So, here is the BIG PRIZE I TOTALLY WON after spending the better part of very late last night poking around at Plod.

It is an utterly silly shoulder bag, one of the truly most useless items one can own in SL. But the silliness and the detail and the style of it – I had to have.

Now I don’t normally do hunts. Why? They are a pain in the ass. They take effort that normally I’d put into, oh, I don’t know, changing socks or turning onto my other side while in lying in bed. In other words, I am lazy (and have a doctor’s note to justify it) and would usually rather plunk down $L for something I want and NOT have to spend a bunch precious time and patience looking around for it. Especially the patience, because I have very little of that to spare. Plus I can’t even find my damn car keys in my own purse. Finding stuff hidden around a sim? Not my idea of a good time.

So with that disclosure, you may be wondering how indeed I did get sucked into the holiday hunt at Plod. It started out innocently. I got a notice from the Boing Frommage group about Elka’s new location at the Plod sim. Now, I own pretty much everything that Boing Frommage has put out, but I was curious to see the new spot so I went for a visit.

I just loved the look of this place. As I get back into content creation, I am in the middle of pondering different design styles in SL, because I am drawn to many different types. But in the end I am the biggest sucker for a good imaginary/storybook or comic book feel. Such as the one captured here:

This is the inside of a store called – uh oh – I hope I remembered it right – Kurotusubaki. Hoo. Those Japanese stores do NOT make things easy on us poor monolinguals. You can buy a few cute things here, like an animal hat with ears, a few poses, an animated rug. NONE of the cool stuff in this photo, mind you. But I’m blogging it for the build, not the merchandise. (Apologies Kurotsubaki, your merchandise is totally cute, but your build in Plod is what really got me.)

Plod has all the elements of an immersive storybook SL experience. And you know what? That stupid holiday hunt gave me the right “mission” to go exploring. Their products are really whimsical feeling, like the dirty bag I won with a lit miniature Xmas tree and a tiny animated squirrel hanging off of it. The builds are also well worth exploring, and some things you can buy and take with you like this treehouse:

So if you are into this kind of style, go take a look. And if you want the bag, be prepared to work for it. You will have to find yourself in some fairly weird places, such as the land of bigass squirrels:

I will say one thing. The people behind Plod are waaaaay into squirrels. I don’t know what that says about them, but don’t be alarmed if you find yourself here staring at a hungry looking bushy-tailed rat that’s 12 times the size of your avatar.

As for hints? I won’t give away too much, but I will tell you that you can find two of the elusive snowmen that you must collect (ten in all) in the last two photos. They are small and only count once. You won’t find any in any stores that are not Plod (another hint!)

So while I normally hate holiday hunts (though I appreciate the creators who work so hard to put the stuff together and make the event happen – kudos to all of you, and it is great marketing, as I did manage to spend a decent amount of $L whilst hunting last night), I have to tell you I had fun. It got me talking to strangers again, something I haven’t done in SL in a long time and seriously one of the more entertaining things to do there.

And the bag! It’s like so cute!

Dead City is an un-dead themed spot with shops, a club, some residential all situated rather serenely around a graveyard. (That’s me, escaping from Orchid’s coffin, below.)

The place was built by my friends Johnny Skosh and Orchid Zenovka. Back when it was Trenton, Alex and I bought an adjoining piece so we’d have a place to escape lag when Topgol was unbearable. Today that land has been transformed into some fine un-dead themed commercial real estate rentals, located on the corner of Envy and Gluttony streets.

Are ya interested? Grab a landmark to our little slice of hell: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/237/220/666/

There’s plenty of great retail to be had in this location already. In fact, my entire wardrobe for this post has been furnished in Dead City. Details below!

Boots: Slum Stompers by Catnip http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/158/184/666

Dirty Girl T-shirt, Atari belt, Camo capris all by SNATCH http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/185/226/666 (cool spot with a decent selection of clothes and accessories and even a few shapes)

Mini-influence armband – Virus Co. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/178/186/666 (also to be had was the mini-arsonist’s armband and belt, among other must-have accessories for the social deviant in you.)

Rusty Belt Necklace, Blood Orchid http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/182/218/666 (our very own Sable Slade – crafts wicked jewelery stuffs for yer neck now in two locations!)

Crate Myg’s sitting on is part of a set called Debris 1 – Cloud 9.1 http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/156/166/666 (I didn’t set out the whole set as it wasn’t exactly what I wanted for the shoot, but it came with an nasty stained hammock, some two by fours and other stuff. Great for an empty lot hang out. They also have bunkers, a scary looking bathroom and other sets.)

Black Army Brat Hat – Blood Lust http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/186/169/666 (I bought this hat last week and have hardly taken it off since I bought it. Drop by for a lot of other cool accessories as well.)

