Spring At Last!

Spring has come to Second Life, or at least on my sim.  I logged in the other day and to my surprise the landlord had changed the winter forest scene to springtime.  It look a little odd with my snowy cabins and patches of ice against the fresh earth.  I’m really excited that I can finally use the Brook Hill Living Chilmark House I got last year, so it will take a moment for me to change the landscaping.  In the meantime, I styled a springtime garden setting using Tylar’s Treasures   Aurora in Spring and Watercolor Garden with Waterfall offered for 50% off at Perfect Ten Event (until 3/15/17).  The Aurora Arbor has a small fence to both side, trees, moss, and a stump with a bunny.  The poses include couple dances and cuddle with texture change pillows.  The Watercolor Garden has four small rocks with wildflower and fern bordering the pond.  I also included Bluebird Garden fence, the gift for the Into the Blue Hunt (3/1-3/29).  Other decor items are KeKe Refurbished Spring Drawers and Sari Sari Repurposed Cart from the February 2017 Deco(c)rate box.  Lastly, Gloria is wearing the Saffron Necklace (#6), Loretta Dress (#4) & Sandals (#5), gifts from Purple Moon Cherries on Top Hunt 6 (ending 2/28/17).  I love this hunt, I look forward to it every year, hopefully I can take some snaps of the other gifts.  Below is the hunt information.  Have a great evening!

There are 10 hidden cherry cakes around the ground level of Purple Moon store and one at WetCat store (pose I’m using).

Instructions
**********
1- This hunt is free and open to public (no group membership required)
2- The object you are looking for is a SLICE OF CAKE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP (like the sample located at the entrance)
3- To receive the gift, simple touch the cake. You will be given an object that can be worn to unpack.
4- The prizes have funny names, no Area Search allowed!
5- There are no hints given. They are on plain sight. Very easy to find and this is more for the fun of it than anything else.
6- The prizes have been hidden at the GROUND LEVEL of the MAIN STORE (9 of them). Not upstairs. There is one extra prize to be found at Wetcat Main Store The balloon decorations are an indicator that there are some cherry cakes hidden in that room!
7- It is MANDATORY to HAVE FUN!

Dark Romance

Happy Saturday!  Hope your week went well.  I’ve been battling a flu/cold all week, so I’m going to skip waxing poetically and get right to the point.  Today’s post features a few time sensitive events closing on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.  First up is Park Place Home Decor Black Leather Chaise, Red Heart Garland Wall Decor, Gray Shag Diamonds Area Rug, Leafy Green Table Plant and French Walnut Round Accent Side Table exclusive for the Swank Event ending 2/28/17.  The theme for February was truly, madly, deeply; which inspired the darker boudoir.  Next is Brook Hill Livings recent release for the February round of The Crossroads Event, the Wagner Chair in Ebony and Spotlight, closing 2/28/17.  I also used the Faun Chandelier in Midnight, available for sale at the main store.  The remaining decor items are from a new to me subscriber monthly event called Deco(c)rate.  On the 8th of every month a mystery box with 15 semi-exclusive items from top H&G designers are delivered to your inventory, if you reserved your cart for $1,500L before the 7th.  Afterward the price doubles to $3,000L.  In today’s post, I used Mudhoney Ginny Bed, Second Spaces Mood Lighting Candles, Cheeky Pea Forgotten Places Fireplace, Hextraordinary Antique Cherub Lamp, Stockholm & Lima The Lovers Trail and Serenity Style All for Love Suitcase.  There are a number of other items that I hope to showcase before the new March boxes arrive.  Personally, I’m still a little on the fence about a subscription event, time will tell if it’s for me.  (I do love my bargains :-))  Lastly, I mentioned in my last blog post I wanted to spotlight more gifts from the Love Me…Love Me Not Hunt (ending 2/28) and Gloria is sporting the Facepalm Just Love red silk sleep shirt in standard sizing and mesh compatible.  Gloria’s golden locks are HoneyAna, the new group gift from Truth Hair ($350L join fee).  Hope you enjoyed the post, I’ve got couple more planned for the weekend….stay tuned!

