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18 Years and counting...Got SL News? Get it Published! Contact Lanai Jarrico at lanaijarrico@gmail.com

Friday, February 15, 2019

Avi Makeover Resources – A Fun Adventure - Seersha Heart Reporting...



“Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.”
― Dorothy Parker


Creating your appearance in SL can be a daunting task.  You can use the default LL avis, “classics” [16 possible avis], “fantasy” [18 possible avis] or one of the “new” [8 possible avis].  The “New” line of default avis features four different kinds of theme, a male and a female for each theme.  There is the 70s theme with a man that looks like a 70’s porn star and an African American woman with an afro.  There is a grunge duo, the man carrying a guitar and the woman without accessories. The grey age woman in a gown and a man in a tuxedo holding a rose.  The most popular is the duo I call the “dog” duo as each has a pet dog. The woman is smartly dressed in a pencil skirt and jacket thrown on her shoulders, her pooch in a purse.  Unfortunately, her hair and hat are one piece. The man sports a man bun and carries a pet bulldog. The woman also carries a tablet, the man a well-worn briefcase. If you look at the default system avis, you see how the desires of the SL residents has changed over the years.  Making that “look” that is your own signature appearance in SL, is for many both art and religion.
In a world where you can look as you wish, crafting an appearance is a task many take very seriously.  The perfect body, the perfect hair, all of it is within your grasp. The only limits are money and time.  There is a plethora of SL businesses for aiding those who want to work with their appearance. There are services where you pay a fee and they walk you through each step of the process.  There are what I would call makeover “assists” groups where one or more avi attribute can be updating using the service. And there are also people in SL who will help you quite well if you only ask them.  Using a service is helpful as you control the pace and the areas you work with on your avi.

Would you like to update your avi or perhaps you want to go back to the drawing board and create a completely new look?  Do you have any ideas of what you hope to achieve with your avi? The second piece of advice I will share is it is a good idea to take some time to look at photos of avis on Pinterest, Flickr or the general internet.  With time and a few photos, you will have a good experience with a makeover consultant.  For this story I used a male and a female avi for partial updates. I created a new avi, Honey19966 aka “Abeille”, for a complete makeover from default to fitted Mesh, possibly Bento.  Her pictures are featured with this article. My goal for Abeille, make her into all over Bento/Mesh, light/fair skin and curvy figure.  The more you know about what you hope to achieve, the easier it is for the makeover staff to assist you.
Some of the areas you may consider are the obvious one such as making a classic avi into a mesh avi.  Many SL residents do not know the difference between fitted Mesh and Bento. Bento was the big 2017 innovation for avis.  Bento brings bones to the avis and many animations that weren’t possible before. Bento allows hands to be animated as well as new facial expressions beyond the built-in expressions.  Fortunately, there are many demos available to see which form what you are wanting to wear. The makeover agency consultants are experts on the bits and the pieces of creating your avi. The makeover agencies also consult on style and clothing; one agency also consults on landscaping and furnishings.  If you are happy with your avi’s “look” you may want to consult with one of these agencies for information on where to buy the items, you want to achieve the look you want your avi to become for you. I spent three weeks visiting the makeover business locations, spending time with consultants and updating avis.
I began with locations that offer only partial avi make over items such as hair, skin or other separate items.  Edward Vintner, E & S Avatar Makeovers,  has a workshop platform appealing to the self starter make over avi.  His group isn’t there to assist, though he has some thoughtful comments, shapes and skins available.  A very popular stop is Kira Rinkitink ‘s The Makeover Room.  This is a group that offers monthly skins and avi accessories.  For the person happy with their avi look who wants to stay on the cutting edge of fashion, The Makeover Room is a good choice.  Visiting their building I was charmed to see lovely displays and reasonable pricing. It gives the member monthly items to review in an ever changing avi appearance arena.  Though the Makeover Room doesn’t officially offer make over services, many in the group itself are knowledgeable and very helpful.
The all over makeover businesses I visited were Niki Cole Consulting, The Makeover Agency, Cam on Me and Munch-Skins-Appliers & Makeover for Maitreya.    Munch is exclusively Maitreya and comprehensive.  Pricing is similar, the agencies offer a base makeover package, an enhanced package and do other items on an ‘as requested’ basis.  Cam on Me’s Piper has a lot of experience with Bento heads. I realize we all are very picky with our heads as central to our “look” in SL.  If you do not have a mesh head because you do not want to alter your face, I learned two valuable pieces of information. First, fitted Mesh can create a look closer to the classic looks than Bento as Bento is more detailed.  The second is, you can’t go mesh and keep the same exact face. You can get a very similar look and the Mesh face will be more detailed. Niki, of Niki Cole Consulting, is a fashionista with extensive experience in SL as a blogger, stylist and fashion editor.  The Makeover Agency’s Sarabeths has been profiled by some of the most popular SL blogs; Wagner James’ New World Notes and Strawberry Singh’s ‘Virtual World Explorer”. Are there other makeover agencies? Yes, there are both agencies and individuals offering the service.  I am highlighting these agencies as they have a reference. I advise checking into the agency you want to work with for others who have experienced their services.
There is no shortage of opinions on how best to do a makeover whether partial or all over.  Munch-Skins-Appliers & Makeover’s Donna Rickena’s notecard includes very specific HUDs she recommends which also happen to be the most popular ones in world.  Her makeover business extends to outfits as well as a social aspect. She had a beach club [adult] where friends and clients can meet to show off those great looking avis.

