and a quick bitchslapping to ...

The Beautiful Beast

Forgive me a moment of utter self indulgence. But it's a journal. Utter self indulgence is the point, c'est non?

He is:
articulate
humorous
generous of spirit
calm
decisive
respectful
sensual
ethical
rational
whimsical
curious
loyal
affectionate
honest
talented
beloved.
In no particular order. I am proud and delighted to have his company.

That is all.

okay, so I'm a little bit hooked on this now O.o

Sometimes I find myself at a loose end these days. I dropped some of my commitments in order to have more time to spend with friends and to free myself up for intriguing one-off projects. Which are rarer than you might think.

When I posted the last entry, it was my attempt at showing off my latest purchases. Quaintly's comment got me thinking though. I do wear a lot of black, it's my favourite colour (and yes, Blogger, both those words have the letter "u" in them), but I also have a lot of colourful clothes that I could show. And I really rather like going to my favourite pretty places to take photos. So yeah ... here we go, I'm a fashion blogger /irony.

First, a word about the hair. I have new hair. My honey chose it, and I love it. I have always been fanatically loyal to Analog Dog's cinnamon range, though I have a few from Damselfly. I wear, as much as possible, the same colour, because it's part of my identity. Yes, I named myself after my hair. In case you didn't know.

The new hair - Natural, by *CRISS* - is blonder than I would have liked, it's actually a lot blonder than it looks in the photos. I like to think of it as having had a fabulous style cut and some highlights put in.

The dress is, of course, Musashi-Do's glorious Tender Blossoms. It's rather well-known in fashion circles, and rightly so. It's a beautiful texture with wonderfully rendered details. This dress draws comment every time I wear it.

The shoes are B&G's Melody in Rosa. I have almost all of Lolo Luo's shoes, I believe they are as good a product as Stiletto Moody, easier to use, and at a far more reasonable price. They are transferable, too, and in fact, my only complaint is that the range is small.

I'd like to put a shout out to Eryn Republic for the one item I am never without - my ERD A.V.8.R sunglasses. Scripted with show/hide, radar, flight assist, sim record, bling, opacity, glow and 40 colours, they are hud driven and my essential item. When Y first taught me to build microprims, he showed me the ERD range in order to articulate what tiny prims could be used for, and I have not been without them since. We all have cartoon dreams, but if I have a cartoon nightmare, it is that proposed script limits will part me from my A.V.8.rs.

The sim you see here is the extremely romantic Midsomer Gardens. This a gorgeous, if busy, sim, good for a date or a photoshoot, and the highlight is definitely the sky garden seen here. I met a most interesting avatar while I was there, he was on the prowl, of course, but provided some amusement while I posed my narcissistic ass off.

Obligatory Fashion Post

Everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?

Actually, fashion blogging is a high-end pursuit in SL, and I am not intending to join those ranks. I'm aware, however, that reading my angst is a labour of love, so it can't hurt to break up the flow occasionally. And, you know, I buy so many clothes, sometimes I never see them again. If ever I wonder what that little ensemble I liked so much was, I can look back over my blog and recall it. All good reasons, I thought ...

The Basics:
I wear the same skin, eyes, tattoo and hair colour most of the time.

Skin: Kate - Forest by League

Eyes: Devious Emerald by Devious Minds
Hair: pictures 1 and 2 - Play by Analog Dog
picture 3 - Syanne by Analog Dog
Tattoo: Floral by Bi-Sensual
Piercing: Jade Lip Ring by :smc:

Outfit - Picture 1:
Leather Jacket by Grasp
Idle Rogue tank top by Sexy RedDevil for Idle Rogue
Leather Pants by Grasp
Biker Boots by Redgrave
Dagger by Avid

Outfit - Picture 2:
Frau Black Dress by Hyper Culture
Lilly Black Satin Lingerie by Insolence
Laddered Stockings by League
Pornstar Boots by Urban Bomb Unit
Rock Rolla necklace by Naith Smit Designs

Outfit - Picture 3:
Abby Dawn Black Sweater by Capris Designs
Camouflage Pants by Lilli Cattaneo *freebie
Sinaed Black Boots by League

Yes, there is an element of Tramp in this week's purchases, though let's call it rock'n'roll, shall we? Of course, I was a pierced and tattooed tramp before the Bass Player arrived in my life, now I just have a really good excuse to spend for it!

musings in the key of "real"

I'm only one. So I cannot be expected to have a good grasp on the intricacies of SLove, right? Right. Phew, thanks. Cus I really find it annoying that I lack the smooth criminal instincts of other avis I meet. If only because they make me feel naive, those jaded libertines.

All of my relationships in Second Life are based on a genuine respect for the person behind the avi. I am one of those people you are drawn to tell your inner secrets to, I don't know why, but perhaps it is because I am unendingly curious about how people come to make the decisions they make. Whatever the reason, if we are more than casual acquaintances, there is a good chance you've shared some personal honesty with me at some time, and I've liked you for it.

That doesn't, however, necessarily mean my people and I talk incessantly about our realities, and, in fact, I'd say, the opposite is true. We talk almost exclusively about our Second Lives, and the events that occur within them. We live, as ourselves, in our second lives. "How was your day?" means "How was your second life today?". "What have you been doing?" means "What have you been doing on the grid?".

My question, then, is this: Does this mean we are "playing the game"? It doesn't feel "fake" or even "superficial" - my deep sense of loss over The Boy Who Left showed me that ... as did the support and love of my friends during that time. If my friends suffer a disappointment, in either of their lives, I will be there, either on my real phone or holding the virtual tissues, while they resolve it. They will decide which kind of support they need, and they will have it.

My new love interest is the realest person I know in SL. By which I mean, he still reacts with noobish goodwill and humour to the way the rest of us interact. Yes, his eyes widen at the way we "live" in our lives ... but he "gets it". He is a natural, as I was, as most people reading this were, and because he is new, he is untainted by the casual laissez-faire demeanour of the "what happens in second life stays in second life" crowd.

But this means he is never quite sure of my intentions, or of my regard for him. I have no intention of moving into his real life, and I want to be sure he knows that. Yet this does not, in any way, affect the depth of feeling I have for him. It is moot that we are new, he is new, and if this were a "real" relationship, we would not be saying we were in love. Or ought not. I am not "in love" with him ... but there is no-one with whom I would rather spend an hour, a day, or a weekend. I would be unhappy if he thought that only extended to his cartoon entity.