My bunny avatar is entirely a costume for me, a way to express things I never would otherwise and which are not a part of my personality. And I love her for that, because it’s truly enjoyable to dress up in pinks and purples and hearts and not feel incredibly foolish. I’ve wanted to dress mybunself in this skirt from Twosome since I found it—it was a Valentine’s gift, but it’s still available for 1L in the store. I’m quickly falling in love with Twosome’s very detailed but still handdrawn textures. I paired the skirt against a shirt from Ornamental Life and, to conceal the breast shading because bunny looks odd with boobs, a wrap from Tres Blah. The scarf from Maeva was a last minute addition but I like the way that it balances the outfit with a final stripe of red. The hairstyle is one of my favorites, and free—from Free Speerit. As my normal self I’d avoid this look like the plague: it’d clash horribly and I’d feel silly and pink hearts just ain’t my style. But the bunny suits it wonderfully well and looks adorable to boot.

Avatar: Story of a Bunny by DP**yumyum (modded)
Overshirt: Tintable Knit Cropped Shrug by Tres Blah (tinted)
Undershirt: Back to Basics – Velvet Eve (Tee) by Ornamental Life (tinted)
Skirt: V-day Skirt Dollarbie by Twosome (free)
Hair: Elise – Coconut by Free Speerit (slurl) (free)
Scarf: Aditu Scarf [Burgendy] Maeva (slurl) (tinted)
Glasses: Monica by Persenickety (modded)

A pretty casual look, is all. Jacket from PixelDolls worn over a shirt from TorridWear, with jeans from Zaara and shoes from Urban Bomb Unit. I have an fondness for the Hiccup hair (what with the causal hat) and the adorable necklace (who can resist anthropomorphic onigiri?), which is free from Rebel X. Outfits like these don’t have a specific purpose or much description, even when I’m fond of their individual aspects. They’re in-between outfits, casual outfits, something that requires a bit less effort than lolita dresses and thoughtful layering. I like them just the same.

Clothes
Shirt: Xia: Black Shirt by PixelDolls
Undershirt: Simple White Tank by TorridWear
Jeans: Jeans Classic Blue by Zaara (tinted)
Shoes: PornStar Xtra Hi-Tops Multicolor by Urban Bomb Unit

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair: Electric Feel – Dark Brown by Hiccup (slurl) (modded, tinted)
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)

Accessories
Necklace: Onigiri Necklace by Rebel Xtravaganza (slurl) (free)
Glasses: Shea by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

This incredibly poofy hairstyle from Zero Style (which was part of last winter’s CSR and so is sadly no longer avaliable) always inspires me towards adorable girly outfits—for which this dress from Shirohato is the perfect fit. It’s poofy and lacy in all the right places, and I love the unusual (and fashion-controversial) mix of black and navy blue. Better yet, it’s a lucky board prize. To compliment the color scheme, I added black boots from Shiny Things; because I can never leave an outfit unlayered, I also added a corset (which is ridiculously cheap, something like 10L for a colorpack of eight) from TorridWear. The necklace is from Boing Fromage, and is one of the pieces of jewelry I wear most often. For a change I switched to a Curio skin—they don’t always suit me, but for some outfits these skins are a great fit.

(This hair is so poofy that it’s hard to fit in frame! It makes for sadly small pictures, so feel free to click through for a larger view.)

Clothes
Dress: Black Canary by Shirohato (slurl) (free, lucky board)
Corset: Buckle Corset (Black Leather) by TorridWear (slurl)
Shoes: Glossy Ribbon Boots – Black by Shiny Things

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Glow-Sienna-Frex by Curio
Hair:CSR’s Hair (Dark Copper) by Zero Style
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)
Manicure: Glitter Manicure Black by Sin Skins

Accessories
Necklace: Cameo (without Sautior) by Boing Fromage (modded)
Glasses: Shea by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

I don’t know if its the fault of spring or something else entire, I’m falling in love with color. Not always very bright colors, but still more than my usual—and oftentimes, red. So this shirt from Concrete Flowers (which is part of a 1L outfit) fits the bill perfectly. I paired it against pants from Anuenue (modded to be a bit shorter), to scratch my itch for red, and a shirt from Cupcakes and shoes from Urban Bomb Unit to pull out the blue birds. The poofy pigtails from Zero Style completes the color-filled and youthful look. As a redhead (in the real world, too) I’ve always been wary of color. Red tones in particular are established no-gos, because they can clash with red hair. But SL is a wonderful place to play with color—inexpensively (especially when some of the items are nearly free) and with little risk. It’s just pixels, after all. There’s no reason not to reach out of the box.

