[gown] Rebel Hope - Francesca
[hair] Truth - Taja
[arm cuffs] RYCA - Armbad NC01
[clutch] Reign - Tied Pouch (May faMESHed 5th anniversary gift)
[body] Maitreya
[head] Catwa - Lona
[pose] Diesel Works - Daisy no. 8
Raw shot taken @ the Sable Club
Monday, June 5, 2017
A little class with my sass
[gown] Rebel Hope - Francesca
[hair] Truth - Taja
[arm cuffs] RYCA - Armbad NC01
[clutch] Reign - Tied Pouch (May faMESHed 5th anniversary gift)
[body] Maitreya
[head] Catwa - Lona
[pose] Diesel Works - Daisy no. 8
Raw shot taken @ the Sable Club
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Destination Unknown #3
“I wandered everywhere, through cities and countries wide. And everywhere I went, the world was on my side.”
-Roman Payne
ARTaNONYMUS
This sim has both urban and rural elements. The urban side has everything a city should have - bars, nightclubs, back alleys, shops, an art gallery etc. On many of the buildings are painted murals which often depict familiar characters both real life and fictional, including one of David Bowie ala Ziggy Stardust. On the edge of town there is a refugee encampment made of shipping containers. A large sign on the bridge out of town reads: "No border no nation freedom of movement for all". Once across the bridge, you see a typical rural setting with farmhouses, cottages, water tower, farmer's market, dirt roads and plenty of vegetation. There's even a little outdoor bar/cafe on the waterfront.
Rating: A
taxi
Costa Blanco
According to the description, "Costa Blanco is situated in the southernmost province of Sweden, and is connected by weather and theme with France". It's a small picturesque rural sim with farms, farmhouse and cottages, country roads and windmills. It makes full use of the waterfront with beaches and boat docks and a romantic rooftop setting.
Rating: A
taxi
the Junkyard
The description reads: "In a barren thicket lies an old circus and fairgrounds, long abandoned and left to decay. Here resides the Briar Seer." but that's only the landing point. Once I ventured off, I found a post apocalyptic style urban setting that is anything but barren. In one corner of the parcel is an industrial factory with a large bowl shaped structure, the middle of which transports you to an extensive labyrinth of underground tunnels. Beyond the Briar Seer is many more parcels and sims (I think I'm using the right terminology), all with post apocalyptic themes. A great, vast area with seemingly endless spots to explore.
rating: M
taxi
Lick Sim Designs - Asian Fusion
This is an "Asian Fusion" Country in the Orient. a picturesque sim with a collection of different Asian cultures. A touch of old and new merged together on one sim. Most beautiful and impressive to me was the thick forest which had in a clearing on the hill with a small pavilion and a stone Buddha sitting in the center. The entire sim has a very relaxing zenlike feel to it.
rating: M
taxi
Land of Thule
This little sim is listed as a medieval roleplay community but rp is not strictly enforced. At the landing point is a small village and beyond that is a castle surrounded by a dense forest and mountains and a few smaller structures.
Rating: A
taxi
Summers Wind
A lovely well built island resort town with waterfront homes for rent, boat docks, beaches, tree-lined cliffs and plenty of little spots to sit and relax. At the landing point is an entrance to a nightclub built inside a cave within one of the cliffs and a spot where you can rez rideable bicycles. There's also a teleporter which will send you to a large warehouse style skybox called Memories of the Underground and a circular tunnel with art lining the walls.
Rating: M
taxi
Hazardous
You land on a small checkered platform set high in the sky. Not much there but a tub and a dark drop off. If you climb in the tub, it teleports you to the main sim with a rural clifftop setting. There are various spots tucked around the edges to sit and relax. The cliff is C- shaped with a deep canyon in the center. On one side of the cliff is a pond and nearby is a small barn with a dried up well beside it. The well is another portal which takes you to a little underground area beneath the pond. Down there is some artwork and a place to cuddle or chill. The canyon below the cliffs is yet another area to relax and take in the scenery. There's also a little dance hall. the whole setup is subtly built with with a very restful feel to it.
Rating: M
taxi
Previous Destination posts:
#1
#2
Once again, thank you for reading, happy exploration and if possible, don't forget to drop a few lindens into the donation boxes to keep these awesome sims alive.
-Roman Payne
ARTaNONYMUS
This sim has both urban and rural elements. The urban side has everything a city should have - bars, nightclubs, back alleys, shops, an art gallery etc. On many of the buildings are painted murals which often depict familiar characters both real life and fictional, including one of David Bowie ala Ziggy Stardust. On the edge of town there is a refugee encampment made of shipping containers. A large sign on the bridge out of town reads: "No border no nation freedom of movement for all". Once across the bridge, you see a typical rural setting with farmhouses, cottages, water tower, farmer's market, dirt roads and plenty of vegetation. There's even a little outdoor bar/cafe on the waterfront.
Rating: A
taxi
 |
| ARTaNONYMUS |
Costa Blanco
According to the description, "Costa Blanco is situated in the southernmost province of Sweden, and is connected by weather and theme with France". It's a small picturesque rural sim with farms, farmhouse and cottages, country roads and windmills. It makes full use of the waterfront with beaches and boat docks and a romantic rooftop setting.
