Showing posts with label Keliah's Thoughts. Show all posts

209

By Keliah Angelis | Wednesday, July 24, 2013 | , Leave a comment

Love Donna Flora Raqs!


 As I was setting up my own merchandise for the Love Donna Flora! event, the first cart I passed was Bellydance Goddess' display for a saidi dress (pronounced sah-ee-dee.) For a moment I was floored and unsure of what I was seeing. A saidi dress? But that's what it was - or described as. To be honest, it doesn't look anything like a saidi dress, but more like a beledi costume....okay, sorry. I'm running off with my thoughts and probably you have no idea what I am rambling about.

The thing is I almost fainted because I was so excited to see it! The dress is a full-perm template gown with some custom attachments, but throw the name saidi or beledi on it and I can't give my money away fast enough. Many of you know - and some of you don't - that I am a (for now) retired bellydancer in real life. Retired because I developed severe asthma while living in a house that was infested with toxic mold for the past two and a half years (I finally moved recently. What a mess that situation was.) My dance, my troupe, my classes, my weekends away to various intensives fell into life's waiting bin. Dance was my passion for a very long time and not having it in my life while getting the asthma under control (it's getting there) was very disheartening for me.

Most bellydancers specialize in a particular style and I am no different. The folklore styles really called to some ancient place in my soul and I loved performing beledi, saidi, sha'abi, zaar...the list is pretty long, really. Seeing this glamorized version of Eyptian folklore gives me great joy.

That's one of the things I love about Second Life: you can be anything you want to be. This includes being a bellydancer, which you can do at Bellydance Oasis, where you'll find a store dedicated to costuming and many venues to socialize and dance with dance sisters from all over the world. It's a very popular place and I've always enjoyed dancing there when I just wanted to dance but could not in real life.

Credits:
Dress Ensemble:    .:BG:. Bellydance Goddess - Saidi Gown New!~Love Donna Flora!
Hair:    .:EMO-tions:. - Mystery (Intensive Red style A) New!~Hair Fair 2013
Hands/Feet:    SLink
Eyes:    IKON - Ascension eyes (Nymph)
Skin:    League - Jen (Natural Medium)
Pose:    HENMATIONS - Saidi Dance Pack



This is a good example of modern Saidi dance (or raqs assaya.)
The cane this dancer ues is a mockery of the canes men use in the
men's dance. This dance form originates from the nomadic tribes of
upper Egypt. Moves and music are still prominent in sha'abi, sha'abi
being everyone's dance. Pop music is often called sha'abi. 


This is me dancing saidi in early 2011
(Yes, I had a foot injury there.)




200

By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, June 30, 2013 | , Leave a comment

Cowgirl Up


I really just wanted to blog a story that was inspired by Truth Hawk's brand new style of hair because I thought it was that amazing, and I just didn't want to make a 'look'. My SL Family and I really love dressing up in themes (actually, my sister has a pretty rockin' cowgirl outfit already) just for the sake of dressing up in themes. It's fun! And it's also a big part of SL! Be what you want, right?

The problem was that I didn't have a horse. How can I be a proper cowgirl without a faithful steed? I mean sure, there are prop horses out there for posing (yeah, I have them) and plenty of beautiful static horses out there (pretty much from the same mesh model), but that's not what I wanted. So, I bought a few cheaper ones (one was 9L) and picked up a free one somewhere, but the problem is the tail on this particular mesh model and my graphics card. They don't seem to be friends and pictures with said mesh model just look terrible.


Eventually I found myself with three choices: Amaretto breedables, AKK horses, and Realistek. I really love the Realistek model. I tried it on, played with the poses, drove the demo all over the SIM, and thought it was pretty awesome for being so old school SL. Then? The price tag. The price tag! $12,000L was pushing the envelope. Okay, it was more like destroying the envelope. No way was I paying that much money for something in SL. The Amaretto horses are cute, but they look strange. Like a cartoon rather than an actual horse. So it went down to AKK. Again, it's a very outdated product in terms of it being all sculpty parts, but it's still a decent looking horse and comes with poses and walking animations. It's also cheaper in the store than from the hefty $2,500L that's on the marketplace, which is still seriously pushing the envelope on things that I would purchase for SL. However, as Dannika Dryke told me, "The things we do for pictures..."


Despite my overly drawn out horse-shopping-spree, I had a lot of fun doing this blog post. Why? Because I made a new friend today. Rather, Ich habe einen neuen Freund heute. That's what Second Life is all about. That and Truth hair. I can't think of a better way to end my 200th post by saying how much my friends in Second Life mean to me. I love you all. Almost as much as I love my Truth hair.




