She’s So Unusual Fairy
I stepped a little outside my box and went with a fantasy-style picture…all because of the shoes! As I posted a couple of days ago, I recently won a $300 Gift Certificate to She’s So Unusual Shoes because of a photo Flickr contest that Rowan was holding. One of the shoes that I chose was the Pink Butterfly Flats. These shoes are absolutely adorable with little butterflies on the tips of the toes.
I had already decided that I would submit more photos for June’s Flickr contest, therefore these shoes alone inspired the entire picture below. However, with almost everything in my life (both Real and Second), there’s a story behind everything that I do! I guess that’s why I love blogging so much.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I am not as new to SL as my AV suggests. I returned in early May after leaving SL behind for a bit to take care of some things in RL. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I would make it back….but that’s not the point of my story. The point is that when I was thinking of what I was going to wear with the shoes for a picture, I knew I wanted to do a fairy-style picture. I looked all over for the perfect outfit. I searched in-world and in SL Exchange for ‘fairy’, for ‘pixie’ and even for ‘ballet’ and ‘ballerina’ and just couldn’t find what I was picturing in my head. I pride myself in having Google-Fu skills, but sometimes my SL searches are lacking. However, I remembered a Fab Free blog post from WAY BACK that had the dress that I was picturing. Sometimes my memory is just enough to be dangerous, and this case was no exception. I was pretty sure that I remember it being in November because of some events around that time that were popping into my memory along with the dress. I clicked on the Costumes tag in the Fab Free blog and went ALLLLLL the way back to November….couldn’t find it. Finally I just went to November and eventually found THE DRESS! The blog said that the dress was available for a limited time, so I was pretty sure that it was no longer free. I figured I’d check to see if it was Not Free, anyway. Low and behold, it was still free and still on the table as you enter DG Innovations! YAY!
I’ll spare you the details in searching for the perfect location for the picture, because you got it….there’s a story behind that, too! I settled on the Straylight sim and found the perfect spot near the landing point.
There’s still more to the story. Sometime during the massive perfect dress search or while taking the pictures in Straylight, Ashia Tomsen posted in the Free Style blog….featuring the dress that I spent at least an hour (possibly two) looking for! *HEAD.DESK* Now let it be known that I read MANY, MANY blogs throughout the day during my RL job, then at night when I am home in SL, so it’s just Murphy’s Law enough for Ashia to post sometime right after I found the dress. Since there’s no time stamp on the post, I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure that I would have seen it before my search began. But anyway, the picture is complete, and I’m happy….isn’t that all that matters?
Finally, here’s a closeup of the adorable Pink Butterfly Flats that inspired it all.
Shoes: SSUS! Pink Butterfly Flats
Skin: Tuli – S6 elf rose (group freebie)
Eyes: Sin Skins – Intense Sage/Gold
Hair: Frangipani Zoey – Fairyfloss
Outfit: **DG* Innovations – Mana
Wings: Neural Blankes (N) Wings ~ for Pink Butterfly Flats (found in the SSUS store)
Open Letter to Clothing Desginers
To the clothing designers who include the ad picture in the contents that I buy – THANK YOU!
To the clothing designers who DON’T include the ad picture in the contents that I buy – WHY THE HELL NOT?!?!
It’s SOOOOO much easier to sort inventory when I have a picture to go by, otherwise I have to try on the clothes again. Plus, not having a picture is like blindly reaching into the closet and just pulling something out. I try my best to categorize and add descriptions of the outfit, but my memory often fails me as to what the outfit is.
So if you don’t include the texture, please consider doing so. I am more likely to come back to your store and buy more if I know I will have a reference texture for my inventory. And no, I am NOT taking pictures myself. If I upload them, then that $10L each adds up after awhile, and that could have gone to something else. Storing them on my computer is no fun, either. You have the texture, just share it!
