Effie's Second Life

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:10:00 +0000

Join us for a ROCKIN start to the weekend...

Scratch That!

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:04:00 +0000

As wonderful as Facebook is, I am amazed that they treat accounts like they are still in college and can rule the world. Effie's FB account has been disabled. As my RL avie looks in the mirror and laughs at the thought of not being real, I wonder how real they want someone.

Every single RL avie in SL has a RL person behind the keyboard. A REAL LIFE person with REAL LIFE feelings. We have our social circles. We even have friends crossing from SL into our real lives. We have businesses in SL that we run with great customer service. Some of us are even educators in SL - REAL LIFE degreed educators.

Maybe someone should whisper in Mark Zuckerberg's ear that the beauty of the Internet is that people that do not want to give their real life identity should not have to. An alias can bring the most shy person into social circles and change their lives in a positive manner. I also have to wonder if Mark always tells everyone who he is. Or does he logon places with an alias because everyone would know who he was. An interesting thought to ponder.

Facebook, wise up! There are good people out there that do not want to use their real life names. They are good people that want to love Facebook.

Where is Effie?

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:10:00 +0000

If you follow my blog, I am sure that you have noticed a drop in postings for a while. With businesses in two worlds now (Second Life and InWorldz), a new partner in both, hosting live music events, and keeping real life in check, I have not had the time to keep up with the blog, too.

I have also noticed that I am always on Facebook. It is always on my computer and posting a message there only takes a minute. So, as my posts to this blog slow down, I invite all of you to friend me on Facebook. I have explored some great new places in Second Life and InWorldz and will be posting about them soon.

I look forward to keeping up with everyone in another social media form. :-)

Hugs, Effie

You are invited to a rockin' Christmas Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:50:00 +0000

Let's celebrate the season with great friends and great music. Effie's Designs has been decked out for the holidays to create a fun place to be.

Here are the details:

Join the party by CLICKING HERE. (Snow Crash 37, 110, 45)

SL Music LEGENDS Live @ Effie's Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:31:00 +0000

Join us for another rocking event at Effie's Designs!

Two great SL Live Music Legends will be joining us for their debut at Effie's TOMORROW! Maximillion Kleene & Sojurn Rossini are two of SL's best. Here are the details:

To join us, CLICK HERE. (Snow Crash 37, 110, 45)

Live Show in InWorldz

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:28:00 +0000

Come join us on Sunday in InWorldz for our first live show. Lightnin Lowtide is going to entertain us. Here are the details:

Effie's Designs Enters a Brave New World

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:42:00 +0000

Last year a friend of mine talked me into testing a newer virtual world. Effie's Designs was there for a short time. It did not end well due to poor management. However, during that time I made some new friends that I have continued to keep in touch with.

About two months ago, one of these friends invited me to InWorldz. She had already set up a store for me. I just needed to move in. I find it extremely heartwarming that Nox has so much faith in me that she knew I would come.

So, Effie's Designs is also now located in InWorldz. Although the whole product line is not there, many of my items are. I will be working on getting some more current products as well as new products there.

Did I really need a Third Life? No... lol. However, I thought this would be a good time to diversify.

If you would like to visit us in InWorldz, the coordinates of the store are:

Isle of Darkmoon
53, 130, 22

* Ultimate BLUES Evening *

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:56:00 +0000

Friday, October 15, 2010

It's a party that you will feel in your soul...

****Ultimate BLUES Evening****

Your limo to the event: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snow%20Crash/38/49/46

-------------------------
4:00 KelvinBlue Oh
-------------------------
Born in 1953 in Houston, Texas, Kevin got his first guitar when he was 9 years old.

But Kevin's epiphany came one day when his father grabbed his guitar, wanting to play. Then he took a bottle and started playing slide and when Kevin heard that, He told himself, 'Man, that's what I wanna do.' And it's what I've been doing since."

While much about Second Life, including the live music scene, is about experimenting and pushing the limits, Kevin, or Kelvinblue Oh, and his beloved Fender Strat, Miss Blue, have proven that even in this virtual world, it is still soul that counts.

From lowdown roots blues to boogie woogie to flaming covers of his idol Hendrix, Kevin has become a real star in Second Life, which has allowed his honest performances and down home humor to instantly connect him with an international audience that knows and holds on to real talent when they see it.

And most everyone who watches him knows his many original songs by heart and "sing" along with him. It isn't unusual either for someone in the audience to say they're jamming along to Kevin on their own guitars or keyboards or some other instrument in RL or real life.

