete listing.

Special thanks to Emmy for shopping and posing with me.

SL’s Next Fashion Icon - Full of Runway Fashion

WOW!



After 3 full months of various challenges, the SL’s Next Fashion Icon competition is now down to 5 finalists:

• Miss Aleida Rhode
• Miss Lyra Nitely
• Miss Venus Petrov
• Miss Wynn Whitfield
• Miss Zoe Demar

The finale is scheduled for June 28th, but please watch for blogs and such in case the date changes! Please click on through to see more fashion and to read a bit more about what happened on Saturday the 31st of May!


10 lovely ladies went through a fashion show showing their style in swimwear, casual, and formal. We were all judged on our catwalk, attire, and questions which occurred after the show! Post-show I was brain fried and ecstatic but now that a day or two have passed, I really wanted to give a special shout out to all the wonderful gals that have partaken in this competition! I know it hasn’t been just a walk in the park. I honestly feel like everyone can keep their head held high for accomplishing sooo much as individuals. I look forward to seeing everyone again and hope to know you all better for it!

The second reason for this blog is to give out a shout-out to the creators for their awe inspiring designs that really make it possible to have a full experience in SL. It takes a lot of creativity, skill, and dedication to really pull of what we have in this virtual world!

And a HUGE shout-out to Shai Delacroix who personally designed my formal gown for this stage in the compeition! I am in awe and humbled that she would take me up on such an offer. As I told some of the ladies, I shake my head every time I think about it, because I felt like the luckiest gal in SL just to walk down the runway in one of her creations. I started the competition wearing her safari swimsuit and thus wanted to be wearing her again now.



(To those wanting to purchase this gown, it will be out for sale probably by the end of June) The outer skirt is made of sculptie, which fans will also see present in one of her new releases out now, along with flexi-prim skirt which is more mesh than what is shown in the picture. Other details are the flowers on the sculpted skirt that swirl into a magnificent green. I kept this simple for my formal as I really wanted to show off the gown and thus only paired it with a simple accessory - shoes by Storm Schmooz, 24Carat. The skin is by Minnu and was sold as part of a fundraiser back in 2007 (no longer available). I thought it was perfect to add a subtle accent that would pop and blend enough at the same time. The Forest Green eyes by Glanz is also a very well added feature to really make the whole look fit whimsically along with the flowing hair by Truth. I liked how it mimicked the skirt with the same type of flow.

As for my other outfits, I had to go with Icing’s Angel Food Cake which I previously blogged about.



I went with the Aden style, “Nicole” in dark brown to really hit up that iconic feel with the heavy bang. Keeping to classics, I chose some EMJ jewelry called, “Royal” that hit the gold retro feeling that I was going for. Having the cuff styled bangle really made me feel like I was going to walk along the boardwalk and catch some eyes. Paired up with the gold strapped shoes, by Armidi Gisaci, it really anchored the look and kept the rule of three in perspective. The simple bare rose skin by Naughty Designs is my personal fave that I had to keep for this look. Being out in the sun wearing a ton of make-up just doesn’t fly with me, so I love the simple hue in the lips and eyes.

For my casual attire, this to me is always the hardest category as sooo many things can work for it! There are ways to dress formals down and spruce up extreme casuals to hit a good medium, but I really didn’t have to think too hard of what I wanted to wear.



The very classic and stylish denim jumpsuit by G.L.A.M. is perfect for my personal style. Denim is something that has been around forever, and how can someone go wrong when pairing it when a clean white top! The outfit contains shorts, wide leg prims instead of skinny, and another collar option. Letting the hair down was really what I wanted to go for here, and thus the new style called, “Sexy Hair” by Shop Seu fit the bill perfectly! I did decide to tint the ”part” so it wouldn’t been too distracting but love how it draped down over the shoulders to pull of the smoky look with the skin by Naughty Designs. The shoes were a little tricky but as soon as I slipped on the Paper Couture strapped diamond heels I knew I could slip on the logo charm bracelet and lock in the look.

Thanks for reading! And be sure to give all the lovely ladies your support throughout this process! And please be kind to Kylie Gears, one of the heads over at InStyle. She has been working very hard throughout this competition taking care of all of us and really deserves some extra praise! Also thanks goes out to all of the judges that have given their time throughout this competition!

Fun in the Summer Sun!

After spending all last week working on attempting to clean my computer of a nasty virus, I ended up having to reformat, which took precious time away from otherwise sunny days! I’m happy to be back up and running and taking pictures once again! This post is inspired by the newest Icing addition by Miko! Very vintage feeling, but so cute I couldn’t resist posting this blog about it!



Paired up with a long pony tail with the full curtain bang hair by Aden called Nicole, I really felt that it played up that 50’s vibe that I was trying to go for when pairing up the swimsuit.

