A Little Bit of Business Chic!

No need to look drab at the office!

Kick it up a notch or two!

A little fashion savvy goes a long way at work.

Just because we are facing another workday doesn't mean drab, boring, or same-old same-old, think outside the box when it comes to office chic!  I chose this gorgeous monotone neutral dress with cinched waistline and slim skirt, keeping the theme with matching tights and heels.

When you want to look both professional AND a bit fun this outfit is ideal.  The elegant pattern on the jacket draws in the eye and the sleek waistband accents an hourglass shape.  The flirty stand up collar travels down to the fitted waist and the top beneath shows a tasteful slit of decolletage, just right for the workplace.

After work, this outfit transitions well for a dinner out, drinks on Friday evening, or even a special occasion where you want to look tailored and elegant yet not too overdressed.

~CREDITS~

Dress LG Boutique "Hot Right Now" at LaVian
Necklace "Shine as Illuminators #17" at Loordes of London
Hair "Orchid Plain Darkbrowns04" at Truth Hair
Heels "Cuore" fatpack at N-Core Shoes
Earrings "Nora's Huggles Elite" at Zuri Rayna Jewelry
Eyes "Sovereign Eyes in Chocolate" at IKON Eyes
Skin "Marta Jamaica Clean" at Glam Affair
Glasses "Goto Glasses" at HOC Industries
Tights "School Tights Black" on MP at 318 Trois Dix-Huit ans

Meet Jessica!

Catwa has a new mesh head!  Her name is Jessica and I have to admit of all the mesh heads I own, this is the one that looks the most like "me", meaning her facial features most resemble my long-time look for my avatar in SL.  I love all my mesh heads and each one can be used to convey a bit different mood or feel to a photo shoot but I will say that Jessica is fast becoming the one I use the most!

I was able to use her with my Maitreya Lara mesh body with *NO* skin appliers and in my opinion the overall skin tone match is better than with an applier.  I tried the head and body with a skin applier and the neck blend was not to my satisfaction.

It's a no-brainer to say that Jessica is a gorgeous beautiful head, but she is also very versatile and her look can be modified and tweaked so she looks a bit different each time as you will see in the pictures that follow.

Here, I styled Jessica a bit different each time with different makeup and hair color, there is so much you can do with her.  These photos (all of them) are unretouched, only cropped for sizing.   The eyelash choices are spectacular with Jessica, and I chose a thick full lash as is my preference for that bright-eyed look I am so fond of with my default avi's face.

Jessica's interface HUD is pretty intuitive, if not downright simple.  I was used to the LOGO interface HUD and going over to the Catwa one took a bit of getting used to.  I won't show the screenshots of it here, so many other great bloggers have already done that, I wanted to concentrate on the many looks of Jessica.

But wait!  There's more!  She has facial expressions also and she can move her mouth to what you type in local chat!  The latter feature I probably won't use on a regular basis but the facial expressions ohhh yeah!  Check out her various facial expressions below.

At first, I was a bit put off by her price tag 3599L, and I did take a week or two to think over a purchase such as this to be sure it was worth it to me.  I tried the demo, I liked it but.... what really sold me on her was seeing others blog about her and showing their photos of how versatile her look can be.  Once I began working with her for this photo shoot, it was a slam dunk "she's worth every penny" type of thing.

The other thing I love about Jessica is that her eyes do not come with the head, you need to use mesh only eyes with her *BUT* this allows you to use exactly the style and brand of eyes you want.  They can be a bit tricky to position but once you have that figured out, the end result is the most realistic looking mesh head I've ever seen or owned yet.  Great job Catwa!  I've worn her hair for years now and this head is every bit as good as her hair has always been.

Styling notes:
Maitreya Lara mesh body v3.4
Blueberry Beaded Dress for Maitreya (fat pack all colors)
N-Core "Enchained" fat pack heels (worn without optional chain accents)
Boho Bangles bracelets by Maxi Gossamer (pink & silver)
IKON Triumph Eyes (denim)
Exile "Under the Sun" hair in the last two sets of collages.

