The nights draw in
There’s a silky moon up in the sky
Children are fantasizing
Grown-ups are standin’ by
What a super feeling
A Winter’s Tale, ♫Queen♫
With this latest round of Pose Fair being winter themed I’ve been getting use out of many of the sims that change from season to season or those new sims that just happen to pop up for a short time for the holidays. Take the Silent Night Resort sim which is a winter wonderland that is a cozy place to take your person on a little quaint date. From the cozy little forts to the coffee/cocoa shack it’s fun to just walk around and see what kind of photographical fun can be had.
Taking advantage of the beverage shack, I felt like it was a good spot to use the Motive8 “S~20” pose set which has five different poses and includes a snowflake cup that is held in the right hand for each one. For the scene it was the perfect marriage of setting and pose so for me when that happens it makes getting things together a snap (there’s a pun there I’m sure).
TMD’s round for December has plenty for the male consumer with a variety of clothing, skins and accessories such as rings, poses and skyboxes and after taking a look through it there’s plenty that caught my eye. Though one of my favorite things to hit the booths is the “Havoc” Sweater by Lapointe & Bastchilld’s Swear imprint. Inspiring warm feelings on a cold day and as such a cold weather sim and picture.
The sweater is also named after the insanely popular jeans and most recently leather pants (which of course coordinates well together). For a more formal look I matched it up with the Swear Slacks which are part of the Edge Suit to make it a classier affair but I’ll be looking forward to wearing with the other two Havoc products. Best thing about this is that the HUD for the FATPACK contains 45 different styles of sweater and breaks down as follows: 18 Cable Knits, 19 Variegated Wool and 8 themed designs (such as the one I’m wearing!)
The Havoc Sweater is compatible with Belleza (Jake), Signature (Geralt + Gianni) and SLink (Physique) mesh bodies.
Winter forms our character and brings out our best.
Tom Allen
Here’s to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here but you’re not
‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we’ve been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back
Memories bring back you
Memories, ♫Maroon 5♫
The strength it’s taken me to do this post was something I was unsure of ever happening. Those who know me have undoubtedly been aware of my absence from blogging and or social media and there’s been a very valid reason. In September, my reality suffered a tremendous loss and while I don’t want to go into details as it’s not something I’m comfortable with but I wanted to make sure that when the time was right for me that I’d find a way to work it out through virtual artistry.
I’ve prided myself on the ability to be creative but lately it just hasn’t been there and it’s taken me away from the virtual side of things. My passion for it has been lacking and I don’t want to put anything less than 100% when I’m able to do it, otherwise it shows and if I can tell then I’m pretty darn sure that others can see it too.
While I’ve been away and dealing with the situation, some really excellent clothing has come out that I’ve wanted to promote and show because of how much I love it. Lapointe & Bastchild has been around for a long time and when it comes to their loyalty to their customers (as well as their bloggers) they rank among the top of any brand. They take the time to listen to the people that purchase and wear their clothing and even take the time to refresh some of the items by adjusting some of bugs for how it fits with a certain body or add a new body to the list of those that are asked to be added (within reason because creation of these things take a lot of time and effort to a degree that a lot of us fail to realize). The denim version of the “Ranger Shirt” was given an upgrade with some tweaks to some of the mesh bodies that have also made updates and with that the patterns have been given a refresh too. Long sleeve shirt on top of short ones are one of my favorite types of clothing so to see this update was a welcome one for me.
I might have missed it’s initial release at TMD in September but believe me when I say that the “Havoc Jeans” are everything. With three different types: Reg, Rolled and Tapered (which come in handy with different boot styles) and the ability to wear a pocket chain (also a feature that would make others beside myself shout “take my money!”) these jeans are a huge contender for the Heavyweight Champion in the male jeans market. For those who may have recently picked up the leather pants version of “Havoc” (which I will be showcasing hopefully soonish) that are currently at the November round of TMD, the key fob from it also works with the jeans and vice-versa with the chain. Lots of great features that are interchangeable between both releases. Please keep in mind that to get the chain and key fob are only available with the FATPACK version of both “Havoc” styles. If you have purchased a single color of either product, I believe that you can contact the store manager or the creators to upgrade to FATPACKs so you can get the bonus add-ons. It’s well worth it from my vantage point as someone who loves these kind of jeans/pants.
Compatibility for the “Ranger Shirt” and “Havoc Jeans” include: Belleza Jake, Signature (Geralt & Gianni) and SLink Physique (with an alpha for the SLink Redux version).
