The Best and the Worst of My Second Life

I discovered a new skin - Lena by Elysium. I'm a fan of many skins. Belleza, Glam Affair, Adam N Eve, Pixel Creations and Mirror's Enigma are recent favorites. And now I get to add Elysium to that group. It comes with three eyebrow colors and a no eyebrow option, frecked, non-freckled and cleavage versions. It also comes with appliers for our SLink hands and feet, an essential for me. Eye makeup and lipstick tattoo layers are sold separately. I discovered this skin by perusing MokaTana Boa's blog, Moka's Way. I love her blog posts, and her skin blogs are extensive and well done.

It's time to meme again, and Strawberry Singh has challenged us to reveal what we find to be the best and worst things about our Second Lives.
Meme Instructions: Copy and paste the questions and answers below, delete my answers and input your own. The twist is, the final question you need to change and make up your own best & worst that you want to share. Don’t forget to leave a link to your post in Berry's (and my) comments.

1. Best thing about Second Life: I adore Second Life. To try to pin down what I like best about it is kind of hard. I think the best thing is how I get to admire in a very new way people's artistic expression. Whether it be a sim installation, role play, live music, photos, fashion, or home design - I am blown away by the everyday creativity.
   Worst thing about Second Life: There are plenty of downsides, but I'll try to focus on what is the worst thing I have to deal with on a daily basis. Right now it's the blur - rez - blur cycle. I really don't want to have to buy a new computer!
2. Best thing in your inventory: My hair folder.
   Worst thing in your inventory: The number of hairs in my hair folder.
3. Best earliest SL memory: It's a tie. Going to a sim called October Country and listening to old radio plays, or going dancing and enjoying the company of my date.
   Worst earliest SL memory: Wearing a folder full of freebie furniture and having no idea how to remove any of it. Thank goodness for Mentors and how sad that newbies don't get that kind of help! 
4. Best thing you learned because of SL: I was reminded how stimulating it is to surround yourself with creative people.
   Worst thing you learned because of SL: I learned more about weird sexual fantasies than I really want to know. Some of those fantasies were even mine!
5. Best thing about blogging: It's an excuse to play dress up in things that I normally wouldn't wear day to day in my Second Life. I love taking pictures and sharing them. I hope I entertain my readers with humor and fashion.
   Worst thing about blogging: Entitlement. Entitled bloggers, entitled designers. So you don't get picked to be an official blogger of an event or designer? Cover them anyway if it's something you love. On the designer end, I am occasionally blown away by an attitude that bloggers work for them. We don't. We love you for what you do, but we're not your employees.
6. Best thing about my day: That first cup of coffee.
   Worst thing about my day: Falling asleep before Jon Stewart.

Credits:

tram -Collar for gathered shoulder blouse
tram -gathered shoulder blouse[navy]
TRUTH HAIR Rocky
Elysium - Lena (freck/red eyebr.) - fair (New Release)
BeetleBones Mesh Lashes V.01 (Dainty brown)
Mayfly - Luminous - Mesh Eye (Deep Honey Hazel, w3) (New Release)

 

I Think This Is the Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

This isn't exactly what Humphrey Bogart meant when he uttered those words in "Casablanca" but I couldn't help myself. Collabor88 has an industrial chic theme this month. I think the theme translates well in furniture, but in clothing the style isn't exactly my thing - until I saw how Toast Bard of Fashionably Dead translates it. I'm laughing out loud at her brilliant whimsy. Everything else in the picture is from Apple Fall's Collabor88 offering.

Credits:

Fashionably Dead Retro Robot - Silver (at Collabor88)
BeetleBones Mesh Lashes V.01 (Dainty brown)
Mayfly - Luminous - Mesh Eye (Twilight Sea Shadow, w3)
Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands
-Belleza- Leila Med R 0

Apple Fall Designer Mannequin (Black) (at Collabor88)

Apple Fall Trellis Circular Rug (Black) (at Collabor88)

Apple Fall Fusion Dining Chair (at Collabor88)

 Apple Fall Mother of Pearl Inlaid Chest (at Collabor88)

Apple Fall Apple Blossom Branches (at Collabor88)

Inventory Woes and Temptations

I'm going to blog about my Second Life inventory folder. It's a mess and the number keeps creeping up. As I began to write this, my inventory was showing 38,861 items. Oh wait! There's something in the trash! DELETE. Oh. 38,860. I know by many bloggers' standards my inventory is a good size. But it's going to creep ever higher, so I'm trying to do something about it.

I am always ready to talk about inventory management, I really am. I love to talk about it. I love to hear about other people's strategies for coping, for organization. But my problem is this - I hate doing anything about my inventory. It's BORING! That's why I'm blogging it. It's either that or shopping and you know what that does to a girl's inventory.

Goals

I'm setting a number goal. I want to reduce my inventory by 10,000 items. That's pretty ambitious, so let's call it a stretch goal. I'd probably settle for 5,000.

I also want to put away all those folders I have left out (relatively easy) and perhaps make a new folder or two for better organization. For instance, my life got easier when I had the bright idea of putting all of my shoes for my SLink feet in one folder. So much better!

Strategies

After some random deleting of boxed items I have already opened in my object folder I decided I needed a strategy. So I started with low-hanging fruit.

