Two for the Hounds

Houndstooth that is :)



I saw the [Y.M.X.] houndstooth dress black on the fashion feed and wanted it, but waited to blog it until now when I found its soulmate at Lost Dreams :) The pattern on the dress is somewhat similar, but it's the cut and details that makes then into two different looks. On the Y.M.X. dress I adore the little bow and the heart buttons, as well as the black band around the neck and down the front. My shoes are the ETD Heel Strap Platforms in Black. I have not a clue where my hair is from--I was in a "let's explore other hair just in case..." My skin is Tuli's Group Gift Meredith Starshine 3 in Sunkissed. Earring are the Gypsy Soul Earrings from Love Chic in Gold.



Houndstooth is also the inspiration for Estelle Parnall's Lost Dreams Phoebe Houndstooth Dress. Same pattern, same attention to nice little details, but a very different dress. Here I adore the belt Buckle prim as well as the little cross stitches around the deep scoop neckline. This dress is a little more racy than the Y.M.X, so something for every taste! I'm wearing ETD's Loraine 2 in Auburn, Fleur's Spring Shoujo 5 in Azalea and ETD's peep Toe Slingbacks in Black. My jewelry is Primagine's RFL Everday, on sale to benefit cancer research through July 19.

Poses are by Flowey and Dove Swanson.

My conclusion? Houndstood is the the new black.

Save me a waltz ...

The Second Life Relay for Life Kickoff is this Saturday, with the Relay itself being July 18-19. One delight of the Relay season in SL is the many proms and balls. Today I'm sharing two wonderful dresses that I'll be wearing when the occasion prompts.




The first is Marguerite by Clio Cardiff of Pret a Porter. I couldn't decide between the green or the burgundy, but finally decided GREEN! The textures are simple, but luxurious. The drapes on the front add a bit of risk to what is a very open backed bodice and the flowing train has a lovely shape indeed! One of the issues with a high neck for me is that of what jewelry to wear. A necklace tends to look odd, so I chose the Meadowlark set from Balderdash and just repositioned the brooch a bit for good placement. The closeup is to show you a bit of the amazing prim work involved in this delicate, yet substantial brooch. The lovely gloves are included. My hair I discovered through Milla Michinaga and is called Akami from MADDesigns. My skin is a Fleur Shoujo DNB 2 in Azalea.




The second ballgown is a complex creation from Paper Couture. The various parts attach in surprising places, but they all more gloriously on the dance floor. Yes, this one has been "waltz tested" LOL The textures are rich, brocade that is "sequined." The ARC is brutal, but it's worth every tick on the FPS ;) Shoes are from Prim Seduction, Glamour in Silver. Hair is the old ETD Couture, The Knot, with Left Swept Bangs. Since the couture colors were specific to that line, I tinted the bangs in Elika's Brown to make the match. My skin is Celestial Studios Vogue Deviant Nation Drama Queen-Backstab in Champagne.

So bring on those balls --I'm ready to waltz!

Poses are mainly from [LAP] and {flowey}

Oh Michami!

You've gone and done it again. Laila is a lovely set of separates. With a low linden balance, and the likelihood that it could get lower, I could only afford one top, but I hope you will forgive me ;)



The Laila tops are semi-sheer, which given my modest nature, I dealt with by wearing a Style Starts Here black lace bra. I "faked" the pants by wearing the Ibizarre Soft Black Leather ones edited for boots with the Michami Joanie Cigarette Pants cuffs. So I AM Michami from head to toe -- I just cheated a bit in the middle.

Necklace is Tuli's Wooden Heart, Hair ETD Patricia in Arpicot Burnt. Shoes are ETD as well, the Kristin Booties in Emerald. My skin is ... drumroll please ... The New Fleur Shojo Valentine Pink skin in Azalea. Fleur has a Flickr contest on right now featuring the new Valentine's skins, so grab a couple, take those photos and ENTER!

Why You Should Care about hya's Photoshop

One SL(tm)'s most creative beings, hyasynth Tiramisu, is without Photoshop temporarily.

We should care, because her frequent releases flatter our pixels and free our imagination. During this brief hiatus I thought I would show you why hya's work is so valued.