One thing I want to say that I feel is important is I know that we spend a lot of time focusing on things that may seem super important to us and tend to look past those that should be important. Look closer to those details because there will be a time that you’ll wish you’d paid more attention to them and will grow to regret it. Everyone’s situation is different and that is understandable but I think that we’ve all got people that mean a great deal to us and we should show them that because then neither you or they will ever have to question the importance they play.
I’m trying my best to not make this a downer post as that is not my intention, however, there have been many people I know virtually that have recently gone through something similar in their lives so this is not so much entirely for me as it is for them as well because we all are finding our ways to cope. The days, months and years to come will forever be changed but with all the love and support from those around us, it may never every bit of the hurt inside away but it will at least help us heal to some degree.
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Thomas Campbell
They tell me ice cream junkies are all the same
All the soda jerkers know my name
When their supply is gone
Then I’ll be movin’ on
“Weird” Al Yankovic, ♫I Love Rocky Road♫
It’s Sunday and it has been a bit since my last post and while I was thinking of something to do I remembered that there was a fun little build by Salacity called “Zesty’s Dairy Bar” which is my first post for the brand since becoming part of their team. I thought it could be fun to do an ice cream themed photo but I didn’t have any single male ice cream photos and after a quick search upon the Marketplace I added “#Profile 5” from FRIMON Store which at one time was linked to an event and some other stuff. My idea was starting to look better and better.
With the scene and pose now in place all that needed to be done was the put my look together and get shooting. It’s been a long time since LV Designs has done a skin based on an actor from pop culture TV. One of the coolest I’ve seen was the Kit skin that was based on Game of Throne’s star, Kit Harrington. The latest in what I would personally call the star line is based off of Dacre Montgomery who is one of the actors on Stranger Things. I know I’ll catch flack for admitting to not having seen this but it’s on my list so cool those jets folks! It probably won’t win me any points to note that he has also played the role of Jason in the rebooted Power Rangers movie (which I thought was getting a sequel that all but seems dead now…oh well). The skin comes in two tones Pearl and Buttermilk (works with Stray Dog Tones 02 and 04 respectively). I thought it was kind of humorous because I think that his character also works in an Ice Cream Parlor or something so that’s a bit more humor added in along with “Weird” Al’s parody of Joan Jet’s “I Love Rock N Roll”. You can find this skin at The Men Jail until the 28th of August so still a few days to take a look and grab it if you want.
Lapointe & Bastchild have done it once again and have taken one of my favorite products and given it some new breath. Graphic tees are pretty much life as far as I concerned and even in the virtual world I can have some fun wearing the newly updated for 2019 “Santa Cruz T-Shirt Collection”. They’ve did some fine tuning for some of the male bodies as well as added some fun new designs to it. The shirt is compatible with Aesthetic, Belleza (Jake), Signature (Geralt/Gianni) and SLink Physique and can be found at the their main location which as always there’s a taxi for below.
A new event is also going to be on the horizon from Pale Girl Productions called “Ark” and I wanted to mention it now to make sure the name gets into people’s minds. If you like events like Skin Fair, Vintage Fair, Curves, and The Trunk Show then you might want to give “Ark” a chance as well. It’s going to feature some of the best designers on the grid and maybe some that are just waiting to show you what they are capable of. The theme revolves around animal themed items such as skins, clothing, furniture and accessories for the avatar. Since this is the first time the event is running I am unsure of what to expect but I like the idea of the challenge it poses so it’ll be exciting.
I will be making a post on it once the press packet is released and I’ll pass that on through the site so keep those eyes peeled ladies and gents!
As a single tear falls to the ground
For the people that we are not now
If you’re not you you’re everyone else
Who are you, who are you now?
Burned our teenage years down to the ground
Oh the hand on the clock’s wearing out
If you’re not you you’re everyone else
Who are you, who are you?
The Maine, ♫My Best Habit♫
I found myself just kinda chilling and listening to music and I reached an idea while listening to one of the songs on the most recent iPod playlists I made. Yes I have an iPod (it’s one of the Classic ones so when it bytes the dust then essentially I’m outta luck…get what I did there?) I know everyone seems to be using Spotify or some other thing but I’m just happy with the things I know and with an iPod I don’t have to dink around with having to have a certain amount of data or whatever for my phone or tablet etc.
So as it stands I’ll stay in my somewhat cross between tech savvy and Luddite and that’s just fine with me.
For this blog entry I put together a nice batch of things to complete the scene that is one for the ladies this time out. That’s just the way the inspiration took me because with the song I chose to carry it through, it had more of a female vibe to it even if the band that performs it has a male vocalist if that makes sense? I think with just the upbeat nature of it I could just throw on some pink or purple tones and just get right into it.
