Chic at Phil's Place

This month's Challenge is MOROCCAN. I have traveled in Morocco and while I would not want to live there, it holds some of my most precious memories.  Here are just a few of the items you can find out from a long list of designers. See all they have to offer at the official website.


Some of my favorites of the new releases hale from Sway's; two are not shown on the Challenge website.  These poofs come in both olive (shown) and navy. The screen in the back is intricate and lovely. I put two together -- not to hide anything but to add some wall interest  *wink*. 


This is Sway's [Amal] Day-bed Nook Set. It comes in both gold and silver, dark wood or light, adult and PG. I am not sure all combos are covered in every type of set. You will just have to zip over there and look. They are ALL lovely.

The lamp is VERY cleverly made and while you cannot see it in my photo has a warm DIRECTIONAL glow through the tiny (real) holes. Impressive.


I was so in the Moroccan mood (yes I was) that I ventured over to Naked Mesh and picked up this full-perm hookah. Now it isn't textured this way, it is -- well NAKED as the name implies. With a handy little program that I have I made my own specular and normal maps and added textures to the ambient map provided. So now my previously primmy and sculpted hookah has been relegated to the archives. Time marches on. This is .5 land impact.

Some designers have discount prices for the first week or so. I don't have a list of who and how long but being speedy is probably good for you pocketbook.

Ducknipple has some value packed new releases with enough color combos to keep you wearing something different for a VERY long time.

Affel is the name of the set. Twelve colors for the tank; twelve colors for the cropped sweater. Do the math. OR, just admit that's a lot of choices. You can also wear the sweater sans tank.


These Spinner boots come with optional legwarmers (color hud). Those are fitted mesh and I am not "there" yet, either in viewer or in temperament *wink*, but happily the boots work just fine while I am moving into the present.



Yep, I am sometimes slow to adopt newness. YOU, of course are probably up to date, so get over there! 

And here is a not so arty shot so you can see the details more clearly. Click for a larger version.



Poses by: Diesel Works, LAP (nla)

Now I kinda look like a copycat here, blogger table and new Amacci hair. I want it to be known that I was wearing the hair BEFORE I saw this week's meme. So that just doesn't count!

Berry apparently has the NEW {what next} blogger office - LOL. "I" still have my old one.

Remember this? It seemed like we ALL had one. They were on some sort of deal if I remember correctly and the feeds were filled with this office. Now when I think of Blogging (yes with a capital B) I think of my blogger office. I lived with it for many months through house changes galore (at least three that I can recall, one spot I don't even remember living in and likely more where I never took photos). So I had to see if I still had it.

Amazingly all but the pencil cup was still around, database meltdowns and all. Of course the items weren't TOGETHER, but I got them set up, my laptop and bulletin board customized still.


This is the photo I decided to recreate. Taken a bit over two years ago, it was state of the art. Now baked in shadows have pretty much disappeared as more folks have dynamic shadows turned on in their viewer, really ugly bare feet have been replaced by mesh goodness.

I still had the Not So Bad skybox that I lived in for many months. Best of all I remembered who made it so I could look for it. I remain on the subscribo and that helped, I admit.


This is new release Tyne skin and Sol hair from Amacci, part of a BIG release that includes lot of hairs (most with optional flowers) as well as eyes.  This is a very pretty skin and the hair is quite lovely with a wrapped bun in back and loose tendrils; casual but feminine.

There is a group gift of this skin, so be sure and check that out.
My jacket is from Ducknipple, yoga pants from 1 Hundred.

