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

QUICK - the best yard sale ever

Seriously, do not miss this.

This being a Vent du Sud yard sale.But not at Vent du Sud, don't click too soon.

Except ...

... the vast majority of the items aren't from Vent du Sud, but hey, what does that matter?
(oh boy that standard lamp with the slight texturing issues...but hey, if it floats your boat)

Some of them are only marked up to about 25 or 50 times their current value (i.e. 1L for the last 10 months), not to mention being WAY more than what they were originally sold for, but what does that matter?

But run! Quick! The things are transferable so grab them before anyone else!

Here's the address: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wakeley/47/19/120


Or, should you prefer, pop over to Vent du Sud and get the same things, or newer stuff, for just 1L or free (see below)...

For example: French stove, mod / copy, flames on and off, back solid or open. Just 1L like all Vent du Sud decor

And sadly, this is not at the yard sale.

And see the little twinkly light and the message in the bottle in that first picture? Free at Vent du Sud today, and mod/copy too. Do help yourself. 

Happy shopping, everyone! I'm off to find some brick red clothes.

Get off my lawn. And special offer. And bronze.

No, you can't cut straight to the offer and yes, 99.999% of you are most welcome on my lawn.

But bear with me (go on, you know you want to) for I bring you BRONZE and a chance encounter also. 

So there I was, digging for something bronze and finding something perfect. Quick twirl for it is all floofy (credits later too).

Yep, delightfully floofy. Floofy is not a word? Should be.

But who goes there? A visitor?

Why, a chatty person who is  looking for windmills and my Middle Eastern sim.

Uh-huh. Trying to be funny, are we?

Nope, not an onion dome in sight.

Nor a host of belly dancers. Oh, that's sarcastic? Bad me.

I am nasty? Y'know, it's been that sort of week. And no, you can't rezz things here but nice try (or were you just pointing at the ground?).

Maybe it's time you left.

Right now.

Seriously, you are making me angry. And this is not a good thing.

Take yourself home or I will do it for you.

And no, I am not confessing I can't even remember where to find the eject button.**

Phew. Left of his own accord (I am terrifying, right?).

Now where was I?

Ah yes, putting this out. It is not a windmill but a (cliché? kitschy? you decide) wooden cabin.

And there is a smaller version beside it but I think there are enough photos for now, yes?

Yes.

So try to imagine this only smaller, and both with windows on opaque? You can do it.

Or you can come see. I promise not to eject you unless you mention windmills. Or belly dancers.

But should you have got this far, here goes the offer.

Until I get up on Sunday* - 25L only. 20 prims, mod / copy at Vent du Sud, right here.  
Then it goes up to a massive 50L.

Credits:
Hair: Bella, I love Olive
Dress: AlaFolie hunt gift (her dresses move beautifully and are superb quality, despite normally being way over my cheapskate budget, but those I have, I adore). 
Shoes: should I have not cut off my legs, Talyna by Enkythings at Vent du Sud, amber (perfect match).


*Europe time, and usually around 7 (I know, I know, but the cats don't recognise the concept of weekends)
** I have found the eject button. Go me.

People in glass houses. Surprisingly non-ranty post. Freebie.

Greenhouse, 3 prims, 1L, plus lots of accessories at 1L

I had fun making this (sure I bought the sculpt but I had fun texturing it and doing the doodads that go with it! And hey, 3 prims! Bench 1 prim! Potting benches and stool 1 prim! I think the WHOLE LOT = 17.

(See, I want a RL greenhouse. Mr RL rolls his eyes and reminds me of my working hours and the amount of stuff to do already in the garden).

Rather boringly, by the way, it is called the Vent du Sud greenhouse (I did consider calling it "Tilting at greenhouses" but that could have been a little obscure, but thanks, Ossian). Here is a direct TP to it.

Click on the plants to change what's in them (1L each). And lo! A riddle!

And lo! A bench! With a nice conversation pose and singles poses (up to 3 people may dally here and discuss the difference between pumpkins and squash, lighthouses and windmills, etc. etc.)

Bench, 1L, couples and singles poses (seats up to 3)

And lo! A watering can and trowel and some basil (or rosemary or parsley should you wish to click).

Watering can, trowel, pot with herbs (different ones), 1L

And lo! Whole little corner of gardening happiness. 

Pardon me while I speak to Mr RL about some potting benches, would you?

The whole bench, 1L, 1 prim. With sits on the stool! (Plants etc. not included)

Oh, and lo! pssst... I made this little sign (YAY GRAPHICS SKILLZZZZ) that says (in French, how chic) "my very  own garden". Yours for free by the greenhouse until I remember to put it back to 1L.

