Cap Estel @ Lonely Star - Glistening Winter Wonderland

Cap Estel is a nice quiet winter park. Whether you want to just sit and take in the beauty of the area, explore the nooks and crannies, or take a sleigh ride, the tranquil park has something for you. Included in the ambiance of the park is the whistling winds blowing through the trees and the animals you will see along your travels. The activities here were definitely made with couples in mind:

-Sleigh Ride - Hold on to your sweetie and take a sleigh ride around the sim. The sleigh is conveniently right at the tp point.

-Couple's Walk - Also right at the tp point is a couple's walk. Take a stroll through the frigid pathways. Hold tight to your sweetie for warmth. :-)

-Skating - If you have a pair of skates, make your figure eights on the frozen lake in the middle of the winter beauty.

-Guest Cabin - Take your sweetie to the cabin to enjoy some cuddling in front of the roaring fire.

-Bath House - Warm up and take a swim in the bath house.

-Sledding - Take the lift up the mountain. You will find a sled waiting for you to ride down the slopes. (Hint: Use your arrow keys to control the sled.)


Explore this gorgeous place created by my new friend, Maurice. You will discover more along your journey.

To visit Cap Estel, CLICK HERE. (Lonely Star 100 96 12)

To join the party, CLICK HERE.

HPMD - Happy Mood

Become part of a snow globe! Three unique walk-in snow globes take you right into wintery scenes. The snow globes are:

- Secret Party
- Goofy Santa
- Yule Log

Yes, you'll have to find the secret party :-)

Hurry to see these pieces of art. They are are only there until December 31.

To visit Happy Mood, CLICK HERE. (HappyMood 110 79 1146)

Wolf Mountain Ski Resort

Well, it is about time that I post some more exciting places to visit in Second Life. So, I am going to start posting cool places to visit to celebrate the holidays and winter season.


The first place I visited was Wolf Mountain Ski Resort. The ski resort sits on 6 sims with many winter activities. The landing point is the lodge. The lodge has a grand fireplace to sit by and chat and information on the resort including cabin rentals.

Activities include:

- Horseback Riding
- Skiing
- Canoeing
- Snowboarding
- Taking a Sleigh Ride



Because it is such a large place, it is fun just to walk around and explore what is there. Of course, this is SL, so it took a little bit to figure some things out. My boyfriend and I had a hoot with it.

To visit Wolf Mounting, CLICK HERE. (PeachTree Resort 52 43 33)

An Evening With Friends - Live Music @ Effie's Designs

Join us Friday for some great live music in Second Life:

Bring your friends to listen to the wonderful music of my friends! CLICK HERE to join us. (Snow Crash 38 111 46)

Sky Galaxy @ Effie's Designs

If you haven't heard this amazing new artist yet, here is your chance!

Taking a variety of different songs and artists, 'Sasha' translates each tune and places them gently beside a soothing, sensual line of vocal and simplistic piano arrangements. Nineteen years ago, he was brought into this world by his mother, of whom resided in Smolensk ( Смоленск ), Russia and a father whom moved to the states from Berlin. From the first moments of which he could mutter a sound, singing had become nothing short of a passion.

His influences include the vocals and production talents of Imogen Heap, the emotion often found in the likes of Coldplay, Keane and Death Cab for Cutie, and in the other artists that continue to fill his favorites list; Above & Beyond, Frou Frou, Rufus Wainwright, Kate Havnevik, Yann Tiersen, and many more.
Skye is a musician, performer and vocalist professionally in his first life, but likes to keep his two lives well apart.

He joined Second Life in order to pursue the feeling of growth in his abilities, once more, and those numerous chain of events leading to one better opportunity to the next until you are stumbling for the top.

CLICK HERE to go to the show. (Snow Crash 38, 111, 46)

Effie's Designs Grand Re-Opening

Friday, October 23, 2009

Effie's Designs Grand Re-Opening
at Morphe Inc.

-----------------------------
5:00 Colt Arun
-----------------------------
Colt Arun is a fairly new singer to SL. He was born and bred in Louisianna, but now is located in Texas. He has been singing for about 8 years in real life.

Colt came to SL to enjoy great company, friendships, and mostly to entertain great fans. Some of his favorite singers are Martina McBride and Ricky Van Shelton.

