[#693] Be A Light

 

In a world full of hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light

Thomas Rhett, ♫Be A Light♫

 

 

The past 6 months have been pretty crazy to say the least. The world has been going through a lot and I’m fairly certain that no one needs a recap. I haven’t been as creative as I once was and that’s just kind of the road that I’m on right now when it comes to blogging and creating art in Second Life. Now and again I’ll hear a song that I want to share and create a picture with and this post is a great example of that. Thomas Rhett’s “Be A Light” is a prime example of something good in this world that we all need right now. As always I embed the video for the songs I choose in my posts so if you’d kindly check it out when you get to that part of the blog or even skip to it right way, that would be something I sincerely appreciate.

The way I lay out my blogs now is a lot different then how I used to do them. I think for time and just wanting to get things out quicker that the way I have been doing them suits me just fine. I am still happy to be a part of some great blogger teams and I try to do them proud as I work to get back to a better routine where my head sparks more creativity. They’ve been awesome to me and I thank them for that more than words can even express.

One of the latest releases from lock&tuft is the “Rhett” hair and the name alone is what inspired me to use the song that I chose as the theme for this blog entry. Not just because it is a good song (which it is in my estimation). The hair has 32 colors to choose from and also includes a Bakes On Mesh hairbase to go along with it. It has been created with LeLUTKA Evo head owners in mind but I managed to make it work with the CATWA Stanley head so it should work with most heads with some slight adjustments.

Session Skins latest male release “Cooper” is in their brand new store for all of you guys to try. Intended for use with the CATWA Stanley head (may work well with other CATWA heads but that would be require some experimentation). The package comes with appliers for the skin as well as Bakes On Mesh head layers in several options. The options are Brow, Hair, Hair No Brow and No Brow. I’m wearing Tone 02 but it is also available in Tone 03 as well if you prefer a little darker (tanned) skin.

 

In a race that you can’t win, slow it down
Yeah, you only get one go around
‘Cause the finish line is six feet in the ground
In a race you can’t win, just slow it down

 

POSE: Chat Noir – Pose 1002 (3b)

HAIR: lock&tuft – Rhett
HEAD: CATWA – Stanley 4.5
SKIN: Session Skins – Cooper (Tone 02 / BOM)

SHIRT: TONKTASTIC / HERMONY – Cotton Tee

 

[#686] 100 Bad Days

 

Maybe
A 100 bad days made
A 100 good stories
A 100 good stories make me
Interesting at parties

AJR, ♫100 Bad Days♫

 

Even after Pose Fair and Skin Fair end (there are only a few days left for each through the end of today) I will still have a lot of material to work with for posts in the foreseeable future. There’s just so much to dive into that it can easily make your head spin. Looking from the viewpoint of a consumer going to these two particular events (or any events really) it makes me think of the gif (or meme) where Fry has a handful of cash and the caption says “Shut up and take my money!” That’s what comes to mind because there are so many wonderful things to explore not just for the bloggers or Second Life photographers but also just every day things (such as building a new look for your avatar).

Boo’d Up has several different pose offerings for Pose Fair but I took a liking to the Aesthete pose pack. It contains five different bento static poses (which this cross-legged one is by far my favorite). Inside the pack there is also single poseballs for each pose if you choose not to use it in your own stand or you have rezz rights to the location you are taking photos at.

I’ve been wearing a lot of short hair styles in pictures lately so I thought it might be time to switch it up. Lock&Tuft released the “Ackerman” hair a while back but I finally found a way to put it to use in a look. This style also comes with a hat (the name of the type escapes me as I’m writing this) which you can wear as part of the hair or solo without the hair if desired. There is a HUD to accompany the hat with 6 different texture styles and the HUD for the hair itself boasts 66 different colors (from solids to hombres).

For my skin I am wearing the Richard skin from Lure. It’s made for CATWA brand heads and is suggested to be worn with Victor for the best look. Bakes On Mesh layers as well as an applier HUD are the ways you can wear this but keep in mind that the body appliers/BOM layers are sold separately. When I first put this on I felt like the face reminded me of someone. Perhaps a video game character at first but then I started to think about it more and thought it reminded me more of the vocalist from Shinedown, Brent Smith. The face has very distinguishing features and has a more mature look which those who are fans of this type will really clamor for it.

It also felt appropriate that I used the Vice X #Adored Sleep Depo Shadows. They give a great example of a tired look which seems fitting for the look of the skin that I have on too. This set of 9 color variants (in two styles) are Bakes On Mesh layers only and optimized for CATWA branded heads. It’s possible that they may work with other BOM capable heads but I haven’t tried them so it would be something to try at your own risk.

 

When all is going wrong
And you’re scared as hell
Watcha gonna do
Who you gonna tell

 

Photo taken @ The Dirty Grind

POSE: Boo’d Up – Aesthete @ Pose FairNEW

HAIR: lock&tuft – Ackerman
HEAD: CATWA – Victor 4.5
SKIN: Lure – Richard (Ash) @ Skin FairNEW
EYE CIRCLES: Vice X #Adored – Sleep Depo Shadows – Plain – Purple/Dark @ Skin FairNEW
BODY: Signature – Gianni v5.0

HOODIE: Hermony / TonkTastic – Hoodie
JEANS: Deadwool – Kojima Jeans
BOOTS: Cold-Ash – Woodcreek Boots

 

[#667] Kissing Under The Mistletoe

 

You know the stars are shining just for you
Let’s take a walk and we can follow the moon
Until we reach the place we could stay
Maybe kiss a bit and dream away

Kissing Under The Mistletoe, ♫Loving Caliber (feat. Emmi)♫

 

After a small break with that last entry, I’m back at it again with more goodness from the Pose Fair; I couldn’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy doing photos with Brenna. This time we’ve come together to show everyone the “Kiss Me” pose from Space Cadet. It works well because we are both fans of this brand and when I see them at an event like Pose Fair I gravitate towards it and I make sure that I put together a scene as quick as possible. This sweet pose is included with the mistletoe prop so that anyone can get in on the fun.

