Ali's Mini Challenge No. 2 - yes, I reversed 2 & 3. Somehow this weekend after just getting back in the door after days away, I couldn't bring myself to look silly.
I put on the bling that flashed like a lighthouse last thing right before I logged off for the night with the intention of sashaying out first thing when I logged on next. The flash doesn't show up well in the pictures, but it was painful.
"HI! Everybody!"
That's how I started my time as a fashion retard. I decided to do it up big, hopefully get responses I could blog about and escape back into anonymity as quickly as possible.
Well, it failed. I was so awful, no one wanted to talk to me, although I'm sure they were talking about me among themselves. Some people did seem to move away from me, like I would rub off. I was really uncomfortable. I toned it down by switching back to my usual skin, but it didn't help. The nice fluffy white wolf looks uncomfortable to have me standing next to him too.
I did come across a lady with a name parents shouldn't give their children. Since we choose, I always wonder why they picked it and read their profile. She was a newbie. My first reaction was to offer her my newbie folders of LMs - then I took a look at myself! Anyone in their right mind would turn me down flat.
In answer to Ali's question "Why have you made your avatar look the way it does? What does it mean to you? Do you think people respond to you differently if you're attractive?" Cas is as much me as I can make her (height, build, eyes, makeup, stands, hair color & even style much of the time) the whole bit. I had already seen SL in action and decided I wanted to see myself having fun. But I'm pretty happy with myself and how I look - so why not? If I were unhappy with how I looked in FL Cas would reflect that, but not fully. For instance if I weighted more, she would be plump, but not really heavy. People have told me they react to how I look and dress. People also respond to conversation and personality. Think about it - if your friends were originally attracted to you because you were drop dead gorgeous, how many would you keep if you couldn't string a cohesive sentence together?
Challenge Completed!
Ali's Mini Challenge wrapped up and I'm behind.
If we started our first/real lives as adults with empty closets and an empty piece of land, we would spend months shopping just to fill our real needs and desires. In SL we are dropped into a world with incredible variety where everyone looks better than we do and they don't waddle. We have to shop. It's necessary - down to finding a skin and hair (choices we don't have to make in FL/RL) and stands and...and...to discover who we are and what we like and where to find it and how to buy it and how do I move anyway??? I have to buy a walk??!!
By the time we have an AV that looks and moves the way we are comfortable with, we are totally hooked on shopping. It's recreation in SL.
Each change of seasons my first year brought new gaps in my wardrobe that needed filling. A skybox, and then a house meant shopping for furnishings and landscaping. Getting into role play as a fae meant shopping for totally different clothing and wings!! As the seasons go around now, I look through what I have in my treasure chest of a wardrobe - 15,790 includes house&garden&poses&stuff&junk - and toss some of my earlier purchases. My inventory is organized and needs constant work to keep it that way. I'm currently working on putting copies of times in storage so if I ever lose massive amounts of inventory that I can't recover, I'll have some backups.
When it comes to fashion, I am a blog & announcement shopper, having discovered Linden Lifestyles right away. I sometimes shop sales for certain designers. I do hunts when the mood strikes or if someone blogs a hunt item I really like. But my shopping has slowed way down. I have a much larger budget, but most of it is going to tier, then comes decorating and fashion.
With other things I can be diligent. I'll search like crazy for just the right furniture or drapes, holiday decorations, or accessories for my home etc. I'll go to every animation shop when I'm tired of my stands.
I'm a lucky shopper much of the time. Right after I decide I need/want something, someone will release their design and it's just the thing - or - someone I'm chatting with will know where to find it. I have gone for days just enjoying friends and dances and role play without spending a linden. But when my purse is empty or I'm saving for a big purchase (I make Cas stick to that budget), it can be tough. I make a note of whatever it is and look at it again later. My SL bf complimented me on my new red shoes the other day. I had waited for a sale and they were perfect!
Favorite shops that's tough. Miriel's for jewelry, Fancy Fairy for the depth of shading on her wings, Reaction Girl for sports wear and my surf board. Because I love decorating for holidays the one I look forward to is PondLife's Holiday Shop.
I think I'll head down to the beach and catch some waves.....*smiles*
I'm displaced this week. Our originial metal breezeway and stairs from the 1960s are being torn out (boy, did that look strange) and replaced with nice new wood. This is the first opportunity I've had to check my email and post to my blog. I am not able to log into SL.So, I'm going accept Ali's challenge, but I won't be able to take pictures.My Favorite Places are the ones where I like to relax at the end of my day, or sit while I work in PhotoShop or RL things: - My bit of beach: both Sai's Platform Bed under the palm trees - and - the hot tub with it's built in canapy of brick and ivy- Aglarond: the peaceful poolside of the Balsidhe Household. I want to talk Creag into a bit of garden in his yard and good spot to sit off the ground (as befits a fae *grin*)One that is gone: the Fae Circle at Gamilia/Velgarth with the mushroom that let us float in the air currents.
