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FUSION
i s s u e - o n e SEPTEMBER-2013
fashion for playing
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phtography by Libby Farleigh Modeled by (L) Danica Saerwen & (R) Libby Farleigh
fashion for partying 4
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P U B L I S H E R S Libby Braydon
Farleigh
Thirdborn
L E A D - D E S I G N Libby Farleigh
FA S H I O N - E D I T O R Daija Arida
FUSION S t a f f contributors
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W Rylan
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S Bliss
Carling
Windlow
Caduceus
Chaotic
Lorakeet
Monday
PHOTOGRAPHERS Harvest Oakley Dezno
Foxtrot
Rylan
Kaelyn
Alecto
On this month's cover: Photography by Polly Elan Modeled by Winter Thorn, Samm Qendra and Strawberry Singh All dresses from Paper Couture
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Carling
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phtography by Libby Farleigh Modeled by (L) Danica Saerwen & (R) Libby Farleigh 12
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Publisher Notes Page 16
What's Eating Second Life? Page 18
Wendigo Lake Page 22
Pretty Places: Bitacora Page 32
Eleventh Hour Page 38
Fusion Covergirls Page 46
Fashion Editor Notes 13
Page 50
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1 Item, 3 Outfits Page 54
.Shi Focus Page 58
Get That Style Page 62
Lina by Filthy Skins Page 68
Looks of the Month Shoe Trends Page 74
The Language of Love
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NOTE-FROM-THE-PUBLISHERS 15
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ometimes it is easy to believe that Second Life is full of ineloquence and bad taste, devoid of culture or philanthropy. Projects like Fusion remind me nothing is further from the truth. Our world is full of beauty, from stunning sims like Wendigo Lake & Bitacora, whose owners pay tier for others to freely use and enjoy, to the creators such as Winter Thorn who furnish our virtual lives with imaginative and beautifully crafted goods, to musicians & artists like Samm Qendra who share their talent for the joy of it. Fusion is all about bringing you the beauty in Second Life, in all its many forms. I hope you enjoy our magazine, it has been created with love for Second Life & all its beauty, its community & all its eccentricities.
I hope you see the difference, I hope you all see the amazing time, work and dedication the Fusion team have put into making this happen. Here's hoping you will enjoy this month’s edition as much as we have all enjoyed putting it together.
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ell what a long, strange, fun filled journey it has been to come to this point. What started as a idea, has become a reality. Many are probably feeling, Oh no! Another magazine? Really? Is that market not already saturated? My answer is nope. There is always room for one more unique, out of the norm, and fantastic publication.
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What’ s EATING Second Life? Bliss Windlow wonders if the naysayers have it right this time.
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imi Juneau, of Mimi’s Choice, recently posted a thought provoking comment on Facebook about Second Life dying. Her concern centred around the number of designers who are no longer willing to set up a shop and pay all the ensuing costs, when everyone seems perfectly happy to shop on Marketplace.
outfit on MP. Then make a picture of yourself to put on Flickr and Facebook, to show people how beautiful you are? Isn’t this pathetic?” I was sitting in my stupid little skybox at the time, making a picture of myself to put on Flickr. And yes, it was, and is, pathetic.
As she asked, “what is the point of SL” if In her public posting she stated, “ What’s we do not experience it? I found myself the fun of sitting behind your screen, wondering how we got to this point in your stupid little skybox, buying an of disconnect. I know, through many
Second Life circa 2002
Has our lust for ever ‘prettier’ avatars cost us a sense of community? 17
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“I wanted to fit in, I tried to fit in. I volunteered, I asked to join. I was rejected. I was laughed at. People made it clear I was not wanted, I did not fit in, I did not belong. I gave up.” Open any social media today where SL people talk and you will not have to scroll far before you find people ridiculing someone for looking or thinking differently. If you express a differing opinion on a subject, you can count on the discussion deteriorating into, “You are a nobody,” “You are pond scum,” “Do you have any idea who I am?” or “this is what we should do to someone like you - (insert in here any disgusting childlike action that a group of prepubescent boys might come up with on a playground).” Even those that advocate love and sunshine in one post will often be the
worst offenders against someone further down the page. How many SL profiles are filled with dire threats should you attempt to speak to them? How many store owners ever speak to their customers or make them feel welcome? So yes, perhaps SL is dying, and perhaps there are now hundreds of people who are sitting in their skyboxes, shopping on Marketplace, instead of truly experiencing Second Life as it was intended. Mimi extended an invitation to join her at her store, I wonder if others will follow her example. I wonder how many will accept the offer. Second Life is our world. It can’t go on without us. Read Mimi’s full comments here: http://www.flickr. com/photos/mimijuneau/9300179940/
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of the interviews I have done, people have repeated a story to me. It goes something like this:
Wendigo Lake
by Caduceus Lorakeet
