Hello, everyone!
For those of you following me from my previous blogging project Something New, I thank you for bearing with me. It's hard to believe that more than a year has passed since my last blog post (and that one after another four-month hiatus). I've learned a lot since then, spent a bunch of time exploring various role play spots in Second Life and generally enjoying my time in medieval/fantasy-themed sims. I have missed blogging, though, and am glad to finally have enough time to get back into the habit of posting something every day or three.
This post is going to be a little longer than what I'm hoping to write for a standard entry because I'd like to explain a couple of things first; so if your eyes are already beginning to glaze over, feel free to scroll down to the paragraphs between the pictures and my list of designer credits at the bottom - I'm just glad you're here. :) Everyone else is welcome to read on!
For those of you following me from my previous blogging project Something New, I thank you for bearing with me. It's hard to believe that more than a year has passed since my last blog post (and that one after another four-month hiatus). I've learned a lot since then, spent a bunch of time exploring various role play spots in Second Life and generally enjoying my time in medieval/fantasy-themed sims. I have missed blogging, though, and am glad to finally have enough time to get back into the habit of posting something every day or three.
This post is going to be a little longer than what I'm hoping to write for a standard entry because I'd like to explain a couple of things first; so if your eyes are already beginning to glaze over, feel free to scroll down to the paragraphs between the pictures and my list of designer credits at the bottom - I'm just glad you're here. :) Everyone else is welcome to read on!
What IS Mask and Mien?
I will have a more detailed explanation of what I'm hoping to do here in a little while but the simple answer is that I've come to realize one very important thing during my year away: however many characters I have, whomever and wherever I decide to play, my main SL identity has always, always rested with this Portia character. She isn't me or even someone I wish I could be, but she is an avatar that represents my core aesthetic values. Other avatars are objectively more attractive and certainly, every one of them has a definite style to them, but -my- SL preference is for tall, blonde, and modern/classic styling. That's the 'mien' (pronounced 'mean'), which Merriam-Webster Online defines as the "air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality."
The 'mask' aspect represents everything else; all the wacky/beautiful/intriguing stuff I find that is most certainly -not- within the bounds of my usual SL mien. I hope to showcase both sides of my fashion fascination here and to somehow draw parallels between the two .. through prose and photography. Yeah. Double the work means twice the fun, right?
I will have a more detailed explanation of what I'm hoping to do here in a little while but the simple answer is that I've come to realize one very important thing during my year away: however many characters I have, whomever and wherever I decide to play, my main SL identity has always, always rested with this Portia character. She isn't me or even someone I wish I could be, but she is an avatar that represents my core aesthetic values. Other avatars are objectively more attractive and certainly, every one of them has a definite style to them, but -my- SL preference is for tall, blonde, and modern/classic styling. That's the 'mien' (pronounced 'mean'), which Merriam-Webster Online defines as the "air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality."
The 'mask' aspect represents everything else; all the wacky/beautiful/intriguing stuff I find that is most certainly -not- within the bounds of my usual SL mien. I hope to showcase both sides of my fashion fascination here and to somehow draw parallels between the two .. through prose and photography. Yeah. Double the work means twice the fun, right?
So why the move?
The easy answer is that I simply want a fresh start. I won't say my avatar of last year was bad - because she wasn't - but my photography skills have improved almost as much as my avatar's overall appearance. Add that to hundreds of bad links to stores that have moved, rebranded, or closed entirely, and a blogroll that is just plain obsolete, and you'll begin to understand why this makes more sense than not. And Wordpress was frustrating me. Weebly is nice and so wonderfully customizable (*cough* for free)!
Now let's get on with the show!
The easy answer is that I simply want a fresh start. I won't say my avatar of last year was bad - because she wasn't - but my photography skills have improved almost as much as my avatar's overall appearance. Add that to hundreds of bad links to stores that have moved, rebranded, or closed entirely, and a blogroll that is just plain obsolete, and you'll begin to understand why this makes more sense than not. And Wordpress was frustrating me. Weebly is nice and so wonderfully customizable (*cough* for free)!
Now let's get on with the show!
This gown, created by Arwen Serpente (Arwen's Creations), is one of the reasons I've chosen to return to blogging at this particular time. It's something I've wanted to do since the end of May (or therabouts) but when I saw this dress ON I was so inspired to take a picture .. and the picture came out REALLY NICE .. that I really had no choice BUT to get my butt in gear again! I'll admit to some scepticism over the idea of wearing red and pink together (because, you know, I'm not four years old anymore) but let this be a lesson to everyone that when the designer is gifted (and Arwen has a wonderful eye for colour), it's okay to trust them a little bit. The result of this decision is a look so deliciously feminine - without being girly - that I knew a signature style was in the making. Since the fabric of the gown itself is quite rich, I elected to use a soft touch on everything else. This hair, from Little Bones, looks as soft and shiny in-world as it does in this picture and the accessories - a simple pearl drop necklace from Amala, my texture-change flower crown from Liquence, and the red rose basket from one of Junbug's most astounding gacha machines ever - set the tone of this look to one that is elegant but far from imposing.
