Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Off to My Holiday in Greece

Dancing with Jaysun at Junco
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In a few more hours, I will be boarding a plane bound for Greece. I am meeting my parents and sister in Crete where we will explore the ruins of ancient Knossos, take a boat to the island of Santorini, and then enjoy Athens. It should be an exciting and fun vacation with my family. But I shall be away from Second Life for two weeks. Oh how I shall miss my circle of family and friends here - Victoria, Dawson, Jaysun, Leesa, Selina, Naiya, Kaja,Tricia, Rocko and many others. I was so happy to see many of you before I left, and there is no better way to spend my last hour in Second Life than dancing with Jaysun Daggar. See you in two weeks.
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Tonight, I got all glammed up.
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And it was worth it.
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. . Evening's End
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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Toga Winners - Jaysun Daggar & Mariko Nightfire

Toga party with Singer ArorA Chadbourne
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I was looking forward to last night. There were two big events scheduled. Second Life songstress Arora Chadbourne was performing a special 90 minute concert celebrating her third Rezz Day (3rd anniversary in SL) at a popular sim/club called Junkyard Blues. Also, the Jittery Junco was holding its Grand Opening Party at Hallelujah. Jaysun was my date for the evening, so it promised to be great night of dancing and good company.
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One of the attractions of Second Life is its well developed cultural life. And of the many cultural events in Second Life, especially appealing to me are the inworld live music performances. These performances are very popular and vary widely from vocals to instrumentals, from blues to classical to international. The artists range from rank amateurs to real life professionals. Some of the talent are truly noteworthy. The most noteworthy vocalist in all of Second Life, in my opinion, is Song Goddess ArorA Chadbourne, one of my favorite performers. In real life, ArorA is Jamie Brayden, a professional with an impressive background. She is a true song goddess with a fantastic repertoire which includes country (her professional roots are in Nashville), blues, Broadway, and contemporary, among other styles. She is currently working on a new Jazz/Adult contemporary CD. Her voice is unforgettable. Her Second Life performances are often the highlight of my week in Second Life.
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Arora posing with the 'Best Toga' winners
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Last night, Arora threw her annual Rezz Day party. Toga was this year's theme. I was debating whether or not I would go to the concert dressed in ancient Greek/Roman attire. Well, I finally decided that it would be more fun to be in character, especially as Jaysun was wearing some magnificent armor. I went as an Amazon gladiator. There were over 80 toga-clad fans in attendance, a very large crowd for SL. Arora was definitely having a ball, and her performance was really on. One of the highlights was a hauntingly romantic rendition of Unchained Melody. There was a contest for 'Best Toga' .... JAYSUN AND I WON. We were declared a 'great looking couple', and we jointly shared the prize. It was a memorable ending to a great concert and party.
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Achilles and The Face that Launched a Thousand Ships
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Jittery Junco Grand Opening Party

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After ArorA's concert, Jaysun and I teleported to the Jittery Junco Coffee Shop. The party there was in full swing. We caught the closing numbers of live performer, Jonas Lunasea, a lounge singer who sings the music of the Rat Pack and other performers of that era. It was great fun. The square in front of the coffee house was filled with friends. Everyone was glammed up and looked fantastic. The girls put on a veritable fashion show. We danced til early morning to the music of Martini in the Morning. The dances that Owly made available to us were wonderful in their variety and awesome in their pure 'fun quotient'. It was a great official start to the Jittery Junco and a great community event. I'm very happy that I made my move to Hallelujah.

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Hallelujah owner PT Beardmore looking grand
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Jaysun walking me home in the early morning
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My sister Victoria and me relaxing prior to the evening's parties
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YouTube: ArorA Chabourne Make a Wish:
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Arora's (Jamie Brayden) website with some great sample songs:
http://www.jamiebrayden.com/
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Other great Jamie Brayden websites with songs:
http://www.geocities.com/azsonggoddess/index.html
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You must listen to Jamie singing Twist of Fate:
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Jittery Junco Coffee House, Hallelujah:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hallelujah%20Azul/149/242/24
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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Cheesecake Mariko - Oh Those Legs