To summarize, if you are looking for a versatile and realistic looking mesh head, Catwa's Jessica is the one.  She's easy to use and looks the most natural of all the mesh heads I currently own.  I also notice with this head, she looks really good under MOST lighting situations... a few of my others *REQUIRE* studio lighting and lots of it in order to look their best.  Jessica takes to light and shadow equally so she's very easy to photograph.  I give her a five star rating!

Greetings from Failure to Thrive (The Gray Child)

I just love discovering new places in SL, especially artfully designed places that have a message or some type of artistic value.  This I found in Failure to Thrive (The Gray Child), a wonderful sim where I chose to take these photos.

I didn't come here with a fashion shoot in mind, but the beauty of the place was just calling out for me to photograph it.  So this blog entry is as much about the place as it is the fashions.

Sometimes you go to visit a sim in SL and you pick up a "vibe" from it that either makes you want to explore it more or simply TP away from it.  This one drew me in and inspired the series of photos I am sharing here.

This sim looks just amazing in the default windlight setting but if you play around with other windlight settings you can create a totally different mood if you desire.

The skies themselves are just as breathtaking as the surface of the sim so I had to include some good sky shots too :-)

I named these photos the "pensive" series because the poses make me feel like I was lost in reverie and enjoying the ambiance of such a surreal yet magical place.

It was a delight to photograph here and I hope to get back soon for some more, there are some wonderful props here and the mood is so surreal like being in another world... most mesmerizing.

Styling Notes:

Shape my own
Skin Glam Affair Marta in Jamaica shade
Calpurnia headpiece by Astralia
Jewelry by Meva
Dress by Baiastice
Eyeliner by Oceane
Shoes "Enchained" by N-Core

Jackpot Gacha & Mrs Lovett

If you love to play gacha and you don't want to break the bank, head over to Jackpot Gacha for some awesome finds!  At only 30L per play it's bargain enough BUT wait there's more!  On some random pulls you get more than just one item!  You could get two, three, or even four items!

This outfit I am wearing is from the Les Encantades Mrs Lovett gacha at this event.  I was lucky enough to get the ultra rare which I am wearing in the pictures it's totally stunning but the other corsets and skirts are really nice too.

So.... anyone for some meat pies?

Styling Notes:
Mrs Lovett corset and skirt ensemble Bloody Onyx ULTRARARE
LB Glamour Eyes Ayanna 10 eyeshadow
Amacci Liane lipstick tattoo Nutmeg 7
!IT! Dark Redeemer headpiece 02
Izzie's mesh alpha eyelashes
Lazuri Precious Gothic necklace and earrings
Truth hair Grande with bangs
WoW skin GG August Noralie in Golden
IKON Sunrise eyes Egyptian Blue (small)

LOTD 091215 Pinky at Collabor88

There's a lot to like this round at Collabor88, the theme is "Muted Coven".  I have no idea what that means but I did find some really amazing and unique things there.  It's an eclectic group this time, you can count on Collabor88 to always offer the best.  

In going for a "pinky" type look I tied it together with the gown, collar, the headpiece and the makeup.  I'm super impressed with the Glam Affair skin "Marta" offered there.  I am wearing the Jamaica skintone with makeup 1, it really accentuates the eyes nicely.  I am wearing lipstick 8 which is a delicate vintage rose hue.  I love how Glam Affair makes your skin look flawless, even super duper close up.  So YES I am ready for my close up!  

The unique collar makes this gown something special, and the texture of the feathers is very realistic as you can see in the pic!  I'm not normally a fan of high necks or turtlenecks but this collar had a regal shape to it that I couldn't resist.  

Styling notes:

Baiastice gown pink fitted mesh with collar @ Collabor88
Glam Affair Marta Skin and makeup @ Collabor88
MC "Falsies" eyelashes upper and lower
Astralia Calpurnia headpiece
Meva Flower Spheres bracelets silver 2
IKON Sunrise Eyes pale blue sz small
Exile hair "Dancing on My Own" sparkle rare blonde

Breaking Through

Today I've been thinking about breaking through barriers or portals into new and exciting things.  Sometimes that first step can be daunting, but after that each step gets easier and easier.  When was the last time you walked through a door previously unknown to you?

