hanii

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    I Tried to Update My Male Alt and Immediately Regretted It

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    There was an attempt

    There was an attempt to give George, my male alt, a wardrobe refresh because I realized I haven’t shown him on the blog since… probably last year. I logged in with the simple goal of changing his outfit and taking a few photos, but instead I was greeted with an update for the Signature Gianni body. George was happily wearing Gianni v6.1, and the new release is called Gianni X v7.5. I really should have known that the “X” meant “none of your old clothes are going to fit anymore.”

    After trying on a few things and realizing that most of his wardrobe barely worked with the new body, I did what any reasonable person would do and switched him right back to Gianni v6.1. I don’t have time to rebuild an entire closet from scratch, so I’ll either wait for brands like Deadwool to add Gianni X sizes or George will just be living his best life on v6.1 forever. A friend suggested that I switch him over to Belleza Jake because it has better clothing support, but I honestly can’t remember why I picked Signature Gianni when I made him last year. I’m sure I had a good reason at the time. Legacy isn’t even a consideration because… reasons.

    So instead of writing the blog post I had planned, I spent the evening wandering from store to store trying to figure out male fashion. I even stopped by Man Cave to grab the latest freebies and didn’t see much for Gianni X there either, which left me wondering how men in Second Life deal with all of this. Women’s bodies are already complicated, but I’ve been shopping for them for years and know exactly which creators I like, which bodies they support, and where to find things. Male clothing feels like learning a completely different game, and I am absolutely a noob who has no idea what she’s doing.

    The whole experience reminded me of a funny story from last year when I first made George. I was teleporting around men’s stores and IMing well-dressed avatars to ask where they shopped, and one guy replied, “I don’t have time for this,” before brushing me off. At the time I thought it was unfriendly, but after spending an evening trying to dress a male avatar, I completely understand. I’m not even mad because, honestly, I don’t have time for this either.

    Today’s photo brought me to another realization that somehow escaped me until now: couple poses don’t seem to fit anybody. Why can’t we edit multiple avatars with the built-in Second Life poser and actually see those adjustments in-world? Every pose edits fixes only my avatar while my alt just had to make do the pose he was in. By the time finished editing the photo, I realized George’s hands were still locked to the hand pose selected on his body HUD instead of the animation I was using. Oops.

    If you have any shopping recommendations for male avatars or some secret trick that makes couple photography less of a headache, please share, because I feel like I’m starting from zero and could use all the help I can get.

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  • I Spent $500 USD on Snow Land Just to Get Extorted

    Bygogo Uncategorized
    4 Comments
    Summer Days

    This “currently crashing out” print on the Honey Cropped Tank from The Kiwi Co. feels a little too relatable right now, because mainland has been testing me lately.

    When I first went Premium back in 2019 to get a Linden Home, it was also the first time I could finally own mainland. I eventually bought a snowy parcel that I absolutely loved and kept it from 2022 onward. It was extremely landlocked and surrounded on three sides by massive ugly ice walls from neighboring parcels, but somehow I still made it work because I liked the region.

    Recently, several abandoned coastal parcels nearby became available after a former neighbor left. I submitted support tickets hoping to expand naturally into the coastline, but instead the parcels were sent individually to auction. I managed to buy some of them, but after getting outbid on the final piece, I realized I was done fighting with the region. The walls finally won.

    I still wanted snow land though, so I moved a couple regions over and spent a pretty significant amount acquiring new coastal land through auctions and direct purchase from a land baron. In total, it probably cost around $500 USD worth of Lindens, but I was excited to finally own a beautiful coastal snow parcel.

    Then I discovered a 32m micro parcel sitting directly in the middle of my new land.

    The owner had no other land in the region and was asking L$32,000 for it.

    That isn’t normal land use. It’s extortion.

    I submitted another support ticket hoping Linden Lab would step in, especially since Second Life already has a policy against land cutting practices. Unfortunately, my request was denied, and no discretion was used to resolve what is very obviously a bad-faith micro parcel situation. That part is what disappoints me the most.

    As someone still relatively new to mainland ownership, I’m starting to understand why so many residents say mainland can be incredibly frustrating. One bad neighbor or one strategically placed micro parcel can completely ruin an otherwise beautiful area.

