Well I can’t say I’m not busy!!

I seem to have spent the last couple of days writing all the time and going over text chat logs and still getting stuff wrong!  It’s been a lot of fun so far though, with the excitement of the catwalk shows, it’s lovely that  all the work that people put into it is paying off.  It’s so nice that people can display their stuff, which I think is just amazing, how people make all those gorgeous items with the tools provided is beyond me.  I have had major problems though, yesterday as I stood taking photos I couldn’t see one of the models at all and she appeared as a cloud walking the entire length of the catwalk, so no photo there then!  Others had grey areas in their hair and costumes and in some cases these rezzed in, but I had to be quick to catch them then in a shot as they move quickly and my camera doesn’t act steadily in laggy situations.  I am lucky if a get a few good shots out of the many that I take, but if I get one or two really good ones that makes up for the others.  I met Cher and Treasure yesterday.  Cher is putting on his display today and I can’t wait, I had a bit of a preview a few days ago and his clothes are stunning.  Can’t wait to see Treasure strutting her stuff as one of the models either, so I am looking forward to tonight’s shows.  Girlspeedo Latte also has her show and she does such lovely stuff, so it should be a good night.  As you can see even taking the pic below of Cher, the bottom of his costume is transparent to me, so it’s all a bit worrying!!

As you can see by the second pic, from a different angle you can see a lot better and Cher’s skirt is very beautiful.  The second half of the show was a shoe store showing their product, so I thought I would see if they had a stall outside so I could take some close up pictures, but couldn’t find anything there, although those stalls are well worth a visit, they have some nice free bits on offer as well.  I ended up going to the main store hoping to get a couple of pictures, but ended up talking to a nice girl there called Anne who put me in touch with the owner Mel, so I am going to meet her for a chat today.  This is proving to be a very busy week!!

The SL London Fashion Show Grand Opening

All the preparation had gone on for weeks and the day was finally here.  It was the first show in the SLLondon Fashion Week and there were nerves and excitement all round yesterday.  I spent most of the day at the venue talking to people and trying to put the schedule on the Virtually London (Lite) blog that hated me typing columns so I gave up and let it space the lettering out how it wanted, looking so scruffy!!!  There must be a better way, I will have to consult some expert bloggers on that one.   Anyway SL tried to trip up the evening by not letting the London team pick up a rogue prim on the catwalk, but at the end of the day the show was a great success and very enjoyable.  Catch up with my story about the whole thing at http://sllondon.blogspot.com/

Fashion Week Starts Tomorrow in SL London

Fashion week starts tomorrow in SL London, so don’t miss it, great news, it is now being sponsored, not only by ‘Virtually London (Lite)’, but also the big boy newspaper ‘The Evening Standard’, so Debs Regent’s Virtual London is getting huge coverage and very well deserved.  You can read all about it at http://sllondon.blogspot.com/

Ruskin Thor, Events Manager, will be away for Fashion Week, due to rl circumstances, and I know all the hard work he put into it, so I will give him the full run down when he comes back.  Well done Ruskin!!

SS Galaxy Night in Underground Club

Hibiscus and I had previously been invited to a night on the SS Galaxy and really enjoyed it with Debs Regent and all the London team.  Well they decided to have a Galaxy night at the Underground Club in SL London and the theme was formal dress but in black and white.  I rooted around in my inventory and found a white top and my favourite black skirt that I bought from Cher Demonge’s boutique ‘Bonjoure’.  But I had to go out and buy a pair of shoes, no hardship for me, I love shopping!!  Anyway Hib and I met up and she looked dead glam in a tux, so we went into the club and it was already rocking away with Seany as the dj and Brie as the hostess for the first part of the evening.

 

There were lots of prizes for best dressed and people had gone to so much trouble, although some cheated and there were a few colours mixed in, they still all looked stunning.  Great music and a great night, the Club is so popular that Debs must be really proud of it, along with the rest of fantastic SL London.