Fear can make us hesitate, fear of the unknown or fear we won't measure up somehow.  Courage is finding it within yourself to take that first step.  You never know what wonders await you on the other side!

Styling Notes:

No.match No.horizon hair
(2Chez) Cherry Pink mesh Dress
(2Chez) Cherry Pink maryjane wedges
Astralia Calpurnia headpiece
Necklace and earrings Queen of Hearts Set by Lazuri
Izzie's bangles silver/red
WoW skins Noralie Golden
IKON Sunrise eyes, pale absinthe
Slink aviEnhance hands and feet
Izzie's Romy dark metallic eyeshadow
Izzie's mesh alpha eyelashes with HUD
Amacci Liane lip tattoo (nutmeg) #7
GA Makeup eyeliner v1 black
Oceane eyeliner moon 3

Victorian Dreams

This little outfit I threw together using several elements with similar yet varied time stamps to their style.  I love to mashup retro and vintage with victorian, it's all part of the fashion game for me :-)  This little dress formed the centerpiece and the other items framed it nicely.

I am posing in front of my home in SL, which is a victorian style build I am just crazy about it.  It provided the perfect backdrop for these photos.

The shoes are the finishing touch these are just so incredibly pretty and detailed I had to get them in all colors.  I feel SO feminine in this outfit, very girly girlish.

Styling info:
Background:  Zenith birdcage with flowers from Shiny Shabby event gacha
Foreground:  ANC Flottante puppy in cream, from Collabor88 event
Dress "Rose Faded" by Boudoir now in their discount area at the store
Violent Seduction Rose Jail heels in Candy
Izzie's Autumn eyeshadow in plum
Doe Teagan hair with veil (small) from Festival of Sin II
Donna Flora necklace and earrings "Dreamer"
Izzie's bangles silver and purple
Izzie's mesh alpha lashes with HUD
Slink AvEnhance feet and hands
Son!a Gemini gown arm roses (totally borrowed from another outfit!)
Glam Affair Luna skin Jamaica 08 B
IKON Sunrise Eyes light lagoon

The Andromeda Strain

Well bless my lucky stars!  Literally!  This gorgeous gown is from JUMO, and what a lucky find it is!  It sparkles and glows just like the real galaxy, and it's available in some delish colors too!  In addition to this one, the Teal caught my eye so I had to have that color also!   It's called Andromeda and immediately the movie "Andromeda Strain" came to mind.  It's been so long since I watched that movie I can't tell you what it's about but the name stuck in my mind!

This looks like I am saying "May the blessings of Andromeda be upon you" or something of that nature!  Either that or I'm shooing away a salesman "Nope don't want any of that today sorry" LOL!  This gorgeous gown has two long trains that flow behind you and swirl and twirl with your every move.  The jewelry and collar seen in the pictures also comes with the gown, which makes it a fantastic value as well as being just plain beautiful.  

Styling notes:
JUMO Andromeda gown in blue
Izzie's Autumn eyeshadow in blue
Izzie's Shay lipstick in magenta
Oceane Moon eyeliner 3
Izzie's mesh alpha lashes with HUD
Truth Hair Vixen (unrigged version)
Esode Avery skin in ginger
IKON Sunrise eyes pale blue
Earthstones Ever After Bridal set platinum

LOTD 082715 The White Armory

This lovely gown was photographed in our underwater garden that my husband created for me.  I told him I wanted some mermaid pictures done and he found this great garden for me.  I added one piece to it which I blogged about in a prior entry.  It's just amazing!

Have you ridden a seahorse lately?  You haven't?  And why not?  This one here is a beauty, I got him playing gacha at the Enchantment Event event.  Isn't he handsome?

I saw this gown and just fell in love with it.  It's such a delicate shade of green with a bit of shimmer to it.  It has the long trailing strands that move and sway each time you do.  It also has the look of scales, making it ideal for this underwater photo shoot.

