Prim Perfect

4
Prim Perfect Summer 2011
From the Editor...

Welcome to the summer issue of Prim Perfect - and
something of a departure for the magazine.
Usually we target a region in each issue - but this
month were doing things a little differently and
have taken a theme. June is, of course, traditionally
the month for weddings, so we are taking a look at
wedding plans and planners and the different sorts of
designs that go into creating the perfect Second Life
wedding.
Our Designers of the Month are well-known in the
wedding trade: Tricia Aferdita talks with Bastchild
Lotus and Paul Lapointe about their creative work and the real life relationship that grew out of their
online collaboration. Scotti Lyle meets wedding planner
Monica Weir and finds out how she works with couples
to plan the wedding of their dreams.
Linus Lacombe talks to some of the designers who
create the amazing elements that make up a traditional
wedding, while Eva Bellambi examines some of the
possibilities for weddings set in the past - or, indeed,
the future. Ceejay Writer looks at how to create your
own very special wedding garden, while Annechen
Lowey, in her invaluable advice to those lately arrived
on the grid, offers sterling guidance on wedding
etiquette - for both the couple and their guests.
And then, the wedding safely over, Rowan Derryth has
a wealth of suggestions for the perfect place for the
happy couple to spend their honeymoon.
The past month has been a busy one for Prim Perfect.
The Home and Garden Expo is a highlight of the year
for anyone involved in Homes and Gardens and this
year we not only had the privilege of hosting a sim we also were able to host a very successful series of
talks by designers. Indeed this was so successful that
we will be hosting a whole series of talks at Second
Lifes Eighth Birthday celebrations - you can see more
about that in our News from the Grid section. Beq
Janus has written an account of the Expo... and also
brings us up to date with all the latest Relay for Life of
Second Life news.
We had a display of Linden Home furnishings by top
designers at our Expo stand, and we are continuing our
programme to promote high quality, low prim design
by top designers with our Linden Home programme.
This months designer is Cherelle Capra, who has
produced a beautiful Oriental home. Ethan Westland
has been talking to her about it and about her Second
Life career.
Saffia Widdershins
We have been keeping our Pathfinders and Trailblazers
very busy this month - to say nothing of their programme
leader, Qwis Greenwood! Firstly, they all exhibited at
the Home and Garden Expo and - as you can read in the
magazine - had a great time! Then we held our first,
very successful, seminar for the Trailblazers (and many
other attendees!) on the subject of social networking,
and Cain Maven mentored the Pathfinders about sorting
out permissions and setting vendors.
Once again, this month, we havefreePrim Perfect gifts
for you - among them gifts from our Trailblazers so
that you will be able to see the kind of work they are
currently undertaking. Of course, gifts are only available
in Second Lifethrough our inworld Intellibook version,
but if you are reading this on the web, look at Page
165to discover how you can get your inworld copy too.
In Charity News, Tricia Aferdita looks at the Garden for
the Missing project and catches up on what has been
happening there since our last visit in 2008. And Pitsch
Parx considers a question that has always baffled me with so many choices in Second Life, why do we so often
settle for homes that resemble our real life dwellings?
Then theres all the latest from theDesigningWorlds
and Metaverse Arts shows on treet.tv and news of the
most recent bargains from Spruce Up Your Space, while
our team of talented photographers, led by PJ Trenton,
Judith LeFevre, Tricia Aferdita, Wildstar Beaumont,
Raven Haalan and Stephen Venkman, bring you some of
the most artistic eye candy from across themetaverse!
All this with News from the Grid and more!
conte
primperfect
ARTICLES
15 Relay for Life News
Charity News
20 A Virtual Search for the Missing
Charity News
Page 36
25 Formally Wedded
Grand and Traditional Weddings in Second Life
36 Goin to the Chapel
Interview with Monica Weir
48 Lapointe & Bastchild
Designers of the Month
54 Finding Your Place in Time
Weddings in the Past and Future
64 Creating a Wedding Garden

70 Electric Honeymoons
Landscape of the Month
82 Virtual World Wedding Etiquette
Advice for Newcomers
94 Expo-Nential
Home and Garden Expo
Page 48
114 Prim Perfect at the

Home and Garden Expo
150 Avination Review
The Gridnauts Journey
The Table of Contents and advertisements

in Prim Perfect magazine are
hyperlinked in the PDF and Calamo versions.
Page 114
Visit Prim Perfect online at:

http://www.primperfect.net and
http://primperfectblog.wordpress.com.
nts
Summer 2011 Issue 34
FEATURES
4 Editorial
8 Contents
10 News From the Grid
Whats New in Second Life
118 Prim Perfect and Linden Homes

120 Achieving Balance and Harmony

Page 126
Cherelle Capras Linden Home
126 Driven to Success

Cherelle Capras Winding Road of Creativity
130 Living in a Shoe Box

Pitschs Place
132 Pathfinder Introduction

133 Pathfinder Advice
From Mentor Cain Maven
138 A Dream, A Destiny, A Journey

Interview with Mentor Cain Maven
142 Pathfinder Responses

145 June Update
148 Social Networking Seminar
Page 138
157 Spruce Up Your Space!

158 Designing World News
162 Metaverse Art News
164 How do I Advertise?
165 How do I get Prim Perfect?
166 Prim Perfect Contributors
168 Classified
171 Advertisers Directory
172 Credits
[ON THE COVER]
Trailblazers
Trailblazers
Cover photo by Judith Lefevre
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News from the grid

compiled by SAFFIA WIDDERSHINS
Meet the Designers You Love (and More!) at
SL8B!
After the success of our Meet the Designer series
of talks at the Home & Garden Expo in May, we
decided to do it again - and make it even better - for
Second Lifes Eighth Birthday (SL8B)! Well be out
there every day with not just one, but three different
sessions talking to some of the wonderfully creative
people who help create the magic of Second Life which is the theme of this years celebration.
At 2:00pm each day, we reprise our Meet
the Designers interviews, but this time Saffia
Widdershins, Elrik Merlin, and Aisling Sinclair
moderate talks that pair up two (or more!) great
designers to discuss a specific topic! On Tuesday,
Nikki Brennan, LaDonna Upshaw, Desiree Bisiani and
Cheewha Palen discuss working as creative partners;
and on Wednesday the ambitious notion of moving
from furniture-making to fashion is explored with
Maxwell Graf and GM Nikolaidis. Froukje Hoorenbeek
and Isla Geleach discuss their new Designers
Challenge programme with Pandora Popstar and
Gala Charron on Thursday; then Colleen Desmoulins
and Pitsch Parx join us Friday to talk about Setting
a Style. We round things out Saturday with a
fascinating discussion on The Power of Narrative
in Home Design with Fornicola Butuzova and Elle
Kirshner.
Well Meet the Artists at 4:00pm each day and
explore Virtual Art in sessions led by art historian
Rowan Derryth, who writes the popular Ekphrasis

column on our blog. On Monday she chats about
immersive art with Scottius Polke; then explores
the very nature of art with Glyph Graves, PJ Trenton
and Eliza Wierwight on Tuesday. Art & Accessibility
is explored with Maya Paris on Wednesday; and then
its a Misprint Thursday as we explore variable
media and collaborative work with the aptly named
artist. On Friday, Chantal Harvey talks to us about
the rapidly growing phenomenon of machinima; then
we wrap things up on Saturday with a discussion on
virtual art and avatar identity with fourworlds Ra who is perhaps better known as the character of
Botgirl Questi.
Finally, at 6:00pm each day, we host a series
of open discussions on a variety of interesting
subjects. Panels gather to talk about Breedables on
Monday; Linden Homes on Tuesday; the Prim Perfect
Pathfinders and Trailblazers join us Wednesday; two
unique communities of Second Life are explored on
Steampunk Thursday and Dr Who Fandom Friday;
then we discuss the notion of Virtualism and if
it could be a new artistic movement on Saturday.
Sunday well close our talks with a panel from Treet
TV.
And if that isnt enough, we film our two fantastic TV
shows out there - join Saffia and Elrik for Designing
Worlds on Monday the 20th and the 27th, and Tricia
Aferdita for Metaverse Arts on Sunday the 26th.
Whew! We do hope you join us, and JOIN IN!
The Homes & Design store has been redesigned

and will now be able to show more products that
will be out soon, such as carpets, new lighting, and
after many requests, some of our textures. Barefoot
Designs is in the process of moving to the new
location now, so please excuse the mess. Further,
the commercial builds were mixed with the homes,
and that will no longer be the case. The commercial
builds will remain on the old platform, and this will
keep the two separate. There will be teleports to all
locations for easy access.
The Ultimate Auction - Exclusive Items Raise

