Come over here and get a little sugar...

Well, I am going to be in a kissing booth to raise money for RFL this Sunday, June 1 at 11 AM - Noon SLT. They were supposed to get SLebrities to kiss, they ended up with me...but I am sure that if you come down you will get to kiss and meet some actual SLebrities. I chose a European friendly time for my shift: 11 am - Noon SLT. Hamlet Au has the shift after me, Ladies.

Jerremy did not give me any rules to follow, but did ask me to wear my "Future Mrs. J. Darwin" tag during the event, if possible. I will dress conservatively, probably wearing a t-shirt I made with my blog title on it so people have some idea of why in the hey I am there.

I will be wearing Bonne Belle Cotton Candy lip gloss. And if that entices you to kiss me for charity, then I'll see you at the Kissing Booth (http://slurl.com/secondlife/HalfwayThere%203/65/232/27

Don't Miss It!

Don't miss our next big event!!! Make time to come to my agency's - Dream Inc. - fashion show this Saturday at 4 PM SLT. Yes - that is tomorrow! We will be showing GORGEOUS outfits from some wonderfully creative designers. I get to show two hawt outfits - one from Fashionity Fantasy and one form Designing Nicky Ree. Please come to the show and experience some amazing new clothing for men and women! See you there! (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Neptune/75/205/626/)

The Hamsters Are Running on Their Wheel!

What thoughts have been running through my pixel head lately?

• I have discovered that there are few things in life more entertaining than dressing your avatar up in a costume. I do so at the drop of a hat. Luckily I found a SLignificant other who feels the same way. Why do I think it is so damned adorable when Jerremy wears a little construction outfit when he works on the house? He has been working on the water feature/pool in our backyard now, too, so I have come in world several times to find him in scuba gear. OMG I love that man.
• Speaking of Jerremy's wardrobe, he owns seven tuxedos. Seven. We were checking to see if he had one for our (now) July wedding. Seven tuxedos...and one bear suit. (*That* is why I love that man.)
• Why does the IT department at work now let me see my blog, but block the Powerball site?? (Come on, people! I want to know if I have to come back after lunch or not!!)
• How do you have a husband and/or BF in SL and not have cyber? I don't get it.
  
• When is LL gonna fix that bug that makes it impossible to hover properly anymore? (mentioned first by Wrath Paine)
• I had to move my wedding date because of RL. Darn RL anyway. So now I won't be Mrs. Jerremy Darwin until late July. That is two more months of living in SLin. :-(
• What happened to the blogger party this month? :-(
• OMG I love changing my makeup in SL. Same skin - different makeup. That is so, so fun. I had briefly played with the idea of asking the designer to make me a special wedding makeup, but that would be awfully highfalutin of me.
  
• I am a good interior designer in SL, but a terrible interior design shopper. I take snap shots, I commit colors and items needed to memory, I draw out diagrams -- and still I end up having to buy three times as much furniture as I actually need because I can't picture if it will look good where I want to put it. OMG.
• I love the new Dresden Dolls song Coin Operated Boy. I got introduced to it by the amazing SL DJ, Infinite Graves. (But I think we'd all be better off with a coin operated man, if you know what I mean.)
• I have made it past the addiction stage of SL!! OMG I wasn't sure if it was possible. It is a relief and a bit of a joy to be able to choose to be in-world and not need to be in-world. I was worried for a while there, I have to be honest.
  

Anyhoo, Happy Saturday everyone! :-)

ETA: I did get the guts to ask the designer to make me a custom skin/makeup for my wedding - but was just informed that it is not something they do at the moment. So, I tried to be highfalutin, but was shot down. Awwwwwww!

Go to Prom for RFL

Remember Prom? Remember how excited you were to find a date and a dress/tux and how you imagined being crowned Prom Queen/King???? Well, you can relive it in SL -- and even buy your way to being the Prom King or Queen this time! And it is all for a good cause!! This time you will be helping to raise money for Relay For Life.

