As I sit here writing this post, I am watching the most recent episode of Once Upon a Time. A great show, but seriously messing with some very strong ties to the belief that we will all have our Happily Ever After, and the foundations that those beliefs came from. All I can say to not ruin the show for anyone else is Prince Charming PFFFFT.

Ok so you may or may not have noticed I have been changing my backgrounds lately. I really love the one that I have been using in the last dozen or so posts, but I wanted to make a new one, not sure if I will start going back and forth or not, or just make a new one every few weeks, right now though I just really had this one buzzing around my head since pretty much the day I made the other one lol. So I hope you like it.

The Jeans I am wearing which are so cute, are from Tutti Frutti, they are an item from Back to Black, an event that is still going on until the 29th of February. The bodysuit underneath is also from this event created by Nemesis. Nemesis does some great work, this bodysuit comes in a variety of colours at the event, so be sure to go and check them and the jeans out of you haven’t so far. The shirt over the top is the latest from Kyoot and also available at Festival of Sin. The shirt has a real cheesecloth cotton look, so comfy and sexy. The shirt was in need of some great jewelry as well and the silver pendant set from Maxi Gossamer, I love the chunky style with the beautiful gemstone inserts and such realistic silver.

The hair is the latest from Wasabi Pills, this is a MESH hairstyle, and I really like that it has been created in two sizes based on chest size, so if you have more up top then you are covered, but there are always demos to try.

The skin I am wearing is the latest from Curio by Gala Phoenix, there are some really costume themed makeups in the form of Masquerade Masks. The basic more natural make ups are also lovely, so the blend of options really works well. The face has a lovely quality to it. DEMO DEMO DEMO.

The shoes are MaryJanes by HOC Industries, again like the platform pumps they come with a HUD that allows you to change colours, including the metals from silver to gold. These are such a cute mid heel shoes, great for dressy casual looks such as this one.

 

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : aDORKable @ Festival of Sin 

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Ellis – LeLutka

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

Skin Worn:

Mardi Gras Skin – Curio by Gala Phoenix

Hair:

Monique – Wasabi Pills 

Clothes:

All for One Jeans – Tutti Frutti @ Back to Black Event 

Friendship Bodysuit – Nemesis @ Back to Black Event

Soft Resolution Shirt – Kyoot @ Festival of Sin 

Shoes/Boots:

Maryjanes – HOC Industries

Accessories:

Silver Drop Jewelry Necklace & Ring - Maxi Gossamer 

Dakota Pearl Ring – Kyoot 

 

More Festival of Sin and some Collabor88 items this post. It is amazing though how much a skin can change the idea of a look. I was wearing this skin from yesterday, and went to change to another. The difference was so startling that I had to return to the one worn, because it took me from looking classy and elegant, to looking like I was wearing someone else’s clothes. Yet wearing the other skin with a different look, totally works. It really is a magical process, how fashion can evoke true feelings in Second Life, and how just a slight change in shading, can really tell a tale.

The poses I am using in this post are by FROOTI, they will be available at Festival of Sin for it’s duration, and they were perfect for this post. There are three sets available at the event, so be sure to grab them fast, the sooner you do, the sooner you can use them. The Hair I am wearing is also a Festival of Sin event item, the hat/hair combo is from Vanity hair and I really like the almost 1920’s vibe it has going on, so it made it the perfect combo for the Nausicaa set from The Sea Hole that is at this months Collabor88. Not only is the dress striking, I especially love the angle cut of the akirt, and the way it drapes at the thigh, so pretty. There are also bangle/ring sets and earrings that are available, and at the price they are must haves.

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : FROOTI Poses @ Festival of Sin

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Ellis – LeLutka

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

Skin Worn:

Vanity Skin – Glam Affair @ Festival of Sin 

Hair:

Sooner of Later – Vanity Hair @ Festival of Sin 

Clothes:

Nausicaa Dress – The Sea Hole @ Collabor88/Feb

Shoes/Boots:

Treaders – Maitreya 

Accessories:

Classic Nails – Izzies 

Nausicaa Jewelry - The Sea Hole @ Collabor88/Feb

 

 

 

First off some info about an upcoming event…Epoch Legend will start on the 26th of February and this is looking to be an incredible concept theme wise and build wise. If you look at the website you can also see some of the images related to the items. Also if you check out the Flickr stream of Anya Ohmai you can get a sneak peak at some of the build features that her and Suetabulous Yootz have created for part of the event. The list of stores is wonderful, so be sure to mark your calendars for this one, I saw some sneak peaks at some great items earlier today, it is going to be an impressive event.

