Hi, SUYSers! We’re happy to announce this month’s SUYS theme is Designer’s Choice!! This is another opportunity for our talented designers to make whatever their hearts desire!!

Since Home Expo is coming up (May 19-28), we’re going to have just one big release weekend again this month, and that will be May 26-27. Check back here that weekend for all the info on our participating designers for May’s Designer’s Choice!! 

Another great item from this month’s Collabor88 – the Songo Garden Set from Barnesworth Anubis! Look at this!!

So grand!! And, I would dare say – palatial. In a good way.

The proportion between the seating and the overall build, as well as the candelabras, is a little off, in my opinion. The seating seems to get a little lost in all the magnificence around it, but that’s a very minor detail. This is still just a gorgeous spot for lounging about…possibly in a very expensive bikini and stiletto heels, like all glam Hollywood or whatnot. Can you see it?

The Songo Garden courtyard is available at Collabor88 for ONLY 188L right now – 188L!!! You can also get the furniture pack, separately, for just 188L. That’s only until June 7, so make sure you stop by now!

Barnesworth Anubis at Collabor88 [SLurl]

So, while you’re waiting for Home Expo to start, you need to get right on over to this month’s Collabor88. There’s good stuff there. For example:

This is the most beautiful hammock I’ve ever seen. ♥ Isla Gealach of Cheeky Pea has released the Lilith Hammock and Table for Collabor88′s ‘Daydream’ theme, and she has done an amazing job. AMAZING. The hammock netting is, to me, a miracle of SL meshiness (only 11 prims!) and the textures on the quilts and pillow are just the loveliest soft, worn textures. You can almost feel how soft!

Oh, so much love. AND the best thing of all, which just can’t be captured in a photo – it swings!! Just click to set the hammock swinging softly from side to side. So relaxing!

There are also a ton of really fun animations included, for both singles and couples. As always – you guys know how this goes – I had no one with whom to show off the couples anims…so here, check out some of the singles. There are, like, 15 or so single anims – these are my faves!

That first one is me jumping up and down on the hammock. You know I love that!

Cheeky Pea at Collabor88 [SLurl]

You know that the 2012 Home Expo starts in SIX DAYS, right?

This year there will be FOURTEEN sims. Do you realize how crazy that is?? CRAZY LIKE A DOORKNOB. I’m currently scrambling to finish up all my new Second Spaces items, and I’ll be sharing more on those later…and once Expo is open, I’ll be sharing expo highlights with you, as well. Today, though, I’ve been peeking. I’m a peeker.

Froukje Hoorenbeek of Dutchie gave me access to her work platform so I could check out her Expo stuff…so I did. And maybe I pretended to live there for a while. And maybe I took a bath. Whatever. Regardless, if this stuff doesn’t make you excited for Expo…then, well, you’re dead to me. Or something equally dramatic but more applicable to the situation. 

P.S. Froukje kicks mesh ass.

Right???

I don’t really know any details about the new items, since technically everything is still a work-in-progress…although I think Froukje has basically reached perfection already. All I do know is that 1) this stuff is awesome….2) it will be available at Home Expo, starting May 19th…3) you need it all.

Stay tuned for more info about the Expo, coming soon!

Hi. I love mesh, and Trompe Loeil, and cool houses, and puppies. If this bad boy came with a puppy, I would have found paradise.

Cory Edo of Trompe Loeil sent me a copy of her gorgeous Zuma Hills house, designed to celebrate Culture Shock 2012. I have always loved Cory’s houses, since way before mesh was even on the horizon…and now that mesh is here?? Whoa.

There’s great lighting sprinkled all through the Zuma Hills, and I have to admit that my favorite feature in the whole house is the little recessed lights on the front steps. You know I love the simple things!

Cory has done a great job of keeping such a modern interior from feeling cold or cavernous. There’s plenty of space, but the rooms are nice and cozy. That makes me very happy.

Oh, look – more fun lighting.

I love that there are two staircases – one in the front, one in the back…with the back of the house being quite open, and having an open staircase there, it gives a very “beach house” feel with a modern twist. Speaking of the back of the house, this is like a party waiting to happen!

You can pick up the Zuma Hills house at Trompe Loeil [SLurl], and you can get the matching furniture pieces (used in my pics), at Culture Shock [SLurl] through May 26.

