Simply Elegant

Everyone is wearing red for the holidays, so I just had to design a special red outfit myself. Red is so .... exciting!

OK, I know I'm shameless, but I love it when people say, "You look beautiful today!" I feel let down if the dress gets all the compliments. :P When I design clothes, I want them to make me look good. And I want them to make you look good too.

So what makes a woman look good? I like to think of it as flow. It's about movement, yes, but it's more than that. Flow is about how well your clothes telegraph your shape and your personality. It's about line, form, color, and ... character. It's about whether your clothes fit who you are instead of struggling against you.

Flow is SO important in a skirt! You can tell when a skirt has flow, even when you are standing perfectly still. A feminine skirt hints at your shape -- doesn't shout it -- instead of imposing its shape on you. This one is slim, straight, and beautifully soft, and I made it so long that you could be barefoot and no one would ever know. It's designed to make you look graceful. Flexi has a mind of its own when you start jogging, but at least this skirt has a gentle personality. ;-)

The midriff is pleated satin, and the bodice is a deep red and black lace that has a hint of mystery and is very feminine. The V-neck is just deep enough to show off that lovely "Chinoisserie" necklace I bought from Muse last week. You probably have a favorite necklace that would look great with it too.

By the way, I really love this hair style. It's the new French twist style at Sirena's, the one she calls "Josephine." Red hair is just right with this dress, and it's my color too. Aren't I lucky?

I had no trouble at all deciding what to call this dress. It's "Simply Elegant," and you can find it in my shop on Elysian Isle.


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Today, instead of a tour, I want to share a poem. (Yes *blush*, it's one of mine.)


The World As I Know It

Comfortable familiarity aside,
Reality is overrated.
A flat canvas
bounded by perception.
.
Shackled in a foreign frame,
reality my prison,
I glimpse barely the horizon.
.
What lies beyond my portrait?
Am I me?
Or despite appearances
a medieval Jeanne d’Arc,
an Argentine explorer,
a rose by some exotic name?
.
To be is
not
to be.
.
To imagine
is to become
the artist.

Saturday Night!

I just made a lovely soft pink dress that would be perfect for a night out. When I was designing the fabric for it, I wanted something that would look feminine and would have a bouncy, party feel, so I sprinkled the cotton-candy background with lots of tiny confetti. So, what should I call this pretty, strapless dress? I know! ....... "Confetti" (Duh!)

I could just put it in the shop for you to enjoy, but I want to enjoy it too. I want to go dancing! It's Saturday night, so I'm going to head for the Jazz Cat, on Infotainment Island.

The Jazz Cat is a very special place. My friend Marimar is the hostess on Saturday nights, and she has the best music -- a lot of jazz and smooth melodies that you can really dance to. That's Marimar in the Christmas hat, and there's me. I don't think this is a waltz.

The dance floor here is a real dark marble, so my pink dress shows up nicely, even when the lights are turned down low. The club is surrounded by a lake that makes it feel like you're on an island somewhere. It's winter, so the lake is frozen now. (I wonder where the fish go?)

Some people come so they can go ice skating to the music, but not me. I'm here to dance! Marimar is playing Sinatra and some of the Big Band era stuff tonight. So smooth.

Up there behind the Christmas tree are photos of some of my favorite jazz musicians ... Coltrane, Monk, Parker ... .

When I come here, I usually come with friends, and we have a great time. If you come with a date, the Jazz Cat has wonderful private skyboxes where you can go dancing in the clouds. It is such fun, and so romantic.

I think I could just stay here all night. Hmmmmm...... ;-)

Hey, who are those guys in jeans? Fashion police!

International House

Such a busy time! The holidays sneak up on me too fast every year, but this year seems busier than usual.

I have been showing visitors around Info Island International recently, so I decided that I had to have something bright to wear. Here it is ... a straight skirt and V-neck blouse combination in an eye-popping orange that I decided to call "Sunrise." The fabric for the skirt is a coarse weave that looks and feels very comfortable. Nobody is going to lose me in the crowd!

If you'd like to stand out in your crowd, you'll find this new outfit in my shop on Elysian Isle.

I always start my day in Second Life right here, in the open-air living room of International House. We don't get rain here, and the snow hardly ever amounts to much, so who needs a front door?

