The annual fundraiser for Heifer at The Velvet
Going on Now – Best Event of the Year
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Author Archives: Cajsa Lilliehook
To the Manor Born
While I am not to the manor born, nor are most of us, we can look the part in beautiful clothing such as this lovely BodyCon dress from Indyra with fabulous baroque lace over illusion. Moving into the manor from RageWorks at The Arcade doesn’t hurt, either.
It’s Only Art #10
When going through my recent favorites to choose pictures for this column, I was drawn most to those pictures who gave us slice of life moments, the story-telling pictures that seem so spontaneous despite the amount of scene design and pose setting and all the work that must go into them. All that work is invisible if the picture is done well and it seems as though someone just accidentally caught them at that very moment. I love those pictures though I never do them myself. I admire the creativity and imagination that goes into planning and execution. They often make me smile, sometimes even I even laugh out loud at the predicaments and mishaps they capture. There are far too many great pictures to highlight, so please check out the Gallery that accompanies this column to see some of the other great works that I did not include in this post.
“Nooooooooo!” by Leonorah Beverly
Leonorah Beverly gives us action and a wonderful use of perspective with that snowball heading right for us or for the camera. Notice how the snowball is placed at the sweet spot of the Golden Ratio. I love this picture for its story-telling and its fabulous attention to details of composition. I have to say, that snowball looks like it could hurt. Duck! Continue reading
Over the river and through the woods
Since my five siblings were married before I turned four, I essentially grew up at Grandma’s House. My mom and dad were Grandma and Grandpa. My nieces and nephews loved to come stay during summer break and during Christmas vacation. Living a lake with more than twenty miles of forest behind us, there were always plenty of things to do.
We loved to have winter skating parties. My dad, my uncle and I would clear a big square on the ice and put up posts about every eight to ten feet, stringing Christmas lights from post to post, encircling the open skating area. We piled a big stack of wood and brush at the deep end for a bonfire and set down some logs around them for seating while we roasted marshmallows and hot dogs. We laid an old wooden door on the piled snow for a table for our hotdogs and marshmallows for roasting and there was always a pot of baked beans and some casseroles resting on cans of Sterno® to balance the meal. Picnicking in the snow is something not to be missed!
Mom had an outdoor speaker system to pipe music down to the lake and we danced on our skates. My brother would bring his sleigh and horses, the neighbors would bring their snowmobiles. We partied for hours and the signal to go home was when the bonfire melted through the ice and fell into the lake – which usually took about four hours or so since the ice was so thick.
Designer Download — Sissy Pessoa
Baiastice is the first store that I discovered solely from reading Second Life® fashion blogs. I remember the post and found it for you. It was all about Baiastice and was written by Melanie Kidd whose Grid Expectations blog was my favorite. I never missed a post.
May 2008 – the prim flowers and angels from the Ninfa dei Boschi Group Gift for May from Baiastice
I fell in love with Baiastice and haunted the several different stores scattered across the grid for fear i would miss a masterpiece since they did not all have the same inventory. I was thrilled when she consolidated everything in a new main store and Gidge and I worked tirelessly during her opening weekend to find all 20 free gifts she hid and waited with bated breath for her monthly group gifts.
Sissy Pessoa was the first designer to offer us promotional samples to blog. We had been blogging about six months and did not even know there was such a thing. We felt we had made the big time. Through the years, Baiastice remains a favorite store and Sissy Pessoa has become not only a favorite designer but a friend.
Vogue at Uber – December Baiastice is known for fabulous Christmas gowns. Every December brings a release of stunning and sexy gowns for the season.
It’s Only Fashion: What was your first day in Second Life like? What made you stick it out through the learning curve?
Sissy Pessoa: I remember my first day with a lot of emotion. It was the first time I experienced a virtual simulator and I was very excited. I fell in love with the possibility to do so many different and funny things.
IOF: What’s the craziest thing you ever did in Second Life? Most exciting? Silliest?
SP: You surely remember the hen “killer” that went far in 2008. A small hen in prims that launched against an avatar would not stop chasing you, catch you and make you bleed. Once during the backstage of a show I threw a dozen… people started to run screaming for the whole sim, we died with laughter for days!
IOF: When did you begin creating? What was the first thing you made. Did you save it? Did it work?
The Arcade Gacha – December 2014 Baiastice is also the go-to store for high-fashion boots and shoes.
SP: I started very early to create clothes and the first one was a tee shirt. Of course I have it and plenty other things but no one will wear them for sure!
IOF: How did you choose your store name? Does it have a special meaning for you? If your stores is named after yourself, how did you go about choosing your avatar name?
SP: I created an original word with an italian sound but it does not mean anything.
Baiastice at FaMeshed November
IOF: What is the most challenging part of being a creator in Second Life? What is most rewarding?
