tp to home for the holidays

(not the greatest picture but in my kissing booth i was cute enough that miss claus gave me both presents :D)

oh hay again. end of the year. almost one year in this crazy grid place thing. just contemplating some of the highlights of this holiday, and i keep thinking about perhaps the most fun i had at an event even though i only hung out for about ten minutes...

i'm talking about the moxie polano sit on miss moxie claus' lap session where people lined up to sit in her lap and she would inquire if you had been naughty or nice and you then got to pick a present from her lovely store in the haute couture sim. moxie designs the most exquisitely divine, shimmering, flowing gowns for all events and seasons, and she has become a staple in the lucky chair circuit for her growing numbers of free items available for simply waiting around with some friends. she is obviously generous of spirit but this event solidified my appreciation for her kindness and talent which companied with great patience and merchandise, makes her store a must visit for all clothes whores in sl.

Cute Honey Cows

greetings from inner space! it seems that navina has been busy at work and she's got an awesome new lucky chair set! the year of the cow! MOOOOOO. here's miss cutie herself in a tragic accident stuck amidst the gelatin and kiwi slices. hopefully she can recover and make more cute cow things for the *Cutie Honey* pies out there. it seems that wren has also bitten the sweet bug, and um, ...that dog is wearing a strawberry diaper. really bad angle i know. consider this my uhh, apres garde style of sl photography. yes, that's it.

dirty stinkin hippie fly lady

oh. hai there ladies. this is me in rainbow brite outfit in front of my friend selena's store, Sasquatch Designs. selena's just started putting her merch up in this cute little shack a couple months ago but she recently put in a lucky chair and i have convinced her that her traffic is going to shoot up like colombian cartel rings. 

so like, selena's customer service is totally up my alley. most times you can find selena's av afk smoking a prim joint in a bathrobe with sandals on in the yard in front of her store. to say that this chick is laid back is a bit of an understatement, but i will include that term in my post nonetheless. stuff she sells includes what selena explained to me she would want but she hasn't really seen around the grid, so if you're interested in the bizarre but still cute and most definitely wearable check out some of these items:

xmas drunken party hat (lampshade with glowing lights on it)

pimp belt and hat and bling chain

top hat and monocle

cupcake headband

and some of my faves:

the hold animated weed plant in a clay pot

buzy bees (fly around your head)

and the most controversial item: dirty stinkin hippie flies (also fly around you because you are so dirty, you nasty filthy second lifers, you)

and for the freebie hunters!

0L emo panda toy

0L butt lollipop (for the back pocket of your sweet ass)

0L road crew gear

all inside the store against the left wall

check out selena's fun stuff on slex 

or visit her store and find me idling on a tiny wee mattress in the yard

oh, and did i mention until selena gets back from holidays everything in the store is 25L!

Kat's Pajamas

The cat's pajamas is an expression used to indicate something outstanding. The expression originates from the late 1700's and early 1800's when E.B. Katz, an English tailor, was at work making "the finest silk pajamas for royalty and other wealthy patrons." (source)

Obviously i am obsessed with cats. recently this became linguistically extended to my having friends called kat and then again when i joined second life i found another kat who is so cute you want to take her home in a box and feed her warm milk through an eyedropper. 

cute is not really an adequate word to describe kat's art though, and the love she brings to all the cute-obsessed of the second world. her dresses are really textural applications of the art she has mastered in her real life. it is easy to categorize all sl designers as "artists" to some extent but much harder to apply the term to their real life status, and kat is certainly beyond doubt a true artist in all lives.  

