Freebie Wrapup

Wonder is correct. I am OBSESSED!!!! So this is my last post for January (wink) and I will return again after the feed is up and more people get to see my words of wisdom. Meanwhile Wonder will hopefully even out the posts a bit for February. I DO have plans however for next month including a Fashcon HUD mini tour to see what we find and a "my top 10 favorites of January" post. I will spend my off time cleaning up and deleting outfits from my wardrobe. If I don't save ONLY what I really like, I will have one of those impossible inventories --- and we don't want that.

So, Nuclear Boutique -- Archipelago Wild (156, 163, 31) -- has a new gown out as a freebie. As always it is in the Casual area very close to the TP dropoff point. It is called Snapdragon and has a lovely train.

I am wearing the great pearl wrap necklace mentioned from last night. I really like it -- it stays during inventory clean up.

My other find of the eve was some really excellent free poses (animations in some cases) from ANIMAH -- Sedna185/101/28. These are from Christmas so not new but new to me and include hover, flying etc animations for your AO as well as a variety of very nice standing animations (NOT poses). Find them on the very back wall to the left as you walk in. So you can feed that free ZHAOII and look like you spent a fortune. THAT is definitely on my list for the weekend.

Cheers.

On the Horizon ...

Divine has been spending way too much time on fashion (IMHO - LOL) and it is time for a bit of blog balance. Coming up soon, some new locals as well as some food for thought. How do we define reality? Has SL changed our view of what reality is? Has it forced us to redefine the term?

My next post (assuming this feed check works) is a trip to a SL health clinic? Why, you ask? Ahhhhh --- that is where the reality question comes into play.

Stay tuned.

Alienbear Silver Necklace

A gift came into Fashcon early this morning (yes, I was actually UP - don't ask). It is a very lovely Unisex necklace called "Ai Love" and has oriental characters that translate to "Love" in English. You can in theory get this at Alienbear Castle -- Bratz179/236/29/-- but I have to admit that I went there and searched all the floors on both sides and couldn't find it. So, joining the Fashion Consolidated group and looking in Notices for the post of today may be your best best. If you go searching for it at the shop, be sure and pick up the very nice free pink moonstone necklace which is on the ground floor and to your left mixed in with some very nice looking $10 sets in a row on the counter.

Still trying to get the feed thing fixed so will keep posting until it is picking me up again. Cheers.

Fashcon Winners (for me)

It's been wild and furious this Fashcon Rez Day celebration. I only joined in the afternoon as I decided it was my "duty" for you readers (wink). We will see if I can deal with all the messages (I am not a good group girl -- I have mentioned that I am sure). Anyway, the above pic shows my favorites of the freebies. I want to be fair here. Some designers had great give away things, some had things that they had given away months ago (some of us remember) and some gave boxes of items that were marked as demos (NOT a celebratory thing - tisk). A few had landmarks that weren't close at all and one in theory had a box that I could never find and I am a good little sleuth. Anyway it was an adventure.

You can join this group by searching for Fashion Consolidated in groups. Hard to miss with SO many members. The website is: http://fashcon.com

My personal gold star awards (shown) go to:

Bewitched Hair -- Lemon Island 126/125/23
Rivermoon (sweater that came with mini and belt) -- San Leandros 133/23/22
Callie Cline mainline jeans with prim button (ouch!) (destined to be my FAVORITE JEANS I think) caLLiefornia 225/178/22

Honorable mention goes to Bonita's -- Malra 33/158/66 --for a great pearl necklace that doesn't work with my turtleneck of course :D

You will NOT find these items in their shops. I just felt the designers deserved some notice. The items above were sent as gifts to the group. So look in NOTICES of the the group archives to find them and then OPEN the ATTACHMENTS. I have no idea how long they will be there. Good luck.

Ravenwear Freebies Today!

Ravenwear -- Ravens Requiem 59/93/307 -- has this outfit free today as part of the Fashcon promotion. It is dangerously low but I especially wanted to put in a pic here to show you that the pants are mod and can be LONG (you still have a dangerously LOW butt crack going on (wink) ). Very nice top too. Love the color. You can also pick up some skin demos at the entrance. I'm looking forward to trying those on soon.

I AM ...

You Are An INTJ

The Scientist You have a head for ideas - and you are good at improving systems. Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized. You tend to be a bit skeptical. You're both critical of yourself and of others. Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you. In love, you are always striving to improve your relationship. You have strong ideas of what love should be like.

Vintage Hat from CRAP

CRAP -- Russel Bay 222/234/26 -- sent out a "we've hit 100 on the Subscribe O Matic" gift. It included a sweater, short pants, belt, sunglasses and the Newsboy hat. While most of the items didn't work for me -- they may of course work for you (wink). I thought the hat was superb however. This is not my normal look but it is a fun one. While the hat works well with some hairs and not others (no news there), I noticed that there was a problem with colliding transparent layers (veil and bangs on some hairs) so test that a bit before you decide what to wear this with. It works perfectly with the Kira hair from Frangipani Designs -- Iladil 96/58/72 --($1 L).

(The sweater shown here is from DE Designs, it is not the gift one from CRAP. I actually DO buy things now and then.)

Sn@tch Group Hunt

A reader just sent in an alert that Sn@tch -- Pulse/175/216/30 -- is having a group hunt RIGHT NOW (4 PM SL time) which will no doubt continue for awhile. It is a very cute unbuttoned grape sweater, short plaid skirt (mini) with belt. There is also a "chainsaw of love" sweatshirt in black and red (unisex) plus a testosterone toy of sorts.

You need to find a sign that says "Group Gifts Inside" and you get some very nice things (pictured above). She wasn't willing to give out the location of the sign since it IS a hunt after all, but did say it was on the main floor and small. The sign is black and green. I am going to assume that this is a group hunt only? I don't know for sure. You can join the group right at the store so that isn't a problem. If you do, be sure and check earlier notices as there was a gift of this shirt in green with some ripped jeans not long ago.

If you want to alert folks about a fashion happening and don't have a blog, just send a full perm texture (512 or larger preferred) or a SL snapshot, to Divine Ashby or Wonder Winkler.

Thanks to Chic for this tip.