Autumn Glow

I adore fall, it’s my favorite time of the year to decorate.  From the glorious colors, to the fresh crisp smell in the air, and the yummy baked goods, it’s simply divine.  It’s easy to be inspired by this magical season and design a warm cozy retreat.  Today, I’ve created an autumnal living space using tons of free hunts items from The Seasons Story 2nd Anniversary, Chez Moi Spooky Hunt, and The Photographers Hunt $5L (all ending October 31, 2015).  I also included Sway’s Victor Wood Burning Stove & Storage Bench both deeply discounted 50%- 75% off for the Mix Event also ending October 31st.  Lastly, Sway’s Erika Set in Harvest (available @ Uber, ending today 10/23/15) was the ideal living room collection to use, bringing all the colors of fall into the space. The Erika Set includes a couch with 16 single & friends animations (up to 3 avis’s), 8 couple animations, 3 texture options for the pillows, coffee table, and decorative accessorizes (2 vases, bowl with apples).  There are numerous hunts and freebies being offered now, so take advantage of the gifts and have fun decorating!

Structure: Vespertine, Chanson Dautomne Skyloft

• Sway’s: Erika Set in Harvest (Uber, 10/23/15)
• Sway’s: Victor Wood Burning Stove & Victor Storage Bench (50-75% off Mix Event, 10/31/15)
• Dreamscapes Art Gallery: Country Life (The Photographers Hunt, 10/31/15)
• Sway’s: Enchanted Branch Shelf, Fall Jar with Acorns and Candle, Branch Wrapped Candle, Pumpkin Line & George Hat Stand
• Dreamscapes Art Gallery: *Pumpkin* Bucket A, *Apples* Wood Buckets, *Autumn* Deco Shutter B & *Candle Chair* Autumn
• Cheeky Pea: Autumn Crate Decor
• Junk: Bartlet Rug (One)
• Shutter Field: Fall Letter Decor
• Vespertine: Vintage Postbox (Yellow)
• The Season Story (2nd Anniversary gifts): A.D.D.Andel! Wooden Pumpkins, The Horror! Vampkin, unKindness Comfort Tubby (Autumn), C’est la vie ! Autumn Mug, Poche Applepie 2015, Roawenwood Cake Donuts Platter & Tomoto Tourou
• Chez Moi’s Spooky Hunt: Fall Wreath (gift #2), Fall Big/Small Fan Pumpkin (gift #4), Entry Halloween Decor (gift #11), Happy Halloween Doormat (gift #10) & Chair/Blanket Fall into Fall (gift #12)

Act today to change tomorrow!

If I said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, my favorite part of Second Life are the charity fundraisers benefitting first world nonprofits.  I love seeing SL residents come together to support one another and the generosity of SL designers make it possible.  Today, I’m very excited to share with you Team Diabetes of Second Life, a new fundraiser event benefitting American Diabetes Association.

The American Diabetes Association’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.  The American Diabetes Association leads the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fights for those affected by diabetes by funding research to prevent, cure, and manage diabetes.  The ADA delivers services to hundreds of communities and provides objective and credible information and resources about diabetes.

With 100% of the proceeds of sales donated to the ADA, Team Diabetes of Second Life has a number of fundraiser events on the schedule including Fall Showcase 2015 & Art in Hat 2015 (in Nov).  The Fall Showcase 2015 will offer a different selection of creators every 3 months.  You can also donate directly on the Team Diabetes website.  This charity strikes a personal chord with me because I recently discovered both of my great-grandmas had diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.  Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar.  Hyperglycemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

In 2014, 9% of adults 18 years and older had diabetes.  In 2012 diabetes was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths.  More than 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.  WHO projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030.

DeAnn Defaux, owner and creator of Park Place Home Decor was also touched by diabetes and has designed a living room collection in honor of her long time friend Connie, who has been living with diabetes since she was 15 years old.  The Connie Set is available until Oct 31, 2015 with 100% of all proceeds going to Team Diabetes of SL.  The set includes a blue love seat (representing the blue circle in the logo for The World Diabetes Day and the official color for the International Diabetes Federation), wooden and glass coffee table with decorative accessories, books and pussy willow vase.  The Connie love seat has male/female animations as well as couple animations.

To complete the styling of the living space, I wanted to enhance the blue color palette by using ancient Chinese blue & white temple jars placed upon a blue tiled antique Spargel & Shine Home white stone Madison Fireplace ($10L on Antique Grid Autumn Hunt) and aged Serenity Style whitewash piano creating a relaxed mood.  Pops of blue are renforced in the mug on the coffee table and handbag scarf on the piano bench.   Softer green rug draws your eyes to Serenity Style Soul Happy Chest Collection (green), discounted 25% at On9 (until 10/28/15).

Lastly, I wanted to give you an update on the Rock Your Rack 2015 event I blogged last week…drumroll please: total raised for the National Breast Cancer Foundation is $658,991L or $2,500 USD.  Please continue your generosity for this very important ADA inaugural charity fundraiser, look for my blog post on Art in Hats 2015 coming soon!

Taxi to Park Place Home Decor please…

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)