Before I take a week off...

I have lost count of jobs coming in where the clients starts with 'I know you're away over Christmas but could you just...' these last two days.

So I have, meaning that this blog post may not be terribly coherent but two things.

No, three.

First, however, this is the winter - above is the  Christmassy set out at the Vent du Sud mainstore showing various colours (just click... there are about eleventy thousand combinations but thing burgundy and gold and green. Price? 1L each.

Here it is with some other 1L goodness, and out front?

Other things, some FREE. Baubles with snowflakes, mulled wine, etc. etc.

Next, if red isn't your thing, there are two other 2-prim carts out at the (still lacking-in-signage) NEW area beside the mainstore, also 1L.

I think that's it. Fashion? Ummmm... I took some photos in another outfit. I filed them. And I have forgotten what I called them. It will come to me shortly after takeoff, I expect.

Now, the challenge is to actually get on the plane, because (wouldn't you know it), there are strikes at our airport. French national sport, of course.

So all that really remains to be said this year is... I shall be back on 28th so have a WONDERFUL Christmas. Enjoy both RL and SL. Be nice to one another, and all that kind of thing.

In the new year, there will be gifts in the Vent du Sud subscribo, so this could be a good time to sign up, hm? When? Well, when I've got some of the washing done and caught up with clients saying 'I know you're only just back but...'.

And off I go. I hope. As for where, all will be revealed when I get back.

Oh and PS - I am only taking a netbook with me for work emergencies so no SL. The idea is, y'know, six days off everything but being a tourist.

Can we say HELP? (But hey, Christmas stuff)

Somehow, I got some Christmas stuff out.

Two places... the winter cabins and the  mainstore.

Above, the winter cabins. Read on... because a lot of the Christmas stuff is FREE. 

So...


The idea was this MASSIVE MASSIVE publicity binge about how Vent du Sud did classy Christmas stuff and everybody would rush over and love it.

The reality?

Where do I start? Work arriving in ****loads, details like car window motor dying (while it was open, of course), and... getting sick of over my birthday last week.

No, I won't go on. I won't even scream about Lyon airport being closed because the security people are on strike and we are supposed to head on out on Wednesday. For a HOLIDAY (or vacation if you are across the Pond).

OK, I'll scream.

Look away, please. This is not a pretty sight.

But the Vent du Sud winter cabins ARE pretty and they are 50L each, small and larger. The lights? Not included but free and mod copy so just click and help yourself.

Grab the armchair, the firebowl, the fire basket, all for 1L.  Right here. 

ANYWAY, please do help yourself to some Christmas stuff - I shall blog about the smainstore goodies tomorrow but for today, I am in this sort of mood.

Hammock, 1L. Of course. Colour change pillows and, um, INTERESTING animations for couples.

If you get me. You do, I know, but this is what Blogger considers a SAFE blog. At least that, eh?

Find it right beside the cabins.

And here is moi. In a rather elderly top from Gryphon Wings and amazing hair from Tram.

Incredible that Avatar Ari can look so serene when her typist is about to throw the world's largest hissy fit or simply burst into tears.

Roll on 2012?  And for Vent du Sud blog posts to be, y'know, optimistic?

Mainstore stuff tomorrow but nothing to stop you going to look RIGHT NOW (classy, really... just nowhere near as much as I wanted to do).

AT LAST

I now have two computers that don't crash regularly.  The new work one (replaced after HD failed) and the backup one, after exploring several  dozens of possible reasons.*

And I have met a zillion work deadlines while living on tenterhooks and saving stuff to external discs every half hour.

And of course nobody wants to know all that but naturally people keep asking me if Vent du Sud is about to disappear.

No.

Yesterday I finally started building again. And would have done more if the dishwasher hadn't decided to produce a lake on the kitchen floor.

Ah, life is full of surprises, eh?

Now, Christmas and glowy rich winter colours at Vent du Sud will not be happening quite yet, but unless some other major catastrophe happens, it will.

Even the couch above is (I admit it) a case of recolouring and retexturing, but it is a START. But it's not finished yet as I was too busy mopping up to put all the textures I wanted into it.

