World Goth Fair 2014 - My Humble Abode

She was put at the entrance of the mansion more than a century ago. The then reigning baron was an art lover, quite proud of his impeccable taste: he had found the statue of the slender woman in the studio of a young Parisian sculptor, talented but not well-known enough to earn a meal by his art. The statue witnessed the flow of house guests, arriving in large groups at first… then, as the baron lost money and power, the guests became fewer and fewer, until they didn’t come any more. These days the only visitors were the wild animals from the nearby forest. “Welcome to my humble abode! I hope you will enjoy your stay!” – the statue whispered to a curious deer, and the rusty iron creaked as the gate swung open.

We hardly said goodbye to the wonderful Fantasy Faire, and there is another event to save us (“us” meaning “creatures with a darker streak to their character”) from boredom – the World Goth Fair. You may happily while away your hours strolling from booth to booth in the three sims, but please don’t forget that it is also a charity event in benefit of The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. You may read about the history of the foundation and their work IRL on their homepage.

Dress: “Annabel Lee” in Onyx by Fosca de Les Encantades – available in the WGF Port Seraphine sim (100 L$). I love the extreme silhouette of the corset, it’s very à la Poe and very 19^th Century Noir!

Necklace: “Iron Cross Necklace” in Gray by LaNoirSoleil – available in several colours in the WGF Port Seraphine sim (147 L$).

Filigree nails: “Tactum Mortis” in Black Necritol by LaNoirSoleil – available in various colours in the WGF Port Seraphine sim (147 L$). “Tactum Mortis” means “Touch of Death” and it is an amazing filigree nail/finger extension thingy, a combination of delicate metal vines and a razor sharp, elegant claw available in several colours.

Face chain: “Maev Chains” in Black by Axix – available at the Fantasy Gacha Fair (50 L$ per play).

Tiara/headphone: Tuner/Headphone in Black by ANC - – available at the Fantasy Gacha Fair (50 L$ per play). It is quite a surprising item to find among shoulder pet dragons and various pieces of fantasy armour, but – thanks to the tiara-like upper part – the style quite fits in.

Skin: “Lacrimosa Weeping” by Fallen Gods – this wonderful “stony” skin was a donation item at the Fantasy Faire, now available at the main shop in Selidor (800 L$ for one of the four versions – Epitaph, Weeping, Mausoleum or Crack, 2,200 L$ for a fatpack).

Lips: Glamorize – Rival Black Combo (1 L$).

Eye makeup: White Widow – an old hunt gift not available any more.

Hair: “Carlie” by Damselfly – a free gift at the Fantasy Gacha Fair that comes with a colour HUD.

Eyes: “January Ice” by Sterling Artistry – an old group gift not available any more, but "Gilded Field" from the DailyEyes series looks quite similar (85 L$).

Pose: Izumiya – free gift in the main shop (0 L$).

The picture was taken in the H22O sim, a new (and very wet :)) build by Squonk Levenque.

The First Ball Of The Year

The winter holidays were over. The gift boxes were all opened, the beautifully decorated Christmas tree started to wilt slowly, almost invisibly… the first fragrant needles were already scattered around in the room. Yet, Melusina didn’t feel sad or exhausted or sorry. She was preparing for the first ball of the new year. The snow was white and fresh in the garden, and the new silk dress felt similarly cool and crispy under her gentle fingers.

Yes, the old year had ended, but a new year just began, and Melusina was looking forward to whatever she would encounter during the forthcoming months. She put on her new necklace, a lovely surprise from her family, then she touched her nose tip with a powder puff, and cast a big happy smile at her reflection in the mirror. Yes, beginnings were always exciting and wonderful, Melusina thought... and she swept out of the room, the first tunes of the very first waltz already ringing in her ears.

A Happy New Year and happy beginnings to you all, too, dear readers and followers! :)

Skin: Mother Goose’s “Lene” – Lucky Board gift in the main shop (0 L$).

Hair: Exile „Violetta” in Autumn - Subscribo gift in the main shop (0 L$).

Eyes: Sterling Artistry “Starlight Eyes” in Astral Blue – camping prize in the main shop (0 L$).

Tattoo: White Widow „Shine” in White/Black – Christmas hunt gift in the main shop. You must look for some tiny white gift boxes, each containing a male/female tattoo (10 L$).

Outfit: PurpleMoon „Winter Queen” in Ice – December group gift (0 L$); the group membership fee is 50 L$.

Jewellery: Finesmith „Happiness!” New Year VIP group gift (0 L$); the group membership fee is 365 L$.

I didn't use any poses for the pictures, just started clicking at Petit Pas. :)

Fantasy Faire 2012 - Sun In The Cellar

What could she do, to fight the shadows? A Daughter of Flames, captured and locked away in the deep dark cellars under the Temple of the Black Dog? She could light some fire, of course... but how? Embers started rubbing her fingers together with anxiety. Now and then, she also scratched her scalp... anything was good, in order to reduce the stress and the feeling of shame. Captured she was, like a helpless baby, while her people had been fooling the Black Dogs for centuries.

