The usual

Hours spent at Jewelry Fair: 1.5 (bad). Items bought at Jewelry Fair: have already forgotten (bad) but was certainly lot less than COULD have bought (good).

Since have not yet fixed proper laptop, one that started going clunk-clunk in April, am now rather restricted about access to SL when away from office. To begin with, new netbook allowed some access, although generally of slow grey lumpy kind. Still it meant could attend those kinds of educators meetings where all you do is find a seat and then throw in the odd bit of text chat to show you aren't just letting your avatar sit there while you go off and make coffee or check your facebook page.

Anyway, gaps mean that when do get back in have loads to catch up on. Cute items for Spruce Up Your Space or Super Bargain Saturday that might still be out and available! Paying rent for shop in Juicy! Feeding the cats! And of course have the weekly obligation of the 52 weeks of colour challenge, which now has ONLY SIX WEEKS LEFT, gosh what will I find to do with my time when that finishes.

Obviously a couple of things are - going on hunts and visiting fairs. Have tried to give up fairs as tend to be v. time consuming, somewhat laggy, and also inevitably feed shopaholic tendencies. However, when doing Brick Red outfit for current Week of Colour Challenge decided that hadn't got quite the right earrings, so a visit to the Jewelry Fair that just opened was the only logical solution. Results can be seen here and here. Found v. pretty peacock feather earrings, only prob being that if viewed from front they disappear into hair. Think this is something to with alpha textures. Anyway, easy solutions are to
a) wear updos so is no hair in immediate vicinity of lower ear and/or
b) take pictures from side, where feathers magically appear again.

Am accumulating vast store of lore of this sort. Not sure what will do with it all, but then probably don't apply most of stuff that have picked up outside SL either e.g. once restored and re-caned a chair but don't think have been once required to reapply this knowledge in intervening period. What find slightly puzzling is that researchers who have researched SL fashion scene have tended to pursue v.v. dull questions about identity inside and outside SL, yawn, rather than interesting stuff e.g. why you might prefer Truth hair to Lelutka hair (in my case answer is simple as Lelutka don't do blue hair).

1st pic shows particularly tempting booth, and 2nd pic shows one of the Jewelry Fair sims ("Fire") Interesting that last year's organisers seemed agonisingly concerned about exhibits only using small number of different textures, no animated items, no particles, layout designed so that people's computers only had to absorb limited no. of graphics at a time, strict instructions about de-primming yourself before visiting etc. etc. This year all that has been jettisoned, as may see from rather murky pic, sim was filleed with animations and textures, and one often found oneself having to plough through a lava chasm to try and get to the next booth.

Talking of lava, the 3rd pic shows part of a short and enjoyable Quest that BareRose had, where you had 4 skyglobes with scenes in them that you had to navigate. In this one you had to go across narrow bridge with giant swinging axes, at risk of boiling to death in the lava. At the end you got some cool armour and a beautiful flying dragon. In final pic can see me swooping over Cowell on my dragon. Wheeeee.

Reflections

Favourite jewellery designer disappearing: 1 (bad); Blessings counted: 1 (good); Plays on double meaning of word "reflections": 1 (poor)

Was shocked to find from SL fashion blog feed that the Second Mirage shop is suddenly no more as designer is leaving SL. Immediately teleported to the Second Mirage sim but all had disappeared - shop and all its jewels. Whilst standing gawping at empty landscape someone came up who said she lived there and was now being ousted, sad as it was her first home. Thus forced to reflect on advantage of being on mainland (as with my own home) since although may suddenly find self with giant plank or nightclub for neighbour at least don't get made homeless on an owner's whim.

Think that people in fashion world must know why the designer suddenly left as has been zero comment on the feeds. Am now cursing that didn't ask SM resident what the reason was. Anyway, have got several favourite pieces from Second Mirage and now cursing even more that didn't pour a few more lindens into snapping up earrings, necklaces etc. while had chance.

