Add Water to Your SL - Blue Water

Blue Water has been one of my favorite stores in SL for such a long time that I don't even remember how I found it. Yes, it is a store, but it is also more. Blue Water is a giant tiki hut in a beautiful beach environment.

Blue Water's feature product is their huge line of aquariums. Aquariums range from a small floor model with 8 prims and 1 fish (your choice of fish) to large elaborate models that span an entire wall. Blue Water also has the unusual and exotic like a large round shark tank.

There are many choices for aquariums that would sit up against a wall... half-round, rectangular, 3-sided, wood, marble, iron, and even built in video screens! To customize the aquarium, different background scenes are also available for purchase.

Many different styles are also available for free-standing aquariums... round-globe, half-round, square, tall, short, etc.

Standalone aquariums are not the only aquariums you'll find at Blue Water. You'll find aquariums built into other things such as furniture, bars, a dance floor, and even a stage. I, personally, love the bars with the bright neon surrounding a fish-filled aquarium background.

Blue Water is my favorite place in SL to buy picture frames. A large wall is overflowing with all kinds of different picture frames... gold, silver, wood, metal, dark, light, ornate, plain. My favorites are the one's that you drag and drop your picture into... one prim, drag, drop and done.

There is so much more to see and buy here. Blue Water has a large line of bicycles, art work, sharks you can ride, an audio/visual store, stage equipment, fountains, conference tables, office furniture, dining tables, living room furniture, and much more.

When you visit Blue Water, take a tour of the store on the trains. They circle the store. The best part is that it also take you underground through some caverns or through a tunnel under the lake that lets you view the undersea wildlife.

Michael Kolache, owner of Blue Water, also does custom orders. He has done a few custom items for me. He is great to work with.

To visit Blue Water, CLICK HERE. (Munro 37, 188, 152)

Go on a Safari in Africa

Africa takes a step out of the ordinary for garden sims in SL. The landscape is dotted with exotic trees and plants with plenty of animals roaming.

When you arrive, take a balloon tour of Africa. Just off the welcome area is a tree stump you click on to rez a balloon tour. You have a choice to take a tour for 2 (the cuddle tour) or a tour for 8. The balloon gives you a slow, nice-paced tour of the sim mostly to enjoy the sights.

You'll pass over different environmental areas of Africa including lush green areas with a river and waterfall and a barren dessert. The areas show you the diversity in the African landscapes.



After the balloon ride, take a walk through Africa to get a close up view of the different animals and hear the environmental sounds along the way. Only in SL could you walk up to a lion and not worry about being eaten. :-) A lot of animals gather around the waterhole where they would in RL.

The sim also includes an entertainment area. Concerts are heard here mostly to acquire money for charity - to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. My favorite SL artist, and the Best of SL Live winner this year, Kim Seifert recently had a concert here.

The welcome area also gives you teleports to the Eden Art Gallery and the Auction Area. They are located on sky platforms above Africa. The auction proceeds also go to support fighting poverty and AIDS in Africa.

To visit Africa, CLICK HERE. (Africa 193, 137, 27)

Date Night at the Movies

Want someplace to take your sweetheart for Valentine's Day? SL has some great movie theaters to take your sweetie. Here are a few I found to be pretty good.


Inspire Beach Park

Inspire Beach Park has a Drive-In Theater with 50s style cars. When I visited, the drive-in was playing an old sci-fi movie.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Shinda 102, 188, 26)



SS Galaxy Movie Theather

The movie theater in the SS Galaxy luxury cruise ship is located in the AFT section of this 3-sim build. Different movies are showing all the time. Check the Galaxy Weekly for the current movie. Copies are available throughout the ship. If you would like to make a request, a guest book is located at the entrance of the theater.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Galaxy AFT 127, 16, 44)


Paradise Movie Theather

Nice movie theater. When I visited, the movie choices were the Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, Night of the Living Dead, and The Strangerhood. You click on one of the DVD players in the back to make a selection. Read the warnings. If you change or stop a movie, it changes for everyone in the theater.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Sand 110, 200, 152)


Second Cinema

This theater has a new movie every week. When you TP, you need to use the teleporter below the big sign that says "Truth in Science Observatory and Second Cinema." It may take a moment for you to completely rez to use the teleporter. Click the pad. When you see a blue beam, right click on the beam and choose teleport.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Egret Island 64, 197, 700)


Tack On Time Movie Theater

This theater has 12 theaters showing 12 different movies at once. The movies are more recent movies. When I went by, movies like Transformers and Borne Ultimatum were being shown. However, this theater does charge. The minimum is $250L for 4 hours. Everything seemed to work fine when I attended, and the movie was good!

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Oriental Express 192, 32, 22)

Best of SL Live Contest

UPDATE: Kim Seifert won the Best of SL Live contest on Sunday, February 10. Congratulations, Kim!!! You are a very talented lady, and I'm honored to be your friend in SL and RL.


Someone who is very dear to my heart in RL and SL has made it to the final round of the Best of SL Live Contest... Kim Seifert. Kim has one of the best voices I have ever heard. She mainly sings country but sings other genres too. Personally, I love her voice with the jazzy songs. CLICK HERE to see my previous blog entry on Kim.

Kim made it through all the auditions and all the semi-final rounds. On Saturday, February 9, Kim will be in the final round with Guy Goodman.

