Inspiration for the Seaside Dress

The Seaside dress was inspired by this painting--"The Galley of the HMS Calcutta (Portsmouth)" by James-Jacques Tissot, c. 1887...

Snow Queens and Snow Whites

Tonight's dance in Steelhead's theme was in keep with the fairy tale festival, so we all came dressed as favorite fairy and folktale characters...Me? I came as Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen". Behind me is artwork by Miss Katat0nic Pidgeon...

Fairy Tales Kickoff & Swan Sitting in Regency

I managed to catch the end of Steelhead's fairy tale festival storytelling session tonight as Col. O'Toole regaled us with a story from 1001 Nights...An overview of the ballroom and its fanciful decorations, including an orrery by Miss Hilra suspended from the ceiling...
Later that evening, Lunar and I had a bit of fun sitting on the swans in the central waters behind my shop in Regency, much to the surprise of my neighbor Mr Palisades. My cleaning bill will be a bit interesting given all of that satin and velvet, but at least I won't have to burn it like the dress I wore exploring the sewers that time...

Fractured Fairy "Tails" Exhibit & Storytelling in Steelhead!

The Steelhead Hotel & Ballroom has been transformed into a fantasy wonderland in anticipation of its upcoming "Fractured Fairy Tails" art exhibit and storytelling festival this week starting today, featuring both Steelheader and Caledonian creatives such as Miss Katat0nik Pidgeon, Mr Gryffin Hax, Mr Hotspur O'Toole, Miss Elegia Underwood, Miss AutoPilotPatty Poppy, myself, and more...
Please come visit Steelhead and see for yourself! All events will be taking place in the Ballroom and will end Saturday evening. The schedule is as follows (all times in SLT):

Thursday, September 4th
7 - 7.30pm Introduction to Fairy Tales by TotalLunar Eclipse
7.30 - 8.30pm Elegia Underwood - Storyteller, "Dragon Tales"
8.30 - 9pm Hotspur O'Toole - Storyteller

Friday September 5th
7 - 9pm Formal Fairy Tale Dance
Come dressed as your favorite (or least favorite!) character from your favorite story for a night of fantasy in the Steelhead Ballroom.

Saturday September 6th
1 - 1.45pm Elegia Underwood - Storyteller, "More Dragon Tales"
2 - 4pm Formal Masquerade Ball
Join us for an afternoon of suspense and surprise to commemorate a "happily ever after."

A Quiet Sunday Evening

Lunar joined me at Laval Point for a bit of coffee and tea. He had been up until 7 am his time doing laps at RFL and did over 90K m worth. No wonder he is slumping forward in his seat...He tp'd me to look at textures for his next build--a total revamp of Miss Katt's island and home...
Later on that evening, we rode through the now-quiet RFL sims on horseback looking at all the builds, including this steampunky "Time Machine" sculpture by artist Bryn Oh. For more pics and excerpts from my RL journal that I kept during my mom's battle with cancer, please visit HERE.

And It All Came Tumbling Down...

Many thanks to Mr. Crap Mariner for filming this fun machinima of our Tower at the Rezzable Garden being demolished. It was quite the takedown!! It was fun while it lasted, and thanks to Mr Madcow Cosmos for coming to see it and then destroying his own!

A Clockwork Tower....

Last night I stood at the base of our Tower looking up at it and enjoying it all for the last time. What a beautiful structure it was and Kheph and I are glad that so many enjoyed it...I looked over the now deserted garden, its terrains a psychedelic kaleidoscope of textures...
With our witnesses in place, we dropped it...gears and glass and copper flying everywhere...
As we stood among the rubble, we both agreed...it had been a wonderful run. Let's do something like it again soon!

Rezzable Garden of NPIRL Delights Open!

What has had Kheph and me building like crazy for over a week now? Our build for the Rezzable Garden of NPIRL Delights, based upon the work one of my favorite artists, Hieronymous Bosch! The Festival opens today and is a must-see with some of SL's best creators together on four sims! Other Caledonians present are Mr Darkle Sands and Miss TheDove Rhodes!My original vision was "aethereal steampunk" and inspired by the central "Earth" panel of the triptych. It has been a truly collaborative experience and every time one of us visited, the other had added something new...The builds there are amazing and I can promise you that you won't be disappointed! We had a lot of fun making this and hope you will enjoy it too! And yes...I am riding a flying fish...

