Halloween Town And Moochies

By Gemma Cleanslate

Laura Liberty has opened her Halloween Town until the end of October. This is one of my creepy favorites. Her little town is full of quaint facades of shops and inside there are everything you can think of for decor from pumpkins to skeletons, food,  to fun outfits . It is all so enticing too.
Take a walk through all the rooms of the huge shops and look .

The skeleton area is terrific. The mask offerings are great for the variety that are offered for different personalities. The wonderful Pumpkin contest with a total of 3000L  prizes is there again. Click the display area for the rules. You can use your creative juices to fashion your pumpkins or start with some help. .

I found my friend Tina  who is an assistant to Laura and land manager dancing among the gachas. Why she was wearing her Santa cap? I don’t know but may have been practicing for for her role at the Christmas town.

And , at the bottom of the road is one of the best scary houses in Second Life. It is a good idea to bring along a friend to hang onto as you progress through the house. What you are going to experience is a stroll through popular horror movies etched in your memory . Get ready!!! I have gone through at least four times in the past and still find new experiences .

Have fun! You need time to do it all.. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Townies/120/104/100

After leaving Halloween Town I stopped over at Moochies. Get the notecard and map at the entrance. This was a new place to me and I enjoyed walking among the trees finding little private relaxing areas for friends to sit and relax.......“Among the treacherous trees, the mouldering mist, the rattling ruins and the wretched wailing winds, there are creepy corners and secluded shadows waiting for those who dare to venture into the darkness.  Halloween has arrived...”

 If you use the windlight of the region  you will really feel the shadows.....and more. I suggest using both region and another windlight because the woods and paths are gorgeous with the autumn colors and to find the little corners in the woods to sit and relax with your friends.

If you love fingernails there is a hunt going on for nails. Pick up the notecard with the hints on it to find all the items you are looking for along the route shown on the map.

I stopped for a corndog at the riverside. It is well worth the visit .. follow the firelights.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moochie/169/201/23

Gemma Cleanslate

Easter Town

By Gemma Cleanslate

Hooray ! Easter Town is open. Laura Liberty has recreated her cute little town with all the fun activities again this year.  Just landing there is a burst of spring with all that goes with it. Right away it feels like Easter .Across the bridge the band is playing and the Peeps race track is ready and waiting for you .Be careful! If you want a good overview of the whole town take a balloon ride. This is not a typical balloon ride so hang on which ever way you want.

There is a fun Easter egg coloring contest going on with a place to work on your egg and then send it off for placement on the judging stand. There are rules so get the notecard that explains all. The top winner gets 1000 L. There are several categories with other  L prizes to try for. The total winnings are 4000L so take a chance!



Do you need anything for Easter decor? If so this is the place to look. All the food decor dispenses food. There are garlands , arches,  lots of bunnies, balloons and so much more. The clothing ranges from very casual to formal. Along the walk by the way, you will find gachas too.  Do not miss the free bunny hopper ! There are several ways to get around and I try a few but choose to walk,

My favorite part of Easter town is taking a picture with the Easter Bunny.Look for her. This is not the cute little Easter bunny that quietly hops around mind you .This is Tina (tanyja Resident)!

 Fun interactive builds are all over the region just look for them as you walk around . This is a wonderful place to take photos . Here I am after gorging on chocolate with the burping bunny. Yum .


There is a hunt going on so look for Easter eggs hidden everywhere. Townies group members get some special eggs so consider joining the group. That way you can keep an eye on the other towns that appear during the year. They are all great fun. Halloween is the next one .. a long wait! This Town will be here until the 22nd. Go immerse yourselves in Easter.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Townies/121/128/23


Gemma Cleanslate

Halloween Town

By Bixyl Shuftan

Second Life has a number of Halloween attractions. But an old favorite that attracts numbers is "Halloween Town." Located on Laura Liberty's "Townies" sim, It's back once more.

Two of the staff were there when I checked the place out: Acehole Ixito and Bean (GreenBeanGirl), whom were in costume.

Some people were there in scary costumes.

 And "The Claw" was back to give people a tour of the place from above.

One new feature that may be a pain to some is this script meter near the entrance that measures how many scripts an avatar has. If you're over the limit, you have five minutes to do something or be booted. I was going to tour the place in a bat avatar, but the meter kept telling me it was over the limit, even with the HUD removed.

