Going Into a New Year...

Going into this new year full of possibilities, these words from Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" came to mind:

I exist as I am, that is enough.

If no other in the world be aware as I sit content,

And if each and all be aware I sit content...

One world is aware, and by far the largest to me,

and that is myself...

And whether I come to my own today or in ten thousand

or ten million years,

I can cheerfully take it now, or with equal cheerfulness,

I can wait.

A very happy New Year's to you and yours...

Farewell to the Princeton Installations

Due to the openspace sim pricing change, Princeton University will be letting go of their four OSs that were home to some of the most interesting art installations on the grid and destinations unto themselves. The very act of their creating such places for us to enjoy showed the university's understanding of SL as a medium of incredible expression. It's quite a loss, but as I have said before in previous posts, our world is an ephemeral one with persons and places we care about being liable to disappear at any moment. But, as I told a fellow visitor to one of the installations, "A venue may disappear, but an artist goes on to create anyway..."

AM Radio's "The Quiet" "DynaFleur" by Douglas Story, Desdemona Enfield, Dizzy Banjo & Poid MahovlichPoid Mahovlich's "Triptych" (this and the following photo)
"Liquid Light" by Juria YoshikawaI realized I don't have a good picture for Scope Cleaver, AldoManutio Abruzzo and Poid Mahovlich's "Ludovico's Lament". It was a beautiful installation as well. Support your SL artists now, while you can, as you never know if putting off a visit to see their work might be too late.

A Pet Peeve: Group Chats

Alright, so a pic of me faceplanted on the ground is exaggerating a bit (maybe), but I think that a lot of folks like me who are members of groups with very active group chats can understand my pain...

I've joked in the past that having certain group chats open are like having a running crazy voice that just won't STFU. At least now when I close it, it'll stay closed. I don't know if it's a carryover for some from the old chat room days or what, but I've noticed the following trends in my almost 2 years in here:

1. Do you really think hundreds of folks want that window opening just to hear you to say the following? "Hello/Goodbye/Good morning or night [insert group name here]" after it has been mercifully quiet?

2. Want to consider yourself "calling out" someone's behavior or drama on the main chat? Keep your personal dramas and scandals to you and yours. Go one on one or among yourselves with them. That's what personal IM is for. I...don't...care and I can't be the only one!

3. When I had CoLA's group chat, the really risque sex talk seemed appropriate somehow, given what the sims' theme is. Sure, we're all supposedly adults here, but reading the same kind of things in a main chat like 19th c. Caledon's for instance, just feels, well--not.

4. I don't want to read your land sale or party/club spam that you're sending out over a residential land management group chat when you are not the management.

5. Chathogs, you know who you are, and if you don't--trust me, the rest of us do. I find myself clicking chat closed almost automatically now, especially when certain repeat offenders start chattering away. Shouldn't it be a clue to you when either you or only your other few chathogs are the main ones talking? It's like they discovered a spotlight on a stage and were like "Whoa! The spotlight's on me...perform!"

Yeah, I know, I know...it's about community! Connecting with our fellow citizens! Just go ahead and close it, right? Well, in one group chat, the community's leader tends to make big announcements and such within it sometimes *groans*. I've also found that sometimes a good answer to a tech or general question can be answered. But that's what they are supposed to be used for, aren't they? (I think group notices should be used sparingly for need-to-know info as well.)

Sorry about the ranting--which I rarely do, but damn, I can't be the only one who feels like this.

Exploring Terabithia

It's nice to get away and explore sometimes, so Lunar suggested we visit the Realm of Terabithia the other day as he was interested in a new fantasy RP sim. He had on a set of some of the most stunning elven armor I've seen. One of the first things that we did was to take a canoe around its waterways. We both couldn't stop laughing hard at one point as he ran it aground and kept on going--over land! We then hopped out and went on foot throughout its various sections that we had access to...
We had on our observer tags, which meant that we we were not to interfere with the ongoing RP, but its residents didn't seem to mind interacting with us anyway. Usually it involved a well-deserving suspicion of my intent as a drow on their lands. I suppose a dark elf travelling through surface lands with a moon elf is an unusual sight. We stood on the bluff near the underdark entrance that overlooked the lands and I teased him that I look forward to being his adversary. Now if only I can learn how to use Spellfire...

Seasons Greetings

I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season!

SOLD! Caledon Mayfair Parcel Rights Available

This property has been sold. Thank you!

I am selling the parcel rights to my lovely little lot and original Caledon land in charming Caledon Mayfair...

The lot is at #5 Lemon Street and Green, next to the rail tracks and down the way from the Connolly Aerodrome and Penzance. The neighbors in Mayfair are friendly and quiet and it has been quite a nice place to have a small shop in Victorian/19th c setting.