Free and Of Interest

So after making my way through all the prize chair places and finding only two of import (will do a post on that soon), I treated myself to a shopping trip. I started at Dutch Touch as I was hoping there was a SubscribeOMatic there, but alas it appears not. I am not sure I "am" a Dutch Touch girl, but part of me wants to be (wink). So I journeyed over to Le Zoo.

Note: LM default on the SLURL to the main one so I have put the actual numbers of the shops in here. Not getting caught TWICE on that (wink).

First stop Tuli -- Le Zoo/53/180/22 -- which I always love. Low and behold TWO new (or I really missed them last time I was there) outfits on the wall by the entrance. As you can see from the pic they are both very nice. I am not too fond of the skull on the red dress, but I am sure I can put a flower on it or something (wink). Also there are some really cute poses in the shop for 60 Lindens.

My next long stop was at Sheer -- Le Zoo/30/112/22 -- where I finally picked up the zebra nylons. THEY ARE GREAT!!!!!! How did I "not" get these?!?! Sorry I couldn't get a good picture. Trust me, you most likely want these :D While there I scanned the walls and there are some very intriguing ripped fishnets and other nylons. There is a second thing to keep on my list for the future.

I picked up a free hair called Elaine at Philotic Energy -- Le Zoo/226/48/22 -- I LOVE IT!!! What a great day.

Also in the picture above is an unbelievably lovely bracelet and earring set. You can get this at Miam Miam at Glam World -- Viva La Glam/162/87/24

DEKA - Freebies and More

I went out searching for more prize camping chairs last eve. I really like the idea of prize camping. Instead of just TAKING from the designers, those willing to sit are actually trading a service (more traffic and higher placement in the Places listings) for the outfits, hair, accessories etc. House of Zen is still number one in my book, but finding the Geisha hair at Magika yesterday was very exciting and I was curious what else might be out there.

DEKA --- Jingyo (178, 32, 54) ---was first on my list of the eve. I did find a prize camping chair and camped for an outfit. It turned out, however, that I liked the free things better than the camping outfit (at least the one I tried). So above are the photos of my favorites. The pants outfit is actually for men (wink) but I liked it a lot. It is tintable (currently red as you can see) but it is also no copy. So if you think you will love it and want different colors, buy it a few times. If you tint it to WHITE, you get a lovely variegated green and white trim. The skirt came as part of a spaghetti strap dress - another buy for 0 item not shown.

Find the freebies at the entrance. Some are above the lucky chairs, some right when you walk in. The posters are large so they are hard to miss. There is also a free outfit certificate for new folks under 2 weeks. That poster is right next to the prize camper.

There are lots of very reasonable priced items here and a cute outfit if you join the group. Upstairs there are more expensive theme garments. All in all it was a fun visit and I recommend a trip to DEKA to check it out.

PixelDolls and Untone Freebies

My friend Xia just sent me some photos of a new group gift from PixelDolls. Pixeldolls uses SubscribeOMatic, so if you want to join the group you can click on the sign at their store in Port Seraphine (Port Seraphine/38/127/56). The dress is called Anne. If you would like this gift, you can join the group, then look in the notices by clicking on the SubscribOMatic a second time. Go to notices and choose the one about ANNE for the dress and Try On Belts for the belts (if they are still available). You can of course join the Pixeldolls group in world by going to groups in Search. I personally like the SubscribeOMatic as it eliminates the chatter :D


It looks even cuter with the Pixeldoll belt (also a group gift). And I sent her off to Untone Quilt to get my favorite earrings in pink. I found them there a week or so ago but didn't have any outfit to show them off. This works perfectly. So "TYVM" Xia!

The pink earrings come from the Untone quilt shop Shimokitazawa (236, 158, 27) (tiny box on the counter) while the silver and black versions come from their accessories shop. See this post for info on those.

Geisha Hair Magika

This is my first post to the fashion.iheartsl.com feed so excuse any problems please and I will adapt.

I saw a picture of some new Magika -- Magika Land (103, 135, 25) -- Geisha hair that was SO cute -- me loving all those House of Zen outfits -- that I had to go check it out. I arrived and bravely (and quickly) moved towards the complex to start my search. A little further along I found a TP board (there was actually one at the entrance if I would have waited for it to rez - duh!) and found a huge selection of hair.

While I was waiting for the pics to rez, I noted what appeared to be camping chairs at the end of the hair section. While I have sworn off camping for Lindens (I admit I sometimes -- in the past mind you -- have ventured into Camperland now and then JUST for old times sake). BUT I have not given up camping for "stuff". Low and behold the GEISHA HAIR WAS IN THE PRIZE CHAIR! The prize chairs I wanted were taken of course it being Saturday morn, but I opted to sit for a black teddy (shown in pic).

I did find the demo of the Geisha hair and tried it on. VERY cute. It is sort of young and sassy Geisha and not very traditional at all. I love the way the fabric threads through the chopsticks in back. So great. One very nice thing about these prize chairs is that the EXACT hair is shown on the poster so you know if you are camping for brown or black or white or purple (yes there is purple). There are also two chairs for accessories and two for clothes. The chairs have the SAME items in them per category so that works well.

I went back in the afternoon to find lots of chair openings and sat 100 minutes for the hair (a very good deal I think). The inset shows the very white hair tinted to black with red ribbons by using the building tools.

You can of course PURCHASE this hair and teddy in the store -- along with lots of other things. It is a big place so wander around. It appeared to me that all items in the chairs were from the walls -- something I really like.

Good Luck Freebies!

What a good luck night for me! A friend TPed me over to SWA (Second Wave Apparel) for the lucky chair. I made it to find that the lucky chair changes every TWO minutes. Yikes! Anyway I won some fantastic beachwear (thinking summer here) which included bikini bottoms, top and shorts (shown at left) in TONS of patterns. We are talking a mega-pack here! THANK YOU! While I was there I found a freebie by the door of a lovely cami and undies set (middle) in a great creamy silver color. VERY classy. Get there and get one (small bag).