He has a wide range of musical abilities ranging from country to old rock to southern rock tunes.

http://www.myspace.com/coltharris

-----------------------
6:00 Gary Jonstone
-----------------------
Gary is a shining star in the eyes of the Country Music World. His stylings will make you wanna dance, scream, and just plain turn you to butter. His deep lush baritone will melt the hardest of hearts. He has made his presence known in SecondLife and it will continue to be felt as he shakes the foundations of SecondLife's Country Music scene.

--------------------
7:00 Niles Compton
--------------------
Niles started playing drums in his Dad's band when he was 9 and has been singing and playing in RL bars and on stages for many years now. His band was one of the starter bands at a Johnny Cash concert. He has also worked with Sammi Smith a few times.

He is truly one of the best singers anywhere. Listen to his amazing voice as he sings LIVE to pre-recorded music tracks in a variety of instrumentation and styles. He does cover songs by artists such as Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alabama, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap and more..

http://www.ballyhoosl.com/Niles/

COME JOIN THE PARTY!

CLICK HERE to join the party. (Snow Crash 38, 111, 46)

Halloween

Hi, Everyone!

Sorry, I haven't been able to get to my annual posting of Haunted Houses. I've been moving Effie's Designs to its new location. I'll post more about it later.

However, I did want to tell everyone to check out last year's link. I'm sure a number of the Haunted Houses are still around waiting to spook you. :-) Here is the link:

http://effie-emmons.blogspot.com/2008/10/haunted-houses.html

If the store gets completed soon, I will do a new posting.

Enjoy!
Effie

An American Landmark

I've never been there in real life, but I can imagine the awsome feel of standing an staring up at the large faces of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson at Mount Rushmore.

You can visit a sculpty representation in Second Life. You will teleport to a viewing deck that also includes a bit of information on Mount Rushmore. It is a very interesting build.

To visit Mount Rushmore, CLICK HERE. (Gay Wild West 116, 59, 81)

Elliott - Shopping in a Unique Area

Venturing around Second Life and discovering great builds is one of my favorite things to do. I'm in awe when I find a great build that is also functional in some way. Recently, I discovered the sim called Elliott.


Elliott is a shopping area with great atmosphere. The autumnal look of Elliott with winding waterways covered with walkway bridges, tall leafless trees, and rustic wood buildings begs you to discover every nook and cranny. As you take a discovery walk, notice the details that makes this build extraordinary such as the candles lit on the pillars of the walkways and the uniquely shaped and textured shops.


Elliott has three themed areas:

• XO Swamp
• St. Ides Heaven Carnival Junkyard
• Shooting Star Pet Cemetery

Some of the shops in Elliott are as unique as the sim. So, as you travel around, look in some of the specialty shops as well. You will find stores such as DARE, Chapeau Tres Mignon, Physique, Strange Candy, Gritty Kitty, The Sea Hole, Periquita, Little Boy Blue, Lurve Bite, The Stringer Mausoleum and many more!

To visit Elliott, CLICK HERE. (Elliott 128, 128, 27)

Mont Saint-Michel - A masterpiece to explore

I share a wish with many people around SL. We wish that there was a place to go to find out where the locations are on the preview page of the client. Personally, I have seen pictures of many places that I'd love to visit. A friend saw a picture of a magnificent build with a towering castle-like structure and pathways leading up to it. Determined to figure out where this build was how he discovered Mont Saint-Michel and shared it with me.

Mont Saint-Michel's real life counterpart is a beautiful, towering city in Normandy, France. It's a tidal island that was shaped by erosian as the sea levels rose. Very much like its physical counterpart, the Second Life Mont Saint-Michel has stone buildings and streets clinging desperately to the hill that is the mount.

To understand the build, one might like to know a bit of the history of the real-life counterpart. CLICK HERE to see the entry on Wikipedia.

When you arrive at Mont Saint-Michel, you are outside of a welcome center area with posters resembling those in the real version I suppose. You will also find an Xstreet SL vendor hidden in a corner. Just past the welcome area is a tourism type area with teleports to the various stores and the La Cafe Poulard. Venture into the large, black photo booth. My SL boyfriend and I had a blast trying to figure it out. We eventually got a decent picture after lengthy periods of laughter.

