**Ari K

Dear Linden Labs - a letter from a nobody

2012-02-01T08:06:00.000+01:00

Dear Linden Labs,

First, I'm no geek but for the last 30 years (you know, since we had floppies and parked our hard disks and I was incredibly avant garde for installing and using a 2400 baud modem) I've been handling my own PC issues and rarely needed outside help.

I have been earning a living on my PC plus my Internet connection for 25 years. I buy fairly good machines, too.

Second, I love SL and have done since 2007. I don't come anywhere near to meeting my tier, but I enjoy designing and building and chatting to friends, and try to pay it forward a bit by selling my stuff for 1L.

Putting money in monthly is OK because a) I can (within reason) and b) it's my hobby.

So when everything changed overnight and I couldn't stay inworld without crashing, it was something of an unpleasant surprise (understatement) and I did everything I could to find out why.

For three weeks now.

But that's all beside the point. Call it background. Let's get back to facts.

So, SL stopped working properly for me (as in it crashes sporadically but regularly, and kicks me off the Net), and after I changed nothing on my machine or settings.

Since then I have checked stuff, double checked stuff, and read up about stuff until I have frankly run out of ideas.

Your Live Help? Pleasant enough but despite asking politely to be spared the blurb about dealing with lag and clearing cache and uninstalling (done all that twice, thanks), I got... the blurb about doing just that. And was told to file a ticket.

I did. With basic information on my system (model and graphics card). It may not be a gaming monster but it's 2 months old and a pretty fast machine that had absolutely no problems with SL (on the recommended 'high' settings) until January 15.

None.

I've now tried setting it on 'medium' and nothing changes.

Oh, and I've been checking my connection speeds and fluctuations, temperatures, and event logs. They all tell me everything is dandy. Your lag meter shows green everywhere. My fps is magnificent (up to 48, when I'm connected).

My network card says it's very happy thank you. I flushed my DNS cache also, just in case it was that. It wasn't.

This happens on whatever viewer I try (the official one being by far the crashiest of all, just so you know). It all started when I was on one particular sim (which I named), and if I try to go there I crash immediately which could indicate lag but other busy, primmy, scripty sims are fine. Sometimes. But I also crash on empty sims.

Mystery.

But... that comment today on my ticket about whether my machine met minimum requirements is pretty damned stupid. I did send the FULL configuration this morning, in return, to save you Googling for the specs (which quite honestly would have taken you less time than writing that comment on my ticket in the first place).

I did say I had no problems (yet?) on my own connection and using another (fancy schmancy gaming) computer, thus indicating the connection is fine... but that does not make my normal machine some sort of wheezing, elderly, below-spec one.

No, my idea was to suggest it could be a problem with SL and my system DESPITE the fact it is well over the minimum needed, and hoping you had some ideas about that.

And if it affects me, it could well affect others too (and for days if not weeks, I have been hearing about people constantly crashing so I suspect there is some sort of a conflict going on with one bit of equipment and your code - and stupidly thought you might want to investigate that).

But no, you just trot out 'check minimum requirements'. Bah.

This does not make for what you would call a "Good User Experience". In fact it makes for a pretty crappy SL experience, including with your 'customer assistance'.

I've spent 5 years standing up for SL, despite its - um - quirks and shortcomings. I've found far more good than bad.

But... I'm sick of this. Really, really sick of it.

I'm not even sure whether it's worth trying to continue (and no this is not emotional bribery for you to magically fix it because you couldn't bear to lose me - it's just a fact).

How long will I keep trying? Not sure, but not very much longer.

Please, LL, I WANT MY TOYS BACK

2012-01-31T16:06:00.000+01:00

I was so much hoping to have a jubilant I AM BACK post, complete with photos of a brand new build and some fashion shots.

(You can imagine them if you like).

But, you lucky readers you, here is another whiny rant.

I have no idea why (and once again I have changed NOTHING), I appeared to have stopped crashing on Sunday, having sent in a detailed ticket on Saturday.

Optimism reigned. I even changed clothes. I considered cancelling the ticket but thought OK, let's wait and see.

I went up to my building platform and started just pootling around with a build and was SO SO HAPPY.

Then came yesterday.

Logon took forever. Then one of those 'moved into nearby region' messages where people were showing up one after the other.

I was halfway through typing 'is anyone else having login issues' when I crashed.

Checked grid status - nothing.

Logged in crashed logged in crashed logged in crashed (while checking to see if there was a response to my ticket... of course not).

Saw an SL friend on MSN and said 'is Graces down?' Mind, this seemed unlikely because in the brief moments I was logged in, I got a purchase message from Vent du Sud.

Nope. He logged in to his home location, and crashed. Then got to Graces, and crashed.

He is not in the same country but nothing was working for him on his very smart, very fast machine either.

Meanwhile I logged in, found myself in a sort of underwater environment, attempted to TP and... crashed.

And all this while watching connection speeds (fine), frame rates (fine) and fan / heat levels (fine). And after Yet Another Clear Cache.

So I went and cooked a meal and drank perhaps one too many glasses of wine.

Later on in the evening I managed to log in normally. Nothing on the grid status about earlier, but hey, it worked and the fact that all hell seemed to be let loose in the UK and France was not worthy of a message.

I walked around. Went up to my building platform and... all was fine.

But, dammit... I am just so behind that every time I do log and disappear and reappear, I get friends checking up on how it's going (badly), the odd client wondering if I'm still in business (believe me, I'm trying), and a group owner grumbling because I'd forgotten to put the inviter up (justifiably: it's now up).

And then... I was so weary of the whole thing I simply... crashed out. In front of the television. Grouchy and miserable and wondering what else to try, or wondering if by some mystery it will clear up, after well over two weeks now.

I am at the point where I am just so sick and tired of all this I feel like screaming. I have studied every possible reason for the crashes / net failures on SL, meaning hours and hours and hours of reading stuff, trying stuff, and... nothing works.

The worst thing is that I am even finding myself reluctant to log on simply because of the sheer and utter frustration of crashing, Net going down, rinse and repeat.

Bah. I really want my toys back, LL.

With murder in mind, and hey, MUSIC

2012-01-25T09:43:00.000+01:00

You know, having fixed my blue screen issue I was lulled into a false sense of 'if I really keep plugging away and reading IT forums and trying stuff, I will find the cause' this time around.

Also, it is a 90-minute round trip to take a sick PC into the store, let alone the calls to see if it has been fixed (via a call centre from hell), followed by another trip to pick it up.

And if the problem is with my Internet connection, then it won't help much.

(I really need a photo here, so let's dig out an old one of me in the days I could actually walk around in SL).

Old hunt gift from ALaFolie, Ari in a snit

This time, I have been reading up masses of stuff on connectivity (including concerning the ADSL box I use). This, at least, has the advantage of being able to grasp the fixes more rapidly as the instructions are for Windows in French (which I have). Other discussions of the issue, in English, require me to go to the control panel and find the equivalent in French, which - even if you are virtually bilingual - is not always obvious.

But then, at some point yesterday, I had another idea (this after more fun stuff like uninstalling stuff, clearing caches, more flushing (see last post), yet more registry cleans and yet more perusing of event logs and tech forums).

Mr RL, see, subscribes to various music download sites (he assures me they are not the 'dodgy' ones and I am not delving further into this). And although this has never happened before, considering we have a fast connection and lots of bandwidth, I think he has been sucking up all the resources lately because he has been finding 'better' as in 'massive' versions of a lot of stuff I like. Such as this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgv6dKV03dA

(note: at least call this an eclectic blog now because you also get MUSIC, and everybody should hear Fleet Foxes and in his defence, m'lud, he was trying to please me and who bought him a big new external HD for music recently anyway? Moi.).

Really, Fleet Foxes are gorgeous. But they don't replace being able to log on for more than two minutes.

Now, if I was to plead 'my SL building is more important than you downloading music', this would not go well. Much as strangling him seemed like an option (yesterday, he didn't download anything and yesterday, I could actually walk around in SL again), who would do the cats' litter boxes?

I jest. Well, mostly.

Since the connection has been dropping on work-related Googling also, however, I have at least asked him, politely, to tell me when he is downloading some gigantic file to see if we can - ahem - co-ordinate better.

Have another photo (this suddenly seems to be popular, so go buy it for 9L with all the stuff inside / outside) and the greenhouse itself only 3 prims, bench 1. Or it's on the markeplace also

Who knows, I might actually get back now. And make stuff.

I've been missing building and friends and Vent du Sud so damned much.

Roll on spring, when his gardening and less bandwidth-sucking leisure activities should take the upper hand.

As long, of course, as it *is* a bandwidth issue. If it isn't, I think I shall just quietly go insane.

OK, more insane.

Did you flush? Tales of a not-geek

2012-01-21T13:58:00.000+01:00

Yes, I did.

I am sitting here with half an eye on those little bars that show the internet connection. The ones that have been intermittently coming up with the yellow exclamation mark on and off all week, whatever I've been doing but particularly so with SL.

At the moment, it looks good.

Because I flushed my DNA cache, having read eleventy million articles on what might be wrong and finally came up with that as the last in a long line of attempts to fix it.

Ah, IT-speak. Dontcha love it?

I am praying it has worked, after perusing event logs, cleaning the registry, cleaning the fans, kicking the laundry basket (I had to kick something), forcing myself not to strangle Mr RL when he said the inevitable "well my machine is fine, so it has to be SL"...

... and generally, y'know, getting weepy and sleepless because I had to WORK with all this going on (sociology, medicated animal feeds and a contract, if you are remotely interested). All of which required much Googling (connecting... connecting... yellow sign, swear and curse, ah it's back, no it's gone again, rinse and repeat).

At this moment, I am too tired and too scared even to try and log into SL.

What a coward.

But I'm all flushed now.

No little yellow 'limited access' signs for half an hour. I feel almost giddy.

IMAGINE A PHOTO HERE PLEASE

because by the time I found the 'snapshot' button on the new viewer I installed as one potential solution (and crashed, and restarted, and waited for the little yellow sign to go away) my eyelids gave up on me until 7 this morning when I resumed my IT adventures.

So if flushing was the solution, I may actually get to build something in 2012.

Fingers crossed?

(With apologies to anyone who was hoping for a post about building, decor, or SL fashion).

Blue, blue...

2012-01-18T17:20:00.000+01:00

I don't know whether to direct my rage and frustration at French telecom, my SL viewer, my husband or the PC.

Well, I don't think it's my PC that is making my Net connection blink out every time I log on to SL. Nor do I think my husband is taking up our entire bandwidth playing Angry Birds.

Viewer? OK I need to upload another one to try but it's the one I've been using for ages without a hitch.

However, I suspect it is something to do with the little box with blinky lights that provides our ADSL, called a "Livebox". Which tends to play Deadbox in high wind, thunderstorms, hot weather, cold weather, or really any time at all. This is France, after all.

Am I boring you?

You can say, really. I don't mind (and I can, after all, monitor comments although with the exception of one in Russian, one that was rude and one that was down and out vulgar, I don't usually).

So anyway. The idea, you see, was to catch up on 52 weeks of colour (version the first) that I hadn't done. Including the first two (blue, and grey).

