Grapes and Cream

Ice cream, that is. Cakes. Coffee. Noms of all sort. Cocktails, milkshakes, cherries and whipped cream. There’s something surreally decadent in delicacies that also look good, like they were made to give a feast to your eyes long before the taste registers, before that first bite.

One could argue that the looks of food have nothing to do with their nutritional value, but I beg to differ. There’s a different level of nourishment acquired through eyes, through nose, through mind. The expectation, the anticipation, the admiration… it all increases and adds to the taste, making it all the more delicious for it.

It’s exactly the indulgence in several senses instead of just one that makes them taste so good, the enticing sweet things. Take the time to crave for that bite and it will be immensely more satisfying.

The cake stand, cappuccino, tea and sugar bowl by Culprit, the cocktail, parfait and soda float by [CIRCA], the flower ice cream by Retro’,  the corset by Perception, the grapes jewelry set by Weather or Not? and the fruity Slink nails by Orc Inc are all available in Food Fair. Analog Dog’s Tunnel Cake hairdo is available in their Hair Fair booth and the extra surreal lashes by [ #7 ] can be found in The Gallery Gift Shop.

Scene: Building: Garden of Dreams – The Roman Bath* | Furniture: ~Libertine~ Marquis Complete Set* | Noms: Culprit – Dotty Cakestand, Cappuccino, Tea, Sugarybowl | Other Noms: [CIRCA] – Pineapple Chichi Island Cocktail, Epicure Ice Cream Parfait CookieCream, Double Cherry Soda Float SnowCream 

Body: Skin: Essences – Clover 01 Pale Dust Brunette* | Eyes: NoirOptix – Pale Violet Eyes | Liner: Beautiful Freak – Odetta Goblin Green* | Lashes: Redgrave – 39 – Luscious | Surreal Lashes: [ #7 ] D I S C O V E R Y  portia’s pleisure lash add-ons | Hairdo: Analog Dog – Tunnel Cake Splash | Hands: Slink – Mesh Hands (av) Casual | Feet: Slink – Mesh Feet (Av Enhance) Medium | Nails: Orc Inc – Slink Nails Fruit* 

Outfit: Corset: *Perception* – Sweetheart Overbust Aqua w/ Grapevines* | Jewelry: Weather or Not? – Vineyard Grape Necklace & Earrings Merlot | Held Ice Cream: Retro’ – flower ice cream vanilla

Poses: Part of furniture.

Something Old, Something New

I wasn’t going to blog today, but then I bought a coat. Then I needed a fun place to pose in. Then I glanced at the Great SL Photo Hunt list and… well, here we are. Three themes in two pictures: #76 something old and #77 something new, both happening in a version of #9 you at the Eiffel Tower.

The traditional Eiffel Tower is situated in Les Champs-Elysees and I paired it with this gorgeous Dark December dress by Dare Designs. It is at the moment in one of his Fashion for Life vendors, so go shop while the event is still running! I’d also like to point out that Lassitude & Ennui stays in style through the centuries: both girls are wearing Jackal’s boots!

The more modern version of Eiffel Tower can be found here. It’s called Eiffel Tower 2012 and it’s created by Colpo Wexler. It was quite a sight and contrast to the old Paris sim. As for the coat — that is the thing that started this all. New mesh trench coats by Aoharu. I want more mesh clothes that go for the slinky shape instead of adding poofy layers over the system shape. So much love. ❤

Fashion for Life: Dress: Dare Designs – Dark December* | Jewelry: Tres Beau – It’s Time Set

Old Eiffel: Hair: Sky Everett – Kiera | Boots: Lassitude & Ennui – Selene Black* | Umbrella: Weather or Not? – Wrought Iron Umbrella | Pose: E.inK – Umbrella/Balloons

New Eiffel: Hair: Dura – *+JENOVA’s+* & **Dura**(Black) | Coat: Aoharu – Leather Trench Coat Red | Tights: Sheer – Zebra Tights | Boots: Lassitude & Ennui – Flutter Raven* | Lipstick: M.O.C.K. Cosmetics – Opal Lipcolor Persian Red | Pose: DARE – Field Flower

Both: Skin: League – Sia Fair Bloom | Eyes: Poetic Colors – classic – frozen silver (m) bright | Lashes: Redgrave -39- Luscious

*complimentary copies

52 Colours: Aquamarine

Miss Aquamarine is conveniently a twisted djinni! Everything except the poses is from Twisted Hunt. Granted, the slightly more blue tone wasn’t quite the exact match for the colour sample, but I googled the RGB value for aquamarine and dyed the hair and staff with it. So much love for modable things. ❤

I also had tons of fun with smudge stick filter. Smudge all the things! The avatar by Bad Juju had such a supernaturally dark skin that all you can see is eyes and lips, no matter the lighting, so I figured I could go all out without worrying about features not being clear.