It also seems that Brenna also has most of the new items in her look then I do but of course I’ve previously blogged the skin I’m wearing as well as the hat/hair (that I’ve not found a good angle to capture yet still but bare with me, I’m trying!) She’s wearing hair and a skin from the Doux/L’etre gacha from The Arcade (and was also kind enough to hook me up with some spares for one of my previous entries). There’s also the “Dove Sweater” by Miss Chelsea that has two exclusive designs at the Anthem event for just $99L through the course of the event so ladies if you haven’t taken a look at that it’s worth doing.

Admittedly this probably wasn’t the greatest scene setup that I’ve ever used in one of my photos but I wanted to focus on the pose and the closeness of Brenna and I. This time of year is not that easy for me and probably even more so now without getting into detail but the best way to put it is that being with those you care about helps with some of that and I’m all for those moments…and besides I don’t think we’ve ever done a photo before where we’re kissing with mistletoe.

I wouldn’t be opposed to more of them in the future.

 

Mistletoe. I surmount all obstacles.
Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

 

POSE: Space Cadet – Kiss Me @ Pose FairNEW

BACKDROP: FOXCITY – Photo Booth – Old Station

My Look

HAIR: lock&tuft – Bad Santa @ TannenbaumNEW
HEAD: LeLutka – Guy v3.4
SKIN: Stray Dog – Jeffrey (Tone 03) @ TMDNEW

SWEATER: Tonktastic & Hermony – Crewneck Sweater
PANTS: ::K:: – Soft Cargo Pants Homme – Tan
SHOES: Kokoia – Sniper – Black

Brenna’s Look

HAIR: DOUX – Snowflake Queen @ The Arcade Gacha EventNEW
HEAD: Genus Project – Baby Face W002
SKIN: L’Etre – Snow Skin @ The Arcade Gacha EventNEW
BODY: Belleza – Freya

SWEATER: Miss Chelsea – Dove Sweater (Xmas Red) @ AnthemNEW
JEANS: Tres Blah – Paige Jeans @ Collabor88NEW

 

[#620] Be Alright

Equal10 recently opened their April round and it’s definitely a good place to find some cool clothes and accessories for both men and women. Modulus has a new hair there that I was rather excited about getting my hands on as it is based off of a movie character that I am a huge fan of. There was definitely no way that I was going to let this one get away from my styling.

“Wick” is inspired from the character of John Wick (portrayed by Keanu Reeves in 3 different installments of which the 3rd has not been released). This is the first time that Chucky Hollak has tried his had at having a style which a completely parted middle and I think it’s fantastic when pairing it with a great hairbase. Of course I’m mostly a fan of black hair coloring but I can see myself trying out different tones with this hair.

Much like the last blog, my wardrobe consists of items already in my closet but the recent release collab between Tonktastic and Hermony is still really fresh. I experimented by wearing it without either version of the hood to see if it would work and to me I consider it a success and adds even more versatility to an already great article of clothing.

I also have to mention the new “James” skin by The Skinnery that my drinking buddy Mike is wearing. It’s a CATWA only applier and is intended for the Daniel head but he’s rolling with Victor and it still looks good to me. I think though that I’d be interested in seeing what it might look like without the beard (which is how the skin comes) but regardless it’s a good look.

By now it’s likely been noticed that I haven’t done much in the way of features in the last few posts but don’t worry, it’s not something I’m going to do away with because I feel like that is one of the things that combined with my thoughts on what I’m blogging gives this site it’s uniqueness. I have just not put together any scenes with items from sponsored stores or events but there will be more soon, I promise.

On that note, I’m going to turn this over to the credits so if anyone has some free time they can take a shopping break if there’s something here they like. Until the next time we meet I’ll catch you on the flip!

 

POSE (Me): Chat Noir – Pose 1757
POSE (Mike): Chat Noir – Pose 1768

BUILDING: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Pub RARE ✦ Gacha
BAR: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Pub Bar RARE ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Gin Bottle ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Whiskey Bottle ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Vodka Bottle ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer India Pale Ale Bottle ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Brandy Bottle ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Creme De Menthe ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Strong Ale Bottle ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer Red Wine Bottle ✦ Gacha
BOTTLE: MadPea – Bow Bells Boozer White Wine Bottle ✦ Gacha
BEER: 220ml – Chronos Beer

My Style

HAIR: Modulus – Wick Hair @ Equal10NEW
HEAD: LeLutka – Guy v3.3
SKIN: Stray Dog – Mario (Tone 02)
BEARD: Mister Razzor – Vic Facial Hair

JACKET: Tontastic + Heromony – Hoodie
JEANS: Native Urban (Store / MP) – Rollup Jeans @ TMDNEW

