In January of 2010, I was approached by Michele Wesen Bryant

with a view to using a couple of images of my SL avatar

in a book she was writing about fashion illustration.

At the time, I felt excited, but also that this was likely to be a “fire and forget” situation.

I did not doubt that the book would be published, but was by no means sure

that at the end of the day, my pictures wouldn’t end up on the editing room floor.

In any case I thought, it all may turn out, but even if it did,

it would be some time in the misty far off future.

Well, yesterday that misty far off future became the delightful present day.

Not only was the book published, and not only were 2 of my images used,

but the author and publisher were most gracious and sent me a complimentary copy.

Michele, congratulations on the publication of your outstanding book

and my thanks and sincere appreciation for the lovely copy of it!

(I hope you sell a gazillion! XD)

Details~

The Yellow Racing Jacket shown on page 31 was blogged in Drive, She said

The outfit shown on page 125 was blogged in Moths

The book is available in hardcover and softcover from the publisher Laurence King Publishing Ltd and from Amazon.com

Image 1 ~When Momo started strange pixels and invited me to post there, neither of us knew where the journey would take us, but we did know one thing. We knew that if there was one fashion blogger we wanted to try to be as good as, it was Acha. No one rocked it like her. One day, Acha gave a Garden Party and it was one of the highlights of my Second Life to be a part of it. From left to right ~ Allegory Malaprop, Violet Voltaire, ellantha Larsson, Mourna Biziou, hyasynth Tiramisu, Elusyve Jewell, Winter Jefferson, Achariya Maktoum, Grady Echegaray (Originally posted in Arcadia).

Image 2 ~ One of the really fun things to do as a fashion blogger is to do a shoot with another blogger. One of my favs is when Acha and Momo got together for Acha and Mourna in Severina. It didn’t hurt that they styled outfits by hya, a designer that we all love. Acha and Momo did 13 duets together.

Image 3 ~ When I first started in SL one of my first friends was Giuseppe Spicoli, who went on to become a great SL dj and a major contributor to the Suffugium and Wastelands communities. In one of those wonderful SL coincidences, I found out from Acha in our first visit together that not only were they great RL friends, but that Giu had been the one to introduce Acha to SL. One of my fav posts of Acha’s is Vaguely Incestuous Poseballing. (Best post title ever!)

Image 4 ~ Acha was never one to stay at home blogwise. She frequently reached out to the wider community of fashion bloggers for inspiration and blogging subjects and those subjects were frequently other fashion bloggers. With Acha, six degrees of separation was five degrees too many. Her “Not me” series eventually totalled 107.

Image 5 ~ One day I stumbled across the Kubrick Rooms by Rumpledink Robbiani. When I saw the Korova Milk bar complete with poseballs I knew what I had to do. I also knew that Acha needed to get in touch with her inner droogie and join Momo, myself and Winter on the bench at the back of the bar. It was a bit of the old ultra fashion.

Image 6 ~ One of my fondest memories of Acha is of the time we first met. She came over to my place and within a couple of minutes we were yakking away as if we had known each other for years. She has that way about her. I was not able to make her last post shoot but we were able to visit shortly after and I snuck a few pics. She was excited about spending more time exploring the virtual world we all love. She is a rock star. <3<3

Postscript below ~

As I was putting this post together this song by Regina Spektor kept running through my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHAhnJbGy9M

I have no wine to offer you today
No finery to offer you today

My father has passed on
And his riches I have won

I’ve sold my stores to buy a berth on a ship to sail away

For I will be a gentleman and not a stowaway

I will fly away to the land where rivers shine everlastingly

With gold and silver when I see Miss Liberty

I know she’ll keep me
I know she’ll keep me

Safe and warm and free

Details ~

Hair ~ “QPT129″ platinum ~ booN

Skin ~”Neo-China White” (custom) ~ Nomine

Eyes ~ “Bloodfest” lighter large-vein1 ~ Tacky Star

Earring ~”Syringe” (right ear) ~ Relentless Unknown

Eyepatch ~ “Rosenkavalier” ~ +ROZOREGALIA+

Suit Ensemble ~”Beloved Lolita” black ~ silent sparrow

Boots ~ “Thecla” black ~ Lassitude and Ennui

Text excerpted from “Miss Liberty” ~ Oh Susanna

Verde que te quiero verde. Verde viento. Verdes ramas.

El barco sobre la mar y el caballo en la montaña.

Con la sombra en la cintura ella sueña en su baranda,

verde carne, pelo verde, con ojos de fría plata.

Verde que te quiero verde.

Bajo la luna gitana,

las cosas la están mirando

y ella no puede mirarlas.

Los detalles a continuación ~

Willow Mathews is wearing~

Skin ~ LAQ Mima Pale glow skin worn with undershirt layer cleavage enhancer, also pale.

Shape ~ Torrid Midnight

Eyes ~ Miriel standard eyes – Caribbean (no longer available)

Hair ~ Dive Onyx (and shoulders) by AD

Lashes ~  the Obscene Zagan, tintable

Outfit ~ EMO-tions Persephone.

Worn with ~ Nomine Darkchylde glitch pants 1 and RT tintable Moth stockings

Boots ~ McQueen Goth boots

Bracelet ~ League Wanderer (6 strands both wrists) and earrings

Piercing ~ Ellabella  – Pretty Pearls Upon your Lips

Rosary ~ Balderdash – Rosary on the hand- across fingers (coal)

Ring ~ Dark Mouse – 30′s Vintage Art Deco Pearl Ring

Shot on location at Carnivale

Text ~ by Federico Garcia Lorca

Excerpt from Romance Sonambulo

Green, how I want you green.
Green wind. Green branches.

The ship out on the sea
and the horse on the mountain.

With the shade around her waist
she dreams on her balcony,

green flesh, her hair green,
with eyes of cold silver.

Green, how I want you green.
Under the gypsy moon,

all things are watching her
and she cannot see them.

Luna Jubilee’s 52 Weeks of Color ~ Electric Lime

Details ~

Skin ~ Yang – Midnight 12 ~ Lionskins

Eyes ~ GemStone (M) – Noir ~ Umedama Holic

Hair ~ KZK736 – Black ~ booN

Hair Base ~ gathered raised – black ~ booN

Outfit ~ Tequila ~ Chantkare

Boots ~ HOC Apparel Knee – Lime ~ HOC Industries

Jewelry ~ Mirage Glam – Neon ~ MOOD

Location ~ barbee