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When I got the notice from DoC Eldritch about his latest release, Tyran, I knew it was a must have. I am all about options, and aside from the several options included with the outfit, it’s also got lots of mix ‘n’ match potential. This lingerie/dress/pants set really appeals to the lingerie-on-the-outside fan in me. The focus of the set is the corset top, with garters that lay over the pants. I have also managed to mod this skirt to work with just the glitch pants and attachment, but the intended combination uses a system skirt with the corset seeming to connect to straight black skirt under the semi-transparent prims. I just like my ass too much to hide it in a system skirt!

The full skirt is made of lots of tiered flexi and I love the uneven edges. The skirt required 2 attachment points, and my AO just hates anything attached to my lower spine, but by attaching it to my stomach instead it sit perfectly. Plus, that left room for some of my favorite wings from Material Squirrel.

The other option that doesn’t leave your tush uncovered are the pants that are included in the main set, which includes the Sunset lingerie (shown above) plus the pants and skirt options. The other color lingerie, like Sunrise below can be purchased separately, but as only as the lingerie (corset and panties) alone.

A perfect match for this top are the new Stud Encrusted Heels in gold from Step Ahead. I don’t do them justice in these photos (I’m wearing the black pair, without studs, in the other photos) but they are very well made (and I am very picky with my prim feet.) The shoes come with 2 versions to accommodate what you are going to wear: you have the invisiprims attached to one point and the shoes attached to another, which is becoming a standard, but there are ALSO a pair included that only require one attachment point so you can wear them with pant cuffs. The tops aren’t as finished looking in that version but that is fine because they are under your pants. The HUD is responsive and allows for gold and silver accents, as well as a no-stud option. There are lots of presets and you can make each preset darker, but it doesn’t allow matching your skin tone using RGB values. I think this is a first go at prim feet for these designers so maybe that will come in future releases.

You can get another look at the um… shoes… in this next shot. plus, an example of just the lingerie in my favorite color, purple.

I wanted to choose a skin for these shots that I haven’t worn in a while and PXL’s Kim was just the thing; something about skins from PXL on my face shape always makes me feel a bit exotic. To complete the look is the Ruby’s Fire jewelry set from Phoenix Rising (but only available at Starlight Exclusives) and a tattoo from my all time favorite tattoo artist in SL, Negko. To top it all off, I scored some hair at the fri.day sale; I just love discounts on hair fatpacks.

DE Designs Tyran set and lingerie
[PXL] KIM LT SE Siena BlackEB
[PXL] KIM SK NE Rose BlackEB
[PXL] KIM TAN SE Wine BlackEB
Step Ahead – Stud Encrusted Heels Black, Gold
Candy nail #P012 Pastel 6color change
Isolde Wings in Autumn, Plum Wine
fri. – Cameron – Emo Black
Phoenix Rising – Ruby’s Fire in Midnight (available only at Starlight Exclusives)
!Negko Design Tattoo 70b: butterflies and leaves purple

Finally some time for myself! I’ve still got a ton of things on my to-do list but I was determined to take an entire evening to style something fantastic and spend some time on photos just for me. I knew my foundation was going to be one of Tuli’s new goth versions of Hope; next on the list, Freyja had pointed me in the direction of some wonderful jewelry from Alchemy Immortals the other day and I had just the updo I wanted to show it off, so I literally went to Evie’s Closet in my underwear, fully styled… except for clothing! At first, I was thinking something white and flowy, and doing some photos all in white head to toe, but I kept coming back to the Melusine set, the special edition Gothic Duo set that comes with both a black and black/red version. Thing was… the top of the dress wasn’t going wasn’t going to work with the jewelry I had my heart set on so… Evie’s Closet…. meet Elymode.

