Still Here After All These Years

Twisted Hunt Fall 2014

Spooky Halloween Sitting Area - Hearth & Home

The designers had our choice from all of the past Twisted Hunt themes to design for the Time Warp Twisted Hunt this September. Picking out your favorite theme was so very hard! I knew immediately I would build for Nevermore as Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorites. Then I also have a great love of Halloween and so Spooky things was the next one I decided to build for. As an avid reader of Dark Fantasy books, the UnSeelie Hunt was another personal favorite. The first Twisted Hunt didn't have a "theme", the theme WAS Twisted things. For that very first Twisted hunt, I built a simple tombstone. I decided to include a new tombstone to commemorate that very first hunt. So because of my indecision you get 4 different main gifts for this Time Warp Hunt. I hope you enjoy them, and don't forget the "Pity Prizes" that are hidden in all the decoys. Gotta Find Em All!!
Twisted Hunt Blog

UnSeelie Woodland Table Set - Hearth & Home

Nevermore Desk Set - Hearth & Home

Twisted Cemetery Ruins - Hearth & Home

Silk Road 5 Hunt Gift from Hearth & Home

June 1st begins the Silk Road Hunt 5 - this years theme is Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. Here is the gift from Hearth & Home ~ I hope you will enjoy these items. Check out the Historical Hunts blog for more information!  Historical Hunts

Life's a Beach Hunt Gift

Hearth & Home's new gift for the Life's a Beach Hunt - starting June 1, 2014. Happy Hunting!
You can check check out their blog for the Life's a Beach Hunt Stores - Stores 1-40  Stores 46-76

Gypsy Wares at Hearth & Home

Gypsy Wares is a small part of Hearth & Home's home decor and furniture store in Second Life. Gypsy clothing, roleplaying items, crystal balls, and caravans and vardos. Set your Gypsy Spirit free!

Doorstep Bargains for March

Well one thing never changes.... I am a terrible blogger.... I never was that great at writing a diary either! But I am excited about a new Second Life sales group. The Doorstep Bargains group is a monthly sale that runs the last week of the month and will feature new or popular merchandise from Home and Garden Merchants. Oh! and only 55L! Hard to beat those prices. You can always check their blog to see what the coming month will bring! Above is the offering from Hearth & Home for March The sale has started and will run through the 28th of March.   http://thecookiejarcommunity.wordpress.com/doorstep-bargain-event/

It is interesting... when I first started building in Second Life, it was to build something pretty with the least amount of primatives or now (land impact). I have noticed sooo many people build home and garden items with so many prims! It is hard to think about making something to set on a table that is 25 prim! But I suppose I'll do some things... it will just be a bad habit to break! :)

If You Can't Say Something Nice

What an inspiring way for my year to start! A lovely lady decided to send me a note today telling me that everything I make is "bad, bad quality" and over priced that only a noob would buy it. Now after spending the last 4 days trying to rebuild my store... this is quite the bit of encouragement that I was needing!

To be fair I had realized that a lot of pieces were out of date, seriously, I was looking at some of my very 1st fireplaces, and yeah, they look a bit dated... some even still had some poseballs on them! Some I didn't even bother to put back into the new store. So she is right in her assessment of some of my pieces - I will give her that much. I have been doing this since 2007 so yeah, the times are changing and many pieces probably do need to be retired. (*note to self* be sure and update marketplace once you finish building all those free items for hunts).

I just felt the need to remind people that they probably should mind their own business. There are people with feelings behind these avatars. She doesn't know what I have experienced in my RL over the last year. She doesn't know that I'm a single mom that works full time to support her family. That I had seriously considered leaving SL over the last 6 months. That last spring I spent most of my free time trying to learn Blender so that I could better create my designs because I had been feeling inadequate. That my world recently changed to the extent that might not have RL work in a few months. It was a lot to deal with, and I took a few days from work to de-stress, and promptly lost myself in my shop re-building.. enjoying the building like I hadn't done in several years. I was excited to come home today and try and finish up the work and reopen the shop.

So to log on today and get her note... I suppose I should be grateful that I didn't find that 2 weeks ago when I learned of my company's buy out. I was feeling inadequate in RL with my work position and NOW I learn how inadequate I am in SL as well.  But the week long rest helped me to accept her note and to even agree with her (on some items). If I had received her note then in the fragile condition I was in at that time.... I don't know what my response would have been.

But today, I feel energized, and happy, (I even wore my Wonder Woman bracelets to work). I don't know why this woman felt the need to give me unsolicited advice on how I run my business and design things. I will accept her critique in the manner I "hope" she gave it. But I still think Thumper's dad had the best advice... "If you can't say something nice.... don't say nothing at all."

The Doctor Was On The Job!

Twisted Krissmuss @ Hearth & Home

Here is a closeup of the 14 piece set I made for Twisted Krissmuss - a dark Shaman's Sanctuary with sitting poses and a fortune tellers table. Just click the ball to find out what "the darkness sees". (on and if you will find the Renaissance Hunt gift - it matches this set)

Twisted Krissmus About to Begin

Dec. 7, 2012 is the beginning date for the Twisted Krissmuss Shopping Event. Some of the best SL designers have made a transfer item that you can purchase for $100 so that you will be able to afford gifts for your friends and loved ones! Stop by Hearth & Home, for more information. I am a sponsor this year!!  You can get your Guidebook inworld, or stop by the Twisted Krissmuss website. I'll post my offering tomorrow! I must grab a few winks!