Later in the eve I ventured over to Frangipani Designs and found two 1 Linden hairs ( I really like the one shown in pics 1 and 2 which is a sort of modern pigtail style that doesn't look TOO young :D Also by the door to the clothing department, I found a very nice set of tops with a prim skirt (shorts for skirt also of course). There were -- again -- MANY colors to choose from. The pattern is very nice and while the skirt is too short for me, I suspect these would look great with pants and shorts for summer. There were shoes for free also. Those didn't work for me. I'm sticking with my favorite ZHAOs (wink).

Both of these stores have very nice designs as well as top notch free stuff. Frangipani has a department for men also and a very upscale open area et al. Drop by and see what great things you can find.

Pink Star Undies - SS!

Hey, I look pretty good here and I got to use my new pose -- a bonus. Samara Studios has a new freebie out today. Since it is PINK (thankfully stars and not hearts which I am SURE we will be tired of sometime soon), I am going to assume it is for February. No mention of this on her blog, but you CAN see quite a few of the new Spring items there. It was SO nice to stop by and see all the pretty pastels and sleeveless tops and the COLLECTIONS!!! Wow!. Anyway these undies are up on the wall next to three other colors (blue stars, white flowers and some very cool smoky ones -- now on sale for $125 but I don't know for how long). There is a FREE sign by these pink lovelies, so they should be easy to spot. Enjoy!

A Thought for Designers

OK. I really need to get this off my chest and then I will stop stewing about it all :D

For the last few weeks I have been out looking for great places, fun shopping and "good free stuff". And I have found a lot. AND I AM THANKFUL!!!!! I appreciate all the content creators who are sharing with us.

There is, however, a flip side that I have not mentioned. Most likely you have come across it too, but in case there are any designers reading this blog, I wanted to put it out there...... There are a lot of VERY famous, expensive, couture type shops that are giving away VERY marginal things. No names and no hints. It is not my intention to shake any fingers at anyone.

However, there is a store with some great looking jackets with VERY spendy price tags that gives away T shirts with lovely designs and seams that are not even CLOSE to matching. There is another high class (by reputation and prices) store who is actually giving away BIAB stuff on their main walls right next to outfits that would break my clothes budget for the week. The list, unfortunately isn't a short one.

This boggles my mind. I of course am NOT a content creator, but wouldn't it be better to simply not have free items than BAD free items? I realize that the value of a freebie depends on the use it will be put to by the avatar, but as a consumer I would have (and DO have) second thoughts about buying what "looks" like a very lovely jacket from someone who put out things with terribly mismatched seams. If they feel that those items are good enough to give away as examples of their work, how good do their actual products stack up? I am not likely to spend $600 or $700 Linden on a test.

The retailers that "I" remember are the ones that gave out great things -- especially over and over. For example, Digital Dragon Designs gave out many lovely things during Advent. I only picked up a few, but those I took were simply lovely. I REMEMBER them in a positive light--the same with Second Mirage, House of Zen, Samara Studios, and many of the designer mentioned in this blog.

Everything that is free doesn't need to be wonderful, of course. New designers don't have all their skills down in the beginning and their items can still be fun and well intentioned. My problem is with the folks who have seemingly "made it". And, I humbly suggest that they think a bit harder about what they are presenting to their prospective customers :D

Books, A Museum and Goodies

Is it YELLOW enough for you? (wink). A reader sent me a LM to a Book Maze which he said greatly reminded him of the Japanese bookstores of his youth. I went there and found a very primary color store with modern lines. I am standing at the ramp to the maze which fills the two top levels of the store. The maze itself is lined with books. Much fun!.. And you know what? I found some nice freebies there too. Now granted, it isn't likely you will NEED these items but I got them to show you (hence my primary colors outfit). There are two nicely made logo shirts at the very top of this ramp before you start the maze. AND if you make it to the goal at the third floor, you can get this very nice worker apron (who knows when you might need it for a contest) as well as a pink rubber duster with animation (not shown). I have no idea what the store is about since it is all in Japanese, but the maze was fun. And we all need a little book browsing now and then.

Next on my culture tour of the eve was a very nice Greek museum that I ran across a month or two ago. The owner and artist is from the States (assuming that not too much has changed) and has been living in Greece for a few years now and loves it. He has done a lovely and tasteful job.

The gallery has moved since I first visited -- out of the melee of shops that is the Twin Towers area. This is the sign you are looking for and the Achilles Phobos Mediterranean Art. I searched and searched for the corner where I previously entered to no avail. I did, however, in the looking come across a couple of nice freebies at SanZen.

The freebies are inside the front door on the floor in boxes. There are also some eyes and poses that I didn't try. There are TWO boxes of hair. This one was very nice (box 2) but box 1? Not so much. This is the black hair which isn't all that black. It also comes in blond, brown, cream and red. The watches come in both male and female varieties and are Transfer but No Copy.

From Beach to Prom - Free!

Some fun outfits to post this eve. Top left is a very cute beach outfit and don't we ALL just want it to be beach weather again? Well it IS -- in SL. This outfit is called Dotty Girl and is available this week (not sure exactly what that means of course) at Designer Resale Emporium. It is on the left hand wall as you enter the biggest part of the store. Shoes are Shoes Simply Shoes beach thongs that I tinted to match.

The lovely satin formal is from Garden. It comes with very nice gloves and nylons. To be fair it does not "walk or sit" well, but if you have an occasion where you will be standing and just looking lovely-- or a photo shoot, this will work :D

The "little black dress" comes from DnG and is this month's freebie. It comes complete with gold lame shoes. Enjoy!

PS. Thanks to Wonder who taught me how to do collages. Woot!

Free Flapper Dresses

No point in reposting this, just visit SL Freestyle and read about it there. Looks lovely and I just wanted to pass the info along to anyone that may have missed it. And here is a second one from Fab Free SL. Hope they work for you. Again, I did NOT try these.

This 'n That Freebies

I found some additional excellent quality free items today, so I'll post in melange and not worry about 'the best' categories :D.

Top Left is a very cute top from Stellar Designs as well as a Valentine necklace. Both are free at the reception entrance to the women's store on Stellar Isle. Just click on the teleporter where you land. It is most likely RIGHT in front of you (hopefully). Both have logos on the back. If you have long hair, however, they won't show. The top is a shirt layer so would be very cute under an open jacket. You can get some nice looking ripped jeans (unisex) by joining their group. Pick up some free beach thongs (aqua) at the entrance to the beach and take a stroll. There are styles for both men and women -- one poster on each side of the walkway.

