My good friend and shopping-partner-in-crime, Kimberly Mirabeau, will be featured as Artist of the Month for Febuary, having what will surely be an exquisite opening at the Avatrait Gallery (SLURL) this weekend, featuring original works of art from her brilliant and stylish mind.
Kimberly, who has been a Second Life resident for over two years now, will be in attendance at the opening, which will be taking place at 5PM SLT on Saturday, February 2nd, 2008. If you have the time, I’d highly recommend joining in on the fun — brush elbows with some of the best photographers in SL, listen to some kickin’ tunes, watch the fireworks, and party like a rock star at what will surely be one of the best events of the year! Don’t miss out! Be there or be square!
To have a taste of just a smidgen of the beauty Kimberly is capable of creating, check out her Flickr page. And don’t miss your chance to meet her live and in the pixel-flesh!
As many of you know, I am heavy into the Second Life art scene and participate regularly in various artistic events (photography contests, gallery openings, the SL Artists Network, etc). Recently, my good friend Track Hax, owner of the Avatrait Gallery in Second Life presented me with what I can only consider the opportunity of a lifetime: the ability to teach a free introductory art class for residents.
Words can’t even EXPRESS how excited I am about this.
The official press release (thanks, Eschatos!) is as follows:
Avatrait Gallery is very pleased to announce the start of
a new series of in-world Art classes, beginning this
month with celebrated Second Life designer, artist and
photographer Ryker Beck who will be leading “S.L. Art 101:
An Introduction” on Wednesday, January 23rd, at 6pm SLT.Ms. Beck, a Second Life resident with a special interest
in in-world fashion,photography, and art, has been blogging
her experiences at http://rykerbeck.com,where she has also
relocated her popular graphic and scripting tutorial series.
She is a writer for ASpiRE! Magazine, and has recently
launched her own in-world jewelry design business, Beck’s
Fine Jewelry.This will be the official launch of Avatrait’s in-world
classes. Ryker Beck will be teaching the modules of how
to create art in Second Life, but there will also be
classes on Art History, Art Appreciation, and other topics
of art and in-world photography interest, on Wednesday
evenings (with machinima re-plays on Thursday afternoons)
every month as part of the new Avatrait activity calendar.The Avatrait Gallery
(http://slurl.com/secondlife/Simuality/41/213/35)
features Second Life’s most outstanding artists, one of
whose works are featured every month, with exclusive
collectible one-of-a-kind framed images available in-world,
and high quality framed prints available through the
Avatrait web site (http://Avatrait.com) for real-world
display.
This certainly does promise to be a class to remember. With my lesson plan already mapped out, and development underway, I am busy at work preparing for what I hope will be one of the best introductory classes in Second Life. I sincerely hope all of you can come, and I can’t wait to see you all there!
PS: If you have any special requests for something you’d perhaps like to see, please don’t hesitate to let me know… I might be able to squeeze a few juicy tidbits in. And if you DO attend the event, please don’t forget to ask questions! This will be a very interactive affair, and I welcome and would LOVE feedback!
My favorite people over at ASpIRE! Magazine are up to some CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY shenanigans…
Ready for the announcement of the year?
The Party:
On Sunday, December 2nd from 2pm - 5pm SL we are having the ASpiRE! SkyLounge Grand Opening combined with the ASpiRE! Radio Kick-Off Party!! It would be an absolute crime to miss this event! We will jump it all off with a mini-fashion show that will showcase some of the funky, yet oh-so glamorous designs of Digit Darkes from the new line “PunkyRomantica” that she and bianca Foulon have created. If you haven’t seen this, you are in for a treat! Afterwards, we will take to the dance floor and do what we do best (outside of modeling of course) and PARTY! There will be multiple contests, like the ASpiRE! Shuffle. So get those outfits tight and right!! Also, you will get a little taste of a few of the ASpiRE! Radio DJs as they keep the beats flowing. We anticipate yet another full sim for this one folks. So, get in where you fit in!!!About ASpiRE! SkyLounge:
Once the party gets going, it will NOT stop!! The ASpiRE! SkyLounge will be open 24/7!! So, grab your friends, your lover(s), or come by your damn self and dance the night away, mingle or just chill out. ASpiRE! SkyLounge will host numerous events and contests; so keep your eyes GLUED to this blog and SL Events!!
