CHRISTMAS EXPO

If you are feeling charitable for the Holidays, you can head over to the SL Christmas Expo, with eight sims of holiday fun including two sims of Breedables. The Christmas Expo is a Relay for Life Fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society. I am still enjoying the décor so here I am showing some of the displays over at the House of Avro. You seed some singing elves for your house don't you?



In addition to Relay for Life charity benefit items there are Exclusives up for Auction, Naughty or Nice Gifts, and a Hunt for you to Enjoy. Events, Music, Raffles. Limited Edition Breedables. The Nutcracker's Palace Ball. Christmas Tree lots!



You can read more, with maps and SLurls to get there, at the SL Christmas Expo Website.



Love,
Serene

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

It's so cold outside that even online all I want to do is stay in with some cocoa. With things so busy right now, the week has sped by and today is already the last day of Relay for Life's Christmas Expo, and here I am to blog the last bits and bobs I have, and to encourage you to go before time runs out. Go now! This fun jacket is really for men but it's transferrable so you can give it to your man if you want to take him to a party all spiffed up.

Jacket/Shirt/Tie: Citrus "Men's Leather Xmas Jacket" (at Christmas Expo)



How about this cute jacket and sweater set? It came with a pair of black pants too but they didn't fit well with the shoes.

Jacket/Shirt: LIV-Glam "Funny Honey" (at Christmas Expo)



Or just something cuddly for a quiet night in?

Pajamas: Ever An' Angel "Not So Prim Candy Cane PJs" (at Christmas Expo)
Holly: Evie's Closet "Holly Headpiece" (at Christmas Expo)

also shown:
Hat: Remarkable Oblivion "Festivat - Little Drummer Boy" (at the Arcade Gacha)
Leggings: Teefy "Black Shine Leggings"
Boots: J's "Ankle Boots Square"
Hair: D!va "Daisy" (at the Arcade Gacha)
Hair: Clawtooth "Temptation - Valentine" (at the Arcade Gacha)
Skin: Essences ""Olyvia" (at the Dressing Room)
Eyes: Ikon "Ardent"
Sofa: Lisp "Winter Sofa Red"
Cute Doggy: Zooby "Tan Pug"

Love,
Serene

DARK NOEL

Perhaps this dark gothic dress is not what you imagined for your Holidays, but you can't deny its beauty. I adore the inky poinsettias and the sweetly seductive Fascinator. Another lovely find at the Christmas Expo!



Outfit: Fosca de los Encantades "Lilith Onyx" (at Christmas Expo)
Shoes: Lassitude and Ennui "Jolenta"
Hair: LeLutka "Vent"
Skin: by Essences (doesn't show clearly in this photo due to lighting)
Eyes: Ikon "Horizon"
Eyeshadow: La Malvada Mujer "Theater of You"
Lipgloss: Pink Acid "Gothic Lip Gloss"
Lashes: by LeLutka
Hands: by SLink
Poses: by Don't Freak Out! and LAP (unavailable)

Love,
Serene

ON THE SIDEBOARD

Did you have an old sideboard in your home when you were growing up? You know, the one that did double duty as a buffet when your parents had a party. The one that held the neighbor gifts and that fruitcake. So here is my sideboard with some of my holiday treats. I love pixel food!



A shop called Myrrine (new or new-to-me?) has a cute spot at the Christmas Expo, that's where I picked up the Gingerbread cookie displays and the strings of stars. One string is just wooden stars, but the others are lights that cycle through the color spectrum. I'm also loving these neutral snowflake chairs that are Art Dummy's entry in the Four Walls hunt, and all four are L$20. Can't beat that!

Snowflake: by Atelier Visconti (at Christmas Expo)
Light Marquee: Apple Fall "Sweet Dreams"
Angel Chimes: by LAQ Décor (gift available in store or on Marketplace)
Bundt Cake: Bauwerk "Ring Cake"
Cherry Yummies: Apple Fall "Cherry Voulevants" (at the Arcade Gacha)
Pudding: Apple Fall "Christmas Pudding" (at the Arcade Gacha)
Cabinet: Zigana "Apothecary Cabinet"
Gingerbread Branches: by Myrrine (at Christmas Expo)
Christmas Star Lights: by Myrrine (at Christmas Expo)
Chairs: Art Dummy! "Wintertide. (chairs)" (at the Four Walls Hunt)

Love,
Serene

A VERY DYSFUNCTIONAL CHRISTMAS

I'm still monkeying around with the Christmas décor over at my place. Would you like to see a couple more things I bought at the Christmas Expo? I bought two things from Dysfunctional Designs. The first is this fun and colorful wreath hanging over my mantle. My favorite thing about it is that it is scripted on touch to change the colors of the baubles and ribbon to a whole bunch of colors, so I'll be able to use it again another time with a different color scheme. This year is all red and blue green.