Funds for RFL in SL
Friends Fighting Cancer (FFC), the team behind the
highly successful Fantasy Faire 2011, are delighted
to invite you to join us at our Ultimate Auction which
will be held over ten days (17th to 26th June) to allow
you to bid on a limited number of very exclusive,
collectible, or expensive items, in a silent auction
with ALL funds raised going direct to Relay For Life
(RFL) in Second Life.
Amongst our items up for auction, we have a complete
Garden of Dreams DreamScene rezzer (with all
twenty-nine scenes), normally valued at $L40,000,
and also two limited edition Light Wave sculptures
(from the Rezzable Black Swan sim) including
the stunning and highly desirable Ballerina and
beautiful Eagle and Shark
New Location to Run Barefoot!
Barefoot Designs is excited to announce that
Barefoot Homes and the Barefoot Homes & Designs
store will be moved to a new location. Both divisions
will now be on a newly designed platform which will
allow easy access to both Barefoot Homes and the
Barefoot Homes & Designs Store. The new design
will be easier to navigate and enjoyable for all who
visit. We decided to do this because the store was
located at ground level and the homes were located
on a platform above, which caused some confusion at
times. Now both will be in one spot, with the Barefoot
Homes Store visible anywhere on the new platform.
Vivid Vintage - Melu Deco

Melu Deco is a brand of furniture and home
accessories whose creations are inspired by
1920s-1940s styles, founded by Melusina Parkin in
2010. Melu Deco aims to reproduce in Second Life
the intense atmosphere of Art Deco furnishing, both
through the reproduction of outstanding items of
famous designers and artisans and through the free
invention of patterns and shapes inspired by the Art
Deco colours, materials, and objects.
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Melu Deco has at the moment many shops, mostly
in vintage and retro sims like Old Hollywood, Paris
1900, Seraph City, and 1920s Berlin.
Round Two at the Avalon Arts Initiative
Melu Deco Catalogue on Flickr

Melu Deco Group
About Melusina Parkin
Melusina Parkin has lived in Second Life since
September 2008. In January 2009 she began working
at MEB Fashion and is now CEO of that brand. Melu
is also the Chief Editor of the Italian Esselle Movie
Magazine, where she writes about cinema, fashion,
and interesting Second Life places. She speaks
English, Spanish, and Italian (her native language)
and understands French, German, and Portuguese;
she has a blog and a Flickr.
Last Chance to See!
After the extremely successful launch of inaugural

artists Floraclayflower Beeswing and Hypatia Pickens
into the Second Life art scene, the Avalon Arts
Initiative (AAI) is ready to introduce you to two new
artists!
The AAI is a community sponsored project to nurture
new and emerging artists who are exploring virtual
media and have not yet had any major exhibitions
inworld. Beeswings virtual photography and Pickens
virtual sculpture comprised the first show (and
Pickens subsequently picked up a coveted award for
this piece at the UWA).
The next round will similarly feature a photographer
and a sculptor. Ziki Questi has amazed many people
with her beautifully composed images - mostly just
snapped while exploring - in Flickr for some time.
She has never had a show inworld, however, and the
AAI is pleased to be her first venue. She will be joined
by Nino Vichan, who has had limited showings of his
work, and who has made a purpose-built installation
of Four Medieval Scenes which fill the entire top two
floors of the gallery!
Darkstone Dungeon is an Italian sim designed by Sedai

Kaligawa for aledisanremo Fall and Debra Darkstone.
The highlight of the sim is a massive above ground/
underground dungeon with an epic arcaded hallway
connecting the different S&M rooms, a throne room
and living quarters, and two entrances. Darkstone
Dungeon also features a magnificent cathedral/dance
club and an accompanying coastline and forest. The
sim is set to close in June, so visit it while you still
can!
The new exhibit will open on Sunday the 26th of June

at 4pm SLT, with lively music provided by Frequency
Picnic. Please come and celebrate these amazing
new artists!
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Relay for Life of Second Life

- Halfway there status report
by Beq Janus
photographed by JUDITH LEFEVRE
First came the Paint Second Life Purple week. During
this week everyone, whether part of a team or not,
was encouraged to wear, do, be, or think purple in
recognition of the cause. Many creative and fun ways
to enjoy this were found. My own team, Team New
Babbage, literally painted their Second Lives Purple
as across the city buildings were daubed with purple
paint and people wore purple paint splat tattoos as we
mocked up a paint attack by the evil (but extremely
charitable) Doctor Obolensky - a hideous event
faithfully chronicled in The Primgraph:
New Babbage Attacked in Purple Paint Blitz.
New Babbage sees red over purple onslaught.
New Babbage takes up arms against the purple menace.
The worlds favorite season is the spring.

All things seem possible in May.
- Edwin Way Teale
It has been a busy month of May for Relay for Life of
Second Life sponsors and participants.
April closed on a high following the extraordinary
Fantasy Faire event led by the Friends Fighting
Cancer team. As we entered May, and the halfway
stage of the campaign, it was important to keep the
momentum going. A multitude of events took place
during May with three major initiatives leading the
headlines.
Elsewhere across the grid, purple suits and dresses

were selling as people got dolled up for purple parties.
Purple hair and full purple avatars were created
especially for the event and sold for donations.
The Paint Second Life Purple event is less about fundraising and more about recognition and awareness,
but it brought the campaign nicely to the halfway
point.
This year the Halfway There Fair celebrated the
incredible achievements of the many teams
participating. Trader Whiplash of T1 Radio warmed up
the gathering crowd before the Ribbon Ceremonies
started.
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APinkSwan Beauchamp read out the long list of teams
receiving ribbons. These ribbons are given a token of
recognition for the teams involved and the length of
the list shows just how strong the RFLSL movement
has become.
But this years halfway point had another milestone
to mark. The 2011 campaign has already seen the
total, in real hard currency, raised by the Relay for
Life of Second Life since it began, surpass US$1
million. A special Million Dollar Hour event was held
at the Halfway There party to salute the past and
current fundraisers. The Million Dollar Hour, which
in fact ran close to two hours, was inter-mixed with
songs carefully selected for the evening and hosted
by Stingray9798 Raymaker, the American Cancer
Society representative in Second Life.
The event was closed at last when MamaP Beerbaum
and Dwen Dooley took to the stage and each told
of his or her Relay experiences and hopes for the
future.
Prim Perfect recently caught up with two of the top teams

in this years relay, Friends Fighting Cancer, recipients
of the purple ribbon for having raised over L$5 million,
and Goreans for Life, a team that pools the incredible
resources of the 100+ Gor sims found within Second
Life.
We met with Ember Farina of Friends Fighting Cancer as she
was busy thinking ahead to Relay Day on 16th July.
Our wonderful creators and designers have been
continuing to promote the RFL cause with kiosks and
vendors in their own stores and sims, Ember told us
proudly. In fact, through their efforts the Friends Fighting
Cancer have added another US$1,500 to their team
total since the heady days of the Fantasy Faire, a total
that now stands at an amazing L$5.76 million, which is
roughly US$23,000. At the end of May the team finally
finished setting up the Friends Fighting Cancer RFL
shop, which has some of the most popular Relay vendor
items from the Fantasy Faire available for purchase.
Some of the items are unique to us and this is the only
place in Second Life where they can be purchased.
17
So what is next for Friends Fighting Cancer?

Well we are busy designing for Relay Day now but
we will be bringing something very special to the
grid in June. We are just working on the plans now.
Ember allowed us insight into her teams plans, and
it looks to be something very special indeed.
Goreans - theyre almost at $L2 million raised and

have lots of events planned. Theyre such a positive
team to work with and they are hot on our heels and
nothing would make me happier than for them to
pass us. Theyre a huge team and work so hard, wed
love to see their money raised reflect that.
It is our ultimate auction, only a limited number of

high value items, perhaps ten to twenty maximum,
certainly no more, but each one will be significant
and highly desirable. So far they have two limited
edition Light Wave sculptures from the Rezzable
sims, including the ballerina which visitors to Black
Swan may be familiar with, and also a full Garden
of Dreams scene bubble rezzer, the last item alone
valued in excess of L$40,000. Im hoping for
donations from a number of other top designers.
The Goreans in Relay For Life team have in fact

surpassed L$2 million now and attained the emerald
ribbon for their achievements, and Kaiila cheerfully
told me all about their relay team.
Embers thoughts turned then to other teams

achievements. The Friends Fighting Cancer are well
known for their cheerful support of other teams,
with the mantra One Team never far from the
conversation.
You really must speak to Kaiila Mahoney of the
The pride of the Gorean has helped to collect, in

the past three years, over L$8 million, raising
US$32,000. Currently we have collected over L$2
million or US$8,500 this year.
This year is proving to be just as popular as previous
years, and there is every sign that this will be the
best year of Relay for the Goreans yet.
We are never short of people coming forward
with ideas and enthusiasm, Kaiila beams, her own
enthusiasm evident. Already the Gor team has
overseen a broad range of wonderful events from
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parades, to yard sales, auctions to great music...