Credits:
Top:    e! Eclectic Apparel - Jillaroo Shirt (Tan)
Jeans:    L&B Lapointe and Bastchilde Mesh Jeans (Faded Blue)
Boots:    [HANDverk] - Western Ankle Boots (Rust)
Hair:   Truth - Jill (Red 02) New!
Hands:    SLink
Eyes:    IKON Ascension Eyes - Evening New!
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair Natural)

193

By Keliah Angelis | Saturday, June 8, 2013 | , 1 Comment

Always Look on the Bright Side

Dreamscape at Twilight

It's been awhile. Real life dropped by as it is wont to do, shook me by the shoulders, and then left me wanting and disoriented. The truth is I had to put SL aside and figure out what was going on with my life - because it was going no where and I realized that if I didn't set my personal wheels in motion then I was going to wind up living in my car with no future. 

Those who know me know that I've been looking for work. I've been out of work since November. At first I was like, 'Oh, I'll get a job right away and everything will be okay.' I tried to not let it get me down as the first three months ticked by without anything. Luckily, I had - and do have still - unemployment. It barely pays, but at least it's something to hold on to to help along. However, as the months passed, the deadline for my benefits was coming dangerously to a close. I found myself wasting a lot of my time bent over my computer. In fact, I was spending probably 90% of my time online, if not more. I would wake up, not get dressed from my pajamas, drink a pot of coffee, and just be online. I neglected my home, my car, and my health. I sank so low into depression that I had to struggle to stay up on my hygiene - and when you're having personal arguments with yourself to take a shower, you know you have a problem. I had sunk low into depression (a condition I struggle with, but usually self manage just fine) and couldn't see any way out of my current situation. 

Luckily my graphics card fried. Without it, I realized SL was a big distraction from my misery, and I used it as a blanket to cower behind while the real world was  progressing to a bleaker future. The thing is, I have goals. I have a certain thing that I want to do pretty much more than anything - and that's move. But how is that going to happen if I have no money? How about when I get to where I want to be? My field is not in that state, there are no job prospects for me there and in order to move up to the state where my SL boyfriend lives, I have to have a job. See, I want to take care of me - not move up there and be a financial burden to someone. My outlook was so poor that I couldn't seem to make my goals come to fruition.
Today I am in a much better place. I just...sort of snapped out of it. No, the magical job fairies were not going to provide me with a job that 400-500 people in my county were applying for. No, that winning lotto ticket wasn't going to come into my possession. No, feeling sorry for myself and wasting my life wasn't going to make things better.

I decided while I was on unemployment, I was going to make a drastic career change after reviewing the Department of Labor Statistics. I re-enrolled in school. I've been going now for a month and I love it. Being in a place where I was actively making a change in my life raised me up a few notches on the feel-good-o-meter. Suddenly, I had responsibility again. I had a schedule again! Also, I have a job starting officially on Monday. What's best? It's in my new field and with a national company that, hopefully, will allow me to transfer when I am ready to move. These are two goals I set out for myself. Get accepted in this school. Get a job with this company. I have met them. I feel good! Life, I hope, is finally going my way.
 
Second Life no longer serves as a vice to hide with. It's no longer a wall between me and reality. Because of this, I feel I can return and spend more time here than I have been these past two months.

Credits:
Dress:    Indyra Originals - Elisne Tribal Dress (Santorini) New!
Earrings:    Indyra Originals - Slyph New!
Bangles:    Indyra Originals - Peacock bangle stack (Santorini) New!
Shoes:    SLink - Ilena Sandals (Brown)
Hair:    Truth - Bobbie (Red 02) New!
Hands/Feet:    SLink 
Eyes:    IKON - Destiny Eyes (Ice) New! @The Boutique
Skin:    League - Jen (Sunkissed Natural)
Pose:    Adorkable - My Hair

192

By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, March 17, 2013 | 2 Comments

7 Things


I love the Secondlife Blogging Community. Have I told you guys that? Probably. I'm one of those types of people who freely verbalizes all the good feelings I have towards things (you just never know if you'll ever get the chance to later.) You all are such a fun bunch and come up with the best challenges. Recently, blogger Strawberry Singh did a fun little entry called My Seven SL Facts and encouraged the rest of us to give it a try.

SL Fact #1
I am a house/skybox junkie. My friends Blaise, Xomar, and Lexie showed me this gadget called a rezzer a long time ago. Ever since then I've been hooked on decorating homes. I just love it! It's so much fun to put it all together.

SL Fact #2
Going off of the first fact, the truth is I don't actually 'live' in all my beautiful homes. Most of the time, they stay tucked away in my rezzer and I 'live' on a platform with a white backdrop. Or Xomar's house.