I also picked out this pretty tree over at the Expo's Tree Lot, also from Dysfunctional Designs. Yes I'm a sucker for lavender. And flocking. And lavender flocking. :D ... All the trees at the Tree Lot are for charity, so I'll tuck this tree away with my collection. Maybe next Christmas I'll do my home up in purple.

Wreath: Dysfunctional Designs "Holiday Wreath" (texture change)
Tree: Dysfunctional Designs "Holiday Tree - RFL Edition" (other versions in their store)
Lights: What Next "Amalfi String Lights"

Love,
Serene

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

I'm excited to tell you that this year's Expo is everything I wanted from a Christmas Expo! Four Beautiful sims of holiday goodness, tons of decorations, and nice presents for you to give to your family and friends. Every store will have a special vendor item whose proceeds go to the Relay for Life raising funds for cancer research. Last night I went over for the blogger preview and got all excited. This week I will be showing a variety of what's-on-the-Menu, I hope you'll join me there. If you would like to follow the event coverage, they have a Flickr group here.



Oh let's start with a Tree! This one is Roawenwood's Winter Memories Tree, it's a charity benefit item. There are so many lovely trees to choose from in the shops, but on December 5th when it opens, there will also be a spot dedicated to the charity trees. I have to tell you I bought more than one :D



Oh hey, meet my buddy Elvis! Yes you can sit on him if you'd like. Unlike the other Elvis, he doesn't rock. :P  ... I guess he's not in the mood. But he's so festive with the wreath of flashing lights and that cute bow on his little bum. If you like him, stop by at the Kaerri shopfront.



And another benefit item from Marmelade. These cute sets also include a second wall art, and a candy dish with a holiday cracker. They come in three different themes. This one is called "Rustic". There is also a set in traditional Christmas colors, and another in a blue and white winter theme. One caveat, the chair and ottoman are not resizable and they were too small for my avatar, so please sit on the chairs in the store to make sure they work for you. I love the snowflake lamp!

Love,
Serene

MEET MISTER DARCY

... Today I am a Matchmaker. (Call me Miss Woodhouse.)



Clementine is finally old enough to be formally introduced to her prospective mate. Meet Mister Darcy. From the look in her eye, Love at First Sight ... and she is beginning to become accustomed to his presence.



Clementine and Mister Darcy are breedable Starter Horses from Awesome Breed Creations, from their shop at the Christmas Expo. Starter Horses appear to be simply ordinary bay horses, but have hidden recessive traits that can appear in their children. Their offspring will be eligible for breeding, or for training to Race. I can't wait to see the babies!

Dress: Sassy “Julia” (RFL benefit item @Christmas Expo)
Jacket and Hat: Baiastice “Iko”
Leggings: Mimikri “Sequin Leggings”
Gloves: Boom “Dame Elbow Gloves” (mesh)
Shoes: Gos “Dare Booties” (texture change HUD)
Hair: Wasabi Pills “Kylee”
Skin: Kooqla “Spacecat” (sold out @Limited Bazaar)
Eyes: Ikon “Horizon”
Pose: by Epiphany
Horses: Awesome Breed Creations (Starter Horses gift @Christmas Expo)
House: Trompe L’Oeil “Frostbite Cottage” (@Collabor88)
Sled: Cheeky Pea “Chilly Sled” (@Collabor88)
Toy Soldier: ReyCon “Toy Soldier” (old gift unavailable)
Snowman: Rez “rez_snowman” (old gift unavailable)

Love,
Serene

CHARITY AUCTIONS AT THE EXPO

The Christmas Expo is having a Breedables Auction tomorrow, December 15th, all proceeds to Relay for Life charity. You might like to go view the breedables here at the Xmas Expo 5 Sim and be tempted! If you would like to bid, you will have to pre-register at the Christmas Expo website and work through a Proxy Bidder. Read all about it.

Separately, there is an auction of donated items accepting bids here through December 19th. Some of the items are breedables and some are not, but are special items donated by other Expo vendors and private parties. :D Loving it.

Love,
Serene

CHRISTMAS DECOR

If you would like to brighten up your home for the Holidays you can find almost anything you need at the Christmas Expo. This fireplace set for example is an exclusive benefit item with all proceeds benefiting Relay for life. Cheery warmth, holiday color and two cushion seats for your friends. The amount of other decoration items are mind boggling! If you are looking for a Christmas tree, a Menorah, Garlands of greenery and ribbon, twinkle lights, interactive trays of edibles, toys for your kids ... find it all at the Expo!

Prime "Christmas Fireplace" (exclusive Christmas Expo benefit item)
Tatty Soup "Reindeer Rocker" (I bought this last year but it's still available)

Love,
Serene

STRANGELINGS AT THE CHRISTMAS EXPO

If you would like your shopping at the Christmas Expo to benefit the Relay for Life, here is a cute option for you. The Strangelings are a new collaboration between The Magic of Oz folks, Candy Cerveau and Malkavyn Eldritch, with a team of way-smarty-pantsier-than-moi-people at Flying Monkey Interactive. The Strangelings game outside of Second Life will be a "Genetics-Based 3D Game" that lets you breed virtual pets on mobile, tablets, and the internet. Within Second Life, the Strangelings are avatars that can be customised in about eleventy-billion ways to match any of the pets you could possibly breed in the game.