OK gray if you're across the pond.

So in the approximately three minutes of non-crashing time last night I dragged out a blue bikini and had great ideas of arty, whimsical photos taken on my sim with water and dusk and shades of blue... plus some blue Vent du Sud stuff because a girl needs to plug, particularly when a girl is up to her eyes in translating sociology as written by some guy who has, I think, the most tortuous way of phrasing I've ever seen.

I got as far as two. Neither of which are up to much because the composition of the one above is all off-kilter somehow (head and rock rather on top of each other), and in the other one I look frankly gormless.

You may need to be a Brit to understand the word gormless. Look it up, if not.

I'm tetchy. Does it show?

Now, I would have sung the praises of AND given the references for this bikini if I had been inworld long enough, but I'm not and you can't see much of it anyway. It is a nice one. I suspect it is my only one, in fact (I need shopping time and building time rather badly).

So with that (and yes I know this is a post about very little but whining), I am off to attack sociology again.

However, if you really want to be bored, get this...
"Sociology is both pluralised and integrative within the framework of this research. It is a question of understanding the relations between work, social culture, economic and institutional context, as well as the evolution of sciences and techniques. In this perspective, sociologies of labour, professions, sciences, organisations and institutions can be mobilised."

(I have 12 pages of this, in font 7. Deadline? "Well, sort of yesterday").

New year, things off chests, and a request.

2012-01-04T13:00:00.003+01:00

OK I got around to actually starting 2012 (mentally at least) a little late because of an RL work emergency or three... but started it I have. Finally.

And that includes SL, where I am about to take up my virtual trowel and hard hat again. Also, I am giving something away... read on (cackles to self about marketing ploys).

Chests? Well, I threw a hissy fit over SL recently and need to get something off mine, so here goes.

Now, I am usually good about checking Marketplace deliveries, and always good at checking SL notecards and IMs (which I receive by mail if I'm offline). In fact I check SL mail every single day including when in odd parts of the planet, because I believe very much in customer service.

I am not good at checking reviews on the Marketplace as I rarely get them. I also, naively, presume that if somebody didn't receive something or have something they want fixed, they would get in touch with me rather than send crap reviews.

However, I got two lately.

One was my own fault as I forgot to make some parts of a set modifiable (as in I slid the wrong version into the box). And got an outraged review about wasting money (6L) because she couldn't put extra anims in it, so it had to be trashed.

Uh-huh.

Did she contact me, though?

Nope. I just went through my mail and notecards again.

One-star review.

OK. I would gladly have sent her a new set AND removed the landmark giver out of the box holding the set that she disliked (I thought I took it out of everything), but nope. Negative review. Nice.

The second, however, was the typical OUTRAGE ONE STAR BECAUSE NOT DELIVERED review (of the woodland retreat, shown above).

Did this person send a notecard or IM me, either?

Nope.

Did this person PAY for it? (50L).

Nope (confirmed on the order: "not paid").

But, of course, it warranted a one-star review. Because the delightful person decided it was my fault. I re-sent it with apologies, meaning she (he?) got it for free.

No comment but apparently the person is, I quote "not often around". Uh-huh.

And this... this sort of thing is why I am trying not to get disgusted with SL and why, I confess, I have been around less.

The bitchy, judgemental, unpleasant pettiness.

However, it is a new year. And I still love building, negative reviews and all. And Vent du Sud... is part of me.

Sooooooooooo... if anyone wants a Woodland Retreat then please yell and I will send you one for free. In fact, if anyone wants to review ANYTHING of mine on the Marketplace I will send it for free because money is not what drives me.

It doesn't have to be glowing, just honest), but it would be really, really welcome.

(Lots of pics of the Woodland Retreat) on the Marketplace page, but basically 51 prims and ... well... one star HURTS).

And with that, I am going to take a deep breath and try and get to grips with SL.

EDIT: I sent the person the Retreat AND another house and got this...

"first and foremost..it is up to you to know when your deliveries take place...ppl always inevitably "place blame" somewhere else and "apologize" afterward..(read your note)..I really don't care who is at fault anddon't care that you aplogize..(the timing is all wrong)..i have better things to do than try and locate information on how to contact YOU..btw..i bought another house because the holidays were upon us (me and my fiance)..and we needed a location to celebrate with fam and friends....WO!..so your apologize could have been saved along with the little nasty tinge of attitude..the review (it seems to me) was on spot!"

How hard IS it to look up my profile and see that problems can be raised either by IM or notecard? Too hard, obviously.

Before I take a week off...

2011-12-20T17:13:00.000+01:00

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)

2011-12-18T20:14:00.000+01:00

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

2011-11-30T09:27:00.000+01:00

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?

2011-11-18T16:32:00.000+01:00

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

2011-10-25T20:19:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-19T14:04:00.000+02:00

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.

2011-10-15T07:56:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-11T08:54:00.000+02:00

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.

2011-10-07T08:46:00.000+02:00

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

2011-10-04T11:49:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-29T07:50:00.000+02:00

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.

2011-09-25T08:17:00.000+02:00

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.

2011-09-18T17:51:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-18T09:47:00.000+02:00

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.

2011-09-16T20:26:00.000+02:00

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.

2011-09-14T12:20:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-12T14:17:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-09T15:18:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-08T11:02:00.000+02:00

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

2011-09-08T07:59:00.000+02:00

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)

2011-09-03T11:56:00.002+02:00

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!

2011-09-02T11:48:00.000+02:00

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?

Getting brain into gear, and lingerie distractions

2011-08-31T18:55:00.000+02:00

Look what I found in my inventory! Ah, smart, chic and just the right colour for "liver".

Except I also found this, which...

...seemed a bit more fun.

More fun than fixing texture offsets which I screwed up on an unsaved version of a build (way to go, Ari - how long have you been building now?).

But hey... not life threatening (just tedious to fix). So I played a little longer.

I did, however, fix all the textures. Well... I think I did. Will check again.

Sneak peek of the build in question, hm? Dammit I have to get a plug for Vent du Sud in here somewhere (and it's NEW and on sale soon). I just need to go make signs, notecards, and find a catchy name for it.

And to close, another of these.

Credits:
Reasonable desires Lianna lingerie
Zaara top and skirt
Klavdiya hair, Damselfly (so gloriously MESSY, I love it)
Miel ring
Enkythings Talyna stilettos (get them from Vent du Sud)
House at Vent du Sud if I ever get my brain into gear.

All about Insight (in which Ari fangirls her favourite source of textures)

2011-08-29T12:32:00.000+02:00

My name is Ariadne Korda and I'm a texture addict.

So today, I'm going to ramble on about textures (and my favourite place for them). Read on!

Glass textures (and forthcoming new line from Vent du Sud) (yes bad photo, sorry)

Texturing is the bit of building I like best of all, to the point I have to force myself not to start tweaking offsets or even applying them until a build is (well, nearly) finished.

Striped textures, with shading (Vent du Sud curved settee, texture change, 1L)

My inventory is bursting with them. I picked up so many cheap or free ones in the early days, only to start worrying, later, whether they were obtained legally... so those ended up in trash and I started looking at merchants who clearly stated they made their own.

And I found one. Insight Designs.

And I was hooked. This is somewhere that really understands what builders need. Packs with great options, sharp, varied, and most of all different.

And boy, I hammer those textures to death because they are just so versatile. Wood, plexiglass, cement, stucco, and gorgeous fabrics. So something for fashion designers too (I keep sending my designer friends there and the response is usually "WOW").

Vent du Sud beach cabin, 50L with superb wood panelling textures

My first direct contact with Amisha March and Insight Designs was when a set I wanted had been, y'know, inexplicably detained by the Marketplace. She sent them right away, we had a great chat, and I went away and drooled over stucco... as you do.

If you are me. I drool over concrete and wood and fabrics too, I admit it.

Then she turned up on Plurk (or rather I turned up on Plurk and cheered happily over her new releases). And Lubo too, her parner in crime was there too!

To my utter amazement, she has sent me a couple of new packs as a gift (to some embarrassment because I had been whining about being ~~broke~~ somewhat down on funds, which is an ongoing theme that my poor Plurk people have to suffer).

Vent du Sud Tree Haven, 50L, and LOOK AT THAT WOOD!

So, with apologies for taking my time to get around to it, here's a public thanks and a huge pat on the back to INSIGHT DESIGNS for making this texture-addicted builder extremely happy.

(And it is so NOT a subtle hint for more freebies because I have two enormous sets I still have to play extensively with yet.)

Baskets from Vent du Sud, 1L each, again fabulous textures (ooops the deck texture didn't rez but it's not from Insight!)

Advice to all builders and fashion creators, though... go check them out. You won't be disappointed.

Oh, and a PS: go look at her blog too, including free texture grabs regularly. Marketplace? Find her here.

Tales of the easily distracted - Chartreuse

2011-08-27T08:42:00.000+02:00

The idea was great. Woman in black tuxedo with chartreuse band on a top hat, perched on a stool and sipping a glass of the green stuff.

Then the Marketplace struck (and RL struck but it often does).

And I am in a building phase in SL as witnessed by the junkyard that is my work platform above Vent du Sud and needed a few supplies. As you do. So tuxedos gave way to searching for textures and sculpts, as they do (if you are me).

(One very bad photo or I could claim dark and cryptic sneak peek?)

Yes, I will be tweaking things and finishing them off any time soon but it would help if the Marketplace had deigned to, you know, actually DELIVER the five things I ordered (and which it cheerfully stated as "delivered").

So, more distractions occurred.

Notecards to creators (so far, one - one item received but OK, everybody is allowed a vacation but dammit I spent hours looking for exactly the window textures I wanted).

And while perusing tuxedos and top hats, more builder-type ideas emerged so I ended up back in my inventory digging up some fabulous textures... (but no appropriate window textures).

But back to Chartreuse. A quick search of "green" yielded this great dress (see credits), which was perfect.

So, photo time but that reminded me of a texture I needed to fiddle with on Photoshop (well OK Pixlr, because I got distracted when I was going to reload Photoshop onto this PC. Many times).

And when I got into Pixlr (very useful thing, that), I got distracted by this...

(Guess who found the vignetting button, but hey - Vent du Sud is pretty and ... OK. Back to Chartreuse)

There we go. Cropped out the clunky elbow as I haven't quite mastered certain other buttons yet. But I am getting there. Slowly. Ever tried mastering software in one language and tutorials in another? It does add a certain masochistic element to it all.

So now, back to finishing off a dozen builds... unless of course I get distracted by some terraforming I want to do at Vent du Sud.

Note to self: first, dig lake, finish and put out new house (and the rest), play more with shadow-enabled viewer, reinstall Photoshop and look at buttons and attempt to make own windows, send reminders re. missing marketplace items. Oh, and remodel the store, and do new colour ranges for some sets. And Marketplace listings.

Oh, and liver. Hm.

Credits:
Loretta gown, Jada Humby (I think free gift but nicely made... must go back)
Green II hair, Maitreya (go-to hairstyle, but also popped up in the 'green' rummage of inventory)
Enkythings Talyna stilettos (Enkythings at Vent du Sud)
Messy building site and pretty olive tree, also courtesy of Vent du Sud (plug where decor is 1L plug and builds 50L plug).

