Chic at Phil's Place

Is it art? Well pretty close. I could easily hang this on my wall. And I just might!

From what I have seen it is going to be a fantastic time at The Arcade this round. So much goodness. NO trips to the coffee shop for many of you; gotta save those pennies and try your luck.


Out from {theosophy} , the Whoa Sweet Food Truck, Dude (yep, that is the official title). I definitely fell in love!   I even made a new street for the little guy, right next to the 22769 beer garden and the gym. Well you know those folks get hungry working out and competition is a GOOD thing *wink*.

Now not everyone has a place for the truck (three colors to be had), but if you don't I am sure you can find someone to take it off your hands.

In the meantime there are tons and tons of food items in various flavors and combos.

Tarts and waffles and fancy coffees (with bows no less) can be found at the I am guessing very popular gacha machine.

There are also some great restaurant supplies and I admit I took some over to the cafe to enhance the mood there.  Find napkin dispensers, syrup jugs and my favorite, a fork caddy.




Also in the fun food category we have breakfasts from around the world from Sway's. All look scrumptious and remember -- NO calories!  Each comes on a tray and reflects the style and palate favorites of the country it portrays. This is the one for the good old USA, blueberry pancakes and whipped cream with orange juice and coffee. Works for me.


One of the most fun trays in my mind is this coffee and cigarette duo which is themed as "somewhere". I have never smoked but I have had a few mornings in this theme :D. Fun.



Go forth. Enjoy!

It's Fifty Linden Friday and who knows what great items are waiting for us?

Well I know one -- or perhaps a collection would be more correct.


Party lanterns both on a string or on poles with a variety of colors (natural is shown here) can be yours on our happiest day of the week -- for many reasons. Lights are always on. You can change the size and light intensity in the build menu.

The place? {what next}

Go forth and party!

As you might guess, this was definitely a fun post to shoot.

Another great Arcade set -- this time from {what next}.  It's all about movement enhancements *wink*. 

My favorite is this unicycle with color change umbrella. Now the umbrella CAN be rainbow which would have been fun, but really how much color do we need in one post?    The duo set is one of the rares but you can win JUST the unicycle more easily.


These are wearable "vehicles" with great animations -- both moving and at rest.


I did a lot of riding around the different areas of MOSP this afternoon and it was much fun. There is also a kick scooter to be had.

Pick your favorite; close your eyes, make a wish and PULL!

My romper is a new release from Ducknipple. More on that in an upcoming post! 

Hair Nikky by MINA.

The Arcade opens soon; a time when many of you will be hitting that teleport button over and over until you get into the deep shade of gray with all the goodies to be had.

This month from BAIASTICE there are emoticons. Twenty-one in all with three rares, they can be heads or photo props or decor items. They can be anything you want them to be!

It didn't take me long to find the "me" in the group. I chose DAZED. I am a little dazed today but in a happy way. I finally (FINALLY) got Slink feet to work for me. I am not sure just why I had issues over and over, but today was the day I tried "one more time" to have things work.  Woot!

My hair is from a new color pack release from MINA for The Dressing Room.


Top: Ayiki
Shorts: Decoy
Pose by: Diesel Works

The World Goth Fair is winding down now. You still have a few more days to visit or revisit. Actually these quiet times are my favorite. Faster rezzing, emptier streets -- all lead to a more enjoyable experience in my book. I have never been a fan of lagfests, but each to their own.

As bloggers we sometimes sign up for official blogger status not knowing what to expect. Sometimes there are rules and criteria to follow and minimum blogage requirements et al. Sometimes we find ourselves in a position of feeling the need to blog without much -- well let's be honest, sometimes there just isn't anything we what to show our readers.

This event had NO rules, no requirements. It was a do your thing event. And you know -- it really worked out well. The designers sent so many things out that no one could blog everything -- well actually I suspect SOMEONE did (an over-achiever no doubt :D).

So hats off to the designers, crew and bloggers for making this an event of note.

In this photo:

:{MV}: She in Lavender Damask which comes with mesh gloves.
22769 ~ [bauwerk] Gothic Gazebo, very lovely and would work in other genres such as steampunk.

Hair by GARAGE (old)

Pose by: flowey

Svengraph - CC attib

 When and how did you discover Second Life? 

I learned about Second life in 2006 when some friends joined. I didn't venture over then but eventually made an account a year or so later. They were having a great time, so I figured I would give it a shot. 

    Did you know about virtual worlds before or was this your first experience with them?

