Saturday, July 31, 2010

Chloe in QQ!



Quennye Quinnell of QQ Fashion is one designer with a big heart who has been giving out freebies but lovelies for as long as I can remember (check out my previous posts under 'QQ Fashion'), and since I'm still in my 'Chloe' phase, I thought I would dress 'Chloe' in QQ's newest freebies today!





Outfit: Lolu Yellow (belt included) from QQ Fashion--free
Hair: Mari (hat included) from kik
Sunglasses: Optino2 from Kumaki--free
Boots: Cyberia from Deviant Designs






Gown: Stephanie Red (gloves, necklace and belt included) from QQ Fashion--free
Hair: Kanaco from kik

In all pics:
Shape: Chloe Petite from Curvy Silhouettes (@Humby Mall-new satellite store)
Skin: Bitzu Bodyshop gift from Bitzu--group gift

Friday, July 30, 2010

Seeking Inspiration: Dreams

















Dearest Devotees,

One night when I was in boarding school a couple of years ago I had the most surreal dream ever. It was exactly like something out of a horror movie, except I don't watch horror movies so I don't have these kind of dreams. What basically happened is I went to sleep that night, just like any other night and woke up the next morning soaking with sweat and with my heart racing. I won't bore you with the details of this dream, but I will tell you that it involved a zombies, people in my boarding school, a crazy mad scientist professor and a giant mud pool on the school field. It doesn't even end there though because the next night, I had a similar dream, with the same characters but a slightly different story line. It even started off where the last one left off. I will never forget how the dream ended because just after the heroes (a friend and myself) saved the day, I remember seeing a movie poster on a tree by the gate of my school in the dream. It said "Zombies" and had a really cool picture of my friend and I on the front with the other main characters in my nightmare-movie. It was like The Twilight Zone.

So what is the point of this little spiel of mine. Basically it's that inspiration can come from anywhere even from your dreams. I told the friend who featured in my nightmare-movie about the dream and she said that that was the coolest thing she ever heard and that we should definitely make it into a movie. That experience showed me just how much inspiration is apart of our everyday lives. I'm not saying every dream is going to be a perfectly packaged and ready to go work of art but it could lead to explore something in a way you may not have otherwise. After all, when we dream our brains are truly free to explore and create without our self-imposed reins of reality and practicality. They continue to work out problems that plague us doing usually coming with a truly creative and imaginative (albeit sometimes unrealistic) solution to our problems. So if you're running low on inspiration why not try documenting your dreams either in a dream diary or on a dream board. You may be surprised by what you find.

Now let's get real. I want to let you guys know the main inspiration for this post came from an amazing movie that came out this past month, a movie I'm sure you all know as Inception. I will not go on a for too long about this movie but I will say that I really really enjoyed it and that if you haven't seen it I definitely recommend it. It was not only visually stunning with great actors, it also had an fantastically unusual plot that left me questioning everything I'd known by the end of the movie. A movie that amazes me and makes me think is definitely a winner in my books. So there's my random movie recommendation. ( Also, I feel compelled to say that if you haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet, especially if you saw the first two when you were a kid, you should see it. You will not be disappointed. )

Now for this week's Seeking Inspiration Assignment:

This week's assignment is to create something based on a dream you've had or just based on the whole concept of dreams. It can be in any kind of art form you want, a poem, short story, video, painting, dance, whatever you like. I have a song called Dreams that I am working on, but it isn't done yet, and I have finals this week. So after finals I will put it up :) It will probably be an a cappella rendition of the song in video format.


Links I've loved lately:

I thought this stop motion video of a guy walking round the states in his levi jeans was really cool. I loved the music especially.

Now that I'm actually working on my Vanille my future fashion company, I am eating up everything I can about the business of fashion that I can find. That's how I found Daily Fashion Diaries which is a blog about few girls trying to make their way in the fashion industry. Also, if you are looking for an internship in the industry you should definitely check out Daily Fashion Jobs. I must warn you though: most of these are LA and New York based (no surprise).

Merlin Mann gives some great tips on how to future-proof your passion.

HA! No words.

I took this really cool quiz on HomeGoods Decorating Style Quiz.

The Organisation vs Creativity Debate: Why you need to be organised to be creative

Beware of Your Inner Whining Artist on the Lateral Action blog.

Donate rice to the hungry by playing this simple but super fun game. Go on I Dare you.