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Serving up a Creme Brulee Cheesecake. Caramelized sweetness served with a topping of fresh strawberries.
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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah

New Resident of Hallelujah
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I have some big news. I rented a house and joined the community at Hallelujah. Of course, I will still maintain my beloved country estate at Opar. But I yearned to be part of a community, and there is none nicer than Hallelujah. I've been coming here for the past 10 months dropping in at the Minor Fall coffeehouse, dancing occasionally at Major Lift, and being a regular at the weekly Tub Talks (I wrote about these wonderful Tub Talks on my January 8, 2009 posting). The people I met here are the best. There are close friendships among the residents and a true sense of community. And everything is held together by the owners of Hallelujah, PT Beardmore and Owly Indigo. These are no absentee landlords; but active participants and leaders of their community. They are marvelous people - friendly, humorous, and very helpful.
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My Townhouse
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I now have a lovely townhouse that I will be sharing with my sister Victoria. I am eager to furnish and decorate it. I've also been promised that I can landscape the ground in back of the townhouses. I plan to lay out a lovely garden that all residents can enjoy. I had my eye on the houses in Hallelujah for a long time. What finally convinced me to go for it is the new coffeehouse located nearby. As are many places in Second Life, Hallelujah recently undertook a major reorganization. The community have been consoliated and is smaller in size. But a charming new retail and residental area has been build. The anchor of this new area is the Jittery Junco Coffee Shop which replaces Minor Fall.
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Jittery Junco Coffee Shop

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Junco is cozy and intimate. Perfect for the small community of Hallelujah. It sits on the spot once occupied by Owly's aviary. So the major theme of the coffeehouse is birds with numerous paintings of birds decorating the interiors. It is all very whimsical and appealing. There are private spaces inside where one can meet with friends. You can also sit in front of the coffee shop and watch the comings and goings of people. But the main socializing takes place on the new deck out back looking out onto the sea. Junco is amazingly popular given that it is less than 1 week old. I've already enjoyed some delightful evenings on the deck. In particular, on the day that I acquired my townhouse, we celebrated there with champagne and dancing.
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Charming New Retail and Residential Area
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My New Landlord,
PT Beardmore
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My New Landlord,
Owly Indigo

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Celebrating my new townhouse with Champagne and Dancing

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The big question: Is Hallelujah replacing Open Latte/Mill Pond in my second life? No, I don't consider myself a 'Open Latte Refugee' in Hallelujah. I have been coming to Hallelujah and participating in its activities long before Mill Pond closed. In fact, I've been coming to Hallelujah precisely because It Was Not Mill Pond. I have many fond memories of Mill Pond. But I have moved on.
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Many former Mill Pond regulars are discovering the new Jittery Junco. Last night, the deck was dominated by Open Latte refugees. My feelings on this development are mixed. Of course, I am overjoyed seeing friends and acquaintances from Open Latte. And Hallelujah is attracting the absolute best from Mill Pond. But I would hate to see Hallelujah attract all the elements of Mill Pond. I would not want to see Mill Pond recreated in Hallelujah. And there is always the danger that the problems that beset Mill Pond and caused its demise would be imported here. But PT and Owly are not Micala. Under their supervision, Hallelujah will surely remain Hallelujah.
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Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
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Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
he broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
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Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
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Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
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There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
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Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
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You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
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Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
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I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
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Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah
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Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
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Jittery Junco Coffee House, Hallelujah:
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A Great Description of Jittery Junco Coffee Shop:
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Leonard Cohen singing Hallelujah:
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On the Sea, Under the Sea, and in the Air

