I am quite blessed to know some amazing people in Second Life, and to have some of my most treasured real life friends as, also, a part of my second, virtual existence. If you'll give me leave for a moment, I'd like to give a little bit of space to them.

Rosie Barthelmess - pictured here - is my best friend in both worlds. She has been a constant in my life since we first met online years ago - connected through our rl-blogs - and I simply cannot imagine either life without her as a part of it. Rosie has been my go-to person for personal crises, a shoulder I lean on when life brings me down, and one of the very few people in this world I will - and can - truly open up to. She understands me, innately, and even still likes me. In fact, she loves me to pieces; as I do her.

Rosie has really taken to Second Life; doing things I could only ever hope to imagine. She has opened her own jewelry store, Sable Rose Jewelry, where she creates some of the most beautiful, one-of-a-kind, high-quality pieces in Second Life. She has a few stores, Filataponic, Sn@tch City, along with her main shop at Gallinas. She also has work up at Xstreet. I do suggest checking her out, and I don't just say that because she's my best friend. Her work is truly lovely and unique, and deserves to be seen.

As well as being a content creator, Rosie has recently begun tentative steps towards becoming a live singer in-world. I am amazed, truly, for the thought of singing live in front of anyone makes my toes curl in nervous apprehension. Nervous or not, Rosie belts out tunes with her powerhouse voice and everyone is charmed. Some people are simply born golden-throated and with a natural ability to sing and Rosie is one of these. If ever you get a chance to see one of her shows, I do suggest you make it a point to stop in. You won't be disappointed.

Rosie amazes me every day. Whether it's her Mama Bear-approach - an iron fist in a velvet glove, to be sure - helping run Lounge of Dreams, where we both work, or her tireless efforts to raise money in-world for cancer research through Relay for Life, spinning tunes as a well-renowned DJ, pursuing her dreams as a singer, or spending hours piecing together beautiful jewelry pieces for SL residents, she always has time for a friend. She's quite the powerhouse, but you'll never hear her act like top dog or thinking she's better than anyone else. She won't put up with any shit or be taken for a fool, but she also deals with each person honestly and openly, with a shy smile, a flirty wink, and a pithy comeback. She's brave, intelligent, warm-hearted, funny, down-to-earth, silly, business-minded, fair, and all around beautiful - inside and out. She is, quite simply, one of the most awesome people I have ever met and anyone who knows her is quick to exclaim how much they "love Rosie!"

I know so many beautiful, wonderful people in SL and I'd be here all day trying to name each and every one of them. Many I know from Lounge of Dreams, others I share a home with at the beautiful Four Corners. Still others I have simply met in my travels, or knew them before they ever stepped into the metaverse. All are special to me; each makes my life better for having them in it.

One that stands out is my dear, dear friend, Belmont Roux. Bel and I have been rl-friends since 2000, when we met at the apartment I had just begun sharing with my childhood best friend. Quirky the both of us, we hit it off immediately and - throughout the years - have remained good friends. We became especially close right before he left Louisiana for Nashville, TN to pursue his Master's in Music, and I urged him to get back into SL (where I'd had him dabble a bit before - both of us, also, being total geeks) so that we could continue to hang out and do things together, even if it was just virtually.

Eventually, Bel got back into SL full-force and was recently hired as a new host at Lounge of Dreams, for which I am so excited for and proud of him. I know he'll be a great host; anyone with a sense of humor that keen and side-splittingly funny is sure to keep a club full of avatars in stitches. Bel is, hands down, one of the funniest people I know. He could be a stand-up comedian, for he has no qualms taking on any subject and being "politically correct" isn't even in his vocabulary (which I love about him). He is a sweetheart, and I do adore him - my Mom and sister are two of his biggest fans, and we even created a "fan club" for him when he lived down here in Louisiana and was on television and the radio doing traffic reports. His quick wit and big heart make him a special guy, and we are in talks to be married in SL - I would be quite proud to be Ms. Izzy Roux-Graves (or Ms. Izzy Graves-Roux, I'm still not sure which sounds better).

