I do like an excuse to get naked save for some jewellery. In this case the excuse consists of Launa Fauna’s special Lapine skin for the thought-provoking Melt installation and Siyu Suen’s first new release for the Accessory Fair.

This week I got to trade in my little black tank for a little white one. Heddvig had done her share of work for the day and so I ended up on Nelson. He’s Murphy’s next-door neighbour in the stables, so I am very familiar with him breathing down my neck when I am grooming Murphy as he is terribly jealous of any attention not directed at him. He is in fact quite the brat.

But, he’s a brat with very good canter who jumps very nicely. It was almost too easy, actually. He has a very round, steady canter. So steady, in fact, that trying to affect it is easier said than done. I found myself a little frustrated during the warm-up once we got into cantering, because once he’s off, he’s off and I wasn’t really able to do much with him.

The jumping did force me to get him a little more responsive to my cues, especially the “hello, no racing around this circle at full speed!” cues, and when we got to the final exercise which involved one curved line between the first two jumps, I got to feel what you can do with an easily placed horse with a good, steady canter. I am usually not very good at judging distances, but with Nelson I seemed to get a feeling for how to adjust the line so it’d be the right distance for him.

So, while I couldn’t actually shorten or lengthen his strides, I was able to place him right because his rhythm was so steady. Compared to Murphy and Heddvig, that was certainly a new experience.

New clothes from Silent Sparrow is always a pleasure to get our hands on, to say the least, and these latest additions are no exception.

At last, I can show the full skin tone and facial hair range of Noam, now that Munchflower Zaius has rolled out the full line. Besides the addition of many additional facial hair/makeup options, there’s been a number of tweaks between this and the pre-release version I reviewed earlier.

Almost Tuesday again. Where did the week go? Oh, right. Eaten up by watching the Olympics and by going to the Göteborg Horse Show on Thursday and Sunday. This week will be spent trying to get my sleeping schedule a little back to normal (which still isn’t all that good) and letting my back and legs recover from sitting on those terrible seats at the Scandinavium arena for many, many hours.

But, it was good fun. Saw some exciting show jumping, an interesting clinic, some awe-inspiring dressage at liberty with Honza Bláha, fun mounted games and agility and did lots and lots of drooling over riding clothes at the associated fair. I think I could collect riding coats and jackets and breeches. ;P So much more stylish than other sports wear, and more to my tastes in terms of colours and everything. Though finding breeches that fit me is always an adventure; apparently someone imagines all riders are tall and do not have hips, and certainly not stocky legs.

What about last week’s lesson, though? Well, thanks to (and I do mean thanks to) too much snow on the arena roof, we had to ride out. I was hesitant at first, since Murphy is the only horse at the stables I’ve dared to ride out on, but at least Heddvig is the right size. And once I got up on her outside, I was calmed immediately. She clearly liked it without being too excited, and the total lack of tension in her body made me settle right in.

Then the fun started. I don’t think I’ve ridden out in winter since a riding holiday some ... 20-22 years ago. To start with, we don’t ride out at the stables during winter, that’s for late spring and early autumn. Plus, we haven’t had this sort of winter for ages. I just hope I get another chance soon, because it was amazing. We rode in deep snow in the wooded area where we have a few trails (its not great around the stables these days, too many new residential areas) and it was quite dark, with just a bit of light reflecting off the snow. Everything looked a bit spooky and magical, almost all in black and grey and white with the dark sky, the trees and the snow. We galloped more than we ever do in summer and we and the horses loved it.

I brought the camera to snap some pictures, but my hands were too cold, so I just managed a few when we got back to the stables. Will try to get one or two of Heddvig up somewhere soon.

Tonight was one of those nights in SL.  The textures—especially the alpha layer for the boots—just wouldn’t load. At least not until it was almost bedtime for me. But, I just had to get this post out, with the latest and very cool release from Solange and with the sexy “Viewer 2.0 Ready” boots from Adam n Eve.

