I'm gorgeous (and read on for today'sVent du Sud anniversary offer)

So, the 4th Big Bad Blogger challenge is 'does your avatar reflect your RL age'. Easy, this one.

No.

In RL I'm *cough* older. I don't hide that to my friends but I have WAY too much fun dressing up and wearing stuff that makes me feel good to get an older av. Sure, I understand people who do, and respect them, but no thanks. Part of the fun of SL is slogging over a hot PC in scruffy shorts and tee in RL and taking a break to shop or dress up.

See the lighthouse? This is a hint about the offer. Read on...

But this, believe me, is far more pleasing to the eye than the RL me in shorts. Jacket and hair from fri.day, pants from Kunglers, tee from Coco, pendant free group gift from Burroughs (it's gorgeous and a zillion colour options). And although I'm not a proper fashion blogger, I did put in the slurls. Go me.

ANYway, the challenge seems to have also turned into... the Vent du Sud Anniversary week. Yep, a whole year and a whole lot of fun in my little corner of SL.

RL has been so hectic I have a TON of stuff ready to put out (or finish off), and I'm about to redo my entire stores if my clients would just go on vacation or something. So much for great plans to do lots of events, etc.

(Yes, yes, I  know. RL income is good. But so is having a little playtime).

As it is, though, I'm continuing the specials I started with the Tower yesterday, and today it's your chance to get the big luxury lighthouse (23 prims, retractable ladders, etc.) for just 200L instead of 499.

Again, 5 of them now, another 5 later today. Find them inside the big lighthouse, and don't forget to click on 'TAKE'.

In the distance is the offsim model, which is a bargain at only 299L normally BUT today it's just 199L. No limited numbers. I'm generous as well as gorgeous ;) Find it here.

PS: Want to give one as a gift? Send me an IM (Ariadne Korda).

Love and ivory towers.

See that avatar waddling away as fast as her pixel legs will carry her (waddling because as usual, she forgot to turn the AO back on because it messes with the Intan)?

Yep, that would be me escaping from the whole topic of 'Love on SL' (or even 'Romance on SL').

BBBC or not.  Just not going there.

But never one to escape a challenge, let me just say I'm ridiculously happy and mother-hennish about friends who have found the good side of it all. And hugely sympathetic with some who have got their fingers (badly) burned.

Building, now, that really is a love affair. And  in a romantic frame of mind...

Tower, anyone? It's up above Vent du Sud. Here. 

Silly offer, though. I'm putting five of them (worth 995L) on sale for just 200L.

Comes with a sky platform. Full instructions for rezzing.

TODAY ONLY.

(EDIT AGAIN: one more series of five out, and three left there but this is the last).

Also - If you want to give one as a gift, let me know (Ariadne Korda) and I'll transfer it to anyone you like.

How to get one? No hunting, no searching. They're up in the top room of the tower. Enjoy!

PS: set to 'original' so don't forget to TAKE your box!

PPS: tomorrow I'll be putting out more special boxes for another offer, and will try to take more time zones into consideration

BBBC: in search of the good

Hmmm of all days to find three good things about SL (the Big Bad Blogger challenge again).

Not been a very good few days in SL but let's try.

But can I get the whining over with first, please? Stuff like zero sales (maybe my entire clientele is glued to the flippin' World Cup?), frustration with a build (I'll try another zilllion textures later to see if it helps) and generally moping around instead of redoing my stores as planned.

Ah. Better now. Have a dollarbie. Well no, have a special offer. Or both.

Stool here, half price. Four poses, four colours. 50L. Copiable, btw. From the new Smoothie line. Go click to see it in action at least.

...

Pretty pottery dollarbie lamp see below. Goes with the whole set you're going to buy, hm?

OK deep breath.

Good things. Clichés, 1 & 2, I know, but

1. Friends. Amazing people I can 'feel' behind the avatar. Real friends, who encourage me to build or explore rather than mope and slide into too much gloomy self-analysis.  Not that a little reflection isn't good - of course it is - but nobody loves a whiner. Well, not after days, weeks of it. Note to self: stop whining.