I am blessed to have such special friends; truly I am. Be sure to tell the people in your life that you love them and how special they are to you, for we are not promised tomorrow. In the last year, death has visited my family twice in a short span and it reminds me how each moment should be treasured and that you can never say "I love you" or "I am so happy you are in my life" too often.

I own half of an OpenSpace with another resident; we each have a home and some landscaping and rarely is there more than 1-3 people (if that) on the sim. After this hike, we will likely lose the place we have made our home.

Obviously this is upsetting and I have to wonder what the PR people over at Linden Labs were thinking - surely they must have considered they would be angering an enormous portion of their user base and possibly even losing hundreds of customers over this. Was it really worth it to go ahead with this decision in light of this?

We can never know what the heads over at LL discussed, but we see what they have decided and it seems - for all intents and purposes - extortionist in the extreme; in fact, one could even call it the old "bait 'n switch" scheme (which is actually illegal).

Working for a large agency and being in i.t., I can see some of the problems the misuse of OS's might have caused and a need to do something about it. However, I cannot imagine sane people (or even the legal department!) allowing this to be the decision that was reached to fix the problem.

Surely there had to be another way. Some have suggested monitoring OS's and reprimanding the problem users, or even disallowing scripts and imposing a limit on the number of av's that can be on the OS at one time. Either of these are viable solutions and - especially together - would have worked wonderfully without alienating the client base and screwing loyal customers out of thousands of dollars.

I just cannot seem to wrap my mind around why LL has decided on this course of action; the "no grandfathering" is like adding insult to injury. Its really hard to understand how a company could make a decision so left field of what would be good or acceptable for and to their customers.

I think a better solution could have been found, and I hope that one - after this boisterous outcry - is reached. I hope that LL decides to listen to its loyal customers and passionate investors and works with them to come up with a new solution that will benefit or at least work for everyone.

I love SL, and I want to believe in LL. I hope that I am given that chance - much more disillusionment, and I can't see myself desiring to be a resident for much longer.

<--- Take Action -->

If this angers you too, be sure to let your voice be heard.  Vote on the JIRA and leave a message on the official forums.  Visit Homeless?, a blog set up by Marx Dudek "discussing the fallout over the openspace rate increase."  Join the Openspace/Void Sims Flickr group and share photos of your own OS.  Consider Botgirl's very relevant query in her post, A question for protesters with the courage of their convictions.  Jump on over to vintfalken.com and read over her wonderful, informative post on this issue - appropriately titled - Linden Lab has it's business model ass backwards.

People care about this issue.  When I first read the JIRA it was around 3pm on October 28 and there were about 400+ votes.  This morning, on October 29 around 7am, it had jumped up to over 2,000 votes.  Don't think that your one, small voice won't be heard or doesn't contribute to the whole.  It does!!  For as Margaret Mead so wisely said:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

** Addendum **

You'll get a kick out of reading Vint's newest find/update...seems the whole "sim overuse" excuse LL gaves us was just as bogus as everyone believed it to be. See for yourself at Raymond Conspiracy Theory - Is LL gaming us?

(I have crossposted this over at Snark Attack, and added the comment I made on Vint's Linden Lab has it's business model ass backwards post, which expressed some more of my thoughts/feelings on the issue.)

It isn't that I don't posses my own unique style in real life; I do.  Yet I have never - and quite likely may never - have the resources to dress and bejewel myself as I do in the metaverse.  I do not live in a flashy city filled with name brand stores, and even if I did, I could never afford to shop there.  True, too, I am not a "name brand" type of girl; I try to avoid them as much as possible.

Even if shopping and money were not a problem, there is the issue of my body.  I have yet to find a fashion brand that specializes in 4'10" gals with curves.  Petite clothes are usually grandma-ish looking and children/teen clothes don't have room for my ample breasts and bum.  Though I've slimmed down my waist (back in a size 7, and sometimes a 5, woot!), what's above and below that area simply makes such clothes a non-option.

Don't even get me started on shoes!  My sister has a bit of a shoe fetish; I have never seen a woman own so many shoes - some she has only worn once.  I wish I could share her joy in footwear, but I cannot and never could.  I have had a "bad knee" since childhood, so boots were out and - as I grew older - so were heels.  Now my shoes have to not only be stylish, but have good support for my "bum legs".  Try finding all of that, and in a size 5!