The many sims of Gor all pull together with each sim
staging different events.
Gor society has strong codes and traditions and uses
festivals in their own calendar to guide and organise
events and fund-raisers.
The Jail and Bail events have resulted in a resounding
number of warrants each year and last year it was
our biggest money maker. We look forward to doing
that again this year, says Kaiila.
The clothing and fashion faire is always a big hit.
Gorean style is often adopted away from the Gor
sims, and you will often see Gorean items in vendors
at other events outside of the teams primary
fund-raising.
Just a taster of some of the events taking place in
June.
RFL Seasons Of Hope Art Faire
Opening on 8th June, RFL Seasons of Hope Art Faire
is hosted by Isle of Teletus in its beautiful cove.
There are sculptures, paintings, and photographs
on display, and visitors can vote for Best in Show,
selecting the art piece that they feel best depicts the
theme of Seasons Of Hope.
Gorean Idol: This is an open mic event that has been
run each year since 2009. Vote for your favorite
Gorean.
TOR RFL Silent Auction
Goreans submit themselves for silent auction, giving
twenty-four hours of their company to the winning
bidder.
There are a number of key events still to be confirmed
but expected to be great fun for all involved.
Treve Pageant and GorFest are but two on the list,
more and more sims are asking about events. We
will meet with them to come up with some ideas.
So why does Kaiila relay? For her it is not really a
question of why at all.
Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser; its a
life-changing experience. At Relay, every person in the

community has a chance to celebrate, remember, and
fight back. Every person who participates joins others
around the globe as part of this worldwide movement
to end cancer. Everyones reason to Relay is as unique
as their own personal story. Gor is a fantasy world
where we stay young forever where disease is wiped
out. It is where many come to play. We are a close
community, it is in the nature of our lifestyle. As such,
Goreans get hit extra hard with losses. We have an
extraordinary number of survivors. Why do I relay?
My question is How can you not?
The final event of May, and the last centrally
supported event before Relay Day itself, was the 4th
Annual Home and Garden Expo benefiting Relay For
Life of Second Life and the American Cancer Society.
The extravaganza spanned a full ten Second Life
sims, with more than one hundred exhibitors, more
entertainment, and more ways to benefit Relay
For Life than previously seen. The Expo covered all
areas of home and land dcor in Second Life. From
prefabs and furniture to flowers and swimming pools,
the event gathered together many of Second Lifes
greatest architects, furniture makers, gardeners, and
landscapers, some well-known and some not so wellknown, in a grand display to Second Life shoppers
and visitors.
Prim Perfect sponsored a sim and hosted a packed
schedule of interviews and question and answer
sessions, many of which can be found on the Prim
Perfect blog.
A more extensive report from the Expo can be found
elsewhere in this issue.
The Home and Garden Expo closed its doors on 22nd
May and has raised more than L$4 million, or over
US$16,000.
May was the halfway mark, and now all eyes and
minds are turning to the Relay day itself. Already this
year more than L$38 million, or US$150,000, have
been donated to the American Cancer Society; we
may have passed the halfway point but the only way
is up. See you on the track.
20
A Virtual Search
for the Missing
Written and photographed by Tricia Aferdita
A walk through The Garden for the Missing is a mix of enchanting and heartbreaking.
21

The Garden for the Missing has been an effort on the
part of Ronnie Rhode to raise awareness about the
plight of well over 100,000 missing persons across
the U.S. She now estimates that about 350,000
people who had no idea of the magnitude of the
cause now do, because of Second Life.
Ronnie joined Second Life in 2007 and soon
purchased what started out as her first little bit of
land to enjoy the beach and sunsets. At the time,
she was also troubled by a couple of current missing
person cases in real life. She had been following the
cause for several years at this point, but something
about these cases really bothered her. Then, out of
the blue one day, it occurred to her that she could
put the missing person posters on her land, which
required her to actually learn how to create a prim!
I learned a little, just enough to make a few posters,
and set them out on this land Id bought. Then, NCI
(the educational nonprofit New Citizens Incorporated)
had a new resident building contest and I entered it
and came in second, which encouraged me about
the idea, and someone from that group started
encouraging me to do more and even donated to
the cause. Then a gentleman from Australia was
so enthusiastic about what I was doing he funded
it further by renting one of the houses and thereby
funding the building on the other parcel where I was
going to build The Garden for the Missing.
Nearly four years later, the garden is host to three
levels of lush tropical forest and gardens filled with
poster after poster of Missing Persons. Amidst the
tropical foliage, butterflies, and flowers, rows of
children, adults, and the elderly, some missing for
years and years, remind us that there are families
out there still waiting for their return.
In a 2009 interview published in
CNNs iReport, she commented
on the emotional attachment
she has developed to her
cause. There were just a few
cases that I had heard about
and my heart just broke for the
families. Then when I started
this garden, obviously I became
more involved, emotionally,
and felt this was my calling. My
heart really is in this work. Its
such an honor to be able to help the families gain

more exposure for their missing loved ones.
In the beginning she spent months embedded in the
project, reading through the stories for each poster
she put up. There came a point when she had to take
a break: I was broken-hearted at learning what I
learned about what the families experience. The
difficulties they face... Eventually, though, what
was planned as maybe five or ten posters of missing
persons at a time became two hundred posters and
a mission.
She adds that the response to the Garden has been
nothing short of amazing. People who visit tell
their friends, and they in turn bring friends. Groups
within Second Life have done charity fund-raisers
on the Gardens behalf. Linden Lab placed it on the
Showcase, and University classes studied it or made
it their class project for events.
In 2009, Garden for the Missing teamed up with
Project Jason, one of the first non profit organizations
of its type to expand into Second Life. Project Jason is
a 501c3 nonprofit organization and was established
on 6th October 2003. It primarily focuses on case
assessment, resources, and support for families of the
missing. Ronnie became Project Jasons Second Life
consultant, bringing its Awareness Angels Network
into the virtual world and eventually becoming part
of their Board of Directors. The Awareness Angels
Network disseminates posters of missing persons
to its members for distribution throughout the U.S.
Ronnie works in collaboration with Project Jason
to share these posters, both in her Garden for the
Missing and in Project Jasons location in Nonprofit
Commons.
22
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While she doesnt know for certain if anyone has

been found directly as a result of The Garden for the
Missing, primarily since tips are typically anonymous,
she does know that One in six missing persons is
found as a result of an image, such as a photo of a
person, which is what SL affords so well, so we could
have played a part and not known it. She has also
had six people from within Second Life seek her out
when they had someone missing. It means a lot to
her that they were able to find The Garden and get
help in getting the word out, as well as being able to
provide them with much needed resources.
When asked about future plans and possibilities
for expansion, Ronnie replied that while she would
continue to keep The Garden running regardless, she
works a full time job and sells items shes created
at her stores inworld, to try to break even on funds.
With the economic downturn, an overall decrease in
donations exponentially, and what she feels are more
sophisticated alternatives to her meager candles
and wind chimes, along with a few other creations,
she does run at a deficit.
She also wonders, and after a tour of the garden you
might agree, how many is too many? A building filled
with two hundred posters of missing persons and an
area that honours those who were found deceased
is pretty overwhelming to most visitors. Visitors tell
me that what is there now moves them so much,
sometimes too much... Perhaps a whole sim would
be just too much.
Besides Project Jason, missing person reports and

posters come from a range of U.S. based sources,
including the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children (NCMEC), Beyond Missing, and CUE Center.
In July 2010 a young girl was reported found safe,
her abductor in custody, because her missing person
poster went viral all over Second Life, Facebook, and
the Internet. She was found because someone saw
the Amber Alert online.
The ability of videos of dancing dogs to go viral on the
Internet is vastly overshadowed by the power of one
simple poster. When you consider the global power,
determination, and compassion of the community of
Second Life, you realize that Ronnie Rhode, Garden
for the Missing, and Project Jason have only just
begun to reach their full potential for helping to find
missing persons. As so many of the posters say,
Someone knows what happened, and with millions
of community members, the reach is limitless.
In the words of Project Jasons founder, Kelly
Jolkowski, Words cannot describe what it is like to
have a loved one disappear. We are not allowed a
goodbye or one last hug. We receive no phone calls
or letters. We long to hear Jasons voice and know
that he is doing well, but have only the endless grief
of not knowing. Go take a walk through Ronnies
Garden. You might see someone you know.
Formally Wedded
Grand and Traditional Weddings

in Second Life
25
26
by Linus Lacombe
photographed by STEPHEN VENKMAN
A nattily-clad usher seats you in a beautifully

carved wooden pew in an expansive, ornate,
and timeless church. Your senses are bathed
in the sounds of background music issuing
forth from a monumental pipe organ and the
light scent of dozens of cut flowers. Before
your mind can process all there is to see, the
guests rise to their feet as The Wedding March
booms from the organ, and the beautiful bride
begins her slow approach to the altar, to be
joined eternally with the man she loves. It is
a grand wedding!
Certainly, not everyone who chooses to be married in

Second Life will have a wedding like this. Just as in
real life, there are many ways to celebrate entry into
the bonds of matrimony. But formal weddings are an
option that many do choose; wedding planner Monica
Weir says she oversees about five such weddings per
month, while Officiant Timothy Chenaux estimates that
about a quarter of the marriages at which he officiates
are formal ones.
Planning a Formal Wedding
Though many in Second Life plan small, intimate
wedding ceremonies for themselves, and in a variety
of traditions, many do opt to consult with a wedding
planner. Wedding planner Monica Weir of Wedding
Lane can act as an advisor to a couple, or she can
plan the wedding literally from the ground up - she
can do everything from terraforming land to providing
music. She offers a variety of packages for clients,
depending on their taste and budget, which may
include a variety of configurations for the ceremony,
rehearsals, furnishings, officiant, music, photographer,
and reception. See more on her services in Scotti Lyles
interview with Monica on page 36.

