Tag Archives: umeboshi

One Man’s Hands

0609_003

I would have fit right in with Pete Seeger and the other folk music activists in this out fit from Spyralle – at Fashion For Life, I really love this long ponytail from EMO-tions a Fashion For Life exclusive.

Watching the efforts of the builders, designer and bloggers that are doing their utmost to make Fashion For Life a success, I think of the words of Pete Seeger’s wonderful song, One Man’s Hands.

One man’s hands can’t tear a prison down
Two men’s hands can’t tear a prison down
But if two and two and fifty make a million
We’ll see that day come round
We’ll see that day come round. Continue reading

Second Lives and Second Chances

jun08_004

The Naiades dress from [sYs] is all about the side boob. At least it promises side boobery, but if you wear the right size, it’s a promise unfulfilled.

Organizing Fashion for Life has been a challenge and an inspiration. Some of that inspiration has come from the extraordinary generosity of the builders and creators whose contributions make Fashion For Life possible. Another source of inspiration are the many bloggers who have been working hard to make sure you know about Fashion For Life. If you read any fashion feed, you know about Fashion For Life from their hundreds of posts. Continue reading

San Antonio Rose

0607_004

Deep within my heart
Lies a melody,
A song of old San Antone,
Where in dreams I live
With a memory,
Beneath the stars all alone.

When I put on the  Auffaellige Rosen  dress from Schoën I immediately think of my great-aunt. She sang the background vocals to that song with Tex Ritter at the Grand Ol’ Opry and it was one of many songs I enjoyed listening to her sing. She was what is commonly called “a pistol”  – a woman who lived life to the fullest from the day she was born to the day she died and that was a long time. Born in the 19th century she lived to enjoy the 21st century’s arrival and promise. From horse and buggy to manned space flight in her life time. She buried three husbands during that lifetime – oddly enough while they all had different names, their names were homophones. So while she changed the spelling, she never changed the pronunciation. She was 92 when she married her 3rd husband, a youngster in his 80s.  Continue reading

Remembering Squinternet

jun05_005

I probably would not be organizing Fashion For Life if it were not for Squinternet. It was in an effort to get funds for her treatment and nursing that I organized Love Donna Flora which probably is why folks looking for an organizer this year thought of me. A lot of the time when I am working on this and feeling frustrated, I think of her and take a deep breath and carry on. She would want me to because she loved Fashion For Life.

OK, Squint loved Fashion. She went to the runway shows and participated in the events because she loved them. But Fashion For Life was special to her – even more so when she got cancer. She also loved Second Life finding support and sustenance through her hard times. She charged a small group of her friends with the task of taking care of her store, keeping it open and keeping her alive in this pixel world.

Monica Outlander is one of Squinternet’s dearest friends. In an act of extraordinary generosity, she put aside her own work during Squint’s final month and acted as her hands so some of those wonderfully imaginative designs that were tucked inside Squint’s lively brain could be realized in out world. For Fashion For Life, she has created new exclusive versions and will release them only at Fashion For Life – at 100% donation. She will also reprise her gown for Love Donna Flora – an exclusive that will only be at Fashion For Life.

jun05_004

But in preparing for Fashion For Life a treasure was found. Monica suggested that some of Squint’s recent jewelry be sold at 100% donation at Fashion For Life. While searching for the folders to pack into the vendors, more copies were found with different colors of stones – not quite finished but all the prims and textures were complete. A little bit of effort to finish them up and three new, previously unreleased jewelry sets were finished. All the prims and textures are from Squinternet, the only assistance was placing some textures on the few prims that had not been completed.
Continue reading

Duck Duck Goose

0604_001 I have this hate-hate relationship with geese. Sure, I like them well enough for a Sunday dinner, but the only good goose is a cooked goose. My parents were big whist players and while they would be playing whist with Gunda and Louie or A.B. and Nora, I would be told to go play outside and sure enough, outside meant geese. Did you know geese bite? They will chase you all over and bite you. As you can see I am keeping a close eye out for dangerous geese as I explore Perambulate – one of the 10 sims for Fashion for Life. Just a few years ago I was walking along the side of the road and heard this hissing in the darkness. This was out in Cedar Hills, a Portland neighborhood that does not believe in street lights or sidewalks. I could hear this hissing sound so I slowed down, walking gingerly and then Whooosh! from nowhere, this goos beat her wings at me and bit my hand. You know how people say “I don’t know who was more scared.” Hah! I know who was scared and it was not the goose. 0604_002   However, perhaps I am safe in this lovely top and skirt from Poet’s Heart. After all, isn’t that color called Safety Orange? Continue reading

Scarlet

0603b_006

 

This gorgeous sylphlike, slinky sequin gown from Sundaara Designs is one of her many gorgeous and oh-so feminine designs at Fashion For Life. Fashion For Life is a fabulous annual event. One of the biggest fashion fairs in Second Life, Fashion For Life brings together over 150 designers united in a common purpose, raising funds for the American Cancer Society through Relay For Life in Second Life. This year, every item on sale at Fashion For Life contributes a portion to the American Cancer Society. Doing good while looking good – that’s my motto.  Fashion For Life opens June 7th.

0603b_001

One of the other pleasures of Fashion For Life is exploring the sims. With 10 sims each reflecting the builder’s interpretation of different modes of transportation, it’s intriguing to see how literally (or not) they take their inspiration.
Continue reading

Don’t Tell Gidge

0603_002

Shh, don’t tell Gidge, but I am wearing pink! Not that I hate pink or anything, I just generally choose other colors because I know if Gidge likes the same dress, she would probably choose pink most of the time. However, this time she is out of luck. I have it first. I am wearing it. So there!

0603_001

This gorgeous gown is from Lili’s Couture Collection and is a limited edition release at Fashion For Life. Only 100 copies will be sold, so if you have it, you can wear it to a formal event and be pretty sure you will not see it on another person. It’s made with several options that I left off, preferring a simple silhouette. You can add stockings, gloves, sheer sleeve caps and a full mermaid flounce at the bottom.
Continue reading

Ticket to Ride

0602_002

“I think I’m going to be sad. I think it’s today, yeah. That girl that’s driving me mad is going away. She’s got a ticket to ride and she don’t care.” I thought of this classic song from The Beatles when I was shooting this outfit. My mental soundtrack wavered between it and Leaving On a Jet Plane, but really, the shirt made all the difference in settling the duel between the songs. Continue reading

When you dream

0601_001
One of the joys of Second Life is allowing us to inhabit parallel lives, the lives we dreamed in our youth. Like many of you, I dreamed of all sorts of “when I grow up” scenarios. Mostly I said I wanted to be an archeologist when I grew up, but there were times when I declared my intent for president, supreme court justice, artist and dancer. Of course, I did grow up to inhabit none of these dreams, finding instead my adult dream as a political activist. I am happy with my adult dreams and only feel a faint nostalgic wistfulness for my childhood dreams. How fun it is, though, to live those dreams as an avatar. This season’s offerings from The Arcade are really the stuff dreams are made of.

Continue reading

Gone Almost Fishing

0530_001

So Gidge and I were going to go fishing for walleye, the Minnesota state fish. I don’t know if you can see it clearly, but that is a Minnesota boat, you can tell by the license. Walleye are the most delicious fish that have ever been eaten by anyone ever in the history of all mankind. That’s a fact. So, I am eager to get cracking and toss that line in the water. But where is Gidge?

Continue reading