Kitty In The Kitchy!

Kitty In The Kitchy!

Kitty in the kitchy

I wanted to take a step away from blogging about skins (I’ve written so much about skins recently that I have developed a twitch), but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to tell you about. As I mooched around my skybox thinking of a blog post to write, it suddenly struck me; let me share some details about my virtual home.  I love reading LOVE TO DECORATE so why not share my Kitty-space with my readers?

I’m going to share posts with you about my Skybox over the forthcoming few days.  I’ll tell you how it’s decorated and hopefully show you why I love it so. I’ve lived many different places,  but I always keep this skybox as my super-secret ‘Kitty Lair’. I’ve owned it for a number of years now and the place where it’s ‘moored’ is cheap for rent and out of the way up high in the clouds so that I am nice and secluded and never bothered by neighbours. I’ve lived on the ground until recently too, but I always come back to my skybox because it feels like home. The way this space is decorated and displayed is probably the most authentic representation of my real-life self within the virtual world that is my second home. I absolutely adore it.

The build itself is a BARNESWORTH ANUBIS creation, called ‘NYC Apartment Skybox’. It costs a cheap-as-chips L$400 ion the marketplace, and has a lovely low land-impact of just 30.  It’s incredibly roomy and open-plan which makes for lots of fun when decorating. I have loads of skyboxes in my inventory but this one suits me perfectly, and I always come back to it. My only wish would be for perhaps an extra couple of rooms (or even a second level) but that’s not something that I am in desperate need of, just a dream that I file under ‘Nice-to-have’. Like all Barnesworth’s builds,  it’s beautifully textured and the details are absolutely perfect. Oh, and because it’s a New York City apartment the view out of the windows is of the great city itself a place I will visit one day, but for now my skybox will have to suffice.

As you walk in the first thing you see is a large space with a kitchen clearly visible. Which is funny because the big tiled space is actually designated as a bathroom BUT for me it screamed out for a glorious kitchen and some suitably fancy decoration, which is just what I added. I have TWO favourite kitchens in Second Life. They are the BAZAR ‘Toronto Kitchen’ because of the modular options and ability to adapt it to many different designs, and this TROMPE LOEIL  ‘Retro’ number.  I’ve never had any issues fitting and adapting this to suit my needs. It’s absolutely perfect with a 1950’s feel and the animations that are incorporated make for some great photo opportunities.

Obviously, my thing is cats both in RL and SL. That’s no different in my skybox either, and as soon as you enter you’re surrounded by cats of every shape and size; some decorative, others who live with me. The kitchen space is no different, in fact,  I used the TROMPE LOEIL kitchen cabinets to house my precious SCHADENFREUDE Chibi Cats collection. There are also four FASHIONABLY DEAD cats mooching around in the space, but that’s because I keep my HALF DEER litter tray and food bowls here too.
The window above my kitchen cabinets lets in much-needed light to illuminate the area but is also the ideal spot to grow a few culinary herbs too! This is where my ORGANICA’Hanging Bamboo Herb Planter’ really comes into its own. At night,  the kitchen is illuminated by my ‘Addison’ chandeliers in Red by MUDHONEY. I love the shape and simplicity of these, and rather than just having one I decided to be super decadent and have four in my kitchen. Their colour brings the fiery red elements of the kitchen together perfectly and blends beautifully with my ‘Gerzzo’ chairs and table from THE LOFT which extend the retro vibe.

