Chic at Phil's Place

It's the last day of May and your last chance to visit Wonderlands at LEA6. There are plenty of great photo op spots here. This is my personal favorite. It is a journey and a mystery -- and it disappears this evening sometime I am guessing.

My outfit releases SATURDAY from EMO-tions. The Mimi set comes with many layers of mix and match pieces which give you a variety of looks -- demure and Victorian to racy. The frilly pants work very well! Yeah. The Daphne hair is an elegant updo with tendrils draping from the sides and back. My collar is an oldie and no longer available.

Pose by: aDORKable

This week's new shape from $10 Shapes is Robbie and all I can say is wow!  At 6 feet 6 inches she is working her way into model territory and the word sultry comes to mind.  You can also purchase on the Marketplace.

Shown here with last week's new release from EMO-tions, Demonica, Robbie conforms to standard sizing S which gives you a better chance at a good fit. Curious, I tried on some mesh garments and some fit perfectly as an "S" some did not, some needed an "M". If you wear a lot of mesh, you know how it goes. Still she is quite lovely. I used a skin from Soulglitter -- *Soulglitter* Skin Lea naturelle smoky eyes as well as blue-black eyes from the same shop. This is part of an avatar pack which includes various shapes, an AO and some PHYSICS for -- it seems -- how much you want your breast to bounce. I had never seen that icon before and so it is a bit of a mystery to me. Being a pretty breastless gal, I didn't worry about it, but still -- interesting.

Lea is free (refund) for 48 hours on the marketplace. There are lots of versions of skin and prim eyes included. This is an especially good deal if you are new or if your alt is in need of a makeover :D. The shapes that come with the Lea pack are no mod.




And here is the Robbie vendor close up with Akeruka Alba skin.

My hair in the lead photo is Raina from Alli&Ali.

Apologies if this hits the feeds twice; Blogger reverted it to draft and took it off my blog. Who knows what's up these days. Lots of issues.

There is lots of news over at Amarelo Manga . Mesh goodies galore! While not everything fit me (gotta love that picky mesh), many things did and I am going to show you a few of my favorites. At the top of the list are the Sarouel pants, these in tobacco. Now I admit that I had to work a bit to get these to fit me perfectly, but it was worth it. My waist was a bit too thick and not wide enough. Happily sliders took care of that. I added some of my favorite jewelry now in a folder called "casual ethnic" *wink* and some standby neutral wear; I have a great outfit.


I love rompers and my latest inventory cleaning ( I've made it into shoes now) left me with only one oldie, so this great mesh romper fills in for those departed.

It comes with both gold and silver belts. I will most likely add something more colorful and ethnic like the belt from a bikini I featured last week.



Poses by: Helamiyo (geometry set)









This is the Summer Tunic in orange over the Skirt Fall in blue.

Bracelets are from RH Engel Jewelry, one of the Southwestern bangles from some time ago.

There are some striking, dark blue jeans that fit me perfectly and some cute shorts, similar in style to the romper bottoms. So my summer wardrobe is underway.

Stop by the shop to see all the 

And I am really, really looking forward to summer!

A quick morning update on the Men Only Hunt 2 finds big improvements, yeah!

Lots of guys out hunting and many of them new, and I do mean really, really new *wink*. So I am guessing this hunt made it to the destination guide. Good for the organizers. And, a big gold star to those same organizers who NOW have the names of the stores by the hints in the SLURL list. That helps immensely. 

As you can see not everything is really ONLY for guys. I do admit that I had to adjust my shape a bit for these great pants from n-creation to fit. Same actually for Chav (below). The new guys  that I spied out hunting will not find these working for them. Short, chunky folks need not apply. But really, really nice jeans from one of my favorite stores? I am a happy gal.  My bracelet is an oldie, also from n-creation -- not a plan, just part of an often worn outfit I had on when I started this post.

Also, for those of you still in home and garden mode, I spotted some prefab vendors on my way to the clothes store. So if you have always loved the n-creation build, you can have something similar. This may not be a new addition; I hadn't visited in awhile. Still, good to know.

Poses by: Diesel Works, Vista Animations

As you may have noticed, I took today off. But that doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention :D. So here are a couple of thoughts about the state of the blogging community.

First of all, a big thank you to all the designers that send me what I think of as "goodies". These are the guys that have their own blogger groups and especially those that send out review copies from time to time MANUALLY. You know what manually means? It means that they actually thought about who they wanted to send their designs too. I really do appreciate being on your lists.

