Monday, May 31, 2010

Reflection



After all that's said and done, there's really only one who will love you the way you are, unconditionally, warts and all...






Gown: Bubbles from House of Beningborough--gift
Hair: Marbles from Tekuteku
Jewellery: Stardust White Diamond from Avon + Alpha--gift from Michiko Avon (thanks Michiko! MUACHHH!) There's also a range of Stardust Jewellery sets in other colours (which I had blogged about here) that are on sale at the store.

Location: The Forest

Seeking Inspiration:You ARE Wonderful!




The person that you were has died
You’ve lost the sparkle in your eyes
You fell for life - into its traps
Now you wanna bridge the gaps
Now you wanna bridge the gaps
Now you want that person back

And all your ammunition’s gone
Run out of fuel to carry on
You don’t know what you wanna do
Cause what you want does not want you
If what you want does not want you
And you’ve got no pull to pull you through


Gary Go's Wonderful

It's been awhile since I've done a seeking inspiration post dearest loves and this is because I've been suffering from an intense case of inspirationless living. It's been aweful. It is like being in a writer's block but 10 times worse because it seeped into all aspects of my life. Whenever I dressed up, I felt less than satisfied with my appearance. Whenever I tried to work on my music, or draw I was stumped. Even writing became a chore. I tried to persevere nonetheless. I continued with my hip hop classes, continued attempting to express myself stylistically, continued my meetings with my fellow composer, and even tried to continue blogging. It was hard. I felt like a light within me, the light that enables me to not only see but feel a steady stream of inspiration, was extinguished. As the days and weeks passed, I began to lose hope that it would return. I began to fear that my creativity well had finally run dry. As despair threatened to overcome me I realised that I really am nothing if not hopeful. I tend to have hope in the most dismal of situations and if I could not have hope in this situation, a situation that is extremely close to my heart, I would not be the person I thought I was. As if to reinforce this discovery, a couple of days ago I stumbled upon this quote:

Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what
makes it permanent.

--
Marilyn vos Savant 1946-NA


After this I began anew to look for a cure to my museless state. A lot of things I found online helped me by giving me new opportunities (that I will include in the links below) to challenge my creativity and to interact with others who shared my passion. However the realization as to what had caused me to lose my muse came to in the form of the song "Wonderful" by Gary Go. The lyrics at the beginning of this post as well as the following lyrics below explained me to a T:

If what you’ve lost cannot be found
And the weight of the world weighs you down
No longer with the will to fly
You stop to let it pass you by
Don’t stop to let it pass you by
You’ve gotta look yourself in the eye


My interests, my goals, everything about me has been changing, and in the process of trying to adapt to this change I've lost my muse. I've lost my muse because I am doubting my new self. I am not sure if I have the skills, and talent to achieve the goals I want to achieve now, and everyone knows that self-doubt is an artist's worst enemy. Doubting my abilities had put me in the inspirationless state and only if I believed in my ability to adapt will I get out of it. Hearing theThe final lines of the song:


Cause we are all miracles
wrapped up in chemicals
We are incredible
Don’t take it for granted, no
We are all miracles
Oh we are

Say “I am”
Say “I am”
Say “I am wonderful”
Oh you are

Don’t take it for granted, no
We are all miracles
wrapped up, yeah we’re wrapped up
Oh we are wonderful

Hearing these words in this song helped push me back into believing in myself. It also showed me that being independent does not mean that I don't need social interaction. Humans are social beings and we need relationships with other living things. We need support and in situations like these, when we doubt ourselves, we need people who love and care about us to tell us that we are wonderful.


I love you my darling devotees. You are Wonderful.

***

Now for the inspirational exercise of the week:

How is cross-training your art going? Since I'm cross-training with music I thought I would give a musical exercise. Translate the song into your art form of choice. Get really creative- create an interpretive dance, youtube video slide show, whatever you want to express it. Also this video and this song make me really happy, so this keeps in line with my Creative Every Day challenge of June (Topic: Bliss) !!!