So…Viewer 2.0. Can’t say I like the UI (but until I get a lighter skin, I can’t judge it fairly; dark skins are devilspawns), but I can definitely say I like some of the new features, not the least the tattoo layer and the alpha layer. The best part is that there is already content out there for trying out how useful these layers can be, such as two collections of add-on makeups and face tattoos from sachi Vixen of Adam n Eve. Oh, and a 69 L Hump Day face tattoo, which you really ought to get even if you don’t have the viewer yet since it won’t be around later.

Swaffette Firefly knows just how to catch my interest. One of those amazing, all-around designers who can produce formals, casuals, and historical wear for avatars in SL, these brand new Captain Shirts are really very nice. Nice ... and ruffly.

Ran and I used to do quite a few hunts in SL, though it has been a good while since we had the time to do so. Plus, our inventories are insane enough as it is, at least mine. But the Magic & Romance hunt organized by Morgaine Price of Mer-Elf Creations did tempt me to do some store-hopping since it is all about fantasy-inspired clothing. It is also quite a small hunt, so it won’t overwhelm you if you give it a try.

And if you do, make sure to check out the regular on-sale items offered by the stores too. Such as this forthcoming release from Mer-Elf Creations, the Wish gown.

Corsets are undoubtedly a weakness of mine in SL. Lately there’s been a few attempts at producing a corset that gets closer to simulating the very cinched-in waist of a tight RL corset by using sculpted prims together with invisiprims. The latest such attempt comes from Silent Sparrow, where hyasynth Tiramisu of late has been adding some interesting prim pieces (and jewelry, even) to her repertoire.

For this look at her prim corset, I’ve paired it with another weakness of mine and another new release; a lovely long and flowing hair with beautiful flexi curls and no bangs from Jolie Femme.

Between being tired from watching the Olympics at insane hours (figure skating between 02.00 and 06.00 is painful) and having too many little jobs to do, I’ve had a scatter-brained week. And of course the riding report fell between the cracks.

I was on Heddvig again, and while the overall result was no more than adequate, I am definitely feeling as if I am getting the handle on how to ride her. That doesn’t mean I am always doing the right thing, but at least I have some ideas for what to do. Not without exception, though. One lingering issue is getting a proper bend to her left; she overbends her neck so easily there, and with her short neck and short body I am finding it difficult to have the right effect on her.

I am also finding it hard to get a feel for when she’s escaping work, especially to the left. I ended up getting a bit of a rude wake-up call, though. After the warm-up, where we had just ridden circles in each corner, we added moving into a shoulder-in down the length of the arena. When I was told she wasn’t really bending right and tried to ask for it…she gave me shoulder-in with bucking.

At least it told me that I was on the right track.

It’s been awhile, but Munchflower Zaius of Nomine has released a brand new male skin, and it’s ... well, it’s quite pretty, which I think is the plan. Before I go further, though, note that this skin is from a preview release, and Munchflower is not entirely done with the skin line. So, on to the particulars.

It seems to be the season for new hair textures, as both Tiny Bird and Exile have launched whole new texture lines for their hairs. I am really liking the overall look and the colours from both designers, and in both cases I feel they’re softer and richer. Exile, in particular, has really improved the reds, plus made some colour packs that are very excellent value for money.

Its the season to don a mask and be mysterious and alluring. And when you want to do this in SL, where do you go? Why, to Illusions, of course, where Siyu Suen provides masks for all imaginable occasions as well as an array of other accessories, from sculpted roses worn in your mouth to horns in all shapes and sizes.

Siyu is very good about providing for both ladies and gentlemen, so it seemed fitting that when I dragged Ran into my post, we would use matching outfits from hyasynth Tiramisu of Silent Sparrow. She, too, is an excellent provider for girls and boys and everything in-between.

Since rebranding to 5th & Oxford, Roslin Petion and CJ Carnot have released not just some lovely skins but also several lines of lingerie. The latest release is the Tease, and it features some of my favourite things; corsets and garters.

Alienbear Gupte has lately produced a number of jewelry collections in collaboration with clothing designers. For one of her Valentine-related releases, she has teamed up with Sparkle Skye, and the result is the Princess Venus jewelry set and the Ciara Fae gown. I was given the opportunity to review both.