Mike’s Style

HAIR: Stealthic – Narcotic
HEAD: CATWA – Victor v3.2
SKIN: The Skinnery – James (Tone 02) @ TMD
BODY: Belleza – Jake v1.0

SHIRT/VEST: Kalback – Denim Jacket M2 (Dark)
JEANS: Legal Insanity – Butch (Black)

[#616] Alcohol

 

I thought that Alcohol was just for those with
nothing else to do
I thought that drinking just to get drunk
was a waste of precious booze

Barenaked Ladies, ♫Alcohol♫

 

Seems like I am on a small bit of a roll again or I managed to find something that worked right when I needed it. The Saturday Sale can be a predominantly female thing but if you dig deep enough you can find some great gems for the guys too. This past weekend I was able to cash in on the super awesome “Lucky Lounge” bar/stripclub/etc backdrop so that I could do a scene with myself walking away from it like a hot mess. *laughs* It kind of looks like I’ve had a bit too much.

If I continue to come up with ideas that have drinking or alcohol involved I’m going to eventually run out of songs. It seems that there are a lot of poses or props around these days that involve some type of liquid encouragement but hey it’s all about having fun and at least this way nobody is getting hurt (well at least I hope not).

The Saturday Sale may now be over and you’d likely have to get this awesome prop at regular cost but I assure you that it is well worth it (every last bit). There’s more background things involved in the scene but I was able to create an angle where I didn’t have to worry about it and you also did not have to see all of the things in the background that would have ruined the illusion.

Man Cave still has some time left and for you guys if you have not been to this round I don’t know what you’re waiting for. This blog is featuring two of many rockin stores the event houses under one roof. I’m going to start off with my hair (which is the “Hannibal” by lock&tuft) that works extremely well for the visual. It’s a bit fly away and has a slight mess to it to coincide with my avi just leaving the bar.

Two versions come with this hair, there is the slightly messy version that I’m wearing and a straight version along with a complete line of great hair tones to choose from. Having lots of choices is something every blogger enjoys having and I made sure that I chose a hair that would work well with the darker background scene.

Tonktastic and Hermony have been a great collaborating team for a long time and they’ve come together this time to bring us a hoodie that really kicks ass. There are so many great features that this release has including a HUD that allows you to place your hands in the pockets or keep them out or set it up to do a mix of both.

Also for anyone who owns their previous collaborations (Cotton Tee, Crewneck or Jersey) the designs and graphics from those HUDs will work on the add-ons with the hoodie. So There are so many different style combinations you can roll with and never wear the same combination twice. It makes me happy that these giants have found a way to integrate their previous releases with the current one. Word is that they are churning out another batch of these hoodies for April’s round of TMD so that’s even more hoodie fun!

lock&tuft – Hannibal

  • Original mesh
  • Two different versions
  • 5 different color tone packs
  • FATPACK also available
  • Exclusive to Man Cave until 04/11/19

Tonktastic & HERMONY – Hoodie

  • Original mesh
  • Up or Down Hood Add-On
  • Cotton Tee, Crewneck and Jersey Add-On (Sold Separately)
  • 20 standard choices
  • 2 different bundle packs available
  • Fitted for Aesthetic, Belleza and Signature (Geralt & Gianni) mesh bodies
  • Exclusive to Man Cave until 04/11/19

Now that I’ve reached the end of my thoughts on the items I’m wearing and have used in this scene I can gab for just a little bit about my selection for the soundtrack of the post. Barenaked Ladies have always been one of those quirk and fun rock bands that you find yourself listening to that makes you smile or laugh. I thought the track “Alcohol” was very fitting and also added a not so serious element to things too as I don’t play pranks or tricks on April Fool’s Day…I just prefer to perhaps make myself look like one on virtual camera.

The quizzical look upon my avi’s face may not be able to be seen but believe me it is there and I’m also wondering what was I reaching for? Does the hoodie have inside pockets or was I scratching an itch? I don’t really know to be honest so it is up for interpretation. All in all I had fun with it and it allowed me to play around with scenery even though most of the time I’m not at all good at it.

I’m going to use this moment to drop my style information below and let everyone view this either as they are going to bed or waking up (possibly somewhere in between there). Time for me to drop this like it’s hot and wind down for the night as Tuesday’s are usually my busiest day so look for my next post somewhere around Wednesday or Thursday.

Catch you all on the flip!

 

Would you please forgive me?
Would you please forgive me?

 

POSE: K&S – Sammy ✦ Group Gift

BACKDROP: FOXCITY – Lucky Lounge

HAIR: lock&tuft (Store / MP) – Hannibal (version 1) @ Man CaveNEW
HEAD: LeLutka – Guy v3.3
SKIN: Stray Dog – Mario

HOODIE: Tonktastic & Hermony – Hoodie @ Man CaveNEW

 

[#596] Can’t Wait One Minute More

I need room to breathe I work for the goals that I set
Wasted time it weighs on my mind
You can bet

CIV, ♫Can’t Wait One Minute More

Hello again everyone! It’s been a few since I last posted and that isn’t normal (well normal for this year anyway) but I needed a little time to recharge and get back on track a little bit. I had most of this photo session set up for a few days before I actually settled down to shoot it but I knew that when I did it was going to be kind of a riot.