I haven't done mine yet because I just came up with the idea but I may make a video or a composite drawing. You'll have to wait and see (hmmm...).

***

Links I've Loved this week:

Ommwriter and CreaWriter are AMAZING programs for all the mac and windows writers out there (respectively). They are seriously the next best thing to hopping off to your own little cabin in the Alps (in the summer ) and working on an cute vintage-y typewriter.

Creative Every Day- Blog love that I can't believe I hadn't known about sooner! I'm currently doing the June challenge. You just need to se this.


I love this post from Frock and Roll.

Gala darling put this beautifully inspiring youtube video on her blog.

Creative creativity - another creativity blog. You just gotta love it.

I was looking for some more fellow writer support so I joined NanoWrimo, Script Frenzy and this lovely lady's blog.

This is an incredibly well-written story.


Glamourous Grad Student gives us Style Self Help.

Love you all and Stay inspired,



P.S. So let me know what you think. What's been inspiring you this week? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
Lyrics for Gary Go- Wonderful on Lyrics Reg.

Photos from: We Heart It

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Pretty Petunia!

I had never heard of Petunia until I participated in the Fashion Freaks Hunt, and totally fell in love with the cute swim wear, pants, and other adorable pieces at that quaint little store..even the scenery there was beautiful! That's why even though I don't really enjoy hunts that much, but I do recognize that these hunts are instrumental in helping me discover gems that I might otherwise have overlooked, so kudos to the organizers of hunts! I was also very pleasantly surprised when Nici Sewell of Immerschoen and niciARTLINE sent me a personalized tattoo with my dear Erwin's name on it! It meant sooooooo much to me and I've been wearing that tattoo ever since! Smiley





You're So Pretty Bra and Panties from Petunia--1L



Yellodelic, Big Blue and Kool Koi Bikinis from Petunia--1L for a box of assorted swimsuits

niciARTLINE Tattoo Wish Hearts Erwin from Immerschoen--gift from Nici (thank you Nici! I just lurrrve it! MUACHH)!
Liane Blue Grey hair from Vanity Hair--1L
Flower and Leaf Necklace from Virtual Impressions--free





Dress: Calico Summer Dress (flip flops and belt included) from Petunia--Fashion Freaks Hunt gift
Necklace: Hypnotic Green Mandala from Clocktower Designs--free (for a box of 4)
Hair: Tuli from Hairy Situations--45L

Location: Respite

Indie Appreciation Week: My Top 10 places to visit








Dearest Devotees,

Like I mentioned in my first indie appreciation week post, to me part of being independent means being free to travel and explore the world around me. I absolutely adore travelling, and I never feel more at ease with myself than when I am in the process of moving. Packing, unpacking and exploring new places are actions that are second nature to me. The way people have adventure lists of death defying/ extremely thrilling activities they want to do like bungee jumping and skydiving is the way I have a running list of places that I really want to go always at the ready. I see the world as an exciting mélange of people with different cultures, histories, and lifestyles and getting to live these experiences really thrills me. Below are the top 10 places I currently desire to see:

10.Cairo, Egypt: Oh the richness of culture with just a dash of danger that seeing the pyramids would give me! From what I've heard Cairo is a city that is just bursting with life in which the new and the old live peacefully side. I also long to have a camel ride along the desert to the sunrise.

9.Dublin, Democrat Republic of Ireland :I love Northern Ireland dearly. It is a place that is truly close to my heart and I've driven through Dublin before but I've never really seen it before. I love Gaelic. I think it’s a beautiful language and I feel it would be really nice to see it used more.

8.Dubai, United Arab Emirates- It's so exotically beautiful there and apparently they have a booming arts and crafts industry with lovely textiles and even more stunning jewelry. Add that to the enlarged beach city feel and you're looking at a lovely holiday.

7.Toronto, Canada: pure curiousity and lovely grade school friends to see.

6.Sydney, Australia: also sheer curiousity with the added possibility of running into Natalie Tran, one of my favorite youtubers.