Yes, this is a fabulous excuse to buy a fancy, schmancy new dress and/or tuxedo. Jerremy and I are thinking about really Prom'ing it up - powder blue tux, giant boutonnieres, huge prom hair, fluffy dress, etc.

And just like your real prom - there will be pictures. But this time instead of you dad taking them, they will be taken by the pros at Dream Studios!! I included the official press release below so you get the full scoop and can get your date and tickets early...and often.




Dates and times: Saturday, June 14th from 3pm to 7pm SLT
&
Sunday, June 15th from 5pm to 9pm SLT.

Location: Skin City (99, 105, 586)

Per the organizers: "There will be live music, fabulous DJ'ing, dancing, and more encompassing four islands. Scheduled to perform on Saturday night are Maximillion Kleene and srv4u Conacher. Scheduled for Sunday night are Jano Runo and Dann Numbers. Mixing it all together both nights will be Gwen Carillon. The music will be broadcast across the four regions.

"Each night there will also be a very special, one-of-a-kind auction for the Prom King & Queen crowns and the Prom Crashers Party King & Queen crowns! The crowns will go to the highest bidder, and all bids will be paid directly to Relay for Life.

"It wouldn't be a Prom without the pictures! Photos will be taken for a small donation, and yearbooks will be made available after the Prom.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tigerlily Koi, Haedon Quine, or any other member of the Designers in Seclusion Relay for Life Team!"

Add It Up

OMG I just realized that I am about to enter a mixed marriage.

It is not easy to admit this, but I am a very prim stingy gal. I click on everything - including YOU when you aren't looking - to see how many precious prims are being used. I am not sure why I am this way. It is as though my avatar spent her childhood in Great Depression era SL or something.

But then I fell in love. Not just any love. True love. And True Love doesn't care who you are or what is going on when it decides to enter your life. True love did not care about my need for a healthy prim cushion. So, of course, I fell in love with a complete prim whore. (And I mean that in the nicest way possible.)

I think my prim pinching started when I got my first rental condo. I had 100 precious prims to use to furnish and decorate it. I faced eviction if I went over. Always the super geek, I put together a little spreadsheet that tracked every piece of furniture, decoration and rugs with obsession. I made sure I had a cushion in case I needed to open a box, too. I think I did quite well with my teeny-tiny wafer thin prim allowance - making a stylish home that included everything I needed - even a sex bed, fireplace, chandelier and a vase with flowers. But before I had guests over, I would have to recalculate and switch things out so they would have a place to sit.

This tendency stuck with me. I still kind of like the challenge of making things look nice with limited prims. I know how much style mileage you can get from low prim things like rugs and art. And if I see something made with a lot of prims, they had better be used wisely to give the piece a lot of style or I won't buy it.

When I finally moved up in the world, I got a parcel with 1400+ prims. OMG. I was so excited about it that sometimes I would just spill all of my prims on the floor and roll around in them naked. What joy.

Is that crazy? My neighbors thought I was. I mean, I like open space as much as the next guy , but the real reason I didn't do much landscaping was that trees and plants can be total prim hogs.

Then, my darling Jerremy came into my life and we made a home together. :-) But while I was happy with a pair of rather appalling looking 1 prim rubber ducks floating in my pond, my True Love had no qualms about replacing them with two 176 prim swans. He doesn't even think about prims. He just uses them. He actually buys furniture without checking prim counts first!!!!!

Now while I admire his prim bravado, I find that I follow him around clicking on everything he places around our home and announcing how many prims it is made of: "That tree is 64 prims. That leaves 2435 prims....K-Mart sucks."

While I think a less patient man would be making plans to hide my body under a 100 prim tree in our back yard, my True Love just smiles, shrugs and buys more land in our sim.

