Second Life has its own version of Tornado Alley @ napoliy  – that marvelous vintage furnishing store. It was the place I thought of when I saw this Karen dress from L’Abel with the lovely print of a miniature on the skirt. The dress, while as modern in form and fabric as can be, is an homage to the past with its use of a 19th century miniature in the print. The subdued earthy colors made me think of the odd light in the air before a tornado that subdues even the most vivid colors.

Napoliy is actually a small parcel that is closed off with large prims of the gathering storm, a perpetually incipient funnel cloud preparing to rampage through the small village. I love the mood of the looming menace – particularly as I know this storm is always about to rage, but never actually does. Having grown up in tornado country and spent many hours in the cellar waiting for the all clear, it’s lovely to be able to experience and recall that awful clarity and silence right before the the roaring train whistle of a tornado.  Just before the tornado sweeps in, even the frogs and crickets silence themselves in anxious anticipation.

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