Rating: A
taxi
 |
| Costa Blanco |
the Junkyard
The description reads: "In a barren thicket lies an old circus and fairgrounds, long abandoned and left to decay. Here resides the Briar Seer." but that's only the landing point. Once I ventured off, I found a post apocalyptic style urban setting that is anything but barren. In one corner of the parcel is an industrial factory with a large bowl shaped structure, the middle of which transports you to an extensive labyrinth of underground tunnels. Beyond the Briar Seer is many more parcels and sims (I think I'm using the right terminology), all with post apocalyptic themes. A great, vast area with seemingly endless spots to explore.
rating: M
taxi
 |
| the Junkyard |
Lick Sim Designs - Asian Fusion
This is an "Asian Fusion" Country in the Orient. a picturesque sim with a collection of different Asian cultures. A touch of old and new merged together on one sim. Most beautiful and impressive to me was the thick forest which had in a clearing on the hill with a small pavilion and a stone Buddha sitting in the center. The entire sim has a very relaxing zenlike feel to it.
rating: M
taxi
 |
| Lick Sim Designs - Asian Fusion |
Land of Thule
This little sim is listed as a medieval roleplay community but rp is not strictly enforced. At the landing point is a small village and beyond that is a castle surrounded by a dense forest and mountains and a few smaller structures.
Rating: A
taxi
 |
| Land of Thule |
Summers Wind
A lovely well built island resort town with waterfront homes for rent, boat docks, beaches, tree-lined cliffs and plenty of little spots to sit and relax. At the landing point is an entrance to a nightclub built inside a cave within one of the cliffs and a spot where you can rez rideable bicycles. There's also a teleporter which will send you to a large warehouse style skybox called Memories of the Underground and a circular tunnel with art lining the walls.
Rating: M
taxi
 |
| Summers Wind |
Hazardous
You land on a small checkered platform set high in the sky. Not much there but a tub and a dark drop off. If you climb in the tub, it teleports you to the main sim with a rural clifftop setting. There are various spots tucked around the edges to sit and relax. The cliff is C- shaped with a deep canyon in the center. On one side of the cliff is a pond and nearby is a small barn with a dried up well beside it. The well is another portal which takes you to a little underground area beneath the pond. Down there is some artwork and a place to cuddle or chill. The canyon below the cliffs is yet another area to relax and take in the scenery. There's also a little dance hall. the whole setup is subtly built with with a very restful feel to it.
Rating: M
taxi
 |
 |
#1
#2
Once again, thank you for reading, happy exploration and if possible, don't forget to drop a few lindens into the donation boxes to keep these awesome sims alive.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Rebel Hope
I love summer in Second Life because....bikinis! Rebel Hope, maker of fabulously textured mesh clothing, has been a brand for nearly 13 years and stands out to me in terms of quality and fit. She has a thing for bikinis and it shows in this uber sexy new release out now at the June round of FaMESHED.
[bikini] Rebel Hope - Jasmina (@ FaMESHed)
[earrings] Rebel Hope - Loriana Feather Earrings
[rings] Absolut Vendetta - Juno Bento Rings (@ eBENTO)
[hair] Truth - Deja (VIP group gift)
[body] Maitreya
[head] Catwa - Lona
[pose] Tuty - Modeling Pose no. 15
Raw shot taken in my back yard 😊
 |
[earrings] Rebel Hope - Loriana Feather Earrings
[rings] Absolut Vendetta - Juno Bento Rings (@ eBENTO)
[hair] Truth - Deja (VIP group gift)
[body] Maitreya
[head] Catwa - Lona
[pose] Tuty - Modeling Pose no. 15
Raw shot taken in my back yard 😊
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
April shopping recap
The month started out with a return trip to Uber to pick up the sexy little dress from Vinyl. Each single color came with a bonus pattern in the hud. This one was calling my name.
 |
| Vinyl - Chai Slip Dress |
The next day, Blueberry came out with her first long gown and the details were amazing. Single colors came with both opaque and half transparent and of course, the built in panties, which could be removed with the hud. The dress also came with a walking animation which prevents your legs from cutting thru the fabric.
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| Blueberry - Breeanya Dress |
On the 7th I stopped by the Liaison Collaborative to grab the cute little dress and rain jacket from Vinyl.
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| Vinyl - Colbie Skinny Dress & Lenka RainJacket |
The next day Collabor88 opened and I picked up a simple yet sexy shorts and tank set from ISON and some earrings from Zaara.
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| ISON- Cross Tank & Daphne Shorts Zaara - Malini Earrings |
On the 15th, the Luxe Box was released and despite my earlier decision not to, I changed my mind at the last minute and threw down the 1500L just an hour before the box came out and I'm so glad I did!
 | ||
| Tres Blah - Kiki Dress |
 |
| ISON - Kelly Jumpsuit |
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| Stories&Co. by Flowey - Gracie Skirt Foxes - Spring Strappy Tank |
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| Tee*fy - Jenny Dress |
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| Lamb - Teenager Hair + hat Blueberry - Off Shoulder Tank |
Then Blueberry GACHAed me again with her set from Epiphany...