I told myself I was going to make an effort not to include my own elymode pieces in many of my posts but I have to face the facts, I started to design clothing because I wanted some very specific, versatile items that could be used to complete looks with parts of other sets from my favorite designers. For these photos I am wearing my Scooped-out Corset, but the top of the amazing Melusine set deserves to be seen, so take a look at it here on Evie’s flickr. As always, her textures are beautiful and rich, and she has a way with prims that is magical, and Evie always does a great bustle.

Hey so, see those shadows under the jewelry? I didn’t do that, it’s not some photoshop trick or the latest shadow viewer. That’s part of the jewelry and adds so much to the already wonderful sculpted and flexi pieces. The necklace, bracelet and earrings are texture change scripted for 6 metals, and the bracelet has gem color options. I knew I needed these pieces from Alchemy Immortalis as soon as the vendor rezzed.

[]::Tuli::[] Hope (goth) 09 PU (PU means “push-up” you know, because I need the help)
*Evie’s Closet* – Melusine – Obsidian (skirt only)
*elymode* scooped-out corset – black
>TRUTH< Isabella – night
Alchemy Immortalis Ami amet deli pencet Ivy Choker, Vine Earrings, Renaissance Bracelet (the red bottle is the package the jewelry comes in!)
Candy Nail #P006 Long Nails 5color change Dark

When Evangeline Miles invited me to model during her interview on SLTV’s Fabulous Fashion, I was delighted. How fun to get dressed up and stand around looking pretty without thinking about taking photos or being responsible for anyone but me. She even allowed me to wear one of the limited edition colors of the Ophelia gown, which is one of my favorite dresses in her whole shop.

El was a little jealous, and kept bugging me “tell her I can be a stand in if someone isn’t on line” and I told her “fat chance” but wouldn’t you know, one of the models DID have some technical difficulty and El got to stand in! She logged on with no idea which dress she’d be wearing, trying not to explode in a burst of excitement. She found the folder Evie had dropped on her and that sent her over the edge; she started screaming “it’s the Aventine dress!!!! AND IT’S PURPLE!!!! OMG imma purple FLOWER!!!”

Both gowns are beautifully detailed with sculpted bustles. The sculpted petals around the waist of the Aventine gown give it such a unique personality and add to the element of fantasy. When I first saw photos of this dress, I questioned the collar, what was this growing out of the shoulders? Now that I have had a better look, I see the delicate chain that creates a perfect illusion of securing the collar around her neck. As someone who admits my lack of genius when it comes to accessories, I love when designers include matching items like that collar or the hair flowers included with Ophelia.

Most residents don’t wear gowns like this on a daily basis, we wear them for a romantic date or to take some pictures; and for those of us with a huge inventory, a gown like this might only see the grid a few times. Evie gives us some incentive to wear it more often by including multiple options. Ophelia comes with a tea-length skirt option, and for the limited edition colors she has added a baby doll too! The Aventine also includes an adorable flowery baby doll and offers a different sleeve option not photographed here.

Truth be told, I am not usually a big fan of baby doll style skirts in SL, but, well, I had been wearing the gown when I jumped on my sweetheart, and ballgowns and poseballs just don’t mix. I wasn’t quite ready to take it all off yet and the babydoll was the perfect solution. Evie does such a fabulous job with the flexi that after walking around in it for a while later on, it won me over. Now I’m in love with these fun flirty babydoll dresses.

We had our graphics settings down way low for the actual Fabulous Fashion filming, so we headed to the Oubliette sim, home to Evie’s Closet for some photos after the show. Come on, you didn’t think I’d be able to keep the snapshot window closed for long, did you?

el:
*Evie’s Closet* Aventine Gown Purple
:GP: Bean [Dark] June-Geranium 2
-(luc)- Butterfly Frolic Chain Bracelets Silver
Analog Dog – Mia brown sugar

me:
*Evie’s Closet* Limited Edition – Ophelia Passion
[]::Tuli::[] Hope (tan/bl) avenue
:: Exodi :: Monarchy Set
Sky Everett Designs-Quiet seduction-Raven
*Shai* Duchess Black Panties with Garters and Stockings

poses from: Luth, Sweet Lovely Cute, Striking Poses, Tuli and Maitreya
the clocks in the photos are for sale from Balderdash, one of the shops located on the Oubliette sim