As you walk further, you will discover that most of the winding roads are lined with small shops rented out to various vendors. They line the pathways leading up to the abbey. Beware that the pathways are very narrow at times and a newer avie to SL may find it difficult to maneuver through.

The pathways also have little garden areas along the way. There are many doorways and paths through the structure. Exploring Mont Saint-Michel is one that takes time and curiosity to enjoy it fully.

At the top of Mont Saint-Michel, you'll find the simple, but magnificent abbey sitting tall with grandeur. Explore the many doors around the abbey, too. A garden court yard is adjacent to the abbey.

Take your time and explore. To visit Mont Saint-Michel, CLICK HERE. (Mont Saint Michel 75, 16, 21)

Drowsy - A great leisurely walk of exploration

The sim Drowsy was selected the Favorite Second Life Sim of Spring/Summer by Koinup, NWN Readers. (New World Notes Blog) So, I decided to go take a peek for myself.


You teleport into a small, seaside town with little boutiques lining cobblestone streets. The textures show the quaint town as being there for a while with the rich hues and weathered look. A bit of whimsical nature is seen immediately in the pig-looking statue with plants growing on it to the puppet theater that shows a rabbit chasing a girl.


As you walk through the cobblestone streets and pathways stop to look at everything. The detail and bits of whimsy are a big part of the charm of Drowsy.


You will stroll by a park, an old dilapidated warehouse, a library, a courtyard flanked with stores, a small riverside town, and Drowsy's Horror Summer Festival. Don't forget to point your mouse at things. There are many small things along the way that are freebies.


Many of the buildings also house stores. The sim was actually created to hold the stores the Japanese SL clothiers Kurotsubaki, BP, and Zero Number. Skin, clothes, hair and a few odds and ends will be found for sale throughout the sim.

My suggestion is to take your time and absorb this marvelous place.

To visit Drowsy, CLICK HERE. (Drowsy 187, 49, 37)

Let's Rock the Castle AGAIN!

To join the party, CLICK HERE. (91, 195, 29)

Harry Potter & Diagon Alley

Have you ever wanted to jump into the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling? Imagine shopping in Diagon Alley, going to school at Hogwarts, or working at the Ministry of Magic.


I've owned a shop in this sim for a while now. Why I did not share it on my blog, I have no idea. Diagon Alley in the sim called Witchcraft is a shopping area. Walk down the streets and see lots of theme inspired shops selling wizard wares such as clothing and magic wands. All shops are inspired by the HP books.


Although all real life avies (the ones behind the keyboard) need to be 18 or over to participate (like all of Second Life), you can choose to roleplay as a child or adult avatar. RP avatars have access to other areas of the sim such as the castle, Quiddich field, etc. Applications for RP are located at Diagon Alley.


I was not able to get an close up look at the Quiddich field, but even from a distance it looked great. Only avies with role play tags are allowed in areas other than Diagon Alley.


What made me think of posting this now? The new movie release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince of course! Marking the special occassion is a hunt starting on July 14 through the shops of Diagon Alley. Come enjoy hunting for Professor Snapes potion bottles and get free merchandise. There is also a costume party on July 16 at 8 p.m.


Come enjoy the sim and the spirit of Harry Potter in Second Life!

To visit Diagon Alley, CLICK HERE. (Witchcraft 79, 24, 24)

Join us for a mid-week party...

To attend the party, CLICK HERE. (Midnight Oasis 91, 195, 29)

Blue Galaxy - Convergence of Nature & Space Age

I love great builds in Second Life. The talent and imagination that goes into a great build is tremendous. I found another of these great builds... Blue Galaxy.



When I first teleported in, I was surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape. Towering mushroom type trees; tall, spiked grass patches; and boulders adorn the ground covered with green foliage and sandy patches. The rich, earthy colors and great textures make the landscape a feast for the eyes.


As I continued to look around, I noticed the very modern, space design elements speckled through out the nature. The sleek looking oasis areas look right at home admist the natural beauty. In the modern build areas you'll find places to sit and chat with friends, as well as appropriately themed stores.


What makes a good build excel to greatness is the detail. Ash Soyinka did this well. You see the element of detail in many ways such as the walkways that light up as your avatar walks across each section and the detail in the graphic design elements.

Blue Galaxy is one of the places you need to explore for yourself to see the beauty that pictures just cannot capture.

