Chic at Phil's Place

Ready for some hunting? Try the Storaxtree furniture and decor hunt starting tomorrow!

SUMMER SUN Hunt July 1 - July 31
25 exclusive items - these items will not be available again.
1 L  ( one linden) per item

Nooooo -- this post has nothing at all to do with SL 2.0, but it might make you smile.

A RL friend of mine sent me this WITH the title quoted above. It was good to know that my thousands of hours spent blogging were worth something in someone's eyes. Yes, I am laughing.

Really I would be quite happy with five million LINDENS!

And who knew that Chic at Phil's had a site in Germany (or .de anyway). Mostly likely all blogger sites do and I just didn't know.



Anyway, my post of the day. Fun and easy.

New from Ducknipple, the Fuka School Uniform with hud. Lots and Lots of colors to choose from, the top and skirt can be worn separately and in different hues if you so choose.



Out today for The Neighborhood, Val's Fort from Cheeky Pea.   A short list of animations include ones for couples.


Hair NLA


Poses by: the fort

Here are some more great releases from the Summer Fashion Festival.

*  .::WoW Skins::. Azzurra Darktan (other tones available - many appliers)
* B&W - DIVINA Sunglasses - SFF2014 (Exclusive) I SO LOVE THESE!
* Rir Hibiscus Bikini (really gorgeous textures with just the right amount of silky shine)

Hair by MINA

Pose by: Everglow

Summerfest 2014 just opened as I type. It is of course full and I am a patient gal. So by the time you read this, it will likely be smoother sailing.

The poses shown here are from the festival,  "flowey . the water is fine" set. These are wonderful additions to your pose collection; perfect for swimming and of course MERMAIDS!  The poses come in two heights which is handy if you don't want to deal with pose balls or can't rez where you are taking photos.


My attire includes the BAIASITCE Caprice Monokini, also available at Summerfest. Lots of yummy colors to choose from, of course.


This retro swim cap is from Vanity Hair and can be found at the Summer Fashion Festival. It is tintable via hud into any color you need. I had a swim cap similar to this in my youth. I was VERY proud of it! 

Poses by: flowey

Bliensen + MaiTai's - Gustav hat is a show stopper.  Earrings come with the set but I didn't want to detract from the lines of this lovely headpiece.

Find it at Art in Hats! 


If you need a new partnering dress, the ...:::Beautiful Dirty Rich:::... Summer Nights maxi dress is perfect. Not only that, it is the BDR gift at the Summer Fashion Festival.

Wait, there's more. It comes with a pattern changing hud in four color combos. Now? Go!




Poses by: VAIN (nla)

Now those of you with social connections, are Firestorm users or just hang around the forums a lot probably know by now that The Lab is (has been) working on a new version of Second Life. The populous has named it SL 2.0 but that is not the official name. There is likely no real official name.

There has been a lot of conjecture, alarm and whining on the threads, mostly from folks that did no research at all about anything OFFICIAL or listened to the "leaked" audio file that started the whole disclosure plan.

I am in a wait and see mode on the new world. If MOSP will be there then likely I will. I might not be making content as I have no idea what the TOS and content creator terms will be, but "someone" will definitely be checking it out, if not Chic.

MEANWHILE to hopefully dissuade some of the misinformation circling like vultures,  I am going to paraphrase what Ebbe Linden just posted on the forums. You can find the original text on page 52 of this thread. 

So here is a bit of info on what the New World will be like:


* What will be transported over (in all likelihood):

Mesh OK
Animations (complete change)
Sculpts (TBD)
Scripts (all new)
Textures OK
Prims (TBD)
Avatars will be radically improved (TBD)

* The TOS will not be an issue in the porting over of your goods. [My comment: Hence the TOS of August last.]

* Currency will remain the same and you will be able to transfer between worlds.

* Identity and friends will be preserved. Inventory will be determined in part by what will transfer over.


A big thanks to Ebbe Linden for clearing up some questions!

Tropical scenes are most always romantic. Warm breezes, cool waters, the smell of plumeria and orchids ....

From BLUE COUTURE for the SUMMER FASHION FESTIVAL 2014 --  MY HAWAIIAN HAT. Taxi.


Also from the festival, the .:TBOHome:. Acuatic lounge with fire pit. Four couch - bed - loungers circle the conversation area. The central wooden area offers plenty of space for food and other accessories.



