The Hands of Time!

I wasn’t going to do Halloween this year because I over did it last year with a week-long sim open house and multiple blog posts, however that all changed when I saw Finishing Touches eerie skeleton leg table and adorable gothic Halloween Cupcake Treats.  The Halloween Cupcake Treats are a three-tiered cupcake stand with three varieties including hot pink frosting with dark chocolate spiderweb, pink vanilla milk chocolate spider with licorice spider legs and jolly skull-eyes.  The decorative treats inspired a stylized gothic black & white Tim Burton-ish living space complete with clock filled room, covered sheet chairs and spirits from beyond.  Pop over to Finishing Touches and delve into the deliciously decadent gothic Halloween delights!

Structure: Scarlet Creative, Burtonesque House 1 (Collabor88)

• [ht:home]: Covered Furniture Set (chairs, table, ottoman, lamp–released for The Challenge Sept Round, Fabric)
• Finishing Touches: Cupcake, Skeleton Leg Table Short, Stacked Mono Pumpkins in Bell Jar, Button Quilt Hassock
• Deathrowdesign: MM Frames1 (past Sept 2015 Arcade item), Burtonesque Clocks (Collabor88)
• Park Place Home Design: Halloween Floor Candelabra (The Halloween Faire)
• Shabby Tabby: Victorian Pumpkin Birdcage ($10L Antique Grid Hunt)

Castaway Island…

A new round of The Challenge has started with the theme Castaway.  For the July round seven designers have created beachy sun-bleached weathered decor items available at their main stores.  Both Kuro and Shutter Field items are discounted for the month of July.  In the scene above I’m featuring Kuro Easy Breeze shack with 6 single and 10 couple animations on sale for 25% off.  Also on display is Hate This Castaway Campfire with on/off touch for smoke and sound on the campfire, and 17 single and 14 couple poses on the hollow log.  Lastly, Shutter Field has created two releases for the themed monthly shopping event both 30% off during July.  In the foreground of the picture is the Castaway Bed and Lantern with 16 single and 8 couple sits and wearable props.  Completing the Castaway collection is the Outhouse Set featuring a twig makeshift bathroom with toilet paper, shovel and buckets.  There are several other designer who have created pieces for The Challenge, so check out the website and Let’s Get Decorating!

Scene:

• Studio Skye: Tropical Plants, Palm Trees and Sand Dunes
• Kuro: Easy Breeze (25% off discount duration of the event)
• Hate This: Castaway Campfire 
• Shutter Field: Castaway Bed & Outhouse Set (30% off discount during July)
• Serenity Style: Vintage Swimmers (exclusive for On9 until 7/28)
• Serenity Style: Bag & Boat Decor (part of the Summer Beach Gacha Collection @ OMG! Oh My Gacha until 7/31)

Teahouse of the August Moon

A new round of The Challenge has started for June with the theme Asian.  There are seven designers participating in the monthly themed event offering everything from a tea house, to sushi, to Asian cabinets.  The Challenge is a bit different than other monthly home & garden shopping events where themed products are available for sale at one location.  With this event you can sneak peek the items on The Challenge site and then if interested in purchasing the creation, you teleport to the different stores.

I personally love incorporating Far East pieces in home decor.  My childhood home was mainly furnished with Oriental antiques from my families travels.  The refinement of clean lines, balanced simplicity, natural materials, and hand painted lacquer furniture are elements of Asian style.  When I saw the June designs for The Challenge, I couldn’t wait to create a Japanese tea house in Second Life.  Traditionally, the tea house (as known as chashitsu) is free standing structure designed exclusivly for tea ceremonies.  Typical features of chashitsu are shoji windows and sliding doors made of wooden lattice covered in translucent paper.  I’m very fortunate that I’ve participated in many tea cermonies and its truly a beautiful experience.

I utilized [ht:home] little tea house as my building and styled a traditional tea ceremony with Cleo Designs tea table, chairs and tea accessories.  Cleo’s gorgeous luminous screen and floor lantern are flanking the side wall.  Apple Fall’s Chinese Credenza serves as a buffet table for Jian Sushi & Sashimi Time trays.  On the side of the buffet is 22769 ~ [bauwerk] My Zen Corner birdcage, cherry blossom, small buddha head, incense burner and zen stones.

Pull the shoji screens closed and both sides of the doorway have Asian cabinets (22769 ~ [bauwerk] My Zen Corner & Newchurch Kaidan Mission Tansu) and customary artifacts from porcelain temple jars, to bonsai trees, to miniature Japanese zen garden.  You can easily incoporate any of these furnishing into your SL home creating layers and nuance.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with unfamiliar styles, after all virtual interior design is easier on your back!

