Sleepy Hollow & a Grim Babies Halloween

Everyone seems to be talking about Halloween and places to visit in SL. One place I haven't seen mention that I think should be is Grim Babies in Sleepy Hollow.




This place is an absolute Halloween delight. Spooky yet pleasant, Grim babies offers Halloween thrills both of the shopping variety and the activity variety.



As far as shopping goes, this is a great place to pick up a costume, decorative pumpkins, monster party dance balls, all things doll, spooky monsters and animated scenes to decorate your home and shop, and (of course) Grim Babies. What are Grim Babies? Well, they are like prim babies with a morbid twist. And there is an amazing variety here.



I really like the pumpkin carving kit, the interactive apple bobbing stand, and the ghoststory-telling haystacks.





When you've had your shopping fill, check out the Grim Babies Haunted Orphanage for a creepy adventure.

a creepy voice whispers cryptic antidotes at you as you wind you way through blood-spattered dormitories, cafeterias, human experiment labs, and padded rooms.

And then it starts getting weird...

weirder...

and weirder still...

I don't want to ruin all of the surprises for you, but I will say that the maze is really intense.

Don't forget to pick up a Grim Babies Orphan outfit, IV & survivor t-shirt at the front desk.

Asylum chic!

Visit Grim Babies @ Sleepy Hollow (115,75,27)

Liverpool: Home of the Beatles

'Ello Mates! Welcome to Liverpool in Second Life! Birthplace of The Beatles.

I was inspired to visit by my Downtown Dots dress, a funky vintage micromini by PuNk Couture. Me in a micromini skirt? Who knew?? I love everything about this dress except for the neckline, which is a little too Appearance Mode cookie cutter. The dress comes with a matching choker with a red bow. I paired the dress with freebie thigh highs and freebie black velvet knee boots. My earrings are freebie hoops that I recolored white, my red bracelet is from PuNk Couture, the diva glasses from Last Call, and my scripted purse is from ETD (7 sassy AOs for high class ladies). My hair is the casual and sleek Mia bun by ETD with tintable scarf. All in all, a super-fab outfit perfect for exploring the shabby chic streets of Liverpool.

The Liverpool sim consists of two main streets, the dock-side promenade and the famous Matthew Street. Liverpool features many atmospheric pubs, including The Cavern, where The Beatles were born.

There are also many Beatles and Rock n' Roll themed shops with unique items. Want a Beatles band shirt, a piano that plays John Lennon's Imagine, or full Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band costumes? This is the place to go.

The RL British Rock Band "What The...?" has it's base in Liverpool and featured John's sunken bed from the movie Help!

Liverpool has great amenities. There are creative camping spots where you can paint John Lennon's face on a wall or fix a moped. You can also rent bicycles, jet skis, boats, and even scooters for free!

While it appears that there is still a lot of construction being done, the creators of Liverpool have done a good job thus far of featuring Beatles's related city landmarks. For instance, take a look at the skyline:

Look familiar?? Perhaps you will remember the Eleanor Rigby scene from Yellow Submarine:

And speaking of yellow submarines:

There aren't a ton of activities here besides shopping and bar hopping, but one neat thing I found was a fishing game on the dock. You watch your pole until you get a bite and then you type "strike!" to try and reel 'em in. And the best part is, you get to keep your catch!

Liverpool is your one-stop Beatles fix in Second Life. And you don't even need a ticket to ride :-) (lol)

Cruisin' Aboard the S.S. Galaxy

The summertime is a perfect time to hit the open seas for a little rest and relaxation. So why not pack your bags and visit the S.S. Galaxy-Queen of the Sagittarian Sea!

