Fowl Feathered Friends

Okay, I can’t help it. I love feathers and I love creative fashion. It’s one of the reasons me working for *SoliDea FoliEs* is such a good fit. Mila Tatham designs very creatively. But there are a lot of these truly creative designers out there. One of the others brands I simply can’t live without is Faint Paulse’s Ladies Who Lunch. I started playing with this outfit Saturday, but it was such a nightmare in SL getting anything to attach I finally said “uncle” and left. I think today was a little better, and I hope you like. I am keeping with the low velocity one more day, so Draakje? short and sweet, so there!

Take from? There is a new round of Hottie Cooterati’s Zodiac, and its Taurus, and I’m a Taurus, so HAVE fun for my birthday month! And buy me lots of prezzy’s, okay? See, so nice, I’ll even include the taxi. Taxi to Zodiac!:

Outfit One:

Skin: Essences, Taurus **Hottie Cooterati Zodiac event** (Thanks Anderian Sugarplum :**)
Hat: [LWL], Blush Veil hat
Hair: Tuty’s, Adorable
Earrings: Mandala, Leather Feather
Makeup: Mons, Burning eyeshadow (**Taurus Hottie Cooterati Zodiac event**)
Gloves: Mimikri
“Wings”: [LWL], Vesuvius, feather part of hip pieces
Shirt: [LWL], MFM11 Aviary Top
Tutu: [LWL], Aviary Tutu
Socks: ALB, Joy (part of a boot set)
Shoos: [LWL], Faint! Precarious Platforms

Striped!

Low-velocity weekend. Recovering from last night? Perhaps. Wanted to finish up the Spring 2013 trends blogs, so here it is. If you remember from my first blog of springs trends I showed some high contrast black and white prints. Those are still in style but if those Rorschach-esque digital prints are too over the top for your style, stripes might be right up your alley. Make the statement big and bold but at the same time uncomplicated. With denim, they’re all-American; with navy, they’re nautical-chic; and worn head-to-toe, they’re just plain cool. Bonus: You’ll definitely be able to wear them for seasons—even years—to come, because this is a style that always seems to come back into style.

Outfit One:
Bag: Handverk, Leather Feather
Jewelry: Mandala, Onigiri necklace and Hokusai watch
Makeup: Mons
Hairs: Boon, WMO003
Shirt: Maitreya, Rib Tank
Skirt: Baiastice, Mesh maxi
Hat: Baiastice, Huge Brim Hat

Save a Boyfriend for a Rainy Day

Time-honored and fashionista-approved, a lush leather piece is more than worth adding to your spring shopping list.

and another in case it doesn’t rain. ~ Mae West . Well it’s that time again. At least I can’t blame my mum this time. This time it’s all my brother’s doing. This is some friend of my brother’s wife’s, brother thing. It gets really scary when it’s that many people removed from people I can actually trust. I can just hear the report on the news when I show up missing, “we aren’t sure who she was last seen with, I think it was the stepfather of her third cousin twice removed,” or some other red-neck sounding thing like that. The last guy I dated that was set up this way, I bought him a down jacket from the local outlet mall, I told him it perfectly matched his personality. He didn’t “get” it. Sometimes, I hate date night. I broke my standing rule too. He is taking me to dinner at some swanky reservations only restaurant. I hope he chews with his mouth closed, I somehow think if I look over at him lovingly and have to stab him with something, they probably won’t have a plastic spork anywhere within reach. I suppose I can bring my own…

Minimalistic shapes, rich colors, and a no-fuss approach to the hair, makeup, and accessories make this look seem like they’re from 2013, not 1983.