SL Fact #3
My avatar was modeled after a roleplay character that I created in Rhy'din on AOL in 1997. She was a Red Sonja type of character from an alien planet my weird friends and I made up. Later I adapted her to Vampire the Masquerade. Later, later she was adapted to a forum for Vampire the Masquerade to be an 'alt' to my main character. In 2011 I imported her to SL. Her name has always been Keliah and so I carried that with me to SL.

SL Fact #4
I never warmed up to mesh eyes. Forever an IKON eyeball wearer.

SL Fact #5
Pianos. I collect SL pianos. Every house I decorate has to have a piano in it. When I afk, it's where I like the park myself.

SL Fact #6
I lost an alt. That is, I created her specifically to dress her up like Bella Swan. I loved that Bella skin from Redgrave so much that I just had to have it. I was going to name her Bella Flamingo. :) Anyways, I made her. Spent the money on the skin, picked her up an outfit and a hair from Truth, logged her off, and forgot about her. Couldn't remember her name and password for the life of me. I finally found her by digging into old cache logs of firestorm. Now she's a child alt which I use for pictures.

SL Fact #7
Speaking of alts, I have 6 alts. They all have very distinctive looks. One child, one blonde, one Asian, one man, one mermaid, and a petite. However, I mostly stay on my main.


Credits:
Top:    ISON - Oversized Top (Rose)~March Collabor88 New!
Necklace:    Cae - Sakura~The Boutique New!
Hair:    Truth - Kasia (Cranberry w/ roots) New!
Eyes:    IKON - Ardent Eyes (Blossom)~The Boutique New!
Lashes:    ::BB:: Beetlebones Dainty Black 
Skin:    League - Jen (Sunkissed Natural w/ freckles)
Pose:    Atooly


179

By Keliah Angelis | Monday, February 18, 2013 | , , , Leave a comment

Size Doesn't Matter



My discovery of these awesome shiny pants from Redgrave is kind of happenstance. I needed a pair of white pants for my Valentine's Day card to go along with my red sweater when I realized I didn't have any in my inventory. My friend Skip Zelin suggested that I should look at the new metallic jeans from Redgrave. At first, judging from the picture, I thought they were a bit too shiny, but then I discovered that each package comes with a very shiny version and a version with a more satiny sheen. 

I didn't realize what an amazing pair of clothing I purchased at first. I'm so used to the standard sizing in mesh clothes that I was really baffled why I couldn't see an XS in the box! I even re-unpacked the merchandise thinking I had deleted all the sizes by mistake, and then I thought perhaps Redgrave was selling standard sizes individually. Then I read the notecard included - which I should have done in the first place. 

Said amazing pants have no standard size, but rather what Redgrave calls 'Liquid Mesh'. The pants conform automatically to your shape. This is good news if you have, say, muscled legs, tiny hips, and big breasts. Or for those who want a bit more bodyfat and belly size while otherwise keeping a small frame. I can't wait to see what else comes out in this cool new twist on mesh technology for Second Life. 

What do you think about liquid mesh and deformer technology? Are you satisfied with standard sizing?



Credits:
Top:    *BOOM* Soft Swerve (Tiffany) New!
Jeans:    REDGRAVE Metallic Jeans LQM (Snow) New!
Shoes:    ::HH:: Hucci - D'Ann Pump Exotics (South Beach)
Bracelets:    MG Maxi Gossamer - Athena (Silver)
Hair:    Truth - Sierra (Cranberry w/roots) New!
Eyes:    IKON Eternal Eyes - Paradise 
Hands:    SLink Mesh Hands
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair Bloom)
Poses: [1]Picture This! Dramatics [2]MudHoney Prestige Medallion Chair
Windlight:    Alchemy Immortalis - Fog Lifting


177

By Keliah Angelis | Wednesday, February 13, 2013 | , , Leave a comment

The Beauty of the Hazardous


Have you been to Hazardous? If you haven't, make sure to mark your landmarks for this. Hazardous is the newest creation by the designers of HuMaNoId. I first heard of it from my fellow blogger Kaelyn, and being the photo junkie that she is, I knew I had to head right on over there. Honestly, I could have remained in the landing zone pictured above for hours, the beauty of it's message inspiring on it's own, however I teleported down (and rather comically to by way of the teleporter.)



The SIM is breathtaking. There's a message here (and by message I do not mean the comical signs posted once you teleport down) written in the landscape. Of old and new. The decor is mainly of decaying man- made items amidst the new, lush greenery. There are plenty of fun places to explore including the movie nook, the tilted light house, the canyon, and the cliff-side piano. The bottom of the cliffs has the same feel as Neva River (a beautiful SIM now closed) had and so I am happy to see that artistic element back in Second Life. If you love HuMaNoId, you will love this beautiful place. Special thanks to the lovely Zubida for posing below.



