What Next? – Kittywitchin'

And readers, you’re in for a treat if you like things watery! (No, not THAT kind of watery, just for a change!) There are contributions here from some of the best creators on the grid and you’ll find a huge variety of items for sale. When you TP to the upper landing point you can gaze out at some spectacular ships, sailboats and watercraft, but that’s not all, because there’s just as much action beneath the waves, where you’ll find an astonishing underwater paradise ripe for exploration. It’s also a great event to capture some fantastic photographs too!

The main attraction for me was the range of sailing equipment and boats and I wasn’t disappointed, because the detailing on some of them is absolutely astonishing. You may not be able to take them for a sail, but you can hop on and in some cases experience certain animations, which is definitely worth a try.

I was excited to see Motor Loon was exhibiting here, because I actually already own his sensational Loonetta sailboat, and I was chuffed to see he was showcasing his soon to be released jet-ski collection. But I was equally pleased to encounter other watercraft builders too, such as JP Collections and Southern Seas Ships with builds ranging from the traditional to modern. You can even find an airboat for sale from Tuff here, which is perfect should you live in the virtual everglades! (Note: I’m going to do a bigger post about sailing in Second Life in the very near future, and I’ll be featuring some ships and boats from these creators in that piece, stay tuned!)

It’s nice to see representation from the Sailing clubs in-world too. Sailing is huge in Second Life, and is a hobby that I only discovered recently myself and I am already addicted! (I would heartily recommend anyone give it a try) so it’s nice to find that the clubs aren’t elitist and open to new members approaching them, which is something I am very tempted to do. I was also intrigued to see a number of real estate vendors had stands here too. And why not? At least in Second Life you can live your dream of a beach front paradise, even if you live in a grim and dreary rundown terrace in real life!

If your main watery concern is topping up your virtual tan with friends, then be sure to cast your eyes across the ranges from esteemed creators LISP, {What Next} and Chez Moi. You’ll find beach towels, umbrellas and even a glorious hot-tub to enjoy with friends. There are items to suit every budget, and lots of variations upon the outdoor living theme. To be perfectly honest I lost count of the numbers of chairs and fire pots that were on display, but that’s not a bad thing because there is something here to suit every taste and they are all well worth seeing and trying out! In fact I recommend doing just that and camming around if you can. There are plenty of vendors here where you can crack open a beer and relax, and if you feel inspired to replicate the environment back at home then rest assured you will find everything you need to create your very own watery haven here, from furniture to bars to actual islands and buildings to place upon them, everything is ready to be bought and enjoyed back at your home location.

Be sure to check out the Palm Tree House Hut from Jamy’s Shop, and the stunning range of builds from Headhunter’s island. Appearance and function are everything, and the mesh and texture work here is tantalising, from the smallest starfish to the larger sailboats, so believe me when I say that you will need Lindens in your pockets because you will be very tempted by what you’ll find on sale, and you’ll probably discover a new found enthusiasm for all things sailing! My recommendation? Drop by the {What Next} stand and rez a bicycle, for a leisurely ride around the displays while you make up your mind what to buy. (Hint: ALL THE THINGS!!)

I mentioned that there was an underwater element to the occasion and it’s well-worth donning scuba gear for. I love the submerged Zero I found whilst exploring. The underwater vista is really atmospheric. This section is perfect for Mer-folk and virtual diving enthusiasts, and you’ll discover beautiful seascapes, pods of cetaceans and the Oceanic Breedable sharks. (Strange as it may seem they’re not the only virtual breedable pet here, I thought it was only Turkish Van cats that liked the water but judging by the Kittycats that are on display it seems I was wrong! Some of them even like surfing…)

Last but not least there are loads of freebies available here, but you have to be lucky enough to win them. There’s a fun beachcomber event taking place, whereby selected vendors have placed seashells at their booths and by clicking on them you may or may not win a prize. I’ve been lucky enough to have a sneaky peek at the prizes and they’re definitely worth trying out for!

Whatever you’re doing this Bank Holiday weekend, don’t miss this event.

