Salt & Pepper

I’m Not Afraid To Look Down, But I Won’t Let Go

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1 On a Swing

Balancing my life is not akin to walking a tightrope; instead, it is more like teetering on a swing, not quite ready to let go, but getting to the point where I can at least look down. Slippery slopes and all that (yes, I know I’m mixing my metaphors like a Kansas farmhouse in a tornado!)

It is a challenge to keep my equilibrium and composure some days. Hell, most days. Traffic woes, work stresses, wild and sometimes frightening dreams, broken sleep and aches and pains all push me to my limits. But then a cuddle from my (usually) stand-offish cat, a chat with my sweetheart and a photo that I am happy with are the counterbalance to the distress I allow to cloud my day.

I am learning, slowly, not to fear looking down, but I still won’t let go.

Top: Addams // Sophia Tank Top // Maitreya by AmaliaRainwood (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Jeans: Vinyl – Oakley Jeans – Light Blue- Lara by Sukoshitosuto (available at Uber July/August 2015)
*Earrings: Salt & Pepper S&P hippie earrings gold (gacha prize at The Gacha Garden August 2015)
Feet wrappings: fri.day fri. – Aisling.Wraps (Blush) – Maitreya High by Darling Monday (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Hair: *ARGRACE* NAO – Ginger by rika Oyen (New Release)
Tattoo: [White~Widow] Midnight in Paris – MeshBody Appliers by Julie Hastings (New Release)
Skin: -Glam Affair – Summerv3 – America 02 E by aida Ewing
Body, hands and feet: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V1.0 by Onyx LeShelle
Eyes: IKON Promise Eyes – Maldives by Ikon Innovia
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Chair: {anc} le cirque de reverie .8/ blanc / pink / hangingchair 2Li by aki69 (gacha prize)
Tree: HPMD* Garden Tree05 – white 2A + 2B by Sasaya Kayo (recoloured)
Daisies: The Little Branch Marketplace StoreLB_Daisy{Rounded-Field} by Cari McKeenan
Grass: [we’re CLOSED] grass field lush by Wendy Xeno

Pose by the chair

Photo taken using the LumiPro HUD by Stefan Buscaylet

Shadows & Daydreams

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1 Becca's Daydream

Much to talk about! I know I have been relatively quiet on the blog front recently. It’s not that I haven’t had lots of pretties to photograph, but rather that I lost my shadows a while back. Not literally; I just couldn’t photograph them any longer. Sadly, every time I had shadows enabled and clicked a pic, my viewer crashed 😦 Light and shadows have always been the most exciting part of photography for me, so when I lost the ability to use it in Second Life, my motivation to take pictures began to wane. I would still create a set, style an outfit and shoot multiple photos in varying Windlight settings, but they just seemed flat to me. I am not accomplished enough in Photoshop to create my own shadows realistically, so I just let my work on my blog dwindle to a trickle, while lamenting and daydreaming about my lost light and shade.

Then, yesterday, I decided to finally install the latest beta Firestorm update. I had held back because of the known detachment issues, but since they hadn’t yet released the alpha update in several weeks, I went ahead and installed the current version. And something happened that I didn’t realise would make such a huge difference to me in just a while…

Firestorm changed the configuration of my graphics card as relates to the viewer. I didn’t think anything about it at the time, but when I finally began to take photographs using the new interface (which I LOVE, by the way!!) I noticed that the refresh rate was amazingly faster than it was before. Holding my breath, I went into Preferences and enabled Sun, Moon & Projectors, clicked my virtual shutter-release button and…

Nothing happened. Well, at least not what I was dreading – the crash, the swear words, the frustration, the reboot! The image simply refreshed within a couple of seconds! Considering it previously took up to 20 seconds to refresh an image using the old version sans shadows, I was dancing and laughing like a two-year old hyped up on Frogs in a Pond!

Happy, happy girl 🙂

On top of all of that, I got into Collabor88 and just died deliriously over the goodies from [ keke ] and Vagabond & Kalopsia! You can tell – almost every prop in this photo is from one of those creators. I needed something to showcase this lovely and feminine corset and skirt set from Salt & Pepper for We < 3 Role-Play this month, and they fit the bill magically.

It was a good day. In fact, I think I know exactly how Stella felt when she finally got her groove back. While the shadows aren’t overly evident in this photo, you should see them in some of the other forty-odd raw shots I have!

To celebrate, I’ll just be happily dwelling amongst the shadows and daydreams with a faraway smile on my face.

