What I Wore 12-29-07

What I Wore 12-29-07, originally uploaded by Rubianne Ellison.

What's crackin', peeps? Yes, yes- I know the posts are out of order. To file a complaint, see the entry for 12-17-07.

Today's entry features two outfits in blue from X3D. The long dress is the Haiku in dusk, one of many popular Haiku dresses available in a rainbow of colors. This dress is one I turn to again and again- it's of high quality, and the unique bodice shows a little of skin without being too much. The skirt is a bit hard to fit, so be prepared to spend some of time adjusting it. I've paired it with the silver strappy heels that came with the collection. The hair is the Ayla in brown from Analog Dog. Analog Dog has some great, really well done flexi hair, although some of it is rather....big.

The middle ensemble is the Navy from X3D, with the shoes that were included with the set. This 20s-ish style dress features a neck scarf, and a prim dropped waist skirt that's the perfect length. I'm wearing it, appropriately, with the Flapper hair from ETD.

What I Wore 12-30-07

What I Wore 12-30-07, originally uploaded by Rubianne Ellison.

Hi peeps! It's almost New Year's Eve, so here are a couple of looks you may want to consider for all the festivities.

On the left, I'm wearing the Aritha dress in green from Ivalde. It's a bit...unique, but it's flattering and elegant. It also comes in some other colors, but I like this one because I think it's funky and different. I've paired it with the Basic Long Dress gloves from Nicky Ree (tinited to match), stockings from CGBG, and Vidalia pumps in Metallic black from Armidi Gisaci. I'm wearing the bracelet and tiara from the Entwined Silver set from Dexter's Jewelry. The hair is the Crop in Mahohany from ETD.

On the right, I have on the same accessories, but I tinted the gloves a bit darker to match. I'm wearing the Little Black Dress from Pixel Dolls. It has loooow back, and a hiiiigh slit up the side, and despite the jaggies on the side seam, it's a favorite that I've gotten a lot of use out of.

What I Didn't Wear 12-28-07

What I Didn't Wear 12-28-07, originally uploaded by Rubianne Ellison.

Hi peeps! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday- I did. But on the other hand, home is where the heart is, and it's nice to be back.

Today's ensemble features an outfit from Ivalde, an Sl store that never fails to delight and tempt me. Arranged by decade, Ivalde has an incredible selection, including some dresses I simply love. I've always thought a well- groomed woman in a well tailored dress and sexy heels is the epitome of classic elegance, and here you can find some incredible things. On my most recent visit, I was happy to find that a line of ensembles paying homage to Marilyn Monroe had been introduced. Say what you want about Marilyn- the woman oozed elegance and style.

The Retro Bea dress in black I'm wearing is from the 50s, but don't be dismayed if the huge tiger on the skirt is a bit much for you- the store also offers some things that are more conservative. The "belt" and blouse are also included. I've accessorized it with the flapper hair from ETD (yes, I know it's the wrong time period), black leather gloves appropriated from the Cocoa Tweed Suit set from Tete a Pied, seamed stockings from CGBG, and the Vidalia Pumps in Metallic Noir from Armidi Gisaci.

Now for a quick tip about wearing skirts. There are 2 types of skirts in Sl- prim skirts that attach to your av, and "layer" skirts that are more or less painted on like your pants and shirts. Until flexi prims were introduced in May of 06 (I think), you can imagine how awful prim skirts looked, so until then layer skirts were more popular. Unfortunately, no matter how thin our av's are, layer skirts make us all appear to have cabooses the size of Texas. In order to combat this, you really need to have a modifiable shape. Under Editing Appearance, experiment with the sliders for hip, butt and saddle until you come up with a shape that looks more or less normal (but still womanly) under that skirt. It's very important to remember to save your skirt shape under a separate name that you'll remember (I call mine "skirtbutt"), and leave your original shape the same- HIT "SAVE AS", NOT SAVE!!!!

I have shapes for layer and prim skirts, as well as for "goth" skirts that are often teeny weeny. Ialso made a skirt shape with thinner calves that I use for thigh high boots. Some also make special pants shapes with slightly larger than normal derrieres. In the end, you've gotta do what works best for you- sometimes it's simply not worth driving yourself crazy over.

What I Didn't Wear For Christmas 2007

Tannenbaum, originally uploaded by Rubianne Ellison.

First of all, my apologies if you've seen this photo already- it's oldish. However, it's a favorite of mine, and I don't think I could come up with a better image for my Christmas entry.

Today is the 21st, and just like every year, my suitcase is open on the living room floor, and I've been up all night cleaning. Tomorrow I'll be going out of town, so this will be my last entry for a week or so.

I have to admit that I don't like many aspects of the Christmas/holiday season....people everywhere buying stuff, having to shop and clean, and go to the airport and listen to the screaming of children...My relatives and I will slump around in our pj's for a week, eating stuff and having to- the- death Scrabble and Bid Whist tournaments. We'll annoy one another, and it'll probably rain, and I'll whine about having to sleep on the floor or my mom's dog eating my socks.

