The perfect saleswoman? Also, wenge and CARS.

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

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

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

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

Difficult. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Prods*.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

And now for something completely different

I've talked about Menthal Oh's superb gizmos before. Boats, planes, smoke emitters, tanning beds, snow bazookas, etc.

But...

Suddenly I hear 'Hey ARI! New build! Come look'

So I did. 

 'I just need some sexy girl for photos now, to put it on the marketplace', he said sweetly.

'No way, Menthal. Go get undressed. NOW'

'Uh...'

'You want this blogged or not?'



So here it is. The ultimate pole dance... gizmo.

And here he is. Wiggling most impressively.

Not only does it have the animations, it changes colour, gives out particles, smoke....

 ... and works perfectly well for both men and women, no?

Find it for sale at Vent du Sud, on the square.

Yes, you may try it. Yes, you may ask Menthal for a personal demo. I am sure he will be delighted.


(Running away before he or his girlfriend kills me)

Sailing into 2011, grab a dinghy, gifts, and rather too many links

If you feel like a quiet (romantic) break from parties and champagne and New Year celebrations... here's an idea.

I've blogged about R0bin Helsinki's fabulous Sea Fever exhibition before (here), which is why we are cheerfully sailing through a photograph in the photo... but since then we've added a few touches.  Such as this superb (free) boat ride.

... plus some seabirds and fish and a dolphin who escaped... and which if you look closely, is posing as a killer whale about to attack Menthal (over by the Vent du Sud rustic lighthouse *cough plug 50L*).

Back to the boat, though. Menthal Oh made the dinghy specially for Vent du Sud (thank youuuu). Rezz one HERE and go zipping along the rivers and the whole island (mind your head under the bridges).

The drawbridge near the BIG lighthouse (*cough plug also 50L*) raises to let you through - just click (admiring my buildery genius as you do so and buying it (mod copy) for 1L if the fancy takes you).

Drawbridge. Favourite Argrace hair 'modern rail

This is NOT a normal dinghy. It's sleek and sophisticated, has spray and a wake and can seat up to four people. Great build, as always. 

You can BUY the boat by the rezzer too, without the Vent du Sud flag, don't worry. Or contact Menthal when he gets back after the weekend for a personalised version, or even a rezzer for your land.

And finally (*cough again*) I will probably be blogging again later today since I have some cute gifts for my subscribo people, which will only be in there for 24 hours.

And why yes this post has way too many links so see below if you are totally confused.

Off to rescue a dolphin...


Link reminders (or just fly around!):
- Vent du Sud boat rezzer / purchase and rustic lighthouse here
- Art café entrance here (also Menthal's latest gizmos on the square)
- Subscribo and Vent du Sud main store here
- Big lighthouse here

In which I turn my focus from my own navel

Vent du Sud isn't just me, it's also a bunch of friends and fellow creators.

So today a quick look at Menthal Oh and his latest, superb... gadgets? Masterpieces?

Doesn't everybody need a snowball bazooka?

My PC appears to have eaten the one showing it shooting  HUGE SNOWBALLS.  Incredibly detailed with blinking lights. And speaking of lights...

Everybody DOES need one of these, right? (I do mean the sunbed)

The tanning bed has lights and poses... and yes I did mutter yesterday about one of those tanning beds for, er, more than one person.

Find both on the Vent du Sud square. 

And, of course there is Ms 'I don't do sales, Ari', our own Rett Gentil.

Who HAS put her heavy satin Christmas dress out at her Vent du Sud store with a massive 25% off this week only (and here only). Rett has had a few health issues but is up and running and is her old self again (only a WEEK, Ari...).

Coming up also, Gefi the builder and R0bin Helsinki's stunning new photo exhibition (which is in place already but we're working on dates for an opening party). It's unusual. Go see at the Art Café but more on it later.

Shoot

Not content with making smoke emitters and bubbles and foam and fairy lights and what have you that ooze all over the Vent du Sud main square (why do people never turn them OFF?) Menthal Oh has recently come up with this.