ASpiRE! will also be launching ASpiRE! Radio, which I have to say, I am SUPER SUPER excited about. There is so much good shit promised to be packed into this radio station that I can hardly contain myself, I’m so excited. You can’t tell, but I’m bouncing off the walls here. Seriously. I’ll sum up a few key points, however I really encourage everyone to read the full blog post of this whole event happening at the ASpiRE! blog.
About ASpiRE! Radio:
How to Listen:
This will definitely be a treat for all involved. You can tune into ASpiRE! Radio in multiple ways:
1. Play ASpiRE! Radio on your sim. As soon as we go LIVE, I will post the URL. If a member of the ASpiRE! mob (Bianca, Ally, or myself) hears ASpiRE! Radio playing on your sim, you will receive special recognition over the airwaves!! So, be sure to show your ASpiRE! love :)
2. Not in SL, but still want to jam with us???? Go to http://www.aspiresl.com/ and click on the ASpiRE! Radio link to listen to us live.
3. Come to ASpiRE! Isle!! We are ALWAYS rockin’ ASpiRE! Radio there and our DJs host their shows LIVE at the ASpiRE! SkyLounge!
You will find that ASpiRE! Radio is designed to be VERY interactive. We have several unique shows that will just blow you AWAY!!!
I’ve read the programming lineup and I have to say, I am most excited about the ASpiRE! Styledish line up with their very own Honey Bender. Not to mention Sex and the Simmie… that name alone is so cute I could SQUEAL.
Are you excited yet?!?! I am!!!
*mans up with her best Total Recall Ahnold Schwarzenegger voice*
See you at the pahty, Richter!
Ricky, you got some ’splainin’ to do!!!
I don’t know why, but I just love that line.
Anyway, I’m back!!! I know you all missed me dearly (right? RIGHT?). Hahaha. Wow, this last week was fun and full of traveling mishaps. I’ll spare you the nitty gritty but to sum it all up, this Thanksgiving I drank way too much, ate way too much, spent WAYYYYY too much time in airports, and didn’t get nearly enough time with family as I would’ve liked. But… it was a blast. And I had a great time. Anyone interested in hearing the whole truth and nothing but the truth? IM me. It’s a lot of talking!!!
However, now that I’m back to the blogging experience, I am here to tell you that I’ve been MISSING OUT on some CRAZY goings-on… and I’d love to share them with you before I rush off to spend all of my lindens, which I am apparently prone to doing.
First off… freebies. FREEBIES!!! I’m saying, freebies. There are lots of them in SL. You know it, I know it… it’s kinda the norm. However, I managed to run across one in particular that struck my fancy as I’m sure it may yours. Given my unnatural love for butterflies, I thought this was an incredibly appropriate ring to buy for myself (seeing as how no one wants to buy one FOR me… *pouts*) and it’s just so cute I had to have it. Best of all it doesn’t bling which gets you an A+ in MY book. You too can pick up this little cutie (as well as some free diamond studs and free Rubiks Cube earrings) over at Cailyn’s Classic Jewelry (SLURL). Be sure to check out her other jewelry too as it is well worth the gander. Future review, perhaps? Hmm. *ponders*
Diversity Hair (SLURL) has finally opened their new island “Addictive”, not to mention switched half of their hairstyles over to the newly reworked textures. Culled from the Diversity blog:
Over half of the current styles have been changed over to the new textures but I am still working on the rest. We decided to open as soon as possible to get you into the comfort of a non laggy shopping experience , and decided rather than fill the store with all the styles in the old textures I would put out what ones are finished and add to the store as the remaining are completed. Sorry if this is inconvenient , but I decided it was better to not have customers buying old textures when there are new ones to be had. Notices will be sent out when more styles are added but for now I hope you love the new textures as much as we all do! I have also added FOUR hairstyles to the 1L section so now there are 3 womens styles and 1 unisex style in mega packs at just 1L to the right of the entrance!
