the Fool

Have you ever wanted to do something crazy, or out of your realm but didn't because you were afraid of what the outcome would be?  Or maybe you were concerned with what others would think or *gasp*, "what if I embarrassed myself?"

What if you could do the above without consequences?  Or to put it more simply, what if you could do the one thing you always wanted to do without over planning, over thinking or overanalyzing?  Just go with the flow, step off the cliff and accept whatever comes your way.

I became interested in the tarot many years ago.  I can still remember getting my first deck, the Rider Waite, and being amazed at how all the colors and symbols seemed to come alive and pop off the cards.  I don't use the Tarot for fortune telling rather more as a way to see a situation more clearly much like someone might use praying or meditating to sort through things. And yes, I do read for other people.

                                The Fool from Rider-Waite by Waite and Smith, 1909

The Fool has always been one of my favorites (although I tend to say that about all 78 cards).  The Fool is 0 but you can also think of it as unnumbered.  I have always interpreted the number 0 as a clean slate, a new beginning, void of baggage (woohoo!).   In the Rider-Waite image (see above), you see a man about to step off a cliff.  He holds a white flower and a hobo pack sits on his shoulder.  Does the pack hold your past?  A white dog is at his feet perhaps warning him that he is about to take a big step which will result in falling or perfect spontaneity.  The Fool is a wanderer, a traveler, an explorer.

I have been acting the fool of late in my RL.  Nothing completely insane or worthy of a best seller but I am definitely stepping out my realm and the results are quite sweet. One mild example is I started running (again) and am thinking of doing several 10ks over the summer but I immediately have thoughts such as "What if I'm the last to finish?" or "What if I have to walk?"  Over thinking can often prevent you from doing things you really want to do.  So what if I don't finish?  I'm not doing it to be the first through the finish line.  I'm running because I love it and it's pure awesomeness!

Could you be more foolish in your life?  Can you do things on a whim or go on instinct alone?  In your relationships?  In your career?  Of course, you can be the Fool to an extreme and all those wonderful traits will backfire on you.  I have several people in my life who are complete flakes.  They drive me crazy!  They are literally being a fool and not caring about the consequences or the effect it has on others.  So go with your heart.  You don't always have to be foolish but we all need to take a risk once in awhile and be free and be nothing (remember that the number "0" is blank, empty, nothing). The hard part is deciding if the time is right for taking that risk.

Questions to ask:  Could you be more foolish about life (second life, first life or whatever life)?  Could you benefit from more spontaneity?  Should you take that step off the cliff without thinking what lies below or ahead?

Places
Crater Lake
Dark Moon

Fashions
dress: Yome Shojo, *ooo*sun
skin: Yome Shojo, *rave2*yellow

red

Color Challenge
house: Yome Shojo, Group gift
lingerie: Has Been, Frisky Femme
skin: Mango, Mango!, Smoked Tan Freckles
hair: Truth, Heather

blacK

Color Challenge
dress: WD, Lolita Coat Dress
boots: WD, Cordelia
skin: Mango, Mango!, Innocent Pale Freckles
hair: Truth, Kai

light on your arm and bring a wild Gift

I first heard of Swan Ling and Argyle Anonymous when her RL sister, Elle Kirshner of Second Spaces, plurked about Swan's Spring fashions. They are simply adorable. I went back to her shop and basically bought almost everything. My favorites are her tops and button up shirts because they fit me perfectly! I usually have to fiddle with many items in my closet (inventory) to get them to fit right (not that there's anything wrong with that). Swan's prices are very affordable-you will be pleasantly surprised and I'm sure you will be tempted, as I was, to buy Everything! I was even inspired to make a pattern (real/first life) that looks very similar to the denim skirt (see top pic).

"I send a light to shine on you
I send a light to shine around you"
-Belly (I couldn't think of a title so I used a song lyric from one of my favorite bands)

All clothes, glasses and jewelry from Argyle Anonymous
place: Eternal Return
hair: Truth, Kymberly
shoes: J's, Real Toe Wrap Front Sandals

she comes in Colors everywhere + Prefabulous 3

So it started out as a simple post of trying to catch up with the color challenge but that wasn't really that simple since I am 6 weeks behind. And I wanted to combine the colors: cerise, green, emerald, etc. with ONE room of decor. Of course, that ended up being a whole house of decor. Luckily, the adorable and cozy Pretty Litzi from estetica has only two rooms.

