January 5th, 2009 by Candy Flanagan

It’s a new year and I’m back to tell you about a hot clothing and skin store. Tokeo.Plastik (Flickr, URL, SLURL) is the lovechild of Aikea Rieko and Jaden Benavente. This store has an attitude and it’s all about making you look like the bad-ass you are (or just want to be!) I am completely and totally in love with everything at Tokeo.Plastik, so forgive me if I don’t wear anything else for the next month or so.

Tokeo.Plastik does pants right. Even without fancy sculpted attachments, these Twotone Jesterjeans are the highlight of any outfit. Of course, there are also a variety of tops at Tokeo.Plastik, including these comfy, snuggly Urchin Hoodies in more colors and patterns than I could possibly be bothered to list. The color palette at Tokeo.Plastik is impressive and ranges from delicate floral and heart-patterned pink fabric to heavily ribbed Victorian velvet and everything in-between, with a dash of rainbow paint thrown in for good measure. If you have a favorite color, they’ve got it - if not, you’re sure to find a new favorite with so much to choose from.

Did I mention fancy sculpted attachments, though? Because the Ravepants might just be Tokeo.Plastik’s signature piece. These pants are bulky and robust, wrinkled from their own length and the weight of the fabric. With a built-in belt, large pockets and a number of handy straps, these pants are clearly built to be put to hard use. Of course, I’m just going to wear them to go clubbing with friends, but I’m sure they would look great under blacklight!

The accessories at Tokeo.Plastik are equally creative and diverse, including staples like the London scarf and the elbow-length Armwarmis (pictured above). There are also a number of options for Furries, fauns, and other fantasy friends, with digitigrade pants and legwarmers, neko ears and tails, elven ears, wings, skins and much, much more. But more on all that tomorrow!

December 19th, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

I have an Itsy Bitsy Bikini! And, wouldn’t you know it, it’s yellow AND polka-dotted! It was a group gift from Church of Luxe (URL, SLURL), so you can’t have it, neener-neener-neener, but I’ll share some other lovely pieces you can still get your hands on.

Who loves Japanese snacks? Hanauta’s (URL, SLURL) newest release is delicious and nutritious - pixels are fat-free! The Taiyaki set comes with more crispy, chocolate-filled fish than anyone could eat alone, and thanks to clever scripting you don’t have to - anyone can touch the bag to get their own. Go head, take one!

The rest of the outfit was inspired by my favorite pixel food fetishist elka Lehane. I started with the Boho Chic boots from elka herself, available at her store Boing Fromage (URL, SLURL). Tucked into the boots are the Socks Romantic from Kurotsubaki (SLURL), which complement the Jenna dress from Church of Luxe perfectly. Topped with a hat from Barnes Boutique (SLURL) and accessories from Happy Mood (URL, SLURL) and Shiny Things (URL, SLURL) [as well as an ID bracelet from XS (Dnel DaSilva), which appears to have disappeared], I was dressed for an exploration of the new Hanauta sim.

My favorite outfit from Church of Luxe is the Fairy dress. I look like I’ve run away from a Japanese-German cabaret. It’s pink and has a gigantic bow in the back, that’s enough to make me happy!

The Creator Stamp Rally Winter starts tomorrow! I’ll probably be busy stamping all day, but you know I’ll be back to show you my prizes. :D

December 18th, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

Ana Lutetia got to dress me up this time around, suggesting: “Dutch Touch or MG fashion for clothes, AuMa or Truth for boots and ETD (still on sale) for hair.” I admire Ana’s style and dedication to blogging, so of course I followed her advice!

Once again, this challenge has led me to dig long-lost treasures out of my inventory - and I’m glad this outfit from MG Fashion (URL, SLURL) got to see the light of day again! It’s called Hunting Season and wearing it I felt ready for a long trek through the woods, but a quick shopping trip in the city had to make do!

My first stop was Truth (URL, SLURL), to find some shoes. The Huntress Boots were actually my first shoe purchases at Truth, even though I’ve long been a fan of Truth Hawk’s clothing. They look great, but it took well over an hour of wrangling with the resizer script to get them to fit - I miss the days when such things were mod and I could fit them in a few minutes! There was a reward for my hard work, though, in the form of a free pack of sculpted heels tucked in a corner near the Subscribe-O-Matic at Truth! My next stop was ETD (URL, SLURL). I found the perfect hair, the Janine with texture-changing cap - on sale for only L$30, as Ana said! The sale runs until December 26th, so there’s still time to find your own favorite hair style, if you’re a fan of ETD.