5.Milan and Florence, Italy: Apparently they are the textile and art capitals of the world. I would love to see these assertations proved.

4.Barcelona, Spain: Been to Madrid and I liked it but something tells me I will probably fall in love with the regal elegance of Barcelona.

3.Venice, Italy: 1. It’s VENICE! 2. It may be one of the most unusual cities ever (structurally). 3. I really, really want to sail in a gondola (sea sickness be damned).

2.San Francisco, California: The Academy of Art is there and it’s my current art grad school lust. Also, it’s rumored to be a ridiculously beautiful city what with the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. 3. I am in the United States after all; therefore I must seize the day.

1.Paris, France: Fashion Capital of the world. Home of incredibly stylish men and women and land of so much inspiration. Almost anywhere else on this list can be switched around but Paris is most definitely no.1 for me.

Love you all and Stay inspired,

P.S. So let me know what you think. What places in the world do you really want to see? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Photos from: We Heart It

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Breezy



Been down with the flu for awhile, so didn't get to post these two days, but now I'm feeling better so I managed to put together whatever I had collected before I got the flu to come up with this relaxed, breezy look...





Gown: Frances Misty Rose Formal Gown (shoes included) from G&N--free
Bags: Granny Bag-Sunflower (hand and shoulder bags) from Pop Feel--group gift
Necklace and Earrings: Rura Set from Garage--group gift
Hair: Mariska from Hairy Situations--45L
Skin: Lily v2 Elm from Exodi--subscriber gift

Location: Morpho

Thursday, May 27, 2010

So In Lurve!



It was more than a year ago that I met Lurve designer Danielle Idigo when I was helping a friend set up a mall. At that time I was very much warmed by Danielle's bubbly personality and bowled over by her beautiful wedding gowns in lovely pastel shades. Today, Danielle is still as friendly and warm as ever and she continues to make these amazing gowns as well as über sexy mini dresses and adorable matching jewellery!





Dress: Diana's Green Mini (choker and earrings included) from Lurve
Bracelet: Uno Diamond of Flower from Avon + Alpha--free
Shoes: Mimi Sparrow Mary Jane Pumps from Baby Monkey--group gift
Hair: Ayame from AMG Boudoir









Gown: Turquoise Floral Gem Formal (necklace and gloves included) from Lurve
Hair: Venus from HCT
Skin: Lily v2 Elm from Exodi--subscriber gift

Thank you Danielle! I just lurrrrve your creations! xxxx

Location: Poco Village

Love and Relationships: Music Therapy Part 4- Indie Music Love






Dearest Devotees,

In keeping with Indie Appreciation Week, here are some of my favorite indie-related songs. Some of them are by undiscovered/independent musicians, some of them have certain musical qualities (usually acoustic/ primarily vocal leanings) that lend them to being classified as "indie", and the rest of them are just songs that I feel somehow celebrate being independent. I'm also borrowing the idea of Krissy from Shimmer Like Gold, and have included links
to a complete playlist of all the songs on youtube that I will link to at the bottom of this post. Feel free to play these songs while cross-training your art, doing chores/ homework, or doing nothing at all but relaxing. Remember that if you feel constrained by the walls, there's no time like the summer to take full advantage of the great outdoors.
I hope these songs send you to your happy and proud to be independent place too :)

