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

BREEDABLES FAIR

The Breedables Fair is ticking along this week and yes, it is a Relay for Life Fundraiser!! If you have ever felt the impulse to breed kitties or horses or fish or pink unicorns, this is definitely a fun part of the Second Life experience to try! Three sims full of breedables including many special limited edition versions only available at this event. Music, Auctions, Gacha, and I heard a rumor there is a Flying Monkey Hunt? Stop on by!

Love,
Serene

SQUEEE!

This is a squeak-worthy snapshot of the Awesome Breed Creations booth at the Home and Garden expo! ABC horses are not only breedable, but also raceable, and coming soon there will be Jousting and Quests! I have been breeding their Clydesdales and Drum horses for about five months now, and love the whole knight-in-armor fantasy genre, so you know I'll be going to the jousting tournaments!

I'm prejudiced; I love my herd so much that I don't have prims to spare for a house these days. Every year the folks at ABC have a couple of charity benefit horses so let's see the latest at the Expo:



The two breedables sims are having a treasure hunt, go see the pirate and start the hunt for fun gifts from all the breedables booths. I shouldn't give too much away Shhhh  XD

Read more about the Home and Garden Expo HERE.
Read more about ABC horses HERE.

Love,
Serene

MUZIKAL TALENT PROVIDED BY IONIC

Yay the Home and Garden Expo got started yesterday and I am all hyped by all the fun things I saw there! If you need a reason to shop, every store there has at least one item set in a charity vendor to benefit Relay for Life. But I don't really need an excuse to shop right? This year not only are there eight sims of shopping, and one sim for events and live entertainment, they have added two sims for breedable pets. And there is a Hunt going on with some nice prizes. And I heard a rumor that some runway models are walking around in bikinis.



One of the reasons I love this kind of venue shopping events is to become acquainted with new work from shops I have never before seen. Today I am showing one of these, a store called Ionic. Yup they do make cute mainstream furnishings like the Alison bed and the Cosmia chair, both available in various colors and textures. But also ...



Also they like to do musical accessories. The old drum set registered a 8.7 on my So-Cool-o-meter. And the Amplifier-with-Throw-Pillows seating is their store's charity benefit item. Love it!

Bed: ionic "Alison bed - turquoise"
Chair: ionic "Cosmia chair -blue birds-"
Drum Kit: ionic "[Engrama] drums"
Amp Seating: ionic "amp-pillows seat" (RFL benefit item)

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

THE LAST DAY

Today is the last day of Fashion for Life. If you haven't yet been, still have some money left to put in the fabulous gacha machines, or have been trying to decide whether or not to buy that amazing whatever-it-is, now is the time to get over there.

As of earlier this morning, this event had raised more than 4.4 million (!) L$ for cancer research. Do you think we could make it to 5?

Shirt: Vanitas Vesture “Nervous Blouse” (Fashion For Life benefit item)
Shirt: Vanitas Vesture “Languid Party Dress” (a benefit item in a different color)
Skirt: Vanitas Vesture “Meticulous Pencil Skirt” (a benefit item in a different color)
Shoes: Duh! “Floral Linen Flats” (Fashion For Life benefit item)
Hair: booN “AEN105”
Hairbase: Tiny Bird “Blacks Pack Hair Base”
Skin: “:GP: Bean [Light] Pout-Whine 1”
Teeth: PXL “Mouth_open_Addon_v6” (prim teeth!)
Eyelash Alpha: Imabee “System eyelashes – begone!”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent. eyelashes – pure”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose

Love,
Serene

TAPPED FOR LOVE

When I say tapped, I am referring to my wallet. This month's money is all gone to good causes. Usually an empty wallet makes me unhappy, but this time I feel at peace, knowing I have done what I can.

This outfit is a combination of lovely garments from Fashion for Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society, and the Pacific Crisis Fundraiser, which donates its funds to Japan through Americares ...

... and this necklace, given freely by Miss Katatonik, who only asks that we do or give something to help, without specifying what channel we should use. Whether you donate to the ACS, Red Cross, Americares, or any one of dozens of organizations who are always there to help, please, please do something. Thank you and I love you!

Sweater: Indi Designs “Cardigan Pink” (Pacific Crisis Fundraiser 100% Donation Item)
Skirt: Vanitas Vesture “Meticulous Pencil Skirt” (at Fashion for Life)
Shoes: Pixel Mode “Baby T” (Fashion for Life Donation Item)
Jewelry: katatOnik “Love Japan Necklace”

Hair: booN “ZGO223”
Skin: Curio “:GP: Moonbeam [Dark] Sweetheart-Rose 1”
Eyebrows: Curio “:GP: Sweetheart Brows-Black”
Eyelash Alpha: Imabee “System Eyelashes – begone!”
Eyelashes: Glow Studio “Innocent.eyelashes – pure”
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene

THE CAPTAIN

They say that a Captain's Chair can be too much pressure.