Claudine Jewell, over at CJ Hair (SLURL) has released a new black and red version of the Xtina hair style that I adore so much! I fully encourage everyone to hop on over to CJ Hair and pick it up! It’s fantastic. The black and blond version is quite lovely too. Both versions can be yours for the very low price of $85L per style. What’s not to love about that? I mean, really. If you’re not convinced that you should grab this hair style, feel free to read my review of CJ Hair! I could tell you how fantastic her stuff is all night, I tell you!
Sy Designs‘ new store (SLURL) is ready and raring to go with several new sale items up for grabs as well as new releases, including these stunning polo shirts. I have to say that I am guilty of spending at least $500L in this store, and while I’m not the biggest fan of the leather pants in this store, I am EXTREMELY happy with the fantastic tank tops I’ve managed to grab… and everything is SUPER cheap… it is a bargain shopper’s dream. Everything is lovely and nicely made, so if you’re looking for a new place to shop and have yet to see this little gem of a shop, feel free to check it out! Guys, there’s also some cute things in here for you too, so don’t hesitate to follow the crowd of screaming females!
Another fun thing to note… Ohana Isle is having a treasure hunt! While I personally have never even heard of Ohana Isle, I am all about a freebie treasure hunt. Especially ones that involve clothing and shoes. Some details:
Over the past several weeks the shop owners and residents here on Ohana Isle have been hard at work creating goodies for you to search for. Clothing, shoes, accessories, tattoos, decor, furniture….the list goes on and on. All original designs…. no second hand junky freebies here!
You can find the 50 numbered Leaves scattered about Ohana Isle (SLURL):
……simply find them, buy for L$0, and the treasure inside is yours.
The hunt will be open from Friday November 23rd through Sunday December 2nd.
Woo! How’s that for an update? I missed you guys!
I’m a couple of days late on this, but… what the hell, right?
As I’m sure most of you have read by now, SHINE is a seasonal Second Life fashion fundraiser for Medecins Sans Frontieres (or Doctors Without Borders). Similar to Relay for Life, SHINE will be accepting donations within Second Life until January 1, 2008. How do you donate, you ask? Well… in one of the best ways possible, of course!
The above *positively stunning* dress, made by Nicky Ree, is one of what should prove to be several Second Life fashion designer products put up for grabs in the name of SHINE. All proceeds (that is, 100%) made from these releases will go toward the SHINE fundraiser. Like Nicky’s dress, I’m sure many of these products will be limited editions as well — there are only about 30 of this dress left for grabs at Nicky’s main store! At $1500L, it can be yours for a good cause. And it’s AWFULLY pretty, too. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the SHINE logo! I can’t wait to see what other fashion designers from around the grid will come up with.
A little more about SHINE and Doctors Without Borders:
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries.
In addition to purchasing special limited editions of apparel from the grid and/or donating to the scattered donation boxes you will find, you may also send lindens directly to Shine Dreamscape in order to make a donation to the SHINE fundraiser. Designers that would like to contribute or are in need of a donation box may IM Alaska Metropolitan.
Again, this spectacular donation opportunity will be over with by January 8, 2007. Let’s all pitch in and help make the world shine a little brighter for the less fortunate this holiday season.