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| Blueberry - Coco Doll Set: Top Panties Shoes |
Finally, On the 20th came the Bish Box with a theme reminiscent of my youth - Grunge Queen. Although I didn't technically buy it, I'm including it in this list since several items made me squee.
 |
| Nani - Stephanie Hair + hat ChicModa - Kat T-Shirt Dress Kibitz - Jelly Bangles Yummy - Teen Spirit Necklace and Choker Set Razor - Harley Boots w/socks IDTTY Faces - Glam Eye Shadow (copper) |
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| Suicide Gurls - Willow Glasses & Septum piercing Salt & Pepper - Runa Dress Kibitz - Jelly Bangles Yummy - Teen Spirit Necklace and Choker Set |
That's it, folks. If you do the math, please be kind and don't tell me how much I spent!
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Destination Unknown #2
SL is a magical land where we release our consciousness from our material form and interact thru our bodies of light.
-Zola Zsun
Following up on this post, here is an update of some more great sims I've discovered in my Second Life travels.
The Gates of Melancholy is based on and inspired from the life and work of the famous American painter Andrew Wyeth. This sim is created to emulate and elicit the feel in the watercolor paintings done by Andrew Wyeth and evokes melancholy, nostalgia, starkness and the crispness of his work. You will find spots throughout the sim where you can find recreations of some of his paintings and you can pose, take pictures and create your own art work as you like it.
Taxi
Andrew Wyeth
Explore the beauty of Corlevoli Beach. This nostalgic environment features a romantic, photogenic beach with luxury rentals, white sand beaches and more.
taxi
flickr group
Abandale is a once-flourishing, peaceful, scenic, rural town that is slowly being reclaimed back to nature. Some of the idyllic beauty remains in the homes that have been lovingly maintained and in the old oak forests, but the absence of bustling town life can be seen in the way the grass has become overgrown and buildings lay crumbling and rusting.
taxi
Maison de L'amitié It is a place evocative of sea-side vacation destinations; much of the region is given over to water to form a natural bay which reflects a golden-hued sky. Sand bars to the south and west protect the bay on two sides. These form two broad, low beaches, the one to the south adjoining a sharp upthrust of land against which a little village sits. Running before this, and separating it from a sandy waterfront, is a wide road overlooking a line of rowing boats moored just off-shore, watched over by cormorants, gulls and a pelican...
...more about Maison de L'amitié from blogger Inara Pey
taxi
flickr group
I was mostly drawn to the bookstore and wound up spending a good bit of time taking pictures in there. It had a great atmosphere and I started wishing I could find a place just like it in the real world.
...and finally after being closed for a few weeks, the creepy well built Ironwood Hills is back up and running with a full sim. This is one of the best places I've found for exploration when it comes to creating a dark and moody atmosphere.
Ironwood Hills is a post-apocalypse sim ravaged by time and nature. As sirens wail in the distance, derelict buildings give up ghosts of their past. You'll find an abandoned amusement park under a plume of stale popcorn. The threat of dangers and other darker things lurking around every bend in the path toward the corpse-filled caves. An eerily beautiful landscape that tries hard to hide its secrets.
taxi
flickr group
facebook
Thank you for reading and happy exploration!
-Zola Zsun
Following up on this post, here is an update of some more great sims I've discovered in my Second Life travels.
*****
The Gates of Melancholy is based on and inspired from the life and work of the famous American painter Andrew Wyeth. This sim is created to emulate and elicit the feel in the watercolor paintings done by Andrew Wyeth and evokes melancholy, nostalgia, starkness and the crispness of his work. You will find spots throughout the sim where you can find recreations of some of his paintings and you can pose, take pictures and create your own art work as you like it.
Taxi
Andrew Wyeth
 |
| the Gates of Melancholy |
*****
Explore the beauty of Corlevoli Beach. This nostalgic environment features a romantic, photogenic beach with luxury rentals, white sand beaches and more.
taxi
flickr group
 |
| Corlevoli Beach |
*****
Abandale is a once-flourishing, peaceful, scenic, rural town that is slowly being reclaimed back to nature. Some of the idyllic beauty remains in the homes that have been lovingly maintained and in the old oak forests, but the absence of bustling town life can be seen in the way the grass has become overgrown and buildings lay crumbling and rusting.
taxi
 |
| Abandale |
 |
| Abandale |
*****
Maison de L'amitié It is a place evocative of sea-side vacation destinations; much of the region is given over to water to form a natural bay which reflects a golden-hued sky. Sand bars to the south and west protect the bay on two sides. These form two broad, low beaches, the one to the south adjoining a sharp upthrust of land against which a little village sits. Running before this, and separating it from a sandy waterfront, is a wide road overlooking a line of rowing boats moored just off-shore, watched over by cormorants, gulls and a pelican...