The very lovely outfit (only one of many versions in the collection pack) is from Free Speerit and a group gift. I am not a fan of groups and I am definitely not a fan of joining groups just to get free items. I was, however, doing research on the whole group thing for an upcoming post, and so I did join this group in hopes of getting some info on new designs. Within a day there was so much chatter I left the group. HENCE, I feel badly and want to say that her group freebie is very lovely. It comes in many different layer options including with and without camisole and texture jewelry (not my fav). There are pants with chains as well as the plain ones shown etc. So do drop by and see the soon to be open store.

If you are in the SL business world, then the white blouse in the bottom photo is for you. It is highly detailed and exquisitely made -- back and front. It comes as both shirt and jacket layers from Ash Style. Look for a poster on the glass wall to the left of the front entrance.

Winter Moon - $1Ls

Winter Moon (blog) has some great 1 Linden freebies out at their Koreshan store. There is a Valentine Hoodie that comes as a jacket layer both with and without shirt. I am wearing the hoodie with shirt model. The alternate looks great just over skin if you aren't going out anywhere too cold (wink) or it could go over your favorite T shirt or sweater. It comes with prim hoodie (both up and down versions). The T shirts shown come in a pack of two -- also for one linden. One with the name of the store and one without. Both are very nicely designed and tasteful. There is a cute tag on the back. Both freebies are up HIGH over the door.

The hat is NOT a freebie. I just wanted to show you some of the really cute items this tiny store has. This hat comes with hair and fits very well. Lots of fun and reasonably priced things. Shown with the ETD barley cords mentioned in my Newbie Guide.

Thanks to Wonder for the photo spread AND for taking my picture for Sexy Seconds :D. We'll see.

Assignment Runway

You can watch Assignment Runway, an SL fashion contest on Blip TV. I may be behind times a bit, but this was the first "taped" TV show OF Second Life that I had seen. Very well produced with credits, behind the scenes, meet the designer contestants et al; it is definitely a must watch for anyone interested in fashion. And be sure and use full screen mode of your computer will handle it. I suspect most SLers will have no problems. Each week contestants get a new set of tasks to creatively complete. Who will win? While I already know the winner of week two, I hope that further episodes will appear on Blip TV also. What fun!

Nuclear Boutique - NEW!

JUST out at Nuclear Boutique, the freebie of the week is one of the best selling items from the Decadence Collection, Scandal. Beautifully shaded, this comes complete with shoes (not shown). Since I am holding to my "thin inventory" promise to myself, I didn't buy this 0 Linden item even if it was gorgeous. Just not me. But as you can see, it might be PERFECT for you. I found this impromptu model at Nuclear Boutique and she kindly posed for me. Thanks to her from all of you -- and me!

This is truly a beautiful dress. If you have the legs for it (trust me, I do not) then GET THERE!!! And while you are there, take a look at the new women's items -- and the mens store. Valentine's is coming up and you just might need a gift.

Flattery :D

I notice that my "finds" keep showing up in other blogs a day or two or three after I have posted (wink). I have NO problem with this. Nice to know people are reading. I want to reiterate that I ONLY post what I feel is the BEST of the freebies, locales, shopping and the like.

I am a firm believer in a clean and sparse inventory --
yeah for the good stuff!

Thank you content creators!!!!!!

"/me smiles broadly at the great success of her new blog"

And the beat goes on!

Best of the Freebies: 1-19-08

First of all, thanks to the folks that are giving me tips on some wonderful things. Not every freebie is a great item for everyone. We all have our own tastes and style -- and shapes (wink). This roundup includes some non-clothes items in the mix. While I don't have a house and yard to decorate, others definitely do and there are a couple of very nice things out there right now.

House of Zen has changed prize chair offerings again! How great. And as I write this there is a Tai Chi Mat (transfer) in the chair on the right. The chairs have moved around the corner a bit - right inside the entrance, but are easy to find. Sit for 55 minutes and have a great gift to give to your Valentine. While I was there I sat for the outfit shown below. Very Springlike, it also comes with plain gray slacks and you can wear it with or without the bottom of the jacket (two lengths). I really love it as it bridges the time between winter and warmer weather quite nicely. [ Evening update: The chairs have changed yet again :) They do have a couple of things from before it seems, so if you have seen something on me that you LOVE, hopefully they will come around again. ]

Xia (I have decided to use only first names as not everyone wants to be in print :D) wrote that there are some gorgeous earrings at a cute accessories shop called =*UnTone*= and indeed there are. The highly detailed designs come in both black and silver. Click here for earring close up. The shop is filled with all sorts of cute and clever items to enhance your wardrobe and the "floor" is Botanical's rugged grass with fireflies. How fun. They also have a quilt shop you might want to check out. This whole area is very unusual and quirky in design and I appreciate that. Sort of small town chic, head-shop meets urban tastes :D.

My new House of Zen outfit with earrings at Botanical.

Seeing all the plants and ground covers from Botanical @ Straylight reminded me that while I ventured there LATE one night (I think it was the Mexico journey), I never really explored, so of course I wanted to do that. It is a GLORIOUS spot if you haven't been there. Super saturated colors give a surrealistic feel and the undulating ground and all the lovely details give those on a journey the chance to feel they are in the forest primeval. If this is your first visit be SURE and walk. No fair teleporting as the exploration is a big part of the experience. There are wondrous things here. And there is even a 1 Linden gift! When you reach the store -- which actually still looks like a garden but with signs (wink), turn left toward ACCESSORIES and follow the signs. You will find a very lovely rock with bird calls and sound effects for 1 Linden. Floating text above it gives you a hint it is a freebie :D. Now I know the sound effects are all over, but the ROCK that contains them is especially lovely, so for me, this was a find.

