Tag: shopping

Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary Event an Astralia & Sanrio Collaboration

Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary Event an Astralia & Sanrio Collaboration

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Finally, something to report to all my Hello Kitty and Sanrio fans out there! To be fair, this isn’t about the Sanrio Town or the Hello Kitty Online game. Second Life often has various events going around made by creators and brought in from people just like you and I. A new event that just recently started up is Astralia’s Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary event and Celebration. It’s posted throughout the Second Life Linden Labs blog and to be honest I’m a little late hopping on this event bandwagon. Reality has stolen me from my creativity, and I’ve been hustling like most of us nowadays in the workforce. I had no idea that Astralia was a licensed partner with Sanrio no wonder I loved their products. For those who don’t know a lot of my inventory is filled with items from Astralia, I feel I’ve put a lot of real-life money into Second Life just for their creations and now it finally makes sense. Being a huge Hello Kitty and Sanrio fan since I was a little kid, I had to take part in this glorious celebration, and I’ve decided to take all my readers with me on this fabulous adventure!

*Note: Ahead of time I apologize if there are more photos taken and placed in this post than some of my others. This is a huge interest of mine and I’m just super excited to share my adventures at the event with you. Also, if you’re a premium member now is the time to use your perk in being able to enter sims, events, and shopping centers before those who don’t have the premium membership. For those who didn’t know this is one of the best perks of premium so you’re not standing outside of a sim for hours waiting to get in. Use this to your advantage for future places and events you want to get into. *

To Begin… Words of Encouragement:

I encourage all of those who love to explore in Second Life to visit some of these events that pop up always of the year. You don’t even have to like exploring just to check out some new places and redirect from the usual of your virtual life. I’ve learned the hard way the past few days but trying new things helps you to grow emotionally, physically, and mentally no matter what age you are.

Upon Entering:

You’re welcomed by a welcome bot created for the event. Those who don’t know these welcome bots aren’t real people behind the avatar. They’re set to send you a greeting either privately through IM or local. At this point it will also ask you if you want to join the Astralia group which is $149l this is for their VIP group honestly, it depends on who you are but I only pay for groups if I’m consistently at the store all of the time and want to support the creator. So, for me, the group was worth it. It’s up to you whether it’s worth it to you.

To you’re right you will see a map of the entire two sims and to the left, you will see a board that talks about the racing area where you add on a HUD and how to use it. Right behind you when you first pop in is the racetrack and right in front of you is where you want to go for everything else. Being me and wanting to see everything and not just the race track I just kept going straight. There was a good amount of people to make it a joyful experience. Not too many to the point where I’m lagging out of control but just enough to the point where I could meet new people, chat and enjoy everything in the sim without feeling like I was alone. If you keep going straight upon entering there is the Astralia store and then a right and left path, it’s up to you which way you want to go upon entering the sim. There was so much to explore that it took me about two hours to fully enjoy, try, and explore everything in the event. 

Souvenir Photos:

When you first enter from the welcome area and your past the bot to your right there is a photo area where you can snap yourself a souvenir photo. I did this because let’s be honest, events come and go, and I wanted to remember this one. This event hits home for me mainly because I’ve been a huge Sanrio and Hello Kitty fan since I was a kid and I’m still a huge fan. I never did grow out of it and I embrace it! But this was a lot of fun to do I’m glad they had a small area for this.

Shopping:

If you keep going straight after you first enter it leads you to the Astralia items for the event. You can buy pretty much everything that’s on the sim created by the Astralia. There is so much I’ll be honest; I’ll probably end up buying everything there’s so much that I want from the store all these items are created and licensed by both Astralia and Sanrio. These are going to be exclusive after the event so if there is something you want; I’d buy it before the event ends. Keep in mind a lot of the things will be a little pricey because it is Sanrio related items and they’re all part of an event, but this is something you should expect. It’s like going to Disney and expecting a water bottle to be $1 which we all know is never happening in a million years. I’d suggest checking out the store though it’s worth looking at.