Credits:
Top:    Maitreya - Lux Sweater (Snow)
Pants:    *BOOM* - Norfolk Tweeds (Sisal) New!
Necklace:    {mon tissu} - Oui Necklace (Silver)
Shoes:    SLink - Ilena Sandals (White)
Hair:    Kenzie - (Cranberry w/roots) New!
Eyes:    IKON - Eternal Eyes (Paradise)
Hands/Feet:    SLink
Lashes:    ::BB:: Beatlebones Mesh Lashes (Dainty Black)
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair Olive)
Windlights:    Multiple
Pose on the second photo:    Picture This! Poses - Dramatics New!
*All the other poses are built into SIM things


172

By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, January 27, 2013 | , Leave a comment

So Much Shoe Appeal



Whatever you do, don't groan. Yes, this is another post about Gos' Boutique shoes, but this image also has me without panties and my big breasted look-a-like 'twin' out on a couch, so that's worth a read. Right? By now blogs and feeds are are buzzing with the business of Gospel Voom's new line of couture heels. (Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing a sales figure after the weekend so that all of us on the grid and give a whistle of appreciation.) I've never seen so many women excited for a product in SL as I have for these shoes - myself included. I think I was the first one in when the announcement was made that the store was open to the public and we could all 'come n get some'! I'll confess that I was repeatedly clicking on the slurl a few minutes before opening because I wanted in that badly.

The average shopper might ask, "but what's the big deal? The hype was HUGE." Looking at the shoes themselves and the lovely foot it comes on is not any more 'big deal' than the other high quality shoe makers on SL. I mean it's pretty damn gorgeous, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to sit here and knock around the product because the textures are amazing and the shapes are simply beautiful. But so is Maitreya or N-Core. SLink also turns out an amazing shoe. Pixel Mode, too. Also they turn out lovely versions of bare feet. 

The HUD is what blows the competition out of the water. Instead of standard presets, which have been the norm for awhile, Gos' Easy Match HUD comes pre-programmed with a web database of some 250 skin tones from all the popular skin makers. On top of that, the list is growing as more requests are turned out. On top of that, there is no need for a sock layer for blending. Nothing holds a candle to this HUD. The work it took to make the HUD alone? I would have paid top dollar for these shoes. Instead, I parted with my linden with more modest pricing to stay on par with competition. (Prices average between $600L and $800L)

And last, but not least, Gos' continued fundraising for animals in need. A few select editions of the Boutique heels are for sale with proceeds benefiting the PDSA.

For pictures, please see Gospel Voom's Flickr.


Credits:
Top:    REDGRAVE - Loose Vintage Tanktop (Dark)
Pants:    None #LikeABoss
Shoes:    [Gos] Boutique - Grace Sandal (Mirror)New!
Necklace:    (DF) Donna Flora - Mirella (Gold)
Hair:    (Chemisty) - Vines (Crimson)
Eyes:    IKON - Eternal Eyes (Floe)
Hands:    SLink Mesh Hands
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair Glamor)

For Dannika's credits, please see her blog: Burning Bright


160

By Keliah Angelis | Thursday, January 3, 2013 | , , Leave a comment

Party Girl


The long awaited return of Curio Skins has come, but to mixed reviews. A lot of us are happy to see what was once a profitable business for someone be allowed back on the grid. Many of us are unhappy to see Hush Skins being cleared of any misdoings by Gala. In fact, most of us wanted to see the woman torched and forced off the grid. We all saw the proof of Hush's crimes, were appalled to see Gala kicked off the grid while Hush remained, and all wondered what this meant for content creation in Second Life. When Gala and Hush decided to agree on amicable terms that their creations were original, the lot of us balked, enraged over the One Voice efforts going to waste (because we wanted justice) and wondered why things had turned out this way. 

Personally? I stand by my purchases for the One Voice event. They cost me probably at max 10 real life US dollars, though I suspect the number is closer to 5. Some spent more, some spent less. The thing is, someone who made something we loved was unfairly under fire - because we all saw the proof of Hush not only ripping from Curio, but from League and Al Vulo as well - and removed from the environment that allowed them to earn a living. The money we raised help ensure that Gala was able to pay for her legal costs, which we are not privy too. I don't blame her for putting the ugly business behind her and because of the funds we all helped raise, she is back on the grid and selling her creations once again. 

To celebrate she has released a Megapack of her skins (all skin tones besides the gold tones and all makeups) called Party Girl. It looks pretty awesome on my Asian alt. You can get the skins by joining the group and searching the past notices. 

Welcome back, Gala. 