Divine's Newbie Guide - Second Life

A very good friend of mine in real life has just joined SL. We started her off on my computer during an oh-so-brief visit (she lives far away) and "Ginni" is now still on Orientation Island, but has passed all her tests. Good for Ginni! I promised to help the new avatar once she got to the mainland, but knowing that my friend and I process, shop, think, et al at very different speeds, I decided that making a guide for everyone would be a better idea (wink). And I hope to show you a picture of the new and improved Ginni here on the blog after she has followed my treasure map of sorts. So here we go!

Divine's Newbie (Noobie) Guide to Second Life
Just off the boat - January 2008

First stop: Another Shop. Choose a skin -- or get all four to try on and see what looks and feels the best. Note: Skins are the outer graphic layer that defines your avatar's look -- color of skin, eye makeup, lipstick etc. While you can "take off" clothes in SL, you cannot take off skins. You WEAR a new one and that replaces the old.

To get the skin you will click on it (I usually right click but left click often works too) and buy it for 0 Linden. When you buy something you either get the contents in a folder that will show up in your inventory OR you get a "box" that contains the items that you have to open. If you are JUST off orientation island and have no clue as to all of this, I recommend New Citizens Incorporated which has lots of written guides to SL, a place you can unpack boxes, a blue ball by the newsstands that dispenses money to new avatars, and lots of people to talk to who are either also confused or can answer your questions :D

The skins at Another shop come in four shades and are free. (You most likely have a 0 Linden balance at this point unless you are a Premium member). It is not considered proper to wander around trying on skins -- you will be naked -- in SL. I bet you didn't actually READ those six rules of conduct, but best to choose your skin from the face. Trust me the skins are all lovely. [If you are reading this entry month's after I posted it and can't find Another Shop, you may want to check House of Zen's third floor freebie area which -- at this time -- has Another Shop's Skins for 0 lindens.]

Along with the skins, there are shapes (one in each skin pack) to try. The faces are very nice. The bodies very "real life". If you want to look PERFECT -- and why not? -- you can play with the appearance sliders to change your body. Just right click on yourself and choose "appearance". If that is too daunting, don't worry because our NEXT stop is even more free shapes. Some for guys too.

Second Stop (optional): Heaven's Shapes where you can choose from a variety of shapes and even clothes. Guys shapes and full avatars are available here also. I suggest that you keep your skin from Another shop if you are happy with it, as those are some of the very best in SL.

You may have picked up a new outfit or two at Heaven's Shapes and most likely now look pretty good. Next we are going to add to that wardrobe. Again, freebies change all the time and I will try to post a new guide in the future. I will stick with the "they've been here forever and are good" category of things. See the freebie area of http://secondlifecolors.blogspot.com/ for more ideas of great free things in SL.

Third Stop: Before we actually get to my planned third stop you will need a "little bit" of money if you don't have any. So, hop on over to Calla, turn to the right from the teleport point and find the Trivia and Prize Camping area. You can sit for 200 minutes for most of the hairs there (guys and gals). You click on arrows to cycle though the styles available and then sit for the alloted time. You can also go to the main Calla building and pick up some free hair there. I think it is 0 Lindens :) Anyway, trivia is fun and you can earn money while you sit for some hair. Every once in awhile a blue screen will come down and you pick a multiple choice answer. You can win up to 50 for one question and that is a lot if you are shopping with me. So have fun, meet a couple of people, and earn some dough.

Fourth Stop: Onward to ETD where you can get even more hair for very little money (guys and gals and some of my personal favorites) as well as some great staple clothes for just a few Linden. From the teleport point journey inside and look for the large vertical sign that says "Discounts". Once you are in the discount room, look for the FREEBIES sign on the wall. There is hair as well as clothes. I personally recommend the barley cords pants. You get eight colors for 1 Linden, they are great and go with lots of other things. I got mine free at the hair fair almost a year ago and still wear them quite often. While you are there check out the hair. On the freebie wall there is 1 Linden hair that might appeal to you. Also, on a nearby wall there is Simplicity Sassy for $5, a VERY nice style if it is YOUR style (wink). You get 24 colors so you can experiment with your avatar's look and see what feels good.

Note: you can also find some lovely 1 linden hair at Gurl 6. So be brave, go to search and type in Gurl 6 in the Places window. Currently the 1 Linden hair is to the left of the entry a bit. Explore and have fun.

Fifth Stop: We have skin and shape and hair. We have pants. Hopefully we are not topless. We also need shoes. For simple shoes, you can go to Shoes Simply Shoes and get their free beach shoes (white - guys and gals) from the round containers on the floor. Shoes are a bit tricky in SL and most often come in three or more parts. The shoes at Shoes Simply Shoes are the simplest prim shoes (made from building blocks and not pictures) and just have one shoe for the left foot and one for the right. A good way to break into the shoe biz (wink). Guys will most likely feel these are just fine, and girls will start immediately looking for heels (heels are VERY big in SL as they never hurt your feet).

While you are there, check the neighboring clothing store as there is usually a freebie of the month there for 0 Linden that is very nice. Who knows what great wardrobe find you might discover!

Sixth Stop: We are pretty set, but you still may need a shirt. On the off chance that you STILL have your induction shirt on, I offer you both tops and JEWELRY from Le Zoo. From the teleport point, look to the left into a small shop.


Currently you can find some bizarre but fun T shirts, some zebra stockings, some pets and Calla hair (if you skipped Calla). There is also a lovely antique enameled bracelet with an zoo animal theme. While you are at Le Zoo, take some time to explore. Lots of fun things here including the zoo animals. Some of the shops have free items too, so do some window shopping (or real if you did VERY well at Trivia) and have fun!

To be fair there are tons of free things all over SL. As a warning here, I suggest that you don't go picking up every Newbie Freebie box you see. Most of these are VERY old things and are very -- well "tired" is the nicest term I can think of. Instead, check the freebie posts here at Second Life Colors as well as those at Fab Free SL and any other freebie blog you find.

The Morning After

OK. Not quite the "morning after" as my personal 24 hours started in the eve, but the idea is there (wink). SO happy to get back to my normal skin. Liked the kimono, LOVED the tabby slippers and the zouri shoes, but was e-mense-ly uncomfortable in the Geisha white skin.

Are you ready for the punch-line? Full disclosure here .... I am NOT of dark skin in real life! SL is so very amazing. We have a chance to experience so much that we would never even dream of in RL :D.