Styling Notes:

Gown by The White Armory  Dancing Anemone Gown Set
Jewelry by Muse, Dancing Anemone kelp and coral entire set
Izzie's mesh alpha eye lashes
Oceane eyeliner Moon 3
Izzie's Shay lipstick matt rust
Izzie's Autumn eyeshadow green
Exile Walking on Sunshine hair (Hair Fair)
IKON Sunrise Eyes Light Lagoon

LOTD 082615 Topazia

Reminds me somehow of Avocados!

The colors in this gown caught my eye immediately when I saw it!

Luckily I had just the right accessories for it too!  Just a bit of a fall preview for you!



This beautiful couture gown comes from Topazia, a first time shopping experience for me and I was just dazzled by the creations I found there.

What I'm wearing:
Topazia Ivyana Gown
Exile hair Walking on Sunshine (Hair Fair)
IKON Sunrise Eyes Light Lagoon
Skin Esode Avery Ginger
Shape (my own)
Lazuri Fall Romance Jewelry full set
Izzie's mesh alpha eyelashes
Izzie's Autumn eyeshadow green
Izzie's Shay lipstick matt rust

Tuesday Goodies and Meva

Good Tuesday morning to all!  I was in the mood to try out some new poses I got, and this cute little summery outfit I got this morning was just SCREAMING at me to blog it *smiles*.  Summer is fast slipping away from us, and with the changing of the seasons brings new fresh fashion but let's not let summer get away quite so fast shall we?

I always make sure to check out all the sales events, and I especially love the day of the week ones that take place weekly on the same day.  I don't have time to blog things before they go off sale, but you can get some really nice price breaks on things if you pay attention to the sales... my source for all things shopping in SL is The Seraphim Blog, I don't know how they keep up with all the sales events but I'm glad they do so I don't have to!  I check in each day there to make sure I don't "miss" anything.  They even give you a gallery for some of the events so you can peruse and get an idea of what you might want to purchase before even attending.

The second and third pictures above are of the "Fusion" jewelry set from Meva.  I found the silver set at a recent sales event (shame on me I can't remember which one) and this morning I found the gold one at the weekly "Hello Tuesday" event which is held at the Cosmopolitan shopping area each week.  It was a lucky find because now I own both the silver and gold set so I can match this with pretty much any outfit I am wearing.

What I'm wearing:
DuJour Tropicalia skirt and top outfit from Hello Tuesday
Slink feet and hands
Izzie's Autumn Eyeshadow (green)
Italiano Paola Bootie in Pink (Gacha at Cosmopolitan)
Exile Walking on Sunshine hair (Gift from Hair Fair)
Boho bangles pink and silver from Maxi Gossamer
Shape my own
WoW Skins GG August Noralie
Ikon Sunrise Eyes Pale Absinthe
Both jewelry sets by Meva
Lipstick tattoo by Amacci (no longer available)
Eyelashes Izzie's mesh alpha lashes with HUD

Tis the Season for Mermaids!

I've always had a "thing" for mermaids... long before Arial and her underwater posse became popular, I always found myself drawn to the mystical magic connected to these fascinating creatures.  Judging from the recent festival and sales events here in SL I think most people are also fascinated with their myth and their legend.  I've seen some truly amazing "mermaid-wear" recently and I want to share some of my finds with you!  This first outfit is from the Enchantment Event going on right now.  The first day was very hard to TP into the region because it was so full, but after two days I was able to make my way around pretty easily without crashing!

It's really an impressive setup they have, a lot of imagination went into creating that, it really inspired me.  This outfit I am wearing is such a gorgeous mesh it has so much detail.  I won the "super rare" corset set in the gacha also and I tried that on, it's just stunning.  So after that I had to come back to try and win more of the tops and panties in different colors.  Great job FDD!