Secondly, the feeds seem to be in a very messy state of late. Many are not "feeding". It is obvious that someone must have posted SOMETHING between when I check in the morning and mid afternoon. Some aren't even accessible. I am giving those in seemingly dire straights some time and then if they don't show back up deleting them from my sidebar. It is likely that the owners of the feeds aren't the problem, but keeping on top of things is always good.

And thirdly, and this with thoughts of events coming up in the future (Hair Fair, yeah!) -- Bloggers, if you don't have the time to actually BLOG an event then signing up as press is actually a lie. And blogging six hours shortly before an event ends DOESN'T COUNT!!!! So think about that before you ask to be on an early entry or blogger review copy list. Some of us work mighty hard to publicize worthwhile venues. Think about commitment; it is a good noun.

One last thing. Awhile ago someone posted about a "pay it forward" challenge. I didn't opt in at the time,  but I would like to send out a special thanks to Chandra, who in actually is my only designer friend (well there is Sami but she is a friend who happens to design :D). Chandra and I met long ago when I spent most of the day grabbing goodies from her Lucky Christmas boxes and over the years we have kept in touch. We chat about mostly nonsensical things, but it is nice to know that there is someone out there in the ethers that you will never meet but still feel connected to. And how many folks have friends who actually makes a whole outfit for the color "patriarch"? LOL.

That's it. Back soon.

There's a party going on at Cynful, celebrating three years this month. Lots of dancing and some stellar gifts. My favorite? This pretty Spring mesh dress from Hucci (various sizes including ones for bustier gals it seems) :D. So put on your dancing shoes and get over there. Just go down the stairs behind me to find the dance floor. Or look for the green dots of course. Also on my "you can't live without it" list is a gorgeous painted tattoo and an intimate couple's pose. So many nice presents!

Poses by: the shopping bag

I started out my day thinking that I would give you a preview of the Men Only Hunt 2. I did TRY to do that, but honestly they aren't quite ready for us. Lots of grumbling going on as guys stood around forever looking for ipods that weren't really out yet. Reports on the official blog warn of this (and empty ipods). And having only SLURLs from the blog (no landmarks in the prizes) isn't handy when you get dumped in the middle of a shopping district and don't know what store you are even looking for.

I did find a couple of prizes but being mesh they didn't fit. I am sure there are some good things on this hunt, but patience will be needed. SO, today's post is brought to you by hair and poses. Chav's hair (that's me remember in guy form) is the new Troy from EMO-tions, just out today. Lani's (and you thought that was me in pale skin I bet) is the famous Wasabi Pills, Shiori style from Culture Shock.

This cute couples pose, a static dance duo is from Diesel Works. It is called Groove and is a group gift.

And now I am going to get back to myself and let Lani do the same. This has been way to weird for me. Have a fun weekend!

Pose by: Diesel Works

It's been a wild week for the SL Home and Garden folks including the bloggers. This may or may not be my wrap up post. You just never know what might show up in those swan song days. My oh so artful photo shows both of the BoatHouse releases that started my personal adventure as well as the "Chill Out" lounger and drink set from Park Place. I could definitely be in the Caribbean in this shot. The lounger comes with a very nice collection of animations for both gals and guys and weighs in at three prims, so important when you are on a budget.



My beach attire is the Sunday Kini, a new release from Gwen Carillon Designs. The wrap skirt is mesh and comes in both sheer and opaque versions in standard sizings. The necklace is part of the set.

The mention of mesh forms a segue into my next topic, a revisitation of the [what next] Charolette release for the fair. I showed you the set and mentioned the great activities animations, but I failed to point out the great prim bargains that form the accessories. The pictures behind me are two prims -- not each, in total! The vase and flowers which I so love in each of the colors available are three.


While most items at the SLH&G are ready-made, there are a few shops that cater to builders. One is Katy's Kreations Sculpties. Now I am guessing that not all of the blogger's wandering through on press day stopped by Katy's. I mean if you don't build, this isn't at the top of your list of stops. But for those of us that did journey in, there were goodies and I was a happy gal. It has taken me a week, but I finally opened one of the sculpt review items and it is very nicely done and simple to use.

An example comes in the pack but I just plopped the sculpt map into the sculpt pane while choosing the appropriate stitching. A few adjustments and a texture and I have a very cute little tray to hold my drinks on my deck. The pack comes with a glass sculpt for a table top as well as a shadow texture. This would also make a very nice plant stand. Note to self: "make a plant stand". :D


Another supplier for content creators is Zwicked Textures. Aside from sponsoring a sim, you can choose from a huge assortment of texture sets with 50% of the sale going to RFL.


