…ring in the new!

Four hours from midnight (where I am). Some of you -Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai etc- are already making your way back from New Year’s Eve parties, dreading that old hungover feeling about to kick in. Some of you – the US, Canada, Brazil- have a few more hours of 2013 left, and you’re making plans for the old hangover feeling to kick in in about 10 hours time!

Anyway…we’ve got model Slat to pose as the clock’s about to turn to midnight and we wave ‘bye bye’ to 2013. This time tomorrow we’ll all be in 2014!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Barbara

Yesterday, I began an ‘upgrade’ of my alt, Eve, someone I don’t use much, as I explained in yesterday’s post.

However, she’s there in case of emergency (no photographers or willing models around), and so I decided to tweak her for 2014 use, if necessary.

I settled on a L$500 budget, and I know from experience that I could pretty much get her quality skins (say, Belleza) and quality hair (Damselfly, Emotions, Truth) and be inside budget. But to make it a little more ‘fun’, I’ve decided that I won’t use those stores I’m familiar with, and maybe see if I can make Eve ‘hot’ using skins or hair from stores that aren’t immediately on my radar.

Come with me, while we attempt to make Eve the hottest naturist babe on the grid! 🙂

In the end, L$500 wasn’t necessary. Aeva/Heartsick are doing discounted skins on the marketplace, so I managed to pick this delightful skin up for just L$10!!!!!

Wow!

And after an exploration of some uninspiring hair salons, I opted to go back to Dura, which I’ve used before, but not for Ella’s ‘everyday’ look by any stretch of the imagination and pulled the style you see in the photos, in a ‘cherry’ colour -just to make Eve substantially different- for L$120.

So…total spend on Eve, over the course of two nights shopping, came to L$132! 🙂

See? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to look great in SL. Newbies who may be reading this, take note!

Granted, male skins and hair will be harder to come by if I opt to upgrade ‘Adam’, but I think that’s an adventure we may well leave until later in 2014.

In the meantime, I can put ‘Eve’ back in the cupboard, knowing she can (and probably will) be rolled out around May/June time, when I get my next naturist holiday. I can’t wait! It’s going to be a marvellous, naturist year, in and out of SL.

Ella.

‘Who’s got the ‘D’?’, is the question on my lips.

Well…it looks like Harry’s got it…

And where do you think it goes, Harry?

Ah! That looks better!

Happy New(d) Year, everyone.

Pookes and Harry

I’ve told you before about my ‘alts’, ‘Adam & Eve’?

I don’t need to roll them out or use them very often…generally it’s an ’emergency’ situation when I need a different look because I can’t raise anyone inworld who’ll pose for me, when I can’t pre-plan Harry or Diane using one of their own models, or whatever.

Last time ‘Eve’ got a roll out was when I used her, as ‘Consuelo’, for part of my ‘Postcards from Spain’ series back in September. Goodness knows when ‘Adam’ was last used!

And I’ve also told you about the need to ‘tweak’ my own look at the end of each year and re-invent for the forthcoming year? I’ve tried that this year, and found myself resorting to the familiar old Ella, because I don’t feel overly needy to adopt a radical new look. But with the wonderful gifts around, I wondered if it might be possible to reinvent Eve for 2014.

I started off at Vogue, where they’re doing 2014 mesh tank tops, free (along with a Santa hat and Christmas dress as of 30/12/13…for how much longer, who knows?) but I’m guessing the 2014 tank will still be available when this post is finally published on New year’s Eve, so there’s still time to snag it for a party tonight!

And as I’ve appeared to give ‘Eve’ L$7 at some point in her life, I decided now might be the time to spend it, and also determine that that is her entire ‘allowance’ for this year 🙂

And with that it was off to Pr!tty, to grab some hair they’ve going for L$1, complete with 3 different huds for different colours. A quick stopover at Foxbase Alpha (hmm! now I know who’ll be soundtracking the party at our house on December 31st) to try ’em on, and then back to a whirlwind whistle-stop tour of New year freebies, always with one eye on what fits the bill as ‘naturist’ style clothing. In other words, there’s lots of ballgowns out there right now for tonight’s parties, but not a lot of need for me to buy, as I can’t conveivably use them for ‘Eve’ photoshoots in the future!

After that? Off to Pink Sugah, where I picked up some 2014 styled undies. From there, onto Tameless, joined the group (free) and picked up a free hair pack in natural colours.

OK. Now that’s all done…back to Foxbase Beta 😉 for a fitting session…

From there, to Pink Hustler to pick up yet another free hairdo! (what is it about ‘pink’ themed shops and terrific freebies?). And then to Fishy Strawberry to pick up even more mesh tanks (6 colours…each one free!)

Time to part with another dollar! At Miss C‘s you’ll find a New Year gift hairdo, an undo, for that price.

And, phew!, that’s as much shopping I’ve done in a single trip since I was, well, a noob.

Finally, I did a little bit of tweaking at Eve’s shape and face because, well, I’ve never really bothered with making her ‘hot’. Indeed, looking at her when I started this, two hours ago, she was an ugly little thing! 🙂

Finally it’s back to try out some of the different items I picked up (for the princely sum of L$2) and examine ‘Eve’ in her 2014 upgrade.

Now, I’m not finished yet 🙂

Having demonstrated what can be achieved with a couple of hours, chasing down links that are constantly upgraded on the SL Style Daily Wire, I hope I’ve demonstrated what can be achieved for ‘free’ (or two dollars…a sum guaranteed to ensure ‘me love you long time’ 😉 ).

There will be a further part to this reinvention of Eve, tomorrow, as I then attempt to demonstrate what is achievable with a bit of a limited budget, perhaps L$500? Join me then while we continue to ‘upgrade’ Eve, and make her fit for purpose in 2014.

Ella.