Find the Colours

Life can easily feel black and white sometimes. Not only in the clarity within your mind about how things are, without a doubt or a second thought, but in that there’s no colours anymore.

Every day routines turn dull, force blinders on you, keep you treading the same path, staring straight ahead — or at your feet so you won’t slip — preventing you from seeing any other paths around you.

If something makes you raise your head to look around, you might realize there’s other paths, countless roads leading to different destinations and that some of them are still brightly coloured and alive. That something is usually a question, a doubt, that second thought about if things truly are meant to be this way.

The trick is to find those colours, to follow them to find more, to paint your life alive again.

The piano by Alouette, peacock by MishMish, dress by the Secret Store, jewelry by HANDverk, headband and feather fan by Volstead, poses by Exposeur and Kirin and hair by [monso] are all available in the birthday round of Collabor88.

Scene: Room: Garden of Dreams – The Piano Bar* | Piano: Alouette – Evelyn Piano Worn Black Wood | Peacock: *MishMish* – White Peacock The Dazzle stand1

Body: Skin: Essences – Clover 01 Pale Dust Brunette* | Eyes: IKON – Horizon Eyes v2 Dark Turquoise | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Liner: Beautiful Freak – Odetta Forest* | Hair: [monso] – Daisy | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands (av) Elegant | Feet: Slink – Mesh Feet Medium | Nails: Orc Inc – Pastel Shimmer*

Outfit: Dress: The Secret Store – Sequined Flapper Dress v1 Vanilla | Shoes: lassitude & ennui – Opium mules black for slink feet* | Headband & Fan: Volstead – Peacock Headband & Fan Gold/Green* | Jewelry: [HANDverk] Zelda Necklace & Earrings Green*

Poses: Exposeur – Back to Black 3 | Part of the piano. | Kirin – Florence Pose 4

Even Papercranes Dream of Flying

Stuck in a mobile, twirling slowly around the same routine every moment of their lives from the creation to destruction: same motion, same string tying them in place with no escape, with no ability to escape.

Yet they feel the call of the sky, long for freedom so much they could taste it if they had mouths, know what it would feel like to spread their wings and fly. Know and dream.

For if they were not meant to fly, why would they have wings?

The dress by SAKIDE, the papercranes by Vespertine and the nail appliers by Orc Inc are all from Love Donna Flora event. The hair and roses by Ohmai can be purchased in her booth at Hair Fair. The necklace by HANDverk is available in the current round of Zodiac.

Scene: Forest (mostly): Studio Skye – Enchanted Forest | Papercranes: Vespertine – Papercrane Mobile Baroque & Mix Static

Body: Skin: Essences – Noodles Light Rose 02 Brunette | Hair & Roses: !Ohmai – Kun & Rosie Posies | Eyes: Poetic Colors – Cosmic Dream | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands (av) Casual | Nails: Orc Inc – Pastel Shimmer

Outfit: Dress: [SAKIDE] – Lace Bonbon Dress* | Necklace: [HANDverk] – Lion Tail Necklace Bright* | Ring: Mandala – Motsumame Ring Red/Gold

Poses & Held Cranes: Vespertine – Papercrane Wearable Props

Taste of Cherry

It sounds like a name of an anime series, doesn’t it? Especially with the cover picture like this. The heroine is clearly a supernatural alien princess in disguise, therefore the green hair with pink stripes, of course.

There’s no lollipops nor cherries or even sugar on her planet, therefore the lollipop addiction. The shades are necessary to cover the glittering pink non-human eyes. The loyal sidekick has to pose as a stuffed fluffy toy bunny and try not to move or speak when there’s humans nearby. Challenging task, but he gets bribed and rewarded with the said lollipops, too.

The reason why the said alien princess is on Earth is very simple: to research the miraculous variety of tastes in the local bakeries, of course. Or possibly to hunt down a villain who stole the royal cupcake recipe. Or to hide from space monsters who have heard she’s made of marzipan. (Lies and slander, she’s really more of a marshmellow.) Or maybe she just wanted a holiday, take your pick!