A little insight into this post is that the pose that I’m using by Image Essentials was actually an odd suggestion in a conversation with the store’s owner, Kay Weston. I don’t even know how it came about as a considerable amount of time has passed since that talk happened but I am pretty sure that it was just suggesting random pose ideas to be helpful and that was a weird one that happened to come to fruition.

“Party Aftermath” is every bit what it sounds like though I’m kind of using it in a different context in my scene but the same basic idea applies. I think in my case it’s more like my virtual self is looking at things like “Man I really gotta go and well the dog’s doing it why can’t I?” One thing I have to say is that I don’t promote public urination because it’s super unsanitary and you never know what you could be bringing home with you by posting up against a brick wall such as I am in this photo.

Moral of the story is…probably don’t try this at home!

Image Essentials – Party Aftermath 1 Pose & Prop

  • Bento compatible pose (must use Bento viewer)
  • Wet pall prop with built in pose
  • 3 different pose positions to choose from
  • Adjustable via clickable menu
  • Exclusive to the Truth or Dare Affair event until 02/28/19

This blog also contains items from The Men Jail event that I really think people might like including the “Jeon Sweatshirt” by ExalteD. Most of the time I’m not a fan of shirts or jackets where I’m not able to see my hands (because the style has hands in pockets and things of that nature) but this shirt changed my mind some with how it is really long and tied at the ends, which is something I used to do all the time in my younger years.

The FATPACK has really great color options (8 in all) which covers the usual core range of colors and not all men care about having tons of colors so I can say that these are definitely fine enough for the casual consumer that wants a choice but doesn’t desire a lot of it. Of course if just getting one color is the most appealing then it’s a good way to go with the single colors that are also for sale.

ExalteD – Jeon Sweatshirt

  • Original mesh
  • FATPACK available with HUD containing 8 colors
  • Fitted for Belleza (Jake) and Signature (Gianni) mesh bodies
  • Exclusive to The Men Jail until 02/28/19

Because of the angle of the main photo for the blog it was necessary for me to do a secondary shot that combined more closer looks of other products that cannot be as closely seen. Which brings me to the eyes I am wearing by Gloom which have the designation of the “Insta Collection”, these eyes are very detailed and when taking the close-up that was definitely the case I wanted to make to show you this brand is for real.

There are 8 selectable iris colors in this set that are for sale separately or can be purchased all together in a FATPACK to give you that right color at the right moment you need it. I do not change eyes all that often and I’ll be up front about it because unless it is an item from an event then usually my angles and photos don’t incorporate being that close to my face; if I am going to blog eyes I definitely go for ones that I really like otherwise what’s the point of it?

Gloom – Insta Collection Eyes

  • 8 iris colors via appliers (sold separately and as a FATPACK option)
  • Applier HUDs for CATWA, Genus and Omega
  • Exclusive to The Men Jail until 02/28/19

Also don’t adjust your eyes! My new ‘do is meant to try to match my top the best it possibly can and I think the Reds HUD that is a part of the “Mike Hair” by Modulus really makes an impression. I feel like the tone that I used within the applier pack really pops with the windlight I played around with to make sure that attention would be not only on the hair but also on the ExalteD sweatshirt.

I love the vibrant tone of this hair and it has that appearance like I could still possibly be drunk and randomly choosing a spot to pee and there happens to maybe be a dog following me and doing what it sees…there’s that possibility too but I’m going to remain tight lipped on that because I can’t reveal all my cards.

Medium type messy hair don’t care!

Modulus – Mike Hair

  • Original “nex-gen” alpha mesh
  • 5 individual color HUDs + integrated color picker
  • 40 color FATPACK also available
  • Left and right mirrored options included
  • Exclusive to Equal10 until 03/05/19

The last item I have on my featured list are the “Sobek Sneakers” by Native Urban. These are styled after one of my favorite sneaker brands of all time and I’m not going to properly name them because I don’t want to cause any issues but if you know anything about shoes then you’ll definitely recognize the style. These particular shoes are not exact to the real deal for obvious reasons but they are close and that makes me love them all the same; especially from one of my favorite brands.

I have other versions from other stores that are similar but the one things I can say about these is the absurd amount of customization that goes along with them; there is a way to color just about every single part of the shoe to make them absolutely your favorite sneaker. For longtime fans of Native Urban I know that you won’t be disappointed with these shoes because it doesn’t matter if you are a skater or just someone who likes low tops that are about as classic as they come, you’ll want to sport these out on the grid….I’ve been wearing them for several days already.

Native Urban – Sobek Sneakers

  • Original mesh
  • 15 customizable parts (FATPACK exclusive)
  • 17 colors (FATPACK exclusive)
  • Fitted for Belleza (Jake) and Signature (Gianni) mesh bodies
  • Exclusive to TMD until 02/28/19

I have to say this was definitely a longer blog than I intended but it’s been quite a few days since my last one so putting something this big together to kickstart everything was a necessity in my book. I covered a lot of ground from great stores and events which should at least get some of you hopefully out there before the weekend ends or at the start of the week.

On that note though I think it is definitely time to wrap this up and post it up so I can do a little promoting and also begin work on the next look and scene which I’ve yet to determine but I’ve slowly started to work on it. I’ll leave you all with the style info and perhaps I’ll run into you at Man Cave which just started today and I’ve seen some things that could have lots of potential.

Catch you all again very soon!