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t’s a small town, almost timeless and the people who live here are oddly satisfied with a place that seems so set in its ways. After only a few days I began to notice that something was odd, underneath the normality. I just can’t put my finger on it, at least not yet…
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Role-play is a consistent and intriguing part of Second Life to me, a relatively seasoned RL RPer. My first forays at Hillcrest (now Hedera) College were fun rather than massively intelligent and while I’ve since RP’d elsewhere the environment of Wendigo Lake is far more engaging and not just because it looks so stunning. The sim took Jon Vetinari about a month to build, with input from Taharqa on some wonderful interiors and Ulysses Cabaret providing amazing builds including the mansion/hotel centerpiece. Shady Falls was Jon’s old sim, a 1920s vintage beauty sadly closed; he thinks now that the RP was too niche and didn’t maintain itself after the initial interest. Wendigo Lake has a far more enduring RP structure, and a more accessible theme. Wendigo Lake is a paragraph role21
play environment – people need to be somewhat literate to take part, as they are essentially collaborating to write a live piece of fiction. Its role-play theme is loosely based around the World of Darkness (http://tinyurl.com/o2erb) with necessary amendments to fit SL. “There are supernatural beings among us, watching…” this is dark and adult RP, subtly supernatural. There will be an online character creation process that will “allow for creativity and choice without great imbalances of power”
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Jon goes on, after I mention a recent thread on SL role-playing on SLUniverse forums on which he had also posted “It’s great when people donate and help keep the sim afloat, but I never hope to make a profit and in those months when I actually have, I’ve put the money right back into the sim. I ask how a sim like this can be funded For me, it’s a community effort and a sustainably. Jon was pretty clear in his community reward, not a business.” response “This is a labour of love with many supporters. I’ve owned this sim This may seem oddly altruistic, but the for over a year and I intend to own it sim was built so that he and others a year from now” could RP in it. Unless, that is, there is some deeper, darker motive…. The RP itself will be accessible, and definitively un-cliquey, says Vetinari “Cliques are a huge issue anywhere. Feeling unable to break in is a real detriment to any role-play experience, as are sims where the good guys (or the bad guys) always win.”
Contact Jon Vetinari (effluvium) for details on Wendigo Lake.
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Click ‘URL’ in the menu to get your taxi to Wendigo Lake.
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Pretty Places PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIBBY FARLEIGH
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All photography taken at BITACORA Click this page for a SLurl
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eleventh R
HOUR
Rylan Carling interviews River Stromfield
iver Stromfield is the man behind the innovative furniture store, Eleventh Hour, and a selfproclaimed ‘lazy’ blogger. I had the pleasure of interviewing him, learning a bit more about this intriguing creator, and getting a sneak peek into some exciting future endeavors.
from inspiration, and that comes from anywhere; a pair of jeans, a shirt, a new hair, or a new furniture release from a store. Other times I go in with a plan, but I have found the best pics I take are those that happen from a brief moment of inspiration. Before I know it, a whole scene is set up and I am trying windlights.
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Ok…let’s get the basics out of the way, You opened up your own store this year, Eleventh Hour, great name btw, how how long have you been in SL? hard was it to come up with a name for Over 4 years now. the store? You’re a man of many talents; lazy lol…The name was the easiest part to be blogger, you’ve got a great Flickr, and honest. It was a name I had been thinking recently Eleventh Hour. In regards to about for a while for other reasons, so it your pictures, do you have something fit perfectly. in mind before you start or do you get dressed and think, “That’s hot, people I will refrain from digging to find out the “other reasons”...what did you find was need to see this?” It really just depends. Most of my pics are one of your greatest challenges?
Actually learning Maya, the program I use to make my mesh items. How long would you say it takes to really have a good grasp on it? lol…Longer than I have, it’s a learning process and not something that you ever really stop learning. I learned all I know basically in 2 weeks. Are there tutorials out there that are helpful? Yes, that is how I learned, from watching a bunch of tuts. Let’s talk furniture...What inspires your work? Hmmm, real life items, a picture, maybe just the theme if I’m in an event. Most of the time I open Maya with one idea and once I start building I scrap it and it becomes something I had not planned. Do you have a certain genre you cater to? A certain “look”? Mostly stark, woody and fresh items; things have kind of taken on a world of their own. 35
Do you have any future projects coming up that you’d like to give us a scoop on? Well, a few things. The mainstore will be moving to a different sim soon, with a very cool custom build in place. Also, by the end of the year, I will be opening Eleventh Hour Black...which will sell BDSM/Adult furniture and other similar items. What do you do in SL when you’re not building/customer servicing/styling/ shooting pics... in other words, what do you do for fun? Lol, that is my fun and usually all my time in SL. To be honest, I don’t have much time for anything else. The only other things I do in sl would be hang out with a few friends when I have a chance.
