My quiet time to find original answers - Featuring KiB Designs

Today is my son's 19th birthday and I am in a bit of a daze wondering when he turned from my "little man" into a man, but it seems to have happened over night. It was just he and I for a lot of years, and relying on each other has made our bond quite strong, but as any parent of a teen knows, sometimes it's hard to remember what it was like before all the arguing, yelling and independence seeking began. In the end you have to take a step back and watch them grow into adulthood, offering your help as it's needed and also learning when to let them experience life on their own terms, just as we all did years ago. I know he will probably wander far from home, and even today he said he will miss me when he goes, but no matter how far he roams, I reminded him that I will always be with him. Not in that sappy, in your heart way, but more in the fact that with every decision he makes in life he will carry the lessons I have tried to teach with him, and hope it guides him in the right directions in life. But everyone makes mistakes, and it isn't about how many times you fail, it's about getting back up and how you handle the failure that counts. I often find myself repeating the same quote over and over to him, and at this moment, I feel that I should heed my own advice and take some quiet time to ponder this amazingly wonderful, yet heartbreaking thing called life.

Others inspire us, information feeds us, practice improves our performance, but we need quiet time to figure things out, to emerge with new discoveries, to unearth original answers.

Ester Buchholz

The SPOTLIGHT event by hashtag starts on September 1st which is where you can find this absolutely adorable new dress and necklace from KiB Designs! The Dakota dress is an exclusive to the event with lots of colors to choose from, which means you are sure to find a favorite! Make sure to pick up the Dakota necklace for ONLY $1L while you are at the event as well. It comes in Light or Dark and goes perfectly with the dress and is a MUST have piece to add to your jewelry box. And check out this adorable new hair from Exile that comes with a Bento edition meaning the little wisps move as you do and with the environment, and I absolutely LOVE it! Of course there are other versions as well that won't bump you over most people's limits into the blob range, so do yourself a favor and head by Exile and try on their new hairs, but make to take a few Linden with you, you will NEED it!

By the way, I ended up finding a new favorite place to spend quiet time on Second Life, and I was so blown away by the intricate beauty of the sim that I had to share it with you all. If you are looking for a place to escape or a little adventure then head over to Abandale. A small town, lost in time, left to fall prey to the sands of time is the perfect place to wander with fantastic details you have to see to believe, so take the taxi and go find some original answers for yourself!

The Fashion Details

Head - LeLutka - Simone 3.0 - Custom Shape by me
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LeLutka/119/138/24

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

Hair -Exile - Into the Sky (Bento)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Covet/46/207/21

Eyes - Avi Glam - Lure - Powder Pack - August
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Last%20Forever/93/116/22
Main Store
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dallas%20County/86/93/1522

Lips - Alaskametro - London for Omega, LeLutka and Catwa + 6 Classic Avatar Tattoos @ On9
$75L each
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tropical%20Orchid/247/193/999

Necklace - KiB Designs - Dakota Necklace (Light & Dark) 1L Gift @ SPOTLIGHT by hashtag
Starts September 1st so NO peeking until then!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sylvhara/64/18/21

Dress - KiB Designs - Dakota Dress - EXCLUSIVE @ SPOTLIGHT by hashtag
Starts September 1st so NO peeking until then!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sylvhara/64/18/21

Pose - An Lar - The Sarai Series
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Remarkable/84/74/22

Location Details

Location - Abandale
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ravencrest/53/86/23

Have a wonderfully wicked rest of your day and remember to always stay true to your style and make today's trends in fashion and home decor work for you!

~Jade~

The time of year that makes me think of home

Around this time of year, every year, I tend to get a bit nostalgic for where I grew up.  The bonfires on the weekends with the suns rays warming you through the day and a slight chill in the air as the sun sleeps for the evening, making it perfect sweatshirt and jeans weather.  Though I migrated West into the desert, most people forget there are huge mountains out here, with trees that change colors, lose their leaves and SNOW!  As I drive the boys to school in the morning I am stunned by the amazing colors showing up on the mountain as the trees are well into their fabulous Fall display, all seeming to try to out due the other.  But there will always be something missing here where I have made my roots, and I think maybe, for everyone, no matter where you are, it's never quite like home.  I love being able to wear the same things I have all Summer with a sweater added on top, or a pair of leggings on underneath.  It's the perfect time of year for layers, and if you don't like to dress that way, you will learn, because it's the only way to get through a whole day in Northern Arizona because the weather tends to change very rapidly this time of year.  The peaks have already had a dusting of snow, the wood has been split and stacked for the Winter and the flowers are making their last dying effort to provide a little brightness before the bleakness of Winter comes.  No matter where I go, from October to November, I will always miss those Missouri Autumn evenings, growing up in the Boondocks.

For those of you who follow along, I posted the hair, eyes and necklace yesterday, because I hate trying to cover it all in one!  It just seems like the individual pieces don't get the attention they deserve.  So today I am showing off this absolutely adorable new dress and boots collection from KiB Designs.  The Zaira dress comes in a variety of colors via HUD and the boots come in 3 different shades to choose from as well.  I loved the back home, country feel of this ensemble and you can bet I still love to wear boots with skirts and dresses!  The dress is well made with a wonderful attention to detailing meaning you can mix and match it with tons of different jewelry options as well as boots, or heels if you prefer, or maybe a cute pair of flats.  No matter what you choose to accessorize the design with, you won't be disappointed because this is definitely a MUST have for this Fall season, so hurry on over to the store today and get yours today!  