Thoughts on contests and inventory additions
- I’ve decided not to waste my time anymore on contests that are nothing more than popularity and traffic generating contests. These appear to be the most common ones that I have found. What happened to contests with real judges? Both the contests at Ellie’s and at Zanphoria have fallen into the category described above. All they seem to do is generate high traffic for the locations where the voting is taking place with people teleporting everyone in on their friend’s list. Since I’m still new and don’t have many friends yet, there was no way I even had a chance even from the beginning. I do want to thank my friends who did support me in these
- I did it…I broke down and bought a full pack of skins. I had been getting by with some very BEAUTIFUL free skins given out to various groups like Chai, Bianca F and Tuli. I sorta grew attached (pun intended) to the look of the Tuli skin, LOVELOVELOVE the freckles, and I got numerous compliments on it….from guys! I tried on the demo pack containing the other sets several times, and I would hover over the BUY button for a whopping $3750, but I just couldn’t do it. Well, today I did it. I hovered once and canceled then went right back to the BUY button and did it. No regrets! Now I have options….OOOH!
- The hairstyle I’ve been wearing a lot lately is from Detour. It’s a texture flexi style, and I am adoring it! I started watching Lost Season 1 all over again, and now my brain thinks that I look like Kate (Evangeline Lilly). I’m probably just crazy, though. I even went as far as checking out the Body Doubles store to look at a Kate shape, but I just can’t bring myself to buy a shape…sorry! I can make those easily. Plus, I have to admit that the Body Doubles store seems to be better at matching outfits and skin in comparable RL celebrity pictures than actually matching the shape. Just my 2 cents.
- I’m still looking for my niche in SL. Surely it’s not ONLY shopping and dancing! Modeling is probably not going to be my thing, because I don’t kiss butt enough, and I’m probably too shy to get to know some of the important people. I was a content creator in my past Second Life, and I don’t think I want to go that route again. I’ve applied at a couple of places for various things, but I’m sure since my AV just turned 1 month old last week, that I look like I’m a complete noob. I guess I’ll just hang around and see what happens.
Here’s my latest look, a bit closer than the picture in the previous entry:
She’s So Unusual Shoes Flickr Contest
It’s been a few days since I wrote anything, and actually I have some things I’d like to write. First of all, I just found out this morning that I won 2nd place in the She’s So Unusual Shoes Flickr contest! Granted, I don’t think a lot of the people understood the rules (you have to wear shoes from the store…duh!), so there wasn’t that many people to choose from, but I’m still excited! I won a $300 Gift Certificate for the store. I just turned in my order to Rowan, and as soon as I get the new shoes, I’ll be taking more pictures for June’s contest. I actually had a lot of fun with this contest, and I’ve bought some more poses to take pictures in for the next time.
Here I am standing at the front of the store with my Gift Certificate and the box that it came in. Below that is the picture that won. I submitted one other to the group, too.
Families in SL
I found an interesting blogger yesterday through another blog. Kitten Kurka posted an interesting entry today and asked the question, “For those that read this post, let me know what family and relationships mean to you iSL. I would love to hear feedback from folks on this topic.” I felt my answer good enough to post here, so here it is:
I found your journal just yesterday when I saw a comment you made in Marissa Racecourse’s blog on fatvatars. I skimmed through your posts and even stole the quiz that you stole…then added you to my Google Reader list.
My AV is new, but I am not new to SL. I left SL completely a few months ago to take care of things in RL and returned a month ago TODAY! I wasn’t gone nearly as long as I expected, otherwise I wouldn’t have deleted my accounts, but it is what it is.
I have been in SL almost 2 years now, and I have had a variety of families….some long-lived, others not so much. I had both an adult AV and a child AV and experienced families from both sides. Mostly, I admit, my families did not meet up to my expectations. I guess I had this mental picture in my head from viewing families much like you have mentioned in this post, and I didn’t get that bond with them like some families appear to have. Maybe appearances aren’t everything or maybe they’re not always what they seem. I just know that overall I was left slightly empty in the relationships that I had with most family members….not all, but most.
I still hope to have that family that I have pictured in my head. To me, families are there for you through thick and thin…and they get to know the REAL person behind the AV, not just play make believe. Families work things out when problems arise and stand behind one another during trying times. They make regular contact with one another and not just there for appearances.
