Guest Post

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    You Shall Not Pass This Place; The Spirits Forbid You.

    Freedom! Cut me loose!

    Have you ever felt more in touch with yourself when embracing your culture’s garb? I felt pretty awesome today donning a virtual recreation of Mardi Gras Indian Queen headwear (that I made myself) for the Avatars Against Trump challenge. Behind me is a combined veve that represents the voodoo loas of Baron Samedi and Maman-Brigitte.

    These two ancient spirit-gods represent love and death. Death, in tarot, doesn’t just mean the literal interpretation of someone’s life ending. It also means change. Anything that dies and isn’t a person but is a thing (a project, a relationship, a sim) will end, but will possibly change into something else.

    If you approach the gods and ask for death or change, don’t do it lightly. Ask for justice and let the gods do as they will. Otherwise, you might not get the change you’re looking for.

    In this picture, I ask for the Baron not to dig America’s grave. Remember, what is not a person and “dies” will undergo a change… and I very much feel the change the country undergoes will not be good if current events continue.

    Where the Baron either admits or denies a soul to proceed to the next world, Maman-Brigitte is a healer and loa of love. I must say that with our country being as torn as it is now, we have a lot of love to employ and healing to do.

    You can participate in the Avatars Against Trump Challenge here.

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    What Sansar Can Learn From Its Competitors

    What Sansar Can Learn From Its Competitors

    Hey, Linden Labs! I know you’re working hard on two different projects right now, and that’s great. I also know you’ve mentioned being forced to do so because if you didn’t, someone else would replace the virtual worlds you’ve worked hard to build up. Right?

    It’s 2017. Here are your rivals. There’s more than one:

    Read More “What Sansar Can Learn From Its Competitors”

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    Love In The Time of the Internet

    Love In The Time Of The Internet

    I’m getting married tomorrow! Time flies, right? How did I even get here? I’ll tell you. It’s a story of love, loss, and life-changing events.

    Two summers ago, I lost one of the most supportive people in my life. I was devastated and became very bitter and withdrawn for a while. Around the same time, one of my SL friends introduced me to her ex, Berathin. She had moved on to dating someone else, but we all remained a good group of friends. One day, she informed me that Bera’s mother had passed away the year before. I was still lost in the grieving process and reached out to him for advice.

    We talked a lot after that. And of course, we grew to really like each other! Nothing was serious at first, but that changed over time. Where I’m fiery and short-tempered, Berathin is calm and rational. Where he loves Ancient Rome and the arts, I’m the artist who paints his fem-alt sometimes. Our differences come together beautifully; where they don’t, we get through it just like any other couple.

    When did I realize I was in love with him? It was when I wanted to take a picture of our avs one day. He got his fem-alt to pose with me; while situating ourselves, I thought of all the ways he had positively impacted my life. It became overwhelming and I began to cry.

    Snapshot.

    We made plans to move the relationship into reality as soon as possible. When things were ideal for us both, he got a house and we proceeded to move in. It was hard for me to leave Detroit behind, but I had accomplished what I wanted to there anyway. It was just time to move on at that point.

    Love In The Time Of The Internet

    What are our lives like now? We have an office together where we work side by side and play pranks on each other. Our lives have been filled with adventure ever since we moved in together, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for both of us.

    Tomorrow is the big day. I’m nervous but excited! We’re having a small courthouse ceremony followed by a a nice reception with our friends.

    Have you ever had a serious relationship in SL? Have you ever taken it to RL? Lemme know in the comments!

    What I’m Wearing:

    Lelutka Simone Bento Head
    Pink Fuel – Doll v2 Skin
    Exile – Fall
    ISON – Light Moon Gown
    Wishbox – Rose Crown (White)
    Wall pattern by Torley Linden
    Furniture by Zerkalo
    Flowers by BaZar

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    Get In Shape, Girl

    Get In Shape, Girl

    Collabor88 opens today! That means you can get this cool shake weight from RC Cluster. There’s also lots of other cool fitness stuff at c88 for you to check out.

    Today I build a cool background with the help of Torley Linden’s free textures! Drop by his sim to grab some textures for your next photoshoot. Be sure to tell him that you’ve used them; he likes seeing his work in action.

    Get In Shape, Girl

    Have a great weekend, everyone!

