KC couture
Elevator Love Letter
When you have a blogger or photographer on your Second Life friends list, you may find yourself needfully cultivating a lot of patience for distracted conversations (I’m the world’s worst multitasker, truly), as well as gracious tolerance when you get out-of-the-blue questions like “Hey darlin, where’s that one elevator again?” So this picture is dedicated to my dear friend Alex, whom I met at Elysion what feels like worlds ago, and who very kindly came through for me when I was looking for a particular locale. I hope I did it justice!
Speaking of destinations, I’m slowly working on a project that I hope will complement my SL Fashion & Shopping Events Calendar, but is more focused on picturesque locales for fellow photographers and virtual world wanderers to explore. There are some wonderful Flickr groups dedicated to SL locations, and there’s always the official Destination Guide, but the one I’m working on will be more at-a-glance and quick reference. Of particular interest are places that are rez-enabled, so if you have favorite destinations to share, please never hesitate to get in touch! ♡
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“my office glows all night long
it’s a nuclear show, and the stars are gone
elevator, elevator
take me home …”
Look
Maitreya Body – Lara v3.5
Genesis Lab Head & Skin – Melissa
Avi-Glam Eyes – Radiant Eyes (Jungle)
Lamb Hair – Prove It (Dark Blondes HUD) New Release for Luxe Box June 2016
Style & Pose
Phedora Jewelry – Brigitte Necklace (Dark Gold) New Release @ AnyBody, through June 30th
Thalia Heckroth Dress – Ava Dress (in Mulberry for Maitreya Lara) New Release *
KC Couture Shoes – Andria Heels (for Maitreya, Belleza, Slink & TMP)
Nrage Studio Poses – Lovely One 5 (from the Lovely One Pose Set) New Release *
Destination & Inspiration
✈ Sights: Elysion
🎧 Sounds: Stars – Elevator Love Letter
Spring Haze
Some days, my mind is stirred up with many things to say, and others find my thoughts softly settled within a gentle haze. I took this picture a few days ago, but it perfectly matches my mood today: thoughtful, thinking, musing but nowhere near melancholy. The lyrics are more pensive than I’d like, but the song has been haunting me as spring meets its gentle decline here in the States, and the pre-summer dawns beckon blistering sunrises that will soon settle into months of 110°F+ days. But today, I feel warm for all the right reasons. I hope you have a beautiful weekend ahead. ♡
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“Well I know it’s just a spring haze,
But I don’t much like the look of it
And if omens are a godsend, like men, breezing in …
Certain these clouds go somewhere,
Billowing out to somewhere …
Uh-oh, let go, off on my way
Unseen, this eternal wanting …”
Look
Maitreya Body – Lara v3.5
Genesis Lab Head & Skin – Melissa
Mandala Ears – Steking Ears Season 5
Murray Hair – Anita (Dark Blondes HUD)
Queen of Ink Eyes – Soulful Eyes (Bright Leaf)
Damien Fate Eyelashes – FATELashes v2.0
Aurica Store Tattoo – Hembra Tattoo (in White for Maitreya, Slink, TMP & Omega) New Release *
Style & Pose
Foxes Top – Vintage Tied Ties (Maitreya Lara Fatpack) for Luxe Box May 2016
SPIRIT Shorts – Kelsi Shorts (in White for Maitreya Lara, Slink Original & Slink Hourglass) New Release @ Uber, through June 23rd
KC Couture Shoes – Brazilia (for Maitreya High & Slink High)
!Bang Poses Pose – Stand 486
Destination & Inspiration
✈ Sights: Small Town Green
🎧 Sounds: Tori Amos – Spring Haze
Cool on Your Island
Inspiration is such a fickle mistress and curious thing. I’ve been longing to take a picture of this sublime TETRA dress for days now, but the right mood and moment had been alluding me. First it was going to be a cheeky tribute to my RL brother. We have been passing each-other like ships in the night in Second Life for years now, and when we finally found each-other in world at the same time the other day, I was wearing this look. He surveyed me silently and skeptically for a few moments, and then declared that I looked like I had a uni-brow (my head had not fully rezzed, I imagine?) and that my boobs were too big. Classic! My brother, everyone: the consummate ladies man. ;)
I’ve been listening to a lot of Radiohead lately, owing to their lush and brilliant new album, and I started to feel some motivation stirred by one of their earliest songs and my longtime favorites, “Fake Plastic Trees”. But just as the title of the song suggests, my inspiration felt feigned and insincere, like it was trying too hard to be something it was not. And then the always-wonderful Serene Footman went and wrote an incredibly timely post about how seeing Jeff Buckley (my favorite male musician) perform live had informed Thom Yorke’s vocals on “Fake Plastic Trees” – the purest expression of true inspiration – and I felt the notion of that picture and post wash away from me like sand being gently lapped from the shore.
Ultimately though, it was the beautiful Portia Pexington whose comment on my last post was so poignant and perfect, and finally set me on the right course. “Write the posts you’d like to read,” she wrote. So simple and succinct, and so beautifully wise. Just a few minutes later, when the song “Cool On Your Island” made its presence in my meandering, everything-from-your-library Spotify playlist, I finally felt like I’d found the picture I wanted to take. And then remembering that the song was one of the first ones I taught myself to play on the piano so many years ago, when the hopeful ginger dreamer thought she might grow up to be the next Tori Amos one day … It became like a love song to myself.