The worst part about a blind first date at a fancy reservations only restaurant is you have to dress up. When I dress up, to hide those lines on my slinky cocktail dress I’ll probably wear spanks. (Spanks:) Have you ever worn them? They are wonderful for looking svelte, but you might as well forget eating or drinking much. Both of which kind of negate a first date at a posh restaurant. The eating relates to the restaurant, the drinking to the first date. The first time I wore a pair of spanks, I made the mistake of wearing them to a cocktail party at a friend’s house. I was surrounded by friends, oh and that one guy I was meeting for the first time, you know the poor soul picked to attend just to meet me? Luckily, all but THE guy know me and expect oddities in behavior here and there. To put Spanks on you practically have to lie on a bed and pull and wedge, grunt and coax them up. And I am terrible at consuming alcohol while wearing these things honestly. I guess since I have so little room inside, once I start to drink I fill up fast. It was okay the first few hours; I was the only one going to the bathroom. But by midnight, on my, I don’t know, twelfth or so visit, I ran out of luck. As I was struggling to pull the blasted things up I was groaning and grunting, maybe a little cursing as sweat popped out over my brow. When you’re in the midst of doing this, you aren’t listening to yourself, your just working, you know? Finally redressed, I walk out the door not only to find a line of three hugely smiling friends, but first in line is THE guy, with the oddest expression on his face. .. I wonder if its bad form to call tonight’s date and claim sick? I’m beginning to feel a case of the intentional flu.

Take from? Why not, at this point. When meeting someone for the first time, always be yourself, not some fake version of you. For one thing, it lets him see you as you truly are and there is no reason to keep up an artificial charade if there is a second date. Build a relation on an honest foundation and it creates a familiarity right from the start. Besides, sometimes it’s best to get the worse out there first because then things can only get better. Right? I hope that’s not famous last words..

Outfit One:

Hat: House of Fox, Roller Hat ❤
Hair: Tuty's, Bob
Glasses:House of Fox, 1960's glasses
Lipstick: Mons, LOVE!
Shoulder piece:House of Fox, Lita's shoulders
Belt: Anubis, Leather belt
Jacket: House of Fox, Scarlet Blazer
Shirt:House of Fox, Crop Corset
Skirt: Ricielli, Hi-Waist skirt, python
Shoos: [whatever], CG Spiked
Handbag: House of Fox, Steffani Lux tote
Jacket:

Seven SL Facts Meme

Okay, I’ll bite. A lot of bloggers are following the challenge of fellow blogger Tymmerie Thorne ( Taxi: ) to create a “Seven SL Facts Meme.” Per that written in concrete website, you know, as in, it’s on the Internet, so it must be true fame, Wikipedia states:”A meme is “an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.” A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate and respond to selective pressures.” So, with much pomp and no circumstance, here is mine:

1. I am solitary in all ways in Second Life. I have one avatar. I have no and have not ever had a significant “other.” Sometimes I think I must have pricklys on me like a porcupine.. hehe because no one flirts with a Cao apparently. But that’s okay, pixel grinding, erm, okay. I like the real kind just fine.

2. I am a recovering prim “ho.” Up until January I had a SL house on a piece of leased land, creating all of it was a labor of love and I lived there for four years. I would change the landscape with the seasons and all told used about 1800 prims. Then one day, I’d like to say I “matured,” I realized I was spending about 12000L’s a month but I rarely left my platform in the sky, preferring to stay up there and snap pictures. It’s been two months, with only minor withdrawals. The biggest of which is I miss my rock music playing in the background…

3. I prefer to mix and match over blogging one designer most of the time and I prefer unique, creative one of a kind items. The crazier the better.

4. I am what I am. I refuse to be mean just because others think its “cool.” I am just the same as everyone else. I am a pretty “face value” person. What you see is what you get. I can’t tell you how angry it makes me when people call people who are nice “fake.” It’s just as easy to be nice to someone as it is to be snarky. My mom raised me better than to always be rude. I smile a lot in real life, why would my personality not smile in Second Life?

5. In Second Life and my First Life, I am madly in love with words. I like them all! Crazy, simple, naughty, love, love, LOVE words and their usages. I’d roll around all over the dictionary if it were possible.

6. I can count the avatars owners I trust and entrust with my deepest fears and secrets on three fingers. It’s not easy for me to trust in either world but when I do, you own me, I would lay down my life for those three people. I sincerely would.

7. Modeling to me is about research, I love to research fashion. Blogging to me is my passion. I love to have a daily play time with my fingers, my brain and my words. If I happen to get a “liked” or a comment, it makes me feel so goofy and I smile so huge my monitor half thinks I am in love with it.

Outfit:
Turban: Chantkare
Hair Base: Lelutka
Makeup: Mons ❤
Earrings and Necklace: Zaara
Bracelet: BSD **L'Accessoire's**
Dress: Maitreya **NEW**
Pose: Manifeste

Anatidaephobia.Birds.and.the.Placebo.Effect.