And -- if you need some coordinating sandals, the  Whitsundays' Resort Sandals from Eclectica can be found at L'accessories!  Lots of other pretty colors these can be rezzed as decor; they weigh in at a mere 1 land impact each and fit Slink flat feet.

And then there's that serendipity thing.

I had a mini computer meltdown today. Along with a series of unassisted reboots, I ended up losing my pinned tabs. There was a new sim opening that looked outstanding and I lost the link. By the time I got back 32 pages in iheartsl's archives I found the post. Then a brief search and I found the sim. More on that soon.

Along the way I kept seeing this phone. Now these were prerelease photos from lucky bloggers on the floorplan review copy list, and they DID peek my interest. I finally found a reference to the phone (amazing how that can be) and then looked up the event.

Kustom9 definitely snuck in under my radar.  This is a gacha and while I am not a gacha gal I decided that many of the colors available would work for me. Happily I got gold which was close to the top of my list. It is now proudly sitting in Cafe 51. Since I am interested in details I check out the LODs (very good) and the land impact (1). Hard to beat for sure. The rares are Doctor Who type phone booths but I am very pleased with my vintage pay phone.

My color coordinating dress (I was already wearing it while shopping) is the exclusive item for the Summer Fashion Festival from LAVAROCK CREATIONS \m/ . The SUMMER TIME DRESS comes with a photo hud with MANY color and fabric combos.

My glasses which I can't seem to take off are from B&W at the same venue.

Hair: MINA
Nails: Flair

Poses by: EveryGlow

This is post two on this topic. Post ONE is here. 

There is an update post here.  Read this first though - LOL. It IS a sequence.

Up early yesterday, I took Lani over to The Mesh Project shops. From the traffic number in search, it had been a very busy day there. Indeed there were forty or so avatars at a VERY early hour. So many in fact that when Lani returned to pick up the heels and try a demo head, the huds weren't working. Still, I learned quite a bit more to pass along.


This is an example of the styling hud which shows all the items you are wearing. Pick the height of foot from the menu. Skin color chosen in one  body layer changes all the skin parts (hand, feet, body) but unfortunately takes the body back to wearing underwear, so there is a separate step to get those garments off. Best to choose your body color from the torso icon.

Since body fat needs to be 0 in order to wear you SL default avatar head, Lani would need a mesh head or a permanent collar or scarf  (she found a cute little scarf hiding in her inventory and is set) :D. 

Hands and feet sizes are suggested to be 40 when you change your shape. Lani had to make many more changes to her shape to get it looking like her familiar self; still all very doable. The 40 size didn't work well for her though and somewhere around 60 seemed to fit her body shape.



It takes a bit of practice to get used to the styling hud (and the shopping hud too) but it works quite nicely and seems to be well thought out with room for expansion.



These are the current designers working with The Shops. There is an area to click to learn more, or apply on the website here.

A little addendum here :D.  

I received an automatic update on the dress late today; a nice touch.

On the top of my "needs" for this product is a body with undies only and no bra. I sat down today early (thank goodness) for a meeting. Oh my! LOL



Poses by: aDORKable, Amacci

Out slightly late to the Genre party as I understand it, !dM deviousMind's "Arabesque" encompasses both romance and seduction. There are plenty of colors to choose from. I picked teal. The textures are gorgeous with just the right amount of shine to be convincing.This is a FITTED mesh garment. Flat gals like me will need to endow themselves a tad *wink*.


 My armband hales from .aisling. at the Tales of Fantasy Gacha event.

 There are many pieces to collect, in silver as well as gold.



The TOF venue is quite impressive with materials in evidence so turn on that advanced lighting if you can.

It is a rich and rewarding shopping experience!





Hair by eXxEsS
Nails by FLAIR
Poses by: LAP (nla)

I took a trip over to The Mesh Project (The Shops) last eve. I heard there were free mesh bodies there. Free is good. We like free. Gratis is also a very powerful marketing tool. Score one for smartness.

The project is listed as being in beta. The very high contrast minimalist white room is striking. It took me a little while to figure out I needed to go to the workroom to find the free body parts (body, feet, hands). Bare, low and mid high feet are available from you STYLING HUD (an integral part of the process.)  You seemingly buy vouchers for shopping, no direct sales. Not too sure how I feel about that part of the equation. If things get to the Marketplace that system won't apply of course; but maybe the plan is NOT to join the Marketplace -- an interesting thought in itself. There is a Terms Of Service that you need to OK in order to shop. I of course READ it :D.