take a look at her deviant art site!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i was browsing and drooling and oohing and aahing as i clicked through the galleries of her work for the first time and when i fell asleep that night i had visions of floating intricately lacey cats in purple and teal dancing on the back of my eyelids when i shut them. the art that is created on and for second life is clearly desirable and fascinating in it's own right but there is something so very emotional imbued into the tactile prints that kat offers via deviant. a gorgeously coloured print framed and resting on the bookshelf or against a wall continues to remind you of the beauty that people can and do constantly create in this world long after you've logged off from playing princess on the grid. if i were an art critic, which i am not, i would say something along the lines of "kat has mastered at an early stage of her career in the arts a wonderful sense of style and voice through her pieces" but as a simple second life fashionista i will simply say that her work is fabulous and sheer gorgeousness. 

that being said, if you do want to look like a perfect pristine princess and showcase amazing art at the same time, there is no better place to look than Katat0nik. she has a range of dresses featuring her art textures as well as accessories in perfect hues with ribbons and bows and all the nice bells and whistles you want in pretend dress up. one of my can't live without items is actually just a pair of eyelashes from Kat's store that have an options menu to switch which lid the lashes are on or to place them on both, alternate colours, and adjust thickness of the lashes. i just mix up the colours to go or contrast with whatever clothing's nearest to my face or sometimes to go with my the colour of the hair. either way, i'm not telling anyone anything new when i say that kat is an amazing designer for second life but i assume with everyone's typical reluctance to leak into first life that her prints and tactile art may be overlooked. 

ok, so she's a great artist. now what? oh! well, why don't you try to chat with her if you ever run into her? i know, you're probably thinking her internet fame has gone to her head! you'd be WRONG. kat is a very receptive, responsive individual in chatting with her, and the more i "accidentally" *WINK* run into her (so not really stalking you....but considering it!) the more i enjoy our conversations. if it is true that you can tell a lot about a person by the things they create and do, then you must realize that kat's life is filled with beauty and colours that can and do make everyone who partakes of her craft smile endlessly. 

thank you kat! plz to send yourself in a box for my christmas present, kthx.

&hearts&

have an ok holiday

yeah try not to have too exceptional a time driving drunk or anything thanks!

so um, here i am in a welcome area but pru told me i looked like a queen and i got dolled up mostly with freebies so while this has no real resonance with what i thought i would try to make the blog about i'm reverting to freebie flashing :( 

...feel like you've been stabbed recently? perhaps maliciously? or do people like to tell you "you sound fat?" well then, whale ladies, you should probably go check out the freebies from mijn boa at hotel dare because you can walk around disturbing everyone on second life if you sport this realistic quality harpoon (NOW WITH added blood prim art!) go to the hotel if you dare to run into w-hat trolls 

...perhaps you still enjoy kisses even though you mostly get them from sociopaths? merry christmas to you too, assholes! go get this mistletoe "kiss me" headband for free because it's still at FDS (FD Style) 

...finally starting to feel catty after so many weeks of griefing? purrhaps you can start a catfight with me because i got these awesome peppermint candy cat ears for 10L a couple weeks ago at Fluffy Bushy don't worry there's still some holly detailed 1L ears and tails out in a box too

...perhaps making me the most queeny is this regal cape gifted for 1L for xmas today from The Crystal Queendom who also have a lucky chair filled with posh gifts for the fancy pants on the grid

...underneath my ostentatious exterior i am really just an angel though :/ so i have on my terribly innocent hoodie bodysuit which was a gift from Bijou for xmas much earlier this month, and the store also has freebies hidden under a staircase somewhere if i recall, but the clothes are gorgy so go ahead and have a browser window shop while you're there 