First experience for me.

    Has Second Life met your expectations? 

 Since I had no expectations, it has exceeded them :D

    If you could teleport back to the first ten minutes of your avatar’s slife, what would you tell yourself?
Don't make your arms so long! While you can indeed reach things on the top shelf, those lengthy appendages are a bear with poses.

    How long did it take you to master avatar flying and driving vehicles inworld?

I flew easily from the beginning. I still cannot drive well. Boats seem to be better probably because they are slower.

    Do you have a mystery alt? 

Lani is the only alt I have made, as part a blogger challenge from Gogo long ago.

   Is your SL avatar a reflection of you, or someone you wished you could be? 

No, she is simply a modified Elliot shape from my first day.

   Is there an individual you met in SL that inspired you in your RL? How? 

None that come to mind.

    Do you feel it is easier to create stronger bonds/relationships with people you meet inworld as opposed to the real world? 

No

   Did you ever imagine or believe people could fall in love with someone they never met before Second Life?   

Yes, before virtual worlds we still had forums and email and phones. Whether that is "real love" I am not sure; certainly it can be fascination.

    How has your perspective of dating changed (or not) since you started playing second life?

It hasn't changed. 

    How has your perspective of employment changed (or not) since you started playing second life? 

That hasn't changed either :D. I have always believed that doing what you love to do because you love to do it is key -- in either world.

    Name three things in both your lives that overlap each other significantly. 

Creativity - Communication - Money

    If you could live your life more immersively in a virtual world, would you? (Kind of like the Matrix) 

Not really sure on that. I went to view the keynote address as well as other talks from the Virtual Reality Conference last week. High Fidelity, Phil's new child, wants to evoke more of a feeling of reality. Right now, however, there is so much gear involved in getting there (movement sensors etc.) that  it seem like it would be LESS immerse.

Interestingly enough that is a theme of a film I have in preproduction. Will it ever make it to the screen? Not sure. It is still roaming around in my head.

    How do you think behavior changes for people if they’re inworld vs in real world? Why do you think that is?

Some folks feel they can do anything because of the annonimity. This leads to some hateful and hurtful words. Happily that isn't typically part of my experience.

    How has second life consumerism changed your perception of spending habits, the value of money, the need to be “bleeding edge” with fashion?  

It hasn't. I am very much anti-consumerism in real life. Most folks have way more than they need or can use. Greed rules the world in many senses and in many places.

Long ago in my younger days the typist was more of a fashionista than now, but even then it was more about "style" than following the dictates of Vogue or Mademoiselle etc.

That being said, if a person can take their "coffee money" (personally I think buying coffee on a daily basis is a waste, but you get the idea) and turn that into lindens, shopping virtually and reaping the ego rewards -- then to me that is a better plan.

    Do you think virtual worlds like SL drive and redefine human interaction or do they narrow and limit it? 

Both.

    If technology progressed tomorrow to allow you to send emotions to people the way you’d send text or voice messages, would it enrich your SL experience or infringe on it?   

We don't need technology for that *wink*.

    Name three skills you attribute to having learned or honed in second life alone.

Photography - Design - Blender

    If your grand kids googled your Second Life Avatar’s name, would they be intrigued, disgusted, proud or something else? 

I think they would be proud of all that Chic has accomplished in the various areas of her virtual life.  They might also be a bit puzzled. Not everyone "get's it". We know that.

... at girls who wear glasses.

Do you think that is true?

Was it ever? Well maybe - LOL.

These lovelies are from AD Creations.  Lots of fun and definitely different (well I am NOT surprised), they remind us that rules CAN be broken.


Pose by: Diesel Works

This very pretty dress is a group gift ($10 fee) for May from Linealrise Design. Easy to find, there is a violet version on the Midnight board and a demo nearby. Lots of other print versions are out for sale.

Gazebo and furniture by Atelier Visconti at The Garden.

Pose by: A City Animations

It's Fifty Linden Friday!
 
I always check.

I sometimes buy.

Forever fun. 

Oh my! Oh my!


From Second Spaces two ways to make a statement. This is the longer version. The set comes complete with all letters as well as some fun accents.

Say Something!


And from Sway's for FLF, a cute add your own photo decor item.

It was nostalgic digging through my photo files!

Make some memories this week.

Keep them close.


And you don't want to miss this gorgeously made studio light from Consignment. On off light with lighting circle. A great photo prop, this can also just sit around looking impressive.