SP: I am happy to say that I like all parts of the creative process, from developing the idea to the finished product,
IOF: Where do you get inspiration for your designs? What is your process like?
Baiastice @ Collabor88 November A mix of casual, formal and whimsy-wear is what you get at Baiastice.
SP: I love fashion so my inspiration is what I like. Usually I start from something that I have seen and I try to make it very personal.
IOF: How do your first and second life design aesthetics resemble and contrast with each other? How would you describe your design aesthetic? Who is your customer – the person you are thinking of when you design?
SP: My aesthetic in SL and real life are basically the same. Usually I make clothes that I like a lot in real life too, clothes that I wear or that I would like to wear. My design is really eclectic, my style is versatile like the items I choose to do, consequently my customer is a person with my tastes. One day I feel like wearing very fancy clothes but the day after I can like a totally casual look.
Baiastice at The Arcade – a collection of ball-jointed dolls.
IOF: How has your second life changed your first life?
SP: Second Life is my job and my fun at the same time so it totally changed my life. I can say that the one is interconnected to the other up to the point where “SL” becomes “RL.”
Pictures Only!
Dress (La Penderie de Nicole) Jewelry (Zaara) Nails (La Boheme) Hair (D!va @ Collabor88)
I keep hearing how people prefer blogs with pictures only, but I do not. I like to hear about problems, things that are cool, special or different about an outfit. However, I have a migraine and so you will have to satisfied with only the pictures.
Continue reading
The Thankingest Thanksgiving of All
Through pure coincidence someone shared this on Facebook last night. When I saw it, I burst into tears because it is just so perfect, as you will see when you discover what made this the best Thanksgiving ever in the history of Thanksgiving.
Like most Americans, I celebrated Thanksgiving with wonderful food and the company of people I love. I spent the day with my best friend and her family and called and chatted with my family. I was sitting at the table watching my friend’s mother-in-law putting some of my warm brussels sprouts salad on her plate when I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me – gratitude for having such good friends and the pleasure of such good food and such plenty.
Designer Download — Betty Doyle
All of us at It’s Only Fashion are long-time fans of Betty Doyle with 166 posts (so far) that feature items from Ingenue. It is a long love affair, but there is no seven-year-itch because Doyle makes customer satisfaction and convenience uppermost. For example, with the plethora of mesh attachments, some creators are throwing up their hands and presenting one option. Meanwhile, Doyle packages shoes for multiple mesh options as well as the old default foot. She is acutely aware that not all of her customers are following the newest, the latest, the trendiest and she makes sure they are happy, too.
The first time Ingenue was featured at It’s Only Fashion was in April 2008 – the Tricky Little Wicky dress.
It’s Only Fashion: What was your first day in Second Life like? What made you stick it out through the learning curve?
Betty Doyle: I think I spent something like my first four or five days on Orientation Island. For some reason, I thought I had to learn to do everything before I went over to the mainland. I finally decided that figuring out scripting just wasn’t going to happen, so made the jump! I was excited by the idea of being able to make things from the moment I read about Second Life. I’m not sure I would have stayed if you couldn’t do that.
The Alchemy of Color
Alchemy is more a philosophy than a study. A belief that somehow base metals can be transmuted into fine metals, as water is into wine in Christian communions. In the abstract, though, we can think of alchemy as the process of changing elements by bringing them together. This modern kimono from Atomic has some alchemical magic of its own coming in 3 colors and 6 tank colors that can be transmuted with a HUD. The other alchemy at play is adding an overlay of a light leak to add some color to my blue sky. You can download that video and screenshot individual light leaks from it. I used this particular capture.
In this shot, you can see the gorgeous amethyst crystal necklace from BOOM at Collabor88. There is a lot of interest in crystals for use in healing and balancing our lives – a belief that they focus energy. I think they are pretty and that is all they need to do. The gorgeous manicure is from FLAIR.
Designer Download — June Monteiro
June Monteiro, of JUMO, is a multi-talented and multi-faceted designer, creating skins, clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Her designs are modern, bold looks that demand your attention. Her jewelry is distinctive and unique — occupying its own niche with its modern forms and generous use of gems. There is an extravagant simplicity to her designs, that self-contradiction making them ever more fascinating. From the rich colors and exuberance of her designs, you would expect a loud and brash personality. In this interview, however, Monteiro reveals herself to be more quiet and introspective – as though she channels her energy into her designs.
Juno’s Faraji necklace and earrings. Photo by Cajsa Lilliehook
It’s Only Fashion: What was your first day in Second Life® like? What made you stick it out through the learning curve?
June Monteiro: My first day was hard, I did not know anybody and also did not know where to go. But I started researching blogs and sites about SL® and I started to see many of the wonderful designers we have here. It awakened in me a desire to be on their side, to also be able to make beautiful fashion as they did. After that I never stopped: to learn, to seek, to conquer. Continue reading