All my siblings were married by the time I was four years old and for some of them I was a sort of “practice child” that they spoiled with attention. My elder brother and his wife often had me spend weekends with them where I learned to play horseshoes, shoot pool and throw darts. I also learned how to shoot a rifle, hand load bullets and even aim and fire a cannon. He and his wife taught me ballroom dancing, poker and craps.When I was older, he taught me how to drive his stock car. He took me deer hunting, fishing and taught me to swim. He introduced me to dozens of books and encouraged my love of reading. So much of who I am comes from my siblings, not just him, but all of them. But my other siblings will be around to teach their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and my brother won’t. He died of cancer a year ago last July. Too may children lose the gifts of grandparents and family elders to teach them. The work of the American Cancer Society to find cures for cancers is invaluable. And it’s working, Four times as many people survive cancer as did forty years ago. So, let’s keep supporting this good work with events like Fashion For Life – and if support means wearing a rocking hot outfit like this one, how can you resist?

I paired the Riyau dress that Sissy Pessoa of Baiastice made for Fashion For Life with Typhoon Boots from Paper Couture. The dress comes with two options – wearing a short flared top prim or wearing the skirt prim shown in the pictures. This is ostensibly a dress, but for pixel prudes like me, it’s a dress that calls for tights. The studded leggings from Izzie’s suit the mood and the color of the dress and make a smooth transition to the boots.

There are gachas on every sim at Fashion For Life and this fabulous neckpiece from Purple Moon was my lucky draw in the gacha. How lucky? I wanted the black one and got it on the first try. I added earrings from U&R Dogs that are fun and playful.

With hair from Wasabi Pills and skin from PXL Creations, I am ready to rock. I could have worn this outfit to my brother’s funeral, to be honest. It’s another thing he taught me. Funerals can be authentic celebrations of a person’s life and character and his was. No pious service in a church to bow to social convention. Instead, a memorial held at a bar, with music and darts and the joie de vivre that typified his life

***STYLE NOTES******

• Poses: Reel Expressions
• Skin: PXL Creations Linda Gen3
• Eyes: Shine
• Lashes: Lelutka
• Hair: Wasabi Pills Ran
• Nails: Love Soul
• Top: Baiastice Riyau
• Leggings: Izzie’s Studded Leggings
• Shoes: Paper Couture Typhoon Boots
• Earrings: U&R Dogs Hanon
• Neckpiece: Purple Moon Casandra
• Location: Fashion For Life