Every Tuesday (more or less) Dancien DJs at the PMG cafe, which is in his home base of Denton Valley.  Tonight was the Christmas party and he graciously allowed me to show up and go postal in my Hanukkah girl outfit. Yes I robbed a bank in it last year so, and although its silly and nearly criminal to wear the same dress twice, I just had to do some sort of prank.

Fast Tube by Casper

I wish I knew exactly what Dancien was wearing. I did recognize one of the Zombie skins from Nomine.  I was also very obliged to the people attending the party, who were very nice to me when I arrived and asked to film them being massacred.  Not surprisingly everyone seemed to take off suddenly.  Thanks guys. :p

Juana Hanukkah girl wears:

Hanukkah dress by Katatonik (from last year yes but I still like it)
Hair acessorie by Sweetaholic
Skull nose piercing by AVZ
Arm warmer spikes by Susie
Black boots by J’s
Necromantic bloomers by violent seduction
MP5 by Breach
Tree of life necklace by Tekeli’li
Nadeshiko hair kuromame by Ay.line
Solaris glasses by Tesla (I am not certain they still exist)
Annalisa boheme skin by Rotten toe
Wine hair rose by Gfield

Tags: Fashion Machinima, hanukkah girl, holiday death, juana manuel, zombie santa

Yes, I have roused myself from post-Halloween/Dia de los Muertos topor to face the sheer horror that is the Christmas-Industrial complex.  I don’t really have any excuses for my long leave of absence except that somehow I got thrown in jail and sentenced to death because Tedi asked me to drive him down to the pharmacy to get some aspirin.  And then I ended up at this kind of Spa/CIA charm school, where I met this one eerily creepy and insanely intelligent white haired guy who keeps calling me and asking me to run errands.

Fast Tube by Casper

This last errand was apparently to assassinate Santa Claus.  Its very exciting sounding but harder than it seems, because there are so freaking many of them. So I just picked a random Christmas themed sim, and attempted to go on a homicidal rampage.  Santa wasn’t there, but his Mrs. was. She was a bot though, so I had a very stupid conversation with her.  I am sure the person who owns her thought it was very funny too.

I finally got frustrated and ended up at Denton Valley instead, where Dancien had thoughtfully provided some burning materials so the evening wasn’t totally wasted.  And then after a victory dance, went back to the ranch to drink Lone Star beer and ponder the evils of Christmas.

relaxing at the ranch

I continue with my deep and unstinting insane love of Rotten Toe.  It seems every single time I go there, I *have* to buy something.  And this last time this particular hair was in the lucky chair, which is why Juana is wearing such an unaccustomed color.  But it seemed to go very well, and even very appropriate as well considering the circumstances.  The Funeral party dress too is magnificent.  I didn’t wear any spikes like I shoud have though, but pieces from the Oshun Dark Eden set are always personal faves as accessories. The Puke skin is utterly adorable too, and pleasingly unusual.  Its like a cute and doll-like girly corpse paint in a way.  And by the way, those Frost Fae wings from Chaospire (part of the Frost Fae set) are scripted to snow.

On a related tangent, if you have the chance to see the documentary “Until the Light Takes Us,” you should really do so.  I had no real previous knowledge of the excesses of the early 90s Norwegian Death Metal scene apart from the famous murders and church burnings, but after seeing this interesting (and frequently unintentionally funny) movie, I felt like maybe if I was going to do the Death Metal Fashionista lifestyle in SL, then murdering Santa and setting his sleigh on fire would be a very Fashionista Varg Vikernes thing to do.  (Ok maybe he’d stab Santa in the head and then scatter his dismembered body all over the place and then set fire to a church, but hey let’s pretend)  And it didn’t hurt either that the exposed brain was sort of reminiscent of the famous suicide cover with the brains on a pillow. (go Google it if you don’t believe me).

la femme juanita wears:

MP5 by Breach
funeral party dress, puke skin, visions of death eyes, and brains (blue) hair  by Rotten Toe
black boots by J’s
Frost Fae flexible wings (scripted) by Chaospire
Skull Halo by Vamp Designs
Midnight Oshun Armlets (from set) by Dark Eden
Skull Nose Piercing by AVZ

at Winter by PondLife and at Denton Valley (thanks Dan!)
death metal courtesy of Melkaim_Back 2008 by Aengarth (creative commons)

Tags: Fashion, Fashion Machinima, Holiday Hate, juana manuel, Norwegian Death Metal wannabe, Rotten Toe

*psst* I have a confession to make.  I have been worshiping exotic goddesses, besides the holy couture trinity (and yes I was sad that one of the trinity has left Second Life).

Fast Tube by Casper

The dread magnificent and great goddess I have been worshipping  is none other than the most spectacular Munchflower Zaius, of Nomine. *cue screaming undead gothic fangirls*.  And OMG. She won my still beating severed heart even before she gave me the most incredible Sugar Skull skin as a gift <333….and ZOMG, she is about to release a whole line of them!  If you Plurk she posted a few teaser pictures there already, and Achariya posted them with permission on her blog too.   So yes. I am just seriously dying to wear those incredible skins!!!!!

It is amazing how perfectly her skin goes with the new Day of the Dead themed dress from Grim Bros.  Cutea Benelli has made the most wonderfully insanely amazing Dia de los Muertos gown ever!  It is so amazingly gorgeous I just nearly fainted when I saw it, just wonderfully flamboyant and fabulous.

In fact I would say the goddess Cutea  is on a total roll right now.  She also released a very festive dress called Viva la Catrina that comes with an adorable skin too!

And, if you even join a fashion group just to get cool freebies,  then join the Rotten Toe group, because these Vision of Death eyes are sooooo to die for!!!!

The Pentinent Fashion Sinner Juana wears:

Dia de los Muertos set by Cutea Benelli/Grim bros
Sugar skull skin (custom) <333 by Nomine
Skull ear spikes by …mad about
Visions of death eyes by Rotten toe (group gift)
Rosary ring choker by handmaidens
Tattoo and Tropicana hair flower by artilleri

listening to “streets of laredo” by
Tom Drexl aka. Uwe Höck

visiting the Guadalajara Cathedral sim and Nomine

(also shown: Viva la Catrina dress, rusty bangles, Dia de los Muertos shoes, and skin by Cutea Benelli, Gloves and Stockings by Rotten Toe, To Live and Die tattoos by Bakersfield Kidd, Wild woman hair by MiaSnow, and Natsumi by Diversity hair)

Tags: Cutea Benelli, day of the dead, Fashion Machinima, Grim Bros., juana manuel, Munchflower Zaius, nomine

I will not attempt to hide my utter love of the Day of the Dead holiday.  I have posted and written elsewhere about this mania already.  And now you, my friends, will be subjected to it.  One of the little articles of decor that I simply adore about DoD are the nichos, or little dioramas that show funny scenes of dead people doing all manner of things: having their hair done, fighting, drinking, etc.  And when I found the utterly cool Dia de Los Muertos Bride and Groom Avatar sets by Gerstley Quinnell, I just went totally bonkers, elated to have the chance to create my very own misbehaving satirical dead Second Life nicho.

I was aided in this fashion-induced dementia by the gracious Isolahara Catteneo of +mudshake, who gave permission for me to take pictures in her lovely show houses.  Which, by the way, are utterly splendid.  She has several DoD/Mexican themed houses that are utterly adorable.  Dancien also very patiently agreed to be dressed up and play dead house with me.  Here  above we are posing in Frida’s Dream House.

I must say Dancien was a very good sport, because naturally when Juana plays house she thinks of marital strife, and poisonings, and all the other wretched little things married folk get up to.  Here we are in the Skull in Love house, which is a delightful little dwelling.  Isolahara has such a wonderful happy vibe going, with bright colors and wonderful little touches like swirls and just cute fabrics and furniture.  Its sort of a very happy shabby chic–hard to describe but oh so wonderful.  I have bought several of her houses, and they are just adorable in every way.  They come furnished with items that are well chosen and match wonderfully too.