A little thing (and trying not to rant)

2011-08-21T19:25:00.000+02:00

I think I had one of my worst ever days in nearly 5 years of SL yesterday.

We won't go into it, but so much for trying to Do The Right Thing.

Tried some building today (at 38°, too hot to be outside) but that didn't improve matters much either, as SL refused to co-operate and I was too bad-tempered to achieve anything.

But, um... here's a little newness.

It's a a wall decoration. I called it an Heirloom, because... well... it looks like one.

However, it is a wall decoration that even lights up and is intended to be classy.

I had ideas of doing more in the same vein, thanks to a hugely generous content creator who makes the wonderful sculpted pieces. We'll see.

Right now, I feel more like wiping Vent du Sud off the face of SL.

But I won't. I just need to get over stuff a bit.

Should you wish to obtain one of these things, do hop on over to Vent du Sud. It's on the wall in the mainstore.

1L, 6 prims, mod/copy. I would have made it free but if I log in now, I may strangle somebody.

If you want one and can't spare a Linden, just yell (well, IM).

Maybe another glass of wine would help.

Or two.

With a little help from a friend - Jazzberry

2011-08-20T16:55:00.000+02:00

Seriously, I was starting to despair over jazzberry.

And then the lovely Eclectic Wingtips of Electic Apparel stepped in.

We were gossiping yesterday and I thought I'd pop over and see what she had (having explained I needed something in 'sort of deep fuchsia'), but this landed in my inventory before I'd even got there.

And it's PERFECT. It's also a superbly made minidress that has two sizes for the skirt piece, making adjusting a cinch.

Seriously, quality shows. I have a couple of her other dresses and really need to go there more often (her prices are great, her stuff is beautifully made, and she's lots of fun - what's not to love?).

So I'm a happy little builder right now (I admit it - I've been too busy building, ripping stuff apart and starting again, and then building some more, so shopping hasn't been a priority).

I did, however, buy new lashes which I just HAVE to show off.

Humour me. I am lash-challenged but fitting these was a cinch thanks to the interface that comes with them.

:
Credits:
Skin: Lelutka IFE (group gift) and MOCK raspberry cordial lipstick
Hair: I love Olive, Cora
Lashes: FTL
Necklace: Zaara, Parnini
Shoes: Enkythings Talyna (find them at Vent du Sud)
Dress: Eclectic Apparel Eartha in fuchsia
Location: Vent du Sud (dammit have to get a plug in here somewhere)

Once again, thank you Ec!

I don't like square boxes - builds for store, café, club or gallery

2011-08-17T07:19:00.000+02:00

Vent du Sud Gallery store, 35 prims, mod/ copy, 50L

When I first set up Vent du Sud I knew I wanted airy stores, simple but Mediterranean style, in pale stucco with stone arches and bays.

I wanted them to show off what was inside without being too fussy, and most of all I didn't want SQUARE BOXES. And I wanted fabulous textures.

Oh, and I wanted them to be low-prim.

A couple (yes, yes, more than one!) person asked if they could buy them, so here they are, available at Vent du Sud (find the "buy the build" signs on them) or at the Marketplace.

The gallery (because it's great as a gallery or a store or a café or even a club) even comes with some free fittings thrown in - seating, shelves and 2 different tables, and this being Vent du Sud, the usual 50L.

The MAINSTORE is similar and 38 prims, and like the gallery it's mod / copy (meaning you can add or move extra walls for more display space).

The mainstore, but also good for a café, club or gallery: 38 prims

Again, fabulously roomy but not clunky and oversized. And not square.

Footprint for both 40 x 20 m.

Easy to nagivate, but lots of character despite their simplicity.

Last look at some of the details and textures (here on the gallery).

And last: life is temporarily quieter so I'm (gasp) getting things done, so ALL the Vent du Sud builds are now up on the marketplace, together with some decor sets at a tiny 6L (more to come). Check them out here!

(now go and do Jazzberry for the 52 weeks of colour, Ari, even if it means buying something).

Frustration, thy name is SL (and new mini tree house and GIVEAWAYS)

2011-08-10T10:30:00.000+02:00

Ah gotta love the place no?

So I made a small version of the Tree Haven (which, says she proudly, is my best seller). So far, so good.

Plonked it down here, at Vent du Sud, and then had the great idea of putting it on the Marketplace (hey, I can be organised. Sometimes).

So here it is. 33 prims, retractable ladders, big french windows. Cute. 50L.

But oh the adventures.

- two crashes taking photos
- textures refused to rezz on the third try
- fourth try lucky. Onwards, to the Marketplace!
- Marketplace is down
- Marketplace is up but photos won't load
- Have more coffee
- Photos load. Even put up some more stuff
- Attempt to log into SL to put out TP back to the square from the new cabin
- Crash. So if you want to TP back pls fly thx. It's not far. Thank you.

*sigh*

And here, with thanks to the lovely Sawa, a pic of the cabin at her place

Ah yes, the giveaways. The first two people to send me an IM inworld (Ariadne Korda) get the small tree haven for free. The three people after that get a Geo set of their choice (here it is in mustard, but black and white also available on the Marketplace) or, of course, see them at Vent du Sud.

Tell me your choice of colour in case (hah!) the tree havens are gone.

(Set includes the couch (singles and couples poses, colour change cushions), armchair, cushions (with LOTS of poses, singles/couples/friends), rug, coffee table, glassware. 27 prims in all, and a massive 6L on the marketplace).

Next: Jazzberry for the 52 weeks challenge. I have nothing that colour in my inventory, so please, SL and Marketplace, I would be grateful if you could just co-operate a little this lunchtime.

Time out, with digression on new skin, nicotine, and apricot

2011-08-09T07:59:00.000+02:00

Deep philosophical thoughts, lately - probably because work is slightly less insane.

You know - things like "what am I doing here" or "is it time to make big changes" rather than "I have to meet this deadline, we're low on wine, the ironing mountain is getting out of hand and the cats need their annual shots".

Thing is, it never seems like a good time to make changes. Well that, or I'm a coward. But a little thinking time isn't a bad thing.

Ah, enough of all that. Life is good, basically and counting blessings is not such a bad thing. And I did buy wine, did the ironing, and the cats were dragged screaming to the vet. And I met my deadlines.

And what, pray, has this to do with Vent du Sud?

Well, not a lot (but hey, APRICOT).

But one last Deep Thought. Among other things, it's not only my creative outlet, a place where I can enjoy my friends, but it's where I can sometimes lean against an old stone wall and watch the stars, watch the waves, sneak a cigarette, and ponder on whether I need a new skin or what to build next.

Do I need a new skin?

Shallow? Stupid?

My Second Life has been described as both but I disagree, which is why I'm still here. And why I intend to stay here for the foreseeable future, rambling on as I do (oh you noticed?) .

Taking myself away now, with the credits (and motivating myself to get some new things out, which no doubt will be extolled in a future, shallow, "buy my stuff" post). Without philosophy and nicotine.

Credits:
Maitreya Green II hair
Tuli Audrey skin (dammit she discontinued it and can't find anything I like better)
Decoy top
Corset part of Armidi shorts (happy accident when changing, once)
Skirt from an old, old gacha (cheapskate Ari strikes again)
Necklace from Leezu (free, see "cheapskate" above)
Yay Wedges from HOC (colour change, beautifully done)
Poses from my Taisaya AO and some PRICKLE smoking freebies (get them at Vent du Sud)

Melon, tai chi, lighthouses and stealing the limelight (52 weeks of color)

2011-08-06T08:21:00.000+02:00

Melon, and only a little late?

You know they tell actors to avoid roles with kids and animals, as both tend to steal the limelight?

Well, I'll take the risk with Harold, because what would Vent du Sud be without the various birds (OK and the manta ray, and my (non-breedable cat)?

Besides, he seemed a natural at tai chi.

(

(Mind, George the seagull was singularly unimpressed).

Amazingly, this post is not plugging anything at Vent du Sud... except to extend an invitation to come visit.

(You could treat yourself to a lighthouse, however, for the usual 50L?)

Note: there are three different lighthouses at Vent du Sud, all below 25 prims.

I like lighthouses.

I even found a melon-y windlight setting while I was taking photos.

Credits:

Vent du Sud for the setting (say hello to Harold!)

Oyakin group gift dress (say hello to cheapskate Ari but her stuff is lovely)

SLink Frederique hair (love it love it love it)

Miel shoes (lots of colour changes and so CUTE)

PS: I like melons, too... this photo taken at our local market.

In which Ari is dyslexic

2011-07-29T18:02:00.000+02:00

Or more precisely discalculate (I only get numbers wrong).

Soooo the link to PRICKLE is now fixed... because I inverted two of the co-ordinates.

But it means you get another look!

Poses and prickle, and in which Ari confesses to being converted.

2011-07-29T14:41:00.001+02:00

Poses... are one of my weak points in SL. It took me what, two years to get beyond a freebie sexy walk and buy a decent AO.

My early blog posts (no, no, don't look) bear ample witness to this.

The photography was crap too but then I discovered (gosh wow) you could process SL photos.

(Yes, I can be slow at times).

Thanks to a little help from friends, however (and reluctantly - being frugal) buying some poses, I am converted. And here comes PRICKLE !

See, when Darkley wondered aloud if it was worth trying to sell hers, I looked at her posters and dragged her screaming to Vent du Sud.

(No, she didn't scream much, I am exaggerating).

But, I mean LOOK. Aren't these fun? And different (and the ones below are FREE ).

Different is good. And Darkley is working on MORE.

So come check them out at PRICKLE.

And looks like a few walls will need to be moved soon at Vent du Sud to accommodate more.

*Wanders off happily debating when and where the knuckledusters included in the boxing set could come in handy*

Fly me to the moon? Patriarch and shifting furniture (52 weeks of color)

2011-07-28T17:04:00.000+02:00

I needed a break from moving stuff around in Vent du Sud, so I rummaged around in my inventory a bit, having vague memories of some of my BareRose stuff coming in a nice patriarch-y purple.

And HEY PRESTO - there it was. Fly Me To the Moon.

So I went around being dramatic and diva-like, humming away "Fly me to the mooooooooooooon, let me swing among those staaaaaaars"...

Lots of fun.

I'd just got to this one... (a roof seemed like a good place to stand, at the time)

... when a friend rolled up.

"Ari what on earth are you doing up there? And what are you doing dressed up like that? And I thought you were sorting out your sim?"

Clearly, I don't do silly often enough. And I never wear evening dresses to build, I admit. Well, usually. Just call me staid.

But I did (reluctantly) give up the idea of being SL's next cabaret sensation and got back to moving stuff around.

See?

So do drop into Vent du Sud - I'm basically moving a few things and retiring others, and making room for some new stuff.

Meaning that it could be time to grab a few Vent du Sud 1L decor items while you can?

And no, I won't sing to you. And I will probably be in jeans.

Credits:

BareRose "Fly me to the moon" (comes in 4 colours, sculpt top)

Cinch belt, part of Frid.day romper suit

Stilettos, Talyna by ENKYTHINGS, available at Vent du Sud

Hair, Afterglow by Cake

Location, VENT DU SUD!

