You Can Dress Her Up, But You Can't Take Her Out

New Dress, New Skin, New Nails, Same Old Trash

A Close Up

A Better View of the Dress

I cleaned out my inventory and thought I would pose on the bags full of clothes I am getting rid of. I know, I know, there are people out there who could use these clothes, but honestly, do you really want to wear the things that couldn't make even my low standards for fashion? So goodbye free black thongs, chain bikinis, blinky shoes that make it impossible to sneak up on people in the dark, bright red lingerie, and crappy jewelry. I'm not sure how you survived this long in my overstuffed closet but out with the old and in with the new!

Speaking of new, I'm wearing new skin, a new dress, new hair, and new nails. I know, I know, how can a girl with no apparent means of support afford such things? Well, I'm a high class escort who sells crack on the side. Ha! Made you think, didn't I? Honestly, how much money do you think a newb would pay to see me naked? On second thought, don't answer that--just send me the money and maybe *you* can see me naked!*

In any case, I'm wearing a Tete a Pied skin, the Vivant Blush Pin-Up 3 (which suffers a little since I couldn't get the lighting quite right) and a dress from PixelDolls, the "Bonney" in Citron. PixelDolls has released a number of wonderful new items recently and I'm amazed at how flattering this dress is on me. The Molly Ringwald hair is a group gift from Truth--the "Perry"--in carrot. It's made for men, if you can believe that. The black fingernails are from Sin Skins, which has a pearl hunt going on--you can find 12 pearls with free items throughout their sim.

*The exchange of money is only for personal companionship and no actual nudity is promised or implied. If you are a member of a law enforcement agency, well, good for you! Offer not valid in Second Life.

100% Lecker

At Creators Pavillion

Close Up Showing Tete a Pied's Viant Biba Blush 1 Skin

Close Up of acetone's Snowflake Tights


Some of the Cutest Poseballs Evah at Pochette

Posing With Kit Maitland at Pochette

(click on all pics to enlarge)

SL Free*Style sent me off in search of Kiki's closet and Honey Soul today and while the clothes I found were very nice, I was even more impressed by the German sausage stand. Now I know what you're saying. You're saying, "Dot, first the Flop Dog Trailer in the Fashion Victim HQ sim, and now a German sausage stand--have you gone all Freudian on us?" Don't fret, I'm still firmly committed to women and sometimes a sausage is just a sausage. I'm a little suspicious of the stand you see in the picture at the top of this post however. I'm not sure why a sausage stand has pictures of hippopotamuses (at least I think that's what those are) on it, nor do I care to know the reason. All I care about is that whatever they're selling it is 100% Lecker!

Speaking of lecker, I'm wearing a new skin from Tete a Pied, which had a brief sale this past weekend. Yours truly spent *way* too much money, but I like to think that the end result is worth the lindens. For those keeping track, this is the Vivant Blush Biba 1 model, and I think it looks great, especially with my punk outfit leftover from a party this weekend at AWT2. The sim where the sausage stand is located, Creators Pavillion, is decked out for winter with Christmas trees and falling snow--I really love the look of it and it is worth wandering around. The falling snow convinced me I should wear my "Snowflake" tights from acetone, which are currently half price.

I didn't buy anything from Pochette, but Kit Maitland stopped by to try out the poseballs pictured above. We both loved the absolutely adorable one on the left, sitting on the ground back to back. We also released our inner divas on another set (what's that? I'm all *outer* diva? Well I never!) and Kit noticed that we both had the same skin. She always looks so much better than I do though. *Sigh*

Should I Or Shouldn't I? Part 3

Dot Lane contemplates the mysteries of Chinese food at Silk Waters Mountain

Rickshaw Ride

Styling with the Bonsai

I did a little cultural tourism this morning, inspired by Deka Fashions' "Yasmin" ensemble (a tip of the hat to Creamy for the tip). While I'm not sure about a Vietnamese peasant selling me Chinese food near a bonsai display, I'm going to chalk it up to pan-Asian cooperation and not think to hard about it. Silk Waters Mountain is good place for a stroll: a snow covered Asian village which gives off a low-key vibe.