Credits:
Dress:    (CM)Cracked Mirror - Resolutions Dress (Grey)~FaMeshed
Leggings:    Q - Studded Leggings 
Shoes:    DECO - Distressed Heel (Licorice)
Necklaces:    Maxi Gossamer - Paris Black Diamod [With Love Hunt]
Ring:    yoyo9 - Pearl
Hair:    Truth - Zuzka (Elvira) New!
Eyes:    IKON - Eternal eyes (Black)
Nails:    Izzies - 80's Round Nails [HUD controlled]
Skin:    Curio - Party Girl (Moonbeam Dark Rave2)
Windlight:   Multiple


  

155

By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, December 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Skip


After post editing the hell out of a picture of my friend Scipio Zelin (thanks, Firestorm, for your grid lines and your shadow destruction), I thought maybe I'd write on the importance of friendships in Second Life. Scipio - or Skip as we call him in Ravenhurst - being one of my best friends on the grid. But the truth is the two of us were simply occupying space on SIM and I felt inspired to take his picture. Mostly because Skip is probably the most interesting looking avatar I've seen to this day. Not a lot of 50-somethings running around who dress this nice! So no, this post will not be an ode to friendships, nor will it be me gushing on and on with starry eyes about those in Second Life I cherish the most. Nope, I'm just going to lay these photos here because they need to take space on the internet. Skip is that awesome. 


149

By Keliah Angelis | Monday, December 17, 2012 | , Leave a comment

The Booby Story


It's the latest craze. There's no denying it. They've been around for awhile now, but none have quite compared to the mesh Tango ta-tas from Lola. I'm talking prim boobies, ladies (and germs.) At first I just really didn't get the look. Avatar cleavage can certainly be boobalicious in certain skins so it's been pretty easy if you want to mingle around the grid as a busty bombshell, even if your breasts are sized to fit the extra small and small standard sizes of mesh. My normal skin from League always manages to impress me with two perfectly round, pushed up breasts that look great in just about any layer of clothing. 

Ah, but here are the tangos. I'm not sure when strutting around the grid with va-va voom curvature became the thing, considering we've all been cursed to hang around the previous major craze in SL shapedom - the pony rider.  

I've just never really been all that impressed with the whored-out slut-junk look that's common around the grid and I'll confess, I equated the tangos to just some novelty reduced to those who want to role play getting their titties knocked around by gigantic prim cocks. But they caught on with designers, and designers started releasing appliers - the layer that means exactly what it says. Suddenly, the grid is coming alive with gorgeous clothes, skin mods.. 

I'll admit, the first time I put them on, I was a bit blown back. But as I started to play with their sizes and textures, I'll confess they are rather fun. They are well made and very customizable. The HUD is a bit overwhelming at first, and if you're a very pale avatar, you're probably going to have a bit of trouble matching to your skin - something us lighter skinned avatars are familiar with. However, some skin makers have jumped into the tango boat and have released skin appliers that fix that issue. They can be shrunk down to a more modest size, which I have done for this photo, and of course they can be blown up to mega-boob size if you're trying out for SL's Next Top Porno Model. All and all, they are a fun product. It certainly makes going topless more interesting. 


Credits:
Pants:    *BOOM* - Miami Linens (Cobalt)
Necklace:    KOSH - Noda Necklace ~ Together for Sway
Bracelet:    yoyo9 - Pearl2
Earrings:    :Fusion: - Hoop beaded earrings (Silver)
Heels:    Pixel Mode - Baby T's (Black)
Boobies:    Lolas - Tango Mesh Breasts
Hair:    Truth - Cece (Cranberry) New!
Nails:    Izzie's - Metallic Gradient Nails [HUD Controlled]
Eyeliner:    CheLLe's - French New Wave
Eyes:    IKON - Utopia Eyes (Pale Trojan Blue)
Skin:    PXL - Faith (Pale)
Pose: dfo - Gala

137

By Keliah Angelis | Saturday, November 24, 2012 | , , 2 Comments

Teal Inspiration


I've been having a difficult time getting inspired lately. I know this is something we bloggers and artists go through from time to time, but I can usually count on something to inspire me. [SL] Blogger Support even has an 'Inspire Me' challenge of daily things that one can use for inspiration and let's not forget Luna Jubilee's famous 52 Weeks of Colour: Part Deux either. 

This is probably because I've had a stressful couple of weeks along with the holiday, right? Makes sense.  

Teal is my favorite color. I know it's hard to really say what one's favorite color is. Hell, even I do. I love all colors, truly. But there's something about teal that I absolutely love. I figured if I couldn't get my favorite color to inspire me than I was doomed as a photographer for all eternity. Fortunately, this is not the case. I was able to shoot something I am really pleased with. PLUS! I found two new stores on the grid. 

The first store is .lame. I found it by punching 'teal' into the marketplace just to see what came up. This sofa that I am currently sprawled over was one of the first things that popped up. Love the colors! The second store is called Maubray. I saw these hot red shoes on the fifty linden Friday list. It seems like we have an up and coming accessory store nosing it's way on the grid. 