One thing at a time, and in which Ari nearly goes shopping

2011-07-27T13:50:00.000+02:00

I had to start somewhere after doing so little in SL for so long.

The temptation, of course, was to go on a shopping spree for new clothes and hair and shoes and skin and jewellery and poses....

... (and I am so behind on the 52 weeks of colour but I'll get there too).

But first, I told myself sternly, it was time to tidy up / improve some of the sim builds because ~~by popular request~~ (don't exaggerate, Ari) somebody asked for them. And they badly needed tweaking.

So I retextured, tidied up and (I think) improved them.

First up is the revamped MEDITERRANEAN PATIO which I am fond of - perhaps because this July in the south of France is turning out to be like a particularly drizzly April.

I use it as part of the mainstore layout, but it is particularly good as a lovely, roomy outdoor space (hey, maybe you need the Mas du Soleil, my French farmhouse too?), with lots of pots of flowers, seating, lighting.

So I threw some of those in (Vent du Sud is like that).

So you get the patio (15 prims), the seating (20), the gas lamp (1) and the planter (5), all mod / copy and all for JUST 50L.

Buy it at the sim or on the Marketplace

Add your own dances, a barbecue, an outside eating area... and you're all set for those warm Mediterranean evenings. Whatever they may be (excuse me while I stare outside and frown).

So, it was nearly time to get shopping. But the Marketplace was having a Bad Photo day so a little coaxing was necessary. .

Maybe tomorrow?

In praise of antibiotics, breedable shellfish, and the Marketplace

2011-07-23T17:58:00.000+02:00

So where was I?

Ah yes, whining about a long trip and a sprained ankle.

Better skip the gruesome details of ear and chest infection then (Mr RL and me). Which has not been funny, let's leave it at that.

Meaning that building attempts have been a little like this.

And 52 weeks of colour? A little like this

(spot the trainers and denim).

I did celadon for the 52 weeks of colour. But what I called it or where I filed it, I have no idea. Probably under 'snapshot' in my 2007 archives.

Worryingly, I have also been translating (slowly, amid whimpering) narcotics legislation all week. And rather wishing I had some handy because antibiotics and my insides have never been the best of friends (and you can't drink). Proofreading Monday. I fear the worst.

BUT... I finally dragged myself up by the scruff of my neck this morning (while thanking the Tylenol gods) and got some more builds on the marketplace, including the summer cabins (wow look link to the Marketplace).

So now you can shower your friends with gifts such as farmhouses and lighthouses and CABINS, all for 50L (and come check them out at Vent du Sud first).

You know, I felt so crappy I nearly went a bought a Meeroo. But I'd probably have starved it or lost it or bored it to death with my whining. Or renamed it, forgot the name, and filed it under 'miscellaneous' (now there's a scary place).

Next week, however, is back to building and being dynamic. Really.

And please remind me I can't ~~afford~~ have a Meeroo anyway. I have half a dozen sets of textures I want first, and by the time I've got those, people will have moved on to breedable ... whatever nobody's thought of yet. Shellfish? Complete with pearls? (Remember you heard this here first).

(PS: I am not fishing for sympathy. There are far worse things than ear infections (for instance man with ear infection). And I am so looking forward to finishing these pills tonight and hauling out the wine tomorrow).

(PPS OK maybe I am fishing for sympathy a bit).

Ode to ice packs, travel, chili and security checks)

2011-07-11T06:45:00.005+02:00

It took 30 hours and limping through 4 airports to get home from a Very Long Way Away, and all that for 2.5 days of work. I lost count of the security checks. Ugh.

See, I sprained my ankle on the way OUT there, meaning it's been both a painful and net-deprived few days. (Note to self - look at ground when hopping on airport buses).

So this morning, with a confuzzled body clock and glorious technicolour left foot, I have been gazing at landscapes both virtual and real and...

I am so glad to be home.

Once I feel halfway human, I am looking forward to diving back into Vent du Sud and making stuff again (next long-haul trip is end October - phew). And catching up with 52 weeks of colour posts.

This post, however, is a brief RL - SL sort of post to say:

- My cats wish to express their thoughts on their staff going away
- I am still alive (although kicking could be painful)
- Ice packs are wonderful things.
- I could get used to copious amounts of rum (it mixes beautifully with painkillers, to the point I sailed through the jet lag that end)
- Go buy Enkythings amazing Talyna shoes at Vent du Sud (quick plug but ouchhhh the very THOUGHT of heels right now...)

- Oh, and great chili place at Miami airport but, um, CHILI followed by long plane journey...? (I had salad).

... and all things considered, I prefer both RL and SL France to hot tropical places that require endless treks through airports.

So see you soon at Vent du Sud.

(Where you don't even need a security check to discover the place).

Mauve and too rambly for a snappy title.

2011-07-02T07:50:00.000+02:00

I finally put a few things out at Vent du Sud: just a few basketweave things with lots to click on (mauve being one of the four colours of the lining). One of these is free and the others? ONE linden as usual.

Find them outside one of the summer cabins, right here.

And... *cough* they include a pet cushion thing. My SL cat has gone AWOL so just imagine it there?

And speaking of mauve, or purple in any shade, Mr RL hates it. Loathes it.

My RL wardrobe now contains no mauve, but in SL, it sure does (credits later).

In fact, I got quite carried away with the whole 'mauve' thing and among some rather dodgy 52 weeks of colour attempts, took this as well... with a little help from Windlight, but I like it, so you get to see it.

Sorry. But Vent du Sud in mauve. Heh.

Now, if I wasn't about to start packing again (on Monday for a Very Long Way Away but only for 2.5 days of work... but thanks to endless flights nearly a week in all), I would ramble about lots of other things.

What I must slide in, though, is another not-very-good photo - but see that fabulous shade of mauve in the Enkythings shoes? I would love a pair in RL.

Mr RL would, however, throw a hissy fit.

I also need to ramble more about textures, and start on a massive to-do list for SL but, with luck, this is my last work trip until mid-September.

So one last mauve photo (damn I wish I could do SL stuff on planes) and fingers crossed I get a Net connection - I do actually miss Vent du Sud when I'm hauling my ass to weird bits of the planet.

Credits:

Dress Mrinali, Zaara

Shoes Talyna by Enkythings (available at Vent du Sud)

Hair Melody by Elikatira

Bracelet by Muse (I think the store closed)

And... (as a teaser for a coming post), most of the basket and lining textures by Insight designs, which are always superb and my absolute favourite for quality.

(Not) catching up but jade and curves and oh so tired

2011-06-24T08:00:00.000+02:00

Rollled in last night after two back to back trips, one unplanned. Woke up surrounded by happy cats, and coffee is on the way.

Bliss.

Except I have to leave again in 9 days for what I hope is the last trip for a couple of months and before that I have a desk groaning with things to finish. So on with the 7 days a week marathon for a bit longer.

I miss SL and Vent du Sud, though. I really miss slinging prims and watching virtual waves, and...

...ah well. I also miss sleep and time to curl up with a book but must not complain. As I said, I have work and quieter times are sort of in sight. (Whine whine whine).

Ah yes, JADE.

Which happens to be one of the colours in the NEW stuff at Vent du Sud I was all set to add to (and of course just 1L, couples and singles poses, chair and table to match).

All unusual curves and four texture options too. Only 7 prims for the couch and a tiny 4 for the chair.

Oh and there's a bed in the same pretty colours, also 1L. Click on the covers (they include white linen and dusky pinky-purple). Two couples poses or add your own, um, accessories.

Excuse me while I rummage for something...

Ah yes, the DoNothing cushions in the four colours of the couch and bed (but each one clickable to change textures, of course). Again, 1L. Yes, one little Linden per item (like everything else in the store).

Credits:
Vent du Sud and its 1L decor and 50L builds,
Jade Poison Lotus top from Fishy Strawberry
Skirt group gift from Kunglers
and shoes (OF COURSE) the fabulous Talyna from ENKYTHINGS at Vent du Sud.

The art of tantrums, and public warning

2011-06-12T13:47:00.000+02:00

See this?

No, not the lingerie (credits later - it was for an earlier 52 colours blog post), but the place.

The house. The house with an amazing cantilevered roof and secret rooms and lovely deck and fabulous, fabulous textures and blinds and....

The house that is now in my inventory in about 30 pieces.

So, public warning. If you need to throw a SL tantrum and wipe out a build, first ensure that said build was linked and saved to your inventory.

The furniture and stuff, no problem as they are (surprise surprise) around at Vent du Sud for 1L a piece.

The house, which I was intending to put on sale (having spent a ridiculous amount of time on it)... will require much swearing and aligning and finding of 'object' in my inventory. Maybe.

And I do wish I had taken more pictures of the place and fewer of me in lingerie. It might help to remember what it looked like as a whole.

Hmph. I am working, I am grumpy, and ... oh it shows?

It is, however, VERY nice lingerie.

Credits: Lilly by Insolence, furniture by Vent du Sud, house by the biggest idiot on SL (me).

Back to work.

Perfection, things you go back to, denim, Enky (52 weeks of colour)

2011-06-11T07:26:00.000+02:00

Back in 2007, when new avatars had system shoes, I bought my first EVER pair of real shoes from Enkythings. Talyn, they were called; I felt like a million dollars. Oh, and his boots. Still among the very best in SL.

I tried on my Talyns not long ago and they are still good.

Enktan Gully, the maker, didn't release anything for 2 years, but... he's back. And he's brought out Talyna, in 12 wonderful colours. They are just gorgeous. Real classics. The ones you go back to.

By coincidence, a couple of years ago, it turned out that Enktan was a friend of my mate Agade (who is now his store manager). So when Talyna came out, I wondered if to ~~shamelessly beg a pair~~ come to some sort of arrangement.

One fat pack later, and with regrets that I forgot to take a photo of Enktan (who is a rather chubby sparrow in SL), ENKYTHINGS is at Vent du Sud!

So come look at Talyna because oh my it's good.

And there's a demo. And the blue pair? Just perfect for jeans.

So, so good. No retouching, no smoothing on this photo - just perfection in SL shoes.

And something, like that perfect pair of soft, comfy jeans, you can go back to. For years.

Credits: GField capris, and - well of course - Talyna by Enkythings (right here at Vent du Sud).

Receipt and other nice surprises

2011-06-10T07:12:00.000+02:00

At last, here is the receipt from Doctor Without Borders

A huge thanks to everyone who bought things from Vent du Sud for 5 weeks in March and April (and looking at the date, I think somebody hitch-hiked to France carrying it - it arrived a couple of days ago).

And below? LisaMun Aronowicz. Great blogger, fun person and she took at photo at the Vent du Sud Mas du Soleil (French Farmhouse)!

Check out her blog here, and the 50L, 48 prim farmhouse is here.

Thank you Lisa and oh those shadows!

Settees, surprises and other new stuff

2011-06-08T08:16:00.000+02:00

Finally, at long last, I finished adjusting poses and adding texture options to some of the ~~junk~~ amazing stuff on my work platform and put it out

This, for instance. New couch / sofa / settee and other things at Vent du Sud.

