Otherworldly

Would cherry trees grow high up in the mountains and could there be a gorgeous pool like this in such a spot? I have no idea, but I love the way this looks together. The cherry tree from Organica is actually animesh and looks beautiful in motion. The big lagoon/pool from Fanatik comes with a large set of single (sits, sunbathing and bathing) and couple poses, including adult ones, and it has three different areas that you can sit in. The pool comes in a summer and a winter version.

The bikini I am wearing is from the Plastik, a mainstore release first released for Fifty Linden Friday but now out at a regular price. The set includes two patterns and fits Belleza Freya and Isis, Maitreya Lara and both Slink bodies. Also included are a pair of earrings which are not worn here.

The timing of Enchantment’s “Iron Throne” round has been quite excellent for my creativity, as the end of Game of Thrones has had me thinking even more than usual about A Song of Ice and Fire and the sort of moods and themes the series (the books, not the TV show that claims to adapt them) represents for me. Using Roawenwood’s set of weirwood trees, I made a little godswood within my pine forest, and I really love how it turned out.

After spending last week in Spain at an academic conference about Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, we got back home just in time to watch and review the final episode of GoT. Given that this meant getting up at 3 am and not being back into bed until about 5.30 am, Monday was kind of a blur. But today I felt some energy returning and was able to setup the shot that I had initially planned to do before going to Spain. It includes pieces from the Iron Throne-round of Enchantment as well as from the current round of We Love Role-Play.

I picked up this bed, called Court of Love Bed, from Violetility on the last Saturday sale. A fabulous deal for all the animations included, I am particularly impressed with the range and variety of single animations. Having lots of great couple animations is always good, but for photos single animations are often much easier to work with if you also want to show off an outfit. Like this Gabriella set by Voluptas Virtualis for Kinky, which definitely deserves a good look.

While the Fantasy Faire is over for another year, there is no shortage of fantasy left in Second Life. Plus, I did bring home some beautiful mementos, including this lovely private garden based on the Midas build which was one of the quest prizes. It was the perfect setting for showing off the pretty Zinnia set from the Dreaming Thicket as well as a gorgeous jewelry set by Zaara and a new hair by Wasabi.

The Fantasy Faire has ended and the Fairelands faded away once again. I made my last visit to the Fairelands Junction yesterday and took these these moody, melancholy photos in an outfit that combines items from Illusions, Bliensen + MaiTai and Faida. The Junction, of course, was as always built by Saiyge Lotus of Balderdash and the gondola is also one of her creations.

The official program for the Fantasy Faire ended on Sunday, but the faire itself goes on until May 5th, so you have plenty of time left to shop for a good cause. And there is an extra incentive to do so now. I quote from the post about it:

“An anonymous donor has offered to donate 20,000 dollars if the Faire’s total reaches 40,000 dollars by May 5th.”

That is a fantastic increase of what the Faire could raise for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society, so keep shopping!

Of course, there is also the Quest, which is a wonderful way of exploring the beautiful sims. If you want to do the Quest in style, why not consider one of the fantastic full avatars from Fallen Gods Inc?

Jinx has a whole gacha full of huge animesh lions at the Fantasy Faire and the idea came to me of using a building set from Jammin to construct part of a ruined desert temple where these giant beasts still hold sway, attended by a mysterious veiled priestess. The veil by the Dreaming Thicket, available in several gorgeous colours, is also from the Fantasy Faire, as is the outfit from Evie’s Closet, the hair from Wasabi (the second of their two releases for the faire) and the tattoos from Stardust.

I started my coverage of the Fantasy Faire at Midas, the sim built by Alia Baroque of Fallen Gods Inc, and I couldn’t resist going back there for some more photos. In the end, I just got the one that I was happy with, it was a little too laggy at the time to setup more. But I think it gives a lovely look at one of the spots on the sim where you can hang out to enjoy the view. And, of course, of some more Fantasy Faire goodies, this time from Wasabi, the Annex and Eudora 3D.

At the edge of the woods, amidst lush grass and beneath a tall tree, Esmeralda had setup camp a long time ago and somehow never left. The horses wandered nearby, grazing and growing fat, and beside the colourful wagon a stonemason had helped her build a fine firepit. Perhaps she would feel like wandering again some day, but for now she was content.

A Fantasy Faire vignette, featuring items from Fantavatar & Moonstruck, Evie’s Closet and the Looking Glass. As always, remember that the items in the RFL vendors donate to the American Cancer Society, so you will be shopping and doing a good deed at the same time.

I have so much more to show from the Fantasy Faire, but I can’t (completely) neglect everything else while it goes on. For example, this little lingerie number from Voluptas Virtualis was really begging to be shown off together with these new heels from lassitude & ennui. However, I did add a touch of fantasy in the shape of a new jewellery set by the Plastik which is available at the Fantasy Faire.

It is finally that time of the year when you can visit the Fairelands once more and as usual you can find all the information you need about the Faire at the excellent website. In short, the Faire will run between April 18 and May 5 and it is a charity event that benefits the American Cancer Society. There are over 200 merchants across 10 fantastic sims and in addition to that there are wonderful sims for the LitFest, the parties, the quest and many other things.

All ideas I had about catching up on my blogging prior to the start of Game of Thrones went out the window sometime last week when the interviews started to pile up. It also did not help that we brought home a puppy last Tuesday! However, Fantasy Faire is just around the corner, so I will just have to buckle down and get some pretty photos done. And while the Ice and Fire event is now over, you will probably be seeing a few more posts inspired by Westeros from me. Like this one, which does use some releases made for Ice and Fire as well as a new gown from Adam n Eve for We Love Role-Play.

Time for another look at some of the great items available at the Ice and Fire event, which is open until the 13th of April. Today, I have some brands that I have not blogged before, like Bee Designs, Simply Shelby and *SK*, as well as F&M Oblivion and the Plastik (though the latter is not from that event). For these scene, I setup a bedroom in one of my castles, with an opulent bed and a large, sturdy chest.

Winter may largely be over (except on TV, of course, where it should be alive and well for roughly the next six weeks once Game of Thrones starts), but getting cosy in front of an open fire on a chilly spring evening is not bad either. And a big old castle can certainly get a bit drafty! That’s when some nice furs to curl up on are particularly nice. And if you have some company to help keep you warm, even better.