So, with that brief comment I will leave you, happily ensconced in my normal Fe brow1 envy (Another Shop) skin and some new bright colored casual wear from House of Zen -- sitting on a peaceful bench at 700 meters and meditating on the lovely flow of water in a magical fountain.

Have a good eve.

... And don't forget the "challenge" :)

Different for a Day Challenge

Hard to believe -- but this is me, Divine :D

I am different with a purpose for today and while I am not comfortable with my new look (wink), I think I will learn a lot from the experience. And that, my readers, is the idea. So here is my challenge to for the rest of the month of January. Spend just ONE DAY in someone else's shoes. No excuses about costs either. This outfit was completely free. I sat for the kimono at The House of Zen, the slippers are from the free kimono set mentioned in an earlier post, the hair is from Calla's prize camping area (it was VERY BLUE and so I tinted it black using the building tools). Don't forget too, that you can get rasta dreadlock for free at the Evergreen-Kansai shop and of course great skin in all colors at Another Shop.

If you are feeling a bit more flush and want to REALLY get into this experiment, there are numerous opportunities if you explore a bit. And who knows what you will find. For example there is some lovely oriental hair (headdress) at Boon.

If any of you actually take up my challenge, feel free to send a picture to Divine Ashby in world. Make sure you are the main focus of the shot and that the pic is good sized and not a 640 x 470 number (smile). I will make a collage of the best photos and put it up on the blog. Ah, fame!

Quicknotes: In the Majors

• I notice that Nicky Ree has a new oriental flavored collection, Cherie Dress & Pant Suits, just out for the Chinese New Year (blog, pic).
• Calla gave out necklaces with rotating world globes on Saturday. Yeah!

Last Call

Unless you have been living under a fashion rock this weekend -- and some of you have real lives after all so no need to feel embarrassed -- you know that the works of Ginny Talamasca, Katterina Dagostino and Devyn Carmichael went on final sale for L$100 each ($300 for runway) at Last Call in the Dazzle sim. You can read the announcement here.

As you might expect, the Dazzle sim was unteleportable (is that word?) last night and again this morning. I went to a neighboring sim near midnight -- along with 28 other folks -- and tried to get in. I DID peruse with camera controls and could even purchase, but decided to wait. This is, in part, a feeding frenzy no doubt. But, I hope and believe that for some of us it is as much a tribute to an end of an era and a large piece of SL fashion history.

So, be patient. There is time; the outfits are digital and limitless so there is really no rush. We will all have time to pay our respects and get an outfit for remembrance.

Rez Day in Harlem

So here I am at the edge of Virtual Harlem on my rez day. I love it here at midnight. And there is a new trolley (hence tracks in foreground - wink). Also new graffiti. The new outfit compliments of Sis is from Live the Dream and part of their Uptown collection. It also comes with a long jacket, pants, shorts, bootie pants, a tintable camisole and another skirt. Pocket watch necklace is by Calla and shoes from Shoes Simply Shoes (free on their anniversary a month or so ago).

Nuclear Boutique Mens

Just a quick note to say that Nuclear Boutique is opening its new menswear department today. If you read this before 2 PM SL time there is a "happening" going on including a give away in the main menswear building and a hunt all over the island. There is also a drawing for an outfit. Models are in residence so you can see the clothes up close and personal and I can say that they are VERY VERY nice quality. That is to be expected of course, but I just wanted to put an exclamation mark after it.

Belagio Freebies - Woot!

There is a story behind tonight's post. Isn't there always? Tomorrow is my REZ DAY. And, since my sister and I joined SL on the same day it is HER rez day also. She is a "girlie girl" and seems to live in long gowns (and looks great in them) while I am a pants kinda gal. Anyway.... what to get her for a present? I saw the ad for the Belagio and since I had been there in real life and this was a sim done by the Belagio, I decided it might be classy enough for her.

Well -- the grounds are lovely and the shops are small (satellite shops in most cases) but very cute. I wandered and wondered what would work for her. Along the way I noticed a teleport sign that said "free stuff" (or something to that effect). WELLLLLL --- I am there. And I found some of the nicest giveaways to date.

The photo above highlights my favorites. To be fair, one vendor wasn't working and while I wrote the designer who had already alerted the Belagio -- I didn't get to look at her free items. Her shop, however was VERY nice and I hope to return and report soon.

Anyway. Feast your eyes. My favorite (dare I say it) is the long gown called Brianna from Milady's Fancy. It is shown with the modesty bodice but minus the face veil. Lots of options here. The outfit called Ravel is from a whole collection of that name. While I am not a skirt gal, this was of exceptional quality and there are some lacy pants that show when the skirt splits (very cute).

While I didn't complete my shopping for sis, I DO have an idea now where to check (wink). These are LOVELY items and of exceptional quality (the Milady's Fancy ones being off the floor for sure). So drop by the Belagio, take the teleporter to the free stuff area. AND while you are there, look around the grounds and the shops. Lots to see.

A special thanks to Wonder for the great pics collage. And remember, you heard about it here :))) (wink)

CHAI skins in six shades - free!

The big news on the street this eve is that Second Style magazine issue #15 comes complete with free skins. You can pick it up (free) at numerous vendors throughout Second Life including one at the magazine headquarters. My photo above features the darkest of the skins called cinnamon. The skins are very high quality and may be just what you are looking for. The assortment includes the complete skin line of LF CHAI Vedette. Each skin tone comes with and without freckles;12 skins in all.

On a side note, I was very happy to see the variety of shades -- and even colors -- in the skin advertisements in this month's issue. It is always good to have choices; it is gratifying that the content creators are providing them.

I am already back in my "old" skin as I am quite attached to it and don't expect to be changing any time soon. But, if you have an itch for a new look, this may be your opportunity. Check it out!

Important if you are NEW: be sure to take notice of the skin you are currently wearing before you try on another. You can do this by opening your inventory and typing in the word "worn" in the all items tab. Your skin will show up in bold text amidst clothes and hair and such. Make a note of where it is and what it is called. Alternatively you can make an outfit in the appearance tab called something like "basic sally" and then find that when you want to change back.