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

Hair - Entwined - Dani
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Entwined/131/151/21

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

Eyes - Lone Wolf Studio - Dookin @ Steampunk Carnival - Closes TOMORROW!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dragonsworn/195/182/30

Earrings - Noodles - Le Kitty - Silver
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Illusory/129/128/3997

Necklace - Glint! - Silver Heart Choker
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moonlit%20Cove/38/185/22

Dress and Boots - KiB - Zaira
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Heavenly%20Views/115/224/21

Pose - An Lar - The Vanessa Series
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Remarkable/84/74/22

Have a wonderfully wicked rest of your day and remember to always stay true to your style and make today's trends in fashion and home decor work for you!

~Jade~

"I wanna hold the hand inside you I wanna take the breath that's true." Mazzy Star

As some of you know, the past couple of years I have been working on getting into better shape, and with that has come a significant weight loss.  Though I had wanted to lose weight, my plan didn't include 100+ pounds, since I honestly believed I couldn't do it.  Over the last year my brain has finally started to come around and the person I see in the mirror is a much more realistic version of me, compared to what I had been seeing for the last few years.  One of the things that happens, I think for most people, when losing a lot of weight, there is a reluctance to go out and buy new clothes because of the fear we all have of sizes.  Anyone who has ever gained a bunch of weight knows your clothes can stretch with you to a point, which means we have no clue what size we truly are at the height of our weight, or at the lower end because we have gotten stuck in our comfort zone.  I honestly didn't buy anything new, or step on a scale for over three years before I began this new way of life, because that is what it is, not a diet.  I also refused to buy new clothes, other than when something was needed, and then I honestly only bought stuff at Walmart.  What was the point of spending money on a size of clothing I didn't want to be in, and hated looking at the tags?  By the time I went to get clothes, because they were literally falling off of me, I had gone from a size 26, to a size 18; and after a shopping spree over the weekend, I can say everything except my jeans was bought in the regular sized ladies department.  I think I might have been 24 the last time I could say that, and I think I am still floating on cloud nine!  It would have been 18 years this month that I was at least 80 - 100 pounds overweight, and now I can say I have 30 pounds to go to be in the Doc's acceptable body weight, which means, probably 20 pounds in my eyes.  If I was doubtful about being able to lose this much and get back in shape, my father was a complete skeptic!  He is a bit of a tyrant when it comes to weight, and has given me a hard time for years.  I happened to have to see him this morning for a meeting at Social Security and I of course had to wear a new dress I bought this weekend.  Though he didn't say much to me, he did say he liked the dress, but I got a call a couple of hours later that has a smile etched into my face this afternoon.  Apparently he went home and told my mother I looked stunning today and that he couldn't believe how hard I had worked to get to where I am today.  I don't think it matters how old you are, a compliment from your Dad means the WORLD, especially if you happen to be a bit of a daddy's girl.  Now I know that I have done most of this work on my own, I do have to bring up the fact that being truly happy has helped out a lot.  For the first time since my early 20's I am complete in all areas of my life; romantic, financial, career, spiritual, social; every area is fulfilled and with that has come a sense of peace and true bliss.  Suddenly, that pesky plateau I couldn't get past melted away and those last few pounds seem to be disappearing into the wind, like a snake shedding it's skin to grow and stretch and learn.  All things become possible when all things in your life are complete.  Notice I said possible, because as we all know, no one should ever get everything they want in this life.  Makes life a bit too predictable and I personally enjoy that part of our lives, even though it can be frustrating at times.  So if there is one thing I can say this Summer, is that I have learned true love really changes you and your life in ways you never imagined!

I was browsing through the Designer Showcase preview notecard the other day and made a plan to head over to the event to grab this gorgeous ensemble when all of the sudden there it was as a delivery in We Love to Blog.  I might have gotten a bit stupidly excited since I just adore this entire outfit with it's delicately feminine styling, soft colors, versatility and overall fabulous design from KiB.  The Kamilla Collection is 1 dress with 8 colors to choose from via HUD as well as a necklace and 2 bracelets, exclusively available at the event, so HURRY, trust me you are going to fall in LOVE with it!  Alaskametro has several new skin releases and this stunning new makeup release, Fall Runway, is inspired by the latest trends in fashion and can only be found at the Mesh Body Addicts Fair that runs through the 21st, where you can find all kinds of goodies for your mesh parts!

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 - Exile - Half-shut Eyes
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Covet/122/96/29

Eyes - IKON - Triumph - Silverleaf
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/IKON/143/128/501

Makeup - Alaskametro - Fall Runway Makeup @ Mesh Body Addicts Fair
5 mix and match eyeshadows
5 coordinating lipsticks
Based on current fashion trends
Separate appliers for each system. Classic/Omega, Slink Visage, #themeshproject, Lelutka and Catwa
L$75
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Daviston/194/231/37

Necklace, Earrings, Dress - KiB - Kamilla Dress and Jewels @ Designers Showcase
1 dress 8 colors via HUD
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Corrupted%20Innocence/215/52/23

Pose - An Lar Poses - The Still Series
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Remarkable/84/74/22

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~