It’s been awhile since I’ve picked up a new skin, so when I saw that LeLutka had a new male skin following their earlier release, I had to check it out yesterday. And today? I took the plunge, and will explain why below.

Sexy new hair and sexy new lingerie, does it get better than that? Whether or not Valentine’s is on your mind (it really isn’t on mine, its not a big thing here at all), there’s always room for more of such goodies. And this week its provided by, amongst others, Magika and Insolence.

I love brocades. There’s something so sumptuous about them, and its one of those things you don’t often get a chance to wear in RL. So, I indulge in SL, and the latest release from Haven Designs presents an excellent opportunity for this. And since it put me in a mood for patterns, I combined it with a henna tattoo from Huz Tats.

My Internet play time is currently being eaten up in large chunks by roleplaying, so hunting down new clothes and accessories in SL has had to take a backseat. Indeed, even when a review copy lands in my lap it takes me rather long to get a look together and photos done, especially since my trusty photographer (that’d be Ran) is even busier with roleplay. But, we’ve got a king to murder, and that doesn’t happen every week, so that’s how it goes.

However, today I did manage to get something done with a recent release from Sascha’s Designs, the sexy and sassy Tally Hoo set.

Riding Heddvig several weeks in a row is definitely giving me more of a handle on how to ride her more effectively. I brought a shorter whip this time, and that certainly helped keep her from rushing ahead too much. Her walk was more settled, and the trot as well, at least initially. Once she’s been working for a while, she gets more keyed up. And then, of course, when she gets tired she’ll run to avoid work as well. But she is certainly a good deal more fit than when she first came to the stables.

We started off just working on riding good corners; just the right amount of bending for the chosen path, good balance, no change in pace or rhythm. Easier said than done, and I was surprised to find it rather more difficult to the left than to the right even though Heddvig’s left side is her softer side. And when we moved onto canter circles (we actually ended up stuck there the rest of the lesson), I found the same oddity there. Most horses with canter issues seem to have an easier time to keep cantering to the side that is stiffer; the canter often feels more awkward, but they can do it for longer. Heddvig, however, had her usual issues cantering to the right, she needed a tap with the whip on her shoulder to start cantering and she couldn’t hold it together for too long. To the left, however, she actually managed without the help of the whip, and it seemed rather more stable too.

Afterwards she was quite steamy, so she’d put in some good work. And tried to kill a few other horses in the process, of course. Oh, and Murphy? Seems to be responding well to his treatment so far, so that’s good news.

Four hours of epic combat on Blood of Dragons, accompanied by all three CDs from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. That’s what I call a really entertaining Sunday evening. We had so many players that we didn’t quite expect showing up that we had to whip up quite a few extra Dornish NPCs to face all the PCs on Daeron’s side.

Its funny, really, because I don’t care greatly for battle scenes in books. Oh, there are some very nicely done ones, and if I am really invested in a particular character I will tensely read through them, but they don’t get my adrenaline going quite as much as roleplaying a scene out. Or just watching a scene play out, as in this case, since I didn’t have a character in the thick of the fighting. It makes me sigh wistfully for the glory days of Elendor and the many fabulous battles in Rohan and Gondor. Unfortunately, epic battles aren’t likely to be happening during Baelor’s range, but at least the lead-up to Daeron’s death will have been suitably grand.

Ahh, text-based roleplaying. So much more fun than fancy graphics.

How about some romantic new makeups for sachi Vixen’s Portia skin, some charming new lingerie courtesy of LoveLace, aka Launa Fauna and Nephilaine Protagonist, three great new hairs from three different creators (LeLutka, Analog Dog and Truth) and a lovely set of heart-themed jewelery from Eolande?

The plan was to post about this week’s lesson in a more timely fashion, but I’ll have to start by letting myself be side-tracked for a bit. I have this craving right now to do something more artistic/creative, and I am kicking myself for not doing that ages ago. It feels much too late to pick something up at my age (yes, I am feeling hopelessly old these days :P), because I have this block when it comes to doing something as a hobby. I don’t like doing things I can’t excel at. I am too competitive, to focused on being at the top, to just dabble in something.