Paparazzi just dropped two new different backdrop styles at equal10 that are just asking for people to give them a look. The “Starlit Staircase” that you can see here was the mood I wanted and also the purple version fit the color scheme that I wanted to work with as well. All it took was a some messing around with windlights and I had one of the easiest photo sessions that I can think of in a long time.
Hair Fair for 2019 is a mere few days away and this is one of the events that I’m always excited for to see the different styles and choices from all the big creators as well as new ones that become popular names. If you make it into Hair Fair then you definitely aren’t doing too bad and that is my take on it really.
This is why I’m really proud to say that my son Elijah (aka Alyx Banks) of Lock&Tuft has four new releases coming out at this years event. I’m featuring one of them and I will be adding the taxi to the credits as soon as it officially opens and know what sim it will be located on but until then you get to take a look at “Beau” which is a pulled up bun type style. The styles for all the of the hairs are inspired by characters that are a part of a web series called “Critical Role” which is where professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons. It’s not something I’ve heard of but being that I’m old school and loved D&D it’s something I might have to check it out.
Uber still has around a week left and while I’m not necessarily a fan of styling myself in anything with long sleeves during the summer months here in the US, in some places the evening time can be a bit cool so with that line of thinking I highly suggest that the ladies check out the “Gemma” jacket from Swear by L&B. I really like the frond type laces on the sides of the jacket and also the back (not shown). I am always pretty amazed by the amount of color styles in the full HUDs that L&B does and this does not disappoint either. Along with options for Light, Medium and Dark color choices the crop top also has some graphic options as well as solid colors as well so you can represent your style the best way possible.
The jacket is compatible with the following mesh bodies: Belleza (Freya/Isis), Maitreya and SLink (Hourglass/Physique). For anyone who may have the legacy body the only thing I can suggest is that you grab a demo and see if it will work for you but definitely don’t buy it without doing that first.
This is the second time that I have given a female skin by my people at Session Skins a shot and while I definitely would eventually like to add Genus to my lady style portfolio I am still pretty happy with LeLutka’s Korina and LAQ’s Noelle heads so maybe down the road still I will give it a shot but not in the near future. With that said, the “Gemma” skin that was a part of last month’s Dubai event (now available in the official store). I like the look of it and the applier HUD gives several different options such as moles and freckles, along with 6 different lipstick styles. You’re also able to choose if you want to use the brows the skin comes with or to use some from your favorite brands as well.
One thing that I personally would love to see for the LeLutka heads is lighter tones like some of the Genus head skins have, that’s just a personal preference of course but I don’t really mind Tone 01 either. I think think that more options would give the discerning consumer a way to choose what best works for them (this would also count for the men’s side of things too).
I thought it was really cool that several of these items came with the name Gemma, which is my daughter’s name and while I don’t get to talk to her or see her often these days I still think about her and can’t wait for the next time we’re able to catch up. Life just kinda happens and it’s funny the way it operates really but…having great memories are what helps us I think.
Life is a long preparation for something that never happens.
W.B. Yeats
But if they get their chance they’ll end it for sure
Surely would
Baby I’ve done all I could
Now it’s up to you…
Urge Overkill, ♫Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon♫
Pulp Fiction has to be one of the top 10 movies on my list of faves of all time along with such classics as Fight Club and Scent Of A Woman (which tells you my taste is all over the board). With my warped sense of humor the movie is absolutely quotable although I suggest not to show it to younger viewers or some of the things they’ll take away from it will undoubtedly get them and or you in trouble. As it was when this film came out I was a teenager and I’m sure that my parents were dreading that I’d be quoting Samuel L. Jackson all day, every day. Suffice to say I managed not to let my lips get me in trouble but these days when I’m able to quote something from the movie I go for it.
How this all ties in is that Amitie Poses released a gacha machine earlier this year that had poses related to different movie posters or moments from movies from such films as Rocky, From Dusk Til Dawn, A Star Is Born (2018) and of course Pulp Fiction. I knew that I really wanted to try to recreate in my vision the classic poster with Uma Thurma laying on her stomach smoking a cigarette.
With the help of the “Gwen” hair by lock&tuft which I thought was super incredibly close to the hairstyle she had on the film. It was an easy choice to throw on and then I just needed to put together the outfit which would prove to be more of a challenge. The exact matches being that I am still figuring my way around the different female clothing stores were going to be tough but I think that since this was not going to be absolutely 100% accurate which is certainly alright with me.