...more about Maison de L'amitié from blogger Inara Pey
taxi
flickr group
I was mostly drawn to the bookstore and wound up spending a good bit of time taking pictures in there. It had a great atmosphere and I started wishing I could find a place just like it in the real world.
 |
| Maison de L'amitié |
 |
| Maison de L'amitié |
*****
...and finally after being closed for a few weeks, the creepy well built Ironwood Hills is back up and running with a full sim. This is one of the best places I've found for exploration when it comes to creating a dark and moody atmosphere.
Ironwood Hills is a post-apocalypse sim ravaged by time and nature. As sirens wail in the distance, derelict buildings give up ghosts of their past. You'll find an abandoned amusement park under a plume of stale popcorn. The threat of dangers and other darker things lurking around every bend in the path toward the corpse-filled caves. An eerily beautiful landscape that tries hard to hide its secrets.
taxi
flickr group
 |
| Ironwood Hills |
 |
| Ironwood Hills |
Saturday, April 1, 2017
March shopping Madness recap
While many of my friends have been going apeshit for basketball, I've been engaged in my own version of March Madness; a month of frenzied shopping, posing and posting about my various impulse buys. Thanks to a multitude of events, sales, subscription boxes and Blueberry's uncanny ability to read my mind, I wound up abusing my wallet even more in March than I did in November (Black Friday). 'Lucky' for the few lone individuals who follow my antics, I revel in every new purchase and take pics of pretty much everything. Here are just a few of them.
The month started out with the latest round of the Arcade and my acceptance of the fact that I'm not only a shopaholic, but have also given in to the lure of gachas. In her main store, Blueberry released probably her best pair of pants to date, which came with an overwhelming number of options including attached boots, choice of leather or denim and even a separate hud for different bootie shapes.
The next day I was standing amid a sea of avatars at Collabor88 searching for her hoodie with drool-inducing textures.
On the 8th, MadPea Productions released their Deco(c)rate for March and since I've been on a furnishings and decor kick lately, I decided to buy it for the first time. I was not disappointed! I still haven't incorporated anything but the loveseat into my home yet but I did manage to throw some of the items together in a sandbox and snap this quick pic.
The 20th saw the release of MadPea Productions' March Bish Box, which had a theme I thought would blend perfectly with the Deco(c)rate: Indie Chic. as it turned out, 'indie' meant something closer to 'hippie' than I expected, but I still found several things in the box that I loved, including (shockingly) hair.
On the 24th, Blueberry gave her VIPs advanced entry into Shoetopia and I was so excited about her boots and heels, I straight up forgot to even look around at the 49 other great designers participating in the event.
The following day, Uber began and Truth released his hair for March. Again, I was so excited to get right in and get that hair that I failed to spend much time looking at any of the other designers' booths but I did pick up a cute tank top from Miss Chelsea (pictured below) and later the Chai dress from Vinyl.
Finally, on the 30th, Addams released her Tank Top Dress and Sandals.
I also threw down far too much on knicknack gachas for use in pictures, several designers' sales, some accessories from the N21 event and picked up my first Bento head and shape and a new skin to go with it. After trying several subscription boxes over the last three months, I've made up my mind (for now) that they aren't for me. Not because they suck but because I'd much rather try on the items and really want them before spending the lindens. On a side note; as luck would have it, I wound up winning next month's Bish box in a random drawing!
Here's hoping my wallet fares better in April. Thanks for reading!
The month started out with the latest round of the Arcade and my acceptance of the fact that I'm not only a shopaholic, but have also given in to the lure of gachas. In her main store, Blueberry released probably her best pair of pants to date, which came with an overwhelming number of options including attached boots, choice of leather or denim and even a separate hud for different bootie shapes.
 |
| Blueberry - Grace pants w/boots |
The next day I was standing amid a sea of avatars at Collabor88 searching for her hoodie with drool-inducing textures.
 | |
| Blueberry - Loli Hoodie (@ C88) |
On the 8th, MadPea Productions released their Deco(c)rate for March and since I've been on a furnishings and decor kick lately, I decided to buy it for the first time. I was not disappointed! I still haven't incorporated anything but the loveseat into my home yet but I did manage to throw some of the items together in a sandbox and snap this quick pic.
 | ||
| Items from the March Deco(c)rate: •Keke - Old garden Greenhouse •Vagabond - Mojave Pompom Rug •Di'cor - Joseline Loveseat •HEXtraordinary - Boho Meditation Altar •Cheeky Pea - Free Spirit Cabinet |
 |
| Items from the March Bish Box •ChicModa - Hazel Top •Kibitz - Hearty Bracelets & Watch •Doe - Christie Hair •IDTTY - Real Dream Tattoo •EF - Rhapsody Earrings |
On the 24th, Blueberry gave her VIPs advanced entry into Shoetopia and I was so excited about her boots and heels, I straight up forgot to even look around at the 49 other great designers participating in the event.
 | ||
| Blueberry - Celia Boots (flat) (@ Shoetopia) |
 |
| Blueberry - Bonita Heels (knee high) (@ Shoetopia) |
The following day, Uber began and Truth released his hair for March. Again, I was so excited to get right in and get that hair that I failed to spend much time looking at any of the other designers' booths but I did pick up a cute tank top from Miss Chelsea (pictured below) and later the Chai dress from Vinyl.
 | ||
| Truth hair - Cheri (@ March Uber) |
Finally, on the 30th, Addams released her Tank Top Dress and Sandals.
 |
| Addams // Abela Tank Top Dress w/ Belt // N*17 Addams // Selene Sandal Heels // N*17 |
Here's hoping my wallet fares better in April. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Destination unknown
The power of fantasy, imagination, and creativity takes us far beyond the ordinary, and gifts us with experiences, relationships, and connections we might otherwise never know.
