Fierce by Journey

Fierce Gown at Prism by Journey
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I had plans to attend the Costa Rica Independence Day Ball and needed a formal gown. The ball was one of a number of events celebrating the second anniversary of Cost Rica. Costa Rica Sims is possibly the most beautiful estate in Second Life and contains some of the more prestigious addresses on the grid. Costa Rica advertises itself as providing 'the luxurious experience of living in harmony with nature and being surrounded by the best Second Life has to offer.' Naturally, the ball would be a veritable fashion show of formal gowns by Second Life's top designers. I was putting myself in a situation where my fashion sense would be put to a severe test.
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Every woman attending a ball wishes for a gown that will shine the spotlight of the evening on her. Attracting that spotlight requires a gown that is dramatic and original; yet, elegant and graceful. Sounds like a search for the Holy Grail of fashion. But I found it. It is called Fierce, and it was designed by Journey McLaglen of Prism by Journey Woman's Clothing, Bal Harbour. It's priced at $380L. Fierce juxtapositions the exotic stripe and spot patterns of two great cats - the White Tiger and the White Leopard - to dramatic effect. The stark contrast between the black patterns and the white background and the interplay of the tiger stripes and leopard spots immediately sets you apart in a sea of formal gowns. The originality and drama of this gown may attract attention; but, its beauty and flowing elegance will keep it on you.
.The ball was a marvelous affair. As expected, fashion statements were being made by the ladies (and the place was crawling with Miss Virtual World finalists). One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement of the winner of the Best Parcel Award which went to WK Ganesvoort. WK's residence and grounds are truly magnificent. I was thrilled for WK and also for my dear friend Jaysun Dagger who designed the interiors of the manor house. After the ball, a number of people gathered at WK's place for some more dancing. I took advantage of the opportunity to take pictures of my gown using WK Ganesvoort's wonderful garden and residence as background for the fashion shoot. Did my fashion sense pass the test that evening? I did receive many complements for my dress. But you be the judge. Click on the pictures to enlarge them for a closer look.
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It was also important to have the right hair style. I found the perfect hair at DrLife. Not only does DrLife make the best skins in Second Life, they also make some of the best hair. The styles and the quality of the textures are outstanding. The hair I am wearing is called Mei Wave and was designed by Leena Ying, the owner of DrLife. Mei sells for $350L which gives you a complete set of hair colors (Chocolate, Dark Blue, Dark Brown, Black, Blonde, Gold, and Red). I am wearing Black.
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I hope that you enjoyed this post. If you are in the mood to shop, try stopping by Prism by Journey and DrLife. There is fashion magic to be had.

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Prism by Journey Woman's Clothing, Bal Harbour:http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bal%20Harbour/88/59/22
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DrLife SilkGirl Main Store:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Aquel%20sim/96/229/33
.Again, I would like to thank Mr. Ganesvoort for inviting me into his home and allowing me to take these pictures.

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MEB Anette at Mimi's Choice

MEB Anette available at Mimi's Choice

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I recently dropped by Mimi's Choice to see some of the newly arrived Fall fashions. Mimi Juneau was in her store wearing a wonderful jacket/dress combination from MEB Fashions called Anette. Anette is a special package deal available at Mimi's Choice that gives you a sculpty jacket called Jane and a black dress called Cameron that are sold separately at MEB Fashions' mainstore. Anette sells for $590L which is a good deal as Jane and Cameron sell individually for $490L and $450L, respectively. Two articles of fashion magic in a special package deal, I needed little persuasion to convince me to acquire them for my own wardrobe.
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Italian fashion designs are world class. And I love the Italian taste and tradition in fashion. This taste and tradition has been brought into Second Life by a talented core of Italian designers. Among that group of excellent fashion designers from Italy is MariaElena Barbosa, fashion designer and owner of MEB Fashions. MEB Fashions is a wonderful store to window shop and make a want list from its classy and sexy line of dresses and lingerie. It's almost certain that the jacket and dress in Anette will be on that list, and they go together so well. To see the details on this attractive combination, click on the pictures to enlarge them. Note the details on the Jane jacket. They are marvelous.
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The black Cameron dress is stunning. It is classy; but, very fresh and young. Cameron comes in two versions - with short sleeves and sleeveless. Its a very flattering dress for which I am very appreciative. The two versions of the dress are pictured below.

