More Christmas (And Thanksgiving) Shopping

 

by Gemma Cleanslate

 

 

As I continued my travels in search of Christmas décor for your region or your home I came across a lovely display of Thanksgiving tables and décor at Botanica Holiday Store. I found sit down dinner tables and buffet tables with delicious treats. Balloons and wall décor, carpets and even a bakery counter. If you are looking for any of these stop over then go on to check out the gorgeous décor for Christmas.

Outside I found wall baskets of plants, wreaths, more than one carousel.

The exhibit hall is chuck full of all kinds of items to brighten your home with light and sound. A brass band is playing Christmas carols. Tall trees. poinsettias, and garlands are available. Look up and see the hanging mistletoe and other hanging décor.

Stop by the ice sheet skating if you need a good size pond. Mr. and Mrs. Claus are out there surrounded by penguins, gnomes and even a polar bear. Grab the free iceskates and join them on the ice. There is a race track game that will put your score up on the board. There are teleports available to take you to other Botanica sites for other types of plant decorations.

If you wish you can climb the stairs and stop in to have your hair done. Farther along the walkwayis a wonderful music shop with harps and old fashioned instruments that has a great sale of music boxes for 99L going on. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Blue%20Moon/182/233/23

I went over to the 8th Annual Christkindl Market & Advent Calendar 2022 . Divia’s Design and here too is a wonderful skating pond for you. Christmas stall circle the pond offering a huge variety of décor. Nativity scenes large and small, Santa balloons that circle in the air above, doll houses , Christmas shelves either empty or filled with baubles, are a few of the items I saw. If you want a chestnut roaster to grace your skate pond you will find it here.

Need a cozy winter cabin all furnished? There is one here for guests or for vacation on your winter parcel.Great price too.

I love the rotation Christmas Pyramid music box that comes in three sizes as does one of my favorite decorations, the Christmas globe! You know I bought one, I just can’t resist globes. There are some wonderful Welcome signs for your properties also. Take the long walk around to all the stalls so you don’t miss any of the possibilities for new decorations. If you join the group you will find a load of gifts in the Old Barn behind the skating pond. Here is your entrance. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wildwood/130/32/22

Do you love freebies and really inexpensive décor as much as I do? If so stop over at MiChIGaN's ShAcK! WINTER SALE. For group members there are great deals and a lot of freebies.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Michigan%20Cove/132/109/1702

Gemma Cleanslate

 

More Halloween Places

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

I have been looking around some more at the sites that have Halloween shopping going on.

A visit to Wonderland Beach, home of Ali & Ali Hair, I found a wonderful array of little shops filled with all kinds of goodies including clothing, jewelry, decorations, small buildings, autumn trees and more. It is fun to run in and out of the tiny shops seeing what they offer. Skeleton band was playing on one corner.

In one corner to the right of Ali’s store there is a parcel filled with very distinctive outside décor by GreyEnergy Resident. I was impressed with the art, textures and coloring of the pieces. Do not miss that area when you visit. Many articles tempted me, but I have no place to put them.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wonderland%20Beach/160/113/23

Another place I love to visit for this holiday and others is Snuggles. They have wonderful skeletons in allsorts of positions. House skeletons are located inside the shop so go inside to check them out. Floating, roaming skeletons, one on the toilet. LOL clever saying, “when it is time to go it is time to go”. I loved the skeleton avatar with its own AO. I might be tempted. Floating demons and witches also roamed around the outer area.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Snuggles/157/107/25

Over at Halloween Delights that has been here since 2006 there are a myriad of animesh ghouls, and other creatures. I love the way the place is set up. There are neat outdoor sections labeled for your convenience letting you know exactly what to expect in that area. They have over 400 costumes for male and female for your individual taste and good prices too.

The shop is loaded also with animated monsters, zombies and “all things scary as they advertise.

Many autumn decorations are around inside and outside.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gen/103/164/28

Skeleton House Halloween store is truly a place not to miss if you want to see more skeletons, musicals, dancing, card playing, and all sorts. If you like skeletons in boats or on rafts you will find them. They seem to love upside down creatures here too. I am not sure I have seen so many of those animesh anywhere. Zombies reign here too. Create your own enchanted forest from a sale of one here or get your own Halloween train.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/StormWind/91/229/24

Gemma Cleanslate

Early Halloween Happenings

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

Are you ready? I should not have been surprised when the Bellisseria Citizen chat turned to Halloween but I was. It had not occurred to me that it was that time again to start preparing houses and properties and regions for the big holiday. In sl so many love to decorate and call this their favorite holiday. Shops have opened up and are selling all kinds of autumn and Halloween décor, and giving some away.

Pumpkins go with both so they are very popular . The first place I visited was recommended by Tamarind Silverfall . I arrived at Love Autumn and Halloween amongst the graves. I walked around and found there is an entire creepy circus set up with many scenes for sale. There is also much autumn décor that fits both autumn and halloween. One can buy a whole village! One thing I have never seen before were stages for Halloween parties. Walk around and see the myriad scenes for sale.

