Come Together

We call ourselves a community, us bloggers and Plurkers and content creators and consumers who run in the same circles. We get caught up in silly drama, and get all worked up over things that no one else can understand. We are an insular group to some extent, those of us who consume the fashion feeds on a daily basis, looking for something that makes our hearts beat faster, and we love to create new heroes, and some might even enjoy pulling others from their pedestals. Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously, other times we laugh at ourselves, or we should. But every now and again, we remember that we have a power to reach out to others and make amazing things happen. This is one of those times when we as a community can make a huge difference in someone's life, not their second life, their first life, and I am hoping we can.



I didn't know Shir Dryke, or her shop Ornamental Life, until very recently. Over the holidays, I was sent some gift cards by friends, and off I went to discover new-to-me joy. I do love Shir's designs, and was happy to add some pieces to my wardrobe, but I have been out of the blogging habit lately and hadn't gotten a chance to show it all off. But I decided today I needed to help get the word out about how great a person Shir is, and how happy I am to be able to use my blog to do it. I really only met Shir through Plurk, a little habit we all have developed lately, it is a way to get to know people in a hurry and learn about them in ways you never imagined. Shir is funny, sweet, and talented, and she is a pleasure to know better. But Shir is also a pretty spectacular woman for the battle she has been fighting unbeknownst to most of us.

Shir has some serious health problems, and although I am not privy to all the details, nor feel the need to expose them, I do know that she is in a financial crisis and requires a heart transplant that may save just her life. For more details you can contact her friend Flutter Memel, who along with AnnaH Whitfield, Dove Swanson, and Annyka Bekkers have established a charity fundraiser campaign to help raise a very specific and relatively small amount of money to most of us, in order to help Shir afford the cost of this essential surgical procedure. Fellow blogger Dot Lane gives us all more information on her Blog. The Heart of Love fundraiser is running now and time is limited, so I urge you to stop by Ornamental Life and shop, give a donation, and make a difference that could literally keep Shir with us where she belongs.

Hart Larrson of PXL Creations has released a special skin that you can purchase with all proceeds going directly to the Heart of Love fund for Shir, and as you can see, it is really stunning. It comes in freckled and non-freckled versions, with three different brow colour options. I am also wearing tops from Ornamental Life, so you can see some of Shir's great work. The green halter top is called Proteus Machine in Watermelons, and the sexy sweater vest is Shir's Eve top in For You I Was a Flame. There will be more news on how you can get involved as a designer or content creator soon, and how you can shop with purpose if you are an addict like myself. Let's see what we can accomplish when we all come together!

Details:
Skin - [PXL], Linda_LT_DeepEyes_WineLips_BlackEB - Special Charity Edition
Sweater Vest - Ornamental Life, Eve (For You I Was A Flame)
Green Halter - Ornamental Life, Proteus Machine, Watermelons

Jeans - Total Betty, *College Bound* JEANS, Dark Blue
Shoes - ETD, Hampton Wedge (Lucky Green, St. Patrick's Day Freebie)
Ring - Caroline's Jewelry, Gimcrack Diamond Solitaire Ring
Hair - ETD, Eva II (White Burnt)
Eyes - Freak Fantasia, Glassy Mustard Green Eyes
Lashes - Cake, Bedroom Lashes