The Interview Challenge

The Strawberry Singh meme of the week involved finding someone to interview me, so I threw Clay Cowen to the wolves (;-P) and asked him to interview me. I crashed three or four times trying to take a photo, and ended up with a less than optimal photo, but oh well. My computer and SL are not getting along that well lately. Here's our interview:

Me: I didn't get the pic I want but I got something, so let's start the interview. Can you interview me upside down?

Clay: hehe, sure. So, how long, do you think, before those wolves lose interest in us and we can get down?
Me: I think they're too smart for that. We'll have to teleport away. But maybe they're nice. I like dogs.

Clay: Like dogs, she says! Cute little store she says!  This woodland path is not scary she says! Seriously, what can I do to keep you from taking me shopping?
Me: There's nothing you can do to stop me. And that staying naked trick of yours doesn't work. It just makes me think you have nothing to wear.

Clay: Maybe I just like being naked around you, ever thought of that?
Me: It has occurred to me, yes. However, the urge to take you shopping is probably not the urge you're looking for. Besides, it's January 30th and I haven't taken you shopping in AGES! Do you remember the last time I made you go shopping?

Clay: Last time wasn't so bad, I guess. Is it very frustrating to be with a guy who changes his clothes about as often as a Simpsons character and hates shopping?
Me: grin It can be. I really don't understand how Second Life guys can wear the same clothes and skin and hair day in and day out. It's part of the fun for me in SL.

Clay: I guess for a lot of guys the fun of SL is just not having to worry about every day things like changes of clothes.  Is that how you got into doing the blog, enjoying the experience?
Me: You couldn't answer my question on when we last shopped together, could you?

Clay grumbles and looks at the wolves, considering trying his luck with them and looks back at her. "I guess not, no."
Me: I got into blogging because I like to put together looks and decorate my environment, and I like taking pictures, though sometimes with the computer crashes pictures are frustrating. I didn't think you'd remember...It was the Nerds and Geeks Fair! You got two Dr Who outfits and a sonic screwdriver!

Clay grins and nods "Now I remember it, yeah.  That was a while ago.  Do you enjoy finding new things like that?"
Me: I love the shared fantasy of Second Life, not just making my avi pretty (and yours). Everything we see on a sim is a creation of someone, not a background provided by Linden Labs. I love the designers who made the wolves, the trees, the poses, the clothes - and how I can put them together in my own way.

Clay grumbles about whoever made these menaces then looks back at Dolly. "You know, there are dangers in SL other than wolves.  Tell me the truth, you'd sell me to a travelling sideshow if it meant you could log on to Collabor88 first try every time, wouldn't you?"
Dolly Baroque grimaces for a moment, thinking hard. "Think that would work?"

Clay: How much hair is in your inventory and can we use it to fashion a rope and escape the wolves?
Me: Oh lord, I have no idea how many hairs I have, but I think we could make a rope to tie around the whole sim with the hair in my inventory. However, I'd rather feed you to the wolves than give them up.

Credits:

Studio Skye Enchanted Woods
Eclyps 3D Standing Wolf 1
Poses by Del May

On Clay

Dura-Boy 31(Mocha)
Colossus Boots Black
FATEwear Pants - John - London
FATEwear Shirt - Chung Blazer - Void
FATEwear Shirt - Chung TuckedShirt - London
Belleza- Ashton Medium GG Bald (chest hair)
 
On Dolly

Fashionably Dead Bossy Boots - Wingtip White
Fashionably Dead Bossy Boots Socks - White
Fashionably Dead Skin Tight Jeans - Sky Blue
coldLogic shirt - berry.paloma
Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands
Donna Flora SQUARE ring topaz
TRUTH HAIR Bryn
Glam Affair - Vera - America - Clean E
  

Winter Is Coming

The point of today's post is Strawberry Singh's weekly meme. This week we're going to talk about the winter season. I just turned our home sim to winter (surprise April and Ayla!) with the help of Alex Bader's gorgeous Studio Skye textures and landscaping so taking a photo was easy. On to the challenge.

Meme Instructions: Take a wintery picture and/or answer the following questions about the season. Don’t forget to leave a link to your post in Berry's comments and share your picture in the Blog Memes Flickr Group.

