Category: NEWNESS!

Festive Fun Galore At SL Christmas Expo 2013!

Festive Fun Galore At SL Christmas Expo 2013!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Guys, I’ve just been having a mooch around the Christmas Expo.

I posted earlier about the event but hadn’t actually had the chance to drop by, and now that I have I must tell you that it’s a bit of a corker!

It’s beautifully landscaped with the build creating a real vintage Christmas feeling. There  is something for everyone here, and loads of lovely stores selling everything from clothing to furniture, jewellery and even vehicles too!  If you’ve been seeking the perfect Yuletide decorations  for your home then hold onto your virtual wallets and wait until Thursday, when the event opens, because there are trees and trimmings and festive fancies everywhere that will look absolutely perfect in your virtual abode. You know, it struck me as I was exploring that  I really did feel like a little kid again!  I peered through windows and ran into shops to find Santa (there are quite a few Santa’s here) and made a total nuisance of myself by rezzing a Sled from THISTLE HOMES and scooting around happily on it. Incidentally, I strongly recommend this event to virtual families; not only is this perfect for a family outing (watch out for the all the ToddleeDoos!) but there are some fantastic toys to see and play with, from trains happily trundling around Christmas trees to gigantic plushie dinosaurs. There are photo opportunities around every corner too. It’s definitely NOT to be missed!

If you’d like a preview of what is in store check out the official Flickr by clicking HERE, the blog by clicking HERE, and stay tuned for some of my event picks over the next few days! 

 

So Much GEEK!!!!

So Much GEEK!!!!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

So the Geeks And Nerds Fair, a hugely anticipated event, has finally hit the grid, and it is rather good indeed.  If you’re a proud Geek or Nerd in real life then you will really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into producing this event, and the quality products that you’ll find on sale. There’s a predominately Sci-Fi vibe to the event, with nods to Star Wars and Doctor Who, as well as the obligatory Harry Potter inclusions and a few old school references as well. 

I’m a total Geek so wasn’t really paying much attention to the Nerdy stuff  but I can vouch that Nerds are well accommodated here, although the event seems to be predominately Whovian, which is to be expected because it began during the Doctor Who 50th weekend.  I sure as hell ain’t complaining! You’ll find all sorts of Who-related gubbins, from Tardis teapots, to necklaces as well as the celebrated range of Whovian inspired outfits from Damien Fate. If you want to be Doctors 11 and 12, or the companions Rose Tyler and Amy Pond, then at last , courtesy of Damien’s mad mesh skills, you can be.  Damien’s costumes are fantastic re-imaginings of the clothing worn in the show and the ladies outfits in particular stand up to being worn in their own right. They’re pricey, but if you’re a committed Doctor Who fan these outfits are essential additions  to your wardrobe.

This is quite a compact event , ripe for photographs (look out for the Dalek and K9!) and I came home laden with goodies.  I particularly loved SECOND SPACES array of power strips and cables, joypads, cartridges and the Tardis pencil-holder. MISH MISH have produced two fantastic collectibles based on famous, nay, iconic Sci-Fi characters for the event, Mr. Spoon (NOT the guy from ‘Button Moon’) and Princess Donut. The best thing about these is they look just as awesome in their packaging as they do out! Something else that I really love is the  ‘Bird Nerd’ set from LARK.  As usual, Sienia has failed to disappoint with her creations and has used beautiful textures in her work. These have been applied with a delicate touch, which has added to the realism of this set. Everything a bird watcher would have in their fancy is included; Binoculars, field guide, calendar, and other assorted bird-watching finery, including an astonishingly pretty desk.ISON clothing are well represented at the event too. and the Wookie bag. I have raved about ISON before on these pages, and guess what, I’m doing so again. They’re selling a sweater/shirt combo at the event that you can manage via a hud. This means that you can change the shirt textures, and also choose to display an embossed logo on the chest area of your sweater. It’s fantastic; no issues when worn and fits straight out of the box, which is exactly what you need! I’ve never had any issues with ISON clothing and I don’t think I ever will, they’re just such a good brand:) Finally  you MUST check out Elephante poses at the event. They’re super-creative, enabling you to suggest motion perfectly in your snaps. There are a number of pose-packs from Elephante (and other equally awesome pose-makers) at the event but I must draw your attention to the ‘When We Were Young’ pack which I am using for these images.  These are Gacha winnings and evoke whimsy beautifully. You can take a cheeky peak at all of these items and more by checking out the Seraphim coverage of the event.

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Finally, while we’re on a Geeks & Nerds trip, Strawberry Singh’s weekly Meme challenge was all about the same subject this week.  Here are my answers!