I also wanted to highlight Prism Moira, a sexy Asian printed outfit available for free on the Summertime Fun Hunt (June 1st – 30th).  Although you couldn’t wear it to a tradtional tea cermony, it will serve as the perfect inspiration for incoporating Asian style in your home.

Featured items available from The Challenge:

• [ht: home]: little tea house
• Cleo Design: Asian Dining
• 22769 ~ [bauwerk]: My Zen Corner
• Jian: Sushi & Sashimi Time
• Newchurch: Kaidan Mission Tansu

Other items used:

• KIDD Creations Bamboo & [DDD] Zen Bamboo
• *bbqq*: The Ming dynasty China scroll painting B (Past Arcade gacha)
• Apple Fall: Asian Art, Chinese Credenza, Temple Jar, Bonsai Tree & Cherry Blossom Branches
• Alouette: Miniature Zen Garden

On Gloria:

• Prism: Moira (**FREE** on Summertime Fun Hunt)
• Soonsiki: After School ($50L sale)

Wine Cellar

Aphrodite Shop and Heart Homes have paired up to bring you a taste of their country, Argentia.  The design duo are participating in The Multicultural Menu Event (June 1-21), a food fair where designers select a menu from 6 different global cuisine; Asian, European, Mediterranean, North American, South American, and South Pacific.  Marina Ramer (Aphrodite Shop) and Jaylin Whitewood (Heart Homes) are offering a number of new releases at the fair and they are located in the South American area (green on map below).

When I first saw Aphrodite Shop/Heart Homes new releases, I was immediately drawn to the “La Bodega” set, wine barrels repurposed into chairs and a coffee table.  Old flashbacks of my childhood flooded in and I became nostalgic. Some of my first remembrances were at wineries in Napa, CA (USA), I recall playing in the vineyards, the harvest crush, the smell of oak barrels, great food, music and laughter.  Distance memories now but they gave me inspiration to create a vineyard and cellar room in SL.

Heart Homes “La Bodega” set includes 2 barrel chair {20 animations & props}, barrel coffee table, animated wine & cheese board, framed wine bottle wall art, and texture change cow hide rug {4 texture options}.  I also used Summer Wine fat pack.  The “Picadita Argentina” wine and cheese board can be purchased separately, all available at the Multicultural event.  Pop over to The Multicultural Menu Event and check out all the goodies!

Taxi to The Multicultural Menu please…

Structure: Apple Fall, Rural Farmhouse (March 2015 Chapter Four Rare prize)

• Roost, Wine Cellar Set
• Heart Homes, “La Bodega” (barrel chairs, barrel coffee table, wine & cheese board, framed wine bottle wall art, & cow hide rug) & Summer Wine fat pack @ The Multicultural Menu
• [ht: home], Barrel Lid Wall Decor
• tarte., Wine Lights
• [ zerkalo ], Basket (Group Gift March 2015)
• Decor Junction, Wine Barrel, Wine Bottle Holder & Single Wine Holder & Glasses
• [DDD], Grape Vineyards

Shop ’til you Drop!

I love shopping as much as the next girl, my mom would often say “let’s shop till we drop.” When I learned that the October theme for The Challenge is Shopping, I was excited to create something in Second Life I’ve always dreamed of in real life, my own boutique.  Not only did I design and furnish “Glory’s Haute Couture Shop” with some of my favorite shoes, dresses, and hats, but I expanded the idea into a small seaside district, with “Glory’s Sweet Treat Shop” next door (previously blogged here).  Concentrating on my point of view (POV), of showcasing California interior design and styles, I attempted to create my favorite place on earth, Carmel-by-the-Sea.  I thought my tribute to Carmel build would fit perfectly into the monthly themed ? feature.

Carmel is a small coastal artist community situated on the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California. It is noted for cobblestone streets, small boutiques, art galleries, and being dog friendly.  One day I would love to own a second home in the Carmel Valley, but for now I have wonderful memories of important milestones, like my 18th birthday, spraining my ankle once or twice on the irregular pavement, and ordering a Ramos Fizz at the Del Monte Bar & Grill at the age of 5 (ok, so I guess I should have specify virgin cocktail, please).

I used the Black Tulips My First Store exclusive release as the corresponding storefront for both the boutique and sweet treat shop, creating uniformity and consistency in the boulevard. All the merchandise is arranged on Hate This Store Displays with fashion sketches indicating the variety of items. Cleo Designs Tete a Tete chairs with tea set frame the shop windows and the Fitting Rooms are in the corner of the store.  I transformed a Hate This Display Table into a check out area, pairing it with Fetch Shopping Corkboard and Kuro Shopping List.  If you are a designer looking to redesign your store, or ever wanted to fantasize about creating your own store, pop over and pick up these exclusive creations made for The Challenge.