Since I'm incredibly tired tonight, I'm going to be short on words and big on images.

Emerald

Taupe

Indigo

Sienna

Silver

Green

Cerise

Fashions
All poses from MNK*Shop except where noted

Emerald
skirt: MNK*Shop, **nikukyu**, Retro
top: Sari's, Zeerys Silk Sari
hair: Truth, Yolanda 2

Taupe
shorts: MNK*Shop, **nikukyu**, Stripe PantsSet
knit: MNK*Shop, **nikukyu**, Spring KnitSet
hair: Truth, Layla

Indigo
jumper/dress: Yome Shojo, *Yey*
tights: Miao, Ribbed Tights
hair: Truth, Akira

Sienna
leggings: Orion, Flower Denim
sweater: Orion, Loose Sweater
shoes: S@BBiA, Flower Pumps
hair: Truth, Heather

Silver
dress: *Boom*, Why Not Dress
hair: :BC, Ariadne (couldn't find TP)
stocking: ROtten Toe, moth stocking

Green
dress: **DP**yumyum, Velours Dress
hair: Truth, Paloma

Cerise
dress: Has Been, Dottie 2
hair: Vanity Hair, Lola
Pose: aDORKable, Spunky Dork

Home Decor
*all Klimt paintings can be found on SL Marketplace

Outside
Landscape (trees, bushes, grass): Sea Hole Garden
chair: LISP, Autumn Shades in Olive
gardenbench and crate with plants: FacTs
winter pretty blue: Designer Prims

Front Room/Kitchen
breakfastable: FacTs
dexter fridge: artilleri
island: Clutter
waffle maker: Reek
plants, white curtains and rug: Designer Prims
phone: Second Spaces
klimt painting: Water castle

Back Room
pink and brown rose rug and wall shelves: Yome Shojo
crafternoon corner table and butterfly shadow box: [croire]
blue and brown sofas: *KOPI*
rope trick lamp: LISP
klimt: Avenue in Schloss Kammer Park
Klimt: Music
bed and squared table: *Tatty Soup*
elephant wall hanging: Tasty
berwick console b: {theosophy}
flowers: Flower Power
shabby shelf: Designer Prims
book pile: [ARIA]

Prefabulous 2: Zacca Lodge

How many woodsy cabins can one pixelated girl own? Never Never Enough! When I got a notecard last week that Zacca had a new release, well, I could hardly contain my excitement (don't worry, I contained it).  For those of you who don't know me or this blog (most of you probably!), I'm a prefab whore. I buy many houses. I own many houses. Sometimes I forget what I have and end up with two of the same prefab. You get the picture.

Check out my welcome mat. How cute is that? and it's a freebie!

I'm not a builder so my descriptions might seem a little elementary. The new Zacca Lodge (see here) comes in a small and large version and also a courtyard version which is what I am showing you today. Plain and simple-it's just lovely. The textures are gorgeous and this girl is all about textures. The courtyard is 122 prims which gives you enough space (if you have a plot of land with at least 400 prims or so) to have fun with decoring (is decoring a word?) and landscaping. When you walk through the door, you are greeted with an awesome window seat. I love the windows too btw.

The front room (see above) is large enough to separate into a kitchen and living area. Oops, I need a refrigerator. And more plants and chotskies! I love the ceiling and the the detailing of the beams (see below). If you like a rustic feel to your home than I'm sure you will be very happy with the Lodge.

There are two side rooms. I made one into a bedroom and yes, that is a bedroom set from UrbanizeD (And please take your shoes off in RL before you lie on a beautiful new bedroom set!). Enjoy this moment coz, well, it just might be your last. Live for today!!

The other room is kind of a kick back, relaxed, let's listen to some tunes, type of room. I'm hanging with Emerald on the MudHoney Rustic Spring set that she gifted me. Thanks Em! And yeah, that is a a fortune teller table in the corner. Stay away from Ouija Boards folks, stay very far away.

I love going outside and looking at all my lovely landscape loveliness from the Sea Hole.