2. Building and exploring. I'm a slow, finicky builder but I like it that way. I throw a lot away. I love to see what other people are building too, even if it often makes me heave a deep sigh and wonder why I bother.

Mind, at times I have extremely evil moments of self-congratulation when I know my stuff is better crafted than some (remind me never to rush off to any more Midnight Mania calls for home decor: maybe I pick the wrong ones but just ..... ewwwww).

Maybe they sell poorly-textured red and black sex cushions / rugs / anything with freebie poses (badly-adjusted to boot), though.

Ooops. Getting grumpy again. Not to mention just a teensy bit jealous. Say to yourself, Ari, it is not about selling. And no, it isn't. Not really. Just sometimes.

3. More personal. SL is a home from home. I travel a lot for work, and tend to crawl back to hotel rooms feeling steamrollered. Not always countries where I can wander around and do touristy things or get a decent meal, either.

Fortunately, though, it's rare that I can't get online. And it's just lovely to have that 'point of reference'. Usually somewhere on Vent du Sud: by the sea, or with friends on the square.

And with that, I'm off (not to make crappily-textured sex cushions, no) but to start planning some celebrations. It was a year ago on Sunday that I planted a single tree in the middle of Vent du Sud, and if that isn't a good reason to get on with a (rather belated) event of sorts, I don't know what is.

Other people's words - BBBC and stuff

Thanks to Alicia Chenaux and the Big Bad Blogger Challenge...

... because I tend to need prodding to get on with things in SL.

The 'ongoing' section of my inventory is getting out of control (I get distracted easily in SL, probably because that's hard in RL, where I fight deadlines all the time). So much fun with friends, so many Barbie moments, dancing, prims to play with.

Did I say Barbie? Yup. Goodies from the fri.day sale, plus a little judicious tinting. There is a reason why I buy pale colours on mod clothing. Tinting is your friend. And I match my couch. Heh.

Ah yes, the topic. "Why did you become a blogger? How has it enriched your life?"

In RL, I line up words for a living, but other people's words. I write reports, edit, and translate. Very dry stuff. Very concise, factual. So it's rather nice to be let loose with a few of my own.

I had a Live Journal for a long time, and wrote rather bizarre things as a hobby. But it got to the point where life was just "too many words". Sooooooooo, in January 2007, I found SL. And stayed.

Mind, the temptation to write about SL was huge. I thought about all rambling on about all kinds of Deep Psychological Thoughts about it but soon ditched that idea: part of what I LOVE about SL is making stuff.

Without deadlines.

Selling a little, however, means helping with tier. Mr RL doesn't get SL and is rather caustic about me putting 'real money into something virtual'. He likes power tools and I'm not quite sure why we need 2 hedge-trimmers and various sorts of sanders but hey. One day I'm sure he'll cut the hedge. Maybe.

So, on the odd occasion I get something finished, it's fun to take photos of it, and ramble on about it. Sometimes I even get the WHOLE item in the photo too. Or *cough* don't cut my own feet off.

Now and then, somebody buys stuff. But mostly, it's just fun when somebody pops into Vent du Sud and says 'I came from your blog'.

If you do pop in, please say hi if I'm there (if I'm sitting on a bit of my furniture, I'm probably just lurking but my menu bar will flash). I'll be lining up words in RL - but one of the joys of freelancing is hopping into SL for a few minutes during the day and fiddling with whatever I'm making, or a quick coffee break chat.

And finally.... I did finish this (plus, in fact, a whole lot of newness that I shall bore people with endlessly). Called (oh how original) "Summertime" because it's all blue and yellow and white and summery. Navy, white, pale blue, yellow. Just click. Forgot to take photos of navy and white. Go me.

It's still out on the patio by the pool, because I need to move a whole lot of stuff around and - er - have an RL deadline. Come see, though? Right by the main square

But if you like it, come click on the colours and poses. Admire the low-primminess. You can even buy it. In sections or all of it. Must go put up the sign that says 'click on cushions to change fabrics and back to change poses'. But... deadline. Go click and I'll be here...

... lining up other people's words :)

Sale, newness, real estate blues. Oh, and SALE.