With the outfit sorted, it was time to consider the theme this picture was going to take. I might be a late adopter to the whole Mesh Plants lovefest but when I remembered that I'd -just- picked up a wonderful set of mesh roses, my mind was made up. And it was nice to break out the pretty fountain from Atelier Visconti, my Botanical trellis, Barnesworth Anubis paving stones, and the FANATIK garden hedges that have been languishing in my inventory for months. Phew! Kirin poses, too, gets a shoutout here for never failing to provide lovely pose sets at very reasonable prices. Without fail.
With the outfit sorted, it was time to consider the theme this picture was going to take. I might be a late adopter to the whole Mesh Plants lovefest but when I remembered that I'd -just- picked up a wonderful set of mesh roses, my mind was made up. And it was nice to break out the pretty fountain from Atelier Visconti, my Botanical trellis, Barnesworth Anubis paving stones, and the FANATIK garden hedges that have been languishing in my inventory for months. Phew! Kirin poses, too, gets a shoutout here for never failing to provide lovely pose sets at very reasonable prices. Without fail.
So what is Mien Portia wearing when Mask Portia is fluttering about a summer rose garden? The answer, of course, includes a simple and still stunning ensemble featuring what may be some of the loveliest shoes I've seen in Second Life. Ever. These Harker Heels from Eudora are another new find of mine and, yes, one of the other reasons I had to start blogging NOW. Made to be worn with Slink's high mesh feet that just so happen to blend perfectly with the Slink Physique mesh body (future post, omg), every set of Eudora shoes features a detailed HUD that allowed multiple colour combinations for leather, metal, wood, and jewels. And see how perfect this halter dress from Valentina E. fits over the Slink body? Admittedly, this dress has seen a few recolours and retextures, but when -I- saw this version at FaMESHed, the response time between 'see' and 'buy' was almost nonexistent. Jewelry was a bit difficult for me this time; I don't know if jewelry designers are just not -making- many bracelets or if I've just been blind to them. Luckily, I scored a rare ALCHEMY gacha prize back in the day that came with a wonderful statement piece for this outfit.
Difficult, too, was my self-imposed task of connecting the mask and mien photos in some way and, now, crediting as many designers in the body of my blog post as possible. So the items connecting this photo to the one previous are the beautiful rose accent pieces from Apple Fall's most recent gacha at Kustom9 and, you guessed it, a colonial table from Zaara's Arcade gacha (also in the mainstore) as well. Are you noticing another theme here?
This picture was taken in my Barnesworth Anubis 5th Avenue skybox apartment which I have tinted, modded, and decorated within an inch of its life. I love it so much and I don't doubt you will see many more pictures taken within its classy confines very soon. The mirrors, from The Loft and Vandelo respectively, have both been tinted to match the decor of my home - something YOU can do as well! Copy/mod, ftw! Also FTW, are the new pose sets available at The Chapter Four this month; Le Poppycock has hit the ball out of the park with these!
(And yes, I'd have liked to line the second picture up a little better but .. there's always next time!)
Difficult, too, was my self-imposed task of connecting the mask and mien photos in some way and, now, crediting as many designers in the body of my blog post as possible. So the items connecting this photo to the one previous are the beautiful rose accent pieces from Apple Fall's most recent gacha at Kustom9 and, you guessed it, a colonial table from Zaara's Arcade gacha (also in the mainstore) as well. Are you noticing another theme here?
This picture was taken in my Barnesworth Anubis 5th Avenue skybox apartment which I have tinted, modded, and decorated within an inch of its life. I love it so much and I don't doubt you will see many more pictures taken within its classy confines very soon. The mirrors, from The Loft and Vandelo respectively, have both been tinted to match the decor of my home - something YOU can do as well! Copy/mod, ftw! Also FTW, are the new pose sets available at The Chapter Four this month; Le Poppycock has hit the ball out of the park with these!
(And yes, I'd have liked to line the second picture up a little better but .. there's always next time!)
