Tag: Tia

Winter

Winter in a box

When you’re the owner of an entire sim on a private estate or independently, there is a series of regional settings you can control that are not available to simple parcel owners or anyone living in Linden land. One of them lets you customize the appearance of the ground texture, so it can fit your landscaping needs.

When your kingdom is très petit, even smaller than the tiny world of the Little Prince, winter is probably the most difficult season to cope with the rest of the neighborhood, especially if you’re the only one cheerfully expecting the first snowfall –unless you live in the frozen confines of old Sansara, the ever whitish Snowlands, where the problem is exactly the reverse: how to fit in during the summer. You can, of course, cover your land with some prims and sprinkle them with snow and ice textures, use any of the available pre-made landscaping kits (with dozens of options to choose from), or even get your hands on a chic tool such as JVTEK’s LandMap to cover the ground with a precise layer you can paint as desired. But remember: the rest of the sim may remain as green as ever, and your plot will stand out as the shiniest rarity in the ‘hood.

For the last two winters –this one included– I’ve been living in different parts of mainland. To avoid any seasonal confrontation with my tropical acquaintances, I have rezzed a little skybox above the clouds to build my arctic “miniscape”. It’s not exactly as building at ground level, but there are so many options today that the scenery can even be lively in a limited vault like this.

 

My permafrost dwelling rests in a small 1696 sq.m. parcel, and it consists of:

  • Turnip – 40 x 40 Skydome, with winter textures.
  • Studio Skye – Enchanted woods, Snow Formations, and Silver birch.
  • 3D Trees – some accessories from a winter trees pack.
  • Botanical – Touch 2 Change Split Rail Fence
  • Happy Mood – Snowy road (sans rocks)
  • Dysfunctional Designs – several snowmen
  • Dust Bunny – Hunter’s Retreat (rare gacha item from the Old Fashioned Winter set at Nº21 event)
  • Tia – Love Doves Birdbath (rare gacha item from last year’s Winter is Coming set; machine is still available in store)
  • LISP – Victorian Street Lamp (white icy with snow version)

Except for 3D Trees, all other products are mesh, and I still have more than 200 prims left, woot! Snow in the pics is is a combo of a Happy Mood product and a texture+script from yours truly.

Melting

Winter is in its prime in the northern hemisphere, and it will go on for several weeks before the first signs of spring start to show up. In SL, snow is already melting, though, so that’s why snowdrops are already blooming in my garden.

  • Ossanha Gardens – Snowdrops; Ox eye daisy delivery box (not exactly an item, but a delivery package, it looks nice, though)
  • Zyn Designs – Round Stone Owls
  • [Tia] – Spring garden planter (old hunt, may not be available anymore)
  • MeadowWorks – Moonflower vines (from H&G Expo 2013, should be available in store)
  • Sari-Sari – Soil (from Potting shelf & Ladder with frames set)
  • what next – Rustic signs – Welcome (past gacha item)

Mini greenhouses

The rest of the greenies are  still sheltering from the cold weather inside the house. They are growing in specimen jars while it’s time to be planted outside.

  • DecoFranzy (marketplace) – Yucca elephantipes in pot
  • Backwoods Mafia – Books
  • O.M.E.N. – Rapunzel’s Tower (The Arcade December 2013 gacha item); Speciments (from Wizarding table)
  • Apple Fall – Fern specimen; Unknown specimen
  • Keke – Winter bottle (snow berry)
  • Cerberus Xing (marketplace) – Antler Lamp
  • Ur – Modern clock (from Reader living room set)

Flower pots

There are also some early spring flowers in the house. Maybe the greenhouse effect have them bloom sooner than expected, I don’t know.

  • Apple Fall – Potted plant (exotic), Beauty is… (past gacha items); Books; Japanese books no. 2; Open book
  • Dutchie – Glass vase with yellow flowers
  • Terrashop – Blue Hyacinth
  • Monkeyworks – Ivy in pot (from Milking stool)
  • domus – Plant
  • Zigana – Grandpapa’s studies (desk)
  • Art Dummy! – Sustain chair
  • Trompe L’Oeil – Gyroscope lamp (polished)
  • Tres Blah – Bon Voyage stacked suitcases (past gacha item)
  • vespertine – Reading armchair (past gacha item, rare)
  • POST – Ursus – Orso Italiano (anitique print)
  • Little Hopper – Fluorescent light (mini)

Past gacha items may be available in their respective inworld stores now. You could also try the yard sales if you don’t want to let luck determine your fate (or how much money you spend trying to get one of these items). Up to you.