Embers was still angrily rubbing her fingers together, when she suddenly noticed something was changing. Was the cellar becoming a bit lighter? Oh yes, she could see better now, but what was the source of the light? Embers touched her scalp again... then she stared at her hand in amazement. Her fingers were aflame and, as she discovered instantly, her hair was burning, too. “Well, I’m a true Daughter of Flames, after all...” – Embers thought and started looking for the tunnel that would lead her back to the surface.

A Medieval/Gorean fashion hunt led me to the shop of Pia Uladstron, “Dream Things”, for the first time. My initial thought was, “Ummmm, just another shop selling kirtles and silks”... then this idea swiftly changed when I started looking around. Pia has some dresses that only seem to be simple, and you soon discover how elaborate they actually are. The “Fabia” gown is an excellent example of all this, with the soft tumbling texture, the light bordure that reminds you of ancient mosaics, and the sash with two beautiful leaf-shaped pins. You find the “Dream Things” kiosk in the “Shifting Sands” sim, so please go and pay a visit before May 1^st!

While taking the pictures for the wonderful Spyralle dress I congratulated the builder of Da Vinci Gardens, Felixx Shepherd, on the smashingly surreal environment he had created. He took the compliments with true modesty and he also gave me a LM to a nook of his realm that I hadn’t known before, The Royal Sands. It’s an apparently quiet Ancient Egyptian build, as long as you stay away from the temples! I won’t tell you any more, you go and investigate... and trust me, you’ll really need the torch offered at the entrance!

Outfit: Dream Things „Fabia” in Brown – RFL donation item (150 L$).

Bangles: Maxi Gossamer „Boho Bangles” in Mahogany and Silver – previous group gift currently available for sale (49 L$), and it’s free to join the group.

Hair: Frou-Frou „Mumm” in Auburn – Crazy Hair Hunt 3 gift (0 L$). The hunt is on until April 30^th so you have a few hours more to grab the gifts.

Skin: Skinthesis “Mindi” Bronzed Goddess – the skin is not available any more but I recommend you consider the equally lovely and very similar “Dryad” skin in Orange (200 L$).

Tattoo: White Widow – The Runway Perfect Hunt 2 gift (0 L$). The hunt is on until April 30^th so you have a few hours more to grab the gifts.

Eyes: Sterling Artistry “Diversity Eyes” Heterogeneity – it’s a previous hunt gift now available for 65 L$, and the 6-pair pack is 260 L$.

Poses: Sterling Artistry “Emoting Hands” in the first picture (30 L$ for a single pose and 250 L$ for the 10-pose pack), Poseur „Seduction” in the second one (50 L$ for a single pose and 400 L$ for the 10-pose pack).

Wearable torch: you automatically receive it when you enter one of the Royal Sands Egyptian temples in the Da Vinci Gardens sim (0 L$).

Butterflies In The Mist

She was born among the mountains, and she never forgot about them… not even later, when her family gave her hand in marriage to a rich merchant who lived at the sea. Mei Hua became an obedient wife, she learned quickly how to prepare the savoury fish stew that her husband preferred to any other dishes, and she got used to the damp weather and the fog. What she couldn’t forget, though, was the sweet smell of the grass that had grown on her father’s mountain pastures... and she sourly missed the butterflies. There weren’t butterflies in the seashore town, and nobody knew why.

Then, one morning, when Mei Hua was doing her usual chores, she felt a soft tickling in her hair. She reached up, touched her elaborate bun, and when she lowered her hand she was astonished to see that a golden butterfly was sitting on her middle finger, and butterflies were soaring around her, as if she had been an exquisite flower. The next day she received a letter from her family. Her mother had died the day before... but the butterflies never left her any more.

I heard people mention the Crazy Hair Hunt and I also saw some pictures of the past prizes, yet I couldn’t really understand why everybody had been talking about the previous hunts with so much nostalgy until the third Crazy Hair Hunt kicked in on March 31st. And what can I say that other bloggers haven’t said before me, in praise of this crazy funny whirlwind of amazing hairdo…? This is the very first SL hunt where I wasn’t cherry picking from the various gifts but I did the entire hunt from A to Z. And what gifts… oh my. Treebee Withnail, the mastermind behind the happening, has been absent from SL for 18 months and now she’s back with a „Bang!” We all owe her some huge thanks for the work she’s done, and we owe similar thanks to the creators whose creativity I can’t cease admiring.

I’m not one of the organisers, yet I hope you’ll forgive me if I share out some mild words of admonishment, for the common well-being of all participants. The hunt is extremely popular and hundreds of SL residents are on the path all around the clock – so pretty please, play nicely, the hunt objects are easy to find (it’s not the Twisted Hunt, after all…), and don’t complain to the organisers at the very first apparent difficulty. Treebee is ironing out the few effective glitches with incredible efficiency, so please show some patience with her. What you get are gifts, after all, and many people have worked in order to amuse you… so please say „Thank you”, and enjoy. :)

Outfit: The White Armory „Mists of Fuji” group gift (0 L$). It’s free to join the group, but for an invitation you have to contact either Colton Drechsler or Ida Donardson.