Clothes
Overshirt: Bouncy Spring Shirt by Concrete Flowers (slurl) (free)
Undershirt: Simple Shimmer Tank – Blue by Cupcakes
Shorts: Loose HalfPants-BHhunt by Anuenue (modded)
Shoes: PornStar Xtra Hi-Tops Multicolor by Urban Bomb Unit

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair:CSR’s Hair (Dark Copper) by Zero Style
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)

Accessories
Glasses: Kelly by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

If you’re not making a habit of stalking Scribble’s lucky board, you should be. Radio is incredibly generous, her items are wonderfully whimsical, and you can sit on giant gummy bears while you wait—what more could one ask for? This dress is one of the more recent addition to the lucky board. Creams and oranges aren’t my usual color choice, so I paired it against a somewhat darker brown to bring it back into my comfort zone. The shirt is from Zullay Designs (like I said, these items are a dream to mix and match), tinted brown, and the shoes are from Maitreya. I added an adorable necklace from Miam Miam and kept yesterday’s wild curls from Zero Style. This is a very natural look, leaning towards nude tones; girly but casual, with a touch of country flair. I’m very fond of it.

Clothes
Shirt: Silvia Dress Blouse/Antiqued White by Zullay Designs (slurl) (tinted)
Dress: Summer Dress Creamsicle (Sheep) by Scribble (free, lucky board)
Shoes: Frisky Brown Leather by Maitreya

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair: Kristin 2.0 (Dark Copper) by Zero Style (modded)
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)

Accessories
Necklace: Chunky Heart Necklace by Miam Miam (store currently closed)
Glasses: Kelly by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

I was recently the very lucky recipient of a bunch of clothes from Zullay Designs. (So expect to see a bit from there in the next few days.) Zullay makes beautiful complete outfits, but the plentiful layer options are also a joy to mix and match—which somehow lead to this black and white not-quite-Clockwork Orange outfit which simply teems with buttons. The shirt and shorts are both from Zullay, in a similar creamy offwhite which makes them a perfect match to one another. The vest is from Cupcakes, and it breaks up the white and adds a touch of texture and definition. The shoes are from Shiny Things and the necklace from Boing Fromage, but my favorite finishing touches are the Zero Style hair (modded to pull it out of my face) and the eyelashes from LeLutka (zoom in to see them a bit better). Both are quite bold—a pale homage, still, to the incredible book and film that this outfit tends toward, but enough to delight me.

Clothes
Vest: Underbust Vest – Black by Cupcakes
Shirt: Silvia Dress Blouse/Antiqued White by Zullay Designs (slurl)
Pants: Georgia High Waisted Shorts – Cream by Zullay Designs (slurl)
Shoes: Flare Oxfords (Black) by Shiny Things

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair: Kristin 2.0 (Dark Copper) by Zero Style (modded)
Lashes: Dott Eye Lashes by LeLutka

Accessories
Necklace: Cameo (without Sautoir) by Boing Fromage (modded)
Glasses: Kelly by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

I am not dead or indeed gone, I just took a week away from SL—and have returned. I put this outfit together before taking my break, so I’m relieved to find that the Ornamental Life sale is still in effect. I grabbed this purple shirt there for 50% off—it’s definitely a sale to check out. I paired the shirt against a pair of black shirts from Iki (which come in two lengths and all layers, which makes them perfect for mixing and matching into other outfits. Wearing one under and one over the Ornamental Life shirt create a new and rather unusual neck/sleeve line. The jean shorts are from Cupcakes and the boots from Shiny Things. The necklace from Miriel adds a spark of matching color which keeps the outfit from appearing all black. I have a fondness for these sort of silky rich textures and dark shades against black, and when I can play with layers (jacket, shirt, undershirt, pants, and underpants layers were all used here) I love them even more.