WOO!!! It’s been a hell of a weekend, you guys! Here’s a video of about 40 pictures from a few of the parties I managed to catch this fabulous holiday season. Some of you I saw there, some of you I didn’t… but a great time was had by all! Always a pleasure to spend time with my Flickr family! :) God, how many costumes did I go through… I was Cleopatra, Miss Salt Water Taffy (naughty sailor girl, baby!), an apparent latex catsuit lover, Rainbow Brite, and there was a bit there when I walked around in my favorite holy black under-roos (my lovely torn panties :P)… I think I exhausted my costume supply. LOL!
PS: This shot up here is of me and Pier at Taylor’s party… apparently, we were the latex twins. Or somethin’. LOL Woo! I sleep now. *snore*
Wow! I was just looking at the Flickr calendar… and there are a LOT of parties this Halloween weekend! Following is a summed up list of all the parties as I know it so far:
Saturday, October 27th:
Sunday, October 28th:
Monday, October 29th:
Wow! That’s a lot of parties. I plan to try and make a cameo appearance at each of them! Anyone care to join me? *smiles* Have fun painting the town red, everyone!
Happy Halloween!
I can’t even imagine the overwhelming flood of Ruths that will show up after this show airs tonight. But man, I gotta tell ya… I’m super excited about this for some reason!
CSI: NY will be featuring Second Life in tonight’s episode. During the episode, Mac (Gary Sinise) goes into SL to catch a murderer. Following the show, SL residents will be able to participate in “Murder by Zuiker”, a crime-solving game associated with the show in SL, complete with virtual prizes for winners.
Want more? Read the full story on TechCrunch and/or watch a preview video on YouTube.
In addition to all of this craziness (oh my god, why am I so excited?), CBS will also be debuting a new viewer for SL created by the Electric Sheep Company called the OnRez Viewer.
Culled from Electric Sheep:
“OnRez is the first viewer to be commercially licensed by Linden Labs. The user interface resembles familiar web browsers and is focused on bringing the web and virtual worlds closer together. It also combines Second Life features, such as teleporting, with sophisticated OnRez services for virtual shopping and searching. IN addition to an easy-to-use user interface, the OnRez viewer also features the ability for users to more effectively browse the Web within the Second Life environment.”
CSI: NY fans will be able to register for the “CSI: NY Virtual Experience” on CBS.com. Users will receive a customized version of the viewer in addition to a customized toolbar to follow a mystery killer on the show through a series of interactive experiences in Second Life! Also, check out the SLURL to the CBS virtual crime scene. Dude, I’m SO WISHING I was home right now!!!
Dude. Again… may I reiterate… that I am SO freaking excited? And I know I’m probably WAYYYY hyping it up in my head, but … anyone up for a little murder mystery tonight? Mwahahahaha!
(By the way, this whole post has been culled from bits and pieces of TechCrunch, ElectricSheep, and CBS news! — damn do I read too much).
Second Life’s ASpiRE! Magazine will be hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Ball on Sunday, October 28th, from 2:00 PM SLT to 4:00 PM SLT.
As someone who’s life has been affected by the tragedy that is cancer (I do not have it personally, but have lost a close family member from it), I am actually really looking forward to this. It always makes me so happy when Second Life residents make an attempt at raising awareness to real life issues. I mean, of course there’s Relay for Life headed up by the American Cancer Society, and I fully support that, and everyone knows what RFL is. But how often do you see individual residents/resident-run-organizations make an attempt at raising awareness?
Love their hearts, I do.
A little more on the event as posted on the ASpiRE! website:
“Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ASpiRE! would like to invite you the ASpiRE! Pink Charity Ball! This important event will take place Sunday, October 28th from 2pm SL to 4pm SL on ASpiRE! Isle. We will have music (donated by DJ Nexeus), dancing, and contests. Please come dressed in formal pink attire. There will be a Pretty in Pink competition!! Throughout the event, you will have an opportunity to donate Lindens. All proceeds will go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.”
I will most definitely be there, in between the two Halloween parties I have to go to that day. What better way to take a break from all the partying then to go to ANOTHER party that, even in some small way, makes a difference? I fully encourage everyone to join me, and I look forward to seeing you all there!