Read more at Cory’s blog!

Hi!! A new collaboration will debut at Atelier Kreslo this Sunday, so here’s a quick reminder to grab your Daydream Stools before it’s too late! 

Atelier Kreslo [SLurl]

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I received a review folder recently from Caroline Tairov, the designer behind *Kukuvaya*, with her latest prefab, the Jessica. I’m always a fan of cute and simple little cottages, and I think Caroline did a nice job here.

If you’re looking for just a simple little place, this is worth checking out. I appreciate the proportions – you know how I am about proportions – and this has rooms that are just the right size and ceilings that are just the right height.

There’s plenty of room here for a really cute kitchen and dining room, plus a cozy living room and comfy bedroom. Cute colors used on the walls, and I love the weathered wainscoting used in the kitchen and dining areas. I would love to see a bit more shading in the wall textures though, especially at the corners, for some more depth and definition in the rooms.

I also like the little details of the built-in bookshelves and the beams in the doorway. It’s those little things that enhance the cottage feel.

Check out the Jessica and Caroline’s other prefabs at Kukuvaya! [SLurl]

Oh, look!

Pitsch Parx, the designer behind UrbanizeD, dropped a note on me the other day to announce a cool new venture! It doesn’t have an official name yet, but Pitsch describes it as a “styling Book/Magazine for SL interior design”. That’s fun, right? Here’s more from the info card:

NOT COMMERCIAL, so no ads ! Its a free magazine, and everyone works for free.
It should be artistic and overloaded with ideas and inspiration on how SL interior design can/could be.
A magazine for home & garden designers- textures artists – customers/shoppers.
We will give information on new releases, show the latest trends, give ideas how to bring style in your home.
Base key words will make segments in the magazine, clear lines on themes.
No long articles and interviews, it should be like a videoclip on virtual paper !
First ( test case ) release @ Home & Garden Expo – May 19th 2012
Magazine will appear 2 or 4 times a year ( Inworld and online )

Pitsch is looking for photographers, interior designers and stylists, texture designers, and folks to manage the online stuff. If you’d like to get involved, just send a notecard in-world (name it New Magazine Application – *Your name Here*) to Pitsch Parx with the following info:

Name :

What you can do for the magazine :

Flickr / Blog links :

Can we contact you if you are not inworld ?

Anything else you want us to know ?

I look forward to seeing what comes of this!! Get your notecard over to Pitsch like now!

Welcome to the April SUYS event! This month’s theme is ‘April Showers‘!

Our designers for this month’s SUYS are:

*Art Dummy! [SLurl]
Cheeky Pea [SLurl]
Cleo Designs [SLurl]
Funky Junk [SLurl]
Insight Designs [SLurl]
Interior Addiction [SLurl]
La’Licious Designs [SLurl]
MudHoney [SLurl]
Organica [SLurl]
Palais [SLurl]
{what next} [SLurl]

Remember – everything released for SUYS is just $150L or less, but only for this weekend!

You can see pics of all the SUYS items over on our Flickr page and be sure to join the in-world Spruce Up Your Space group to get the SUYS notices, LMs, etc!

This is our only SUYS weekend for April; it starts at 9AM SLT on April 28 and ends midnight SLT on April 29! Have fun!

I told you the other day that I had more Collabor88 stuff to show you…AND SHOW YOU, I WILL!

Isla Gealach of Cheeky Pea has made an SL dream of mine come true – she’s made a lovely bathtub couch as part of her Millesime Baignoire Room set for this month’s Paris-themed Collabor88. Thank you, Isla! ♥

And yes, OH YES, that is a giant macaron (texture-changeable!) for sitting. Dreams coming true all over the place.

There are lots of really cute little details in this set – I think the topiary is super cute, and I love the little radio.

Those posters are intended to be hung on the wall, but I kinda love having art prints just casually propped around, so I went with that for these pics. 

Now, let’s get back to that awesome sofa. In addition to being precious, it also includes some really cute sits and some fun props. These are just my favorites:

I’m knitting!

Be sure to get over to Collabor88 quickly to get some great prices on this set. Oh, btw, I totally googled a translation for “Millesime Baignoire” — it means “vintage bathtub”. It’s fun to learn.