A little helpful advice, Monday laugh, and how to identify a windmill

For the delightful person who decided to trash me and Vent du Sud because I dared to call you out on some spluttering* (and who considers herself to be some sort of journalist / Voice of Reason)

First, thank you. For the publicity (that is, supposing anybody reads your blog to select decor and builds).

Second, trashing me is fine. Trashing Vent du Sud is fine. Free speech is fine. But, um... getting facts right sort of helps if you want to be taken seriously.

First, this is not a windmill. Hint: large beam of light, lack of sails. But never mind.

This is not a French farmhouse (whether you hate the roof textures and the angles is your business, I agree but really, these things do have names...

THIS is a French farmhouse). Not that I would know about that as I only live in rural France.

And while we're at it, the particle effects are not made by me so try checking 'creator'?

This, below is not (even faux-) Middle Eastern style and nor is anything else on the sim (but hey, you probably don't know the difference). Hint - they have flat roofs there, not tiles, and stuff like domes and keyhole arches and, y'know, oriental stuff? I did, however, make a Moroccan lamp in 2007. It was crap.

(And as an aside I don't do Fifty Linden Fridays because my houses are 50L all the time). Fail again.

If this is poorly textured, you may want to think about a new graphics card? Also it is not new, but I think about a year old. Full marks for observation. It is 6L for the set (pluggity plug) here.

And last but not least, if you have spent "thousands" at my place, not under your main avatar you haven't. And that is one hell of a lot of 1L items. Or even if it was over a year ago when things were (a little) more expensive, furnishing your office with stuff from Vent du Sud can't have cost you more than a couple of hundred.

Except I don't do office furniture. But hey... maybe you were into 'faux Middle East', or thought you were.

I make nothing new, you say, but you don't read my blog (because the feed you read it on no longer exists, fair enough). Uh-huh. Your journalistic research clearly didn't stretch that far or you would have seen the releases. And I don't think you are on the groups I advertise on, either, but there I could be wrong and admit freely I am not going to go and look.

But once again, thank you. You are a superb advertisement for lousy journalistic accuracy.

And you made me laugh on a Monday! 

So, unless you, dear reader, want Middle Eastern or windmills, please do drop into Vent du Sud. Which, by the way, means 'Wind from the South'. The South of France (again, the language might just be a hint). 


*No, I am not advertising your blog. And there will be no Second Thoughts about that ;)

Liars, soapboxes, spluttery tantrums and a very special freebie

Yesterday, a rather infamous person on SL decided to state on a certain forum that I hadn't put anything new out at Vent du Sud for "months and months".

Eh?

So I decided the only way to handle that was a little humour.

So I got building (as I often do, as this blog rather tends to prove).

And I made something that involves spluttering, scowling, foot stamping and general arm waving.

I give you the Tantrum Soapbox, named after the source of inspiration. And free.

... And I do wish I knew how to film in SL because it deserves it.  Not easy to capture on photos, but I tried.

LOTS of foot stamping and scowling and thrashing around. And much hilarity as we tried it out.

So do come and try it for yourself and pick up your (did I say FREE) one right on the Vent du Sud square, by the subscribo (3 prims, mod/copy). You can, of course, donate if you like *cough* but only if you find it suitably cathartic.

(For info, the delightful person involved is (gasp) even going to remove my furniture from her office because I laughed at her (how devastating), so perhaps she could replace it with this? Would probably be more useful). 

See that scowl? Heh.

Should I send her a copy?

(Note: the anims are full perm and from an extremely valuable and legal source that is, I believe, no longer around on the Marketplace but... fantastic. Read more here)

Twice in one day: marketplace packs for 6L

I know, I know. Two posts in a day (rare, very rare), but as I got ahead with a job (also rare), indulge me?

The idea this time is to get you, dear reader, to check out my stuff on the marketplace as I've been busy putting decor into 6L packs, like this one above, the Smoothie living room). Yes, all of it for 6L.

Lots of poses and texture changes (only some shown here), which you can of course test at the Vent du Sud mainstore and buy separately for the usual price of 1L. 

Smoothie patio set too, the whole set for 6L, also on the marketplace or at Vent du Sud separately. Also colour change, poses, etc.

And see the top photo? I discovered a little graphics programme called Photoscape which lets you do composite photos really easily (link included as I'm the helpful sort). Yes, yes, I am sure you can do it on Photoshop too but hey, I understand it on Photoscape.

I also have a TON of new stuff up on my platform waiting to be finished, put out, and photographed but I also need to make a living... but it will happen as soon as I can take a break from grappling with another 10,000 words to line up.

Firebrick, (colour challenge) and making my daughter cry

The first time my daughter came home from kindergarten and saw me in a work suit with  heels and makeup, she cried. 