This video of fireflies is just so pretty and I thought that this piece was really nice.

Love you all and Stay Inspired,



P.S. So let me know what you think. What inspired you this week? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Latest Gowns from Paris Metro!



Ohhh my word, Paris Metro has got me all excited again with their newest gowns, and I was looking forward to blogging them much earlier but both RL and SL decided to misbehave these two days (though this is the norm for SL *grin*)! Still, better late than never , like I always say, so here are the gorgeous and luxurious gowns that have become synonymous with the Paris Metro name!





Avignon Wedding Gown








Wicker Forest Gown








Sorbet Gown

All gowns from Paris Metro (thank you Paris! xxx)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

New Chloe Petite!



Here's more of the new Chloe shape from Curvy Silhouettes which is exclusive to the new satellite store at Humby Mall and which I just can't get enough of, except this time it's the petite version of Chloe, still glam and yummy, but with a smaller bum!



Shape: Chloe Petite from Curvy Silhouettes (@Humby Mall-new satellite store) Thank you Xanthe! xxx
Skin: Bitzu Bodyshop gift from Bitzu--group gift
Top: Chalice's Lace Hanky Top from Graffitiwear--Chalice's birthday gift (Thank you and Happy Birthday Chalice)!
Shorts and Bangle: part of Gift for Summer from NCparis--group gift
Hair: Chiharu from D!va--more than 5000 group member celebration gift
Clogs: Kelligan Clogs from Sweeter Than Candy--group gift

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Introducing Chloe-New Satellite Store Exclusive!



Xanthe Audeburgh of Curvy Silhouettes has just released a yummy glam shape named Chloe which will be sold exclusively at her new satellite store at Humby Mall! The shape is so versatile that you can tailor it to suit your taste--sweet innocence, sexy siren, or smart sophisticate! Oh, and don't forget to grab your box of group gifts at the new store!



Dress: Sweet Dress Blue from Zenith--lucky board gift
Necklace: Flower of Necklace from Skill Normal
Hair: Hair No5 from Govil--group gift
Hair Accessory: Hair Butterfly from Govil--group gift



Dress: Gold Sequin Minidress from Graffitiwear--group gift
Hair: Glory from LollipopZ
Head Band: Leopard Print Head Band from Baby Monkey--group gift



Dress: Black & White Dress from Poison--free
Earrings: Large Gold Hoop from Poison--free
Bag: Bag Pink from Paradisis--subscriber gift
Hair: Sang from eha

In all pics:
Shape: Chloe from Curvy Silhouettes (@Humby Mall--new satellite store)
Skin: Venus from Nymph Couture

Monday, July 26, 2010

Catwoman For A Day!



Yippee! I finally get to be Catwoman (well...for a day at least)*grin*, thanks to Nici Sewell of Immerschoen, which makes sexy leather and latex outfits for both men and women, plus Nici's own niciARTLINE tattoos! So if you're looking for that drool-worthy and head-turning outfit, look no further than Immerschoen!

Darn, forgot my whip!







Outfit: Immerschoen Girl-Leather Catsuit 'Sharon' (includes leather shirt, pants, bodysuit corsage, gloves and tribal skull hearts tattoo) from Immerschoen *

Thank you Nici! xxxx

*Hair, sunglasses, mask, choker, stockings, shoes and boots not included.

Weekend Collection



Here are all the lovely dresses I had collected over the weekend but didn't have time to blog about till now; I'm also experimenting with some freebie-but-goodie skins (again)...just hope they will turn out alright somehow!



I think this was a subscriber's gift, but whatever it was, it sure made me happy because I love anything from Victoria Endsleigh! I blogged about her 60L dress last week, and today's dress is just as lovely, with soft flowing fabric and delicious off-shoulder top, making me feel all girly and sexy at the same time!



Dress: Warm Regards (hair included) from Victoria Endsleigh--gift
Jewelry: Hearts of Jade from Bliensen--10L
Shoes: Bare Lana from Stiletto Moody--anniversary group gift
Skin: Firefly from Envy--free


I was at DQ to check out the new releases when I came across this cute and colourful freebie dress which reminds me of my mother's beautiful garden!