To visit Blue Galaxy, CLICK HERE. (Blue Galaxy 175, 113, 29)

Refreshing...

The Big Bad Blogger Challenge was very inspiring to me. It was fun to add some more personal perspective on Second Life rather than just talking about places to visit in world.

Being in SL for over two years now, gives me a greater perspective on how everyone experiences this vast world in different ways. Personally, I like drawing on the expertise of others. Because we all have taken different paths, we have a different set of knowledge. For example, let's look at building. Is all building the same? No. Someone who builds jewelry is an expert on creating tiny prims and setting them up in line for necklaces, etc. I build furniture and household goods. Until recently, I never created a tiny prim. Now I'm attending classes with some friends to expand our knowledge since we all have our own niche.

Having some touch with the business, educational, library, and social sides of SL, let's me see how different one's experiences can be. Someone who comes in world to mainly teach or take a class usually lacks in social knowledge and building skills in SL.

I know I have a lot more to learn in this large virtual world. So, let's continue our voyage through SL and learn together.

Hugs,

Effie

Who would I want to be?

A question was posed on a blog this week during the challenge asking if you could be anyone in SL for the day, who would it be? Well, that question took some thought. First I thought of some Lindens. Then decided that if they do come in world they are probably bombarded with ims and questions. Next, I thought of people in SL making money. But, I realized I love to have fun in SL as much as I love to work with my business.

Finally, I came up with an answer... Gavin. Gavin and I have been friends in SL for almost 2 years. Gav and I have similar views on things and talk to each other almost every day.

Gavin is the former manager of Kim Seifert and currently works with Shantu Selene. Gav knows so many people in SL music because of his work with artists. He knows many venue owners, live artists, and fans.

I'd love to experience the relationships with all the wonderful people that Gavin knows just for one day.

Darkness, A Moon, Music and Me

As I look back on my numerous times in SL, I specifically remember one night. I went to the building of a SL company that I was associated with. I was relatively new. No one was around.

I looked up and saw the incredible SL moon. I went to the top of the 4-story building and just watched the moon move across the sky. It was me, the darkness, the moon, and the soothing jazz music playing.

As I ponder how our real life avie moods affect what we do and how we interact in SL, I remember that night. Perhaps my RL avie just needed to relax and ponder. Perhaps I was just mesmerized by the first time I saw a moon in SL.

Even more amazing, the picture in this posting is really of that night. Notice I had red hair back then. :-) It's amazing what we have in our inventories.

Riverwalk - A Hidden Jewel

An attachment to a place so strong that you call it "home" is amazing in itself. In SL it's even more amazing. My first home in SL was Riverwalk. Riverwalk was the first place that impressed me, so I made it my starting and stopping place in SL for a few months at the beginning of my life in sl. I would greet people as they came to Riverwalk.

One of my fondest memories is when 4 red-headed avies came together one evening in Riverwalk. We sat and shared our knowledge and experiences in SL. By the time I left, I had made three new friends. Two of those friends still hold a place on my friends list, and one is a very good friend.

Today Although it's been a long time since those days (about 2 years), Riverwalk still holds a special place in my heart.

This beautiful art park seems to not get as many visitors as it used to. It's quite a shame too. It's a beautiful place with lots of things to do.

• Take a stroll throughout the park and view the beautiful artwork.
• Ride the swans on a leisurely water tour of the area.
• Play board games on the terrace.
• "Eat" and talk to friends at a table on the terrace.
• Ride the swings.
• Get your fortune.
• Go Fishing.
• Test your skills at getting through the maze.

Even though Riverwalk hasn't been my home for quite a while, I still have a sense of it being my original home and visit it occassionally.

To visit Riverwalk, CLICK HERE. (Ganymede 20, 230, 26)

Winter Wonderland - Creativity Unfinished

During the winter holidays last year, I met a friend in SL that is still a friend today. He's a very generous soul. At the time he owned a few sims, and let me use one to do with what I wanted... to unleash my creativity.

With assistance from him, I started creating a winter wonderland. The frozen water was plentiful as the land masses across the sim were more like icebergs. I sought out a skate vendor and put fencing up around the vendor area with a couple of benches to create a place to begin ice skating. A big glowing bonfire sat upon one of the hills near the skating. It was a nice place to warm up. Snowy trees graced the hilltops. A few cold weather animals graced a few of snowy caps. And, an ice house was beginning to get furnished to make the inside cozy despite the coldness of the ice. I terraformed for the first time and was having a ball shaping a sim.

