Allow me to explain why I haven’t done much these days… not even log in to SL other than for a short amount of time.

Some of you may, or may not, know that I was born and raised less than 20 miles outside of Boston, and have lived in the actual city of Boston for over 15 years. I’m a second generation Bostonian too! But, no one would know that I live on Boylston Street… and this is not information that I would have shared either before April 15th. As you know, that was a fateful day in our city, the day something I never imagined happening… happened.

I was working from home that day since it was Patriot’s Day and the Boston Marathon was going on… I don’t like crowds and like them even less when I’m trying to go to work… LOL. Luckily, I’m a freelancer and my job doesn’t mind me working offsite from time to time. While I was not in the crowd, I live across the street from the site of the second bombing. Like most people who live in the city, I thought it was a car backfiring, or maybe a canon down on the Esplanade. I did not know what was happening until a co-worker called to see if I was alright.

friend: “You okay? Everyone safe?”

me: “Huh? What do you mean? I’m just working from home today due to the marathon”

friend: “Turn on the news… there’s been two explosions at the Marathon finish line”

And so it began.

Luckily, everyone I know is safe and unharmed. I am also fortunate enough to live in a large apartment community where we could stay and our management company was able to give a list of the residents to the police, FBI and any other agency surrounding our building for more than a week. Other people on Boylston Street were not so lucky; unable to come home that entire time. I was also lucky in that my client allowed me to work from home that whole time so I didn’t have to deal with going through Police Checkpoints just to leave my apartment.

While I wasn’t physically harmed, I had a real difficult time adjusting to this. At first, it didn’t even sink in for me. On that Friday when they asked people to stay home (which, I appreciate because the public transportation was not running — our bosses didn’t expect us to be there either), it sank in… hard. I had very bad anxiety, and then I became glued to the tv news… which is bad news with the images over and over again. I became physically ill over the whole thing, thinking about how all these innocent people were hurt and killed basically in my front yard.

Anyhow, I have slowly been feeling better… turning off the news has helped a lot! The first day I went back to work, it took all I could muster not to break down into tears just walking to the subway station as I saw the buildings boarded up, reminding me again. The city and business owners are amazing though, bringing everything back to normal as much as possible so quickly. The outpouring of support from people all over has been amazing! Even if they did crowd up our local Trader Joes on Saturday! Just kidding, it was awesome to see people from all over come out in droves to Boylston Street this weekend.

Anyhow, during this time, I was asked to participate in this charity event for a woman who needs just a little bit of help… and I find it Ironic her store is called Heartsick, because that’s how I felt for a while now. So, you see, besides wanting to help her, this is the perfect remedy for what was ailing me. I needed to help someone else to start to heal myself.

If you would like some more information, please check this out: http://foraevaheartsick.wordpress.com/about/

I will hopefully have a May group gift for you very soon. I can’t even believe it’s nearly May, but I did seem to lose about 2 weeks there.

Thank you for reading this far and for being understanding.

Hugs & Kisses! Be good to each other and come out from May 1st to May 14th to help out someone in need! Jazz

Awesome song with some scenery from Boston:

Love that dirty water…

It’s been April now a couple of weeks, I know, but I’ve been busy

New group gift is in store if you haven’t been by to pick it up. Jess is in slate and comes with boots, tie and glasses. Cost is L$50 to join and you get monthly group gifts like this for free:

“Rainy Days are Here Again” hunt starts on April 15th, and with minutes to spare, I got the outfit, Avril in B&W Dotty, done.. You get a 100% rigged mesh romper plus wellies, umbrella and bangles that are non-rigged mesh. The earrings and necklace are sculpted prim. This outfit reminds me of being a kid and the fact that I loved, I mean LOVED, the water when the weather got warm (or not, if there was an indoor pool)… so much so, I loved to go outside and play in the rain.

For more information on the hunt, check out this webpage: http://jadescreationspresents.wordpress.com/rainy-days-are-here-again-hunt/  The hint for jazzitude is “I’m not hiding from the rain, I’m playing by the water”

This week, the 2Fer Sale is changing ever so slightly. First off, the name is now 2Fer Tuesdays! I love 2Fer Tuesday, I used to do 2Fer Tuesday requests when I DJ’d on Tuesdays (2 songs, same artist).

That means that  you only get 1 Day to get these deals.

However, and this is a great bonus, we can offer you items for under L$100!

