Mami Jewell of Azul is known for her fabulous gowns made of sleek, shiny charmeuse, rich brocades, silks and satins festooned with flowers and ribbons and bows. She designs gowns for runways and pageants and for any woman who wants to feel like a star. She’s also very generous, producing three charity gowns for Culture Shock and for the Ashraya Project this month. With so much community involvement, I hope she has time for having fun. I decided to highlight the Phula dress she made as an exclusive for the Ashraya Project. When I tried it on, its flowing skirt made me think of a flower with its petals undulating in the water, so I headed for open water.
Looking good while doing good has never been so easy. There are two huge multi-week events raising funds for great charities. I have talked a lot about Culture Shock and the work of Médecins Sans Frontières MSF (Doctors Without Borders) and wanted to pass on the news that the script gate has been removed now that the first flush of heavy traffic has subsided.
Today, however, I want to mention the other event – The Ashraya Project to raise funds for Ashraya, an Indian charity that works with women and children, providing shelter and support to women and children who are poor, abandoned or survivors of abuse. In addition to fabulous clothing from 80 generous designers, there are concerts, and art expo, auctions and more. Be sure to check out their website so you don’t miss out on anything.
One thing you really do not want to miss out on is the fabulous gold Liree gown from MiaMai. It has such sleek shiny fabric of glittery goodness.
Unless you live under a rock, you know that Culture Shock is bearing down on you with the force of 1000 Fashionistas all clamoring to get in, to get the new, the exclusive and while they are at it, do a little good by donating to Medecins Sans Frontieres. That’s Doctors Without Borders to you non Francophiles.
As a Second Life community of shoppers, clubbers, gesturetards and so called fashionistas, we are a global community of privilege. Even the most broke ass of us seems to have a reliable high speed internet connection with which to connect to our pixel life and live out whatever our fantasy du jour is. (Mine is to be blonde and skinny. Please catch up.) Continue reading →
For me and all the others who worked on the Donna Flora A to Z project, this third new dress in the last month is an encouraging sign on growing strength. I always looked forward to Squinternet Larnia’s weekly notecard of new releases because she is a designer that produces new, fun and different designs. Though sometimes I wondered if she ever slept when I looked at how many releases she used to do each week. It’s exciting that she’s back to producing new things for all of us – even if at a slower pace. This new Harlow dress has all the hallmarks of a Donna Flora design, elegant, feminine and romantic with a special Damn Fine detail that shows it’s hers. In this case, the ombre skirt that takes the pastel dress from sunshine to shadow. It comes in three colors, blue, pink and yellow. I chose the yellow because it was the most literal sunshine to shadow. Continue reading →
It may or may not be news to you that allegedly you cannot wear opals unless you are born in the month of October. The myth is, they are cursed to anyone other than we Libras who wear them (or I suppose early Scorpios). Conversely, some say that they are simply GOOD luck to those born in October who do wear them.
So many myth surround them, that I have to smile, and then make it a point to always wear them, as RL Gidge is indeed a child of the 10th Month. The month that was the 8th month until some vainglorious Romans added months. Continue reading →
Squinternet Larnia has released a new dress, the first since her long struggle with illness began in December. Her struggle is not over, but I find so much hope in her return to designing and in the forward-looking name of her new outfit. April is the month of new beginnings, of rejuvenation, when the flora and the fauna return with full life force after the long winter of retreat and hibernation. I hope that the name for her new dress is a harbinger of hope, just as April is the harbinger of renewed vigor and vitality in nature. Continue reading →
It’s been just over a year since the tremendous earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan and the work of recovery is still in progress. To that end, Mami Jewell has released this beautiful, ethereal gown called Esperance, or Hope. 100% of the proceeds will go to Japan’s Red Cross to support the continued recovery effort. It reminded me of one of my favorite songs – Mercy Now by Mary Gauthier. This is a powerful song that brought me to tears the first time I heart its opening lines, “My father could use a little mercy now” as it made me think of how hard my own father worked and the setbacks and disappointments in his life.
My father could use a little mercy now. The fruits of his labor Fall and rot slowly on the ground. His work is almost over, It won’t be long and he won’t be around. I love my father; he could use some mercy now.
While checking out this new dress from Ivalde, I decided to trek around the Ivalde sim and climbed up high to get a good look. I am also taking a good look at this new dress with the colorful embroidery on the sleeves and bodice. I am wearing the teal dress, but it also comes in red, magenta, green, blue, and yellow all on a rich black fabric.
In less than four hours, Fashion For Life will be closing until next year. The vendors will be picked up and the sims will be dismantled and it will all go away, these beautiful builds such as this one that are all part of a monumental annual effort to raise funds in the hope of finding cures for cancer. Cancer is such a tricky bastard; it needs more than one cure. But the cures are possible; they can be found and it will take our concerted effort to find them.
If you go to Squinternet Larnia’s Flickr photostream, she has a set of photos that show what sort of blogger she might be if she ever decides to blog. Pretty amazing, aren’t they? I thought it might be fun to share her pictures with her response to the Donna Flora A to Z project. She sent this to me in Second Life to share with all of you.
Today I have good news. Part of my treatment was wrong and was corrected by doctors more careful that have given a better future prognosis for healing. I want to share with the sweet Cajsa tonight with whom I vented my discouragement and with all of you who are participating at Donna Flora A to Z.
Every post I cry a little or much, without modesty, without shame, when you say … “Squinternet is badly in need of help” but the help can be money, drugs, but the commitment that I see you all in creating something nice for me, something that is more beautiful and shows my works make me feel the urge to get back with you soon.
I’ve seen in your posts beautiful images, words and unexpectedly for me so comforting and full of sincere concern and affection for me. You say,” you gave me something nice, and I will restore it as best I can do” … this is worth more anything in the world. It enters deeply in my heart … and supports me, It is …Love. And it is certain, no one is afraid … I will heal!
I met a new world in this adventure in RL, a guardian angel who is working on my health in a way that I hoped never to deserve, friends who support me as sisters … and the security of having you here, far away in space but always by my side these days.
Meanwhile, at Fashion For Life, the Donna Flora A to Z pictures have been put up in her store for people to see and Tania Tebaldi, her website writer, added this note from Squinternet on the Donna Flora blog. If you would like to see the collected photos from the Donna Flora A to Z project, you can see them in one place on Issuu. Of course, if anyone wants to continue to add to the project, I will add their blogs to the main post, though of course, not to the publication which is finished.