It’s not very often that I take myself out and buy an expensive new dress, and even rarer that I do so on a whim. I was looking for a brown skirt that could be mixed with a nice shirt for a semi-formal look and after checking out a few places, I wound up at Zaara standing in front of the Amala gown. This beautifully textured gown with it’s lacy semi-sheer top and drawn on underbust ruffle is just… perfect. There is no other way to say it… it’s perfect. The design itself is so sexy without being overly revealing (unless you look real close at that lace ) and it’s been executed wonderfully, as is everything from Zaara, with excellent shading, wrinkles and attention to detail.

Another reason I love dresses from Zaara… so often there is a “wear with pants” skirt option for those of us who run from system skirts. This dress does come with a system skirt, and worn with the correct attachments, has quite a different look… but I am happy with this version if it means I don’t have to hide my cute ass!

As beautiful as the gown is, it was too formal for what I needed…and as I had hoped, it was the perfect item to match the shirt I had in mind, the Manzano halter from Decoy.

poses from -AnaLu- *fresh poses*
Zaara : Amala Gown *Bronze*
[Decoy] Manzano – Peach (last photo only)
:: Exodi :: Analu Set
[]::Tuli::[] Faith (dark tan/bl) earth
>TRUTH< Linda – mocha
Maitreya Verve Pumps – Brown

When I was a kid, my parents went to Hawaii and my Dad, who grew up in a very poor home and only dreamed of visiting such an exotic locale, got so excited over the fact that the hotel had peacocks in the lobby and gardens. The idea was just so decadent and I know it was was of those moments that made my Dad proud of himself for all he had accomplished so far.I saw one in person myself on a trip to Morocco when I was a teen, and then a few years ago walking through some beautiful gardens near Lisbon, Portugal. They really are beautiful creatures and because of the simple childhood memory of my Dad’s excitement, they hold a special place in my heart. When Sparkle Skye used the words “peacock” “green” and “dress” in the same sentence, my reaction was “yes yes yes!”

The Chanteuse gown has several options, like most of the dresses from Sparkle Skye. I’ve shown two versions here, the “short train” above, and the “slender” skirt, below. A longer train and a short version of the dress are also available. The Goblin wings from Fancy Fairy are not part of the set but I can not imagine a more perfect set of wings for this gown. I love that besides the spine attach option, you can also attach one wing to each shoulder, perfect for wearing multiple accessories.

Oh oh oh… so, I know I haven’t done much blogging this week, and I am saving most of the “blogger appreciation” goodies for a time when I am less likely to saturate the feeds with redundant items… but but…. Tuli!!!!!!!! I love youuuuuu!!!!! I would attempt not to get all fangirl, because Tuli is really a wonderful, down to earth person who I consider a dear friend, but sometimes, I just wanna hump her leg. Bloggers were treated to a prototype of her upcoming Hope skin and this face is so pretty and so sweet…. I’m almost not sure if I am allowed to wear it

The photos were shot at Camelot Gardens which, to be honest, is a little old school as far as SL building is concerned. Their are no sculpts here and the textures, which are actually fantastic, don’t have drawn or baked on shadows which we have come to see as the norm. Its the kind of place where you will see newish residents dancing romantic with other newish residents (I profile stalked over a half dozen AVs there and not one was over 6 months old!) But… if you can put that aside for a few minutes there really are some great photo ops. Bring your pose hud though… it’s a no build area.

(update: I mentioned some white halo at the edges of the dress, but since my post, Sparkle has gone in and corrected that flaw. thanks Sparkle! )

Poses are from (=Cats of a Feather=) and were passed to me as a blogger appreciation gift. Thank you Melancholia Lilliehook!