The avatars in this set are splendid as well.  The skins are detailed and wonderful, and the outfits are both semi-traditional and kind of cheeky.  I was also impressed with the eyes, which are stylized marigold flowers.  The avatars come also with a shape, but Juana looks best in her own shape.  I love the outfits as well….they make the avatars look wonderfully like the little stylized skeletons one sees in the previously-mentioned nichos.

Near the end I think Dancien got slightly impatient though….*grin*

The Undead Newlyweds wear:

On Juana Manuel:
Dia de Los Muertos Bride Avatar set by Gerstley Quinnell

On Dancien Graves:
Dia de Los Muertos Groom Avatar set by Gerstley Quinnell

Pictures taken on location with special permission at +mudshake sim.

Special Thanks to Isolahara Catteneo for her gracious permission.

Tags: avatar sets, day of the dead, Gerstley Quinnell, juana manuel, playing house, SL calaca avatar, undead marital strife/bliss

Today I decided to bedeck myself in broken baby doll parts.  It is not quite October, that darkest and gothiest of months, but I don’t care. I was in a bad bad mood, and decided to channel all that *grrr* into an outfit. Dunno why, but the eighties revival that seems to be infecting fashion and music sort of sets my teeth on edge, too.

Fast Tube by Casper

Broken dolls are supposed to be creepy and gothy, (just google the words broken doll and feast your eyes on the specimens of dark dank depressed arty pictures that pop up)  and the pieces that I am wearing come from a mixture of designers with that creepy-dead doll/woman/child thing going, which I really do love.  It is hard to believe but all of these pieces come separately–the Paper doll dress (which comes with an option without the broken doll trim) and necklace are from i love thirteen, and the umbrella is from Rotten Toe.  However looking at what I ended up with is making me laugh because the effect I think of this ensemble is not quite menacing but more like vapidly homicidal air-headed neo-valley girl.  Like, zomg. A murderess.

I miss the late lamented Carnival of Doom sim, which was a true terrifying dark carnival.  I visited the little circus at the Far Far Store at Isla Mallorca, and although it was not scary it had its charmingly offbeat moments.  And it had an evil clown to boot.  Besides, who else can boast of a human cannon that just sort of hovers in midair after being launched–its perfect for photography!

broken doll circus juana wears:

erika kuromame hair by ay.line
catalina wedges by tesla (no longer in existence) :(
annalisa boheme skin, pink broken doll umbrella, domino leggins,
black dancer gloves & leg straps by rotten toe
paper doll dress & necklace by i love 13
coffee skull bangles cutea benelli/grim bros
gazing balls silver eyes by MIA SNOW
doll face earrings by violet voltaire (got at the jewelry fair)

at  the far far shop

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isla%20Mallorca/128/128/23

listening to circus by alexandre blu

Tags: ay.line, Far Far Store, Fashion Machinima, fashion travelogue, Grim Bros., i love 13, Isla Mallorca Sim, juana manuel, Rotten Toe

The Princess of Eboli. (The first Guro Lolita?) <3

I’ve a dreadful confession to make. For about 15 years, I was in a medieval/renaissance re-enactment society.  There.  I have confessed it, owned it. Now we can move on.  Such a long time in that environment is bound to leave marks.  It was my habit to wear 16th century Spanish clothing, which was plenty of black fabric always, hoopskirts, ruffs, and corsets.  (Random Factoid: this was the origin of hoopskirts as we know it.  But I digress)

This set of preferences seems to have carried over into my Second Life I’m afraid.  In particular, cage crinolines just make me insane, and I must own at least 10 different outfits with crinolines of some form. I found a fabulous outfit at Rotten Toe, which is yet another one of my fave places to binge shop.  Its called simply the “Black n White Dress”  and when I saw it I knew i must have it.  It has a crinoline, and a kind of ruff even! And skull tipped horns! Brilliant! Of course my major sin is outfit unorthodoxy, and I added a few pieces from the Black dancer set too.

