Challenges

The Bare Face Challenge, Naturally

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Bare Face_001 S

I saw a challenge photo by Caitlin “Caity” Tobias on Flickr and I couldn’t resist. The hardest part for me was the “NO Photoshop!” rule. I’m dying to fix my nose, jaw, chin, neck and arm 😦 But other than cropping, I resisted…somehow!

It’s a fun challenge, and a simple one: take a close up wearing only your skin (hair is fine). No other makeup, no eyelashes, nuthin…just you. Hey, I didn’t cheat: I’m just smart enough to choose Hart Larsson as my skin maker, who included lipstick and eyeliner with my everyday skin 😉

Scroll through Flickr and you’ll see quite a few bare faces, all naturally very lovely. And maybe not as surprisingly as you might think.

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

Skin: [PXL] Creations JADE NAT Terre MEB C2 (FR) by Hart Larsson
Hair: *ARGRACE* MIZUKI – Ginger by rika Oyen
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen

Pose: Diesel Works SeptGift1 by Rogan Diesel

Uneventful: A Blogger Challenge

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1 Uneventful

Let me start by saying that the reason I haven’t blogged all week is because it has been anything but uneventful. My week started with driving to work in torrential rain and howling wind, nearly being hit by a tree falling across the street, a flat tire, a sinus infection, more than one spreadsheet from hell and simply being exhausted. I was just too tired to do a blog post justice.

I last blogged about Event Overload. Don’t get me wrong; I love sales events in Second Life and do most of my shopping during events. They give shoppers the opportunity to be ensured of new releases and exposure to multiple creators in one handy location and they are often discounted. Even if an event is hosted in the actual stores, it is easy to find what is going on through various groups, Flickr, Plurk and blogs. I do blog for a few events, which I wouldn’t do if I didn’t support the event, the creators and the organisers. All in all, this is my favourite way to shop.

However, there are drawbacks. Many events are difficult to get into, especially during the first few days when they are forefront in our minds. Shopping this way can also limit our exposure to a lot of talented creators, simply because they don’t participate in events, for one reason or another. There is also the letdown when you have dressed up in your latest finery from an event, go to a club or party and discover that one (or more) other person is wearing the same outfit. How embarrassing! How upsetting! How much of letdown to discover that your proud purchase doesn’t set you apart…

And that is what leads me to this challenge. I want you to take a photo of yourself, your home, your garden, your pet…anything that you want to photograph. But you must not have purchased anything you showcase at an event. It sounds easy, but if you’re anything at all like me, it’s not such a simple task!

Rules? Yep, there are a few:

1. You can’t wear or show anything purchased during an event, but you can use an item originally from an event that you later purchased in the creator’s store after the event was over (in world or on Marketplace).
2. You can use sales items, but not if it was part of an organised sales event (think Fifty Linden Friday or The Neighbourhood).
3. You can use review items, but only if they were for a general release and not for an event.
4. Group or store gifts are ok.
5. Hunt gifts are NOT ok (a hunt is an event, remember? 😉 )
6. If you wear something everyday that you purchased from an event, like your skin, a tattoo or your eyes, you can wear that. (I had to throw in that exception because I bought my skin as a Skin Fair exclusive lol).
7. Leave a link to your post in the comments of my blog so I can go perve check out your uneventful life!

I did a little sim-hopping while I was thinking about this challenge. While the masses were fighting the lag at Collabor88, The Black Fashion Fair, la Metallique Fair and countless other events, I was able to browse happily in several of my favourite stores – most of which I have discovered through events. In many of them, I was the only shopper. I didn’t have to wear full alpha, I didn’t have to stand rooted to one spot and cam shop my way around the store, I didn’t even have to wait for hours (or even days!) to access my shopping wonderland. I simply TP’d in, window-shopped to my heart’s content, all dressed up and unmolested.

Uneventful? You bet. And I loved it.