I spent a fair amount of time getting the body to look as much "like me" as I could. While there are many skin tones available in the hud, there was nothing the least bit close to my everyday skin. I found the closest body color to it I could and then went looking in my inventory for a possible close match in skin.

You can of course buy a mesh head but I am kinda fond of the me that has been with me for six and a half years. It does look like "tinting" may be in the works and that would be a big help. A blender layer might also be needed. I am guessing you could make your own if you have some basic skills: I may try that. Meanwhile I have a collar on! [Later note: thanks to a reader I found the blender tattoos for the head. They helped some but I still really need to wear a choker :D  There is also a slight transparent seam when I wear my legacy avatar head. ]

I did a lot of testing and my general feeling is that this is a very nice mesh body. I tried the popular "now no longer available" mesh body demo a month or so ago. I found some very obvious seams and further investigation halted. This body is nice and smooth with what looks like materials for sublte skin glow. Nope. A quick test showed me that this looks just as good without advanced lighting on. A plus!

There are a few problem areas (beta remember). There is an area in the lower back that breaks out on many poses. Happily a lot of the typical default avatar problem pose areas are greatly improved. My thinking is that this body is easier to use if you are a light skinned gal. The palms of the hands are noticeable too light compared to tan skin, at least in my estimation. I suspect that lighter skin has no issues.

I couldn't get my calves all that shapely. You need to have 0 body fat if you are using your regular head, but getting my buttocks and bust down to my normal size (lowering the sliders from my normal shape was necessary) was easy enough. I do think there are possibilities here.


There is a very nice free (donation) dress with color change hud as well as shoes (you'll need to by the mid high feet for those). And that leads me to the best news. The dress fit perfectly to MY body shape. Photos in the shop suggest it would fit as well on my alt who is a chubby gal (I'll get her over to try that soon). Imagine garments really fitting!  Many do for me, but I know that isn't the case for everyone.

Lots of folks have been waiting for  Avatar 2.0 to appear. Since Ebbe announced a couple of days ago that The Lab is currently working on a whole new platform (a year or two in the future for an unveiling date) it is very unlikely that we will see that happen. Energies will no doubt (and reportedly are already) going to the new closed platform world.  For better or worse it looks like we won't be getting tons of official support. But after all that is what all our great content creators provide.

Other mesh bodies are in the works too I hear. If wearable bodies become popular it will be a whole new clothing world. There will of course be room for the current products. Not everyone is going to want to give up their very expensive wardrobes.

There is a future coming round the bend. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

More adventures tomorrow.


Hair by MINA
Poses by: Diesel Works

There is something romantic about island living. Caribbean, Mediterranean or South Pacific are my top picks.  The nights are warm and beckon us towards the seas.

An exclusive release for the Summer Fashion Festival, Terra from GAALL& MOONSHADOW is a complete long skirted set including jewelry and Slink mid sandals. Taxi.


When I tried this on, I immediately went searching for some Discord Designs braids. I found a most likely discontinued by now hair that I purchased three years ago. Still a great style and a fitting look.

Just as I was getting ready to take this shot amidst palms and sands,  Sway's [Pantai] Beach Hut arrived. I of course had to unpack it.  You can find it at TLC which has the theme this month of Bali -- perfect for summer.  A beach set is also available.


Skin: Akeruka Manuela Tan MK4

Poses by: Diesel Works

Hot nights. City streets. What's a girl to do?

Frozen treats are always good and being color coordinated with the cart is a plus.

The .: LIKE DESIGN :. Country Belt Dress comes in a variety of summery colors and is beautifully textured for up close and personal viewing. Find it at the Summer Fashion Festival. Taxi.


If you are good little shoppers you recognize this ice cream cart -- well it roots anyway. This is the newly updated version of the popular {what next}  Sandbridge Ice Cream Cart. It is now pink and green and boasts lots of accessories as well as temp rez frozen goodies via dispenser.


Hair by MINA
Nails by FLAIR
Pose by: aDORKable

SL11B opens to the public tomorrow, the 22nd.  As always there is plenty to see.


A little art, a smidgen of education, a spot or two for resting and lots of music and presents; there is something for everyone.


I wandered around on press day with no real plan. One of my favorite spots was A little Dream of Italy -- a wonderfully calm resting spot away from the visual cacophony that is the birthday bash.


The stage builds are often the stars of the show. Here at the Astonish Live stage that holds true.