It has obviously been a Goth week or two. And while I am not a Goth Girl at heart, I definitely enjoyed the adventure and have some new items to add to my inventory. Actually most of the things I am keeping replace old staples (and sometimes I mean REALLY old). So a very good thing for us all.


This is a gorgeous coat from Dark Passions, the Alvira - Frock in Grey.  It arrived when my Goth folder was pretty well organized into "yes, I featured these" folders. I have to admit that after almost two weeks I was ready for some bright primary color.

But of course there IS a but. This is so beautifully made, it just had to be shown off. And it is also admittedly one of the garments I will most likely be wearing in the future.  I even put together an outfit to wear to a conference tomorrow. And yes, I did add a tank to that. We must have propiety -- well, sometimes.

So be sure and check out Dark Passions at the World Goth Fair as well as the main store. Now I have to admit I didn't really READ the blogger info at first. Yep, I know. We complain when it isn't in the box and then speed by it on our way to trying things out. Oh my!  But I did go BACK and read (points for that). This is a phenomenal price so bargain hunters will be happy too.

Of note is the excellence of weighting; almost perfectly natural -- about the best you can do with our virtual selves. It also comes in low resolution versions.




Hair by MINA


Poses by flowey

Now this is definitely a lovely photo.  I think I am a pretty good now-and-then Goth gal *wink*.

All of course can be found at the World Goth Fair. 

Skin: Jalwa - Celine - Exclusive Purple
Body Jewelry: Sax Shepherd Designs Desclos Pentagram set
Prop:  .::[Angelic Designs]::. [Nevermore] Fantasy Raven Cage

Hair by GARAGE (old)


Pose by: Diesel Works

May has been a whirlwind, no question about that. Here are two more not to be missed items from popular May venues.

* 22769 Pygar Wings (copper - rare) from the Fantasy Gacha Carnival. Wonderful baked ambients give a sense of depth.

* Senzafine .:SF:. "Aconite" Mini Skirt and "Belladonna" Blouse in sepia from the World Goth Fair. The top has SO many lovely details and texturing.

Colors abound for both items.

Hair: EMO-tions
Pose by: Amacci

Still in catch up mode -- especially after a four hour enforced morning off -- what on earth was happening today;  a very long time for the grid to be down -- at least in recent history.

So I give you a quick but very clear shot of one of the items you can find at The Feeling.

Find it on the cart from **BN designs**.


Hair by Amacci
Pose by: aDORKable

So many sides to Goth gals; so many places to shop at the WGF.  These photos were taking in a mystical garden in Cursed.

This is a timely dress from lassitude & ennui; look for the Mystic dress. Simply lovely, it has arcane symbols within the fabric. They seem to magically appear actually -- and that is fitting. I added the slightly macabre but beautifully made necklace and earrings from Bliensen + MaiTai . The Mano release comes in various colors. This is the silver version.


Skin: *Atomic Faery* Dark Fae Skins - Female - Ash from WGF
Hair: by GARAGE (very old)


Poses by: aDORKable

For the bloggers in the audience, there is a new contest on the horizon. Fame, glory and some lindens can be yours if -- you are good at and with a history of featuring home and garden items.

Now I know we have all be disappointed in some contests in the past. And I cannot guarantee that you will be happy with the winner this time *wink*. But I can guarantee that this is not one of those "ringer" contests. That's because I am one of the judges.

So check out the info on this page. There are some great designers with goodies for you, and a fun challenge. It is a little like the Hot Shot contest I was in long ago but WITHOUT that two hour time limit (definitely one of my more stressful virtual moments).

Here is the page with the info. 

I look forward to seeing your work.

I have been hanging out in mysterious Gothland a lot lately. And while that has been an enjoyable adventure, it is time to get a little sunshine and color into The Blog.

My dress is a lovely gift from -Pixicat- on the Nouveaux Hunt II, a small sim hunt with a pretty locale and easy to find gifts.

My poses are also from that hunt.

They come with a super cool hud, something I have not seen before.

Now when I first get poses I always click through to find out which fit, but I can see that this would be VERY handy in the field when you know there is a pose you want in that set but can't remember the number.

Impressive.



My lead photo show two releases for The Garden. I showed you the A.V. Adria Gazebo in a previous post, but let's be honest here -- it was hard to see - LOL. You know that darkness can get to you after awhile. So here in bright sunshine is the gazebo. It can be purchased separately as well as in a group release of the set. Look for the Atelier Visconti booth.

