The Best Necklace EVER... and it is free!

I am a sucker for cameos: chokers, lockets, earrings, broaches... you could probably even sell me a blinging cameo. And I thought i had collected every variety until I found this cameo locket with pearls by Caroline's Jewelry. And if there is one thing that rivals my love of cameos it is my love of pearls.
And, so I am in heaven. This necklace is by far my favorite accessory of all time. And, believe it or not, it is Free! Free. I'll say it again... free. All you have to do is IM Caroline to be added to her group.

I have never received a freebie I have loved so much. And I can't say enough about it. It is lovely and delicate and it is a real working locket! It opens and closes AND you can put a real picture inside! Awesome!!!

It is permanently glued to my chest so you will see a lot of it, but here's a closeup (pardon the boobage):

In addition to this locket, Caroline's has a bunch of other beautiful cameo lockets and other great items. Come visit the shop in Lo Lo.

You'll be glad you did!

OMG I'm alive.

I can't believe it has been a month since I have last checked in. Time goes by so quickly when you are busy. And I have been busy.

Doing what? Well...

I was the face of Sh*t happens for September! Whoo Hoo! You can see me in the ads at the Sh*t happens New main store!

I was also one of the winners of the Second Style Diversity Challenge! Um... haven't heard back about what, if anything, happens due to that. You'll know when I know.

But most importantly....

I"VE OPENED A STORE!!!!!!!!!!

I am now the proud owner of Argyle boutique. Simple, elegant fashion and accessories. So far I have scarves, sweaters, gloves, bangles, and a jacket for sale with much more to come!!!!!

Here I am at my first store in the beautiful Doll City:

And here I am at my new main store at the quaint shops of Boootiful Creations:

My main store will have more designs and color choices. I have so much planned and will be releasing regularily. I will also be starting an update group soon and a new blog for the store. I will maintain this blog (and pinky promise to update more regularily now that I have both shops set up) but this will still be for talking about other designers, places, and things I learn on SL. I will post a link to the new blog here when it is up and running.

Right now I have a limited edition pink and black argyle scarf available as a grand opening freebie. Stop by, look around, and grab your free scarf before it is gone!!!!

Strike a Pose

If you are an amateur SL photographer like me, I'm sure you are interested in model poses. They add an element of character and emotion to your photos. And lets faces it, the standard animations get a bit boring. But I'm not a professional photographer nor a model, and I have not reached the point where I am willing to shell out $L50-100 for a single pose. So, here is what I do to get great poses on a budget.

First of all, there are all kinds of free animation boxes you can picks up in the newbie zones around SL. Yes, most of them are silly animations where your head spins round or you do a zombie dance. However, you can find some decent poses amongst the fodder and they are not always labeled obviously. The best thing to do is to take the time to go through them, delete the useless and rename any good poses so that you call recall them later.

While you can find some decent poses in free animation boxes, they aren't model poses per se. The free animations are more useful as narrative aids than for showing off fashion. Unfortunately, free model poses are not nearly as prevalent as the zombie dance-type animations. However, I have found an excellent box of free model poses made available at
ESB Photography Studios

Just look for the pink box which contains ~30 very useful standing and sitting poses. I use these A LOT.

**UPDATE** I found another great set of free poses at Sirena Hair and Fashion. There are a few repeats from the ESB box, but some great new ones as well. It even has a pose bracelet you can customize for a quick and easy AO. Go to the store and look for the board that says Tutorial Supplies. At the very top of the board there is a poster that says Stand Animations. And that's it! If you want a tutorial for how to put an AO into the bracelet or another object, check out Natalia Zelmanov's AO Tutorial.

**UPDATE** Lots of awesome free poses at Builder's Paradise Freebie store. Look for boxes labeled Free Poses, Free Animations, and Free Sexy Poses. There are many different boxes (there is no real organization here, so check everywhere. The labels are clear.) so you should be set for a while.

Other than the rare freebie box, model poses are hard to come by. One thing to look for is a free pose included with an outfit, skin, shape, or accessory. Some designers will include a free pose with an item or even in their store freebie box. Keep a look out for these when you visit your favorite stores. You might walk out with more than just a outfit.