The glasses and lollipop by Culprit and the dress and headbow by Violent Seduction are all available in the current round of Genre. The hairstyle by Alice Project is one of her new Hair Fair releases, hop straight in the booth here. The skin by Essences can be found in Collabor88 and the materials ready earrings by [HAND]verk in The Boutique.

Body: Skin: Essences – CHO skin light rose 02 brunette| Eyes: Poetic Colors – Cosmic Dream | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands (av) Elegant1 | Hairstyle: Alice Project – Mika*

Outfit: Dress & Headband: Violent Seduction – Roseraie Dress (Mint) | Earrings: [HAND]verk – Enamel Elephant Earring.white* | Rings: Donna Flora – BACI ring | Bunny: Pink Fuel – Sad Bunny| Glasses & Lollipop: Culprit – lolihearts & LoliLolly Cherry*

Poses: Exposeur – Advent Gift 22 | aDORKable Poses – 22 of 25 2012

Alice’s Angels

Good things often come in threes. Wishes from a lamp. Guesses for a name. Deities. Quest tasks. Even good stories or well working jokes are divided in three: beginning, middle, the end. Two to create a pattern, third as a punchline. Rhetoric speakers don’t list two or four things, it’s always first, second and third. It appeals better to the human mind like that.

What about Charmed and the Power of Three? Obviously bringing older beliefs and preferences to the present media. What about Charlie’s Angels? That’s a classic trio we all know as well. It’s a simple concept, really. A brunette, a redhead and a blonde. All given personalities we associate with the said hair  colours.

The blonde is always the pretty but ditzy one, isn’t she? Redheads get to be fiery sexy with temper. Black or brown haired one has the brains. I wonder how long it will take before such stereotypes are formed about non-natural colours. After all, a lot of people who are blonde, redhead or black-haired are not so naturally. It has nothing to do with personality, only the associated concept. What are people with blue hair like? Green? What about purple? (Except awesome.)

Hair colour is one of the defining features that we categorize and accept in our heads. We divide people based on their hair colour, often adding plenty of associations with the tone, which is ridiculous considering the woman in the pictures could be the same one with wigs, after all!

All the new hairstyles by Alice Project are available in Hair Fair, hop right into her booth here. Erika, the short bob, is a fair gift to the visitors so go grab it while you try the demos of the whole five new releases! As for colours, I’m sure you all know that the hairdo is pure white when you buy it and then you get to dye it with the HUD to what and how you wish. There’s more HUDs for sale if the included one isn’t enough for you. If you use only a few colour combinations ever, you might want to consider the Create Your Own versions which include a HUD of -all- the colours and textures Alice has, but allows only five different copies of the hairstyle made. The Infinity versions allow re-dyes for ever and ever, but include only a mini-pack of colours to begin with.

The Noodles skin by Essences is available in the current round of The Dressing Room Fusion and it was so adorable that I had to use it with all three colours.

Body: Skin: Essences – Noodles light rose brunette | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Eyes: Poetic Colors – Summer Breeze | Aurora | Frozen Silver | Hairstyle: Alice Project – Veronica | Wendy | Erika*

Outfit: Necklace: [HAND]verk – Strand necklace carnelian&gold | opal&gold | ivory&silver*

Zodiac: Cancer

Cancer woman is one of the water signs: emotional, imaginative and creative. She is also the most shy of the three, named fittingly because of her tendency to shield herself under a hard shell, keeping the soft, romantic side well hidden and protected.

Cancerians are home-builders, creating their own spaces, sanctuaries, worlds inside the four walls, not unlike they do with their personalities. They are easily sentimental and keep mementos from their childhood, of all the meaningful events, filling their homes with items so linked with their emotions that they are barely just items anymore.