More Festival of Sin do overs today, in the form of the shoes, and the wonderful skins…but seeing as I didn’t show all the make ups yesterday, I thought I would today.

The skin is of course the Vanity skin from Glam Affair @ FoS, this comes in four make ups with hair base or not options, and there are 10 lipsticks you can also purchase. I went with the natural skin again today, but with the added black lipstick for a dramatic look with such a non dramatic style of outfit…I like contrasting that way. It also went well with the beautiful new black hair I picked up earlier today at The Dressing Room Blue, the hair is from Exile and is a shorter MESH style unrigged but so sexy, in that mussed up longish-ly short way.

Now yesterday was a fun day shopping with Whimsy and Helyanwe, we ended up at the Love Gatcha event, which I didn’t know about until I landed at a store participating in it. I am so addicted to Gatchas, from way back when we didn’t even have those events in SL but I did a post about a Lucky Dip machine Trilobite had with corsets in it. It is hard to imagine SL without Gatcha events now, and this one was so much fun, I literally almost died from too much cute, I squealed so high pitched in Whimsy and Hely’s ears, poor girls.

The first items I was all over where the incredible Doll ring and necklace sets from Tentacio, I did a post on them a while ago, and was going back to see newness and saw that these were at the event. They were must haves before I even tp’d but to find them at only 25c a pop was AWESOME. I did get a few repeats though, which is rare for me, but it was ok as they are transfer once you unbox them, so I was able to give my spares to the girls. I am actually wearing the ring from one and the necklace from another, as it’s a bit overkill to wear both with the same image, plus they are too darn cute not to wear as many as you can at once.

We also stopped over at Willow and I got this beautiful cardigan, it is hand drawn and the sleeves are really nicely styled with the sleeves having those pull up from under tab/button things that I have no idea the real name for. Also one of my favourite things as has been raved about over and over here, the bottom portion of the cardigan is done on the system skirt layer, so it is away from the body where it needs to be, but moves with the avatar, so lovely.

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : aDORKable Poses

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Ellis – LeLutka

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

1st Me:

Skin Worn:

Vanity – Glam Affair @ Festival of Sin 

Hair:

Magda – Exile @ The Dressing Room Blue ( NOW ) 

Clothes:

Ricci Cardigan – Willow 

Pia Leggings – MichaMi

Shoes/Boots:

Khan Heels – Ingenue @ Festival of Sin 

Accessories:

Necklace and Ring (two different sets)- Tentacio @ Love Gatcha (NOW) 

Classic Nails – Izzies 

I am all the girly girl today, and loving it. How could you not though, when you get to combine what is usually a tough look with a delicate and super feminine idea..I love everything about this look, I only have one wish though.

The wish is for the amazing new boots (MESH rigged and unrigged versions) by GOS. First off I LOVE THEM, so lets get to why… Firstly I love me some great quality kicking booty boots, and Doc Martens are the kicking bootiest of them all. So the style is perfect, now for reasons 2 to infinity, the colours of the leather are perfect, but I do wish with all my heart that there were more, like white, and bright yellow because that would rock so hard. Then I love the fact that they have two options of wear, the full leg, which is HOT, and the Unlaced and folded over which is OMG HOT, but it’s there my wish comes in, WHERE IS THE ONE UP ONE FOLDED OPTION ? I would love to see that as an option, because it just looks adorable, the other wish actually is that the ribbons also came in more colours, like the pink and red of the leather, because that would be awesome too, but I have to realise it would probably be overkill, and Gospel has done an incredible amount of options as you can see in the pics. I really also like that there are two options for black, shiny new and worn.  The linings are also fantastic, especially the plaids that give a really nice choice and the sheepskin is awesome for those that really just want some great biker boots looking boots. DEMO these asap, they come in a great range of sizes and do come rigged and unrigged, so you have a lot of choice in your footwear style.

Now the Festival of Sin is in full throttle and the releases I have seen so far are fantastic. Now be sure to realise that this is an ADULT only event, so you must have your avatar age verified to get in, you can do that by visiting the Second Life website and log in , then you will find the correct page HERE . If you cannot verify, or are not an adult, I am sorry, but you will have to wait until the event is over and the items are in the individual stores of the creators. Also be aware that this is an event based on the idea of Sin, so the Adult warning is a bit more than just naked avs on posters, this means that there may be content of an adult nature, so prepare yourself for that. Also make sure and remove all scripted items before you go, as they have a script checker on entry, and you don’t want to be kicked out before you even get the chance to shop.

