To market to market to buy... the market stall!

I love markets. They're part of the scenery here in the south of France, so we had to have at least one stall. We'll be changing the special teasers and nearly-freebies at Vent du Sud regularly, as promised, so don't wait too long - we just changed them but grab them before we put out new pottery, lamps, plants, oil lamps... we have such fun making them!

While I was taking photos, I had a bright idea (it happens...) and decided to put the stand itself on sale for a giveaway price of 30L. It's 10 prims, and ideal for a small store or to give your land a little atmosphere.

If you'd like a copiable version (including a smart logo on the side for your store or sim, then IM me, Ariadne Korda). Other colours available for the awning or the wooden parts on request.

And see the cute table (a pile of suitcases)? It's in my store for free.

(And don't forget to check out our Decor of the Month, on my blog from yesterday!)

PS: Rumour has it that there's a new gift of a great dress in Rett Gentil's subscribomatic too... so what are you waiting for?

Decor of the month (and a little about tennis)

A great new idea: A "Decor of the month" from Vent du Sud for an incredibly low price!

See, it all started with a game of tennis with one of the creators at Vent du Sud, Menthal Oh. Tennis in SL is fun...when you get the hang of it. Pop over and take a look: Sun's Domain.

(Great place to dance too, by the way - I'll get around to blogging about it more at some point)

So, in front of a massive crowd (of a seagull and a friend), I quickly discovered that it would have been a very good plan to practice first.

Obviously, I got well and truly thrashed but it was a whole lot of fun, so thanks anyway, Menthal (and the seagull who I know was rooting for me).

Well, what's a girl to do in the face of such a defeat? I thought of putting his rent up (I'm mean at times) but instead, coaxed him into working on a whole new idea, and one we're going to repeat every month.

The idea? A room with co-ordinating furniture, textures, on a theme. Menthal's is, I'd say, "classy but cosy". You can buy the whole lot for just 300L. (including, in no particular order):

- an amazing couch with animations,

- bonsai,

- STUNNING artwork (two "triple sets"),

- table with orchid arrangement,

- rug,

- candles,

- standard lamp,

-curtains (open-close, adjustable),

- two armchairs with animations,

- bookshelf,

- and a fireplace (flames on/off)

Incredibly crafted, beautifully detailed, like all his work. Or, of course, everything can be bought separately too (and at low prices). The curtains? Geek's, of course and so easily modifiable to any window.

Find it close to the square - and of course drop in and see our equally classy clothes, or take a dip in the pool.

And a last note: we are all having great fun at Vent du Sud so a huge thanks to all our visitors, whether they come to buy or just to spend a few minutes enjoying our little spot of the Mediterranean!

Fanning myself...

One of the things I love about living in southern France is the weather - but oh boy it's hot right now. I have two tips for coping when it's really sizzling - a spray of mineral water (take glasses off first, as I found out the hard way) and... a fan.

Fans are just so pretty. Spanish women turn them into an art form, too - a flick of the wrist can be coquettish or brazen, shy or cheerful.

So, come and see the really stunning fans made by Alain Papp (AC Creations) at Vent du Sud - they include a cute animation, and there is a whole series of them, to wear with anything from a ball gown to a cool linen sundress. Such a great idea! (And such a terrible photo, but that's nothing new, eh?).





And while you're visiting, check out Alain's stunning costumes: he has a superb eye for detail, and specialises in one-off, unique pieces on order (including Venetian carnival costumes - ask him early as they're works of art), wedding dresses, etc.



Yep, that's Alain (another terrible photo, I know).



Also, quick note: most of the 1L and free items on our market stand will soon be replaced. Come over before we move them - for instance there's a great flower arrangement, a mood lamp with lots of colour changes, sublimely textured pottery.

... and if you feel like cooling down, come and take a refreshing (virtual) dip, while I go listen to the (RL) cigales and concoct some more surprises at Vent du Sud!

It's curtains...

Well, if you're across the Pond, it's drapes, of course.

So no, not curtains in a bad way. In fact a very GOOD way. And exclusive to Vent du Sud!

Geek Back (yep, that's him down there, coaxed into posing by devious means) made these. Over 50 of them in every possible style, type, colour but the thing is they are SO easy to adapt to your windows thanks to a really user-friendly resize script (meaning even I can use it).

No de-linking, no stretching separate bits - it's a brilliant menu and a smooth, low-lag script.

These are such a bargain at 145L. They're 12 prims but they're also a statement piece. They swish open and closed most elegantly. Obviously, I failed totally at taking a photo mid-swish but go look for yourself, on the big vendors right by the pool (take your swimming togs along for a dip while you're at it, or buy them at Rett Gentil's place across the square).

Another thing: Geek will also make curtains of any texture you have or in any special coulours you need - you just have to ask.

So drop into Vent du Sud (and don't forget we provide personalised decor, building and scripting services too, as well as really classy clothes by two original creators)

Fire 'n Lights - Menthal Oh

It can be fairly intimidating at times: three out of the four other creators at Vent du Sud are men.