When I have finished it (if nothing else breaks today I should get there), I will even put parts of the set and some other stuff out for free. 

Why? Because despite me being AWOL, people have kept coming to Vent du Sud, buying stuff, and taking the time to leave messages asking if I was OK.

I'm OK.  If a little worn down (and I hate washing up by hand).

Thank you, really.

(It was also nice to get out of the same SL clothes I'd been wearing for what, six weeks? **)

I also know a lot more about Windows administrative tools, security audits and bugcheck codes than I ever expected to.


I am now off start work, with the aim of digging into my textures folder later.

*For info, Zone Alarm Pro, after its last updates, does not cohabit nicely with Windows 7 and / or Office 2010 on certain types of machine (like both of mine but no problem on Sir's with an identical setup. All perfectly legit software too. But a huge thanks to the lovely lady who came up with the idea of it being ZA at the exact moment I was ready to throw the **** machines out of the window.
** Not that you can see much, but Zaara. One of my cheerer-upper, go-to designers.

Return from chaos?

Hey people....and no I have not fallen off the planet.

Trip to Vietnam (work), washing mountain, sick computer, massive backlog of other work. Oh, and a large chunk of garden, meaning pruning (very cathartic, pruning) and otherwise putting stuff to bed for winter.

I mean it's always busy at this time of year but this has been much worse than usual.

(For a change, as as I have nothing new to plug, have a photo of Vietnam)

Virtually no SL, sadly, because no time and / or no energy except to sneak in for a few minutes and usually to drop off to sleep in front of the screen while trying to hold a conversation. Not ideal. And building? Er... that requires coherent though and I was fresh out of it.

I did, thankfully, manage to save my photos (and work stuff!) before the HD finally crashed - and this on a 7-month old machine.

Not impressed, and telling me "well you know travelling isn't good for them" does not make me happy. In fact it makes me rather cranky as the poor guy at the PC shop might just have noticed.

(Lots of cropping and fiddling to do yet, and to upload a few onto Flickr but one thing at a time, eh?)

However, Vent du Sud is still there, even if part of Rett's store went mysteriously missing (but I did find time to put it back).

And as of this weekend, or thereabouts, there will be new stuff and breathless subscribo messages etc. etc. etc.

As long, that is, that nothing else breaks down, blows up or falls apart. Mr SL broke the chainsaw this morning but that doesn't count, really. I draw the line at chopping down branches (or chopping up bodies).

Back soon then, and hugs all round from a VERY tired Ari...!

Panic panic panic

I am off on a Big Trip a Long Way Away (capitals significant...).

Well, only 11 days, but it's been chaos getting stuff prepared for it: and it's work* and not play. And no idea what the connections will be like, apart from work ones and for SL... um nope. Hotel or nothing.

Soooo... you won't forget Vent du Sud, will you? Please pretty please? 

Go buy a winter cabin or something, for 50L... or just wander around where I wish I was (or at least the RL equivalent).

Link to the fall stuff

And (oh hey let me have my last plug for a while)

Link to the new house and Mas and greenhouse etc. next door. It's 39 prims and... well go look. 
(Wind vane. Note the wind vane).

And I'm off to do my suitcase and head out at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Where did I put my adapters? And ...

Not that I'm panicking or anything but... argh.  This is the annual Big Work Nightmare and I ******* hate it.

52 weeks of colour? Making stuff? Watch this space as of 6 November.

*Vietnam, since you asked. But again, work not play.
 

Emergencies and zenitude, Rett does free, fall, and pumpkin lava

Why yes zenitude is a word. Sort of French-ish. But a lovely one, no?

Here, have a photo of the Vent du Sud autumn / fall stuff I started putting out: and yes a freebie is involved. See the trees? Pretty trees. 1L each of course but other stuff to tempt you as well, like the 20-prim cabins for 50L, and more besides. 

So first the emergencies because this is my blog and I can whine.

So there.

Quick another photo then you can scroll on, promise.