POSE: Image Essentials (Store / MP) – Party Afthermath 1 @ Truth or Dare AffairNEW

HAIR: Modulus (Store / MP) Mike Hair @ Equal10NEW
EYES: Gloom – Insta Collection @ The Men Jail
SKIN: Session Skins – Damien @ Equal10NEW
BEARD: Hermony – Mario Facial Hair

SWEATSHIRT: Exalted – Jeon Sweatshirt @ The Men JailNEW
SWEATPANTS: I<3F & Co. – Cornelius
SHOES: Native Urban (Store / MP) Sobek Sneakers @ TMDNEW

[#595] Waste Some Time With You

and it’s all in how you mix the two
and it starts just where the light exists
it’s a feeling that you cannot miss
and it burns a hole through everyone that feels it

The Used, ♫Blue and Yellow

By now I’m sure I have to say very little about when I do blogs with Brenna because if I did more than likely I’d that sappy sucker that no one likes. For me being as low key as I possibly can is what works best and as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Pose Fair has given me a lot of opportunities to blog really outstanding stores and creators; what it has also done is restore my confidence in myself and my creativity has prospered from it. Between the January round and the current pop up Valentine’s Edition I have been able to blog stores that I’ve just discovered and also some of my favorites.

I’ve also learned that as a blogger I can be more than just a male fashion blogger, I tend to do a bit of everything now which includes sharing these pages with Brenna. She is a far superior decorator than I am and has a very good sense of style, also I give her credit for coming up with the soundtrack of this blog because her taste in music is rather good too (that has been one of the things that we’ve bonded on over the years).

In this entry, Brenna and I are using one of the two couples poses by LW Poses called “Fallin’ All Into You”. In the January edition I blogged their single male pose so I wanted to give this store some love by featuring this pose. It has all of the things I personally happen to enjoy…caffeine and being close to Brenna and it also gave us the opportunity to show off her decorating skills in our kitchen. She put together an amazing breakfast spread to make sure that with all the blogging I have been doing that I kept my energy up.

This pose to me has both a tender yet sexy feel to it that could be relayed in many different ways for anyone who picks up this pose. Depending on how and your person dress, it can go from classy to very spicy and we chose to go middle of the road with how we dressed; which I am more conservatively so.

LW Poses – Fallin’ All Into You Couples Pose

  • Bento pose (compatible viewer needed)
  • Mesh coffee cup (Transfer version also included)
  • Poseballs editable to adjust for avatar height through build tool
  • Exclusive to Pose Fair Valetine’s Edition until 02/14/19

There are several new items from current events that make up my look and I’m rather excited about them to be honest. I’m going to start with the flannel shirt by GALVANIZED called the “Jimmy Flannel Shirt”. There were so many good choices as far as colors go but sadly I had to choose because the FATPACK was not in my budget and that’s okay, I am likely to return to get at least one more color besides the Gray version I’m wearing in this photo.

I tend to wear flannel when a store releases one if the quality is good and with GALVANIZED, I know that it is likely to be a good product (I own a few other items of theirs). My look reminds me a lot of when I was a bit younger and I wore a lot of flannel and listened to grunge music, it’s a bit of a call back to those days. There is one important thing about this shirt that I have to impart and that is that it is meant to fit Signature Gianni bodies only and yes that could be disappointing but for you fellas it just may take trying out the demo to see if you can make it worth with the right alpha cuts.

Worth giving it a try if anything.

Equal10 is once again open for February and not every event is one that I want to go to right when it opens (because of the major pain in the ass it is). Though I definitely wanted to get a closer look at the newest male skin by Session Skins named “Damian” to see if it might inspire me. One thing that I’ve been getting better at (when it comes to skins) is trying the demo’s before jumping in head first. I gave this new release a look and after a couple minutes of pondering I liked it enough to get it.

The skin that I have been wearing mainly now for months (also by Session), “Ian” has done well for me. I’m not sure if “Damian” will end up becoming my every day look or not but I like it a lot and there’s a possibility that it may replace “Ian” in the long run unless another male release by Session catches my eye more than these gentleman have.

As for Brenna, the only major note about her style is that she has on the latest VIP Hair from TRUTH called “Kaijah” and what I know about this store is that lately they have a style HUD included that allows for different options. I really think the braided style looks good on her and with the options that I have at my disposal with Black Dragon it helps make things like hair look even better.

Seems as though it is time for me to finish this up and turn over to the credits but I have really enjoyed exploring photography with Black Dragon as I start to understand it a lot more I think my creativity will soar to even further heights. I will consider this an evolution of sorts as I have gone through a few of them in the course of my blogging career but this one really excites me the most.

Also just an FYI, the Valentine’s Pose Fair is open for two more days so for you photography buffs and romantic couples photo takers that have not been there the opportunity to do so is now and I cannot express how much I think you’ll enjoy the items that are for sale. On that note I am going to get this posted and spread the fun through Flickr; I’ll see you back here again soon! Be well until our paths may cross again.