1. What is the December/Winter season like where you live? – I live in Ohio bordering Kentucky. We get snow most years, but not like they do further north. People transplanted from snowier climates snicker at how panicked we get when we're expecting a snowstorm. They all claim we don't know how to drive in the snow which may be true. But those superior northern snow drivers are used to driving on snow where roads lie flat. We're a city of hills, some quite steep. Go ahead Chicagoans! Stop at that red light at the bottom of Ravine Street and hope the bus behind you manages to stop, too!
2. When you think of winter, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? – When I think about it it's romantic. Soft sweaters, cuddling under down comforters, hot chocolate with marshmallows, that sort of thing. Reality is different. Scraping car windows, shoveling sidewalks, hoping the ice storm doesn't break limbs off of trees and knock down power lines.
3. Have you ever played any extreme winter sports? – When my two sons were little I decided we would all learn how to ski. We needed some outdoor activity for the winter. I'm glad I made that decision. The boys are pretty good skiers - one has also taken up snowboarding - while I have always been happy making my way slowly down the green slopes. So to answer the question - no. My biggest goal in skiing was to make sure I knew how to slow down and stop.
4. What do you like most about this season? – After December I must admit I'm kind of ready for Spring. I like the holidays and I like wearing the cozy sweaters. Hot chocolate is pretty cool, too.
5. Do you celebrate Christmas, Hannukkah, Kwanzaa or another holiday during this time of year? – We're a multicultural family through marriage so we celebrate Christmas and Hannukkah with love and respect for both traditions.

Credits:

FATEplay Scarf - Evans
ISON - oversized wool coat (green)
LeeZu! Yukatan Pants and boots /olive
Tee*fy Turtle Neck Basic Sweater Grey 
TRUTH HAIR Dylan

Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands
Belleza - Leila Med 4 R

Fall Colors

My favorite colors tend to be the earth tones of Autumn, so I was thrilled by the new four season set of trees from Studio Skye. Directly after that purchase, Autumn came to my sim! I'm also loving the earth color selection of 22769 Casual Couture's new release for The Liaison Collaborative Boutique. The pants are versatile and can certainly be dressed down with a sweater or casual shirt. The halter top keeps it dressy and living up to the 5th Avenue theme of this round of the Boutique.

Credits:

22769 ~ [femme] Marlene Pants Brown Chefron
22769 ~ [femme] Obi Top Orange
TRUTH HAIR Renata - Gingers
[Gos] Boutique - Lauren d'Orsay - Truffle Collection
Belleza - Leila Med 4 R
Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands

Home Is Always A Work in Progress

I try to blog regularly, but I got distracted after going to see the beautiful Neva River, which is only open to the public for a limited time.  It inspired me to redo my little bit of Second Life, and I borrowed liberally from Neva Crystall's vision.  See her blog HERE for more information.  The Studio Skye path leading to the steps of the house, and indeed the house from Culprit, I discovered by wandering her sim.  The tree tunnel from Studio Skye is a particular favorite. 

I added a pond in front of the house.  To the rear is a bay.  On the right side of the house is a stream that begins with a waterfall.  I find water features restful and in Second Life they're also prim savers if you have terraform rights.

I can't - nor would I want to - exactly recreate Neva's beautiful sim.  I'm adding elements from it and giving credit where it is due.

The trees are from Deco and Botanical, grasses from Rustica, rocks and waterfall from Studio Skye.  The pictures are raw shots with Annan Adored windlight settings and shadows turned on. 

Sometimes I Forget How Special Second Life Can Be

We rail against Second Life's shortcomings plenty.  We lag, we crash, we get weird gridlines in our pictures - but something draws us there and keeps us coming back.  For me it's my friends and the creativity that is all around me in-world.  Every item in this photo - the grass, buildings, rocks, trees, to the pose of my avatar, the windlight setting, not to mention skin, hair, and clothes - is someone's vision.  I put them together and snap a picture to share my vision, too.  Just doing a quick count, I think there are works of at least 17 different creators represented in this photo.  I've been in Second Life long enough that I sometimes forget just how unique it truly is.

Creator List:

Botanical - trees

Heart - trees and rocks

Rustica - rocks and grasses

UrbanizeD - grasses

Deco - trees

Post - red building

The Domineaux Effect - covered bridge

Studio Skye - rock waterfall

Cheeky Pea and Pilot - backyard lights

What Next - umbrella pose prop

Fashionably Dead - hair

coldLogic - sweater

Cracked Mirror - skirt (at FaMeshed)

Baiastice - boots

Maxi Gossamer - Necklace

SLink - hands

Glam Affair - skin

Windlight - Annan Adored