Okay, I admit it. I am an anatidaephobic. An anatidaephobic has an irrational fear that somehow and somewhere in the world there is a duck watching them. o.O Yeah, your right, I’m not really that bad. Yet. I just think its a really cool word. I can’t imagine the person who decided to throw those letters together, they were probably paid by the letter. I’m not sure what brought up this topic, I think its because when I walked out this morning to begin the drive to work, the birds were going crazy. It was actually a little chillier than usual today, about 55F degrees. I suppose the birds were determined to force Spring to occur by singing catchy little tunes. I don’t know, it worked on me, I was mighty tempted to call into work with the “intentional” Spring flu. But then I was always easy to sway, as you can imagine when I was in highschool I got a lot of the “if your friends jumped off a bridge would you?” lecture from my mum. Which brings me to the take from. I know! I got here fast today! Having the fear you are being watched isn’t really irrational, at most points when you are in public you don’t suffer from invisibility and its not just the birds watching you, it’s people like me, watchers and thinkers. But if you move about the world with a positive demeanor, your head high, your shoulders back, a smile on your face, you know what? Something happens and you begin to actually feel more positive and happier, it’s called the placebo effect. Your brain is one of the most powerful things in the universe, it’s powers are still somewhat of a mystery. However, it is known that sometimes just believing in it’s ability to change your perception makes it possible to do so. You just have to believe it possible.

I’m at kind of an impasse this week, like I said, I don’t want to be at work, I don’t want to be in Second Life, I want to be outdoors watching as Spring sneaks it’s way in. But I am also in a temporary holding pattern waiting for the Fashion For Life’s “Tribute to Galliano Couture” Inspired show that will be held Saturday at 10:AM SLT. It is the last runway show for the Relay for Life-American Cancer Society event and I’ve seen the outfit I will wear and it is divine! If you want to be one of the first to purchase the incredible “Lolly” gown from *SoliDea FoliEs* there will be vendors available at the show. If you want to come and heckle a Lil Cao on the runway, I’d like that too. A lot. So if you get a chance, come on over. And don’t forget to bring that “we’re number one foam finger” you have tucked away. I want you there so bad, I’ve even included the taxi for you: Taxi:

Outfit:
Shirt: .Shi, Bareback turtleneck with harness
Shorts: .Shi, Snake Wrap shorts
Hairs: 99Elephants, Kerry
Bracelet: BSD, Iconic Bracelet **For L’Accessoire’s**
Makeup: Mons, Mystery eyeshadow, Black eyeliner, Sandie lipstick
Earrings: Ryca, Bamboo

Picture: Patron
Table: Patron
Book w. Candle: Patron
Chair: Scarlett Creative
Clock: Art Dummy

Slipping.In.And.Slipping.By.

Collabor: Hairs: Tableau Vivant, Hathaway. Flowers: Glam Affair, I Follow Rivers . Non-Collabor: Jewelry: Mandala

You’ll have to excuse me, though I’ve no true excuse a’tall. Well other than I am the manager here. Kind of nice to manage something, even if it is just a small rented space on the information super-highway, isn’t it? I seem to have misplaced my day, in all honestly. It started out high gravity, I was a half hour late for real work. I’d like to blame daylight savings, but well, no, its just me. But I wont beat myself up, it is what it is, and here I am faults and all. A tip for models, for what its worth. Keep some folders in your inventory of complete outfits by styles. That way if you log in and find you are supposed to have been somewhere about 10 minutes before, you can throw on that folder that says “business casual” or “girls night out” and not worry if you are missing items like shoos or knickers. Me? Naw, I just show up half dressed, but I’ve been doing it for so long, I think they believe this is just how Cao’s dress.

Jeans: Angel Dessous, Mesh Jeans Shirt: Angel Dessous, from the Adele gown . Hair: Tableau Vivant, Hathaway . Flowers: Glam Affair, I Follow Rivers.