Games and Interactive Things to do:

Where do I begin? There’s so much here to experience and do. From checking out a party area to the racecourse, outdoor bouncy maze, kids’ playground, Ferris wheel, boats to ride throughout the sim, and a small sitting dock. I loved the party area it did seem a little overwhelming at first, but I don’t expect anything less when it comes to Sanrio and Hello Kitty related anything. There is a large birthday cake which I grabbed a photo of and at the beginning of the event they held parties and DJ’d in that area. There is a VIP lounger for Astralia VIP members who bought the $149l group tag. There’s also, a Ferris wheel that works that your avatar can ride on and see one of the sims from up above which is always a fun time. You do lag a little when riding the Ferris wheel just a heads up on that I think it’s because of how much scripting went into the Ferris wheel itself to make it move… the racecourse almost takes up a whole other sim which is amazing and everything is Sanrio related it was so much fun to take a trip through my childhood in a race car. What I must say I enjoyed the most were the small little tube boats that you could take through both sims. The event is made up of two sims if I didn’t specify before and you’re able to explore everything from the comfort of your boat! It was a lot of fun and super exciting. If you’re also someone who enjoys playing Second Life as a child avatar (I do it sometimes for family RP’s) there is a small child’s area called the “child playground” here there is a bounce house, trampoline, and other interactive items you’re little avatar can interact with. Another thing I wanted to bring up was the gigantic board game looking area where I ended up sitting and taking a couple of photos and just relaxing out while I looked around. It was so relaxing, cartoony, and just environmentally pleasing. I loved it more than I probably should have! This is a Sanrio/Hello Kitty Heaven if you’re a huge fan you won’t know what to say and will probably spend a whole lot of time here.

To conclude, I am super speechless there was so much to explore, it kept my ADHD brain satisfied for hours. Which a lot of things don’t keep me entertained for long periods. I realized a lot of players in the area were new and a lot of them created avatars and entered Second Life specifically for the event. This event is bringing in new members into the virtual world community and entertaining our veteran players who have been around since Second Life has been around. Between the games, mazes, and interactive things to do on the sim there is a little something for everyone. Don’t forget about that souvenir photo I don’t want you to regret not taking one while you were there! I hope some of you will go and visit this event whether you’re bored and need something to do or just love Hello Kitty and Sanrio this is the perfect celebratory event for you.

SL Exploration: Ville de Coeur (Small French Village)

SL Exploration: Ville de Coeur (Small French Village)

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today we’re taking a mini-adventure to a small European village called “Ville de Coeur” this is a primarily English-speaking sim that has French architecture and culture. If you’re looking for a place that is both nice for photography and gives you a small taste of France, then you have come to the right place. This little village can be found in the “Destinations” tab of your viewer under “International” which means this area gets a lot of traffic. This is a place I’d consider checking out as it also mainly meshes and keeps up to standards with Second Life’s graphics advancements otherwise known as going fully mesh. While exploring this little village you’ll find that the demographics of users that you’ll find here are normally 35 and older. However, now and then I’ve run into someone who is around their late 20s early 30s. If you find someone younger here, for the most part, their either exploring, looking for a place to do photography, or just have an old soul. To be fair, this sim appeals to anyone and everyone even though it attracts older and mature individuals so don’t let this frighten you away from the overall concept and amazing community this little town has to offer. There is so much to do, always someone to talk to, and from what I’ve experienced thus far no drama (I normally try to find places with little to no drama, because who wants their Second Life experience ruined by other peoples issues?).

Ville de Coeur as told by one of the users who own a gallery within walking distance from the entrance of the sim is 7 connected full sims. I’m mainly focusing on the main area as this was mostly what I explored but will be sure to explore the rest later and compile a detailed post on it. This area is very pleasing to the eye, relaxing, romantic, and overall a lighthearted atmosphere. There are always people here and from what I’ve experienced everyone is extremely friendly in the area. There isn’t one person that I’ve questioned as far as their motives, everyone just wants to talk, relax, and enjoy the scenery. There are a lot of dance balls, poses, and snuggle areas as well as a small café by the docks. There are residential areas where those who want to be on the sim can live and enjoy more of the community. I wouldn’t say this is much of a come and go destination… if you come here you come and stay and explore everything. The French theme is seen everywhere with mimes lining the streets, churches, the French flags above the market corridor and cobblestone streets. In a sense, if you’re into old architecture it reminds me of an older France then today’s rendition of the country.