Sparkle Skye Chanteuse – Peacock Green
[]::Tuli::[] Hope prototype skin
Fancy Fairy Goblin Wings in Green
Sky Everett Designs-Quiet seduction-Raven

Sometimes I read about a beautiful place in SL and I put it on my “must visit” list only to have it go the way of so many other lists… *looks at the stack of papers on her desk and goes back to pretending they aren’t there* When El and I got our hands on the new Ophelia gown from Evangeline Miles I spent some time thinking about where to shoot and then it became obvious, the Oubliette sim, home to Evie’s Closet. I had never explored the sim, or taken any photos there, and it was one of those moments where I kicked myself in my virtual ass for not taking advantage of this location sooner. The builds around the sim give you a variety of colors and textures to shoot against, plus you can rez your poser there!

The Ophelia gown is one of those items that you want to put on as soon as it lands in your inventory, and then swish and sway around the grid in for a few days. I was looking at the gown trying to figure out exactly what it is that makes it exceptional, you know, besides the totally subjective “I LOVE IT!”. Evie doesn’t just make a dress… she finds ways to make it special and then executes the ideas beautifully.

To me, the most subtle thing about Ophelia that takes it to the level of outstanding is the outer layer of skirt prims. Instead of just drawing the leaf detail on the black texture (which works well on the bustle) the leaves are on a partially transparent background giving the illusion that they are floating a bit. The photos don’t even begin to capture it. Oh, and because the inner layers have no transparency, there were no alpha issues when I walked through fields of flowers! *cries tears of joy* The entire skirt is breathtaking; the multiple textures, the sculpted flowers, not to mention it fits perfectly. I did move the poser as I grabbed this shot to get the dress to flow, it isn’t this big; but trust me, you are going to be walking and spinning and dancing around in this one anyway.

After shooting for a while on my own El starts in with “I got one too!” and lands in front of me, right in the shot. She’s not really a gown kind of girl, but the tea length skirt, available in an add-on pack, is just her style. The add-on pack includes 2 pair of gloves, the tea length skirt, and a hair ornament that I totally forgot about until the last shot (see last photo).

The shorter skirt uses the same layering technique with the leaves as the gown but is so different in every other way that it becomes an entirely different dress. I love when a big formal gown has a more casual option; give me options and I am way more likely to pull it out of inventory more than once.

Speaking of multiple ways to wear it… or not wear it! The bodice is long and can be worn alone! When I opened the folder and saw that the dress top was on a jacket layer I got very excited, whispering under my breath “please be long, please be long, please be long” It doesn’t come with the panties, but I’m sure you can find something… or not

me:
*EC* Ophelia Gown – Licorice w/ add on pack gloves and hair flowers
[]::Tuli::[] Meredith (suntanned) sultry starlet
*Shai* Duchess Red Panties with Garters and stockings
Sky Everett Designs-Quiet seduction-Raven
*EMJ* Gunmetal Lace Ruby Necklace (xstreet only)
Maitreya Slinky Stiletto black

El:
*EC* Ophelia Gown – Periwinkle w/ add on pack skirt and gloves
:Gala Phoenix: Petal [Light] Breeze-Robin’s Egg 1
Celestial Studios Notions in Blue :: Underpants (lt. blue)
Analog Dog Mia brunette
~Digital Adornments~ Romance Stone Choker
(Shiny Things) Classics – white

I am about to lose two family members to lung cancer. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer. One of my dearest friends is able to have a little more time with her family because of early detection and aggressive treatment. And my mother is thankfully doing fine today because of advances made in the fight against cancer, advances that allow us to humbly call her form mild.

I look forward to Clothing Fair each year, typically buying up the 100-percent donation items — even styles I wouldn’t ordinarily pick for myself. I can’t design clothes to contribute but I can buy, and I like to buy for this cause. This year I decided I wanted to do more by participating in the auction. I kept IMing Ely, giving her progress updates (until she gave in and joined me at the auction boards), and asked if she would shoot the dress if I won. And of course she laughed at me and said I should be telling her to do it! I secretly think she started coming up with the concept for the shoot while I was nervously waiting out the clock engaging in occasional competitive bidding.