If there’s one thing I have learned from SL, it’s that I don’t easily trust other women. I can make friends with guys 10 times more often than I can with women. In fact, my current Friends List consists of about a 1:7 ratio of women to men….(ETA: so I guess that’s only 7 times more often
) I’d like to change that, but I really don’t know how. I always feel that women are judging me, and they intimidate the heck out me. I’m on guard and never my true self most of the time. Gosh, it sounds like I hate women, but really I don’t. It just takes a special woman, I guess! I’ve tried to analyze why I don’t make friends with women so easily, and I think it pretty much comes down to self esteem….I always think other women are better than me in some way or another. I can’t seem to get past that.
Anyway, this ended up being MUCH longer than I expected. I think I’m going to post my reply to you in my own journal, tweaking it just a little bit. There’s a woman out there right now whom someone special wants me to get to know, and I just don’t know how. Maybe she’ll find my post and read about my issues to help understand just how insane I am!
So I ended up not tweaking it much. If you’re reading this and don’t make the connection on some of my thoughts, then read Khitten’s post. If you STILL don’t understand, then JUST ASK!
Shopping Cart Disco Quiz
This quiz was taken from Shopping Cart Disco.
1. When you hear about a new release, which are you most likely to run out and buy: hair, shoes, or clothes?
Clothes, maybe shoes….or hair?!?!
2. Skin choice: pale, tan, coloured (like green), or dark? Blond, brown, red, or black hair?
I like the lighter skins, but not extremely pale. I usually find the pale, then the tan and look at the one or ones in between those. I like brown or dark auburn hair. I prefer freckled skins.
3. Which event do you most likely put on your calendar: fashion show, live concert, store sale, sim opening, club contest, or a class?
Store Sales!
4. What’s your ideal SL™ job?
I’m still trying to find out what my niche in SL is.
5. Sexy clothing preference: silks, lingerie, or revealing clothing(mini skirts, super tight dresses, etc)?
Mini Skirts
6. Facial hair on male avies (or yourself, if you are male): yea or nay?
Heck yes! Nice body hair is definitely a plus, too!
7. Land home or skybox?
Land home
8. Decorating your walls: SL™ photos, objects, RL photos, or RL art?
I have RL art right now, but I plan to take a picture to frame and put on my fireplace mantle.
9. Do you prefer to own land or rent?
Isn’t all really just renting from the Lindens in one way or another? I guess technically I own.
10. Small boutiques or large stores?
They all work for me!
11. Photo-realistic skins and clothing or hand-drawn?
Either, as long as they look realistic.
12. For your one-on-one conversations, do you prefer voice or typed chat?
I’m getting use to voice, but I am a long-time chatter.
13. Prim objects or sculpties?
Sculpties sure are prettier.
14. Bling, effect sounds, and particle effects: on or off?
Mostly off, though I have taken to a few pairs of shoes that I have that make sound effects.
15. (If you use one) What photostudio do you like best?
Photosphere
16. Face light: necessary or blinding?
I only use them for photos…or if I forget to take it off after taking photos…oops!
17. Do you pick up all the freebies you find or only pick the ones from designers you know?
I read a lot of fashion blogs and will pick up the ones that I think fit my style. It doesn’t matter who created it.
18. Pre-fab buildings: do you own one? Do you like them?
I don’t have the patience to build my own house. I’ve thought about it and even started a couple of times, but meh…
19. Would you rather be a Furry or Tiny?
Tiny
20. Graphic settings: Short draw distance or long? Release Candidate or standard viewer? Avatar imposters (yes/no)?
Short draw. Standard viewer. I don’t even know what Avatar imposters are….?
21. Sim design: tropical island, residential neighborhood, urban streets, or themed fantasy (or another type I didn’t think of)?
Residential neighborhood….I live in Caledon.
22. When not in a club or concert, do you stream music or turn it off?
I turn it on when I remember.
23. Flickr: Woot? Ick? (add me as a contact so I can see your stuff!)
http://flickr.com/photos/ashlenh/
24. What’s your favorite place to explore or hang out (that isn’t a shopping area)?
There are other places besides shopping?
25. Animation Overriders: Do you prefer to make your own or buy a set? And where’s the best place to go for them? (I’m actually shopping around for another, so this is a selfish question
I have two combined into one with poses that I got free from decent creators….not random freebies you get out of free boxes.