-Zola Zsun
Like a lot of people, one of my favorite things to do in Second Life is explore. I think part of why this is such a beloved pastime is because this virtual world is user-generated and therefor we'll never know what all is out there unless we wander the grid and seek to discover it. I've seen everything from breathtaking lifelike landscapes to laughably outdated monstrosities of indeterminable purpose and I've only scratched the surface. So far I've managed to gather a small collection of sims which were clearly created with photography in mind and because I can't create, I share. So here's the first in what I hope to be a monthly series of destination posts aimed to inform others who like to explore and take pictures and to help the wonderful designers and builders in Second Life keep their creations alive.
From the Destinations album, one of the more eclectic sims I've found recently is Fort Stygian - the Keeper's located here.
-Zola Zsun
Like a lot of people, one of my favorite things to do in Second Life is explore. I think part of why this is such a beloved pastime is because this virtual world is user-generated and therefor we'll never know what all is out there unless we wander the grid and seek to discover it. I've seen everything from breathtaking lifelike landscapes to laughably outdated monstrosities of indeterminable purpose and I've only scratched the surface. So far I've managed to gather a small collection of sims which were clearly created with photography in mind and because I can't create, I share. So here's the first in what I hope to be a monthly series of destination posts aimed to inform others who like to explore and take pictures and to help the wonderful designers and builders in Second Life keep their creations alive.
From the Destinations album, one of the more eclectic sims I've found recently is Fort Stygian - the Keeper's located here.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Behold...
I am not a fashion blogger. There are enough of those already, not to mention the fact that I know nothing about fashion. In real life I tend to go for simple, understated and cheap and I hate shopping. I don't like sales people or the ridiculous amount charged for decent clothes or crowds or lines at the register or finding parking yada yada yada.
Second Life however, is a whole other story. It would be hard to keep a blog of my experiences in world without mentioning my obsession for shopping! I love it almost as much as I love exploring or dancing or taking pictures or hanging out or photobombing random strangers. I especially love new releases, so it goes without saying that I'll be posting some of them here.
Behold, my first "fashion" post:
Second Life however, is a whole other story. It would be hard to keep a blog of my experiences in world without mentioning my obsession for shopping! I love it almost as much as I love exploring or dancing or taking pictures or hanging out or photobombing random strangers. I especially love new releases, so it goes without saying that I'll be posting some of them here.
Behold, my first "fashion" post:
 |
| Credits Hair: Truth - Zoya (March VIP group gift) Top: Blueberry - Loli (March C88) Pants: Blueberry - Gracie Shoes: Reign - Monetti Body: Maitreya Lara Head: LAQ - Maxine Skin: W.O.W - Jayma Accessories: .:E:A:Studio: Piercing Kessemer Belly, .:E:A:Studio: Earring Horn Lucky Charm Black |
Friday, March 3, 2017
Gacha, sucker!
My first
experience with gachas in world was paying a machine 25L thinking I was
going to get everything in the picture (mostly household items). Instead
I found in my inventory one useless little thing which could only be
described as terrifying. It had beady eyes and what I assume was
supposed to be fur and a tail. Already smarting from the frustration of
trying to figure out how to get the little demon out of the multiple
layers of packaging some clearly warped toy maker no doubt found
hilarious, I deleted it. Then I told a person standing nearby
what a ripoff it was and that the owner of the store had tricked me into
paying good money for garbage with no discernible purpose. She explained that I'd just unwittingly participated
in something called a gacha, and said how they were super fun
and addictive. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to funnel
money into a machine that was likely rigged to only spit out the gift
with the least amount of value and likability.
Ok, so I'm not even going to try and explain how I had forgotten those quarter prize machines that used to draw me in like little metal pied pipers for the first twelve years of my life, siphoning my meager allowance coin by coin and the sheer joy it brought when I finally completed a set. All I could think of gachas then was what a stupid waste of money they were and how they were designed to prey on those with weak impulse control. From that moment forward I avoided them. I even questioned the judgement of those who admitted to spending ungodly amounts of lindens on them, insisting that I'm all grown up now and too practical to fall for that nonsense.
Fast
forward just a few months and the anticipation of the latest round of the Arcade was killing me. I already had a list of machines I was going
to play and how much I was going to put into them. I had even devised my own
rules for 'fool proof success'. I spent 45 minutes on the first morning, trying to do homework while listening to the whoosh-DING! of failed TP attempts via my TP Hammer. I felt a little rush of childlike glee when the sounds finally stopped, indicating that I had arrived at the event. I then joyfully clicked and clicked for a good hour, carefully scanning the room several times to make sure I didn't miss any of the machines on my list. And why this sudden turn around, you ask? Because Blueberry.