A Very Busy Elle...

I've been rather busy when I am inworld lately and that is good as it is keeping my mind off of my very good friend inworld Vittorio's RL serious car accident and hospitalization.

I am involved in the Rezzable Garden of NPIRL Delights, inspired by the painting by Hieronymous Bosch. When I was in Madrid, forget "Guernica", forget "Las Meninas" or Goya's "3rd of May" (all fantastic unto themselves btw)...El Bosco was who I wanted to see! My build is a true collaborative effort with Kheph, and we can't talk about it much or show build photos until after it opens on the 16th. This photo here is a recent meeting of many of the builders and collaborators.

Just trust me when I say this will be a spectacular, SL must-see event!

New Inkyboy Gallery Regency Exhibit: "Burgeonesse"

As curator of the Inkyboy Gallery Caledon Regency located just off that sim's hub, I would like to announce Gryffin Hax's latest exhibit, just in time for Spring: "Burgeonesse"

Vibrant, lush color photographs examining the blossoming panopoly of the plant world, arisen from the fecund, chthonic earth...

Come for the artwork, stay for the absinthe.

Patina Exhibit Opening Party

There's a lot going of with all of the Anniversary events and general weekend things, but for me the highlight today was the party at the Inkyboy Gallery Regency to celebrate the opening of Gryffin Hax's exhibit Patina. the music was jazz and blues with a New Orleans vibe in keeping with the photography...

I enjoy being the Gallery's curator and helping with the business and publicity aspects of it...that and keeping a certain artiste focused. It was a nice turnout and yes, Miss Connolly is dancing in underwater diving gear having come from a SL Bloggers party in Sailor's Cove... Miss Summer Gildea (below) came straight from the "Rez a Des" Guvnah impersonation contest held a bit earlier. I do believe Mr Volare won and his involved neko catnip (how perfect!). I could not stop laughing as I could only imagine all the faux Guvnahs in one place and I am indeed sorry to have missed it. I see "Des flash mobbing" in our future! He later announced in main Caledon chat that he will not be working on Caledon Independence Day Tuesday. I gasped in shock and reached for my smelling salts...Even the Guvnah needs a day off from time to time, don't you think?

Flames and Flowerballs...

Well, my fellow shopkeeper and steampunk inventor friend Mr Enoch stopped by to show me the more or less finished version of his gauntlet. I jumped back when the flames shot out! I do hope my kitty Nefi's whiskers aren't singed...I had shown him the DynaFleur exhibit and he showed me its earlier counterpart--the Flowerball exhibit --which I had been really disappointed all of this time about missing! I was delighted to find that it was still around at Princeton North and twirled within it! It was beautiful!

Of Natural Inspiration and Natural Disaster

Baron Wulfenbach invited me to his salon discussion at the Consulate to speak about being a muse. A lively discussion soon followed about muses, creativity, and inspiration...Also invited to speak was artist Miss Sysperia Poppy, who brought one her muses, Mr Cellside Unknown, along with her...
Later I was at Murdann with Duke Otenth looking at his cod drying racks when lo and behold a tornado struck! Debris, boats and cows were flying everywhere as the whirling mass went across the island!Dressed in my tiny Raglan Mardi Gras finery, I got too close and was sucked up into the air!After I somehow managed to safely land, we stood on the island along with Admiral Wind and Mr McCullough, watching it go out onto the water! Quite a harrowing experience!

New Inkyboy Gallery Regency Exhibit: "Patina"

As curator of the Inkyboy Gallery Caledon Regency located just off that sim's hub, I would like to announce Gryffin Hax's "Patina" exhibit.

Twenty-eight haunting and evocative photographs taken in New Orleans' French Quarter of a city's multilayered mystery and history.

Come for the artwork, stay for the absinthe...

Exotic Women of Caledon Exhibit Opens!