Meeting new people:

As I’ve stated, this sim is filled with so many friendly people my first visit into this area a gentleman was sitting by the dock with some coffee and a bottle of wine in a small little café created area. He welcomed me in and then asked me if I wanted to join him for a little bit if I’m honest I had to leave not long after he invited me over to chat and hang out with him. I felt bad because he was so nice about it and talked to me about the community. He explained, that he owned a small gallery in the area which is where I asked if it was real life photos displayed in Second Life or more along the lines of Second Life photography and photo editing. His gallery is Second Life photography there is nothing wrong with that as I take photos of all my adventures and then of course post it onto this blog. I will be joining him on a small walking tour of some point in the small village and community.

I’ve come here at all hours of the night so I could type up a genuine and true portrayal of this sim it required me to pop in quite a few times to be able to do so. In the end, if you’re looking for a drama-free place to meet new people and make new friends this is probably the perfect place to be. There is so much to do from walking around with a walking tour either with someone or alone to hanging out on the beach and partying in the small gazebo with a bar, seating, and dancing, there is so much to do. Also, if you love randomly dancing consistently throughout a city like you would find in a Broadway show when in a small city or village than you will appreciate all the dance orb rezzers throughout the entire sim. This is a perfect place for romance as well as it’s a very enjoyable place to be with that special someone. There are a lot of couple’s activities and dancing is for more than one person as well as some of the specific walkers. What I love the most about the people here is they don’t have a hidden agenda. You might get someone saying you’re pretty or attractive, but they aren’t going to try and de-robe you in bed within the next hour of talking to someone. Everyone here has values and isn’t the type to cause drama from what I’ve experienced the 8 times I’ve visited this area. The people who are here are here to be a part of a community and have fun by surfing the waves, dancing, virtual drinking, etc. Sex is not the primary thing on most of the peoples’ minds here so it’s a nice escape from the rest of Second Life.

Scenery:

When exploring if you can’t tell this sim is made from a French theme then you might want to re-evaluate what you can and cannot see. The theme of this village Is to connect it with an older version of France. Which of course is one of the most romantic countries in the world. The area is lined by the French flag in banners throughout the main sim of this area to a small gathering area with a water fountain. Which by the way is a super nice touch with the cobblestone streets, if I’m honest the area reminded me of how Charles Dickens in his literature describes his surroundings in 1800s England. It’s very beautiful and I feel literature enthusiasts and historians will appreciate this area! There are shops everywhere but ahead of time, I’ll explain that a lot of the shops here are mainly older Second Life outfits that aren’t mesh. But to be fair I still have some outfits like those in my inventory some things just never get old even when everything moves forward. It’s nice to support small businesses though so don’t let that throw you off from looking around. There aren’t any roads throughout this sim it’s all paths and walking areas so don’t be ready to bring out your Lamborghini’s and other cars you bought on the Second Life marketplace.

Aside from the actual city feel itself there is a nicely made beach right across the way with steps leading down to it. Over by the café I mentioned when you first land inside of the small village there is a boat dock. If you love to sail this is an awesome place to do it, I rezzed my boat and explored the scenery especially the outskirts of the sim it’s surrounded by beautiful trees and mountains. A perfect place for photography! The beach is right next to the docks.

There is so much to do there are sitting areas, you can swim, surf, sail, drink, dance, you name it you can do it on the beach except be fully nude. This isn’t a nude beach if you want to be nude on a beach there are sims specifically for that sorry my beautiful nudists out there. Right next to it which I explained in the “meeting people” section of this post is the small little shack where you can drink, sit, and dance in an outside bar-like setting. Right next to it is a small swimming area it’s a pool with a beautiful gazebo where I took a photo of my avatar. It was such a pretty section I just had too! There aren’t couple swimming animations but it’s there if you want to take a dip in the pool instead of the beach.

Everything about this sim matches the theme perfectly. There’s also a residential area if you’re looking to live in this small community to find out more about this please visit the Ville de Coeur website at https://villedecoeur.online/ where you can find more information about the community, events, and residential areas.

