Having a bit of a work day today with these new chair props from Purple Poses at COLLABOR88 this month. They’re fun, a great blogging accessory so bloggers, put these on your MUST HAVE list. Continue reading
Mark Twain once said a classic is “a book which people praise and don’t read.” I don’t think that is true. Most of the people I know have read many of the classics and the reason they remain classics is they are great stories. Many classics can be downloaded for free from Amazon and for Christmas this year, I put together a list of books I recommend that are free.
There are classics in design, too, such as the knife-pleats that make up the skirt in this beautiful dress from Gizza. Another classic, the empire waist, the inset belt at the waist and the rich embroidery on the bodice. However, the great thing with fashion is taking the classics and combining them into something new and Gizza succeeds at that.
I figured that a perfect place to shoot a classic dress might be at the Parthenon, the pinnacle of classical Greek architecture, so I headed off to Greece, the sim, part of a cluster of islands celebrating Greek culture. They do not allow scripts, so be sure you are as you wish to be before you land.
I do not know Brandy Maltas (Kalli Birman in Second Life®). However, I know a few things about her. Most urgently, I know she has cancer, a second recurrence of metastatic uterine cancer that has spread to her liver. Secondly, I know she must be a kind person because people care about her and are trying to help her. From the event information, I know she is a single mother of three who is trying to do her best to survive and make it through this battle so she can see her children grown. Lastly, I know that I hope people will support The Road Ahead, an event to support her struggle, before it closes on January 1st.
As an exclusive for the event, Mami Jewell has released a special amethyst color of her Electra dress. As you can see the dress can be worn different ways, all amethyst or black and amethyst, with all the billowing attachments or without them, with sleeves or without. Azul’s clothing is always versatile.
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I stopped by Orchid yesterday. What a lovely place to visit. There are deer, horses, and birds chirping away in a rustic winter wonderland that made me think of Alice talking to her cat, Dinah.
Do you hear the snow against the window-panes, Kitty? How nice and soft it sounds! Just as if someone was kissing the window all over outside. I wonder if the snow LOVES the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
If you’re not feeling sleepy, though, this fun skater’s dress from ISON at Collabor88 is a winner in eight gorgeous colors. ISON also presented coordinating Nordic sweaters to wear over it, but I was drawn to this fur hoodie from Xen’s Hats for the Instruments. It also comes in several colors, but the white one is my favorite.
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Skin: Glam Affair America/Simone Hair: Doe: Tessa – Fatpack Appliers: Glam Affair Simone Applier for Lelutka Mesh Head Eyes: [PXL] REFLEX Eyes (B) ~ GreyGold Mesh Attachments: .LeLutka.Mesh Head-SIMONE v1.4
Christmas Eve’ll find me
Where the love light gleams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
Lelutka has released a new mesh head called Simone. It’s a special edition head with additional expressions including this mournful one that perfectly captures some of the emotional turmoil I am feeling this Christmas season. With the passing of my aunt this summer, everyone from my parents’ generation is now gone. My sister had a tough struggle with cancer last year and came though in the end, but now has a new cancer that has gone from Stage One to Stage Four in just one month. I will confess I cry a lot lately, but I am still hopeful she will beat the odds. She is the strongest woman I know. Homesickness has manifested itself in the kitchen with traditional Christmas baking like lefse and rosettes and cooking up Cherry Soup with Dumplings, the foods that make me think of home and family.
| -Pixicat- Ballerina.Cat delivery box @ The Arcade | ~silentsparrow~ Felt Bird Ornaments – Partridge – Merry @ Tannenbaum | Silence. – Wooden Cutout Ornament – Gift 2 @ Tannenbaum | MudHoney Brights Giftbag Spots @ The Arcade | The Loft – Monochrome Christmas Fir Garand White M @ The Arcade | Botanical – Green Douglas Fir Christmas Tree (Tannenbaum) | Schadenfreude Jingle Ball 1 Catmas Ornament | ~silentsparrow~ Felt Bird Ornaments – Partridge – @ Tannenbaum | Silence. – Wooden Cutout Ornament – Gift 2 @ Tannenbaum | The Loft – Monochrome Christmas Fir Garand White M | {anc} glass ornament. for tree (2) @ Tannenbaum | !Ohmai: Gold Star Topper @ Tannenbaum | Trompe Loeil – Vintage Diamond Floor Lights @ The Arcade | [ zerkalo ] Magical Christmas – Pile of Gifts#1 | MudHoney Rustic Giftbox Plaid 4 @ The Arcade | MudHoney Rustic Giftbox Plaid 1 @ The Arcade | MudHoney Brights Giftbag Spots @ The Arcade | [ zerkalo ] Magical Christmas – Pile of Gifts#2 @ The Arcade | Sari-Sari – Traditional | Christmas – Reindeer RARE @ The Arcade | {vespertine} snowy dust 11 @ Tannenbaum | {vespertine} dala horse/red 14 @ Tannenbaum | Fancy Decor: Book Ornament Blue @ Tannenbaum | ARIA – Myrrh Handmade Vintage Bulb Bauble Ornament @ Tannenbaum | MishMish – Puppy in a box – Pastel @ Tannenbaum | Schadenfreude Fish 2 Catmas Ornament @ Tannenbaum | [RI] Pearl Berry Ornament (Bubblegum) @ Tannenbaum | [RI] Pearl Berry Ornament (Bubbly) @ Tannenbaum | Garbaggio // Round Xmas Ornament – Red @ Tannenbaum | Silence. – Wooden Cutout Ornament – Gift 2 @ Tannenbaum {anc} glass ornament. for tree (2) 1Li @ Tannenbaum | ~silentsparrow~ Felt Bird Ornaments – Hen – Bright @ Tannenbaum | ~silentsparrow~ Felt Bird Ornaments – Peacock – Bright @ Tannenbaum | Lark – Star Ornament – @ The Arcade | Sway’s [PineConny] Ornament . pink @ Tannenbaum | {anc} glass ornament. for tree (2) 1Li @ Tannenbaum | Silence. – Wooden Cutout Ornament – Tree 3 @ Tannenbaum | {vespertine} crane bauble /mustard 9 @ Tannenbaum | ~silentsparrow~ Felt Bird Ornaments – Raven – Merry @ Tannenbaum | ARIA – Myrrh Burlap Tree Skirt – RARE @ tannenbaum | ~silentsparrow~ Felt Bird Ornaments – Partridge – Merry @ Tannenbaum | Kalopsia – Glitter Leaf – Silver @ The Arcade | Garbaggio // Studded Xmas Ornament – Blue @ Tannenbaum | The Loft – Monochrome Christmas Bulb Ribbon White@ The Arcade
Several years back, Billy Bragg and Wilco did a few albums on Woody Guthrie songs. Guthrie wrote the lyrics but they were never recorded. Guthrie’s daughter allowed Bragg and Wilco to write music and record the songs, Among them was the cryptic Ingrid Bergman.