+++Blue Blood+++ is thicker than water

So, you're in a store, and something so amazingly awesome catches your eye that you don't even think twice you just  buy it on what some might label "impulse." Shortly thereafter the unboxed goodness in folder form gets stashed away like a hidden gift to yourself, to be found only at the moment of utmost need when you clearly have nothing left to wear. Such was the case when i happened upon this intricate, colorful, and prim rich harajuku set in pastel from +++BLUE BLOOD+++.  Blue Blood is obviously an amazing store, not only for the level of quality of the goods Ghanima produces and the love she puts into the true art of her textures and designs, but furthermore Ghanima is generous in the face of some of the clear pitfalls of what in my chat with Ghan i suggested we refer to as "freebie leeches." generally these are the type of people who will either not use lindens at all or will just leave their computers on overnight camping for the pittance that camp chairs dish out in order to buy 0 and 1L cost items anywhere they can and continue in this fashion essentially endlessly benefiting from designers generosity and talent but sometimes extending this sense of entitlement towards negative comments, complaints, even notecards bitching or whining about something that's ultimately free and an act of charity on the part of the business owner, who in this case is moreover truly an artist and deserves compensation for her craftwork. speaking of which, clickee on the picture in this post and really take a good look at the textures on the corset beneath the tulle on the neck poof. the tulle has octagonal freaking holes in it just like the real deal and the scarf under it curves the way cotton really would. i mean, talk about attention to detail? the corset too is just super pretty floral print but i'm 99% sure it's ghan's handdrawn creation. ANYWAY. despite all this e-drama, Ghan's kind spirit continues to shine through in her art and her second life.  she is not only one of the foremost hunt offerers where the hunt actually contains SUPERB quality items, with freebies constantly on the front desk and a short timer/ed lucky chair with seasonal and new release dresses to make your mouth water and hit your letter relatively rapidly, but she is also simply a joy to chat with, and she can frequently be found at the store welcoming and bantering with visitors.  ok, gushing near end now. ghan is just good peoples, all i'm sayin'. go check out the store and make your mastercard hate you. OR NOT!

featured freebzes:

...[][]trap[][] group gift rock skin F 

...house of heart hair, old group gift from sept. 4 - scoop in cream 

...moloko snowflake body tats 1L 

...(not shown but i wear with this outfit and they match insanely) fishy strawberry venezia pumps previous lucky chair prize but the current one is super hot as well 

*Cutie Honey* Babycakes Muffinpie Darling

oh! hello again. yes, i have too much free time, if that is what you were going to ask. no, i am not currently employed. MOVING ON.

navina waco! when i see this surname i always think "janet reno really messed up didn't she?" and then i think "wacko!" which is generally more suitable and relevant to second life than american politics. or maybe....it's applicable to american politics too??? ANYWAY.

i was digging through old freebie blogs and found a link to a store with an adorable checked christmas dress so i headed on over to navina's store *Cutie Honey*.  Well, as soon as i tp'ed in navina herself was there dancing around on her amazingly crafted animated objects and i was immediately taken with the place. in the store at the time was a gelatin mold in a jello bowl with fruits decorating it that you can boogie on or sit on top of according to your whims.  i was already excited enough about the lucky chair prize but stalking the chair rapidly digressed into a full on chair party, and navina then busted out the most amazing item i've ever seen on all of second life anywhere. by far my favorite item in my entire inventory, which is over 51K at this minute. speaking of wacko....fruit loops is somehow symbolically so apt for a bunch of second life ladies to play around in. oh, second memories <3

navina also makes adorable seat options such as a moon and star swing and an ice cream bowl chair and omg so many things i can't even list that are cool there, a little cutesy handbasket filled with candy that gives out chocolate bars on click to friends.  even her available christmas dresses this year had specialized features like a set of red glowing antlers that play carols if you want. beyond which she offers three varieties on the sexy santa theme, which is a nice break from the straight up slutty santa baby stuff we are bombarded with nonstop.  picture two is an example of the tomboyish sexy santa i got there and one of the group gift christmas trees that is totally unique and bright and obnoxious just like me and navina <3>

oh, and...editing appearance is totally my fave pose of alltime. FO SHO.

k, someone tell me how to make pictures appear less blocked out and more intregrated with text plz? also, someone tell me how to make pictures go where i want them in the formatting? thanx!!!!!

