"Long afloat on shipless oceans; I did all my best to smile. 'Til your singing eyes and fingers, drew me loving to your isle." Song to the Siren

Some songs, no matter how long ago it was since you last heard them, stay with you.  Their words, their meaning, the melody lingers in the recesses of your mind until the chords once again dance upon the air and filter through the grey matter.  For some reason today, one of those songs came playing through my head as I wandered along the beach at Baja Sands looking for the perfect spot to take my photo.  If you haven't ever heard "Song to the Siren", by any of the artists who have covered it over the years, then take a moment and let this hauntingly beautiful melody impress itself upon your memory.

Song to the Siren

Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am
Here I am
Waiting to hold you

Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you hare when I was fox?
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks,
For you sing, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow:
O my heart, O my heart shies from the sorrow"

I am puzzled as the newborn child
I am troubled at the tide:
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing, "Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you:
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you"

One of the things I have been working on with my photography is improving my closeups, since they always seem to look a bit off.  Today, I have to say I am quite pleased with this capture especially with how fantastic the new pieces from IT! look, and these amazing eyes from Lone Wolf Studio!  The Aloha Fair has been up and running for a little bit now, which means you are running out of time to head over and grab the gifties out and about at the booths as well as this gorgeous new jewelry collection from IT! (Indulge Temptation).  The Pretty Dolphins collection is available in a multitude of color combinations to choose from, so you are sure to find a favorite, or do yourself a favor and grab them all, you will not be disappointed!  The Dark Chamber opens August 7th and runs through the 27th, which is where you will find these dark and mysterious eyes from Lone Wolf Studio.  The Bogeyman eyes are an exclusive to the event, but there is also a gacha, so make sure to check out all the goodies when the event opens.  I know most of you have probably been by The Epiphany at this point, but I have to once again rave about this hair from Truth!  I was lucky enough to have picked up the RARE, and I just love everything about it!  The fit over the breasts is perfect, especially when you are trying to cover up those pink parts, for whatever reason, mine happens to be to keep my blog PG but also because I just love the long, sexy line it makes when you are going topless.  The bangs are an add-on, and they soften the look of the hair, which means they create two very different looks with one hair, so hurry up and get on over and play the gacha and see what you get!  

The Fashion Details

Body - Maitreya
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Maitreya%20Isle/128/133/24

Head - LeLutka
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LeLutka/128/128/26

Skin - DeeTaleZ
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/DeeTaleZ/127/128/265

Hair - Truth - Oriana RARE @ The Epiphany
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Epiphany/129/128/35

Hairpiece - IT! (Indulge Temptation) - Pretty Starfish Adornment GIFT @ The Aloha Fair
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Saints%20Row/213/196/23

Eyes - Lone Wolf Studio - Bogeyman Eye - Unisex Exclusive @ Darkness Chamber 8/7 - 8/27
No LM yet, so stay tuned!

Necklace - IT! (Indulge Temptation) - Pretty Dolphins - Set 1 @ The Aloha Fair
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Saints%20Row/213/196/23

Location
Baja Sands
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Baja%20Sands/122/118/26 

The storms are starting to settle in again here in the mountains of Arizona, which seems to be the daily standard lately.  And I think I am going to take a bit of time and relax for awhile, recharge my batteries and enjoy the melancholia that tends to set in at the end of the Summer.  Unlike most parents who seem to be celebrating the return of kids to school, I am dreading it because I truly love spending time with the boys.  Running around doing yard work, watching movies, discussing the world; these are all moments I cherish, and the days here in the office will be a bit quiet without them around.  Have a wonderfully wicked rest of your day and remember to always stay true to your style and make today's fashion trends work for you! ~Jade~

"We will carve our place into time and space We will find our way, or we'll make a way." Alessia Cara

As my son approaches that golden hour of adult hood where he will head out on his own,  I find myself repeating the same things over and over again.  We seem to be in a constant conversation about finding himself and making his way outside of the "popular" crowd to a place where being different is okay and actually encouraged.  I have heard my generation are now called Helicopter parents and I now understand what that means.  Those of us born in the 70's who came of age in the 80's seem to hover around our children because as kids most homes had both parents working, which led to a lot of unsupervised hours with us latchkey kids.  We did it all and saw it all and know exactly what our children can get up to in those times when an adult isn't looking, so of course we tend to hover and circle.  Which means I am quite involved in almost all areas of his life, including some he would rather I have nothing to do with, but nonetheless no topic seems to be unreachable for us.  Though at times I have to bite my tongue, the fact my 17 year old talks to me is an accomplishment.  I never had the kind of relationship he and I have with my own parents until I was well into my 20's and I regret all those wasted years.  People have always said you can't be friends with your kids, and in some ways that is true, and in others it is not.  If you can maintain the level of respect due to a parent and still function as more of a friend then you can have the best of both worlds with your kids, at least that is what I believe strongly.  Which means you get to encourage them in ways you can't as just a parent and it opens up amazing lines of communication, so you get to have pretty amazing moments as your child discovers themselves.  I was always living a little bit left of center, and though "popular" by most high school standards, I didn't run with the "IN" crowd.  I was always a bit different in my style, my thoughts, and opinions and tended to be drawn to those on the outside looking in, with me.  Being strong enough to wade through those waters of bullies and teasing; snobs and jocks; alternatives, stoners, punks and have friends in all groups has a lot to do with who I have become and I pride myself on being a surprise to people, because who I am is never quite what people expect upon first glance.  I truly believe that those who live on the fringe, those some would call imperfect, are the ones with true beauty and who live their lives authentically.  Though the words have been a bit twisted over the years, Jacob Nordby's original phrasing rings clear like a bell in the night whose melody ripples through time like those on a still lake after a stone is tossed.