If you’ll walk across my camera,
I will flash the world your story,
I will pay you more than money
Ingrid Bergman
I thought about her when I chose this background for these pictures, It’s reminiscent of Scandinavian embroidery and rosemaling. A few years back, dinking around on some genealogy website, I discovered she and my dad were cousins – sixth cousins, but still, he would have love to have known that. He admired her so. She once said, “Be yourself. The world worships the original,” which seems fitting since today I am not wearing my mesh head. Now worship me. 🙂
I am taking a short break after a lovely morning workout in my exercise room. The attic of my townhouse from Barnesworth Anubis is huge, light and airy, perfect for a playroom or, for singletons like me, for a room to dance, exercise and even chill with a book on the massage table after a workout.
From left to right: dust bunny . basket table @ The Arcade, tres blah- Cozy Winter – Space Heater (Rose) @ The Arcade fucifino.Orleans Collection Framed Art (Texture Change) llorisen // eclectic stacked cushions RARE (copy) [ zerkalo ] Magical Christmas – Tiny Tree @ The Arcade dust bunny . robin nest . silver @ The Arcade dust bunny . porcelain deer @ The Arcade PLAAKA FlowerVase Pink Cone @ The Arcade ::{u.f.o}::Swan Lake, Act1 – haning ballet shoes blue, purple, pink and white ::{u.f.o}::Swan Lake, Act1 – ballerina clock coral llorisen // eclectic hello sign RARE (copy) ::{u.f.o}::Swan Lake, Act1 – en haut wall hanging llorisen // eclectic hello sign RARE (copy) Tres Blah Glitter Sign ANE SLON SET – Frame 01 20.aisling. Rugs @ The Arcade 17.aisling. Cushion Stool@ The Arcade 16.aisling. Potted Plant @ The Arcade 21.aisling. Candles @ The Arcade Dutchie sequenced yoga mat blue
Pixicat has a wonderful ballerina skirt and bodysuit at The Arcade along with several darling ballerina globes to decorate your space. I was inspired to make a short video using the Resplendent Rose Ballet Barre that I purchased a few years ago. However, I have gone to the store and to the marketplace and cannot find it for sale any longer. If folks have recommendations, I would love to hear them.
I will do a separate post about the studio furniture and decor. I wanted to focus on this lovely ballet outfit from Pixicat. When you watch the video you will see how flawlessly it fits.
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“I’d be smiling and chatting away, and my mind would be floating around somewhere else, like a balloon with a broken string.”
― Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
I wanted to be sure to choose the perfect lingerie for this new sheer tunic Zaara released at Collabor88. I had this great set from Luxuria for Fifty Linden Friday. It’s still available, just not 50 lindens. I love the colors and thought it a perfect set for my new tunic. It applies to both Maitreya and Slink bodies, so it’s very flexible.
Black Bantam, a new to me label, released this lovely Autumn Dreams Balloon Chair, a fantasy piece that I took for a ride on the Linden Ocean. Stacey Oller is the designer for Black Bantam and may be more familiar to folks under her fashion label Pink Acid. The chair contains several poses and animations for men and women (and kids) and comes in blue as well.
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In The One-Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka wrote “The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” Like many people, including our founders, he has this idea that only farmers do noble labor. This is all very nice and romantic, but there is an ugly side to it. We see that same idea when politicians call rural America the heartland or “real America” as though we city dwellers were inferior to them. Thomas Jefferson was even more explicit, saying working for a wage and was corrupting and industry would destroy American, meanwhile those who labor in the earth are the “chosen people of god” and the only people he thought should have political power.
The belief our founders had in the superiority of the agrarian life and agrarian people had profound effects on our Constitution. That belief extends to exaggerating the political power of rural states and rural voters in many ways. One Wyoming voter counts as much as four New York voters when voting for president. It is even more inequitable in the Senate, a Vermont voter getting counting 30 times more than a New York voter. The United States Senate is the least democratic legislative chamber in the developed world. The 38 million people who live in the nation’s 22 smallest states, including Wyoming, are represented by 44 senators. The 38 million residents of California are represented by two senators.
I think about these things when I am hopping about the grid looking for a nice place to shoot a picture.
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