Gidge Gets Her Groove Back

I lost my swagger. I don't know what happened. Domesticity? 4 kids? TIME? I don't know. But I never realized like, how just being CLEAN has suddenly become an acceptable substitute for looking good. I can't really put my finger on when I stopped caring so much.

I know when I was a kid, my mom didn't wear makeup. Then, when we were older and probably less of a time-suck - she started wearing makeup. I thought it was such an amazing thing, at the time.

As a mom of four with two special needs kids, I'm not sure I even remember what swagger FEELS like. That sexy girly confidence - where'd mine GO?

I found this picture, from when my oldest was three and when the twins were six months old.

I am in the blistering Florida heat in October, with TWIN babies and a three year old at the twins club Halloween party.
AND I STILL MANAGED TO PUT MAKEUP ON.

Somehow, I lost that. I lost interest. I got tired.

So when BLOGHER offered a chance to check out new Mary Kay mineral makeups I was thinking, yeah ok. Maybe I'll try that. I mean, worst case I wouldn't like it right?

First of all Mary Kay gets props for giving me something small enough to be really convenient but BIG enough to be useful. And it's pretty. I like pretty.

The blue shade is more appropriate for going out vs work but the entire rest is completely awesome and appropriate for work and gives a nice fresh faced look. Plus they're REALLY fade resistant, I wore them ALL day to the Renaissance Festival in the 100 degree Atlanta heat and it didn't run or fade.

I am actually wearing the blue also, in the pic below - but it's been muted a bit :)

I can't fight the fact that I'm 42 but I am sort of getting my groove back. I feel better with some make up on lately.

So thanks Mary Kay and Blogher. I feel kinda girly cute again. I should get my eyebrows done!

Gidge Gets Her Groove Back

I lost my swagger. I don't know what happened. Domesticity? 4 kids? TIME? I don't know. But I never realized like, how just being CLEAN has suddenly become an acceptable substitute for looking good. I can't really put my finger on when I stopped caring so much.

I know when I was a kid, my mom didn't wear makeup. Then, when we were older and probably less of a time-suck - she started wearing makeup. I thought it was such an amazing thing, at the time.

As a mom of four with two special needs kids, I'm not sure I even remember what swagger FEELS like. That sexy girly confidence - where'd mine GO?

I found this picture, from when my oldest was three and when the twins were six months old.

I am in the blistering Florida heat in October, with TWIN babies and a three year old at the twins club Halloween party.
AND I STILL MANAGED TO PUT MAKEUP ON.

Somehow, I lost that. I lost interest. I got tired.

So when BLOGHER offered a chance to check out new Mary Kay mineral makeups I was thinking, yeah ok. Maybe I'll try that. I mean, worst case I wouldn't like it right?

First of all Mary Kay gets props for giving me something small enough to be really convenient but BIG enough to be useful. And it's pretty. I like pretty.

The blue shade is more appropriate for going out vs work but the entire rest is completely awesome and appropriate for work and gives a nice fresh faced look. Plus they're REALLY fade resistant, I wore them ALL day to the Renaissance Festival in the 100 degree Atlanta heat and it didn't run or fade.

I am actually wearing the blue also, in the pic below - but it's been muted a bit :)

I can't fight the fact that I'm 42 but I am sort of getting my groove back. I feel better with some make up on lately.

So thanks Mary Kay and Blogher. I feel kinda girly cute again. I should get my eyebrows done!

The Blogher 08 Second Life Whizbang Recap

It was a whizbang fun weekend at Blogher08 In Second Life. I got to participate in the "Intersection of Blogging and Second Life Panel" which gave mea fantastic reason to buy new clothes in cartoon land. (Like I need a reason.)

I took a close up of me and Queen at the panel, we look mahvelous.

There may have been a few technical glitches but hey, technology is not perfect anywhere on a good day and we managed to get through it.

The exhibitor area looked mahvelous also, here I am at the Code Pink exhibit.

Askpatty.com threw us a great party at the end of Day One at Callie Cline's beach resort which was well attended and much enjoyed. Thanks Patty! Crunch Domestic Goddess had a good time even though she wore a box on here head most of the night! (She was a very good sport about it and it was a box with a big picture of ME on it, so I found it to be VERY fashionable.) This is a snap of me and the husband, the REAL husband yes, at the party.

Patty also had hired the coolest looking DJs in the metaverse. Check'em out.

I also got to meet many other great bloggers who were a lot of fun and not against mudwrestling and knife throwing. I met a lot of other great ladies, whose blog urls I cannot find and I'm sorry - this doesn't mean I don't love you!