Second Life weddings offer a number of advantages
to those couples wishing to have a formal wedding.
Perhaps the foremost advantage is in cost. A truly
grand wedding in real life will normally run into tens

of thousands of US$, but for an investment of less
than US$100, a couple could be married in Second
Life in as grand a ceremony as can be imagined.
Another advantage is that the wedding couple need
not be geographically near one another in real life
to be married, and nor do their guests. Literally, the
couple may invite people from anywhere in the world
where Second Life can be accessed and expect the
invitee to show. In addition, a Second Life wedding
need not include only friends and family from the
Second Life experience; real life friends and family
are literally only the creation of a Second Life
account away from seeing a loved one be married in
a ceremony fit for royalty.
There are, of course, issues that do limit this style
of Second Life wedding. Perhaps the two greatest
are prim counts and number of avatars allowed
into a sim. For a large formal wedding with many
decorations, these could be a serious limitation. If
the couple wishes to have a wedding in a homestead
sim, for instance, they may well not only have to
consider carefully and budget for what kind of a
building and dcor they desire to have, but must
also watch how many people are invited and how
large the wedding party may be.
Another limitation at a grand wedding, where not
only bride and groom and wedding party are likely to
be dressed sumptuously, but also guests are as well,
is lag: the situation where people at best appear
to be moving through treacle and at worst freezing
entirely. Lag, and crashing due to a full sim as well,
can interrupt the flow of a wedding and threaten the
joyous occasion. A good rule of thumb is to think
of the logistics in terms of it being an event, like
a dance or a party. The same technical issues that
plague those more common and familiar events will
be the same that will plague a large, formal wedding,
when one considers it in terms of prims, scripts, and
avatar counts. Annechen Lowey has some great tips
on this in her Wedding Etiquette article on page 82.
27
Dressing in Style
An important part of setting the tone for a wedding is
in the selection of clothing, for the bride and groom
as well as the wedding party. Second Life offers the
couple a great many options, too. Twetie Starship
and Suzanne Piers, of Hearts Delights Weddings,
opened a mall in January of this year that provides
many clothing options. Suzanne says that while it is
often the case that attire chosen for a grand wedding
matches the pomp of the event, it is not always the
case. For instance, brides will often elect to spend a
larger portion of the wedding budget on that perfect
dress, opting for a simpler ceremony to compensate.
Conversely, brides may choose to wear a simpler,
understated gown at even the most elaborate and
elegant of weddings. For brides, choice of gowns is a
very personal statement.
In real life weddings, it is almost a comic cliche that
bridesmaids are attired in dresses or gowns that
they find hideous. Suzanne says that this need not
be at all the case with a Second Life ceremony. At
stores like Mami Jewells AZUL, which has a location
at Hearts Delight Wedding Mall, brides and their

bridesmaids can browse for stunning gowns in an
array of styles and colours that echo the style of the
wedding.
As for the grooms clothing, again, the preferences of
the couple generally decide what the men will wear.
As with AZULs selection of wedding apparel for ladies,
a look around Styles of edos store at the mall at
Hearts Delight Weddings gives a good impression of
the many options for the groom and the groomsmen
in a formal wedding. Grooms and groomsmen may
opt for simple black suits or a detailed tuxedo and
matching shoes, both colour-coordinated to match
the colour scheme that the couple has adopted for
the whole wedding.
But what wedding would be complete without that
personal effect most important to the wedding
ceremony: the ring? Again, the selection of rings is
a personal one, perhaps the most personal of all the
things associated with wedding. Dellybean North,
of True North Designs, provides numerous beautiful
28
selections of jewellery for the couple to choose from,

including sumptuous wedding sets with diamonds,
sapphires, and rubies. While some who are wed in
grand style will opt for rings as sumptuous as the
ceremony, others will select a more understated
Celtic wedding set. Many married couples will even
elect to personalise their rings with their names or

some kind of statement about themselves engraved
inside. Though nobody else in Second Life will likely
ever see such an engraving, it is a personal touch
that further expresses the devotion that a couple has
for each other.
29
Creating an Atmosphere for a Formal Wedding

A formal wedding can be an elaborate affair, and
much of the pomp and ceremony revolves around the
buildings and objects that are used for weddings. To
be succinct, designers in Second Life have recreated
almost every prop or building associated with formal
weddings. One may have a beautiful, formal wedding
in a soaring cathedral, a classy ballroom, or even a
formal outdoor setting fit for the most discriminating
couple.
As for ceremonial wedding equipment with details that
help make the wedding experience familiar and rich, if
there is a real life feature that a couple wishes to have
at a wedding, it is likely within reach. For instance, if
ones dream wedding includes the release of doves, it
is only a particle emitter away from becoming reality.
If the bride wishes to walk gracefully down the aisle
on her fathers arm, Dellybean North has created
menu-driven pose balls for just this - as well as for
the groom, and even the flower girl, if desired.
In addition to her own store, Dellybean also works

with Eladon Galsworthy of Weddings by Pondlife to
set the stage at the location of weddings. Eladons
wedding shop also provides many ceremonial
fixtures one would find in a wedding setting: altars
with bibles, Celtic handfasting circles with tables and
chalices, flowers and flower-covered arches for the
bride to walk through, and much more. Dellybean
has worked with Eladon to devise a way for the bride
- and others who accompany her - to walk down
the aisle through HUD-driven pose ball animations,
something that works to offset the effect of lag.
If you can dream of something that you think belongs
in a formal wedding setting, chances are that you
can find it already in Second Life, and in different
textures and styles to suit your taste. And, should
something be lacking, it is likely that someone can
make it for you so that you too can have that perfect
formal wedding setting you have always dreamed of.
30
Performing the ceremony

No wedding is complete without the ceremony
which joins two people eternally. Officiant Timothy
Chenaux has been performing weddings in Second
Life since 2008, and he says that about one quarter
of the weddings he performs are of the grand, formal
type. He says that many couples in Second Life these
days are opting for smaller home weddings, though
he does perform the extravagant affairs as well.
Chenaux also says people ask for ceremonies across
a range of traditions. But generally - and this would
hold true for the simplest or the grandest Second
Life wedding - Chenaux says, Most of the couples
and planners I work with strive to have their Second
Life wedding experience mirror real life in any way
possible. I do not see any difference in how we

approach the service in Second Life.
Chenaux says that, from his viewpoint, lag is the
greatest challenge to a ceremony. Considering how
important a set order is in many ceremonies, one
could sympathise. But Chenaux also points out that
Second Life weddings do have certain advantages;
for instance, rain or other inclement weather is not
a threat to an otherwise beautiful ceremony. And,
Chenaux sums up what makes weddings so joyful for
him: In the long run, whether grand and traditional
or small and quaint, the focus of all weddings is
joining two in sharing their life, or lives, in love. I
am the lucky guy who gets to do that over and over.
32
A Grand Reception
As with real life weddings, many in Second Life opt
for a reception. And, there is no reason why a Second
Life reception must be any less elaborate than the
wedding ceremony itself. Builders and scripters like
Tasia Tonic of The Tastery can make the wedding
reception an elegant delight for the eye and palate.
Tasia makes elegant cakes, such as a cascading cake
in shades of purple, or her Gothic design, which she
says is popular with people who plan receptions of
many different styles. But Tasia also offers a dinner
collection, each place setting of which can provide
guests, through the wonders of scripting, a choice of

fifty different meals and twenty-four drinks. And no,
dear reader, this is not a misprint!
True North Designs also carries various equipment
one may want for the reception, a key part of most
wedding ceremonies, including a beautiful champagne
fountain that sends a cascade of bubbly ros down
a visually appealing stack of champagne glasses.
Even the guests will find what they need here, as
Dellybean provides a wide array of gift boxes.
33
Capturing the Moment in Time

Second Life is a very visual environment, so it
should come as no shock that photography is a
very important service that most people ask for
when getting married. Photographer Dj Barracuda,
a specialist in photographing weddings of the grand
and traditional type in Second Life for three and a half
years, says that she captures anywhere from forty to
ninety images at a wedding. She does contract work
with planners, but she does offer packages to couples
as well. In addition to photographs of the wedding
ceremony, packages include photos of the reception
and studio portraits taken after the wedding.
Capturing stunning images of one of lifes most
common and important events can be a challenge.
And in Second Life, perhaps the greatest challenge

for a wedding photographer is lag, as it can wreak
havoc, as people try to rez in. Yet it can be fulfilling
too. Dj says, ...being part of such a beautiful event
is very enjoyable for me.
f
Second Life wedding experts provide many options
for the the client who desires a formal wedding,
and many of the professionals featured in this
article provide products and services beyond those
highlighted here. Together, their goal is to provide
hassle-free, beautiful, joyful experiences for their
clients on their wedding days, days which are for
many the happiest in life.
36
Goin to the Chapel and