OK, so nobody wants to buy my mainland plot by the sea. I can understand it. Really I can. (Liar).

(See the post before this one for my utterly amazing, totally fruitless sales spiel).

So... (adopts wheedling tone) you could also RENT it.  Rent negotiable-ish - but 388 prims left to play with even after the house and cabin and stuff. Or you can have it empty. Contact Ariadne Korda (that would be moi).

Or I can sell it to the damned bots  (weeps).

(Did I say 'gorgeous views'?. I expect I did).

Or I can make it into a store. Which I might. Or not.

See, I am busy doing a big revamp at Vent du Sud. As in lots and LOTS of new things. Summery things. This includes grabbing unsuspecting friends to adjust poses in return for new furniture (yep, blackmail. Works a treat). But no, in fact I lie again. I have great friends, who tolerate having their avatar's position endlessly tweaked.

(I should have taken photos of this. I know. Bad blogger). It's the new bed next, Albion. Why are you running away? It's not one of THOSE beds. Really.

But before this weekend, when I intend to move lots of things around, I am having a sale.

Or should that be A SALE.  Dare I make that font bigger?

Hell yes. I'd do flashing lights and changing colours if I could.

A SALE

In the midst of making stuff and packing it, however, I am not going to make amazing signs that give the original price and the new price. So there.

Some stuff will be retired (because I don't have enough prims, dammit). Some won't. Not sure what yet.

So basically it's a case of all the flowerboxes (main store, tp here) at around 50% off (example here). Meaning between 50L and 100L.

And the living room set at less than half price: texture change for the wood and the cushions. Example: multi-pose couch for 100L, chair 60L, table / shelf 30L. Right here.

And ALL the lights at 20L (because I forgot to change them back from the last offer. Go me).

So, hop over. You may see me tweaking some of the new stuff (I'm a compulsive tweaker).

Say hi, and I give stuff away. Really.

Oh, and last but not least... here's a taste of (and link to) some of my new stuff. LOTS of poses for couples, friends,  or just tired builders. This metallic version is hidden in the big lighthouse near the pool. But it's 25L instead of 100 until I get some stuff tidied up. There's a dollarbie outside the door too but I've rambled enough.

OK, off to shift prims... RL work.

Loose ends and it has to go (cryptic title much)

Vacation, two work trips away from home... means a rather frayed me. However, I've got my builder's hat on and slowly getting all the new stuff out at Vent du Sud. Rett, Menthal and Alain have some new stuff including great fashion in the pipeline too.

I digress. Loose ends, I said. And here's one. A big one.

2055 m2, Linden waterfront. And with a few regrets, it has to go. I'm never there, and I need focus.

OK, and I also need the money. Let's be honest.

Speaking of which, it's going for way less than I paid for it (but then mainland is worth less than it used to, I know I know. Ahem.). But that's OK as I had fun fiddling with it.

Look moar. And if you don't like teal and stone, it's easily changed... read on.

Apart from the yacht and the bed and the Intan which aren't mine, I'm selling it with all the stuff on it (set to transfer so once it's yours, you can then modify, etc.). Yep, all. House and contents.
Quiet sim, too and great views. And sailing.

Lots of furniture and decor-type stuff I've made in the past is included (keep it or throw it / give it away....). Plus harbour cabin, waterfall, big sekrit room downstairs, retractable curtains, waterfall, huge terrace over the ocean with patio furniture, etc. etc. TPs built in for the lazy, like me.

And there are over 300 prims left. Lots to play with. Over 500 in total. Enough for a skybox, for example.

Price, you say? Well... it's on sale for 22,000L which is low for Linden ocean plots (a slightly bigger one on the next sim went for a whopping sixty K. But it took a while).

I might negotiate a little for a quick sale. But I am so not setting it on sale for any more 12-day old avs with no payment info on file ("I'll get a premium for this within 24 hours... I love it") who keep me hanging for 3 days.

Want to visit? Here you go.  Questions? Offers? IM me and I'll get back to you.

Last carrot? Buyer gets one of my lighthouses (their choice, but the offsim one would be good) to go on it. And my new, really rather amazing patio set (see previous post).

*wanders off crossing fingers and toes*