1. What do you consider yourself to be? Geek? Nerd? Dork? None of the above? All of the above? I’m a Geek for sure; but there is also a nerdy side to me too. I adore History, and Archaeology, especially Ancient History. Egyptology is probable my favourite topic, and I pay an annual pilgrimage to the British Museum to get my history fix. (This year we saw an exhibition there about Herculaneum and Pompei which was pretty spectacular.)

2. What was the first computer you ever owned? The first computer I ever owned was a Toshiba MSX! It was BRILLIANT, but was a bit of a niche item in the UK. MSX never really caught on like Spectrum and Commodore, which was a shame because it was pretty superb for the time graphically if I recall correctly!) I used to buy MSX magazines and my Father and I would code in the games . It would take an afternoon to type in all the code and by the end all we would have achieved would be a crappy tank rolling across the screen, but it was a huge bonding experience. I used to buy my games on tape from a market stall on Chesterfield market. They were Mastertronic games,  and I’d zoom home happily to insert them into my tape recorder and play them.  To think, these days kids won’t experience the joy of loading a game from tape. Remember the sound it made? “Deeee-doop. Deeee-dodopdkddopdkdpskspsss….” There was nothing worse than waiting ten minutes for a game to load only for it to crash as well…

 3.When and how did you first get on the internet?  I think I first got onto the internet in 1996. I had a website and my own domain at one point that I just used to stick crappy photos and shitty gifs on! I used to use a program called ‘Pirch’ for IRC chat, and would spend my evenings chatting to people all over the world on that.

 4. Which Geek fandom do you subscribe to?  LOTS of them! I love Sci-Fi, and am a huge fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who,  Battlestar Galactica and Fringe. I also adore The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. I collect comics and Catwoman figurines, as well as erm…My Little Pony plushies!  In fact I love so many things it’s scary! I wear tees and hoodies that declare my love to all around me and I am a very proud 40 year-old geek indeed.

 5.Star Wars or Star Trek?

Are you kidding me?! BOTH!!!!!

 6. How Geeky are you? Apparently I’m 74% Geek, and I’m quite chuffed by that result because it was a tough quiz! I don’t think I’ll ever change, indeed I hope that I don’t. I love being a geek and being passionate about it, even though it really can be very alienating. (never has a phrase been more apt!) Mind you, I live with a Geek.  My fella collects Arcade Machines and is a World Champion after all, so I doubt that I’ll ever change!

NEW RELEASE: The Toronto Kitchen from Bazar

NEW RELEASE: The Toronto Kitchen from Bazar

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Feast your eyes on this bad boy; and yes, feast is perhaps the most appropriate term of phrase because this, boys and girls, is the totally scrummy delicious Toronto kitchen from Ria Bazar. 

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When Ria kindly sent me this package, I opened it and this is precisely what I did:

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(Click on the picture above for a larger version and you’ll see why)

Once I had finished wiping the drool from my monitor and keyboard I got to playing about with the items included.  The Toronto Kitchen is a modern, modular set-up that you build using the components included in the package, so you have tons of freedom to design your dream kitchen to  fit perfectly in your given space.  Like everything in the Bazar Toronto range, the kitchen is predominately wood that can be  colour-changed to light, medium and dark at the click of a button.   The open-plan styling means that you can add pots and pans and accessories to your hearts content, but the units do come complete with some lovely accessories already included, such as stainless steel kitchenware, utensils and plates.

A particularly groovy touch is the blackboard surround. This comes with a chalk-layer that you can add to the ensemble, and I’m sure you could make your own alpha-layers and write messages on them to really add the personal touch!  (Kitty-fact: I have a wall painted in black-board paint in my kitchen. I draw cats on it, rude messages for my beloved and occasionally the odd shopping list…) You’ll find shelves included in the package, as well as a light-fitting (different to the one in the main picture but equally fabulous) and a kitchen island .  There’s also a stainless-steel cooker and air-vent which adds a funky, industrial feeling to the collection.

This is a 100% original mesh production, and you can choose from either a PG OR an Adult version of the kitchen.  Of course, like all Bazar products, there are some excellent quality animations included in the package. The poses  are fantastic and will enable you to have some brilliant encounters with your loved one (although it’s a bit unhygienic being so intimate in the kitchen, don’t you think? No? Just me then.) I guess you can’t help it when feelings of desire overcome you as your chap stirs soup sensuously!  The oven  is pretty nifty and has multiple cooking modes so you can pose as a cook par excellence and ‘prepare’ soup, meat and fish, my favourite dish.  You can also wash dishes and clean the kitchen should you wish. Everything that you need to bring your virtual kitchen to life has been thoughtfully included by Ria.