But I'm not feeling it. Adrenaline, thrills, pride, yes. Not nerves.

Ready?

Time to leave dock.

June Dion has stitched us yet another fabulous, over the top costume, only this time it is a charity benefit item for Fashion For Life. Enjoy!

Suit: Bare Rose “Earl Midnight RFL” (Fashion For Life benefit item)
Mask: Orchidea “Steampunk Half-Mask” (Steam Hunt prize)
Cane: Oddments “VS SteamHunt4 Walking Stick”(Steam Hunt prize)
Skin: Ricochet “Tristan Dark”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Location: Armada Breakaway

Love,
Serene

THE VAMPIRE'S HOUSEKEEPER

There isn't really much to do here. The Count does not collect trinkets.

She sweeps every day and dusts a little. There really is no help for the old bloodstain on the chaise. But if she works slowly, she can seem busy most of the day.

Perhaps she is more decorative than useful, a nod to convention. A rich count is expected to have servants. Why else?

You can find far more than ballgowns at the Fashion For Life charity fundraiser! When I saw this dark and lovely gown, I immediately thought "roleplay". The apron made me think of a housekeeper, but the colors are so goth that I started looking for other accessories that would go with that theme at the other Fashion For Life vendors. The hair is black with blonde tips, but I tinted it bloody red and added the menacing eyes.

Gown: Kouse’s Sanctum “Jocelyn”(includes purple apron)(Fashion For Life benefit item)
Hair: Amacci “Suzy” (tinted)(Fashion For Life benefit item)
Eyes: Fashism “Sunrise Eyes – Gacha Red” (Fashion For Life benefit Gacha)
Clawmarks: Blood and Scars “back scratches”
Featherduster: RC Cluster “Feather Duster (red)” (multicolor pack on SL Marketplace)
Shoes: Duh! “Spring Flats Ink”
Hairbase: booN “gathered lower hairbase”
Skin: Sanu “Gemini Pure Skin” (unavailable)
Eyeshadow: Plastic Flowers “Black Eyeshadow”
Bloody Lips: Glam Affair “Tattoo makeup TDR 13” (unavailable)
Eyelashes: Exodi “Eyelashes”
Alpha: Imabee “System eyelashes – begone!”

Love,
Serene

APROPOS

This lovely kimono is available for sale this month at the Fashion For Life charity event to raise funds for cancer research. I could make a (long) list for you of all the cancer in my family tree, but my heart isn't in it today ...

Today I am thinking about Japan. In a few days, we will see the good-hearted scraping a few dollars out of their gasoline fund to send there ... I hope you keep doing what you do. Please let's do it together.

For more information about the Fashion For Life charity event, please visit their official site.

Kimono: Falln "Kimono FFLExclusive" (includes shoes)
Skin: Sanu "Gemini Pure Skin" (unavailable)
Eyeshadow: Plastic Flowers "Black Eyeshadow"
Lipstick: Natural Beauty "Lipstick set 8-lipstick 8"
Hair: Exile "Bronwyn"
Eyes: Poetic Color "Night Rain"
Eyelashes: Exodi "Eyelashes"
Alpha: Imabee "System eyelashes - begone!"
Poses: by Long Awkward Pose
Location: Hosoi Ichiba

Love,
Serene

LA ROSE

The right dress.

Floral and satin, rich colors and textures. An outrageous hat and gloves.

This lovely dark version of the “A Mon Insu” Gown is one of LeeZu Baxter's exclusive benefit items at the Fashion for Life event, which will raise funds for cancer research beginning tomorrow, on 12 March. Of course this black is my favorite ... thank you Ms. Baxter!

Please visit the official Fashion For Life website for more information about this worthy cause!

Gown: LeeZu “A Mon Insu” (Fashion For Life Benefit Gown)
Skin: Curio “:GP: Bean [Light] Pout-Whine 2”
Hair: booN “QPT129”
Eyes: Poetic Color “Night Rain”
Eyelashes: Exodi “Eyelashes”
Alpha: Imabee “System eyelashes – begone!”
Poses: by Dare, Diesel Works, and ImpEle
Photostudio: by N30

Love,
Serene