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I am wearing blonde hair in a shag cut from Diorsis Hair Design called Brigitte. I have been wearing this hair for the past few days. It is a very simple hair style; but, I have gotten complement after complement for it. So, I am very pleased with this hair. Brigitte sells for $190L. The boots that I am wearing are Stiletto Boots by Blaze. The boots come in 6 colors (silver, chocolate, white, red, champagne, black). I am wearing black. These boots sell for $280L. However, you can buy all 6 colors in a bundle for $700L.
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Mimi's Choice Mainstore:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deep%20House%20Island/208/10/23

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MEB Fashion Mainstore:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/CZESTATE%20Kuai%20Nui/118/20/22.

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Diorsis Hair Design:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Banior%20Bahoozamoth/161/246/87

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Blaze:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blaze/73/118/23
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Pictures were taken in the library of the residence of WK Ganesvoort in Costa Rica. I would like to thank Mr. Ganesvoort for inviting me into his home and allowing me to take these pictures.
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Rebecca from INDI Designs

Rebecca by INDI Designs

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I was wandering around newBerlin, an exciting Second Life project that will be a true to scale 1-to-1 reproduction of the city of Berlin. As an actual city, much of it is mundane, and it is easy to get lost given its size. So naturally, I was walking about totally bewildered when I unexpectedly came upon a store and was overjoyed to have the opportunity to shop. It was also a very pleasant surprise to find some exciting fashion magic. The store was INDI Designs. I obtained a land mark to the main store and immediately teleported to its location in Blue Sky.

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INDI Designs features women and men's fashions and footwear. It's the women's outfits that are the store's highlights. Jamie Holmer, fashion designer and store owner, obviously loves designing for the female form. She adorns it and shows it off well. There's no denying, her fashion line displays considerable attitude. And yet within the boundaries of attitude, her designs are also graceful. This is not grunge. This is style and, much of it, high style.
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I wanted leather and denim that projected attitude and found it in Rebecca. A friend, seeing me in this outfit, remarked, "Mariko, you look dangerous." Extremely dangerous and Very Sexy, I might add. Rebecca sells for $400L and includes 2 jackets (short and long sleeve), 2 tops, 1 pants, belt, wrist bands (gloves), 2 armbands, 2 bras, stockings, and string. The looks given by the short and long sleeve jackets are shown in the pictures below as well as the look without the jackets. I like all three. Of course, the more daring among us can also dress down to the leather bra and string - sexy minimalism with plenty of attitude.
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The hair that I am wearing is from Magika and is called Game Over. The store certainly lives up to its motto: 'Hair and lots of it'. Game Over is on sale for $10L and is located on the far left wall of the store, bottom row. Game Over had a lock of hair falling on one eye which I moved to the side through the Edit function to get a look with an unobstructed view of my face.
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I hope you enjoyed this fashion magic. I highly recommend dropping by INDI Designs and putting some attitude into your clothing inventory.
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INDI Designs Main Store:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blue%20Sky/213/42/303
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Magiki - Hair and lots of it!:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Magika%20Land/128/125/24
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Photos taken at School Girls Gone Bad Detention
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DrLife - The Best Skins in Second Life

Mariko Nightfire - Exclusive Client of DrLife

Mariko Nightfire always receives the most wonderful compliments. My avatar is the creation of Leena Ying of DrLife. Lenna Ying, the owner of DrLife, is an awesome talent and the creator of absolutely the finest skins in all of Second Life. Her avatar creations are unique in their artistry and so distinctive is their art that one can always recognize one of DrLife’s clients, and they stand out in a crowd. In real life, Leena herself is a very lovely lady and lives in Beijing, China. She is also my oldest and dearest friend in Second Life. Leena treasures stories of heroines from Chinese history and mythology. She is also a great fan of popular actresses from China and other Asian nations. This enthusiasm for Asian culture carries over to her avatars. Leena specializes in creating classic Asian beauties. She also adds exotic tanned and dark skin tones to DrLife's product line and creates an exciting line of skins and shapes with the more Western features of Eurasians and Amerasians - the loveliest people on the planet, having inherited the best from the East and the West.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.