And, as my faithful readers know, I love my Chinese food:

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Should I or Shouldn't I? Part 2

The Shape of Things to Come

My Tuli Contest Entry--And Yes, I Do Have Arms

A Better Look at My Face

I received a notice a few days ago that Tuli is having a contest to design a shape for their S4 line of skins (you can see me above wearing the S4 goth tone version), with ten winners getting their shape displayed at the store for sale and, presumably, untold adulation and admiration. I've never thought of my shape as particularly noteworthy, but a few days ago I got an IM from a girl asking me about my nose and if she could have the settings because she was having trouble getting a skin to look right on her shape. I always had secretly hoped someone would want the settings for my fat ass, so I could walk up to them and say, "Your ass is mine!" but alas, that wasn't what happened.

Soon after encounter, the Tuli contest notice arrived and I thought to myself, "Why not?" So I went out and re-created my shape on a transfer friendly shape and I have to say I'm pleased with the results. I do get a lot of comments about how "natural" I look so we'll see if SL is ready for a short round girl shape. More information is available if you join the Tuli group and check the notices or you can just read Tuli's blog.

Stella!!!!!!

Bossa Nova's "Stella" Dress (Photo taken at Fashion Victim HQ)

Bossa Nova's "Stella" Dress, Close Up
Hair and Skin Details Here
The Collar is by Eat Rice.

Bossa Nova's "Stella" Dress, From the Back. Don't Look Down!
(click all photos to enlarge)

I woke up this morning to find a little notice saying that the Bossa Nova sale would be ending today. Since time zones aren't my strength, it took me a couple of minutes to realize that the sale would be ending in five minutes. Five minutes? Hell, sometimes the simple (ha!) act of teleporting somewhere in SL takes five minutes. Luckily I slid through the ether with little resistance and a quick rez in Bossa Nova helped. Sure enough, Bossa Nova's el jefe Moire Georgette was there, getting ready to end the sale. I already knew what I wanted so I made my purchases quickly, had a brief chat with Moire, and then left so she could attend to her business. You're thrilled about the mundane details of my existence aren't you? Of course you are. But the reason why I wanted to mention Bossa Nova isn't just because I love the dresses, but because there is currently a wonderful dress available with all proceeds to Shine, a fashion benefit for Médecins Sans Frontières.

The "Stella" dress reminds me of 1930s movie glamour--I can absolutely see Myrna Loy wearing this dress in a stylish nightclub. The drape has an almost sculptural Art Deco look to it and is whisper light on the shoulders. If the Stella dress can make a short round girl like me look this good, think of what it will do for you--and you're helping a worthy charity in the process. The dress is 250L, which is around $1 US. There are a couple of lovely freebies available as well, so buy Stella, get the freebies, and average the cost. You'll find it can be cheap to look this good! There are two other limited edition dresses available as part of the fundraiser, so if Stella doesn't float your boat there is a good chance one of the other two will. Or buy all three!

Urban Decay And Pretty Pretty Clothes

Dot Lane, Working Her Shift At The Flop Dog Trailer

Yes, Selling Hot Dogs Is A Thrill A Minute

I Knew I Shouldn't Have Worked In Exchange For Hot Dogs!

I worked a shift (a shift being about five minutes--you know how SL time passes much faster than in other places) last night at the Flop Dog Trailer in the Fashion Victim HQ sim, which is visually stunning and filled with great shopping. While selling hot dogs reminded me of my early SL days when I would encounter hordes of men walking around without their trousers, it was worth it to have the chance to look around the sim later on and to participate in the treasure hunt several of the merchants (Punch Drunk, Corduroy, Philotic Energy, Decollage, Thimbles, Bebe, Pudge--I hope I've credited all the stores who participated) had created to celebrate the grand opening. I will be modeling some of the cool things I picked up in future blog posts. I love the fact that the sim is kind of foggy, kind of rainy, and very decrepit--all I can think of is paper mills and the Pacific Northwest. And yes, I'd move in if they let me.

View from a rooftop:

I'm Gonna Shed This Skin, Part 3

Tête à Pied Vivant Blush Paon 4 (Head Turning Pouty Dot!)

click the photo to enlarge it--you really need to see this up close!

As promised, a group gift from Tete a Pied was sent out today because the group now has over 500 members. My friend Kit swears by Tête à Pied skins, and I can see why! I've never looked so glamourous. Many thanks to Roslin Petion for her skill and generosity. The hair comes from Truth and was a recent gift as well--I think the combo is devastating. What do you all think?

IMs, I Get IMs, Part 2

How I Might Appear If You Were Kneeling At My Feet--Scary!