I also decided to finally try on the group gift skin that Tuli sent out! Its her new S6 skins. I decided that I liked the Emily skin on my body shape (in coal make-up), but she has a nice variety to choose from that I’m sure will suit most body types. She has eyebrow color and freckle options that everyone should try out for the summer look.

The best thing about this look, is that the Icing outfit is that it is versatile! Though I don’t have an image of it here, the swimsuit also comes in a lovely dress style too! Great for those summer beach evenings or other events where one would want to glam it up a bit. And though I didn’t say it before, it is called Angel Food Cake which is definitely yummy enough to wear!

And though it isn’t necessarily fashion related, I picked up some of the Photosphere backgrounds that really kicked off this image into the flair that I wanted to pull off along with using Reel Expression animations.

Feel free to use this image as your style card for something new for this summer!

Paper Couture Jewelry Spring 2008 Collection Feature

Are you broke with all the major releases lately?



I’ve been happily shopping again and am sure most fashionistas have been to Tableau’s Paper Couture store enjoying the Spring 2008 collection. Being the fan that I am, I knew it would be a dangerous location for my precious lindens! Where I didn’t hold back was the jewelry! Every piece of jewelry that I own from the multiple collections has been a very welcomed piece to my overall wardrobe. From bee rings to diamond bracelets, divas are sure to find something to satisfy every occasion.

Here are a few of my favorite highlights from the Spring 2008 Jewelry Collection:



The Heirloom Pendant, long and elegant reminding me of mother of pearl gives a very dramatic and classic design.



The Sapphire and Diamond Set is surely a way to set off any formal gown in pure extravagance!



The stunning and simple Sensual Amber Necklace is a timeless piece illuminating the color.



The detailed Knights Honor Set will capture the eye.



The Font Closure Necklace is a personal favorite because I always enjoy necklaces that don’t require a team to latch.



The stand-out Art Deco Earrings will make a lasting impression!

One of my favorite things about the entire Paper Couture jewelry collections is because the pieces make a statement. I’m a big fan of Vera Wang and I overheard her mentioning about how she prefers larger pieces to accent her clothing and to be seen. To me it allows the accessories to make a statement rather than a dainty, barely there, diamond. I’m not saying that smaller pieces do not have their place in the fashion world, but that I find myself leaning towards something that makes a statement and Paper Couture is definitely no exception to that rule!

Blooming for Spring

After living in a climate without a “real” winter, I found out how much I missed snow! Lucky for me I have had a TON of snow this winter and as much as I love it, I always look forward to spring and the flowers that tend to blossom with it. It is what inspired today’s outfit.



I have been wearing the Marly’s hair for awhile lately. The hat tied together with the hair reminds me of 20’s glam, an era that I’m very fond of the fashion. Though the hat and hair are lovely, the real inspiration for this outfit is the flower skirt from Luminosity. The designer has been out of game lately but recently blogged after being MIA for quite awhile. Hopefully this might be a sign that she will come back into the scene a bit, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed! Luckily the outfit I pulled the skirt from is still available at her sim store on Luminosity Island.

To tie in the skirt I knew that I wanted to wear the Fuse blossom ring that I picked up recently from his store. It is nice to see designers pulling out some jewelry along with their clothing line. Miko from Icing has done the same and luckily the pearl necklace and earrings set also followed a bit of a flower motif and fit well enough with my outfit to add it in. The chain shirt by Armidi Gisaci blended very well with the bronze color found within the texture of the mainly silver colored skirt. I did do a bit of modding to raise the jacket layer up a bit to seam the outfit together more, but no other adjusting was necessary.

To finish the look, I paired up with Paper Couture’s (P.C.) Lierre Ankle Wrap heels. These are one of my favorite pair of heels that I own. I’m not 100% sure if these will still be available with the release of their upcoming Spring Collection, but you might check their other open location in Barcola. If you haven’t been by to check out the new Canimal skins you should take a moment or two to get some demos. I really like how they look on my current shape and the lipstick color from the Earth make-up seems to blend flawlessly with the bronzed Armidi top. I’m also wearing stunning eyes by Tuli in bright blue to make my eyes pop thinking about clear blue spring skies!

What season is your favorite to dress for and why? Please use the comments below to talk about your season of fashion choice. I would choose fall because it is the season to be able to wear a sweater without a jacket. It also includes my favorite colors to wear such as grays, browns, deep reds, and maroons. I look forward to reading about yours!

PS – If you ever need help locating a store or finding a product, send an IM to Zoe Demar and I’ll be happy to help get a slurl or LM for you –

Special Edition

Someone might notice that I’m posting a little bit differently today as I am considering this a special addition post. I switched up my usual look so that it might stand out a bit more as I’m celebrating my 2 year rez-day with a little help from designers! (actual rez day is the 4th, btw but had to post as soon as I saw this dress!)