  1. Staind - Everything Changes
  2. Duet With Myself-Charlie McDonell
  3. Boy With A Coin- Iron and Wine
  4. Train - Hey Soul Sister (Lyrics)
  5. Miley Cyrus - My Last Song for Miley (Dave Days)
  6. Enya - Only Time (Original)
  7. Matt Hires - Honey Let me sing you a song + Lyrics
  8. ARIA ASIA - Gypsy Girl
  9. Ingrid Michaelson- The Way I Am
  10. Flyleaf - Penholder | With Lyrics
  11. Winter Song - Sara Bareilles/Ingrid Michaelson- Music Video
  12. Ingrid Michaelson - Maybe (Official Music Video)
  13. Running away ~ Midnight Hour (Lyrics)
  14. Michael Bublé - Haven't Met You Yet [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
  15. one more- superchick
  16. Hope 7-I want Everything
  17. Furlough Behind The Scenes at Showcase Minnesota
  18. Carolina Liar - When You Are Near lyrics
  19. Sing Me a Love Song- BarlowGirl
  20. Barlow Girl - Never Alone (Acoustic)
  21. 04 Yiruma: River Flows In You
  22. Howie Day - Collide
  23. Howie Day - She Says
  24. Iris Music Video - City Of Angels
  25. Lene Marlin - Here We Are (Official Video)
  26. All She Wrote- Ross Coperman
  27. Sandi Thom - What if I'm right? [music video]
  28. Gary Go - Wonderful
To listen to it all on youtube click here.

Love you all and Stay inspired,



P.S. So let me know what you think. What are some hidden jewel bands that make you feel empowered, or moved? What kind of music moves you most? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Photos from: We Heart It

More Avon + Alpha Goodies!

My latest craze has got to be jewellery from Avon + Alpha--they are soooo adorable and very affordable too, with freebies and dollarbies that look a million bucks (I mean...lindens)!! Now they have moved to a new sim way up in the sky and I'm not too sure if it's permanent or just temporal, but hey, doesn't really matter 'coz I'll follow them anywhere! Smiley



Symphony Necklace and Bracelets--free
Dress: Sultry from Heart & Soul
Hair: Tekesha from A&A





Stardust Ruby Set--1L
Gown: Serenity from Victoria Endsleigh--gift
Hair: Autumn from Topaz Square



Stardust Pink Set--1L
Top: Latex Camisk from Deviant Designs--group gift
Hair: Lauren from Hair Solutions

All Jewellery from Avon + Alpha--new location

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Beachin'



I have always loved the beach...in fact, my very first 'home' in SL was um...a nude beach! *hee* And believe it or not, it was there that I made the most unlikely but enduring friendships! My choice of location for this post, however, was not my favourite nude beach, but still it was a lovely quiet spot that provided some timely respite...



Honor Bright Outfit (free), Magpies Mirage Bracelet (20L), Jingle Anklets (55L for 3 pairs), Blodeuwedd's Scarf Pink (45L) all from Sari's

Dolce Oletta Hot Pink/Green Hair from Vanity Hair--1L





Beach Star Bikini (Blue/Pink) from ICEWERK--free
Beach Bracelet (20L) and Beachcomber Necklace (45L) from Sari's
Love Hair from Hair Solutions



Gleam Bikini from Bubblefish--group gift
Beadifull in Green Necklace and Earrings from Sari's
Tortoiseshell Cuff Bracelet from Petunia--subscriber gift
Madrid Hair from Simply Britnee

Location: Monkey Cove

New FM Shoes Subscriber Gift!



I have blogged about FM Shoes quite a bit lately (see posts here , here and here--I know that's more than just 'quite a bit'! *hee*), but this one takes the cake--the new subscriber gift at FM Shoes is soooooooo cute and in such lovely shades too, you just have to come see for yourselves!





Boots: Hippychicks from FM Shoes--subscriber gift
Outfit: Softy Kiss from Axe Wear
Necklace and Bracelet: Black Pearl w/ Tiffany Blue Set from Pretty Stick--latest group gift
Hair: Nicole from Glitter

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Being Indie: Indie Appreciation Week






Celebrate your individuality and love your independence.

My Dearest Devotees,

I love being myself. I am independent, and to me this means that I am independent thinker. I form my own opinions and I do not mass think. I try to make sure that never follow the crowd blindly or accept information without questioning its source. It also means that I am quite adventurous and curious about the world. I always want to know the why behind everything. Knowing the why behind things helps me makes informed decisions. To me, being independent also means that I love to explore. Trying out new things and travelling to new places is almost constantly on my mind, and meeting new people is par for the course.