The lovely Nissa Nightfire has followed my own suggestions on her blog, Magpie Metaverse. Check out her Wasteland style!

I’ve also been trying my best to keep the list on my first Dress Me Up Challenge posts, adding any new posts I come across on the feed. Let me know if I missed you!

December 17th, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

The Dress Me Up Challenge may be the most fun to ever hit the fashion feed, but you might be asking yourself what I’ve been wearing while I am out following the shopping advice of my fellow fashionistas - well, I’ll show you!

I’ve been wearing this comfy blend of new releases and old favorites, inspired by the Mellow skirts and sweaters from Rebel Xtravaganza (URL, SLURL). I completed the look with Stripe Knit Thigh Highs from Shiny Things (URL, SLURL), Feather Boots from Kurotsubaki (SLURL), and a Handknit Flaphat from Sculpties Up In Here (URL, SLURL).

The hat is my favorite part of the whole outfit and Gritty Kitty’s (URL, SLURL) Hathair was a perfect fit. Now I’m off to start a snowball fight!

December 15th, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

Seeing the suggestions come in for the Dress Me Up Challenge has been a lot of fun. I have attempted a few looks, but it has been more difficult to implement them than I had expected! While I am versatile, I’m also very picky. o.o

I had to grin when Achariya suggested:

“I’d love to see you in Marie Antoinette garb — like the huge dresses from Drac or Pixeldolls, or the Dans Macabre dress from ~silentsparrow~. Big poofy hair also from Drac, and delicate slippers of some sort. ♥”

I have actually had the appropriate dress in my inventory since it’s release, but I had never worn it! It’s awful, but true - my inventory is still a cavernous black hole. No wonder I shop so much, sometimes it’s the only way to find something to wear!

Draconic Kiss, Pixeldolls and silentsparrow have all been long-time favorites of mine, but I focused on Draconic Kiss for this look. Draconic Lioncourt of Draconic Kiss (URL, SLURL) delights the lace-frilled heart of every Gothic Lolita with gorgeous dresses. Draconic also branches out into detailed costumes, packed with extras. The Theresa dress, based on a design from the 1700’s, comes complete with the fantastic wig and hat pictured above. There’s a skin available separately, with a delicately powdered face, but since I didn’t buy that along with the dress over a year ago when both were released, I went with the one Draconic Kiss skin I already owned, the Doll skin. These skins are some of my absolute favorites and I come back to them again and again, especially when I am feeling even frillier than usual!

Achariya also suggested delicate slippers to match, which have unfortunately been swallowed up by the volumes of my skirt, but rest assured the Estampie shoes in lavender velvet from Lassitude & Ennui (URL, SLURL) matched perfectly. I also chose the Cameo choker from Lassitude & Ennui. I wasn’t really sure that either piece was true to the period, but they looked so great that I couldn’t resist!

Liked the look? Think you can do better? Dress Me Up!

I nearly forgot to mention the location for both shots, Provence Coeur (SLURL), a group of half a dozen sims filled with charming shops and rentals. All six sims are themed, based on France in the 1700’s, and I spent nearly an entire day exploring the rustic French countryside, pretending to be Marie Antoinette!

October 3rd, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

October 3rd is a holiday in Germany, Tag der Deutschen Einheit (or German Unity Day), which commemorates the anniversary of German reunification. But a lot of Germans don’t really care … it’s just an excuse to spend the day at the local Oktoberfest! Every fashion conscious female visitor will be decked out in a dirndl. This traditional dress can also be found in Second Life and my personal favorite is from Wishbox (URL, SLURL). The “Folklore Dirndl” comes in a number of colors and each set features intricate patterning on the bodice and skirt, two styles of puffed sleeves, and flirty ribbon detailing on the back. The “Cameo Choker” from Lassitude & Ennui (URL, SLURL) highlights the twin assets that every dirndl-wearer is most proud of - her eyes!

Finding a proper Oktoberfest background proved more difficult than I had imagined! I found a few rather poorly built and sparsely decorated tents and had nearly given up when I came across the Victoriana Oktoberfest (SLURL) - trust roleplayers to come through with interesting events!

October 1st, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

I love this jewelry. It makes me squee! Violet Voltaire (URL, SLURL) has released the “Wonderland Collection” in four versions: Mad Hatter, Queen Alice, Queen of Hearts and White Rabbit (pictured above). The necklace and earrings feature the original Alice in Wonderland illustrations and intricate themed pendants. It’s hard to pick out just one set, but at only L$200 you can easily afford two or three … or all four! There are also matching accessories available separately, a crown and doll key, with all four motifs.