This week, I have 2, 2Fer Deals for you. A L$40 deal and a L$100 deal.

I’m pretty excited to be able to offer some less expensive items at a lower price. I love to be able to bring these sales to you, and if you know of any Newbies, 40 Linden is budget friendly for a 2-pack of tank tops and a shrug. In black and very versatile with any wardrobe:

L$100 is two complete outfits. Includes everything in the original for only L$100!

For the complete list of all the stores participating, please visit here: http://2fersale.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/the-new-2fer-tuesday-week-1-the-list/

Happy bargain hunting and I am working on your April gift as we speak. Don’t forget to grab your March group gift as well as wrap up the Green and Loving It Hunt http://jadescreationspresents.wordpress.com/prize-previews/ and don’t forget about the awesome Spring Cart Sale: http://jazzitudeiwontbelabeled.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/spring-cart-sale/

Well, I don’t want to bore you with posting 2 videos, even though I always loved playing 2Fer Tuesday songs… LOL… I think this song will do. I love it, my friend introduced me to it, and I get a kick out of the fact that the video is ripping on a favorite band since I was pre-teen… Duran Duran.  So, you get 2 for the price of 1… newer song and older video! LOL. Do I need to remind you I have dork tendencies

It’s at the same location as the Valentines Day Cart Sale… and lots of great stores with some really cute things are out at great prices.

Just like the last cart sale, everyone has to have at least one item for L$10, one for L$50 and one to the theme… this time Spring or Easter.

On top of those offerings, I also have a gatcha. If you follow this blog, you might recognize it as the same ones from Fashion For Life… only different. I swapped out one that I made specifically for that event, and added 3 more. 12 in total. You can also find this gatcha at the Flagship store.

On to the photos!

First up, you will find 2 brand new releases at the cart sale you won’t find at the store… and on a special new-release price! Melinda is a 100% Rigged Mesh Capri-pant, sleeveless jumpsuit with a color HUD to change the color of the bow. Both of these are white bottoms/pattern top. You also get sculpty shoes, bracelets (prims) and a non-rigged mesh necklace:

Gatcha: 12 Designs, L$25 per play… Transferable Sweatshirts. Special ASCII Bunny added for Easter. Not sure how long that one will stay in there past Easter, so if you like it (using the Pantone Color of the Year), try to get it now

L$50 items… an opportunity to pick up 4 pairs of jazzitude patterned sneakers:

$L10 Items… the very popular shrugs! 2 new colors, again, one of them is the Pantone Color of the Year 2013 — Emerald… yah, I really like this color

I am finishing up a few new releases and I have at least 3 outfits in mind that need to get started, so expect to see lost of new releases. For those of you who came out to Fashion for Life and supported the event with your time, energy and/or linden, thank you so much. The event meant a lot to me!

This week is “I can’t wait for summer”. You get Team Jazzitude in Pink and Sweet Summer in Tiki… both for only $L100. That’s less than one outfit alone (normal price is L$249 each).

While in the store, don’t forget to pick up your group gift and check out the Clearance Sales Garden… I’ve added a dollarbie fountain even!

Also, Fashion for Life is running until March 17th. If you haven’t gone, you should check it out. There’s more than just shopping. There’s beautiful builds, events and fashion shows.

Direct SLurl to jazzitude: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gardens%20of%20Babylon/63/155/30

Here is a blog with a list of all the stores and some gorgeous photos of the sims: http://www.slenquirer.com/2013/03/somewhere-in-metaverse.html

I was so nervous then so excited! I was having a bittersweet moment knowing my friend wouldn’t see this, but then something happened that touched me so deeply.

The sponsor of Hanging Gardens of Babylon is Tres Beau. Today I found out that she is the designer of my friend Carrie’s wedding dress. Carrie’s wedding day was so very special to her and to us because if you read my blog, you know a month later she passed away from cancer. Well, I decided today, to send the designer from Tres Beau a thank you note for sponsoring the sim and also being such a special part of Carrie’s day. I don’t know about you, but I believe in signs. My entire participation in Fashion for Life, from the application to the opening day now, has been one big sign for me. Anyhow, the designer contacted me (I was thrilled!) and we chit-chatted a little bit. She’s so nice. Later on, she was on the air with BOSL Radio and gave me and Carrie a shout out. I was really starting to tear up, as I am now. It was so nice for her to do that.

