From Dark to Light

Today is a day of firsts for me. In my earlier post, I shared the first tattoo I’ve worn here (that you’ve seen ) and now, well, have a look!

I’m kind of psyched to be sharing these outfits, as well as these new pictures, with you; I’ve been working harder than ever on this blog, challenging myself to try different things, to accessorize more, and generally add more interest to everything I do. Maybe I’ve never worn a corset before (and that’s saying something as a three-year SL resident) but after some careful consideration as I put these outfits together I’ve come to realize .. I really like them!

And even better? Every outfit piece I’m using in this post (aside from the goooorgeous .:NV . corsets, foil eye makeup from League, and a pair of gacha earrings from The Arcade) has been in my inventory for weeks, months, or in a few cases, years! Maybe you won’t be able to duplicate these outfits exactly (who’d want to do that, anyway?), but the concept of reinventing yourself with what you have is especially helpful this time of year.

 ( I’m loving this picture so much! Have a peek at the full shot! )

So today’s outfits began, not with clothing or hair, eyes or shoes or jewelry, but with a pair of mesh bird cages from Diesel Works. The Nightingale’s Sorrow ( 15 poses) and Nightingale’s Glee ( 16 poses) pose props are so flipping neat! The poses are wonderful, adjustable, and so different between the two props that I had to contrast them in one thematic post. This post.

 (I’m absolutely in love with these mesh birdcages! AAHHHH!!! )

I’m handling this post a little differently today. Rather than going through each outfit, piece by piece, I’d like you to pay special attention to the style cards below where I’ll list the items I’ve selected, the date I acquired them, and the notes I’m putting beside a few of these pieces. You don’t have to buy new things all the time. Use what you’ve got to try something new. Love your inventory. <3

~ Portia ~

Fairy Skin -Avie- /*natural *REDGRAVE* (March 25th, 2011)
IKON Eternal Eyes – Sapphire (November 8th, 2012)
Miamai_Catwalk Lashes_Evergreen 01 Femme (September 1st, 2012)
Miamai_LesMakeups_Feathered 05 (August 32rd, 2010)
ROZENA/ Kiss Kiss ~ dolce (June 2nd, 2012) **

Vanity Hair:Smoking Room-Minuit (September 11th, 2012)
Vanity hair base Minuit (September 11th, 2012)

.:NV:.Classic B&W Mesh Corset (December 5th, 2012)
*COCO*_ShirredTubeDress(Black) (January 3rd, 2010) *
[ Cynful ] Stockings – Black (April 20th, 2010)
[Gos] Equestrian Boot – Black – (October 5th, 2012)

LaGyo_Lila earring Black (December 1st, 2012) ~ Available NOW @ The Arcade!
:: PM :: Jules Gown in Orange Gloves (August 7th, 2012) *, ***
-AZUL- GroupGift1012#1 Feather shawl (December 30th, 2010) *

~

Fairy Skin -Avie- /*natural *REDGRAVE* (March 25th, 2011)
IKON Eternal Eyes – Champagne (November 20th, 2012)
Miamai_Catwalk Lashes_Glitter 01 (October 31st, 2012)
*League* GoldLeaf Eye Style2 & Forehead (Tattoo) (December 5th, 2012)
ROZENA/ Kiss Kiss ~ dolce (June 2nd, 2012) **

!Ohmai : Chloe [Creme] (July 16th, 2012)
!Ohmai : Hair Base [Creme] (July 16th, 2012)

.:NV:. Corsetry – ENVY – Full Set (December 4th, 2012)
[Gos] Pimp Your Pumps V3 – Point Platform (July 10th, 2012)

P.C; Regal Pearl Set (May 28th, 2010) (Marketplace link for P.C; jewelry)
:: PM :: Ayame in Gold Gloves FFL 2011 (March 12th, 2011) ***
[PM]Sculpted Nails V2 (May 9th, 2011)

Props: Diesel Works ~ Nightingale’s Glee/Nightingale’s Sorrow (December 3rd, 2012)

* ~ GROUP GIFT
** ~ Sometimes it only takes one thing to bring your avatar to a new level. This is my one thing; find yours and never take it off!
*** ~ About Gloves: It’s no secret that I love gloves and wear them as often as possible but it’s so hard to find great gloves on their own! What I do is rely on my inventory. When I need gloves, I type ‘gloves’ into my search bar and just try likely things on until I see something that works. Many gowns and some full outfits come with gloves; I bet you’ll be surprised by what you find.

