STORYLINE: The ear of Lion Guardsman twitched. He was perched high up on the shiny dark blue tile of the Lion's Gate. Far below him, the smooth limestone of Midas gleamed like gold. Oh if only he were a plant, he smiled to himself, this place would truly be paradise. But he was lion, and he was so thirsty. He looked beyond the long hanging vines spilling over the city's walls and pampered potted plants dotted town square. No, it was the gleam of water that caught the lion's eye. It was like a beautiful azure jewel in a setting of gold. It beckoned him. He licked his lips. Yes, it was his job to guard the Lion's Gate and raise the alarm if the Unweaver was sighted in the Fairelands, but surely it would be fine if he took a brief break to quench his thirst.
Fantasy Faire is back and just as wonderful, beautiful, exciting, and eventful as ever, -- it's not to be missed! Come and see what all the fuss is about and help raise money for Relay for Life. I love this event.
The Home and Garden Expo this year has must-see attractions such as a preview of the NEW mesh Linden Homes for premium members, and the rideable animesh Teegle Horse, as well as excellent hunt goodies including a car in the Expo Hunt, speakers and workshops, not to mention purchasable homes, decor and garden items to support the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. ...And then there is what has kept me busy the past week....
It's even bigger and better this year! 16 winners drawn in a lottery compete to decorate 1 of 16 different style homes. There's a 500 prim limit and 1 week to decorate. Once the decorating period ends, the houses are voted on by visitors by paying the Kiosk in front of each house. All money goes to a good cause.
This year, I took the feedback I received from last year's competition, and applied it to this year. I paid extra attention to the garden, land impact, lived-in decor, and staying on theme with the style of the home. It's an intense challenge. Each time I try it, my decorating skills improve. Hey, ...Why not try it yourself next year?
My idea for "House 11- Stone Cottage" is French Country & Artist.
Please visit my house, and if you like it, or other houses, please vote! Merci beaucoup! Home & Garden Expo Design Challenge: House 11 - Stone Cottage http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hope%202/171/29/27
Storyline of house: Louis couldn't believe it. He had been a lowly art student in America, but after taking a DNA test and working on his family tree, the most unlikely thing happened.... Long story short, he inherited the family's ancestral home in France. It was fully furnished too. But there was one catch to his ownership, -- he was the estate's new caretaker. If he failed to properly maintain the cottage, someone else would get the job. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, he learned quickly its neither easy nor cheap to maintain such an old building. So many things required urgent repair. He needed to find a way to make money quickly. At first he tried offering tours of the home, then he tried opening the house for weddings. Then one day while working in his secret artist's studio in the attic, inspiration struck. His pet cat Gigi made the most curious pose. It reminded him of a famous painting. He quickly started a remake of this masterpiece, but with a cat instead of a person. His whimsical Cat Paintings were a hit with tourists. They were selling in Paris, and he had the waiting list of patron to paint each of their cats in their own famous painting. He was never hurting for money again. The family was so impressed, they decided his most famous painting would become a permanent part of the family estate. It would become the duty of the next generation to protect his painting, his legacy, along with the rest of the family estate.
TIP: Sometimes you may need to be creative over a home issue. For instance, the neighboring house has a very different style. To keep the mood and theme of my home visually intact, I used a simple one prim wall with an excellent medieval brick texture on the sides of my home. ...Another creative solution I used was use a teleport system to access areas not reachable by walking. Hallways: Harpsichord:Fancy Decor Harpsichord RARE, gacha [mesh] Table: Fancy Decor Opulent Half-Moon Table RARE, gacha [mesh] Plant:Apple FallHydrangea Bunch - Pink [mesh] Drapes: Opi - Mesh Curtains & Pillows Arched Drape Curtain [mesh] Suitcase:Apple FallAF Worn Luggage Bag [mesh] Coat Rack:Unlikely Designs ::UD:: Black Coat Rack [mesh]
TIPS: Link objects to save prims. Do it to ONLY to non-scultped, no script, or items that contain no poses and animations. And do NOT try this with your non-copy Gacha wins. You could explode the prim count on the item and be unable to fix it.