Ethnic Cornucopia

I have found the mother lode -- if there is such a thing -- of ethic clothes. The International House of Style has outfits from countries that only skip fleetingly on the edges of my memory. My personal favorites are the stlyes from Oman and the lovely abayas. There are areas for Asia, Africa, India, North America (native American clothing), and the Middle East. There is also traditional jewelry. While I did not purchase any of the items, the pictures looked lovely.

Viva Le France!

Electric Eggplant sent me a landmark to the CUTEST French shopping village, Le marche de noel. The quaint village shops (some of the very nicest I have seen for architecture) showcased the work of French Designers. I immediately felt chilly in my sleeveless top from my Mexico sojourn, but that wasn't a problem. I found a classic and very nice 1 Linden sweater in dark violet as well as a red and gray zipped jacket -- both just inside the door of Solylence.

The village is small but definitely worth exploring. There are other freebies here, but this is my pick. Barley cords by ETD. Chain Stilettos by Shoes Simply Shoes.

Exploring Mexico

I journeyed out this evening looking for "my" Mexico. I spent a series of winters in that area of our globe and wondered what there was in SL to remind me of those times. It took a few tries, but I found Chichen Itza, a project of the Mexican tourism board and part of a voting effort for a new Seven Wonders of the World (over with; no results mentioned in the kiosks). It is a veryte impressive building project and while you cannot see me WAY up top the pyramid, I am actually there. And I WAS there in real life some years ago -- in that same spot looking at a slightly different view. There are informational kiosks around that explain the different buildings and it is quite lovely there. You can easily walk up and down the pyramid steps -- they are a bit more shallow in SL than I remember OR I, as Divine, am more athletic. Perhaps it is a bit of both.

The sim Azteca, billed a colonial Mexico, definitely has the feel of the locale and some cute mini tiendas with authentic crafts and such. Unfortunately the shops are scattered among red-taped upper class homes (very authentic - :D) so flying or walking is a bit problematic. I LOVED the graffiti on the walls and posters on the poles. So Mexico and so fun.

You can find some very nice paintings (most likely brought in from the web, but still very tasteful) at the corner of Progresso and Nogales (or 78,24 on your map). There is a bookstore of sorts with Mexican "coffee table" books in a large colonial building called El Rey.

And just as sun was setting in SL and I was journeying off to my comforter and pillows in RL, I found Pelenque. Lush and green at the seemingly top of the world, I gazed down at the ocean and remembered how lovely Mexico can be. I landmarked and will return. DO come visit. It is lovely -- just to sit and ponder!

Shopping in Uemachi

I seem to find myself in Oriental sims a lot of late. It IS fun to mouseover boxes (even free ones) and not even know what may be inside. I usually skip buying things I can't recognize. My inventory is cavernous enough as it is. So this eve I find myself on a paved white street in Uemachi. It is snowing and traffic lights aren't working too hard, but their bright orange paint adds to the fun of it all.

My first stop is ARGRACE where they have some very nice looking unisex down jackets perfect for this snowy weather (wink). I found a hat demo and fell in love. It comes in three lengths of hair and fits me perfectly. That's the free Henley T I am wearing by the way.

The sidewalk is lined with free boxes and there are kimono shapes on walls of shops for 0 Linden. I have fortitude however and journey on without a so much as a click (good girl, Divine).

There are brightly colored free Tee shirts at the Oriental Market. Again I have NO clue what they say so wear at your own risk :D

There is free jewelry and hair at KMYY including a very lovely and finely made necklace with small crosses worked into the design.

It amazes me how generous the designers are. Each store seems to have useful and well made items. There is a uniform (should you need one) and a pretty cool bean bag chair (both with logos) at Pink Clover.

Heaven's Shape has both free shapes for ladies and guys and seven Newbie Packs which include shapes, eyes, shoes, skin and nice clothes. I never looked quiet that good as a newbie (wink).

That's my tour of only ONE STREET in Uemachi. Come and explore and see what else you can find.

Japanese Freebies Galore!

Just out exploring I found a plethora (love that word) of free and 1 Linden items. These are from Aventi Island which has lots of tiny shops on infinitesimal atoles :D So be prepared to fly a bit. Cute, upscale and fun - my kind of shopping. [ Unfortunately I found that ALL LM default to the home base so I have gone around again to give you a few LM numbers at least.} Virtually ALL the stores have freebies so wandering on your own is good to.

If you want guidance to your explorations, here is what I found:

Charmed (70,227,21) has several free Tees with hibiscus designs. They come in yellow-orange, moss (waist length), white (long length) and peach (short for gals). There are also four bikini sets (five in a set) for $1L. Two for gals; two for guys.

Little Town (115, 44,21) has some bangle bracelets on the wall for free.

Coco House (209,243,21) has M.R.M. FACTORY hibiscus hair clips and M.R.M. FACTORY beach bracelets for free out front.

Pure Style (22, 230,21) has boxed item of back jewelry (silver and red- $0L), unisex ties in black and white print and brown ($1L) as well as some very cute outfits

VOER (19, 184, 21) has a nice hat for free (boxed and on the floor next to the free teddy bear).

RANOEL (38, 157, 21) has a white fur muffler and a bright snow hat for free.

Feather 71,138,21) has a cute white and berry print mini skirt. All prim with a prim belt. Don't forget your undies :D

Tricolore (227, 195, 23) has three colors of cute rocker hair with bright hair bands for free( boxed and on the floor). They come in black, mocha and bright red. Also on a table in the center of the room are a free unisex belt and some very nice dangling diamond earrings.

Plants (29,228,21) has a free plum colored dress with shawl as well as a flowered crown (very tropical).

Serendipity (64, 130, 21) has a cute Henley T.

The Returning Pendulum

It's after midnight in my corner of the real world and I need to be getting to bed, but I knew that wasn't going to happen until I put down a few thoughts. Those of us who have been in SL awhile have watched as we went from Lucky Chairs that actually contained worthwhile prizes to the plentiful junkiness of business in a box stores and malls with up to (and maybe over) 100 chairs with things most of us wouldn't want anyway.