Falling

I’m usually pretty happy. Whether through conscious effort or genuine gladness, this is the mood I choose to have and the face I choose to show the world. Always a kind word for someone, often with a quip or a compliment (or both, hah!), it’s been my experience that life is generally easier if you face it with a smile. Some days it’s as easy as breathing. Others, not so much.

Still, I try.

This post has been brewing a while, though, and is the culmination of a few things, really. Weeks of grief on top of months of stress and sadness; my anxieties and the neverending fight to BE the person I want to be. The seasonal change (and don’t pretend it doesn’t affect you too – we’re all human), juggling funds, and failure in more than a few areas. Depression. Blah. We’ve all been here in varying degrees and we deal with it in a variety of ways.

( Click here for the full shot. <3 )

Generally, I spend as much time as I can with friends and family, trusting that time with people who care about me (and vice versa) will pick me up. I listen to music and dance; the club I visited tonight uses a windlight called ‘predawnmoon’ and yes, this also encouraged me that now is in fact the time to post.

I was already wearing an item from My Attic‘s new ‘Falling Into You’ cycle, the gorgeous Essences Nile dress and if you’ll glance below, you can see Exile‘s beautiful new hair ‘All for Love’ and one of the ‘Falling’ poses from aDORKable. This post practically made itself, I tell you.

( Yeeeah, it’s been a long night. )

The song I’m linking at the end of my post is the last piece of this sad, slightly blue-ish puzzle. Music is therapy. So is writing. And shopping.  And maybe drinking .. just a little (“…hic!”).

~ Portia ~

Fairy Skin -Avie- /*natural *REDGRAVE*
IKON ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Light Sand
Miamai_Catwalk Lashes_Evergreen 01 Femme
ROZENA/ Kiss Kiss ~ dolce
-Belleza- Eyeliner 4

“LoQ Hair” Gingerbread – Pale Golden
“LoQ Hairs” Hairbase – Pale Golden

Essences – Nile Dress (C) ~ NEW at My Attic!
[Gos] Hunter Ankle Boot – Taupe (yes, I really do wear these all the time)

{mon tissu} Oui Necklace – Silver
P.C; Reclining Feline Earrings
[ZD] Silver Bangles right – GROUP GIFT
[PM]Sculpted Nails V2

~

As above with two exceptions:

::Exile:: All for Love:Stefani ~ NEW at My Attic!

[Cynful] Deliciosa – Black

~

Poses: !bang, aDORKable (NEW at My Attic)
Props: [ARIA], Banjo Bailey, The Loft, KK

Coming Soon to a Cinema Near You!

Hiiiii everyone!

You may not be able to see me inside the GINORMOUS cinema but if you look verrrrry closely there’s a little yellow and blue person standing by the counter. Squint .. squint .. see me? HI!

You’re probably already aware that the Hottie Cooterati Experience event begins (OMG) LATER ON TODAY but if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, I’m going to tempt you with a couple of fun things I’ve found so far and probably rave way too much about an event which is very close to my heart.

Who doesn’t love going to the movies?

( Now zoom out, just a little. )

Okay, so first of all .. this event is HUGE and it’s all set inside a giant movie theatre because, helloooo, that’s the theme! As you can see below, there are a bunch of theatres to visit and in each one of those, smaller areas furnished by some of our favourite SL designers!

Cinema will be an elaborately themed sim-wide event centered around one of our favorite past times… movies!

Starting October 13th, Cinema will bring you into a massive and beautiful, intricately designed multiplex cinema featuring 8 individually themed theaters. You’ll be immersed in the movie going experience, and in true Hottie Cooterati style, we will have some fun surprises awaiting you.

As always, our events are more than just about a shopping spree, we want to give you an experience, something to have fun with, and something you will remember.

Don’t worry though, the stores won’t fail you as a shopping event as well. They will be pushed to their creative limits to bring you inspired and themed items from the romance, action/adventure, scifi, horror, fantasy/musical, film noir… and…. XXX genres. That’s right, we just couldn’t leave out a touch of bow chicka bow wow.

