Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah

New Resident of Hallelujah

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I have some big news. I rented a house and joined the community at Hallelujah. Of course, I will still maintain my beloved country estate at Opar. But I yearned to be part of a community, and there is none nicer than Hallelujah. I've been coming here for the past 10 months dropping in at the Minor Fall coffeehouse, dancing occasionally at Major Lift, and being a regular at the weekly Tub Talks (I wrote about these wonderful Tub Talks on my January 8, 2009 posting). The people I met here are the best. There are close friendships among the residents and a true sense of community. And everything is held together by the owners of Hallelujah, PT Beardmore and Owly Indigo. These are no absentee landlords; but active participants and leaders of their community. They are marvelous people - friendly, humorous, and very helpful.

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My Townhouse

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I now have a lovely townhouse that I will be sharing with my sister Victoria. I am eager to furnish and decorate it. I've also been promised that I can landscape the ground in back of the townhouses. I plan to lay out a lovely garden that all residents can enjoy. I had my eye on the houses in Hallelujah for a long time. What finally convinced me to go for it is the new coffeehouse located nearby. As are many places in Second Life, Hallelujah recently undertook a major reorganization. The community have been consoliated and is smaller in size. But a charming new retail and residental area has been build. The anchor of this new area is the Jittery Junco Coffee Shop which replaces Minor Fall.
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Jittery Junco Coffee Shop

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Junco is cozy and intimate. Perfect for the small community of Hallelujah. It sits on the spot once occupied by Owly's aviary. So the major theme of the coffeehouse is birds with numerous paintings of birds decorating the interiors. It is all very whimsical and appealing. There are private spaces inside where one can meet with friends. You can also sit in front of the coffee shop and watch the comings and goings of people. But the main socializing takes place on the new deck out back looking out onto the sea. Junco is amazingly popular given that it is less than 1 week old. I've already enjoyed some delightful evenings on the deck. In particular, on the day that I acquired my townhouse, we celebrated there with champagne and dancing.

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Charming New Retail and Residential Area

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My New Landlord,

PT Beardmore

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My New Landlord,

Owly Indigo

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Celebrating my new townhouse with Champagne and Dancing

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The big question: Is Hallelujah replacing Open Latte/Mill Pond in my second life? No, I don't consider myself a 'Open Latte Refugee' in Hallelujah. I have been coming to Hallelujah and participating in its activities long before Mill Pond closed. In fact, I've been coming to Hallelujah precisely because It Was Not Mill Pond. I have many fond memories of Mill Pond. But I have moved on.

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Many former Mill Pond regulars are discovering the new Jittery Junco. Last night, the deck was dominated by Open Latte refugees. My feelings on this development are mixed. Of course, I am overjoyed seeing friends and acquaintances from Open Latte. And Hallelujah is attracting the absolute best from Mill Pond. But I would hate to see Hallelujah attract all the elements of Mill Pond. I would not want to see Mill Pond recreated in Hallelujah. And there is always the danger that the problems that beset Mill Pond and caused its demise would be imported here. But PT and Owly are not Micala. Under their supervision, Hallelujah will surely remain Hallelujah.

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Now I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this

The fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

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Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you

To a kitchen chair

he broke your throne, and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

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Baby I have been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you.

I've seen your flag on the marble arch

Love is not a victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

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Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

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There was a time you let me know

What's really going on below

But now you never show it to me, do you?

And remember when I moved in you

The holy dove was moving too

And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

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Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

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You say I took the name in vain

I don't even know the name

But if I did, well really, what's it to you?

There's a blaze of light

In every word

It doesn't matter which you heard

The holy or the broken Hallelujah

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Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

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I did my best, it wasn't much

I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch

I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you

And even though

It all went wrong

I'll stand before the Lord of Song

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

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Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah

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Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

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Jittery Junco Coffee House, Hallelujah:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hallelujah%20Azul/149/242/24

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A Great Description of Jittery Junco Coffee Shop:

http://slonthewall.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/sl-places-spotlight/.

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Leonard Cohen singing Hallelujah:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttv5dyvtF4o&feature=channel.