I can see that the random IM conversations I have are going to become a regular feature on the blog. I was out today with a friend who was doing some shopping at a BDSM mall (and no, this isn't one of those things where the “friend” is really me, like when you hear someone at the drugstore trying to find something embarrassing: “Hi, um, a friend asked me to pick up, some, um, anal wart cream.”) and I received an IM. Now, as you know, I don't get many unsolicited IMs so I have a morbid fascination in seeing how they play out. I also wasn't wearing anything particularly interesting at this point in time, certainly nothing that should trigger the following exchange:

[12:01] Guy Unclear on the Concept: helo Domme

(first, my name is Dot, not Domme)

[12:01] Dot Lane: yes?

[12:01] Guy Unclear on the Concept: are you a DOmme? i admire strong women

[12:02] Dot Lane: I am a strong woman, yes

(but not a domme--the two things aren't mutually exclusive)

[12:02] Guy Unclear on the Concept: i am more of a follower :(

(why the sad face? where would leaders be without followers?)

[12:02] Guy Unclear on the Concept: i tried to lead, but its hard

(well, yes, of course it is, that's why there are more followers than leaders)

[12:02] Guy Unclear on the Concept: i dont know how ppl manage it

(Being a leader is a great burden. You're always being asked to stand at the head of the line and invade countries which pose no threat to you)

[12:02] Dot Lane: you are born that way Berry

(I don't want to get into nature versus nurture, but it seemed like a good answer at the time)

[12:02] Guy Unclear on the Concept: oh

[12:02] Guy Unclear on the Concept: is that bad?

[12:03] Dot Lane: it depends on one's perspective

(This is always a good non-answer answer.)

[12:03] Guy Unclear on the Concept: can i go leadership courses? or is it mostly meaningless for me?

(What am I, a career counselor?)

[12:03] Dot Lane: it depends on what type of leading you are trying to do

(I usually lead horses to water AND make them drink.)

[12:03] Guy Unclear on the Concept: true

(Of course it is true.)

[12:03] Guy Unclear on the Concept: i feel safe near strong women

(Uh oh, here it comes.)

[12:03] Guy Unclear on the Concept: embarressing :)

(at this point, clueless kneels at my feet)

[12:04] Guy Unclear on the Concept: its lke being kept in a leash and collar

(Aha!)

[12:04] Dot Lane: I'm not sure I follow you

[12:04] Dot Lane: why is it embarrassing?

(Why is it embarrassing?)

[12:04] Guy Unclear on the Concept: well, men are supposed to be stronger

(He didn't just say that did he?)

[12:04] Dot Lane: what nonsense

(No comment needed.)

[12:05] Dot Lane: stronger how? physically?

(I was kind of curious where this going.)

[12:05] Guy Unclear on the Concept: oh i mean, better leaders

[12:05] Guy Unclear on the Concept: physically too

(Ohhhhh....mentally AND physically! Well now don't I feel special?)

[12:05] Dot Lane: men are supposed to be better leaders? where did you get that idea?

[12:05] Guy Unclear on the Concept: from history

[12:05] Guy Unclear on the Concept: and books

[12:05] Guy Unclear on the Concept: but i apologize if i am wrong

(Way to sell your position! I mean, you have books and history on your side...surely you can support your argument with something! But, sure, hey, "history" and "books" {except for my friend Books} are wrong. So sayeth Dot Lane!)

[12:05] Guy Unclear on the Concept: i hope you are not angry, Maam

(Maam? And I'm not angry, but highly amused. Have you noticed how close "Maam" is to "naan"? I love Indian food. You want to win my heart? Rub my tummy and feed me naan to start.)

[12:06] Dot Lane: I don't care one way or another Berry

(Why would I get worked up over this? At least he didn't ask me if I were pregnant. But what kind of name is Berry? Doesn't it just beg for a "dingle" in front of it?)

[12:06] Guy Unclear on the Concept: Do you lead people at work? as manager?

(Dot Lane can't manage her own inventory and doesn't have a job in SL, unless you count the blog and lord knows how blogging brings in the lindens--I mean, how much would you pay for a subscription to this blog? That's what I thought.)

[12:07] Dot Lane: Managing isn't leading Berry. I do have to go now though...I am helping a friend

(If you ask a question about RL and I don't know you the conversation is OVER.)