Couch (7 prims, singles / friends and couples anims and four texture options to click on), chair and table to match. And yes of course 1L each, mod/copy. Two of the colours here, more below.

I even thought work might be quieter and I could get MORE stuff finished, but that light at the end of the tunnel was another ****** train coming (this is a family-friendly blog but you get the point).

New bookshelf with lots of 1L pretties too (grey wood one, see the other photo).

I need to de-clutter my mainstore. I need to finish off / take photos of a whole bunch of other things.

It will happen. I do still believe in Vent du Sud but work and other hassles mean SL has been a little up and down recently. But I am still here. And I ain't going nowhere (and why yes I work with words. This is poetic licence and yes I am digressing and repeating myself because... I can).

But while you're snapping up some cute new stuff of mine (after scrolling though this abysmally rambly post)... take a quick look at a

BIG NEW SURPRISE at Vent du Sud.

I need to take more photos of it all (says she cryptically) but can we say one of the most talented people in a certain field of fashion is showing off his latest venture next to the Vent du Sud mainstore?

No, no hints but there are demos available, and when it come to class and workmanship, it doesn't get any better than this. Go look - you know you want to!

Back to the lovely curvy settee or couch or sofa or whatever you want to call it...

Here's a little photo spam. Blogger, of course, hates me and refuses to line them up, so I have to fill in this bit of blank white page somehow...

White linen

Meaning I can put another link to Vent du Sud in here, right?

Enjoy. Remember the surprise, and go admire!

Ruby - a revelation and a Resident (52 weeks of colour)

2011-06-04T08:01:00.000+02:00

I should be blogging about some new stuff up at Vent du Sud but yesterday, see, I WENT OUT.

Exploring.
This place

.It is so, so beautiful that even being accosted by well, a fairly tenacious 'new resident' with less than honourable intentions didn't spoil it.

So peaceful, so tranquil, so WISTFUL there. My photos don't do it justice. And it had a heron that told me he is a second cousin of Harold, at Vent du Sud.

Mr Resident told me he would like a beultiful woman like me. I cut him slack because he was not a native speaker, said thank you, and moved on.

It even has a grand piano.

Mr Resident tried to sit on it. Mr Resident was becoming irritating.

So with one last look (and reluctantly hitting the mute button for my new admirer who told me he knew good sexy place), I headed back to Vent du Sud to build things again.

I must get out more often. Go visit this place though, it's stunning. And then, of course, drop in at Vent du Sud to see what I've been putting in the mainstore.

Credits: Corset from 5th & Oxfort, beautifully made. Harem pants from Milk Motion. Bracelet from Muse, sadly no longer on SL. Truth Pia hair.

Swingingly, swimmingly: swings that swing

2011-06-02T11:49:00.000+02:00

There are times when I wish I had a nine to five job with things like weekends and vacations. But my work swings wildly from ridiculously busy to just busy.

However, I am sort of catching up and finishing things, so expect a whole lot of new items arriving at Vent du Sud over the next few days.

Well, unless more excrement hits the ventilator.

But let's get to the swing. Which is finished.

1L and mod / copy. Colour change canapy and cushions, me or us poses, couples poses.

Prims, you ask?

Six.

And it swings. Very gently. Very soothingly.

Mmm.

Ah. Forgot to take the other photo with different colours. Bad blogger.

Can you imagine a sort of soft pale aubergine please? Good. And white linen with grey stripes?

Thank you. Or you could, of course, go look. And click. And swing.

Here's the soft blue and green stripes. So you get the idea. Four pretty summer colours. Others on request.

So off you go. Swing. 1L. Here at Vent du Sud. Go get it.

Read the notecard too, please because since the swing actually swings (because they should, no?) the seat part is separate from the frame part (insert unintelligible stuff about hierarchised prims here). And the explanation about rezzing two parts in the notecard is far more coherent than this blog post, I promise.

Back to building and I am having such a good time throwing prims around again.

Other credits: favourite summer dresser EVER, meaning the Summar Romance one from SALT. Espadrilles from Coco and newwwwwwww mussed flowy messy hair from Truth (Pia).

Two birds one stone, freebie, Tabs, neon carrots and pink

2011-05-22T13:04:00.000+02:00

Think serendipity. Think two of my unfavourite colours in a combination I like.

Think free (scroll on for a Vent du Sud freebie also...)

And think Icing, and the various fabulous freebies you can find there, including this dress (and some really superb other things). Go look. It moves beautifully too.

And the freebie? Getting there.

Please help yourself to this deckchair at the Vent du Sud dock.

And no, no direct tp but take this one... which takes you around here...

... then go through the arch (purchasing many many things as you go, of course, including the 50 patio store itself, or the decor for 1L a piece... or the summer cabins, or the hammocks...

...And you will find the peaceful Vent du Sud dock, including a pedal boat ride and dancing and swimming*...

and this.

(and that is Tabs, one of SL's incurable romantics, who lives at Vent du Sud and promotes it - and is happily partnered so you can't have him... but he's great fun to talk to)

But you CAN have the deckchair he is sitting on, for free. Or splash out on the Cap'n and Mate ones for 1L each. Copy. Three poses. Custom personalised textures if you ask nicely and pay me the upload fee for the texture...!

Last look at this gorgeous dress?

There you go. Hair by Damselfly (Klavdiya) and Yay wedges from HOC.

And scenery from Vent du Sud (another quiet beach where you can feel free to dance thanks to our well-stocked Intan. Feel free to wander around and find it.

*sit on the little wedge and dive in, or click on it for LOTS of dives. It's wonderful! And having dived in, you can then swim around Vent du Sud and buy MORE!

Weathered newness, olive (52 weeks of colour), dead routers, and Ayla.

2011-05-20T08:57:00.000+02:00

I guess weathered feels a bit like me right now. Seen a little stormy weather and a bit worn around the edges but with a certain quaint charm? More on the 50-L Vent du Sud weathered tree platform below.

(And no, no, don't flock to the comments to tell me that I am as young and beautiful as I feel, because that would be around 90 and ugly. Think overwork. Think endless deadlines. But anyway, Vent du Sud (and me) aren't quite dead yet).

Close, though.

And speaking of dead, my router / ADSL box died yesterday, meaning 3 hours on the phone followed by a 3-hour trip to pick up a replacement. No, kind person, posting it to me for 'around Tuesday' when I work on the net...

No.

Olive? Tree platform? Hold on, we're getting there. This could be an olive tree, if you stretch your imagination a bit. Although never seen one that high...

Here we go. One amazingly low-prim weathered tree platform (16) to dance on, to watch the stars and waves, or to toss a couple of cushions or a patio set on (go look at the Vent du Sud mainstore for those, all at 1L?) and watch the sun set. Haul up the ladders, and relax. Direct tp right here or take a stroll around the island (and look out for a big tree not far from the tree house...

And on to olive. *Cough* yes this is a terrible photo but the others were worse.

And not really enough credit for Ayla's really, really cute Kirsty top in olive so I stole a better one from her blog. She makes other really, really affordable and fun stuff too at great prices. Check out her blog here and her store here.

Back soon when I have wrangled with another couple of deadlines, but there has to be light at the end of the tunnel soon... or will it just be another train coming?

More of a chuckle than a rant. Coincidences?

2011-05-10T07:53:00.000+02:00

Funny how people do come up with similar ideas, isn't it? And yes, I'm serious. People really do.

Not quite so funny, maybe, when you see somebody who frequently comes up with very, very similar things to yours, just after yours.

Am I irritated?

Nope.

I am sort of amused and flattered, really. Of course it could be some weird coincidence. Things come into fashion so of course people recreate them with their own twist. A long white skirt is a long white skirt. And updo is an updo. A swing is a swing. A sink is a sink. Cushions are cushions.

And of course people use the same or similar sculpt maps, for instance. Not arguing that.

But either this person's imagination is somehow locked into mine and is equally eclectic, or she's been subconsciously inspired. Uh-huh. Or she is just short of ideas. Or, once again, sheer coincidence.

Her stuff* is nice, too (although not at Vent du Sud prices and really, texturing on sculpts is tricky, huh?).

Miaow.

It made me scratch my head a bit though, as you can see above (And I put this static, single colour swing above out as a hunt gift recently - couples and singles poses). Worth checking out Vent du Sud often as I like putting nice stuff out for hunts, even though the rest is only at 1L.

The moving version with colour change cushions is done (YAY, because swings should swing, no?) but I need to make a sign and a notecard to explain how to set it up and change the textures, etc. On sale soon at Vent du Sud for one little Linden. But it's up in the tree platform (NEW, need photos of it) if you feel like going for a quiet swing.

Just let me get my next trip over with**, unless some time falls into my lap tonight (it didn't... says she the morning after, still wondering if to post this).

But if you're dying to grab a bargain in the meanwhile, grab some multipose cushions or the smoothie set (still 1L per item and colour change fabrics) because I have to move some stuff out and get the new things in. Several versions of the cushions dotted around at Vent du Sud.

And now, back to the kitchen sink for me (this one made earlier this spring) which is a massive five Lindens but you get the soap, towels, jug, and basket inside the box (all copiable).

The tap drips (really, it drips!), and the bowl and splashback are colour change!! Go have a click! Put out big piles of towels! Pop a few baskets elsewhere! Tint them!

(Sorry about the rash of !!! but I rather like this sink )

(And unlike some things I have seen recently, it came from my own imagination, a couple of weeks before another bench sink with accessories appeared... somewhere).

(PS: I am working on some converted stables, but won't have it out for a bit, if, um, somebody needs to get ahead?)

*no, not naming names because one more time - it could be coincidence. At a stretch.

**leaving at lunchtime until the wee small hours of Saturday. No idea about connections.

Orange, fun, vrooom (52 weeks of colour, tangerine)

2011-05-09T08:19:00.001+02:00

Now, I could have done a long rambly post about how 2011 is treating me badly, but I won't (who loves whining?).

So let's have some fun instead. And at last some news from Vent du Sud.

First, orange and only a week behind (credits later).

The real star of the post, however, is this

No, not this...

But THIS.

Menthal has been building (so have I, but that's for another post). (And yes, FINALLY).

And it is superb. The wheels turn, the lights, the exhaust work. The dashboard is stunning.

It is quite honestly a marvel of texturing, scripting, and is is FUN. And a staggering 30 prims only.

And no, it's not on sale yet, but SOON. And there are three-and four-seater models coming.

AAAAAND there will be custom paint jobs.

Now, me being me and having decided that it is time to get going on Vent du Sud again instead of gazing at my own navel...

...You can win one of these.

Not now, but soon. Via this blog, no less. Once the first model is up for sale (at Vent du Sud), there will be a prize draw (free, of course). More details later but hitting the subscribo at Vent du Sud would be good as we'll publish details there too.

Not into cars? I'm sure we could arrange for it to be given as a gift too.

And now credits; Orange top from Vanitas Vesture (new discovery, great place), capris from Nyte and Day, hair Monica from Exile. On Menthal, bad me forgot to ask but the sweater (tinted tangering to please me) is from Coco.

Want a last look?

Seriously, you need one of these, no?