Beatitudes for the Weird

– Jacob Nordby –

Blessed are the weird people

—poets, misfits, writers, mystics

heretics, painters & troubadours—

for they teach us to see the world through different eyes. 

Blessed are those who embrace the intensity of life’s pain and pleasure,

for they shall be rewarded with uncommon ecstasy.

Blessed are ye who see beauty in ugliness,

for you shall transform our vision of how the world might be.

Blessed are the bold and whimsical,

for their imagination shatters ancient boundaries of fear for us all. 

Blessed are ye who are mocked for unbridled expression of love in all its forms,

because your kind of crazy is exactly that freedom for which the world is unconsciously begging.

Blessed are those who have endured breaking by life,

for they are the resplendent cracks through which the light shines.

The Fashion Details

Body - Maitreya
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Maitreya%20Isle/128/133/24

Head - LeLutka
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LeLutka/128/128/26

Skin - DeeTaleZ
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/DeeTaleZ/127/128/265

Eyes - Virtual Diva - Deep Eyes V1
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Domain/102/238/4005

Hair - Analog Dog - Sardine GIFT @ Hair Fair 2016
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Iridium/129/25/26

Earrings - Noodles - Le Kitty @ FaMESHed
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FaMESHed/131/161/22

Tattoo - White-Widow - Shallows - Henna - Arms and Legs @ The Epiphany
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Epiphany/129/128/35

Bikini - Rayne Couture - Hibiscus @ Aloha Fair 2016 Starts the 27th!
4 color choices
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Saints%20Row/212/61/22

Do yourself a favor if you have always run with the "IT" crowd and take some time on the outskirts, on the fringe for a bit, and come hang where the wild things are.....

"He used to say soulshine, It's better than sunshine, It's better than moonshine, Damn sure better than rain." The Allman Brothers

Many years ago an old friend nicknamed me the melancholy baby because I really have always embraced the darkness that can find us all.  My remedy has always been music, so on my youtube account and on Spotify you can find mixes with that title, which are comprised of what most people would call sad songs.  For me they are the quickest way to get in touch with my soul, and the best way to let my soul shine through.  A very good friend played a song for me recently that I had kind of let fade into the recesses of my mind because it has a lot of memories attached to it, but I was reminded of why I loved it in the first place and wanted to share it and its sentiment with you all today.

When you can't find the light,
That got you through the cloudy days,
When the stars ain't shinin' bright,
You feel like you've lost you're way,
When those candle lights of home,
Burn so very far away,
Well you got to let your soul shine,
Just like my daddy used to say.

He used to say soulshine,
It's better than sunshine,
It's better than moonshine,
Damn sure better than rain.
Hey now people don't mind,
We all get this way sometime,
Got to let your soul shine, shine till the break of day.

I think too many people get caught up in finding something else outside of themselves to fix them.  Whether it be through medications, drugs, alcohol, meditation, yoga, working out, religion etc. people are always searching when in all reality they simply need to recharge themselves by letting their soul shine.  I am not saying that everything can be fixed that way, not in the slightest, but I am saying people need to pay more attention to themselves and be a bit selfish and turn their focus inward to their inner light and tend to it, just as a garden is tended.  Occasionally the weeds of inner thoughts and outward negativity creep through the cracks and find their way into the deepest parts of our soul, tangling it up, hiding it; requiring tender loving care to again let it breathe and grow and light you from within.

I woke feeling like my batteries needed recharged today, so music, and a little time on the beach at Baja Sands, the newest addition to the Baja Norte lands, and trust me you should take a stroll on over, it's a quaint retreat with a touch of vintage that took me back to the boardwalks of my youth.  I have to admit I was wandering around for a bit in this adorable little top and shorts from NoName that will be available on the 27th as the Aloha Fair opens!  The Raven top and shorts come with an amazing color HUD for both pieces and you will be amazed by the fit!  I didn't have to hide a thing with my Maitreya body which always makes me happy and ends up saving so much time when getting dressed!  As you all know, I am a die hard lover of IKON's eyes and rarely, if ever, change from them.  Today, this has changed with the fantastic group gift release for Virtual Diva.  The mesh eyes come with a 4 color choice HUD, but be prepared to move the eyes to fit your head, which if you have been wearing a mesh head for awhile, you will be used to this.  The eyes are a unisex group gift at the store right now so hurry on over, and let these eyes be the windows to your soul and let it shine!

The Fashion Details

Body - Maitreya
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Maitreya%20Isle/128/133/24

Head - LeLutka
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LeLutka/128/128/26

Skin - DeeTaleZ
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/DeeTaleZ/127/128/265

Hair - LeLutka - HF5 @ Hair Fair 2016
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Platinum/211/128/26

Eyes - Virtual Diva - Deep Eyes V1 NEW!! Group Gift
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Domain/102/238/4005

Earrings - Noodles - Le Kitty @ FaMESHed
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FaMESHed/131/161/22

Top and Shorts - NoName - Raven @ Aloha Fair
Starts July 27th and ends August 10th
Stay tuned for the Landmark
Main store
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/NoName/142/128/26

Location - Baja Sands
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Baja%20Sands/121/119/26