Self Portrait

Totally Jaded

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1 Jade OL_078J

I mentioned yesterday (a couple of times, I think) just how much I love the new Jade skin from PXL Creations. I have found my new skin to live in! Well, I have found two. Yesterday I was sporting the Sunkissed version and today I’m wearing my “beachy” tone – Olive. I was seriously tempted by the Natural, as well, but hey, while my dreams may not fall out of my pockets, for some reason my Lindens seem to 😉 Maybe someday I’ll spring for that shade, but for now, I’m thrilled with the two I have!

I also mentioned yesterday that I’ve been having problems with my computer – it just spontaneously shuts down and reboots, almost always while I’m in Second Life. The photo from yesterday was a one-shot deal – something I never do. But right after I took that picture, my computer decided it was going to play its little trick on me and since it was the third time, I decided to pack it in. Fortunately, it was usable, but I still wasn’t happy about it!

Last night, with some much appreciated help, I put poor Fernando through some rigourous testing and tried a couple of fixes, then headed back into Second Life to see if he would hold out on me. I spent an hour and a half putting him through his paces – I cranked my graphics settings to Ultra and got a little snap happy. I took 80 photos, adjusting location, windlight and angles and he didn’t crash once! I won’t be convinced he’s completely well until I’ve spent at least two hours in Second Life without a shut down, but at least I was able to breathe a little easier knowing he had made it that far.

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But enough about my computer woes – I’m sure they’re as uninteresting to you as they are frustrating to me, so just feast your eyes on this glorious skin…yep, I’m totally Jaded!

Pretty stuff I’m wearing:

Skin: [PXL] JADE OL Peach Lips MEB C2
Makeup: [PXL] JADE OL SmokeyBrown Eyes (tattoo)
Dress: PINK OUTFITTERS [PO] Dianna Python Dress S – nude by London Dailey (available at The Boutique)
Shoes: [Gos] Boutique – Lauren d’Orsay – Truffle Collection by Gospel Voom (available at The Boutique)
Jewelry: EarthStones Butterfly Necklace – Whisper and EarthStones Butterfly Earrings – Whisper
Hair: Baiastice_Stefany hair – Rouge by Sissy Pessoa (available at Hair Fair 2013)
Eyes: Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Hand Appliers: [PXL] Skin Tone appliers for Slink hands (OL) V2 by Hart Larsson

Pose: aDORKable Poses: Sunny 3m by Adorkable Peapod (store closed and unavailable in her Marketplace Store)

Like The Moods Of A Woman

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1 Beachside Stroll

I love the ocean – the far reaches of that expanse of water draws me to it. The sea has its moods too, you see. You can sense them in the colour, the scent, the very sounds she creates. Is she serene, with her wavelets gently lapping along the shoreline? Or is she angry, with her waves crashing against the reef? Yes, she can be unforgiving, with hidden rifts and a cold iciness beneath her surface.

She has the moods of a woman and can be dangerous if taken for granted. But she can also envelope you in her warmth, buoying you as you drift along in her currents – taking you places you have only ever imagined. She is like a kiss – gentle and caressing one moment, passionate and tumultuous the next. And just when you think you understand her, she changes. Hers is a tale to which even she knows not the ending. Do not fear her, but always respect her. You will not become her master, but with a bit of sailor’s luck, you may one day appreciate her depth and mystery.

And if you do…tell her. She will hold your secrets dear and never give them up. But if you listen closely, she will speak to you – on the evening breeze, in the cry of a gull, in the way she whispers her lover’s name as her tides rise and fall. She belongs to the Moon, but he does not own her. She is her own entity – an enigma, a conundrum, a riddle never to be solved.

Taking A (Virtual) Mental Health Break

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I took a little break from blogging. It wasn’t so much that I was burnt out from my 30-day challenge, but more that I was burnt out from SL in general. I have never made it a secret that I am fully immersed in our little world and the people I am closest to have links to Second Life. I am very much a “Virtual Girl”.

I think one of the best parts (or maybe the worst) is that when the drama or circumstances get to be too much, you can just check out. I guess not logging in to SL is the real world equivalent of taking a “Mental Health Day” from work. You know the one…when you aren’t really ill but you just need a day or two to recover your mojo. It works in SL, too. I had tried taking photos, but I just wasn’t “seeing” them. The angle, the lighting, the location just weren’t right, no matter how many different versions I tried. So, I did the only thing I could think to do; I took a Virtual Mental Health Break.

I’ve spent my time away working on other things – skills that I can use in either world, although it remains to be seen just how successful I will be. But I’ll keep learning, trying, reflecting on what I need to do. And hopefully, sharing what I have discovered.