“Oh, my sweet summer child, what do you know of fear? Fear is for the winter, ...when the snows fall a hundred feet deep. Fear is for the long night, when the sun hides its face for years at a time, and little children are born and live and die all in darkness. ... Thousands of years ago, there came a night that lasted a generation. Kings froze to death in their castles, same as the shepherds in their huts. And women smothered their babies rather than see them starve, and wept, and felt the tears freeze on their cheeks. ...In that darkness the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders, big as hounds.” - Old Nan, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Who here is hyped for the final season of Game of Thrones? Me me me me! I was inspired make a Whitewalker for this post by the awesome Deadly Nightshare Nityr's Staff on sale at the appropriately dark Winter's Hallow. It throws out some badass effects in mesh and particles, and you can send your friends flying off the sim with a good blast. hahaha Good times. Winter's Hallow is packed with dark and pagen winter items, and there are gifts under the tree, and hunt prizes too! You can see all the hunt prizes here:
Also shown above are a new Talon claws by Contraption at equal10. They were updated for Belleza Jake 2 too. They come with a hud to change the textures. Also shown by Contraption is the Ice Beast mesk and horns. To see just how cool it looks with its icey materials, turn on advanced lighting and have at least one local light. For some more ice, I used Izzie's body glitter tattoo over the beautiful Fallen Gods' Winter Nymph texture for men. I love the color of it! The rest of my Whitewalker outfit items are the PFC Iron Arms, and imho the best kilt for men on the grid, Cult's Male kilt with boots. it comes with a texture hud for the kilt and boots, black, denim and grey. The setting is a brand new hallway prop by CerberusXing on sale at another great dark themed event, Eclipse. .. Stay warm, Sweet Summer Children. Winter is coming....
(click to enlarge) (Shown above are: 1 - Cheeky Pea, 2 - Akaesha, 3 - Yasum, 4 - Madpeas, 5 - Arcade, 6 - Bygone, 7 - Abranimations, 8 -Circa )
Happy Holidays gang! I love advents in SecondLife! Its so much fun to run around, meet people, and pick up gifts. Many of my favorites have returned this year, as well as a few new ones. My list below focuses on decor, humor, and advents with things for guys.
Thanks to all the designers and organizers who make the season brighter! <3
AbranimationsDec 1-24 : unisex, decor : daily only(free for all, group join required)
Join the group and touch each day's box for a fun gift from Abranimations. Wildly popular gifts each year have included fun things like penguin avatars with a frozen fish to slap people with.
Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Animations/89/159/25 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/1fe94b95-2686-23a9-9b94-471774fdeb57/about
MevaDec 1-24 : male : female : Past days ok (free for all, group join required)
Excellent original mesh Male and Female Advent gifts, clothing and accessories. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Manifesto/214/47/24 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/5ea437dd-88ed-6749-375b-6cf297610c49/about
AkaeshaDec 1-24 : adult decor : daily only(free for all)
Hunt for each day's santa's gift sack, touch it to see if you are Naughty or Nice. Win store gift cards adult gifts, Animesh, and Bento animation fun. Come back in 1 hour if you are naughty. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Akaesha/213/40/23 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/2ab24d9f-2c2b-94d1-8769-006a3b883faa/about
Sway'sDec 1-24 : decor : daily, past days for sale 75L (free for all)
Touch the sign to gain your hud, then hunt the store and surroundings for stars to turn on each day of the calendar in the hud. Come back daily to touch that day's gift. Past days can be bought for 75L. For more information, go to: Sway-dench.com Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SwayLand/126/138/27
7 Deadly s{K}in Dec 1-31 : male, female : daily only : past days for sale 50L (75L for group join)
The 31 days advent combines the male and female gifts in one box. The advent is located in the female section of the store. Current day is 1L and refunded. Past days can be bought for 75L. For non group members, there is a Midnight mania for male and female. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wisteria%20Garden/81/215/24 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/18e33f5d-dbbe-295c-52a8-9e05930bbfef/about
CIRCADec 1-24 : decor : daily only(group join free, prizes are 1-75L each)
4 gifts a day! A group join is required for the daily decor gifts. There is no fee to join. Gifts range from 1 to 75L. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aurora%20Vale/209/108/38 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/a94ddb5b-df4c-6b7b-2a48-e87e586e1327/about
Yasum, BaboomDec 1-24 : male, female, decor : past days(group join free)
When you land at Yasum, use the teleporter to shoot to Aventland. The Yasum and Baboom booths are right next to each other. Also, there are Christmas theme items for sale here for 50L, don't miss the cool dark santa hat for men and women! Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Baboom/161/36/2992 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/e6e36cdd-16ea-9c99-4313-8068290d2520/about
Cheeky PeaDec 1-25 : decor : past days ok(group join, 500L to join)
Wonderful decor items in christmas theme, group required, 500L to join. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cheeky%20Pea/27/132/22 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/2fa959e4-0334-a5c0-7e9a-837a0e8654d7/about
!gO!Dec 1-24 : female : daily only (group join required)
The Advent display is lovely every year. In the past, gO had guy items. Not sure if there are any guy gifts in the mix this year, but its such a nice advent I keep it on my Must Visit Advents list.
Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sugar%20Plum/148/96/24 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/c4f8b0dd-3d1f-a442-03cb-24725c891857/about
Foxcity's Noel Express Advent CalendarDec 1-25 : daily only, past ok
14 stores, 24 days. For two days, one store at Fox City will offer gifts, before it moves to the next store. No group required. Items for men, women, and decore depending on the participating store. After the store's 2 days have passed, gifts are moved to the sim's Christmas tree for purchase at a discounted price. Web: https://www.flickr.com/photos/itsfoxy/32244369118 Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FOXCITY/161/74/21
[.EscalateD.]Dec 1-24 : hair : past days ok(group join free)
Hair styles advent. Group is required, free to join. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chrysanthemum%20Island/172/37/22 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/52b697b7-a49f-68df-a5a0-0e33fd6aa0c6/about
ChiC buildingsDec 1-24 : decor : daily, past ok
Deocr items for your christmas, no group required, past days ok. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Trasimeno/32/83/87
AmAzInG CrEaTiOnSDec 1-24 : men, women, unisex : daily only
There are 3 advent calendars here, one for men, women, and unisex. Advents located at the back of store. Lucky boards are also located here for mens clothing, to win on them wear a the free group tag. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ocean%20Retreat/164/250/24 join group for Lucky Board: secondlife:///app/group/9d005d29-3644-8836-7153-8ee023ec2f1f/about
MoCap DanceDec 1-24 : aniamtions : daily, past day ok
No group requires. The advent is located over the front door.
The 12 Days of Christmas Advents (starting mid-month)
Ama Dec 13 - 25 : no group required, daily only
Adult themes festivate gifts, Kinkmas Advent, one gift a day Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moonspell/96/190/993
Chop Zuey Dec 12 - 25 : group required, past ok
Starts Dec 12th. male and female jewelry gifts. Group is 350L to join. Past days ok.
Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chop%20Zuey/127/133/25 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/4d9c522d-5aa8-7561-b54f-3d8f988d118d/about
Essenz Dec 13 - 24 : group required, daily only
Women's shoes daily from Dec 13 tp the 24th. Group is 350 $L to join.
Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fruitatious/50/197/24 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/de0703e3-5c9c-a94a-3399-7d612f9ad235/about
eBENTO Event Dec 10 - 25 : group required, past ok Each day a gift from an event designer will be released, Past days are ok to get. Group is free to join.
Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Northern%20Creek/64/64/1504 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/75d009e8-320a-1108-042a-9e44cf85191b/about
Cosmopolitan Gifts Dec 15 - 25 : group required, past ok
Each day a new gift from participating designers. Group join required, free to join. Click stockings hung on the christmas tree by the front door. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/No%20Comment/124/19/23 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/7382cf06-a663-d569-9683-5c3f0edd968f/about
Clef de PeauDec 23rd - Jan 2nd : group required
One Dec 23rd, for group members will be a unique skin for women and a unique skin for men, including popular mesh body applier. (Catwa & Leluka). The Ladies skin will released later. Group is currently 100L to join, normally 150L.