Although they often like to dress in layers in a near extra-shell manner, when comfortable and dressed up, the Cancerian woman portrays classic feminine style with natural ease of simply knowing what looks good together. Getting her out of the house for anyone to see this is a completely different matter, though!

Cancerians are ruled by the moon and their emotions flow and ebb like the tides. Sometimes they might be too much to handle even for themselves and learning to control and balance the highs and lows is one of their biggest challenges. Once they do, they can fully enjoy their life of creativity in the safety of the home that is an innate part of their personality and being.

The skin by Essences, hair by .ploom., crab plushie by Adore&Abhor and the mirror by The Loft are all available in the current round of Zodiac. The dress is from Maitreya’s sale that continues draining pixel wallets until July 17th. A word of warning on the bed and the two other plushies: they’re from the last round of The Arcade, so no guarantees on their availability anymore. Just fit too nicely not to use.

Scene: House: Kukuvaya – Whitaker Studio | Mirror: The Loft – Wrought Iron Mirror | Bed: Alouette – Tropical Getaway Bed | Plushie crab: Adore&Abhor – Cancer Crabbie Thyme | Other plushies: Intrigue Co. – Plushie Pals Sammy the Sabertooth & Petunia the Pterodactyl

Body: Skin: Essences – Cancer Light Rose Brunette | Hair: .ploom. – Zumah Indecisive | Eyes: Poetic Colors – Spring Meadow | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands (av) Elegant1

Outfit: Dress: Maitreya – Mignon Evening Seashell | Jewelry: [HANDverk] – Burst Set ivory/gold*

Poses: Musa – Gown Pose 013 | Part of the bed. | Musa – Fantasy Pose 047

Zodiac: Gemini

Gemini — the Twins — is one of the duality signs for a good reason. Like the other such signs, it often feels like there’s two people at the price of one. Best (or worst, depending on your point of view) part is that both of them are smart, witty, communicative air signs, whose need to know and find out will keep them talking to accommodate their sharp intellect.

Gemini mind is always on the move and requires challenges. It might get distracted by another challenge before completely finishing the first task, though. Focus, especially when it requires monotonous, patient tasks is not Gemini’s strong suit. She wants to find out new things, investigate, talk about them, ask questions, let her mind dance around the refreshing influences.

Although also one of the mutable signs, Gemini tends to find balance between seeing both sides of the coin and compromising and finding a way not to give in too much. She’s great at understanding problems, situations and people: at least intellectually, when not too much emotions are involved. Like all air signs, she flitters away from the darker, deeper seas, preferring the lightness of air.

Gemini might often feel like a modern version of Jekyll and Hyde, with their proper and extremely wild sides wrapped in one person. The unpredictability shows in their looks where they prefer one thing one day, another the next, like their wardrobe was put together by several people. In a way it is, for The Twins do love to shop.

The skin by Essences and the Gemini necklace by *Perception* can be found in the current round of Zodiac. The dress by Valentina E. and the bracelets by Maxi Gossamer are available in FaMESHed and the purse by [HAND]verk and the furniture by Apple Fall can be won in The Arcade.

Scene: Furniture: Apple Fall – Tiffany Dining Table & Chair, Lustful Lilacs, Toast & Butter, 1st Day of Christmas Coffee Cup

Body: Skin: Essences – Gemini 02 Light Rose Brunette | Eyes: IKON – Lucid Eyes Optimism | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hair: Exile – Bad Reputation Natural Fusion 2 | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands (av) Elegant | Feet: Slink – Mesh Feet (Av Enhance) Medium | Nails: Orc Inc – Glitter Pack*

Outfit: Dress: Valentina E. – Angie Dress Seabreeze | Shoes: Belgravia – Paradise Sandals Sky Blue | Bracelets: Maxi Gossamer – Tarantella Gypsy Large | Necklace: *Perception* – Gemini Necklace Gold | Purse: [HAND]verk – Mermaid’s Purse Clam Teal* 

Poses & Phone: aDORKable Poses – Call Me 5 | 7 | 1

City Dragon

Surely they have adapted and camouflaged into human societies, the dragons. Shapechanging is a trivial trick to them and walking on two legs in a smaller, less scaley form is considerably more peaceful for one’s state of mind: the amusement that comes from frying suicidal knights can last only a few centuries, at most.