New CNN Base

CNN have a new island in Second Life (CNN iReport Island 63, 130, 24).  Instead of meeting at the old location in ‘Future’, members of the SL Ireporters Group were called over to the new amphitheatre for the Tuesday ‘get together’.   We were met by real life CNN reporters Nicole Ireport, Henry Ireport and Lila Ireport.  see the full story of our visit at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-93760

 

Horse Dancing and Three Bells in London Town

It was unusual last Sunday, we just had an hour or two to wander and it was lovely.  Drax came over and he wanted to try the bungee jumping from the Big Ben clock tower, so I took him up there.  We had a right laugh jumping from the top and he really enjoyed it.  We then decided to get the horses out to explore the streets of London Town, as its a good way to get around.

As we went through Chelsea into Knightsbridge Drax thought it was a good idea to take his horse into the Underground Club (don’t ask why!!).

I followed him in there and he wondered if he could dance with his horse!! so clicking on the dance ball he suddenly found his poor horse had sunk into the floor, unable to move a hoof.  Good job none of the Club staff were about, as they would have turfed us out!!  Drax is good at horsing around and told a newbie that I was the one whose idea it was to bring a horse into the Club, as by that time I was the only one sitting on my horse, as Drax had returned his horse to his inventory, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth!!  The newbie obviously thought I was the nutty one and not Drax!!

 

After that we went over the road for a drink and a chat in the Three Bells Pub.  It’s a nice big pub with plenty of room, so we sat at one of the tables and watched the world go by.

It was a nice way to spend Sunday afternoon, even if we did leave hoof prints all over the Underground Club floor.

Captain’s Table and Posh KMADD Launch

All I can say is ‘What a Weekend!!!’ Like London buses, you wait for one SL event, then a couple turn up together!!  Not only had we had Tribute Island on Friday night, which as great, but on Saturday there were two really good events taking place.  Luckily there was a couple of hours between the first one taking place before the other one began.  Debs Regent, the owner of the London sims had arranged that her team should be invited on board the fantastic SS Galaxy, the biggest ship in SL, to sit and have a meal with the Captain and his staff.  Luckily for Hibiscus and me, Debs included us as part of the team, which is really lovely of her.  The second event of the evening was to be the launch of a new fashion web site by the very posh KMADD Enterprise, owned by Kirk Claymore and Maddox DuPont.  I went over to see Hib as she decided what to wear, and she looked beautiful with her hair put up and her gold sunset coloured dress.  I had been so lucky, Arron Jacobus from Linc Island had given me a lovely dress to wear in lilac lace, and it felt just right for me.

We arrived in the lobby and were met by the ship’s Captain, Nova Straaf and Lady Krimmer one of his staff, who I had met a couple of days previously, which was nice.  After the introduction the Captain asked us all to take a seat, Hibs sat next to the Captain with Saffia Widdershins, the Prim Perfect Editor/Owner, who looked really beautiful, on the other side of him.  I sat next to Debs, who looked elegant in a black gown and stunning short red highlighted hair.  Lady (on the right of the picture below) and with her colleagues looked so smart dressed in their uniforms as she advised us on the servings.  The others in the group, including Seany and Brie, were all dressed impeccably with their tuxs’ and long gowns, what a picture everyone made.

The Captain asked Debs to introduce everyone and Debs gave a lovely speech thanking her team and showing her appreciation of them.  What a lovely time we had there, and how lucky that the London team have such a wonderful boss who takes the trouble to show them that she knows they are doing such a good job looking after SL London.

After boarding the magnificent Galaxy and meeting the charming Captain, Hibs, Debs and me headed over to the second event of the evening, the launching of the posh KMADD Enterprise webside www.kmaddCity.com  The theme for the evening was 007 James Bond.  They had certainly gone to a lot of trouble, we arrived into a grand casino setting with its red carpet and rich gold interiors.  You can read all about our evening there at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-91242.   The boys from KMADD are also taking part in the SL London Fashion week, so it’s a very exciting period for me and Hibs to cover some great stories.

Need a rest now, after such a busy weekend, it was a lot of fun and I can never get over how much trouble people take in SL to make these occasions so perfect.

Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald at Tribute Island

Another fantastic night at Tribute Island last night.  Shame that Hibiscus could not make it and I bopped away on my own for most of the evening, but I was busy taking loads of pics.  Riel Radio played a storm of great Ella records as Australian singer Paisley Beebe was not due to appear until later in the evening.  When I first got there I saw Saffia (who looked gorgeous dancing in her daring outfit) and Nikk and the others were still sitting down.

Nikk, Terry, Darkling, Gabrielle, Emilly and all the others were soon up dancing as the music was so good.

I spotted Arron Jacobus and said hello, which was great as I haven’t seen Arron, who is a designer for Linc, for ages, nice to catch up.

The wonderful Paisley Beebe arrived and sang a whole lot of lovely Ella Fitzgerald songs, and she was great, she joked with her sl and rl partner who accompanied her on stage with his guitar and we all enjoyed her performance very much.

My night was complete when Drax came over, and later on Hib as well.  What a great evening, though next week’s tribute gig will be the last for a while, which is a shame, as I looked forward to Friday nights at Tribute Island.  There is always something new there though, so its worth a trip to explore.

By the way, Saffia told me that my article has been printed in her very popular and very classy ‘Prim Perfect’ homes and gardens magazine.  You can catch my write up on ‘Media in the London sims’ at http://en.calameo.com/read/00000423443d6befc5a83   Page 31.

Goodbye Apartment!!

Second Life gets to me sometimes, I get a real affection for virtual objects, pretty daft, but there it is! it’s understandable with friends as they are actual people, but objects, well!!  I do feel like that over my apartment though, I’ve been there a few months now and it is lovely with its big windows overlooking the Thames on one side and Chelsea on the other, plus so much floor space including the big balcony to sit and drink your coffee in the mornings.  But as in most SL things, nothing lasts.  Debs told me that the apartments were not a copy of the real life ones at Chelsea so they are being replaced this coming week with a replica of the real London ones.  My friend and fellow reporter Hibiscus feels the same way as I do, she has an apartment in the next block and is really sad to move out.  Hib and I spent a lot of time sitting in each others apartments putting the sl world to rights!!   Also Drax and I have had many happy times in the tower block, it was home!!

I know Debs is right and her vision of a Mirror Image London is working well and I am looking forward to the new apartments there, but it was funny moving the furniture out.  I left a settee and carpet till the last minute and when I looked over at Hib’s apartment she had a sad lonely chair on the balcony. 

I hope I will always have a place in the London sim, it is such a nice community to be in with, always something going on and such lovely people who live and work here.  Debs can be proud of it all, and it’s getting even better all the time.  They look after people here as well, can’t say I’ve been to many places in SL where there is a team of people who work so hard to make sure that every visitor has a good time.

So goodbye apartment and nice front door, there is a bit of me that is looking forwards to the new apartment though, bit exciting, even went out and bought some new bits and pieces for it!!!  Had some great times in the old block but sure there will be great times to come in my new home too!

Rubi’s Good News and Bungee Fun

I was chatting to Hibiscus in SL Chelsea yesterday when suddenly we got a note saying that they were re starting the sim and we had to get out within 2 minutes.  Well we decided to head over to Murray, Hib has been there a coupe of times before, so we teleported out.  Shortly after we arrived we saw Rubi Hawkes and she looked very pretty in a smock dress.  She told us that she had some good news, her and Stef are expecting an SL baby in a few weeks time.  They are a lovely couple and have been seeing each other for quite a while.  Rubi asked us if we wanted to see the bump and we said yes.  She changed her clothes and we could see she had a little baby bump instead of her usual slim figure.  Rubi hadn’t met Hib before and it’s nice that Hib is gradually getting to know all my friends.

Congratulations to Rubi and Stef, I can’t wait to see the baby when it arrives.   Hibiscus and I headed off back to the London sims to try to get some photos of the Bungee Jumping at Big Ben.  We were joined by sim Manager Seany and we took turns in jumping to try to get some shots, it was very difficult though, but we did manage in the end, although close ups seem impossible. 

Seany has a couple of great helicopters, he flew a single seater one around the clock tower and showed us the other one that holds two passengers as well.  We didn’t have time to have a go then, but asked if we could fly over London with him another time, as it looks like a lot of fun.