    And if anyone is wondering how my planned move from Gaeta 1 to New Zindra is going, it isn’t. I bought Gaeta 1 land back on April 15, but after realizing I’d likely be at the very end of the migration queue, I decided to put everything up for sale instead. At this point, I’d rather just settle into my snow land and enjoy it in peace.

    If you care about improving mainland and reducing predatory land practices, please vote to End Micro Parcel Extortion: https://feedback.secondlife.com/ldpw/p/end-micro-parcel-extortion

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    I Should Have Everything… And Yet

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    4 Comments
    I Should Have Everything… And Yet

    I’ve officially given up on cleaning my inventory. Easter hunts completely wrecked it, and I’m done wasting time trying to fix it. I’m sitting at 106k today, which… I wish was lower, but at this point I don’t even know what to delete anymore.

    I did a little shopping this weekend and it made me realize how much I appreciate brands that release a proper pair of pants. I love ISON for that. Most of their stuff actually covers everything and still feels really classy. I can’t even remember which event I picked up these Maisie Corduroy Trousers from, but they’re really good.

    Normally I’m very basic. I just wear whatever the newest release is that everyone else is wearing that weekend. But this time I decided to dig deeper into my inventory and put something together that probably nobody else is wearing right now. I remembered this amazing fur coat from Dami, an old gacha from forever ago. The whole outfit ended up being a mix of old and new, plus a few freebies thrown in.

    I think I like Gogo as a blonde, but it’s getting harder when some hair brands just don’t do good blonde textures anymore. I don’t know what happened to Stealthic, but the blondes just aren’t hitting like they used to. It didn’t work for this look at all, so I switched to a light brown instead. This hair was supposed to be part of Fifty Linden Friday, but I still ended up paying like L$199 because I needed the full pack just to change the style. Not really a sale if you can’t even use the features, right?

    Overall I’m feeling a little burnt out with my inventory, and honestly with where clothing is at in Second Life right now. It feels like we’ve hit a bit of a standstill. I should already have everything I want and need at this point. And yet… I still keep buying things. I guess I’m doing my part to keep the economy going.

    I Should Have Everything… And Yet
    I Should Have Everything… And Yet
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    Rezzed Into Royalty: Truth Hair Becomes a Two-Generation Brand

    Bygogo Fashion, Hair, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Sweetheart

    Truth Hair recently celebrated its 19th anniversary in Second Life, which is kind of surreal to say out loud. Truth has been making hair for as long as I’ve been playing SL, and at this point the brand isn’t just well known. It’s one of the longest standing and most successful hair brands on the grid.

    In a world where stores come and go constantly, that kind of longevity is rare. And that’s why what happened recently feels like a genuinely historic Second Life moment. A few days ago, I noticed a new Truth release called Cupid hair, and the credit immediately caught my attention. The hair was made by Truth’s real life daughter, known in SL as Litterbug.

    I already knew she had joined Second Life about a year ago and had been creating hair accessories. But I didn’t realize she had moved into creating full hairstyles too, so of course I messaged Truth right away. I needed confirmation, because my brain immediately went: this is a first in Second Life!

    When I asked if she created Cupid hair or just the clips, he replied that she made the entire thing, and added, “with a lot of questions.” She didn’t just casually log in and magically become a hair creator overnight. People forget that everyone starts somewhere, and even the biggest brands in Second Life were once new and releasing their very first item. And she’s lucky in the best way, because she has an amazing mentor in her father. Cupid hair is a beautiful first hairstyle, and if I didn’t know it was her first, I wouldn’t have guessed.

    Once I processed it, I told Truth what I was thinking. This is kind of historic. Because with this release, Truth is now officially a two-generation brand in Second Life. That is not something we see often. Second Life has been around long enough now that we are literally watching a creator’s child grow up, develop the skills, and start creating for the same brand inside the same virtual world. If that doesn’t count as SL history, I don’t know what does. Truth’s reaction made me smile. He said, “Yeah I guess you’re right. That is crazy.”

    Litterbug is Gen Z, and that detail matters more than people realize. Truth joked that she has a better idea of what fashion trends are because he’s “too old” now. It’s funny, but it’s also true.

    Truth told me she’s been learning Blender for a couple of years and has done product visualizations, but she decided to try creating in SL because, as he put it, she thought, “why not make some money.”