In the Kitchen

I decorate my kitchen according to the season; sometimes I have pots of warming soup boiling on the stove, or enormous pizzas bursting out of the box ready to be devoured. I use gacha prizes to decorate and bring the kitchen to life, and I’m rocking a pile of dirty dishes from HODGEPODGE next to my sink. My favourite Vice Jars from COMMONER have pride of place next to a brilliant animated BITTER VANILLA cutting board, which has a number of fruits, vegetables and breads available for selection. You’ll also spy a few items from NYLON PINKNEY (‘Sleepy Cat Pot’ in Red and CopyCat Art ‘Feed Me’ poster) along with a fabulous Industrial Baker’s Rack from SECOND SPACES that I’ve added a few pieces to. I have a great ‘Kitchen Element Sign’ in Red from CASITA opposite the most important part of the kitchen; the place where I make my frequent cups of tea and indulge in my favourite snack of hot, buttered toast. I love my ‘Gerzzo’ kettle (another THE LOFT creation)  and my TARTESSOS ARTS animated toaster which pops the toast out in a violent manner similar to the till in ‘Open All Hours’ (British comedy, utterly brilliant). My favourite thing in this corner has to be my LARK ‘Teafor2’ embroidery though; it’s just so perfectly done and looks so sweet in the corner.

I serve my tea from a BEACH STREET Tardis tea-pot into NOODLES Doctor Who style mugs, gazing over at my wall art. It’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ from IONIC, a very old acquisition which I retextured to fit in with the theme of my kitchen, and it just works perfectly.

Last but not least my virtual day is accompanied by a soundtrack of tunes belting out from my SOY Vintage Boom Box, stowed away in the corner out of harm’s way ( I got fed up of the cats jumping up and knocking it flying!) So there you have it, my virtual kitchen. It’s the centre of my home and I absolutely love it, so if you’ll excuse me I have a pile of dirty dishes to wash, kitties to feed and brews to be made. Fancy a cuppa?

Why not share the details of your Second Life home or specific rooms that you love?  I’ll feature the rest of my home over the forthcoming days..stay tuned!

Berry’s Memes: Double Threat Meme

Berry’s Memes: Double Threat Meme

Getting Ready To Go...

Time to take a break from blogging skins because I’m fair exhausted by it all (Did you spot what I did there? I have no shame..) and let my mind wander over to that special place where Strawberry Singh’s Meme Challenges reside. I haven’t done all of them yet but I do try to and I particularly like her latest, the ‘Double Threat Meme’. Here are my answers!

Two online screen names you’ve had: Well, my very first name ever online was Ookster. I had a cat named Ook, so I added to it and used that. I used that name all over the place in the early years of the internet on programs such as Pirch and ICQ, that kind of thing, so if you ever saw that name it was possible me! I don’t use either of those applications anymore, and over the years my online identity morphed into ‘Ookster the Kittywitch’, and now more often than not my online name is Kittywitch.

Two video games you’ve played: My favourite game ever was Superfrog on the Amiga. I could still play that and get happy today, it was just beautifully done and tons of fun to play. As for another game? Well, in my house there are currently 28 arcade machines, so as you can imagine I’ve played a lot! I guess my second favourite game would be Gauntlet II. We have a cracking example of of those and I always play Valkyrie as my character. Incidentally, I am USELESS at it. (Can I have a bonus? I love playing the Baby Park on Mario Kart.  It’s just the whizzing round and throwing eggs and shells at people, such fun!)

Two things you love about Second Life: Dressing up and decorating my space. I love making Kitty look good, and I find the process very relaxing and enjoyable.  It’s definitely therapy for me!

Two things you’ve done in Second Life: Gosh I’ve been here a while and done a lot of stuff! Two things? I was present for the last night of The Three Lions .  (Stop the press, that was 8 bloody years ago!! It only feels like yesterday!!) That was a very entertaining, although poignant, night for all! I hung out with Richard Hawley when he played a gig in-world too. He said I looked good, which was nice. (I’d dressed up all Rockabilly style)

Two things you still want to do in Second Life:  My ambition is to have my own pub/hangout ! Ah, if wishing made it so because I need the land and the cash to start with,  but I really want to resurrect the feeling of The Three Lions again. I want a really good quality mesh build, it has to look right, and I want it to be somewhere that people come for music and dancing and frolics just like The Three Lions of old.  As you can tell, I miss that place such a lot, and I know my pub would never be the same but I wouldn’t want it to be.  I would want my venue to be inspired by the original, but to build on the community which that founded with the friends that I miss terribly. Sadly this is a complete pipe dream because it’s not something I can afford to do, so I live in hope of finding the perfect pub in-world still that will recreate the feeling I used to get at 3L. The second thing that I would like to do in Second Life is to help a designer craft a capsule wardrobe based on Kitty’s style ethos.  That means plain but well-textured jersey frocks in great colours, shirts and denim skirts and leather and denim jackets, boots, sneakers and such BUT with one proviso: they MUST feature cats! (Dream would be that I would do this with Nylon Pinkney and Polyester Partridge.  Can you imagine how fabulous that would be?!)