Cheek Pea at Collabor88 [SLurl]

I have a confession: I have never watched a single episode of “Sex and The City”. Not one. Therefore, I had no connection to the new prefab from Commoner, called Apt. C, which is inspired by Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment on the show (I think? Did I get that right?). Designer Emery Milneaux sent this over to me for review and, as it turns out, I LOVE THIS APARTMENT. LOVE.

If I wasn’t so lazy, I could totally have decorated this place up right nice. Three nice big open rooms are just perfect –  not too big, not too small. The kitchen is so precious –

…and the bathroom tiles bring me joy. Seriously. It’s the little things for me.

Emery did a really nice job with the shadows and the details throughout. I always love a good old-fashioned radiator, and that closet is yummy.

I would like to fill up that closet with piles of clothes and shoeboxes. 

This really is a great skybox, whether you watched the show or not , so definitely scoot over to Commoner to check it out. Sex and a city not included.

Commoner [SLurl]

It’s time for another edition of Collabor88! Well…it was time for that last week, really, but it’s STILL time now, too. Lots of great home & garden stuff for this month’s Paris theme. Ooh la la!

First up is the Paris Penthouse Skybox from Barnesworth Anubis. This is a great little skybox, and kinda fancy, too.

I love the curved walls by the fireplace, and the trim! I love the trim!

As mentioned, this is a skybox, and it comes with a nice big surround to give you that Paris view through all the windows (and also without the surround, if you don’t want the view). Oh, speaking of windows — I love having so many! I’d love to see more shading in the wall textures to really bring out the curves and the details, but those windows and the fireplace are just lovely to me. A lovely and elegant space!

Paris Penthouse Skybox at Collabor88 [SLurl]

Cory Edo of Trompe Loeil is collaborating in Paris this month, too, with a megapack of all sorts of goodies, and a nice mix of art deco and modern in bold colors.

The Chesterfield Couch, Padded Armchair, and Composite Endtables are all available in each of the colors, which is great for mixing and matching OR a nice modern monochromatic look, if that’s what ya like. What I like here is the Jewelry Armoire. It’s good art deco fun…and honestly, the legs look sorta like giraffe legs, and I kinda love that.

Some of the pieces are a bit on the large side, at least proportionately to me:

…but they’re really nice foundation pieces…and I really do enjoy the colors, especially that orange. Plus, I don’t think you can ever go wrong that style of chair – timeless!

Check out the Trompe Loeil pieces at Collabor88! [SLurl]

I’ve got more to show you from this month’s Collabor88, coming soon!

It’s time for a new month at Atelier Kreslo!!! I’m very happy to announce that this month’s collaboration is between Gala Charron of *Art Dummy! and….me! Elle Kirshner of Pulling Strings! Yay! I love Gala’s work and I loved having a chance to work with her. You know how AK works — one designer builds the seat, and another designer creates the poses for it. Gala built the Daydream Stool and I had a great time making some fun poses for it!

Those pics are from the AK Cafe – which you know I love – and Gala set up the stools with my Simple Dining table (available at Second Spaces). I love the different textures that Gala used on the stools; the grungy white is my favorite, of course. All of the textures look great – I love the different mix of hard woods and I love the bright colors, too. These are great simple stools to use at your bar or for casual seating in the kitchen or living room, and only 5 prims! The bright ones are perfect ways to add a pop of color in your space!

Now let’s check out those poses!  

There are a few more poses that I didn’t show…and the balloon is included (and color-changeable!) with the stools. Like I said, I had a great time working on this with Gala — so be sure to get over to AK and check ‘em out! I think we did a great job.

OH! I almost forgot to mention — these are sold in packs of two!! Each pack comes with one stool in the specific color or finish, and then a second stool with white legs where just the seat is the particular color or finish. Fun!

Atelier Kreslo [SLurl]

Hi, SUYSers! We’re happy to announce this month’s SUYS theme: April Showers!!

We’re going to have just one big release weekend this month, and that will be April 28-29. Check back here that weekend for all the info on our participating designers for April Showers!! 

You know what’s fun to say? Stumblebum. stumblebumstumblebumstumblebum. Speaking of, Isla Gealach of Cheeky Pea sent me her April Stumblebum release — the Likable Things set.

