For.Those.We.Have.Lost.

It is so close to the time. So close and I am so excited because this event weighs so heavy on my heart due to my best friend/sister in law dying of leukemia. I look forward to it every year, this is my third in Second Life and I hope you will lend a hand and help too. The wonderful part of SL’s Fashion for Life event is you don’t just donate, you receive a product for your donation, something you would possibly wish to buy anyway. All the designers items at donated to the charity at 100%. One person can make a difference. As stated on the RFL website, “Nowhere is that more evident than with the story of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, which began in Tacoma, Washington. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office and to show support for all of his patients who had battled cancer. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed – running marathons.” Dr. Klatt walked the track for 24 hours straight for his patients and with his friends raised $27,000 toward the cure. Don’t think cancer is some vague disease that will never effect you. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States alone. I personally lost my best friend/sister in law to leukemia at the age of 36 and watching the disease progress is devastating. There are many types of cancer, but all cancers start with a single abnormal cell. Abnormal cells multiply quickly. They spread to other parts of the body, invading healthy body tissue and organs, yet almost half of all cancer deaths can be prevented with early detection and treatment.

Relay For Life is the signature fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. The Relay For Life of Second Life is the largest, most successful fundraising event in our virtual world, raising more than $5.4 million in 2012. From noon March 9th 2013 to noon March 17th 2013, the biggest, boldest and most fabulous fashion event of the year will take place, helping to raise funds and awareness on behalf of the ‘American Cancer Society.’

The Look: Base Piece, I built the look around. The Jacket. One Word AMAZING! I loved it so much, here’s the taxi! Taxi:

Jacket: Sonatta Morales, *8* Avril Coat
Collar: *CoCo*, Fur Tippet & Pearls
Knicker Short: Leezu! Glitter pant
Shirt: Part of Miamai’s Demi Gown
Earrings: *SoliDea FoliEs*, Aliza **NEW** L’Accessoires
Belt: *Coco*, Wide Waist belt
Handbag: Handverk, Tetrahedron, **NEW** L’Accessoires!
Hat: Lode, Bittersweet [Spring] **NEW** L’Accessoires!
Hair: Miamai, Songe
Eye Makeup: +Nuuna+ Katy
Lips: Blackliquid, Blood Gloss
Boots: Belgravia, Electra Boots

UNTIL THERE IS A CURE. . . .WE RELAY!!

Breathing.Deep.Letting.Go.

Dress: Drift Mood Dress. ❤ Hair: Tableau Vivant. Heels: Whatever. Balloons: What Next?

I hate it when I grow up and make a rational grown-up decision. I really do. I’ve done something pretty rare in Second Life. I’ve lived in the same place for 3 years now. Three real life years. And it’s time to let it go. To prepare, I sent a letter to the people I lease the land from about three weeks ago, because I knew mentally this will be difficult to do. You would think it wouldn’t be, it’s not like I have had more than eight people come visit me in all that time, I truly am a recluse. But its been a labor of love the entire way. I think where it started to change was this year it took all my energy to change to a snowy landscape. Then this past few months, I hardly even travel down there, choosing to stay on my platform in the sky shooting pictures. It’s not like I spend much time in Second Life these days. An hour a day on weekdays maybe four hours a day on the weekend, so it hardly seems to be a viable expense anymore. It doesn’t take a business degree to figure out its money wasted. My only fear is it may signal as my waning days in Second Life, but I won’t think about or accept that at this point, I’m shoving it to the back of the inventory for now. Why? Because, I have so many very real friends in SL, including the designer of the Drift brand clothes I am wearing for this blog. Kallisto Destiny, a friend, designer, blogger, and excellent photographer, is one of the things I simply love about Second Life, the creativity abounds here in so many places and details.

As you can see, my house is a bit of a mutt. I’ve melded two seperate Leezu! homes into one. I used to just have the white house, but along the way, I wanted to add a bedroom, well, mainly so I could decorate with more “stuff.” In the foreground is my bath house, its a beach shop created by Teefy. I just love the areas and gardens of this property, every bit of it has been a labor of love. But, well perhaps a Second Life mimics a first and I find now that I am “old,” virtually 5! It has become time to downsize. I’ll be okay, I think. 🙂

Dress: Drift, Maxi Dress. Hairs: Tableau Vivant ❤

Take from? yep, it’s here. I never thought I was the type of person who would let possessions possess me. I am, by all accounts a minimalist in real life. But sometimes, you pour so much of your heart into a project that at some point you don’t know where it starts and where you end. I think the take from for me is, it’s okay. It’s never easy to let go, the trick is in learning to move forward without any doubts. To grow and try something new. So forward on, I go. If you get a chance, check out Drift this weekend. I know you will absolutely adore what you find there, soothing comfort clothes. What can I say, they go good with my macaroni and cheese… Here ya are, I even included the taxi for once: Taxi:

Siochan Leat, Eire

Au.Revoir.

I was speaking with a dear friend in Second Life yesterday. Something recently happened to her in her first life that left her just a little off-kilter. We’ve all been there probably. I think we are given tragedy every once in a while to remind us not to rush through life with single minded purpose, to live with all the senses, to slow down and remember to feel. I don’t mean this to minimize anything anyone is going through, I could never even know what another person is facing, I am speaking in a personal nature of the tragedy’s that have befallen myself. And yes, like everyone, I have had a few. But for myself I say, and in hope it will help some of you, take a little time to savor the pain, it is yours to hold but as time passes, forgive yourself, and let it go. If there was a lesson to be learned from the tragedy, learn it, but always, even you deserve forgiveness, kindness and peace. Life is for the living.