Candy Cane 4 Hunt Starts Dec 1

Wow hard to believe that this is my 4th year in the Candy Cane hunt. This years gift from Hearth and Home is the Christmas Holly-Day chair & coffee table. The cozy chair is done in warm flannels with cute bits of holly adorning the arms. It has 9 different poses in it. The coffee table comes both hard linked and soft linked if you want to remove or change the figurines on the table. It has a land impact of 22 as shown here. All items are copy & mod. For more information on the Candy Cane Hunt visit http://kastlerockhunts.blogspot.com/

Home for Christmas

This is my 2nd year to participate in the Cookie Jar's Home for the Holidays (Christmas) hunt. I joined the Cookie Jar group about this time last year. I have loved  being in it! The creativity of the merchants is awe inspiring! Jiovi & 2Wat Michigan have created a fun and super community of builders and hunters. Their SL Hunt Resource Center has been a God send!
This is my offering for the Home for Christmas hunt. It is 29 prim as shown, I both hard and soft linked it, in case you wanted to move around the decor items, or lower prim counts... whatever it is you would like to do!

I would like to take this opportunity to send you warm wishes that you will enjoy many lovely times with your families and loved ones this Christmas season!

Another Twisted Hunt has come and gone, and it's bittersweet as usual. We missed Vasha & Dysturbed this Twisted go around :( The organizers did a super job, and the hunt was as smooth as they have ever been! It is always a pleasure to see old friends and to meet some new ones! We are an eclectic group - we just have a strange sense of humor.
So far 2012 has been full of changes, just like the Mayan's promised! Some of these changes have been quite life changing. I have been trying to learn Blender... oh my.... is that quite a challenge! So back to a classroom - even a virtual one is a big change for me. Changes occurred in my personal life as well, children grow too quickly and I have had to learn many hard truths. I suppose these are the things that keep life interesting - but I do prefer boring!
I plan on a big remodel for the shop soon - just trying to draw up some new plans for that. So as we move into the fall and holiday season I wish you warm sunny days, cool nights and a pair of warm arms to hold you close!

Well, well, well.... been a trying few months. After the last Twisted I went into hibernation or something. A general blah set in about SL and what I was doing there. I went crazy with the Petite Mesh Avatars for a little bit, but that didn't hold my interest. I have started Blender classes. I finally this weekend needed a particular thing for a table, and low and behold I was able to make exactly what I wanted! So I guess I am SLOWLY learning a few things about it. I have a bunch of hunts coming up in July, so I suppose I should start building and shut up :)

BJ's 5th Rez Day - Gift for YOU!

I just wanted to say thank-you for five crazy years in Second Life. This is just one of my first builds that I added some new features and textures too. Just alittle something from me! I'll leave it out until Friday the 10th*Hugs* to you all! Love ya! ~bj~
( right when you walk in the door to the store you can pick it up http://slurl.com/secondlife/Daphnis/123/62/46 )

Feb 1 Gypsy Wares & Hearth & Home are in Natures Hunt: When Roses Turn Black Part 2: Withered - these 2 gifts are using some really awesome mosaic textures, they match up beautifully.

Dark rumblings begin...Twisted... Spring 2012

Wonder what color of evil will the Twisted Cubes be this March?

Another year....

Well, it's my usual yearly musing time I suppose. Maybe this year I will finally become more effective with my social media postings. (Don't hold your breath... I was never good at writing in a diary either).
Anyways, I'm staying busy, I have been trying to learn to make clothing this past year. I expanded Hearth & Home to allow for some traditional Gypsy themed items (Gypsy Wares), and while creating those items, I made a few Gypsy dresses. I enjoyed it a lot! Vasha Martinek gave me some good advice and suggested I not limit myself to period clothing, soooooo out of that advice, the idea and even the name for the 3rd little shop was born, Urban Gypsy Clothiers. Both shops are quite small, and I'm "learning" still. But Vasha was the total inspiration for this lil' venture. Hopefully one of these days, I'll be out of the "newb" phase of clothes desiging. Hey this boot junkie has even made a few pairs of boots! So it will be interesting to see how the next year plays out.
I was trying to think of a way to rename the blog, and newsletters so that all 3 stores could be recognized. It is funny the acronym for them is HUG - Hearth & Home, Urban Gypsy Clothiers & Gypsy Wares... LOL  I found that rather amusing since I'm not the *Hugs* kind of girl. So I'll kick the idea around some more, hey maybe I'll bug Vasha for more inspiration!
God bless you all and I hope that 2012 is a very happy and prosperous one for you!
*Hugs*  BJ   (well, maybe I can get used to that! *giggles*)

They Start Out All Happy

*evil grin* So the Twisted Hunt is about to begin... I have been lucky to have been in every one since Vasha & Dysturbed dreamed their Twisted Dream. What fun these hunts are, and they are not for the faint of heart. Truly the hardest hunt in SL. Those that finish this hunt deserve the title of Survivor....the rest... well, they will rest in peace or maybe..... in pieces. Hearth & Home, Gypsy Wares & Urban Gypsy Clothiers have all made items for the Hunt. I have the main gift, and 5 (might be 6) bonus gifts, a few pity prizes in some decoys...and of course the new Gacha! I'm only sad that I will miss the first full week of the hunt while I sneak away for a little rest & relaxation. So before I go...I'll open the door to the insane asylum.....