    What I’m Wearing:

    Lelutka Simone Bento Head
    Pink Fuel Doll v2 Skin (plus PF Kiyomi lipstick)
    The Wrigglesworth’s – Workout Leotard (Purple Splash)
    Bold & Beauty – Avery hair

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    Sabine

    Sabine

    Pink Fuel has released two new skins! Here’s one of them, Sabine. She’s adorable and youthful, perfect for giving your Catwa heads a unique look. Go by the Pink Fuel mainstore and give it a demo!

    Also, guess who won a Lelutka Bento head?

    Simone bento head!

    ME! This is my new “face” going forward. I’m wearing Pink Fuel’s Kiyomi skin in this picture. Having an Omega-friendly Lelutka head is exciting–now I can look forward to trying on a lot more skins and playing with different appliers.

    SUPER thanks to Sophia Harlow of Blueberry for gifting me with this awesome head, and Gogo for nominating me to win it. 💖💖💖💖💖

    I have more Bento mesh to show you in the future, including some fun avatars. Stay tuned!

    Visit the Pink Fuel mainstore.

    What I’m Wearing:

    1st picture:
    Pink Fuel – Sabine Skin (Crystal Tone)
    Catwa Aisha head
    Exile – Go
    Curvosity – Basic Bish pose set
    [ a.e.meth ] – Deep Eyes (Violet)

    2nd picture:
    Pink Fuel – Kiyomi Skin (Crystal Tone)
    Lelutka Simone Bento head
    Exile – Bewitched
    Insufferable Dastard – Sunrise Eyes (Blue-Green)

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    SkiFree

    SkiFree

    That monster behind me in the photo was the definition of horror in gaming for a while. Before Five Nights At Freddy’s, before P.T., there was a game called SkiFree. The object of the game was to get a high score while skiing down a mountain. But once you got to the end of the map, a yeti ran out of nowhere, caught you, and ate you.

    It became a mission of mine to outrun the yeti. It ended up feeling something like this scene every time:

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxqHVoZ0fzc]

    RC Cluster just released a cool set of wearable skis. When I picked them up, I immediately thought of SkiFree again! I had to do this fun photo as a tribute to all of my times trying to outmaneuver the yeti and failing miserably.

    What was your favorite video game as a kid? What’s the scariest game you’ve ever played? Lemme know!

    What I’m Wearing:

    Lightstar Bento Mesh Head
    Pink Fuel – Kiyomi skin
    Lamb – Wolf
    Moon Elixir – Lark Sweater and Pants
    RC Cluster – Cross Country Skis
    ROC – Martens Boot

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    Bento

    Bento

    Bento is here! Both official and Firestorm clients with Bento have been released now, so you’ll see a lot more people wearing Bento items around the grid. Everything from mesh heads, to tails, to giant avatars are already being released. Even Bento hands and AOs, which means you can have an animation override where your individual fingers move!

    For this entry, I wanted to talk about a cheaper Bento head for those interested in Bento but not wanting to pay a lot of money for some of the high-price options out there. Lightstar is a smaller store but has released two great heads to pick from. As of this entry the price has been raised to 2,000L for each of them. Still, that’s cheaper than some less impressive Bento heads I’ve seen so far. The mesh head you’ll see in this entry is Lightstar Marian.

    This Bento head is Omega-friendly, so you can wear all your favorite makeups with it. You can also purchase a separate expression HUD (250L) for about 29 different expressions. Here are some of my favorites:

    Bento

    Lightstar is a great option for those who want to look different but still use their favorite skins. I don’t like the default skins that come with the package, but once you install Omega it’s all uphill from there. Well worth the price to check out! Head to their store to pick up a demo.

    Bento

    There are soooo many new Bento things I want to check out and feature here! I’ve got my eye on Medhue Animations’ elephant avatar, and I’m waiting for the attachable Bento horse coming soon from Water Horse. Organica is also working on a wearable wyvern!

    Have you purchased any new Bento items yet? New heads? What’s your favorite so far? Lemme know!

    What I’m Wearing
    Lightstar Marian Head
    Pink Fuel – Kiyomi Skin (no brows, Latte tone)
    Belle Epoque – Caelan Armor (We <3 RP)
    Moon Amore – Crystal Queen Tiara RARE
    Lamb – Dust Bunnies
    HEXtraordinary – Elven Throne (We <3 RP)

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    Holiday Magic

    Holiday Magic

    Happy Holidays! We’re now headed into the slew of special days to finish up the year. I wish you an awesome journey through this season, no matter what you’re doing or celebrating.