On the other side of the courtyard is a nice area to put more decor or have an easel and canvas ready.

Thank you for letting me show you around this great lodge. CROSS Jupiter, the creator and owner of Zacca, is so nice and is great with customer service. Kudos to him for such a lovely build!

Zacca Store: Zacca
Zacca Demos: Zacca Demos

Outside
Landscape (trees, bushes, grass): Sea Hole Garden
easel and canvas: Marketplace
chairs: LISP, Autumn Shades in Olive and Rust
welcome mat: Pestique, FREEBIE!!!

Kitchen
table and chairs: *Tatty Soup*
paisley decal: [croire]
stove: ![CoCo], CozyStove, red
side table and cake: LISP, Traditional Hearth Console and Fancy Cake

Living Area
beanbag: ::Ragdoll's cut::, Beanbag Fading Violet
bottle light: *Art Dummy!
wall hangings: [croire], Buttefly Shadow Box, 'rainy day' and and 'in bloom'
curtains: *Tatty Soup*
birdhouse: [croire]
side table: {theosophy}, Berwick Console A
plant on table: Flower Power

Bedroom
bedroom set (bed, bedside tables and lamps): UrbanizeD, "Heavenly" Bed Set
enjoy this moment decal: :CP:
curtains, tv and stand, bookcase and couch: *Tatty Soup*
tv and stand: *Tatty Soup*

Kick Back Room
Rustic Spring Set: MudHoney
record player: artilleri
bookcase: ~La'Licious~
fortune teller table: .:Stone Misery:.
wall hanging: *Smudge*, Elephant Sun (*note* being rebuilt at time of this post)

Fashions:
tees: terri.tees, she's got newness out people!!!
denim: *Boom*, Gettin Low
hair: Vanity Hair, Imani

the Last hours of Mary Kelly

Mary was exhausted. She couldn't remember a time that she had been this tired. She felt like she had been running forever without any time to think or breathe.  But she still needed to work.  It was 11pm and she had a good two hours still to get several more customers before she dropped from exhaustion.

It's been hard for Mary to get tricks the past couple of days.  Four of her friends have been murdered by some lunatic that has been roaming the streets since August.  Men have been keeping their distance from her.  It's as if she has developed some disease or is viewed upon as a bad omen.  She is sick of it all.  If she could just sit and rest. If only for a few minutes.  All she does is walk these streets day after day after day.

She wouldn't end up like her other friends, Annie, Catherine, Elizabeth, and Mary who didn't have the luxury of being alive.   She was going to be somebody.  Someday.  She would get out of this hellish life-get out of Whitechapel forever.   The Ripper wasn't going to get her.  She was somebody.  She wanted to live.

Mary decided she would go to Ten Bells to have a pint and something to eat.  She couldn't face any customers just yet.  And she was feeling lightheaded probably because she hadn't had enough money to buy food for two days.

After she leaves Ten Bells, she meets with several customers then drags herself home to her 12'x10' room at Miller's Court off of Dorset Street.  Mary is scared. She doesn't want to go to her room tonight. She doesn't want to be alone.  And she has felt for awhile now that someone has been following her.  She walks through her door and collapses on the bed.  Sleep at last.

One day men will look back and say I gave birth to the Twentieth Century
                                                                                      -Jack the Ripper, 1888

Note: I was inspired to write this post after the first stop of the Serial Killer hunt.  I've only made it to the first stop because, to be honest, it kind of grossed me out.  So you have been warned-this hunt is not for the faint of heart!  Most of the above I made-up with a couple of true facts thrown in.

What fascinates me about the Jack the Ripper case is not the murders nor the fact that they never found the killer, but the Whitechapel district.  There were approximately 80,000 people living in Whitechapel in 1888 which is shocking because the area is quite small.  You can almost imagine the horrific conditions as you're walking through the Soul Productions sim (so much so that I just wanted to take my pics and get the hell out of there!).  If you would like more info you can see the movie From Hell or read the graphic novel of the same name.

And now, I will close the book on Jack the Ripper and hopefully never think about it again!

skin: (fd), Bird Skin
hair: Clawtooth, Oh Juju!
dress: Rotten Toe, Love Prison Dress
shoes: lassitude & ennui, Imogene ankle boots