I was thrilled to add the review copy sets to my collection and was even more impressed to learn that Samantha Zwickel will be donated half of the value of the review sets to RFL. Wow! So while I almost never (well I honestly can't remember any time at all) paste in vendor photos, I am making an exception here.


I know a ton of content creators read this blog, so get out and search through some texture packs now that you have some breathing time!

Poses by: Pffiou and the lounger

AD Creations Doll House is joining in the RMK Gothic SIM Bridal Fair which runs during the month of June. I am a bit early with the news but couldn't resist revisiting the Alchemy Immortalis build one more time.  You have a few more days to visit or revisit as the case may be.

The AD mesh outfit is called Kimono skull black and there is a similar with white accents. The hat is not rigged so I dipped it down very low ala  Marlene Dietrich.

I did add black leggings so that my legs wouldn't sneak through the pants. An alpha layer would have worked too. The outfit is very dramatic and crosses genres which I appreciate!

Before I get back to Alchemy Immortalis, I want to put in a plug for my friend Sami.

A few years ago Sami had a pose shop as part of her shopping complex, Samara Studios. Some of you old timers might remember that. I modeled there for awhile in my youth. Anyway, while she is retired now, she apparently is also a bit itchy to actually DO something in SL and so she started making shapes again.

This isn't outstanding news really *wink*, but it does get better. First off, she is selling her shapes for $10 with a store name of "$10 Shapes". Shapes are Mod, Copy, NT and include four bra sizes. Her newest addition to the mix is making some of the shapes conform to standard sizing guidelines for mesh.

Click for larger photo. 

I think this is a superb idea. Now any of us who try on lots of mesh outfits know that standard sizing doesn't solve all the problems. Even within a design line one can suddenly need a different size. And there are lots of measurements that are not addressed in standard sizing. But, it is a start.

The rest of the story goes like this. I had the new Patrice shape shown above because I am the official photographer for her vendor photos. NO, this is not a new sideline, just helping a friend out. I have a huge collection of great hair and poses as well as very nice skin and she does not. And really, investing in all of that for selling $10 shapes is not good business sense. Anyway, when I tried on the Kimono dress above, it didn't fit all that well. So I thought, "hey, let's see if this helps" as I switched to Patrice. And it did. It wasn't perfect, but a very big improvement over my tall and thin shape.  So, You can buy Patrice in world at the very tiny for now $10 Shapes shop.  OR see all that she has so far including a standard sizing pack on the Marketplace.


For those of you that rushed over to see the impressive Alchemy Immortalis build and wondered at all the empty vendor slots -- well some are now FILLED. Yeah! So a return trip is in order.

So far I do not see the build for sale and getting it all into a rez box and testing is no simple project, so that may or may not happen in time. Meanwhile, though, for all you builders out there, you can purchase the parts to make your own mountain to the sky at a very reasonable price. I didn't check the permissions so I am guessing that they are no transfer, but take a look.

Also available are some very pretty pillows that go with the RFL chair.

Hanging lanterns to match the floor models and a seating set are the other offerings.


Poses by: aDORKable and Nigotine

A couple of days ago I posted this photo with new JANE attire telling you that there was more to the story. And indeed there is. The bunkhouse in the background is mine, but the pitchfork, wheelbarrow, haystack,  fence and ginger beer are all part of an outstanding animated prop from Sandry's -- yep it is Home Expo time once again.
  
I was so very very impressed with these props that I made a film using them all. It was great fun and I am happy to share my findings! The haystack animation goes on for-e-ver. I was amazed. It is so very long that I actually just hit the record button on my computer and went out to the kitchen *wink*. The nuances are superb so if you love props or have a country themed home or shop, be sure and check out things either at the Expo or at the Sandry's main shop.

View the three minute video with THIS LINK.  

I journeyed home from work this morning to find that there were llamas in my neighboring yard. How cool!  So I thought I might make friends with a cherry pie. They have a friend that roams, but these two are a stationary sort and happily posed for a photo.

My flowered summer dress is mesh and free from G&N Quality Design. It comes with both hat and tennis shoes. Five standard sizes are included in the pack.