Please come out on Saturday and help me support Kim. Here is the time and venue information:

Finale: February 9th, 1:00PM PST/SLT
Venue: Urbanity CLICK HERE for SLURL

Each contestant will have 30 minutes to sing in the final round and voting will start after they are done and continue until 1 p.m. on Sunday. (SL Time)

Have a GREAT weekend!

Love,
Effie

PS After the contest, I will post this week's blog on more places to take your sweetie on Valentine's Day.

Romance Is In The Air

Need someplace romantic to take your sweetie for Valentines Day? Here is a list of some of my favorites. These places can also be enjoyed by yourself too as they are very beautiful, but somehow I find exploring with a friend is a little more fun.

Persephone

Persephone has been one of my favorite romantic places in SL for a long time. The gorgeous architecture is reminiscent of greek and roman. The many walkways, arches, and gazebos peek out through lush, green gardens and colorful flowers and flowering trees. Of course, any beautiful landscape in SL would be incomplete without well-designed water features such as lakes, rivers, streams, and waterfalls. Persephone has plenty of those too.

There are many couches and benches throughout Persephone that include many pose balls. So finding that "perfect" setting to sit and chat shouldn't be very difficult. And, if you choose to go beyond romance to "sexy pixels," options are throughout the island for you, too.

The castle is a whole adventure on it's own. The castle consists of many levels and has couches throughout with lots of pose balls to sit, relax and chat. If you want to be king or queen for a moment, find the king's and queen's chairs and have a seat. The castle has a bedroom with amenities. The top level is a bath/pool area with pose balls to enjoy. This is a mature sim.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Persephone 169, 94, 54)

Lost Gardens of Apollo

Even though this sim is so popular, it is easy to find a romantic, secluded niche that you and your Valentine can share. The Lost Gardens of Apollo are absolutely gorgeous with lush, green gardens, gazebos, tall towers, floating pools, and even a romantic dance floor. Many pose balls around the sim make it easy to relax, cuddle, hold hands, and kiss. Apollo is also one of my favorites. Even though the sim is mature, there is no nudity or sex allowed in the sim. So, feel comfortable bringing a new Valentine in your life, too.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Apollo 76, 212, 24)

Eternal Reflections

Eternal Reflections is part of the Reflections Region. Has lots of the usual niches with romantic pose balls. Unique to this area are the small cottages dotted around the center of the sim and the black sand beach surrounding a good part of it. The beach has sunbathing areas, campfires and a beach club. The other areas of the sim have lots of waterfalls, walking trails, and more romantic niches.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Eternal Reflections 132, 134, 40)

Also, don't for get Midnight Reflections and Secret Reflections. I did a blog entry on them back in June of 2007. CLICK HERE to see that entry.

Midsomer Isle

Midsomer Isle is yet another beautiful garden sim. It boasts many romantic nooks. The thing that makes this sim stand out are the exquisit dance floors in the sky that make you feel like a prince and princess.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Midsomer Isle 149, 123, 27)

Romantic Joy

Romantic Joy is a gorgeous garden sim that has about everything for innocent romance. This is a PG sim with no nudity. Sweep your sweetie away on one of the two dance floors: one for romantic dancing and one in the clouds for heavenly dancing. Relax under the trees in the Enchanted Woods while chatting together. Sit by a bonfire to keep warm. Have a picnic while sharing time together. Enjoy the privacy and cuddling in the tree house. Discover the many, many places for cuddling including some more secluded area.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Joy Isle 197, 188, 24)

The Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens is a peaceful sim full of beautiful landscaping, plants, walkways and water features. You'll find little nooks and crannies around the area to cuddle with your sweetie. On the east side of the island, rez your on Gondola and take your sweetie on a romantic ride.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (The Botanical Gardens 194, 60, 38)

Acropolis Gardens

Acropolis Gardens is another amazing garden park that is 6 sims. Walk through the endless trails with your sweetie. When you arrive, take one of the tour options around the area to see what's available. I personally like the walking tour that let's you walk with your honey arm-in-arm. The landscape changes around every corner. You'll find mountains, waterfalls, caves and even a volcano. Of course, such a romantic place has lots of pose balls around to have some Valentine fun.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Aglea 77, 239, 22)

Avilion Grove

Avilion is a midieval roll-playing region that spans 6 sims. As opposed to the adventures and battles in the other sims, Avilion Grove is a very romantic sim. The sim is outlined by high cliffs and waterfalls. A walkway takes you around the entire sim. Along the way, the walkway goes under the waterfalls. You will find teleport balls that will take you to hidden rooms under the top of the waterfall to have some private alone time. There are also pose balls throughout the sim. On the island in the middle of the sim, is a big, gorgeous castle. The castle houses the Grand Ballroom which is absolutely stunning.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Avilion Grove 107, 114, 44)

Valentine

Valentine is an island with romantic niches. Little nooks are places throughout the public parts of the island and there is a cave with many romantic areas under the large waterfall. In the southwest section of the sim is a two-level dance floor to give your Valentine a twirl. Keep in mind that this is a mature sim.

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Valentine 119, 220, 22)


Next week, look for more ideas for your Valentines date! And, if you need a gift, please visit Effie's Epicurious Emporium. You'll find a Valentine's cookie jar that gives out a chocolate chip cookie when clicked, glass bowls, a marble planter full of pink flowers and gift boxes for that special present. To visit Effie's CLICK HERE.