Were Gonna Get Married...
[1]
37
Planning is what you do before you do something,

so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

- A.A. Milne
by SCOTTI LYLE
photographed by PJ TRENTON
39
Its been a long winter, and youve spent many a cold

and blustery night hunkered down in front of your
computer, enjoying sunnier climes on tropical Second
Life islands, or maybe participating in great Second
Life winter sports - skiing, snowboarding, sledding,
snowball fights - without actually getting cold or wet
or frostbitten. Youve met lots of new friends who
were also forced inside by their real life winters, and
youve met... him. Or her. (Or maybe it?)
Perhaps you collided on a dance ball at a midwinters
party. Maybe he was transfixed by the way you skated
gracefully around a pond; maybe she admired your
form on the slopes. However it happened, you met.
And then you met a second and third and fourth time.
You laughed together; you explored new regions
together. You found yourself more anxious than ever
to log in and see what adventure awaited you and
your new beau.
As winter waned and spring approached, your
paramours fancy did indeed turn to thoughts of
love. One night, under a full spring moon, with the
intoxicating fragrance of jasmine in the air and Nat
King Cole crooning When I Fall in Love over the
media stream, he drops to one knee (having had
the incredible foresight to purchase the appropriate
animations), rezzes a ring, and pops the proverbial
question. Throwing yourself into his arms, you say,
Yes! Oh, yes! And voila! Youre engaged, and you
set a date a month away.
You immediately start showing your gorgeous

new diamond to all your friends and family... and
the questions start. Where are you having the
wedding? Have you picked out invitations? Do you
have your wedding clothes? What kind of flowers
will you have? Whos going to officiate? Do you
have a photographer? What about the reception?
Music? DJ? What kind of cake are you going to
have? Champagne? Wine? Chocolate fountain? Full
dinner or just hors doeuvres? Then there are all the
challenges a Second Life wedding creates that a real
life one doesnt: What kind of wedding animations
do you want? Will the venue of your dreams have
minimal lag?
Thats when you realise that while a month may
seem like forever in the accelerated world of Second
Life, its really still only four short weeks. The ecstasy
of the engagement starts fading a little as you ask
yourself, How on earth will I get everything done?
40
Why, call Monica Weir, of course.

Monica Weir is the proprietress of Wedding Lane and is, by
all accounts, a wedding planner extraordinaire. She has
made it her business (literally) to know and understand
all the ins and outs of Second Life weddings so that the
brides-to-be (face it, fellas, its your brides who make it
happen) get the most enjoyment and the least stress out
of the time between will you and I do.
No matter how much or how little help you want in

planning your big day, Monica has what you need.
Just want a nice bouquet? Hers are gorgeous. A cake?
Choose from simple to extravagant. A venue? Monica
has a number to choose from, or she will custom build
one for you if you like. And as if that werent enough,
shes now making bridal gowns, too!
But where Monica really shines is in helping you plan

the entire event. Having been an event planner in real
life, she has all the essential talents needed to pull a
big event together in a short time. To plan a wedding
from start to finish, Monica says, I really only need
about two weeks, but I get booked up pretty quickly;
Im usually booking about a month out.
41
Dont misunderstand. Monica will never foist her services

as wedding planner on a couple who come to her store
to look at flowers or cakes. I would say 90 percent
of the sales come from people not having me do their
wedding. I basically split my businesses in half - there
is Weir the planner and Weir the flower and cake lady.
In fact, I get gently reprimanded for not telling a bride I
also do weddings when she comes to me for her florals.
And if you do choose her to plan the wedding, that

doesnt mean you have to use her flowers and cakes.
I have seen instances where you must choose all a
planner offers. [Real] life is rarely about choice, and
Second Life should be - so I want people to have
choices.
Its easy to find out who Monica the Wedding Planner is
- ask any of her customers. They will uniformly tell you
that Monica is thorough, organised, talented, smart,
kind, helpful, clever, creative... the list goes on.
43
Urlani Fetuccio-Mixmaster summed it up nicely. I met

Monica when I was getting married, she said, and my
thoughts and ideas were a mess prior to meeting her. A
friend took me to see Monica, and it was like a ray of sunlight
on a cloudy day. She was so professional and helpful and
honest. I knew I didnt need to leave the sim. It was the first
and last place I went to. Over the month-long process she
and I became friends, and she is one of the most awesome
people I have ever met in [Second Life]. She is witty, funny,
and a top-notch businesswoman. I always say Monica is the
best thing since sliced bread, and she is!
44
But who is Monica the person?

Monica came to Second Life a little differently than
most. She heard about it while she was involved in
another virtual world. I had a family group of a
sort at the other virtual world and wed gotten into a
bit of a, well, turf war, with other family groups. So,
after I was told about Second Life, when I saw the
potential for us to be able to have our own space, I
brought all forty of them with me.
Within a month, one member of their group had
purchased a sim for them to live on, and Monica was
picking up strays on her exploratory expeditions. I
tended to pick up friends when I went shopping. They
used to always say, Monica brings home a tagalong
every time she goes out. And the ones I brought had
different talents. So, one could DJ, or another could
make particles. Soon, Id built a pool area, and we

had our own club. Wed host parties literally daily.
I found I was good at talking up the crowd, and
people would come just to hang out.
Having done a little building in the other world, Monica
would look around when she was out shopping and
exploring in Second Life to try to figure out how they
made a cube become a chair, things like that. I didnt
exactly get hooked on building - it was that people
always asked me if I could build a particular thing. I
got hooked on the challenge of making whatever it
was.
According to Monica, she sort of stumbled on the
wedding industry. Just like building, I backed into
weddings. I opened a flower shop at first, just little
vases with florals in them, nothing special. Decided
to do a bunch for Valentines Day. I opened up that

morning, and by the time night fell, Id made [real
life] rent money. Id not given my building any
thought in terms of it being something profitable
until then.
The desk flowers turned into bouquets, bouquets
into people asking me to decorate their venues,
decorating their venues into asking me to plan the
entire wedding look and theme, and from that to
building the venues themselves.
45
That was in 2008. In the winter of 2009, Monica quit

her real life job and moved home to help take care of
her father, who had terminal cancer. For the last two
months of his life, she sat with him for hours. While he
slept, she worked in Second Life, eventually creating
her first wedding venue. Soon she had her own sim
with two wedding venues on it. She now has ten sims
in all, half business and the other half residential. Most
of her original family still live close, along with the
new friends shes made. She works ten to twelve hours
a day in Second Life, which is her full-time job and has
been since 2009.
46

So does that leave her with any time to play? I make
time. I try to make sure I speak to my [Second Life]
sisters at least once a day or a week, if only to say
hello. And I try to show up in person to those who
also have business endeavours to see how things
are with them. My [Second Life] brothers all have
businesses of their own, so a simple howdee is good
for them. But all of my family knows, if they really
need me, I will drop what I am doing to assist.
Monicas friends, employees, and tenants all use
the same words to describe her: smart, funny,
compassionate, creative, amazing, awesome. Full of
life, loves to laugh. Just the best there is.
So if youve found that certain someone and are
headed for a walk down the aisle, wander over to
Wedding Lane and meet the Lady herself; it might
just be your first step toward a perfect wedding. If
marriage isnt on your horizon, pop in and meet her
anyway, because whether to make you a bouquet,
plan your wedding, or be your friend, Monica Weir is
someone you want to know.
[1]
Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil
Spector. Chapel of Love. Definitive version: The
Dixie Cups 1964.
47
48
Designers of the Month:
Lapointe & Bastchild

by Tricia Aferdita
photographed by judith lefevre
49
Once upon a time, a handsome Australian

artist ventured into a virtual realm, where
he met a beautiful American girl. They
quickly fell in love and built a magical
world to live in
It sounds like a fairy tale, and one commonly heard
in Second Life, but this is a story that began from
their first days in the virtual world and transcended
the barrier into reality.
Paul Lapointe and Bastchild Lotus both arrived in
Second Life in 2006. Paul had watched a television
programme that covered Second Life and was
immediately drawn to the creative possibilities it
offered. Bastchild read an article in Popular Science
and was inspired to try out this new virtual world. As
soon as she could get a computer with the graphics
card required, she jumped at the chance to try it out.
Both Paul and Bastchild were inspired to create nearly
from the first day that they rezzed. Paul, like most
male designers, was dissatisfied with the clothing
available for men at the time. On his second day, he
created his first article of clothing - a button up shirt
- and still recalls the challenge of making buttons.
Not too long after that, Paul started his first small
store on the mainland. This is where he first met
Bastchild, or Bast, as she calls herself, and felt the
instant connection. He recalls following her around
the store trying to appear impressive, and he laughs.
They quickly became friends, spending months
sharing stories and excitedly discussing Second Life
design ideas.
Basts first fashion love was accessories, so some of
her first real commercial creations were purses and
jewellery. She recalls, however, that the very first
thing she created was a little lamp and how she was
so excited and nervous to show it to Paul.
Pauls first store was a mix of clothing that leaned
towards urban men and womens styles. A classically
trained artist, he credits his art background for helping
him approach clothing design more like creating a piece
of art than just making a piece of clothing. This gave him
an individual style that won his business a fast growing
customer base. He was able to move to a larger piece
of land and began working like it was an addiction,
creating more designs, constantly improving on them.
During this time he and Bast bounced ideas off each