Well, needless to say, you really need to check out all the sims, but I may be biased because my favorite sim is Hanging Gardens of Babylon. I went shopping this afternoon and I’ll go back for more, even though I spent too much money, I really don’t go shopping that much anymore, and this goes to a good cause.

I have shared with you all the new releases, and the gachas (see here: http://jazzitudeiwontbelabeled.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/almost/ ) but there is one more item, besides the raffle prizes where I’ve donated gift cards. In the jazzitude store (both at Fashion for Life and the flagship store), you will find a donation kiosk. Donate any amount to Relay for Life and get a (transferable) His & Hers Outfit. It’s a “Don’t Label Me” jazzitude signature mesh t-shirt (has my logo on the back) paired with paint-splattered jeans, tintable socks and a graphic-print sneakers, I named “be creative”. The women also get my favorite accessory: Bangles!

Green & Loving It! Hunt starts on March 15th. http://jadescreationspresents.wordpress.com/green-loving-it-hunt/

I am offering a 4th color version of “Sweet Summer” that I made for the “Name That Outfit” contest winner, Jade Dice. Yes, that contest was a year ago, but her and I have been a bit busy… LOL (she’s the organizer of JC Presents hunts — the organizers of this hunt). Green is her favorite color and part of the contest prize was to have a fourth look in your favorite color AND model the outfit. So, you get to see her very cute self in the product shots

One more bit of news… I have now opened a “clearance garden sky dome” for jazzitude: a place where old designs are planted and cultivated to grow into new ideas! You can pick up some great deals (or send some newbies over). Nothing is over L$70. In the store, right by the Freebies 4 Newbies box, you can find a Tardis! hahaha, the teleport pad is inside the phonebooth, or you can touch the picture for a landmark. The sky dome is about 750M over the store.

I’m not a fashion blogger, but I should probably give props where props is due for my outfit; especially since Jade really liked it!

• The top and the capris are from Kyoot https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/7616
• Espadrilles are from GOS: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/12514
• Hair is called “Holiday” from EMO-Tions (has sunglasses on top of the head). I got it at the in-world shop.

See, I told you I am a shopper too!

At the jazzitude location, there are 8 items where 100% will be donated to Relay for Life… 4 of them are brand new and not available at the store… 2 of them will never be available again. The other 4 is all the Carrie outfits.

You can donate to the kiosk in the store and receive a free gift… even $1L will help and you’ll get the gift. It’s a mesh t-shirt, jeans and sneakers I made that are not for sale yet in Jazzitude. There’s one for men and one for women (boxed together).

The gacha machines are all centrally located in one spot at International plaza.

On to some pictures! Visit the store, find these pictures (they aren’t hard to find, some are rather large), touch them and get the landmark to jazzitude at Hanging Gardens of Babylon

These 2 new releases just for the event:

Elsa in Relay for Life colors and pattern & Carrie in special edition Relay For Life: These two outfits are brand new for the event. They will be available after the event, but buy them at Fashion for Life, and all the money goes to Relay for Life:
Melinda is a 100% Mesh Jumper (Comes with accessories & Shoes). Sasha is a sundress with no mesh and a twirly flexi skirt (also comes with accessories and shoes)!

I also have 4 brand new versions of the Elsa. I’ve decided to hold off on releasing them at the store until after Fashion for Life. So…. from March 9 to the 17, they will also only be available there:

Gacha’s at International Plaza. Here is the final picture of what’s available. I originally had 12 shirts, but I had to cut it down to 10. L$25 per play and the shirts are transferable:There will be a fashion show every single day of the event! I sent them my outfits, I don’t know if they’ll use them or not, but how exciting would it be for me to see them in a Fashion Show? Wow. I have a list of the times and locations, if you need it, just let me know.
I’ve been driving everyone crazy I think getting ready for this event. But, it means so much to me — especially given recent events. I hope everyone enjoys the different sims (they are really beautiful, I was sneaking around a few to check them out) and we raise lots of money for Relay for Life!

I also wanted to share with you another thing you will be able to find from jazzitude at the upcoming Fashion for Life event: Gachas! My first ever gacha offering. I’ve been wanting to put together a gacha for over a year now, but I never was motivated… lol. During the event, the money will go to Relay for Life.