Here are my meme answers. In the sake of time and sleep I am going to ONLY write the answers since most of you will know the questions well anyway :D

1. I only use my computer to write on; not all that modern.
2. I don't have a mission statement; that sounds WAY too much like work.
3. I honestly don't have time to read many blogs these days; I have never been interested in folks that try to fan the flames of discontent.
4. I reread my posts a time or two usually. Grammar isn't usually a big issue but sometime I just don't pay attention when I am typing; I get too involved.
5. I have no interest in switching blogs with anyone, thank you very much.
6. My blogging style has indeed changed over the years, at least a close real life friend and reader has told me that many times. I am more willing to share now and more "me" than when I started out and Chic was a persona. We weren't as melded to each other then as we are now.
7. I am not sure anything super extraordinary has happened because I blog. More folks know who I am than would otherwise of course. Over the years people have recognized me (or my name tag) and said hi in a fandom (OK. I did check that word; the spell checkers is NOT as smart as Google - well we knew that) sort of way. That's about it.
8. My blog is definitely in the fashion and design category.
9. Blogging has taught me a lot about photography, a real life interest in the past. My favorite part of "the job" is taking the photos.
10. Top three tips to new bloggers:  1. do NOT pester designers 2. keep your commitments 3. don't write anything you don't mean.


Poses by: the chair and Vista Animations

 Three new (ish) releases make up this post.

Just out:

deviousMind's "A little Party never hurt Nobody!" which got me close to naked once again.

Vanity Hair's  Dreamsome; definitely fun and fantasy


And then we have the poses; perfect for this.


I was a VERY good girl and cleaned out my inventory today. You know what I found? Some (not so new by now) poses from Diesel Works.



Auto-accept is a wondrous thing but sometimes items get lost in the clutter. Check out the goodness -- you naughty gals.

Poses by: Diesel Works : Lola

I haven't written a Sunday op ed piece in awhile, but as serendipity would have it, quite a few events lead me to this post.

This is the land below my shop. I don't visit often and there hasn't been a building down here for awhile. See all that bumpy ground in the distance? That is abandoned land.

Now if you live on a private parcel, this may be a new scene for you, but those of us living "free" so to speak on the mainland can't help but notice the abundance of abandoned land. This is NOT new news. Still, nothing seems to be happening to rein in the ever escalating empty landscape.

Several years ago -- before the land in maintenance stopped being readily sold -- I had a "fix it" idea. Why not give premium members 1024 instead of 512? That might get more premium members as well as dot the landscape with something besides bare land. But, I have a lot of "good ideas" that never make it to fruition; not a surprise that no one else thought of it. Or, if they did it was not voted into being.

My shop's land has been group owned since -- I had to look that up -- June 2009. That's a long history in one spot. I haven't always been here, others have had their turn. Still, I have posts with photos taken here dating back from that time. I don't want to SHOW them to you of course! Embarrassing.

For many years (four or more) the land on both sides was owned by very large groups. One seemed to be a role play group and the other rented out sections of the land with houses  way up in the sky. Last year both of those groups gave the land back to Linden Lab. It has been VERY peaceful in my sim for a long time.

Sometime in the last month or so one of those large pieces of land sold, was subdivided and sold again. Now there are 512 lots for sale, one of them boarding the group land. Logic tells me that since it has been five years or more since that land has been available, it might be good to purchase -- for prims and future expansion. But it is beyond what I consider a good market price, so that may not happen.

We all know that there is land being sold by The Lab at historical "first land" prices; you do not need to be a first time buyer.

It didn't take me long to find land even cheaper than that. I zipped over there and it isn't a bad lot at all. Flat and bordering a big but nice house. There was something else there that might have been gambling, but still up in the air it matters not.

When The Lab announced the free island deal a couple of years ago (you didn't need to pay the purchase price, only the monthly tier) it was pretty much the end of mainland. You didn't have to think too hard to see that coming. The coffers most likely get filled better this way, but it is a shame to see historically viable lands -- ones I grew up with and on -- set adrift.

There was a rumor going around that The Lab might institute a new rule on the Marketplace where anyone selling over six items must have an inworld shop. Now this sounded like a fairly credible rumor, but even if it did come from "a Linden", that doesn't mean it would happen. There have been plenty of ideas -- especially those having to do with the Marketplace -- that have come and gone with only a little fist waving and a sigh or two.