-------------------------
5:00 Lightnin Lowtide
-------------------------
Lightnin Lowtide is a singer songwriter with his own unique style, he covers songs of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Eagles, Elvis and many more, as well as his own original songs. Deep in his soul, Lightnin, loves the blues.

His sidekick is his Red Fender Stratocaster, Ruby, which he talks sings and dances with at each show. It may make you wonder about his sanity; however, you will definitely know his love for music and sharing goodtimes with friends.

Lightnin's RL avie is a Southern California performer that has been playing clubs, bars and festivals since 1994 with Bands and Solo performances like the ones in Second Life.

Our hostess, Miss Effie, is so impressed with this talented live artist that she occassionally helps Lightnin out by hosting some of his shows.

-------------------------
6:00 Clairede Dirval
-------------------------
Clairede Dirval has been a RL musician for over 25 years. Her powerful, amazing, sultry voice is accompanied by her guitar. She sings a variety of songs and styles from country to rock to blues.

Clairede gives a sensational performance that is funny and a tad naughty. And, her music just finds its way to your soul.

Shop in 8 of the World's Glamourous Cities & Support Relay for Life - Clothing Fair 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:38:00 +0000

Today is the opening of the SL Clothing Fair to benefit Relay for Life. The event runs today at 3 p.m. SLT through Sunday, March 21 at 9 p.m. SLT. Explore 8 of the world's hottest fashion cities while browsing through clothing shops of over 150 SL designers.

There are nine sims. The center sim is host to the Clothing Fair events. Surrounding it are 8 sims themed in the fashion cities of:

London
Melbourne
Milan
New Delhi
New York
Paris
Rio
Tokyo

Events occur all week long including live music artist, DJs spinning tunes, fashion shows, and a photo contest.

The goal of the photo contest is to mix and match the exclusive items available from the RFL-kiosks during RFL Clothing Fair to create a composite style. Prizes will be given to the Best Male and Best Female composite. Each winner will receive a 5000L gift card to Glitterati and a wonderful gift bag from the designers. More details of the photo contest can be found by CLICKING HERE.

A fashion show will occur for each of the 8 cities during the course of the week. The staff from Royal Elite magazine has been organizing the shows. Here is the schedule for the shows:

New York - Sunday, March 14 - 2:00 p.m.
New Delhi - Monday, March 15 - 8:00 a.m.
Rio - Tuesday, March 16 - 5:00 p.m.
London - Wednesday, March 17 - 11:30 a.m.
Milan - Thursday, March 18 - 12:00 p.m.
Melbourne - Friday, March 19 - 6:00 p.m.
Tokyo - Saturday, March 20 -6:00 p.m.
Paris - Sunday, March 21 -12:00 p.m.

While shopping enjoy the entertainment provided by live music artists and DJs. Kim Seifert will be the first live artist at 6:00 p.m. tonight. Come join Kim help celebrate this grand event that profits a great cause.

As you browse around the Clothing Fair, look for the outfits in the Relay for Life vendors. The proceeds from the sale of those outfits benefit Relay for Life.

For more information regarding the SL Clothing Fair, please visit the Fair's blog by CLICKING HERE.

To visit the SL Clothing Fair, CLICK HERE. (Clothing Fair 2010 128/127/33)

Rock the Castle 6

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:40:00 +0000

Join us for another ROCK THE CASTLE at Effie's Designs:

CLICK HERE to join the party. (Snow Crash 38/111/46)

Security and Privacy in SL?

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:25:00 +0000

While exploring places in SL this morning trying to find places blog-worthy, my partner and I encountered some difficulty with stepping over someone's security orb. Keep in mind that this place is listed in the Hot Spots of the SL search. One would think that highlighted builds to visit would have a requirement of being public access.

The owner was upset because we were booted three times. Well, if I'm booted and I fly and the security orb covers the area above where I was ejected from, it will probably boot me a few times. Even as an experienced avie in SL, I have to figure out where I can go.

We flew to the other side of the build and cammed in and sat. We didn't get a warning, so we figured it was okay to be there. Wrong. The owner appeared and was not pleased.

To be fair, I have to admit that I had a private apartment in my previous castle that housed Effie's Designs. But, that also gave me insight of how to do security right.

There is no privacy in SL.

Unless you own an island and have the land set for no public access, there really is no privacy in SL. You can put up ban lines, place security orbs, and hang signs; however, there always seems to be a way to get around things like the camera's ability to go most everywhere.

Most people are good.