In the spooky store I found a Halloween tree!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shrouded%20Glade/230/136/21

I checked my list and sure enough one of my favorite places, Dench Designs has the Halloween store open! I flew over there to see what was going on and as usual the second floor has wonderful freebies and the huge bargain corner is open with so may pieces of décor for only 5L .I found some disappearing ghosts for a very low price and got them.

The famous wearable animesh dancers are out to try and buy. They are so much fun. My friend Xia came by with her mouth open at the great bargains to be had for her favorite holiday. She brought more friends over to shop . I will have to take out a bit of furniture at home to put them out. 

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Yellowstone%20Falls/215/119/21

Khargo is also ready to serve your spooky needs for your home, club, region. Many seating outdoor scenes are available here too. Check out the indoor shop for loads of little additions for a Halloween home.  

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Yellowstone%20Falls/215/119/21

I found more freebies over at Coco’s on Refugio. At this shop you can find entire rooms for your home.
I have a hard time resisting knick-knacks and almost gave in to a few but controlled myself. I have so many places to visit! Well, I can always come back….

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Refugio/119/85/72

 

 Gemma Cleanslate

 

Laura Liberty’s Valentine Town

By DrFran Babcock

You may, or may not remember my story about the wonderful Christmas Town that I wrote for this esteemed publication. (http://slnewserplaces.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-town.html ). Well, it seems that Laura Liberty, a builder I have admired for many years, does a build for most of the holidays, with themed building activities, and shops. I figured it would be worth it to see what she had in place for Valentine’s Day. I was not disappointed. Valentine Town (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elizabeth Town/151/170/36/ ) is a joy for all whether or not you have a loved one.

The Build

Laura Liberty is the creator of Valentine Town. Of course, the color palette is what you would expect, reds, pinks, purples and baby blues. What was uncanny to me is how well Laura works with her prims and her colors. I was sure that the cartoony houses that surround the perimeter of the sim were made of mesh, but I was told that was not the case, as I found out. I had the great fortune to run into Laura Liberty when I dropped in to do my story. I gushed like the fan I am over her work, and asked her what program she used to do her meshes. Here is the exchange:

DrFran Babcock: what do you use for your 3d software? Your stuff is always so coordinated and well done?
Laura Liberty: I use Photoshop Elements, and thank you.
DrFran Babcock: But the 3D??

Laura Liberty: 3d textures?
DrFran Babcock: no the building It's not all regular prims, is it? It has to be mesh.
Laura Liberty: the buildings are just prims and some other bits are sculpts. I think I have one or two small mesh things.
DrFran Babcock: you are even more amazing then.

You simply must come to Valentine Town to see this build, and tell me if you thought it was mostly regular prims. The secret, I suppose is in the carefully thought out color scheme which cannot help but lift your spirits and feed your eyes.

The Activities

There is a lot to do at Valentine Town once one is through wandering around and admiring the look of the place. In the center of the village square stands a huge gumball machine spitting out giant colored spheres. There are two ways to dive in here. You can sit on any of the dark maroon gumballs and “mosh pit” your way around, or touch the sign and get a bunch of free, floaty gumballs. On my last visit, an international assortment of residents was rolling an laughing all around.

You can also leave your mark on Valentine Town by taking a photo of yourself there, and sending it, full-permissions, to Laura Liberty. She will put it up on the Snapshot Board located near the giant gumball machine. In addition, you can get a free face emoter HUD, so you can be smiling in all your pictures.

There are two fountains in the central square, and both of them have great animations for hanging out and chatting, or taking pictures to give to Laura. I spent some time dangling my feet in the water while I tried to speak Italian with a handsome guy.

Shopping

Valentine’s Day is a day that is often about gifts and flowers, and jewelry and lingerie, and…love. There is no shortage of all of this at Valentine Town. Absolutely anything that you can think of that relates to Valentine’s Day is on sale here: Animated furniture with models to try, full perm textures and sculpt texture maps of valentine-related shapes, flowers, landscaping, decorations, clothes, lingerie, sweets, balloons and cards. Everything you’d expect, but with a special twist. My favorite store was the LOL Anti-Valentine Gifts. There’s a certain someone who is going to get the blow-up doll with curlers that is in the shop.

Are you pining for someone, still in love with your ex, or do you have a secret crush? Well. Laura Liberty has a solution for you. No, she won’t get that person for you, but you can send them an anonymous gift. All you have to do is buy something on the sim (just about everything has transfer rights), put it into a folder along with a notecard with the recipients name and the date you want it delivered, and give it to Laura Liberty. Gee, I think I have about five of those to send out.

But, Wait, There’s More

When you love someone, sometimes you hold on to a little suspense to keep the tension going. Therefore, I will wait for another time to tell you about the little corner of the sim, hidden away and cloaked in yellow, purple and green. Can you figure what holiday uses those colors? Stay tuned for more about this astonishing builder, and the holiday sims she features.

DrFran Babcock