DrLife's skins are known for their artistry

.DrLife has a long established reputation within Second Life’s Asian community. However, word about these extraordinary skins has gotten out, and DrLife is getting the wider recognition it deserves. The realism and beauty are just incredible. The first thing you will notice about these skins is that their facial features are softer, and the skin tones, translucent. The effect is stunning, like a portrait painter applying delicate brush work to his art. The details are exquisite. I use DrLife skins exclusively. I would never consider using any other.

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The demos at DrLife are very generous. At the store, you will have access to demo copies of all shapes and skins in the DrLife collection to aid you in making a selection. Shapes are priced at between $500L and $1000L. Skins are available in a number of shades – Olay, Fair, Natural, Tanned and Dark. A complete set of skins in one shade costs $1800L. DrLife also offers skins with an advanced feature called Complete Makeup. This feature allows you to apply makeup to your avatar through the Appearance Edit function. With Complete Makeup you can achieve a personalized makeup that is perfect for your outfit, as well as the occasion and the time of day or night. Skin tones sell for $3500L. Be sure to join the DrLife Group and pickup the free skin that Leena makes available to members as a gift. These gifts are always examples of their finest creations.

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The Best Testimonial:

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[18:36] S_ B_: Mariko... I want to know why you can manage to look so elegantly cool in what you are wearing and if I tried it I would look like a wally head lol
[18:39] D_ M_: Oh my. . . what a sight. . .
[18:39] S_B_: What?
[18:39] D_ M_: Mariko you are positively stunning.
[18:39] S_ B_: She's gorgeous
[18:39] D_ M_: I don't even know how to act now.
[18:39] T_ W_: She is always very well put together.
[18:40] Mariko: Thank you D_.
[18:40] D_M_: I feel all awkward she's so pretty.
[18:40] S_ B_: That's when you are meant to get polite and gentlemanly
[18:40] D_M_: Almost taboo - like dating a republican.
[18:40] T_ W_: Don't worry she doesn't bite (so I have been told anyway).
[18:40] T_ W_: •´¨*•.¸. HahahaA •´¨*•.¸.
[18:40] S_ B_: T_.... shakes head
[18:41] Mariko: I don’t bite but I have sharp claws :)
[18:41] S_B_: oooo scratches....

Leena and DrLife, thank you ever so much.

DrLife Skins and Hair are available at Mariko in Mont Saint Michel
Mariko
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mont%20Saint%20Michel/228/117/31

Apala by Jador Fashion

Apala available at Mimi's Choice

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Our guest model is the strikingly beautiful Dakota Applewhyte. Dakota is tall as an amazon and poses with an easy grace. She projects femininity and strength, pride and confidence. It is only natural that Dakota should model the exciting Native American inspired outfit by Jador Fashion called Apala. Designed by ziamola Loon, Apala is available at the mainstore of Mimi's Choice, one of my very favorite stores. Mimi's Choice offers selections from many of the finest stores and fashion designers in Second Life. Here you will find the best from Jador Fashions, Orage Creations, MEB, and Lady Thera, among others. Selections are made by store owner Mimi Juneau who has a fine eye for fashion magic.

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Apala utilizes deerskin, denim, feathers, and traditional quill and shell work to create an look that recalls the Native American tribes of the northeastern woodlands. Their tribal names - Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, Tuscarora, Mohican, Wyndot, Susquehannock - stirs our national memory to the eloquence of their oratory, to their stoicism and humor, to their dreaded war whoops.

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Apala sells for $900L but you get a large package for the price. The Apala package includes shirt, short pants, long pants, boots, and some wonderful accessories. The feathered headband is gorgeous. You also get a leather necklace, feathered upper arm bracelets, and feathered thigh band. I like wearing this outfit with the long denim jeans in the package. And these boots are awesome. The details on this outfit are exquisite. To see the details, click on the pictures to enlarge them. I recently wore this outfit to a live performance and the complements just poured in.