Fast Tube by Casper

I am very fond of the NPIRL blog.  Bettina Tizzy finds the coolest things, and also Alpha Auer posts there too.  So I was very intrigued by this post about Oberon Onmura’s piece called “Plaza.” Once I arrived there I was enchanted by the whole thing….and of course I bumped into a very interesting looking avatar, an Italian Gentleman by the name of Graphic Janus.  Unfortunately he was not really able to tell much about what he was wearing.  He did pass along the link to his really fabulous Second Life calendar. It was so very typical of Second Life,  a chance meeting with that crazy sense of happy coincidence.  And so I was moved to record us there.

Juana la tuerta wears:

Black N White Set,  Black dancer Corset & hat, Clownish f1 skin by Rotten Toe
Whimsy walk shoes by  Nightshade Designs
Enigma bracelet loulou&co
Ran hair by ay.line
Yukio eyepatch by Little Boy Blue
Ghoul fest eyes by Tacky Star
Skull nose piercing by AVZ
Aztec Goddess tattoo by Ink Blots
Kabbalah Hamsa Pendant by AFantasy

at Oberon Onmura’s Plaza.
listening to Persian Nights from the Secret Garden Project

Tags: Black Dress, Fashion Machinima, juana manuel, Rotten Toe

Eshi Otawara is one of my very favorite designers. In fact I tend to group her in a kind of Second Life Holy Couture Trinity (Cutea Benelli is another one of my personal fashion designer trinity–you all will just have to wait till another week for the third to be revealed).  And now I will exhaust the usual superlatives describing her fabulous, original, well-made, and  just plain freaking gorgeous clothes.  They are very distinctive as well–when you catch sight of an avatar clad in one of her creations, the effect is somewhat akin to a cannon ball going off in a crowded ballroom.  People will stare and drool.  You will enjoy being the center of attention.  You may even need to get your handy purse-sized tear gas out to contain the riot.

Fast Tube by Casper

Today I am wearing her “Heather” outfit, a newish offering (I think its been out about two weeks).  One of the things I adore about this ensemble/set, apart from the sheer beauty of it, is the versatility afforded by various separate pieces, to mix and match (it comes with two skirt options) pieces to create several different looks.    And then of course the outfit is so wonderfully well made–and the amazing sheen and the textures of the “fabric” are both stellar.    At the time that I bought this little gem, several sets of boots by Schmidt were also being sold in Eshi’s shop  Chambre du Chocolat that matched perfectly,  in pointy and rounded toe variants.

By a happy accident, while exploring I happened on the sim depicted above, forest feast.  It is a apparently a lovely place to buy plants, but also has areas for the visitor to relax and enjoy the view.  It is very pretty, I would definitely go there again.  The ambient noise of the sim didn’t carry over in the machinima, but it is of soft chimes and wind.  The effect is one of peaceful tranquillity.   It was also a fortuitous coincidence that I was wearing one of my fave skins, the Opheliac skin by Violent Seduction.  I generally use the windlight preset that comes with this skin when I am wearing it, and it seemed to go perfectly with the surroundings, causing a very bright blue sky.  Your mileage may vary however, with your own windlight settings:).

juana is wearing:

heather by eshi otawara
cheshire liquid boots by schmidt
opheliac skin by violent seduction
machina eyes by LPD
erika hair by ay.line
skull nose piercing by avz

taken at:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/feast/230/141/41

forest feast
using the Ikaru Preset (comes with Violent Seduction skin)

listening to: Gezgin Dance, Kinonikon (Chant de Communion),
David Parsons – Vajra: Kangra Yatra

Tags: Eshi Otawara, Fashion Machinima, Forest Feast Fantasy Garden, Heather, juana manuel