I realize that you guys all had fun out in San Francisco........but did you get a designer original outfit JUST FOR ATTENDING? I was cracking up at the smokes so you can't see the darn jeans which are now my new favorite SL jeans. Yes I have favorite SL jeans, shut up. Thanks to Callie Cline for designing and donating this to us Bloghers in SL.

Did you get to go TUBING??

And more importantly - did they give you your OWN stock car? NO? Well........pity on you then :)

Seriously it was a great time,thanks to everyone who came and those of you who came and decided to STAY and live the wild pixel life with us - just give me a holler In World if you need anything.

The Blogher 08 Second Life Whizbang Recap

It was a whizbang fun weekend at Blogher08 In Second Life. I got to participate in the "Intersection of Blogging and Second Life Panel" which gave mea fantastic reason to buy new clothes in cartoon land. (Like I need a reason.)

I took a close up of me and Queen at the panel, we look mahvelous.

There may have been a few technical glitches but hey, technology is not perfect anywhere on a good day and we managed to get through it.

The exhibitor area looked mahvelous also, here I am at the Code Pink exhibit.

Askpatty.com threw us a great party at the end of Day One at Callie Cline's beach resort which was well attended and much enjoyed. Thanks Patty! Crunch Domestic Goddess had a good time even though she wore a box on here head most of the night! (She was a very good sport about it and it was a box with a big picture of ME on it, so I found it to be VERY fashionable.) This is a snap of me and the husband, the REAL husband yes, at the party.

Patty also had hired the coolest looking DJs in the metaverse. Check'em out.

I also got to meet many other great bloggers who were a lot of fun and not against mudwrestling and knife throwing. I met a lot of other great ladies, whose blog urls I cannot find and I'm sorry - this doesn't mean I don't love you!

I realize that you guys all had fun out in San Francisco........but did you get a designer original outfit JUST FOR ATTENDING? I was cracking up at the smokes so you can't see the darn jeans which are now my new favorite SL jeans. Yes I have favorite SL jeans, shut up. Thanks to Callie Cline for designing and donating this to us Bloghers in SL.

Did you get to go TUBING??

And more importantly - did they give you your OWN stock car? NO? Well........pity on you then :)

Seriously it was a great time,thanks to everyone who came and those of you who came and decided to STAY and live the wild pixel life with us - just give me a holler In World if you need anything.

Blogher 08 In Second Life - Some Things To Know

One of the FIRST things you'll do when you set up your AVATAR - your character - is pick a name. Second Life gives you a lovely RANGE of last names,and yeah you'll probably find that the surname WRITER is still open to choose.

And there is nothing geeky or weird about picking it, totally pick the last name that you like. But keep in mind.....the name you choose for your FIRST name is going to be what we all call you IN WORLD. So it might seem funny to choose TheBest as your first name and WRITER as your surname......until you get into world and people call you THE, or THEBEST, or worse - with typos - Thebeast.

You follow?

Doesn't have to be your real name but it can be. You like being Jane? So be JANE!

And why does that even matter? Well.....because some people who came last year STAYED! You really won't want to start all OVER with a new avatar once you build one (you might, but most people don't.)

Because there is a lot to do, and it's FREE.

What is there to do? Well......you should think of it as a chat room or bulletin board with a pulse - with a fashion sense.

Example: Ever been to a geisha show?

Ever attended a party dressed as a cupcake?

The creative side of SL is limitless. Want to make art? Share your poetry? Build, design clothes? Want to be a wildly popular SL Fashion Blogger? Want to indulge your inner rocker?

There are live concerts, there are sports. There is a whole Sim where they role play Star Wars (yeah I attended a party at Mos Eisley there once).

There is everything that exists in the real world - only without the boundaries and constraints of the real world. If you'd like to take a look at some of my in world pics of all the possibilities of a pixel social community, you can find them here.

Feel free to email me or I'll see you during office hours In World! See you soon! (You can Also IM me any time in world - I'd be glad to say hi any time!)

Welcome to Second Life!

Blogher 08 In Second Life - Some Things To Know

One of the FIRST things you'll do when you set up your AVATAR - your character - is pick a name. Second Life gives you a lovely RANGE of last names,and yeah you'll probably find that the surname WRITER is still open to choose.

