Tracing the Threads of History and Fantasy

Exploring Christmas Through the Decades

December 04, 2024

I’ve continued my exploration of the SL Christmas Expo sims and found this cute spot that is set up with a mistletoe and a couple’s kissing animation. Alas, I was all alone so I settled for striking a couple of poses under the arch to show off the short, one-shouldered dress from Meander (which also comes with a stylish hat) and the Christmas-edition of the Berwyn shoes by Lindy. A very nice combination, even if the snow-covered sims made me wish for a warm cloak to throw over the sassy little dress!

You have four more days, until the 8th of December, to visit the SL Christmas Expo and help raise money for Childhood Cancer. There’s an extensive list of events on the website as well as a shopping directory, with direct slurls for all of the participating merchants.

The 14th Annual SL Christmas Expo

December 01, 2024

The 14th Annual SL Christmas Expo invites you to visit and take a journey through Christmas Through the Decades. Across the lavishly decorated winter sims you can shop from the many participating merchants and take part in various events, all for the good cause of fighting childhood cancer. The event is open from November 29th to December 8th.

I found a lovely ice skating pond on sim inspired by Christmas in the 1900s, which seemed like a beautiful place to show off the Heather dress in pink from Viki and the charming little Lunar Glider from Unique Obsession, a touch of magical sparkle that hovers above either hand (and animates the hand into the pose you see).

Lord of the Dunes

September 17, 2024

As I mentioned in my previous post about the Dog & Pony Show, Teegle has two new Teeglepet horses out for the occasion. I’ve shown you the gorgeously gleaming Akhal Teke and now the time has come for the Marwari horse from India, perhaps best known for the unusual shape of its ears, which curl inwards at the tips.  While its exact origins are uncertain, it may have Turkmene horses in its ancestry, which would make it distantly related to the Akhal Teke. The Teegle team have captured the distinct look of the Marwari beautifully and as an additional release on the 15th of September they also put out the Dune Lord tack set, based on the traditional trappings for a Marwari horse. Like the two new horse releases themselves, this set also uses PBR textures (though there is an extra HUD with fallback textures for non-PBR viewers included as well). The set offers a lot of texture customisation and you are able to pick and choose which parts to use, so it can serve as a somewhat less ornate look as well.

To take these photos, I headed over to Zaara’s store for appropriate Indian surroundings. I also picked out one of her lovely outfits to wear, matching the colours to those of the tack set. I think we look rather eyecatching together, me and my new Marwari friend.

Phases of the Moon

September 09, 2024

A priestess of the moon awaits you in her temple, the sacred pool behind her reflecting the sky above the atrium. What mysteries can she reveal to you?

Welcome to the September round of We Love Role-Play, where you will find—among many other fantastical releases—the Cyclus crown from Bliensen+MaiTai and the Corabella gown by Luas. A discount of between 15% and 30% is offered on all new releases, so there are great deals to be had as well.

The crown is unrigged mesh that can be resized and repositioned if needed. It is adorned with two full moons and three crescent moons and mixes various metals that have a slightly worn and tarnished look, which adds to the realism of the piece.

The gown comes fitted for several different bodies, including Lara X. It includes a HUD for texture changes, allowing for a two-toned dress and a separate corset/belt colour, as well as a choice of gold or silver for the jewellery on the belt. It is a bit on the long side, which usually isn’t an issue with mesh gowns, but here I found it seemed to expect a pair of high heels.