Ratty Couch, Skull Bracelet – The Works http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/193/206/666 (Benjamin Bigdipper is one of my oldest friends in SL. He’s always been a great builder and now he’s showcasing his work at his store The Works. These photos don’t do the skull cuffs justice, and you can also buy great nasty furniture, belts and other gross accessories at his place.)

Stitch, left leg – Bloody Hell http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deadwood/159/213/666 (you can’t see it, but there’s a yucky, bloody stitch on my leg and there were lots of other gruesome wounds to be had at this spot)

It adds protein, that’s why.

Get some fun Halloween freebies from Schadenfreude, (SLURL Fixed!) including a pumpkin that gives out free treats (see wormy apple in picture below…).

And while you’re at it, pick up some finishing touches for that special All Hallowed Eve’s ball, like an arachnoid tiara (which is what I bought.)

Furniture
Loft3 is open, and this is definitely one of the best shop for a good prim/quality compromise, with standard prices. They have some very nice sofas, with nice animations and even multiple, menu based, poses (chat, cuddles). One of the best I have seen around!

Scope Cleaver has opened a new, fantastic shop. You can go there only to check the architecture of the shop, which is marvelous. Check their new desk: if you like futurist design, this is a must have !

Still a lot of empty space but the owner told me it will be filled in the following weeks: this is definitely a place to check from time to time to loose all your money on stylish, well designed, modern furniture!

And Maximum Minimum is just across, on the next zone (another top of the art shop for furniture), and now you know you will leave that area without a dime in your pocket !

Shoes and Boots

I have a crunch for the new C-Tech boots…. My girl even nearly went rebellious to get them and I had to roughly punish her and remember her to what place she belongs! Very well done, with a nice option to switch from heels to platform boots.

About boots, check that small shop : This French designer is doing some very nice over-knee boots ! Well designed, great details, super look: you will rock everything !

Clothes

*whispers* Ok, don’t listen the following if you don’t want to spend all your Lindens in the next 2 hours…. If you look for what I will call “smart casual” look, this is the place to go ! If you check Night & Days often, the name should give you an hint: Luminosity

One of the very best, stylish, smart shop for that kind of clothes: everything is nice, everything is well designed, everything is so “chic” ! you cant make a mistake !

See by yourself !

Hairs

Ha well, experienced shopping girls and guys knows this already but…. Check Deviant Kitties … If you wanna some original haircuts, something different from the classic & curls from GURL6 you see everywhere, DK is for you

Accessories

If you are a kitty, you know Temenos Island ! But what is not so well known is that this very large shop has some new sections, and one of them is about streetware. They have a great set of belt, armband, gauntlet and collar, and some nice shirt/pants.
What still here? Don’t wait! Go on out and shop!

Well, ha, it’s your damned lucky day because Sable is now selling this hot item, along with a bunch of other kick ass jewelry at her new store in Little Philly, called Blood Orchid (SLURL). I’ve got more to show you from there, so keep going.

We love Sable, and you should too.

There are too many reasons to count, but here’s a prime example. When I logged in yesterday, there she was wearing a bandana in support of Locks of Love, which reminded me to go get one and wear it too. So aside from being a kick ass designer of infinitely wearable items, she’s got a big ole heart.

But let’s get back to shopping for a sec. Take a gander at some of these other fine items of hers:

That there is the orb necklace, a very cool little item. And if you’re not yet convinced that you should run over to Blood Orchid and fork over some L, take a gander at the choker I’m wearing below:

Razor blades on a choker! How evil is that? Plenty, believe you me. So go kids, run right down to Blood Orchid (behind Wei 2008 headquarters in East Little Philly – stop in and pick up some propaganda while you’re there).

See you there!

This post is for you!

This post is the second one on a complete look, the streetpunk style. Again, I will give some tips about everything you need — clothes, shoes, jewelery, hairs, and accessories.

You need something dark, dirty, ripped….old, worn but still stylish! I have several shops to advise:

Clothes….

Gritty Kitty: one of the best, period.

Everything is good there, from the clothes to the accessories, hairs included. Don’t forget to check the jackets, and they have real cool shirt as well…and the hair! Some of the best “dirty, disheveled ” hair you can find! And shoes…and…ok, this is a damn good shop. There’s far more for your cyber-thug look if you keep reading…

Forgive me for the following joke: you can’t go wrong at WRONG!

Yes, I need some relaxing…. I promise to whip Vanny tonight hard, and I will feel much better! But let’s focus…WRONG! is a punk style shop, with a lot of nice things. My short list: black leather jacket, “bretelle” short skirt…

Another good spot – The Block. This is a whole sim with many nice shops dedicated on the street/punk style. Be sure to check Sinister shop, they have terrific belts, some good ripped jeans, blood stain included and if you wanna look really tuff, grab their black combat boots, with a blade you can sting out…totally cool!