Two things you like about your Second Life avatar:   like Kitty’s face. I do think she’s a very pretty avatar, and I also like the fact that her weight fluctuates just like in real life, so sometimes, depending on ‘her’ mood, she’s a bit chunkier on some days. I love the mesh bodies that are available now too, so often times I’m just lounging around in my virtual abode in my undies throwing outfits together and enjoying the view, as it were!

Two of your Second Life Pet-Peeves: Inflated egos and drama-llamas. Anything that ends up on SLSecrets really, ’nuff said!

Two things you did as a newbie that you’re embarrassed by: My original shape was ridiculous. Top heavy, super thin and hands like shovels. I thought I looked great but I looked a proper chuff.  Also, I liked face-lights a bit too much. I’m not sorry. (In other words YE GODS THE EMBARRASSMENT! I AM SO SORRY!!)

Two of your closest friends in Second Life: Two very special friends are London Callin’ and Cyclic Gearz.

Two of the most beloved things in your inventory: This is a very tough question to answer.  At the present time I have almost 58k inventory items which is an utterly ridiculous number, so thinking of something precious out of that lot is a hard task indeed! I’d be distraught if I lost my inventory, I really would and I’ve suffered that once before.  It was few years ago now (fortunately it wasn’t as big) and it really did upset me very much.  The thing is we invest emotion and money into our virtual things, so losing them can prove as hard as losing something precious in real life.  I’m avoiding the question, can you tell? OK, I guess if I lost Kitty’s shape (her face has always been the same, apart from a few tweaks here and there) I’d be gutted because I’d feel like I’d lost ‘her’. As for something else? Well, anything cat related is pretty important to me, my collection of Chibi Cats made by Allegory Malaprop take pride of place in my virtual kitchen cupboards so losing them would break my heart!

Thanks again for a challenging Blogger,erm, challenge Berrycakes!

THE DRAX FILES WORLD MAKERS #27: NYLON PINKNEY

THE DRAX FILES WORLD MAKERS #27: NYLON PINKNEY

Anyone who knows me even an ickle, tiny, weeny bit in-world knows that I have a bit of a NYLON PINKNEY obsession. If I had to confess to super fan-girling over a particular person in Second Life, then Nylon (unluckily for her) is the one.  Oh, and yes I also fan-girl squee on a regular basis over Strawberry Singh, Draxtor Despres, Torley Linden, Hyasynth Tiramisu, Allegory Malaprop,Canary Beck and Codebastard Redgrave, to name check but a few of the awesome avatars that inhabit our Second Life.

 For me, Nylon encapsulates everything that I love in real life, and she brings that all over into Second Life in her own inimitable fashion. She’s the SLebrity in Second Life I would struggle to talk to the most  because faced with her in-world I’m worried that I would open my mouth and say something like “You’re so cool” and faint.  (Basically embarrassing myself even more than I normally do, which for me would be pretty impressive, don’t you think?) I did actually run into Nylon and Polyester at an event a few years ago and engage them in very limited conversation actually, but they’re too cool for me!

Nylon’s quirky style and her amazing creativity just never fail to impress and amaze me. I always look forward to new releases from her, and when it’s an ARCADE round, well, oh man, I know which Gacha machine will be getting my Lindens first!  I don’t really know why I’m such a fan,  but I think it’s because of the way that she uses colours in her artworks  and the style in which  that she actually draws.  I think my admiration is rooted in a little bit of envy to be honest, purely because I covet her art so much.  She has an amazing imagination. If I was talented enough to be able to draw then Nylon’s approach would be what I would most like to evoke; it just flows and she captures the spirit of the avatars she portrays in her work perfectly.  There’s a warped, edgy humour in the workshe creates too that really resonates with me, and a vitality in the expressions she portrays on her digital canvas. Her style is bold, brazen and unafraid, and it’s always been my opinion that when you wear NYLON PINKNEY you’re (to borrow a Torley Linden phrase) ‘amplifying your awesome’ to the power of ten zillion!