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

Top: tulip. Halter Tank (Flower) by Minami Susanowa
Shorts: Maitreya * #1 * Cut Off Jeans Shorts by Onyx LeShelle
Shoes: (LaRoo) Ellie Sock Pumps (Pink) by LaRooShoes
Headband: Magika [Headband] Group Gift by Sabina Gully
Necklace: EarthStones Lia Crystal Necklace – Tourmaline by Abraxxa Anatine
Earrings: EarthStones Lia Crystal Earrings – Tourmaline by Abraxxa Anatine
Belly ring: EarthStones Sophia Belly Ring – Mother of Pearl by Abraxxa Anatine
Hair: *ARGRACE* MIZUKI – Auburn by rika Oyen
Skin: [PXL] Creations [PXL] JADE NAT PetalPink MEB C2 (FR) by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Hand appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand Appliers NAT by Hart Larsson
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Pose: !bang – mini series – overcome 3 by Trieste Minuet

Location: tulip. Mainstore

Photo taken using the LumiPro HUD by Stefan Buscaylet

20 Personal SL Questions Meme: Portent Or Tedium?

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1 Labrynth Library

Here she goes again; Ms Berry loves to get us to bare our souls. Sometimes it is a bit daunting to share what might be personal information. It can be a bit uncomfortable, but I have come to see this as a challenge to confront my fears and open up a bit more than I would normally.

She has enlisted a mystery consultant to come up with a list of 20 questions to get us to open up. Some were easy, some were a bit more tricky but all were thought-provoking.

Here is what she has asked us to do:

Meme instructions: Answer the following 20 personal questions about your Second Life. Don’t forget to share a link to your post in the comments (of this post)!

I’m just going to look into my crystal ball and see what I can discover…

1. When and how did you discover Second Life? – My ex-husband introduced me to Second Life back in 2007, I think. I’m not too sure about the year and I didn’t join until late in 2008 but he had a couple of avatars and showed me a bit of SL.

2. Did you know about virtual worlds before or was this your first experience with them? – Yes, I came to Second Life after being in another virtual world for a couple of years.

3. Has Second Life met your expectations? – When I first joined Second Life I’m not sure what expectations I had. It was a way to socialise and have a bit of fun. The developments over the past five plus years are beyond what I ever imagined, so I guess they have exceeded my expectations.

4. If you could teleport back to the first ten minutes of your avatar’s slife, what would you tell yourself? – Read ALL of the information so you can get off this bloody island! It took me several attempts over a period of about three months to be able to get out into the world. Thankfully, a friend had joined and tp’d me away or I might never have started my Second Life journey.

5. How long did it take you to master avatar flying and driving vehicles inworld? – I didn’t do too badly with flying, although I didn’t realise I could use the Page Down button to gracefully land for a couple of years, so I always came crashing down to land. Driving vehicles? Is it even possible to master THAT?

6. Do you have a mystery alt? – Maaayyyyyybeeee 😛 lol I have a couple of alts that I don’t publicise and are actually rather dusty, but there are people in world who know they are me.

7. Is your SL avatar a reflection of you, or someone you wished you could be? – Peep is definitely who I would like to be. Her personality is me, but her look and fashion sense are totally different.

8. Is there an individual you met in SL that inspired you in your RL? How? – More than one. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

9. Do you feel it is easier to create stronger bonds/relationships with people you meet inworld as opposed to the real world? – In some ways it is easier to connect with someone in a virtual space since you don’t have the physical attraction factor involved. I met my ex-husband online (although not in Second Life) so I know that those strong bonds are possible. He told me on numerous occasions after we met that if we had been at a dinner party or club he probably wouldn’t have given me a second look. Yet because we had connected on an emotional level before meeting physically we had a base to work from and build our relationship.

10. Did you ever imagine or believe people could fall in love with someone they never met before Second Life? – Considering my previous answer, of course I do.