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On the Sea, Under the Sea, and in the Air

Trip to Sailor's Cove

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Yesterday started out marvelously with a morning trip by sea to Sailor's Cove. My sister Dawson sent me an instant message asking if I would accompany her and her friend, Britney Adder, on a boating trip. Britney was back in Second Life after a long absence, and Dawson thought that a little boating would be a nice way to welcome her back. The sky was bright and sunny, and the sea, blue and inviting. It was a perfect day to be on the water. So the three of us set out in a small pleasure boat. We cruised by picturesque islands, and the waters around us was full of colorful sea life. Dawson was in high spirits. There was plenty of girl talk with good insights and helpful advise.

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We reached our destination, Sailor's Cove, a most charming New England seaport. We did the usual sightseeing and shopping. I got to know Britney and made a new friend. At the end of the trip, I think all of us had a sparkle in our eyes.

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Setting Out

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Dawson, Me, and Britney
. Coming into Sailor's Cove
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Of course, we went shopping there..

Saying goodbye to Dawson ... I had a wonderful time..
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My sister Dawson is an intrepid explorer. One of the best in Second Life. She also loves the sea and is a skilled mariner. If I am feeling a little blue, Dawsi will take me to sea and lift my spirits Some of my best adventures in Second Life have been with her. Below I placed a few pictures from some of my latest excursions with my wonderful sister.

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Sailing on Second Life Winds.
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.Pleasure Boating (in Costa Rica).

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Cruising Under the Sea by Submarine

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In the Air with Helocopter Pilot Dawson

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And finally, a little Bicycling.
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Mariko Magic - Yippies and the Forbidden City

New Yippie in the Forbidden City

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I love Second Life fashions. I love blogging. So naturally, I love Second Life fashion blogs. I read a number of them; one of my favorite is Fashion Diaries by Nina Raymond. Her blogging style is different from my own, but she is highly prolific and very informative. Her avatars are attractive, and she puts together some awesome mix-and-match fashion plates. I trust her fashion sense completely. One of her recent posting turned me on to a marvelous item of fashion magic that I decided to highlight here in my own blog. The item is a top called New Yippie. It is colorful and dramatic. It has a retro look about it that reaches back to the hippie era of the baby boom generation. I did research on the term yippie which places it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. New Yippie moves the look forward to our own time and for our own generation. In searching for a photo location to highlight the exotic appeal of this item, I choose the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.

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New Yippie is available at Baiastice. Baiastice is another great find. As I walked around this store, I found myself placing item after item on my 'Definitely Want' list. The fashions on display at Baiastice are outstanding. New Yippie is designed by Sissy Pessoa, owner of Baiastice, and sells for $295L. It is available in five colors: Orange, Yellow/Purple, Purple/Green, Magenta, and Cian. I am wearing orange. In my mind's eye, the silks hanging from the sleeves and belt resemble the feathers of hawks and eagles. The influence of ceremonial Native American costumes on the design is apparent. The effect is gorgeous. And I love how this top moves and flows as I walk and change poses. To see the details of New Yippie, click on the pictures to enlarge them.

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To complete the mix -and -match, I complemented the top with (F/Skinny) A001 Jeans sold by Armidi Limited for $145L (the color is Dusted Classic) and with Stiletto Boots by Blaze. The boots come in 6 colors (silver, chocolate, white, red, champagne, black). I am wearing chocolate. The boots are currently on sale for only $100L and all 6 can be bought as a package for $300L. Get them for this price while you can. You can buy them as either No Copy/Transfer or Copy/No Transfer. Unless you are buying them as a gift, the latter makes better sense.

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Best of all is this hair. I usually do not like oversized hair; but, this is the exception. Its fantastic. The hair is from Bish Wear and is called Toss Me Around. It sells for $375L which gets you a package of 6 hair colors (auburn, black, brown, blonde, red, and wine). I am wearing brown. The hair is designed by ShyOne Lehane.