I honestly think there is SOME merit in that idea. It would, in theory, help populate the mainland again since the best value is to pay premium for a year and get a free tier 512. Cost about $2 a month out of pocket for the year. I am not sure how those, like me, with a shop on group land would qualify. Maybe you would need to be an officer of the group?  My thinking really hasn't gotten that far. It is only a cognitive exercise after all, not a picture of the actual future.

There are plenty of things that need to be address in SL.

I just think that mainland shouldn't fall too far down on the list. It is a waste.


Outfit, see Thursday's post
Poses by: LAP (nla)

For Miss Fashion 2014 from AD Creations --- Tribute to Mozzillo.

This is a striking mesh ensemble seemingly made for photos :D.

A sure attention getter!

You can remove the chest rose should you be feeling minimalist. In a rare departure from my norm, I was not today *wink*. This was made for an event that took place the 23rd. Not currently in the shop, contact Aliza Karu for more info.

Skin: Rayna by Amacci

Pose by: the magic of SL freezing me in place artfully (who knows?)

The Collage is opening again. Here is a quick look at what you might find.  This corner house is really cute and designed as a shop.


Vintage shabby chic crafting.


Nothing is better than a hot bath after a long day. Well maybe "something" :D



Foodstuffs add realism -- and no calories.


A screened outdoor room let's you enjoy the warm weather WITHOUT the bugs.


A calm place for thoughtful contemplation. Gaze at the star pattern and repeat after me -----

 Three new (ish) releases make up this post.

Just out:

deviousMind's "A little Party never hurt Nobody!" which got me close to naked once again.

Vanity Hair's  Dreamsome; definitely fun and fantasy


And then we have the poses; perfect for this.


I was a VERY good girl and cleaned out my inventory today. You know what I found? Some (not so new by now) poses from Diesel Works.



Auto-accept is a wondrous thing but sometimes items get lost in the clutter. Check out the goodness -- you naughty gals.

Poses by: Diesel Works : Lola

Lazy day; feisty day (fighting with bureaucracy).

Either way, books are an escape. I love books for props and decor. You can pick these up as part of a gacha set at The Feeling. They come with touch on-off shadow (nice) and hale from Arcana Antiques & Oddities.

Along with books there are candles, a candelabra, a skull and ...


a reading nook with poses. ESCAPE! Here I come.


My outfit (sans undies) are parts of new releases from K-Code.  There are also similar jeans with bunched bottoms rather than cuffs. With many colors to choose from you can mix and match to your heart's content.

The building I am standing in is newly out from {theosophy}, the Nicholaston Skybox.  It boasts an open plan, gorgeous windows, an atrium style entry (doors don't open -- in the air, ya know) and texture change hud. A great space for entertaining (big dance area if you so choose) OR a very nice shop in the sky.  It has a 20 x 20 footprint and is 36 LI (yeah). If you were sneaky you could fit this on a 512 :D.


These radiators come with and while not available separately at the moment, they may be soon; I put in a vote for that just for you. Oh so cute they would be a great addition for your current abode should you not need a new one!


Hair once again from MINA
Poses by: Diesel Works

Need a bit of the exotic in your life? Hop on over to Mirage and pick up these nice outfits on the Arabian Nights 2 Hunt. Be sure and click the hint giver at the entrance of the store. You are looking for an Aladdin Lamp.

Some prim adjustments will likely be necessary. The lady's outfit comes with shoes but they are sized for babies (who knows). If you keep at it, you can get them to fit. OR there is always barefoot.

This is a 1 linden hunt. Both outfits are in one box.


Poses by: Diesel Works

Happy Earth Day!

Just out - an appropriate soil related product, Ripley Von D's Glowing Sand Castle.

This looks a bit like one of the Photoshopped photos, but it is not. This is a BIG castle!

Ripley and I go back a bit; he wasn't Ripley then and this wasn't the platform. We helped each other back then -- learning the very impressive but SO different tech.