Being freelance, you'd think I was used to 'urgent' but sometimes clients spring something on me that I really don't see coming. Like translating a 29-page report on a new cancer medicine for (I quote) "yesterday would be good" while still battling through another 25 pages of pharmaceutical legalese.

That was on Friday evening. Bye bye weekend, bye by SL

Mr RL was dispatched to the kitchen. I may never eat a fish finger or a frozen pizza again.

He did, however, make pumpkin soup. Which acts like orange lava when it boils (just so you know).


Speaking of Halloween (which we weren't, but humour me, it's the pumpkins)...

I did actually promise Rett a cauldron in a weak moment to go with her 'sexy witch' outfit and haven't quite done it yet. I will try. And stick it out for free by her store if I do. I am nice like that. 

Only Rett could have a half-nekkid witch, eh?

Don't mind me, I'm just grumpy because on 31st I shall be stuck at the other end of the planet where Halloween is not on the menu. Nor, I suspect, pumpkin. And not, it is not for fun but for work.

(If I whine, I whine properly). 

However, she has actually put out a free witch hat (witches' hat? witch's hat as in singular?). Forgive me for my grammar is all tied up in parent compounds and response rates and stuff.

That is a seriously bad photo, but the hat is next to the outfit and the little black thing is the end of my feet (cropping? what cropping?). Sorry again, Rett, my photography is about in line with my grammar this lunchtime.


Where was I? Apart from whining?

Ah, the zen part.

Zen is being able to sneak in and spend the odd moment right here in Vent du Sud, surrounded by autumn colours.

(Yes the hammock is also 1L and also near all the other autumn type stuff right here)

Now want to make a pumpkin soup bowl but that will be after the leaf dispenser and a dozen other things in my "ongoing" file. And all that when I've finished 'Estimated survival rates'. Oh joy.

The perfect saleswoman? Also, wenge and CARS.

Good morning / afternoon / evening. May I help you sir? Madam?

Heh. One saleswoman in wenge. Read on...

I actually get quite worried about what to say to people on the sim sometimes. Do I say hello?

If I do they sometimes run away (even if I am quite incapable of the hard sell, honest). And if I don't, they may think I'm snooty or something.

Difficult. 

But before we get carried away on philosophy, however, I am practising my saleslady techniques because I want to get people to come and see Menthal Oh's cars.

I mean seriously, LOOK at this car (and the jacket, but we'll get to that).

Not only do they look fabulous, they drive like a dream and have exhaust fumes and lights and all the fantastic car-type gizmos AND are low-prim: usually around 30.

Oh dear, I would actually be pretty useless at selling cars because I know nothing about them in RL except that these are arguably the best I've ever seen in SL and they are, of course, at Vent du Sud right on the main square.

Lots of cars, in fact, with a rezzer too.

And not only lots of cars but there are some *cough* special versions with *cough* pose balls.

Menthal and his co-builder Alheana have been really busy (and no, I am not referring to the pose balls). Some really outstanding building and scripting and I am, basically, in awe.

I think they've come up with something quite unique in SL (again, they really do drive like a dream, come with instructions and even a car-challenged person like me can drive them. Sort of, although the problem is not with the, um, car).

See? Lots of cars. I even have my very own with a Vent du Sud logo on it (thanks, Menthal but yes this is a hint... he does custom versions too).

(No, I spared you a picture of that. Be thankful. I got it stuck in my mainstore last night because I am... not good at SL driving).

Aaaaaand, as we announced weeks ago, there will be a competition to win one but Menthal is up to his eyeballs in virtual axel grease and needs to be prodded about that.

*Prods*.

But he's having fun, which is important, no? And I'm not very good at prodding either but I really do want people to at least GO SEE THEM (and buy up my decor and builds while they're at it. Not that this is a plug or anything). 

So yes, colours (which is also the reason for this post).

Wenge is lovely, and having found a skirt that worked, I pounced on the new Allegra jacket from Mimikri. And then cursed because my viewer was doing the 'hide the details' thing on the jewelled details so had to redo the photos.

But it was a chance to take one more of a car...