Mind, before it was finished there was much testing, together with script genius Geek Back. 
Bottles flew, exploded, flew around... guns were brandished, until it all worked beautifully. Even better, the broken glass clears itself up, or we'd have been knee deep in it by now.

 

What is it? Well, you click to line up the bottles and then shoot 'em (with the pistol kindly provided).
No, it is not free, but it's a fun item for any sim where, y'know, people wave pistols around. Have yourself a champagne shooting party (I'll just loiter and drink it, thanks). 

And if you don't want to waste the bubbly, then you can shoot balloons instead (below, me watching them bounce around and showing off the new leather pants from The Abyss and oh boy they are gorgeous).

So come shoot some bottles?

Me being mean, I suggested a row of cute little Santas in place of the champagne but think of the bloodshed on the square.

But I did suggest snowmen... and Mental was last seen muttering about a snow cannon.

For now, though drop in and try out it at Vent du Sud while picking up some of our remarkable 1L decor and fabulous 50L builds.

You may also, of course, spread bubbles and foam and smoke all over the square but please hit the big red OFF button before you leave? Heh.

Blank on Monday

No, my photography isn't worse than usual. Nor am I trying for 'fancy effects'.

Logged on this morning to find that yet again somebody hadn't bothered with the 'off' switch on Menthal's great dance floor mist machine (except it was purple and... purple is not my favourite colour). Great gizmo though and apparently it's selling really well. Go check it out (but please TURN IT OFF after!)

So, anxious to avoid work, I started musing about colour and tinting, mainly because last night I tried on the new group gift from Kunglers (50L very well spent, may I add). LOVED both parts, but not together. So having tweaked the skirt to fit, I added the bare top from Coco and tinted it.

I have to say that I tend to buy a LOT of white or light-coloured, modifiable clothes and tint them. Just call me thrifty :)

Did you know, btw, that if you hit advanced / UI / show color under cursor you can match just about anything? Go try it: you get the RGB values of whatever's under your cursor shown to the bottom right of the screen. Small warning though... it tends to do weird things on taking photos, i.e. turning the dialogue box transparent. So unclick again for snapshots.

Anyway, that gave me an idea for the more adventurous shoppers among you.

I've blogged about my pile of pillows with a whole lot of anims in them before. A lot of my furniture packs have matching sets of them thrown in (but they're available separately too) -.have a wander around and see some of the different colours and check out the nPose goodness. Copiable, 100L.

So, as it's Monday, and 'blank' describes me rather well (my desk is groaning under work, none of which appeals much), I've put out a BLANK set you can modify, and copy. Meaning playtime if you'd like to experiment with colours and / or fabrics

Even better, the offsets are all pre-done so that you can apply shaded textures without tweaking too, making it even easier.

6 prims the lot, and really, a LOT of pre-installed anims, including 3 couples' poses, friends' sets, solo...

... including one I'd vastly prefer to stay on rather than attack a  Monday morning (ohmmmmm).

Where? Either direct tp here

Or just look for the brand new Vent du Sud Tree Haven - visible from the main square even with lowish draw distances (and yes, going to blog about it soon).

How long? 48 hours max.

Price? 150L for endless colours, tints and comfy seating. And meditation early on a Monday.

Happy Monday!

Let's keep it clean

I always know Menthal's been busy when he calls me over to 'test something'. Must say I didn't expect to end up on my knees this time. (And no, not like that).
Well, I suppose I have been known to mutter we should keep Vent du Sud clean...

So there we were, him attacking the Y-fronts and me scrubbing away at the pantaloons, with bubbles flying everywhere.

Great gadget, though, and perfect for lots of themes. And if you ask Menthal Oh nicely, I'm quite sure he'd be happy to make a custom version for any store or sim (why do I think he'd LOVE to add a set of silks or a tiny bikini to one, much as I love the pantaloons)



Right now, though, get both male and female versions (7 prims each, gives you the foaming brush) out on the square at Vent du Sud, for just 190L for the two. )

Also, they are mod and transfer, meaning you can give them to any potential, er, scrubbers you like.

Drop in and see them right near the tp point.

Vent du Sud: possibly the only sim where you run the risk of housemaid's knee!