The Dangers Of Demo Night

Every now and then, we have an event at PIN UPS called "Demo Night". The point is to pile on as much demo clothing, hair, skin, shoes, and accessories as you possibly can, and make a general fool out of yourself. Well tonight was just such a night.



After cleaning my inventory recently, I managed to delete almost every demo item that I had. So off I went tonight to grab some really great demos, with the biggest silly signs on them and the most insane items I could think of. Well, here we find the danger in "Demo Night". You pile on all this stuff, and then hang out in it for a good two hours, if not more, and you find yourself actually liking it on yourself. Not to say that I expected not to like it, just that the point was just to collect it, and not to end up shopping. It goes to show you that some addictions run deep.

I guess the point of this post, other then to show you how incredibly silly and fun (not to mention inexpensive) a "Demo Night" contest can be, is to say to those designers who do offer demos that their efforts do actually result in sales in the end. We know this with things like skin and hair, but for shoes and jewelry, and even clothing, it may mean a sale that you never anticipated, and likely once people see the quality of your work, a life-long customer. So even though it takes a lot of time and effort to provide them, I just wanted to say, thanks for the demos!

Shopping Details:
Hair - *Zero Style*, Maki (Strawberry Chocolate - Demo, M)[Big Sun Demo Label]
Skin - Laqroki, Jasmin 04 mily DEMO
Fairy Costume - Adam N Eve, Woodland Fae Costume (Green)[Includes Demo Wings]
Shoes - Adam N Eve, Serpenti (Very Purple)
Jewelry - KessKreations, Classic Stone Necklace & Stone Bracelet [Monarch Butterfly Labels]
Non-Demo Items:
Eyes - **[Riddle]**, Realistic Brights (Brown)
Lashes - [Detour], Love Lashes

Butterflies The Right Way

One of the things I love best about Phil's Place is the creativity and collaboration that people are capable of. The possibilities, the constraints we see in our everyday lives are simply non-existent in-world. When I saw these amazing Vlinder Boots from Skuradawn Lei of Lazy Places, I was blown away. Not only are they a cute chunky pair of boots, but they have sweet animated butterflies slowly flapping their wings on them. But that is not the best part, the best part is that not only are they cute and creative, they go a step further and are scripted to rez actual prim butterflies around you as you walk about. You can set the speed and number of winged friends to bring with you wherever you may go, but you can also choose from a number of different species of butterflies on the selection of boots at Lazy Places. I choose these amazing Blue Morpho Butterflies pair, I think they are truly stunning, and if you look at the prim butterflies that rez and flap about you, they are just as detailed and animated as the ones on the boots. These were worth every Linden I spent on them, and I am not in the least disappointed in them, they are truly a work of art, and Sakuradawn and the collaborators on this amazing creation deserve the highest of praise.

I decided to stay with a bit of a grungy basic look to keep the attention where it belonged, on these great boots. The top is another winner from Pushbutton Industries, the Wrongway Longsleeve Tee is a great neutral top, and as it comes on all layers, as almost everything from *PBI* does, I had the option for a tucked in version. The pants were a recent find from ++ChaCla++, the Black Pants are sold separately with a basic pair of cuffs, but you can also buy additional cuffs, as I did here to customize the look a bit more. I just thought this TWOHEARTS version of the cuffs were really lovely with the chain and safety pin details. I pulled in my favorite Pyramid Studs Belt from /artilleri/, and another favorite with this Canimal Picture Pendant. A simple set of *Frosty* Bracelets Combination from /Milk/ brought in a blue accent as with the butterflies. Also wearing my long time staple earrings, the Tunnel Multi Set Ear Piercings from Drifting Sands, as well as my Caroline's Gimcrack Diamond Solitaire engagement ring.



This sweet girly set of Beth pony tails is from *0 Style* (Zero Style). I do love the textures in their hair, particularly the very bright Silver, which is a colour that sometimes loses it's detail by some creators. Skin is Canimal Essence Line, in the Poise make-up, skins I am increasingly more comfortable in wearing as they are very distinct and I have no concerns about their origins, Canimal Zephyr has always set herself apart from the crowd, her skins are no different. Catwalk Lashes are from MMS, Glassy Mustard Green Eyes from Freak Fantasia.