And there is nothing geeky or weird about picking it, totally pick the last name that you like. But keep in mind.....the name you choose for your FIRST name is going to be what we all call you IN WORLD. So it might seem funny to choose TheBest as your first name and WRITER as your surname......until you get into world and people call you THE, or THEBEST, or worse - with typos - Thebeast.

You follow?

Doesn't have to be your real name but it can be. You like being Jane? So be JANE!

And why does that even matter? Well.....because some people who came last year STAYED! You really won't want to start all OVER with a new avatar once you build one (you might, but most people don't.)

Because there is a lot to do, and it's FREE.

What is there to do? Well......you should think of it as a chat room or bulletin board with a pulse - with a fashion sense.

Example: Ever been to a geisha show?

Ever attended a party dressed as a cupcake?

The creative side of SL is limitless. Want to make art? Share your poetry? Build, design clothes? Want to be a wildly popular SL Fashion Blogger? Want to indulge your inner rocker?

There are live concerts, there are sports. There is a whole Sim where they role play Star Wars (yeah I attended a party at Mos Eisley there once).

There is everything that exists in the real world - only without the boundaries and constraints of the real world. If you'd like to take a look at some of my in world pics of all the possibilities of a pixel social community, you can find them here.

Feel free to email me or I'll see you during office hours In World! See you soon! (You can Also IM me any time in world - I'd be glad to say hi any time!)

Welcome to Second Life!

Blogher 08 Returns to Second Life !

First of all, I am clearly the Mascot of Blogher '08 as I showed up to the orientation area wearing the official Blogher Colors this year - totally unplanned by the way.

Second of all - BLOGHER is going BACK to Second Life - so if you can't attend the premier blogging conference of '08 in person this is your chance to attend for free in Second Life!

What do you need to know?

Well, pardon me while I hijack ALL of the information from Queen Tureaud who already WROTE it all down so nicely.
You can find all the pertinent schedule info HERE.

What do you need to do?

Go download Second Life.

Make sure your machine meets the minimum specs.

The specs unfortunately aren't optional - you can't be CLOSE and enjoy the conference. You'll crash constantly be unbelievably annoyed. And you WANT to enjoy it and not miss keynote speakers etc because your machine won't handle the requirements.

Next, you need to spend some time in Second Life learning how to move, see and enjoy the conference! You wouldn't go into space without a little training at NASA - and going into Second Life is traveling into a different world.

Office Hours are set up at these times
BlogHer in Second Life Office Hours: (all times Pacific)

Monday 10-2pm and 8-10pm
Wednesday 10-2pm
Thursday 5pm-8pm and 8-10pm
Sunday 4-7pm

Once you get SL all set up on your PC you can just click on THIS link during office hours which will take you to the CNN iHub area. One of your mahvelous Blogher 08 Volunteers will be there during this time!

Can't wait to see you there!

- Gidge Uriza Second Life Resident and Blogger.

Blogher 08 Returns to Second Life !

First of all, I am clearly the Mascot of Blogher '08 as I showed up to the orientation area wearing the official Blogher Colors this year - totally unplanned by the way.

Second of all - BLOGHER is going BACK to Second Life - so if you can't attend the premier blogging conference of '08 in person this is your chance to attend for free in Second Life!

What do you need to know?

Well, pardon me while I hijack ALL of the information from Queen Tureaud who already WROTE it all down so nicely.
You can find all the pertinent schedule info HERE.

What do you need to do?

Go download Second Life.

Make sure your machine meets the minimum specs.

The specs unfortunately aren't optional - you can't be CLOSE and enjoy the conference. You'll crash constantly be unbelievably annoyed. And you WANT to enjoy it and not miss keynote speakers etc because your machine won't handle the requirements.

Next, you need to spend some time in Second Life learning how to move, see and enjoy the conference! You wouldn't go into space without a little training at NASA - and going into Second Life is traveling into a different world.

Office Hours are set up at these times
BlogHer in Second Life Office Hours: (all times Pacific)

Monday 10-2pm and 8-10pm
Wednesday 10-2pm
Thursday 5pm-8pm and 8-10pm
Sunday 4-7pm

Once you get SL all set up on your PC you can just click on THIS link during office hours which will take you to the CNN iHub area. One of your mahvelous Blogher 08 Volunteers will be there during this time!

Can't wait to see you there!

- Gidge Uriza Second Life Resident and Blogger.

Do You Know The One

Where my friend Erin interviews the next President of The United States of America?

No?

Oh, it goes like this.

Yeah I'm fairly impressed too.

Do You Know The One

Where my friend Erin interviews the next President of The United States of America?

No?

