Cue the Pokemon Theme!

    I've finally gotten pictures of a free mesh pokemon belt (that comes with a handheld pokeball, too!) that a friend had pointed me to for a pokemon shoot we planned to do. And we shall do it, too! I've even got the perfect outfit for it now and it's all anime-type-cartoon-thing! Yea...I should be asleep, but I had to get these pictures done. Basically everything that I have linked is free except for the eyeshadow, which is part of a makeup pack I've linked someplace before, and the hair. But the hair is a dollarbie so it's close. The pose comes in a pack that has three and it is available at ploom's Hair Fair booth, so that's only going to be there a limited time unless they make it available at their store as a gift or however. The hair, also, is at a Hair Fair booth, so best to go grab it quick. Both stores, though have some nice styles, so you might want to consider buying some of their hairs if you have the lindens. Or you could go buy from some other creator there. In any case, if you buy something from there, some of the purchase will go to Wigs for Kids. Each booth has a little sign that says how much (minimum 15%) they are donating, though some styles and such vary. And, yes, this is all very way after the opening and so close to the closing...but, well, it happens. You should still go look since the sims are probably not as crowded now.

I attached the pokeball to my left hand, but it normally goes on the right.

I'm going to find at least one; I have a lot of balls to fill.
I could barely typed that with a straight face....

Adorable pigtails + pink cheeks= stereotypical anime girl?

    I really do love this hair, though. The bows are actually optional, but I had to wear them. Probably you could put different things where the bows are if you want to change the 'look' of the hair as it were, which is actually pretty nice since enough hairs won't let you take off the accessories they come with. So, anime, cyberpunk, or just random; whatever you're going for, it should work nicely.

Eyeshadow: **NOYA** 9 Make Up Options (green asian used)
Blush: :*BABY*: Free Starry Night Blush -Berry- tattoo layer (extreme version used)
Hair: eep . hair 012 . green (SLurl to Hair Fair booth)
Belt/Ball: FREE Loki Mesh - Pokemon Trainer Belt
Pose: .ploom. Bones 3 (SLurl to Hair Fair booth)

Adventures of Berry the Bear!

Alright, today isn't so much with a free item as a place with a lot of things for taking pictures without having to buy a bunch of items. This place is called Image Essentials (linked SLurl) and has many different props and areas to take pictures in; the areas having props as well. Personally, I love it because I can use shadows and such there without having to worry about SL going 'nope *crash*'. Which is what it decided to do most of yesterday and why I couldn't do this on Friday. I think everything is against me doing it on Friday for whatever reason. So, click that link up there and head on over if you're looking for a place that has many varied places (like a dark forest, a ravine, a cottage, and different studios for groups and singles with different backgrounds and poses). It's really lovely and all that is asked is that you join the group which is free to join. There's even  monthly contest where you can possibly win some lindens if you're pictures are good enough. The pictures at the house are taken in the cottage at Image Essentials.
    Now, I had to use this as a reason to show off my new mesh bear avi that I got as a gift from a friend. I love it so very, very much. It's very customizable in color of fur, backpack color, pen color, if you want the glasses and/or back pack on, and don't forget size. It goes form XS to uber and uber is...well, uber. Very much so. The type of bear you don't want hugging you because it might accidentally squish you. But, I put the XS on, changed it to a blue bear and went on my merry way. And that is how Berry's adventures began.

First Berry decided to go to the store. He had to get close to see how fresh the watermelon was.

He didn't want fruit. And when he saw the candy display, he had to buy it out.

He also found the pie display. Apparently this little blue bear has a sweet tooth.

After wandering, he found a house. And inside were cupcakes! 

Yum!

Berry then found some pictures. Too bad he's too short to see them all that well.

It was getting late, so he decided to go eat his pie.

And since the house was lacking a bed, the little blue bear took out a towel and slept on that.
After taking his backpack and glasses off, of course.

     I seriously love this bear. And, now that i think of it, he's a mix of my two most favorite stuffed animals, one that I still have. His name is that of my little teddy bear and he's blue, like a giant blue bear I used to have. Hm...actually he can even be the same size as that... That's something I'll have to keep in mind. Until next time on: Berry's Adventures! Who knows what this bear will find (and what sweets he'll eat)!