I now meekly concede that gachas are in fact super fun and addicting and that once again, Second Life has humbled me by revealing elements of my character I had previously refused to believe existed.
Again, I blame Blueberry. Giggity.
 |
| Credits: Blueberry - Iconic Doll Set (@ the Arcade) Hair - Truth - Delaney Body - Maitreya Head - LAQ - Maxine @ Louane's World |
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
I'm not a photographer but I play one in Second Life.
I know nothing about shadow and light or composition or any of the other technical aspects of photography. I don't even know how to use Photoshop. I bought it and looked at the menus and whatnots and for all its alien words and options it might as well have been an academic journal on nuclear physics. One of the reasons I love Second Life is that none of that matters. I can entertain my seemingly constant need to snap what I see and it doesn't matter what people think because this isn't real life. There's also the fact that I can control the weather...
 |
| Amandia |
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Noob follies - the first two months
(rez day: Aug 15, 2016) I was lucky to have a very patient friend bring me into Second Life and
show me the basics. Before I even logged on, she had me download Firestorm (one of the things I'm most grateful to her for). After I rezzed and took a few minutes to figure out how to move around, I promptly fell through a gap in the floor and landed in a small room with no doors or stairs. I would have given up right then and there (or Googled how to get out of the basement) but my friend teleported me to a freebie mall. She showed me how to "buy" freebie clothes and shoes and how to open boxes, maneuver my inventory, put on clothing and use alphas. She taught me about sandboxes and explained how I couldn't open boxes just anywhere. She explained how to set my graphics for minimum lag and how to search for places and teleport there. She warned me not to accept any invites or gifts from anyone I didn't know (which was everyone), especially vampires. And of course, she took me to a nude beach.
A few days later, her computer got fried and I didn't see her in world for two months. I kept bugging her through facebook to help me each time I got stuck with something but after a while I felt like it was all we ever talked about and I didn't want to bother her so much. Being new in Second Life is a constant shit show. So within a couple weeks, I began the stumbling joy of discovering the fundamental elements of the virtual world, which are so numerous and unforeseen that they continue cropping up six months later.
I was about a week in, wandering around Freebie Galaxy (shudder) when I got a message from a nice lady who commented on my "duck walk" and bought me my first AO - that 1L basic girl AO you see a lot of newbs using - and yeah, I let her. And she was a vampire too. I almost expected a computer virus when she sent it to me but instead, she instructed me on how to use it. I was surprisingly very excited to see my avi walking like a real woman with a sexy swing in her hips. Before I knew it, she was taking me to the Maitreya store. She walked me to the display, dumped 2700 lindens on me and told me to buy the body (and how to buy it). She also told me I should wear and use nothing but mesh. I had no idea what that meant and she was in a rush so I thanked her kindly and we went our separate ways. The body sat in my inventory for the next several weeks because I was afraid to mess with it. I was afraid to mess with anything for fear of breaking it.
I continued grabbing up freebies for a couple more weeks, attempting to build a decent wardrobe and started to notice the vast range of quality in the clothes. I didn't realize it at the time but I was already only keeping the mesh stuff and deleting everything else. I only wanted things that looked "real". Someone showed me the marketplace and I spent a good hour one day buying all the most beautiful clothes and shoes and accessories I could find, only to discover they weren't in fact free, but DEMOS! One of the demos I had put on was the Amalia dress from Blueberry and I loved it so much I couldn't bear to delete it.
Meanwhile, I had already found plenty of places to listen to great music and dance and made several new friends. I added "I'm just here to dance" to my profile but couldn't figure out how to take or add a picture yet. One of my new friends introduced me to Linden Realms and gem hunting and before I knew it, I was making lindens. After a while I was able to afford the Blueberry dress. I spent most of my time exploring and dancing and chatting with people from all over the world. I found out I liked to help other newbs figure out the things that had been shown to me and so I would message people I could tell were new and offer to explain things to them. I made even more friends that way. One of them showed me Strawberry Singh's blog, which had prompted her to join Second Life in the first place and I was blown away by how beautiful Strawberry's avi was and how much she knew about fashion and how to maneuver Second Life. I didn't understand much of what she was talking about but I loved watching her unboxing vids and I would sometimes teleport to the stores she talked about to find cool stuff. Unfortunately, that's when I realized that chasing gems was not going to suffice for my level of impatience and it was cutting into my dancing time.....enter, the credit card!
early memorable moments include:
-finding myself hairless, running in place on a stage in the middle of a live show, thinking I had to wait it out instead of relogging
-getting stuck in walls and thinking I broke the world
-while exploring a sim, flying into someone's private home and walking around to find them having sex in the hot tub...then that frozen running in place thing again
-accidentally clicking the "sit anywhere" option on my AO HUD and thinking my avi was permanently broken
-thinking my avi stayed around after I logged out and worrying about her being messed with or worse, killed by trolls
-not understanding that everyone could read local chat and having a very private conversation with a friend in a crowded club.
-forgetting to stop a dance hud before teleporting out and thinking I had to relog in order to fix it
-walking around with 3 outfits on
-doing a sexy leg-kicking, floor-rolling dance for several minutes facing a line of dancing guys, only to discover my new mesh body had a vagina and it was now necessary for me to wear underwear (or an alpha!)
More later.
A few days later, her computer got fried and I didn't see her in world for two months. I kept bugging her through facebook to help me each time I got stuck with something but after a while I felt like it was all we ever talked about and I didn't want to bother her so much. Being new in Second Life is a constant shit show. So within a couple weeks, I began the stumbling joy of discovering the fundamental elements of the virtual world, which are so numerous and unforeseen that they continue cropping up six months later.
I was about a week in, wandering around Freebie Galaxy (shudder) when I got a message from a nice lady who commented on my "duck walk" and bought me my first AO - that 1L basic girl AO you see a lot of newbs using - and yeah, I let her. And she was a vampire too. I almost expected a computer virus when she sent it to me but instead, she instructed me on how to use it. I was surprisingly very excited to see my avi walking like a real woman with a sexy swing in her hips. Before I knew it, she was taking me to the Maitreya store. She walked me to the display, dumped 2700 lindens on me and told me to buy the body (and how to buy it). She also told me I should wear and use nothing but mesh. I had no idea what that meant and she was in a rush so I thanked her kindly and we went our separate ways. The body sat in my inventory for the next several weeks because I was afraid to mess with it. I was afraid to mess with anything for fear of breaking it.
I continued grabbing up freebies for a couple more weeks, attempting to build a decent wardrobe and started to notice the vast range of quality in the clothes. I didn't realize it at the time but I was already only keeping the mesh stuff and deleting everything else. I only wanted things that looked "real". Someone showed me the marketplace and I spent a good hour one day buying all the most beautiful clothes and shoes and accessories I could find, only to discover they weren't in fact free, but DEMOS! One of the demos I had put on was the Amalia dress from Blueberry and I loved it so much I couldn't bear to delete it.
Meanwhile, I had already found plenty of places to listen to great music and dance and made several new friends. I added "I'm just here to dance" to my profile but couldn't figure out how to take or add a picture yet. One of my new friends introduced me to Linden Realms and gem hunting and before I knew it, I was making lindens. After a while I was able to afford the Blueberry dress. I spent most of my time exploring and dancing and chatting with people from all over the world. I found out I liked to help other newbs figure out the things that had been shown to me and so I would message people I could tell were new and offer to explain things to them. I made even more friends that way. One of them showed me Strawberry Singh's blog, which had prompted her to join Second Life in the first place and I was blown away by how beautiful Strawberry's avi was and how much she knew about fashion and how to maneuver Second Life. I didn't understand much of what she was talking about but I loved watching her unboxing vids and I would sometimes teleport to the stores she talked about to find cool stuff. Unfortunately, that's when I realized that chasing gems was not going to suffice for my level of impatience and it was cutting into my dancing time.....enter, the credit card!
early memorable moments include:
-finding myself hairless, running in place on a stage in the middle of a live show, thinking I had to wait it out instead of relogging
-getting stuck in walls and thinking I broke the world
-while exploring a sim, flying into someone's private home and walking around to find them having sex in the hot tub...then that frozen running in place thing again
-accidentally clicking the "sit anywhere" option on my AO HUD and thinking my avi was permanently broken
-thinking my avi stayed around after I logged out and worrying about her being messed with or worse, killed by trolls
-not understanding that everyone could read local chat and having a very private conversation with a friend in a crowded club.
-forgetting to stop a dance hud before teleporting out and thinking I had to relog in order to fix it
-walking around with 3 outfits on
-doing a sexy leg-kicking, floor-rolling dance for several minutes facing a line of dancing guys, only to discover my new mesh body had a vagina and it was now necessary for me to wear underwear (or an alpha!)
More later.
 |
| Yay for freebies! |
 | |
| More freebies - with flexi hair |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
I'm not a shopaholic but I play one in Second Life.
And even though no one asked, here are some of my favorite in world products so far. They aren't just my favorites because I found them, liked them and then stopped looking. In the short time I've been in Second Life, I've spent an ungodly number of hours shopping around and trying on demos. I've also bought and used a lot of things from different creators/designers, lived in and around the products, joined the groups and chatted with the mods and other members. I've also dealt with many of the creators/CSRs whenever something goes wrong with a product or purchase.
The best by far has got the be Truth Hawks. I started wearing his hair early on because it had the shade I wanted (still haven't found this shade anywhere else but haven't stopped looking). Then I found out he had a wide variety of styles, which I loved because I like to change a lot. Then I quickly grew to appreciate how the textures and details seemed to surpass most others I tried. I joined the VIP group and discovered that he consistently gives us exclusive monthly gifts that are equal to his hairs sold to the general public in every way. That's important because often times designers give gifts that they clearly didn't put as much time and effort into as their products for sale and sometimes are just modified versions of what they already have in the store. Truth comes up with new designs for all his gifts and uses feedback from his customers to create them.