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I would like to thank Dakota for her fantastic modelling. I am sure that everyone has enjoyed these pictures of her. And be sure to check out Apala at Mimi's Choice.
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Journey Home

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Mimi's Choice Mainstore:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deep%20House%20Island/208/10/23
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Jador Fashion:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jador%20Fashion/9/164/25
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Photos taked at The Space between These Trees, Welch Lakes:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Welsh%20Lakes/106/28/32
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Yippies and the Forbidden City

New Yippie in the Forbidden City

 .I love Second Life fashions. I love blogging. So naturally, I love Second Life fashion blogs. I read a number of them; one of my favorite is Fashion Diaries by Nina Raymond. Her blogging style is different from my own, but she is highly prolific and very informative. Her avatars are attractive, and she puts together some awesome mix-and-match fashion plates. I trust her fashion sense completely. One of her recent posting turned me on to a marvelous item of fashion magic that I decided to highlight here in my own blog. The item is a top called New Yippie. It is colorful and dramatic. It has a retro look about it that reaches back to the hippie era of the baby boom generation. I did research on the term yippie which places it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. New Yippie moves the look forward to our own time and for our own generation. In searching for a photo location to highlight the exotic appeal of this item, I choose the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.

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New Yippie is available at Baiastice. Baiastice is another great find. As I walked around this store, I found myself placing item after item on my 'Definitely Want' list. The fashions on display at Baiastice are outstanding. New Yippie is designed by Sissy Pessoa, owner of Baiastice, and sells for $295L. It is available in five colors: Orange, Yellow/Purple, Purple/Green, Magenta, and Cian. I am wearing orange. In my mind's eye, the silks hanging from the sleeves and belt resemble the feathers of hawks and eagles. The influence of ceremonial Native American costumes on the design is apparent. The effect is gorgeous. And I love how this top moves and flows as I walk and change poses. To see the details of New Yippie, click on the pictures to enlarge them.

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To complete the mix -and -match, I complemented the top with (F/Skinny) A001 Jeans sold by Armidi Limited for $145L (the color is Dusted Classic) and with Stiletto Boots by Blaze. The boots come in 6 colors (silver, chocolate, white, red, champagne, black). I am wearing chocolate. The boots are currently on sale for only $100L and all 6 can be bought as a package for $300L. Get them for this price while you can. You can buy them as either No Copy/Transfer or Copy/No Transfer. Unless you are buying them as a gift, the latter makes better sense.
Best of all is this hair. I usually do not like oversized hair; but, this is the exception. Its fantastic. The hair is from Bish Wear and is called Toss Me Around. It sells for $375L which gets you a package of 6 hair colors (auburn, black, brown, blonde, red, and wine). I am wearing brown. The hair is designed by ShyOne Lehane.
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Now for a little history. I did some research on the Yippies, and this is what I found:

.Once upon a time there were Hippies, then Yuppies and between them, Yippies. Yippies were members of the Youth International Party founded in the late 1960s by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Hoffman and Rubin were children of privilege playing proletariat revolutionaries. Yippies are remembered for childish street theater pranks and for inciting the riots in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Party Convention. Jerry Rubin later renounced his youthful stupidity and became a stock broker and an advocate of free market capitalism. Abbie Hoffman never grew up. Both met unfortunate ends. The party's headquarters is now the Yippie Museum, Cafe and Gift shop located in Greenwich Village, New York City.
Fashion and a history lesson. Only in a Mariko Nightfire blog. I hope that you enjoyed this fashion magic and scenes from the Forbidden City. And I would like to thank Nina Raymond for bringing New Yippie to my attention.

Baiastice:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/BAIASTICE/154/126/25

Armidi - Hair, Clothing, & Accessories:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/134/128/25/

Blaze:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blaze/73/118/23

BishWear:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/BishWear%20Island/176/182/24

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Photos were taken at China Forbidden City:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Obscuro%20Valkyrie/69/197/26

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More or Less

More or less at Madame Haute Couture

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Oh have I found a saucy little number. It is called More or less, and I found it at Madame-Haute Couture. Madame has a great selection of finely designed fashions ranging from formals, to clubs, to casuals. The main store at Peacock Park is very customer friendly, providing demos that allow us to try on the outfits before making our selections. Every store in Second Life should be so customer friendly. And also friendly is Madeliefste Oh, fashion designer and owner of Madame-Haute Couture. It was a delight to meet her as I found her warm and personable and very helpful. I bought a number of outfits from Madame that day, and all have drawn marvelous complements from the crowd when worn for an evening’s excursion.