The djinni part of the avatar, the lower body’s whirlings is by Weather or Not? and the staff is by Indigo Oddities. The cave with arcane markings is by Michigan’s Shack and I added even an extra arcane circle with candles on the floor from {oddment}.

Be careful what you summon, you never know if they feel like pretending to be controlled or not…

Twisted Hunt: Skin, eyes, hair: Bad Juju – Twisted Girl | Lower body: Weather or Not? – Genie Effect | Staff: Indigo Oddities – Arcane Staff of the Cybermancer | Cave: Michigans Shack – Arcane Forest Cave | Floor circle: {oddment} – Arcane Circle

Poses: Glitterati – Drink 4 / E.inK – Chun Li / Niqotine Poses – RuthlessTigerTechnique23

La Vie Kawaii~

Also called ‘how we moved from a gothic manor into a garden cottage and squeed~’. Now, I’m going to try to pretend that this isn’t a completely self-indulgent post about home and hearth and bunnies, and all the avatars who run around in the said home, but… yeah. But hey. I am filling a gaping hole in the blog-verse by blogging about garden and yard items! There is so much awesome out there on the grid and no one ever blogs about it. I shall! Oh so reluctantly, yes. *coughs*

So let us start with the girl trio running amok on the grounds, here comfortably posing on top of the bubble chairs from Happy Mood~

The background scenery you see in every picture is this awesome megaprim with windy moors on it. It’s from Two Moon Studios and keeps up our immersion of not at all being situated near random shops or other people. Noes, we live in solitude (and cuteness) somewhere far, far away. The hills with big trees on them are also from Happy Mood. As for what we’re wearing… on the left is Sonya with Rotten Toe dress, Grim Bros shoes, C&D Benelli tights, Nightshade neck ribbon, Curious Kitties hair, Bastchild wrist corsage, Djinn & Tonic skin and an umbrella from Weather! or Not?. In the middle is Loki in Frick skin, Vixen hair, Brocade Tiger pants, Grendel tattoos, Phoenix Designs boots, Rag Dollz leg pistol & strap, CatniP bracers, Haven Designs top, Manna belt, Belle Belle goggles properly on her eyes and other pair of goggles from Hat Mechanic around her neck, because you can’t have too many goggles! Athelia on the right has Trap skin, Magika hair, Manticorp goggles, Rotten Toe dress & socks, Manna belt, Katat0nik shoes, Violet Voltaire necklace and Sweetest Good-bye armwarmers.

The yard is wonderful place for lounging about and having picnics. Who needs a kitchen table when you can do this?

That’s Loki and Sonya and a poor SL-bugged Happy Mood bunny. That or he’s getting into the Ozimals-mood and has decided he’s a mutant with black ears. <.< I’ll get into what we’re noming in just a moment, but first look at the scenery. How pretty is that? There’s mushrooms from New Trails, trees from Fox Labs, sparkly bubble chairs from Happy Mood, elven light tree branch thing from Forest Floor and of course the magically lit ground which is a mix from the products of Happy Mood and iTuTu. Sonya’s pose is from Ana_mations and Loki’s from Niqotine.

Here’s a close-up that drove us all into nom-craving. @.@

The lovely Japanese lunchbox setting is from Love Soul. It has two different caterings that you pick by touching it. The sushi roll mats (one open, one rolled) are from Sanu, the cookie jar is from Magic Nook and gives cookies when you click it, the tray is from Kinema no Tsuki, the coffee pot on it from Oblonski and the apple pie slices and cups on it from Falln. Sonya is wearing frilly shorts by LeeZu, top by Sn@tch, Waka & Yuki hair, Yabusaka sandals, Djinn & Tonic skin and a nom in her mouth is from Sanu. Loki is noming on a mousie mouth cupcake by Sanu and is wearing Maschienenwerk skin, Discord Designs hair, Peppermint Blue top, DV8 capris, Truth shoes, Ginza necklace and her practically trademark tattoos from Grendel’s Children.