Surl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Clef%20de%20Peau/156/147/22 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/d1019aab-62ee-78d3-a407-fd42fbd92b25/about
GAMES & Hunts MadPea Christmas Calendar(cost 500L) Dec 1-25
A new gift unlocks each day in this wearable Advent calendar. Includes 20 of Madpea's holiday best sellers and 5 band new exclusive themed items. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MadPea%20Mad%20City/71/161/33
MadPea Christmas Hunt for Enchanted(hud 100L) Dec 10-24
Catch all the escaped toys for prizes and gifts. How to Play: http://www.madpeagames.com/the-madpea-christmas-hunt-guide/ Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MadPea%20Mad%20City/71/161/33
Linden Labs Swaginator Hunt
Go to portal park, then enter Winter Wonderland portal to get your hud. Unlock a gift each week, to unlock the final prize at the end of the hunt. Get the clues for each week here: Web: https://community.secondlife.com/blogs/blog/4-featured-news/ Web: https://twitter.com/SecondLife Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Portal%20Park%201/100/156/54
Krampus Time Hunt until Jan 9th
12 dark christmas gifts can be found hidden in the garden area for 2L each, as well as booths with items on sale 50% off. Stores participating are: Cubic Cherry, Fujiwara's World, IMP TAIL, OXIDE, Neverwish, A.D.D. Andel, Llama Inc, Rekt Royalty, Faida, UniCult, The Horror!, and TeaBunny. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Oblivion/185/37/2364 Web: https://socialvr.me/events/12/
GIFTS under the tree, or hidden around!
LTD gifts
Bygone Swag Pepper & Pomegranate, group membership required Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Straylight/128/128/799 Need to join group: secondlife:///app/group/cbe83c82-145e-5d2d-190e-a4bc99e09e66/about
Epiphany Gifts
Under the tree, and around the gacha event are scattered gifts for players. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fuyumi/118/99/3092
Arcade Gifts
Under the tree are gifts for gacha players. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Arcade%203/166/129/32
Winter's Hallow
Each store's booth has a gift for shoppers, look for the gift bag. Surl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Spectacle/182/231/58
Linden Lab's Shop & Hop eventDec 17 - Jan 4
Giant 5 sim Christmas shopping event with sales anywhere from 20-50% off, plus gifts located in many stores. More information on the website. Web: https://community.secondlife.com/blogs/entry/2457-the-2018-shop-hop-is-here-with-deals-gifts-from-100-merchants/ Surl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aurelian/105/120/52 Surl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Golden/95/129/52 Surl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gilded/148/115/52 Surl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Halcyon/104/118/52 Surl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tinseled/122/107/52
For even more 2018 advents:
http://nessmarket.com/advent-sales-gifts-list-second-life-2018/
https://fabfree.wordpress.com/december-advents/
http://www.teleporthub.com/freebies/advent-calendar-2018-complete-store-list/
FATE island is closing, but before it's gone you can scoop up some great deals at 66% off on FATEwear for men, FATEstep footwear, and all the cool cosplays at FATEplay!
You guys remember the "Linden Home Challenge" I did for Prim Perfect magazine? I have some awesome news, the idea has sparked a great fundraiser event for this year's Home and Garden Expo, -- a Decorating Competition! The challenge is: Decorate one of 6 homes for prizes in 4 days, with less than 500 prims, and including 3 Relay for Life donation items from the Expo. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners are determined by votes paid with Ls for the best designs. All the money from the home design votes goes to Relay for Life! You can read more about it here: decorating-competition. I love how this contest embodies the spirit of the event. Of course, I had to jump in, and I was lucky to get drawn to decorate a house, the Eco IV by Maven Homes.
STORYLINE: The owner is not actually an Astronaut, but people always refer to his house as the "Astronaut House." ("NASA Rover Engineer House" doesn't have the same ring to it.) The owner worked on the Mars Rover Curiosity team. All his family and baby pictures are of the rover! His new project is to design a people mover for the human mission to Mars in 2030. JPL is not too far from his home, so he loves to commute to work in an old 50s experimental Flying Platform.
STORYLINE: When facing a difficult design problem, he will often sit down to play music. It helps clear his mind of distractions to find a creative solution. Music area: Cello:NOMAD Cello 03, gacha [mesh](75L) Harpsichord: Fancy Decor Harpsichord RARE, Fancy Decor: Harpsichord Stool, gacha [mesh](50L) Rug: Soy Shag Round Rug w. texture changer [mesh](100L)