[12:07] Guy Unclear on the Concept: oh i see

(You don't really, but thanks for playing!)

Men: if you are trying to find the domme of your dreams, don't insult her by stating that men are supposed to be stronger than women and better leaders. How exactly do you think that makes me feel? Why would we want the want the weak rejects who can't stand up for themselves? To conclude: If I need a pickle jar opened, I'll get in touch with you. Anything else? Thanks, but no thanks.

Pirouettes and Faux Pas de Deux

Ballet Boots and a Leotard

I've never been mistaken for a ballerina: we short round girls generally aren't seen as good candidates for Swan Lake. Remember the Dance of the Hippos in Fantasia?



This hasn't stopped me from pretending however, and you see me above in a free leotard from Pixel Dolls and the amazing Ballet Heels from Fairlight. CA was kind enough to buy the ballet boots for me, which was incredibly generous of her. They're beautifully made and have a wonderful locking mechanism and supposedly work with Lockmeister bondage equipment but I've not tried that feature yet. In any case, if you see me tripping around SL in them, say hello, and be sure to offer a shoulder to lean on. The skin is the awesome Mellie from Blowpop! Check out the Blowpop blog Lick, Don't Bite for more information.

Mirror Mirror Who's The Fairest....

Well, Chartreuse for one, and Creamy for another. Visit them at The Excellent Second Life of Chartreuse Muni and SL Free*Style.

I'm Gonna Shed This Skin, Part 2

Skin Within "Eva" in Natural (Super Fab Glam Dot!)

Blowpop "Mellie2" Cream [cranberry fizz/richbronzegloss]

One of my friends commented on the original "I'm Gonna Shed This Skin" post, pointing out that super fab glam Dot was hard to judge because she was wearing short blonde hair and asked that I give super fab glam Dot a fair shake in the competition. The top photo is for you Rye, super fab glam Dot with her normal black hair. Below you see version 2 of the "Mellie" skin from Blowpop which was just sent out as a gift to members of the Blowpop group. I'm throwing this into the competition as well--I think out of all the new skins this might be the best yet! So go ahead, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

IMs, I Get IMs

A friend added me to her group, which gave me the title of "Cute But Impossible". Watch the wackiness which ensues. Uh oh....incoming IM:

[19:07] Suave Dude With Ponytail: impossibly cute how novel

[19:07] Suave Dude With Ponytail: chuckles

[19:07] Dot Lane: well no

[19:08] Dot Lane: it is entirely possible that I am this cute

[19:08] Suave Dude With Ponytail: well said...

[19:08] Dot Lane: however

[19:08] Dot Lane: the title actually belongs to a friend of mine

[19:09] Suave Dude With Ponytail: so you are temporarily cute

[19:09] Dot Lane: so I may be neither cute nor impossible

[19:09] Suave Dude With Ponytail: oh..such a shame

[19:09] Dot Lane: possibly

[19:09] Suave Dude With Ponytail: sounds like a risky proposition

[19:10] Dot Lane: given some of the things I've seen in SL my cuteness or lack of is relatively low on the scale of riskiness

[19:10] Suave Dude With Ponytail: I would have to agree

And with that, he just walked away.

Keep in mind this came from a guy whose rez date is 10/9/2006!

I'm Gonna Shed This Skin

Body Basics "Kimberly" (Newbie Dot!)

Rd0 from Another Shop (Cute Dot!)

Sin Skins Freckled Fresh Stratus (Classic Dot!)

Artilleri "Lily" Sunkiss Autumn (Classic Dot After A Makeover!)

Blowpop "Mellie" Honey [smoky black/clear gloss] (Glam Dot!)

Skin Within "Eva" in Natural (Super Fab Glam Dot!)

click all photos to enlarge--you know you want to!

For a long time I resisted changing skins in SL because of the work involved--there are so many skin makers and so many versions of each skin and well, how much research can one girl be expected to do? I can only spend so much time looking at hundreds of those little boxes and craning my neck trying to see everything on display. Surely there is a better way to showcase skins. Besides, people are more territorial about skins then about most other things in SL, with hair and shoes being the closest competitors, so asking people about skins brought about more sermonizing than actual advice. (You don't believe me? Just ask someone about the merits of Shiny Things shoes versus Minx. For the record, I'm bi, because I buy from both places.)