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How attached are you to the beard? Very, it’s never leaving…lol So, we could call it your signature piece? I get a lot of IMs about where it’s from. I guess, it has been called that before. Do you tell people where it’s from or do you try and keep that to yourself? I tell them the most common one and that’s it.
interviewee and being so patient! To stalk Eleventh Hour, or River Stromfield, follow the links:
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Is there anything else you want our readers to know? Any secrets you want to divulge? :P River: lol…nah, I will keep the rest to myself. And, there you have it! Special thank you to River Stromfield for being my first
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Mainstore:http://maps.secondlife. com/secondlife/Serena%20 Balmoral/100/44/2851 P l u r k : h t t p : // w w w . p l u r k . c o m / EleventhHour Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/ Is there anything in SL you’d like to try rivstrom/ next? Or will you be sticking mostly to B l o g : h t t p : //e l e v e n t h h o u r m e s h . wordpress.com/ home furnishings? Marketplace:https://marketplace. No not really, I think I will stick to that. secondlife.com/stores/81118 One more to wrap it up....Paper or plastic? Plastic
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Covergirls F U S I ON
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Chaotic Monday met up with live performer Samm Qendra, What Next's Winter Thorn and blogger and photographer Strawberry Singh. PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLLY ELAN
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or our very first issue we wanted a cover that said it all with one glance. It had to be beautiful but more than that, it had to be relevant to the Second Life of 2013. Bringing together three gorgeous women, huge success stories in their relevant fields, was perfect to launch Fusion.
S t r a w b e r r y
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S i n g h
trawberry Singh, one of the most recognized avatars in the Second Life world. She started in May of 2007, and slowly became the iconic blogger and photographer that she is today. Behind the gorgeous virtual persona, there is just a normal, everyday, real woman who describes herself as “dorky” and “just a bit crazy”. Ultra organized, she attributes this as her way to be able to do all the things she does. This is where her crazy comes in – she has, by her admission... five different schedules she uses to keep track of her activities in her first and second life. She even includes social media timings in her meticulous planning. Crazy? Like a fox. She admitted that up until a year ago she kept late nights and the 4am bedtimes, and has since managed to stop and realign herself with a healthier, more balanced way of Second Life. Upon mentioning her popular meme series, she is quick give credit to the person who inspired her, Tymmerie Thorne. She sees it as a way of interacting with other bloggers and infuses some fun into the community. The hilarious memes, the gorgeous photoshop work, it's all a part of her plan. Her plan of having no plan, and just doing second life as she sees it – as a hobby, relaxing and fun.
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blogger: Miaa Rebane Photographer: Trinetty Skytower Creator: Zaara Kohime
strawberrysingh.com plurk.com/strawberrysingh
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stalk berry
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qendra
little over three years ago, Samm Qendra was born into Second Life. Lured in by her gamer friend, he drew her in with the music scene. A juxtaposition of bubbly openness and enigmatic aloofness, she holds her real life location as a mystery, that has garnered much speculation. Despite being private concerning her real life, she approaches things openly and it's not hard to tell what she loves and values. Her passions, music, fashion, her friends and family being the most important in her life. She admits she would not be where she is today without the people who have supported her, in her first and Second Life, for that she is thankful. Since joining SL, she has stopped performing in her first life, but holds it as a goal to be able to perform in front of a large audience, and maybe one day release a CD. I asked her if she had a special routine to keep her voice sounding so lovely. She told me that not only does she warm up two hours before performing, but she avoids fried foods and chocolate. What?! No chocolate?! She laughed and admitted to being naughty and having chocolate on occasion. In her words... “I'm not that mad.�.