Now the bright colored (and coordinating - woot) decor items are from Second Spaces at the same venue. These can be purchased separately also OR as a linked object. Lots of fun!

One more item for show and tell is something that many of you have, a recent group gift from GOS.

These shoes come with "nylons" in various shades. Now I have to admit I wasn't ALL that smart and was having a time getting the shoes to match the stockings. Well you OF COURSE need to tint the feet to match your legs. Well, really that seems SO obvious after the fact. These are lovely and I so thank Berry's "group" meme for turning me on to the GOS group.


Hair by Truth (very old)

A great new hair release from !Saltgrass!  ( Ballina ) meets two additional bits of newness from The Feeling for a sleepy post.

Ballina comes in two sizes and a variety of multiple color huds. This is long, layered and slightly messy -- perfect for many occasions including sleeping.

My night mask is a rare gacha item from [ free bird ] at The Feeling as it the pretty silky top with many intricate cutouts in back.  There are MANY texture choices of this top from Mag 3.B.


Pose by: Beehive

My favorite of the three WGF sims is Sium.  I love the swamp trees, the arches, the glow lamps, the underbrush.


In this post, some personal favorites.

* Hair: [LNS Designs] SYLVIE
* Skin: *Atomic Faery* Dark Fae Skins - Female - Ash
* Necklace: House of Rain All Depths of Despair necklace - silver
* Corset: adoness: hekate: corset S: aurora
* Jeans:  Ҝįтαş Şįđεşнøώ Skinny Jeans Purple
* Accessory (couldn't get a good photo but check it out; much fun): ::Squeek!:: Bat garther (black+silver)


Poses by: Everglow and LAP (nla)

There is much to see at the World Goth Fair and you don't need to be "pale" to enjoy. Well, it helps *wink*. Still, even though that is not my norm (ya know - jeans, dirt, overalls, boots) it is lots of fun to cross over to other genres.

Here are a few more of the items to be found.

* *~*Damselfly*~*Declan Non-Rigged Mesh
* The Dark Fae Jarlight (gacha rare)
* Tights, skirt and tank all from ~SongBird~  (sold separately)
* Amacci  skin (not part of WGF)


Goth girls apparently like color as much as the next gals!  I decided to go for purple in a mix and match outfit from lots of creators.

* Hair: *~*Damselfly*~*Octotavia
* Skin: Silken Moon Pewter Witch
* Tights: ~Cannibelle~ Goth Stripe Tights - Dark Purple
*  Boots: .:Whims & Wishes:. Wrath Onyx

My mesh camisole is a new release from BAIASTICE for COLLABOR88 which just goes to show that it is something most anyone can add to their wardrobe *wink*.


Poses by: flowey, Everyglow, LAP (nla), aDORKable (MP),

The brand new -- 24 in all -- SL avatars were just released (May 15, 2014).  How do they stack up to the avatars we have known for the past decade?  I take you with me on my adventure and first impressions. Photos as I type.

The official SL announcement let us know that change is here. While the blog posts suggest that you need the "latest Second Life Official Viewer", any fitted mesh viewer will do. Since I had just updated FS a few days ago, I was set. 

I found the AVATAR button which let me cycle through the choices. Personally I thought the photos of the fellows looked a lot better than the gals, so I picked the guy at right who -- to me -- looks a lot like Keanu Reeves (insert small panting gesture and sound here). 

I logged in Lani so she could try a female avatar. To my amazement the proportions were very different. Now Lani isn't a petite gal by any means, but she is short by SL standards (6 feet). Our guy appears to be a very average size based on real life -- definitely something to note.

The first thing I noticed about  -- let's call him Kean, shall we? --  was that the clothing was leaps and bounds (BIG bounds) ahead of the typical "newbie" garb of recent editions. Materials were evident and his hands especially looked extremely nice.



My first question as a fashionista and a mesh designer was "how is this going to look for folks who can't or choose not to run with Advanced Lighting on?  The answer is pretty damn good. Lots of clapping from me for the excellent and smart use of those extra material layers. 

It isn't very obvious from these UNRETOUCHED photos, but as you would suspect, this being fitted mesh -- there is that "layer of air" thing going on. Better for the fellows than the ladies; most of us spend hours at the gym getting our bodies in svelte shape. What? You didn't know that? 



The new avatars come naked (yes very naked but without manly extras of course -- there is that fitting issue with clothes. 

And let's talk about clothes!