Credits:
Top:    ColdLogic - Sweater (Naples Blue)
Jeans:    Maitreya - Zipper Skinny Jeans (#2)
Shoes:    Maubray - Marijen Wedge (Red)
Hair:    Truth - Swift (Teal w/roots)
Eyes:    IKON - Eternal Eyes (Pool)
Hands:    Slink Mesh Hands
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair Aqua)
Top Pose:    Picture This! Poses - Lazy Days
Bottom Pose:    .lame [Part of the couch]


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By Keliah Angelis | Saturday, November 17, 2012 | , , , 1 Comment

Winter Wonderful


I can honestly say I do not know what winter looks like. Now, I've lived in snowy regions and I know that, yes, during my childhood, I was exposed to the fluffy white stuff of wintery goodness. Do I remember it? Vaguely and by vaguely I mean...vaguely. I was very young when my mother decided to plunk us down in the subtropics and we never went back to seasons. 

Fact: I danced around in snow for the first time in 25 years about three weeks ago when I sat with my dearest in a Perkins located in Stillwater, Minnesota. The day was dreary as all get out and it was raining. I was sitting across from him at the booth complaining about the flavor of the coffee and enjoying an omlette. I happened to glance up at the window in time to see the rain start flurrying sideways. Snow! It was snow, to be sure, but it wasn't the kind of snow that blankets the ground and stays there for the remainder of the winter. It never event touched the ground, but I still got to feel it drift through my fingers. Yes, damp cold snow flurries on the dreariest of days in a gloomy, unkept Perkins parking lot was probably one of the prettiest things I've seen in a while. 



Credits:
Fur Poncho/Hat:    Orquiedea ~ Around the World
Sweater:    /Artilleri/ - Marius Knit Sweater (Green)
Jeans:    {mon tissu} - 1929 Cigarette Jeans (Ink)
Boots:    [GoS] - Equestrian Boots (Chocolate)
Hair:    Truth - Adeline (Cranberry) New!
Eyes:    IKON - Eternal Eyes (Pool)
Hands:    SLink Mesh Hands
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair Peach)
Pose:    Picture This! Poses - My Pretty Dress

SIM Location:    Magical Farm



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By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, November 11, 2012 | , , Leave a comment

Skankless in Seattle


I'm excited to announce that Picture This! Poses is going to be in the latest event from the Ego. Co. The event is called Around the World and is angled at showcasing the cultural melting pot that is SecondLife. I'm really super excited over this because it gave me an excuse to conjure up some belly dance poses for my fledgling pose store.

Making the poses was a snap. I'm a belly dancer in real life (okay, more of a teacher now), but I signed up for The Middle East as my designated area. I figured this would be the best place to plop my poses because I am a folkloric and Egyptian style dancer. And then I started trying to costume myself in SecondLife.

Bellydancing is big all over the world, but of course it originates from the Middle East. However, the Turkish and Greeks have put their own stylized flares on the dance. Lebanon, too. Many dancer describe the differences as Egypt being a more earthy, grounded dance and Turkish/Greek styles being more airy and light. Costumes from Egypt tend to have a more classy appearance while Turkey? Well, um, not so much. No matter how classical their dance form is, the Turkish costume is very glitzy and sexy.

I've been having a hard time piecing together a decent looking belly dance costume that's not poorly textured, a mess of ill fitting sculpts, bad alpha layers, and terrible flexie prims. I think I have spent close to $3,000 Linden in trying to get an Egyptian look down - settling for Turkish - and then just not having it work. I was kind of getting ready to piecemeal myself a casual outfit and name my pose Sha'abi Street and then, at the last instant, found this $99L dress set.

It's pretty basic, I'm not going to lie. However, wading through the terrible mesh alphas and shoddy sculpts made this simple system layer ensemble a breath of fresh air. And sure, the hips are a bit low - So low that I would peg this dress in Turkey rather than Egypt - but it's still got a formal, classical feel that usually accompanies the Egyptian look.


Credits:
Shirt/Skirt:    *RAMP* Designs - Beauty has a Name 
Jewelry:    ~Soedara~ - Marefa
Hair:    Truth - Marley (Cranberry w/ roots) New!
Eyes:    IKON - Sunrise Eyes (Pale Azure)
Lashes:    Beetle Bones Mesh Lashes (Dainty Black)
Nails:    Synthetique - Red Colour Tactics Series
Skin:    LAQ - Essential Elle (Tone 1.0) New!
Pose:    Picture This! Poses - Dance Stance [For Around the World]

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By Keliah Angelis | Saturday, September 29, 2012 | , , Leave a comment

Come to Bed


The first time I went to the Rouge to hang out with my (everybody's friend) Anubis, he told me to cam out. I'm glad he did because while dancing the night away in the red chaos that is the interior of the Rouge, I would have missed the coolest thing ever. The land is built up in all red, shaped like a woman. Ultra sexy and pretty awesome. 