These are some of the new mesh items from Nando Korobase of Angel Dessous. I tried on all the pieces and pulled out some faves. I love a comfy pair of jeans or short skirt on a high gravity day. It’s just seems to make the entire day ease away more comfortably. Don’t you think? I tried to get in Collabor today, it’s a little packed. I did cam in to grab the gorgeous hairs from M4rilyn Magic of Tableau Vivant and this groovy little flower hat from Aida Ewing of Glam Affair. But for the event itself? I think I have to write it up to places I’d like to see one day. Kind of like last weeks Gacha event. I mean really, they should let Cao’s in a few days early, don’t you think? We are mostly docile and clean up after ourselves when we leave, they probably wouldn’t even know I’d been there.

Skirt: Angel Dessous, Lara . Corset: Angel Dessous, Xenia . Shoos: Celoe, Aelia . Jewelry: Mandala, Amida . Hairs: Lelutka, Vibrato

Take from, yes there actually is one today too. Some days, especially Monday’s if you find they are starting off really bad, ease back and coast a day. Sometimes it better to take a mental health day then to let the day continue to stress you and make things worse. If you do just the cursory work when a day is going to ‘ell, you’ll have less to fix the next day. Just something to think about. If you get a chance, run by Angel Dessous and by Collabor. If you get by Collabor, tell em to show a Lil Cao some love every once in a while. 😉 Slurl’s are on the left on the SLURL’s page.

Interpretation.of.The.Artist.

I am sure you all remember this? It was my “Modern Baroque Romantic” styling for Avenue tryouts. I had tucked the outfit away, softly folded with lavendar sachets in some dusty trunk in a deep corner of the attic of my inventory. The place I put all my treasured styles, outfits and gifts. I like to think of them as tucked there so one day a beloved grandaughter will find it whilst exploring and spend the day playing forest nymph, elf princess or any of the myriad of whimsy I’ve hidden there. But I pulled it back out because it didn’t seem finished. I had casted it off without its proper send off. It was just a snapshot, a silly snapshot.

I always, ALWAYS, have interpretations done of my major stylings, one day I hope to write a childrens books with many of them. Even if only for my adorable little nieces. I gave the assignment to Skip Staheli. He is always above par with his work and some how he just always seems to understand a silly lil Cao with a big imagination. I think he got it just right. Another gorgeous addition, no? Seeing me spinning away the winter dreft, I think this one will be “Springtime for the Woodland Faerie.”

Take from? Well, other than I hope your weekend has been grand, yes there is a small one. When you have these huge interpretive stylings, if you can, give yourself over to one of the artistic photographer’s in Second Life. It’s fun to see what they see in your creation. I’d never have thought of a fawn or faerie dancing because winter is finally over, but seeing it now, it sure does “fit.” Don’t forget! FFL is all this week! The SLURL’s are on the page to the left. I’ve heard of 2 million Lindens have already been raised, so thank you so much for your support!

Outfit:
Hair: Boon KBO906
Horn: LaGyo Spring Deer Headpice
Dress: Faster Pussycat, Virgin glitter top, and bodysuit Glitter pants, and Faster Pussycat Tutu, Faster Pussycat Padded corset
*SoliDea FoliEs* Amanda collar, *SoliDea FoliEs* Winter tutu skirt, and *SoliDea FoliEs* Winter tutu upper dress decor
Earrings/necklace: Mandala Polly
Boots: Miamai, Karya

Always love, don’t wait til the finish line ~ Nada Surf

FFL: Dress: Sonatta Morales, Rose Garden . NonFFL: Hair: Tuty’s Romantic . Pose: Flighty Pixels Poses, Editorial Hat.

A lot of pics today, finishing Fashion for Life blogging. I’ll leave the rest to the really good bloggers of SL. I was doing my typical Friday Blog scan this morning and ran across this title on my friend Boo’s (Bootney Blessed) blog, This Sideshow (link on Blogroll). Sometimes, as a thinker and a watcher, I come across things I find that hit me in the gut and start my brain salivating. For some reason, this particular title nudged some long ago memory buried deep in my soul. I can feel it; I just can’t quite bring it out. It’s like somewhere on my journey I took a wrong turn and instead of doubling backwards I stubbornly kept plowing ahead. But it’s been so long, I can’t remember where it was that I made that turn. Not sure when or why I don’t try to go back and start again, perhaps it’s just too painful to face once again.