Which brings me to the remarkable way he runs his business. He's accessible and very receptive to customer needs/wants. At one point, he made a folder with a bunch of different bangs and sent it out to all of us as a gift so we can tweak our hairstyles to our specific liking. The monthly group gifts contain every color HUD he offers and usually more than one hair style. He's hired a couple of terrific women to moderate the VIP group and provide almost constant and always efficient customer service and they're very good at what they do. VIPs rarely want for anything, despite the fact that a lot of us can be quite demanding! Group chat is active and usually populated by totally awesome people. Over the holidays he threw some exclusive parties just for the VIPs. You can see a pic of the Christmas party here. The place was so packed with lovelies that my brand new computer had difficulty rezzing everything. He's created an amazing community and remains humble after so many years in business, which allows for him to continue evolving.
Hair by Truth Hawks:
Marketplace
In World
Another designer who matches Truth in terms of quality, consistency, accessibility and responsiveness is Blueberry. People go crazy for her clothes and its not just due to hype. The only word I can think to describe her fit and textures is delicious. She's also been in business for several years and has continued evolving with her customers. Like Truth, she seems to have a real passion for what she does and a deep appreciation for the success she's been blessed with. Her VIP group is full of more totally awesome people and then there's things like this. During the Winter Crawl, she created a follower HUD and gave it out to VIP members thru group notices and let us all follow her thru the sims. Oh dear, the lag!
Blueberry:
Marketplace
In World
Another designer who creates stunningly realistic details and textures is What Next. They also provide awesome customer service - I spoke with the co-owner directly who got back to me quickly and was very kind, generous and helpful. The VIP group gifts are also on par with everything else in the store. I especially love their little knickknacks and gachas. I became hooked when I found this adorable rideable scooter and then again when I needed some beach chairs, and again when I was looking for patio furniture and so on....
What Next Home & Garden:
Marketplace
In World
Trompe is another creator who makes flawless designs with the most amazing textures and detail. I've also been very pleased with the experience I had when I needed help with the products. Trompe's style is very different from that of What Next, and I love them both.
Trompe Loeil Furniture & Homes:
Marketplace
In World
That's it for now - I'll talk about my obsession for shoes, accessories AOs and teleport HUDs next time. Thanks for indulging me!
The best by far has got the be Truth Hawks. I started wearing his hair early on because it had the shade I wanted (still haven't found this shade anywhere else but haven't stopped looking). Then I found out he had a wide variety of styles, which I loved because I like to change a lot. Then I quickly grew to appreciate how the textures and details seemed to surpass most others I tried. I joined the VIP group and discovered that he consistently gives us exclusive monthly gifts that are equal to his hairs sold to the general public in every way. That's important because often times designers give gifts that they clearly didn't put as much time and effort into as their products for sale and sometimes are just modified versions of what they already have in the store. Truth comes up with new designs for all his gifts and uses feedback from his customers to create them.
Which brings me to the remarkable way he runs his business. He's accessible and very receptive to customer needs/wants. At one point, he made a folder with a bunch of different bangs and sent it out to all of us as a gift so we can tweak our hairstyles to our specific liking. The monthly group gifts contain every color HUD he offers and usually more than one hair style. He's hired a couple of terrific women to moderate the VIP group and provide almost constant and always efficient customer service and they're very good at what they do. VIPs rarely want for anything, despite the fact that a lot of us can be quite demanding! Group chat is active and usually populated by totally awesome people. Over the holidays he threw some exclusive parties just for the VIPs. You can see a pic of the Christmas party here. The place was so packed with lovelies that my brand new computer had difficulty rezzing everything. He's created an amazing community and remains humble after so many years in business, which allows for him to continue evolving.
Hair by Truth Hawks:
Marketplace
In World
 |
| Truth - Miriam |
Blueberry:
Marketplace
In World
 |
| Blueberry - Melanie Jeans & Elisa Top |
Another designer who creates stunningly realistic details and textures is What Next. They also provide awesome customer service - I spoke with the co-owner directly who got back to me quickly and was very kind, generous and helpful. The VIP group gifts are also on par with everything else in the store. I especially love their little knickknacks and gachas. I became hooked when I found this adorable rideable scooter and then again when I needed some beach chairs, and again when I was looking for patio furniture and so on....
What Next Home & Garden:
Marketplace
In World
 | ||
| L to R: {What Next} - Spring Garden Arbor, Spring Garden Watering Can, Marlow Planter 1, Marlow Bench, Marlow Planter 2, Marlow Planter 3, Penryn Arbour Seat (with deck), Spring Garden Bird Bath |
Trompe is another creator who makes flawless designs with the most amazing textures and detail. I've also been very pleased with the experience I had when I needed help with the products. Trompe's style is very different from that of What Next, and I love them both.
Trompe Loeil Furniture & Homes:
Marketplace
In World
 |
| Trompe Loeil - Afton Raft Travel Set |
That's it for now - I'll talk about my obsession for shoes, accessories AOs and teleport HUDs next time. Thanks for indulging me!
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