The creativity came to an abrupt halt when my friend had to give up the sims for financial reasons. I never got to finish or take pictures. The picture above is a smaller scale creation I made on top of my first skybox home in SL.

My dream is to one day have the opportunity to wrap my creativity around another sim. In the words of J.P. from Angels in the Outfield, "It could happen!"

PS If you are wondering why the change in what I'm posting this week, I'm working on a blogging challenge... The Big Bad Blogger Challenge. It's basically a challenge to create a new posting every day. I decided to go ahead and make it more personal perspectives on SL. If you want to read about the challenge, CLICK HERE.

Friendship Beyond the Edges of the Worlds

Two years ago when I was a newbie in SL, I would explore a lot. Typing a word, any word, in the search box then teleporting to a new location would fill part of my time. I loved talking with people and learning everyday. The other part of my time would be spent at the occassional live music events.

There was one live artist that I really liked. Kim Seifert has powerful voice and mainly sings country, but I also loved her jazzy tunes. Kim quickly became my favorite SL live artist.

My blog had just began. I did a blog posting about Kim and caught her attention.

I'm not sure exactly when our friendship really began. Perhaps it when she said she was moving within a 3 hour drive of where I live. Kim and I met for lunch one day, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Kim and I are friends in both worlds now. We still live about 3 hours apart, but when you have a friend you really like, a 3-hour dive is a great way to spend the day. Kim has a lovely family who welcomed me with open arms just as Kim did. I love spending time with them whether it's just sitting and talking, playing a game or cooking dinner.

I'm amazed at the possibilities that Second Life and the Internet brings to our lives everyday. Years ago I would have never dreamed that a virtual world would have brought such a special friend into my real world.

It's Another Party! Rock the Castle 3 "Country Style"

CLICK HERE to join the party! (Midnight Oasis 91, 195, 29)

Morphe Inc. has been a place that I frequent for some time now. Abel Dreamscape is very talented in building dark, mysterious castles that are also quite elegant. As a castle lover, I enjoy every moment I mosey through his sim and castles.


Morphe's newest creation is Malicia - a tall (65 meters high) castle. The ominous towering stature is only the beginning. Abel packs in many details that make the castles special - ability to turn torches on and off, sculpted staircases with arched doorways, torches and torchieres with particle flames, ability to turn torches on and off, doors that open with a mechanical knob, elegant railings, and more!


The castles are also packed with overlooks showing you the beauty of the sim. Morphe is not only a place to buy castles and sculptures, it is a place to explore and take in the beauty. Explore the many rooms of the castles. Castle Darkness is a favorite to explore with the secret doors and corridors and the and the dark, mysterious cavern under the castle.


Don't miss the awesome sculptures at Morphe. I was so impressed by them that several of them adorn (and are for sale) at my castle at Effie's Designs.


To visit Morphe, CLICK HERE. (Snow Crash 101, 133, 24)

Role Play Market - RP shopping all in one place!

A friend of mine told me about this new market in Second Life opening and thought that my products would fit in. I was totally amazed when I rezzed at Role Play Market. The teleport point is in the center atrium - a field of green with a fountain and benches. As the market starts to rez around you, you notice the very unique doorways into each of the themed areas.

The teleport board indicates the themed areas:

Role Play Market is a is intended to be a destination for all inclusive Role Play Specific Shopping, Classes & Activities, RP Sim Advertisements, and a social gathering spot for all gamers & role players alike.


If you're interested in being a vendor at the market, this is a wonderful opportunity for all content creators of role play goods and services. Role Play market is a great place whether you're just starting your business or looking for a fun and exciting new way to expand your brand. Pick the area that best fits your products. If you need assistance the management staff will assist you. The management staff is dedicated to making the market work and shows it in the advertising and promotion, as well as the tremendous help they are to vendors. Prime spots are filling fast, so check out the market today.

Whether you are shopping for role play items, want to sell your products in a themed area, or just want to see a great example of a creative area in SL, a visit to Role Play Market is a must! Be sure to visit Effie's Designs in the Gothic area.


Click HERE to visit Role Play Market. (Role Play Market 113, 128, 22)