Poses are what separates avatars from mannequins and dress up dolls. They convey emotions, attitudes and actions. In a photo, we can have the most beautiful setting and glorious gowns, but without a pose, we have no narrative. They are the verbs in our Second Life® stories. Olaenka Chesnokov of oOo Studio is a wonderful storyteller. Do I really have to tell you that this pose is from her Bitch series? Can’t you tell by looking?
I wore this dress for the Grand Opening of CAE, the hottest new jewelry store in Second Life®. It’s flirty skirt is perfect for dancing. The fabric, with its layers of gold makes me think of handmade paper. With the metallic fabric and the exaggerated shoulders, it sort of reminds me of a suit of armor, which made me think of After the Gold Rush.
Well, I dreamed I saw the knights
In armor coming,
Saying something about a queen.
There were peasants singing and
Drummers drumming
And the archer split the tree.
There was a fanfare blowing
To the sun
That was floating on the breeze.
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the nineteen seventies.
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the nineteen seventies.
Thetra Blackheart, the designing hand behind E-Clipse Design, shows a sure hand with print and color in this gorgeous dress. I love how the contrasting print on the fabrics and how they echo and reflect each other. It has a completely modern look with a fun, casual style.
Baiastice has released a sexy little slip dress. Is there such a think as a non-sexy slip dress? I love this dress. Made with mesh, it hugs the body beautifully. The white on white fabric gives it dimension and adds shapeliness. There are a lot of slip dresses, but this one races to the top of my list.
I added the darling DECO pumps I picked up on a discount day, but they are available in the store. I love this sassy hair style from Exile!
My jewelry comes from CAE, the fabulous new jewelry store that opened on Saturday. By Caelan Hancroft, CAE jewelry is modern. Its elegance comes through simplicity and boldness. It’s a stunning collection and this set of pearls is one of the highlights. It’s so much for fun, too, to wear a ring with SLink’s mesh hands. You can find CAE right by the landing point at Truth District.
The skin is the fabulous Taina by Sachi Vixen from Adam n Eve. And she’s already wearing a new skin she’s working on. Does that woman sleep?
Store info at Blogging Second Life
****SHOPPING LIST******
Poses: Status
Skin: Adam n Eve AE Skins – Laina T1 Lily
Makeup Tattoos: AE Eyebrow Tattoo Laina Red T3
Eyes: Insufferable Dastard
Lashes:Lelutka
Mani/Pedi: SLink Mesh Hands
Hair: Exile Almost Had You
Clothing: Baiastice Aida White
Shoes: DECO Mesh Sequined Heel Silver
Jewelry: CAE Timeless Parure
Background Texture: Distressed Textures
Many creators find it incredibly frustrating to produce beautiful creations that bloggers use in their pictures and then fail to credit in their posts. Now, sometimes that is deliberate. Understandably, some bloggers like to withhold what specific skin they wear or some other item because they don’t want to be copied down to the last detail, hoping to retain their individuality. Other bloggers who don’t credit everything, do so because they see their role as highlighting a new release, promoting the new dress, the new shoe, the new hair and don’t credit anything more than the one item that is the focus of their post. For me, I credit everything but my shape which is not for sale. Other bloggers use items they make and sell themselves and so don’t credit them for fear of looking opportunistic and also don’t credit similar items by competitors so that they are consistent. There are many reasons why people don’t credit everything and I can understand how different people come to their differing opinions.
Yet, I empathize with the creators whose work goes unnamed and unknown. In a business with such low barriers to entry, there is a lot of competition and marketing is integral to any Second Life business success. SL Bloggers Support has launched an initiative to address the frequent exclusion of credits for poses with a Pose Appreciation Week from Nov 19th through the 25th. This reminded me of Achariya’s PoseMaker Challenge back in 2009. I remember that challenge as being a very successful effort that resulted in more bloggers crediting poses after it was over.
How can you make sure you don’t forget key elements when you write up your credits?
I had to smile when I saw the new Hana sweater from Redgrave. It made me think of my mother and the wonderful Scandinavian knit sweaters she would knit for me each year. I had one very similar to this one with the Yule pattern. Mine was knit with silvery gray, white and a dusty rose yarn with several rows of geometric patterns from the neckline and down the yoke with a solid silvery gray from the yoke to the bottom. My sweater was full length though I kind of replicated that with the tank top underneath. I loved my sweaters and always admired my mother’s ability to knit such delicate and intricate patterns. Of course, since it took so long to make them, I was never surprised at Christmas.
I love the new Sweet Sheer top from The Secret Store for faMESHed. It’s perfect for mixing and matching with pants and skirts with its beautifully tucked-in waist. It comes in a nice range of colors for all sorts of different looks. I chose this mustard top for a more fall ensemble with the madras plaid skirt from coldLogic.
Browsing through my contacts on Flickr the other day, I saw a batch of vendor ads from Countdown. They were so stunning, I didn’t just make a note to go check it out, but instead logged in right and snapped up a few of the dresses. Countdown is not new, but it is new to me and that makes me ask, “Countdown, where have you been all my SLife?”
Could there be designs more suited to draw me in? Look at the classic lines combined with the modern details like the sheer chevrons that embrace the belt and highlight the waist. The sheer elements at the neckline and waist flirt with sensuality, but never stray close to the line.
(Note to Designers: This is why you put vendor ads on Flickr.)
The ombre top from Emery for faMESHed is so gorgeous I didn’t even mind showing a bit of tummy.
A friend of mine had a crisis in confidence this weekend. It surprised me because she is one of the most amazing people in the world. She’s the woman who can “bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan and never let you forget you’re a man” of old songs that celebrate female power and confidence. Yet, careless words negated all her accomplishments, her skills, her successes, her loving friends and filled her with a feeling of inadequacy. How is it that someone so good could ever feel insecure?
But insecurity strikes us all. Myself, whenever someone writes a criticism of “bloggers” without naming names, I am certain that it is about me. Boring, just like everyone else, dull, they are all words I have internalized. I know very well that I am not nearly so imaginative and creative as some of the SL photographers that inspire me. I envy their abilities and most of all their creativity.
I love the new Angelique dress from Vogue with its shiny sheer layers of ruffles over a print mini that snugly covers all the necessary bits. Adding a flourish of the sheer fabric along the top and over the shoulder adds to the festive feeling it evokes. I added new earrings and rings from Donna Flora called Pigalle. She release a necklace as well, but it would be lost in the extravagant neckline of this dress. The Pigalle sets come in white, coral and onyx.