For the avi I created, Abeille, I worked with The Makeover Agency’s ever patient Loly for her body.  We spent time on what kind of body I wanted and the options I hoped to have with the new mesh. Fitted Mesh and Bento bodies vary greatly in price these days.  You may purchase a complete mesh body including head for under 3000L or you can pay over 5000L plus for the body and an additional 5000L plus for the head. Some creators offer free mesh heads or other important accessories.  If you want to truly be satisfied with your end result, regardless of who assists you, have a good idea of what you are willing to spend. This budget can then be carved up for the various areas of spending. This is where I found makeover agency staff most helpful.  The know the prices and can easily give you a very close estimate on the look you hope to achieve for your avi. Without exception, the fitted mesh or bento body is the high-ticket item. Before I began working with Loly, I changed up my avi’s clothing to the Boho look I wanted and purchased some of my favorite creator’s hair.  I confess to a real weakness for hair with subtle animations such as a breeze or water droplets. That accomplished I met Loly to body shop. We spent time collecting demos and discussing features of each of the bodies. She was very knowledgeable in how creators set their prices. For example, a maitreya body is both popular and provides many options for clothing and appliers.  Some of the less expensive bodies are more difficult to clothe or to use with appliers. In working with a consultant, I saved money I might have spent buying items that didn’t meet my goals.

Many of you probably recall when Mesh was introduced and the pre-Mesh world.  It is not a place I can ever go back to know that I have seen and created mesh avis.  The amount products available now is staggering. Fortunately, Loly had some ideas from the information I gave her on which bodies would most likely achieve the look I was interested in for Abeille.  This process is much more time consuming that I realized before beginning the journey. The time is needed because the consultant can’t read your mind. Also, I revised my appearance goals as I moved along in the process.
How do you pick the agency for your needs?  Gather a list of agencies from this article or from SL search as we all know things in SL change all the time.  Visit their location and collect NCs. I highly recommend working with the agency you have the best feel or chemistry with when you initially chat.  This process involves time you will spend with this person and can be fun or awkward. I have experienced both in my research. Make sure you can meet with your consultant [compare time zones] and that you speak the same language.  One thing I found that all the consultants shared was a great deal of patience. The individuals providing this service enjoy what they are doing for you. Sit back, be honest about your money and your desires for your look and enjoy the ride.


Links:
E & S Avatar Makeovers
We specialize in avatar makeovers to help you create a realistic and appealing look to enhance your SL experience. Contact Skye Gravois or Edward Vintner. Enjoy!”