My point in sharing all of my fashion woes is to point out this other aspect of SL that is so special to me.  The chance to be a fashion-conscious, stylish woman without worry of money, ill-fitting clothes, or "the impossible to find" shoes.  In SL, I can wear heels to my heart's content, I can sashay around in knee-length skirts (which would be ankle-length in rl, remember!), I can feel like a fashion goddess even if I'm just hanging out at home.

In the virtual world, I have the resources (L$) to spend and the body to display my wares on.  It has opened up a whole new world to me; a very fun one, I might add.

I am not - likely never will be - a fashionista.  I will never follow trends, shop at "the right" stores, or buy something simply for the name brand or designer.  This aspect of my personal "style" has not changed.  What has, however, is the ability to own a vast wardrobe of awesomeness from which to drape myself in.

To be blunt, I enjoy dressing myself in SL almost more than anything else I do.  Why?  Because there is a hidden, cool, and funky plethora of styles that have been hiding inside of me for all of these years that I simply never could realize in the real world.  Now, I can.  Whether I'm being "grungy, comfortable" Izzy in a cool hoodie and a favorite pair of jeans, or I'm being "kickass cyberpunk" Izzy traipsing around a post-apocalypse sim, I am getting to express a side of myself I might never have had a chance to in real life.

Clothes may not make the person, but the person can certainly use clothes to express themselves in so many ways.  SL cuts out the real life blocks that exist in reveling in your own personal style(s) - whether it be finances, career, culture, or reality that stop you from being that you, those boundaries simply do not exist within SL.

I can't imagine not being Izzy now that I've walked in her (sexy, stylish) shoes for over a year.  Through my avatar I have discovered and been able to explore so many aspects of myself that I might never have had a chance to touch on in the natural world.  One of those is the ability to have fun with fashion, and be myself - all of myselves - through a myriad of personal styles.  What more can you ask for?

It's damn good to be back.

I spent the last couple of nights just hanging out a Lounge of Dreams and catching up with all of the wonderful people I've missed.  I was also delighted that my dear rl and sl friend, Belmont Roux, decided to give the virtual life another spin.

We fared well doing the hurricane; other than the ample overtime we had to work, we lost nothing property-wise and most of our friends and family turned out to be equally as blessed.  The time away from my favorite Internet pastimes and Second Life was awful, though;  I've realized I may have a wee bit of an Internet addiction!

Coming back into SL after some compulsory time off is such a relief; personally, it signaled that my rl was calming back down and that I had the free time once more to enjoy my favorite extracurricular activities.  This weekend I was able to share time and laughs with some of my favorite people in some of my favorite places outside the realm of my physical, tangible day-to-day life.

It makes me realize what an awesome escape sl can be.  I don't mean "escape" as in avoidance of rl, but as a healthy and fun addition to rl that offers some relief and relaxation away from the toils and strife of daily existence.

In that vein, I see my virtual life - the one I live in sl -  as an enhancement of my self and the life that I live day to day.

Not only does sl allow me freedoms in movement, reality, and distance I'd not otherwise have, but there are many social freedoms that I find are more easily enjoyable (and accessible) in sl.  The bigotry, pretension, social awkwardness, and neuroticism that ensconces a good deal of rl social affairs and casual meetings simply aren't present in sl where the walls of social inequity or physical imperfections simply do not exist.

Everyone is - truly and without pretense - equal in sl; from the low-primmed ruths to the bling-starred socialites, it is the personality that shines through an avatar that determines how that individual is treated and judged.

In sum, it is simply delightful to be back and I have missed each and every one of you very much.

So there it is, new header and new headshot, even though I'm not wearing my new make-up; maybe I'll update it one day, but getting this one together has given me enough of a headache for one day!

I would love to wear hats in-world, but I have the problem of sizing.  My head, it would seem, is on the "larger" end of the spectrum (at least that's what Gurlywood says as I wore the "Large" sizes of hair back when I still used my Gurlywood hairs).  When I try to resize my hats some, to accommodate my apparently larger-than-normal noggin, the hat ends up looking ridiculously huge.