Because of being a veteran builder in SL, I have very good camera skills and use the cam and sit procedure (especially in laggy places). That does not mean that when I do these things I am trying to be malicious. Most people care about others feelings and will not go where they are not welcome.

Also, relax about avies showing up on your private property. What can they really do there? Sit on a pose ball? Unless you have build abilities turned on or give them your building rights, avies visiting your property cannot do much of anything except look.

I had a number of newbies show up. All they did was marvel at how beautiful my castle was. I was kind and gracious and slipped in how this was my private apartment. I tried to make the encounter not traumatic for them because I hoped that one day they would come back as customers. I happen to know that few did come back.

How security/privacy should work.

Try not to mix public access with private areas. Keeping your private areas separate gives you land controls to set security.

If you do want or need to have private areas on a public lot, here are some ideas to help it work:

1. Put up great signage. Outside the doors to my apartment, I put up signs that said "Effie's Apartment - Please respect her privacy." People react in a more positive way to signs rather than just being booted by a security system.

2. Know what your security system is covering. Read the instructions. Rez prims to measure and know exactly that is being covered by the system. If your system does not cover all areas to be off limits, know that avies may show up there.

3. Put private areas behind a locked door. If avies miss the signage, the locked door is an indicator that they are not welcome in an area. Again, people would rather encounter a locked door rather than all of a sudden being ejected from the property.

4. If avies do show up on your property, be gracious until you know that the visit has malintent.

Of course, these are all my views of security/privacy in SL. If you have other ideas, please feel free to comment.

Effie

Rock the Castle 5 - Come Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:11:00 +0000

We are going to start Rocking the Castle again at Effie's Designs! We have three great Rock artists on tap this week. Hmmm... you know Colt Arun as a country crooner? Well, you're in for a surprise! Colt can rock with the best of them!

I hope to see you there. Here is the info:

CLICK HERE to join the party! (Snow Crash 38 111 46)

Arcachon - A French Seaside

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:03:00 +0000

About a week ago, I discovered a beautiful French seaside called Arcachon. Arcachon is made to resemble the seaside resort in the south of France by the same name.

The teleport point lands you in the small, quaint village square complete with a center park graced with a fountain, Mayor's office, cafe, and church. From the town square, you can take a balloon ride to get an overview of the sites.

As well as beauty, this harbor town has many activities to enjoy. Take a relaxing boat ride in the harbor, take a tour on a scooter, hang glide through the skies, horseback ride over the different terrains, speed through the waters on a jet ski, and more! A few surprises are in store for you along the way such as the falling pine cones in the forest.

Whether you want to just enjoy the beach, explore this fascinating place, or find some activities to do, Arcachon has it all for you.

Additional pictures and information in French for Arcachon can be found on the Arcachon blog. CLICK HERE to view the blog.

To visit Arcachon, CLICK HERE. (Arcachon 215 228 26)

Cap Estel @ Lonely Star - Glistening Winter Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Cap Estel is a nice quiet winter park. Whether you want to just sit and take in the beauty of the area, explore the nooks and crannies, or take a sleigh ride, the tranquil park has something for you. Included in the ambiance of the park is the whistling winds blowing through the trees and the animals you will see along your travels. The activities here were definitely made with couples in mind:

-Sleigh Ride - Hold on to your sweetie and take a sleigh ride around the sim. The sleigh is conveniently right at the tp point.

-Couple's Walk - Also right at the tp point is a couple's walk. Take a stroll through the frigid pathways. Hold tight to your sweetie for warmth. :-)

-Skating - If you have a pair of skates, make your figure eights on the frozen lake in the middle of the winter beauty.

-Guest Cabin - Take your sweetie to the cabin to enjoy some cuddling in front of the roaring fire.

-Bath House - Warm up and take a swim in the bath house.

-Sledding - Take the lift up the mountain. You will find a sled waiting for you to ride down the slopes. (Hint: Use your arrow keys to control the sled.)

Explore this gorgeous place created by my new friend, Maurice. You will discover more along your journey.

To visit Cap Estel, CLICK HERE. (Lonely Star 100 96 12)

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:41:00 +0000

To join the party, CLICK HERE.

HPMD - Happy Mood

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:41:00 +0000

Become part of a snow globe! Three unique walk-in snow globes take you right into wintery scenes. The snow globes are:

- Secret Party
- Goofy Santa
- Yule Log

Yes, you'll have to find the secret party :-)

Hurry to see these pieces of art. They are are only there until December 31.