Like many things in SL, places lose their novelty and land tiers are rather expensive when translating into real life dollars. I'll never quite figure out why real estate is so darn expensive, save that LL needs to make it's money somehow. Any ways, there are a ton of clubs out there in Second Life, but the Rouge is a unique little niche. So unique and treasured that creators have come together to raise funds for the Rouge's operating costs. 

This outfit is one of the many available. There's nothing sexier than lounging around in your man's overly large shirt so he can seek all the yummy parts. Somnia has two lingerie sets that comes with an overshirt. Something for your parter to unbotton and reveal the ultra sexy bra and panties beneath - which you can see peeking out from the neckline. Hubba hubba!

There are many wonderful deals at the I <3 Rouge Event from many awesome brands, such as FATEWear (have you seen the red suit!), Discord Design exclusives, Sn@tch, ibang...the list goes on. So go over and check it out as well as pass a few extra lindens to Rouge's donation box. 

I <3 Rouge Event @ The Rouge


Credits:
Top/Bra:    .:Somnia:. - Pinned Courtesan Set (White)(Red Bra)~I <3 Rouge
Hair:    Truth - Uma (Cranberry) New!
Eyes:    Mayfly - Deep Sky Mesh (Capri Blue)
Feet:    Slink - Tiptoe
Lashes:    Beetle Bones V.01 (dainty black)
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair Bloom)
Pose:    Picture This! Poses - Lazy Days

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By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, September 16, 2012 | , Leave a comment

This is Supposed to be a Post about the Arcade...


...but it's turning into a letter to my SL boyfriend instead. Ant, because you are taking a break from plane making and reading this, the biggest thing that attracted me to Second Life is because it's like and adult version of Barbie Dolls. And by adult I don't mean pervy stuff, though plenty of people on Second Life certainly love to do dirty things and that's awesome - What I mean is the dress up. The skins, the hairs, the clothes. 

But, it's become so much more than that. If I didn't have this second life hobby, I would have never met you, and meeting you has really made my whole second life. Scratch that, it has made my real life that much more enriching. I love your texts throughout the day. I love our time together. I love the sound of your voice. I love that you love cats, airplanes, and get excited over fun, silly things. I love that I may have won your heart (I'm talkin' freckles here) over a Silly Walk AO and a pair of Groucho glasses.

All that romantic stuff I just wrote totally justifies me dedicating this post featuring frontal nudity to you. 


Credits:
Mouse Ears:    Auxiliary - White #03 for The Arcade
Hair:    Truth - Winona (Pearl w/roots) 
Eyes:    IKON - Kaleidoscope (Night)
Lashes:    Beetle Bones - Dainty Black
Skin:    Glam Affair - Roza #07 for The Arcade
Pose:    Magnifique Poses - Big or Small Save Them All

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By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, August 26, 2012 | , , , Leave a comment

Release the Butterflies


I saw this picture on flickr and was immediately enchanted by their surroundings. This beautiful SIM houses *Emm, a furniture and decor store, along side Scribbled Hearts. It's called the Water Reserve and it is very beautiful. 

My Love

Credits:
Dress:    GSpot - Haunted
Hair:    Exile - Lost in Wonderland (Rouge)
Pose:    Picture This! Poses - Bring on the Rain






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By Keliah Angelis | Sunday, July 29, 2012 | , , Leave a comment

Show Your Pride


I am not really a sports fan. Sure, events are fun to go to sometimes and if you have a favorite team it can be pretty exciting to sit in the stadium and root, root, root for your home team (see what I did there?), but I've just never really been into it. When I was a child, my mother enlisted me in all the junior sport teams and I just never really cared and so I was put in the furthest spot on the field where my fantastic imagination was free to wander and dream. I hate sports on television. The commercials and advertisements have more airtime than the sport. It makes me want to tear my eyes out with a spoon. 

However! I don't feel this way about the Olympics. I love to watch the Olympics because to me it's so much more than watching some sporting event. The Olympics represent world unity in my eyes. The people who compete against each other seem to genuinely care for their fellow Olympians. Iranian competitors compete alongside with Americans and there's no politics - just two people trying to do their best and win pride for their country while competing in an event who's history nods all the way back to ancient Greece.

Indrya Originals' latest release is dedicated to team pride. Which country are you rooting for? Technically, I am an American (though I could get away with wearing the German jersey, too). I am proud of our Olympians. I want them to succeed and take pride in their skills and feats. But, I'm the type of person to root for everyone. I see someone pushing themselves, I'm there with my cheers. I don't care who wins the medal. Go humanity! 