Hair: Yasyn’s Odds and Ends „Effervescent Chrysalis” – Crazy Hair Hunt 3 gift (0 L$). The hunt is on until April 30th.

Skin: PixyStix „Custard” – The Fashionista Hunt gift (0 L$). The hunt ended on March 31st, but the gift bag is still out in the shop. If it’s gone, then you can buy the „Custard” skin for 100 L$.

Tattoo: White Widow „Crystal” – free gift in the shop (0 L$).

Eyes: Sterling Artistry „March Festive” – monthly freebie in the shop (0 L$).

Nails: Sterling Artistry “Gold Silk” (10 L$).

Poses: previous D!va group gifts, not available any more.

The pictures were taken at World’s End Garden.

Black Eric

They called him Eric the black. Not because of his hair. He tinted it regularly and nobody had a clue which colour it normaly had. Eric got his name because he was one of the bravest surfers in the area. His face normaly told a story about this.

He went surfing when all his friends stayed at home. He was the one who even was on the water when it was clear that a thunderstorm would start in the next ten minutes but he loved it. He enjoyed the challenge very much.

But to surf so much really made a difference. So it was him who won all contests. And he was the one who became a famous designer of surf clothing and surfboards after his carrer as surfer. They all had supposed that he would be insane but he only was crazy enough to be really good in everything he did.

Quite often new second life residents cross my way and it is often tricky for me to help the male ones to dress up so that they look less like a newbie. I do not really have a clue about free items for guys so I started a challenge on flickr with the title "Switch your gender for 0 Linden". The task is to create an avatar of the gender you normaly not use in second life without paying a linden for it. I have to admit I failed because I used eyes from Sterling artistry eyes which are 50 Linden and this version of the avatar is barefoot which is also not really perfect so I need to try it again. But its a start I guess.
When visiting the skin and shape expo 2011 I picked up the gift shapes from moonlight shapes. There was a male shape in the gift which has the name Carl. The skin is a gift from sacred. To get it you need to take part in a enquiry. Its a really great skin and I love the wounds it has.
The hair is a combination of a hairtattoo from white widow in the skate'n surf hunt and hair from blackmaria, a cool japanese store which has lots of free punk hair. The clothing also comes from the skate'n surf hunt. The top is the gift from Orquidea and the shorts the male gift from apricot paws.

Outfit:
Shape: ~MS~ Carl Shape (0 L$ gift at the Skin and Shape Expo 2011 ends at the 20th)
Skin: *Sacred* free skin (0 L$)
Shirt: ORQUIDEA surf shirt MALE (0 L$)
Shorts: AP - Echo Shorts - SNS Blue Blast Dark (0 L$)
Hairtattoo: [White~Widow] Skate 'N Surf Gift (0 L$)
Hair: +BM+ RIUS Black (0 L$)
Eyes: Sterling Artistry : sa_ForestElfEyes_CelinFerns (50 L$, there are some free eyes in the store)

Poses:
Windsurfingpose: Sterling Artistry Boutique : sa poses Windsurf 5pack (SNS hunt gift) (0 L$)
Surfboard: Magnifique Poses : *MP* Guys Surfboard Pose Prop (SNS hunt gift) (0 L$)

Although I made by mistake a 50 Linden avatar and not a 0 Linden avatar I had a lot of fun. It would be great if more would join the fun. There is a flickr group to share all the created avatars. This will be a great resource if a newbie who needs help crosses your way.

Playing alone

Today i went into the park again to play football.
Pose: Milestone Creations : [MC] Pose - Soccer I (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)
Outfit: IC Design & Boe : Go4goal hunt female gift (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)
Hat: Pestique : World Cup Football Hat (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)
Goal: Wisent Animations : Go4Goal VKSLX (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)

But i was all alone so i tried playing against myself. After i shoot i quickly ran into the goal changed the colour of my hat and tried getting the ball.

Goal: Wisent Animations : Go4Goal VKSLX (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)
Outfit: IC Design & Boe : Go4goal hunt female gift (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)
Hat: Pestique : World Cup Football Hat (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)

It was horribly boring to i went home and tried to play football with the owl. It was quite unwilling.
Shirt: **TKO** Abi Top - Purple (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)
Pose: Milestone Creations : [MC] Pose - Soccer III (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)

Being sweaty i sat on the floor and had a look if my fingers are dirty.
Tattoo: [White Widow] Soccer (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)

At the end i ended nuzzling with the dog and hoping that more people would be in the park the next day.


Skin: :: Ci Co. :: Female Prize G4G (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)
Tattoo : [White Widow] Soccer (0 Linden gift in the go4goal hunt)