Tiny post, hunt, gift, no it is not breedable, and thanks

2011-05-01T13:04:00.001+02:00

Because milk churns are CUTE and decorative and I have too much RL work to get other stuff out... here they are, out at Vent du Sud.

The set of smaller ones is a gift to say thanks for supporting Doctors Without Borders last month. The bigger trio is a massive 1L. Copy, modify.

Just think, you could have churns everywhere. You think there's a market for breedable churns?

OK, no. Sorry.

(and if you didn't buy anything last month then please still help yourself... and join the subscribo. Please. Thank you. I have lots of stuff nearly ready to put out).

Grab the milk churns right outside the Vent du Sud mainstore, and pssst, new hunt gift also for the Perfect Couples Hunt.

Go... hunt. Sign outside the store too. It's a nice gift but no, not saying what it is.

Back to work (yes, I know it's Sunday. Tell my clients that, huh?)

PHEW

2011-04-29T15:48:00.002+02:00

Really, phew: got a mail confirmation so here is a copy but I will still photocopy the letter with the fancy letterheads, etc. when it gets here

Thank you for your support!

Thank you for your donation to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

With your support, MSF is responding faster to emergencies and improving the quality and effectiveness of the medical care we provide in more than 60 countries around the world. Our field staff could not carry out this essential work without your generosity.

If you have any questions about your donation you can contact Donor Services at donations@newyork.msf.org or (212) 763-5779. You will also be receiving a thank you letter in the mail, which serves as your legal receipt.

Please find below your donation information as it appears in our records.

BXX KXXX

XXX

XXX, XXX

Payment Amount: $150.00
Gift Date: 4/29/2011

For more information about our work, please visit our website at www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Thank you,

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

You can also support MSF with your everyday purchases. Click here to learn more about the Doctors Without Borders Debit Mastercard®.

Doctors without borders - sort of good news

2011-04-29T14:52:00.001+02:00

OK, I just sent a donation to Doctors without Borders... for five weeks of revenues at Vent du Sud plus some more to round it up.

Total, US$ 150.

A huge, huge thanks to everyone for their purchases and the donations (which made all the difference considering the massive *cough* 1L prices).

But (I know this sounds STUPID quite apart from false but hell, it happened) I screwed up the 'print screen' so...no print screen to wipe out my name and post it right away.

I thought I knew how to do print screen.

I don't. I've never done it, thought it couldn't be hard and... um... I have NO idea where it printed to.

I seem to have a folder full of stuff from their web page but none of it will print or even display.

And yes this is pathetic. I know it. I'm really, really sorry.

HOWEVER, the good news is that I will be getting a printed receipt by snail mail in 3-4 weeks (check out the link). At which point I shall photocopy it, scribble over my name, scan it and print it here (I do know how to do that).

And yes, I am mortified. And Mr RL is rolling his eyes because I insisted I knew what I was doing. And yes of course he said 'I told you to wait and I would do it so it serves you right' but no, I had to be clever.

I hope nobody is furious and please, please keep checking out my blog because I will post it.

Crossroads: the future of Vent du Sud (huge whine, scroll at will)

2011-04-24T20:23:00.000+02:00

OK, I am just looking at what I made since 20 April, when I said I would give my revenues from Vent du Sud to Doctors Without Borders for a month.

Somehow, it is "not done" to say how much you earn in SL.

Fair enough.

Considering I sell stuff at 1L (decor) or 50L (builds, like the lighthouse above), I am never going to make a lot and that is fine. My choice.

So I am going to round it up a little, and will be paying in 100 dollars any day soon, or more if I can negotiate with Mr RL (I know I can: he's great, even after 28 years of marriage). I am happy with that (and YES I will post the receipt).

Promise.

So everything ~~should be~~ is fine. Doesn't matter that I will never be in the weekly specials such as FLF or humpdaywhateveritis or the 'in feeds' because hey, 1L or 50L... doesn't qualify.

Or does it matter?

I enjoy building, and can just about keep my (homestead) sim going thanks to friends who take some prims and Mr RL who tolerates what I normally have to put in to make ends meet.

I'm a frugal shopper, too, but even that is getting me down as I feel like a SPREE (favourites being Mimikri, Fishy Strawberry, Coco, Maitreya, Elikatira, Shiny Things, J's, Aoharu, Baiastice and more recently, Ayla and Oyakin and discovering smaller designers too).

But the budget doesn't run to it.

I can (sort of) live with that, mostly.

Again, I made my choice.

I am a BUILDER, and proud of it, but in SL that also means advertising, networking, marketing in general... I should do more of that. But I can't do everything in the limited SL time that I have.

But I don't do enough. I build a bit and socialise a bit, and most of the time I don't care about lots of Lindens doing the kerchunk.

Sometimes, though, I do.

When I see makers of clunky, badly-textured stuff selling stuff for a hundred times what I sell for, and getting on all the feeds and 'in' blogs, that makes me roll my eyes, of course I get ranty.

Human, no?

But I made my choice and will live with it. Really, I will.

For how long, though? I don't know.

Stupid pride makes me WANT to be with the cool kids, selling for 'normal' decor prices (no false modesty, my stuff is really not clunky or badly textured).

But another side of me just wants to continue to enjoy making stuff and for people to come grab it for (virtually) nothing to ease their SL budget. It has been a wonderful period, seeing people come on over and IM things like 'wow this is WAY better than I expected for 1L / 50L'.

Heh.

Some people who come to Vent du Sud also leave incredibly generous tips (or my contribution to Doctors Without Borders would be way less, believe me).

I am so grateful to them. Thank you, guys, seriously.

Oh dear, is there a point to all this?

Not even sure. But I feel I'm at a crossroads.

Not sure if I have the energy to go on.

Part of me really, really wants to keep building (dammit, I have sort of conquered basic Photoshop, can modify even complicated scripts and can wrangle with prims and texture up a storm).

Part of me wants to keep on sending subscribo notices, grinning at the 1L 'kerchunks'.

Oh shallow me?

And another part of me says 'to hell with it... sell up, move on, take a tiny plot of land, put up a little cabin for myself, build in sandboxes, forget about Vent du Sud'.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

(Apologies. This post may get deleted, and blame part of it on a long, leisurely, somewhat alcohol-heavy RL Easter lunch with friends, but yes, crossroads. Normal blog posts will no doubt be resumed soon)

The cold grey light of dawn, and Harold (52 weeks of colour)

2011-04-24T10:43:00.001+02:00

I am (gasp) a morning person. And I confess to enjoying setting my windlight to match...

Peace, sea... (and stunning, stunning Mia dress by Mimikri which rather usefully combines periwinkle and aubergine, eh?).

And of course my own Vent du Sud smoothie patio chair which has colour change seats and cushions matches rather nicely too). Couch and table in the same set, just 1L each (you know the score by now, yes?)

But back to dawn. Excellent thinking time. ME time. And, I think, my little corner of tranquillity in SL and in Vent du Sud.

Here, for example (direct TP to this build on the Vent du Sud square, feel free just to visit)

This is the Mas du Soleil, my French farmhouse (50L, lots of features).

On the beach, you'll find Harold the Heron.

Great company, Harold.

Then, eventually, it's time to face the day

Yes, a little thoughtful at the moment.

Happens.

But before I take my pose-challenged self away (pretend my hand is in a pocket, please?), this is the LAST WEEKEND for Vent du Sud's donation of all revenues to Doctors Without Borders. I will wrap up and make the donation some time this week. Watch this space, but for now, be generous?

Ode to eggs (and coffee / Internet withdrawal)

2011-04-22T09:09:00.001+02:00

Back from 3 days away: plastic hotel with disgustingly watery coffee and soggy mattress.

Ah, the glamour of it all.

Worse, no Internet except in the (open, busy) office, so no building or blogging or even chatting.

Back last night to finish this little Easter treat. Grab the basket at the Vent du Sud mainstore for the usual price of 1L (mod copy).

Yes, I did think of making it a freebie but some time next week I am going to calculate the Vent du Sud revenues since 20 March and donate them to Doctors without Borders...

So how about popping in and buying it? Hm?

And if you need somewhere to put your eggs, or other pretties... here are a couple of other ideas.

Battered table and frames to put your own photos in...

Or a round, glossy table or an unusual bookshelf.

All available at the Vent du Sud mainstore

All for 1L.

And now, after this extremely boring post, I am off to work so I have time to finish another bunch of Vent du Sud goodness (which is cluttering up my work platform but out very soon when my brain has been suitably caffeinated again)

Aftermath

2011-04-18T15:06:00.001+02:00

What do you get after high-maintenance house guest, sick laptop, and work overload?

You get a VERY grumpy me (me time? What me time?)

However, I am pleased to report that the house guest has finally headed home (seriously, the 'is your home made tomato sauce really organic?' nearly left her covered in it).

The sick laptop? Part exchanged, and I am in the process of reconfiguring shiny newness and importing because I have a three-day work trip tomorrow and need a laptop that works (to work on, but fortunately it appears to handle SL).

However, there is still time to support Doctors without borders, for instance by indulging yourself in a 50L Summer Cabin (19 prims, two sizes, two colours) from Vent du Sud, as shown above.

Because I am going to extend the whole thing until I get back and get organised a bit, so for at least another week all revenues at Vent du Sud go there.

I had hoped to get more stuff finished, but hey, too busy nursemaiding cranky guest and crankier PC. But it will come.

And to digress a little but you really do need a cute black leather couch for 1L, right? With funky colour change cushions and stuff,

Before I forget (late with this too), here is Rett's latest design, available in her store on the square. Not free, but she asked me to pop an image in my blog.

Definitely a must if you appreciate Rett's slinky little numbers!

Bananas, asparagus and rocket science and general chaos (52 weeks of colour)

2011-04-13T08:47:00.000+02:00

So, I am typing on a French keyboard set with Swiss layout on the keys (not easy: they are very different, and I have deadlines, and I have to empty the sick laptop, transfer data....)

*Wail*

But lo!

Asparagus and banana options in the Vent du Sud 1L barstools (other colours in there too).

Two birds with one stone! Clever Ari have a cookie!

Click the seat for colours, the frame for poses...
(nice poses too).

And lo again! Aoharu banana top! I love Aoharu stuff. GField capris and Elikatira hair, also superb.
(make more effort on the fashion parts, Ari, and use fewer parentheses).

(and yes I could have made an asparagus coloured 1L hammock but I didn't. Banana option for one of the colour change pillows, mind, and those poses as well as singles ones).

OK, while I'm at it, how about banana coloured curtains (a zillion other colour options too) that you can stretch to any size and open and close (rocket science, huh?)

There. Open (look left).

Vent du Sud mainstore. 1L. Go click some colours but please don't leave it on fuchsia? Pretty please?

(and the bed pillows and colours change too... and the bed has poses...but not those)

And while I finish downloading stuff from the **** sick PC, one last asparagus moment...

... because it is handily one of the colours in the Smoothie patio set (colours, poses, 1L, you know the whole Vent du Sud philosophy thing)... but other pretty fabrics too, including lots of options for the cushions.