Here's a link to the bear avatar incase you want some added cuteness to your own wanderings:
Nerd Bear - Mesh Avatar

Intrigue

    The other day I put together a random outfit, typed coffee into search for whatever reason, and sat around letting my avatar have a Mad Hatter coffee party, which is much better than tea in my opinion. Though my poor virtual-self apparently went mad and started talking to herself. Not that I can judge, but that's besides the point.

Well, she's either talking to herself or the flowers....I'm not entirely sure...

    And then I saw Strawberry's meme for this week and I just thought my random picture fit perfectly. But, yes, sitting in random coffee shop styled places in colorful hair and tattoos and overalls is what I do when I'm bored. Thankfully, I accept that as how I am and...well, it might tell you more than the questions for the meme will about me; but here goes it anyhow:

1. How do you deal with criticism? Hm...I like to think I do pretty well with it. I mean, I tend to think on it a lot when it comes from a friend or family member or if it seems constructive. But if someone is saying it just to criticize, I tend to let it just roll off my back. It's like insults with me, if it's not going to help me I just smile and say 'well f*** you, too'. But if it might help me or was meant as more of a suggestion than insult, then I think on it. I don't shut down or anything, I ask why and work on it if it seems I should.
2. What’s the most infuriating thing other SL residents do? Cause drama where drama is not needed. I don't like that at all. It's just...I don't see why people feel a need to create it other than for them to be the center of attention. Which is stupid, because you end up the center of a bad sort of attention. People do this in RL, too, but they seem to do it more in SL. Maybe because they have access to more people as well can can chance avatars if they have to? I don't know. I just can't stand it and tend to run the other way and duck for cover than get involved.
3. Which SL resident would you most like to have lunch with and why? Oh...that's hard. I have two I would love to have lunch with. It's between two of my closest friends in SL; Salix and Taeem. They're just awesome people, at least to me and for different reasons, that I would just love an opportunity to speak to them face to face and get to know each better. Maybe cram us all together, even? You can learn only so much form typed words; it's the facial expressions that show the most.
4. Who would you say is your “anti” role model? Someone who serves as a warning rather than an inspiration? I'm not naming any names either, since that would just be wrong. But...I'd have to say the people who just are around to play games with people's heads and sometimes their hearts, too. They're the ones who have no care that there is an actual human being behind the avatar and are only around to play their mind games. They want to hurt people simply for the sake of hurting people.
5. What was something you used to enjoy, but was ruined for you? Ah...well, I have to say nothing has been ruined for me. At least yet. Maybe it's because I'm still young in SL terms. Maybe it's because I let most things roll off my back after enough time. I don't know, something might end up ruined for me, but nothing has been as of yet.
6. What’s something you want to do that you’d be embarrassed to tell other people about? *points to above picture* Yea...nothing I want to do would I be embarrassed about. 
7. What's the oddest term of endearment you've ever used or that someone's used for you? Hm...no one has ever used it in SL as of yet, but I have some friends that insist on calling me 'evil demon child.' Pfft, don't know where they got that from. As for what I've used for others....probably that would have to be 'crazy dragon lady'. (And the oddest part, the friend I call this agrees with me!)
8. Have you ever fallen in love with another SL resident? Nope, not once.
9. Describe a time/event in your slife that you're nostalgic for. I'm not sure. I don't really miss my first days in SL like most seem to nor anything else. I mean, my first days were nice since everything was new....but....there's really not much I can think of that I miss too much. Call me weird, but I really can't think of anything.
10. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you? Give me something penguin-related and I'll love you forever! Seriously, that's all it takes. And if it's blue and penguin-y? Yes! That's all the better! But, really, it's sweet enough when people are honest about themselves and can decide they want to put up with my oddness. :)

    Still thinking my outfit that I shall now use for random exploring might tell you more about me than you want to know and these questions probably don't help with that, but if you've made it down here I congratulate you and offer coffee. Now, I am going to go type random things in the search box and see what comes up as it seems Firestorm is lacking a destination guide. Strange I never noticed that before...but, have a good night or morning or however to you!