other and contributed to each others creations,
their process evolving to become the way they work
together so naturally today. Paul recalls that Bast
was learning how to make furniture at the time but
that she had mentioned her real life interest in the
bridal industry, particularly cakes and flowers.
As their design business evolved, so did their
relationship. They partnered in Second Life in January
2007 and met in real life for the first time in April
2007, starting what Bast refers to as a RL romantic
journey spanning half the world (U.S. to Australia)
As their business grew, eventually requests started
coming in for wedding dresses. This then led to
bridal flowers and tuxedos, and they expanded their
jewellery business to include a full line of wedding
rings. Today, they have a full floral store with dcor,
wedding party flowers and cakes to go along with the
gowns, tuxedos, formal wear, and jewellery.
As their relationship has grown, so has their ability
to work as a team. They both bring a wide variety
of skill sets to the business, and they are continually
bouncing ideas off each other, much like they would
in a real life design studio. For the most part, the
clothing, footwear, and furniture are created by Paul,
while the jewellery, flowers, and cakes have become
Basts creative outlet.
50
Although the work may outwardly have Pauls name

on it or Basts, it is more often a natural collaborative
creation. They frequently switch back and forth on
the designs, working in what Paul refers to as a
very fluid and exciting environment where were
constantly talking about the piece and what we feel
it needs Bast nicely sums it up: The beauty of our
design relationship is that we could cross over to any
product we want to... and look to the other person
for vision, advice, and suggestions - its all about
creativity.
And inspired they are. Paul creates his own textures

and has always been totally about textures, advising
aspiring designers that Texture is king in Second
Life. The texture becomes the foundation of the
design. He approaches it like a painting and builds
from the ground up, often mixing real and fabricated
to achieve the look he wants. A combination of
several computer programs enhances his designs,
ranging from Photoshop and Poser to ZBrush. ZBrush
and 3D design are a big part of his creative process
at present.
When asked what types of things inspire their designs,

it was clear that their way of looking at the world
was a key source of creativity. Paul credits his work
as a painter in real life and is constantly stockpiling
the visual gems that he sees daily. These gems
can range from actual clothing to art, movies,
magazines, billboards, architecture, or just the way
light is hitting an object in the room that day.
Nearly everything Bast uses is also created by them

or is a heavily altered version of other textures using
Photoshop or ZBrush. Originally Paul helped her
make her textures. Now she grins and notes that
though she credits Paul as being a texture genius
and for helping her learn Photoshop, she feels she
has learned quite a lot and can create most of her
own textures.
Bast is similarly inspired by anything that catches my

eye - a really astounding piece of jewellery, a really
unbelievably photographed magazine ad things that
make me think, I wish I could do that. She adds,
Thats the beauty of Second Life - you can aspire to
do anything, absolutely anything if you really want.
Paul has spent the better part of the last year using
ZBrush to improve his 3D skills. He loves the intuitive
interface and the ability it gives him to use his real
life sculpting skills to create. Bast credits many of
Second Lifes talented sculpt creators for their flower
and jewellery sculpts, ranging from Cory Hancroft of
51
Bejambled Designs to Ghanie Lane and Logan Baur of

Arctic Greenhouse. They are, however, starting to phase
them out for their own designs as they become more
acquainted with the 3D programs, including preparing
for the arrival of mesh.
When asked about the name they chose for their sim,
Evocative, and as a result, the branches known as
Evocative Homes, Evocative Designs, and Evocative
Flowers, Paul says that it came when he purchased his
first island, a big deal for a designer and very scary,
he laughs. He wanted the name to hint at all the things
they wanted to achieve with their designs. To evoke
romance, dreams, desires. And for that hope that
the things they create evoke a feeling of being

desirable, elegant, luxurious, relaxed. He adds, In
the end, all any designer can try to do is evoke
these feelings in some small way.
As their business continues to flourish, Lapointe
and Bastchilds most popular items have been
tuxedos and shoes on Pauls end and the premium
wedding rings on Basts side of things. Paul
continues to develop his 3D skills in order to build
an even more realistic design line. Bast is crazy
for wedding rings and cant wait to see what she
can do now that shes learning ZBrush. She has a
fondness for creating wedding cakes, as she used
52
to decorate cakes in real life, and Second Life allows

her to continue that creative process when her real
life kitchen is too small.
They are very proud of the business theyve created,
an elegant and stylish line with attention to detail.
Bast takes great pride in providing great customer
service and high quality work while still being able
to provide a wide variety. They constantly strive to
improve and grow and are eagerly awaiting what
they feel will be great improvements with the arrival
of mesh.
For Bast and Paul, Second Life has very much been
influenced by, and a creative outlet for, their real
lives. Paul was a full time artist for years, teaching
part time in order to eat regularly, he notes with a
laugh. He realised that he hated working for other
people nearly as much as he hated being told what
to do. That is when he decided that he was good
at what he does in Second Life and there was no
reason why he couldnt simply do that, create in
both real life and Second Life. Once he put his mind
to it, circumstances in his life changed and he found
himself doing just that.
Bast, like many of us, feels that for years her

creative side was put on hold due to her career.
When she finally found the chance to become a full
time designer in Second Life alongside Paul, it was
like a dream come true. She feels blessed that her
creativity has been able to take over her career now
and doubts she could ever go back to something
more mundane.
Paul believes that what you place most of your
thoughts and energy into will manifest itself in your
real life in one shape or another, for better or worse.
Fortunately for Paul and Bast, this was for the better.
As their love story developed, it was Pauls belief
that what they built together in Second Life would
come true for them in real life. As they expanded
into their wedding line, they began to find a way to
be together. On 1st October 2010, four years after
they first met in a virtual realm, Paul and Bast were
married in real life. In turn, it has come to mean a
lot to them to help people in Second Life show their
devotion because they understood what it was like to
find true love in a virtual world.
Visit Paul and Basts main store on Evocative
53
54
Finding Your Place in Time:

Weddings in the Past and Future
by Eva Bellambi
photographed by WILDSTAR BEAUMONT
55
For I will love you in all times and places.

Second Life is a place to explore, to play, to meet
others, to be as many things as one cares to be...
and sometimes, to fall in love. The Second Life home
page describes these elements, among others, as
some of the benefits of membership, as it seduces
those considering creating an avatar.
As in real life, those who are prepared to stand before
witnesses to proclaim their love and commitment
to one another generally have spent most of their
precious time together and share interests. One
natural development from this is an affinity for a
time or place. Often this may be the where or when
of the couples first meeting, where romance first
blossomed, the most enjoyable times were had, or
love was first declared.
Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary
life, love gives us a fairy tale. - anonymous
One of the chief draws of virtual worlds is the ability
to be who, what, when, and where one wants to be.
When the day arrives when vows of fidelity are to
be said, the possibilities of setting and theme are
endless. So endless, in fact, that this article may
merely whet the appetite for the times and places
one might either choose or create for that special
day of love and promise. In an effort to provide the

reader with a diverse cross-section of possibilities, we
shall focus on four very different wedding scenarios:
Ancient Rome, Medieval Times, the 19th Century,
and some far distant Future.
Ancient Rome
In ancient Rome there were specific laws created
to govern marriage, as it was seen far more as a
business contract between families than it was the
natural progression of things based on romantic love.
Once permission to marry had been granted, the
bride and groom might proceed with the ceremony of
marriage. Very much like weddings or partnerships
in Second Life, marriage in ancient Roman times
had no legal force of its own but was instead a very
personal commitment by the bride and groom to live
together.
For the avatarian bride and groom, the tradition
of an ancient Roman wedding ceremony may be
achieved either by seeking an appropriate location,
such as ROMA, or by creating the scene on ones
own property. In order to remain relatively true to
the time and place, one might arrange the ceremony
either in a temple to Juno (the goddess of marriage),
at a shrine, or at a private altar at home.
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In antiquity the bride would have received an

engagement ring, which was placed on the third
finger of the left hand circling the nerve running
directly from that finger to the heart. She would
also have selected a white woven tunic which would
be belted with the knot of Hercules, the guardian
of married life. Only the husband would be able to
untie this knot.
The ceremony itself was very simple with the bride
and groom standing before witnesses and the priest
as they held hands. A lovely ancient chant would
be said by the bride, Quando tu Gaius, ego Gaia,
which translated means, When and where you are
Gaius, I then and there am Gaia. An offering would
be made to Jupiter, which was generally a cake, and
then a very elaborate wedding feast and party would
be had.
In ROMA there are number of lovely areas, such
as Jupiter and Junos temples, where one might
draw inspiration for an ancient Roman ceremony. The
Marketplace in ROMA may also be a good resource
for setting the scene. According to Torin Golding,
ROMA owner, Presently, only citizens of ROMA have
wed in the sim, often because they met there and
want to revisit a place of meaning for them. Golding
further shared that there have been a couple of quite
memorable ceremonies including one which was held
in Dianas Shrine, as one of the celebrants was an
acolyte of Dianas.
The Renaissance/Medieval Period

