A Walk in the Park

It's a lovely spring day on Info Island International. When the weather is like this, I feel like taking a long walk. Join me.


If I had to choose a favorite part of the island, it would be the southern edge. That's where the French, Italian, Dutch, Scandinavian, and German areas are. [Quick note to myself: I haven't shown you the Dutch or Scandinavian areas in this blog yet. Have to do that.] Those are fascinating places to visit, but I truly enjoy walking on that end of the island because of the parks.

I took you on a visit to the orchard, in the SE corner of the island, a while ago. It's a fun place, especially if you like climbing trees or playing on a swing.

In this photo, I'm standing right on the edge of the orchard, where some thoughtful person has abandoned a picnic basket and a strawberry torte. It's right next to the French area, so I wouldn't be surprised if the francophiles decide to add a bottle of Bordeau and make this their picnic.



There's another restful spot due south of the big ALS building. The quiet pond here, between the Italian and Dutch areas, has swans and a family of ducks in it. I like to sit on a bench in this little park and watch them swimming. Butterflies swarm around the wildflowers, and the maple trees sway in the breeze. There's a bluebird nesting in one of those trees. I see him flying back and forth from the Dutch area all the time.

This is a peaceful spot for daydreaming. I'm good at that. It's also a nice place to meet people as they walk along the path.



If we amble along ourselves, we finally get to a beautiful wooded park in front of the German House. This one has gorgeous, tall fir trees and big, floppy ferns, just like you might see in northern Europe or Canada.

The stepping stone path leads you from the German House to a spot where another thoughtful person has left another picnic basket and another torte on a plaid blanket. This one is a quiet, two-person picnic -- bring a friend.



There's a squirrel running around here. He's hard to spot sometimes, but you can hear him if you are close enough. He chatters away like crazy. Strangers obviously don't bother him; you can walk right up and say "Hi."


When I visit , I usually end up here, under a parasol, reading a book. From this place, I can see anyone walking up the path to the German House, or coming out the front door of the Scandinavian House, but they have to peer through the grasses and shrubbery to spot me.

See why I like this side of the island?


Before you leave, I have to tell you about the new outfit I wore for today's walk. Valentine's Day is coming, so I decided to make something soft and pink. I'm calling it "Romantic Daydreams." (I know that's sappy, but give me a break ... it's Valentine's.)

The knee-length flexi skirt has 24 panels in rose pink, grading to rich strawberry red at the hem. As you can see, it has a gentle flare and hangs flat against the tummy ... all the better to show off your figure. The wrap-around blouse that I made to go with it is pale pink cotton with a pattern of tiny white flowers -- very delicate and feminine.

If you're looking for something pretty to wear for a walk in the park with a special friend, you can find this skirt and blouse at Så Roligt! on Elysian Isle.

Very Classy Jewelry

I have something special to share today. My friend Katt Tomsen, a very talented jewelry designer, has begun selling her work through my shop on Elysian Isle and at Cybergrrl Oh's new shop, Athena Wares.

Katt must have incredible eyesight and patience. She does all of her work with nanoprims, which are technically below the minimum size limit for prims -- very tiny. She told me that she uses five different basic prims and then "strings" them painstakingly to create necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. She also makes great little stud earrings (no, the ones I'm wearing in these photos aren't hers -- sorry).

I've been looking for a classic pearl necklace to go with the Little Black Dress I showed you in my last blog entry. Katt offered me two styles ... a single strand choker and a triple strand one. The triple strand one has 252 prims! I could never afford that many pearls in RL.

Now I don't know which one I like best. Guess I just have to trade off on alternate days.

Oh, and here's one of Katt's bracelets. Again, it's an elegant single strand of black pearls .... understated, but so chic.

I am so glad that Katt could join me. Her jewelry and my dresses are a perfect match.

Note (3/14/08): Katt has opened her own shop now, right next to my own new shop on Rich Idiot Island (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rich%20Idiot/144/122/35). Come see!

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No tour today, sorry. How about another poem?

Commitment, by Rolig Loon


Eternity seems like a dreadfully long time.

But I guess that’s the point,
isn’t it?

I mean, what if eternity was
an April morning between the Big Bang and the Apocalypse
and then

WHAM

Armageddon came
and you never had a chance to ask,
What’s for lunch?
Shall we take in the museum this afternoon?

I would at least like a minute to grab a snack
(perhaps a peach?)
before …
well, whatever happens next.

No, if we’re going to be together for eternity,
it had better be forever.

Ready to Greet You

There are so many wonderful places to visit on Info Island International, and I love talking about them so much, it's hard to believe I haven't told you about the place where most of the people are. It's right here ... the greeting and reference area. If you TP onto the island, you automatically land in the middle of the compass mosaic in this picture.



If you imagine the island like the face of a clock, the greeting area is where 12:00 is ... right in the center of the north edge of the island. I'm facing north here, so you can see the main Alliance Library across the property line in the next sim.


Here's a map to show you what I mean. The big building in the center of the sim is the Alliance Library System headquarters. The Exhibition Concourse, flanked by two pools, is that wide path that extends from the ALS building to the top of the map, where the greeting area is. All the other great places I have been describing in my blog posts are around the perimeter of the island.


OK, now I've turned around to face south, so you can see the concourse and the big ALS building. That map at the edge of the greeting area shows all the world's time zones -- an important thing to have in a place where we get visitors from all over the world. I never know what time it is, do you?





There's almost always someone here to greet you, usually standing here, next to the reference desk. Remember, this is a sim run by librarians, and we believe in having live help available to answer questions and give directions. Two of my friends, Sonja and Hollyjean, were there when I took this picture.