Humans provide much more entertainment when they think you are one of them, after all. They share so many similar personality traits, too. All the primitive attempts to gather hoards, the lust for power and gold, the clever games they play with each other… much better entertainment than the repetitive damsel-stealing just to see what they’d do this time.

The best part of it all is that these days one could walk around with wings and claim it being an especially designed movie-prop that one purchased from eBay and the humans would be in awe. No one would pick up as much as a single sword. In comparison small horns are a fashion statement!

The said fashion statement horns by .{Rue}. can be found in the We Love Role-play event. The rest of the city dragon look is mostly by Zibska, with the addition of the red clutch by [HANDverk].

Scene: Garden of Dreams – Tibetan Temple*

Body: Skin: League – Sia Fair Bloom | Eyes: Poetic Colors – Poison Ivy | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Makeup: Zibska – Cannand Olive* | Hair: Lamb – DIY Obsidian | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands (av) Bag & Elegant  | Horns: .{Rue}. – Hetaera: Horn*

Outfit: Dress: Zibska – Calliope Olive* | Jewelry: Zibska – Cateline Set* | Clutch: [HANDverk] Scale Clutch.red*

Poses: Sparrowtree Studios Poses – daringdiva1 | Exposeur – She’s Crafty 3

Black and White

Sometimes they are both red. Every story has at least two sides to it and often one is painted black, the other white. Fairytales do this, many books and movies do this, presenting the side that the main character is not on in simplistic unlikeable hues. One can always recognize a more realistic story from having more than two sides, none of them truly evil or good, but with more developed agendas of their own.

Despite all this we all enjoy a story with clear cut division. We were raised on fairytales, with heroes and villains, with arch-enemies worth an epic struggle. There are many such pairings in fantasy, but one of the more popular ones in recent years has been vampires and werewolves. Both traditionally evil, simply different viewpoints to their supernatural existences. Vampires tend to at least pretend to be urban, civilized, cultured and decadent. Werewolves are seen to represent nature, uncontrolled passions, rage and brutality.  Maybe that is why they have been so popular lately: a step away from black and white, both dancing in their own shades of grey, always ready to be covered in red.

No matter which side of the red you favor, both skins by Fallen Gods Inc. are currently available in the We Love Role-play event and you can locate the werewolf’s scale pauldrons by [HANDverk] in there as well. Both outfits are new releases by [ SAKIDE ] and both hairdos are by Alice Project, the vampire’s curls can be found in the current round of FaMESHed.

Vampire: Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Ghost xx War SB* | Hair: Alice Project – Serena* | Eyes: Repulse – Mystic Eyes Red | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Lipstick: M.O.C.K. Cosmetics – Sarah Jane’s Bloody Lipcolor | Blood: A Netherworld – Mmmm Blood! | Outfit: [ SAKIDE ] – Prima Outfit & Voulez-vous Corset* | Necklace: [HANDverk] Pearl Necklace Black/Silver*

Werewolf: Skin: Fallen Gods Inc. – Fur xx Red/beast runner* | Hair: Alice Project – Sari* | Eyes: Repulse – Lacerated v2 Green | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Outfit: [ SAKIDE ] – Lush Top Black, Lush Leather Shorts & Appeal Boots Black* | Pauldrons: [HANDverk] Scale Pauldrons Black Small*

Poses: aDORKable Poses – Melancholy 4&4M | Exposeur – Call the Shots 3&3M

Busy Mode

Sometimes life resembles juggling more than anything else. Keep everything in motion, one part at a time, one movement after another. Don’t think, don’t analyse  just keep going. Catch the umbrellas before the wind pulls them away. Or the privateering bunnies hijack them as an impromptu airship flotilla.