The Man Behind the Goatee: Garrett Larkham

Photo of Garrett Larkham by Dream Studios

Today, I bring you Part 2 in the Man Behind the Goatee interview series with a self-described DJ, Dog-walker, Fashion plate, and Canadian named Garrett Larkham. Garrett is a fellow blogger who authors The Chase blog about his adventures in SL and the music scene.

Recently, I had been disappointed because he had grown a full beard for the winter and that took him out of the running for the goatee interview. But then this week we had this exchange:

Garrett Larkham: Hey Tym...guess what I just did!

Me:WHAT? [thinks….] .....SHAVED!

As I glanced at the photo he sent me, I proclaimed, “My interview series is saved! And now your cheeks are free for the warm season, too!"

GL: Yep...just like in RL! I get windblown on the water so I can't have a full beard, but in winter I get lazy and let the beard go.

So, I quickly TP’d him in for our interview. We sat around a campfire on my beach, surrounded by some surprisingly loud waves (I really have to figure out the volume control on those.) If the interview hadn’t been in text, we would have had to shout at one another.

Me: So, are you still a DJ and dog walker?

GL: Yes I am., I'm down to one DJ shift a week for the moment, as I'm just taking a break. I still walk the dog, though everyday in RL. He doesn't need much exercise; he's just a little guy - a 27 lb Lhasa Yapso

Me: Very cute....love a dog man. And you are now dj'ing at the Winchester....how do you like it so far?

GL: I love The Win! It's the place for folks who want to hear music that "hasn't been played to death", to quote from my own blog - which is dire need of updating

Me: I like that you keep the same beard in RL and SL....do you look a lot like your av in RL? Was that important to you?

GL: As a matter of fact, I do look a bit like my RL self, but younger, slimmer, and less grey. I guess I wanted to portray my looks as closely as possible, even just for it's own sake..lol.

Me: Do you have a significant other in SL right now?

GL: Not really. I am dating a few wonderful ladies, but no one exclusive at the moment, but who knows, the day is still young ;P

Me: LOL...What is your favorite kind of outfit to see a SLignificant other wear (not counting lingerie or being nude)?

GL: Gah!...What do I say now?...I like women to look comfortable and casual, although a Blaze gown certainly looks pleasing.

Me: LOL...that is a perfect answer...it is honest

GL: Am I in trouble?

Me: No, not at all! LOL....so what about hair styles - do you have a preference?

GL: Not really, I may favour Brunettes, Redheads, and Blondes, if I needed to list an order of preference.

Me: So, short hair is ok on a woman?

GL: Oh yes, of course. Sometimes short hair makes a woman look more mature! More in control :)

Me: So do you have a favorite or best way to meet women in SL?

GL: I always suggest a live music venue. A lot of the time people go there alone, and so there's an opportunity to meet each other, in a common setting.

Me: Now, if you could go back and give your newly born self one piece of information or advice what would it be?

GL: hmmm…I thought of that question. I'd say don't force anything. Just take what happens as it comes. It's surprising what adventures may fall in your lap if you just go out and explore.

Me: What is the funniest/oddest/most embarrassing place you have ever rezzed into/logged on in?

GL: kk…I'm thinking.

Me: OK

GL: Gah….

Me: It is ok - you may be one of those rare ones who always rezzes in fully dressed into churches or something.

GL: Yes, I am actually.

Me: LOL

GL: After less than an hour in SL, I did a search for Lounges, as I was on a Lounge music kick at the time, and knew about music in SL. So I found this sim with a lot of traffic, called Phat Cat's Jazzy Blue Lounge.

Me: Oh yea?

GL: There I was, among some jaw-dropping (for this noob) avatars, wearing sandals jeans and a white T-shirt (Just like M Linden).

Me: ROFL!!

GL: Haha…and I asked the lady at the desk if it was OK to enter dressed like that. Back then it was I guess. And within minutes another lady asked me to dance. I asked, ‘How?’ She walked through everything in the middle of the dance floor. After 20 minutes I discovered the private IM window…and I was kind of embarrassed after I discovered IM

Me: Why?