I now am the proud owner of the Envy gown, one of the Seven Deadly Sins one-of-a-kind auction items.

Contributed by Swaffette Firefly of SF Design, this strapless stunner has a luscious green skirt trimmed in gold, with a delicate ivy overlay. As the designer describes the meaning behind the design:

Green being a traditional color for envy and jealousy, the ivy representing the consuming nature of envy. The snake also being another traditional symbol of envy is represented in the arm band and on the shoe texture.

So now that the butterflies in my stomach from wondering “can I bid just a little higher?” have passed, I can sit back and smile, thinking about the amazing work and generous contributions of the Relay for Life designer teams and volunteers. Thank you for making unique creations to share for the cause. Thank you for silently paying overhead costs for Clothing Fair, and contributing a percentage of your sales even though you received little to no publicity for doing so. And thank you for giving up so much time, time you could have spent making things for your stores or pursuing other interests. Your efforts make a difference.

on Feles:
SF Design Envy Gown
Soul Egyptian M3 skin
Skye Everett Designs Kiara hair in black
Flirt Tiffany Double Strand Necklace and bracelet

on Ely:
Haven Design *HD* Wendy Silk – RFL Limited Edition
[Decoy Hair] Zoey – Brown
[]::Tuli::[] Kalista tan 06
Maitreya Verve Pumps – Olive

(I’d like to add that the purchase of this dress, along with her other clothing fair buys, put Feles in the position of 10th largest donor to SL RFL during this clothing fair! WTG Feles!!! -Ely)

Dresses from Sparkle Skye are something that I see photos of and covet and say to myself “where, exactly, do you plan on wearing that?”. Well, after strutting around in Ciara MoonLight Fae, I realized I didn’t need to leave my own parcel to be able to appreciate this!!!

It is everything a girl like me loves. Long flowing material, incredible detailed textures, wings, a wand (!) and options, options, OPTIONS! Do I want a long train? a short train? no train? a mini-skirt maybe? Yes please. Would you like that with or without sparkles? How about sleeves, wide layered attachments? or just a black lacy cuff? oh, we can do sleeveless too if you want? No, it’s winter, we want sleeves today…

Reason # 6573909567 to love this dress? In addition to giving us the chest ruffles as one attachment, and the wings as another, we get one that is both ruffles AND wings! together! on one attachment point! so you can still wear jewelry!!! uh huh! Did I mention the wand? *points to photo*

The veil is lovely too and fun to run and dance around in, I got a few great shots of myself getting tangled in it but they didn’t show the dress off nearly as well. It perfect with the crown of flowers. Oh, I didn’t mention the flowers?

For all my ranting, options alone would not have endeared this dress to me to this extreme if all these parts weren’t crafted with such quality and detail. The layers on the skirts make me feel as though if I dropped the attachment to the ground and jumped into it, it would cushion my fall. *considers a shot of her falling from great heights onto a pile of Sparkle Skye dresses*

This dress deserves special treatment… you don’t just wear your everyday skin, or your favorite new find. You search your inventory looking for just the right things. In October, when Tuli released her Elizabeth skins in the gothic tone I knew that I would be using them for way more than Halloween fun, and this is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind.

*SS* Ciara- MoonLight Fae
[]::Tuli::[] Elizabeth (gothic) ~ Void (bl)
Sky Everett Designs-Lady Suriel-BLACK
~Digital Adornments~ Opal Neck Lace

One of the things I both love and hate about SL is the constantly changing landscape. Some of our favorite places come and go quickly, but that also means that we are constantly finding new environments to play in. Holidays and seasonally themed sims are especially fun.. and there is something exciting about playing someplace that you know is temporary… you take advantage because it may not be here the next time you have the urge to visit. This shoot took place at Spellbound Woods,which has an amazing winter scene set up that even has snow that crunches when you walk on it!
El’s look started with the wings.. Seven’s Selections has a seasonal freebie wings set out, Frost Wings in Purple (purple tips really)… of course after trying them on, El went back for the full set.