To conclude, I enjoyed my time here in Ville de Coeur and plan to visit more in the future. The scenery is gorgeous, and you can do pretty much anything in a beautiful setting. There’s so much to do and it’s just overall a super appealing area with so many kind people in the area to chat with and enjoy your time with. With so much to do, I would come to explore the beauty of this sim and how well made it is. If you have any more questions or want to know more about the sim please visit their website at https://villedecoeur.online/ until next time…

Chao!

SL Exploration: The Butterfly Effect Club EST 2008

SL Exploration: The Butterfly Effect Club EST 2008

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 1 Comment

Let’s be honest there are so many clubs in Second Life that it’s hard to find ones that stand out from one another. However, I stumbled across this little gem while on my explorations throughout Second Life it might not seem like much at first sight but there is more than meets the eye. Between the kind and drama free people who come in and the themed atmosphere that fits the name perfectly there is so much about this club to talk about.

The Butterfly Effect Club was established in 2008 by LadyD Beauregard-Barbosa. I’ve had the pleasure to meet her and experience all the life this club fills everyone that comes in with. With so many Second Life clubs popping up and shutting down throughout the platform this one has been around since 2008. It’s popular and gets traffic! The music played here depends on the DJ at the specific time but tonight I came in during a Halloween costume contest event. The music tonight was a lot of your Halloween classics such as monster mash and many others. However, there are always events being held and contests each time the club is up and going. The club currently is decorated for Halloween seeing that it’s only eight days away and to be fair it the decoration is nice and sticks to the ghoulish theme. 

This club also has a shopping mall attached to it so if you’re looking for some new clothes you can find them here and then go dancing afterward. Most clubs have been doing this recently but keep in mind clubs who do have a small shopping section or are connected to a mall are small shop owners trying to get their products out to everyone out in the world of Second Life. Anyone can be a small business owner, but this is how beginners of creating outfits, furniture, etc. start. They start by renting out a small section in a mall or club that hosts these creators. So, if you’re feeling like supporting these small businesses feel free to drop by their shopping section right when you land before entering the club. As I explored it there were some dresses right behind the club to look at. In the club the photo to the left shows in the background the small little shopping area the club has. It’s where it says, Gaall in tiny letters sorry that it’s so small!

For those of you who are big on Angels & Demons, Bloodlines, Rage, etc. this club is on a clan land but it’s an open space for everyone. Everyone is welcome it doesn’t matter who you are, what your avatar looks like, etc. everyone is accepted in and can join into the fun and consistent conversation that can be found. The club is active, not only that but the clans here on the land are all active as well if you’re looking for a place to join and are a part of any of these in world systems. I’m also 99% sure that it’s a safe spot for Angels & Demons so you don’t have to worry about getting attacked while enjoying your time and just relaxing. Even though contests are going on and a lot of people come to the club just for the contests and then leave their keyboard you don’t find that here. It’s overall, just a different type of environment that you can’t always find on Second Life and if you’re a part of any of the systems above than most of the users in the club already have something in common with you.

I can’t stress enough that this club is 100% drama free! I’ve never seen an argument, misunderstanding, or disagreement since I’ve dropped by. To be fair, that’s hard to find nowadays because let’s be honest there is club drama everywhere you turn for the most part. It’s nice to have such high energy, calm, and enjoyable place to just be yourself. There is little to no judgment and it’s just a nice atmosphere to be a part of. I’m being very unbiased with this post as this is my experience when coming here. Normally when I visit clubs you realize why they don’t last it just doesn’t have a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere. Whether there is a conflict between staff or toxic people entering it’s hard. Here I haven’t experienced that and if you’re looking for something new to experience with a pleasurable clubbing experience than this is a place to look at. For example, tonight we talked about breedables for a bit I’ll be honest, I haven’t been looking at the chat a lot because I’ve been typing up this post, but everyone gets along. Also the picture on the left shows the contest board which is behind me and LadyD with the host and DJ tip jars and a vote stand. Everyone can vote once a day and these vote stands are important to clubs so if you go check it out don’t forget to click it.

Overall, something to keep in mind is sometimes these clubs who have been here for long periods are worth looking at and exploring more than the newer ones. Looks can be deceiving even though the clubs out there now use mainly mesh or are decorated in gorgeous ways the staff could be the complete opposite. This club has the best of both worlds it has mesh objects, décor, great staff, amazing users coming into just dance and relax. These are how Second Life clubs should be!