A House is Not a Home

(This is a long, image heavy post. The photos of our home were all taken by the immensely talented Alexandra Bayn. You can see her Royal Living Magazine blog here. Big thanks to Alexandra for taking time to snap these for me!)

I have a roomie in my Second Life home. Moxie and I needed a house that appealed to both my warm, homey aesthetic and his spare, more modern tastes. It took me a long time to find a house that would work for us both.

When I look at a build, I rarely choose it for its current shape. I’m no builder, but I love to mod builds to make them work better for me. I’ve never rezzed a house and used it as it was made. The process of modifying a build to make it my own helps a house become my home. Our home.

The build is Y’s House Cafe 001. It was intended for use as a coffee house/cafe. Y’s builds are fantastic, and her textures are some of the best. While this building was a bit big for a cozy home, I knew I could work with it.

Here’s the house as it’s rezzed. I borrowed these images from Y’s House flickr.

Here’s my heavily modded version. These pics are small for blog use, but I’ve uploaded the larger sizes to my flickr account, so click through if you would like to see them bigger.

I modded every room in the house, added windows and doors, fireplaces and changed some of the flooring. The end result is a house that has become a home. Maybe I shouldn’t say “end result” however, as I’ll never stop tweaking and changing things. The battle for prims on our property is something of a constant joke.

One of the rooms that is most heavily modded is a little side porch that is off the kitchen in the original build. I completely rebuilt this room, making it a cozy den with a back door. It has fast become our favorite room in the house.

In the kitchen, I replaced a wallpaper’ed wall with a large window, and opened up the space.

The living room and office occupy one large room. I took out a door on the large wall and replaced it with a fireplace.

Upstairs, I enclosed the space and created a bedroom.

While I’ll never be finished modding, decorating or adding items, I’m very pleased with how our home has turned out. It’s an open, yet warm space that satisfies both Moxie’s and my decorating tastes.

When I lost my home in InWorldz and decided to build again in Second Life, I was struck  by the number of specials, sales, hunts, projects and discounts available in Second Life these days. The trend of offering deep discounts and specials has literally taken over the grid. It is far easier and far less expensive to decorate a home in Second Life now than it was when I left over a year ago. And while I appreciate the leftover Lindens in my pocket, I have to wonder about the effect this practice has on the Second Life economy. I enjoy supporting creators inworld, and will happily pay full price for something I really love and want to have. But the specials and sales are a treat, too.

If you would like to know the deets on anything you see, feel free to leave a comment here, or ping me inworld. I’m Whiskey Monday in SL. If you’d like to drop by and visit, just knock! Moxie’s nickname is Streak, so if you pop in unannounced, you might see more than you bargained for.

Home Again

I’ve made no secret that I have felt lost inworld for the past several weeks. Part of that feeling came from being somewhat homeless. Friends offered me platforms and beach space, couches to crash on and chairs to lounge in- but I love having a home inworld.

When I found this little corner for rent in the Magellan Colony, I knew I’d found home again. I  need green grass and water and trees and a place to putter around. But I couldn’t bear to rezz the house that Kora built for me, just the thought of it hurt my heart, so I wasn’t sure what kind of place I wanted to live in.

I decided to try my hand, again, at building a little something. I’m a lousy builder; I’m easily distracted, a terrible multitasker, and I have no patience whatsoever. But I tried.

And I’ll keep trying. I think I know what I want, it’s just making it appear like magic in front of me that’s hard.

Meantime, I found this afreakingmazing houseboat from Dancer Glimmer, so I’ll live in it for now.

I’m in love with her sim, Astoria della Mar. You can see her pics of it here. Maybe I should just live there? Go check it out if you haven’t been there, and most everything is for sale.

But no, I won’t live there, I have my little corner now and I’ll make it home.

It’ll take me a while to get settled, which is part of why having a home is important to me. It gives me a sense of purpose and grounding. Not to mention a reason for shopping. Bonus!

Stop by and say hello. I’ll put you to work.

About That Dude

This blog is an odd mix of real life, InWorldz fashion and other InWorldz stuff.  I like it like that, it represents me well. I have a real life that is rich and full and busy. One might even call it eventful, if bad luck can be considered events.  Inworld, I am not a creator nor a designer. I’m a consumer. I buy items for my avi, my home, as gifts. InWorldz  is a cheaper and more socially acceptable hobby than crack. And all the rest that I post here are just my opinions and thoughts on things as I come across them. You pretty much just get me here, in all my foul-mouthed, vodka-pickled, hard-headed glory.