As if that weren’t enough, Violet has also released the “Eternity” necklace as freebies. Six gemstone choices are available at her main store (URL, SLURL), in a small church near the entrance, with two further freebies at Lucky Kitty Crew Headquarters (SLURL) and Free Style (URL, SLURL)

The outfit was built around the jewelry, but it also includes a number of other remarkable pieces. I have such faith in Cubic Effect (URL, SLURL) that I bought a fatpack of the “Suede Half Coat” without hesitation. I chose a red coat, intending to build a casual outfit with jeans, but a spontaneous trip to Sn@tch (URL, SLURL) led me to one of Ivey Deschanel’s secondary stores, The Hunger (SLURL), where I found the gorgeous “Beauty of Poison” gown. I chose to wear only the system clothing layers and came up with an artsy, gothic look, while still managing to stay casual. The look was topped off with the “Creative” hair from Gritty Kitty (URL, SLURL), a “Classic Tank Watch” from Muse (URL, SLURL) and “Button Boots” from Shiny Things (URL, SLURL).

Now I’m off to find a way to get into a 90’s Dark Wave music video … XD

August 25th, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

Some things are just meant to go together. Thanks to DP YumYum (URL, SLURL), I am now convinced that muffins and donuts are inseparable. Mmm, donuts …

I built this outfit around the feminine “La Clochette” set from Gris-Gris (URL, SLURL). I was ecstatic to see how many layers were included in the set and the unlimited possibilities for mixing and matching began to fill my head. For some reason, I became obsessed with making the “melting Candy Top” from Momo (SLURL) work. “It’s all about the accessories,” I said to myself and was I ever right!

The absolute show-stealers in this outfit are the arm and legwarmers. My arms are clad in Gritty Kitty (URL, SLURL) “Sugary Gloves” and the “LoC Socks” are from Amerie’s Naughty (URL, SLURL). Of course, my favorite piece is the “Cuppycake Necklace” from the oh-so-talented Violet Voltaire (URL, SLURL). I need the Cuppycake set in every color and then some - I will never take it off!

The “Cani” hair style is also from Gritty Kitty. It has a teeny little heart crown and texture-change streaks! I picked up the heart theme with my mask from Bare Rose (URL, SLURL) - I just love anything with hearts, even surgical masks. I also love anything with skulls, especially skulls with ribbons and bows, so my current favorite shoes and belt were required to complete this look. God bless Kari (URL, SLURL)!

August 12th, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

Caught in the act! “Uno the Kitty” stole all my carefully collected and stamped cards - he’s just jealous that he’s not the center of attention at the current Creator Stamp Rally (URL)! He was available as a prize from Tangram (SLURL) last year, but that’s old news. Let him pout, there are more important things to talk about - maybe even cuter!

One of the stars of the current Rally is the “French Bulldog” from Vooner (SLURL). I want to hug him and squeeze him and call him George. No, Fred. Wait …

I think I’ve gone a bit overboard, but I just love CSR! It has been a blast so far and I’m not even done … I am all shopped out for now. The event lasts all month, though, so I have plenty of time to catch up on everything I missed!

These are tears of joy, really! Minajunk (SLURL) put out this absurdly cute “Cry Skin” for the Rally, which I accessorized with BettiePage Voyager’s (SLURL) prize - a frilly dress and hair. Time for a spot of tea, courtesy of Feather (SLURL)!

Speaking of joy, I was ecstatic to see the new blog Ace for Apple. Aceius Hax is one well-dressed gentleman and I’m glad to see he is trying his hand at blogging - I expect lovely, interesting things! Aceius blogged about the Rally, he’s just as enamoured of the cuddly creatures as I am. Check it out!

August 5th, 2008 by Candy Flanagan

I just can’t stop buying hair. Thankfully, I am kept well supplied by the designers in SL. Saeya Nyanda of Kyoot (URL, SLURL) has long been a favorite designer of mine, so I was thrilled to see she had tried her hand at hair. And what hair it is! There are currently only two styles available, similar messy, bedhead buns - one short and one long style. I loved how romantic and playful both styles are and I am really looking forward to what else Saeya comes up with.

The longer “Waverly” style matched this maid costume from another of my absolute favorite designers in SL, Moeka Kohime of Edelweiss (URL, SLURL). Edelweiss has the Grid’s best Japanese costumes - if you’re into maid or school girl uniforms, that is! Don’t get me wrong, though, there wasn’t a lot of dusting to do at the brand new Kyoot build.