This is what International House looks like from the outside. I pretend that it's my home, but it is really a gathering place where people can hold meetings or receptions. It is right in the extreme northeastern corner of Info Island International. Just beyond the trees on the left is Bell Library, which is the tallest building on Info Island, the sim next door, and to the right is International Plaza. The wrap-around patio is a great place to sit and watch the world go by, and I have set out a picnic blanket and some goodies under a huge tree in the side yard for people who would like to stay for a while and chat.

Come on inside! You can see we have plenty of comfortable seating, and a bar for when people need a break from those long meetings. I really like these chairs. You can even get super relaxed and put your feet up on the table.

As you might expect in some place called International House, the decor here is quite cosmopolitan. There's a lovely old map of the world over the fireplace, and poster artwork that reminds you of places around the world. There's even a lovely ikebana flower arrangement on the landing to the second floor.

Speaking of which .... let's go up.

The seminar room on the second floor is much more private. It's just the right size for a few people to sit, have a cup of coffee, and get down to serious business. It would also be a fine place for a professor to hold office hours with students, maybe talk over a research project.

The view from here is wonderful. That's the headquarters building of the Alliance Library System directly behind me outside. ALS is the coordinating entity for all of the islands in this region, and is our landlord here.

The concourse in front of their building is where we have exhibitions of public art and where we gather for special events.

So, this is not really my house, but it feels like my home in SL. Drop in next time you are in the area. If I'm here, we can sit and visit. If not, well .... relax by the fireplace. Mi casa es su casa!

Time to relax

Remember the "Floral Spring" skirt I was wearing the other day when we visited Mi Pueblo, the cantina on Info Island International? The one with the pretty watercolor flowers? I really like gentle, pastel tones, so I tend to wear that skirt a lot. That's it in the photo at the left.








I like that skirt enough, in fact, that I have made it twice. The second time, I wondered what the floral print would look like of it had a ruffled border around the hem and grass-green waistband instead of the pale yellow one. Here's what the second style looks like. Notice that I also decided to raise the hem so that it hits just about at my knees. What do you think?


Frankly, I can't decide what style looks best, so I thought I'd let you have a choice. They are both in my shop on Elysian Isle. If you can't decide either, maybe you'd like to buy both?

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Let's go relax somewhere. In the southeast corner of Info Island International, right next to Mi Pueblo, there's a quiet little orchard. I like to come here just to get away from the world sometimes. Do you do that too? I mean, have a private place where you just like to lie on your back in the grass and watch clouds, or sit under a tree with a good book?



Well, you can do that in the orchard. It is soooooo peaceful.


The apple and pear trees always seem to have fruit on them. I wonder why? Some day I'm going to have to figure out how to pick some and take them home. Someone has a head start on me, and already has a full basket on the cart. Hmmmmm..... maybe he won't mind if I take just one while I'm standing here.

This is an absolutely gigantic apple tree. The person who has been picking apples went off and left his ladder, so you can climb up and sit on a high rung. Probably not a good idea in heels. It's safer to just click on the light green pillow, put my feet up, and daydream. I could do that for hours. ;-)


(It's a good thing we're in SL. If this were an orchard in RL, those apples on the ground would be loaded with wasps and I'd have one up my skirt by now. Isn't that a pleasant thought!)



Oh, . . and if you don't want to just lie around and be lazy, there is the neatest tree here! It is scripted so you can climb all over it and sit in high branches, or even hang by your knees from a lower limb. Such fun! I'm not going to show you pictures of that part, though, because my skirt ends up over my head when I do that, and that's not the most graceful pose to put in a blog. Instead, here's me on a swing.



Sometimes, you just have to find somewhere to be a kid. This is my place, and I don't mind sharing it. Come on over. We can both hang by our knees and you know what? You can wear your nice skirt. It won't get dirty or anything. This is Second Life!

Benvenuto in Italia!

Brrr! It's still snowing outside. Must still be winter. I know how to feel warmer . . . let's go to Italy!


There are some beautiful Italian sims in Second Life. One of my favorites is San Francesco Assisi. I'm told that it is a faithful reproduction of the Basilica San Francesco Assisi in Italy, so let's compare and see.

The basilica is the mother church of the Franciscan order of Catholic friars. Construction began in 1228, shortly after Francis of Assisi was canonized, and was completed in 1253. It was decorated by the greatest late medieval Roman, Umbrian, and Tuscan artists of the day. Here's a photo of the courtyard in RL, complete with tourists and pigeons.

Here's what you see as you enter the courtyard of the basilica in Second Life. Hmmm . . . The sky is a little more dramatic and I don't see the tourists and the pigeons. It looks a lot like the original, though, doesn't it?