This place is huge and reminds me very much of a Royal Caribbean super-liner. If you have never been on a cruise ship and are curious what they are about, you have to tour the Galaxy. It is a wonderfully detailed sim(s) with lots of extras and is just like a RL cruise.
There is so much to see and do here, it is wise to check out the hospitality desk in the main lobby when you first board the ship. There you will find ship maps, an events calender, and a teleporting station to the main attractions of the ship. Don't just TP around though or you will miss a lot of great little hidden areas.
There are lots of little bar and lounge areas where you can grab a drink with a little umbrella or enjoy a fine Cuban cigar *blows smoke rings oo00OOO.*
Make a visit to the bridge to see where all the captain stuff takes place. These things look important...

Culture yourself with a tour of their 2-story art gallery...

Or spoil yourself in their 3-story mall. Goodness...

Another way to blow (or win) some Lindens is in the Ships casino. They have lots of games to play, but I thought the most entertaining to watch was the horse races. Go Green!!!

If you like games, they have a giant chess game and skeet shooting on deck. Am I on the black team or the white team?

Other deck activities include a large pool with a giant slide, a basketball court, jogging, and and ice skating rink!!!! You'll need a pair of ice skates if you want to skate. You can get a free pair at Sarah Nerd's Freebie Paradise that has a basic skating AO. However, if you were looking for some fancier moves, you can purchase a pair of Skoop F Icicles ice skates at the rink for 75$L. These skates are a little clunky, but they come with a bunch of tricks and fancier skating AOs.

If you are looking for an outdoor feel without actually braving the deck, you can take a stroll through the lovely indoor atrium. There are beautiful fountains, foliage, waterfalls, and jacuzzis to relax in.

Not to mention a fair variety of poseballs with romantic possibilities.

If you are famished after an action packed morning, you can enjoy a casual lunch or dinner in the Bamboo Garden Japanese Restaurant. This is actually my favorite spot on the ship.

Isn't it gorgeous? This "outdoor" restaurant is actually inside the ship!! There is a conversation area and dining area with a sushi bar soon to come!

Don't worry, they supply you with the chopsticks. But they don't teach you how to use them!

You can work off your meal and prepare for the evening in the Galaxy Spa.

Did you know the average cruise ship passenger gains a pound a day?

Work on that base tan so you don't scare children at the pool (tanning goggles provided).

And relax and refresh in the sauna. There is no nudity in public areas so they offer complimentary men's and women's towels. Classy!

After you leave the spa, you may want to explore some of the social areas in the evening. There are two boiler rooms on this ship.
The regular kind...

And the kickass danceclub kind.

If you're not dancing the night away, you can take in a movie at the movie theatre (Poseidon is currently showing). However, the main evening attraction is the Zodiac Ballroom. Formal attire is required, so wear your best!!! I hope i didn't overdress :-)

You can visit the Galaxy for just a day, or you can rent accommodations. There are a variety of cabins with different sizes from basic staterooms to the Captain's Suite (below).

All in all, the most fun you can have on a boat in SL. You can spend a whole day here just exploring! And if you cabin fever, take a shore excursion to Sagittaria. I think i have a crush on the skipper.

Bon voyage!!!!

S.S. Galaxy: Queen of the Sagittarian Sea

Residential/ CommercialShopping, free activities, gambling, dining, movies, barsShopping rating: Fair: mostly small designers, varied types of goods sold

Hangin' with the King: Graceland

All dressed up with no place to go? Put on your blue suede shoes and head on over to Graceland, the legendary home of Elvis Presley. I found this sim completely on accident (there's a freebie area on the left side...lol) and just had to check it out.



So I slipped into something retro (PuNk Couture's Vintage Floral Dress) to explore in.

I love the print and the color combinations of this dress, but I have to say that the flexi skirt is a real pain. Being a full-hipped AV, the skirt on the dress did not fit AT ALL when i bought it and I had a problem with all of the settings. First of all, the gravity and tension were set really low, so it gave me a bad case of bubble-butt and the prims took forever to stop moving. Also, the beautiful green underskirt is linked to the top skirt, so I can't adjust it's placement separately(without hand placing every separate prim). The glitch pants are the color of the underskirt and not the top skirt, so every little gap is HIGHLY noticeable. All in all, I'm really glad I got it at a discount or else I probably would have been disappointed. Even now that I have messed it a bunch it is not near perfect. On the bright side, it has been a great lesson in editing flexi-prim as I have messed with every setting there is.