Today’s post will delve into all of it.

I have a folder on my computer that is filled with snapshots from InWorldz. I snap pics all the time, and save them to hard drive. Most of those pics I intend to use for this blog, but many others are just shots of my daily life in InWorldz.

(Saera Pfeffer snapped this pic for me eons ago, on my dock)

One constant in these pics is a friend. I met Saera when she was just a couple of days old, and I was just a few weeks into InWorldz meself. She was one of those fast friends who just fits. She fit into the spaces around me, and we clicked like puzzle pieces. We shared a warped and twisted sense of humor, a similarly warped and twisted sexual vibe, and also, she was brilliant. Brilliant like Da Vinci and Michaelangelo and Georgia O’Keefe all wrapped up into one adorable little bundle of energy. Watching Saera build was like watching magic happen.  I was in awe of her talent and felt smarter just hanging around her.

Here’s where we touch on some personal stuff: Saera was a girl in IW, but a guy in RL. She’d been a girl inworld for years.  And I have always, always been a proponent of accepting people as they present to me inworld. Whether you’re a robot, a furry, a wee puppy or a cross dressing Lycan who walks on his head- I will treat you like one.  I treated Saera as she presented to me- as a fun loving, twisted and clever girl whom I adored unreservedly. She made no secret of her male typist, but she was happy playing her female avi inworld. I was happy to have a girl friend to hang with.

But there was an attraction between us from day one that was always in the background. Our relationship could be an interesting study in the dynamics of avatars and their RL thinkers.  While I was not in any way attracted to Saera’s avi or her female-ness (for lack of a better term), I found myself constantly attracted to the person I was getting to know every day. There was an inner battle, there was turmoil, because I consider myself totally straight and I very much dig all things manly- but here I was feeling this attraction to a little neko girl running amok in my life. It was disconcerting. I pretty much “play me” inworld. I look like me, dress like me, talk walk and fuck like me. I tried to wear a tail and just felt silly; tried to wear black hair once and just felt totally wrong. I am very much invested in and attached to my avi. She is me. Touch her hand, and I feel it. Kiss her lips, and mine tingle. And I like it like that.

But I really, really liked Saera.

Thank God the feeling was mutual. And even better, Saera had a male alt named Kora. Here’s where things get interesting… because they’ve just been boring up to now, yeah? Saera tried on her male alt, and let go of the “character” of Saera. I went on a date with Kora, just to see how it went and what we both felt. And instead of hanging out with a character, I had the unique pleasure and honor of getting to know the the man behind the avi. Kora became an extension of the male typist. And while Saera was always a part of him, there were parts of him that didn’t see the light of day inworld, by virtue of the part he had chosen to play. Getting to know Kora was like getting to know a new person, but one that felt safe and familiar and exciting.

Now, I know those blogs that get all lovey and sappy and hearts and flowers and gag. (Yeah, you know who you are, you romantic schmucks!) And, while I may have a romantic streak in me a mile wide, that tends to be a private side of me. You’re not gonna catch me getting all googly eyed and starry here. Yes, dancing for the first time with Kora, there were trumpets and fireworks and a hallelujah choir- but that’s none of your business. Back to our story…

So, Saera became Kora. But not without lots of discussion and massive amounts overthinking (I am, after all, a woman. We do that, I’m told.) Saera had friends, a place in InWorldz, a job at Equinox, and an inworld family… a whole inworld life! And a personality that was a real part of the dude at the keyboard. I didn’t want to take that away from him, nor take Saera away from InWorldz. It was no small decision for either of us.

In the end, Kora felt right with Whiskey. But truth is, Dude at the keyboard is right with, and for, the Girl at this one.

Last night, despite my exclamations that I was hardly dressed for it, Kora and I eloped. We discussed our future together much the same way we discuss most things; that is, with humor and tenderness and honesty. On my dock, where we have spent countless hours together. That was a private ceremony.