I had the good fortune of running across Sin Skins early on and their "Fresh" line suited me perfectly, so I didn't have any reason to change my skin. My dermaphobia lasted until I met a few very stylish people who changed skins like they changed shoes (yes, that means you Books and Kit and Chartreuse) and they always looked so good I started to investigate. Being a girl reporter of limited means, I wandered around looking at skins at all kinds of places trying to decide which would look good on me. With some help (especially from the good ladies at the SLFreestyle blog if you haven't visited you must--go ahead, go, I'll wait for you) I built a small collection of skins that I have been trying out and I thought you all might like to see the results. I haven't taken pictures with all of the skins I have, especially the one that literally caused my friend IzzyBelle to scream at me to take it off, but the ones I have should be easy enough to find and some are even free!

Leave a comment and let me know which you like best!

Technical note: all skins were photographed with SL lighting set to Noon and using the Shapes By Zada face light on the "Midnight Glamor"setting.

p.s. that's the Annabel sweater from CKS Designs I'm wearing. You haven't been there? And you're reading my blog? What do I have to do, drag you over there?

Shopping Fetish? Fetish Shopping!

Mrs. Orange Aldrich-Nielson, Co-Proprietress of Rubber Pussy

My name is Dot Lane, and I'm a group-a-holic. I'm always at my twenty-five group limit and I constantly leave and rejoin groups to make sure I'm keeping current with all my favorite stores and people--I could easily be in fifty groups. One group that I won't leave (and the one that draws the most questions when people read my profile) is Rubber Pussy. What is Rubber Pussy you ask? Well, first and foremost it is the best rubber and latex fetish mall in SL. Second, and more important, it is the work of one of my longest standing SL friends, Mrs. Orange Aldrich-Nielson. Orange is the proprietress of Rubber Pussy along with her wife, Mrs. Alex Aldrich-Nielson, and they have been busy with renovations and expanding the mall. Orange gave me a tour this morning.

There are many new stores, including Geometrica Design, GG Design, Szentasha (check out the whipped cream, no, really!), Powers of Creation, S6, and AW Design, along with old favorites. What I like best about shopping there is that Orange knows her vendors and products and can always find just the right thing, even if you're not sure what you're shopping for. That kind of service is almost never found in a large mall and it makes Rubber Pussy special. And as a bonus, if you visit the mall, you may win a prize. I'm not telling what it is, but good luck!

Now I know what you all are saying. You're saying, "But Dot...we never see you in rubber or latex...what gives?" Well, part of being a Girl Reporter is the requirement that one range far and wide. Here you go:

Hell On Wheels

What? You've never had the urge to race around in a shopping cart? Right........

Whipped Cream and Other Delights

Dot Lane and IzzyBelle Lane at the Sh*t Happens Release Party--I Love Her Cherry

I headed over to Sh*t Happens today because Ana Boogiewoogie has released some fun new styles and was having a party to celebrate. Lo and behold, across the room I saw a cupcake with my name on it! Well, not my full name, but certainly my last name. Intrigued (and a little hungry) I headed over and introduced myself. IzzyBelle Lane proved to be delightful and full of knowledge about frosting and whipped cream and other delights. Unfortunately the cupcake was given away as a group gift for Devilish Cupcake and is no longer available--I had wanted to jump out of a cake for my birthday and this seems to be the closest equivalent in SL. In any case, I was pleased to meet her because we Lane sisters (we should be a 1940s vocal group) need to stick together and with all of that frosting, it is highly likely that we will.

The Seasons Change

Dot and Eagle Huddling For Warmth In Misty Acres

My friend Eagle invited me over for a visit today and said, "Dress warmly," which isn't something one hears often in SL. But now that Halloween and the harvest are over, winter will sweep down on many of us and when I TPed into Misty Acres I found a winter wonderland. Misty Acres is an amazing sim created by Tindallia Soothsayer which contains an amusement park and other delights. Best of all, it is covered with glorious snow which allows me to show off my new winter coat (part of the "Beat" outfit, from CKS Designs) and gloves and muffler which match the hat which comes with Calla's "Begonia" model hair. I'm standing with Eagle, Tindy's wife, on the bridge over the skating pond. Her cloak has to be seen to be believed--I half expected her to offer me some Turkish Delight. If you see Eagle around Misty Acres, be sure to say hi. She will help make sure your visit is a pleasant one.