The Makeover Room
Entice, The Makeover Room, Shady Ladies ,Albino Peacock,The Guest List, Arte, DexterGG, Salty, Appletini,SLF&O, Firelight, Verve, Corrupted Gacha”

Niki Cole Consulting
“Need a hot body? A gorgeous face? Help with mesh and style? You're at the right place!
Makeover Mesh Body Head Fashion Beauty Male Female Catwa Lelutka Maitreya Gianni Signature Cosmectic Belleza Genus Style Slink Shopping Relooking”


The Makeover Agency
 is specialized in makeover, image consulting and interior designing. Follow this group to have weekly notices about all the hit trends {HOME} and {STYLE}”


Cam On Me
Makeover Services, Bento shapes for Catwa, Lelutka, Genus, Laq, Vista, Maitreya, Hourglass. Asian shapes. Elf shapes. Be different, be pretty and classy.”


Munch-skins-appliers-&-Makeovers

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Interview with Cupid 2018- Lanai Jarrico Reporting…


It has been two years since I last scouted for and interviewed Cupid. It seems like a trend that each year the chosen Cupid abandons his posts as the mascot for Valentine’s Day. I get that they only have the job for a short time but perhaps they find true love of their own or they turn to getting swept away by the countless club scenes in Second Life never to be seen again.
This year was a bit different when I went out in search of the perfect Cupid 2018. I needed to find a well rounded, intelligent man to fill some speedos and wear a bow and arrow like a Greek God.
While out and about assisting a friend with a mesh upgrade, I was politely greeted by a shopper nearby. He complimented me.  At first I wasn’t really paying much attention to anyone around me but I decided to zoom my cam on this stranger saying hello.  It was a jaw dropping experience to say the least. My first thought was this was the Cupid I have spent my Second Life searching for.
He was handsome and well put together. His eyes were piercing grayish blue and he had a swag about him that was unignorable. We exchanged calling cards and went about our business.


A week past with no word. I saw his name light up on my friends list and thought I'd reach out and ask him if he knew where i could find a Unicorn. I thought it might be a nice ice breaker or maybe I was just embarrassing myself, but nonetheless he responded with, “Hi beautiful, I have been waiting to hear from you and judging  from the ridiculous reason for messaging me, I’m thinking you have been thinking about me also. But if you want to look for a Unicorn I’m game.” and that's how the beautiful friendship began.




Interview with Cupid 2018


Lanai: Vito, you know I wasn't really looking for a Unicorn when we met, I just didn’t know what to say. You made me a bit nervous unlike all the tools I come across on a daily. I have to thank you for agreeing to be this year’s Cupid. You fit the description of a Greek God very well.  SLE Fans missed out on one last year.


Cupid: I take it as a compliment and I’m honored to be this years cupid if it means spending even this little time with you.


Lanai: You are such a sweetheart and I am enjoying this time I get with you. So let's jump right into your position as Cupid. I love that you tell it like it is. There has been a lot of drama and BS happening across the grid. I think SLE fans need to hear what you have to say about all that mess and how you intend to improve relationships for Valentine’s Day.

Cupid: Damn, when I heard you say let’s jump right into a position I had to adjust my arrow. But then I realized you were asking a serious question. I shoot my damn arrows and sometimes they stick and sometimes they don’t, but if i can give advice… men: learn how to talk to a woman, actually listen sometimes and for f**ks sake stop saying “want to make sex”. And women: look at your damn avi. If you look like plastic surgery gone wrong and everything is hanging out then your going to get what you get; a tool. Now Lanai, what position would you like to do next?


Lanai: OHH ummm well...so going back to that sound advice. I have to agree with you for both men and women. It just seems like people have no motivation anymore to keep up with their appearance or even their socializing skills. Now, what was that about positions? *fans self* NVM let’s not get off track here. I think it is very important for SL residents to know the do’s and don’ts of relationships. One or one hundred arrows to the ass might not help them if they don’t have the skills to make their situation work. Am I right?




Cupid: Men and women on here need to stop sending representatives, meaning be yourself, tell the truth, I find a lot of men on here will say whatever they think the woman would want to hear as long as they get to be with that woman. Problem is they will always show their true colors and those women will go running into another man’s arms… same goes for the women, if that guy seems too good to be true then guess what he might just be.