Bring on the champagne and glam with this special limited edition outfit from Rebel Hope released today!! She is celebrating three years of content making!! I first discovered Rebel Hope in June of 2006 and have been visiting ever since. When I saw the message pop up I knew that I had to get this gown and make sure to share it with everyone! Rebel Hope also recently celebrated her 3rd year rez day on December 29th. Another person celebrating more of a release than anniversary is Tuli Asturias. I first discovered her designs back in June of 2006 when her label was Lollypop. I was saddened when I saw the brand disappear and then discovered some tattoos that I had purchased but under the label of Tuli! Now she is releasing her S5 skins next week on the 7th! With the gorgeously designed “glam” skin and simply stunning “anniversary” gown I am almost ready for a night out on the town! Tuli will be celebrating her 3rd year rez day near the end of October 2008.



Going glam I knew that it was time to bring out the sparkly! I have a few items to choose from but loved how the shorter necklace of Nonna’s floral fit perfectly with the high collar of the gown. Keeping the matching earrings made sure my appearance was classic and fit with the shorter hairstyle. I went with Elkia’s red shade in the Maaliyah style as it is one of my personal faves and my original trademark of red hair. ETD is another place that I luckily was introduced to when I first started my journey into SL. My dear friend Loniki pulled me into game introduced me to the newly released to-die-for flexi styles. To stylize the look more and draw flow away from the neckline, I added a boa made by Callie Cline who made it to go with Insolence’s Jade White lingerie. I like the realistic feel of the textures as it glides eyes down the arm to the simple but classic pillbox purse by Rebel Hope. I pulled it from one of her previous iconic gowns, “The Rebel Hope”. It was a silky blue much like the glittery one from today. I like combining the old with the new. To add some more glitter down on my tootsies, I completed the look with the strappy diamond heels from Paper Couture (P.C.) in granite.

If any are celebrating, I would highly recommend this look for a glamorous night on the town…or bowling, whatever your preference may be.

Punky in Pink

One might say this outfit screams more of something from the 80’s with the bright color but I couldn’t keep this outfit hidden into one decade as history always has a way of repeating itself.

Sculpties are being used more in the SL fashion design. This traditional moto jacket in candy pink by Muism is a good example and the inspiration for today’s outfit. They designed the piece with using the jacket layer and then matched it up with detailed sculpties and prims. There are many other jacket styles and colors available.



Pink turned punk when I paired up the jacket with Canimal’s Sinister shirt and skirt, gray striped arm warmers, and ripped fishnet stockings. To pair up with more pink to follow my theme, it was an easy choice to go with the metallic tights from Armidi. I finished the lower half look with some Maitreya Slinky Stilettos to mix some glam into the edge. As far as accessories, I used one of my favorite necklaces from Canimal and some musical note particles headphones from Gritty Kitty. Pair it off with some funky hair from Here Comes Trouble (HCT) and wild skin from Canimal’s Innocence collection you get some Punky Pink! Perfect to rocking out to your favorite tunes.

*please note that Canimal’s sinister outfit and flower necklace may no longer be available for sale.

Warming Up for Winter

It’s cold outside for the majority of people playing Second Life, though our avatars are lucky they don’t have to worry about the weather before stepping foot/paw/other outside.



When it comes to fashion I feel like I have seen much but do not know all. Through the work of Creators Stamp Rally 2007 (CSR) I discovered some not so traveled stores and picked up this cozy winter jacket from Double Paradox. The originality of it and the work of prims make it a one of a kind. Though not pictured, the prim sleeves have a cute button detail that match those found on the hoody collar. The prim ties on the jacket make it feel like it has been naturally worn instead of being perfectly closed. The prim ties and lower jacket come in large and small sizes and can be easily manipulated to match your shape with basic builder’s knowledge. When it came to pairing up the jacket to complete an outfit I luckily had already been wearing some finger cut gloves from TorridWear from part of her Dominus outfits which completes the jacket by extending it out more over my hands. I had a hard time choosing the right top to work with what I was going for but pulled out my extremely reliable Celestial Studio Trixie Tank in Dim color. I find the tanks to be a must have item when as they come with multiple layers and multiple colors. Next I wanted to pair it with some white pants which are very difficult to make for SL because the natural default when making SL clothing is blank white. It isn’t easy pulling out white and not making it feel default. I finally picked these slacks from an outfit from Nyte’N’Day. The Cute Kitty Snow Boots are from Boneflower Designs located on the Temenos sim. They are known mainly for Neko skins but have a big selection of all sorts of items.