To visit Happy Mood, CLICK HERE. (HappyMood 110 79 1146)

Wolf Mountain Ski Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:54:00 +0000

Well, it is about time that I post some more exciting places to visit in Second Life. So, I am going to start posting cool places to visit to celebrate the holidays and winter season.

The first place I visited was Wolf Mountain Ski Resort. The ski resort sits on 6 sims with many winter activities. The landing point is the lodge. The lodge has a grand fireplace to sit by and chat and information on the resort including cabin rentals.

Activities include:

- Horseback Riding
- Skiing
- Canoeing
- Snowboarding
- Taking a Sleigh Ride

Because it is such a large place, it is fun just to walk around and explore what is there. Of course, this is SL, so it took a little bit to figure some things out. My boyfriend and I had a hoot with it.

To visit Wolf Mounting, CLICK HERE. (PeachTree Resort 52 43 33)

An Evening With Friends - Live Music @ Effie's Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:27:00 +0000

Join us Friday for some great live music in Second Life:

Bring your friends to listen to the wonderful music of my friends! CLICK HERE to join us. (Snow Crash 38 111 46)

Sky Galaxy @ Effie's Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:35:00 +0000

If you haven't heard this amazing new artist yet, here is your chance!

Taking a variety of different songs and artists, 'Sasha' translates each tune and places them gently beside a soothing, sensual line of vocal and simplistic piano arrangements. Nineteen years ago, he was brought into this world by his mother, of whom resided in Smolensk ( Смоленск ), Russia and a father whom moved to the states from Berlin. From the first moments of which he could mutter a sound, singing had become nothing short of a passion.

His influences include the vocals and production talents of Imogen Heap, the emotion often found in the likes of Coldplay, Keane and Death Cab for Cutie, and in the other artists that continue to fill his favorites list; Above & Beyond, Frou Frou, Rufus Wainwright, Kate Havnevik, Yann Tiersen, and many more.
Skye is a musician, performer and vocalist professionally in his first life, but likes to keep his two lives well apart.

He joined Second Life in order to pursue the feeling of growth in his abilities, once more, and those numerous chain of events leading to one better opportunity to the next until you are stumbling for the top.

CLICK HERE to go to the show. (Snow Crash 38, 111, 46)

Effie's Designs Grand Re-Opening

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:08:00 +0000

Friday, October 23, 2009

Effie's Designs Grand Re-Opening
at Morphe Inc.

-----------------------------
5:00 Colt Arun
-----------------------------
Colt Arun is a fairly new singer to SL. He was born and bred in Louisianna, but now is located in Texas. He has been singing for about 8 years in real life.

Colt came to SL to enjoy great company, friendships, and mostly to entertain great fans. Some of his favorite singers are Martina McBride and Ricky Van Shelton.

He has a wide range of musical abilities ranging from country to old rock to southern rock tunes.

http://www.myspace.com/coltharris

-----------------------
6:00 Gary Jonstone
-----------------------
Gary is a shining star in the eyes of the Country Music World. His stylings will make you wanna dance, scream, and just plain turn you to butter. His deep lush baritone will melt the hardest of hearts. He has made his presence known in SecondLife and it will continue to be felt as he shakes the foundations of SecondLife's Country Music scene.

--------------------
7:00 Niles Compton
--------------------
Niles started playing drums in his Dad's band when he was 9 and has been singing and playing in RL bars and on stages for many years now. His band was one of the starter bands at a Johnny Cash concert. He has also worked with Sammi Smith a few times.

He is truly one of the best singers anywhere. Listen to his amazing voice as he sings LIVE to pre-recorded music tracks in a variety of instrumentation and styles. He does cover songs by artists such as Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alabama, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap and more..

http://www.ballyhoosl.com/Niles/

COME JOIN THE PARTY!

CLICK HERE to join the party. (Snow Crash 38, 111, 46)

Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:50:00 +0000

Hi, Everyone!

Sorry, I haven't been able to get to my annual posting of Haunted Houses. I've been moving Effie's Designs to its new location. I'll post more about it later.

However, I did want to tell everyone to check out last year's link. I'm sure a number of the Haunted Houses are still around waiting to spook you. :-) Here is the link:

http://effie-emmons.blogspot.com/2008/10/haunted-houses.html

If the store gets completed soon, I will do a new posting.

Enjoy!
Effie

An American Landmark

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:48:00 +0000

I've never been there in real life, but I can imagine the awsome feel of standing an staring up at the large faces of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson at Mount Rushmore.