Lanai: So what you are saying in a nutshell is trust is something that needs to be earned to avoid these types of problems or does it mean both men and women need to always be on alert? How can people really tell when they have found that perfect person?


Cupid: Trusting people in SL can be as hard as finding a unicorn. But it’s not all doom and gloom, love is out there and it might take getting burned many times to find that person but when you do you will have no doubts. You will feel their love, and their energy, and you will trust them in ways you never thought possible.




Lanai: that is beautiful advice Cupid. In reality it doesn’t take an arrow or even Valentine’s day to validate what your significant other means to you or when you should celebrate love. It is about knowing oneself and sharing it with the person you care about. Not because it is what everyone else expects. It should be unconditional and natural.


Cupid: You have it figured out Lanai, it is impossible to love and trust if you don’t love yourself first. I thought you were beautiful the first time I saw you, now after spending 5 months with you, I think we’ve both been hit with an arrow. In fact, the only way I am signing off on this interview is if your next article is titled “My Life with Cupid”.

Lanai: Would this be a good time to tell you I’m pregnant?




Cupid: o.O



HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY SLE FANS!






**Special thanks to Vitochicone xoxox

Valentine's Day Ideas 2019 - Seersha Heart



Valentine’s day is one of the most social days of the year.  Today I spent some time around the grid checking out the festivities.  I visited a few places to let you know what is planned around the grid.


Dunk-A-Linden & Hug-A-Linden Event
LL is offering an opportunity to party with the Lindens at the Isle of View on February 14 beginning at 10 am slt.  The landing spot in the “Love Pavillion”, a large round building surrounding by hugging booths and a dance floor. Pink permeates every view from outside.  There is a gift giving kiosk that sends your special someone one of the valentine gifts pictured such as a teddy bear, roses, candy and more. Outside of the pavilion, there are walkways with heart hedges and soft lighting.  Sky is even a nice shade of pinks and purples. Be careful approaching the other pavilion. I was thrown out by a security orb, I was unable to get a comment from LL on this before writing the story. There are people exploring the SIM before the big event, if you get a chance see if this is the place you want to take your special someone.  The whole place looks like Valentine’s Day and knowing the Lindens, there will be all kinds of things going on when the activities begin on February 14.



Valentine Town 2019
When you land, turn around and you will find the Tunnel of Love.  I recommend Sunset or Dawn sun lighting. This SIM also allows flying so it is easy to get around.  The Tunnel of Love is a fully operational ride. Turn left and walk through the Welcome gate to visit the town.  Some of the trees have heart leaves in reds and pinks. The town itself looks like Whoville. The decorative hearts are lavish and large.  There is a large gathering area for the DJ and dancing. Off the dance floor are kiosks with flowers for sale. If you join the group, there is a free gift of a bullseye backpack.  You may choose from “Cupid”, “Single”, “Taken” or “Warning” to alert those around you. I wore the “Cupid” while I visited the SIM.




Valentine’s Day Street Fair in Mielville
Mieville’s Valentine’s Day Street Fair runs February 10-15.  There is shopping, gachas and various fun activities. They are hosting a special Valentine’s Dance on February 14th at 6 pm slt.  Love was in the air when I stopped by the SIM, moments after arriving a woman became very friendly with me when she saw the backpack [ “Cupid” ] from Valentine Town.  Of course I was a dashing male avi so who can blame her? I checked out the shops, one item I thought was particularly clever is a SPIKE kinetic sculpture. This item made by Liam Metaluna has a rotating heart that releases a flow of hearts periodically.  I was fascinated for several minutes watching it. There is no shortage of gifts with heart and love themes so you might consider stopping and picking up a gift before you pick up your date. At the end of the row of shopping is a large building with the dancing animations.  Again, I recommend sunset sun for most pleasing lighting.