Anyway, back to the adventure. Having visited the RL Graceland, I can say that this sim does a good job of condensing all of the best parts of Graceland into a cute little mansion. The best part about this place is that they have an all-Elvis music feed, so make sure to turn it on to set the mood.



You can visit the trophy room...


Chill out in the Jungle Room...


Or rock out in the Jailhouse Rock Ballroom. There's a stage and instruments here, so it looks like they might have live events.


I think Elvis is checking me out!!!


They even have a memorial where you can pay your respects to the king of Rock and Roll.


So, come for a quick visit or stay and hang out. There's not a lot of people there, so it is a nice quiet place to enjoy some classic Elvis tunes and relax.

Chicago: Musing about Marly's

Hola!
I'm hanging out in Chicago for a day of fun and culture. And... I'm sporting the absolutely adorable Spanky's Spots Dress in sage by Marly Vaughan and Haedon Quine of Marley's.

*Slurp* The Chicago River looks lovely this time of year.

I have been looking for the perfect vintage polka-dot dress. I've flocked to every store that has released one. I've almost purchased one a dozen times at least, but something held me back. Something just wasn't quite right about the other dresses, but Marley's dress is perfect!

There are so many things l love about this dress. The color is great, the pattern isn't distorted and is in perfect proportion. The cute belt is actually attached to the skirt, which is so convenient for sizing.

Um... I'm not sure my horse likes me too much :-s

Something I've noticed about this dress that I do not see in most other dresses with prim skirts is that the prims actually stay together (like a real skirt would) when you are walking instead of flying around like a bunch of streamers.

The neckline is gorgeous and the prim sleeves are subtle and feminine. And, as you can see, the dress is great for both day and night adventures. I make a pretty hot date, don't you think ;-)

The dress comes in five colors (above), and they are all charming. Each dress is only $L225 and the 5-pack is only $L700 ( that's a $L425 saving i.e. almost 2 whole dresses for free).

Being that Chicago is the windy city, It gets bit cooler (and apparently more retro) in the evenings, so I thought I would change into another great outfit... again from Marly's.

Marly's does more than just clothes, they also do great hair. This dashing look is Zade Sophisticate in red. The hat color is smoke, but it also comes in camel for those who wear more brown. This classic style comes with the hat attached, so it is already perfectly positioned.

Here's a look at the back. There is no option to remove the hat, but perhaps they will offer it in the future (I hope).

Now, lets talk about my fabulous dress (jacket??). This amazing piece is called Agent Pushbutton and it is so unique and sophisticated. The fabric is a burnished wool with a contrasting satin lining. I just love the unique cut of the hem and the delicate black edging. This is truly a quality design.

The little handkerchief is optional, but is a great detail in that it pulls the lining color together with the rest of the piece. And the cowled neck is super cozy, perfect for blustery evenings. Agent Pushbutton comes in three colors for $L225 or $L575 together. Here you see it in ash with pink lining. I was so taken with this piece, I had to get all three, so...

Here it is in a lovely pairing of indigo and gold. And...

My favorite color, army and silver. Taxi!!!

I can honestly say that I like every item that Marly's has. Their vintage clothes, hair, and accessories covers many eras for varying taste and they have a lot of great unique items. If you need an example, Zuzu's Sun and Moon dress and Sven Suburbia should quell your skepticism.

So visit Marly's, like...now, at their main shop in Envy or check out the Marly's Blog. and get lovely.


Other Items with Spanky's Spots:

Hair: Hairapy's Barbie in Auburn
Skin: Gala-Pale-Brickhouse
Eyes: French Spirit: Contrast
Pearl set: *BBB* Natural Pearls

Other Items with Agent Pushbutton:

Skin: Gala-Pale-Brickhouse
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui- Eva in Coal