Oh, it goes like this.

Yeah I'm fairly impressed too.

Blogher In Second Life - We SURVIVED YOU NOOBS

Some Notes from the Second Life version of the BlogHer Conference.
First of all, it extremely awesome for all of us regulars to be able to participate in both events simulcast from Chicago......as well as participate in special events geart toward Us Second Life Only participants. It was interesting to hear Elizabeth Edwards, although I might be the only female that came out of it liking her far less than I did when I went into the conference. But that is neither here nor there, really. The point is that I sat in the comfort of my own home AND was able to enjoy the conference. So, Nice Job Erin and all the people at Blogher And Hyperstring who made it all possible. Above is me watching Elizabeth Edwards - to the right you see me and Queen hanging out. We are soooo skinny in SL.

Now just a note for next year. To those of you who want to participate next year, who either participated this year but won't be back to SL for a year, or you think that you will WANT to next year because we're all still raving about it. (yeah we sort of are, it ruled), just some thoughts.

Noobs (this means new players, and it's only meant derisively if you act like a tard vs. acting like a NEW person), my noob friends. SL has system requirements. There are minimum system requirements to running the World, and if you load it up and your system crashes EVERY time you play five or six minutes into the process, GUESS WHAT guys, you don't have the system requirements. This is exactly like every OTHER program that your PC runs on so I'm not sure why this is news......but some of you seemed FLABBERGASTED that your PC from 2000 wouldn't run SL. It's not that we don't love you and wish you could participate, but when you keep showing up screaming about your PC crashing, well........you get the idea.

Another thing that I hope Blogher puts out there as a requirement is a longer birthdate for next year. Your SL birthdate is your Born On date, they day you created your Avatar. You need some practice in SL before you can be expected to participate and ENJOY Second Life. It's a little tricky. There are basics you need to know. You wouldn't attend a conference where everyone was speaking in sign language without embracing some of the basics so you would have an idea what was going on would you? No, you wouldn't. Because showing up at a conference being held in sign language and raving constantly about not knowing what is going on.......that would be sort of insane.

Right?

So. Let me be more honest with you.

We loved having you guys there despite that. All of us regulars in SL were glad to have you there, because we knew it was important - and like us - you couldn't make it to Chicago and you REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to participate. So thanks for coming guys. Just practice a little before next year. We're all there to help - so keep your eye out for us next time around, we'l be glad to take you shopping and teach you what you need to know. (Here we Bloghers are Dancing the Night away thanks to the ROCKERS at Sanctuary Rock - Thanks Daisy! I'm the one in pink with Purple hair!)

Who knows, with enough effort, even you might have hair to match every outfit. But I'll tell you, it's a lot of work ladies. And Sarah, I do not look like a hooker. You clearly have not SEEN the hookers in Second Life.

Blogher In Second Life - We SURVIVED YOU NOOBS

Some Notes from the Second Life version of the BlogHer Conference.
First of all, it extremely awesome for all of us regulars to be able to participate in both events simulcast from Chicago......as well as participate in special events geart toward Us Second Life Only participants. It was interesting to hear Elizabeth Edwards, although I might be the only female that came out of it liking her far less than I did when I went into the conference. But that is neither here nor there, really. The point is that I sat in the comfort of my own home AND was able to enjoy the conference. So, Nice Job Erin and all the people at Blogher And Hyperstring who made it all possible. Above is me watching Elizabeth Edwards - to the right you see me and Queen hanging out. We are soooo skinny in SL.

Now just a note for next year. To those of you who want to participate next year, who either participated this year but won't be back to SL for a year, or you think that you will WANT to next year because we're all still raving about it. (yeah we sort of are, it ruled), just some thoughts.

Noobs (this means new players, and it's only meant derisively if you act like a tard vs. acting like a NEW person), my noob friends. SL has system requirements. There are minimum system requirements to running the World, and if you load it up and your system crashes EVERY time you play five or six minutes into the process, GUESS WHAT guys, you don't have the system requirements. This is exactly like every OTHER program that your PC runs on so I'm not sure why this is news......but some of you seemed FLABBERGASTED that your PC from 2000 wouldn't run SL. It's not that we don't love you and wish you could participate, but when you keep showing up screaming about your PC crashing, well........you get the idea.