But then we'll go out shopping, and we'll see a city still struggling to recover from a national disaster. We'll see people who have been forced to celebrate their holidays in trailers in their front yards for too long, we'll see the skeletons of ruined structures that used to be people's homes, we'll see graffiti and boarded up windows on buildings that used to be thriving places of business. I'll remember the folks that aren't lucky enough to have family to annoy them, that don't have money to travel in airports full of screaming babies, that don't have the means or even any reason to shop in crowded stores for holiday gifts.

The one thing I do like about the holidays, as I get older, is that it really makes me realize how blessed and loved I am.

I sincerely wish you and your friends and loved ones a happy holiday season. I hope you take a break from Secondlife, and enjoy the blessings that your real life has to offer.

Best,
Rubi

What I Didn't Wear 12-20-07

What I Didn't Wear 12-20-07, originally uploaded by Rubianne Ellison.

Hi Peeps! Welcome to today's entry! I wanted to make today's entry holidayish, as there are only 5 days until Christmas, but I think I've ended up with something that looks more wintery- ah well.

Ensemble 1
Today I'm pleased to talk about my all time favorite SL outfit, the outfit I'd prolly wear every other day if I didn't like shopping so much. The Let It Snow ensemble from Tres Beau, pictured on the left, features a clingy top with a flattering cut out neck line and sleek wintry pants. If you're into that sort of thing, it also comes with a furry jacket, collar, and cuffs, but I always eschew that stuff and instead wear the Iced Diamond collar and cuffs from Simply Spoiled (I wear the fancy schmancy collar over my actual collar). I think I've already expressed that I think an overabundance of bling is tacky, and this Iced set is glimmery, but somehow doesn't' seem to contain a blinding bling script. On my feet I'm wearing the Tundra boots in Snow from Le Cadre. For hair, I'm wearing the Roman Bun II and Luna- Aeris bangs from Cay's Skyshop (Roger told me this hair is his favorite of all the ones I wear). This cold weather outfit is simple, elegant, glamorous and sexy, and I'm truly surprised I haven't seen anyone else wearing it (except, of course, the people I've lent it to). As a note, Tres Beau has a stunning, largish collection of formal wear, especially wedding gowns, that is really worth checking out.

Ensemble 2
On the right, I'm wearing the Little Mary dress in Snow from Armidi. Take a look at the large size of this photo, and check out the pintucks on the bodice, and the scallops on the hem. Like all the other Armidi pieces I've seen, this dress looks real. It comes in a variety of colors, and looks nifty as whatnot if you twirl in it. The T- Strap shoes in red are from FNKY/Cake. The last time I went there, the store had been remodeled, and I couldn't find these lovely photorealistic shoes anywhere. Hopefully , the designer will bring them back soon- I haven't gotten the black ones yet...

What I Didn't Wear 12-19-07

What I Didn't Wear 12-19-07, originally uploaded by Rubianne Ellison.

Hi peeps! Welcome to today's entry!
I'll be out of town and unable to blog as of Saturday the 22nd, so I want to spend my last couple entries until Christmas showing you all some outfits that might are appropriate for celebrating the holidays. Today's ensemble, which I think would be excellent for a Christmas party, features the Gathered dress from Naughty Island. Short, simple and elegant, this frock can be accessorized to be utterly dignified, or a bit funky- your choice. The texture and the prims are perfectly crafted, and you'd be sure to get a lot of use out of this dress. I've paired it with a vintage-y hair from Ingenue called The Grable. Inspired by famous actress Betty Grable, this do adds class, elegance, and an edge to anything you wear it with. I'm wearing the Rainbowa in red from Callie Cline, another must see SL store, if a bit overpriced. I'll be blogging more of Callie's things in the future. Finally, I'm wearing the Vidalia pump in Noir Croc from Armidi Gisaci ( I told you they'd be my favorites).

What I Really Didn't Wear 12-17-07

What I Really Didn't Wear 12-17-07, originally uploaded by Rubianne Ellison.

Ok- I cheated. If you dunno what I mean, check out the December 18th blog.
However, I do care about the feelings of my blog readers, so I am providing a method of filing a formal complaint. In order to complain, you must fill out form QAZ97K (in your own blood, of course) and submit it in person to the Board of Trustees of the What I Didn't Wear blog. Also, you'll need that form notarized before submitting it. You can find the trustees at 123 Elm Street, Vostok Station, Antarctica. The office is open 9am- 5pm on Tuesdays that occur during a full moon, except for months when the temperature dips below 28 degrees Celsius for 2 continuous days.

The background of the picture is from SLArtist park, a nifty gallery and free photo studio area. And yes, this *is* the new face of rock.