What I'm wearing:
Dulce Secrets Over the Rainbow Eye makeup 1
FDD Stories Little Mermaid Bra & Panties Set (gacha at Enchantment)
Lazuri Lasya belly jewel
Eternity mother and son necklace
Boho Bangles Turquoise & Silver by Maxi Gossamer
[RA] Jewel Mermaid Hair ombres 2 (comes with mermaid crown)
Slink Hands Casual
Eyes IKON Sunrise Light Lagoon
Skin by Glam Affair Luna Jamaica 8
Backdrop is DRD Andoly's Collection underwater set "Arial's Cove" also at Enchantment

Have You Hugged Your Camel Today?

Okay this entry is purely for fun.  I was out shopping (again) and went to this store that had the most unique location setting... most stores have a tropical setting or near a beach.  This one was amazingly cool and different, it was an African veldt type setting complete with lots of sand, camels and even a few giraffes were hanging around.  Now that is different!

I made a new friend here as you can see *smiles* and yes I did hug my camel today!  Lucky they didn't spit at me!  My father spent 26 years in the Navy and traveled the world.  On his visit to Morocco he told me he came face to face with several camels, and they love to spit at you if they are annoyed!  These were pretty good though.  One hump or two?

What I'm wearing:
Belleza mesh body Venus
Glam Affair Luna Skin Jamaica #4 (Collabor88)
Alyce mesh pleated skirt
Izzie's autumn eyeshadows teal
!IT! Dark Redeemer Headpiece (gacha)
Diva Hair Bauhaus Movement Ride with the Sun (Collabor88)
Lakrya Skye mesh necklace
N-Core Enchained fatpack heels for Belleza
Venus Janine navel piercing (fitmesh)
IKON Sunrise Eyes Light Lagoon
Simply Me Miriam laced bandeau top in black (appliers)

Perusing Purple & Frida Kahlo

I just love a good group gift, and this one is from Virtual Diva Couture, a fantastic store I recently discovered thanks to my love and adoration for the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.  First things first though, I want to talk about this amazing group gift.  This mesh gown is available in several colors in the store, and this purple one is a group gift, but all the colors are just stunning.

I love how the collar frames the face so nicely and the mesh texture is so intricately shaded.  It has a fabulous fit on also.  The name of this one is the Royal gown in grape.

Now back to Frida!  In the mid-90's sometime I read a very in depth article in Vanity Fair magazine about the new book "The Diary of Frida Kahlo" that was being released at that time.  Of course after reading the story in the magazine, I had to run out and purchase the diary, which I still have now as one of my most treasured volumes on this magnificent yet haunted Mexican painter.

I have always admired Frida not only for her art, but for her inner strength in the face of serious health issues and relationship troubles with her husband mural painter Diego Rivera.  Once I began reading about her, I couldn't stop!  So when I saw this totally artistic gown at Virtual Diva, I had to purchase it in two color ways.  It's one I will wear time and time again, it's SOOOO couture!  The name of this one is The Frida gown in Lace White.

What I'm wearing:
Amacci hair Tina-black coal
Maitreya Lara mesh body and hands/feet
Esode skin Avery in the Peach tone
Seahorse necklace and earring set by Donna Flora (gemchange)
Ikon Sunrise eyes in Pale Absinthe
Izzie's Autumn eyeshadow in plum
Izzie's Shay lipstick for caramel skin (Peach)
Gaeline eyeliner version one Black
Tintable roses hair wreath by Caverna Obscura

All is Well at the Greenhouse!

I've been doing some decorating type upgrades to our property lately, and this adorable little greenhouse caught my eye!  It's from *Funky*Junk* and it's called the "weathered small greenhouse".  I found it on sale for a great price and it was a perfect addition to our land.  Just the right size for some plants and flowers, as it faces the east and will get great morning sun!

I'm not much on wearing flat shoes in SL, I'm very much a heels type of gal, but this cute outfit from ENTICE looked so fresh and summery I just had to pick it up on sale.  I am really loving that store, so many cute styles.  I'm not much on polka dots either but something about this outfit said "MUST HAVE" all over it.
It comes with a color HUD for the dress and shoes (which are separate purchases) so you can actually get three different colored outfits from this set.  I am getting *VERY* spoiled now by all the outfits that come with HUD's to add different textures.  To the point where if a dress doesn't have one I wonder "why doesn't it" haha.