To top off the outfit I choose Slow Jamz by Hiccup. Hiccup is pretty new to the scene but has created some very original hairs. I’m always watching in anticipation for what they come out with next. After completing the look I wanted to add some sort of jewelry item and choose small earrings from Illusion’s Cherished set. Make sure if you visit to know what metal and stone you want before you buy as there are many options but a friendly vending system. The eyes by Miriel are two-toned and called Late Sunset for their blue and purple tones. The two-tone design is something that I first discovered at Miriel. Last but not least, the skin by Karamia. I play around with body shapes more for fun but also to give a different perspective in photography. The skins by Karamia are very unique and felt like the completed the look I wanted to represent. I love how the blush on the cheeks highlights the face along with the glossy lips in this skin called Sandflower. ­­

I hope that this outfit inspires you to go out and find yourself a beloved winter jacket.

Go for the Gold!

Today’s trends have made popular opinion to wear silver, white gold, and platinum. But it’s hard to not still turn an eye to yellow gold.



I designed this outfit around the Armidi Gisaci’s Sequin Bodice Dress in Gold but switched it up for a more fun formal affair by switching the flirty frills skirt to a hot black mini that typically goes with Nyte’N’Day’s dot outfit. Paired up with some gorgeous gold shoes from Armidi and one of a kind shoulder brooch and chain from Muse, this outfit surely makes a statement. To anchor the accessories, I added a bracelet in gold and black from Miriel. Many must check out other items by Miriel like her eyes. The ones pictured here are two toned in a stunning green and yellow amber shade. To top it off, I am wearing a classic skin and hair from Naughty Designs. The darker skin tone makes the gold pop off of the body to really dazzle all eyes and the dark black pearl intimacy hair’s name says it all. All the items pictured are available currently in stores. With Last Call coming to an end I realize that when I mix up outfits, it will be hard to say that all items are still available so I made a point to not use a single item designed by Ginny.

Thank you for checking out the blog. Please feel free to comment as I like to know what everyone thinks.

All About Orange!

Hi! I’m back and hope that you enjoyed my last blog. I enjoyed putting it together and as soon as I was done was already thinking about what I wanted to blog next and here it is.



I wanted to feature something in the color orange for this blog. After recently stopping by the Armidi sim, I stumbled into their new Elephant Outfitter’s area and spotted this top. It’s not often that you see orange as a common color choice for designers. I also picked up the shirt in another color as there were plenty of great choices. I decided to accent it with a pair of Armidi’s classic colored jean capris. Perfect for spring and summer even though many are still stuck in our winter dreads for a few more months. And since I am going for a warmer climate look I paired it up with some sandals that I have enjoyed wearing due to the cute use of the simple jeweled medallion. On my upper half, I had to pair the outfit with Muse’s beautiful and organic color inspired Kailena bracelet and necklace that I love. It reminds me of something that I used to wear of my mothers in my first life until the necklace broke. The hair also reflects what I always wished my hair would do naturally in my first life, curl! It is by Fetish which isn’t quite as “main-stream” as other hair designers. I have enjoyed their unique styles and have a few other styles in my inventory tearing at me to blog. I heard about these eyes from Glanz via Sofia’s blog, “The Diary of a Second Life Socialite.” I love the reflectivity, but am on the fence as they feel a little too large for my personal avatar. To finish the look I slipped into some Cupcake’s skin. I like the way it appears soft and smooth but makes the eyes pop and is different from other skins currently available. Now it is time for a bit of a twist.



What? A GUY!?!? I had been playing around with the idea in my head and decided to just go for it. Why not? I have no alts in SL and decided that I wanted to focus a bit on the side of men. I thought about using my hubby’s avatar but didn’t want him to be pulled into the position, but did use his shape to develop my own. I’m calling him “Joe” because it’s close to Zoe. I’m reflecting my feature color of orange and again was thrilled to find this orange polo shirt at Elephant Outfitters. Dressing him down a bit I put him in some black shoes by Shiny Things which pull off a rugged feel due to their great job at texturing. If you’re going to own one pair of shoes, especially for the man that dresses down and not to the nines daily, you have to pick up a pair! I went with a pair of old look tattered jeans from Naughty Designs to match. On the upper half I have him in a pair of fully prim sunglasses made by Gudshu Glasses. The glasses help me prove a point that people can wear accessories on a guy that a girl might own in their inventory. I’ve had these with Zoe for a very long time and absolutely love the quality. It comes as smoke or chrome along with a hud for even more personality. You’ll be sure to be seeing these again in this blog as they’re another “must-have” in my collection. Finally the skin and hair are from Naughty Designs. I know they’re not the only guy skins around but I wanted to focus on having a blond haired guy as typically I see only black and brown hair on men. I might have him go a bit redder on occasion, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Here’s the pair matched up and ready to hit the beach or local venue.



Thanks for reading. I appreciate all comments and suggestions as long as they are constructive. I also want to know your take on blogging on the guy side. What do you think?