Another option is to consider items that contain AO scripts. Yes, these items do cost money. Think of it this way: you are going to buy shoes, purses, and accessories anyway. Why not lean towards items that contain an AO script?? Basic items will only contain a sexy walk, but some items contain 4 or 5 standing animations and even sitting animations. These animations are wonderful for exploring and modeling pictures. And you can turn the AO off when you don't want it, so you don't have to worry about high lag areas.

Speaking of pictures, I haven't taken any lately. SL has been so wonky lately it has been near impossible. I have had much trouble with failure to rez and the search function being down. In addition, I lost some items out of my inventory :-( Hopefully things will be back to normal soon so that I can have something to blog about!

Sea-worthy Fashions

My last post was so long, i figured that I would talk about my cruise ship fashions separately.

The adorable white eyelet dress is the Veranda dress by Miko Omegamu of *ICING*. Featuring a lovely flowing prim skirt and bow, this dress is perfect for daytime adventures on or near the sea. I'll be writing more about *ICING* as they have a ton of super cute dresses and the prices there are excellent. The beaded necklace with fun knotted detail is from Shiny Things. I actually got this for free at the GNubie Store in Indigo. You can get it in Ruby or Mother of Pearl and is one of my favorite necklaces.

The shoes I'm sporting I actually purchased onboard. They are called Diva Pumps by Eye Candy and they cost only $L35! They have optional bling, Sexy Walk, and have 12 color change options. The AO is a little wonky, but they are cute, versatile and a steal!!

My Evening look is the 1897 Tzarina gown in Ruby by Shenlie Fine Millinery. I got this dress on clearance for only $L100. If it is still available, it comes is a variety of dramatic jewel tones and it perfect for the most formal of occasions. My hairstyle is Barbie by Hairapy. This hair is super cute and flirty. I love wearing it with all of my vintage day and party dresses, but I found while writing this piece that it can be great for sporty looks as well. Speaking of sporty...

I'm not super into sportswear, so I made my workout gear from bits and pieces I had in my inventory, all of which were free. The tank is the ETD wifebeater, the pants were part of the LandF Sporty Outfit, the wristbands were from Devilish Cupcake, and the shoes were PuNk Couture hightops. The main PuNk Couture shop is closed until autumn, but they have a kiosk in Emerald City. However, I'm not sure if the hightops are still free.

My skating outfit was also made from a collage of random items. The black gloves were free from a lingerie box. The shirt was the top of the Flexified Lacy Flower Dress (short) found at most of the free stores and warehouses. The prim skirt came from the French Spirit Black and Sexy Flex Dress and the "tights" were a black recolor of a freebie "New Pants." Not to shabby, wouldn't you say?

The Thrill of the Hunt

Is it possible to find quality stylish fashion items for free (or almost free)?

Oh Yes. There's a bounty of great free stuff if you know where to look. To prove it, I'm wearing all free items in this post!

Free Shops and Warehouses

One of the first things I did when I joined SL was go on a freebie binge at the free shops and warehouses. This is a great way to start building your wardrobe. You can get some cute clothes, prim shoes, a few nice prim hairs, animations, objects galore, and even build objects. There are a bunch of great places exclusively for free or 1$L items, like The GNUbie Store and Free Dove. A search for "free" or "freebie" will yield plenty of places to explore.

Shirt: unknown, Pink off-the-shoulder top, Pants: AE free jeans, Shoes: Free Pirm Shoes by She's So Unusual Shoes, Necklace: Baccara's cameo choker Amber, Bracelet: RC- But I'm not the Only One-Unltd., Hair: ETD WLSB Collection: Bedded Additude in Mahogany.
Like my outfit? It was totally free.

One of the first places I'd recommend for freebies is actually one of the last places I found (silly me): Sarah Nerd's Freebie Paradise. What is so great about Sarah's is that it has a huge selection and most of the items can be bought individually instead of lotted boxes. That way you can choose just what you want. Most items are free or only 1L$


Did I mention it is huge?? There's also a money tree, a lucky chair, and a fun modeling booth for taking profile pictures.

Hola.

Freebie Paradise is located in Sarah Nerd's Nifty Fifty. Everything outside of the Freebie area costs 50$L or less. Not free, but still a great deal in SL.

