Shopping Fun

Between hunting, finding deals and a little shopping, I've been locating some really nice items in the last couple of days.  For the hunting, Shiki's Treasure Snowflake hunt had some really amazing and cute items that had me just giggling with happiness.  The Snowflake hunt is a sim hunt which I have to admit, you have to be patient with this one, there is ALOT of empty snowflakes to deter anyone wishing to use the Area Search on their viewer but, it's well worth going through and finding the gifts.  The snowflakes are not hard to find either, so it's a fairly easy hunt in my opinion, just be prepared to do alot of walking.  Here is one of the items I found on the hunt that I'm totally in love with:

Shiki's Glamour Dress (hunt gift)

shoes:  N-Core XtremeHeel (group gift, free to join)
dress:  Shiki Glamour dress (treasure hunt gift, free)

As for the skin I'm using, it's from Chain and Vine and was a special offer for group members to stress test Lyric Demina's new vendor system.  You get 4 different hued skins, from Nordic pale to Sub-Saharan dark and 2 that are in the Mediterranean tones.

Lian Skin tone with 4 tones

 I'm not sure on how long the deal will be going for but, for non-members the 4 skins are 300L.  For the group members, it's 75% off the price and it's free to join the group which is just an amazing deal!  This is presently a sneak peek of what will be showing up over at the store, in March when the full line will be released.  The full line consists of 7 skin tones, each skin tone can be purchased for 400L for each box and each skin package contains:
1 dark eyebrow skin A
1 dark eyebrow skin B
1 light eyebrow skin A
1 light eyebrow skin B
1 eyebrow shaper
1 prim eyelashes
1 face tattoo (freckles for skins 1 - 6, and special eyeliner for tone 7)

While browsing around for poses, I found a really nice little gift from BehaviorBody, a cute little chair with 10 different poses in it for free, no group was required. 

3 of the 10 poses shown here

To create the look that I have here:
Skin:  Chain and Vine (group sneak peek package) Lian Tone 3
Dress:  Razzanova (group gift 10L fee to join) White Cocktail dress
makeup:  (Ag) @Kozmetika 4 for 30L Valentine offer
Earrings: NC Paris (group gift 0L to join) Fantasy earrings
Shoes:  N-Core (group gift 0L to join) XtremeHeels
Hair:  Elikatira (Away essential package 250L) Red tone 7
Chair:  BehaviorBody (free gift) Chair w/10 poses

Relationships In-World

I ran into writers block, where the mind freezes and the words absolutely freeze in your brain.  Nothing comes out, no matter how hard you work on it and the more you try, the worse it gets.  My best friend in Second Life asked me how my blog was going and I told her what was going on.  She brought up the subject of relationships, which lead the two of us into a lengthy and thought provoking conversation.

How real is an SL relationship?  For her and I, we view each other as not only friends but, best friends.  We discuss things together that tend to be more soul searching than you would sometimes do in RL.  Do I know her?  Without hesitation, I can say I do though we have never met in person and she knows me probably better than most.

How does this happen you may wonder?  In SL, everyone is on the same level basically in looks..we are all gorgeous and young..or most though I have meet a troll once that was cute as the dickens.  You get the idea though.  In SL, it's the exclusive meeting of minds that occurs.  Stripped away is the nuances of body language, appearance and is solely the arena where the mind and personality reigns.

To have a friendship like Claire and I have, it does take time though we did click from the first, we have evolved from those days and our friendship has blossomed through good times and bad.  We have shared adventures in discovery in SL, gone through rocky relationships, dealt with crisis in RL together and laughed till we were crying with our own antics. At one point, we were even partnered together and to this day, I still say that she was my very best partner. 

Speaking of partners, there is another relationship aspect that some wonder on how real it can be.  I've seen it where it became real.  Beach and Fairy come to mind right away when I think of love stories in SL that worked.  They did meet in SL and they feel in love there.  In time they did meet in RL and they are very happily married with a darling little child now.  Is there love for each other real?  Oh yes, it sure is and they are one of the sweetest couples I was ever blessed in meeting.