    For some of us, we’re going to find ourselves in a stressful situation somehow. Maybe you’re interacting with family you don’t want to deal with. Maybe you have no family to interact with or you are sorely missing someone. I’ll list a few pointers and articles to help you out if you’re that someone.

    • Remember you are fully able to excuse yourself or turn down invitations to deal with family who is toxic. Don’t put yourself through that, and don’t let that person guilt you into dealing with them if you don’t want to. Lie if you need to stay away from them. It’s not a sin to put your mental health first.
    • If someone veers into politics over dinner and you know it’s going to get ugly, assert that you don’t want to talk about it because you just want to enjoy holiday vibes. Tell that person they can call or email you another day if they really want to get your opinion on current happenings.
    • Too many people? Step outside for a moment, breathe some fresh air, or take a short walk. Reassure concerned family that you’re just wanting to enjoy the weather as a part of the day.
    • Know your alcohol limit! A party can be great but if alcohol tends to get the family into unhappy debates, sit it out or dip early. Practice the art of having “just enough” where you don’t veer into stomachaches or become disagreeable.
    • If you’re alone for the holiday and feeling the blues, treat yourself if you can. Do not blame yourself for being alone. It happens to everyone! If you feel super down and want to cheer yourself up, find something to donate and visit a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. Also, avoid listening to sad songs and don’t drink too much if you know it’ll encourage depression. Put on your favorite movie or find one on Youtube to make you laugh. Or just laugh at the misery of everyone else who is stuck in the cold right now. That’s not you!
    • Actually no matter who you are, you should treat yourself during holidays anyway. You deserve it.
    • Create your own holiday celebrations with friends in the grid if you need to. Family’s one thing, but friends? The ones who mean a lot to you? That time spent with them can do you a world of emotional good, even if you’re sitting around a pixel table.

    Got any more tips? Leave them in the comments!

    What I’m Wearing:
    Logo Alex Head
    Chemistry – Mila Hair
    RC Cluster – Fantasy Floater AO
    RC Cluster – Spell Book of the Good
    Neve – Pull Over Sweater (Neutral)
    Neve – Artist Frayed Jeans
    ROC – Martens Boot

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    Them Bones

    Them Bones

    I believe them bones are me.
    Some say we’re born into the grave.

    I’ve been shambling all over SL in this skeleton avatar! A free gift from Linden Labs, you can grab this skeleton at the Portal Park. I recommend pairing it with RC Cluster’s new Zombie AO. It’ll give it a perfectly creepy effect.

    Right now I’ve got two things for you. The first is this mask set I made for Halloween–grab this at my mainstore or on marketplace. These masks are hand-painted and very fun, and are only 100L for the pack.

    [ a.e.meth ] - Monster Masks

    Next up–Burn2 is back! A digital version of the Burning Man festival, it’s a big art party that lasts a week and is full of fantastic exhibits. And guess what? You can get a free campsite there too. Mine is located here if you want to visit.

    Whatever you do this month, I hope it’s fun-filled for you. Lemme know of your upcoming plans and parties in the comments! I want to drop by!

    What I’m Wearing:
    A skeleton. lol.

    Song: Alice In Chains – Them Bones

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    Pumpkin Spice Lattes?

    Haunted

    It’s October! You know what that means, right? Halloween, pumpkins, and coffee made with pumpkin puree that might have squash mixed into it. (Pumpkin and squash are in the same family, so…yep.)

    It’s my personal theory that squash is being mixed in Starbucks’ pumpkin spice lattes. But because they technically wouldn’t be lying by saying their drinks are made with 100% pumpkin, squash can definitely get in there if it means saving their company tons of cash. Besides–you’re drinking a vegetable in the latte anyway. It still tastes awesome. I’d still use pumpkin puree in my pies even after knowing what the puree is made of.

    Would you drink pumpkin spice lattes if it were true that some squash were found in the drink?

    Ruining Everything Forever,
    Cake ❤︎

    What I’m Wearing

    Logo Alex Head
    Chemistry – Mila Hair
    Neve – Artist Frayed Pant
    Neve – Tuesday Stripe Top
    RC Cluster – Nights Watch Confident Candelabra