London City Love-In
This stop is certainly popular, now attracting the newest members of SL.  They are having a month long celebration “of the heart”. This stop wasn’t as pink and red as the others, yet if you enjoy a London backdrop, this is the place to celebrate.  I would recommend this spot for a single person who wants to get out and have some conversations. Perhaps meet new friends and dance the night away. There a many avis on this SIM, 76 when I visited, so be prepared for lag.  Yet if you want to meet people, you need avis.
I have some personal “go to” romantic spots I will share with you.  Alone or with a friend, a date, I promise you will enjoy this stop.



Lost Gardens of Apollo
An old SIM maintained and charming, the dance floor here is always magical.  The light is perfect and there are stars twinkling around you as you dance. Explore the island, and you will find a Zeppelin tour and some areas to sit and to cuddle up to enjoy your surrounding.  There are lovely gardens, waterfalls and secluded places throughout the SIM.
Zeppelin tour:
Dancing area:



Ocho Tango & Cammino e Vivo Capovolto [builder]
This SIM is a visual feast.  The club Ocho Tango has tango and other dances available.  Usually I can find someone to dance with easily there without bringing a date.  It is a multilingual location so if you want to practice Spanish or French you might meet someone there to help you.  I have helped French residents with their English while visiting. The BIG reason to come here besides the great dancing is the 3D art build adjacent to it.  One of my favorite SL builders, Cammino e Vivo Capovolto, has maintained an installation here for at least four years. It remains beautiful and haunting, the building takiing care to set the windlight for maximum effect.  There are plcaes to sit and places to cuddle. It is a nice SIM to explore and spend time with someone special.



There are 89 SIMs listed as romantic on the SL Destination guide today.  These are my favorites to visit. We wish you and yours a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Love Made In SL - Lacy Muircastle reporting...

...And Second Life© is a wonderland where you can find the magic of love.  Linden Lab / @SecondLife and @draxtor have initiated a mini series - Love Made In SL - #lovemadeinsl.  Take a look at Draxtor's twitter feed for links to the episodes already aired.


Love Made in SL logo created by Marianne McCann with permission from Linden Lab

The series kicked off with the fabulous story of  residents, Teal and Wolf, whose love story crosses time zones and oceans to reach a very exciting chapter...  THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED in real life.

This makes the romance writer in me absolutely extatic.  Take a look:



We would love to hear your Love Made In SL story.  You can contact Draxtor - @draxtor via twitter or me at lacy.muircastle@gmail.com.  We look forward to hearing about your #lovemadeinsl stories.


Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Relationships in SL and Beyond - Press Release


"Words & beliefs that separate should be put aside. If you wish to walk a path of grace, overlook differences." - Paul Ferrini 

Affirmation:
Regardless of the words and beliefs I encounter I walk a path of grace and see the how we are connected and thus, we One!

(Be mindful of what you say to yourself, you're listening! - unknown)

****************************************************************
WEDNESDAY - February 13th @ WHOLE BRAIN HEALTH

"FORWARD THINKERS HAVE NO TOLERANCE FOR BACKWARDS VISIONS" - ALAN COHEN
****************************************************************
Join us Wednesday mornings at Whole Brain Health as we discussion topics on Relationships Inside SL and Beyond.

Topic:  AFFIRMATION SERIES 'D IS FOR DIVINITY - Divine Relationships - Soul Ties'
Date & Time: Wednesday February 13th 8:30AM SLT
Location: Whole Brain Health
Facilitator: Pet Karu

THE SESSIONS ARE IN VOICE SO PLEASE ENABLE VOICE SO YOU CAN HEAR.  I hope to see your friendly faces among the gathering.

Here's your Uber:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Inspiration%20Island/230/148/701

Also, join our group for any new! (Fearless Lovers or Invite Inc.)

Pet's Fearless Lovers group ----> secondlife:///app/group/89a5ceb7-b82d-291b-a514-52272a28aac8/about

Invite Inc. ------> secondlife:///app/group/5e3fb585-ff90-48e8-ee8b-82a21c88909a/about
or contact Muza Waco in world for your questions.

Invite Inc. 501 (c)3 provides lectures designed around tools that help build community. We are dedicated to empowering each individual to thrive where they are, while also growing a supportive, respectful community around them.