Credits:
~Mask~
Gown: {AS} Grace Fitmesh Gown ~ Red & Gold Accents ~ Arwen Serpente
Hair: little bones. Sea Foam ~ Blondes ~ Nova Fareye NEW @FaMESHed
Crown: . Liquence . - Flower Crown ~ Villena Swansen
Necklace: Amala - Pearl Drop Necklace - Gold ~ Crystalny Resident
Basket: *{Junbug}* Red Roses Basket ~ Juno Mantel
Pose: Kirin - Athena Pose 2 ~ Carolina Sautereau
Fountain: A.V. Aurora Fountain ~ Stephanvisconti Resident
Trees: [DDD] Low Poly Trees ~ Kalia Firelyte; Botanical - T2C Linden ~ Kriss Lehmann
Hedge: :Fanatik Architecture: Garden Wall ~ Kendra Zaurak; Mesh Plants - Climbing Rose Branch R - Red ~ Reid Parkin
Stones: [ba] garden paver path ~ Barnesworth Anubis
Arbor: Botanical - Wooden Arbor with Ivy ~ Kriss Lehmann; Mesh Plants - Climbing Rose Linked Arch - Red ~ Reid Parkin
~Mein~
Mesh Bod: Slink Physique Mesh Body V1.4 ~ Siddean Munro
Dress: :V.e. Narcissist Dress Closed Coral ~ ValentinaEvangelista Resident New @FaMESHed
Shoes: Eudora 3D Harker Heels (Slink High) - Eudora3D
Hair: Magika [Hair] Serene ~ Sabina Gully
Bracelet: Alchemy - Dreams - Wrist L - White - RARE ~ Nina Helix
Pose: Le Poppycock - Eternally ~ Olivia Lalonde (NEW @The Chapter Four)
Set: [ba] 5th ave skybox ~ Barnesworth Anubis
Mirrors: The Loft - Wrought Iron Mirror Iron ~ Colleen Desmoulins; [vandelo] gold mirror ~ VandeLo Resident
Decor: Zaara [home] : 10 Colonial sidetable *pink marble* ~ Zaara Kohime; AF Teacup Rose, AF Pocket Watch, AF Blueberries, AF Rose Bouquet ~ Warehousefifteendesigns Resident NEW @Kustom9
~Portia~
Skin: [PF] Harley <Ivory> - Lid 02 - (ltbrow - B) ~ Mochi Milena
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes - Silverleaf ~ Ikon Innovia
Lashes: *MC* "Falsies" Eyelash - Upper+Lower ~ Freya Olivieri
Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands - Elegant1 ~ Siddean Munro
Feet: Slink Female Feet (AvEnhance) - High ~ Siddean Munro
Nail Polish: Hello Dave: Slink Avatar Enhancement- French Ombre ~ Maia Gasparini
~Mask~
Gown: {AS} Grace Fitmesh Gown ~ Red & Gold Accents ~ Arwen Serpente
Hair: little bones. Sea Foam ~ Blondes ~ Nova Fareye NEW @FaMESHed
Crown: . Liquence . - Flower Crown ~ Villena Swansen
Necklace: Amala - Pearl Drop Necklace - Gold ~ Crystalny Resident
Basket: *{Junbug}* Red Roses Basket ~ Juno Mantel
Pose: Kirin - Athena Pose 2 ~ Carolina Sautereau
Fountain: A.V. Aurora Fountain ~ Stephanvisconti Resident
Trees: [DDD] Low Poly Trees ~ Kalia Firelyte; Botanical - T2C Linden ~ Kriss Lehmann
Hedge: :Fanatik Architecture: Garden Wall ~ Kendra Zaurak; Mesh Plants - Climbing Rose Branch R - Red ~ Reid Parkin
Stones: [ba] garden paver path ~ Barnesworth Anubis
Arbor: Botanical - Wooden Arbor with Ivy ~ Kriss Lehmann; Mesh Plants - Climbing Rose Linked Arch - Red ~ Reid Parkin
~Mein~
Mesh Bod: Slink Physique Mesh Body V1.4 ~ Siddean Munro
Dress: :V.e. Narcissist Dress Closed Coral ~ ValentinaEvangelista Resident New @FaMESHed
Shoes: Eudora 3D Harker Heels (Slink High) - Eudora3D
Hair: Magika [Hair] Serene ~ Sabina Gully
Bracelet: Alchemy - Dreams - Wrist L - White - RARE ~ Nina Helix
Pose: Le Poppycock - Eternally ~ Olivia Lalonde (NEW @The Chapter Four)
Set: [ba] 5th ave skybox ~ Barnesworth Anubis
Mirrors: The Loft - Wrought Iron Mirror Iron ~ Colleen Desmoulins; [vandelo] gold mirror ~ VandeLo Resident
Decor: Zaara [home] : 10 Colonial sidetable *pink marble* ~ Zaara Kohime; AF Teacup Rose, AF Pocket Watch, AF Blueberries, AF Rose Bouquet ~ Warehousefifteendesigns Resident NEW @Kustom9
~Portia~
Skin: [PF] Harley <Ivory> - Lid 02 - (ltbrow - B) ~ Mochi Milena
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes - Silverleaf ~ Ikon Innovia
Lashes: *MC* "Falsies" Eyelash - Upper+Lower ~ Freya Olivieri
Hands: Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands - Elegant1 ~ Siddean Munro
Feet: Slink Female Feet (AvEnhance) - High ~ Siddean Munro
Nail Polish: Hello Dave: Slink Avatar Enhancement- French Ombre ~ Maia Gasparini