In Second Life, I can relive my Second Childhood (which is not that long ago!) with cutesy accessories and clothing. Ivey Deschanel of SN@TCH recently released these yummilicous 'Retro Crush' tees and I am in luuuuuuuurve! The 'Retro Crush' set also includes a pair of Retro Virgin Vintage jeans! I can't resist cute, and these are cuteness overload!
L to R: Unicorn | Strawberry Shortcake | Rainbow Brite | My Little Pony | Clifford
Tp to SN@TCH! You know you want to!
I typically receive a lot of requests from “new” brands asking me to look over their skins, give some feedback, and blog them. I have an excellent memory when it comes to something visual – especially skins. So when I receive “new” skins that looks exactly like skins I already have in my inventory, I will investigate. I”m always excited when I receive new skins to blog but sometimes I have to make hard decisions when I don’t think it is legitimate or something is “off”, I will let the creator know before blogging about it.
In this situation, I have contacted everyone involved so I want to share with you guys a lil’ story.
Here’s some history, so the rest will make more sense.
Last year, I was approached by Guy Seiling to check out some Maeve skins created by her friend, Mae Moriarty. When I tried on Maeve skins, I loved it. So I agreed to blog it on my site. The Maeve update group sent out a preview skin (so some of you might have it) but then, for some vague reason, the shop was closed before it opened and the Maeve skins never went on sale. I have not heard anything about Maeve or Mae Moriarty since.
So, fast forward to today. Guy Seiling approached me to blog skins from her new brand, Po De Arroz. When I tried on Po De Arroz, I loved it! I told Guy it was excellent, and that people would love it but when I looked closely at the body and the face, I thought the face was a lot like Maeve.
When I took a closer look at the body, I noticed that it was *A LOT* like Maeve, with some bits of older Minnu Palen skins mixed into it. Most noticeably, the belly button and the vag area. If you click on the full-size image, you’ll be able to see the comparison better.
Here is a picture of the Maeve legs & feet area, which is identical to Po De Arroz.
Now, this leads me to one conclusion: Maeve and Po De Arroz were created by the same person.
I asked Guy Seiling if she thought Po De Arroz skins looked similar to Maeve and she said no. I also told her that I thought some bits of Po De Arroz resembled older Minnu skins. If anybody reads my blog regularly, you know that I love Minnu skins. I can usually name the line, the order they were released, and pretty much everything about Minnu skins — I’m a Minnu skins addict, and above all, a skins addict. So I trust my judgment on this.
I think that Guy has done great work, and I told her this, that the Po De Arroz had a gorgeous face and a lot of you guys would love it. BUT, after seeing all these things.. and Guy not admitting to be Maeve, I am a bit disappointed.
That is all.
Check out Po De Arroz in-world.
For people that are interested, I plan on showing you guys the full range of Po De Arroz skins, but I will say this, buyer’s beware.
I stumbled across the Blackout August initiative created by Second Life resident Imogen Aurelia, and I’m honestly really into the idea.
BLACKOUT AUGUST
Imogen Aurelia
A pause. A reset. A quiet rebellion against the noise.
We’re stepping back from constant shopping — not to punish creators, but to challenge a system that’s chewing up time, talent, and energy for less and less return.
Creators are burned out.
Shoppers are overwhelmed.
💸 L$ are worth less.
🌀 The loop is unsustainable.
So we’re unplugging — for a month — to breathe, explore, connect, and remember what Second Life used to feel like before it became just another sales feed.
This isn’t a protest. It’s perspective.
Not a ban — but a boundary.
Not harm — but healing.
✨ Support sims. Tip artists. Host meetups.
Style your inventory. Explore again.
Let SL be about experience, not exhaustion.
Even though I love shopping in SL, I’m totally on board with taking a pause. A reset for 30 days to stop the constant cycle of buying, and just enjoy what I already have. Maybe even do something different in Second Life. What’s that something else? Hanging out with friends, exploring sims, playing a game. Just being present.
This isn’t about boycotting anyone. I love SL creators. I’ve been shopping and blogging for over 18 years. But even from the consumer side, I can feel the burnout. Creators are producing too much, too fast, and shoppers can’t keep up. I miss when a new release felt special for months, when we showed it off to friends and designers actually had time to enjoy the success of their work instead of rushing into the next release or discounting at a weekend sale.