Hair

For hair, I would advise short “disheveled ” style, with flex ! Kitty Gritty, but you have seen them already, don’t you ? Kin, a nice shop, just near By Max, has some very good one: check the Duncan style, it is the one I have choosen (then, it’s the best, no reason to argue! .

Not enough ? Ok … check Playful Kitten at Tenemos Island. If you really need some long one, Cake is definitely the best shop imo for long, flex hair and some can fit the streetware style. And check the glasses there as well

Accessories….

Skank – R – Us has some good accessories, especially their necklace and gloves, that are very well made and pretty cheap. And again, check Kitty Gritty !

And you need some boots ! My favorite for that kind of style is the Femme boots, you can find them at Nevermore Studios. They are terrific, period! And check their jewelry and clothes section as well, you can find some very nice things there (hint: the cross necklace, the leather motojacket, the leather pant…).

Myg gave me another tip for some shoes – Civvies : Go there, check the shop !

Need some tattoo… you can find a lot of black tattoo here on SL… to stand out, go to the color ones and make the difference…. Canimal has some pretty good ones. If you are rich, the Yakuza Asian Theme is really nice.

By Max (near Kin, check hair section) has also a whole wall, and not that expensive.

Animations
Remember my post about business ? Again here, build an AO notecard for your ZHAO, with firm stand and poses… If you look weak, you are ! or find a protector

Speaking of animation….and if you are outrageously rich… Ok, kids, the following is definitely mature, DON’T go there.. and when I say mature, I mean it… SVU Intimates animations, the portable Ruff n’Snuff: test it…yes…I have it…. *blushes*

Weapons

Well, you can’t live in the street without a weapon, can you? Guns are not my specialty but I have myself done some shopping at BlackOps and BCS, they are standards for many combat sims, reliable and well done. For blade, I have choosen the yakuza way, with a nice katana at Samurai Tokyo.

Sometimes, you can’t wear a weapon and still need to fight. DCS kung fu is really cheap, you can grab it at the Toxian entrance area. Wannt something really cool? Try the leather belt from Dictatorshop.

So simple and effective: wear the belt, and with a click, grab it on your hand and slashes your opponent…Ask Vanny, she just loves it! Be sure to tell Lilliani that I advise you to come there, I need some rebates, that evil shop is drinking all my money ^^

Friggin’ post, Myg would say!

Lisa Takao

You can’t say a sentence without “ROI” or “LBO” inside? You awake screaming in the night because you had a dream about a financial audit?

This post is for you!

Today I am gonna describe two kinds of look: the standard business one and a subcategory, the mob (mafia) one. This is the first post about a complete look, and I will give some tips about everything you need–clothes, shoes, jewelery, hairs, accessories…the works!

To take advantage of my best advice to create your perfect look for business, read more.A good business look is simple, firm and should impress your partners. The success key lie in the simplicity and color code.

Clothes
We can have a debate on the “dress or no dress” issue. For me, business style is pants, period. A feared business girl will always wear pants, and won’t use her legs to soften her business partners…she will use her brains and charisma.

If you still wanna wear a dress, please follow this advice:

1. Hemlines should be knee length or longer. Miniskirts are not only inappropriate they scream, “do not take me serious!
2. Color does not have to be limited to dark colors but remember the rule – if you have to ask yourself “Can I?” then don’t.

Now, time for shopping!

Musashi-Do has a very good business pack, with 3 outfits (grey, black, blue), 12 or more shirts, and same number of ties.

Very simple design (single color texture), but the result is pretty good. You can multiply the possibilities by mixing shirt and tie color…and yes, girls can wear ties!

The shirt and tie color, another complex debate. Basically, I would advise you the following:

1. Always wear a tie that is darker than your shirt.
2. Wear a conservative tie with subtle patterns or solid colors.

If you want something more stylish, or you wanna have an outfit with a dress, I would recommend you the DE Design casual/formal area, they have some fantastic outfits here.

For a mob look, you should head for stripes. I would recommend you Nyte ‘n Day (already featured by Mode Premiere). They have some pretty good striped outfits here.

Mischief’s business section is also to be checked.

Shoes
For shoes, you can go with your standard, formal shoes, but I will recommend something more aggressive and eye catching. Even for a strict business look, you should have something that brings attention. Try some short boots (the kind you can wear with a pant), with high heels.

My favorite: the Solange Fashion, “Stilleto.”

These boots are so good, you can wear them with many looks. One of my best investment in shoes I have ever made here! You can wear them in short version, with pants, or tall version, with a skirt or a dress.