What better to go with Frost Wings than the Frosty Nymph set from Digital Knickers. This is one of those things that El went to look at, loved and ended up asking for an advance on her allowance for. I told her that if she could find the perfect set to shoot at, I’d pay up, and she sure did find a place! This shot was taken inside one of the buildings at the Spellbound Woods sim. There are tons of wintery prefabs there for those of you that like to redesign each season.

The number of options available with the dress make it a lot easier to spend the L$. There are three skirt options: the short short short option in the first photo; the beautiful flowing long version, above; and half and half, short in front, long in the back (haha, who just thought “like a mullet!”?) seen below.

The skirt isn’t the only place there are options. The top comes in two parts, the bra and the corset.. which El loves of course… any opportunity to go topless and she’ll take it!

The textures of the dress are wonderfully detailed and the cut of the corset is really creative. I do want to mention one issue, in case any residents that aren’t really familiar with the clothing sliders purchase this set. The stockings on the sock layer, and the corset on the jacket layer both require some fiddling with the appearance clothing sliders. A couple of sliders that should have been at 100 were not. Don’t let that put you off purchasing this set though; it’s an easy fix, and totally worth it. We did send a notecard to the designer, but admit we didn’t give her nearly enough time to respond before posting this! (update 12/20 Astry Mirabeau of Digital Knickers informed us that its a LL bug, it leaves her inventory fine but occasionally someone who purchases it has the wrong setting! Get in touch with her if you have this problem and don’t know how to fix it.)

~Digital Knickers~ Frosty Nymph
:GP: Opaline-Nightshade
Magika Hair – Short Messy – White B
Frost Wings 2.5 by Seven’s Selections
(Shiny Things) Classics – white

It’s all about the dress (posted by Feles)

Being nominated to the Runway best model list was a surprising honor, particularly for a model like myself working on the fringe and more steeped in the business side these days. Planning what to wear for an event like that is a challenge — 50 stunning women wanting to look unique, showcasing their personal style. I had the perfect date (*makes googly eyes at El), and needed the perfect gown.

My day-to-day style in world tends to range from soccer mom kitteh to just woke up and grabbed what was on top of the clothes basket. But when it comes to formalwear, I want elegant, clean lines and texture that stands alone without the need for heavy accessories.

So I spent a week going through all 150+ formals in inventory, and hunting the lesser known stores for just the right dress. While there are plenty of options, none said, this is THE dress, meaning this is the THE dress a dozen other women won’t be wearing as well.

Then I remembered Solange’s amazing holiday dress and thought, “this would be perfect in a formal version.” A request was sent to creator Solange Cerveau who felt the same way, and she was planning a long version for the holidays. The result is a jaw-dropping empress waist gown that had me giddy and dancing around the grid. I have been gushing over this dress from the moment I put it on. The texture, the flow, the lines. It was exactly what I envisioned myself wearing for this event. In fact, it is exactly what I would want for real world events.

I’ve loved Solange’s work for the care she takes in detail, textures and seams. While she’s known for her flowy silks, seductive lingerie, as well as adorable casuals, selfishly I think she should expand her formal wear line.

The dress will soon be available in an array of colors — I’m wearing mauve. Go, buy, you will be amazed.

on Feles:
Solange Holiday Gown – mauve
ETD Flapper hair in espresso
Soul Afrodite skin A2 M6
Storm Schmooz Desire de Noir shoes

on El:
:GP: Luster-Nightshade
Last Call Bello Tuxedo Shirt (semi-sheer)
Last Call Kamryn Tuxedo Pants
PE Saxon Charcoal
Maitreya Slinky Stilettos – Black Leather