Some of the items in this post are actually at the event, the first being this beautiful MESH hair by Exile, it is named Famous for Nothing which is such a funny name and so in keeping with the themes of the event. I am so loving the MESH by Exile, it is going to be an incredible hair for him hairstyles wise, as he always manages to reach in and come up with some really stand out styles.

Other stand out items for Festival of Sin, are the fabulous accessories by Addict, I am only wearing one of those though this time, the cuff is MESH also and has a great kind of resin quality to it with the spikes and a really cool clasp that is actually addict in letters, yay for MESH making that kind of thing possible. Glam Affair also has done some amazing skins for Festival of Sin, called Vanity, and while I am only showing the one natural make up one this post, I will definitely do a post on the others asap. The skin is beautiful and has a real asian quality to it with the eyes area and the beautiful dark brows. I really like how this looks on my shape, and there are some incredible make ups and lipsticks too – thank you Zoe for bringing the lipsticks to my attention earlier than I had the chance to see .

The clothing I am wearing is not new new, but instant love and infatuation. This top and the adorably sexy crochet shorts are just so girly girl, and definitely a modern take on some really beautiful feminine designs of the past. I just adore the top and whether worn with a long skirt or these sexy little shorts, or just a pair of your favourite jeans they are divine. League has such beautifully detailed items in their collection, and the more romantic boho styles are truly gorgeous, so make sure you grab everything and lots of it.

The last addition to the look is some lovely strands of pearls at varying lengths, these items are from Maxi Gossamer Jewelry, the items in her marketplace store are stunners, and must haves all, I think I bought just about everything I could from the sets I liked, there are beautiful MESH releases also, so get everything you can.

 

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : aDORKable  Poses

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Ellis – LeLutka

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

1st Me:

Skin Worn:

Vanity Skin – Glam Affair @ Festival of Sin 

Hair:

Famous for Nothing MESH – Exile @ Festival of Sin 

Clothes:

Crochet Shorts, Broderie Anglais Blouse – League 

Shoes/Boots:

Triumph Boots MESH – GOS 

Accessories:

Day Tripper Bag – Addict 

Wrath Spike Cuff MESH – Addict @ Festival of Sin 

Pearl Necklace Combo – Maxi Gossamer

 

Who could resist looking so spot on to the original look of Lolita. Such a great reproduction of the outfit, and available for another 3 weeks. Also New Skin and a great sneak peak footwear item about to be part of Festival of Sin.

The Lolita Outfit is of course inspired by the book and movies, and is this months Collabor88 item from Tres Blah, I love the sailor shorts and the glasses are so cute and well made. the top also fits perfectly, I would love to see more tops like this for the upcoming warmer months.

The shoes I am wearing are the Khan Heels by Ingenue, these are going to be available from tomorrow onwards at the Festival of Sin event that starts on the 18th, which I am very excited to see once it is open. The shoes come in really nice warm colours, and the added spike details just give them that rawr look over regular heels. The name made me giggle too, I am guessing that Ingenue got Wrath as their theme for the event.

The skin I am wearing is the latest from Izzies, the Bonita skin is just lovely. It comes with basic natural make up with light and dark brows, as well as freckles. Then all the make ups are on layers of lipsticks and eyeshadows…if you cannot wear more than one tattoo layer because of the viewer you use, you will have to upgrade to a more layer friendly viewer, but with this skin so worth the effort. DEMO DEMO DEMO.

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : aDORKable Poses

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Ellis – LeLutka

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

Skin Worn:

Bonita Skin – Izzies 

Dimples Tattoo – Launa Fauna 

Hair:

Bonjour – LeLutka 

Hairbase – LeLutka 

Clothes:

Lolita off the Shoulder, Sailor Shorts – Tres Blah @ Collabor88/Feb

Shoes/Boots:

Khan Heels – Ingenue @ Festival of Sin COMING SOON

Accessories:

Lolita Sunglasses - Tres Blah @ Collabor88/Feb

 

Again a reminder that the Back to Black event is in full swing at the moment. The theme is based on various words that are part of peoples lives, and the event focuses on Mental Health Awareness. The skin I am wearing today is part of that event, and came in under the category of Family. The skin is actually made to be worn by kid avatars, as it has no breast shading and no down there parts at all. Though I have seen it worn by many adults so far, and it looks amazing on whatever size or age you are.