Okay, this isn’t really meant to be an outdoor set — don’t ask what that chandelier is hanging from —  but I thought it looked cute on my dock. This is a very precious set — all mesh — and really lovely textures. You guys know how I love wood (heh) and that table top is just gorgeous!! 

When you click and hold the table top, a menu pops up that gives you options for what kind of stuff to rez on the table. You guys also know how I love stuff. You can pick a few things or a lot of things, and it’s so easy because the table rezzes and places it all for you!

As you can see, there are also different textures for the chair cushions, too…again, just click and hold on those cushions for the menu. There are also really cute animations in each chair, and each chair is animated differently from the others. So cute!

Be sure to get over to Cheeky Pea NOW — or at least before April 14, when Stumblebum wraps up. This is a great set for your space!!

Cheeky Pea [SLurl]

I am so happy.

Barnesworth Anubis of [ba] has revamped two of his older houses. SO MUCH LOVE. Now, in my opinion, these houses were still awesome in their original forms. They were both built in 2007, and I would totally recommend them to anyone today. However, I am all for new and improved, even on things that I think are great…so let’s see!

First is the Lamin Longhouse, seriously one of my top 5 favorites houses ever from Barnes.

I love the openness of this house. It does have the option of blinds and doors to close it all up…but why would ya? I don’t think there are too many structural changes in the Lamin’s new version – the textures have been updated and the build is more efficient (just 56 prims for the house alone!) – but the layout is the same as the original. So pretty.

The Lamin can be purchased unfurnished OR with the furniture/accessories shown here. Speaking of — I love these lamps:

Sigh. I just really love this house. With the furniture included, it’s still only 220 prims. That’s awesome. I think this house can really fit anywhere, but if you have a beachfront spot, you definitely need to check this out!

Secondly, we have my ABSOLUTE #1 favorite Barnes house ever — the Tableau Hut. ♥

The original Tableau was the first house I ever bought in SL. When I bought my first piece of land in 2007 (where I still live today), I had already seen the Tableau and fallen in love with it, and immediately went to purchase my very own! It was my house until Oct 2009, and was also the very first house I ever blogged. Barnes has changed up the inside of the Tableau a bit – it’s much bigger than the original, and has 4 separate rooms, where the original was mostly just one open space. It’s actually quite surprising how large this is inside — from outside, it looks like a tiny little hut. But no no. S P A C E.

Right?? I just love it all. The bedrooms are quite large, so plenty of room to add lots of personal touches. That bathroom is pretty sweet, too. I like the modern feel of the fixtures mixed with the organic qualities of the walls and floors. 

The Tableau is also available furnished or unfurnished. Alone, it’s 86 prims, and with all the stuff, it’s 300. So awesome.

See both of these houses at [ba]!! [SLurl]

It’s another new month at Atelier Kreslo. Yay! This month’s offerings are the Painter’s Chairs, a collaboration between Isla Gealach of Cheeky Pea and IsabellaGrace Baroque of Olive Juice Poses. And, as it turns out, I love these chairs. ♥

Seriously. That chippy paint texture makes me so happy. SO HAPPY. I want these chairs in RL. All the color choices are just gorgeous, too, and I always love the dipped look on furniture. Perfect.

The chairs are available at the AK coffee house…I popped over there to 1) enjoy the super cute set up, as I always do, and 2) to take a few more pics to show some of the really cute poses that are included in the chairs.

I feel like, in that first pic, I’m really just wondering where my coffee is.

Get over to Atelier Kreslo to see the Painter’s Chairs and definitely grab a few. You need these. Trust me.

Atelier Kreslo in-world [SLurl]

Welcome to the second and final weekend of the March SUYS event! This month’s theme is ‘Spread Your Wings‘!

Our designers for this week’s SUYS are:

Fucifino [SLurl]
Funky Junk [SLurl]
LISP Bazaar [SLurl]
Organica [SLurl]
Palais [SLurl]
Second Spaces [SLurl]
Trompe Loeil [SLurl]

Remember – everything released for SUYS is just $150L or less, but only for this weekend!

You can see pics of all the SUYS items over on our Flickr page and be sure to join the in-world Spruce Up Your Space group to get the SUYS notices, LMs, etc!