Texture clothes no long work. Rigged mesh (the standard variety) no longer works primarily because alpha layers no longer work. What does that give us? Well pretty much a divided fashion industry. I can either throw about 10,000 items away (most likely more) and start over  -- or?  

It wasn't difficult to see this coming. The back end of the Marketplace listings has recently had a section added on the listing page with check boxes " Clothing works with -- classic avatars -- mesh avatars" along with info on what brand of mesh avatar and the URL where people could buy that matching mesh avatar.  A few weeks ago I was thinking that in a couple of years we would all be a new kind of doll. That may happen sooner than I suspected. 

I decided I wanted to try one of the female avatars. Looking though the selection, I couldn't find as many as advertised. Then I discovered there are twelve new VAMPIRE avatars. Now I knew that was a popular genre, but not that favored. The classic avatars are also represented on a third tab.


I honestly didn't like any of the female avatars, but this one was the best in my opinion.

She comes naked also, no  modesty garments that appear on what will now be known as the classic avatars.  

There are no nipples or other feminine details. I personally think it is extremely sexist to allow nipples on guys and not gals.

While in female garb I discovered that current fitted mesh -- items made for the classic avatars using the standard sizing models will not work with the new SL mesh avatars. 


There is one bright spot in your inventory. HAIR seems to work just fine, both current rigged and long ago far away items that might be lingering in the bottom of your closet. So hair makers have nothing to worry about!

The new SL mesh avatars are a huge step forward and will likely entice more players into the "game". Assuming that The Lab will release these default avatar meshes into the wild (creative commons license perhaps) there is a whole new industry to be born.

Here are a few more details worth noting.

* Animation emotes and emote huds no longer work.
* Hands are very open and while they look good in the pose above, the female ones will be problematic with many poses.
* Skins of course could be much more finely rendered with more details.
* Shoes as in clothes will need to be made for the different avatars.
* Some of the bare feet on the women are terribly ugly; Kean looks good. I did not check them all. 
* You can change your shape by wearing a different one; however it does NOT change the head. You can definitely be taller or bustier or fatter than the default.


The long time pose problem areas have not been fixed; in fact it seems like they may be worse.

On the plus side clothes for the new avatars can be interchanged. Here the Delilah avatar is wearing the Marissa Bustier.
I will say that the fitted mesh garments for the gals do a better job fitting closely than I have seen in general on the current fitted mesh for classic avatars. A good sign.  

Once you try on the avatar, those wardrobe items appear in your inventory. Find them in the top layer in your CLOTHING folder (see screenshot below).

If you try on a character a few times, you will have multiple folders with the same items. So be neat and spiffy up that inventory when you are through playing.



Imagine.

This is just the beginning.

If the new mesh avatars that come with the viewer for the new folks look this good --

the possibilities are endless,

simply because we have some of the most talented folks around that are intent on making us look the best we can.




Poses by: Diesel Works

It is mid month and along with the opening of The World Goth Fair which you HAVE to know about by now, we have The Feeling where the theme is "The Night" AND The Garden from TLC with the theme "Riviera".  

Put them all together and you have this photo!

Dress: BEPPIN!PROVOCATIVE COTTON from The Feeling
Backdrop: Atelier Visconti Adria Gazebo set



Moonlight and warm summer breezes. I am almost there!

Atelier Visconti items can be purchased as a set or separately. There is a color change menu for the pad and pillow fabric of each chase.

Skin: Jalwa - Celine WGF (more in an upcoming post)
Hair: old (nla)

Poses by: Diesel Works

The World Goth Fair opens tomorrow.  Not only are there items for Goth girls and guys, there are plenty of crossover items. Here are a few.


* Hat: Ҝįтαş Şįđεşнøώ {KS} Seeing Death Hat - Purple

* Skin: *Atomic Faery* Dark Fae Skins - Female - Ash
* Jewelry: [LNS Designs] IRON CROSS NECKLACE - PURPLE
* Outfit: DemotiK Corset top babydoll S - Purple w panties and leggings


Hair: eXxEsS : MILADA (new release; not part of WGF)
Boots: lassitude & ennui Phoebe Boots
Neon Angle by [hate this]

Poses by: aDORKable, HelaMiyo

Difficult to believe there was NO post processing in this shot.

Out from AD Creations for the World Goth Fair a very striking and detailed ensemble. These are the donation pieces so get some drama in your life while giving something back.


Skin by Silken Moon also for the event.

Pose by: aDORKable