“I’m much stronger than you know.
Sometimes, I’m not afraid to let it show.
When will you wake up?
I want you more than the stars and the sun.
But I can take only so much
cool on your island …”
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Look
Body // Lara Mesh Body v3.5 by Maitreya
Head & Skin // Melissa by Genesis Lab
Ears // Steking Ears Season 5 by Mandala
Lashes // FATELashes v2.0 by Damien Fate
Hair // Sheena (Red HUD) by LeLutka Group Gift
* Eyes // Hypnotic Eyes (Honey) by Avi-Glam for Cosmopolitan, through June 4th New Release
Style
Dress // Gradient Bandage Dress (Maitreya Fatpack) by TETRA
Shoes // Caty Wedges (Maitreya High) by KC Couture
Poses, Destination & Inspiration
Poses // Carola Pose 3 and Carrie Pose 3 by Label Motion
Location // Green Story
Song Spark // Tori Amos – Cool On Your Island
Paradise Dawning
When the virtual world first beckoned me to begin my Second Life anew last year, I found early on that I was really fascinated with shopping on the SL Marketplace. It felt like an interactive catalog, with a variety of search and sort options, and I really liked that I could load up my cart, chill in a sandbox, and have a lovely bunch of parcels delivered right to me, ready for my unboxing pleasure.
These days, I do still find myself shopping the Marketplace on occasion; I particularly love it for purchasing gacha items, which is largely how I found makeup appliers for my beloved Genesis Lab mesh head. But last year, my friend Kess Crystal inspired me with her wonderful Mainstore Monday series, which found her sharing finds from designers’ mainstore locations, which she hoped would inspire others to broaden their horizons, rather than exclusively exploring the vast array of shopping events.
I loved this concept, but sadly failed to do it proper justice before going on hiatus. So this time around, I decided to make it a point to visit mainstores as often as events, because if I loved something a designer created for Collabor88, Uber, or similar, I was sure to be dazzled by items from their older, non-“event exclusive” collections as well. And I’ve been enjoying it immensely! I’ll never bid farewell to my love for shopping the events; it’s one of my great pleasures in Second Life, and I just eased back into maintaining my SL Fashion & Shopping Events Tracker to boot. But mainstore visits will definitely become a deeper part of my style-creating groove and technique!
However, it’s a bit funny that I wrote all of that to accompany a picture that largely does not contain mainstore releases. Silly Ever! But my look does contain two items that came right from the Marketplace, so it all makes sense in a roundabout way. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! ♡
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Look
Body // Lara Mesh Body v3.5 by Maitreya
Head & Skin // Melissa by Genesis Lab
Hair // Reading (HUD 01) by Magicka
Eyes // Eris Eyes (Pine Tree) by Inkheart
Style
Jewelry // Rope Necklace (Gold) by LUXE for Uber, through May 22nd
Top // Holli Tank Top Applier (Bronze) by alaskametro<3
Jacket // Amsterdam Denim Jacket (Faded Blue) by Emery for Collabor88, through May 6th
Skirt // Vintage Maxi Skirt by Lowkey Shawty
Shoes // Brazilia Sandals (Maitreya High) by KC Couture
Pose & Destination
Pose // Cassie 2 by Label Motion
Location // 0031
Boat in the Sand
I’ve always been somewhat shy about wearing very petite skirts in Second Life, so when I tried on the demo for Blueberry’s sensational Britain denim skirts and saw that they come with optional (and color-change!) mesh panties, I was immediately charmed and instantly sold. The exceptional designers behind Blueberry really do think of everything!
My top is the beautifully textured Ruhi Layered Blouse by Zaara, available at the current round of Colabor88. There were so many wonderful items to discover at C88, but as I only just returned, I had to sneak in for the final push. If only there were more hours in the day, and more days in the week!
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Look
Body // Lara Mesh Body v3.5 by Maitreya
Head & Skin // Melissa by Genesis Lab
Hair // Crave You (Variety Pack) by Lamb
Eyes // Peaceful Eyes (Harmony) by Inkheart
Tattoo // Porsenna (Faded) by .Things.
Style
Jewelry // Karina Karina Daydreamer Earrings by Maxi Gossamer for Collabor88, through May 6th
Piercing // Antares Clip-On Septum (True Gold) by PUNCH
Top // Ruhi Layered Blouse (Rose) by Zaara for Collabor88, through May 6th
Skirt // Britain Denim Skirt by Blueberry
Shoes // Caty Wedges (Maitreya High) by KC Couture
Pose & Destination
Pose // Adrianne 005 by Signature Pose
Location // 4Play
You never quite know what you’ll find when you’re delightedly tripping about the grid’s regions in more-or-less alphabetical order, but when I spied the name 4Play, I had a feeling I might encounter some sauciness! While the sim certainly advertises adult services, it was very quiet when I visited, so I spent a lovely hour or more just enjoying the beachscaping and scenery. Isn’t it pretty? ♡
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Happily, Ever Afterr in Second Life 