Category: Places to Visit

Home & Garden Expo For Relay For Life 2013

Home & Garden Expo For Relay For Life 2013

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

It’s a bank holiday weekend in the UK, that means rain, wind and crappy weather.  But fear not, dear reader, the sun always shines in Second Life, and it’s going to be blazing down upon the Home & Garden Expo for Relay For Life 2013, a fundraising event that’s not to be missed!

You’ll find over 100 exhibitors sharing their very best homes, gardens, landscaping and interior design products in Second Life.  This year there are also an additional 30 creators from the breedables sector in the second annual Breedables Fair too..<phew!>

I’ve been lucky enough to have a sneaky peeky at the event and I can assure you all that you won’t be disappointed. There 8 regions full of home products, can you imagine?! (There are also 2 sims just for the Breedables fair and 1 entertainment sim as well!)

Image

Each exhibitor is going to be showcasing their very best designs, but will also feature new items that you can buy to support Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society.

The event runs for just over a week from :  12PM SLT on May 24th until June 2nd, so you have plenty of time to wander around and enjoy the amazing displays, and trust me you’ll need it because there is so much to see here that it’s overwhelming!

So what do you need to know? Well first things first, the builds are absolutely brilliant. Each exhibitor has really gone the extra mile to make their display look brilliant and invite you in to spend your lovely loot!  The environment feels like it’s been designed and engineered to make the entire space come alive with things to see, experience  and enjoy.

There are garden spaces to wander around and relax in, as well as cobbled streets and rustic villas juxtaposed with family homes and contemporary structures. If you’re a texture freak like myself then you will *drool* at the wealth of pattern and colour that surrounds you. It’s a total treat.

Rustic and traditional are as well served here as modern and contemporary, so even if role-play, or  past-times living aren’t your thing in Second Life you’ll still be enchanted by the displays that you’ll discover in Expo 1. (There are a number of items aimed at petites here too)  Be sure to gasp agog at the Devonmoor Manor from Kismet, which is like stepping back in time.  In fact, I actually turned the music OFF so that I could walk around and soak up the ambience from some of the garden environments,  and I heartily suggest that you do the same!

Image

I spied a myriad of wonderfully built abodes across all 8 expo sims. In particular look out for contributions from BA, Pixel Fusion, NACH Homes and Furnishings and Funky Junk.  With the increasing application and development of mesh it’s fair to say that houses are really becoming grander and so much more realistic than ever before, and there are plenty of luxurious abodes here to suit every budget and requirement.  T

Wandering around I was struck by how many were family homes, with many offering multiple bedrooms and furnishings to suit. There are lots of structures suited to Second Life families this year, and a number of retailers are here purely for the family role-play market.

I’m always keen to find knick-knacks and elements to enhance the space in my home, and you’ll find lots of essential homewares from brands like Second Spaces, Cheeky Pea and Mudhoney.  There’s a huge emphasis this season on outdoor entertaining and there are many different patio sets, barbecues and seating solutions to be had from some of the best names in furniture.  You’ll also find lots of plants and garden inspiration from names like Botanical and Heart Botanicals, helping you to transform your virtual lawn into something more spectacular. (Note: Don’t visit the expo if you need to go to the toilet, there are so many water features dotted around that you may struggle to keep control of your virtual bladder!)

Of course the expos allow newer designers upon the grid to make an impression, and it was great to become acquainted with names that I hadn’t really encountered before, such as Cobblestone and Shabby Tabby.

Image

Aspiring builders are well served too, you’ll find texture artists and mesh retailers such as Zwicked Textures,  Clutter and Builders Brewery have representation here.   In fact, Builders Brewery have a a huge staging area for lessons and lectures, with an extensive programme schedule for the duration of the Expo. If you’ve always wanted to learn to sculpt and texture, now’s the time to check the lecture timetable out!

Image

It’s really difficult to pick a favourite build or a singular item from the assembled throng of loveliness that’s on display here, so over the next few days I’ll feature a few choice items that I think  are worth sharing with you.  Is the Expo worth a visit? Most definitely; it’s inspiring. Illuminating and above all else it’s a great way to support an undoubtedly worthy cause. This is definitely one of the highlights of the year, be sure to enjoy it!

Exhibitors include: 

-JoHaDeZ- “Poetic Furniture”/::A&A::/::WetCat:: Builds&Poses/.::Sense and Sensibility::./
[beach street home and garden/[ba] barnesworth anubis prefabs/[CIRCA] Living/[LeeZu!]/
[PM]Pixel Mode/[RNP] Animations/{what next}/*ionic*/%Percent Furniture & Lighting
~*~Inspired~*~/22769 ~ [bauwerk]/3S Creations/Akaesha Designs/Amaretto Ranch Breedables/Aphrodite Shop/ARIA modern furniture and lights/Atelier Visconti/BellaRose/Beyond Prims/Black Tulip/Botanical/by Chiana Oh/By Dorian/Cheeky Pea/ChiC buildings/CLEO DESIGN/Clutter for Builders/Cobblestone Home & Garden/Cozy Homes/Creations Kitchen/De Baza/Dekute Dekore/Dysfunctional Designs/Fancy Designs/Fennux/FLRN BABY’S & FLRN DESIGN/forest feast/Full Perm Mesh/Funky Junk/Galland Homes/Glas Houses/Good Furniture/Green and Wild Garden Centre/Heart Botanicals/Home and Garden Market/Home by JLZ/Hybrid Productions/Island Dreams Realty and Seaside Lounge/Kabuki Creations/Kaerri/Katy’s Kreations Sculpties & Mesh/Kismet/Kuro/La Dolce Vita/LOTTIE Garden & Home/Lovers PlayGround/Maven Homes/meadowWorks/Meeroos/MESHWORX/Mission Home Store/MudHoney/NACH Homes and Furnishings/Naked Mesh/Nexxus Arts/Oceania Breedables/Organica Specialty Landscaping and Home Décor/Overland Trail/Park Place Home Décor/Persnickity/Pet Peddlers/Petals on the Wind Gardens of Gentle Decay/Pillows & Things/PILOT/Pixel Fusion Homes/Prim Perfect/PRIME/PrimTique/RE Blueprint Designs/ReBourne PreFabs/Roawenwood/Robin (Sojourner) Wood/sanctuaire/Scarlet Creative/Sculpty Republic/Second Spaces/Shabby Tabby/Soul Effects/Spargel & Shine Homes/Steaming Ahead/Gothic’s Musing/Stonewood Homes/Studio Skye/Terra’s Closet/TexturAni Textures / MeshAni Mesh/THE Beachstore/The Dark Fae/The Domineaux Effect/The Forest/The Nawty Box/The Virtual Kennel Club/Thistle Homes/Tranquil Homes/Tribute City/Two Moon Gardens/Unrepentant/West Studio/Zigana/Zwicked Textures

Quick TP (Click each to teleport)

Breedables Fair TP Links: 

Kitty Plays ‘Catch-Up’

Kitty Plays ‘Catch-Up’

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

As I’m sure regular readers know I work in real life (Shh! I know we don’t like to talk about that!) so my time in-world is often limited.  This means I have to play ‘catch-up’ when I finally come back in, and I have to say that at the moment Second Life is really overwhelming me due to the amount of events that are currently running on the grid. I shouldn’t complain too much though, it’s a good time to be an avatar, especially if you want to be a super-stylish one too!

Problem for me as a blogger is that there are so many events in-world that I know I can’t possibly do justice to them all on these pages. You have to appreciate that these kinds of occasions take weeks of planning and organising so it’s only fair that when they begin they receive the quality coverage they deserve.

Perhaps one of my issues is that when I attend an event I like to take my time and wander around them, and then I  get distracted, go back to stores repeatedly and have another look, and then forget where I saw things that really caught my eye in the first place. I do actually have a notebook that I use to remind me of locations and places where I’ve seen fabulous items, but of course, that only works if you remember to write in it….DOH!

In a situation like this when I feel that there’s just so much going on that i don’t know where to start, I find a good visual aide to be invaluable.  It saves me time if I can see what an event is offering by checking out a dedicated web-site,or checking out the feeds to see what other bloggers are covering.

Fortunately we are blessed with resources like Serpahim which seems to cover the majority of sales and events on the grid. To be honest, I’d be lost without that blog; it’s become my go-to on a daily basis to find out what’s happening and where, and a quick nosy at their snapshots always help me plan my spends ahead.  I’m also  finding myself glued (or should that be pinned?) to Elysium Hyne’s Pinterest selections for event reportage too. Here’s a huge thank you to Elysium and all the team at Seraphim for their hard work!

Anyway, let’s get on to the good stuff. I have managed to treat myself to a few lovely things this week, so I’ll do a quick post about a few things I’ve spotted at a couple of events before I scurry off to check out some more!

First up, The Liaison Collaborative has gifted us with ‘The Boutique’, which features a superb selection of fashion, accessories and poses. The theme is ‘Fresh’, and they aren’t joking, featuring zesty contributions from Baiastice, !Bang, Belleza, Bilo, Cae, CNS Emotion, E! Apparel, Earthstones, Elikatira, Essences, Flowey, Glam Affair, Gos Boutique, Half-Deer, Haste, Hopscotch, Ikon, Inside Lab, Ispachi, Izzie’s, Just Designs, La Petite Morte, Lassitude & Ennui, Lavallie, Leezu, Noodles, NYU, Olive, Rebel Hope, Valentina E. and Vanity Poses. Phew!   I always enjoy these events; they’re not so large as to leave you feeling bewildered, and the selection of designers that contribute are all well-established, quality brands. There’s a real feeling of finesse to this event and I always get the impression that there’s been a lot of care taken by the planners behind the scenes to ensure that they have curated the very best goodies for the event. That’s why you find brands like Belleza showcasing skins, and how I wish they wouldn’t.

</me Kitty shakes fist angrily!>

Because yet again Belleza have adorned their sublime Mya skin with some utterly glorious make-ups and naturally I couldn’t avoid them. As I’ve said before, I love make-ups and it would take some serious coaxing to get me out of my Izzie’s skin and into another, but Ava proved way too hard to resist, with her winged eyeshadow perfection in a variety of colours. It would be just plain rude to not indulge. So I did.

And I look fabulous, see? 

Image

Don’t even get me started on the totally delicious array of IKON eyes at the event either; I had to walk away lest I spent my rent. Suffice to say that IKON are my favourite brand of eyes in world (I am wearing them in the picture above of course, but these are an existing pair from my collection) and seeing new ones made me all teary and misty-eyed. So to avoid further distress I swiftly departed on to my next destination, The 100 Block.  

This is a ‘Depraved Nation‘ event and it features over 100 participating designers and artists. That’s way too many to list in this post, so if you click HERE you can go visit the official blog and review the selection yourself, but suffice to say I found it very satisfying indeed.  I’ve been zooming all round the, erm, block, most of the morning  with gay abandon and totally relishing the fabulous fashion on display.

There are some really special mesh items on sale and it’s nice to see that there are some goodies for the chaps as well as the ladies, and there’s also hair, piercings and tattoos.

Image

I discovered a new brand of hair whilst I was at the event.  In the shot above I’m wearing ‘Toffsy’ (Maroon) by Adoness and I really love it. It’s an unusual combination of bob shape with added oomph and curl, and I think that it makes for a winning combination.

But what’s also rather special is this fantastic frock that I discovered at the event.  I’m all about Leopard print in Second Life, well, I am called Kitty after all, and I was really blown away by this stylish gown that I found hanging on the rack at Ellemeno.

I’ve blogged CarrieAnn Lemon’s label before and it’s a relatively new yet well-produced brand that is especially focused upon the mesh boobs market, but don’t let that dissuade you from investigating their goodies because you don’t have to sport mesh boobs to look sensational in them. I was going to wear my Lola’s for this shot, but in the end I thought I looked fabulous enough without.

Image

Taking a traditional gown shape and bringing it bang up to date with Leopard print is a brave move, yet it works beautifully. Now I wear a LOT of leopard print and there’s one thing I’ve noticed, especially with mesh items. If the textures aren’t carefully applied, and to be frank if a decent Leopard print texture isn’t used in the first place, the result can be a bit..well, rubbish.  But there’s no such worries here with this gown; the print really looks the part and the shape of this dress is nothing short of perfect.

I wish I could wear this in real life, but alas, I’d look like Bella Emberg channelling Bet Lynch.  

But at least in Second Life I can look divine, eh?

So anyway, because I’m still playing catch-up I thought I’d share a small list of events that I really do think you will enjoy checking out, and to make things even more fun for you, I’ve included links (to either Seraphim or Elysium’s posts) so that you can have a peek at the good stuff before checking them out in-world.

Who knows, I may even bump into you at one of these!(You’ll recognise me, a bewildered looking idiot) Be sure to say ‘Hello’ if you do see me!

Happy Shopping! Oh and a thought, if you find something nice why not tell us about it in the comments below? Toodles!

Kitty LOVES the Floria Bedroom by Bazar

Kitty LOVES the Floria Bedroom by Bazar

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

Image

A few months ago I wrote a review of the BAZAR ‘Arizona’ house. It’s proved to be a really popular entry on the blog of which I’m quite proud, not because I wrote it, but because I honestly believe the house and its components to be amongst of the best dwellings available on the grid.

The shine hasn’t faded since my initial review either. Each time I log in I’m taken aback by how much I adore my Arizona home. The design and texture elements of the house are stunning, but the furniture is just as important as the structure and plays a vital role in bringing the build to life. Fortunately, the creator  Ria Bazar-Mavendorf is just as talented a furniture designer as she is architect, so imagine how delighted I was to log-on and discover her latest bedroom release.

Ria’s Floria bedroom incorporates mesh and as a consequence of this manages to retain an ornate look without causing a detrimental land-impact. The name is inspired I’m sure by the romantic lines and the tones of the set.  There’s a hint of classical French boudoir styling to it, yet it remains contemporary enough to make it capable of working in both modern homes as well as some of the grander mansions you’ll discover in certain corners of the grid.

Image

The centerpiece is the stunning bed.  It’s utterly resplendent, featuring a large headboard and beautiful turned columns at each corner. It oozes style and has a traditional feel, but what I really adore is the fact that you can change both the colour of the bed as well as the bedding; meaning that you can mix and match your bedroom to suit every mood. How about black wood with red bedding for a sensual night with your loved one, or light wood and crisp, champagne coloured sheets for a Sunday morning lie-in? The options are endless and there are plenty to choose from. You’ll find dark and light wood, as well as solid black, blue, pink and white, and also contemporary striped stylings included. It’s really entertaining trying out all the different combinations that are available.

Image

The colour change facility applies to the matching bedside tables, vanity and dresser. I love that with a click of a button on a menu you can have an instant brand new look for your room, making Floria a substantial purchase that will provide you with months of wear.

Of course, this being a Bazar bedroom it features some fantastic menu options. If you thought the furniture styling was good, then you are going to be spoiled by the animation and prop options for the bed. You can hang out with friends, or be alone, or use some of the naughtier poses in the adult section of the menu. (Option only available when purchasing the Adult version of the bed)  I must say that the couples animations are exemplary on this bed. These kind of options are not something  that I tend to bother with (usually because I find them a bit cheesy, and also because Jez is never ruddy well in-world when I’m  feeling lonesome) but these are very nice because they offer more sensual poses than some currently widely used on the grid.

You can rez props too.  I’m not going to tell you about all of them, as I believe that this is something you should experience yourself and I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I do love that you can rez a breakfast tray and laptop among other props. The poses (when used in conjunction with the props) are all sensational.  Each one is well animated and genuinely adds a huge touch of realism to your Second Life.  You know, I can’t think of anything nicer than spending a day in world on this bed!  From breakfast in the morning, to snuggling down under the covers at night, everything is included.

Image

Move on to the coordinating furniture and you’ll find that this is just as well thought out as the bed. Take the vanity (dressing table) for example. An elegant compliment to the bed and side tables, but again blessed by thoughtful touches from Ria.  You can rez manicure items, moisturisers or a selection of make-up to decorate the table top. By sitting on the accompanying stool you can activate animations to match, meaning that you can paint your nails, apply lipstick and so on.  The option of rezzing items on a whim is a real blessing and again, adds a real touch of authenticity to the room.  It’s so much fun!

The final component is the dresser. Three virtual drawers of happy ready for adorning with some of the decorative items that come with this set, which include picture frames, books, candlesticks, an antique clock, a vase of flowers and tea-lights.

Items are copy so you can rez as many as you need, and I find that this set blends really well with items that I have from other quality content creators in-world.  The finishing touch are the wall sconces, and the matching lamp. You can of course turn these on and off, but for extra ambiance you can choose the colour of the lighting, perfect for enhancing your mood. Yet another touch of quality from Ria’s expert hand.

The Floria bedroom pieces enable you to create  a truly beautiful and relaxing environment.  I find it interesting that I love this style as much as I do because I’m usually attracted to more modern designs, but  Floria has such a broad appeal that I found it hard to resist. Kudos to Ria for creating a bedroom that spans the gap between classical and modern so perfectly.

 I’m pretty sure that you will love it just as much as I do.

Image

(Note: I’ve added some of my existing items to the above finished bedroom)

Bedroom is available in PG and Adult variations. PG costs L$605, Adult costs L$655.

Set includes: Bed (11LI) Night Table (1 LI) Vanity Table (3 LI) Vanity Chair (2 LI) Dresser (1 LI) Rug (2 LI) Bed Lamp (2 LI) Table Lamp (2 LI) Flower Vase (1 LI) Antique Clock (1 LI) Picture Frame (1 LI) Book Stack (1 LI) Book (1 LI) Candlestick (2LI) Parfume (1 LI)

Total LI (Land Impact) of set as is: 33. All items mentioned above are available separately in-world.

To see the set in Second Life, click HERE. 

Must Watch – ‘The Drax Files:World Makers’

Must Watch – ‘The Drax Files:World Makers’

by Lisa Millar ♥ 3 Comments

One of the things that *really* annoys me when I tell people about Second Life is how quickly they dismiss it as being nothing more than a fancy chat program, or as a perverts hang-out. Thanks to some really bad media coverage in the past it would seem that most people don’t know that the truth about Second Life is very different, and what a wonderful virtual environment it really is.

Fortunately, the celebrated Machinima visionary, Draxtor Despres, is going some way to correcting this unfavourable reputation with his new documentary series,  ‘The Drax Files: World Makers’, which features individual avatars and the stories behind them.

The first video in this series is about Kriss Lehmann, the creative genius behind Botanical. If you’re not familiar with the name, Botanical is one of the best places in-world for landscaping, plants and virtual topiary. It’s a wonderful place to explore and Kriss’s creations are truly evocative and perfect for creating your very own natural retreat.

This video gives us a peek at the man behind the avatar and his creative process. It’s also really refreshing to discover how he found love in Second Life, which subsequently  blossomed into real life. I adore stories like this, and I didn’t realise Kriss was partnered with the wonderful Shai Delacrox, an avatar whose fashion brand has long been respected and admired.

 

This video is so sharply edited and produced that it leaves you longing for more, and fortunately there’s a brilliant second instalment,featuring Jo Yardley and her astonishing recreation of  1920’s Berlin.

This is a place that I never knew existed, and it looks sensational. It’s clear that this location has been created with love and care and the utmost respect for the period. It looks totally authentic, even to this untrained eye, and the fact that it is home to a thriving community is testament to the beauty and spirit of the place. Draxtor’s video presents Jo’s story perfectly and shows how she applies her fascination for this decade to the modern world of Second Life.

 

Jo also makes a really interesting comment during her commentary. She explains that  “I have more social interaction with people than you do the entire evening updating your Facebook profile..” and this is a very valid point.  Behind every avatar is a human being, so when you’re in a club surrounded by thirty or more of them you are interacting with thirty complete strangers, can there be anything more social than that?

I honestly cannot wait for the next instalment in this series.

It’s a fascinating glimpse into Second Life and the people who use it, and it also strikes me as great publicity for the product.  It’s the kind of advertising that Linden Lab should produce, but they seem so out of touch these days.  At least we have residents in-world like Draxtor who are clearly so passionate about Second Life that they care enough to make these documentaries.

In future episodes I’d really love to see Draxtor feature esteemed avatars  like  Antonia Marat, who is the creative force behind Artilleri, where you can purchase stunning 1950’s and early 1960’s style clothing and homewares.   I’d also like to see Strawberry Singh featured. Strawberry blogs the virtual world and creates the most fantastic photographs, so it would be great to see her in real life, and listen to her voice as she explains how she creates her wonderful Second Life  images.

But of course I’m sure Draxtor has a list as long as his arm of all the people he wants to feature! Whoever he chooses, it would seem that their stories are in great hands.

Thank you Drextor for making this video series.  It truly captures the spirit of Second Life and illustrates the many reasons why I am so happy to be a part of it.