First is a Limited Edition of Violet Noir. I'm a lousy hunter so I bought it from someone selling theirs. As always, hya provides for you on every layer. There is a more modest version of the top, but I love the soft lacey openness. The prims move beautifully, with the violet overskirt complementing the corset. My hair is Lxei, one of the Nyanotech hairstyles from Curious Kitties. My skin is Fleur Shoujo 5 in Lily I believe. The purple flower around the eye suited the whole look I thought.



Second is her latest, Moonchild in Rust. She was sure it was too "goth" for me, but worn with the classic ETD Patricia hairstyle in auburn burnt it becomes a bit tamed. The details on the bodice, the belted straps and the brroch, not to mention the collar and prim ruffle in copper just add to the wonderfulness of Moonchild. The slacks are also belted and visible under the wonderful jacket tails, which have delightful feathery innards. Skin is Fleur Allure Smokin' 3 in Truffle while the boots are Stiletto Moody's Bitch Booties.

Hurry back soon hya -- we want more ....

I go away for 2 weeks and ... miss a lot ;)

I come back to not only the glorious new Allure Winter Nights skins from CJ and Roslin, but a sweet new outfit called Fair Isle. And I missed the Secret Sale:( But seriously, thanks to Fury for taking over in my absence! I may take another vacation!




Here's my blog for before I knew the sale was over *cries* -- so instead of wearing Winter Nights, I'm wearing the formerly-on-sale Shoujo 6 in the just-right-for-me new skintone of Azelea.

But the big news is the Fair Isle outfit from Fleur with plenty of options for layering. Take a good look at the beautiful silver clasps in the middle photo, as well as the faultlessly designed sweater underneath. I even went out and bought the Shiny Things Plainers in cherry to complete the look, knee socks and all! In the right hand photo I paired the dress top with the L$1 ETD Cords in Moss to show the versatility of this new outfit.

Hair is ETD's Luth in auburn burnt. Jewelry is from (luc) and Caroline Jewelry.

Make up your mind Sam!

My original outfit for today's Fleur reopening was Last Call's Elizabeth in green, with my usual Maaliyah in Auburn, Fleur Boutique skin Strawberry Parfait 1 and my new Airen jewelry set from Alienbear Gupte. I had even purchased new shoes from Adam n Eve to match the hem color of the gown. And I had my good friend, Fury, take pictures of me during our Saturday photo shoot. [The image on the left is by her] But the best laid plans ...


Then Roslin dropped the new Shoujo skins on me and suggested that we wear something from Fleur's new neighbor, Nicky Ree. My friend, Noena Merlin, suggested the Roslin gown [surprisingly enough NOT named for Fleur's Roslin]. I decided on ETD's Eglantine in Chestnut burnt at Noena's suggestion. My friend Fury then suggested something lighter so I landed on Sky burnt in Eglantine, but then Noena pointed out that I was covering the eye design on the Shoujo skin 5 that I had chosen to wear.

After cycling through my ETD styles in Sky we landed on the dollarbie, Phoebe, which I then wore. Thanks to Noena & Fury and Noena again for helping me find the right combination! I switched to Alienbear's Princess Nieve in purple for my jewelry. The spring heels from Shiny Things in the picture ended up being replaced by Aphrodite Outlander's Serenity in skinpink, mostly to reduce primmage. As it was we were all nailed to the grid by Sunday lag.

I worked the 1pm party -- we had a wonderful time -- many prizes were won and the guests enjoyed a great music stream and the hospitality of Roslin and CJ. Be sure to drop by the new store and enjoy the work of CJ & Roslin!

Credit: photo on the left by Fury Stapleton

Psssssst ... new skins at Fleur

Yesterday Roslin Petion dropped the new Fleur anime-based Shoujo skins on me and made my day :) I normally don't wear skins this pale, but the skin tone and the lip colors and eye makeup make it more than possible. As is appropriate for a manga-inspired look the body details are minimal, but oh those faces! The first two have eyelashes painted on the skin, wonderful for those low prim moments. There are 6 makeups in all.


I've chosen to wear the skins in the Lily tone -- the other is called Lotus. From left to right I am wearing Shoujo 3, Shoujo 5 and Shoujo 1. My hair is Maaliyah in Chestnut faded, Amethyst burnt and Chocolate faded [I think!]

And don't forget the reopening party this afternoon -- at two times -- 1pm SLT and 5pm SLT. The theme is Casino Royale. Come wear your best retro finery and Fleur skins and take your chance at winning some great Fleur prizes. I'll hope to see you there!