Not everyone is happy with all this sparkly cuteness, of course. It is not, how shall we say this… very manly. *grins* Here we have Janos sulking at the fence, refusing to go to the guuuuuuurly area. Obviously the bubbles might give him cooties.

This from a guy with a panda cupcake on his shoulder… anyways! He’s sulking behind a fence from iTuTu, the inviting lanterns are from Zacca and they frame the path from Fox Labs. The flowers are from iTuTu and the trees in the distance are from Fox Labs. You all know by now that the bubbles are Happy Mood. ^_^ Janos is wearing an awesome sad panda tee from Before Sleep, panda cuppycake on his shoulder from Sanu, GQ Fashions pants, Discord boots, Kosh belt, Nosotr@s tattoos on his arms and Sassy Kitty Designs gloves. His skin is from Corrupted Innocence, pose from Snooky’s Poses and hair from Black Maria.

Even Aleksander, who has reluctantly set all this cuteness down for us, more or less escaped to the roof when requested to pose within it. Eventually he agreed to do sort of royal pose, especially after Vanis said he’d help the impression with a bodyguard pose! He’s obviously an elven assassin protecting the Black King. <.<

They’re on the roof of the cottage from Zacca, the background showing some Happy Mood birds, summer festival decorations from Nonino and flowers from MiaSofia. Aleksander is wearing The Abyss skin, Sadistic Hacker hair, Illusions ears, KWZ suit and Treads boots. Vanis is wearing Excess skin, Sadistic Hacker hair, Buried ears, LNL suit, pocket watch & gun and hoorenbeek boots.

Now, the only exception to the rule is of course Vanis. He doesn’t object to the sparkles, he thinks they accentuate him! This is why when Aleksander turns his back, Vanis sneaks off to woo his protegee. Or some such. Yesyes, we have way too much with all of this. *grins*

Athelia called this combination of looks ‘seducing angels down from heaven’. It was pretty appropriate, I must say. Athelia is all ethereal in a gown from Evie’s Closet, wearing Trap skin, ETD hair and Illusions ears. Vanis, on the other hand, is very much flesh and blood in his Excess skin, Calico Ingmann hair, Buried ears and DeLa armwarmers. He’s also wearing RFyre pants, Blitzed belt and tattoos. The snake one around his neck is from Demise, the arm ones are from Crimson Shadow.

Here’s the inevitable result of the dancing, of course. Athelia’s gown might have turned red, but it is still from Evie’s Closet! Not that we love Evie’s gowns or anything, noes. <.< Her now-black hair is from Sky Everett, but otherwise she’s the same. Vanis returned to his demented colour palette with the Excess hat hair and League gloves. The summer festival decorations are from Nonino, the tree and hill are from Happy Mood, lantern from Zacca, white flowers from iTuTu and red flowers from MiaSnow.

It’s needless to say that I’m of course having a blast with the surroundings and enjoying the looks, no matter what the boy avis say. Who knows, we might get some sort of steampunk gear factory or scifi ship the next time Aleksander rips the whole sim apart and builds anew, so better enjoy it while we can!

Butterfly on the nose (with the pose) from LAP (I adore it <3). LeeZu dress, Dark Eden wrist roses, Exxess Designs hair, Djinn & Tonic skin. Happy Mood treestump, bunny and birdies~

And why the title? Because most of the sim is a mix of Happy Mood, iTuTu, Zacca and Nonino — all Japanese designers. If you haven’t visited them, please do. It’ll make you squee, I promise~

Strange Brew – Will You Give It To Me?

Yes, it’s time for another Twisted Hunt! This time the theme is Strange Brew, aka all kind of poisons, absinthe, toxic — mad scientists, witch cauldrons and toxic waste galore! (The shop list and SLURLs and other information about the hunt can be found in their website. There’s no hint lists since the prize locations change so often. I warmly recommend joining the hunt group.)