Pose by: aDORKable

Props and Poses has a cute photo backdrop set out called the Dressing Room. It comes with five nice poses that I discovered only after taking my photos (bad, bad blogger!). I was happy enough just to have the backdrop *wink*.

I added this cute coat rack from Marmalade Jam @ the Expo as it went so well and I still have some Expo goodies to show you.

My daytime maxi dress hales from Apple May Designs and is available in other shades.

My new "do" is called Raina from Alli&Ali.


Poses by: aDORKable from the Je t'aime set available at My Attic in May

Can you feel the heat?  I can!  Many of you already know about the RFL outdoor bed from Trompe Loeil at the Home Expo. But did you know that all the pieces change colors? Most of the posts I have seen have been blue *smile* and that may just be a favorite color thing. But if you are more into warm tones and prints, they are there too. Click to cycle through the colors.

My swim set in sizzling pink was a Mother's Day gift from Paris Metro. I found it in the archives of a new to me blogger group, so this isn't timely. Still, you might want to pop over and see if it is still around. The bead belt is especially cute and sunglasses are included. My fuchsia Maxine wedges from Baiastice coordinate nicely!


The Beachside Bed has couples poses in the couch / bed and single sits for the deck (click sit on the bench). The deck area is separate from the daybed so you could use that piece on its own (18 equivalents).

A big set of mesh palms are also RFL items.

Click the photo for larger picture.



Poses by: Poise aDORKable and Diesel Works


What you have probably NOT seen yet are the first releases of exclusive SLH&G items. There will be more coming out during the week, so drop by the all mesh Dreamseeker Expo 4 sim to see all the newness as it arrives at Trompe Loeil . This Tropical Rope Hammock comes with palm trees and has touch to change pillows that match the Beachside Bed.


And if you want to lounge in those rays, what better way than in this Scoop Bed.

There are various colors of wicker to choose from and the pillows and mattress change colors on touch.

Click for a larger photo.

There is more to the story, but for right now what you need to know is that JANE has some new releases. Mesh of course and stylish naturally. There are jeans that aren't too low (I am a modest type believe it or not) that come in lots of great washes. There are also tanks in both pattern and plain styles, definitely a mainstay wardrobe addition.

But when I opened up the Casey Halters (this one in chili) I was definitely in love. I am always happy to see items from JANE come in because they almost always fit me well. The detailing is excellent of course. It's good to be a country gal.


Poses by: Torridwear (NLA)

While I appreciate color now and then, I am a big fan of neutrals. Most of my "go to" outfits feature grays and browns, tans and taupes. So while today's fashion shot might look like it is brought to you by the color yellow, that's just the sun. If I can't have it in the real world, I am surely going to have it in SL. Thank you Windlight sliders!

The immanently useful standing shelf in the background is from Tranquility Way Station, part of the Brentwood Living Room Set. But before I show more of the retro in tans grouping, let's get to the fashion section of this post. Both the mesh leather pants and this very nice mesh Crocodile Travel Bag hale from [Amarelo Manga].The very cute summertime vest (only very brave gals will wear this without a bra *wink*) is one of several styles available from  Secrets on the marketplace. Five standard sizes are included. I am wearing small.

This is part of the TWS Brentwood set in tan. I particularly like the hassock; I already have a plain tan one so now it has a friend. Yeah!  The lamps are especially nice as they not only have on and off, but have levels of lighting so you can choose what you need for your mood.

For info on the house from Funky*Junk see last eve's post. 

It was rewarding to see stores that I had visited in my youth showing at the Expo. I found buddhabeats at the ends of the earth so to speak, and very happy that I did!  The pond comes complete with lovely swimming koi. It would look at home in the forest or the beach. I added a poseball so that I could enjoy the serenity in comfort.

There is a RFL hunt going on at the Expo. You can pick up a notecard with a list of participating merchants here. This is not a free hunt but your lindens go to a good cause. The desk and chair including four poses / animations is the prize from Clutter.  Definitely relaxing with my feet up.

A house isn't a home without some flowers. Stop by [CIRCA] and choose from a large collection of prim flowers. There are plenty of styles to suit your decor.

One last note and I am definitely taking some time off.