GL: Me asking all sorts of fundamental questions in open chat! At Phats! Try that today! I'd be escorted out just on the basis on my sandals.

Me: Oh, I hope M Linden learned as quickly as you did!

GL: BRB! …..Sorry Tym...a large serving platter just crashed onto the ceramic kitchen floor, sending glass scattering for miles around :0

Me: Oh no! Get everything cleaned up?

GL: I think so...I'll know what kind of a job I did when someone walks barefoot into the kitchen.

Me: Ouch. Interesting quality control.

GL: Might be loud!

Me: So, what is an item of clothing/accessory/household item you wish you had in SL but don't?

GL: kk..how about an iPod? Mine is surgically attached to me in RL and somehow I don't look complete without it in here. I have a "Classic" in SL, but the nano is the wearable one, methinks.

Me: What is the most prim wasteful thing in your home?

GL: My aquarium. But when I moved last week, the fish started swimming weird and I've since returned the aquarium to my inventory for the time being. I love aquariums, I have medium sized one in RL and I've always wanted a monster tank. But the maintenance!

Me: No maintenance in SL - until they start swimming funny. Now if your favorite movie got made into a sim what would be your favorite area/feature?

GL: My favourite film is A Clockwork Orange…and you know what, I haven't visited the Korova Milk Bar here in SL yet ;0. I also like Pulp Fiction.

Me: Really? Could they make that into a sim for you?

GL: Haha...no way! Too many unsavory characters in Pulp Fiction. I'd hate to encounter The Gimp or Zed in SL.

Me: OK...last question....What has been the most surprising thing about SLife?

GL: I tell ya...I’m surprised at how deeply I've gotten into SL. I thought I’d get in here for a lark, but it's replaced the TV, Movies, spectator sports, and unfortunately, reading as well.

Me: Do you think that is a good, bad or neutral thing?

GL: I think SL is a hint of the future of personal entertainment. I love the interactivity. The way I can just "poof" away whenever I want to! And I have ;P

Me: Thanks for the interview, Garrett!

GL: Poof!

Everything you always wanted to know about Tym, but were afraid to ask

Since this is going around and people have taken to posting the answers on their blogs, I will follow suit. If you care to share your answers, copy everything and paste it into your blog, or my comments or a note card to send to your friends. Change all the answers so they apply to you, and then send this to your friends including the person who sent it to you.
The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends, if you did not know them already. And I would really love to know about YOU!!!!


1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:15 AM, I wake up naturally at this time every morning...I do not even need an alarm.

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds!!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? 40 Year Old Virgin. I do not see movies often.

4. Favorite TV show? Does CNN count?

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Pomegranate/blueberry smoothie.

6. What is your middle name? It will be Thorne once I am married!

7. What food do you dislike? Anything flavored or made with strawberries, raspberries or cherries...blech!! I also hate raisins. This led to a rather embarrassing conversation recently with a new model at Dream Models named Raisin Runo. See, I forgot for a moment that his name was Raisin and thought we were talking about the food. I proceeded to call raisins "the Devil's Snack." I hope the darling Raisin Runo forgives me someday. Sigh.

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? IDK....I haven't bought a whole CD in ages and ages. We'll say whatever NIN tracks I just downloaded. (Thanks, Marlee!!!)

9. Favorite sandwich? Roast beef with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese and mayo.

10. What characteristic do you despise? Just one? No way - I cannot stand sarcasm, arrogance, being mean, or bitchiness. Think it is cute to proclaim what a bitch you are? Think again.

11. Favorite item of clothing? My Redgrave "messy look" jeans.

12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be? Spain, London, Japan....anywhere really. Even somewhere in the States I haven't been to would be nice.

13. What color is your bathroom? White with off white accents in RL. In SL, blue.

14. Do you make friends easily? Very easily, but I do need to need to work on maintaining new friendships better. Luckily my close friends have stuck by me even though I do not give them nearly enough time or attention.