We did, however, make it official in public later:

19:53] Tranquillity Dexler: Whiskey..
[19:53] Tranquillity Dexler: do you?
[19:53] Tranquillity Dexler: ;D
[19:53] Astra Thorne: awww
[19:53] Whiskey Day: I DO!!!
[19:53] Tranquillity Dexler: and Kora, do you?
[19:53] Kora Daviau: I do!
[19:53] Whiskey Day grins
[19:53] Astra Thorne: CRIES!!!!
[19:53] Tranquillity Dexler: I now pronounce you.. um partners ;D
[19:53] Kora Daviau: thank you!
[19:53] Whiskey Day throws flowers
[19:53] Whiskey Day kisses Kora
[19:53] Kora Daviau: cant get more official than that
[19:53] Whiskey Day: thanks Tranq

We danced to Arimo Teixeira singing the blues, with our friends and family around us, and no one made fun of my boots.

And I’m very, very happy. But not sappy. Never that. Slap me if I quote cheesy song lyrics or call him my Beloved. You have my permission. But you’ll have to deal with the Dude too. He’s not as nice as I am. (he’s nicer)

Capture Me

I met Watcher Alone when I was her first customer in Inworldz. While her clothing is pretty fabulous, wait’ll you see what she builds. (click pics to see ‘em in their full glory and screen filling splendor)

She’s building one of the most detailed and incredible RP sims evah, Captured. I was awe inspired. I’ll let the pics speak for themselves, but she’s not yet finished, so I’d knock before visiting.

I can’t wait to run amok here and play hide-and-seek with a captain or three.

Thanks Watcher, for letting me look around!

Handy to Have Around the House

I logged in this morning to find that a builder friend had left me a little surprise on my new land. She’s handy to have around. Casa de Whiskey, coming soon to a corner sim near you!
(thanks Saera!)

I Need a Toolbelt

When I rezz a prim, I feel like a giant.

I’ve never felt the urge to build in SL. I’m easily frustrated and have a severe patience deficiency. I would open the edit window and gaze at the geek speak and my eyes would bleed,  until I eventually just wandered off in search of shopping for what I needed. I know we like to espouse the whole “creating our world” thing, but I would hazard to guess that a big majority of SL users are like me; a basic understanding of how to rezz a prim and slap a texture on it, and that’s about it.

Oh I did the Ivory Tower tutorial years ago; I watched in awe and wonder as my friends seemed to work magic on their building platforms. But I never took the time (read: could spare the patience to) learn myself.

There’s something about IW that inspires building. Could be the lack of social spots (very few clubs, virtually no gathering spots outside of IDI’s Coffee Shop) or it could be the fact that there are gobs of builders in IW right now. And they’re all so friendly! I’ve had spontaneous lessons from friends (hi Saera! Pete! Howie!) who patiently walked me through the edit tabs and the axes and the texture gobbledy gook… all with this sense of happy zeal to be sharing, to be teaching. It’s enough to make even me feel excited!

And so I built a light box for my photos.

Stop laughing! It works! I was quite proud. You can see from previous pictures in my blog that it’s been adequate. But the sense of accomplishment that I felt when I used my box was new and mildly addictive. (Not like crack, more like peanut butter and chocolate.)

I’d used photo spheres in SL before, so I knew they were much better than a box. But rezzing a hollow sphere didn’t get me there- I stood in a sandbox for hours trying to figure out how to make a hollow half-sphere. I searched the web, I asked some other noob nearby (poor guy was even more clueless than I was, standing there with a box rezzed on his arm) until finally I admitted (ignorance) defeat and threw my keyboard across the room.

Then finally, a builder friend came on and calmly showed me the steps for cutting my prim in half to make a half sphere, and BEHOLD- I made a photo studio. I felt like pumping my fists! (Okay, I did pump my fists, even though I don’t have the street cred to pull it off.) I know it seems a simple thing, but it was a huge thing for me.

I have every intention of buying a sim in IW. I let my SL land go last week (adios!) and the price of land and prim count in IW is enough to make me horny to learn to really build, terraform and grow crops. (I’ll devote an acre to vodka.)

My skin is still from Pulse

My shape is still my own.

Hair is my fave from Vanity Designs.

I’m wearing clothes from Boho Designs.

and the model pose stand is free on Ayla Holt’s sim, The Mall. My favorite pose is the “picking my nose, but fierce”.