I went with the kid avatar look though, and Idiosyncrasy Skins has done a brilliant job of making the skin so versatile. Ashia and I were running around with them on the other day and Whimsy was wanting to scoop us up and take us shopping. But then she wants to do that when we are regular heights and ages anyway. The hardest thing to do was of course find a top that wasn’t shaded, so that I could still look flat chested, I went with a unisex tank that I had, and some really cute cropped pants that are from last months Collabor88 by Willow.

The shoes I have on are from RSW and I got them at last years Shoe Fair, they are great and look just like my Clarks Schoolshoes, I loved those shoes even if I did have to wear them for school. Fun for all ages are the Whale Gloves from Intrigue, they are at this months Collabor88, so be sure to check those out.

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : aDORKable Poses

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Ellis – LeLutka

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

Skin Worn:

Back to Black Skin (Family) – Idiosyncrasy @ Back to Black Event 

Hair:

Torti – PLOOM

Clothes:

Unisex Tank – Popfuzz 

Cropped Pants – Willow 

Shoes/Boots:

Mary Janes – RSW (Robin Sojourner Wood) 

Accessories:

Whale Gloves – Intrigue @ Collabor88 / Feb

 

Festival of Sin is an event that has been much talked about, and anxiously awaited for. I mean what’s not to love, Festival and Sin in the same event. You have an incredible list of stores participating in this event, and each store has been given one of the Deadly Sins to inspire them. This sounds like we are going to see some very interesting, and possibly very naughty sides to many beloved and until then seemingly all innocent Designers…mmmm excited much, I know I am. Elysium Eilde has taken some inspired art photos for promos for the event, you can see them on the website, they are stunning, I cannot wait to see all of the other art work that comes out of this event, there is sure to be loads.

Tonight Whimsy and I did a little running around Second Life to pick up a few bits and pieces. Have I mentioned lately that I love MESH, because I do, and you will too the more you try and wear and love.

I picked up the three fabulous MESH minidresses by Ricielli at The Dressing Room, the bad thing – naughty Ricielli people – is that there are no demos….bad, bad, bad, but the good thing is that with each dress is a wonderful set of earrings – I am wearing one pair in the picture –  and one has a clutch bag. So with taking into consideration the crazy price, I took a gamble – not much of one as they seemed to be doing Standard Sizing, and bought and tried, and much to my delight they fit, so all three are now mine. I do not suggest anyone should buy without a demo unless you really know that you fit the regular SS’s I have the medium on and had to take my breasts down a few numbers to fit right, other than that it was great.

The fur stole is also from The Dressing Room, by Mimikri. Mimikri always has such stylish items, so this is totally in keeping with that expectation, I especially love the shape of the shoulders , and the stole is resize scripted and fit really well. The skin is the latest Linn Make up from Glam Affair, another TDR Item, but I have added some tattoo layers…the first being dimples by Launa Fauna , then two layers of eyeliner by Idiosyncrasy skins that I just love, then lastly is the Acid & Mala teeth only layer, all adding a little more ooomph to the skin – not that it needed it.

Lastly on my feet I am wearing some platform pumps from HOC Industries, in the past I have been a big lover of their glasses, them  having been worn many times in past posts. This time though the shoes are the focus, these are shown in all black but have texture change options on the uppers, platform and heels, so you can customise your own fabulous footwear. There are even hidden textures in the HUD if you join the HOC Industries Group.

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : Frozen Panties 

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Mesh eyes – Izzies 

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

1st Me:

Skin Worn:

Valentine Skin – Glam Affair @ The Dressing Room 

Dimples – Launa Fauna

Eyeliner 1 & 6 – Idiosyncrasy Skins

Nature Lips Teeth Only – Acid & Mala 

Hair:

Rona Hair Attachment – Amacci 

Hairbase – Amacci 

Clothes:

Valentines Gorgeous Minidress MESH – Ricielli @ The Dressing Room 

Shoes/Boots:

Platform Pumps – HOC Industries 

Accessories:

Brigitte Earrings – Ricielli @ The Dressing Room 

Fur Collar – Mimikiri @ The Dressing Room 

Metallic Nails – Izzies 

 

Back to Black has opened it’s doors today.The original one was set up like a backstage area, and it was so cute, with changing room and stage walk through. This time it has definitely grown into something inspiring…The build is like a metropolis all black cut out style, and the layout is easy to navigate with each theme having it’s own section. What is also wonderful is that there are columns throughout the event that provide phone numbers from many countries for support lines if in need of help. Also there are small blurbs of information to help you understand better the types of symptoms that may arise if people are suffering from mental health issues. It really is a great cause, so go and visit and get aware.