Perhaps your ideal wedding ceremony includes
a processional complete with minstrels playing
traditional music, armoured knights and pages,
attendants carrying the brides chalice and the
wedding cake, and friends and relatives wearing
their finest and most colourful clothes. If this is the
case, it sounds as though a Renaissance wedding
is just right for you. It was only late in the Middle
Ages that the Catholic Church dominated culture. As
a consequence, Renaissance wedding ceremonies
after that time were most likely to take place in a
chapel or a door of the church.
One lovely and period-appropriate chapel in Second
Life may be found on Renaissance Island. This
entire simulator is dedicated to an English Renaissance
lifestyle and would be quite appropriate for a handfasting ceremony, as well as a more formal betrothal
ceremony or wedding celebration.
Holy Cross Abbey, located in Greater Ireland
Tipperary, sits amidst a quaint village of medieval
cottages. The light in the abbey is a stunning
addition to the building. Another pleasing element
of this location is the atrium courtyard, which houses
a shidare sakura, or night blossom cherry tree. This
area itself might make a wonderful wedding location;
however, if you step further into the abbey you will
find the sanctuary and altar.
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Perhaps you are having your wedding on a property

that is more modern. The medieval wedding can still
be improvised. Decorate the space with plenty of ivy
(the traditional wedding plant of the era), black iron
candelabrum and scrolls, banners and family crests,
large baskets of flowers, and flowered garlands on
wooden or iron poles.
Brides of this period wore dark and regal velvet
dresses in such colours as hunter green, burgundy,
or dark purple. Often these dresses were laced up
the sides or back, were floor-length, and had long

sleeves. Dress for the male was also unique: tights,
breeches, tunics, laced vests, and boots were the
order of the day.
Another thing that sets the medieval wedding apart
from those of other times is the prominent use of
herbs, including rosemary for remembrance, sage for
wisdom, and even garlic to deter evil spirits. These
and other herbs play a key role in the ceremony and
are generally interspersed with the chosen flowers.
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19th Century (The Victorian Era)

During the Victorian Era (generally given as 18371901), romantic love became viewed as the primary
requirement for marriage, and courting became even
more formal - almost an art form among the upper
classes.* The wedding itself and the events leading
up to the ceremony are steeped in ancient traditions
that carried through to Victorian customs. One of the
traditions a bride would employ is careful selection of
the month and day of her wedding. June has always
been the most popular month, for it is named after
Juno. The belief was that she would bring prosperity
and happiness to all who wed in her month.
Wedding ceremonies during this period of time were
either held at home or in the couples church. Flowers
were widely used in either setting, and the dcor was

generally quite lavish. Even the home wedding held
a profusion of white and another colour, according
to the theme. These colours would adorn doorways,
balustrades, windows, and fireplaces. Harking back
to Roman times when nuts were thrown after the
departing couple, the Victorians continued this
tradition using rice, grain, or birdseed. The wedding
carriage was often drawn by four white horses.
Receptions were held at the brides family home,
and if the weather was nice enough, tables were
arranged for guests to be served outside in the
garden. Evening receptions were grand affairs with
dancing and perhaps other entertainments along
with the dinner.
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The Victorian wedding is very achievable for

partnering ceremonies in Second Life. There are
a large number of merchants who create and sell
lush floral arrangements, 19th century ornaments,
lace, and ornate floral patterns. As well, one will find
several very fine Victorian era sims, some of which
are fantasy-based, lightly themed, or strict role-play,
via a simple search inworld.
One may find Kaye Robbianis Ville de Givernys
chapel just the perfect spot for a wedding. This

village, set in 19th century France, is bursting with
quaint charm as well as beautiful flowers and many
trappings of a French countryside wedding.
Or perhaps the peaceful chapel created by Bert
Nuubert in Caledon Brigadoon is more suitable to
your lovers quiet soul. One will find beautiful stained
glass, prayer candles, and warm, dark woods to wrap
around oneself and ones betrothed in this church
deep in the heart of Victorian-themed Caledon.
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Somewhere in the future

People think dreams arent real just because they
arent made of matter, of particles. Dreams are
real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images, of
memories and puns and lost hopes.
- John Dee in Preludes & Nocturnes,
The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman
Perhaps you and your beloved want to write all the
rules for your ceremony. Perhaps you have found a
future that is part man, part machine; part science
fiction, part noir thriller. Drawing inspiration from a
number of places, feelings, situations, perhaps you
will wear leather and steel rather than satin and
lace. If the ceremony you envision is found in a
post-modern, perhaps post-apocalyptic world of high
technology and low life, then cyberpunk may be the
genre you are seeking.
One particularly stunning sim where one might find
such fascinating creative buildings, beings, and
clothing is Insilico. Insilico consists of five sims
floating above the surface of a destroyed Earth. One

perfect place for your cyberpunk wedding may be
found at Antonement, which is a chapel of sorts
in Insilico. Darkness plays with dim light from deep
purple candles here. Wicca and Christianity also find
an odd companionship in this place.
Many couples have a very strong idea of what their
partnering ceremony will be even as the engagement
begins. Others will need to travel the metaverse to
find the perfect time and place. Regardless of ones
specific situation, however, the world of Second Life
is filled with time upon time of choices for couples
seeking to be married. So step into your own time
machine and explore what this world has available
to you.
Love each other in all times and places.
*Read more about Victorian love and romance in our

Feb 2011 issue of The Primgraph and in the transcript
of the authors talk on the subject at the February
Aether Salon.
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Creating a
Wedding Garden
by Ceejay Writer
photographed by judith lefevre
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As an alternative to a church or other

indoor venue, many couples choose to
step outdoors and let the beauty of nature
provide a natural, romantic setting for their
special day.
If you have been following our Creating A Garden
series, youll be able to build upon what youve
learned from past guides, especially the Fantasy,
Romantic, and Midnight Garden articles. All of these
and more can be found in our Prim Perfect Guide for
Gardeners in Second Life.
We will be discussing various elements of a classic
white wedding garden, but with a little imagination
you can switch out the details to suit a goth wedding,
an elven ceremony, or whatever your two hearts
desire. No matter what style of garden wedding
you choose, this guide should give you some solid,
practical advice on structuring your space.
Setting the Mood
As your guests enter the garden, you have your first
opportunity to set the mood and draw them into your
own perfect fantasy. Happily, Second Life allows us
lots of leeway to alter our reality to suit our needs,
much more easily than does real life! If you are

planning a daytime wedding, or perhaps a ceremony
at sunset, convey this information to your guests so
they may set their viewers accordingly.
Choosing the illumination for your garden is a key
factor, as everything else you design will be affected
by the lighting. A daytime wedding should be
designed in natural daylight, but an evening wedding
will call for a more dramatic treatment. Think about
stringing lights through the trees or surrounding a
fountain with an abundance of candles. The pathway
that will lead the bride to her groom could be lined
with tall outdoor candlesticks. For a truly indulgent
touch, hang lit crystal candelabras from various tree
branches.
Even though you are already in a garden, you will
probably wish to add bouquets of flowers to the
setting. If your garden is very green and lush, you
can achieve a stunning effect by choosing one colour,
perhaps pink or purple, and combining various
shades of that colour along with just enough white
flowers to accent. Deep reds combined with ivory will
create a more dramatic look. And, of course, consider
the colours of the wedding partys wardrobe as you
arrange your flowers.
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The Focal Point

If theres any day in your life when you are allowed to
draw all the attention, this is that day! The focus of the
garden layout should be where you and your beloved
will stand together to take your vows. An elaborate
trellis is quite traditional and beautiful. Depending
on the rest of your decor, it could be covered in ivy
or flowers, or it might feature streamers of coloured
silk. A gazebo proportionally sized to suit the space
would complement the natural surroundings and
also provide a showcase for the happy couple. After
the ceremony, the trellis or gazebo could be used to
show off your wedding cake or a champagne fountain
during the reception.
If the garden is wild and sprawling, as opposed to a
manicured space, an impressive alternative would be
an elevated stonework platform, with steps leading
the couple up to stand slightly above their guests.
This works best when artfully placed so that the
natural setting forms a dramatic backdrop. A waterfall
would be a breathtaking choice in this arrangement.
The Jungle Collection - Mayan Ruins at Luna Bliss
Garden Center features a raised stone ruin element
that would be wonderful for this purpose. Luna Bliss
also offers waterfalls to complete the look!
With so many choices available to you for your walk

down the aisle, which may not even be an aisle at all,
take care to ensure that the wedding march animation
system you choose is in tune with the terrain. Having
the wedding party walk up a mountainside to a special
site might be a fun idea - but not if your HUD sends
everyone plunging into the chasm down below!
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Accommodating Your Guests
The Reception Party
One detail that is often not given enough thought

is the seating arrangement for your guests. Keep in
mind that most women delight in choosing lovely
formal gowns for such a happy occasion. Sadly, prim
skirts like to fall straight down when the wearer is
seated, no matter how sturdy the seat of the chair
may be. This is something we are all used to, and it
may not matter to you. However, if you are particular
and will be taking lots of pictures of your guests
during the ceremony, it may be better to arrange
areas for the guests to stand. Those pretty gowns
will look ever so much nicer in your wedding album!
Theres nothing as lovely as a garden party - and

youre already there! With the ceremony completed,
the garden can easily segue into an entertainment
area. Try to avoid plopping tables down amongst your
guests and shoving them about to arrange a buffet
area while messing with platters and drinks as your
guests wait. This sort of activity breaks the mood.
If you simply must have tables laden with food and
drink, have them in place well before the ceremony.
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A Bit of Showmanship, Perhaps?