In addition to the basic avatar, you can buy customization packs with tails, headgear, hind legs, and spinal attachments. You can use the heads-up display to customize colors and patterns, and to control the cute built-in animation set. I colored mine very simply, but if you would like to wear purple with orange zebra pattern, or teal with sunny yellow dalmation spots, be my guest. A unicorn horn? A scorpion stinger? Duck feet? Enjoy them all!



And while the Christmas Expo is open, you can purchase the Strangelings Ultimate pack for L$1250. That's fifty percent off the normal cost of L$2500, and all proceeds will benefit Relay for Life. What's not to love? All for a good cause!

Read more about the Christmas Expo for Relay for Life,
Read more about Strangelings, and
Read more about Flying Monkey Interactive.

Love,
Serene

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Actually, I would never have dared ask Santa for a Horse for Christmas! But here she is. I've called her Clementine. My jaw dropped when I placed her next to my skating pond. You should know that she is a Breedable horse from Awesome Breed Creations and she was a free gift from their shop at the Christmas Expo.

BUT you know there is a catch? Every shop in the Expo has a gift giver, but when you touch it, Santa decides whether you were naughty or nice this year. Most of us are naughty some of the time, so you might get a lump of coal or aomething like that. But if Santa decides you were very good, you can get something very very NICE! Like Clementine.

Did you notice that there are two gifts in the picture? The Amaretto Breedables shop Santa said "naughty" and treated me to a steaming pile of horse poo. But if you get the poo, you can go back two hours later and maybe Santa will change his mind :P

I think it's refreshing that this Christmas Expo is less focused on just fashion and has many more creative gifting ideas for your friends and the people you love. The breedables category this year includes dogs and cats, bunnies, horses, creatures-not-possible-in-real-life, plants and even SHOES! Breedable shoes? Who knew? You need to go see all this stuff to believe it!

Read more about the Christmas Expo at: http://slchristmasexpo.wordpress.com
Read more about the Horse at: http://www.awesomebreedcreations.com

Love,
Serene

CHRISTMAS GLAM

One unconventional outfit in traditional Christmas colors. I picked up the dress and jewels at the Christmas Expo. Honestly this may be the only outfit I show you from the event, because although there is plenty of fashion, the Expo is overflowing with other things I found more Exciting!! I will be showing you more this week! *Squee*!



This party dress from LIV-Glam is fabulous because it comes with a HUD that lets you change to NINETEEN different textures and also tint to fine-tune the color. Need I say more? You will definitely see it again soon. Today I picked a red texture to be seasonal. I layered it over a turtleneck and leggings because let's face it, baby it's cold outside!



You can read all about it at:  http://slchristmasexpo.wordpress.com/ .

Dress: LIV-Glam "Vintage Chic" (mesh)(texture change)(Christmas Expo)
Turtleneck: Aoharu "TurtleNeck Knit"
Leggings: Teefy "Lacey Black 2"
Boots: Lapointe and Bastchild "Elise"
Necklace/Earrings: Sax Shepherd Designs "Nebula Merry" (Christmas Expo)
Necklace: Sax Shepherd Designs "60s Celluloid Lipstick" (Christmas Expo)
Bracelets: Sax Shepherd Designs "Mesh Bangles Gold/Candy" (Christmas Expo)
Glasses: Deco "Swank Glasses"
Hair: Exile "Violetta"
Skin: PXL "Faith Old Hollywood" (VIP group gift!)
Poses: by Marukin

Love,
Serene

CHRISTMAS JADE

There are quite a few Christmas events and hunts trying to catch our attention, but one of the ones you shouldn't miss is the Christmas Expo. Four regions of gift shopping and entertainment, with many exclusive benefit items set to raise funds for Relay for Life. Whether you prefer ballgowns or home decor, there is sure to be something there you like or would like to gift.

I always try to find charity benefit items to show you, but sometimes I see something else that grabs my attention. This year's "wows" for me were this gorgeous sheath dress and jewels from Kunglers. Not that these were my only purchases ...

I love our Holidays and everything that goes with them. I hope you're all having fun!

Why not start with a Sleigh Ride?
Or for more information, visit the official webpage.

Dress: Kunglers “Gina”
Jewels: Kunglers “Akha” Necklace and Earrings
Shoes: Maitreya “Frenzy Banana” (still a lovely oldie)
Hair: Exile “Maylee”
Skin: Curio “:GP: Acorn [Light] Fall-TD Exclusive” (this makeup unavailable)
Eyes: Fashism “Sunrise”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent. eyelashes – pure”
Poses: by Diesel Works and Long Awkward Pose

Love,
Serene