The items I am wearing today are from all over Second Life events wise. The first being of course the Back to Black event, with this beautiful bikini by Whippet & Buck – I love that store name, and to think if not for the Lindens making those names available it wouldn’t exist, there is another positive reason why last names really have had such a big impact on the grid in the past. This bikini is so lovely, and the colours are so perfect, I especially love the navy blue one.

The next item featured is lingerie that is also by W&B and is at this months Collabor88. Again not something to be missed out on, as this event is definitely jam packed full of greatness. The Tess Underthings are wonderful pieces and I especially love the colour contrast of the details in the sets. Great underwear like this is a must now with Mesh and Alpha not always rezzing for others and the need to focus on being a lot more discreet with our underthings.

The last photo is The Talk Dress, this is a beautiful mini dress, with plunging neckline and the shoulders feature the beautiful shoulder accents of the yolk previously released from W&B. I am so glad they did this, as the tanks previously released with were wonderful, but I love the idea of more Yolk Goodness. I wanted to go a bit further and extend the look, so I added some high waist tweed pants from Izzies, they pants are superbly crafted right down to the perfect crease down the front of the pants leg. The satchel bag I am holding in the pics is also from Izzies and is just beautiful leather work, the size of the bag is adorable for one such as this style, and the belts bring it in a little at the waist of the dress. The dress actually has a waist detailing but I felt the belt dressed it up a little more.

Now you will notice that I am wearing the Amaris skin from Adam n Eve and that I swapped from the Bewbs to Non Bewbs option mid way, that was to show that for this style of dress, the non bewbs enhancement is definitely the stylish option. For this type of dress there would actually not be the kind of support needed to hold your breasts in towards the centre that way, so a relaxed look is great. As so many skins have both options these days it is great that we can go from push up to regular with ease.

Click HERE to SLURL’s Page.

Poses by : Marukin @ Collabor88/Feb

Equipment Used:

VR Studio 3.0 and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Mainstore , VR Foundry @ The Deck

Eyes:

Mesh Eyes – Izzies 

Lashes:

Natural Curl Sculpted Lashes – LeLutka

Mesh Dainty Lashes – Beetlebones 

1st Me:

Skin Worn:

Amaris – Adam n Eve 

Dimples Tattoo – Launa Fauna 

Hair:

Girls of Summer MESH – Exile 

Clothes:

Lambda Bikini – Whippet & Buck @ Back to Black Event starts 11th Feb 

Shoes/Boots:

MESH Womens Natural BareFeet – SLink 

Accessories:

Chevron Necklace, Simple Polished Cuff – Whippet & Buck 

 

2nd Me:

Skin Worn:

Amaris - Adam n Eve 

Dimples Tattoo - Launa Fauna 

Hair:

Rivers Run MESH - Exile 

Clothes:

Tess’s Underthings – Whippet & Buck @ Collabor88

Shoes/Boots:

Esprit – Maaitreya GOLD

Accessories:

Chevron Necklace, Simple Polished Cuff - Whippet & Buck 

Classic Nails – IZZIES

 

3rd Me:

Skin Worn:

Amaris - Adam n Eve 

Dimples Tattoo - Launa Fauna 

Hair:

Domino  MESH - Exile @ Juicy Crush on You Event ON NOW

Clothes:

The Talk Dress – Whippet & Buck

Stockings Black, Highwaist Tweed Pants – Izzies

Shoes/Boots:

Devi Boots MESH  - Maaitreya

Accessories:

Chevron Necklace, Simple Polished Cuff - Whippet & Buck 

Metalic Nails, Waist Belt, Satchel Bag  - IZZIES

 

Dearest Bloggers,

This is going to sound ranty, and in some ways it is. I never thought I would ever do a post that was focused on bloggers and what they do, or in this case often don’t do. This has been festering for me now for at least two years, so it was today that the final straw was snapped so to speak. Now I know some of you may not agree with what I say about this, and that is ok, because if you do not agree then chances are it doesn’t apply to you.