Credits
Hair: Tram. I love this hair. It is gorgeous hair.
Jacket: Mimikri Allegra. Wonderful
Skirt: SYS Sorrow skirt
Top: Michami bustier
Shoes: Enkythings Talyna from Enky at Vent du Sud
CARS: Menthal Oh, EM motors, Vent du Sud 

Make a wish? Sit on a pumpkin? Delivery fail? This post reveals all

Wishing well - 3 prims, bucket - 2 prims (I added nice moving water to it).  1L each. Three colours.

One of the 6 things above is free at the New Stuff area (which one day will have a sign saying 'NEW') at Vent du Sud.

I also hauled out these from last year and bribed coaxed two of the gang to demonstrate - there are FOUR sits in all, swappable at will.

Not, you understand, that I kept clicking on swap until the others were dizzy.

Course not.

However, Rett (who is making a witch outfit) would like to point out that she knows she is missing a foot shaper but left off to pose for me.

Anyway, anybody who feels that really big pumpkins to seat four are an essential item for their Halloween decor, pop over and grab one for 1L on the Vent du Sud main square.

In other news, and because I am vain, I wanted new hair.

OK, OK, this may not be world-shattering but I am a known cheapskate something of a frugal shopper.

So, I ordered about a dozen demos from the Marketplace and  received... none.

Frustration.

By this time I needed to buy hair  (cheapskate yes, but vain yes). I did find a note I'd made to go and look at Tram hair and actually went and bought it.   Which actually involved looking for it. Because I am also lazy. The store won't let you click teleport (grrrr) and it was upstairs.

But it was worth it.

 Nope, not making it big big big because I have not yet learned enough to smooth out kinks in my jawline.

But I love it. I may be wearing it for the next dozen fashion-ish posts.

Having actually spent money on something other than tier and feeling slightly weak, I checked my marketplace to make sure I had had no failed transactions and could redeliver to clients.

And discovered all the demos were still in my cart.

Sorry, Marketplace; Not that deliveries ever fail or anything.

I do check mine daily and now and then I have to redeliver to people (some of whom are convinced it's my fault but hey... this is SL. I will spare you stories of outraged entitlement because I happened to be sleeping when somebody didn't get something).

That's it for today, and I'm off to make a living but the wishing wells and other new stuff? Soon to be moved to make way for more. I feel a 'shuffle stuff around' mood coming on.

Facepalm moments and forgetfulness. Moss, 52 weeks of colour.

I needed to sit down and think.

You know, about important stuff like a snappy title and fabulous pictures for moss, world peace and existential... somethingorother.

But more than that, there was something I'd forgotten to do at Vent du Sud. But what?

Back to moss for a second.  And only a very short digression to the 1-prim, 1L bench (see credits)

I did find a top that worked, but I think I had to have been blind over the pea-green shoes. Which I should have cropped out really, or got out the HUD and turned them white.

Pretend they're white on this one. I needed to pace about a bit anyway.


Just imagine about ten paragraphs of stream of consciousness here, involving what shall I build next do I need new hair what shall I cook for dinner should I do marketplace listings no really RL deadline is looming...

Enough?

My mind is a scary place.

But I still couldn't remember what I'd forgotten to do. Seriously, I should make a to-do list for SL but knowing me I'd forget where I put it.

Then I had one of those facepalm moments.

Brought on by somebody buying something (cue big grin, never fails).

Kerchunk. 

Oooo lots of kerchunks including... this, for 25L.

Which I'd set for 25L instead of 50 a few colours ago. And forgotten to change it.

So I'll leave it out for 25L for a bit longer, OK? Two sizes, 20 prims, and I'm thinking of doing a market stall version for considerably fewer (if, that is, I remember).

Credits:
Hair Exile, Monica (love it)
Top by PBI (sadly departed)
Necklace Zaara, Karmuka (stunning as always)
Bracelet Miel, Chum (it's a work of art)
Pants Coco ankle pants
Shoes HOC, Yay wedges (fabulous colours, but sorry about the pea green blunder)
Cabin Vent du Sud, 25L (until I remember to put it back to 50 but I have written it down)

Bench Vent du Sud, 1L, 1 prim, couples and singles anims. Amazing, of course.