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blogger: Strawberry Singh Photographer: Polly elan Stores: Mon Tissu & tee*fy
stalk Samm
facebook.com/samm.qendra
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inter Thorn, the avatar, is an oldie but a goodie, having been in existence for over 10 years in Second Life. She stumbled upon mention of the beta version of SL in a gaming forum and tried it out, but for a variety of reasons, didn't stay. Then, back in 2006 she came back to experience a unique event – The Machinima Film Festival being streamed from a first Life venue in New York. Being heavily into machinima, she found SL to be the perfect outlet for that passion, here she was able to meet up with like minded friends and eventually meet her RL fiance and co-creator, FrankLee Anatra. FrankLee started out making clothes for himself, but Winter convinced him to teach her 3D modeling, and the rest is history. Inspiration is never in short supply when they're together, as they're constantly bouncing ideas off each other and getting their influences from things like the seasons to self imposed challenges – as with the golf cart and scooter rezzer HUDs. Despite being happy and having a full Second Life, she thinks it could do with more dressing up and role-play. She would love to see more products and mesh geared toward that. Full mesh avatars, mesh costumes and lots of variety – you could never have too much of that, right?
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Fashion: Tee*fy, Cold Logic & Emery Photographer: Neva Crystall Homeware: Apple fall, junk & sway's
w hatnextshop.com
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stalk Winter
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Fashion Editor N O T E
’m soooo excited to go on a new adventure with the Fusion team. I’m so grateful to be bringing my continued obsession to fashion to this brand new venture of awesomeness that is Fusion Magazine.
In the section, I’d like to introduce to you guys the newness that is coming to you, as well as one of my original ideas that I’m bringing over from ICON that I came up with years and years ago (we won’t talk about how many), ‘Get That Style’. This spread is dedicated to real life fashion, replicated in Second Life. We also have, ‘One Item, Three Outfits’, where we will be incorporating one item and make 3 different outfits with it. It’s something to mix up your everyday look with new, fun and trendy looks. There are some many other goodies that you’ll have to just check out the section to see its greatness.
Feel free to contact me in world or via email at daijaarida@gmail.com
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I hope you guys enjoy all we are doing, and please give us some feedback letting us know how much you love it. I look forward to sharing my vision and addiction to fashion in the future, so please stay tuned!!
P ink Acid
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item THREE outfits
ONE
r e z a l B d e e r h u T t c m u r o t r f S e e d r u o t N S n t i e r c Se
We’re going to show you how you can easily create several different looks with one core item. Got something in your wardrobe you love but aren’t sure how to make it work in an outfit? Pop Daija a notecard in world with the details and see your piece featured here in an upcoming issue! 51
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Shirt: Basic Knot T-Shirt in Black from Tee*fy Pants: Suede Pants in Green from Overhigh Shoes: Live Boots in Black from [ e l i k a t i r a ] Necklace: Classic Literature Necklace from (Yummy) Clutch: Shay Spiked Clutch in Black from Pure Poison Bracelet: NOX Era in Gold Real Evil Industries
Romper: Silk Romper in Pink from Color.Me.H.O.F Shoes: Ankle Boots Boh Rivet in Nude from G&D Necklace: Babette in Ivory from Max Gossamer Clutch: My Little Leather Clutch in Cream from AUSHKA&CO 53
Tank: Basic Tucked Tank in Brown from Tee*fy Shorts: Cuffed Denim Shorts in Destroyed Wash from {mon tissu} Bracelets: Native Daydream from YUMMY Handbag: Scout boho bag in chocolate from ISON Shoes: Starwalk Platform in Dark Chestnut from Lethal Couture
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Skin: Anais in December from Glance Skins Hair: BOUFFANT in Almost Goth from [LeLutka] Lips: Matte 05 from Glance Skins Shirt: Couveture Drape Vest in White from .Shi Pants: Outre Leather Pants in Black from .Shi Shoes: Dare Horseshoe Sandals in Black from [Diktator]
F R O M
d a r kn e s s INTO THE
L I G H T
.Shi Photographed by Oakley Foxtrot Modeled by Daija Arida
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WITH
Skin: Anais in December from Glance Skins Hair: KNOTTED hair in Almost Goth from [LeLutka] Lips: Matte 05 from Glance Skins Shirt: Tie.T Cropped Top in Sand from .Shi Bodysuit: Leather bustier from ISON Shoes: Innessa boots in black from TEN�10
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G E T THAT STYLE! Get That Style is an original idea that takes real life styled outfits, and then replicates them with Second Life fashion and style. 59
Sweater: Loose Knit Shirt from Redgrave Shirt: Denim Shirt from 2Byte Jeans: Rebellion Skinny Jeans from Ispachi Bowtie: Classic Bowtie from Adjunct Shoes: Rayvon Shoes from Entente
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Jeans: Denim in Lou Lou Original from {mon tissu} Shirt: Basics Racerback in Dark Red from erratic Jacket: Vanity Leather Jacket in Dirty White from erratic Hair: VERSAGE hair in Dark Blonde from [LeLutka] Shoes: Snare Ankleboots in Cedar from Celoe Handbag: Scout Boho Bag in Chocolate from ISON Skin: Katya in America from Glam Affair
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Lina Modeled & Photography by Libby Farleigh
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by Filthy Skins
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Click this SLurl to F where you c Lina skin, all her pre 67
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page for a Filthy Skins can try the as well as etty sisters!