Trip to Sailor's Cove
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Yesterday started out marvelously with a morning trip by sea to Sailor's Cove. My sister Dawson sent me an instant message asking if I would accompany her and her friend, Britney Adder, on a boating trip. Britney was back in Second Life after a long absence, and Dawson thought that a little boating would be a nice way to welcome her back. The sky was bright and sunny, and the sea, blue and inviting. It was a perfect day to be on the water. So the three of us set out in a small pleasure boat. We cruised by picturesque islands, and the waters around us was full of colorful sea life. Dawson was in high spirits. There was plenty of girl talk with good insights and helpful advise.
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We reached our destination, Sailor's Cove, a most charming New England seaport. We did the usual sightseeing and shopping. I got to know Britney and made a new friend. At the end of the trip, I think all of us had a sparkle in our eyes.
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Setting Out
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Dawson, Me, and Britney
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Of course, we went shopping there..
Saying goodbye to Dawson ... I had a wonderful time..
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My sister Dawson is an intrepid explorer. One of the best in Second Life. She also loves the sea and is a skilled mariner. If I am feeling a little blue, Dawsi will take me to sea and lift my spirits Some of my best adventures in Second Life have been with her. Below I placed a few pictures from some of my latest excursions with my wonderful sister.
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Sailing on Second Life Winds.
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.Pleasure Boating (in Costa Rica).
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Cruising Under the Sea by Submarine
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In the Air with Helocopter Pilot Dawson
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And finally, a little Bicycling.
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Friday, June 12, 2009

Mariko Magic - Yippies and the Forbidden City

New Yippie in the Forbidden City
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I love Second Life fashions. I love blogging. So naturally, I love Second Life fashion blogs. I read a number of them; one of my favorite is Fashion Diaries by Nina Raymond. Her blogging style is different from my own, but she is highly prolific and very informative. Her avatars are attractive, and she puts together some awesome mix-and-match fashion plates. I trust her fashion sense completely. One of her recent posting turned me on to a marvelous item of fashion magic that I decided to highlight here in my own blog. The item is a top called New Yippie. It is colorful and dramatic. It has a retro look about it that reaches back to the hippie era of the baby boom generation. I did research on the term yippie which places it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. New Yippie moves the look forward to our own time and for our own generation. In searching for a photo location to highlight the exotic appeal of this item, I choose the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
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New Yippie is available at Baiastice. Baiastice is another great find. As I walked around this store, I found myself placing item after item on my 'Definitely Want' list. The fashions on display at Baiastice are outstanding. New Yippie is designed by Sissy Pessoa, owner of Baiastice, and sells for $295L. It is available in five colors: Orange, Yellow/Purple, Purple/Green, Magenta, and Cian. I am wearing orange. In my mind's eye, the silks hanging from the sleeves and belt resemble the feathers of hawks and eagles. The influence of ceremonial Native American costumes on the design is apparent. The effect is gorgeous. And I love how this top moves and flows as I walk and change poses. To see the details of New Yippie, click on the pictures to enlarge them.



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To complete the mix -and -match, I complemented the top with (F/Skinny) A001 Jeans sold by Armidi Limited for $145L (the color is Dusted Classic) and with Stiletto Boots by Blaze. The boots come in 6 colors (silver, chocolate, white, red, champagne, black). I am wearing chocolate. The boots are currently on sale for only $100L and all 6 can be bought as a package for $300L. Get them for this price while you can. You can buy them as either No Copy/Transfer or Copy/No Transfer. Unless you are buying them as a gift, the latter makes better sense.
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Best of all is this hair. I usually do not like oversized hair; but, this is the exception. Its fantastic. The hair is from Bish Wear and is called Toss Me Around. It sells for $375L which gets you a package of 6 hair colors (auburn, black, brown, blonde, red, and wine). I am wearing brown. The hair is designed by ShyOne Lehane.
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Now for a little history. I did some research on the Yippies, and this is what I found:
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Once upon a time there were Hippies, then Yuppies and between them, Yippies. Yippies were members of the Youth International Party founded in the late 1960s by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Hoffman and Rubin were children of privilege playing proletariat revolutionaries. Yippies are remembered for childish street theater pranks and for inciting the riots in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Party Convention. Jerry Rubin later renounced his youthful stupidity and became a stock broker and an advocate of free market capitalism. Abbie Hoffman never grew up. Both met unfortunate ends. The party's headquarters is now the Yippie Museum, Cafe and Gift shop located in Greenwich Village, New York City.
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Fashion and a history lesson. Only in a Mariko Nightfire blog. I hope that you enjoyed this fashion magic and scenes from the Forbidden City. And I would like to thank Nina Raymond for bringing New Yippie to my attention.
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Baiastice:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/BAIASTICE/154/126/25
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Armidi - Hair, Clothing, & Accessories: