Category: Skins

Time To Visit The Mens Dept.

Time To Visit The Mens Dept.

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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The Mens Dept is as good an opportunity as any to get Jez to go shopping. Getting laddo to update his look is always a challenge, which is why events like The Mens Dept. make it a whole lot easier, and tons of fun for both of us too.

It’s a funky mix of fresh fashion, skin, hair and adornments as well as decorative pieces and homewares, with all items costing between L$75-L$150. It’s a great way to get your hands on some quality pieces and acquaint yourself with designers old and new.

The fashion is really substantial. All the items have been carefully selected and are beautifully presented in this tidy, well-lit location, and there are contributions from an eclectic mix of creators, from established brands like CHEERNO to lesser well known contributors, such as SHEEP DOOR (who Jez fell in love with an TP’d straight to their store after the event!)

Jez was especially enamoured by the BLEAK ‘Wisdom’ Shirts, as you can see by the picture above.  These are mesh and can be purchased in a number of options, but Jez wanted something bright so opted for the Aztec design. It fits like a dream and looks great, so was well worth L$135. The glasses from KUMAKI, with their fantastic range of textures, were also a must have at just L$150.

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Another favourite in the collection is the Assymetric Shirt from  22769.  This is also a mesh creation, and the style is obviously inspired by Japanese costume. Jez loves all things Japanese, so this was a must have and it fits extremely well.  It’s a simple design enhanced by coloured trim on the edging, and looks perfect when worn with jeans and casual loafers.  The outfit is enhanced even further by the leather bracelets, also from 22769. These are nice and chunky and are available in a variety of leather choices with different metal adornments. I really like bracelets and cuffs in Second Life, especially when taking pictures, because they hide those nasty lumps and bumps on an avatar’s hands nicely.  The shirt costs an extremely reasonable L$90, and the bracelets are just L$80 per pair. You’ll also spy a fabulous suit, great Cargo pants and a very cheeky lounge-wear set from HAVOK.

As well as quality fashion you’ll also find stylish home items from a number of designers including  MUDHONEY .  Rayvn Hynes has created the fabulous ‘Ryan’ Club Chair for the event. It looks really comfy and features 8 sitting poses. You’ll also receive a magazine rack and a fantastic candle set for your L$150. If you don’t think candles are especially masculine then you need to check these out, they’re billiard balls and look brilliant!

When cruising the homewares make sure you check out the beautiful Animal prints from VESPERTINE and the glorious ‘It’s a mens world’dresser  from KUSSHON which features a number of manly items like mini-TV, beer and a girly mag. There are also tattoos from VESTIGIUM, beautiful eyes from INSUFFERABLE DASTARD and a selection of fantastic piercings from PEKKA. Even if you’re not a chap this event is well worth a peek.

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Jez’s  favourite item from the event is of course the ‘Playing Games’ console from CHEEKY PEA. The boy is a total geek so was delighted to find this prop item. It looks very much like a console from his teenage years, so was a must purchase for our home and looks great next to our Ernst TV, also from Cheeky Pea. It’s a tad pricey at L$125, but it’s a beautifully created piece and really adds to our  living space.

Check out all the items at The Mens Dept by clicking here to see the fantastic post by Braydon Thirdborn on Seraphim SL covering all the goodies, and click here to visit the event.

Kitty pops into the Whore Couture Fair..and likes it!(Very much actually!)

Kitty pops into the Whore Couture Fair..and likes it!(Very much actually!)

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

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Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you’ll be aware that March 1st saw some quality shopping events launch upon the grid; The Arcade Gacha Festival and the Whore Couture Fair.

Having spent three days trying to get into the Arcade event, I gave up and have gotten most of  my winnings thus far from the second hand markets.  Fortunately the event itself is running until the end of March, so I’ve still got plenty of time to  go in and actually experience it, but I’d had enough of lurking on the edge unable to get in and go play Gacha. (I did get to explore The Grove Country Club though while I was waiting; what an utterly wonderful location!)

However I was delighted when I attempted the Whore Couture Fair and got in first try. Even though the event is mad busy, I was able to move around pretty freely because I was wearing an alpha, which meant I was completely invisible and not guilty of carrying any avatar pollution like lag-inducing scripts. (That said, there were plenty of people there who were guilty of it.)

Be warned that Whore Couture Fair is MASSIVE, with 206 participating stores listed on the map. It’s split into two locations, Ambon and Borderlands.  I have no sense of direction in real life and it’s even worse in my Second so navigating the stores could have been a challenge, but the layout is neat and easy to negotiate, which is a relief for the less spatially aware like myself:)   In fact it’s a really well- produced event, looks great and has been finished with professionalism and polish by the bucket load. It’s a thrill investigating each store and I warn you now you’ll spend some serious Linden!

I’ve not finished exploring yet; I’ve barely covered Ambon because I like to take my time and enjoy these events  so I’ve not visited every store,  but I am certainly enjoying what I’ve already encountered.  The content quality is second to none. There are some huge names exhibiting here, but there are also lots of stores that I’ve never seen before and am delighted to have discovered. This is why events like this are so important, you find so many new creators and designers, and it’s always exciting finding a new store that you can add to your list of favourites.

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In fact because of the WCF I’ve discovered something bloody wonderful. Mesh legwarmers with sneakers built-in! OK, these aren’t brand new to the grid, but they’re very new to me and so is ‘Blueberry’ (#15) where I discovered these gorgeous ruddy things. I’ll be investigating Blueberry in-depth at some point because judging by the quality of these the store is sure to be right up my street. Don’t they look wonderful? The woolen texture and mesh-wrinkles are just perfect, and they ‘hang’ brilliantly over the sneakers.  Blueberry is selling a range of them in plain and patterned varieties. I went for the black option because I can use them with more items in my wardrobe that way, but I think I’ll be investing in a job lot of them because they look so blinking brilliant! L$199 a pop too, not bad value if you ask me!

Another new brand that I discovered is ‘{PSYCHO:Byts}’ and that’s where this fantastic feline cross motif mesh jumper and also my denim skirt are from.  They have a small booth and the content just leaps out at you, inviting you in to take a closer look. (It’s store #118) I like the jumper very much. I love the long sleeve with thumb-holes, and it looks especially good if you’re wearing nails. As recent posts have shown I’ve adapted my shape to wear Tango breasts, so I had to take them off to wear this jumper because it doesn’t have appliers.  Fortunately the jumper is shaped perfectly and I didn’t need to change my shape to accommodate.  I felt a bit odd without my mesh-bewbs but not everyone is designing for them, and that’s fair enough. Wearing mesh jumpers of this quality more than makes up for my lack of Tangos, and I’ll be returning to the main-store to purchase the other jumpers in this range. I’ll probably do the same for the skirt too.  I don’t wear many skirts in-world  but that’s about to change I think, because  these denim skirts are available in a selection box of colours and designs, and it would be just plain wrong to not have them all.

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Finally Belleza are one of the sponsors of this event and have a number of skins at the event. I’m wearing a variation of Ava  available at the fair (#3)that has luscious matt red lips and blue eyeshadow detail. However I’ve become attached to wearing lots of eyeliner on Kitty, so I dropped lucky by discovering the range of fantastic eyeliner tattoos that Mons (#165) produces. I’m really starting to get into the world of Second Life cosmetics because they can really add an extra dimension to your favourite skin, without having to fork out loads of Lindens.   I think this eyeliner is astonishing worn with this skin, and it makes me want MORE!

I need to go back to Whore Couture Fair, but I think I’ll leave it for today as I expect it’s going to get really busy as the day progresses and more time zones start to log-on.  It seems the trick with these events is to hit them early in the morning when the US is asleep.   But  I must go back because I have a feeling that there are more goodies waiting for me to discover, and of course when I do I’ll share them with you here.

If you’ve found anything amazing at the event feel free to write a comment here and tell us all about it!

Kitty goes ga-ga for Gacha!

Kitty goes ga-ga for Gacha!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

When I was a little girl, Gacha machines as we now know them didn’t really exist. (By that I mean the large gift-giving behemoths filled with toys and candy that they’ve become today)

Gachas in my day were much smaller in stature and the prizes were usually a plastic ring and a Bazooka Joe, if you were lucky.  My local Gacha was outside the ‘Blue Star Café’ in the village where I grew up.   In fact, we didn’t even call it a Gacha.   I’d never heard of that word until a few years ago.  In fact I don’t know what we called that particular machine.  But I can remember that it had a motorcycle chain holding it down, although no-one would ever have wanted to steal it, and it was 2p a punt.( Let me put it into context for you; the local newsagent had one of those plastic mannequins outside of a little boy wearing callipers collecting pennies for The Spastic Society!  How times have changed, and yup, I’m *that* old! )

I think Gachas are now much more common and cost a few quid, if not more, but you can get some pretty awesome prizes from them . Looking back though I was quite happy with my Bazooka Joe gum. They were brilliant actually; with their little comics inside the wrapper. I never did save them up and send off for a prize though; I kinda wish that I had now.

Now, I was going to say that you can enjoy Gacha in Second Life without the expense, but that’s a big fib, because the Gacha festival is upon us from March 1st (TOMORROW!!) and it’s going to cost you some serious lindens, purely because of the amount of amazing items that you can win. 

I’ve had a sneaky-peaky at the preview page and it’s left me giddy with excitement to the point of feeling like a kid waiting for Christmas day.  Seriously! I’ve been looking forward to this event all week, and now that it’s almost here I don’t know how I will sleep tonight knowing the amazing stuff that awaits.

And trust me when I say there are some truly amazing items to play for as well. From collectibles to clothing, to furniture, glasses, musical instruments, skins, poses, headgear, jewellery,avatars and even gypsy caravans!  There’s something for everyone at this event.  It is going to be IMMENSE.

I’m both pleased and pissed that there’s a tumblr where you can view the items. Pleased because it gives me a chance to work out what machines I’ll be hitting up tomorrow, and pissed because it just reaffirms the fact that I have about 24 hours to wait until the event starts.  I can’t wait that long; the tension is killing me!

So while I wait I’ll share with you some of the vendors that I’ll be visiting. Alas, I can’t visit every single one without taking out a pigging virtual loan or selling a body-part.  These are Gacha after all and there’s no guarantee what you’ll get, but some of the prizes are outstanding.

Let’s have a shufty at a few…

I’m all about collectibles, as my post earlier this week may have proved, so with that in mind I’ll definitely be visiting the NARDCOTIX ‘Puss Pillow’s vendor. I mean, this ticks ALL my boxes. Cats + Pillows= one happy kitty, and JUST LOOK AT THEM! They’re so bloody GORGEOUS! I’ll be having ALL of those thank you very much. L$50 a play, with  a choice of 12 pillows to win. It’s hard to pick a favourite from the picture but I will really be hoping to get either of the two rarest in that machine.

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HALF-DEER  have provided a range of cup-cakes that I’ll be hitting up with gusto.  I blooming LOVE cupcakes, and these look scrumptious, and are just too cute to not have in your virtual abode; there are ten to win at L$25 a shot. Again, I don’t mind which one I win from the selection either, so long as I end up with a full set! They will look darn tasty in my kitchen won’t they?

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Time for a rousing chorus of  “It’s so FLUFFYYY!” because INTRIGUE CO.  have designed a new selection of Plushie Pals for the event. They’re circus themed and look flipping brilliant! The rares in this machine are actually props, a tent and a marquee so that you can play Circus in Second Life. Again, they’re all stunning so no,  I can’t pick just one because I’ll be happy with any of them.  But then again, the Zebra is calling my name..!

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Every girl needs a teddy bear, and the Candy Bears from SWAY’S are just perfect companions for cuddling.  There are 24 to play for,  with the ‘Rainbow’ and Confetti’ bears being the rares in this selection.  At L$25 a play they’re not going to break the Linden bank too much either!

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If you can recall my previous post about the COMMONER Kitchen Storage Jars then you’ll know I’ll be throwing some more Linden their way and trying to win myself some of these Brash Cans. There are three sets to collect featuring vices, prescribed meds and glam attire. I’m not sure which ones I’ll aim for, although at this moment in time some Xanax wouldn’t go amiss! (I’m British, I had to ask what that stuff was for on Plurk..)

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My final collectible choice are the ‘Bento Friends’ Bento boxes from STANDBY. These are super cute with 11 animal themed mesh bento boxes to be won, and a rare item comprising of a table and cushions for you to use while enjoying your bento feast. NOM!

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That’s my pick of the collectibles, so what about wearables?

Well, I’ll definitely be having a shot at winning some of the rare Wool Felt Cat Hats from MILK MOTION. There are *gulp* 60 to win, but I have my eye on the starry cap; it looks rather swish, don’t you think?  I’m pretty sure this is going to be a hugely popular gacha item, and is just L$50 a go.

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TABLEAU VIVANT  have two fantastic Gachas this round.  First up are some back-packs. I don’t often wear bags in Second Life, but these would change my mind. They look great, are non-rigged mesh and feature resize scripts too for a perfect fit. Not only that but I’m intrigued by the three rare items in this Gacha, because two of them are surprises. We can see that one of them is a bunny back-pack which looks unbelievably squeesome, but the other two are shaded out so you can’t see what they are.  It’ll cost you  L$75 each time you try to find out.  Worth a shot? It’s one of the more pricey Gacha items, but in my opinion more than worth it.

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And so is the Spirit Hood available from TABLEAU VIVANT’s second gacha in the event; this features a virtual version of those animal hoods with mittens built in that everyone was wearing around Christmas (yes, I’ve got one in real life, shush) Judging by the picture this looks to be quite a promising item, BUT it’s one-size rigged mesh so I recommend that you try a demo before parting with your L$75. If the demo fits, then there are 27 to win. Fingers crossed the demo fits me then!

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NYLON OUTFITTERS  have an ‘Art Nails’ mesh nails Gacha at the event and you can win one of ten sets of nails. It doesn’t say on the poster if any of them are rarer than others, but I certainly have my eyes fixed on the ‘9 Lives’ and ‘Party animal’ set. At L$50 a try I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for some luck on this one; they’re rather fancy aren’t they? I love the quirky presentation and styling of these so much!Image

I’ll also be hoping for good things at THE SECRET STORE  where you can win a pair of vintage roller-skates.  There are twenty different styles, with three rares. I’ve not been roller-skating in Second Life for a LONG time, but if I win the Panther skates I may be inclined to have another go!

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There are a number of skin Gachas to play at the event, and all of them look totally fabulous so I guess I’ll be having a punt in all of them, but the one I will definitely be hitting a smidgen harder than the others is from PINK FUEL.  Why? Well because they have a skin called ‘Von D’ which looks right up my street. There are 7 skins available in the Gacha and all of them look very enticing and original. The Elphaba, Cyber Grey and Ch-Ch-Oco skins have really caught my eye too; in fact I’d be happy winning any of them. L$100 for a quality skin? Yes please!

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I haven’t told you about every single Gacha machine at this event because at the time of writing MORE images keep being added to the site, and to be honest I’m squealing so much in real life I’m about to give myself heart-failure.  I’ve not told you about the gorgeous dress from BAIASTICE,  nor the amazing mesh lamps from TROMPE LOEIL or the bedroom furniture from SCARLET APPLE, or the hair from TRUTH.  OMG, some of the brightest and best that the grid has to offer are all here, and then some! There’s an official vendor list here.

If I was to try to write about everything that would mean I’d be here all night working myself up into a frenzy and I’m excited enough as it is. I have a sneaky feeling that it’s also going to be an utter swine to get into as well, so it may be one of those rare occasions in-world where it may be kind to the sim and to the rest of us if you consider de-primming and using a low-arc avatar for your visit.

Of course, with these being Gacha items you can transfer them, so that means if you get duplicate items you can swap them. The fun is in seeing what you get after all, but if you’re not lucky you’re your winnings why not  ask around on Plurk or in ‘The Arcade’ group to see if anyone has any swapsies? But don’t forget you can also gift your winnings to friends, and that for me is key.

In-world events like this are all about having fun and sharing the love with those nearest and dearest, and I can think of one chum in particular who may find herself receiving the odd item from me, especially if it’s too pink for my liking!

Enjoy the event guys, hope you get all the goodies you wish for!

You can keep up to date with the latest by following The Arcade on Plurk

OMFG, just as I finished writing this post this appeared on the list:

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<Kitty expires from excitement>

P.S. I haven’t posted a LM because I don’t know where it is yet!! Will update when I know:)

Oh, and a quick note- be sure to check out the official Arcade blog.  There’s an amazing photo competition with an astonishing array of prizes up for grabs that you must enter!

(All items at the event can be seen here. Imagery featured in this blog-post is from The Arcade Shopping Guide site. Huge thanks to Octagons Yazimoto, Katharine McGinnis, Emery Milneaux and Umberto Giano and all the vendors involved for bringing this event to the grid!)

Saturday night, Sunday Morning

Saturday night, Sunday Morning

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Like I said in my last post, I’m all about the kitty-prints at the moment!

It’s not hard to find Leopard print items on the grid and they can look both really funky and chic. I created two different looks for a weekend that both feature Leopard print.

My first look is perfect for a raucous Saturday night bash at a local rock club. In real life, this combo (wombo combo! Ahem, sorry ;P)  would be ideal ‘cos if you got too hot and sweaty at a gig you could take off the shrug and tie it around your waist, and the print pants just scream rock and roll!

My two key parts to this look are a mesh shrug with tube-top from Cynful, and some jeans from Waffle. 

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Cynful is a beautiful, high-end store that really stands out from the crowd. Walking into the store truly is a feast for the eyes with all the wares beautifully presented and the colours zinging out at you. It’s like a colour-swatch brought to life, making for a really enjoyable shopping experience.  I love whizzing around the store to see what’s new, and when I saw ‘Shruggable’ I knew it had to be mine!

‘Shruggable’ includes both mesh shrug and mesh tube top and comes in a glorious array of colours. I opted for black , so that I can mix and match both the shrug and top with other items in my inventory.  The shrug costs L$290 a pop, with an applier costing L$100.

This makes for an expensive item, but I think when you consider the versatility these pieces add to your wardrobe, as well as the fact that they’re mesh and beautifully textured (as is everything in store) the benefits outweigh the cost.  You’re paying for quality after all, Cynthia Ultsch’s designs are not cheap and the clothing sure reflects that.

Waffle! by contrast is cheap and cheerful and hurrah for that! This store comes straight from the imagination of the delightful Kiki Paine, and is located in the Dream Valley Plaza; a really neat and modern circular shopping zone.

Like Cynful the store itself is laid out in a really appealing manner and features some great items ranging from tattoos to underwear and separates, and you’ll find lots of outfits here that feature appliers as standard.  (I purchased my Camo drawstring tube-top from here, and that’s fast becoming a favourite of mine.) There’s a lot of choice in store, with the ‘Troublemaker Lingerie’ being especially alluring,  but my must-have item from here are the ‘Rock Chick Leopard Jeans’.  Not only are they a bargain at L$99 a throw, and come in a choice of five fabulous colours, but they look bloody brilliant worn  and go with loads of things lurking in my inventory, and looked excellent when worn with the Shruggable!

I teamed the outfit with a couple of necklaces; one which I’ve worn for a while now which is the Chinese motif necklace that’s sold as part of an outfit by Ducknipple. The Owl necklace was one of those things I’d forgotten that I had in my inventory, as you do. It was a happy find for me then, and funnily enough, it was from Happy Finds! (Run by the best named avatar in Second Life – Annoyingjapanesechild.dinosaur. Seriously!)  I’ve no idea how I forgot that it was there because I love owls, and this necklace is really well made and super cute to boot.

To finish I’m still wearing the Belleza skin, ‘Ava’ that I acquired a few weekends ago. I just LOVE the eye-make up on this skin, which is making it really hard to take off. (I’m into eye-make up on skins in a big way at the moment.) Fortunately by buying some lip colours I can make it more versatile, but I do wish there were more eye make-ups like this in store!

Finally the hair is by Elikatira. The sale was due to finish on the 23rd; and I confess that I haven’t visited in the past few days because if I had I would have probably bought the store. The sale sign did mention all styles would be retired once it finished; I have mixed feelings about that because part of me doesn’t want anyone else to miss out on the fabulousness that is Elikatira hair, but on the other hand I kinda like the idea of exclusivity that retirement sales bring. (Although judging by how many people purchased hair, most of the grid probably has this style anyway!) But here’s the thing, retiring these items means that new stock will be coming soon. Can you imagine? Squee! (And rumour has it that it will be mesh! Double yay!)

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Of course, after  Saturday night must come come Sunday morning, and my guess is that you’d be nursing a hangover and wanting something comfortable to wear.  (I picture Kitty about to go for Sunday lunch in this outfit. In real life I guess the skirt would be a teensy-weensy bit too short but hey, this is Second Life so I can wear my skirt how I want!)

For this look I teamed a lovely’ Nia’ jumper from Sn@tch with this scrummy mesh print skirt from Tentacio.  The sweater adds a little Schoolwear-chic, don’t you think? I’ve watched the store rise over the years and I’m so chuffed by how it has evolved and succeeded.   Ivey Deschanel works damn hard at her designs and there is some amazing clothing to be found there. 

There are now lots of lovely mesh items to choose from, and I’m delighted that her range of clothing with appliers is increasing, as this picture shows. Even if the darker side of fashion isn’t your thing, I would still pay Sn@tch a visit, and I doubt that you’ll come back empty-handed. (Trust me on this, you won’t.)

Once you’ve drooled all over my sweater, be sure to check out my skirt. I’m so excited by this mesh skirt! (Can you even be excited by a skirt? LOL)

I don’t wear skirts that often in-world  but since finding this wee beauty I’ve not taken it off. Even better there are a few more to choose from in the range and they’re a fabulous price of just L$70!  Incidentally if you haven’t checked out Tentacio before then I insist you stop reading and go there NOW. It’s just totally brilliant, oozing hipster styling from every pore and the prices are fantastic.

To finish the look I elected to wear my ‘Tassels’ necklace from Glow Studio, and the rather fetching Jamie hairstyle by Wasabi Pills, which is fast becoming a favourite hair store of mine. I love the textures that they use on their hair in store, and it’s a must visit for long-hair lovers. The Jamie style is beautifully crafted and I love the way it drapes over the shoulder and across the face.  (It doesn’t interfere with mesh bewbs either !)

So what do you think? I hope you like both these looks as much as I do, and I am certainly having fun wearing them. And speaking of fun, see the jukebox that I’m standing in front of? Isn’t it bloody glorious!  It’s from ‘The Stuff Store’, and the stuff that they sell is rather special indeed!  I first discovered them when I decided to buy Dad something nice for his new pad. I thought a juke box would be ideal to finish off the bar area against his home, so I did a search on the marketplace and found ‘The Juke’. This mesh creation evokes a golden era, as does most of the other retro ‘stuff’ in Crias Rowlands’ eclectic store.  It comes in both Modern and Retro versions, is mesh and weighs in at just 8 prims, which is astonishing when you consider the detail. It serves as a land radio featuring 80 stations, so there should be music available to suit every taste, and something I really like is the fluorescent tubing on the front of the unit which, when switched on, creates the perfect ambience.  It really is a stunning, substantial piece of kit and really turns your house into a home.

Well that’s me sorted for the weekend, I’m just gonna sit in front of my Juke and enjoy some tunes I think!

Whatever you’re doing in world this weekend, real or virtual, I hope it’s a corker, and if you’re bored why not check out the stores I’ve listed in this post? Happy shopping!