• First, the old deleting note cards strategy. I opened my inventory filter and checked only note cards then went through each folder happily highlighting note cards I know I don't need and hitting the delete button. Whew! Done, and my new inventory number is 38,021. I've done the deleting note cards bit before. It was a more dramatic change the first time, but still, a relatively painless way of getting rid of 840 items!
•  Second, the deleting extra landmarks strategy. It's just like the note cards strategy - boring, but effective and painless. Less than halfway through the landmarks I logged, so I'm not done but my inventory was down to 37,594.

Then I went to Collabor88 and bought stuff. Face palm. I always do this! Clearly this is a long term project. I'll keep you updated about my progress. I'm still down by more than a thousand items!

Credits

Apple Fall Ornate Mirror (at Collabor88)

Apple Fall Chrysler Armchair (at Collabor88)

ISON - leather shape corset (sand) (at Collabor88)
ISON - side ruffle skirt (sand) (at Collabor88)
 ISON - lace-up gladiator sandals  (tan)

Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands
Slink Female Feet (AvEnhance) - Mid
LeLutka - HELEN - AuburnHaze

Belleza - Leila Med R 0

Cowboy Hats Are Cool

Bowties are cool, too. But I can't resist a man in a 10 gallon hat. I had a few ideas for a title for this blog post. My other top two were "How Do You Like My New Shoes?" and "But You Forgot the Pickles." I went with my first impulse since Clay's a Doctor Who fan and I'm working my way through the series. The sexy and fun pose is from Del May. The gorgeous Ingenue shoes (SLink feet add-ons) are a new release.

Credits:

FIR & MNA The Solas Shoes Brown Suede Mens
BlankLIne 014 Cardie and Shirt MENS Blue
FATEwear Pants - John - London
TRUTH HAIR Jack - LightBrowns01

Belleza Ashton Medium GG Bald (chest hair)

Cracked Mirror Bounty Jean Skirt (Faded)
Ingenue Claire Heels (Slink Feet Add-On) :: Pool (New Release)
Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands
Slink Female Feet (AvEnhance) - Mid
TRUTH HAIR Anita (ginger shades)
tulip. V-Neck Sweater (Sky)
Belleza- Leila Med R 0

Cheeky Pea Quinn Sofa (at FaMeshed)
Apple Fall Mission Dresser (Antique)
PILOT - Burger Meal
PILOT - Homework
Apple Fall Empire Table Lamp

Guess Who I Look Like!

I didn't consciously design my avatar shape to look like anyone in particular. So when I saw Strawberry Singh's blog challenge for the week I didn't know how I was going to answer. I uploaded a picture to the Celebrity Look Alike Generator and was surprised but very pleased with my top result. According to that website, I most resemble Katherine Heigl! I lightened my hair for the picture in honor of that gorgeous blonde. I just wish Second Life allowed me to make that luminous smile of hers.

Credits:

One Bad Pixel Tee Dress Soft Pink
LeLutka HELEN Hair - SummerTime (New Release)

Belleza - Leila Med 4 R

BeetleBones Mesh Lashes V.01 (Dainty brown)
Mayfly - Luminous - Mesh Eye (Deep Honey Hazel, w3) (New Release)

MANDLA Haramita  earring/silver

Dance to the Music In Your Head

I promised to blog more goodies from FaMeshed and here they are! Mutresse released a new sweater and shorts for the November round of FaMeshed. Like earlier releases both are expertly crafted and come with a color-change HUD for customization.  This is definitely a store to watch for every new release.

The oh-so-comfy distressed leather chair, matching sofa and intriguing art-as-coffee-table are Cheeky Pea releases for FaMeshed. It's not that I needed the furniture, but I couldn't resist.

Credits:

Mutresse... Lana Shorts (at FaMeshed)

Mutresse... Piki Sweater (at FaMeshed)
Maitreya Stagioni Boots Sand
TRUTH HAIR Harley
22769 ~ Headphones Vintage Blooming
-Belleza- Leila Med 4 R
BeetleBones Mesh Lashes V.01 (Dainty brown)
Mayfly - Deep Sky Mesh Eye (Deep Honey Hazel, w3)
Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands

Cheeky Pea Quinn Chair Emerald (at FaMeshed)
Cheeky Pea Voronoi Table (at FaMeshed)
Cheeky Pea Quinn Sofa (at FaMeshed)

I Think I'll Go Shopping

When the first of the month comes around all the bloggers get busy with new releases. Monthly events begin, new items are released, and I go shopping. One of my favorite shops, coldLogic, closed down for about a week and reopened with a rebuild. It looks absolutely gorgeous. And they released two new dresses for the occasion! Yay!

My hair is from Exile and available through November at FaMeshed, the monthly showcase for new original mesh creations. The Loft floor planter, the stack of books and cactus from Aria are also at FaMeshed this month. Look for more FaMeshed goodies in my next post.

I'm also loving the color change dresser from Digs. It was available for Fifty Linden Friday and I apologize that I didn't get my blog picture done in time for the savings, but it's a great piece at any price.

Credits:

coldLogic dress - omara.hunter (New Release)
Exile Hair - Daydream - Fusion 2 pack (at FaMeshed)
Maitreya Calgary Clutch * Coal
Maxi Gossamer - Necklace - Baroque Peacock Flower - Long
Slink Classic Pointed Pumps Black
Slink Female Feet (AvEnhance) - Mid

Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands
-Belleza- Leila Med 4 R

Mayfly - Deep Sky Mesh Eye (Deep Honey Hazel, w3)