**UPDATE** Builders Heaven has a large freebie store that has over 6000 items! All types of free items can be found here including some free skins I haven't seen before.


Decent skins were the hardest thing to find for free. The main problems with free skins are crazy, unnatural eyebrows and clownish/whorish makeup. The "CS Passport Skin-Malibu/Brown" is a popular choice, but it is a little too tan and, um, harsh looking for me. The "natural skin-light makeup" is a conservative choice, but it has a sort of porcelain doll vibe.

Sarah Nerd has a small skin shop in Nifty Fifty where you can buy any skin for only 50$L. This is a pretty great deal and the skins are pretty nice.


50$L is too much, you say? Then you may want to try Body Basics.

Dress: Flexified Sequin Crochet 3 Outfits in one (unknown), Necklace: But I'm not the Only One- Unltd.
Hey, look! another fabulous free outfit.

They have a good selection of totally free male and female skins. If you are not ready to invest in a skin, this is a great place to get something a little different than the same few skins you find in boxes over and over. The makeup is a bit intense, but with the right hairstyle and color you can make it work until you are ready to buy a skin. The body details are cute without being too explicit and the displays give you a good look at what you are buying. I wore the Debra skin for a while when I first started.

Retail Stores

Sooner or later, the freebie stores and warehouses will get monotonous. You will find that you keep finding the same things you've seen seven times before. At that point, you need to find a new source of freebies. You may have noticed that many free items include the store or designers name, such as "Bacarra's Amber Cameo Choker." If you like a certain item, search for the designer's store is the first step in getting familiar with the SL fashion world.

Skirt and top: Canimal Phrik Girl, Necklace: Black EmeraldRuby Necklace1 (unknown), Hair: Black Night at Yoursecondplace.com main, Skin: Sexy Vamp (unknown), Stockings: Black thigh highs (unknown), shoes: Black Knee Boots (unknown)

For instance, here I am all grim at the Freebie section of Wilted Rose. Oh, did I mention i have a mysterious alter ego, Noelle Noir? You can tell it is still me by the flower in my hair:) Wilted Rose has a HUGE free area called Freebie Jeebies where I got this Corset Outfit (Canimal Phrik Girl), the skin, and the hair( Black Night).

Top: Shirt from Retro Princess 2 Canimal, Skirt: Rebel Skirt by Canimal

I liked the Phrik Girl, so I searched for Canimal and visited the main store, where I found additional 1L$ items, majorly discounted items and a huge clearance sale! See, the saving can just go on and on.

Wilted Rose's free section is so huge, I should have put it under free shops and warehouses. Regardless, most major designers have some free items in their store, like Calla above. The volume may not be as large as the free stores, but the items are usually higher quality!

Groups

If you are interested in having freebies delivered right to you, you may want to join a fashion group. During your freebie hunt through the stores of SL, you may come across a few designers whose items you just love. You might consider joining their update groups. Most designers have an update group that will keep you informed on new releases, sales, and even give you exclusive free items or demos.

If you just can't decide on a certain store or designer, you can join a collaborative group like Fashcon to get info on tons of designers from one spot. You will get lots of free items from collab groups, as well as info on store releases, new store openings, and events like scavenger hunts (freebie paradise)!

Most groups are free to join, so why not take the plunge?

Final Notes

The strategy for freebies that works well for me is to grab anything that looks remotely promising, and purge often. Find a good spot to act as a changing room and take the time to go through the massive amount of items you are sure to collect. If you have too much junk in your inventory, you are likely to overlook the gems. Yes, it takes some time, but it is worth it.

Also, scan the contents of a box before you buy. You may find that it contains items that you already have. However, you may find that there are new items in with a bunch of repeats.

And remember, you don't have to keep an entire item if you only like parts of it. Like the top of a dress, but the skirt is not your style? keep the top and ditch the rest.

I rename a lot of my items so I can remember what they are easier. However, if there is a designer name, I always leave that in for reference. Nothing is worse that having an item you love and not knowing where it came from. Ok, there might be a few worse things, but it does suck.

*For a great guide on starting out in SL, see Natalia Zelmanov's Second Life Diary.

*For an extensive list of free stores and warehouses, see Anna Zwiers Blog.
Happy Hunting!!!