Get clicking and please remember all revenues to Doctors without borders until 22 April (extended for a couple of days as I have to go on a work trip on 19-21 April)

(PS if this post sounds incoherent, apologies. Things are a little frantic but I really want to collect as much as possible and it's been going really well so far).

(PPS no, I cannot relearn the Swiss keyboard set as it took me weeks to learn to touch type on an AZERTY layout, and still can't find the punctuation half of the time)

D'OH and apologies

2011-04-06T16:04:00.000+02:00

Either I am losing my mind (quite possible) or SL is having one of its permissions hissy fits (also kinda sorta possible, since I double check them before I click 'for sale' and it happened with something else recently too).

Huge thanks to a client who let me know that both the new 1L table and the cushions at Vent du Sud were set to 'originals', and she bought them before realising...!

And huge apologies if anyone went to Vent du Sud to buy either and they weren't there...! (They are now)

*sigh*

And more huge apologies for taking up your blog-reading time.

Wandering back to work to think about bananas (for the 52 weeks of colour, ok?)

Gifts, hunts, eggs, do nothing cushions, please, thank you

2011-04-06T08:11:00.000+02:00

Forgot to say, while I was ranting the other day (who me? Rant?), that Vent du Sud is in another hunt.

I popped three small gifts in my egg. This stool with 3 sits and colour change cushions, for instance.

(No, I have not changed since the "white" post, and crashed three times yesterday trying to do a notecard abut that skirt I wrote about in it).

No, I am not going to rant about hunts. I do know that some people just hunt because it's fun and they just want to complete it, even if they don't want or need the contents of a lot of the gifts.

And that's fine.

Others are rude, though

'You are the owner? Where is the egg?'
'Hi there, welcome. Try looking on a table'
'Which table? I'm in a hurry'

Uh-huh. Is a 'please' or a 'thanks' too much trouble?

But anyway. This mini light is in the gift too. It turns on and off (wow).

Now, the nice thing about joining hunts is that some people start clicking away, realise that everything is IL, pick up a few items... and say thanks or drop a few Lindens into a tip jar. So thank you all once again.

(I really should put up a poster saying that all revenues until 20 April are going to Doctors Without Borders, yes?)

YES. Go away and make a sign, woman. And work. So go find the egg, people (on a table!), or pick up the new cushion pile at Vent du Sud, for 1L...

Aptly called the Do nothing cushions because they do nothing except look pretty. Or rather they DO all change colour, individually. Just 1L, or more if you feel like helping out (but it's fine if you don't or can't).

Gone. Work.

52 Weeks of colour, white, and BIG RESIZER RANT

2011-04-04T09:19:00.000+02:00

Yep, this is me moping on my work platform above Vent du Sud.

Good things: RunoRuno Hyperkinetic dress in white, and it is just BEAUTIFUL. It even looks good sitting down and IT FITS (rant warning rant warning rant warning).

Bad things (another warning: this is a longer list).

1. Didn't get the new stuff out at Vent du Sud, but later today I will. It includes this... (WHITE... and 1L of course, as is the candle trio and a few other cute new things). 3 prims for the table, and simple. Other things too, post coming on that once I have stopped ranting.

And why did I not get the stuff out? Read on.

2. RL stuff like dishwasher leaking and mopping up lake, and tripping over the doorstep with an armful of freshly-washed (WHITE) curtains and a few bruises, and... well... I have had better Sundays.

3. SL stuff like buying a really nice sculpt skirt from a fairly well known designer that (more fool me) is resize only, no mod. And there is no glitch pant. And it does NOT FIT.

Why? Because if I make it big enough to cover my hips, it is HUGE around the waist. If I resize the belt part to get the skirt to meet it, it is massive. Bleh.

Have another photo while I fume. This 1L shelf, and its colour change version next to it, seems to be making a few people smile. Which is good, and makes money for Doctors Without Borders. 1L at a time. Goes with the new table too!

Where were we? Ah yes, ranting.

I have never encountered such a stupid skirt. I am neither a glamazon or a dwarf, dammit.

I fiddled with it for ages. I shall probably end up deleting it, and will most definitely contact the creator (politely, honest) and say what I think. I actually bought two, and on my frugal clothes budget, just ouch.

Are we all so dumb that we can't edit separate parts any more?

Why oh why not leave it modify, so I could move a couple of the skirt panels? Or at least include an underpants layer so that every movement does not show leg (much as I could flash some smart undies, just no). Sure I could find another underpants layer and tint it but also, just no.

And another thing. (Hey, when I rant, I RANT). Sculpt skirts look great for photos, sure, but sitting down in them, or walking around in them? Not quite as effective, particularly when they are all attached to a single point.

More RunoRuno.

Seriously, get this dress. Comes in black too. And it is modifiable. And the sculpt bits are attached to different points so you can actually, you know, walk around in it and sit down.

And please; keep on coming and being so generous for my Doctors Without Borders month at Vent du Sud!

How to be totally frustrated (involves flashers and pink violins)

2011-04-01T10:26:00.000+02:00

Do not let your other half choose a laptop for you in your absence. Ever.

(Have a photo, read about new wall art at Vent du Sud below, but first let me scream, please?)

This is a computer which, when you read up about it, (he didn't) is the buggiest, crashiest model in the known universe. And I have hated it for the last six months because of it.

Mr RL's original theory was that it is all about SL (no, it isn't. It crashes on Google. It crashes on everything and does for thousands of unhappy owners on several continents. Hmph.

"Flash your bios", say all the forums, usefully linking to a new one.

So I shall have to go and find a flasher. Soon.

Not the type you find on back streets, no, but somebody who can save my sanity. (Tenuous connection in terms of back streets, but here's another bit of wall art).

Mind, I still want to collect as much for Doctors Without Borders as possible until 20 April soooo.... despite a particularly Bad Computer Week I have at least uploaded some of my own photos, taken one morning at the market in the town I live and photoshopped ~~the crap out of them~~ skilfully.

Yours, obviously, for 1L.

Smart 2-prim version version of a couple in the mainstore, and in the big summer cabin, a small selection on a one-prim base with rather pretty frame that you can resize, turn on full bright, etc.

Don't you love this guy with the pink (electric) violin?

OK going now in the hope that today there will be fewer blue screens of death and cursing and general bad humour.

But here's the mini-expo and of course two sizes of cabin for just 50L.

Theft (confession), dentists and bookshelves

2011-03-27T20:44:00.001+02:00

I don't recommend having jaw pain sending you through the roof in a town where there appears to be no emergency dentist at weekends.

No, not fishing for sympathy. Not quite climbing up walls today (ah, pharmaceutical goodness how I love thee). But this happened after a trip to the dentist for one of those 'no no it won't hurt' things.

Hah.

Moving on to theft, I was reading battered interior decoration magazines in the waiting room, and saw something like this...

... so I made it.

(The little row of lights and the bonsai are separate. The books come with the bookshelf.)

Go on, splurge on all three for a massive 3L. Being mod/copy you can use the books elsewhere, of course.

In the Vent du Sud mainstore.

(5 prims for the bookshelf, 3 for the 3 x 1-prim books. 7 for the lights, 4 for the bonsai and candle and why yes the candles work look at the smoke).

I often think in prims, see ('hmmm could do that in six, or four if I use a sculpt' ... followed by three hours on the marketplace to find a sculpt, which is not delivered, contact vendor, wait, vendor resends, marketplace version shows up, both as I go to bed. Gotta love SL).

Ah, back to theft. Sorry.

I tore out the page of the magazine because I knew I was too nervous of drills and things to remember what it looked like, wicked, wicked woman that I am.

(Go on, spend 3L (and remember it all goes to Doctors without Borders until 20 April)

See, having seen some amazingly dramatic drama about fashion designers being inspired by / copying clothes, I thought I'd own up straight away. So there you are. I confess.

Should I contact the company and tell them I am selling these two items for 1L? And if I'm extraordinarily fortunate, I may make about 50 cents from it? A couple of dollars if it's the Next Big Item?

Well, I'm not.

The company is La Maison Coloniale. Which I have put in a notecard inside both items. Well I think so, definitely in the white one.

Oh dear. Ignore me and admire the books.

And to round up this rather drug-addled post, there is also a bookless version that is colour change with zillions of colours. 5 prims.

Right there beside the white one with the books. .Go on, buy both.

But there is more.

On the other page I tore out (OK, OK, I confess again, there were two quiet rips) there is this really nice wall shelving shelving unit thingummy too.

Watch this space.

More new things to come at Vent du Sud very shortly, but I left off for a bit to make the bookshelf.

Go buy it!

Marketplace masochism, tree house, 52 weeks of colour, umber

2011-03-24T09:54:00.000+01:00

First, umber. Late. Really not impressed with my photos here, but I AM impressed with Miel's clothes. Lia dress.

Hm. I suppose I'm just more interested in spring pastels (Maitreya scarf, tinted pink). Excuse me while I check on the Marketplace to see if Lia comes in springlike colours (no it doesn't but I wish it did, and my finger twitched on the rest of the store...).

But as the photos are taken in the Vent du Sud Tree Haven (which is sort of rich teak with umberish windows, scroll on, brave readers), let me just proudly announce I have been tussling with the Marketplace to get my builds on there...

...and behold, after much tearing of hair, the lighthouses, the tree haven and the farmhouse are finally up. More to come when I feel like more masochism.

Click on the doors, the blinds, the ladders, the French windows... and just 50L, right here, next the beach cabins but it's, um, a big tree so hard to miss and I can't find the exact tp and am not online as I should be working.. and all for 48 prims.

(OK so my writing style is not quite as polished as it might be this morning).

Still have to add the beach cabins and the patio store but the Marketplace income will be added to the rest for until 20 April for Doctors Without Borders (please take a second to read about what they are doing in Japan?)

So go buy a tree house, hmm?

Sky blue / rant about charity in SL and more new stuff (52 weeks of colour)

2011-03-21T13:13:00.003+01:00

Sky blue... first the SHOES, which are Françoise flats from Shiny Things and although a couple of years old, wonderful.

Second, sky blue like the summer cabins, which are out at Vent du Sud (as is this 1L , 3-prim easel with brush and palette on the deck of the bigger one). The smaller one (pictured below), is 50L (Vent du Sud build price), a tiny 19 prims, and comes in both sky blue with yellow roof and and yellow with sky blue roof.

Direct link to the cabins here (but close to the main tp).

And read on for the rant!

And the bigger cabin is yellow with sky blue but still 19 prims.

Ummm... I like sky blue...!

I also love all the people who have come to Vent du Sud and bought stuff, knowing (or not) that my sales are going to Doctors Without Borders for a month. Thank you and keep coming!

And before I rant (oh boy, she's ranting again), another tiny new thing in the Vent du Sud mainstore, right up front. Standing photo frames, 1L, add your own images.

As for the rant, I saw a couple of disturbing things about donations for Japan yesterday.

As in comments about vendors 'only doing it for publicity and for themselves'. Personally, I think the important thing is that people are aware that people need help, and anything that brings in donations is not all bad. Sure it might be added publicity for the vendor too, but - so what? Sure people could give personally rather than through SL, but if it's about a few Lindens that people could well spend inworld anyway, why not try to do some good with them?