Meanwhile I was very pleased to see Ripley's first SL product. It is very lovely using materials and with lots of options. The pack of goodness is vast with different ready-made castles to choose from including dark or light sand and high or low sand hill.


Now I don't have a sandy beach at MOSP, but I do have an underwater grotto. It looks right at home. You can tint the sand to better coordinate with whatever sand texture you are using.    There is no demo yet on the Marketplace, but you can come see the plainest (most realistic but not so much fun) version of the new release here. 


My dress is a pretty little thing; feminine and breezy it hales from SLC, the Airy Summer Tunic Dress. Perfect for hot day shopping or even over your swimsuit, it comes in a variety of styles.

Hair by MINA
Poses by: aDORKable

We are a bit of a motley crew this morning. The theme of this post is pose making, this week's Monday Meme. But, as circumstance would have it, a freebie post was in the works. Hence a duel duty photo shoot along with a brief overview of one good hunt. A nice gift is a bonus.

Now my lead photo holds NO comparison to Strawberry's, but that's OK. We had a good time; all got together (a rarity) and shared some reminiscent moments about Dove.

My pose is called "Doin Right" and is from February 16 2009. Like Strawberry  -- and I am guessing many old timer's -- Long Awkward Pose is at the top of my list. I still use them often and add the (nla) designation sadly. No longer available is not something I like to think about when LAP comes to mind. I grew up with Dove's poses; many freebies. I watched stores change, satellites come and go, and finally a carnival sim. Later the atmosphere turned to pastoral bliss. The poses were always great to try.

The group pose that I think of as the three monkeys (hear,speak, say no evil) was undoubtedly from a hunt. The Poop hunts (you were searching for doggie droppings with a pail and shovel -- still have those) were legendary LOL. Good stuff. Much fun.


I asked each of my gal friends to pick out a favorite LAP pose. We are all old, so we of course ALL have them!

Now I need to digress from poses just a bit (this is going to be a long post and since it took many many hours, I may call it "tomorrow's" post too) *wink*. Yesterday a long time friend of mine asked about a getting some new duds. This was a guy and one who seldom changes outfits, so I was thrilled that he felt some new wardrobe additions were in order.

Getting stuff for guys IS hard, especially free things. I did find a few items along the way and will show those off soon. He found a sweater he loved at a place he got a free group gift (see that giftie - shopping thing DOES works sometimes) and is happy. He also now understands (I am hoping) about ADD and alpha layers. I told you he doesn't update often.

Along the way, I found some new stuff for gals, which lead to a phone call and then the discovery of a hunt. I didn't pick up anything new (I mean I have SO much) but I enjoyed my time on the search and the lucky chairs and the boards and all. Old times remembered.

THIS outfit is from the Designer's Easter Hunt which started a few days ago. There are four stores with ten items each. We started at Sassy of course and that was a good plan as the eggs were big there and the store not huge. So between us, we found all the eggs. Bee is wearing a really pretty mesh camisole top and some metalic jeans (different prizes). The tattoo is one she found on the same hunt but at  Naughty & Nice.

Now even though the gals looked hard, they only found a few prizes there. The eggs were much smaller and colored, so that may have something to do with it. Each egg has a hint to the next egg, but a better plan is just to look around the stores; many of the hints don't make much sense and "may" actually go to an egg in ANOTHER store, not where you are. That was a bit confusing.


There are some nice things to be found at Edelfabrik. Three full outfits are part of the prize packs. Lots of undies too. This is a combo of two of the full outfits. SHOES are included, and these are especially cute. The top has a hud for the undershirt so you can change colors and sayings.

Pick up a notecard from the hunt poster to get all the landmarks.


Last up is Dee with a free dress from TuttiFrutti. Find it as you walk into the store.

[ LNS ] - LaNoir Soleil Designs had a great deal going on over the weekend. Alas it is over. A free gift card to use at the store. This hair came from there as well a Bee's. My alt got some new hair too!  Very nice with great color huds.