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Fabyana Levee
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Styled, modeled, & photographed by Fabyana Levee
Blog: http://fabianalevee.wordpress.com/ Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabyanalevee/
This section is dedicated to the bloggers, stylists &
& fashionistas that have a look I’m obsessed with.
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Blog: http://13forsaken.blogspot.com.br/ Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danniravinelli/
LOOK OF THE MONTH
Styled, modeled, & photographed by Danni Ravinelli
Danni Ravinelli
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Shoe TREND
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Photography by Kaelyn Alecto Modeled by Daija Arida & Jordan Whitt
The
FALL
Hair:SALOME in Almost Goth from [LeLutka] Skin:Anais in December from Glance Skins Sunglasses:Oversized
Sunglasses from Izzie’s Handbag:Kabuki Crocodile Tote in Onyx from ISON Shirt:A Symmetric Top in
Beige from Color.Me.H.O.F Pants:Zoey Leather Pants in black from Erratic Shoes:Levander Ankle Boots in Coal from ISON
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EDITION
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Sweater:Sahara Sweater from Tank:Just a Tank from Skirt:Jordan
Sequin Sn@tch Ribbed Sn@tch Ruffled
Mini from Sn@tch Socks:Raggedy Socks from Sn@tch Shoes:Kippen wedge boot in black from ISON
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This fall Shoe Trend is all about the ankle, ankle boots and wedge booties. We hopped on the bandwagon with ISON, to show you some trendy looks to dress up your shoes.
the language of
love
Bliss Windlow takes a humourous look at the snippets of conversation that pass between SL couples attempting to engage in some good, ol' fashioned SLexy time.
Everyone is talking, you have some time before your flight leaves and you find a quiet little corner. Time for a quicky with the love of your virtual life. Sadly, things don’t go exactly to plan and in the middle of your ardour, you speak a single line .... at the exact moment when suddenly everyone else is quiet, and your voice booms out across the waiting area, echoing in the silence. All heads turn in your direction. Consider some of those tender SL romantic sweet nothings we may have all uttered at one time or another...
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” ? n o s i n e rp
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“ Hop on the pink b a l l ! ” “ I can’t f ind my p enis in m y inventory Can you . remembe r its nam e?” “ You are on the w rong ball, you're on my blue ball!” t u p o t t o g r o f I , c e s a r o f f f o p o h u o y n a ” . “C e t i c X y m on
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o y o “D
u o y e v a h u
” ! ? l l a b y m s i e r e h w , l l a b y m “ I can’t see “ Where is the sex engine?” “ I can' t fin d the menu for my vagi na!” “ Is there a command to make you go faster?” r e g g i b t i b a s b o o b r u o y e k a m u o y n a C ” “ ? t h g i n o t e m for “ I think my penis is broken. I can’t open
it.”
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t o n e r e h t g n i g n a h t s u j s i s i n “ My pe d n a t i n o g n i k c i l c p e e k I ; g doing anythin f i e e s d n a t i n o k c i l c u o y n nothing. Ca ” ? g n i o g t i t you can ge
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“ Pass your penis to me and let me
have a look at it. W hat do you mean it’s e p r u o y ify
I . . . t i b a nis
d o m u o y n a C “ ” ! t i e k i l don’t
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non-transfer?”
“ It’s suppose d to tell me w hen you're touching it. W hy isn' t it saying anything?” f o t u o g n i k c i t s s i s i n e p r u ” o ? y d z a i t h a w t i e e n G e t “ r o h s e b y a m , t s a e r b t f e l my
, t n u h x e s e h t n i s i “ I found this pen t n a w , o o t s a n i g a v t a e r g e m o s e v a h y the ” ? w o r r o m o t e n o to go find
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.” f f o t t u b y m e k a t o t d e e n t s u “ Wait .. I j
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“ Just how big is the ‘Super Turbo
Grind-o-max penis’ anyway?” “ Umm …. your penis is attached to your lef t knee!”
“ You forgot to put your penis away. It’s
You know there are some things, when overheard, you can’t, and should not ever, try to explain . It is probably best to just not make eye contact and maybe start playing Angry Birds© or pretend you have Tourette’s. If it is bad enough, maybe both!
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hanging outside your pants.”