Dress: Spring Dress from DQ--free
Choker: part of Rumba Jewelry set from PB Collection
Hair: Qiao from DrLife
Shoes: Fuxya from The King of Shoes--1L
Skin: Firefly from Envy--free


How I lurrve Midnight Mania gifts! Sometimes when I click on the MM board, I never know if I will ever get that item since it depends on the target being reached, but just when I least expect it and these MM gifts start pouring in, well... I don't want to sound shallow, or behave like a kid on santa's lap, but for shopaholics like me, the feeling is just...euphoric! (Actually, I was going to say 'orgasmic', but um..I might regret that! *grin*)





Dress: Gidget from Sweet!--MM gift
Glasses: Manon from Donna Flora--free
Jewellery: Purple Strips from PB Collection--1L
Hair: Yuki from eha
Shoes: Aureolin from Clocktower Designs
Skin: NHPaleNormal from Viv.a Skins--free


I think I can safely say that I also love anything from Petunia! I love the cute designs and colours and even the way the shop is built! And of course lazy ol' me always has a soft spot for outfits that come complete with accessories (and preferably with footwear and hair too *hee* but that would be stretching it I know and anyway, this outfit is just too adorable to pass)!





Outfit: Skirt Outfit and Bangles from Petunia--20L
Necklace: Star Color Beads from Somapop--55L
Hair: Hedeon Hair from Wasabi Pills (I couldn't believe this was actually sold as men's hair)!
Boots: Grey High Heel Stiletto from Alba--1L

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

How to Know if You're a Songwriter




I started poetry when I was 8 and though it wasn't what I'd call great art, it was definitely an amazing medium for expressing myself. Ever since I was in preschool I have loved literature. I know this because, one of my earliest memories is of my dad teaching me to recognise words and to read and memorize short sentences and paragraphs from a small book of classical poetry and tales ( I know, its pretty crazy). He would do this before he travelled and quiz me on it when he returned. I also remember my mom reading to me and encouraging my intense love of books at the ages of 4 and 5. I just loved being able to escape into another world so much so that whenever I read I became complete oblivious of my surroundings and entered a state of flow (or hyperfocus).This early admiration for the written word led to desire to write and express myself like the authors and writers I admired. I also had a healthy appreciation for music and after trying out several forms of dance and music groups like tap, ballet, hip hop, orchestra and chorus, I decided to try my hand at songwriting. My first song was really silly but it had a catchy tune and my siblings thought it was pretty cool so I kept trying and have been writing songs ever since.

Anyway, that was just a brief intro to my history with songwriting. Lately I've been meeting a lot of musicians and fellow songwriters so this got me thinking about how you can know if you are a songwriter. Here's what I came up with:
Music is constantly going on in your mind, whether its your own song or someone else's song that you really like.

When you walk down the street you are either listening to music,humming or singing (hopefully softly :P) to yourself.

You've been known to study music theory in your spare time.

You carry paper and a writing utensil around with you always in case you have a "lyric moment".

Friends sometimes catch you dancing to the music in your head. This is because it is so loud that you can forget that it's not technically playing anywhere.

Singing in the shower is near superhuman habit to break for you. After all, its where you get some of your best ideas.

You sometimes walk according to your beat of the moment.

You either know how to or are trying to learn to play, at least one but usually several instruments.

You can read and write music.

Your everyday words tend to have a poetic quality to them.

Music is VERY important to you.

You associate your emotions with music automatically.

You have been known to come up with songs in the weirdest places (toilets, at formal dinners, during important ceremonies).
You feel like you could use a song to describe almost anything in your life.

Your ipod, mp3 player, or computer may be full to the brim with music.

You have songbooks...of your own music.


You may be working on a demo or already be writing professionally.

You can not imagine a world without music.

You have a recorder to record tunes that you spontaneously create on your way to class. This recorder is likely to quickly fill up memory-wise.

You analyse lyrics and melodies of songs for fun.

You take personal offence when a song does well in the pop world and lacks what you would see as substance and quality.

When you're playing around with your instrument of choice, or even humming it could lead to your next masterpiece.

If you are not a singer, you already know what singer would best suit your songs.

When you get into a talk about great songwriters, composers, lyricists and musicians, you could go on and on and on...

Some of these characteristics are characteristics of a composer (someone who writes music- melodies, harmonies and instrumentals) and others are characteristic of a lyricist(someone who comes up with the words). When I refer to a songwriter I mean someone who comes up with both. Anyway, if you liked this post, I intend to do a couple more about music in the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out for that. And if you have anything in particular that you want to know about music, you could email me at aury4eva@gmail.com, and I will try my best to help.