POSE: LW Poses – Fallin’ All In You @ Pose Fair Valentine’s EditionNEW

MY STYLE

HAIR: Stealthic – Narcotic
SKIN: Session Skins – Damian @ Equal10NEW
BEARD: Hermony – Mario Facial Hair

FLANNEL SHIRT: GALVANIZED – Jimmy Flannel (Grey) @ Level EventNEW

BRENNA’S STYLE

HAIR: TRUTH – Kaijah ✦ VIP Gift ✦ NEW
HEAD: LeLutka – Aida
FACE: Glam Affair – Nimoe
BODY: Maitreya – Lara v4.1

CARDIGAN: Miss Chelsea – Adel Cardi
PANTIES: erratic – Cerise Panties

[#592] Drifting

Don’t tell me you can’t love yourself
You can love yourself, like you never felt
Can tell you I was scared to try
Don’t be scared to try, if you look inside
You could be anything
I could be anything

Adelitas Way, ♫Drifting

Today was the first time I’ve visited the Ironwood Hills sim a long time and on and off there were talks of it closing so I wanted to at least take one more shot there that was recent if it indeed decides to shut down for good. The latter would be a shame because it’s a fantastically put together post-apocalyptic landmark that I took a lot of photos in the earlier part of my blogging career when it was fresh and new.

It was one of the first I considered to visit first when the idea for this photo came into my brain. The idea circled around of me dressed up predominantly in black looking pretty rough like the world had taken its toll and that I’ve spent most of my time drinking whiskey (or whatever I could get my hands on). I arrived and started scouting when I found a run down decayed building with a fire escape that lead up to a fire barrel and a decrepit mattress (which didn’t make the cut in the photo I completed).

This was where I needed to work my magic.

I have to say that the look I put together for this blog is one of my favorites. This is the type of style that suits me well (in my mind) and likely would wear every day if it wouldn’t weird me out by not changing clothes (and I do often because of being a blogger). Black is not really a color as far as most are concerned but it is one of my favorites as far as clothing goes, however, wearing black in every look would not be productive for me or for anyone who visits.

My hairstyle really fits well in the environment as it appears unkempt (not dirty or unwashed just uncombed). “Sawyer” is brought to you by Modulus at Uber and it’s great that us guys can get things at the event too and who better than a great hair brand? Of course it is a medium length messy style that works to bring about the pessimistic, heavy drinking, non shaving, down on his luck kind of guy that I envisioned.

The more I think about it as I listen to “Drifting” it was the best choice and really only choice to be the soundtrack of this blog post. The picture and the lyrics in the song to me coincide to tell a story and it can be interpreted whatever way the mind of the readers want it to. That’s the best thing about photos just like with music…it can mean different things to different people and not all are the same.

Modulus – Sawyer Hair

  • Original “Nex-Gen” Alpha Mesh
  • 5 color tone HUDs with integrated tinting available
  • 40 color tone FATPACK also availalble
  • Exclusive to Uber until 02/23/19

Several months ago ::K:: released the “Sephiroth Coat” at TMD and normally I grab stuff I really like when it first comes out but somehow I managed to forget about it and didn’t realize it until TMD was already over for that round. I am pretty sure that it was the December round which makes a lot of sense because it was a super busy month for me with many things dividing my attention.

I gave it a bit of time before I took a trip to the flagship store and it was there waiting for me with open arms and I didn’t hesitate; I’m a sucker for long coats (if there was something to blame for that it’s likely both a combination of Highlander and The Crow). Then I left it in my inventory for a bit because there wasn’t an idea suitable enough for me to bother opening it up…until the last few days.

Slowly I put my plan together of what hairstyle I was going to do and then also what pants and shoes (which are not visible to really talk about them but I have blogged them before) to pair them with and because I would feel bad for not mentioning them I will at least give them an honorable mention. One of my easy go to pairs of pants are Cold-Ash’s “Dean Chinos” because they go with just about everything and fit superbly. I’ve worn them quite often even in photos that you might not recognize that I’m wearing them because I’m really a fan of them.

My shoes are from A&D and are called “Firenze”, they are similar in style to an oxford shoe but not completely. I consider these a go to as well when I’m wearing pants that are not fit for boots or ankle boots as well as when sneakers will not compliment the rest of the outfit. They are certainly worth giving a look and have been around a bit as well as have had an update to them at one point.

The most important part though is not just the location that helped tell the story but the pose itself. Reve Obscura makes some of the best and easily affordable poses on the grid plus the creator behind the store is a cool dude as well (I’ve spoken to him a time or so via Facebook). This pose and prop set contains everything you need to be the best lush you can possibly be from the bottle of liquor down to the half full glass in hand. I promise you that if you’re looking for poses you won’t be able to leave Reve Obscura without buying something because it’s inspired you.

On that note I really should wrap things up before it gets to be too late. I have a few other ideas I want to entertain before I call it an evening (which includes some outfit prep for future blogs). I definitely encourage you to take the taxi’s to the stores and events left in the style credits because as a journalist of sorts it’s my job to help bring readers to things that are new or maybe new to them.

The pleasure’s been all mine and hope that you’ll be back again for the next one which I’d expect will be done in the next day or so. Until then be safe, be well, and be your best self because it’s all we can really do to help make the world function a tad better.

Best regards,

Brennan


POSE & PROPS: Reve Obscura – Whiskey

HAIR: Modulus (Store / MP) – Sawyer Hair @ UberNEW
BEARD: Hermony – Mario Facial Hair

JACKET: ::K:: – Sephiroth Coat (Black)

[#591] Two Is Better Than One

I remember what you wore on the first day
You came into my life and I thought hey
You know, this could be something

Boys Like Girls (feat. Taylor Swift), ♫Two Is Better Than One

In just a couple days Pose Fair will grace all of us photographers with a little something called the “Valentine Pop-Up” round. For one week all of you that enjoy taking photos that specialize in love and couples will be greeted with new items from all the brands you know and love and of course the store you may have not been introduced to.