Even though that generous give away is over, you can get free hairs (pink and purple and the one black one Bee is wearing  --most likely there by mistake) in the ROW of lucky chairs here. There are also gifts to be had in the same area.

Now back to poses -

Part of the meme was to list our favorite posemakers. I too have lots of poses even though I go through each pack and delete ones that don't fit or that are so similar to another there is no point in having both.  Here are my favorites and the ones that you have no doubt seen I use most often.

Long Awkward Pose - long gone but definitely not forgotten.

Diesel Works - Great poses for guys, many free pose packs in the store -- usually one a month -- and some very creative work, makes this the number two slot on my list. If I am in a REAL hurry, I type in Julie to get some of my all time favorites.

aDORKable - I have a ton of aDORKable poses. Most I have gone through and are in categories like stances - glamour, girlie or natural. Others that came with props are still in sets. Still available on the marketplace, I was very sorry to see the creating cease. 



Poses by: Long Awkward Pose (nla)

I am not sure if this month's The Liaison Collaborative is super special or if it is just my romantic notions. Either way it works for me.  I can almost picture a rugged good looking guy pouring me a glass of wine as I gaze over the vineyard. Yes, it must be romance.

This gloriously textured food plank is from Pixel Mode. It was just SO beautiful I had to have it -- living now in Tuscany ya know.


It sits in its glory on a table with deco from 22769 ~ [bauwerk]. This is part of a BIG release for the event.

Tables, chairs and amphore (urn) are also part of the 22769 set. Other coordinating items are available.


When I first starting setting up the Tuscan Villa, I knew I wanted a vineyard. Alas my search lead me to sculpts and primmy ones at that. I couldn't afford the land impact.

To my VERY pleasant surprise, this round's offering from Botanical is a grape vine set. Two sizes (these are the longer version) on trellises as well as some single bushes are included.


They come with an easy to use hud to change the seasons. Posts and dirt can be visible or not on an individual basis. This is an outstanding value if you have anywhere to start a vineyard!


And if your dreams of the Italian countryside include a very large mansion, Barnesworth Annubis has you covered with his new release, Villa Siena. It comes with a roomy enclosed courtyard. This is the view from the back. Impressive.

One more post for The Feeling.

Words are the theme this round. Even if you can't read the painting in pink (I can! *wink*), it is very pretty. I'll let you use a translator to discover the meaning. It is one of the rare gacha items from [freebird].

My top is one of four off the shoulder number with sayings. This was definitely my favorite. "Dance the Dance You Dance - Don't Dance the Dance People Who Dance Dance". Love it. There are three other wordy choices in the hud pack. This is from the NS:: Cutie Store.

The colorful, Springy pinwheels are one of the offerings from DaD DESIGN.

Shorts by Decoy
Hair by MINA
Pose by: Diesel Works

The Liaison Collaborative has opened for April. New from BAIASTICE, a collection of  posh attire just right for Tuscany -- my vision of it anyway.

The Metallic Plisse Skirt and the Vena oversize sweater come in lots of great color combos so you can pick your favorites. Contrast or blend from a palette of hues.


Nearby at The Garden outdoor living is featured. Now there are a lot of folks not set up there yet, so you might wait a day or two and take it all in at once. Sway's however IS set up and you can find this Garrison Pergola along with lots of furnishings and decor.  I, of course being a details gal love the fruit, magazines and topiary the best.

click to enlarge

Oh wait!

I don't know HOW I forgot about the windchimes, but when I journeyed over to TLC this morning and heard them, I remembered.

These are just gorgeous. They turn in the breeze and sing. There are several colors with my favorite being berry, but this was a quick shot I took at the venue so I could update this page.

I can just feel that warm sun! Yes!

More on TLC coming up. It is GRAND this month.


Hair: The Hamptons by Vanity Hair
Poses by: Diesel Works