Can you imagine how excited I was to see that Drax was featuring Nylon as the next avatar to focus upon in his seminal THE DRAX FILES:WORLD MAKERS series? (Number 27 already!!)

I confess to being super curious to see what Nylon was like in RL and she looks awesome, as does her twin sister, who happens to be the ever incredible POLYESTER PARTRIDGE. Confession time: I never knew they were sisters, let alone twins,  but it was always obvious they were incredibly in tune with each other because their styles are so complimentary. The fact that they’re twins just  blew my brain if I’m honest. Polyester makes stunning jewellery which she releases under the Yummylabel, and trust me, it really, really is.  I do have a confession to make though, I didn’t know they were behind the PAPER COUTURE label until I saw the video! (I feel incredibly stupid for not knowing because now I do know, it’s kind of obvious. I never said I was intelligent! This is a fab look at Nylon in world, but if you’d like to check out her artwork in real life then you really need to click here. You can also commission a portrait (How awesome would that be?!) by following the link here

Anyway, turn on the video and transport yourself to another realm with the help of your guide, Draxtor Despres and thank the pixel Gods that Draxtor creates these amazing glimpses into our second lives. I assure you our real world would be  far less colourful without them! 

The Arcade Is Coming!

The Arcade Is Coming!

September is my favourite month.

Why? Well, it’s my birthday month for a start, and this year is going to be a special one, it’s my 40th. But what has made it even more ruddy fabulous is that The  Arcade gacha event will be hitting the grid again,  and if you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks then you’ll have missed the teaser images featured on Plurk and on various Flickr pages.

To be perfectly honest, it would have probably been more beneficial to my health if I had been living under a rock, that way I wouldn’t have seen any previews of what this round has in store for us. The last round was amazing enough, but bloody hell, when I first saw some of the pictures of what this round had in store for us, well, I am embarrassed to admit that I actually cried!

Seriously dear reader, I blubbed. 

I confess that I am cringing as I write this, but my emotional response to the goodies on offer was nothing short of visceral. I sobbed when I saw the collections of critters, furniture items and accessories that have been promised to us for this round.

Why? Well, I could say it’s hormones seeing as I officially hit middle-age in a few weeks, so you could forgive me if I was feeling a little mid-life crisis like. But I actually don’t have an excuse, other than I was totally moved and completely blown-away out of the park astonished by the creations that I saw.

Bear in mind I’ve only seen these on the official ad posters, too, so goodness knows what condition I will be in when I actually hit the machines!   Unfortunately, I have no doubt that this round will be jam-packed 24/7 for days on end, which will drive me round the twist. I’ll be one of those poor dots that you see on the map hovering pathetically at sim borders, pleading at my monitor for someone to leave so that I can get in!

So what am I especially looking forward to?  I’ll post some of my favourites over the next few days, but first of all I want to tell you about some of the fantastic animal-themed items that I have seen and simply MUST have. 

The first images that made me misty-eyed were the pictures of the INTRIGUE CO. Puppy Pals….

Puppy Pals

..see what I mean?

Why did I blub? Well, first of all, PUPPIES! But also because I’m a big fan of the INTRIGUE CO. plushies collections, and these are without a doubt in my mind the best examples yet. I love the way that these guys are crafted.   Not only do they look like the breeds that they are representing, they are perfectly coloured and feature irresistible breed-unique detailing, like the bow on the Yorkie’s hair. It must have taken ages to make these, but what an absolute joy they all are to behold.

Do I have a favourite?  I do have a few to be honest, but I’m going to try my hardest to win all of them!

Now, let me introduce you to the SILENT SPARROW ‘Pwnies!’