Creatures of method and logic, this trio, quite apart from being insanely talented. However, they are also modest, helpful (to math-challenged, illogical moi), and have a sense of humour. This helps.



One of them is Menthal Oh. He's French (like the others, but they all speak English).


Snappy dresser too.


He dropped an AO that played Thriller on a loop in front of his store yesterday. I threatened him with punishment, but instead I'm going to make him blush.



See, he's never had a store before. He's built superb stuff for dozens of friends, though. NICE stuff. So I bullied... er... persuaded him to give it a try. He then proceeded to do miracles with the miserable 100 prims I so generously gave him (heh). So yep, he does far more than stunning fires and lights.




The result (apart from a classy, welcome addition to the place?

a) he charges ridiculously low prices for extraordinarily pretty, incredibly well-crafted "Fire 'n lights" as he calls his store (but great art work to).


b) he (and the rest of us) have a lot of fun being silly in the pool, on the dance floor (no more Thriller, OK?) and rezzing the wackier things in our inventory.


So please, drop in. The guy needs people to know about his stuff, and spread the word.


Even if you don't need a fire, or some stunning lighting, the address is a keeper. And if you want something made to fit your own corner of SL, he's the perfect choice for custom work!

PS: (and he doesn't know this yet). Anybody who makes a purchase after seeing the blog, tell him, and he will send you a GIFT. N'est-ce pas, Menthal?

Dawn at the Gazebo, Corsican bonsais, etc.

Dawn at Vent du Sud

I couldn't resist a quick hop over here this morning - virtual waves and the soft colours of dawn were a boost before RL work. Call me crazy (yes, really, you can), but it's soothing. Pretty. And who doesn't need a bit of that.

No messing around in the pool, though, no pedalo, no ice cream. I went over to the gazebo, plonked myself on a cushion, and chatted to a friend from the US for a minute. Then saw Geek and confessed I'd killed the radio again (and he will kill me if I say he's French. He's Corsican. One of these days we need a Corsican event there. Must find out what this involves...).


He revived the radio. It hates me. But it plays some fun stuff. Strangely, it seems to be called Radio Corsica at the moment. Hm.

So it's now lunchtime and I'm going to hop back there in a minute but first, here's an offer. Buy the gazebo (14 prims, 169L, utterly amazing with vines and built-in lighting and really superb wrought iron), sent me (Ariadne Korda) a note and I'll send you the curved seating arrangement (usually 199L) with a whole load of anims and each cushion that has a choice of several textures - FOR FREE. Plus the lamp thrown in (see the lamp? 4 prims. Looks great outside a front door, too).

Still time to grab the dollarbie lavender and sunflowers and (er, Corsican) bonsai until early evening my time, so go there quick.

Oh, and to whet your appetite, next up on the blog: Menthal Oh and his superb fires and lights, also on the square, plus Alain Papp and his unique clothes, costumes and great, animated fans.

Vent du sud - celebrating Bastille day

Vent du sud and the French national holiday!

It's so hot in my part of France that this is just a quick post to say we've put out a flag, some lavender, some sunflowers and apparently another great surprise - for just 1L each, and just for 48 hours, to celebrate Bastille day.

We've also added some great, romantic poseballs around the place, so come try them out - plus some floating mattresses in the pool and places to sit and dip your feet in (plus - also just for a couple of days) some FREE bikinis.

And last but not least, a friend - Joey Dhara - has put his amazing ice cream cart for sale for the incredible price of 190L - it's on the square. You can wear it and drive it around, select your favourite flavour, and then go put your feet up, cool down in the water, or dive from the top of the dunes.

I'm off to take a RL swim, so - celebrate le quatorze with us at Vent du Sud - hope to see you there later!

Rett Gentil

Rett's "feathers"
Rett Gentil Original Creations at Vent du Sud




I met Rett a few days after I first logged into SL, and we've been friends ever since. We both knew we wanted to make things, and we battled through anything from 'which boxes do you tick to sell this?' to renting a tiny store together (we called it 'Two classy broads") or the ups and downs of SL in general.


We've sworn never to have anything to do with men again - fortunately at different times. And both changed our minds.

We've both branched out a little, too, but we still chat, laugh and grumble virtually every day. Best of all, we've developed together, doing two completely different things.

So - naturally - she's part of Vent du Sud.

Thing is (and I know she won't kill me for saying so), a lot of her stuff just isn't me. She makes great gowns. Nobody has an eye for detail like Rett, and her clothes move beautifully. I'm just not the short, wide skirt or classical gown type. Or the bright colours type. But I know quality when I see it.

A couple of weeks ago, though, she casually dropped this into my inventory, saying 'try this, Ari'.

Wow.
It moves wonderfully. It looks superb worn. It will be dragged out of my inventory regularly, or at least when I get out of my jeans. I am going to nag her to make more of these sleeker, sober, elegant little numbers.


Another of Rett's strengths is her customer service. Seriously, that woman will drop anything, immediately, to help her clients. It's part of her.

She also loves to do custom versions of things. A name on a cowboy hat? Sure. A different colour, length, a special wedding dress? Rett disappears to her work platform and works on it, tweaks it, and then tweaks it some more until it's exactly what the person wants.