Positively Yellow, but Far From Scary

    I just now am remembering that yellow is generally the color that represents fear, so I suppose it is actually fitting that the two freebies for today are yellow since I just did the fear meme earlier. Funny how things work out, isn't it? Well, thankfully the items aren't all that scary and lean more to the pretty aspect. As there is no need to fear, let's get on with the first freebie, shall we?

The dress part isn't edited, so what you see is how it looks.

    I actually found this dress from clicking something that looked pretty (that I can't afford, obviously) and following the link to the store. This dress from Envious Creations is mesh, so it has an alpha and come sin multiple sizes: I used the XS, so my guess is that it follows standard sizing even though it doesn't exactly say that. What I love about it is the subtle block pattern. Personally I don't usually like dresses with cubes for the pattern (or yellow as a color for that matter), but this one is done well and the small white band is a nice addition that keeps the dress from being too singular in color. I think this is a nice retro-ish style freebie that just fits for summer. As well, form what I've seen, the rest of the designs from this creator are worth a look.

    This makeup I've had in my inventory since I found the skin from last week and I thought it just worked with the dress because of the yellow in it. This is from the same creator who made last week's skin, Natural Beauty. Now, this eye shadow is in a pack with eyelashes as well...but I'm not one to really use lashes as well they are rather primy. So I'm just sticking to the eye shadow for now.I think it's nicely done and, if you have something with yellow as the main color, it can give your look a little extra something. A bit more eccentric/fantasy type of eye shadow, yes, but nice none the less. Besides, Second Life is generally eccentric or fantasy based, so who would much judge? I also have to say i like the little white dots that ray out from the eye. I don't know why, but they're only a single line whereas the green and yellow have more; it offers  a nice balance.
    And here are the links to this weeks freebies:
Dress: ::Envious:: Sunshine Dress
Eye Shadow: Natural Beauty GIFT-Eyeshadows and 6 sculpted lashes set

Fear of the Bleak

    Alright, this is a bit after the fact, but in my defense the weather has thrown me off this week as well I keep forgetting my iron pills and have been sleeping early because of that. And, yes, that's also my reasoning for my try at having a Freebie Friday thing is once again going to be more so on...well, today. But I've got pretty pictures if that helps?
    And now I'm rambling.
    But, this week, Strawberry Singh did another of her weekly memes and this time it was about fears. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm afraid of quite a few things; The Grudge movie (American version, and I will never even try to get through the Japanese one. Nuh-uh!), random sounds in the dark (I have an overactive imagination and...well I blame my first fear for this one), heights, roller coasters, dying alone, death itself, death of a loved one, and so on. But most of those are things that are simply part of life and unavoidable or unchangeable or something you don't have too much of a hand in, so they aren't my worst fears. The thing that terrifies me the most, at least for the moment, is not amounting to anything in life. I'm lazy, try to find easy ways for things, and procrastinate, yet I'm somehow still considered 'smart'. I'm not the person who turns in everything early and works extra hard on stuff. I know all this and I admit to it freely, but that doesn't mean I want to not do anything with my life. My family...to say they really want me to finish college and follow my dreams and not just go off and do something else, would be an understatement. I'm not going too much into it, but they want me to succeed for certain reasons. I want to get my master's in psychology and be a child psychologist and the idea of not making it scares me because I don't want to go below my hopes as well i don't want to disappoint my family, probably more so the latter. It might be a weird fear, but I don't want a bleak future where I'm one of those people sitting around, drinking, and only having dreams of what could have been. I want to live my dreams, not only dream them when they are out of reach.

    I know people live some wonderful lives without reaching their 'real' dream, but I don't see that as a possibility for me. I would be too upset with myself and I would just know there is disappointment from my family, so I don't think I'd be happy if I don't reach my goal. I don't like the uncertainty the future holds, but I'm working to have at least one thing go as I hope.
    I try my best. My best isn't, and will likely never be, the best, but it's my best. I just have to keep hoping it'll be enough so that I don't fall short. The saying may be 'shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars', but I'm a pessimist and I see it as more 'shoot for the moon, miss and you'll float about in space.' I don't much want to float about in space since I'm pretty sure that'll be just as terrifying as the possibility of missing my goal.