Seriously.

I was "not her mummy". Mummy wore jeans and occasionally went out in the evening looking slightly more respectable but... not in the daytime. Oh no.


The first time our neighbour here in France saw me as I got back from a job in the big city and not wearing my usual attire, he didn't say anything.

But the expression on his face did (think rural around here: dressing up is clean jeans).

Uh-huh. Basically, I am the scruffy casual type. I work at home. But I do like getting out the heels and warpaint at times too.



Yes, it's a "disguise" of sorts. It gives me a little confidence.

It helps me fit in with the environment I sometimes work in, which can be rather formal.

(Mostly, I should add, that means men in suits. Who would probably be far happier in jeans).


 
So, I decided to dig out some sort of classy businesslike outfit in SL to see how it felt.

 
Dammit, I even found a HANDBAG (which would be a purse to you people across the Pond). Look!

 
And then went out to check a couple of things at Vent du Sud, such as *cough* the Very Useful List of Landmarks you can get from the square and visit the builds.

And why this is a plug, yes.

But being all smart did actually made me feel efficient.

Did some marketplace listings*, uploaded a couple of textures while I was at it (all while still wearing the handbag, of course). Even put a few poses into some new stuff.


Met a friend, too.

"Gosh," he said; "VERY smart today".


Was he looking at the neckline, which might possibly be a bit more daring than I'd go for with my men-in-suits?

Whatever it was, I felt good. Which is never a bad thing, right? 

I may even do it again.

Then I decided it was time for bed, but one last look at the sea (OK, OK, excuse for "LOOK AT ME shot" but at least it's not another Vent du Sud plug about 1L decor).  Would I do that?

 
* Post coming up about more sets of stuff (as in 6-piece sets for a massive 6L) on the marketplace.

Credits:
Top by GryphonWings (do they still exist? Nice, nice top)
Pleated skirt Baiastice (the best, flowiest, smartest black skirt I found in over 4 years. Walks beautifully)
Hair Fri.day (Summer)
Earrings Earthstones (sadly closed)
Bag Orta (group gift, and I think the ONLY one I have except for newbie inventory ones)
Shoes Talyna by Enkythings at Vent du Sud and perfect, gorgeous, brick red *hint*

Goodness gracious me! (and a freebie)

Well, between Plurk and the blawg, LOTS of name ideas for which HUGE thanks to all (and apart from Wikiwoo, whose SL name I need), houses have been dropped into inventories in return.

I may not do this for everybody if I get 150 suggestions for future names... but I am so pleased people responded.

Here is, then the WOODLAND RETREAT, which is a combination of 2 suggestions (but you can also use it on a beach, of course). 

Price? 50L and in fact 51 prims not 50 as I said yesterday (my bad).

I've also put a couple of Vent du Sud bushes out for sale at 1L beside it and one... for free. Except I forgot to take photos of them (my bad again).

Look for the "Graceful bushes" (with a sim called Graces, this name suggested itself)

And one last shot, of the "privacy" mode, before I take myself off to dig in my inventory for something brick red for the 52 weeks of colour challenge. Or do the ironing.

Interesting choice there...

Thanks again people. Any offers to do my ironing, btw?

No? Thought not. So go do your own, or - much more fun -  drop into Vent du Sud and pick up some great 1L decor (all of it, remember?).

I need a name please!

So finally, a new Vent du Sud house. It's out on the sim here, but not quite on sale yet. Read on!

Yep, it's the one that got demolished in a tantrum and was subject to various other ups and downs but I think it's now done and will be on sale by tomorrow (that's a good excuse for another post, eh?).

Kudos also to a friend who left SL but who designed the magnificent roof before I snatched it out of his hands adopted it (with his permission) and leaped on it with my hoard of textures. 

Style? It's sort of colonial - chalet - cabin - lodge - modern. Which means it would fit on a beach or up a mountain. Or even as a skybox: it has a nice big base you can sink into the ground or use in the sky.

Features: 50 prims, windows turn opaque on touch, sliding wall to divide the lower part, room up top, deck out front and at the back. (oh dear this isn't very good house-sell speak, is it?).

And it will be the usual Vent du Sud price of 50L.

It does, however, have fabulous textures and the size is a great compromise between huuuuuge mansion and tiny cottage (meaning medium-sized, for the uninitiated).  And both modern and more classical furnishings work with it.

What it does NOT have is a name.

Send me an idea within the next couple of hours,  and if it's more snappy than 'modern wood house', you will be thanked profusely (and probably get a free one and other goodies, although nobody EVER takes me up on offers of free builds *wail rant whine*).

Maybe I should just stick to lingerie posts?