Shopping Details:
Shirt - *PBI*, Wrong Way Longsleeve Tee
Pants - ++ChaCla++, Black Pants
Cuffs - ++ChaCla++, Black Pants (TWOHEARTS)
Belt - /artilleri/, Pyramid Stud Belt
Boots – Lazy Places [LP], Vlinder Boots (Blue Morpho)
Necklace – Canimal, Picture Pendant
Bracelets - /Milk/, Bracelet Combination (*Frosty*)
Earrings – Drifting Sands, Tunnel Multi Set Ear Piercing
Ring – Caroline’s, Gimcrack Diamond Solitaire
Hair - *0 Style*, Beth (Silver)
Skin – Canimal, Essence (Grace)… of Poise
Lashes – MMS, Catwalk Lashes
Eyes – Freak Fantasia, Glassy Mustard Green Eyes

Simply Red

When the dress code calls for red, I dive into my inventory and see what comes up under the search for the colour. I always see if there are hits in my *NEW* Items folder first, and lo and behold, there it was. This fabulous (seriously cannot think of another word for it) Laika Dress from ~~Ivalde~~ is so well crafted. First off, the skirt is insanely cute and almost tutu like, made from sculptie ruffles, and is just so wonderfully textured. Then there is the one sided sculpted shoulder, which is so bang on trend right now, but this dress has almost an 80s' fabulous feel to it. It comes with the great printed tights, images of faces, in black shadow on white almost Warhol-like. Neferia Abel endlessly fascinates me in her ability to create wearable art, she has such skill and dedication to her work.

Accessorizing was tricky, because red is one colour, but comes in a million shades. I started with my shoes, and opted for these adorable Kitties Lair Francine Mary Jane's in Red with Silver Accents. These were review copies dropped on me when my sister Anessa over at On Your Toes told the creator that I might like them. I don't just like them, I love 'em! The are just such statement shoes, they are a little chunky, a lot funky, and have adorable touches like the laces with the metal tips. I went for a little more of a pinked up look with these great Leather Ring Wristbands from ETD. I have had them for over a year, so I am not certain Elika still sells them, but she should, they are so well made, particularly because they are not sculptie prims. For earrings, I chose these ToRiCo Earrings, that have a caged crystal heart, I believe they are from kikis closet, but the naming was a bit confusing to me. Well worth finding though, they are a bit goth, but a lot interesting. I literally went out in search of the perfect bag to wear with this dress, and after hitting a few of my favorites, finally happened upon this amazing Wrist Chained Clutch from Muism. I think the texture and the colour are a perfect match to the ruffled and ruched dress.



Yay for new hair! Picked up this great wig at *0 Style* (Zero Style) on my last trip over, Yuuya in White is a great shaggy style, I love the one untamed curl on the crown, so cute. The skin is my favorite Red Lipped Celestial Studios make-up, Red Dusk, from the Charmed Line. I particularly love the subtle smokey eye shadow. Big Hazel Eyes are from Miriel, and Love Lashes from [Detour]. What started out as a simple search for red, became simply fabulous!

Details:
Eyes – Miriel, Hazel Eyes (Big)
Hair – Zero Style, Yuuya (Whites, Silver)
Lashes – [Detour], Love Lashes
Skin – Celestial Studios, Charmed Line (Tone 20, Red – Dusk)
Bag – Muism, Clutch (Wrist Chaine, Red)
Wrist Bands – ETD Extras, Leather Ring Wristband (Crimson)
Shoes – Kitties Lair, Francine Mary Janes (Red/Slv)
Earrings - ::kikis closet::, ToRiCo piercing [RED]
Dress - ~~Ivalde~~, Laika Dress (Red)

Saturday Work Wear

Saturday in-world is a rather frantic day for me, I have to plan the coming weeks events at PIN UPS and on Retrology, list them all on SLP and the Phil's Place Event Listings, and then make sure all the staff is able to work their shifts, or find people to cover. Then there is the blogging, the shopping, the work for my monthly Vain Inc. Magazine columns, and then all the stuff that pops up in the space of the day. So I usually like to take things nice and easy in the fashion department, and it was time to finally put this great Double Paradox Denim Skirt to good use. I think it worked perfectly with this adorable /artilleri/ Darla Shirt in Teal, and of course, I love a chance to wear some matching /artilleri/ eye-wear (I always fat-pack her glasses), with these sweet Marla Glasses in Teal.