The problem I have been noticing over the past two years, is that often I will see bloggers say such things as ‘ I am not going to do it because others have” or ” I didn’t get early access so I am not going ” or worse ” I didn’t get in early so I am not covering it ” and much worse ” I didn’t get sent anything so I will not blog about it “.

The examples are in regards to events that are run in Second Life, and though there are many blogs that do their utmost to make sure as many events as possible are covered, it is really off putting to see bloggers going out of their way to NOT do so. I do not know why  you blog, I am not privy to that info unless it is information that you readily share, either through an about page, or possibly in a past post you have written. If your blog is a photography blog only, or if you don’t support the type of thing that the event is about – i.e Charity or Promotional – that is understandable, but if you want to have your blog be a place that your readers visit knowing they are getting as much as you are able to share with them as regularly as you can, maybe put that aside and consider that it may be something they do support or would want to know about.

When I started blogging in 06 there were only a handful of bloggers back then and there was also only ONE FEED! – shocking I know – and regardless of what was on it, and how often the same item or news or promotional poster appeared, we all had/have our own readers and making sure they saw the info if they only read my blog was important to me. As it should be to you, you should be so proud of your work you do on your blog, you should definitely believe in the fact that there are readers out there that ONLY read yours, or have you as one of the few they do read. Many won’t even know there are feeds, they may have found your blog and that is enough for them, so why would you want to not have them experience everything you know about Second Life and can share?

One of the biggest things about being a Second Life blogger also is that we tend to have a large learning curve in Second Life. Just like many designers, we have picked up tools and learned many things along the way, and often we want to share them with people. I mean isn’t it usually on a blog you learn about the easiest way to edit lashes, or how to set your wind-light for really nice skin and clothing. Isn’t it on blogs that you learn about Ctrl 0 to zoom in and Ctrl 9 to get back to normal , it is usually also on blogs you hear about the current trends in Social Networking, and what is the latest craze happening on the grid, and just like all of that info, events are still so important.

I am not trying to say that you should spend your days doing post after post of promotional information, but there are things you can do to get the word out and help the people organising the events get the word out also. You could start off your post with just a mention in text that there is a fair, or event happening, and how to find more info with a link or a slurl or a contact name. You can also include a poster from the event with the posts you are posting on, because if you are posting about a shirt you bought at one, or got sent by the designer etc, your readers may miss the info about it being from an event, because the shirt may not be their style, so they will probably look no further at the information…but if you included a poster promoting the event, then visually they would see that there is more to your shirt than just a shirt, and that they could visit the event and pick up lots of other great items, or even simply donate an amount of money if it is a cause they are supportive of.

Back to the examples though and this makes me all sorts of sadface when I see it happen. Events have so many things going on in the planning stages, and having a blogging preview day is something that is definitely a promotional tool. But it is not, and should never be the only way word is spread, or how you as a blogger feel about the event because of it.

A bloggers day, or set up area etc, is a very big undertaking from all sides. It is not something ANYONE is entitled to, especially not just because you have a blog. Yes organisers and designers appreciate that you do spread the word, but you should never only do so if there is something in it for you. Events are usually planned months in advance, and often the info is out there well before the event starts, or any kind of blogging application is set up.

If you see that you can apply to be a blogger for an event, NEVER EVER consider for one moment that it is for anything other than being one of the first to receive information about the event. The bloggers groups for events, should always be for the organisers to get the information out to those that want to help spread that word. It should never ever be an assumption that you have access, or that you may receive items from the designers involved prior to the event.

A bloggers group for events should only ever be considered a Press Release group, and if they have a blogging day earlier, that is great that they have made that possible. But there are always going to be limits on how many are able to do that, not because anyone is being mean, it is usually because of the limits of the sim.  If you miss a deadline for an event do not wipe your hands of the event. Make the effort to present yourself as someone who cares more about the event, your readers and your blog, because that is going to definitely show to others.

If you do not have a huge budget to go and shop the event once it is open, and you hoped that by being one of the early bloggers that that would get you stuff, you should not think that, because again it is never a guarantee. Even if you are an early blogger, and you see others may have received items from designers, that may be because they are already on that designers bloggers list, or may just be really close to that designer, you never know what is going on, so do not assume that earlier access people get anything early because of earlier access. But if you really do want to share info about the designers participating and their products, as well as the event and the cause it is trying to promote, you will definitely find ways to show them.