***compulsive obsessive update 

yesss, i had to accessorize a bit. here's some good freebie tips popped up lately:

...Igems peppermint necklace 0 or 1L not anywhere in the store i slurl'ed but possibly out there somewhere still

...candy-cane cane (with which to cane people possibly named kane) 1L from Sanu

...candy cane leg holster 0L from fandabydozie

...lazy-places holiday satyr boots (very not free at all but completely one of a kind)

...domestic-v skin deadly envy doll skin (tears) from the 100L box of all 70 skins from 08-09

my fateful journey to *prism*

so. as i explained in the introduction a negative experience launched my interested in creating this blog. but i want to start off on some positive happy feet so i'm going to give credit and mad props now to the first super nice designer lady i interacted with.  journey mclaglen is not only a lovely lady (omfg check 1st life pic for proof) but she makes beautiful virtual threads and her store constantly has deals and dollarbies. we all probably know about the dollarbie winter outfits that have been coming out weekly at the store, but if you haven't gone shopping there in any serious fashion you may not have experienced the kindness that is journey.  stopping in for one of the earlier non seasonal dollar outfits an in-store model caught my eye wearing this glittering sky blue number (hopefully pictured here in glorious n00b modeling/blogging fashion. i loved the layering on the skirts but the texture of the dress is really what sold me. got a little manic at the prettiness and started buying a couple other outfits. realized i was spending like a bipolar and i excused myself from the store after about 4 purchases. point is though, i had gone there in the first place because of the dollar item in a fashcon notecard, and the note also mentioned a buy one get one sale that i completely forgot about. potential tragedy! but it was averted because, omfg moment, journey the store owner/designer actually IMed me five minutes after i left the store to remind me that i could come back and get four more equal or lesser valued items free. happy happy joy joy! i mean, we all obviously know that sometimes you buy the free week's gift by accident, and you feel like a jerk, or you want more outfits than you think you should get anyway, and you ration yourself and try to whittle down the must-have list. but this was just like whipped cream on an already tasty sundae...journey and i chatted a bit in ims and she was just so pleasant to interact with. i seriously recommend you all check out the store, and keep your eyes out for notes about this same two for one sale because i see her advertising it almost every week or so.  

*PRISM* Main Store

microphone checks in the mail, one two, one two?

oh hai. my name is okrebecca. you might remember me from such films as "that bitch is bipolar" and "the black lagoon," starring winston churchhill. i like to shop. even for virtual pixel clothes on second life. ESPECIALLY for virtual pixel clothes on second life :( this blog is going to be about customer service and store quality issues in the second life virtual commercial culture. originally i was irritated enough by one interaction with a store owner/designer during a halloween pumpkin hunt where i accidentally bought 1400L worth of dresses which were invisible prim displays in front of TINY hidden pumpkins in the store that i meant to click instead of the overpriced and underquality dresses i got stuck with instead with no recourse after the fact from someone refusing me in poor english. *SADFACE* but yeah, i realized, hey, i can do something about that. and it's not libel, it's not mean spirited, it's just documentation of experiences myself and anyone who will write into the blog or myself has had regarding financial and other interactions with the undeniably talented group of artists and creators spread across second life's grid.  so i begin this blog with an open call for stories, notecards, or other anecdotes of incidents involving either extremely satisfying and rewarding experiences with store owners and designers or alternately complaints and issues with the current business operations of any number of disappointing vendors.  

i would love to get dressed up all pretty and take pictures of my avatar for readers displaying favorites and let downs and so forth but i dunno how, and i need to figure out how to post slurls and links, so my first order of business is to get some blog skillz down and then i will update again with my first *real* post about the center of our (first and?) second lives: fashion! <3

...find me inworld as: okrebecca Dastardly 

and tell me your shopping stories to share with the selective!

****disclaimer****

i am an opinionated bitch at the core. everything i say will need to be considered within the context of this being a blog about the quality of real human interaction behind the superficial veneer of second life sales. whatever i may say it is my right to do so, and yours to disagree.