I kept the rest of my accessories pretty simple, again diving into my fat-pack of Periquita Mary Squares shoes for this great Mint pair. I slipped on a Green Bangle set from Here Comes Trouble, and a sweet Magic 8 Ball Ring from Funk-O-Rama. I had been waiting for the right relaxed look to wear this amazing Tres Blah Bloomin' Hobo Bag with. It is really adorable, and comes with shoulder or hand hold versions.



This wig is one of the new styles from *0 Style* (Zero Style) called Ayase in their brilliant white Silver colour. Love the messy up-dos from *0 Style*, they are so sweet and I love the flexi bits that frame the face. I am wearing a favorite skin from Celestial Studios, and perhaps the most amazing Hazel Eyes I have found yet, from Miriel. So I look relaxed, now I can roll up my sleeves and get stuff done... oh wait, my sleeves are pre-rolled, gotta love Antie!

Shopping Details:
Eyes – Miriel, Hazel Eyes (Big)
Hair - *0 Style*, Ayase (Silver)
Skin – Celestial Studios, Charmed Line (Tone 20, Rubies)
Glasses - /artilleri/, Marla Glasses (Teal)
Bag – Tres Blah, Bloomin’ Hobo Bag
Bracelets – HCT Accessories, Stripey Bracelet (Gree)
Ring – F.O.R., Magic 8 Ball Ring (Cherry Band)
Shoes – Perqiuita, Mary Squares (Mint)
Skirt – DP (Double Paradox), Denim Skirt
Blouse - /artilleri/, Darla Shirt (Teal)

Working My Cute!

So after Valentine's, after the Ball Gowns and Sexy Lingerie, and all the rest of it, I needed to escape back to cute. This look has to be one of my favorites, and yes, I love my Avatar, but seeing myself in this outfit that I pieced together from a pile of NEWNESS in my closet, all I can say is I "How Cute Am I?".

This is the way I love to dress; it is a look I built one piece at a time starting with these fabulous pants from "KUROTSUBAKI", which also come with a skirt version. So there I was with the pants on, and wondering what top could I wear with them, and I tried on a few, but the minute I tried this "Thimbles" 'P is for Pauline' Sweater I went... Ooooh YES! Ok, shirt and pants covered, lets see what else I can pull out, some socks were required, and these from "MG Fashion" in this delicious dark Eggplant colour were just the thing, again, having a FATPACK of socks like these is always a good move. So there I was, cute matching socks and now I needed to settle the hair issue, looking in my NEW HAIR folder, I spotted this style from "*0 Style*" that I picked up on a whim. Hella cute right? Yep Yep... I know! All that needed now was the finishing touches, a few accessories and I was set to go... this Bangle from "Naughty Designs" finally got some use, I love it but hadn't gotten a chance to wear it yet. Then I remembered this sweet little pocket book from "+MimiEden+" I picked up on my last trip to Cotton Candy Mall, I was all set to buy it, but found out it was a freebie, how cool is that! The thing that brings this look all together however, is the fabulous 'Ziggy Boot' from "Tesla" which has both the Brown and the Purple tones in them. This look is just the thing I needed to "Work My Cute".





Skin – Celestial Studios, Charmed Skin (Tone 20, Twinkle)
Ring – Caroline’s Jewelry, Gimcrack Diamond Solitaire
Shoes – Tesla, Ziggy Boot (Enlighten)
Eyes – Karamia, Hazel Eyes
Hair - *0 Style* - Zero Style, Necoco (Milky White)
Socks – MG Fashion , Knitted Socks (Eggplant, from Pack03)
Pants – KUROTSUBAKI, Pants (Brown Check)[Comes With Skirt Version]
Sweater – Thimbles, P is for Pauline Sweater
Bag - +MimiEden+, Psychedelic Flower (Bag) [Freebie @ Cotton Candy]
Bracelet – Naughty Designs, Sanskrit Cuff & Silver Sparkle Ring Bracelet
Nose Stud – Tickled Pink, Uma Nose Stud
Brow Piercing – ITF by Lyric Meiji , Brow Piercing, Dual Ball [No Store Location Found]

The Empress of Hearts

Anyone who knows me well knows that there is one holiday that I love above all other, it isn't religious, or historical, and it isn't about materialism or consumerism, at least not to me it's not. Valentine's Day is the day when we can freely tell other people that we value their presence in our lives and our hearts, and it doesn't have to have anything to do with romance. I send valentines to my parents, my siblings, my nieces and nephews, and to my friends in SL. I wear red on valentines day, because it is the colour of passion for me, and it is the colour of the crayons I used as a child to draw lop-sided hearts on white paper doilies to gift to my parents and my dearly missed grand-parents.

