I took a long break from blogging in the last 12 months, I probably mentioned that during Hair Fair posts. It was not by choice – I did not decide one day I was not going to blog, I just didn’t blog. Then during Hair Fair, I did twenty posts in one week. Not exactly making up for posts not done in the past, but it definitely made it more present.

I have lists of blog posts, things that I wanted to discuss, rant about, suggest, and give insight into… posts that I want to do that involve me doing more than I had been. And then there is that niggly feeling that stops me going forward with them. There are so many ideas that I want to tackle, and so many going forth and taking on a whole new way of blogging, that has me hitting the brakes each time. It is pretty much what caused the huge gap, the first of its kind for me.

There are funny outcomes to projects in Second Life, much like real life I am sure. But it is that concern we have that if we start, what if something happens and I cannot keep going? What if as soon as I do that first post of 50 that I plan, something means time flies past and I did not complete it? Wouldn’t that be letting people down? (Do not ask me who these imaginary people are; I did not say that these were always rational thoughts.)

Then there are the other sides – the “oh, let me just step in here for a moment,” and then before you know it 10+ years have passed and you are still committed to that thing, and you did not see that coming. Pretty much like how I did not expect to still be here 20 years on, or still blogging 20 years on. Am I still a 20-year blogger, though, if I stopped for almost a year? I mean, it is not like I shut up and didn’t put fingers to keys in other places – that was my attempt at changing pen to paper.

Truth be told, I am actually not sure in this current format what I contribute to blogging anymore, when I do. I do not believe people go rushing out to buy what I am showing, like used to be the case… and I am not making that up, that is documented somewhere by someone/s. I am also not the only blogger that can honestly say, without any hesitation, that that is true of the past. We know as older bloggers we did contribute to the spending power in Second Life; it was undeniable.

I do think, though, that sometimes I may inspire some shopping, or at the very least some kind of revisit or a second look at something, if that makes sense – I always try to make sense. I like to put together looks or chatter on about things that make people remember they also own something similar, and “oh, they have that skirt and now they can see another option in what they could wear with it…” or the infamous “I did not know it did that” – this one makes me chuckle and sob at the same time.

I have always tried to blog that way, as the more informative blogger… I am not the “takes stunning pictures” person. I am more of the girl that looks good in catalogues with the information present, not the type where you are standing there, mouth agape, looking at the billboard-like quality of a post. I think there is definitely a great need for both, but the “me” side of that wants the other side of that to still provide all the information. Not wordy-wordsness, but at least credits on all items, because the shopper part of me is not going to go to your post to see where you got those pants if the last time I went to see who you got your pants from, you didn’t tell me.

I guess that is the reality of it all for me now, not knowing where bloggers like me fit anymore… I used to really believe in what we did. I am speaking for the missing girls on my platform, not the bloggers still blogging – I get to speak for them because they are not here, so they cannot turn my region purple or set it on fire any more. We spent hours of every day, kazillions of Lindens (yes, we purchased way more than given), and we believed in discovering stores and pushing them up and into people’s eyelines. We ran around Second Life like people possessed, trying to find that “not been exposed to the masses” item, so that we could then see everyone wearing it for the next few weeks and know we helped with that.

We got to speak to store owners; they would reach out to us and ask if we would consider blogging them. It was all very flattering – there were no cattle calls back then. Getting to know them was awesome, and long-lasting friendships were formed. We also used to reach out and let stores know we featured them in our posts, and they may never have heard of us or even been aware blogging happened, and they would be so excited. Those that did know of the Second Life blogging culture were often as invested in following along with it as the rest of us… takes a moment to just say in a soft whisper, “The Planet,” and sighs.

Anyway, I am rambling. Maybe this is why other bloggers have faded off over the years – they just didn’t know where they fit anymore. Something to think about.

The remind them of how something works part of this post is this amazing hair by Lamb. The cut is perfect, the short layered look that with some product and an idea can turn into this clapping by clicking your fingers, smoke filled jazz club vibe. I love that, I love when hair is telling you a story. I look this way in the day, but a few accessories, some dark shades and some sticky stuff that comes from a tube, and I am a whole other mood. I also really enjoy these jeans, and the colour palette, the thing I have about not liking purple does not include most purples and especially not plum. I love plum colours when done well and Lamb does them well, have you ever noticed that her colours always look that right side of vintage, I have, and I adore it.

I do not know if I was feeling nostalgic because of the top and wrote the post, or if I was already feeling that way and the top just perfected the look. I found it such an amusing thing to have on a shirt, and if you have been in Second Life long enough you have been around the loop of the ‘they copied me’ stuff, not stores, I mean people on the street, getting all bent out of shape about someone having on the same items, never thinking about the fact that they were also just released and everyone went running as a large wave of shoppers. The tank and the very cool armwarmers are from For You, and I got the chance to talk to their creator today, just a side IM as I tend to do randomly to people, about things I am thunking. If you have never had an IM from me about something random, have you ever even logged in to Second Life – I am going to laugh for days about saying that.

Equipment Used

VR Studio and HUD/Library  – VR Foundry Marketplace

Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.

Poses & Props

Bang Poses 

Body Parts

Body :

Reborn – EBody

Head:

Milena Head – Akeruka 

Appliers:

Nail appliers – Flair 

Skin Worn:

Dara – PumeC

Ipanema Body Skin – Velour

Head and Body BOM Layers:

Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore

Lip Scar Elena – She Said Destroy

Evelyn Eyebrows, Strapless Bra and Panties – Nuve

Hair Worn:

Bixie Hair – Lamb

Wearing:

Low Rise Jeans – Lamb

Nicole Tank Top, Harper Arm Warmers – For You

Footwear :

Seon Slides –  Flair 

Accessories:

Written in the Star Choker – Mandala

Rockstar Gf – WORN

Hoops Forever Reboot – Dark Mouse

Y2K Shades – Lamb

Bobby Trio –  Flair