There is even a spot where you can voice your ideas for change. Interestingly enough it is very close to the Linden Gift Vendors where you can pick up your robot and bear.


There are plenty of gifts to be had this year, more than in the past it seems. I didn't go out looking for presents but found many on my quick fly bys. Shown here is a Chinese Ruan from Haiku  with very nice animation that I picked up at the Wonderous Gift Area (look for a large gold rectangular gift box). Many gifts are out including a Sway's Birthday Bear and a commemorative KittyCat.

The outdoor dining set was a gift from a little Dream of Italy (see above). It is one of the many hunt gifts you can find this year.


A much easier than last year hunt experience awaits you. Pick a trail and walk the streets. I am guessing you could even pick up a pod (available right where you pick up your SL11 bear) and hunt from the ease of your vehicle.

Starts:

Northern Trail: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Beguile/9/23/22

Southern Trail: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Fascinate/64/219/22

Eastern Trail: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Spectacular/193/234/22

Western Trail: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Spellbound/50/18/2

There is plenty to see and lag as always will be a problem (hence no super sharp or shadowy photos of the event here). So turn down your draw distance and any other graphics extras you don't need. 

Mark you calendars for tomorrow when Summerfest '14 begins.  With a long list of talented creators it is sure to be a bounty of excellent new releases.



From BAIASTICE, the Freedom Bikini (one of two new releases) which boasts some very special detailing.


And here is a nice clean shot so you can see the actual suit.


My earrings are from Bliensen + MaiTai , the Queen Bee Earbees. Find them along with a coordinating hat at ..... Art in Hats of course.


Pose by: Beehive

The Summer Fashion Festival opens today. Each merchant has an exclusive item as well as a gift. Taxi.http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ArisAris/90/129/24

This is the exclusive item from ArisAris, the My Moment Dress. It also comes in deep pink and cobalt. Both regular sizing (shown here) and fitted mesh are included in the pack. Sizes run true.
 

Find the strawberry ice creams and reap your rewards ($1 or $0). 

Gachas are also in evidence. So prepare to have some fun.


The Festival lasts until July 6.




These sandals are a new release from lassitude & ennui (est. 2005). Find the Fey sandals for Slink mid feet at the main shop in lots of pretty gradient pastels including gray.

Nails from FLAIR (217)
Hair from Vanity Hair (Flawless)


Pose by: aDORKable

This breathtaking hat is part of the Arts in Hats 2014 event.  The maker? AD Creations. Look for the  [AD] Mind flying mesh hat.

Really not much more to say.

Ah, yes there is! The skin I am wearing is the GIFT from ::TnO:: for the Summer Fashion Fair opening the 20th.  Each booth will have a gift as well as an exclusive item. More on that when the fair opens; this just seemed like a perfect pairing. Several choice of this marble skin as well as a light blue skin are in the pack.


Tara marble no cleav smoky

Pose by: beehive

This is my last official Fashion For Life Post -- number 16 if my count is correct.  I type this up on my building platform, as the sims get restarted to open. That was over a week ago of course. The small miracle of blog post scheduling.



It has been a whirlwind few days -- especially considering that those sixteen posts were not the only info with pics appearing on my blogs. This may just have been a record blogging session for me. It was indeed fun.


I hope you have enjoyed the event, the gachas and the Passport excursion. Another festival is on my day planner starting Monday, so a day off is a great option. As I chose my braids for this post, I noted that Hair Fair isn't too far away. I have decided not to apply for early entry, letting perhaps one of the new folks on the block take my spot and have my adventure. It isn't time to pass the torch yet, but I really don't need to post on everything that is happening.

In this last pictorial, some exceptionally nice FFL items.

* * Mon Cheri * Isis earrings (texture change hud)
* !!smesh ~ Mesh Jumpsuit (texture change hud) nicely loose and comfy. The FFL location is not in my vendor list but here is the main store.
* Flair Slink nails in patterns - set 216
* Eclectica 'Bohemian' Salon Slippers for Slink flat feet.



Hair by Discord Designs

Poses by: aDORKable, Diesel Works

Fashion For Life releases include:

* Redux! (main store) FFL Exclusive Color "Journey to the East" Dress
* Redux! - World Traveller Passport Bag - Brazil (gacha item)
* Bliensen + MaiTai (main store) - Earrings (texture change)
* Center Ville Skin - Aimi in Tea (see this post)





Hair NLA
Poses by: aDORKable