Haircut
Short one, that’s it! Long hair is for hot babe, not for a business woman! But short can be very stylish. Head to ETD and check the new “Couture” collection. They have some perfect short haircut for that style, the best in my opinion.

Animation
Most people forget about this but a good look is not only about what you are showing (clothes, haircut) but how you behave… and a first step is to have some stand-up poses that fit with your look.

As much as 90% of your communication is done without words. Gestures, facial expressions, and posture provide information about a person’s emotions and relationships with others. This is also true in SL: You can have the best business outfit on you, if your AO is a submissive one…then that’s how you will be seen – a doormat!

Go to Outrider Animations and look on the animated poses wall, some of them will fit perfectly.

Another tip: use the ZHAO free AO tool, and do some specific scripting, one per look or way of behaving…trust me, soon, your friends and relatives will understand in which mood you are quite fast .. *grins*

Accessories
Follow one of the following rules when accessorizing for a business look:

1. The 5 Piece Rule: Wear only 5 accessories – earrings count as 2; watch counts as 3, allowing 2 additional accessories, or…
2. The 13 Piece rule: Wear only 13 accessories remembering to count each button on your suit front and sleeves as individual pieces.

Regardless which rule you follow, the meaning is clear, do not over accessorize.

Need a watch ? Go to SteinWerk :

If you wanna wear some jewelery, definitely choose some discreet and classic, no bling. Jewelry should be keep minimal and conservative. And that means no facial piercing except earrings. They should add a subtle touch to your look but definitely not be the eye catching.Mob style: Take a look on my Accessories post, and choose a nice hat, black or white, according to your outfit. I have also this new shop, Erika with some good ones! You can add some sunglasses, mirror or black.

And a gun! Shoulder holster is the best – you can’t go wrong. And, if someone is looking at you with a glance you dislike…shoot him ^^ Ask Myg if you need some advice!

Lisa Takao, Moneyshark

Today, we begin to speak about the most difficult part of your look: accessories!

This is the feared purchase, the most difficult to find, with a lot of disappointment and frustration! Whoever has tried to find “The” perfect accessory knows what I am talking about.

I won’t give you all my accessories landmarks today…it would require a whole blog for that! But my top secret idea is here: each time you see something that looks good, write it down. Even if you don’t need it right now, one day, you will… and that day, you will know where to find it if you are a true “shopping girl!”

Find the magic by following the read more link.

Miss Lisa says:

1. Find some accessory that looks good
2. Grab a Landmark
3. RENAME the landmark (crucial step) with a short description (hat, cane, bag, etc)
4. Store the LM in a comprehensive folder for shopping organization

Be sure I will check that you are following my advice…*taps her ruler in her hand, before adjusting her teacher glasses*

Ok, enough talk, time to go shopping, girls!!!

What can make the difference between a stylish girl and a bland one? No, its some not obvious eye catcher blinging jewelery! That’s for low style girl…

Hat! A good hat and everybody will look at you, and more important, notice you ! And that’s not easy to find. Try searching for “Hat” and you will come back fast to Miss Lisa, whining! And I will tell you, missy, go here:

(http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ge/173/196/118/)

They have some nice hats, several styles, and good looking. I love myself this black or white hat which is very good on any business or mob outfit.

Grab a striped pants and jacket, a suitcase, a short haircut, some firm looking glasses, and you are *the* feared business girl!

If you are looking for a 1920 style hat, check this landmark as well: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sponsa/111/135/29
They have some nice “Années Folles” hats, and some terrific canes!

Wanna do a more old fashion look? Check Empyrean Emporium for a formal old stylish haircut!

Want an outfit from that period? NYMPHETAMINE is your shop.

It’s not enough? Eager you are! I said it was only the beginning of the accessories subject. But, ok, I will indulge you with one more. You want a nice belt! One of my secret spots: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Endicott/167/56/505. Check the wall, they have 4 very nice belts, and some nice wristbands…and be sure to check the whole area, especially if you are found of streetware style.

Its pretty difficult to speak about hats and not about haircuts. And now I see you are looking at me with some greedy eyes! But I won’t today, that will be the next post. ^^ Yea, a stylish girl knows how to tease! *sticks her tongue out*

To be continued :

-Hair, Hair, Hair
-SHOOOOOEEEESSSSSS or “The Devil plots to catch us all.”
-Accessories (Glasses, High Tech, and many others things you must have)
-How to move your butt (Animations, poses)
-Business style
-Streetware style
-Goth/Punk style (or just look at Myg, and you have everything)
-Saturday Night style
-Mistress style/Submissive style
-Houses
-And many, many more

Until then, my dears!