There was a stand for a group trying to get an aquarium to release a killer whale.

 Near the front were gachas where one could get a costume or mask that was scary or funny.

There was also a pumpkin contest, with 3000L going to the best decorated one.

People could pick up a bouncy ball to get around for free.

The place has a number of shops, in stores decorated to match the playfully spooky look of the place. Those with child avatars with them might want to be careful about taking them in the costume shop as some of the ladies' outfits were definitely *not* intended for kids to see.

The street of Halloween Town winds in a curve going down. At the bottom is the main attraction of the sim: the Haunted House.

Going in, you're asked to accept a "Sound HUD." Click "yes" to accept it.

You go through scenes of various horror movies, and some not so scary movies and a TV show.

 Many of the scenes are new, having been added in since I was last here. There is one that involves a river ride, in which you get a couple oars, get on the boat, and start paddling.

At the end of one ride, you're offered what is claimed to be a picture of you taken while you were on it. Be prepared for a surprise.

And that's that for this Halloween favorite. Which Halloween places would you like the Newser to take a look at next?

Bixyl Shuftan

Easter Town

By Gemma Cleanslate

Easter Town is open for fun! Laura Liberty has opened it up for all to come shop and play. I was talking to the unusual Easter Bunny (tina (tanyja Resident)) who helps Laura with all the townies and is also a Santa “helper” .There are six events of Townies during the year but I have not seen them all yet. This is my third. You have until about the 18th to get over there and enjoy.

I took a balloon ride over town to get a good overview.  In the quaint colorful shops you will find any decor you want for your home or region. I  also saw some really Easter clothes and cute costumes for adults and kids. Lots of kids things as you imagine with Easter bunnies, eggs , and  toys, party decorations for kiddies and adults. 

Outside there are wonderful games and decor to buy and you can try them out before you invest.  I found an avatar working on an egg decoration in the rezz zone just for that purpose.There is a 7000L prize contest  going on so get your creative juices going . I picked up a cute free egg avatar and will try that on.

There is a great little carrot car to rezz and drive around in or you can cruise  in one of the  broken egg shells along the waterway. There is a race track for peeps Races.

20 Eggs are placed around the region inside the shops and out so make sure you look for those cute prizes while you are there. I am in the middle of finding them so will be going back for more searching. I am glad they are big enough to see because I give up hunts quickly if I cant find things. 

Make sure you get yourself there this week especially if you need decor for your event or home. Easter Town will be up only until April 18. If you want to keep aware of the townies and the builds during the year you can join the group, or you can subscribe for messages. There is a subscriber sign near the entrance.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Townies/138/127/23

Gemma Cleanslate   

Eiffelicious at LEA 7

By Gemma Cleanslate

LEA7 was my choice of a New Year’s Eve party on a spur of the moment. I received an invite at the last few minutes of my time in Second Life, so off I went. I missed getting over to explore the region sooner as I was off exploring winter sports and shopping sims for the paper and working at the Relay Christmas Expo. The sim was packed with people dancing on snowflakes while smaller flakes swirled around our heads. We were at the base of the Eiffel Tower that stretched high into the air above us. The builder of the sim, Regi Yifu, put up the tower rather quickly I am told. “The tower is 244 meters high nestled inside a 300 meter tall snow globe with beautiful fountains and winter vegetation ty18 told me. I determined to go back to check it out after the party.

There are several levels to visit along the way to the very top. Each gives one a chance to examine the build of the tower itself and get a good look at the reflections of the tower in the interior wall of the globe. It is easy to get around on the space capsule teleport that offers a choice of places to visit. Then there is the gallery. Here I put my graphics all the way up to ultra as suggested. It was a delight. There is rotating art all over the interior walls of the gallery. There is a poster to touch and you will receive a folder of items to help you enhance the experience, a personal projector and information about the Photo Contest that is going on. 

All around the lower part of the gallery there are arrows in front of the wall. Go to the arrow and the submissions of photos of the tower will appear in front of you. Try the recommended windlight and wear the offerings for the best experience. It is well worth it. 