No, she's not the cheapest designer on SL (but by no means the most expensive). But you get what you pay for - quality. Class. And genuine good service. Some things are worth it, no?

So drop in to her store at Vent du sud, right opposite the teleport. If you see her, tell her I sent you (she has a great freebie out and is generous with her customers too - hint).

Scripting magic and aquariums and pedalos

Bliss, no? Well, better than the massive pile of RL ironing that is glaring at me.

So, what better way to explore a place than by a pedal boat, or pedalo? (Not sure of the best-known English word, but I love the things in RL too).

We have a rezzer beside the swimming area which gives you your very own boat, and you can play happily - using the arrow keys - for half an hour, and for the massive investment of 1L. It takes passengers too (or be big spenders, rezz two and have a race!)

I did actually get it through the stone arch, too. Eventually. My piloting skills are a bit like my photography skills (yes, I know, I have a headless aquarium below).

As I've said before, scripters weave magic. Scripts and me are worse - far worse - than SL photography and me. But having a scripter as a friend is a great, great thing.

For instance, I suggested to Geek (Back), who made the pedalo, that we needed a tip jar with a difference. A few minutes later, we had one.

So here's how it works. You pay into it (even 1L), and a nicely gift-wrapped parcel appears for you to take.

We're going to change the contents regularly, but right now it has a superb aquarium, complete with fish (well... yeah), working spotlights, etc. It's stunning. And also Geek's work.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to

Vent du Sud and check it out. Not your average dollarbie by far (but you're welcome to pay more...!)

This Sunday, go dance, swim (I've actually fixed it so you don't sink like a stone, go me!), pedal around, shop for clothes and decor, and have a romantic tête à tête in our lighthouse (put the world on 'night' - it looks amazing).

(Buy your own lighthouse too - never miss a quick plug, Ari).

And if you don't want to spend a single Linden, that's fine too. Lots of places to sit in the sun and chat, or have a peaceful slow on the Intan-enabled square.

If you catch any of us around - Ariadne Korda (me), Geek Back, Menthal Oh, Rett Gentil, and Alain Papp are your friendly creators - come and say hi. Tell us about anything special and different you'd like us to make for you (clothes, decor, scripts, buildings, things that move around, whatever).

Agade Lefavre (Geek's lovely ladyfriend), Gradite Questi and Yonder Schumann (our friends and residents) are often there too, and always happy to meet visitors and chat (English, French or both).

Oh dear I have bracket disease.

Grab the freebies and dollarbies while you're at it, but we tend to thrust gifts on unsuspecting visitors too. LOOK - whole paragraph without brackets.

And remember - for your scripting (OK and building and just about anything else), go to Geek. That has a rather good ring to it, huh? Check out his curtains / drapes, btw. They're superb. He does a rather nice line in designing hot air balloon tours too, complete with the balloon and commentaries included. For silly prices or just in return for setting up a vendor.

Must go take a picture of a headless balloon some time. Much more fun than ironing.

See you soon at Vent du Sud

PS: Next in line - Rett Gentil's original creations - classy clothes made by a great lady. I need to wrestle a few pictures out of her. Probably safer than taking my own.

Home from home

I'm just back from Africa (for work). This could have very little to do with the post... but rather it does. It was not a fun trip.

For a week I could log in rarely, and for about 5 minutes at a time - on a system that was far from reliable - but could see this:

I think it kept me from climbing the walls of the filthy, windowless office I was in for a week. I was homesick for my RL home and family, but SL has always been a point of reference when I'm away, which is (too) often. It was also the only 'constant' when I moved countries two years ago.

So, Vent du Sud is up and running (still tweaking, mind) and as I don't have to get on another plane for a blissful two months, I can't wait to work on it and share it (got the hint?).

So be warned. I intend to share weird thoughts about SL, liberally interspersed with photos (note: PHOTOS!) of our little patch of Provence and the great things some of my friends there have made.

Today, mind, and being totally selfish, here's a couple of my things.

The subscribo now has the blue lamp in it, so pop over and pick it up. I'll be putting stuff in monthly-ish, and requests are welcome. Oh - it glows (softly) at night. Transfer. If you want a copiable version, just ask!

The big brother hanging version is at the entrance to the store... and is mod / copy.

There are a few other freebies or almost-freebies in the store and on the market stand on the square, and Rett has a great outfit for free too.

So drop in - bring a bikini (or buy one from great clothes designer Rett Gentil, also on the square, same SLURL) and try out our swim system. Or dance (Intan system, worth the money as long as I don't look at my Linden balance too often). Or take the amazing pedal boat (forgot to take a photo of that, but I will )- it's really fun and an example of Geek's scripting genius. He (Geek Back) can probably script anything, so check out the signboard about getting hold of him to weave some magic for you.

Or just sit and watch the waves, from the lighthouse deck or the beach. Grab an ice cream from the cart. Relax. That's the idea.

If you catch me there, I tend to hand out freebies, as do the others: Geek, Menthal, Rett and Alain. So don't be shy - come and discover our 'home from home'.