A Dollarbie a Day (Day 1)

Well those who know me inworld or follow my bloggie know that I love shopping for bargains. Recently I went down a longgggg rabbit hole on the SL Marketplace following the scent of inexpensive outfits! And wow, did I find some cool ones. Now these aren't all strictly $1L -- some are as much as $25L (heh). So the idea here is to post up one outfit / item per day (assuming I remember). No photo retouching on any of these, what you see is what you get.

Pretty Swirl Dress by Pretty September (Mesh)

Not a fan of the name but the dress is super cute! The shading is top notch, the floral print is highly detailed and the bow is just is totally precious in a good way.

Yep, it's only $1L and comes in sizes for many popular mesh bodies as follows:

• Belleza Isis
• Belleza Venus
• Classic Avatars (alpha included)
• eBody
• Freya
• Maitreya Lara
• Slink Hourglass
• Slink Physique

Back view

This has quickly become a fave of mine.

 Hair is Roxanna by Truth, skin is Eirtae by Lumae.

LINK TO MARKETPLACE: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Pretty-September-One-Linden-Gift-Dress-One/12707399

SLURL TO STORE: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cevedale/6/38/21

My new fave hair by Truth - Makena

OK, OK. A friend just reminded me that it's been forever since I blogged about anything. Well, sad to say, my real life has overtaken my SL. From traveling to work, life has been hectic. Anyway, this is overdue but better late than never I guess.
So I'm not a huge fan of all mesh hair. They generally look like you've maxed out the gel or hair spray because they don't move. It's a bit weird to have some long flowing hairstyle that looks plastered to your body. HOWEVER, there are some advantages. For one, those long flowing tresses can be rigged so they don't cut through your body. And for another, they're super easy to retexture, color or style. Simply show/hide a meshy part and poof, you have a whole new look.
Truth's October Gift (see it is overdue since it's now November) for VIP members is everything a good mesh hair can possibly be. It's HUD-driven with hundreds of color options. It comes with a Styling HUD for about 20 different looks. AND, you can change the color on the hair bands with yet another HUD. So here we go with a bunch of photos of Makena by Truth!

Makena with one front wisp

Makena with two front wisps

Makena pulled back

Makena front wisps and pony tails over front.
NOTE that head position will cause hair to move into shoulder.

Makena back view with hairbands (twin ponytails)

Makena buns

Makena in pink from pastel HUD

Hair bands colored via HUD

With the exception of the over the front look where the hair can disappear into your body, everything about Makena is super well done as one can expect from Truth. If you aren't a VIP member, you should be. For only $350L, the monthly gift hairs are well worth the cost of joining!

SLURL to Truth Main Store: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Truth/116/128/24

Second Life explodes!

OK, OK. Teaser head I know. But long-time resident and builder, Marianne McCann, just put on the most amazing fireworks show! Accompanied by music from GoSpeed Racer, everyone on the Livingtree sim was treated to an incredible display of particles, exploding things, light fountains and what have you. The pictures here really don't capture the movement and light changes that consistently bombarded my screen. From Canadian flags to rainbows and gorgeous light fountains, it was a treat. :) Enjoy.

Sleek Art Deco mystery mesh formal

TBO Farah lamé dress

I haven't blogged for awhile since I've been super busy in RL. Anywayyyyy, I was digging through my vast wasteland called Inventory when I came across a dress name I didn't recognize. TBO Farah lame gown. (Of course lame should be lamé so perhaps a rename is in order.)

Hmmmm I thought. Where did this come from? When was it bought? Who knows? So I tried it on and immediately was like, oh wow, this is very different!

Apologies for the full size photo since it doesn't do the dress justice. The bands across the waist and bodice look almost like streamlined metal. Up close, the mesh is really a piece of artwork. And yes, it really does look like lamé.

After searching around, I found it is a $10L promo item on SLM also available in fatpack HUD driven version. The designer is "TheBeautifulOnes" aka TBO.

This really is a very lovely dress suitable for formal and cocktail occasions.

Back view and close-up of banding below.

Hair is "Kiki" by Elika-Tira.
Heels are "Yuuna" by KC.
Jewelry is Pavonine (peacock) by DS.

Link to SLM: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/TBO-Farah-lame-gown-Turquoise-slink-physique-hourglass-maitreya-tmp-fitted-mesh/8463424

Back view

Closeup of bodice and waist bands

Finding cocktail pants in SL!

Today's adventure was inspired by my own usual weirdness and eclectic tastes in fashion. I was going to an event and realized I really, really wanted to wear cocktail pants. Most women in Second Life would say "STOP! There are so many cute dresses, skirts, formals, etc. Why would you want to wear pants?" Well because it's me, that's why. Oh and my mesh body is Maitreya Lara which means I'm looking for something that will work on it.

Thus began my adventure. It started with asking around in several of the fashion groups I belong to. "Any suggestions for where to buy mesh cocktail pants?" You'd have thought I'd taken crazy pills or something. The few that responded with ideas and marketplace links almost all pointed towards business style pants. You know, SLACKS! Things with belts or belt loops. Dockers. Wool pants. Suit pants. Nuuuuu!! I want silk. Or rayon. Or something with sheen to it. Fancy. Glitzy! Think Jackie Onassis Kennedy.

I visited about 10 major stores including places like Blueberry, Addams, Slink -- "Excuse me, any cocktail pants or pants outfits around here?" "Well we have these nice slacks over there." "ARGGH!"