The concept of Valentine’s Day varies from person to person. There are the people who are all about it and inundate their special someone with chocolate, candy and flowers while on the other end there are those who despise the thought of relationships because of negative experiences. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum in my life and honestly I prefer to be somewhere right in the middle leaning towards glorifying it.

In the previous years of being a blogger I was not much for blogging couples poses because there wasn’t much of an opportunity to do it nor was I in a relationship where the person I was with had the interest to do it or didn’t have the time. My excuse for it was that I considered myself just a male blogger even though I did want to branch out to do other things when I had access to them. It’s been much easier with having Brenna in my life because she’s willing to help me when I need to in whatever way that I ask but I try not to overdo my requests. We did a lot of work for the January edition of Pose Fair and I can’t thank her enough for that.

With the Valentine’s Pop Up starting I wanted to do something a little different and I found that in the Space Cadet “Anyone Else” pose. It’s not your typical romantic pose and added a fun element to the mix. The element of surprise wrapped up in a game of “guess who” all rolled into one still makes for what I consider a sweet and special moment.

Space Cadet is a store that I’ve kept my eye on since my introduction to them in January. I really loved the “Teen Spirit” pose set and the very second I saw the promotional ad for this pose I had to make sure that I blogged it. I really can’t say enough good things about the poses I have experience with and even scrolling Jane’s (Space Cadet’s owner) Flickr feed there are many other poses that I wouldn’t mind looking into. As much as I love stores that have name recognition, I also like to show appreciation for other stores who work just as hard but are newer to the grid.

Space Cadet – Anyone Else Couples Pose

  • Bento couples pose
  • Unlinked poses that can be edited to adjust height
  • Exclusive to Pose Fair’s Valentines Pop Up round starting Feb. 07th

The Men Jail is also about to open up for its February round and I’m stoked to be showing you my newest facial hair by REBIRTH. The “Jekyll” beard is essentially a combination of a few different styles wrapped up into one. The style I consider it to be most like is what quite a few people (myself included) call the “Lemmy” named after Motorhead vocalist, the last Lemmy Kilmister. I think that the pose softens the look a little because without my eyes being covered I have an angry disposition but I know that I’m definitely not mad.

The beard comes in two parts so you can leave off the sideburns and rock a “Fu Manchu” and it may not be good to associate with Hulk Hogan these days but he’s the most notable person in pop culture that I can think of who has this type of facial hair. The beard also is accompanied by an omega applier to fill in spots on the face and give a small goatee to add extra flair.

REBIRTH – Jekyll Beard

  • Original mesh
  • 4 different colors to choose from (sold separately)
  • Omega applier for fill in areas of facial hair
  • Coming to The Men Jail Feb. 8th!

The A+ Event still has just over a week to go before it’s inaugural round ends and there’s still time to shop and while there, gentleman, you can take a look at Modulus’ “Don Hair” at the event. It’s a slicked back short style that is best used with a hairbase with shaved sides to give it the best look. When I had long enough hair (I keep it very short these days in the real world) I would often have my hair combed back this way with a little product because of my annoyance of hair being in my face.

Unlike a lot of the styles Modulus has released lately this does not feature any mirrored versions as it does not call for it. It’s a great style that works well for guys who may not favor longer styles.

Modulus – Don Hair

  • Original “Nex-Gen” Alpha Mesh
  • 5 hair tone packs with integrated color tinting HUDs
  • 40 tone FATPACK also for sale
  • Exclusive to the A+ Event until 02/16/19

Brenna did a little bit of shopping herself at FaMESHed and came home with the top she has on that is made by VIbing and is named “Neesi”. On her trip she also stopped by Magika and picked up their newest hair release “Thea”. That hair suits her very well and looks great on her but I’ll be considered biased all things considered but it’s just the honest truth.

My outfit (what is viewable in the photo) is all items from my closet and not new or an event exclusive. I really love the collabs that Hermony and Tonktastic do and I am still pretty much in cold weather mode and will be until the season starts to change where Brenna and I live. I don’t see that happening anytime in the foreseeable future which tells me a lot of long sleeved outfits or jackets as part of my style and that’s alright too.

It’s been a few days since my last post so I’m going to wrap this up and leave all of you with both our stylings and possibly make it a shopping date. We go on them sometimes so I know that it is a thing for couples to do when new and exciting items hit events and stores.

It has been wonderful sharing with you as always and I’ll be back again with more fun things so sit tight until then and keep your eyes peeled here. Be kind, be amazing and be yourself…that’s all that you can do!

Kindest regards,

Brennan


POSE: Space Cadet – Anyone Else @ Pose Fair Valentine Pop UpNEW

MY STYLE

HAIR: Modulus (Store / MP) – Don @ A+ EventNEW
BEARD: Rebirth – Beard Jekyll (Greyscale) @ The Men JailNEW

SWEATER: Tonktastic + Hermony – Crewneck Sweater

BRENNA’S STYLE

HAIR: Magika – Thea ✦ NEW
HEAD: LeLutka – Aida
SKIN: Glam Affair – Nimoe
BODY: Maitreya – Lara v4.2

SHIRT: Vibing – Neesi @ FaMESHedNEW
JEANS: Blueberry – Tali
SHOES: REIGN – Arianna Sneakers

[#590] Falling Inside The Black

You were my source of strength
I’ve traded everything
That I love for this one thing
(Stranded in the offering)
Don’t leave me here like this
Can’t hear me scream from the abyss
And now I wish for you my desire

Skillet, ♫Falling Inside The Black

It’s not very often that I shoot photos that lack a background but I made an exception for the idea that became the idea for this blog. The concept has been swirling in my head for more than a year but I just didn’t have the right things to make it happen until the last week or two and I’ll break it down as I write this.