When I was trying to decide what to wear for this months submission for my column in "Vain Inc. Magazine", I spotted this gown and fell in love. But it wasn't right for the look I was going for, so it went on my wish-list and I moved on. For weeks now, I have thought of this gown, it is perhaps the most stunning work of art I have seen in SL, and I knew that it was going to be my "Look Of The Day" for February the 14th and Tonight's "Sweet Hearts Ball" at PIN UPS. I knew I wanted it and I was willing to pay full price for it, because work like this should be rewarded, and I was going to save my lindens if I had to camp on Zombie Island for weeks on end. And yesterday was the day, off I went to "Nicky Ree" and I parted with $980L and was positively elated that I could finally call this treasure mine.



I went home immediately to try it on and grab some pictures for my Blog, but was having some issues attaching prims and so decided to re-log and give it another go. I have never dealt with inventory loss before, so imagine my Shock and Horror when I logged to find it GONE. Not in inventory, not in my trash folder, not in a box on the floor of my loft, yet the textures of the shirt and pants were still baked onto my body. I checked my Edit --> Clothing bar and it said I was naked but for shoes. I immediately panicked, drafted up a note with the transaction record and sent it off to Nicky Ree in the hopes she would understand and replace the Gown for me (being no transfer, I could not have given it away). I think I sobbed for at least an hour, it was ridiculous in retrospect, but it was in correlation to how dearly I loved this work of art.

When I logged this morning, Nicky had indeed sent me a replacement, and I am certain she thinks I am a total nut-bar for telling her I was distraught in my note to her, but it was the truth. So here it is, my Pride and Joy, my outward expression of the way my heart feels on Valentine's Day; Grand, Extravagant, Swollen with Emotion. I felt so good I went for the complete look as created by Nicky, with the Hair from "Zero Style" and the Jewelry and Ornaments from "BijouxOr Design", so amazingly crafted, the Hair Ornaments over 220 Prims on their own, and yes, I bought some lindens to be able to afford them at $2200L for the necklace/earrings and headdress together. I was lucky enough to be given these "Stiletto Moody" shoes from Stiletto herself, a review copy, that are perhaps the only shoes that could truly match the grandeur of the gown, and they are perfection in the form of footwear. No one will see them under the full gown tonight, but I will know they are there, and that makes me happy.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone... whether you admit you like it or not, I send you my warmest wishes.







Gown – Designing Nicky Ree, Tang Empress Gown (Red)
Necklace & Earrings – BijouxOr Design , Gold Oriental Tang – Mui Fei Set (Red)
Headdress - BijouxOr Design , Gold Oriental Tang – Mui Fei Hair Pieces (Red)
Lashes – Celestial Studios, Prim Lashes (Club 13)
Eyes – Freak Fantasia, Glassy Mustard Green
Hair - *0 Style* - Zero Style, Nicky (Black)
Skin – Celestial Studios, Charmed Skin (Tone 20, Gloss – Red)
Ring – Caroline’s Jewelry, Gimcrack Diamond Solitaire
Shoes - Stiletto Moody Shoes, Elegant Slingback (Ruby Red)

Hear Me Out & Turn Me On!

Draco and I Model My Newest T-Shirt Offering at .-*-. HANG THE DJ! .-*-.. I created these DJ Inspired T-Shirts, and am please with my progress as a Designer. Draco wears the "Turn Me On!" T-Shirt in the Men's Tan Un-tucked Version, I have on the "Hear Me Out!" T-Shirt in the Women's Shirt Layer. Both available in Men's and Women's versions now on Retrology in my Main Store slurl.com/secondlife/Retrology/218/15/41 . They Paired with some comfy Jeans, they are casual and cool and a bit funky too.



On Him:
T-Shirt - HANG THE DJ!, Men's "Turn Me On" (Tan, Jacket Version)
Hair - Frangipani Designs
Skin - Naughty Designs, Dante
Jeans - REDGRAVE
Tattoos - TRUTH
On Her:
T-Shirt - HANG THE DJ!, Women's "Hear Me Out" (Sage, Shirt Layer)
Hair - Zero Style, Pompadour
Skin - Celestial Studios, Charmed Line (Tone 20, Purple - Orchid)
Eyes - Freak Fantasia, Glassy Mustard Green
Tattoos - AITUI, Butterflies (Full Body, Faded)
Jean - The Abyss