Clothes
Jacket: Sweet T Black (Crop) by Iki
Shirt: Back to Basics – Velvet Eve (Tee Top) by Ornamental Life (on sale)
Undershirt: Sweet T Black (Long) by Iki
Shorts: Jean Shorts – Light Wash by Cupcakes (tinted)
Socks: Tube Socks – White with Dark Red Stripes by Starshine (tinted)
Shoes: Glossy Ribbon Boots – Black by Shiny Things

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair: Anya (Dark Copper) by Zero Style (modded)
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)

Accessories
Bracelet: Leather Plate Wristband (Black) by ETD
Necklace: Iridescent Neon Necklace – Silver & Cyan by Miriel (modded)
Glasses: Kelly by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

Sadly, the house I was staying at in SL is no more—but a friend opened her doors to me, and moving gave me an excuse to build a new home. Right now, I’m living in a skybox from DP*yumyum, which is part of the ongoing iTutu hunt and simply beautiful. It glows with dreamy, magical light—and it’s small and bare and perfect for my needs. I filled it with a photo studio on one side, and on the other just a few personal touches: a book seat from Den-Dou/iTutu, which I bought on a whim for my old place and ended up being the only seat I ever used, and a painting by Audrey Kawasaki, who is one of my favorite artists. All I really need is a place to take pictures, change, and a quiet corner to sit in. This new home provides all three.

Meanwhile, this the sort of outfit that I’m prone to put on in between blog posts or when I don’t know what to wear: simple, neutral, and almost entirely retired (which is why I’ve not blogged it before). The clothes are from Last Call, the shoes from Shiny Things, and the hair is from Zero Style.

Clothes
Shirt: Dana Scoop Top by Last Call (store closed)
Pants: Alizee Dark Wash Jeans by Last Call (store closed)
Shoes: Glossy Ribbon Boots – Black by Shiny Things

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair: Anya (Dark Copper) by Zero Style (modded)
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)

Accessories
Glasses: Kelly by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

Skybox
Skybox: Glow-White Studio by DP*yumyum (free, in-store hunt)
Books: Biblio Mania 03 by iTutu (slurl)
Painting: Linger by Audrey Kawasaki

I adore this dress from Nah!—it strikes a lovely balance between bold pattern and simple style, the prim work is great, and best of all it’s just 5L, so there’s absolutely no reason not to grab it. It comes with a vest, but I paired it with a black belt from Tres Blah instead, as well as an undershirt from PixelDolls, shoes from Shiny Things, and stockings from Malt Fashions—the black accents balancing each other over the top and bottom of the outfit. I considered some colorful accessories, but went with a simple black necklace from Kunstkammer instead. Perhaps I have too strong a fondness for black and white, but I’m quite fond of how this outfit came out.

Clothes
Dress: Apr_01 by Nah! (slurl)
Undershirt: Demi Cami, Tintable by PixelDolls (tinted)
Socks: <3 Knee Highs – Silver by Malt Fashions (slurl)
Shoes: Glossy Ribbon Boots – Black by Shiny Things

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair: Chocolat (Red) by Zero Style (modded)
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)

Accessories
Belt: Skinny Belt by Tres Blah
Necklace: Blackheart Necklace – Men’s by
Glasses: Kelly by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)

My favorite clothing textures have realistic detail but a better-than-real sheen—neither obviously handdrawn nor photosourced, they sit the line between the two and pull the best from both. As a result, I own a lot from stores like Last Call, Savvy?, PixelDolls, which have and had this sort of texture and mix and match well with one another. This outfit is something of an ode to those textures: a shirt from Last Call layered over one from PixelDolls; a skirt from Fleur with beautiful stockings from Blaze, shoes from Maitreya and hair from Zero Style—each item as rich texture, detail, sheen; they have the personality of hand-drawn clothing, and never fall into the uncanny valley of photosourcing. Such preferences are absolutely arbitrary, but knowing that doesn’t decrease the joy I get from the clothes which meet them.

And the unusual interplay of silver and bronze in this outfit is lovely too.

Clothes
Overshirt: Dana Scoop Top by Last Call (store closed)
Undershirt: Demi Cami, Tintable by PixelDolls
Skirt: Septembre Skirt Grass by Fleur
Stockings: Pantyhose – Charcoal by Blaze (slurl)
Shoes: Update Group Gift Pumps – Khaki by Maitreya (free)

Body
Eyes: Gaze – Cat Gold by Nora (store closed)
Skin: Pleiades (Another Skin) mod by Juushika Redgrave
Hair: Chocolat (Red) by Zero Style (modded)
Lashes: Ferra Lashes by Sin Skins (top only)

Accessories
Tattoo: Custom by my boyfriend
Necklace: Solaria, Mutli/SlvrBrs by Luc
Bracelets: Double Metal Bracelet – Gold/Silver & Silver/Gold by Miriel (free) (modded)
Glasses: Kelly by Persenickety (modded)
Whiskers: Black Whiskers by Gritty Kitty
Neko Ears: Anisa’s Neko Ears by Anisa @ OTCR ( modded to include Industrial piercing by DEEKS)
Neko Tail: Kitty Black Tail Long by Hybrid (modded, retired)