 The tower itself is an amazing build. It is astounding to me how precise the girders look all together and rise so beautifully. Turn on the music too to enjoy the especially selected stream. It all works together. It is all very Eiffelicious as the name indicates. The sim will be open through February so put it on your list.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA7/130/133/85

Gemma Cleanslate

Halloween Town

By Gemma Cleanslate

The sim Townies is definitely unique with  the journey through the quaint town and then the Haunted House. I really loved it. Outside the house there are  shops filled with decor you might like for your Halloween settings and clothing too. Near the entrance there is a pumpkin contest going on too. Grab the directions and you can have fun painting and decorating if you follow the rules.  

Just walking around is good but you can hop a free Halloween Pumpkin Hopper if you like. Better still, to get a good look at the town take a ride on a Devil Hand Town Tour. Just look up and hop on.  After I detached myself from the fingers I approached the Haunted House and entered. Inside I picked up a free frame for pictures that I would take inside and read a sign that told me to watch for 10 gifts that were hidden there.

I discovered quickly that each venue is based on a well known horror film. I am sure you will know.. Carrie... The Shining...The Exorcist ... Jaws and more. I joined some visitors in "Jump in the Line" to dance to the music from Beetlejuice. Long dark corridor with signs lead you from one to another with adventures along the way. Be prepared is all I can say but remember to look for the hidden gifts as you go. 

More adventures await you just follow the guides. I went through the Haunted House twice to be sure I did not miss anything. It was fun dancing in Ghostbusters as my final venue in the house. All this entertainment is due to the work of Laura Liberty with some help from  Tanyja Resident (Tina) and also miki00 Abeyante Laura told me. Have a scary time! 
 
Townies (116/104/98)

Gemma Cleanslate 

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Pumpkin Carving Contest

RULES

1. Cannot use scripts in pumpkins.
2. Pumpkin builds need to be 15 prims or under.
3. Do not submit a pumpkin you bought from marketplace, do nothing to it and enter it as your own build. You need to put some work into the build to make it your own. This is cheating & you will be disqualified.
4. Only 1 entry per avatar.
5. Submit pumpkin before Oct 30th.
6. Send your decorated pumpkin to TANYJA RESIDENT (TINA).

 3025L in Prizes, 750L for overall best

Three Categories: Most Creative, Most Artistic, Most Scary.

Prizes for each category: 1st 400L, 2nd 250L, 3rd 100

Several of the creators who sell at Halloween Town will be judging. The votes will be collected and tallied by Laura Liberty. The winner's names will be posted at Halloween Town on October 31st. You will be contacted by Laura Liberty if you are a winner.

 

The Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Museum

Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect and designer of not only exquisite buildings, but also furniture, silverware, glass and pieces of art and also items for daily use. His work includes original and innovative examples of many different building types, including offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, museums and homes. It is wonderful to find a virtual museum that educates the world about his life and displays his work.

The sim in which the museum is located is called Usonia. This is a word he used to describe his vision of shaping the landscape of America by the use of forms of architecture and planning of cities . The Frank Lloyd Wright museum of Virtual Art, FLWVM, in Second Life is a pleasure to visit. The first and second floors have exhibits depicting his life with photographs of his houses and other structures with note cards telling the history of each. You will find many of his most important works on display.

Outside the building you can walk along and read more. You should not miss the wonderful examples of his buildings to explore outside and in. Some of his works have been painstakingly replicated in SL. One fascinating home you must visit is Falling Water. There is a TP right outside the museum door. There is a Museum Store where you can purchase furniture and glass of his design as well as many other textures and items. Great freebie building assist items are also available.

When I went there it was on the advice of a friend who was viewing a display of prairie homes that were created by both professional and novice builders in SL for a contest. The structures must be completed with specific rules regarding timeframe, and prims on a plot assigned to them. One of these rules is that they could be easily lived in by a SL resident. It is a semi-annual event. One of the designers of an entry , Poetry Sorbet, told me the winners of the contest will have their homes on display for a period of time and received a trophy and a gift card to the Builders Brewery.

Those interested in building will enjoy visiting the museum, but is also an enjoyable trip for those who do not build, to see the creativity and designs of others. There are events that take place there . Educators from RL are invited to bring their classes for tours, lectures , and there are lectures open to the public. The FLWVM is recognized as a licensed representative of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Arizona. It is a wonderful example of collaboration for education.

I was pleased to read that the Pathfinder Lester (formerly Pathfinder Linden) has joined the Board of Directors. There are memberships available at several levels. You can learn more about it by visiting the website www.vminc.org . To visit the museum you can enter at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cancun%20Isle/128/128/2 .

Gemma Cleanslate