It officially starts at 9AM SLT this morning, March 24 – enjoy!

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Second Spaces helps you soar to new heights with the Birds’ Eye View Garden Loft!

A cozy little spot to enjoy the spring air, gaze up at the stars, or curl up with nature and a good book. The set includes everything you see – except for trees and grass – and also comes with  12 different animations for you and your pals to hang out! Here’s a sampling:

Get your Birds’ Eye View at Second Spaces! [SLurl]

I recently received a review folder from Kristoffer Juneau of JJ Lanes with a bedroom that is a must-see for you lovers-of-traditional-style out there — the Addison Bedroom.

It’s very pretty and elegant. I’m not big on traditional furniture – I prefer funky and old and weathered – but I do think this is just a gorgeous bed.

Very nice textures and shapes, and great shading/shadows. I also really like the inset wood panels on the dresser and armoire.

Kristoffer has included some nice accessories with the set….

…I like the colors used, but I do wish the accessories had the same level of depth and shadow in the textures as the furniture does. They’re a little flat, especially the candleholders.

Speaking of shadows (and you know I’m not using SL shadows for any of these pics), I think it’s interesting what Kristoffer has done with the furniture shadows, making them more projected and true to the shape of each furniture piece. However –

…when you’re a picky as I am about such things, it gets kinda tricky. In the pics above, you can see that the shadows for the chair and for the vanity table (which is a great piece) don’t correspond directionally. Also, with the dresser, the floor shadow is projected…which looks cool…but doesn’t make a lot of sense when the dresser is placed against a wall…which  most dressers are. These aren’t showstoppers, by any means, but for my preferences, I’d rather have more generic floor shadows, just to ground the piece and give some depth.

You guys know my 2nd biggest pet peeve, right? Proportion. These furniture pieces are very well done….but goodness, they’re kinda large.

I’m sort of swimming in the bed and the chaise. The vanity chair isn’t too bad overall, but the back of it seems a bit too tall. Still, this is my hang up, and I think most folks don’t mind so much when the pieces are on the large side. These aren’t cringe-worthy as far as proportion goes…I’d just like to see them scaled back a bit…if *I* ruled the world.

Bottom line, though, I think this is a great set – well constructed and well textured. That big gorgeous bed is also packed with a ton of anims — casual ones, naughty ones…poses for just you, poses for you and a pal…and some fun stuff with props and whatnot. Definitely worth checking out!

See the Addison Bedroom at JJ Lanes! [SLurl]

Welcome to the first weekend of the March SUYS event! This month’s theme is ‘Spread Your Wings‘!

Our designers for this week’s SUYS are:

Cheeky Pea [SLurl]
Cleo Designs [SLurl]
Insight Designs [SLurl]
La’Licious Designs [SLurl]
MudHoney [SLurl]

Remember – everything released for SUYS is just $150L or less, but only for this weekend!

You can see pics of all the SUYS items over on our Flickr page and be sure to join the in-world Spruce Up Your Space group to get the SUYS notices, LMs, etc!

It officially starts at 9AM SLT this morning, March 17 – enjoy!

Part 2 of this month’s SUYS will be next weekend, March 24-25, with more great stuff from more great designers!

The Easter Egg Hunt at The Nest starts today! From now until April 10, you can find some great Easter goodies from awesome Nest merchants! Just take a stroll around the sim and look for participating shops with this sign out front:

Inside those shops, find the basket of eggs and pick up a freebie!

At Second Spaces, you’ll find the Easter version of the Jeeves Bench:

A super cute spot for lounging in the garden on a lovely spring day!

Hop on over (heh) to The Nest and start hunting!

Second Spaces at The Nest [SLurl]

Do you know Collabor88? If you don’t, you should (says me). In a nutshell, Collabor88 is:

a fashion forward destination, where the most well loved content creators in SL get together to bring shoppers a superb selection of their well crafted merchandise at approachable, low prices. Collabor88 Merchandise is changed & updated each month on the 8th.

The most awesome thing about this monthly event is that it isn’t just fashion – there is always awesome home & garden stuff available from some of my favorite designers. One of those designers was kind enough to send me a blogger pack of her Collabor88 mesh awesomeness — the Organic Mesh Trees from Cory Edo of Trompe Loeil.