Here at this end of the year, my last blog of the year, I want to thank all of you! I don’t get around Second Life very much anymore, being “old and retired” and all (thanks Zaara and Kim for telling me so!) Thank goodness my Dragon bought me a motorized wheel chair for my rez day.. o.O But anyway, thank you all for always being so funny, so fun and just plain nice to me. I have so many wonderful friends in Second Life and each of you holds a place in my heart. You are all so creative, so amazing, I just know I would adore you in real life too if we were ever to meet! I’ve received a gazillion and one Christmas holiday cards, about as many best wishes IMs and I can’t tell you how much I treasure all of them! So before I cry and get sappy, I wish you the best holiday you have ever had, I hope santa knows your wish list and gives extra, and I can’t wait to start this all over from the beginning with you all on January first! So behave for another day or two, then swing from the chandelier’s if you so wish on December 26th. I figure we have a week to be naughty then its back to “work” again! I want to send a special thank you with love to Draakje Dailey, my dragon. Of all the friends she had to get stuck with it had to be a Cao who is lost more than found! Thank you for all you do to make my Second Life function right. (Though I half think she is the one who keeps making me crash…) She knows so much about things, I think she might have a Linden in her pocket… love you all! Namaste.

Outfit One:
Hat/Jacket: *SoliDea FoliEs*
Boots: Belgravia
Jewelry: Mandala
Hairs: Tuty
Trunk set, What Next?
Mannequins, :AOF:
Pose: Del May

Outfit Two:
Shirt: Mon Tissu, ruffled Shell
Fur: Mimikri
Skirt: Ladies Who Lunch, from the Ava gown
Gloves: Mimikri
Jewelry: Mandala, Watch *NEW* Sitennoah. Necklace, Onigiri. Earrings, Leather Feather. Rings, Motsumame, Annuttra
Hat: Miamai, Memento Fascinator
Hairs: Boon, PKJ371
Pose: Corpus, Love my Dico! ❤

Walking.In.A.Winter.Wonderland.

Reblog: I wanted to reblog this because I feel it is important to me. Well, as important as a silly Cao can be. I want my last two blogs of the year to attempt to say what is in my heart. And this is, after all, my Christmas card to each of you for 2012. I hope you like it. 🙂 What a happy year I have had because of all of you! As I leave here, I am filled with so many thoughts, so much happiness really. I adore and appreciate each and every one of you, you are amazing, supportive, kind, and oh so wonderful! I write just “stuff,” I was going to say crap, but I should be nice, even to myself, in the spirit of the holiday. You all bring me such a huge smile daily because you support me, some hopefully even “get” me. I am thankful even for the anonymous readers who peek in every once in a while and then wander off to their own devices. There are no words to express the honor I feel that for some reason, that day, you peeked! Life is good. I hope yours is as well. But always, lets remember to include those less fortunate than ourselves. Even if all we can afford to spare is an extra big smile and a kind word. Thank you for an amazing roller coaster of a year everyone. Wheee!

This is my “grown up Christmas Wish.” This Christmas let your heart shine a little brighter, be a little more open to possibility. Christmas is not a time nor a season but a state of mind. Cherish peace and goodwill, look to others with a little more forgiveness, and feel the joy of the season with the heart of a child. Be glad, be hopeful and feel the good of the world spiritually. Because there is nothing quite so poignantly sad than to wake up Christmas day and not be a child, soften your view and embrace the season as a child. I hope you wake up in wonder and joy for all that surrounds you. That is the little wish I have for each and every one of you. Namaste.

Outfit:
Dress: *SoliDea FoliEs*, mix of two outfits. Snowball and Glitter
Wings and Wreaths: Caverna Obscura, part of Holly Faerie Outfit (wreaths, neck and head)
Antlers: Boudoir, Frosted Antlers
Legs: Gauze, Demon legs
tights: Dark Midday Designs, Cute Uggs
Nails: Mandala, Polly
Hairs: Dura, Boys and Girls 38
Ears: +pe+ Elder ears, heavy metal
Poses: Pics and Poses and DelMay

Dusting.Off.The.Big.Girl.Knickers.

This blog is for all the MVW misses of 2013. I want to offer solice and courage to each of you, and future congratulations to one of you. Unfortunately, as with all things in life there is a winner and most are “losers.” But I want you to remember, you were a good model prior to Miss Virtual World and if you choose to continue, you will be a better model in the future. Miss Virtual World does not define, or make you who you are. Only you have that power. Hard work and perseverance, dedication to learning, and well, some luck too, are what makes a model rise above other models. So dust off those big girl knickers, rest a bit, and get back out there, work hard and be the best you can be.

Take froms? Someone has to lose, it is an inevitable fact of life (*raises hand* rejection class of 2012) but think about the friends you have made, the little things you have learned, “Losing” for anyone in anything we try to accomplish is an opportunity for true growth in your life. Take a moment to re-evaluate what is important to you, to your life, and to your Second Life hobby. I mean, was this loss really all that important to you in the grand scheme of your life time? Do you think when you are 80 you will even remember the time you lost a Virtual beauty pageant? I certainly hope not. And consider this, by losing, how has your expected future changed? What was really lost? Anything other than time? But also, what was really gained or was potentially gained? Take the loss with a grain of salt, but as well with a grain of sugar, you have accomplished, in the very least a new network of friends from around the world, and most certainly you have grown from the experience. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? So relax, enjoy the last day of the contest, what happens, happens. MVW will not make you “famous” nor make you obsolete, only you can do that to yourself, and if you define obsolete by the demise of a virtual modeling career, it may be time to step back and take a long look at your real life.

A very special thank you to Mila Tatham of *SoliDea FoliEs* for creating this hat and jacket, just for this blog. =** I could never replace a friend and sister like you! Boots: Belgravia, Jewelry: Mandala, Hairs: Tuty, Trunk set, What Next?, Mannequins, :AOF:, Pose: Del May