( Flickr page transfer – energize! )

I’m not about to head into the ‘XXX’ area unescorted so for now .. it’s SciFi time! “Why Portia,” you ask, “is that a Star Trek commander top?” The answer is YES (thank you Eclectic Apparel) and you can get one too – at Cinema! Need a phaser? How about some 3D glasses? There are hundreds of items, all film starlet-ready and waiting for you. Don’t forget to visit the HCE concession stand either, where everything is calorie-free, fat-free, and also free-free!

Now, just sneak over with me to the Action/Adventure area and check out something super neat. That’s right, my dears – Gos came to Cinema and I helped!

( HEHEHEHEEEEEEE! )

So yes. Cinema begins today! Enjoy and pleasepleasePLEASE tell me all about -your- adventures super soon. <3

~ Command Yellow ~

Fairy Skin -Avie- /*natural *REDGRAVE*
IKON Kaleido Eyes – Forest
Miamai_Catwalk Lashes_Evergreen 01 Femme
ROZENA/ Kiss Kiss ~ dolce

fri. – Tatum – Happy Blond

e! SciFi Sweater (Yellow) ~ NEW at Cinema!
[Cynful] – Eve Britches – Light Blue
[Gos] Hunter Ankle Boot – Black

{mon tissu} Favorite Readers ~ Black
e! Flight Wings Badge ~ NEW at Cinema!
Fennux Artic Soda (wear me!) ~ NEW at Cinema! (freeeeebie)
Pilot Popcorn Lrg (wear me!) ~ NEW at Cinema! (freeeeebie)

Poses: aDORKable Poses

~ RAMBIMBO ~

LAQ ~ Jennie2 [Peach]
Miamai_Catwalk Lashes_Evergreen 01 Femme
IKON Horizon Eyes v2 – Light Blue
:: YaYo :: – Game Day – Face Tattoo
Zasta Korobase ~ Dirt_and_blood

>TRUTH< Lilia – mirage

OW Slave girl
[Gos] Equestrian Boot in Leopard ~ NEW at Cinema!

Thugs Style Head Bandana
M60 GPMG

Pose: oOo (custom)

~ Butterfly ~

One of my fondest memories, and not a word of a lie here, took place in Niagara Falls a few years ago. I was visiting the Butterfly Conservatory with a friend and, while we were sitting and just enjoying the sights, these beautiful creatures began to come closer and closer until one, a brave beastie for sure, landed on my lovely flowy purple skirt. After a few breathless seconds I coaxed it onto my finger and, feeling like a Disney princess, lifted my hand to eye-level so I could smile at it. The picture we took is pretty awful but the memory remains crystal clear.

Needless to say, I have a serious love of butterflies. They appeal to a gentler side of me; the side that loves fluttery skirts and bare toes wiggling. They epitomize feminine delicacy and the sort of care we all take when we beautify ourselves (mostly) every day.

I am SO proud of this shot. Click here to see the full view!

So today is a day of favourites. As we all begin to say goodbye to Summer in our own way, I wanted to draw special attention to this lovely dress from Blueberry, perfect with its delicate shading and a playful skirt and butterfly motif. I’ve worn it off and on all summer and now I do so with a bittersweet smile on my face. I’ll be ecstatic to welcome Autumn, I promise, but not today.

A larger picture here as well.

This is one of Exile’s trio of new hairstyles (EEE!) and, as always, I’m going to wear the heck out of all of them until the next release .. along with the new kaleidoscope (wow, spelled that right the first time!) eyes from the incredible IKON. I’m wearing one of the monthly group gift shades right now and if you hurry you can pick them up as well!

Do the strings on my Chop Zuey necklace remind you a little of a butterfly’s body and antennae?

Do I just have butterflies on the brain?

~ Portia ~

Fairy Skin -Avie- /*natural *REDGRAVE*
IKON Kaleido Eyes – Day – NEW!
Miamai_Catwalk Lashes_Evergreen 01 Femme
ROZENA/ Kiss Kiss ~ dolce

::Exile:: Fade Into You:Stefani

Blueberry Seaside *Mesh* Dress Yellow
*[Cynful] Deliciosa – Black
Slink Ilena Sandals Black

Chop Zuey ~ Le Cousette Necklace Yw Tor
Chop Zuey ~ Le Cousette Ring Yw Tor

Pose: Olive Juice

*Listing panties because this IS an upskirt dress. Do not be caught without your knickers on, ladies! I’ll also mention that I wrote this BEFORE I thought to include the Jason Mraz video. No correlation here whatsoever. *Whistles innocently*