11. How has your perspective of dating changed (or not) since you started playing second life? – In Second Life, an actual date is less stressful. It is easier to dress and experience anything you want. You can have a quiet, private date or go clubbing, horseback riding, climb the Eiffel Tower, fly an airplane, sail the Blake Sea…the possibilities are endless. In real life there are so many restraints for the average person. But cuddling an avatar and worrying about adjusting poseballs so that arms aren’t poking through chests (and other things poking where they don’t belong 😉 ) are definite drawbacks to dating in Second Life.

12. How has your perspective of employment changed (or not) since you started playing second life? – I can’t say that it has. I’ve always worked in Second Life but never made a living at it. I admire those people with the talent to do so.

13. Name three things in both your lives that overlap each other significantly. – Friends, music and always wishing I could be a bit better at whatever I do.

14. If you could live your life more immersively in a virtual world, would you? (Kind of like the Matrix) – If it meant I lived on an island, got to buy most things I want and share what I do with others as I do on this blog I would be all for it.

15. How do you think behavior changes for people if they’re inworld vs in real world? Why do you think that is? – While the first inclination might be that people can bully from behind the keyboard I think the real and important difference is that it allows quiet, shy people to blossom. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the wallflower open up and become the charming, engaging belle that was just looking for the opportunity to shine.

16. How has second life consumerism changed your perception of spending habits, the value of money, the need to be “bleeding edge” with fashion? – I am not a huge consumer in real life. I am not a clothes horse or a shoe collector. My one weakness is electronics, but even then I am usually a step or two behind the current “best.” I think Second Life has allowed me to be cutting edge without breaking the Real Life bank. I have always been a bit of a bargain shopper in Real Life and that has carried over into SL. That is why I love shopping events so much (like Serafilms); I can keep current without having to pinch a penny until it screams.

17. Do you think virtual worlds like SL drive and redefine human interaction or do they narrow and limit it? – If it weren’t for virtuality, I would surely still be living in the US and would probably never have had relationships (romantic or friendly) with anyone from overseas. I have met more than one person I have met online and even moved to Australia because of the the relationships I developed online. These weren’t through Second Life directly, but it is just one such vehicle for expanding my experience of the wonderful people all over the world.

18. If technology progressed tomorrow to allow you to send emotions to people the way you’d send text or voice messages, would it enrich your SL experience or infringe on it? – I think that emotion can be expressed through words, through pictures and through music. However, if I had the ability to share my happiness, my joy, even my frustration and fears directly it would definitely enhance the experience. Or maybe it would just be too scary…I can be fierce when I get angry and even more fierce when I love.

19. Name three skills you attribute to having learned or honed in second life alone. – Photoshop, photography and being social.

20. If your grand kids googled your Second Life Avatar’s name, would they be intrigued, disgusted, proud or something else? – I would hope they would be intrigued and proud, but they would probably be a bit shocked that Nana could be so cool 😉

I don’t think I divined anything earth-shattering or shocking. I hope it wasn’t boring. But I do think I gave a bit more of a glimpse of the woman behind the blog.

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

*Dress: ~The Library~ Sarah Dress S-Green by DreamFantasia Nightfire (available at Serafilms May 2014)
*Crown: Frogstar – #14 Sarah’s Homemade Crown (Gold) by Ravenna Rossini (gacha prize at Serafilms May 2014)
*Necklace: Cae :: Labyrinth :: Necklace (Short) by Caelan Hancroft (available at Serafilms May 2014)
*Earrings: Cae :: Labyrinth :: Earrings by Caelan Hancroft (available at Serafilms May 2014)
Shoes: fri.day – fri. – Lizzie.Slippers (Antique) by Darling Monday
Hair: *ARGRACE* KOTO – True Red by rika Oyen
*Nails: {Wicked} Peach -Goblin King Nail Appliers by Autumn Amaranth (available at Serafilms May 2014)
Skin: [PXL] Creations [PXL] JADE NAT Terre MEB C2 (FR) by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Hand appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand Appliers NAT by Hart Larsson
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Plants and trees by *Happy Mood*

*Pose: .mien. [ only forever ] 05 – mirror by Connie Stratten (available at Serafilms May 2014)