There’s a rhythm to juggling — or keeping all your thoughts balanced and somewhat grounded — if you let one escape you’ll be spending all your time chasing it and when you get back to the others, they’ve floated away as well. Don’t lose focus, stick to the rhythm, don’t let anything distract you.

If everything else fails: prioritize and have a cup of coffee, then start all over. The coffee will help.

The parasols by HANDverk and the poses by PictureThis! are available in Pose Fair until April 14th. You can find the umbrellas in Exposeur’s booth, since they were designed for those poses. I just had too much fun juggling air flotilla bunnies instead of using them as intended. The Bells II hairstyle by Alice Project is available in the current round of FaMESHed. The accessories on Kimallus — the black bad-ass bunny — and the earring on Latte as well as my dress are all new releases by Zibska. Same goes for the Thorny Eye makeup by Beautiful Freak and the bracelets by House of Rain.

Scene: Forest: Studio Skye – Enchanted Woods | Umbrellas: HANDverk – April Showers Parasols* | Coffee Cup: Schadenfreude – Tako Teacup (latte) | Bunny Accessories: Zibska – Luli Earring, SpringSprangSprung Hat, Hailey Fling Pauldron* | Bunnies: Ozimals

Body: Skin: League – Sia Fair Bloom | Hair: Alice Project – Bells II* | Eyes: Poetic Colors – Summer Wheat | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Eyeshadow: M.O.C.K. Cosmetics – Pantone Spring Collection eShadow Poppy Red | Eyeliner Tattoo: Beautiful Freak – Thorny Left Gold* | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands Casual | Feet: Slink: Mesh Feet

Outfit: Dress: Zibska – Hailey Ruby* | Bracelets: House of Rain – As Darkness Falls Bracelets B Ruby/Gold & Amber/Gold*

Poses: PictureThis! – InMotion1 & InMotion2

F is for Flamingos

Why not? Life is so strange and often challenging that we all could use some random things that make us smile as often as possible. It’s an important skill, being able to smile, laugh, enjoy the little oddities and quirks that the world offers us.

There’s something thoroughly appealing in pixel food. I am not certain if it’s the sense of making the world more real, more alive or if it ties more closely to that lure of unnecessary oddities. They’re perfect, delicious-looking and completely futile things, but yet they call to us. They apparently also call to pandas, so make sure to guard yours!

The quirky flamingo clutch by HANDverk and the adorable pearl collar by lassitude & ennui are both available in the current round of L’Accessoires. The romantic Flora hair by D!va can be found in Collabor88 and the Chibi Bunny skirt by The Sea Hole, Luria skin by Glam Affair and all the things on the table can be won from The Arcade.

Scene: Surroundings: Garden of Dreams – The Village* | Table: Tee*fy – Outdoor Party Table | All the Things on the Table: Schadenfreude – Tako Cake Stand | +Half-Deer+ The Sugar Battalion (Noir) | Intrigue Co. – Plushie Pals: Squee the Panda | Tee*fy – Cake Pop Maker, Cotton Candy Set, Popsicle Maker | Tres Blah – Tea Time Stacked Cups & Tea Cup

Body: Skin: Glam Affair – Luria Skin 02 & Eyebrow 01 | Eyes: Poetic Colors – Classic Frozen Silver Bright | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Hair: D!va – Flora Type A Onyx 

Outfit: Top: Pale Empress – Elyria White* | Skirt: The Sea Hole – Lorette Skirt Chibi Bunny | Collar: lassitude & ennui – Viola lace collar rose/white* | Clutch: [HANDverk] Flamingo Clutch.flamingo*

Poses: PoseMonster – Stand 46 & 39