    Truth also told me she proudly calls herself a nepo baby, which is hilarious. In SL terms though, she really was rezzed into royalty, in the sense that she’s had access to knowledge, experience, and guidance that most creators never get when they’re starting out. And yes, having a parent with a huge brand is obviously an advantage. But it doesn’t take away from what matters here: very few brands last long enough to thrive for two decades and then have the creator’s child step in and start releasing, too.

    Truth also said something that stuck with me. Watching her join SL made him realize again how hard it is for a new resident. Most of us forget, because we’ve been here forever. We forget how confusing the platform can be when you’re starting from scratch, even if you’re already skilled and tech-savvy.

    That’s why this moment feels bigger than just a cute fun fact. She’s part of the age group Second Life constantly struggles to attract, and she’s here creating. If SL wants to be around for another 20 years, it should be paying attention to creators like her, and what it takes for someone her age to even want to log in, learn, and stay.

    Truth Hair becoming a two-generation brand is one of those things that seems small at first, until you realize what it says about Second Life. A 19-year brand. A new generation stepping in. A real legacy. In a virtual world.

    Second Life should be paying attention.

    Sweetheart

    Now, onto what I’m wearing today.

    My friend Sparkle sent me another sweet kitty from SeMotion Libellune as a gift, which means I now have my 100th cat in Second Life. I have so many at this point that I’m glad I don’t have to feed them to keep them alive, because that would bankrupt me.

    I’m also assembling my Valentine’s Day outfit for the Hug a Linden event next weekend, and I think this look might actually work? The shoes are called Softly Struck from HANII, from the January round of Anthology. If only I could turn off the arrow on these shoes, because they’re so cute and I would wear them year round.

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    Bows

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Bows

    I love when clothes have frills and pretty little details. As soon as I saw the Everly Blouse from Tres Blah, I knew I needed it. I guess I’m leaning into the cottagecore vibe now, but with pants. I’m still not sold on long mesh skirts. Sometimes they make me feel like my butt looks wide. This blouse looks perfect with the Locket Choker from Rebelle, like they were meant to be worn together.

    Body Veins

    Have you ever seen something in Second Life and thought, “How has no one made this before?” Izzie’s just released Body and Face Veins and I swear I am never taking them off. Face skins in SL keep getting better and better, but body skins still feel flat in comparison. It’s harder to update body skins often so designers usually skip it. Faces are easier to tweak which is why we get a new one every week. But just this little detail of veins layered on top of my skin gives me the realism I have been missing.

    If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out Anthology, Shop & Hop, SeraPlus gifts and more. I picked up some great finds from all of them and a few were even free.

    HANII
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    Glow

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    0 Comments
    Glow

    If you were hesitant to try the Aperture Viewer (by William Weaver) because it wasn’t listed in the official Third Party Viewer Directory, good news: it is now. Unless stated otherwise, most of my photos going forward will be taken using this viewer, mostly because it’s what I’m learning right now. I used the official Second Life Viewer up until 2020, when I finally decided to dip my toes into third party viewers. Since then, I’ve tried Black Dragon, Firestorm, Alchemy, and beta versions of these viewers. I’m comfortable with all of them, but I’m also a sucker for shiny new sliders. I like when a viewer can push the limits of what’s possible in Second Life without needing external photo editing apps.

    That said, it really doesn’t matter what viewer you use to take photos in Second Life. At the end of the day, it’s the artist, not the tool. And honestly, I don’t even consider myself an art photographer. I’m just a fashion blogger. I shoot fast and move on.

    Glow

    For this look, I used the built-in poser to part my lips and add a side glance. You can always use a face poser HUD, but if you don’t have one, the built-in poser actually gives you super fine control. You can tweak all the sliders to get as expressive as you want. Yes, it’s a little time-consuming, but those small details can really bring your photos to life.

    Also, Anthology is open. And for the first time ever, I made an alpha in Second Life. It was messy, but I did it in under 30 minutes, and I’m totally inexperienced. I’m wearing the Nida Sweater from Havoc. It’s made for Maitreya, but I wanted to wear it with the Maitreya LaraX body, so I had to make an alpha to cut out bits of the breasts and back. I love this top too much to switch back to regular Maitreya, so I went the hard route. If you want the alpha, just message me in SL.

    And finally, can we talk about this Derpy Doge Plush from Sakura? I love holdables in Second Life, and this one is just too cute. The little tongue sticking out reminds me of my real life derpy dog. Instant favorite.

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