BBBC: in search of the good

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

OK deep breath.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other people's words - BBBC and stuff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Without deadlines.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

... lining up other people's words :)