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

*Top: Salt & Pepper S&P Corsage Becca by xxSaltandPepperxx
(available at We < 3 Role-Play August 2015)
*Skirt: Salt & Pepper S&P Skirt Becca S sand by xxSaltandPepperxx (available at We < 3 Role-Play August 2015)
Feet wrappings: fri.day fri. – Aisling.Wraps (Blush) – Maitreya High by Darling Monday (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Hair: *ARGRACE* NAO – Ginger by rika Oyen (New Release)
Tattoo: [White~Widow] Midnight in Paris – MeshBody Appliers by Julie Hastings (New Release)
Skin: -Glam Affair – Summerv3 – America 02 E by aida Ewing
Body, hands and feet: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V1.0 by Onyx LeShelle
Eyes: IKON Promise Eyes – Maldives by Ikon Innovia
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Floor: Kalopsia – Broken Floor – Dream by Isasbeau Baragula (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Table: Vagabond – Pearl’s Birdie Cage by Shawneese Offcourse (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Birdcage: Vagabond – Pearl’s Birdie Cage by Shawneese Offcourse (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Curtains: Kalopsia– Lace Curtains by Isabeau Baragula (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Leaves: Kalopsia – Flying leaves – Dream 1 by Isabeau Baragula (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Book: floorplan. daydream book by Tegan Serin (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
floor lights: [ keke ] glitter floor by Kean Kelly (available at Collabor88 August 2015)
Stars: [ keke ] star glitter by Kean Kelly (available at Collabor88 August 2015)

Pose: Di’s Opera – Glam Series 4 – 2 by Di Hoorenbeek

Photo taken using the LumiPro HUD by Stefan Buscaylet

No Exit

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1 Epiphany

Have you been to Epiphany? It’s a twist on the traditional gacha event where you can trade in extras and unwanted prizes for credits which you can exchange for an exclusive item. I’m still trying to decide if it is a blessing or a curse; while the idea of getting rid of unwanted prizes is pretty cool, it also means that sometimes you end up spending even more, trying to get that couple extra credits for an exclusive. And then you end up getting something else you like and you spend more, this time trying desperately to win a duplicate and wouldn’t you know it? You end up getting something you really wanted so you have to spend even more?

Clever? Oh, you bet it is. There’s no exit until you’ve emptied your bank account 😉

The skirt and top I’m wearing are the exclusives from Salt & Pepper. You can get the copy version for only 25 credits; the transfer style is 200.

Just a reminder that Hair Fair 2015 ends on July 26th so you only have a couple of days to get over there to scour the best collection of hair on four sims. And the 26th is Bandana Day, so doff your hair and don a bandana as a reminder of what this event is really all about – helping out Wigs for Kids.

*Top: Salt & Pepper S&P Top Jungle leo S EXCLUSIVE by xxSaltandPepperxx (available at Epiphany July 2015)
*Skirt: Salt & Pepper S&P Skirt Jungle leo S EXCLUSIVE by xxSaltandPepperxx (available at Epiphany July 2015)
*Bracelet: Salt & Pepper S&P bangles jungle gold by xxSaltandPepperxx (available at Epiphany July 2015)
*Headpiece: Salt & Pepper S&P headpiece jungle gold by xxSaltandPepperxx (available at Epiphany July 2015)
Earrings: Salt & Pepper S&P earrings jungle gold by xxSaltandPepperxx (available at Epiphany July 2015)
Shoes: Essenz – Lagos (Cream) Maitreya by Senzati0n Domenitzo
Hair: Blueberry – Jie – Hair Design by Blueberryxx (available at Hair Fair 2015 Redhead Sim)
Body & Hands: -Belleza- Isis by Tricky Boucher
Feet: Slink AvEnhance Feet High by Siddean Munro
Skin: -Glam Affair – Amberly II skin – America 05 D by aida Ewing
Skin Applier: -Glam Affair – Belleza Venus Appliers ( America ) by aida Ewing

Doors: Apt B // Country Living Doors RARE by FadeArcade (available at Kustom9 July 2015)
Stairs: :HAIKEI: Old empty house gacha {1} by qo0op (available at Kustom9 July 2015)
Table: :HAIKEI: // Country Living Metal Table by FadeArcade (available at Kustom9 July 2015)
Box: :HAIKEI: Humid dusty cottage gacha {5} by qo0op
Stool: :HAIKEI: Humid dusty cottage gacha {2} by qo0op
Exit sign: {vespertine} EXIT road sign /purple by Amelie Knelstrom

Photo taken using the LumiPro HUD by Stefan Buscaylet

I’m afraid I got the wrong pose for my credits 😦 I’ll find it and update 🙂