Not all relationships do work like Beach and Fairy's did but there is a few out there that do.  The key to it though is that both sides have to be upfront, honest and not bother with any of silly duplicities.  It also takes time, because you do have to learn about each other, really get to know that other person to know if it's real. 

Both friendships and romances in SL are possible but, the people involved must being willing to put the time, effort and honesty into it.  If you can do that, then you can create some of the most amazing and lasting relationships with some of the most interesting people.  People that without SL, you may never have had the chance to meet so when you do get the opportunity to have one of these friends..go for it, for you will be all the more blessed in having that person in your life.  I know I am.  Claire remember...I still love you more than my MP3 player!  lol

Hunting tips and Etiquette

I've actually lost count on how many hunts I've participated in, though from the looks of my inventory, I would feel safe in saying that I have done over 30.  Yeah, I'm a huntaholic and I love it!  It's a fabulous way to pass the time, a terrific manner in which to discover new stores/sims and to meet people who are not only helpful but super friendly.  Then there are the gifts, which I love to find and open later, making it feel like Xmas over and over again to me. (Yeah, I'm a kid at heart!)
While hunting through the grid or doing sim hunts, I have learned a few tips and helpful hints that have helped me keep hunting fun and enjoyable this whole time.

1. Find a hunt that you will enjoy first.  I love being in Huntaholics and More, since each month they give out a list of upcoming hunts. (Great big thank you to Gavyn, Bestat and everyone else from HAM's, for all the work they do on that list).  
2. Before heading out for the first store, dump the high prim hair, shoes with the scripts, the high detail clothes and find a pair of jeans and tshirt to wear.  It really does help cut down on the lag and it will make it much easier to move around without lugging the extra prims on your av.
3. If there is a group for the hunt, join it.  If there is missing or broken LM's or hunt item, they will announce that in group notices and if you need a little help, it's the perfect place to ask in.
4. Upon landing, move off the landing point area and then let the store rezz.  Be patient because what may not have rezzed, could be the hunt item itself.  I've seen it happen, where I went off in search of the item, only to find it about 20 minutes later right next to the landing spot.
5. While hunting, keep the hunt group chat open.  If you run into a store where you are stumped, check to see if anyone may have been stumped there also.  If not, when you pose your question, mention the number of the store, the name and see if there may be another hint for that particular store.  Do NOT ask for the actual location, you won't get it.  After asking be patient, someone will eventually help.
6. One thing I like to do is a little walk around, some creators will put the hunt item in a super obvious spot, which you can overlook if you focus too much on just very hidden spots.  On one hunt, a few of us spent over 30 minutes looking for the hunt object, only to realize that the bell we were looking for, had been really enlarged and was the "dome" we had landed under.  (She had even put pillars around it, it was just brilliant!  lol)
7. Don't forget that you are on a hunt, so you will have to look under things, into nooks, crannies and corners.  Be patient with yourself and don't rush it, it's suppose to be fun after all.
8. If you are hunting with a group of friends, do not yell in open chat when you find it.  Go into group IM, which can make the hunting even more fun.
9. When you finish the hunt, don't forget to thank the group for help and the creators for their time and gifts.  They do appreciate it alot, when they get some nice feedback.
10. If you find a gift that is not to your liking, just quietly delete it.  Do not go into group chat and complain.  It's just bad form and what you may not like, someone else may.
11. After unpacking everything, remember to organize it in your inventory neatly.  If you do enough hunts, you will find that being organized is very important.

Remember, hunts are suppose to be a fun and great way of passing the time in SL.  Respect for yourself and other hunters around you, go a long way in insuring that everyone has a terrific time.  Lastly, if you find you have to open a gift to get the next lm, remember to pick it up before you leave, it's just courtesy to clean up after yourself.
If you are new to hunting, a fabulous list to get is the one that Huntaholics and More sends out each month.  In that notecard, you will find all the information for each hun, the starting points and when the hunt begins and ends.  The group is free to join and filled with alot of very helpful people.  Happy hunting and enjoy!