The only exception, really, which is why it fits into this post, is riding. I suppose that when I was younger, I figured that one day I’d have my own horse and I’d be competing. Everyone who starts riding probably thinks like that. But eventually it just becomes a purpose in itself, without the need for additional goals like that. I want to improve, of course, and I still hope to one day be able to have a horse, but just riding is enjoyment enough. With other things, I enjoy having completed them, and then it becomes the final result that counts, not the work needed to get there. Working on a subtitling job or on a paper can be a fun challenge, but for the most part its something I like best when I have finished it. So I can’t see myself taking up something if I don’t expect to be doing it quite seriously and producing results that meet my standards.

And with that off my chest (well, not really, I never get things off my chest), back to the lesson.

So, it seems I’ll be riding Heddvig for a while. I have to see if I can drag Elio along to take some pictures of her at some point, because its hard to do the little black tank justice with a description.

Its certainly an interesting experience to ride her instead of Murphy, and its a lot of fun even if its hard to get the same satisfaction as when Murphy does really well simply because Heddvig doesn’t have the training or the strength to respond quite so well. But its still quite satisfying to see her progress.

This week, we work on cantering…and doing so while the others trotted. This was, on the whole, a little too difficult for Heddvig. She did show during the jumping that she can slow her canter down, but when she doesn’t have obstacles to think about her instinct is to run into the canter and then keep running because otherwise she feels she doesn’t have the strength to keep it up. I am sort of wondering if one could improve her canter in general by jumping her quite a lot. Of course, it has improved since she got to the stables, and in particular she’s getting better at taking the cues for canter a little more quickly.

On the whole—apart from the bit where my fingers almost froze off—I enjoyed it, but I do hope that a few weeks of riding Heddvig will let me get a hang on how to get her to run less and work more. She definitely has potential, and a fun attitude. As well as a lot of attitude, sometimes.

As mentioned by Ran in his review, the Renaissance collection from Donna Flora and Ardigraf Designs includes outfits for both men and women. I don’t imagine I need to note that I leapt at the chance of reviewing the female outfits. I was familiar with Donna Flora from before, but Patrizia Blessed was new to me as a designer, and a very pleasant surprise.

The following review covers a great set of entries into historical fashion in SL, and’s certainly worth a look for all the roleplayers and fantasy fans out there.

In a short while the feeds will be full of pink and red as we near Valentine’s Day. Its not a big thing here in Sweden, but a bit of girly romance never hurts even so. The latest release from Sascha’s Designs, Ula, offers quite a bit of that, with a bit of a period-inspired flair.

As Freyja hinted, I’ve my own Ugly Duck review to share, this time of one of Fade Lei’s new male skins: Gabriel. There are four tones available, with the lightest being more of a gothy RP-aimed skin, but the other three—Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael—provide some excellent variations. And it turns out, those variations go along with a very handsome, 100% hand-drawn skin.

Last week fell by the wayside, but we just had a theory lesson discussing jumping technique, with focus on the horses. This week we got to experience some of it from the saddle, and next theory we may get to see a young horse jump on its own to study “raw” technique.

I’ve only been jumping Murphy for quite some time now, since there’s a lack of other horses for me to ride, but this time I got the chance to jump Heddvig. Wow. Who’d think the little black tank could jump like that. She was so good that to start with I was making it more complicated than it had to be because I kept expecting her to have issues with a) getting any sort of canter and b) getting the right leading leg.

I was quite wrong.

Sure, the first time she didn’t get a canter right after the first jump, but a light tap on her shoulder was all it took. And sure, she needed rather wider circles than the rest to manage at a canter. But once we had jumped a couple of times, she had it figured out. She had no problem jumping on a curved line and getting the correct leading leg after each jump, and she was so easy to place right. In fact, jumping actually improved how she cantered; normally she rushes along, since she doesn’t have the strength to carry herself more slowly, but now she had jumps to think about (and think she clearly did) and that helped settle her down.

What a clever, clever girl. Of course, she also wanted to kill any horse that moved in her direction, but that’s just a minor issue. ;)