Swooning Just a Little Bit

    Yes, I'm posting again tonight. But don't worry, it won't become any spam of posts. Though I'm not even sure if anyone actually reads this thing...well, I know at least one person who does, at least sometimes, but...I mean other people. Eh, well, maybe I should really put the link to my blog and/or Flickr in my in-world profile but I'm shy, like really, really shy. I'll do it sometime though, once I have a friend convince me at least. Yea...I'm something special, aren't?
    Okay, anyway, this post does have a point, even if it's just for me to ramble a bit. I've been swooning over Wordpress for a while. Seriously, I've been looking at blogs on Wordpress and have full-out swooned. It looks pretty and...well, it has a bit more in the option department than this current one I'm using. I even have a blog over there, IC blog, but still. Maybe I'll link it sometime when it's all nice and pretty...but not yet. Again my shyness overtakes my good intentions to share my probably pointless ramblings. Anyhow, Wordpress. I like it. I might switch this blog over to there. Hell, the way things look, I swear this thing might be starting to lean to more fashion blogging. If that happens I might grab one of my friends and ask her to help with that. Once I move to Wordpress. But, for now, this blog is staying here and still just being my random ramblings with...quite a few fashion posts lately. I tried to keep away from doing any for a few reasons. One: I'm shy and I feel a need to ask designers of non-free things if it's okay that I blog something I got because it was pretty. Weird, maybe, but...I kind of did that with the Wishbox Whimsy one...might do the same with other outfits (*cough* store I love too much *cough) that I am thinking on blogging. I hate not asking. I feel bad. But that's me and I'm strange like that.
    Other reasons i tried to stay away from blogging any fashion was because I was...not so confident with my picture taking. I'm still not that confident and I see so many better pictures of things out there that I'm just like 'hoard all the pictures for self!'. But, I don't. I post on Flickr. I post on Flickr because no one looks at my Flickr. Like with this blog. Though, admittedly, I've joined groups in Flickr so...probably people will look more there and, by following links, my blog. So, hi there person who may or may not be looking at my rambling post! I like to share things I write and photograph, but I'm shy. How that works, I have no idea whatsoever. But I'm gaining confidence. Maybe it's because the internet and there is animosity to it? Probably. In RL I would never show anyone besides my friends and family pictures I take or things I write. Complete strangers? Forget it. Strange how few I know through non-virtual means don't see what I've taken the most pictures of, whereas all these people I've never met have. Or haven't, since I still doubt the views on my stuff cause there's only so many ways to get to said stuff.
    Okay, I think I'm done...and completely off track. But my excuse is that it's 4:43 in the morning and I haven't slept all night so I'm prone to rambling. Rambling will probably be the theme today, since if I sleep now I'll waste the whole day away. Though...arguably...being on the internet is a bit of a waste of a day... But I'm being social so none can judge! Too harshly at least.
    I'm really done this time, I swear. I'll stop and save you form whatever else will come from my fingers dancing on the keyboard.

Freebie Friday

    Yes, I know it's technically Saturday...but I haven't gone to sleep yet, so I count it. :P But, in any case, I'm starting something I'm dubbing 'Freebie Friday'. It'll be a weekly thing where I peer around market place for some nice freebies and then post them. I know how difficult finding nice freebies is and how long it can take, too, as I tend to do that myself; so I'm hoping to help simplify it a bit.
    Today I typed into the search 'doll' because I had found this lipstick set (free too, but will put that another time) and wanted to find something to go with it, but instead I found a pretty skin and shape. Then of course I had to find a nice bikini or something to show it off better and, since the fourth of July was this week, I decided to get one themed as such. Then I made a beach box out of random stuff in my inventory...but the towel I have no idea where or when I got it and the umbrella is part of the Raindrops prop from Something New. The box itself I made from the textures in my inventory's library and, of course, I used my spotlight that I adore for pictures.
    And, on a side note, it's times like these I really wish I had a skybox for taking pictures. Simply because the place I go to for that when I just want to use my 'photo box' had rezzing/changing problems like I know some people had a while ago. And then when I teleported to the rp-sim where I spend most of my time and there's actually a house that my character lives in, I hadn't changed before I got there. Then I had to keep relogging and relogging until the damned thing worked and I was in the entire medieval attire and not holding a sparkler. And then I had to redo my whole built-in AO.*sighs* But, well, I'm broke, so I sadly can't afforded a nice little skybox so I can groan at and threaten SL in, but I digress, here are the nice, free items I found.
    First the skin and shape:

    This is a shape, skin, and eyebrows set that I think has this wonderfully innocent look. I think I've fallen in love with it, though will probably stick to my own shape as, well, it's my own one I made. Though I am sorely tempted to change over since I just love this look. But the skin did look good with my own shape as well, so hopefully it will with your's if you cling to it like I tend to mine. The sad thing, though, is that I have to reorder it because of silly SL, but that's besides the point. I didn't get a chance to look at the exact height, but it's a normal, not freakishly tall height; that much I know for certain. I'll check later when SL isn't being so moody.
    And now the bikini, which even has a sparkler! :

    So, yes, this stars and stripes bikini, which I think is adorable even if you aren't American. To be honest, I barely have anything starry and stripey myself, usually can't stand the stuff, but I think this one is cute. Especially for a freebie. And, yes, as I said, that sparkler comes with the bikini. It doesn't have a pose with it, it just attaches to your right hand, but it's still pretty neat.
    There's the freebies for this Friday (Saturday for those who have slept, I know, but don't be judgey :P) and the links are below. Hope you liked some of what I have shown today and have a wonderful weekend.

Skin, shape, eyebrows: Natural Beauty-Sissy skin&shape
Bikini with sparkler: Cupids 4th of July Bikini 2009 Free Gift

Magic of Makeup

    I've been on a hunt since a long while now to fix up my look for my main RP character, Armalla, since the skin is this freebie skin that just looks awkward in the face because of the eye shadow and lipstick on it. I can't take either off and, by the point I thought to try something, it would've been weird to get a whole new skin for someone rather established. So, I dug through my inventory one day and found a free eye shadow and lip gloss. I tried them and was really happy with what it did to the eyes, the lip not so much, but it did help dull the color and give the lips a better shape that the skin's lipstick hindered. So I've been happy with that, though i have been trying things (all free of course) for the lips, but to no avail and I' kept going back to the original one.
    But, yesterday, as I was perusing the marketplace for whatever reason I stumbled upon this makeup pack with a lip gloss that looked like it would work. Seeing as I did have a few lindens that were for getting things for my Malla-character, I got it. I figure I can use the eye shadows and lip glosses for something else, but that one lip gloss seemed like it might fix my issue. Well...I had to say I'm very pleased with the results. My freebie skin from way back when i started SL actually looks much better and she looks more like how I think she should look.

Left: Without any makeup whatsoever. Right: eye shadow and lip gloss.

    Most people tend to buy skins for different looks, which sometimes can be the only way if you want to look totally different, but just for little tweaks? Make up definitely works, so long as you find the right kind. What I love about what it did for Malla's look especially is that it makes her eyes not seem as round and, well, buggy, but more...normal? And her lips, too, I love that she has more of a natural shape to her lips that moving the slider around a thousand times would never fix. Not to mention the coloring of both. Alright, i love all that it did. Strange enough, in RL, I barely wear make up and, when i do, it's only light eyeliner or light mascara and a sweep of light colored eye shadow. But I can still tell there's a difference. I think it's just something that more should realize (though I know enough do): make up in SL works just like in RL, it can change your look entirely if done right.

And because I really do love the make up and what it did:
Lips: **NOYA** 9 Make Up Options (used the lip gloss #2 from this, but the other options for lips and eyes are neat, too, and I hope to find a reason for them)
Eyes: beauty by alaskametro <3 - Creme duo eyeshadow *eye shadow is a freebie and the store has a handful of other nice makeup for free, too*