Another thing that I hope Blogher puts out there as a requirement is a longer birthdate for next year. Your SL birthdate is your Born On date, they day you created your Avatar. You need some practice in SL before you can be expected to participate and ENJOY Second Life. It's a little tricky. There are basics you need to know. You wouldn't attend a conference where everyone was speaking in sign language without embracing some of the basics so you would have an idea what was going on would you? No, you wouldn't. Because showing up at a conference being held in sign language and raving constantly about not knowing what is going on.......that would be sort of insane.

Right?

So. Let me be more honest with you.

We loved having you guys there despite that. All of us regulars in SL were glad to have you there, because we knew it was important - and like us - you couldn't make it to Chicago and you REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to participate. So thanks for coming guys. Just practice a little before next year. We're all there to help - so keep your eye out for us next time around, we'l be glad to take you shopping and teach you what you need to know. (Here we Bloghers are Dancing the Night away thanks to the ROCKERS at Sanctuary Rock - Thanks Daisy! I'm the one in pink with Purple hair!)

Who knows, with enough effort, even you might have hair to match every outfit. But I'll tell you, it's a lot of work ladies. And Sarah, I do not look like a hooker. You clearly have not SEEN the hookers in Second Life.

Can't Blog I'm at BLOGHER

See, I'm at Blogher

And, I'm at Blogher.


In my Jammies with Bedhead extraordinaire..........

Can't Blog I'm at BLOGHER

See, I'm at Blogher

And, I'm at Blogher.


In my Jammies with Bedhead extraordinaire..........

Blogher In Second Life Is Now A Family Affair

Look for Gidge Uriza (me) or Pheobe Lane (real life Sisters in Law!) at the Blogher Conference Center, we'll be manning the booth for this blog as well as the Vicious Studios Booth. We have Freebies and cheap stuff + raffles in both booths! Be sure to enjoy a chocolate martini at the Live From the Wang of America booth! And you can find either Pheobe Lane or Gidge Uriza in people search, feel free to add us to your friends list! We'll be glad to see you and say hi!

Raffles Include Lindens and Gift Certificates to Coconut Ice! And next door to the Vicious Booth,

Virtual swag is overflowing - be sure to come see us!

Blogher In Second Life Is Now A Family Affair

Look for Gidge Uriza (me) or Pheobe Lane (real life Sisters in Law!) at the Blogher Conference Center, we'll be manning the booth for this blog as well as the Vicious Studios Booth. We have Freebies and cheap stuff + raffles in both booths! Be sure to enjoy a chocolate martini at the Live From the Wang of America booth! And you can find either Pheobe Lane or Gidge Uriza in people search, feel free to add us to your friends list! We'll be glad to see you and say hi!

Raffles Include Lindens and Gift Certificates to Coconut Ice! And next door to the Vicious Booth,

Virtual swag is overflowing - be sure to come see us!

Can't Attend Blogher In Chicago - Then Attend in Second Life

This is just a reminder that you have lots, LOTS and lots of time to sign up for Blogher in Second Life. One of the SMARTEST ladies I know told me that she thought Second Life was beyond her and her circle, which is completely insane. If I can do it, ANYONE can do it promise you that. Trust Gidge Uriza.
I know the Queen already told you and I already told you but I'm here to tell you again.
First, go to Second Life. It's free. You create an Avatar and pick a name and it takes you to orientation island where you learn how to move and not look like a complete dork. It's not really important that you not look like a dork to enjoy the conference, but you'd probably enjoy it more if you could do simple things like fly or not fly at will. Sounds simple? Well when you are new, it can be a challenge, so that is what orientation island is for. If you can use a keyboard, you can master it.

Next go here and sign up for Blogher in Second Life. You can also find the schedule of events here.

I hope to see you there, not only at my booth, but at the Vicious Booth as well, where low priced clothing and hair are available.

And I do mean really low cost, about 10 Lindens for clothes or hair. Plus, we have lots of freebies available there for you to pick up! The owner of Vicious Studios will also be raffling off $500 Linden the first day of the conference so please stop by. PLUS he's offering special promotions for blogher participants at his retail outlet, so be sure to pick up a notecard for details when you stop by!

I'm most excited to tell you that I've joined with the owner of Coconut Ice to bring you some super cute freebies in my own booth AS WELL as I will have Coconut Ice Gift Cards to Raffle off!!!! That's right! But you have to come to my booth and touch the raffle ball! Prizes will be awarded to AVs attending the conference and you DO have to be in the conference center to win, so no coming by, touching the raffle ball and then never coming back!! And, I might just decide to award some 500 Linden Coconut Ice Gift Cards to SL Blogher Attendees who comment on this blog.......hmmmm, do I feel a contest coming on? I might!!!