I caught wind of “Davia Tank” on sale at the newly re-opened Epoch store which had the appearance of the idea that I was looking for and it was solid black much like the poster. Not only did I find something that worked but I caught it on a sale too! Right now they have a hunt going on with really low priced prize items (10L!!!) with special guest items from Reign and Modulus! For any of the ladies reading at the moment or guys that want to take their girls shopping check the credits at the end of the post for a taxi; you just never know what kind of exciting deals you might find.
Several days before I buckled down to do the photo session I wasn’t sure what I should do for pants because everything I had seen were too long and I was being stubborn and did not want to compromise. I did remember that L&B had a pair of pants that were at the Uber before this most recent round called the “Lyla” and one of the features were they were not only long pants but also boasted a Capri version which was what I was trying to find so I added them to my wardrobe and with a half dozen different shots I managed to compile them into the finished photo I’m featuring here.
lock&tuft – Gwen (FatPack)
Original Mesh
Resizable by clicking on hair for menu
5 color packs to choose from
Fatpack option also available
Available now in the lock&tuft store
L&B Swear – Kayla Pants (FatPack)
Original Mesh
Compatible with Belleza (Freya and Isis), Maitreya (Lara) and SLink (Hourglass and Physique)
Regular and Capri length options
FatPack Hud contains Solid (Lights, Mediums and Darks) and Flower Print design choices
Available right now at Lapointe & Bastchild in-world location
Because you are a character doesn’t meant the you have character.
The Wolf, “Pulp Fiction”
Hey look Ma, I made it
Everything’s comin’ up aces, aces
And if it’s a dream, don’t wake me, don’t wake me
I said hey look Ma, I made it
Panic! At The Disco, ♫Hey Look Ma, I Made It♫
Now that we’ve arrived at the official opening of the Vintage Fair some of you may have already been able to visit and check out the many high quality stores and products that can be found there. Another thing that I can add is that the sim is spectacular and amazingly done; I can’t say enough about it. The one thing I will say is that this week during VF I’ll be writing a little less than normal because it takes a bit more out of me when the posts require more so for those who enjoy the thoughts I have don’t worry they aren’t going away entirely.
I’m going to make a quick note that the skin I am wearing on this blog designated “Tom” from Session Skins is going to be my favorite for a long time to come; I definitely feel that the look I’ve got going on here is the most I have felt like myself in a great while so definitely great work by Angi on this. Totally gets a two thumbs up and five stars from me.
Also taking part at the fair is [BMS] who have the “Marble Sculpture Fountain // Table” and normally I’m not a decor guy but I really thought that this water fountain which has actual running water motion and sounds makes it about as realistic as you can get and a for all of you that are all about your decor, this would make a cool addition to your home.
Session Skins – Tom (Tone 02)
Two different facial maps
Brow and No Brow option
Eyebrow scar option
Mole option
Darke Eyes (Guyliner) option
Exclusive currently at Vintage Fair ’19 until June 16th
[BMS] Marble Sculpture Fountain // Table
Original mesh
Highly details
Running water & sound effects for realism factor
Exclusive to Vintage Fair ’19 through June 16th
To give myself more of an added look I styled my hair with the “Dallas” hair by Lock&Tuft. To me it has that vintage look and appeal and a style that many people likely work before my time even (and I’ve been around for a while). Teaming it up with a good hairbase (Stealthic) and I was all sorts of handsome and as strange as it is to admit it…I admired myself for a few moments before I started getting to work.
Topping it off are the two items from Lapointe & Bastchild. Being a part of this brands blogger team has been one of the best things to happen blogging wise in the last 6-8 months. I’ve found that when I put together looks with their items it all clicks fairly easily for me. TMD is lucky to have on its shelves the “Gage 3pc Check Suit” which is an updated version of Gage but with checkered patterns that screamed out vintage to me. When I put it on and found the right pattern I was in the immortal words of Ric Flair “stylin’ and profilin'”.
There is nothing that compliments a suit better than a great pair of oxfords which for me come in the form of the “Edge Oxford Dress Shoes”. To go with the suit pattern I chose, I actually picked a brown leather which is something I rarely ever do because I’m just solely all about black as it’s my base color.
Both of these products are super customizable and well worth investing in if you’re a fan of patterned suits (which is a great alternative to the usual basic colors but not that there’s anything wrong with those).
HUD has 13 shoe leather colors, 5 lace colors and 19 sock color options
Compatible with Classic Avatars (Fit and Unrigged), Belleza (Jake), Signature (Geralt & Gianni) and SLink Physique
Available right now at Lapointe & Bastchild
As I promised, once I received the final landmarks and maps for Vintage Fair I would post them not only in my initial VF blog but also in what would be this entry. Also in this information I’ll be giving you the Demo area landmarks as well for you to be able to check out things easier as well.