Here is the music for the day at the Expo:

Monday, May 21


Sim 2–6 pm   Ganjo Mokeev
Sim 2–7 pm   Phemie Alcott
Sim 2–8 pm   Kellee Blaylock
HERE

Sim 5–4-6 pm DJ Mac Ronas
HERE

Sim 8–8 pm   DJ JL Zinner
HERE

DJs on Main Stage:

3 pm:         DJ bball Braveheart
5 pm:         DJ Jennie Republic

HERE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poses by: aDORKable and the furniture

For me, the best part of summer is working in the garden. Watching the plants grow and flower and fruit, seeing their progress and beauty gives me much joy. So when I opened this Shabby Garden Shed from Funky*Junk I was indeed in heaven. So many details, those special touches that make our virtual life seem more real, are included. This isn't light on your prim budget (well, of course it isn't) but if you have the land to support it, you can't go wrong. Put in a rocking chair and a few more personal touches inside and I could easily live here.

My outfit is an adaptation (I left off the skirt prims) of Paris METRO Couture: Artist Series Vasiliki Kappa Outfit. Thong (mine by WoE) not included.

There are butterflies out front and decor items inside too. So very cute and homey. The wheelbarrow is from The Domineaux Effect. I don't have an Expo SLURL, but the main shop is here. At only 3 prims it is a great outdoor addition. Edit: Found it. Home Expo 4 - 118, 94, 23).

And this is the Funky*Junk Matilda Hideaway, one cozy room with a lot of outdoor living area. Definitely my style!

The thing that impresses me most about Funky*Junk builds is that they all seem "friendly" and we can certainly use that!  Large builds are in evidence too should you need lots of bedrooms for kids and dogs, an office -- whatever. So stop by the expo and see all the goodness.

Pose by: Diesel Works

Today's Expo post is brought to you by the color "pink".  Now this very stylish Charlotte set from [what next] (mesh) comes in two other color palettes, but I chose the pink version. My choice partly reflected pragmatism as it matches this new Warm Paisley Kisses dress from Paris Metro so well. The other is that it is gray and rainy in my corporeal world and pink made me feel happy!


The couches feature an extensive animation menu including "Friends", "Alone", "Couples" and my favorite "Activities". You can knit or play guitar, phone or read -- the list goes on. You can purchase these pieces separately also and VIP members get a hefty discount on the complete set so check on that if you are an avid shopper. There are coordinating lounge chairs in the RFL vendors. The detailing is lovely as you would expect.


Urbanized went fittingly pink for the Expo with lots of pretty girlie items including this  mannequin which acts as a pose prop; poses by Glitterati. The painting (part of a set) is one of the RFL items and the hanging flower basket rotates slowly.

My matching green and pink pumps hale from uRbAn GiRl which has a GREAT logo! 


Most items (not the mannequin) come with color change menus where you can choose various tints and tones to coordinate with your styling palette. Shades of pink as well as off white are in the mix.

These birdcage candle holders are an example of some of the shades available.



Pose by: aDORKable and the furniture.





You might be wondering about the abode in these shots. See, I knew that! It is the 53 prim vista house from barnesworth annubis. It and the immensely impressive mullholland house (previously featured) are available at the Expo this week. So get over there and take a look!


And here is the exterior shot. Great angles and good proportions make this a stylish starter home -- or one for those of us that actually "like" smallish *wink*.

The Expo isn't just about grown ups. Kids are covered too. Sway's kid bed [Aboard] is perfect for small-fry sailors. There are plenty of decor items in the pack. 

And if you need a kid friendly house, this one (Sway's House Summer 2012) is great. It even has a ladder that leads to a grass covered roof! How cool. It comes in two versions with a lower prim one being linked. The notecard said that the new viewer can now link phantom prims in with standard, saving prims. I had no idea, so I am a bit smarter. This ways in at 72.

InteriorAddiction has this very cute (and pink so both genders are covered in this post) "My First Outdoor Slumber Set". You can play Monopoly, a game which looks like it will have staying power of a century at least) while you drink you milk and nibble on cookies. There is a place for a friend of course.

When I was exploring on press day, I snapped this photo at MudHoney. So very nicely textured with lots of great details. Garden party anyone? THIS is kid sized while the other items shown are more adult friendly *wink*.

And if you like decals (and I do) stop by Wall Candy. Now I have no SLURL for Wall Candy, but if I remember correctly it is in a tiny booth. I couldn't find it when I went back to hunt, so here is the MAIN store landmark.

I almost forgot to tell you about this new release hair -- definitely NOT kid stuff!
This is EMO-tions TYRA in dark brown. Very sophisticated. My top is by SLC (previously featured) and my mini skirt is from JANE (older release). My earrings, sadly, are no longer available.

Poses by: LAP and the furniture