You can visit a sculpty representation in Second Life. You will teleport to a viewing deck that also includes a bit of information on Mount Rushmore. It is a very interesting build.

To visit Mount Rushmore, CLICK HERE. (Gay Wild West 116, 59, 81)

Elliott - Shopping in a Unique Area

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Venturing around Second Life and discovering great builds is one of my favorite things to do. I'm in awe when I find a great build that is also functional in some way. Recently, I discovered the sim called Elliott.

Elliott is a shopping area with great atmosphere. The autumnal look of Elliott with winding waterways covered with walkway bridges, tall leafless trees, and rustic wood buildings begs you to discover every nook and cranny. As you take a discovery walk, notice the details that makes this build extraordinary such as the candles lit on the pillars of the walkways and the uniquely shaped and textured shops.

Elliott has three themed areas:

XO Swamp
St. Ides Heaven Carnival Junkyard
Shooting Star Pet Cemetery

Some of the shops in Elliott are as unique as the sim. So, as you travel around, look in some of the specialty shops as well. You will find stores such as DARE, Chapeau Tres Mignon, Physique, Strange Candy, Gritty Kitty, The Sea Hole, Periquita, Little Boy Blue, Lurve Bite, The Stringer Mausoleum and many more!

To visit Elliott, CLICK HERE. (Elliott 128, 128, 27)

Mont Saint-Michel - A masterpiece to explore

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:18:00 +0000

I share a wish with many people around SL. We wish that there was a place to go to find out where the locations are on the preview page of the client. Personally, I have seen pictures of many places that I'd love to visit. A friend saw a picture of a magnificent build with a towering castle-like structure and pathways leading up to it. Determined to figure out where this build was how he discovered Mont Saint-Michel and shared it with me.

Mont Saint-Michel's real life counterpart is a beautiful, towering city in Normandy, France. It's a tidal island that was shaped by erosian as the sea levels rose. Very much like its physical counterpart, the Second Life Mont Saint-Michel has stone buildings and streets clinging desperately to the hill that is the mount.

To understand the build, one might like to know a bit of the history of the real-life counterpart. CLICK HERE to see the entry on Wikipedia.

When you arrive at Mont Saint-Michel, you are outside of a welcome center area with posters resembling those in the real version I suppose. You will also find an Xstreet SL vendor hidden in a corner. Just past the welcome area is a tourism type area with teleports to the various stores and the La Cafe Poulard. Venture into the large, black photo booth. My SL boyfriend and I had a blast trying to figure it out. We eventually got a decent picture after lengthy periods of laughter.

As you walk further, you will discover that most of the winding roads are lined with small shops rented out to various vendors. They line the pathways leading up to the abbey. Beware that the pathways are very narrow at times and a newer avie to SL may find it difficult to maneuver through.

The pathways also have little garden areas along the way. There are many doorways and paths through the structure. Exploring Mont Saint-Michel is one that takes time and curiosity to enjoy it fully.

At the top of Mont Saint-Michel, you'll find the simple, but magnificent abbey sitting tall with grandeur. Explore the many doors around the abbey, too. A garden court yard is adjacent to the abbey.

Take your time and explore. To visit Mont Saint-Michel, CLICK HERE. (Mont Saint Michel 75, 16, 21)

Drowsy - A great leisurely walk of exploration

noreply@blogger.com (Effie) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:22:00 +0000

The sim Drowsy was selected the Favorite Second Life Sim of Spring/Summer by Koinup, NWN Readers. (New World Notes Blog) So, I decided to go take a peek for myself.

You teleport into a small, seaside town with little boutiques lining cobblestone streets. The textures show the quaint town as being there for a while with the rich hues and weathered look. A bit of whimsical nature is seen immediately in the pig-looking statue with plants growing on it to the puppet theater that shows a rabbit chasing a girl.

As you walk through the cobblestone streets and pathways stop to look at everything. The detail and bits of whimsy are a big part of the charm of Drowsy.

You will stroll by a park, an old dilapidated warehouse, a library, a courtyard flanked with stores, a small riverside town, and Drowsy's Horror Summer Festival. Don't forget to point your mouse at things. There are many small things along the way that are freebies.

Many of the buildings also house stores. The sim was actually created to hold the stores the Japanese SL clothiers Kurotsubaki, BP, and Zero Number. Skin, clothes, hair and a few odds and ends will be found for sale throughout the sim.

My suggestion is to take your time and absorb this marvelous place.

To visit Drowsy, CLICK HERE. (Drowsy 187, 49, 37)