2nd type of "reflection" is what you get with windlight on water and can see it especially in pic of me standing in sea at Bossa Nova. Have to stress this taken with husband's high end computer, as mentioned in previous post, as with own inferior animal just get the odd sparkle, although sky definitely improved.

Earthtones sale

Bracelet sets bought: 1 (good); Money saved in sale: lots (good); Necklaces bought: 4 (bad, but in a good way)

Earthtones is favourite jewellry store, so must mention that there is sale on, lots of items lined up outside store with 50% off. Had gone there to pick up necklace to match new clothes that had made (will save that for later post) and discovered sale.

Of course this is invitation to consume madly so clicked happily until inventory weighed down with 2 Maya necklace/ earring sets, matching bracelets for one Maya necklace, multicoloured crescent necklace & more modest jewel pendant with changing colour stones. Wheee!

First pic shows me wearing one of Maya necklaces with granny shrug plus dress from ICING. Second pic shows me in Boho wooden necklace unfortunately not in sale, had bought this on previous visit. Am also wearing earrings in both pictures but earrings mostly waste of money with my new hair since it covers them up. Earthtones sale is on til 23rd August, http://earthtonesboutique.blogspot.com/ coordinates in SL Bushido Bay (76, 236, 24).

PS am not being given any free stuff for this advert.

Unfortunately.

Shopaholic

Dresses bought: 6 or it might be 7, or 8 or ... (v.bad, although 3 of them were free); Shoes bought: 2 pairs (3 if you count the slippers: bad); Bracelets bought: 2 (bad); Fans bought: 1 (bad); Necklaces bought: 1 (I suppose that's not SO bad); Pairs of earrings bought: 2 (bad); Computer crashes: 2 (bad); Hours spent trying on new outfits: 3 (v.v.bad); Hours spent managing inventory: 1 (good)

Have developed dreadful shopping habit. Spent hours flitting between emporia, flying up and down in front of placards deciding whether frocks would look as good on me as on model.
Fear have left Boxes (in which clothes come packed) strewn across landscape in mad drive to Open and try on booty. Have to remember to Take boxes after contents have zoomed into inventory but easily distracted by sight of new bodices, underskirts, waving ribbons, veils etc waiting to be Worn.

Wonder whether there is already sanctuary for shopaholics in SL where Residents can be discouraged from Retail Therapy. All above in fact only cost circa £6, but still that is £6 for which have nothing to show except a few photos uploaded to flickr.
On whole shopping hassle free experience. Only incident was someone trying to sell me hair. Have decided that will keep hair as identifying feature. In RL have had long hair since age 12 and intend to keep it thus, so short blue hair is novelty. Have also realised that arms have tattoos on, a fact hitherto concealed by prediliction for kimono with long sleeves. As tattoos also something not aspired to in RL will keep for present.

Photos display some of new purchases which am attempting to mix and match although this takes some care as clothes not bought together tend to interact in very odd ways.

Shoes biggest disappointment since with current graphics card simply make feet look deformed and crumbling. However still prefer long skirts so worst is concealed. Best buy is Diamond Dress which cost only $1 Linden on discard pile in fancy store, since flouncy black skirt from this can be combined with top from another outfit and a feathery thing from one of my possible mistakes (a red number) to give v. classy effect. (see 2nd pic sitting in office).

Some pleated skirts also nice (3rd pic, the traditional Flying Shot), but disconcertingly disappear into chair when sit down. This effect is shown in first pic (meditating on some mountain or other) where looks OK I think.


With new stuff raining into Inventory decided must do some Personal Information Management and discovered that key to this is Create New Window which gives you copy of Inventory and enables movement of items between folders (not possible, as far as can see, when only 1 copy of inventory open).
Create various subfolders, mostly for types of clothing (surprise) and all looks much neater now, plus have deleted various objects the function of which remained obscure but had held on to them just in case.

As well as considering and rejecting new Hair, also tried some new Eyes (see final pic) but frankly not worth it, especially as eyes are almost totally obscured by fringe.