Before I get any further I want to talk about the song that became the soundtrack for this blog. “Falling Inside The Black” was the first song I remember hearing by the band Skillet and yes they have a funny name but the music they make easily could fuel the soundtracks of many people lives (mine included). The song was used in a video I had watched on YouTube and little did I know that it would spider through many things over the years.

Some time passed after I first heard it and then I started hanging out with Lucky (our friendship goes well beyond the virtual world) and we bonded over music as it is both a passion of ours and we happen to like most of the similar things. He reintroduced me into Skillet and I had remembered them from the video I had seen a while back and it was just meant to be that I started listening to them more and became a solid fan of theirs almost as if I had been right from the start.

I take a lot of care when I use their songs as a part of ideas for blogs because I want to get it right and not be a disservice of what their music means to me. To this day I have seen them about a half dozen times going to festivals with Lucky and even to other shows they have been a part of as it has become sort of a tradition for us.

Music has the power to do many things. It has the power to lift us when we are down, it also can heal wounds in our hearts and minds and it can also help us cement lifelong friendships and bonds. Skillet is one of those for me and as I said they may have a name that makes people scratch their head but when I introduce them to some of what I like about them it seems as if it catches on and increases the fanbase.

As much as I love the events and stores that I blog for, when I have downtime from both I like showcasing items that likely might not find their way onto the blog because they don’t fit with the items I have chosen. So with that in mind I’m going to start out with the body paint that suits this idea perfectly and is reminiscent to a certain anti-hero from the comics world.

MooLoo Body Art’s “Starry Eye Body Paint” reminds me of symbiosis and the way that I’m using it in this particular blog is to show how the darkness is beginning to take over and in time could possibly control everything that I do if I choose not to fight it. The way this paint is used in application is very clever and I think I am very fortunate to be a blogger for MooLoo Body Art and that this was created for me to stretch out my creative legs.

MooLoo Body Art – Starry Eye Body Paint

  • Omega Face/Neck Applier
  • Body Applier for Belleza (M/F), Omega, Signature and SLink (M/F) mesh bodies
  • Available at the MooLoo Body Art’s store and marketplace

There is nothing more rewarding then when you miss an item at an event by a day and the store finally puts it out for sale. This is the case with the “Vulture Talons” from Contraption. I had seen them in a photo and had a major desire to own them but when I tried to go to the event (Equal10 in this case) it had already ended the previous day. Sometimes I’m not known for my patience and every few days I would check back with no sign of them in sight. It was then that I felt it was best to not do this to myself because it would just be a disappointment so I waited an even longer time before I went back and the next time I did they were finally there and I snatched them up fast and went to my platform to put them on.

Contraption makes really neat things and I have been a fan of theirs as far back as their first music machines at the Arcade so many years ago. They also make masks and other steampunk and gothic type products and these talons are one of them. The box contains these hand accessories that are fitted for the widely popular mesh bodies and also with a HUD to change different areas of the metal with an array of colors. I went with silver and black for this photo because it was meant to be in a dark setting as I played with darkness.

It adds to the appearance that I am giving in to the darkest reaches of my soul.

One of the things I like about the virtual world is that I can purchase and wear things that I may not wear in my real life for a multitude of reasons. Arm warmers are one such thing that I have never owned but at many times would have liked to own and the newly released ones by Gild at FaMESHed added something to this look as well in combination with the talons. Putting them on the same arm allowed me to keep my left arm bare and to be able to stay in the shadows as it is not in the forefront of the pose.

Black was the easiest choice for me (because I couldn’t see buying the fatpack and wearing the other colors) taking into consideration everything I was doing in this photo. For those of you that are interested they come fitted for Belleza (Jake) and both Signature bodies (Geralt+Gianni) mesh bodies; I of course am wearing Gianni and the fit is great. I recommend these for those who are just fashionisto’s or going to be doing weather related photos as they will add that extra something.

It’s that time for me so on that note I am going to turn over to the credits so you guys can go get some shopping in (for those of you who will be busy tomorrow for the big football game). This blog was a joy for me even with it being a bit on the darker side as it gave me the opportunity to try some things that I wanted to experiment with as far as lighting; it came out to my expectation which is any artists wish.

Until we’re all back here for another conversation, I wish everyone well and to show one another compassion and kindness. Fans of good rock should click the link up at the top and give Skillet a try and if you do maybe leave a comment because I do read them.

Best wishes,

Brennan


POSE: Chat Noir – 1003 GG Pose Set ✦ Group Gift

HAIR: Burley – Ivar
EYES: Hermony – Eyes of The Beholder
PAINT: MooLoo Body Art (Store / MP) – Starry Eye Body Paint

TALONS: Contraption – Vulture Talons
ARMWARMER: Gild – Arm Warmers (Black) @ FaMESHedNEW