15. Where would you retire to? Somewhere moderate and sunny....Hawaii?

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? I try to forget them at this point

17. Favorite sport to watch? I like to watch football the best with hockey a close second.

18. How many towns have you lived in? Six - three in Colorado, one in Illinois and 2 in New Mexico.

19. How many do you think will send this back? no idea

20. Whats on your bedroom floor right now? My pajamas.

21. Favorite saying? I have no idea...maybe what goes around comes around? I am a big believer in karma. So be nice!!

22. When is your birthday? SL Aug. 20, RL Aug 2

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? I am a morning person - it pains me to stay up past 10 pm.

24. What is your shoe size? 6 1/2

25. Pets? None - I travel for too much for work and I live in a condo with no yard.

26. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? nah ETA: My darling fiancé reminded me that no everyone was aware of our impending nuptials, so my exciting news is that I will soon be Mrs. Jerremy Darwin!!! The luckiest woman in SL!

27. What did you want to be when you were little? A rich man's wife.

28. Which talent would you most like to have? Singing...it would feel so physically good to be able to sing well, I think.

29. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? OMG

30. What is your favorite flower? Orchids.

31. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? May 26 - Memorial Day - I need a vacation. ETA: My darling fiancé reminded me that besides being excited about the vacation day from work, I am also terribly excited about my wedding day - JUNE 7!!!!! OMG! OMG!

32. What color are your eyes? Brown in both worlds.

33 . What was your favorite toy as a child? Crayons.

34. Summer or winter? Summer.

35. Hugs or kisses? Kisses and mad boinking.

36. Chocolate or Vanilla? Both!

37. Do you want your friends to send this back to you? Yes!

38. When was the last time you cried? Last week - I had food poisoning.

39. What is under your bed? Nothing.

40. Who is the friend you have had the longest in SL? Mister Redgrave

41. What did you do last night? Shopped, took pictures for my blog and had sex.

42. Favorite smell? What I imagine Jerremy's (my SL husband to be) skin/neck, hair smells like in RL

43. What are you afraid of? Heights.

44. Plain, sweet, or salted Popcorn? Heavily salted and buttered.

45. How many keys on your key ring? 8

46. How many years at your current job? 7

47. Do you have any scars? My knees (clumsy child) and my bottom (Car accident in college. We were broadsided by a drunk driver. I was very, very lucky.).

48. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

49. How many people will you be sending this to? Anyone who will be reading this!

50. Who's answers are you looking forward the most? Everyone's!

Let's Talk About SLex....

I begged Alicia for a sexy meme....and she came through! So here are my answers. (And by the way - did you hear? You are ALL tagged.)

1. Let's get it out of the way first. Are you a virgin in SL? [If you are, move to question 3.]

Nope. Not even close. I am still wearing white to my wedding though. :-P

2. How long did it take you before you hopped on a poseball with someone? And I don't mean dance balls.

As soon as I had a good skin and hair. I had no idea what else you were supposed to do in SL.

3. Do you own any talking genitalia, such as from Xcite?

Yes. I own a vagina, clitoris and a pair of lovely pierced nipples. The nipples are nice - not too big and very quiet - I sometimes still use them. But the rest of the Xcite! stuff? They were obviously built by someone who had never seen girl parts in real life. They are gathering dust in my inventory. I should add that they were purchased for me by a steady boyfriend.

4. Guys: Do you edit your "package" to be bigger?
Ladies: Do you think size REALLY matters??

In SL and RL, size only matters at the extremes. Anywhere in the middle of the bell curve and technique, enthusiasm, creativity and patience matter infinitely more.

5. Do you rely on your talking body parts during your encounters?

Nope. OMG - if you can't think of something sexier to say on your own then you are in trouble.