Is it greed, is it lust?

I wish I could understand the mind of privileged Mainland land-lords/ladies. Is it greed what drives  their lust for virtual land, or is there an altruistic end of some sort? Do they believe they’re doing SL and hence its residents a favor when they grab all the good land they come across and then put it up for rent? Do they realize that maybe someone else may want or need or desire the land they hoard for their private business? Can’t they see they’re depriving other individuals the same chance of owning land as they do? If on seeing someone inspecting an available parcel, couldn’t they just ask you, out of courtesy at least, if you’re considering buying that lot instead of clicking and buying, even from far away, as in a rush, robbing you the chance to even get the funds in order to complete the process? Or is it that they don’t think other people buy land, that only they do or have the right to?

Bay City

Since, in a sense, SL is no more than a game (a race for buying land in the case of business-people), are their minds powered by the same psychological (addictive) boost that “gambling” does for gamblers? Do they think SL is all about their class, them against other land barons? Or is it the action of an egotistical impulse that blocks their minds and only allow them to think of themselves? Are their social values different from the rest of us, or is it that SL twists their morals in a way that they can’t see beyond the tip of their noses? Do they believe in friendship or is it only a matter of business to them?

Bay City

Are we tenants worth anything to rental services, or are we just what we are: a disposable wallet that is easy to replace with another one if it happens that we, out of disgust, go away? Is there an escape to that? Are we hopeless? Are we doomed to live under this “business model” if we want to “own” land?

Bay City

Why does Linden Research, Inc. allow virtual land speculation to escalate to the point of having 512/1024 square meter plots selling for hundreds of real life money? Is it even right? Or is it that the Lab thinks all of us have the tools, abilities and skills to make our SL self-sustained? Or is it that they think their world is just for those that are capable of earning their living by such means? If so, why do they sell virtual currency with real life money in an uncontrolled economy base?

Bay City

Ah well… nevermind. Sorry for having such a depressing view of SL in Christmas. Blame me for trying to figure out the way things are not from a –probably– too idealized and hence distorted point of view anyway. When things like this happen they make me wonder why I invest so much time and effort in things that end up troubling me more than they please me. Is it some kind of virtually induced nonsexual masochism? I don’t know… I think it’s me doing things the wrong way for sure.

In the pics, some of the things I’ve put in a rented parcel in Bay City that may not survive the coming of the New Year.

Veggies:

Everything else:

  • bbqq – Humble Abode
  • Zigana – Ladder; Chime (neutral); Holiday spirit ornaments (Arcade Dec. 2013)
  • Lark – Winter Bunting
  • Myrrine – Christmas wall deco without planks
  • Dysfunctional Designs – Holiday Tree
  • Alouette – Toy Soldiers, Ho Ho Ho Decoration (Arcade Dec. 2013)
  • Vespertine – Nutcracker, Starbead curtain (Arcade Dec. 2013); Reading armchair (gatcha)
  • Trompe L’Oeil – Bird On A Stick (Arcade Dec. 2013)
  • Tia – Watercan Twig Deco, Winter Phrase Hanger, Let It Snow Blocks (gatcha)
  • Casa del Shai – Papaya Crate 2 (upside down)
  • we’re closed – old ladder with poses (group gift)
  • ILO – Milk Can; Garden set
  • floorplan – Three apple crates; Sleigh bed (rustic); Midsummer retreat
  • Botanical – Hanging Capiz Lamps
  • Cheeky Pea – Autumn Fly To the Sky Bench
  • lame – Woodruff Sofa (color modded)
  • What Next – Pine tree wall decal; Pallet log box (sans logs)
  • Pilot – Christmas Village – Sign [North Pole], Springfield (gatcha); Water Hose
  • Apple Fall – His Sideboard, Jute Natural Rug (gatcha)
  • TBF – Telefunken Animated Television
  • Honey Apple (aka MudHoney) – Curtains (cream)
  • Seven Emporium – Hanging bulb (triple)
  • Art Dummy! – Wintertide (chairs and sofa)
  • Warm Animations – Table with plant
  • Culprit – Victorian gazebo (Neva)