My question is - is there a head size you use that works well for hats?  I'm considering making an alt shape just for hat-wearing.  Also, can you recommend to me some good hairs - from any designer or store - that work well with hats (not too much poking through and all that mess)?

Your thoughts, tips, & suggestions are much appreciated.

After browsing through to Miabella's Imagen Divine Agency blog through Flickr, I had an "omg-MUST-OWN!" moment while reading her "My Bipolar Week" post.

The little sun dress shown in the first photo of her post - by Une Mode - drew me straight into SL. I teleported in and bought up not only this floral frock (in all its shades), but quite a few cute accessories and jewelry pieces. Une Mode, suffice it to say, now has a permanent spot in my Landmarks folder.

I walked out of the store and was drawn to bijou across the walkway. Inside I found a few really cool new hairstyles, including "Michelle" which I'm wearing in the shot on this post.

The UM sun dress looks adorable when paired with a set of Maitreya Sassy wedge sandals. In the photos I took, I wore the dress in the Choco shade and my Sassy wedges in Mixed Champagne.

Much has been said on the subject of SL relationships.  The reality and sincerity of them, the virtual vs. real and how that translates - or if it does - into feelings and emotions.

I am not a sl-relationship type.  I don't want one, I'm not looking for one, and I'd be perfectly happy if I never had a long-term, serious one for the remainder of my sl-life.  My best friend, Rosie, is the complete opposite.  She enjoys the dynamic of relationships, the flirting and play that goes into creating them, and the security and fun that develops over time within one.  Neither choice is better than the other; they are simply different sl-lifestyle choices.

In pondering on Rosie's affinity for sl-relationships and the joy and comfort she gets from the one she is in, I had a bit of a revelation; or, at least, an idea I hadn't previously considered...

The argument for how "real" or "meaningful" a sl-relationship can really be is a fair one.  Someone who does not exist in a virtual world and does not interact with other people in that type of setting would have a very difficult time in comprehending the bond that can be formed under such conditions.  Fair enough, but I would like to make an argument for the validity of sl-relationships.

One might be inclined to think that sl-relationships are - at best - rather superficial; lacking in substance and depth - that they are somehow less "real" than a rl-relationship.  It makes sense that people might think this, but on the contrary, I believe sl-relationships just might be - in some ways - more real and have more depth and substance than some real life ones.

Naturally we aren't comparing sl-relationships to successful, long-term marriages and partnerships.  This is generally speaking about new and growing relationships - as most sl-relationships are at this point.

My theory is this:  where one might be inclined to feel a sl-relationship is superficial because you are not face-to-face or even present in the flesh, I feel this very thing makes sl-relationships less superficial and more profound than rl-relationships.

Let me explain.

When you are with someone in real life - especially someone you are attracted to and have feelings for/a crush on - you are nervous and perhaps even a little timid.  You are worried about your appearance, your voice, the pitch of your laughter, and every little thing that comes out of your mouth.  You have so much nervous energy and little anxities in your mind, its hard to be yoruself; often, too, you are afraid to completely be yourself for fear of the other person not liking what they see or hear.

In Second Life, the pressures of appearance and outward expression are gone.  In fact, they are a non-issue.  You may have an attractive avatar, but few people are going to judge you on the appearance of your virtual self.  An avatar can be an android, a squirrel, or even a block of wood; one can always look the same or change their look daily.  When two people are conversing in Second Life, the usual rules of attraction do not apply - they are not even present.  As feelings grow and a crush develops in-world, the two people are actually falling for the person themselves; a truer side of each than they might be privy to in the real world.

When you take away the normal, human fears of rejection, and the low self-esteem and negative body image that most people in our shallow society are burdened with, you are left with pure, unfettered self.  Two people talking in Second Life - without all of those fears and anxieties and cosmetic nuances - are really talking.  They are most likely opening up in ways they never could in real life and inside their own skin.  They can get down to the true, real basics of who they are without all of the perfunctory nonsense that exists in rl communication.

In my opinion, then, two people in sl who decide to enter into a relationship truly do have something special.  They have become friends, bonded, and built a relationship around their true selves without any of the superficiality of rl-connections.  They are attracted to one another's personality, not their cute butt.  There was no initial "look" that drew them in, it was the person themselves; their words on the screen or voices through the speaker opening up on a level not quite possible in the rl-world with all of its insecurities.