Let's take a look inside. Here's the Upper Basilica in RL. The vaulted ceiling is magnificent. The walls bear frescoes depicting a variety of religious scenes, including 28 depicting the life of St. Francis, ascribed to the young Giotto. It is a wonderfully contemplative area.




The creative designers who built the replica in Second Life made their Upper Basilica look like this. Same vaulted ceiling, and look at the frescoes! I am overwhelmed.


It will take you hours to explore the SL version, and it's well worth it. Be sure that you do the full tour, including the Lower Basilica and the crypt where St. Francis is buried. It is truly a marvelous and faithful reproduction.


OK, after that visit we need to take time for lunch, perhaps at a small sidewalk trattoria. But where? Ah! . . . . I know just the place, back on my home sim, Info Island International. Follow me.

Oh, rats! It's snowing here too. Nice place for a quiet lunch, though, and there is already a bottle of Chianti, a cheese board, and a delicious-looking strawberry torte waiting for us. Maybe if we stay under the umbrella we'll keep most of the snow off. I happen to know that when the snow melts, this area will also be a great place for a picnic. I can see the blanket over there in the olive grove. We can sit there and watch the ducks in the pond.


While you're here, you can also pick up information about Italian country dances, the history of ancient Roman roads, and the development of modern Romance languages. Oh, and you can also get a free Italian designer handbag.

You've probably been wondering when I was going to get around to saying something about clothing. OK, the skirt I've been wearing today is another of my knee-length seasonal flexis. This time, it's the "Field of Flowers" design. Let me show you up close.



That swarm of colorful butterflies rising out of the flowers makes me feel like it's spring, no matter how much snow is on the ground. Don't you love it?


Yes?


So let's sit down under the umbrella and enjoy a glass of Chianti. If we're patient and a little lucky, maybe a couple of fine Italian gentlemen will come and help us eat that torte.

The Opening was Grand!

A big thank you to everyone who came to my Grand Opening! It was great to see so many friends, and to make new ones. I hope you come back often and send your friends too. For those who missed it -- I really apologize especially to people whose time zones made it impossible -- I did manage to take a few snapshots.

I would write a lot more but I am exhausted. It has been a long, glorious day, and I'm going to collapse. I'll write more another day.

Ready for a Chinese experience?

We're back on Info Island International again, my favorite place. Areas on the island are dedicated to different world languages or cultures, so you can wander around and learn about French or Italian or Dutch, for example, and discover something about the people who speak those languages. If you are a teacher or a student, or if you just like learning things, this is a fun place to explore!





Today I'm visiting the China Cafe, which is a huge four-story building on the west side of the island. This is what the ground floor looks like -- nice and open, with a koi pond large enough for swans. It looks very much like open-air buildings in China -- no walls and high ceilings. The second floor holds a large classroom where you can sit on pillows and listen to occasional programs about Chinese culture. This month, there have been presentations about tea, alcohol, and food in China every Sunday morning at 6 a.m. SLT. It's a great way to wake up.



This is the third floor, where there is a very nice library where you can see posters depicting scenes from daily life in China. You can also get notecards about various cultural topics and even see videos. They keep adding things to the library every time I come, so I always learn something new. I'm fascinated by what people wear, of course, so on this visit I've decided to stop and read the information on this poster about Chinese costumes.



My own costume, by the way, is a full-length flexi skirt with a swirl of colorful autumn leaves and a ruffled sepia border at the hem. I always look forward to autumn, when trees look dressy and the air is crisp. With this skirt, I can take a walk in a woodland sim and feel right at home. The skirt's yellow background is most intense at the hem and grades to a paler tone at the waistband, where it matches the color of my blouse. You've seen this keyhole blouse before, remember? I wore it yesterday when we visited Mi Pueblo, on the eastern side of the island. It goes so well with this "Autumn Leaves" skirt that I decided to sell them together in my shop.



The fourth floor of the China Cafe is a peaceful viewing area with a lovely cherry tree at its center. If you're like me, you treasure quiet places where you can relax and think inward thoughts. This one is very Zen-like.



The absolute best part of China Cafe, though, is the roof. If you really want the Chinese experience, try the Tai Chi poseballs. Better yet, bring several friends and practice Tai Chi together. It's the most graceful, slow-motion experience you will find in Second Life -- a full immersion plunge into the ancient art of contemplative exercise.