List of participants:

Oceania Breedables
ANA_Mations
{what next}
Fruit Islands
Jamy’s Shop
Jp Collections
Mermaid Treasure and Boutique
HeadHunter’s Island
SSS Southern Seas Ships
Swanky
Triumphal Yacht Club
Leeward Cruise Club
MeadowWorks
Ocean Shores Surf Beach
Weston Marina
Hana Aloha Surfing Paradise
*BOOM* Clothing Co.
CVR
Bee Designs
Nantucket Yacht Club
Action
Deep Seas Mer Outfitters
NDiver
***MnM Designs***
TUFF Old Boats
The Abyss Observatory
Aquatics
Fishers Island Yacht Club
Tideborns
KAZZA
Two Moon Paradise
CHEZ MOI Furnitures
Starboards Yacht Club
Hollywood Real Estate
THE Beachstore

You’ll find the expo runs from 2^nd-5^th May which isn’t very long, but it could open up a whole new way of virtual living for you. Right, must dash. I’m heading off to the Blake Sea for some sunset sailing and a rousing chorus of “We Are Sailing!” Who’s with me?

Click HERE to land above ground, or click HERE to land underwater!

So I set myself a Kitty-challenge to try and find BARGAIN Valentine’s themed items, seeing as we’re all still skint from Xmas. I really didn’t think it would be easy. I set myself these two simple requirements:

*Items MUST be priced L$0 – L$10.

*Items MUST be quality, no naff particles, dodgy textures or poor build quality (Therefore this knocks a lot of stuff right out of the equation..)

With those criteria I thought that I’d set myself up for a fall, but actually I was completely wrong!

You CAN find stuff on the marketplace that’s uber quality yet cheap as chips! (F*ck me right?) But let me tell you about something awesome in world first of all…

Reader, you MUST take a trip over to BAZAR, but you must be quick! I don’t know how long this offer will be around for, BUT it’s amazing.

In the picture above I’m stood next to the ‘Good Morning Set’; a romantic breakfast for two for just *gulp* ONE LINDEN. It’s so brilliant that it’s almost obscene, so please, don’t miss out. It’s a mere NINE prims with a temp rez breakfast. Just outstanding value and perfect to start your Valentine’s Day celebration!

(Note the Bazar Christmas Gift is still out, which is a beautiful festive fireplace, get one and save it in your inventory for later this year!) There is another brilliant dollarbie available too; a lounger replete with couples poses that is also currently priced at L$1! Get going sharpish!

So back to the marketplace. Log on and do a search using the word ‘Valentine’. You’ll get a shedload of hits, so tick the box for L$0-L$10 to narrow things down a bit.

You’ll then be presented with 6089 Items. FOR UNDER TEN LINDENS!!

There are loads of different things to choose from as well; clothing, poses, cuddle rugs, roses..everything you need. So make a brew and get comfy and work your way through the pages finding your Valentine happy. Wonderful fun. Don’t forget you can narrow the crieteria down by choosing from different options. For example, if you want to give a gift to someone, narrow your search down by choosing ‘TRANSFER’ and you’ll still be presented with 2679 items!

So here are a couple of personal recommendations. The outfit that I’m wearing in the picture at the top of this post was indeed a Marketplace find. It’s by Elenya’s Creations, a new store to me but when I visited it was busy. Can you believe this outfit was free!? You just have to pop by the store to pick up the Tango appliers, should you require them, but that’s no biggy as the store is very nice indeed. The appliers cost L$1, but that’s nothing to worry about because as you can see the dress looks fantastic, but it can also be worn in a number of different ways (as bra and skirt or bra and undies) for all your Valentine happy. Bargainlicious! (Note the dress is priced at L$99 in-store so if you ‘buy’ it on the marketplace you really are bagging a bargain!)

My other recommendation is this lovely bikini. Again, a marketplace find, this is the ‘Faboo Valentine Batik Bikini’ and it costs Nuffink! It features a lovely heart-shaped batik print with two styles of top plus ribbon adornments. It’s actually a group gift from a store called FABOO, and it is precisely that as you can see from the picture above. It’s a really brilliant freebie find:)

Of course pressies need to be wrapped. If you’re looking for quirkiness the LISP BAZAAR has an absolute SHEDLOAD of amazing items priced between L$0-L$10. There’s a set of three utterly beautiful Valentine’s gift-boxes for just L$10 for a start LISP BAZAAR actually has 228 items priced between L$0-L$10 on the marketplace, all quality goodies worth a punt. (There’s a further 93 items between L$50-L$100!)

What Next? also retails a fab set of gifting boxes at L$10, as well as an assortment of goodies under L$10. Like LISP BAZAAR, way too many to list here, let alone check on perms, but be assured all will be quality.

So there you go, if you want bargain Valentine’s goodies for the one you love, then you really have no excuse as they are out there and are very easy to find…

Hope you have a wonderful day with your loved ones!