I am so gratified to see the designers striking back at this very dark period in SL retail by offering quality merchandise as give aways. It almost seems like there is a contest going on for who can be the most gracious and giving. This is a wonderful thing for all of our wardrobes, but perhaps even a better thing for our spirits. So please thank the designers, offer them some praise and appreciate what they are doing.

I, personally, do not want to go back to where we have just emerged from :D. Support them with your words and your Lindens.

Maxly Fairy Tale Gown

This week's freebie at The Body Politik is this lovely mint gown by Polly Pavlova valued at $750. Now that is something to shout about. Other colors are available in a shop near the specially priced version. It was SO popular, the vendor couldn't handle the requests. So find it in a plain box (or perhaps textured by the time you read this) under the prominent Freebie of the Week poster. It is truly a fairy princess gown -- and don't we all want to be a princess once in awhile!

Wonder and the House of Zen

This is Divine here to introduce you to my friend Wonder. I decided that a male point of view would be an addition to the blog and I also suspect that the menswear will look better on him than me (wink). So, with that being said, I turn this over to Wonder. And girls, feel free to pant if you want -- we are ONLY friends and he is a cute sonofagon. :D

**************************************

Thank you Divine. I have spent a lot of time at the House of Zen lately and I am very impressed. True, I didn't actually buy anything, but I sat in the prize chairs and was very happy with my rewards. The time is definitely short for the return and the quality is so refreshing to see. These are not lucky chair reject goods, these are from the wall items valued at 500 to 800 Lindens (at least the ones I checked). A note here -- almost immediately after I took my last prize and started trying things on and taking photographs (I love taking photos), the goods in the prize chairs changed. They are now oriental in flavor, colorful and presumably just a nice as what I am reviewing here. Since these chairs have not been up long, I suspect that this is a good sign they will change regularly. A bonus for those willing to sit for clothes.

This shows three of the outfits from House of Zen. From top to bottom we have Zen Debonair (my personal favorite), Zen Multi gray which included two ties, and a exceptional tuxedo called Ritz.

Here's what I can say about the menswear in general. First the seams match! As a picky person I really appreciate the fact that the collar front and back meet at the shoulder. They are hand drawn and nicely executed. They fit me well and I am a pretty big guy. All in all the value is there and I am indeed impressed. The fact you can get these great clothes for sitting for 45 minutes makes this the best deal in SL that I know of.

Since I have mine, I am letting the secret out (actually Divine did that and told me and that is how I found out). Be sure and send the designer a note. She is being more than generous here.

I hope to report on something else soon. Need to get the byline thing worked out --- LOL

In Search of Paradise

I lived in Barbados (RL) for most of a year long ago and visited its Second Life namesake when I was new to our virtual world. So I thought that a walk down memory lane might be fun. Alas, the Caribbean clubs have disappeared to be replaced with red tape and fake snow. St. Martin next door looked quite nice until I realized that it has all been set up with boat docks and palm trees as a sales incentive.

Was there NO "Paradise" in SL?

Onward to Costa Rica which seemed quite nice. Lots of rolling beaches, private residences with no red tape. A friendly -- I hope -- pig started following me :)) HMMM.

The waves were lovely, the land masses undulating and friendly. A pair of monkeys played on a jungle gym enjoying the peaceful view and a whale ambled by. Now THIS was more like it! (The pig, upside down and looking VERY dead seemed to be attached to my foot for awhile. Bad coding? He disappeared with I TPed -- whew!)

There is a very nice Jazz Club called Frank's Place in Costa Rica -- very classy with white marble and open air pillars. A few shops greet you as well as a very tall mountain. All in all it won the Paradise contest -- for this eve anyway. Drop by some time and explore.

Best of the Freebies: 1-06-08

These are not the newest free items on the block but are still currently available and to my mind, the best of the bunch that I know of :D

• Second Style gift pack for Dec 07 - great ZHAO shoes, nice AO with poses for those who don't have one, fun jewelry - and more
• Also at La Zoo Tuli Christmas presents still under the tree contain a variety of very nice items
• Tesla Ziggy Heels in holiday colors - great sculpty low boots. And a bit down the row there are the famous free Mary Janes and a really cute fedora hat (guys or gals)
  
• Falling Leaves outfit at Classic Casuals has a lovely top, pants, belt and optional scarf.
• Black and white skins from La Sylphide (think old movie film) one with red lipstick are fun for an event or a contest or even if you just want to hang out in some of the new black and white sims like Silent.

Also mentioned in previous post, the undies at Ginza, skins at Another Shop, and eyes at House of Zen.

Oriental Sims

There is an abundance of lovely oriental sims in SL and I hope to cover some others in the upcoming weeks. First on my list is the Japanese Goods Shop "GiornoBrando".

The sim itself is lovely if a bit tricky to reach. Your teleport spot is a ground floor entrance of sorts. Walk to the end of the path and teleport from the stone obelisk. Your goal is 481 meters up!

Once you arrive there is a wealth of lovely things to explore including an open air tea room complete with steaming tea and a Havelock Shrine. Products tastefully fit into the themed area and include many free goods including lovely kimonos for both women and men. There is even a fitting room (handy if you are new to SL). Note: SLURLs are only for referrence; you cannot tp to the locations directly. Use your map :D

It is especially lovely in the early evening as the moon touches the treetops.

****************************************************

In the shopping areas we have House of Zen which has been remodeled of late. While I miss some of the outdoor theme touches of the older version of the sim, I am happy to announce that they have added camp for clothes prize chairs which contain very nice goods.

I opted to sit for one of the mens outfits as the ladies are in very dark colors which is not my personal best. This is the Suave Suit. Shoes by ZHAO. Earrings by Second Mirage.

There is also a Freebie store on the third floor with both old an new original products from thier store as well as some public domain items of good quality. Another Shop's skins are here also. Check the free eyes (especially the rainbow version). Again the SLURL will is blocked by a permanent tp point and is for reference.

GINZA is a fun sim to explore; a very modern city area with reader-boards built into the flooring and many people sized shops to explore. There is even a movie house. A very lovely park can be found amidst all the commercialism.

Watch the stores for free items also. Currently Cecile is giving away clothes from a real life designer (dresses, undies, and a suit for men) as part of a modeling promotion for their magazine.