Boom! Clap!
The sound of my heart
The beat goes on and on and on and on and
Boom! Clap!
You make me feel good
Come on to me, come on to me now
Charli XCX, ♫Boom Clap♫
It’s a new month and that means tons of new things appearing in new rounds of events and also the return of annual events. I think now that I’ve been blogging female centric items for a bit the feeling of awkwardness has completely burned away (it’s a completely different thing to have an alt or at least that’s how I feel). This post felt from top to bottom like I knew what I was doing and am pretty jazzed about the outcome (windlight, outfit, angle and lighting all falling right into place).
The most exciting part about this blog is that it kicks off my coverage of Vintage Fair and for those of you that might be stumbling onto this site for the first time or you are even new to the world of Second Life, let me explain a little bit about this event.
Vintage Fair is a collection of Clothing & Accessories, Furniture and also poses all theme for a certain past decade or time period (this year is dedicated to anything prior to the 1980’s which covers a lot of ground). The event is taking place from the 7th of June through the 16th and is being brought to us by Pale Girl Productions and Schutlz Bros. (who make very nice mesh buildings and furniture). Sponsors for the event include but is not limited to: The Annex, LAQ, Hair SL and Euphoric.
The first two items featured are both from Ohemo (bloggers are suppose to blog more than one item of different designers but I’d finished this before that information reached me so I apologize in advance and will make sure my other posts are right I promise!) The hat I have on is one of two that are going to be for sale at the event and between “LOVE” and “COOL” I chose the latter as I prefer when everything around me is cool. Also take note that I am featuring the fatpack version as at the actual event there may be singular versions as well.
This hat has a HUD with 4 different areas (top, middle, lower and “cool”) that can be colored and with 18 colors for each face to allow you a distinct and unique hat style that is true to your style and help you to look pretty sweet just roaming around events like Vintage Fair or just taking a day at the beach. This is just the thing I like when it comes to fatpacks…the more colors the better so I can dictate what I’m feeling at the moment I put it on.
Accessorizing with the hat, I’m also wearing the “Nancy Retro Shades” which are super stylish with a Ray-Ban vibe but with an added touch of the metal studs in the front of the frames. There are also four faces (Frame, Sides, Lenses and Screws) that can be color changed with the frames/sides each having 18 colors, the lenses having 5 and the screws with 2. To be honest if I don’t see people out on the grid wearing these or blogging them I’d be a little disappointed because of how well made they are; not to mention that it is near summer and sunglasses are pretty much mandatory!
Ohemo – “Cool” Buckethat – FATPACK
Original mesh
Can be resized via build menu
HUD allows 4 parts to be recolored (top, midde, lower and “cool” emblem)
18 colors for each face to create a unique style
Exclusive to Vintage Fair (Opens June 7th and runs through June 16th)
Ohemo – Nancy Retro Shades – FATPACK
Original mesh
Can be resized via build menu
HUD allows 4 parts to be recolored (Frame, Sides, Lenses and Screws)
18 colors for Frame/Sides, 5 for Lenses and 2 metals for screws
Exclusive to Vintage Fair (Opens June 7th and runs through June 16th)
To go along with my warm weather vibes I’ve got a new release from Lapointe & Bastchild that can be found at the latest round of Uber. They have a separate outfit release and I chose to feature the “April Crocheted Top” to go along with the rest of my upper body items and not end up cutting anything out of my main shot.
The HUD included with the FATPACK version has two pages of color styles and I played around with the different colors to fit the scene until I made my final decision but it has a lot of excellent choices to choose from and has the quality that you can expect from L&B. It definitely matches well with the “May Kayla Pants” which I am sure that I will be blogging in the time to come.
L&B Swear – April Crocheted Top
Original mesh
HUD contains 22 different top options
Compatible with Belleza (Freya and Isis), Maitreya (Lara) and SLink (Hourglass and Physique)
Exclusive to Uber until 06/23/19
For those of who you are planning to visit Vintage Fair, I feel it would be helpful to show you the maps and landmarks for both North and South sims so that when the event does open you will have your game plan as to which sim you want to rush to first to pick up your fun new items. There are so many wonderful creators and their stores taking part in this event.
Also remember that with the first few days it will likely be very busy on both sims so do not get disenchanted with getting in, there will be plenty of time during the event for everyone to get the items they want.
Rejoice as summer should…chase away sorrows by living.
Melissa Marr