Then I turned to SL Marketplace. I tried all sorts of searches. Like "Cocktail AND pants AND maitreya AND mesh NOT demo". A few hits but not really what I was looking for. Chastened, I returned to my favorite support group in SL, Maitreya Lara Friends. Tried again. This time, some kind soul suggested looking at Hilly Haalan, a store I'd never been to. Another said try searching on "Palazzo" pants in SLM.

BINGO!

Palazzo in SLM led to two outfits and a visit to Hilly Haalan's store inworld led to another! Yay! One outfit isn't quite up to cocktail style but it's cute. Plus you could wear it for a wine and cheese party aboard a rich Italian's yacht (see I'm always hoping). Anyway, here they are (click on any of the photos to see full size):

Scandalize - Diane HT (front)

Scandalize - Diane HT (back)

SCANDALIZE Diane HT

Mesh top and bottom separates sold as an outfit on SLM. Come in most popular mesh body styles. This is my favorite of the three. Has a nice sheen to it and as my male friend said, I can totally see you holding a martini with this on (or off). (He rolls that way.) Shown with KC Lynn heels (new on SLM) and my go to necklace, Spanish Dreams (no idea where I got it). Diane comes in maybe 5 color ways but I didn't see a fatpack or HUD option. I picked the cream/gold color shown. $145L.

DBL Nantucket

DBL Nantucket Palazzo Pants & Tube Top

This outfit is not made for Maitreya or any other mesh body. It's just offered in the 5 standard mesh sizes. But I thought it fit well enough that I'm including it here. (Any rich Italians around?) You have to tweak the body alpha and there is one small spot on the back where skin shows through but it's not serious enough to reject. Besides, where are you going to find palazzo pants and a top for $99L? Shoes are KC "Caty" wedges. Available on SLM.

Hilly Haalan Monaco

Hilly Haalan Monaco Pantsuit

Hilly Haalan Monaco

This isn't a pantsuit like Hillary Clinton wears. It is simply an amazing HUD-driven mesh outfit with so many ways of combining colors it boggles my silly brain. Every part of it including the sleeves, top, pants, bow/belt and buttons can be customized for color. I've shown it two ways here. One in solid burgundy and the other in gold, charcoal and cream. Monaco also comes with a nice pair very strappy stiletto sandals (shown) for Slink and Maitreya high feet. The outfit itself is sold in 6 standard sizes plus Lara, Physique, Hourglass and Fitmesh. While I bought this inworld, it's also on SLM for only $145L. This is the real bargain of the three since you end up with hundreds of outfits via the HUD!

Second LIfe Fantasy Faire 2017

Well it's that time of year again for fashion weirdness at Fantasy Faire. Honestly, I'm not a fan. I used to love seeing the strange avatars that Grendel's Children put out but for the most part, my SL style is more real life oriented. That's not a knock against FF, it's just my personal taste.

ANYWHO! One designer who always comes up with appropriately strange things is Pixy Snook (notice the awesome last name) of Stix. Where she gets inspiration for skins, makeups and tattoos is beyond me. Some of them are seriously demented (in a good way). Her contributions to this year's FF are no different.

Prices range from $99L to $249L depending on options and fatpacks.

Anyway, here's your limo to Fantasy Faire 2017. Good luck and don't say I didn't warn ya!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fallen%20Sands/124/86/74

New region limits for Second Life

Some interesting things in an announcement by Linden Lab recently.

Currently, when a region is full, access to the region is simply on a first come first served basis. This leads to a sort of distributed race to enter the full region; users repeatedly try to teleport or cross into the region and fail until someone leaves. The next attempt made by anyone succeeds, which makes the region full again. Even the region owner and estate managers must compete with other Residents to get into their own region if they find themselves outside of the region when it is full.

We are introducing some improvements to how region limits and region entry work:

The Region Owner or an Estate Manager can always enter, even when the region is full

The default limit on the number of avatars in each region type is increased
Full Regions by 10% (100 to 110)
Homesteads by 25% (20 to 25)
Open Spaces by 20% (10 to 12)

This new bonus capacity is, however, available for entry purposes only to Premium users - for Basic users the occupancy limits remain the same. 

I like the Premium member only bonus. I think Linden Lab could do more along these lines to improve the benefits for Premium.

For complete article see: https://community.secondlife.com/blogs/entry/2145-improved-region-capacity-and-access/

Age, beauty, Madonna and Camille Paglia

I don't normally get political or socially analytical here but honestly, this column by Camille Paglia is one of the better reads I've come across recently. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/camille-paglia-how-age-disgracefully-hollywood-guest-column-960794

I think there's some application to how we see things in Second Life too. We can all be young or old or in-between regardless of our physical ages. But it's different in real life because, well, it's real. Paglia hits a number of points spot-on. A huge megastar like Madonna actually feels like she's been dissed over her career. Yeah right. I'd love to be dissed that way. It's like that Kelly LeBrock ad from the 80's where she says "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."

Paglia is right, the reason Madonna's new material doesn't sell is because it's blah, bleh, ick. Not because she's being "age discriminated" against. I was a huge Mad fan growing up. But now she just comes across as a pouty bitch. The YouTube video of Mad saying she "loathes hydrangeas" after accepting them from a fan showed to me just how unreal her real world really is.

Anyway, read and decide for yourself.