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Now for a little history. I did some research on the Yippies, and this is what I found:

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Once upon a time there were Hippies, then Yuppies and between them, Yippies. Yippies were members of the Youth International Party founded in the late 1960s by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Hoffman and Rubin were children of privilege playing proletariat revolutionaries. Yippies are remembered for childish street theater pranks and for inciting the riots in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Party Convention. Jerry Rubin later renounced his youthful stupidity and became a stock broker and an advocate of free market capitalism. Abbie Hoffman never grew up. Both met unfortunate ends. The party's headquarters is now the Yippie Museum, Cafe and Gift shop located in Greenwich Village, New York City.
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Fashion and a history lesson. Only in a Mariko Nightfire blog. I hope that you enjoyed this fashion magic and scenes from the Forbidden City. And I would like to thank Nina Raymond for bringing New Yippie to my attention.
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Baiastice:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/BAIASTICE/154/126/25
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Armidi - Hair, Clothing, & Accessories:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/134/128/25/

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Blaze:http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blaze/73/118/23
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BishWear:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/BishWear%20Island/176/182/24
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Photos were taken at China Forbidden City:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Obscuro%20Valkyrie/69/197/26
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Fashion Diaries by Nina Raymond:
http://fashion-diaries.com/
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Cheesecake Mariko - Window Shopping

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We need to shop for today's dessert. Go to the confectionary shop window, click on the pictures, and pick out the sweetest cupcake.

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The Flappers and the Tuxedo

Our Daddies are Rich

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Yesterday, I had a date with Jaysun to go and explore some Patch Thibaud designed estates and shopping areas. Thibaud is one of the best architect/builders in Second Life. His style is very distinctive - think Palm Beach and Art Deco. Some of his large-scale projects are incredible. Whenever I visit a Thibaud project, my vocabulary consists mainly of ooo's and ahhh's. As an architect, Jay was in his element and thoroughly enjoyed our excursion. And I love touring sims with Jaysun. It is one of my favorite Second Life activities.

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We are joined by Lulubelle

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I was also scouting locations for a planned fashion shoot. The fashion shoot calls for a number of men in tuxedos surrounding the model. Jay put on his tux to help me with the visualizations of the potential sites. I was wearing a 1920s flapper outfit called Charleston Pink which I purchased earlier in the day while shopping with my friend Lulubelle. With Jay in his tux and me in my flapper dress, we matched the art deco ambiance of our surroundings to perfection. Later Lulubelle joined our expedition. She also came dressed in the same flapper outfit. This was a photo opportunity that was too hard to resist. And we didn't.

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 The Flappers and the Tuxedo

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Jaysun looks very comfortable between two lovelies
. Cooling off in the fountain. Isn't he irresistibly handsome

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Mariko Magic - More or Less

More or less at Madame Haute Couture

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Oh have I found a saucy little number. It is called More or less, and I found it at Madame-Haute Couture. Madame has a great selection of finely designed fashions ranging from formals, to clubs, to casuals. The main store at Peacock Park is very customer friendly, providing demos that allow us to try on the outfits before making our selections. Every store in Second Life should be so customer friendly. And also friendly is Madeliefste Oh, fashion designer and owner of Madame-Haute Couture. It was a delight to meet her as I found her warm and personable and very helpful. I bought a number of outfits from Madame that day, and all have drawn marvelous complements from the crowd when worn for an evening’s excursion.

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More or Less was a delightful find. It sells for $475L and is available in 4 colors: Pink, Red, Blue, and Apple Green. I am wearing the red. To see the details of the outfit, click on the pictures to enlarge them. More or Less comes with 2 tops (open and with collar), 3 skirts (short, medium, and long), stockings, pantie, and bra. This outfit is so versatile. By mixing and matching the tops and skirts, you can create at least 6 different looks, going from more to less. The long skirt can be used to create a formal look. Combining the tops with the medium skirt makes a very stylish outfit. But my favorite matches the tops with the short skirt to create a look that is so teasingly playful and deliciously sexy. The more daring among us will dress down to the very racy matching lingerie.

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The Hair that I am wearing is from Top Hair & Accessory. The style is Ballerina. Its creator is Heidi SeraKorea. Ballerina is available in many hair colors. Individual colors sell for $85L but it is also available in packages of 3 colors for $205L. I purchased the Basic Pack which contains colors Black, Chocolate, and Pecan. I am wearing black.
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I hope that you enjoyed this creative outfit from Madame. I know you will want to visit the store and try on this and other fashion magic from the delightful Madame Madeleifste Oh.
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Madame - Haute Couture Main Store:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Peacock%20Park/162/235/63
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Top Hair and Accessory:.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sera%20Korea%207/71/27/26

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Pictures taken at Opar, my personal estate

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