In addition to the monitors at the desk, which connect you to many Web resources, the greeting area has information displays to announce upcoming programs and events. We also have notecard dispensers that offer guiudes to each of the islands on the Alliance Information Archipelago -- that's the full string of islands connected to this one, all managed by ALS.



Here's my own favorite part of the greeting area. It's a lounge area, a platform 30 m above the main deck -- just out of conversation range. You get a great view from up here!


There's the ALS building in the background, and the cherry trees and the pools lining the concourse. The floor of the platform is transparent, which is why you can see what's under the bench where I'm sitting.


Sitting? .... well, relaxing. I know flexi skirts do funny things when you sit down, but I don't care. I come here to chill out, chat with a friend, or just sort out my thoughts and stare at the sky. You need places to do that, even in Second Life.



Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about this new dress! When I finished making the black cocktail dress, "Sophisticated Night Out," before Christmas, I checked through my wardrobe and realized that I didn't have a nice, basic "Little Black Dress." So this is it.


It really is simple: ... off the shoulder, and soft-looking. There's a cute bow on the left hip and a black onyx pin on the left shoulder. Otherwise, it's designed to be understated and quietly elegant, like me ... and you. ;-)

Parlez-vous Français?

The snow has melted on Info Island International! I know it's still winter, but Second Life runs on a different calendar, I guess. Anyway, Spring has arrived, the grass is full of tiny blue flowers, and there are butterflies everywhere. If the SL weather gods have decided it's Spring, I better start to work on a Spring wardrobe ...... fast!

Spring finally starts to arrive in April in my part of RL. The new little leaf buds are a gentle shade of yellow-green that I think is very pretty, so I've tried to capture it in this dress, which I call "April Garden." The top is a solid color with darker green trim and a sage-green insert at the upper chest, and the flexi skirt is covered with those tiny spring leaves, in two pastel shades of green. Because it's still a little chilly in April, I made the dress with a high neck and long sleeves ... but I cut out an oval window in the back so I can feel the sunshine. ;-)

So, now I'm ready to go out. Today I want to show off a part of Info Island International that I built. It's the parcel that is dedicated to French language and culture --- a good place to go in the Spring, don't you think?

This open-air cafe at the center of the parcel is a nice place to sit and sip a cup of espresso with a friend, or just sit back on a park bench and enjoy the sunshine. I haven't seen any birds around the fountain yet, but I did step in and splash around a bit myself when no one was watching.

The tall building in the background is the Pavilion de la Culture Francophone, created to highlight men and women of the 20th and 21st centuries who have helped to shape the culture of the French-speaking world. It has photos of authors, artists, musicians, designers, philosophers, and many others. Simone de Beauvoir is there, and so are Yves Saint-Laurent, Marc Chagall, and Albert Camus. There are performing artists, too: Celine Dion, Serge Gainsbourg, Catherine Deneuve, and Leslie Caron.

Here's Hergé, who created the Tintin comics that are popular all over the world (except the U.S.), and there's Tintin and friends in the panel above Hergé's photo.

If you click on any photo, you get a biographical notecard about the person. Right now, the bios are all in English, but we will have French translations soon.

Our friends at the Bibliothèque Francophone generously loaned us this incredible book, "Traverses," which is over 250 pages long and beautifully laid out. As you can see, it's bigger than I am (I'm 5' 11" tall -- 181 cm -- in heels)! You can easily flip through the pages and read a little bit each time you visit, or just stand there smelling the cherry blossoms and read all day if you want.

This area was created with students in mind. It would be a great place to come if you are studying French, or if you are thinking about taking a trip to France on your next vacation. If you are just a casual visitor, that's OK too. I like to sit under the umbrella and listen to the breezes in the trees. It's a relaxing place to come.

I think I'll hang around for a while myself, pour a cup of espresso, and imagine that I am on the banks of the Seine. Paris in Springtime! Ahh!

Athena Isle -- A Place for Women to Grow

My friend, Cybergrrl Oh, has the most wonderful gathering place. You have to visit! It's called "Athena Isle: Community, Creativity," and here's how you get there: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Second%20Shores/51/50/23. Cyber is one of the most imaginative people you will ever meet, and a great organizer.

Athena Isle is a place for women (OK, and men) to meet, share ideas, and work on common interests. If you can read the tiny words on the sign in this photo, you can see that it is the home to The SL Entrepreneurs Club, SL writers Club, SL Women's Club, Moms in SL, and Community Builders Virtual Worlds. Cyber has a very busy schedule of programs for each of those groups -- at least one meeting a week! She invites exciting people -- publishers, businesswomen, futurists -- to lead a conversation for anyone who comes. Betweeen meetings, the Clubhouse is always open as a spot to relax or meet informally with a few friends.

Athena Gallery offers a place for women artists to show their work. Right now there's a wonderful show called "Flora, Fauna" that has incredible photos. You really have to see it.

The isle also has a performance stage where Cyber has arranged open air concerts and dances, and a cozy campfire where you can sit, gaze into the flames, and totally tune out. I just love it! It is so relaxed and friendly.

Cyber's latest addition is an attractive two-story shop that she calls "Athena Wares," where she is planning to offer sales space to new women entrepreneurs. The very first tenant is .... (drum roll) ... moi!

I'm so pleased she invited me to join her. I have a nice, compact space on the second floor, right where you get off the TP elevator. When you come to visit, you'll see an elite selection of the dresses and skirts from my main store on Elysian Isle, including the yellow sun dress I decided to wear for these photos.

So, if you have been looking for a friendly place to meet creative women, carry on an intelligent conversation, and (maybe?) find just the dress you have been looking for .... visit Athena Isle. And say Hi to Cybergrrl Oh ... she's a cool person to know.