As for how much, certain creators are giving of their SL income, I don't think anyone can stand in judgement about who can offer what percentage. Not your damned business!

I also saw a comment reminding people that Japan is not the only disaster area. This is why I support Doctors Without Borders. It does NOT accept donations specifically for any disaster but tries to deploy resources where most needed, and its overheads are low, low, low. But yes, I see the point in that reminder - except that Japan is a major disaster so its resources - rapid and concrete - are needed.

And last, yes I do hope people show their donation receipts, and can understand some cynicism about whether people will (and yes, I will), but until the chosen period for a charity item is over then you take your chance. Sad, but true. But should it make you refuse to buy charity items 'in case' it's a scam? I think that is also up to the individual. Also sadly...

... it is being used as fodder for personal bitchiness which seems to have very little to do with Japan, or any charity, at all.

Rant over. And I shall get around to Umber... late. My photos of the outfit were terrible (so what's new?) so will have to do them again.

Japan - and Vent du Sud

2011-03-20T08:33:00.000+01:00

A small piece of RL information: part of my work is with people involved in disaster victim identification and crisis relief in general. I admire them more than I can possibly express in words.

My charity contributions go to Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) because I really admire what they do. Please see this article about their work in Japan, and please read on for what I want Vent du Sud to do to help.

Now, I sell stuff for 1L at Vent du Sud to help with tier, but am unlikely ever to cover it. SL, as I have said before, is my hobby.

My budget, in fact, takes into account a very few sales, plus stipend and the rent (at cost) I get from those who share it with me. So I hope that doing this will be more fruitful than, in my case, setting up vendors for the Pacific Relief effort.

Any sales and tips at Vent du Sud for a month from today will be donated, plus anything I can add.

Tip boxes in various places by the Vent du Sud stores, builds, etc.

I will scan the receipt when I send the donation.

So please drop by. There are new things in the store too and more coming regularly!

And in advance, thank you.

Quick and dirty

2011-03-13T12:57:00.000+01:00

OK not so dirty

Yep, still more stuff appearing at the Vent du Sud mainstore.

Bed, 11 prims, lots of texture options for the bedding poses too (click the headboard), photos by Yours Truly.

Need I say it? 1L. Only.

And not quite as new but cute, no?

Farmhouse frames. Each one, you can change the background colour (4 available). Price? Well you should know it by now, but 1L, in the Vent du Sud mainstore also.

See? Quick and dirty. Doesn't happen often

Enjoy!

Of chairs, checkerboards and cheek

2011-03-12T08:05:00.000+01:00

So here I am in the cold grey light of dawn in RL, sitting on one small SL chair that to me is a quantum leap in 'how to make stuff better', and thanks to a hugely talented scripter with a heart of gold.

Yes, it's just a little farmhouse style chair with 4 textures, 3 poses and 3 prims, but the script makes it easy to choose the options for either rather than clicking on one part of the item for each. Eventually, I'll be using it in other things. Oh, and of course, like all our decor, it's 1L at Vent du Sud

More about the new stuff in other posts but in this one, I wanted to thank the scripter for being so incredibly generous (I'm hoping to repay her by some translations) and a couple of clients for testing the chair as I fiddled with buttons - and being so patient over it (and who went off armed with free stuff but still went and bought things).

SL people can be so lovely.

And a few, less so. Why yes, a small rant is about to happen.

See this? I'll spare you the extra-large version, but I have now found out from a couple of friends that the checkerboard effect over the sea is something to do with viewers so I shall be testing out various alternatives and tweaking my water settings yet again. Or bite the bullet and change viewers for photos (arghhh).

I also asked about it on a group chat where I have been mostly answering questions for over 3 years but now and then ask a few of my own. It is, I should add, a voluntary thing. I think it's great.

So, I had an IM from a guy making a few suggestions about my graphics settings. I'd actually been through all that, and basically - beyond suggesting different graphics formats, which didn't work - he had no idea either and suggested, as I'd already said, that I would just have to experiment more.

I offered him a lighthouse for ten minutes of his trouble and time, which I tend to do because although this is a group of volunteers, I think it's still nice to offer thanks and perhaps something in kind, if you can.

His reply? "I prefer payment".

My jaw dropped. I said I was surprised since the group was all about volunteers, but asked how much. Never got a reply.

I just hope he is not using the group as a way to make money. How... disappointing.

Then I went back to building, but that stuck in my mind all day.

But yeah, the chairs. I am SO HAPPY about these chairs and so grateful for the help with them. They are in soft, springlike colours and again, yours for 1L. Mod/copy.

Discover them, plus lots of other new stuff, at the Vent du Sud mainstore.

And now, apparently, I have to look for some latex (and I suspect I know who put that comment on yesterday's post, but could be wrong).

How to be an idiot, building bridges and don't be frilly

2011-03-11T08:58:00.000+01:00

I tend to be rather ~~mean~~ frugal about buying clothes lately, to the extent that my ~~rude~~ adorable friends all faint when I actually buy something (that is not a texture or a sculpt).

So yesterday, I was at Vent du Sud trying on a NEW DRESS* when I see 'X paid you 1L for Object'.

Object?

Now, I am careful about naming things, normally. So, as she was on the sim, I asked her (embarassed much?) what it was.

This. The bridge.Except it was GONE.

She was so kind, and actually apologised but really had no need to as idiot me had not only set it on sale, named 'Object' in some moment of extreme stupidity but the original.

And it was, as usual, mod/copy and I had recently emptied my trash (too many Objects) so she couldn't transfer it back.

No more bridge (but I rebuilt it, read on, brave people).

OK it is not a masterpiece, simply a 3-prim drawbridge that clicks open and closes itself when I'm swimming or boating around the sim, but she liked it.

(Why do my sea pictures have this infuriating checkerboard effect? First person to explain gets a free lighthouse)

So, we chatted a little (really, she was charming), with me kicking myself for making newbie blunders and her buying up the store and leaving tips. So yep, did wonders for the morale and a reminder that there are some great people around on SL.

And then, feeling all mellow despite needing to reconnect the lighthouse to the sim
(pause for quick plug, reminder, what have you, but it is 50L, 25 prims and here)

I turned back to *the dress.

(Once I'd rebuilt the 3-prim bridge, now on sale as the Vent du Sud drawbridge, for 1L, mod / copy and not the original),

Agade came over. Looked.

Agade knows me well enough to say what she thinks.

Yes, she said, nicely made. Unusual. But Ari...

I needed a New Look for Boring Old Me, I told her.

It has frills, she said. It's just not... you.

She was right.

So maybe I should go try latex, platform hooker shoes and huge cleavage or something?

Or just go back to staring at clothes and then wander on back to my platform in my jeans, and haul prims. While trying to remember to name them and not set originals for sale.

(Credit where it's due, though. It is a lovely dress, by Kazuo, called 'Waves').

And the kitchen sink

2011-03-10T14:22:00.001+01:00

This sink is the fault of a work colleague who takes everything but the kitchen sink for a two-day job. Amazing what can inspire SL building at Vent du Sud, eh?

So here is 'And the kitchen sink', which in fact comes with the bench and sink and the accessories separately (is there no end to my brilliance), and is yours for 5L. No, not a massive price hike but you get mod/copy soap, jug, basket and towel with it, so five things in one. Plus, nearby, other matching bits and bobs for 1L.

And there is more. The tap drips (with thanks to Menthal Oh who turned my messy torrent into perfectly shaped drops, dripping slowly), or can be turned off (click the bench). You do not want to know how many snapshots I took of those *** drips, and none worked.

And even that is not all. Vent du Sud packs a lot into 5L. The bowl, and the tiles, change texture on touch (come on, you know you want to click). Instructions inside too.

And why yes, a few more new things are appearing at the Vent du Sud mainstore if you look closely at the next to last pic. All at 1L, remember?

And lots more to come so check back often.

Ecru at home: 52 weeks of colour

2011-03-08T07:46:00.000+01:00

Yep, I have a Linden home. A little A-frame one. Somewhere to dream (or more honestly, somewhere to go during sim restarts or to try out clothes or colour schemes).

A tiny hideaway from Vent du Sud, known to nobody. Chez moi in 117 prims, all my own designs except for the picture here. Furnishings plus room divider, blinds, roof terrace.

And at the moment it's mainly ecru.

I made the prims go a long way...

All of the items, you'll find at Vent du Sud. And if you have an A-frame and like the idea of the structural bits (or want a custom version and colours), let me - Ariadne Korda - know.

Price? Ummm considering my decor is 1L then not very much, because I'd have fun doing it.

And I'll never tell anyone where your hideaway is.

Credits: Dress from TRAM, hair Exile, shoes and necklace Miel. Decor Vent du Sud (except picture which was an old freebie).

Not so battered, spring has sprung, etc etc

2011-03-04T08:44:00.000+01:00

It is so good to get back to building, and a gazillion things are in progress at Vent du Sud.

First taste is out near the subscribo, and is a delightfully battered coffee table called, in a burst of inspiration, "battered coffee table". Mod/copy, 4 prims and (naturally) 1L. Frames available any time soon, as I slowly move things in (last chance to grab lots of things).

And see these? 1L of course. Mod/copy. 2 prims only.

Where?

Here. New mini version of the 19-prim, 50L beach cabin, in BLUE (more colours coming), but with a few other new 1L goodies on the deck, such as this...

Which is in fact a great way of growing herbs or plants in RL and using up old plantpots.

Need I say it? 1L.

Lots more to come.... as you can see here (no I am not a tidy builder, I know it).

So keep checking in at Vent du Sud... new things out regularly now as I give them a final tweak!

Hugging trees, French Hunt, electric lime and where is my HEAD?

2011-03-02T08:27:00.000+01:00

OK, so ages ago ago, before life turned into a long series of airports and work backlogs, I signed up to take part in a French hunt.

Since I got back, I have done ~~a lot of~~ too much staring into space and mooching around the (albeit lovely if I say it myself) quiet spots of Vent du Sud.

Yesterday, I received a notecard with hunt details, with - under Vent du Sud - "skip this store" and was utterly mortified. So I have put it right and popped little watering can of tulips into the hunt container (a tiny Eiffel tower). Find the hunt notecard here, because there are some great things.

And lo, there is a tulip that is not far from electric lime, if you squint a bit.

And the olive oil and limes? Going to hit my SUBSCRIBO as a gift for a short time only, so if you didn't join it, do it now.

For clothing, I have to admit I can't ever imagine myself wearing lime now I am old and boring, and I am thus waaaaay too mean (and broke) to go buy an outfit, but a challenge is a challenge.

It did, however, mean I let my mind drift back to the days when I wandered around in long skirts, long hair and knitted hats. Hugged a tree or two, as you did (olive trees are a little tricky but hey).

So having hugged trees, it is perhaps time to stop drifting and start hauling prims again. Probably not dressed like this but lo, the black GEO set at the usual 1L per item has funky colour change cushions, including lime.

Do drop in, grab the hunt gift and take advantage of the other great stores at Vent du Sud. And if I'm standing around looking dopey, just remind me I should be a little more productive?

Frugal credits: Posh hair (free) with tinted hat, linen skirt from the Closet (tinted) and oooooold frayed top from PBI, now closed.