Photos from: We Heart It
Love you all and Stay inspired,



P.S. So let me know what you think. Are you a songwriter or musician? What do you think identifies a songwriter? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Elisabeth's Store and Hunt at Zuri's



I have always been a fan of Elisabeth's and Zuri's (quite evident if you just do a search in my archives). In fact, it was not too long ago that I blogged about the Martini Hunt at Elisabeth's, and talking about hunts, if you have not heard of Zuri's by now, then this will be a good time time to get aquainted, starting with a hunt at the store! Your prize?? Four beautiful items from the Joy Pink Opal Set! The store has also been newly decorated, and I loved the scenery so much that I used it as my backdrop for today's post!



Gown: Anouk from Elisabeth's Store--group gift
Jewellery: Joy Pink Opal Set from Zuri's--free (all hunt items)
Hair: Blossom from LollipopZ--previous group gift





Dress: Nicolette from Elisabeth's Store--50L (new release offer)
Jewellery: Purple Rush from Zuri's--25L special price
Hair: Monica (hair band included with texture hud) from kik


Location: Jewelry by Zuri Main Shop

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Fashion 101: Kimora Lee Simmons of Phat Fashions



Name: Kimora Lee Simmons born Kimora Lee Perkins

Career: Former Model, Current Fashion Designer, CEO of Phat Fashions

Bio: Kimora was born in St. Louis Missouri on May 4, 1975. At the age of 13, her uniquely beautiful look and gazelle-like figure led to her discovery by Marie-Christine Kollock of Paris Agency Glamour,who had her flown to Paris where she was signed by Chanel soon after her 13th birthday. She worked under Karl Lagerfield ,the famed Chanel designer, and became known in the fashion world after he closed his couture show with her dressed as a child bride.Since then she has been on several runways all over the world, and has even appeared in a couple of music videos and TV shows such as America's Next Top Model and her own show Life in the Fab Lane.In 1998, she married Russel Simmons the then CEO of Phat Fashions, a clothing company, and began working as a fashion designer in the capacity of Creative Director of Baby Phat, a female centric hip hop clothing line. She worked her way to the top and eventually became the CEO of Phat Fashions. She has three kids, Aoki Lee, Ming Lee (whom she had with Russel before the divorce) and a baby boy called Kenzo Lee whom she had with Djimon Honsou, her new husband.

Reasons Kimora intrigues me :

She appreciates the glamour in her life, while remaining aware of the things that are really important.

She creates her own words and uses them regularly like the word Fabulousity.

She is a fashion designer with vision, artistic talent and a head for business.

She not only knows her brand but lives her brand.

She proves that you can balance motherhood and being a fashion mogul.

She knows what she wants and goes for it. She has drive.

She has a well defined personal style.

She isn't afraid to take the risks required to succeed.

She has a pretty cool sense of humour.

She has a show that lets me know about what life as a CEO of a fashion company is really like.

She is strong.


To find out more about Kimora you can visit her site.

Love you all and Stay inspired,



Photos from: Starpulse.com and Ok magazine
P.S. So let me know what you think. Who do you think is important in the fashion industry? What labels do you like? What do you think about Kimora? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Friday, July 23, 2010

The Balcony



Sometimes it's therapeutic to gaze at passers-by below from the balcony and just let your mind (and eyes) wander freely....





Top: Ibiza from Timmy--gift (thank you Glasz)!
Shorts: Hickory from Mirrors--group gift
Necklace: Flower of Necklace from Skill Normal
Bangles: Mess of Nature Bangles from Ear Candy
Tattoo: Tattoo Wish Heart Erwin from niciARTLINE--custom-made gift from Nici (xxxx Nici)!
Hair: The Upshaw from Analog Dog
Flats: Floral Ballerinas from Indie Rose--subscriber gift

Speaking of Mirrors, here's more... Smiley



Left:
Outfit and Bag: Mabare Top, Free Tibet Jeans and Crystal Bag all from Mirrors--group gifts
Shoes: Sofia from Donna Flora--free
Hair: nManMa (hat included) from Dura--summer gift

Right:
Dress: Halty Disco Gold from Mirrors--group gift
Hair: River from Kin
Stockings: Ribbon Stockings from Mirrors--group gift
Boots: Bree from Clocktower Designs