Author: Lisa Millar

Kittyhelp: Looking For Landscaping Advice!

Kittyhelp: Looking For Landscaping Advice!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 5 Comments

So I’ve moved locations and I need your help Kittyreaders!  Basically I am bobbins at landscaping in Second Life. Don’t get me wrong, I know a good location when I see one, and love wandering around the beautifully landscaped places that the grid provides.But when it comes to creating my own, I really don’t have a clue.

This is the space that I have to play with: 

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As you can see I’ve already installed (and furnished, obviously) my wonderful Bazar Arizona Home. That’s non-negotiable, I have to have my home.

I’ve placed it in the corner, on an elevated portion of the land so that I can benefit from the sea view, which is perfect for the back and left side of my house. Here’s an alternative view:

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To the front and front-right I can see my neighbour’s stuff and things.

Now, I’ve not lived here long, and I have lovely neighbours and no objections whatsoever to what they do to their land, but taste is a very personal matter, and as much as I adore Samhain (Halloween) this view is fair putting me off my cornflakes, as festive as it is:

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So, I’m looking for ideas Kittyreaders.  For a start, how do I hide my view? I thought sim-surrounds could be an option but I’m confused.  I know nothing about them, but I do need something that will offer me privacy and enable me to enjoy my view.  One thing that is certain is that  I know that I’d like to give the space that surrounds my home a woodland feel, which is my favourite kind of environment.  But I could benefit from some advice, obviously. For example, which stores and locations should I be visiting for design inspiration?  As a reference point, I really like the way that The Seasons Story looked, so I’ve visited  again and clicked on a number of items to find out where they are from, which has given me a number of places to visit to price up nice rocks and trees and things.

Whatever I decide to do, it must fit the following criteria:

  • Fit my land mass (ooer missus). I only have 16400m2 (but the house already takes a small portion of that)
  • Be cost effective. I don’t want to litter my place with cheap-as-chips trees with shoddy textures; anything I buy should preferably be copy/mod so that I get best value for money.
  • Low prim/mesh if possible.

Oh and I need to do all this on about 2, 250 prims (preferably less)

So, Kittyreaders what can you suggest?

I’m really hoping you can help with some cool ideas.  As a total noob to this kind of thing I don’t mind admitting I am completely out of my depth, but I do know that learning, especially in Second Life, can be heap loads of fun, so any advice is greatly appreciated. Oh, and I will of course keep you updated on progress via this blog, and if it ends up looking good I’ll invite you round for a cuppa!

Aside

Kitty Loves A Trumpy Lol! (The Ashdon Collection From Trompe Loeil)

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Like the leaves falling from the trees and blowing in the wind, autumn brings in the changes.

For me they’ve included losing a dear Second Life friend, moving my virtual home and deciding to completely change the styling of my living room.  Obviously some of these actions were less stressful than others!

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Autumn has always been my season, so when I visited FAMESHED and spied the outstanding Trompe Loeil (or Trumpy Lol as I call it, surely I’m not the only one?) Ashdon Collection of sofa, chairs and decorations I KNEW  what I wanted to update the appearance of my living room with.

This exemplary collection includes sofa, chair, coffee table, screen, basket of cushions, pictures and wall-lights and it is bursting at the materials-enabled seams with fantastic styling options.  The sofa and chair include three models each: plain, with a pillow, and with a draped blanket and the textures are simply divine, with 18 fabric, 18 blanket and 25 pillow textures for you to play with. (This of course means you can extend the life of your furniture into all the seasons, because there are plenty of  colour-combos to suit. )  It’s available in PG and Adult versions with  lots of animations for both singles and couples to enjoy.  All of the items co-ordinate perfectly to make furnishing your living-room a virtual doddle.

The sofa and chair are generously proportioned yet simply shaped to look comfortable and inviting. How I want to lay on this sofa and snuggle under the blanket with its chunky knit texture..it’s so inviting!   The coffee table, wall-prints featuring various foliage and antler lamps are all carefully fashioned with simple yet totally effective embellishments meaning that you can create a cozy yet on-trend look in your living room.  For example, classic prints can seem drab and dreary, yet when they’re teamed with bright, bold frame colours they’re brought bang into the 21st century.  I purchased everything except the antlers (unlike most people in Second Life, I don’t do antlers!) and I could not be happier with how beautiful everything looks. 

I  teamed my Ashdon Collection items with the Apple Fall cabinets from The Arcade, some rugs from Zigana, and some other accessories I found in my ever-increasing inventory. Everything works perfectly together and creates a cozy, warm vibe perfect for chillaxing at home.  If you want further information, including pricing, check out Cory’s blog for more details.

ImageI really cannot rate this collection any higher, it’s just perfect and looks fabulous in my virtual home.

In fact,  I think you should zoom over to FAMESHED right now to check it out! HERE’S YOUR TAXI! 

Berry’s Memes: Autumn Challenge

Berry’s Memes: Autumn Challenge

by Lisa Millar ♥ 3 Comments

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Another Monday, another Meme Challenge from Berrycakes!  

The instructions are simple: Take an Autumn inspired picture and/or answer the following questions about autumn (Don’t forget to leave a link in the comments of Berry’s blog to your post!) 

1. Is Autumn your favorite season? Why or why not?
It sure is! I think this is because I’m your typical Earth-sign, a Virgo born on the 13th September.  I’ve always thought of Autumn as ‘my’ season. The shades of this time of year  are the palette of colours that feature most in my wardrobe, and I love the way the trees change from lush greens to fiery reds and golden browns. I also love the smells and sounds of Autumn; the crackle of leaves underfoot and the smell of bonfires and roasting chestnuts. It’s a magical season if you ask me.

2. Do you call it Autumn or Fall?
Autumn.  The only time I have ever heard it called ‘Fall’ is in American movies.

3. What kind of weather does your area get during this season?
Well the weather is strange at the moment because we’ve had four days of glorious golden sunshine here in the UK. It’s been better than summer, although obviously the nights are getting really cold. I’ve had to wear a jumper a few times now, and beloved has even put the heating on a few times too, but all in all it’s been rather grand. As I’m writing this the sun is blazing down  onto my desk. This another reason why I’ve always loved Autumn, it’s not too hot and it’s not too cold, it’s just right in my opinion.

4. Which color do you always associate with autumn?
My favourite colour, Maroon. But the palette of colours associated with this time of year is just sensational!

5. Which Autumn themed sim is your favorite at the moment?
Has to be ‘The Trace’, which I wouldn’t know  about if it wasn’t for Caitlin Thomas’s post about it. I’m sure there are many other Autumnal sims waiting for me to discover them though!

For A Friend…

For A Friend…

by Lisa Millar ♥ 4 Comments

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When I logged in to Plurk this morning I had a bit of a shock.

My dearest, closest Second Life buddy had deleted her Second Life account overnight.

To be frank, it was something I had had an inkling that may happen, but not with such finality. I’d envisioned her taking  a break from Second Life, but her leaving it entirely didn’t enter my mind. Second Life was too important to her to warrant such drastic action, and besides,  she’d built up a formidable reputation in-world and had a large network of  friends.  But her heart was broken. You see, no matter what people say about virtual worlds, the emotions are VERY real. Some people do play at the emotional game, but for others the feelings are genuine.  Behind every avatar is a real person after all.

In November 2009 my friend was married in Second Life, something that she took incredibly seriously, and she lived a deliriously happy virtual experience with her partner.

Then, fifteen weeks ago, her partner stopped logging in-world.

There was no warning, nothing to indicate anything was wrong.

Of course in real life this would be alarming, terrifying even, and it was just the same in-world. Seeing my poor friend in such pain with no way of knowing what had happened to her partner was simply dreadful.

Each day she would log-in hoping for a sign that her beloved had been in-world. A message, even if it was just to say that she was OK but wouldn’t be coming back,  would have been horrendous to receive, but better than nothing.

All these weeks my pal has lingered in-world, hoping for a sign that her partner would return, but there has been no communication. No note, no message; it’s as though her partner had never existed. 

My buddy’s enthusiasm for the virtual world she called home  inevitably started to wane. How could she enjoy the metaverse without her dear partner her side?

Her decision to leave Second Life has left me bereft, but acutely aware of the impact a virtual relationship can have.

If you are going to enter into a serious relationship in Second Life  I implore you to please set some ground rules, such as these:

  • If you commit to another avatar realise that you aren’t just doing this in a virtual environment but also, to some extent, in a real-life environment too. Establish your boundaries early in the relationship.
  •  Just as you should always be genuine about your feelings in real life, be clear about them in Second Life.
  • If you enter a relationship with someone in the metaverse then PLEASE set ground-rules for your relationship and stick to them like glue.  You are dealing with people’s emotions after all, to do anything else would be cruel.
  • PLEASE have some sort of real-life contact system in place. Even if your relationship is only based in Second Life, please try and have a way of communicating outside of it in case of emergencies. For example, have an e-mail address that you can use if something happens and you won’t be able to log-in world for a time, or ask a trusted mutual friend to assist you in keeping the lines of communication open between you.
  • If you decide to leave Second Life for whatever reason you OWE it to your partner to share with them the reasons why. It’s common decency, and no matter how difficult  it may be to do this it’s necessary to allow them to move forward and get over the relationship. Yes, you may hurt them in the short term, but better that than leaving them to worry and wonder for months and even years to come.

Fortunately I know that I have made a dear friend for life whom I will be able to keep in touch with outside of Second Life, but it pains me that I won’t have the pleasure of her company as an avatar ever again.We’d been friends for a very long-time in-world, and made a lot of happy memories, so it is very hard saying goodbye, but I understand why she has made the decision to do this, and I can only wish her love and happiness in her future, something that she truly deserves.

So long Cyberpink, I will miss you xxx