And pick up this sporty, fun outfit! It comes with all the flags and a fun little hat.


Credits:
Tank/Shorts/Socks:    Indyra Originals - I (heart) Unity (USA) New!
Shoes:    JP Designs - Chelsea Seakers (White) [Free group gift]
Hair:    Truth - Gabriel (Cranberry) [Former Collabor88 item]
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair)
Eyes:    IKON - Pale Turquoise
Pose:    Embody - Breakaway 

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By Keliah Angelis | Monday, July 16, 2012 | , , 1 Comment

What's Your Hair?


It's the season of hair in Second Life with the unveiling of Hair Fair 2012, so in the spirit of hair I asked on Plurk: What is your one go-to hair and why? Mine is Truth's Francesca. It's an older hair, released last year. I love this hair. Honestly, I've tried to replace with with a mesh version, but I find that I can not. The reason why I love this hair so much is because I envisioned it as my role play character's natural hair. As much as she might pin it up and tuck it away, in actuality she has long, flowing curls as befitting someone from a past era. This hair is classic story book, and what's best about it is that sits away from the shoulders and tumbles down the back, which makes it good for photographs. 

In this world of mesh, I still hold onto my flexi/sculpt coifs. They have movement, and in some cases, a little more realism. They also do not have alpha layers that can interfere with photos.

So what is your favorite hair? What is it that you love about it?
Credits
Top:    Hucci - Glimpse Halter (Ocean Side)
Necklace:    Aubade ~ One Voice
Hair:    Truth - Francesca (Cranberry)
Eyes:    IKON - Pale Azur
Skin:    League - Jen (Fair)
Lashes:    Maitreya [VIP Group gift]
Pose:    Purple Poses - Nancy pack

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By Keliah Angelis | Wednesday, July 11, 2012 | , , Leave a comment

All it Takes is One Voice


Today I saw Curio's update on her website stating that just a little over $10,000.00 has been raised in her benefit. To me that's just effing awesome. So many people care about content and creation! And I'd love to see the look on Hush's face knowing that the community is behind Gala Phoenix %100. That's one mighty middle finger, Hush Darkrose!

I'm not really a part of the content creation community. I don't have the skills to make mesh and frankly I prefer to not learn them. Why? Because I love shopping and supporting those who make far superior items than I. I have poses that are self made, sure, but there are so many pose stores out there on the grid that I'd rather part with my Lindens in support of their work. In other words, I'll probably never have my own store, but I'll happily blog about the works of others while my avatar struts around the grid looking posh and put together.

I am, however, a part of the Role Play community. I came to Second life in February 2011 after my text-based RPG had ended in AOL. I decided one day, out of sheer boredom, that I was going to join Second Life and see what was up. The first store I found was Redgrave (after visiting the various freebie stores put out at newbie locations) and so I returned there when it was time to get a skin, which was Jessica. First hair? Adele by Truth Hawks. From there my love of shopping grew, but I always felt something was amiss with my avatar because my character that I had painted, drew, and imagined for over a decade was not quite right.

So, one day, out of boredom and the desire to get my small town Americana vampire to look her proper role, I took my friends around the grid while they patiently watched me try on demo after demo. Enter Curio and the perfect Skin: Yum. It was exactly how I envisioned Keliah all these years. Here, on my computer screen, was a match to the girl who starred in my paintings and sketches. From that day on I became a Curio fan. The texture, the shading, the colors... If Curio doesn't come back with her store, I fear the end of an Artist's journey. Painting skin isn't easy. Painting fantastic skin is definitely not easy. I don't want to see an artist fall of the grid. I don't want to see injustice prevail.


Credits
Top:    Fri.day - Ballet Tee (Black stripe) One Voice
Skirt:    Ingenue - Adela (Noir) {Mesh} One Voice
Jewelry:    Aubade - One Voice
Hair:    MINA - Charlize (Dark reds)
Shoes:    [PM]Pixel Mode - Baby T's (Black)
Skin:    Curio - Yum (Moonbeam Light)
Eyes:    Mayfly - Deep Sky Eyes (Soft Majorelle){Mesh} One Voice
Pose:    dfo Don't Freak Out - Gala poses ~ One Voice

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By Keliah Angelis | Saturday, June 23, 2012 | , Leave a comment

Stand4Love


Do you believe in marriage equality? Do you think that marriage should be for all? Once upon a time, civil liberty was denied to mixed races in our 'land of the free'. Today it is denied to same-sex couples or transgender couples. Marriage is a celebration of love. It should not come with a biblical definition. It should not be subject to the whims of lawmakers and politicians.

Check out http://stand4love.wordpress.com/about/ if you Stand4love.