Category Archives: Features

Over the river and through the woods

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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. 

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Designer Download — Sissy Pessoa

DesignerDownload

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.

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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?

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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.

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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?

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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

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.”

 

The True Story of the Ridiculously Glittering Dress – And Why You Need It

Fierce Designs is not a new name in SL fashion, but it’s not one you see in big events these days. Still, if you’ve got a few years under your belt, you know the name but might not have thought of the shop in a while. Well, I’ve got a reason for you to pop over there NOW.

Sally has created a glittering evening gown, that is seriously both the silliest and most awesome dress I’ve put on in a while. Remember back when fashion was FUN and everyone didn’t have to pretend they were ripped straight from Vogue? I do. And so I bring you – the ridiculously glittering dress. Continue reading

Pictures Only!

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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.
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Soldier Girl

B.C.C. is offering adorable toy soldier suits at THE ARCADE this round, and this one is a SECRET RARE. So I’m letting The Secret OUT! I really was delighted by it when I opened it up. I love nutcrackers and toy soldiers, I always have to have them at the holidays for decorating. There is so much this round to share, I hardly know where to start. Continue reading

Secrets of Blogger Storage: Exposed

 

Well now you know. Once we’re doing making blog posts, all bloggers go into storage for the rest of the day, kept neat inside bell jars until we’re needed again.  I wasn’t supposed to tell you but now I’ve let it out. I’m a rebel. Continue reading

A Vision In White

Baiastice was one of my first FANCY stores in SL. The store where you walk in and look around, going oooooo man……how am I ever going to afford any of these? But of course eventually you realize you can, and that it’s better to have one of something good than 20 of something shitty.  Continue reading

The Thankingest Thanksgiving of All

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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.

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.

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Designer Download — Betty Doyle

DesignerDownload
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.

Ingenue's Tricky Little Wicky

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.

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