Another inspired addition is that the collection includes a quick-rez version of the kitchen.  This is really useful, because it can be pretty daunting when starting a layout from scratch. Of course you can remove and replace pieces should you so wish.  This is what the quick-rez version looks like:

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Something that’s missing from these shots but features in the main image is a fridge, but Ria has that covered.   She has just added a couple of fridges to her range, and they’re just as excellent as you would expect. In my kitchen I have the Retro Fridge (Exclusive) on display. It’s a bit of a corker. For starters, it’s texture change and you can select from ten options to suit your every mood.  (I especially like the retro, lace and cat print textures.) It’s stocked with food and drink items, as well as single and couples poses too.  Some of the poses are great fun, and pretty true to life:

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Well, true-to-life if you’re the kind of girl who raids the fridge on a frequent basis. The fridge also dispenses a vast array of food and drinks through a menu, and you can wear all of them.  It’s a pretty essential item to add to your kitchen and one that offers substantial options for the very silly price of L$199. You’d be daft not to buy one. 

I’ve had great fun styling my Toronto kitchen and I’ve incorporated pieces from other elements of the Toronto range (such as the Dining Set and Toronto Study).  I have also added multiple Arcade winnings and some of my favourite kitchenware to create my dream kitchen. Isn’t it pigging divine? 

I know I harp on about Ria Bazar on these pages guys, but like I say every time, she creates items that really do make such a difference to your Second Life.  Her work is exemplary, it really is, and I wouldn’t be such a fan of it if it wasn’t.  This is going to sound daft,  but this kitchen makes me want to invite friends over for virtual dinner parties.  But I’m sure sat at my keyboard with some nibbles and a bottle of wine they’ll feel like the real thing, especially when I get very, very drunk!  Oh, and a final note, this kitchen is priced so reasonably considering the content that it’s practically a scandal. The PG version is just L$635, and the Adult version is just L$685. The retro (and modern) fridges are just L$199 each. and   The whole lot are a must buy, and you can pick them up via the marketplace or in-world at Ria’s store.

Main image includes items from the Toronto Kitchen and Dining rooms, as well as various accessories sourced from different stores across the grid. The lighting is from Trompe L’Oeil and is available at C88. 

Less Than Three Hours Until Shoetopia Opens Its Doors!!

Less Than Three Hours Until Shoetopia Opens Its Doors!!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

So I’ve just woken up after finishing my last RL night shift for this cycle. I’m off until Tuesday..so plenty of time to get into Shoetopia, right?Let’s be honest, it’s not going to happen.  The event is going to be packed to the rafters for the majority of the fortnight run, and judging by the quality on display I’d say that’s rightly so.  Elysium Hynes has pinned practically ALL THE THINGS again, so you can use her Pinterest board as a reference guide to what treats lie in store. All bases are covered, with many different styles of shoes; Courtney Stoddenesque towering heels, classic pumps, wedge heels and a fabulous selection of mens styles are all on display.  This is what her pinboard looks like, you can see it by clicking HERE.

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Looking at Ely’s pins I’m just blown away by the imaginative designs and fabulous finishing.  SHOETOPIA is the kind of event that makes you PROUD to be in Second Life, and we have had a LOT of those this year. But don’t despair when you bounce along the sim borders, desperate to find your way inside. You can sort of get your shoe fix by joining the Shoetopia Demo Group.

What I am doing at the moment is trying on all the shoes to determine which ones I am interested in buying. Doing this in the comfort of your own home, before the event, makes perfect sense. There is nothing worse after all than buying some gorgeous shoes only to find that actually, they don’t fit and don’t look as good as you’d hoped.

Using Ely’s Pinterest as a cross reference, I’ve been looking to see if the demos of the shoes that I’m interested in are in the demo group.  If they are, I’m trying them on for size..

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These are actually the first pair I tried on.  They’re the ADJUNCT  ‘As Above, So Below’ boots and as any Witch will know, that phrase has particular significance, so I simply HAD to try them on first!  They’re pretty swish.  I zoomed in and out, took my time while sizing them and adjusting to find my perfect fit and yup, these are definitely on my ‘MUST BUY’  list, although I’ll be opting for black rather than purple.  That said, the purple color really shows the great texture and pattern on these boots doesn’t it? To get even more of a shoe fix, keep your eye on the official Shoetopia Flickr.

A final note; it goes without saying, and it’s certainly something that I’ve spoken about before, but please be considerate to fellow visitors at this event.  By that I mean dress down, remove scripts and generally be an all-round good egg. I fear that the popularity of this occasion is going to inevitably cause problems by way of sim restarts and lag, so anything that we can do to help is a bonus.

Last but not least, this is an event contributing to an amazing charity, so be generous, but most of all, enjoy yourselves! This is going to be FUN!

Shoetopia 2013 opens its doors at Noon SLT (20:00 UK TIME!) and runs until November 30th.