You have the chance to get one of the 10 designs of the mesh sweatshirts/pullovers for only L$25. They are transferable so if you get one you don’t like, you can give it to a friend and keep trying. Remember, this starts on March 9th, so you can’t get them until then and during the event, they will only be available there (not at the store).

We are getting closer to the Fashion for Life event on March 9th! This is my first major and large event I’ve ever participated in. My stress level is somewhat high, because I want this all to be perfect… yah, yah, my friend Cherri has been calling me a Virgo. LOL… I’m also very excited to be a participant and to be helping, in some small way, a great cause.

If you don’t know about this, it’s a week-long event over 7 Sims, featuring many awesome designers. There will be fashion shows, parties, and of course… SHOPPING! Yay! Each store will have at least 3 exclusives (during the event you will only be able to buy it at Fashion for Life) and previously unreleased items for sale for the event, with 100% of the profits from their three items going to Relay For Life/American Cancer Society. Even though it’s an American based charity, they are well-known for being more world wide, so don’t let the name fool you! Start saving your lindens because there are going to be some awesome things for sale and all the money goes to a fantastic charity. I don’t think there is one of us that has not been touched by cancer, either ourselves or our friends and family. As you know, I lost my friend and mentor, Carrie, just this week to the disease.

I have my three items that will be donated to charity all ready to go, and I might make a 4th look as well, or I might give it as a gift. Whatever I do the 4th look is in honor of my friend Carrie. Besides these 3 releases, there are also 6 new additions to my regular line that I will debut at the event. I am also working on my very first gacha for the event! A dozen different mesh pullover designs… I just have to take product shots. But here is a sneak preview of the 3 items you’ll be able to pick up beginning on March 9th:

jazzitude will be located at the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” sim. It’s gorgeous! I got a glimpse today, but I haven’t moved anything in yet. To get you excited, here are a couple of quick snapshots I took. I hope I don’t get in trouble, not sure I was supposed to do that or not, but I think it’s awesome and had to share

I will be sure to keep you all updated on my progress this coming week… and I should have a new group gift for you tonight or tomorrow (fingers crossed). remember to mark your calendars, as this event only lasts a week.

“Let your light shine so brightly that others can see their way out of the dark”

We are having a memorial, well more of a life celebration, for our friend Carrie on Saturday.. so if any of you reading this blog knew her (SL Name: Carrie Aldrin, Owner of Serenity in the Sun), please contact me in world. I can give you a Landmark. I will be the DJ and I’ve made t-shirts in memory of her.

She left our world far too soon, but she left it a lot better than when she arrived.

She was just one of those people (one that the cynical side of me, would think was fake… but she was all too real). She just had a way about her that could break down walls and find a way in to even the coldest person’s heart. She was just so nice to everyone. She always had an encouraging word, something funny to say, a way to brighten your day, and she faced all of her struggles in life with a smile and with grace. She was always thinking of everyone else first. I know a lot of people say nice things that are a bit out of proportion about people who have passed away, but I thought this while she was alive. I never understood why she was just so nice to everyone, when she suffered through so much.

She encouraged me when I started jazzitude; and some of our last conversations was her encouraging me to do more with jazzitude as well as DJ more. Design and DJ’ing were both childhood dreams of mine, and she wanted me to follow my dreams. Even typing this, makes me tear up a bit. I only hope that I can live up to be the person she believed I am. She was the one who really inspired and pushed me to participate in the charity event, Fashion for Life, starting on March 9th, and everything I prepare for that event is done with her in mind. It is going to be bittersweet for me because I really had hoped she could see it.

It’s funny as I think about it, this weeks 2fer offering happen to both be in blue… her favorite color. It’s not one of the dresses with her name on it, but still, I find it odd I chose these two before she passed.

You get both of these complete outfits for only $L100… less than the cost of one. “I love to twirl” features two outfits with twirly swooshy skirts at their twirly best! Makiira is a Belly Dancing/Gypsy outfit and Danielle is a Resort Wear long, flowing Sundress.

http://2fersale.wordpress.com/

I hope you all make it out to the Relay For Life event “Fashion for Life” on March 9th… and remember those loved ones who have lost and survived their battle with cancer. I will have some preview pictures for you VERY soon. For now, I leave you with some words and music of rememberance for my friend and cheerleader, Carrie.

To laugh often and much

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of the intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
to know that one life has breathed easier
because you lived here.
This is to have succeeded.