I have never been more ready for spring. The colors of the leaves are fantastic, and the gnarled tree trunks are amazing. I’d love a whole garden full of these…at 40 prims each, that’s not necessarily feasible…but even just one in your yard will bring a beautiful pop of color.

Speaking of color pops, Cory also has the Mesh Flowers available at Collabor88. These are individual flowers or groups of three, so you can create your own arrangements. Love! These would be great spotted around your garden, or potted in your house.

Get the fatpack of mesh flowers for just 88L…a single color of tree for 188L…OR the fatpack of all 9 tree colors for only 288L. That, my friends, is an insane bargain right there.

Be sure to get over to this month’s Collabor88 right now! [SLurl]

Hi! Remember in January that I told you about Atelier Kreslo, the new collaboration project from Flutter Memel? Well, there’s a new AK release available now – the in limbo stools! It’s another really cute collaboration between Flutter and Gala Charron of *Art Dummy!, and it’s only available for a short time!

Love!! So cute and simple, these would be adorable in any room. These stools were a special release, and will only be available until the official March release for Atelier Kreslo is out…so get over to the cafe all quick-like and grab yours!

Atelier Kreslo in-world [SLurl]

Hi, SUYS Shoppers! The SUYS team is happy to announce this month’s theme: Spread Your Wings! It could be birds or planes or angels or butterflies or more! We’ve asked our designers to let their creative instincts soar!

Our SUYS release weekends are March 17-18 and March 24-25, so check back here on the 17th for all the info on our first round!

I know you all remember my dear friend Leyla Firefly, owner of and designer for Belle Belle, right? I’ve blogged her on Second Spaces approximately 5481247 times, so you definitely should. WELL…she’s been kinda quiet for a while, and suddenly resurfaced a few weeks ago with big news! No more Belle Belle!! What?!!? No worry, though — Leyla has started a new venture, a precious little sim called Firefly.

You’l find more than just furniture here — there’s clothing and tattoos and eyelashes…and more that I’m sure I missed. There’s also a party bus, and a gorgeous promenade stretching out over the water.

There’s ALSO a mechanical bull. For which to ride. Aww yeah. The first thing I noticed, however, is that my pal Heidi is currently in the number one spot on the leader board. The SECOND thing I noticed is that I would win 500L if I beat her score. IT WAS SO ON.

I will not share my final score. I will tell you that I walked away with the same amount of $L that I started with, and we shall speak no more of this.

Let’s talk about furniture. Leyla is still planning to release new items when she has the time and inspiration strikes…and that makes me happy. She does have the new Piri set available at Firefly – an adorable, shabby chic set with a color scheme that is totally 70s reminiscent for me. Love!

There’s also a bathroom set available – I have always loved how Leyla does a whole house worth of furniture for each of her sets! ♥

***OMGAH BE SURE TO READ THIS NEXT PART!***

Feeling regrets that you didn’t pick up nearly as much Belle Belle furniture as you wanted, before it was gone? THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY. Leyla just sent a note out this morning to announce that all the Belle Belle items are now on Marketplace AND that she’s going to have a super deal every day!!! Today’s deal is the entire Raffia Office set for ONLY $L250!!! Crazy!

Get that set on Marketplace, right here!

Check out Firefly [SLurl], and welcome back, Leyla! ♥

Welcome to the second weekend of the February SUYS event! This month’s theme is ‘Bad Romance’!

Our designers for this week’s SUYS are:

Ambiance Designs [SLurl]
La’Licious Designs [SLurl]
MudHoney [SLurl]
Organica [SLurl]
Second Spaces [SLurl]
Trompe Loeil [SLurl]

Remember – everything released for SUYS is just $150L or less, but only for this weekend!

You can see pics of all the SUYS items over on our Flickr page and be sure to join the in-world Spruce Up Your Space group to get the SUYS notices, LMs, etc!

It officially starts at 9AM SLT this morning, February 25 – enjoy!

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Second Spaces brings you the Curl Up With a Bad Romance Reading Nook!

The perfect spot for cuddling up with that trashy novel…you know the one. The set comes complete with everything you see here, as well as a book for you to wear and read! Trashiness guaranteed!!

Grab some Bad Romance at Second Spaces! [SLurl]