I am selling it for $7364L, which is the 7364L original price I purchased the land rights for from the Guvnah and it has 70 days rent included. You will continue to pay tier (375L/wk) to him. It is a 1024 lot with 234 prims available and if you would like to have the shop building, I will be more than happy to include it. It was a wonderful Caledon starter property for me and I hope it will be for the next resident as well! Click HERE if you would like to visit and see the property.

Please feel free to contact me inworld via IM or notecard if you are interested. Thank you!

Dark Elf in Realm of Terabithia

I decided to check out a space in the Realm of Terabithia's market for my dark elf/drow and fantasy pieces, which I'll also be sharing with Lunar, who makes nice cloaks. As it turned out, the sim owner is a drowess as well and the Ilharess of her house, Agaden...
She took me on a guided tour of the sims (4 total), which are still a work in progress, and showed me areas such as the humans' keep, a sprawling build perfect for riders...Here I am in the tree grove in the lands of the elf clan there. The drow are currently at war with them, but then again when aren't we at war with someone?I crossed the bridge which leads to the orc area and the drow underdark... I truly felt like I was making quite the journey as we wound through the landscape, but when I stepped through to the underdark there, she said "Welcome home." This picture doesn't do it justice. It is a fantastic place, multileveled and complex and one of the best underdarks I've seen so far. It is also the location of one of the three main temples of Lloth. I know Lunar would love to see this area, but being a moon elf, he'd probably end up on a rack in the torture rooms there or something. Trust me, that happened to an elf during my visit...If you would like to see other places to enjoy being a dark elf/drow you can refer to my list HERE.

Moving...AGAIN

I packed up Las Olas. Yup. I have put it up for sale and I've moved...AGAIN. How badly did I want to be gone from my neighbors? Enough that it still has 3 weeks of rent paid on it. That's just me though. At least the land wall is gone now. I hope someone else will love it and be very happy there! This is the last of the Vista del Mar homes though and so ends an era for me. Time for a fresh start...

A Bit of Catching Up...

I've been on a RL art exhibit deadline, so here's a bit of a round-up of things I've been up to, such as a fitting for the Baron Wulfenbach...whose lapels just refuse...to...cooperate...
Kheph took me on a ride at the "Space Mountain" attraction he scripted...And Lunar? Well...after wearing Edward Pearse's holiday shoes and cap at the Steelhead ice skating party, his resemblance to his Keebler cousins was just stronger than ever...

"It's a Steelhead Life"

Hotspur O'Toole made this hilarious video featuring some of Steelhead's citizens. I almost fell out of my chair laughing...

I've Got an Exhibit on Victorian Fashion! Yay!

Tomorrow is the opening of my exhibit "The Past Reimagined: Victorian Fashion and the Designs of Eladrienne Laval" at the Whitehorn Memorial Library in Caledon Victoria City from 1-3 SLT. You will get to see the process of how I work--from source images and sketches to the final product. It made me realize I've made a lot of pieces since I've started. The exhibit's just a fraction of them! With the help of head librarian JJ Drinkwater, I also put together an exhibit about Paris' first "couturier" Charles Frederick Worth, who elevated dressmaking to an art form...With library curator Siri Woodget's help, I put together an exhibit about one of Worth's patrons, Boston socialite Isabella Stewart Gardner, who was independent and bold and did things her way...
Here I am in the reproduction dress I created that uses a texture from the actual fabric. There will be a contest and a lucky winner will get to walk away with this dress tomorrow...
And yes, I did a tiny version! I don't know if most folks know that I have a history degree and was a graphic designer for years. I've found that really helps with the pieces I make and I always feel like I am still learning how to do something new. I love what I do. The exhibit runs until March 1, but I hope to see you all there tomorrow!

iPod "Poem" Meme...Sure, Why Not?

Thought I'd do the fun iPod meme going around. Do shuffle songs and choose the first lines of the first 20 songs that come up and post the results. Here's mine. Oh...my...

Something's going on

Like a fool I went and stayed too long
I had a lover
Can I go on my way without you
Baby, look at me
If your girl only knew
It's getting so lonely inside this bed
Remember how you used to phone up and wouldn't say your name...you'd just say Hey You
Never in my wildest days did I think I'd find someone like you
It's like yesterday I didn't even know your name
You only stay with me in the morning
Games, changes and fears
I can't sleep at night, I toss and turn
Men and people will fight ya down
I thought that love would conquer all
Qual mi conturba i sensi
I gave you all the love I got
Mata yo ga akereba owakare
What you want, baby I got it
I've got another confession to make...I'm your fool

Tiny Talent Show

Before the holiday, I went to the Tinies Got Talent show in Raglan Shire. "Crazy" is just one of many words that could describe the fun! Here is Chaffro as the emcee...There were many cries of "Nuuu" for Etheria as "Dangercat". Let's just say the stretcher and medics were needed...
There was a fantastic live performance that blended RL electronic music with a SL hyperflute being played inworld...
Eren, "The Gweat Dwagondo", treated us to hat tricks and ultimate plate spinning...The show's finale was a performance of wintertime songs by the Raglan Shirettes...