When I was younger, I couldn’t wait for the day I would go away to university, and this was because I looked at it as a huge adventure. It was never something I feared and distance from home was never a factor. Now that I’m here I still don’t feel differently. Some days I wake up and can’t still believe where I am and how far I’ve come. When I catch myself doing “grown-up things” like paying the bills and making doctors appointments I still wonder the time has gone. When I came to university I never really felt homesick. I missed my family and friends, but being able to do my own thing sits really well with me. I’m the kind of person that likes to dance to my own drum and be my own person. Since coming to the blogosphere (almost a year ago now!) I’ve met so many lovely and wonderfully unique people that are beautifully independent and strong in their own ways, and I’ve decided I would to make this week “ Indie Appreciation Week”. I know that there has been a subculture built around being ‘indie’ with particular things to identify but I feel this is against the whole point of being independent. Therefore, the list below is what being independent means to me.


Doing yoga to de- stress

Making my own decisions about my faith and actively taking part in it.

Making my own decisions about all sorts of topics- big and small.

Owning my personal style.

Wearing loads of chiffon and billowy shirts.

Taking loads of seemingly random classes (but not really) that challenge me and make me think.

Reading tons of non-fiction and fiction books.

Getting on top of things by being organized in my random and sporadic nature so that I can do all I want to do.

Being comfortable in my relationships with people.

Standing up for what I believe in .

Living in beautiful floral prints.

Wearing flowers in my hair.

Essentially emulating gyspy style and making it mine.

Buying a fabulous leather trunk – vintage or antique

Go vintage/flea market, etc shopping to get unique pieces for my room

Finding out about tarot cards.

Learning widely different styles of dance- I’m taking ballroom and hip hop this summer.

Wearing lots of lovely, lovely vests.

Having an owl- a snowy one like Hedwig.

Hanging ethnic printed carpets and fabrics around the room e.g. wrapping a TV in jewel toned sarong and (false) peacock feathers.

Wearing loads of beautifully colored scarves

Enjoying fabulous poetry

Learning to ride a horse

Travelling as much as possible by plane, train or road

Chemically developing my black and white photos with my vintage Canon SLR camera.

Always seeking to experience different cultures.

Reading loads and loads of books on different cultures and about people that are different from you

Meditate upon every topic under the sun.

Wear loads of gold colored jewelry.

Trying out loads of crafts: knitting, basket weaving, jewelry making, etc.

Trying out loads of art forms: painting, designing, drawing, etc

Dancing with abandon but to the beat and with rhythm in my room and in wide, open fields.

Listening to folksy, vocal and instrumentally dominant music. Think Iron and Wine, and Furlough but also to any kind of music that takes my fancy and speaks to my soul.

Recording my music and putting them on CDs.

Visit parks and open fields. Keep in touch with nature.

Learning to control my range vocally and to play piano.

Being open to different culture and the possibility of learning new languages.

(All photos from: We Heart it)

Love you all and Stay Inspired,



P.S. So let me know what you think. What does being independent mean to you and how do you celebrate your independence? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Back in Time

Today I decided to go Steampunk, well...almost, thanks to the notice I got from Rag Dollz that got me all curious, and I found myself quite attracted to the fashion of that era! I even read up a little on Steampunk, its origins and the difference between just pure Victorian fashion and Steampunk! Anyway, I found so many freebies at Rag Dollz--there are free boots, gowns, even a rug, a tub and much more!

Here I am outside the Sheriff's office trying to look busy Smiley



This sure is a huge change from my usual minis and plunging necklines! Smiley



Breathtaking view of the beautiful sim...



Outfit: Daphne McAllen from Rag Dollz--99L sale
Hat: Teagarden Hat from Rag Dollz--free
Glasses: Steampunk Amber Glasses from Rag Dollz-free
Hair: Sasha from DrLife
Location: Amiville, Colorado (thanks to my dear Erwin for showing me this lovely sim! MUACHH dearie)!