More or Less was a delightful find. It sells for $475L and is available in 4 colors: Pink, Red, Blue, and Apple Green. I am wearing the red. To see the details of the outfit, click on the pictures to enlarge them. More or Less comes with 2 tops (open and with collar), 3 skirts (short, medium, and long), stockings, pantie, and bra. This outfit is so versatile. By mixing and matching the tops and skirts, you can create at least 6 different looks, going from more to less. The long skirt can be used to create a formal look. Combining the tops with the medium skirt makes a very stylish outfit. But my favorite matches the tops with the short skirt to create a look that is so teasingly playful and deliciously sexy. The more daring among us will dress down to the very racy matching lingerie.

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The Hair that I am wearing is from Top Hair & Accessory. The style is Ballerina. Its creator is Heidi SeraKorea. Ballerina is available in many hair colors. Individual colors sell for $85L but it is also available in packages of 3 colors for $205L. I purchased the Basic Pack which contains colors Black, Chocolate, and Pecan. I am wearing black.

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.I hope that you enjoyed this creative outfit from Madame. I know you will want to visit the store and try on this and other fashion magic from the delightful Madame Madeleifste Oh.

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Madame - Haute Couture Main Store:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Peacock%20Park/162/235/63
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Top Hair and Accessory:
.http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sera%20Korea%207/71/27/26
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Pictures taken at Opar, my personal estate
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New and Fashionable

Suki Naminosaki

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Our guest model is the lovely Miss Suki Naminosaki. Suki comes to Second Life from Hong Kong and is a very recent arrival, only a month old. But she has made extraordinary strives for a newbie in such a short time. Of course, one of the best places for a newbie to begin her second life is at DrLife for shapes and skins. Diana, the owner of DrLife, creates the loveliest asian woman in Second Life. With a new shape and skin from DrLife, Suki hit the shops and has shown a fine sense for fashion. Today, Suki will bring us some of her Fashion Magic and models one of her choicest finds.

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Suki is wearing the Tropicana Halter Dress available at TRUTH for $275L. The dress was designed by Truth Hawks. TRUTH is a store comprised of a complex of buildings offering quality hair, skins, as well as clothing. It is a pleasant place to shop. Their Tropicana Halter Dress comes in eight different color combinations, each named after a tropical locale such as Maui, Bali, and the Seychelles. Suki is wearing the color combination named for Fiji. I really like how refreshing Suki looks in this outfit. Starting from the halter, a tapering reverse S-pattern will have an admirer’s eyes flowing down the dress and taking in the figure it accents. It's a wonderful effect.

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Click on the pictures to enlarge them and to see the details of the pattern. They could be roses on this dress or fruit on another color combination. It’s in the mind’s eye and very playful. To take advantage of this power of suggestion, I have placed Suki in a field of wild roses and the outfit looks fantastic among them I really like the realistic folds that highlight the top. It is such details that add up to quality. And the overall effect is breezy and girlish. The look is perfect for late spring/early summer.

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Hair from BooN
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The hair that Suki is wearing is from BooN. The style is called KRC02 hair C&Ma and the color is chocolate. The hair is designed by boo Nakamura and sells for $220L. When I visited the store, I was pleasantly surprised. I expected just traditional hair styles but what I found ranged from traditional to the imaginative. I ended up buying several hair styles. In addition to hair, BooN also sells skins, eyes, belts, and dreadlocks.

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I would like to thank my lovely guest for modeling such an attractive outfit. Suki is always wearing something that catches my eye. She is one of the best dressed women in Second Life, and she is so new. I’m certain that she will grace this blog again.

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TRUTH
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Truth%20Island/111/211/26
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BooN hair styles, skins, eyes, belts, dreadlocks
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zapico/12/148/36
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Pictures were taken at Opar, my personal estate.
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