Attended RCAF dogfight training at Penzance. Mr August Breed (center) shot me down thrice! But no matter...today I was excited because my portraits, as well as that of 41 other lovely ladies of Caledon, were being unveiled today at the opening of the "Exotic Women of Caledon" exhibit at the SeaSong Gallery in Tamrannoch!I came in a lovely ballgown I had made and was thrilled to see so many folks there. Everyone was so excited...
The exhibit is spread out over 4 courtyards and the portraits themselves change and give you the lady's biography when you click on it...
The lag was so heavy earlier that I couldn't see anything so I came back much later with the Professor. I was at Steamworks, so I'm still quite steampunk'd in look, having changed from my gown from earlier. Who knew that Dia, Eds, and I would be together alphabetically? Here we are looking at my "Steampunk Mona Lisa" portrait in the corner...
And here is my naughtier "come hither" one...
Everyone looked beautiful! Congrats to Miss Poppy on a job well done as I am sure that it was quite an undertaking!

A Gift of Live Music and A Burning of Gifts!

Our Guvnah brought us all the gift of live music at the Gaeity Theatre in Penzance by inviting Argentinian band Shamanes, who were really great! Of course, rezzing for me was an issue so my pic of them is grayed out...They got the crowd moving and hooo'ing!
Here I am dancing salsa with Mr Tairov...Why am I standing here all dreamy-looking? The pretty lyrics to one of the songs was being sung to me in IM, that's why...heeeeee. It was great fun!! Thank you for the concert Guvnah!
Later on that evening I got an IM that Genie was having an anti-Valentine's bonfire in Steelhead and we all tossed pics and gifts of old SL flames and relationships past on there. It felt good and absolutely cathartic in a way to watch it BURRRRRNNNNNN!!!

Elle: Steampunk Supermodel

I had a great time posing for Miss Autopilotpatty Poppy's "Exotic Women of Caledon" shoot that will be opening in an exhibit at her gallery in Tamrannoch Feb. 10. No flying flaming pianos involved in this shoot! You all know of my love of all things steampunk (something about cogs and gears turning that just makes me sigh), so I couldn't help but to don my goggles and leather dress and pose in SteamSkyCity's north hangar. ..not to mention that the golden amber of the metal there is gorgeous...There's also another part of this shoot involving lace and roses, but you'll just have to wait until the exhibit, now won't you? *winks*

An Interesting Evening of Dancing and More...

I attended a "Victorian Ball" in the full Activ8 sim as part of an author's book promotion. Being Caledonian, it is always interesting to see others' views as to what constitutes "Victorian". Some Caledonians and Babbagers were present and we had a rather amusing time. Here I am dancing with Lord Otenth... Doc Mason and I could not stop laughing at the comments going on around us...such as one woman's assessment of her friend's cleavage. And the Victorian dress prizes were a staggering 20K - 50K! If I knew I would've definitely worn something different! You can read the doctor's rather tongue-in-cheek coverage of the Ball HERE...
Sir Zen was able to acquire a ticket for me to a sold-out performance of the ZeroG Skydancers. If you have never been to one, I cannot quite describe the experience except for the word "amazing" so if you hear about tickets being available for another, GO...
I ended my evening sitting on my dock talking to Gryffin about all sorts of things...mostly art, relationships, and life. It's always nice to have good friends to talk to in here, isn't it?

Playing My Spanish Guitar

I purchased a Spanish acoustic guitar by Mr Robbie Dingo the other week and finally got around to playing it. It plays a very pretty rendition of Francisco Tarrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" and allows you to click through to the next song segment rather smoothly for SL. I had to practice a bit to get the timing of it down. I would love it if more songs are made available for it, as my typist is such a novice player herself and enjoys being able to play such things inworld. If you'd like to see a moving picture of me playing it, Prof. Messmer made a lovely one that you may view:

A Visit to Brythony

Recently, the two sims of Brythony joined the Caledon/Winterfell landmass. Brythony has a fantasy steampunk theme and Dia and I thought it'd be fun to go explore them. What we found were two really pretty arts-focused sims filled with artist's shops and residences, castles, a tiny village......and even a Stonehenge replica high on a mountain. It is a lovely sim to stroll through, so do make a visit to our neighbors up North!