* Take pics of vendors at the event – I have done this many times in my first few years of blogging, I have even asked the designers for their ads so they were the best resolution etc. Also you can search Flickr and you may find a group that includes the pictures from the events vendors, which you can then link to – do not use the pictures unless you have asked for permission prior, as some get really upset about that kind of thing.

* Take pics of the event location and the surrounding builds, and showcase the event area itself. Often this gets overlooked and it is a shame, because so many people put so much effort into the events look.

* Gather up your friends and shoot pics of their purchases from the event. This can be so much fun to do, having a girls/guys night and everyone dressing up in their items they got at the event and posing for you. Whimsy, Ashia, Newdoll and I have often appeared on each others blogs wearing other colours of same items, or wearing items the other didn’t have, but always crediting them.

*Contact the organisers and ask if there is a Press Kit that you did not have access to, that you can use to promote the event on your blog. If they do not have a Press Kit made, ask them for the promotional poster and a store list of participants if they have one. If they don’t have either BOP THEM ON THE HEAD! also ask for a link to their blog – often you will find that events have their own blogs with info and up to date information. The list of participants also provides you with the ability to then contact the designers yourself and ask if they are considering sending review packs for their items in the event, and that you would like to be considered as one of the bloggers that may receive said items. Just because you did not make early access does not mean you cannot approach designers yourself, Whimsy Winx one of the other Organisers of Hair Fair did a blog post about this exact thing in 2010 HERE and Cajsa Lilliehook did one last year also HERE .

Another idea that in my mind would be a stand out blog post.

* Blog about the event in your own language if English isn’t your first. This would definitely bring your blog to the attention of future event organisers, because you are reaching an audience they cannot always reach. Include the poster about the event also, so that those that do not speak your language can realise at least that it is about an event and the dates etc. Doing so in both your native language and English is even more awesome.

Remember most of all, Second Life is a Community, and as a blogger you can actually play a really big role in that community, it is up to you how big of a role you want to play. If at the end of the day you are only interested in getting nice stuff, then that is your choice and good luck to you…we all love nice things, and I am blessed to have the chance to share those things with many people through my blog. But without sharing more than just things we have, there is a disconnect from the community, and I for one want more from the blogs I read, and I try and read as many as I can every day. So please show me the things I don’t know about, because I am only one person, and I don’t get to hear about everything, mind you many think I do.

Everyone that blogs has something to share, even if the same items, news, event info, it is up to you to show you are sharing with integrity and passion for blogging. Remember people are always watching, and if you show yourself to be fair and kind, and considerate, and to share info that helps others along the way, this will never go unnoticed. If you do these things because you want to share that info to the best of your ability, then how could you not be noticed, you may find that by doing so you get invited to be part of events without having to ask to be – no promises but it can happen, trust me.

On a side note…

Dear Organisers of Events,

Stop plurking/Twittering/Facebooking about events and leaving it at that. If you do not reach out in world and contact groups that are designed to share info, then you are really hurting your event from the start. Many Second Life residents have nothing to do with Second Life other than in world Magazines or Blogs, they do not twitter, or plurk or facebook as their avatars, so that is thousands of people that will never know an event is coming up. Over the years with Hair Fair and Another Fundraiser or other events I have had something to do with, I have been contacted by residents who have offered land, or support or large donations, sometimes even holding events in their own sims or clubs or stores to raise extra money to give to us. If people know in advance they can make plans, there are Bloggers Groups that share press kits, or announcements of upcoming events to their group members, such as SL Bloggers Network run by Voshie Paine, Second Life Bloggers run by Tymmerie Thorne.

You can also contact some blogs that offer advertising free for Charity Events, What’s New SL does that, so does SLUniverse , there are also dozens of Flickr Groups that allow posting of event posters as well as discussion postings. You also have Forums in SLUniverse and our very own Second Life Forums that most likely have a news/events kind of listing, and if they don’t they should. There is also the Second Life Events Calendar where you can make sure to lock in the dates of an event, which also promotes it when people go to see what is currently on or coming up.  That would get people noticing the event is coming way before most promotional work starts in other areas and can help build participation enthusiasm and can bring designers to your door to be part of the event.

~

I hope you that do read all these words know that I am not trying to put anyone down, but have been watching for the past couple of years and seeing a true decline in this area. Our Community is the best in the world, because it spans the world, we are Second Lifers, and WE ROCK!

xoxSasyxox