If going 30 days without shopping feels impossible, you can still take part in a way that works for you. Maybe that means buying only the things you really love instead of grabbing everything just because it’s new or on sale. Personally, I’ve been buying less without even meaning to. My inventory is out of control — I’m at 93K now and trying hard not to hit 100K. I need this break just to organize and reset. That alone is a project.
Can you still enjoy SL without buying anything? Yes. Absolutely. Brands are always giving away gifts and store credit. Most of us have inventory full of unopened things. You can wear what you already have in a new color or styled differently. You can still support creators you love this month by wearing items that you already own.
Some people might say this kind of pause hurts the economy or puts creators at risk, but that’s a much bigger conversation. Most of us are just players. We’re not here to keep the grid economy afloat. I’ve spent years spending money in SL, and I’ll continue to support the creators I love, but I don’t believe it’s my responsibility to make sure everyone is earning. SL is a hobby for most of us. We engage with it how and when we want to.
So I’m trying out Blackout August. I might go the full 30 days, or maybe just a week here and there. But I’m doing it. You can too. Try it in a way that feels right for you. Let Second Life be fun again, not just a sales feed. Let’s breathe a little.
I absolutely love nature and serene landscapes in Second Life. My friend Sparkle Skye’s region, which neighbors mine, is a popular spot with enchanting flowering fields and a stunning waterfall. It’s the perfect place to lose yourself, explore the beauty of nature, and take amazing photos.
Recently, I tried on the Alida Outfit from Everfaery, and let me tell you, it’s super cute with tons of options! For just L$495, it’s a fantastic deal. However, I didn’t realize it was soooo short—it’s basically the length of a shirt. So, if you’re okay with your butt cheeks hanging out, go for it! Personally, that’s not really my thing, but I’ll still wear it.
Lately, I’ve been filming more short videos in Second Life, just to practice and capture fun moments. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel (JuicyBomb); I always upload videos there first!
Why am I banned from EXODI?
I was surprised when I tried to teleport there today and realized that I have been banned from the region.
As far as I know, I have never done anything to deserve this ban. I only visit EXODI when there is a new release or when I want to purchase something. If this is a “personal” ban, then I don’t think I deserve it because I have never done ANYTHING to Ryker Beck.
I’ve known Ryker Beck for a long time, she used to be a renter on Juicy back in 2007 and some of 2009. I’ve always been supportive of her brand/products up until she blew up at me on Plurk over a comment I made over a year ago about something (not concerning her).
And hmm… are you mad about the plurk, or because I pointed out that your last Stephanie skins have seams?
I completely get it — it’s your sim, your business. If you don’t want my patronage, that’s FINE. But I just want to point out that I find it shocking business owners would make personal bans while allowing idiots and copybotters freely on your sim. Lame.
/ UPDATE /
Someone on my friends list IM’d me this:
Name Removed: Wait, you were surprised you got banned from Exodi?
Name Removed: Okay, I’m going to be blunt. If somebody tore apart my stuff in the way you kind of went off on her skins, I’d probably ban you too
For the record, that was one honest (but negative) post compared to the dozens of other POSITIVE posts I have made about Exodi, Genesis and all of Ryker’s past brands. So yes, I am genuinely very surprised by the ban.
http://juicybomb.com/2009/10/28/exodi-oldies-but-goodies
http://juicybomb.com/2009/08/12/naith-smit-exodi-bax-coen-and-donna-flora
http://juicybomb.com/2009/06/16/hair-fair-09-tiny-bird
http://juicybomb.com/2009/06/01/meet-shiloh
What I’m Wearing:
Pink Fuel Skin
LeLutka – Chill hair (Marilyn)
Teefy – Isobel Tank (S) Stripes/Navy
Monso – My First Jeans (Dark Blue)
Ingenue – Artemis Sandals (Silver)
Gizza – Nautical Set (Bangles)
I’m repeating this entry on my own blog because I’m really happy that iheartsl.com has grown to be such a thriving community blog for sl-related content. For a spur of the moment idea that I had several months ago, I think it’s great that iheartsl. has surpassed the 112,000+ views mark!! YAY!