FFL Dress: AD Creations Dollhouse, Shena . Bag: Cheerno . Shoos: BSD, Eclectic . NonFFL: Hair: Boon . Earrings/Watch: Mandala . Makeup: Blackliquid and Nuuna

But this title also reminds me about life, family, friends and a special love. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in daily life that we forget to say “I love you” (and mean it) to those nearest to our hearts. We work hard to provide for ourselves and for others but do we ever stop, crack open our hearts, instead of our wallets and let someone poke around in the mushy bits of us? Let them know, “when it comes to you, I am weak, I am yours?” Or do we mostly hold ourselves back to cushion us from inevitable hurt? I think I am probably more latter than former; I hide behind an aloof, quiet exterior. To be honest, life’s knocked me about a bit lately, but then, I suppose that’s just an excuse. However, when I read the title it reminds me, to love and be loved, even when you get knocked down, you are supposed to get back up, pry that heart open again and give your loved one free reign to poke about one more time. Your heart belongs to them anyway, right?

FFL: Outfit: Orage Creations, Glam Lace . NonFFL: Hair: Dura, girl 44 . Makeup: Mons.

Take from? Yes, I suppose so. We can spend a life time loving and making love, it would be such an incredible journey wouldn’t it? Or, when we come to the end of our lives, as we retire and age, we can try to “makeup” for all those years of love that we only gave out in small rations. That’s if the person chose to stay and live with our miserly ways. Boy when you see it in black and white, it’s kind of a no brainer which to choose. I hope your weekend is wonderful and warmed with love! And don’t forget! Fashion for Life 2013 is tomorrow! SLURL’s are on the A Fashion for Life SLURL’s page on the left margin! They will work tomorrow!

The.Body.Was.Willing.

FFL: Makeup: Madrid Solo. NonFFL: Outfit: *SoliDea FoliEs* . Watch: Mandala. Hair: Boon. Hat: Mix and match Miamai, *SoliDea FoliEs*

The body was willing, but the mind was very weak today. I started this blog so early this morning, but I couldn’t even make it out of the starting block. Writing block happens, I suppose. Sometimes even people who spend the entire day rambling misplace their words. Staring aimlessly at the monitor didn't work, and eventually I just wandered away. My job allows me to work outdoors at times and for today, the words were written out there, hidden in the buzz of insects, whispering on the wings of passing butterflies, sung happily by flitting birds.

FFL: Makeup: Madrid Solo. NonFFL: Hair: Boon. Hat: Mix and match Miamai, *SoliDea FoliEs*

When we work so hard to please others, at times we forget to please the one we should love the most. Ourselves. I’ve been blogging Fashion For Life a lot this week, hard to believe it starts in just two more days! YAY! Everything I have tried on is just so wonderful! I know you will all enjoy the event this year! It’s just, sometimes, I can’t be shown what to wear. I am stubborn that way. I seldom wear from just one designer preferring to mix and match, but I’ve mostly stayed loyal now for about a week. But retired lil Cao’s have to crawl back to their comfort clothes, drag them on and feel like themselves again. In deference to my lil Dragon Draakje, I didn’t throw on my always conveniently tucked away sequined knicker shorts, I did though, pull on one of my many favorite *SoliDea FoliEs* outfits. Luckily, I didn’t even have to snap the pic. I dragged my heartfriend and fellow model Nattyzuzu (Natzuka Miliandrovic) behind her camera, she chose some incredible poses from her store Flighty Pixels Poses and she so kindly and gorgeously captured the look.

FFL: Chop Zuey . NonFFL: Makeup: Mons ❤ Hair: Plume . Shirt: .Shi .

The take from? Yes, here it is. Written just for you Nattyzuzu. There are times when you are asked to do so many things. And people don’t realize how busy you truly are. So even though the body is more than willing to help, listen to your heart, listen to your mind. If it is tired, uncreative, feeling uninspired, your work wont be its best anyway. Kindly tell the people asking for help you would love to, you just can’t do so at this time. As friends they should truly understand and appreciate your honestly. Because who wants help from someone whose heart is only half into helping them? And if they are upset, are they really friends a’tall? Well, there ya are. I found my comfort clothes, now if I can just get a certain little dragon to make me some mac-n-cheese, life will be perfection!