New house and 3-build offer, with digression on weathervanes and pension funds

Finally got the new house out at Vent du Sud on Sunday (see it in situ below) at which point Work With Capital W intervened.

However, it is sitting beside the bigger Mas (and the greenhouse), for 50L and at the link above. Total 39 prims, windows go opaque on click and hey... WEATHER VANE. Such a cute weather vane. 

Name? La maison du sud (southern-type house). So shoot me... I wasn't feeling inspired.

I mean would you feel inspired if you had this massive chunk of pension fund regulations to translate?

Thought so.

It's a very typical Provençal house, and the box includes the windowbox, the lavender and the sunflowers. And I think it's cute. 

There. Self-congfatulation moment.

In my enthusiasm, I also decided to make a special pack of both the new house and the Mas plus the greenhouse (which also includes the 1-prim bench on the photo below).

Lots of things, then, for 75L.  Here.

Not sure how long I'll leave the offer out (that big box looks messy), but I will put it on the Marketplace. Soon. When I have got this monster of a text off to the client.

I even made a composite photo of it all and got as far as advertising it on the Subscribo until the deadline for pension funds loomed closer.

Did you know that pension fund terminology includes the magic phrase 'premature withdrawals'?

Sorry to digress (again).

But believe me, you need a chuckle when you're trudging through that.

Next up is listing it on the Marketplace, but the Mas (50L) and the Greenhouse (10L, including all the accessories) are up there if you want, including lots more photos.

Just because, however, here is a BIG PHOTO of the Maison du Sud. Taken before I finished texturing the base (hell, I always forget something, but rest assured it is now done). Check out that weather vane!!

PS: the windowbox, sunflowers and lavender also available separately at 1L. Or rather two of them. One of them is free. To find out which, go look.

I shall be continuing with 'benefits purchased' and 'termination benefits' for now but I did find MOSS GREEN for the 52 weeks challenge.



PS: I'm just hiding this here in the unlikely event anybody has scrolled this far. Remember I offered 3 free houses to anyone who commented? Well, nobody did (cue violins). Plenty of people popped over and bought one, mind which is Very Nice Indeed. But the offer still stands - you can comment on this post and I will choose 3 (if I even get three people saying why they'd like one).

Heh.


 

Rocket science, and why slow is good. Also, free new house to win

Put a little thing out at Vent du Sud last Sunday, of which one is free (and the others 1L). At the 'new' area in Vent du Sud. 

Now, much as it's easy to pop something into these, it's a fiddle to get it out unless you are very good with the camera or unlink it, so I made the glass part slide up and down when you click.

Rocket science, huh?

(To skip the rambling below and get straight to the 'free' part, scroll on). 

(And no, nothing world-shattering about a 2-prim cabinet, of course, except it goes with last week's one-prim corner cabinet, except I am still in awe of the sculpt maker).


Quick, look at the aforementioned matching corner cabinets, and we shall shortly get to the point but hey, we're not in a hurry, are we?

See, I am a slow builder. And I like it that way.

When I've made something slightly more complex than a 2-prim shelf, part of the pleasure is in the pottering. The tweaking. The walking around it and finding fault with it and changing stuff... and getting distracted without feeling guilty.



Which is why a new and very nearly-finished Provençal house still isn't out because during my SL time at the weekend - and since - I have:
- spent an hour fiddling with a texture I'd made (fun)
- stopped to gossip with a friend (nice)
- spent another hour looking on the marketplace for something (which wasn't delivered so notecard, etc. and chat to the creator)
- got distracted for a dance (also nice)
- decided to improve on  a cute extra feature on it (much trial and error and a little cursing)
- stopped to gossip with a friendly stranger who came to Vent du Sud (very nice also)
- decided it needed a different sort of floor tiles... (pending)


... at which point it was time for RL wine, cooking, and a wander around the (RL) garden. Upon which I decided that this house should probably have a few plants thrown in.

Did those yesterday, but I decided to add texture options so you can change the flowers.


And you know what?

(What, is she finally getting to the point?)