We are fortunate to present the powerful transformational work of RL professional coaching Pet Karu. Please join us for this new series to inspire and give insights for personal growth. You are welcome to come and find the tools and resources  that help you meet your goals!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

GOOD GRIEF! A look at griefing in Second Life – Ariadknee Resident reporting.

Writing this article was quite an eye-opener for me, I think most of us have experienced a griefer in our time on Second Life.  Griefing can take on many forms and none of them should be tolerated.

I tend to keep to myself so the extent of the griefing I have written about is far wider and more diverse than I could have ever imagined, including targeting people on outside of SL websites.  So in an effort to combat this behavior I took to the SL streets on a hunt for some griefing stories to help bring awareness to this problem.


The following stories are true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent parties.




Missy was a very successful clothing creator, shop owner and ran a club, she had to stop due to constant harassment from one particularly nasty griefer who went beyond SL and into RL.

“It was horrible, it happened over and over every time I would log on he knew where I was and what I was doing, even on my own sim. I reported him to Linden Labs so many times and nothing happened.  One day I logged in to find he had hacked my account, left vile messages with all my friends, and had done things that got me banned all over second life. Even though he used my payment details to buy the maximum lindens and my evidence showed he transferred them to his alt nothing happened.  I fought hard to remain strong but eventually I gave up and closed everything down, I now stay low on my alt”.


Molly is a DJ at a club and has many stories to tell, she explains her most memorable one.

“Three griefers came to a club where they harassed the child avatars who were attending a DJed even with a crowd of around 15 avatars. The music being played was 80s tunes. Everyone was having fun and it was a wonderful time until the three griefers arrived.
One of the griefers started yelling very loudly during the DJ set, interrupting the entertainment and harassing a child avatar named Lucy. It was difficult to understand what the griefer was yelling. A few of the VIPs at the club began yelling and things became chaotic. Somewhere amongst the frey, one of the griefers said they would be posting or publishing what happened. We found the YouTube Channel they have been using and waited to see if they posted a video of the trolling they had done.”



Brandy is your regular SL Resident who would use a sandbox to build, here is her story.

“I love to tinker, just build and learn and I would use a sandbox to do this, I was actually griefed by the sandbox owner, he would watch and wait until I was almost done with something then he would send all my things back. I thought it was auto return but it wasn't and his cross hairs on me all the time was a give away, when I needed to run scripts he would turn scripts off on the sim, when I complained he banned me, about a month later he IMed me and asked me out on a date, I was shocked and refused politely and then he began a tirade of abuse and when I would mute one avatar he would get a new one, over 150 avatars he used. I got a new av and started again. I never used a sandbox after that!”

Michael worked for a Land Estate Company and he has a story from another point of view.

“I worked as a sales agent for an Estate, and I did really well, I enjoyed it but I wasn't always happy with the way the Estate owner did things, he would ban residents from their land for small trivial things, I had a lot of regular customers so it would upset me that they were banned after paying weeks on their lands. When I asked why, I was told he could do what he wanted to do and so I quit, and went on my way, it wasn't until I tried to TP to a few other estates looking for land I found out I was banned, I asked why and was told the Estate owner I worked for had told all estate companies I was a poacher and griefer! And so they listened and I was banned on over a thousand sims on SL for no reason, this person continues to track me and harass me from a distance, I don't sell land anymore I am a DJ and they still tell my bosses I am trouble, luckily the good ones listen to me and not him.”

Brian owns some large shopping malls and events, his griefing story takes thing outside of SL.

“I have thick skin, so a lot of it doesn't bother me so much but griefers will pick on my staff and the people who create and enter my events, but they are not brave enough to do it to their faces they go to outside webpages and make stupid memes and comments about them and then everyone has a good old laugh about it, it doesn't sound bad, but it can really bring down your self esteem and to me that's bullying”



Griefing takes on many forms in SL and it doesn't matter what form it is, it can really spoil your day, your week, or even your life, so be careful who you share things with, stay safe on SL and Mute, Derender, Report.  And don't react, it's what they want.


 
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