To me, looking at it this way, sl-relationships are anything but superficial.  In fact, some of them may be more intensive than many rl ones.

Now that my rl job has switched to 4/10s and I have Mondays off, I can enjoy almost an entire day of piddling around the house relaxing and playing on the computer (or laying in bed reading and napping depending on my mood).

Yesterday was my second such Monday, and I spent the majority of either in Second Life or doing things that were SL-related. One of the main SL-related things I do in my spare time is play around on Flickr. I love me some Flickr and there is no denying that the SL-Flickr community simply rocks the cat's paw.

While uploading pics, labeling them, and commenting on others', I stumbled across the photos of Seereina Geiger and the drool began to form, where shots of her new store's clothes were being modeled. There before my eyes were some of the absolutely coolest cybergoth outfits I'd Ever. Laid. Eyes. On.

"All of this, I must own," I said to myself as I clicked on the store's blog link - MekaNoize Labs - and saw even more sexy futuristic goodness. Without a second thought, I hit the SLurl, logged into SL, and teleported into the store at Fragment.

As I was ogling the Monokrom outfit (available in black or white), I realized there was no way I could not buy the entire outfit in both colors. The blog had read "sold separately" and listed the armwear, stockings, and corset; so I began snapping them up when I got a private message from Seereina herself, who was hanging out at the far end of the store.

As it turns out, the items were part of the entire outfit - which I'd just bought - but could be purchased each by themselves if one so wanted. Oops. Seereina explained that the items were non-transferrable, so I couldn't gift them and then offered to refund me my L$500. Now, that's what I call not only customer service, but just damn good business. I sincerely thanked her for alerting me to my mistake and refunding my money; both of which she certainly didn't have to do.

We discussed the store's blog's wording, and she decided it would be a good idea to change it (English, she claimed, was not her first language though you'd never have known it by talking with her). After this, we stood chatting for a few minutes about the recent opening, her amazing designs, and the incredibly cool interior of the store (you can see some of it in this pic).

Seereina explained that all of her designs were hand-drawn by her, and brought to life by her friend and partner, Void Restar, texturer and prim sculptor extraordinaire (who was also responsible for designing the amazingly cool store in which we were standing). Seereina's drawing talents are obviously great; these clothes are cool, inventive, and sexy.

Soon, I'd TP'ed in Rosie - who not long after TP'ed in our mutual friend and fellow shopaholic Carmen Greenfield. I finished buying up just about every outfit MekaNoise has, which ended up being wonderful because all of it goes together. The possibilities are quite endless with how you can mix-n-match these pieces to make new outfits.

A stunned Seereina and Void, who had dropped in to greet us, watched in silence and shared smiles while we three invaded the store and threw L$ around. We're loud and silly, but they didn't seem to mind as we swapped bawdy jokes and changed into our new clothes right there in the store.

If you couldn't tell already, I'm now a devoted customer of MekaNoize Labs. I simply cannot wait to see what they will put out next. I highly suggest you head on over as soon as possible - remember that SLurl - because these clothes are simply too cool and too sexy not to. If you like the cyberpunk look or simply enjoy dressing up some days in a little futuristic gear, MekaNoize Labs should become the next landmark in your folder.

Not only is the store cool and the clothes amazing, the customer service simply cannot be beat. Seereina and Void tookthe time to greet us, help us out, and were obviously willing to do anything that might be needed to make their customers' shopping experience enjoyable and satisfactory. Please go and check them out; tell 'em Izzy sent you.

(For more, check out MekaNoize Labs's blog and Flickr group)

My bestest friend, the ever-amazing Rosie Barthelmess, hired me on to be part of the Lounge of Dreams gang over at Trapper (213, 37, 318).

I hosted 80's Night last night with DJ Rosie and then DJ Madisen, and I had a blast doing it (I also made quite a bit of L$ for my first night!). Everyone was fun and friendly - co-workers and patrons both - and its probably the most laid back job I've had to date.

I seriously can't wait for my next chance to host.