All that  'slow' is just fine.*

It's called 'enjoying SL'. 


Right. Here we go. Here is what is apprently called a teaser.

And the free? GET ON WITH IT, WOMAN!

Well, reply to this post (it's moderated, so nobody will see) and tell me why you'd like one of these houses (for yourself or a friend). The three that make me smile most... it's all yours. If there are more (hell, let's be optimistic), the others get the planter and the lavender.

You have 3 days, as I really will have it done for Sunday morning my time.

(Oh, and it's 35 or 37 prims as the jury's still out on a room divider / bench seat. With? Without? Not sure. Thoughts?)

And the plants will come with it. And it has a roughtly 20 x 20 footprint, so it's smallish, two airy rooms and a patio.

If I hadn't forgotten to link the divider bit and when tweaking it hadn't sent it into orbit somewhere up above Vent du Sud... and then got distracted with a weather vane (yes it has a weather vane)... it would be out already.

But by Sunday, it will be. So get commenting!

*It would be finer still if I didn't have to pay tier but hey, nothing's perfect.

Khaki. Go away world. Mistakes.

Khaki makes me think of safaris or hiking in deserts (or pottering around Vent du Sud in a vaguely Lara-Croftish sort of way).

I mean you don't have a khaki evening dress, do you? You'd have it in 'moon beige' or 'pale crème brûlée' or something.

(How profound, Ari).

Anyway, khaki came up when I was in one of those 'go away world' moods.

(It hasn't. It's still there).

Digging around for something suitable, I stumbled on this superb T-shirt that says 'Wise girl profits by her mistakes.

Interesting, if a little preachy. 

But it did get me thinking (but not so much that I forgot to take a photo without the sweater and belt hiding it).

However, as a fashion blog is most definitely not the place for wailing and beating breasts and existential rambling, let's cut all that short right here.

Yes, I make mistakes. Of course I do.

I sometimes admit to them.

And sometimes I don't, let alone profit from them. And I go off doing the 'go away, world' thing.

Meaning mooching around and thinking instead of building, socialising or exploring.

However, as mooching doesn't get me anywhere, I'm ready to rumble again.

Off to make more mistakes, no doubt.

No, this is not cryptic. It's just me thinking too much. I do that.

Have another photo and be warned that I shall be back to plugging Vent du Sud forthwith.

Credits;
Hair Melody, Elikatira
Earrings Ahi, Miel
T-shirt from BareRose Snow Smile outfit
Belt and sweater Coco designs
Shorts Gisaci 
Socks freebie from somewhere
Shoes Lazies in Desert, Kookie

Brick red, 1L cabinets, and the horror of heels. Brick red.

So, looks like summer's over in my bit of the world, so time to get a jacket out (and - ugh - suit and heels tomorrow as I have a job in the Big City).

But lovely brick red jacket here, no? Not quite ideal for work with all that cleavage, maybe.

And as I've been on a building spree, I even made a brick red one of these (and it's FREE, see below).

No, the one on the right is dark cherry. Hold on a bit for the free one (see below). But the flower pot? Texture change, also 1L. As are the books. Find them out at the NEW Vent du Sud 'NEW' area right here (have a cookie, Ari - getting on with new signs and LMs and stuff).

More of the jacket (I love it). And cart coming soon but I am all textured and pose-inserted and notecarded out for today.

But here's the FREE brick red corner cabinet (useful for, um, corners).  1L and 1 prim, and superb sculpt (bravo to the maker, whose work is stunning).

What, no snappy prose today? Nope. I have to read stuff and pack stuff and get on a train. And dig out  heels. So peace on the blog front for a couple of days ;)


Credits:
Hair: Argrace Modern Rail. Still my favourite short hair
Jacket: Fri.day Tourist jacket
Jeans: Mon Tissu
Belt: Maitreya
Shoes: Lazies by Kookie (they look so COMFY. Heels tomorrow RL... ew... sorry where was I?)
Earrings: VG republic (sadly no longer around but hey, also similar RL ones I like)
Cabinets (not available in yard sales): Vent du Sud