Now, I’ll be honest. Green isn’t Sonya’s colour. Perhaps in some dark leaf tone, or some velvet, but screaming poison green? Yeahno. However, the days I spent hunting were completely worth it for two reasons. 1) This is Twisted Hunt, the hunt of the hunts. You don’t do this for the prizes, you do this for the hunt alone, to prove yourself that you can! It’s the trophy hunt of all the grid-wides out there! *grins* 2) I had so much fun doing this photoshoot that it alone would have made all the cam-until-your-eyes-bleed hours worthwhile!

I mean… just look at the madness! It’s awesome! *grins* Del May had these absolutely wonderful poses with steaming green bottles and vials to hold with them… this one was called Jekyll. V. appropriate. The green lament boxes twirling and whirling around her are a part of Burning Chrome’s gift, the amazing mystery potion belt is from ~Sa-eela~ and the dress is from Dark Water Designs. It’s really topless with an underbust corset <3, but I added a top from A Netherworld’s dress so I’d at least pretend to keep the pictures properly rated. The bone wings are from !ReToX!, the skin a part of Sn@tch’s gift, hair one of the two hairs in several colours Pop Tart & Urban Assault offered and the eyes are Ooze Eyes from MaXeyes. The necklaces are from Lolapop! (shorter one) and Goth1co (longer one). The picture was taken in Urban Forge’s Witch Hazel house, complete with a cauldron and fireplace!

You can’t have green strange brews without absinthe. The seductive little fairies whispering in your ear, telling you want just a sip… and another… and one more… Sn@tch’s gift was this lovely little absinthe fairy – skin, wings, ears and dress. (Hair is not a part of the hunt, it’s an old Hair Fair freebie from Tekeli-li.) Eyes are from MaXeyes and necklace from Wild Style Fashions. The piercing with ‘poison’ text beneath the lip is from Virtual Insanity. I don’t often squee for piercings, but this was pretty full of win and awesome. The hilariously brilliant cocktail glass with insane amount of poses is from Dare Designs. The cave in the background (with a monster in it) is from Stone Misery.

And here we have some darker tones with quirky umbrella of awesome. Now, let’s discuss umbrellas. ^_^ I love them. Especially crazy steampunk umbrellas or gothic lace construction parasols. This one is made by Weather! or Not? and it rains dark depression within it. Absolute must have for dead dolls and Victorian goths! The coat is from Nightshade, the skin is from Heartsick (a part of Burning Chrome’s gift), eyes from MaXeyes and the hair is an old Twisted Hunt prize from DV8, not a part of the hunt this time around. The twisted topper hat is by Burning Chrome as is traditional by now (they’ve made similar toppers for all the Twisted Hunts) and the collar is a part of DV8’s gift. The picture was taken in the monochromatic picture box by MH Creations.

And then to a more modern toxic tones of the green brew spectrum. The outfit is from DV8 and came in several colours, but I obviously picked the green one for this post. The hair is from Pop Tart & Urban Assault, eyes from Del May and skin from Heartsick (part of Burning Chrome’s gift). The bracelets, earpieces and the lament cube within the heart construction are all from Burning Chrome. The cute little twisted mouth decoration thing is from ~*D’s*~. The deadly cocktail leg strap is from Virtual Insanity. As for the props, the chair with a lot of awesome poses is from Nocturna, the green fairy statue is from Malfean Visions and the skybox is from Sugar.Snap.Me. It’s appropriately called Monster by Mar, and it’s alive, aliiiiiiive. As in it’s a dark skybox with awesome tentacles coming into the room from everywhere.

This is one of those wonderful creepy poses from Del May again, this one called Hag – Potion Thief. The steaming potion bottle she’s reaching for belongs to the set. The outfit is DV8’s male gift, except for the belt from Rasetsukoku and the oriental spine attachment from Secret Shelf’s Nihon Dreams outfit. Boots are from Heart and Sole, gasmask from DV8, hair from Pop Tart and Urban Assault, eyes from MaXeyes and skin from Heartsick (part of Burning Chrome’s gift). On her upper arm is the DV8’s end prize you get after you find your way through the maze, it’s called Zydrate Fix. The cyber blood scan bracelet is from Wild Style Fashions. The picture was taken in Abandoned Toxicity House by Firefly Fashions and the toxic waste and barrels on the left are from PQD.

There was oh so much more that I could have screenshotted and rambled about, but I figured five looks is enough. I also wanted to keep it green for this post, for fun and amusement. There -were- other colours present, honest. Now get out there and start hunting, you have the whole March to finish!