I hope to be blogging more often in the future, I've been swamped with events and festivals here in SL, whew there are so many!  I've made a lot of great new purchases which I'll be blogging about in the future.  So much fashion so little time!

What I'm wearing:
Maitreya mesh body Lara
Chelle eyeshadows Dramatic Shadows Blue
Izzie's Shay lipstick in magenta
Damselfly Kezia Hair (color change HUD)
Entice "When You're Gone" dress
Entice "When You're Gone" sandals
Izzie's bangles, silver/purple
Donna Flora Jewelry Seahorse necklace and E/R set
Skin Esode Avery Ginger
Ikon Sunrise eyes, Pale Absinthe

Just New or Old and New?

It has often come to my attention that most fashion bloggers choose to blog about only new items, whether from events, fairs, or advertisements, but I prefer to blog about both old AND new.  As long as the item is still around somewhere to purchase why not blog about it?  I have so many awesome things hiding in my inventory I love to go looking for a new outfit to wear from something I already own!  It's awesome when a look comes together both stylistically and color wise, I get a great deal of satisfaction about putting together a "look".

I have so much in inventory, some things I never even opened the box for yet!  I think so much of what we own (fashion-wise) gets crammed away and forgotten about after wearing it once or twice.  It's like shopping my own inventory sometimes when I stumble across something I purchased a few months back but forgot I even had!  Those pleasant surprises make me want to blog both old AND new... why limit myself?

What I'm wearing:
Sascha's Piper Gown in Magenta
Slink hands and feet
Izzie's Autumn eyeshadow in plum
Oceane Moon lipstick and eyeliner
Truth hair Seraphina
Zuri's "Only You" necklace and earring set
Zuri's Belly Jewel B elite
Zuri's Romantica bracelets
Esode Avery skin Ginger
IKON Sunrise Eyes pale blue

Hair Fair 2015 Wrap Up

Another Hair Fair event is behind us so I thought I would show some of the lovely styles available at this years fair.  In the collages above, the model is wearing eight of the generous free hairstyles that were given away for the event from different vendors.

As a general rule, I enjoyed the fair this year but all the sims were so packed it was darn near impossible to get access and once you were able to, it was very hard to navigate around to the different vendors because of the lag.  I made one quick visit in the first week but decided it would be better to come back closer to the end of the fair so I could take my time and get around a bit better when it was less busy.

I tried to visit most if not all the vendors, my only disappointment being that some were giving way hair bows or accessories rather than a sample of their hair.  All the free gifts were generous and the event is for a great cause so that is not so much a complaint as an observation.  Demos are nice but getting the complimentary hair allows you to wear it out and about in public, fall in love with it and come back for more!

The hairs shown above are in no particular order:
Kara by Elikatira
Leah by Zalea
Angelique by Alice Project
Walking on Sunshine by Exile
Magnesium by Mithral
Summer Attitude by Oblivion
Lisa by Ayashi
Quinn by Calico

I can't wait for next years Hair Fair!!!

Under the Boardwalk by the Sea

In my wanderings yesterday I found a delightful little boardwalk faire called
Le Petit Faire on the Boardwalk and I took a few moments to look around.  It's cute, it's kinda seaside shabby and there are really cool realistic looking seagulls flying all around.  As you can see in this picture I have a couple friends.  Mondo the mystic and Jonathan Livingston sitting on top of him.

There were some cute little beach shacks set up as small shops for several vendors, and this cute kitty riding spring thingy I simply couldn't resist!  The bottom of it has the huge spring you know the kids ride I'm talking about!  I opted to chill and enjoy the sun :-)

There was a hot air balloon ride there, and a ferris wheel also, a very cute place to visit for seaside ambiance.

So, before I left I decided to grab some popcorn, let Mondo read my fortune for me, and even took time to feed the seagulls!

What I'm wearing:  Hair Truth Ishya with bangs, Hilly Haalan Ava wedge sandals, Sky Aloha from Caryn mesh skirt and top set, Slink hands and feet, Esode Avery skin, jewelry by Lazuri, makeup by Izzie's.