6. Forget the booty, let's talk romance. Where's a romantic place in SL to take someone to?

Stargazer is a nice place. Some of the Rezzable sims can be quite arousing. But my favorite place to take my love is the tent in our yard or on the couple's hammock on our beach.

7. When you go shopping for clothes, do you deliberately buy things that you think your gf/bf/partner/flavor of the week would like to see you in?

Jerremy likes the color blue - so that is always in the back of my mind when I buy things - especially lingerie. I really do think of him when I buy clothes. I kind of know what he likes to see me in and I try to please him. Luckily, his taste is not far from what I like as well. Men are very visual so I think this is important to wear things that are visually pleasing. This does not mean slut wear! It means interesting patterns & colors or styles of clothing that are flattering to your particular figure. It means not wearing the same thing all the time and taking time to wear something special for going out. Maybe even changing your hair style for an evening. I have fun putting on clothes/hair I think he would find attractive.

8. Let's move to commitment: Do you think people get partnered too quickly in SL?

Sometimes. But I think if you meet the right person and have solid interactions (meaning not just sex but exploring and building and other activities) it does not matter how quickly or slowly you move. The key thing is to try to get to know a person on many levels. Don't think with your Xcite! parts. But partnering means so many things to people - to some it is dating, to some it is being engaged, to others it means marriage.

9. Big wedding, small wedding, or no wedding at all? And do you get partnered BEFORE the wedding or afterwards?

In RL, I would prefer something simple and small - maybe even eloping. But in SL, I get to play and fantasize a quite a bit. My wedding to Jerremy is turning out to be a bit bigger than I expected and I am having a blast with it all. OMG you should see the wedding location Jerremy is building - it is going to be quite amazing. We will get partnered after we are married - or as close to the wedding as possible.

10. Last question, and it's of course back to the booty. ;) Be honest, how many sex items [furniture and poseballs] do you have around your place?

OMG. The only piece of furniture that is not sex furniture in our home is our coffee table. And we will probably find a way to add some naughty pose balls to that, too. It is a darn good thing that Jerremy and I have so many other interests and activities in common or you would think we are sex fiends.

Darwin Dowry?

This is one stressed bride. See the insane look in my eyes? This is pre-Bridzilla. (This isn't the dress, by the way. I am getting grass stains all over it anyway.)


I went to a very fun SL wedding recently (Casius and Margo!) and there was a lot of joking around about a dowry consisting of bags of salt and farm animals that was to go along with the bride. I am kind of wondering, since it turns out that I will actually have in-laws here in SL (The Darwin Clan), what sort of dowry they would demand to take me into their fold.

Who knew that when I agreed to marry Jerremy, that I would actually have in-laws to go along with him? After all, who has formal family on the grid? Well, in place of formal family come the clans/families and simply groups. My intended Jerremy's clan, the Darwins, have just started up and intend to be an active active group. I hope they will adopt me into their little family and do what in-laws have always done for centuries - criticize how well I am taking care of their precious son/cousin/brother and badger me to start a prim family.

I have a zillion decisions and tasks ahead of me to get ready for our June wedding. My big tasks are 1) I have to make Jerremy's wedding ring, and 2) I have to write vows.

And OMG all the little decisions!!!! Like, will I have a wedding party? Do I want a bachelorette party? What music do I want to the reception? (I am thinking songs like the Bee Gees' More than a Woman - what do you think?) Will the ceremony be secular or include religious elements? OMG and I have to find an officiant. And OMG isn't there a law or something somewhere that says I need to attend some sort of bridal Boot Camp so I can get into shape in order for Jerremy to be able hoist me over the threshold without throwing out his back?

I have never been married in RL, so I am doing all of this for the first time in any world. This makes it all seem so extra special to me...especially since Jerremy means so much to me.

What would you demand as a dowry payment if I was being suddenly foisted upon your family? Because somehow I doubt a bag of rice will cut it in the pixel world.

Have you done this before? In either world? Throw in a little advice too, please, to calm my digital nerves.