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Now, if you know me in real-life (unlucky!) then you’ll know that I have a bit of a thing about a little show called ‘My Little Pony-Friendship is Magic’.

Yes readers, Kitty is a Brony, with no fucks given.

I have a collection of ponies on my desk, as well as an ever-expanding  (like my waistline) family of plushies courtesy of my local ‘Build-A-Bear Workshop’.  You could say therefore that I’m a bit of a fan, and I’d barely finished wiping  my eyes when I saw the poster image of the pwnies, and started blarting all over again! I mean JUST LOOK AT THEM! They are utterly perfect; a multitude of poses and colours and patterns and you would have to have a heart made of the coldest steel to not fall into a messy puddle of happiness at the sight of these.

They are just so much fun, and I am especially taken by Dash (for obvious reasons) and of course, Matt and David (seeing as I’m a bit of a Whovian as well!) To be honest, yes I want all of these as well, and I’m already starting to panic about how many prims I’m going to need to free up to accommodate all of this Gacha awesome. (My house is pretty darn near perfect for me in-world, but I’m going to have some epic rearranging to do to accommodate all of these wonderful things!)

Yummy Fish

But let’s not stop there! It looks as though I am going to have to find the room for an aquarium too, because YUMMY! have created a piano-shaped aquarium and a collection of fish to inhabit it and boy are they are super-cute.

I don’t have the space or time for a  fish tank anymore so this will be the next best thing for me.  I’m looking forward to seeing how these fish work too,  because apparently each one is animated with unique movements so I’m anticipating something very special indeed. I haven’t really selected a favourite fishy, but I am very taken by the ‘Spotted Weirdo’, as I feel that I have a lot in common with it. (I fear that the acquisition of this tank will lead me into ridiculous games of ‘Find The Fish’, which is sure to drive everyone around me bonkers, but no shits given!)

Not only that, but the packaging for this particular Gacha prize is pretty special too!

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Last but not least are my absolute critter must-haves from this collection. They are, of course, cats, and this is when my tears REALLY fell. Because just LOOK AT THEM:

Cats

 

Now, a fact that you possibly don’t know about me, apart from my obviously being cat obsessed, is that I collect Maneki Neko and images of the Egyptian Goddess Bast.  In fact, I am completely Bast-obsessed.  I have statues, jewellery and books about the cult of the cat in Ancient Egypt, and I also like to make trips down to London to see the Gayer-Anderson cat in the British Museum. (Mine in a previous life, obviously 😉

So you can imagine that when I saw this collection and  spotted ‘Isis’ the Egyptian puss, as well as not one but three Maneki-Neko, I almost had a heart attack from excitement.  But there’s more; there’s a chibi-cat for everyone in this set; for example there’s ‘Pumpkin’, who obviously appeals due to my Witchy persuasions (and also because I had an amazing cat called Pumpkin too!) and ‘Sweetie’  is another Whovian reference and an absolute must for my in-world Doctor Who collection. There are so many fabulous felines here to adore, and then there is ‘Fatman’, who reminds me of my much-missed ginger lad (for whom I confess I am still mourning).

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Allegory, if by chance you’re reading this, I thought your ‘Voubou’ collection was outstanding and have them proudly displayed in my home, but these are on a whole different level. Every one of these cats is perfection.  They’re shaped so sweetly and decorated so perfectly. I cannot wait to get my paws on them; I just hope that I don’t have to wait too long because I know EXACTLY where I’m putting them. Well, I *think* that I do…GAH!

The Arcade opens on September 1st (that’ll be Sunday then) and I shall be clawing my way into that sim with all the strength and power I can muster so that I can get my mitts on all of these wonderful  creations, and I expect that you will be doing exactly the same!  I fear it will be a battle, but so long as I can get my critter-fix within a reasonable time frame I’m sure I’ll be fine!

Do check out the official blog and Flickr groups for updates on this event, and tune in tomorrow when I’ll be sharing some other favourite picks of mine. (These didn’t make me cry, but they are just as outstanding!)