In spite of whats just been said, theres always the
exception to the rule. I once attended a dramatic
garden-graveyard wedding to witness the joining
of a vampire couple. After the ceremony (which
featured a beautifully detailed above ground crypt
as the backdrop for their vows), a silver bucket
of champagne on ice wafted into place on the the
edge of a fountain, dry ice pouring down its sides.
Platters of appetizers quietly appeared atop a short
stone wall, and for the finale, a poofer filled with
hundreds of flying bats ushered in a blood-wine
fountains appearance beneath a majestic tree. It

was all quite magical and accomplished with enough
fanfare to be impressive.
Not all weddings require bats and blood, of course,
but think about trying a similar technique with,
perhaps, a poofer filled with hearts and sparkles
and a champagne fountain (Dellybean North of True
North Designs True North Designs makes a splendid
one with beautiful glasses). After all, the point of
holding your ceremony in a wedding garden is to
draw everyone into the beauty and magic you and
your sweetheart are feeling on your special day.
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Inspired? Ready to Shop?
Again, I must recommend the Prim Perfect Guide for
Gardeners in Second Life. Flip through its pages and
youll find a wealth of garden centres featured, each
of which is highly recommended by Prim Perfect. In
addition to that resource, heres a list of shops which
carry specific items related to the article you have
just read. Explore and enjoy the process of creating
your own unique wedding garden!
Outdoor Lamps, Circling Swans, Water Elements

Fantasy Trees with Particle Effects, Fireflies,
Fireworks, Champagne Service
Basic Elements
Arbors and Gazebos

Fab Pads!
Outdoor Lighting
Lotus Temple Garden
Waterfalls, Scripted Color-Change Potted

Plants, Jungle Collection - Mayan Ruins
Luna Bliss Garden Center
Scripted
Champagne
Fountains,
Fountains
Fountains @ True North Designs
Outdoor
Outdoor Furnishings and Knicknacks

EtCetera ETC
Environmental Sound Effects Rocks, Firefly

Rezzers, Fantasy Landscaping
Antique Elven Furniture
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Electric Honeymoons
by Rowan Derryth
photographed by PJ Trenton
The bouquet has been tossed, the cake consumed... the big day might be over, but
the real fun is only just beginning!
It could be argued that Second Life is one big holiday. You dont have to break the bank to travel and see
amazing sites from across the spectrum of space and time, so the idea of booking a vacation inworld might
seem a bit odd. But when youve decided to take the leap with your special someone, why not go all the way
and find a cosy place to celebrate and have a romantic time as you settle in to your new virtual life together?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are many places that cater to just that notion. A simple search reveals a
plethora of rentals and destinations - many of which use the term honeymoon as code for particular kinds
of amenities available, but which, on arrival, sadly end up being the virtual equivalent of a cheap highway
motel. So here are recommendations of places which not just offer something for more intimate moments
but provide a true sense of escape in a romantic atmosphere - for a variety of tastes! Although they are
certainly a bit different in Second Life, weve found a few that offer the fun and classy amenities one would
wish for - and they are especially great if you only have a few days to spare. In addition, most of these
places are all-inclusive, with furnished rentals that are pose-enabled, and in fact offer facilities for your
wedding and/or reception too!
LUXURIOUS GETAWAYS
Galaxy Cruise Ship

Contact: DBDigital Epsilon (further staff available at the ship)
Rentals: A range of rooms and suites are available (furnished or unfurnished). The Honeymoon suite has
a 100 prim limit and is L$1000 a night; or for even more sumptuous surroundings, the Galaxy Suite is
furnished over two levels in the back of the ship, has private balconies, a sauna and built-in hot tub, and a
private helipad (200 prim limit, L$5200 a week or L$1200 a day).
The Galaxy Cruise Ship is a classic Second Life destination (and in fact featured in our second issue). Just
like a virtual Love Boat, the Galaxy offers a host of activities for you and your sweetie to enjoy, from dancing
to rock climbing. Two dance clubs, a choice of restaurants (including a lovely sushi bar), swimming pools,
art galleries, a mall, a cinema, skeet shooting, a skating rink... the list of activities will certainly give you
ample opportunity to enjoy each others company as you explore this amazing three-sim masterpiece. The
rooms are comfortable, but if the dcor isnt to your taste, you can arrange to bring in your own (I highly
recommend Dutchies 115 prim Linden Home pack featured in our March issue).
It should also be noted that the Galaxy offers gift certificates, so it makes a great wedding gift as well! With
so much fun to be had, it truly is the perfect place to explore (as they sang on the Love Boat) looooove...
exciting and new... come aboard... were expecting you...!
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Casablanca Suites & Hotel Beach Resort

Contact: BlackBarbie Bravin
Rentals: In addition to permanent residency options, there are guest suites available for L$3000 per week.
Furnished suites also allow 250 prims, but you can have 450 if you furnish it yourself. However, with chic
dcor by the likes of Eliza Wierwight and Gospel Voom, why bother redecorating? Just relax and indulge.
The Casablanca Suites & Hotel Beach Resort is at the heart of the Boulevard residential community - a
project of BOSLs Frolic Mills and renowned virtual architect Patch Thibaud. The hotel was in fact built by
Patch and is exemplary of his signature aesthetic. Adding some open sea for water sports would make
this place perfect, but there is still plenty of sunny lounge space, and I was particularly enamoured with
cabana-like tables around the fabulously designed pool, perfect for a cosy cocktail. The deco-inspired Crystal
Ballroom is also available for your celebration.
One of my favourite aspects of the Casablanca is that it features original artwork throughout, rather than the
rezzed (and stretched out of shape) Klimt posters that I was disappointed to see in some other locations.
Major points in my book. As well, the rooms and public spaces are custom designed and furnished by Gos
and Patron, making the place positively sumptuous. The Casablanca has SL-GLAM written all over it, which
is perhaps unsurprising since it hosts the Miss Virtual World pageant. Jealous brides should be warned expect to see fashion models lounging by the pool!
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The Beacon Hotel

Contact: Charlotte Rhino or Aisha Convair
Rental: Eight suites (L$250-280 per 24 hours, depending on size) and eight outside Villas (L$1800 per
week); fully (and beautifully!) furnished.
This is the one I almost hate to divulge, because I feel like it is a best-kept secret! I hadnt heard of The
Beacon before and discovered it through Search. My first impression was that it was a bit over the top, but
once I was accustomed to the striking golden, black and earth-toned palette, I very quickly grew to love it!
It is set on beautifully landscaped islands, and the structures are expertly designed inside and out by Cha
Chama and Clover Oxygen in a rather exotic style that feels like a remote tropical resort (and rumour had
it that it is modelled after a place in Thailand). Oxygens partner Charlotte Rhino is the owner and CEO, and
their vision certainly strikes the perfect tone for a romantic hideaway.
Although it has been around for four years, The Beacon is redesigned every year and is constantly updated,
offering the most current amenities. The villas are fantastic and very reasonably priced. If you are looking
for a shorter break, though, the suites are spacious and just as sumptuously decorated, with cosy baths and
gorgeous furniture from Prime - the beds are especially lovely!
If you can tear yourself from the gorgeous rooms, The Beacon also has a gym, spa, outside lounge area,
upstairs club, spacious lobby, and inner courtyard for relaxing which includes a walkway and water features.
In fact, my favourite area is the indoor/outdoor pool which stretches alongside the cocktail bar, complemented
by the open, breezy feel of the architecture. Theyve even included a hidden grotto behind the indoor
waterfall for private cuddling. The Beacon Ballroom adjoins the hotel and features an upstairs dining area,
downstairs lounge, dance floor, bar, performance stage, and a must-see outside pier area. Another lovely
venue for a complete celebration.
NATURE RETREATS
Dreamscape Honeymoons
Contact: Mikhail Obscure or Sophia Vandeverre
Rentals: Dreamscape actually offers a variety of reasonably priced short- and long-term rentals; we looked
at their tropical huts and villas on the mainland sims of Strawberry Wild and Quietly Red, which range from
about L$500-1600 a week for 200-600 prims.
Dreamscape was started by two people who fell in love, so of course their rentals are romantic! I admit I
was a bit skeptical when I landed in their rental office, but dont be misled by the heart particles and rotating
floating text! Their beach rentals are nicely built and tastefully furnished - or unfurnished if youd like to
include your own touches. They offer wedding packages, too, and some of their rentals are certainly large
enough to host a party (including a Rivendell Castle for Lord of the Rings fans).
The houses on the islands are somewhat close together, but they do offer parcel security, and you can
rez a skybox if youd like a bit more privacy. In terms of activities, these rentals offered me the chance to
do something Id done very little of - explore the mainland! They sit just on the edge of open water and
are perfect for those who love boating (in fact you can sail all the way to the Nantucket Yacht Club, about
fifteen sims to the east, and beyond!). Not far away we found a beautiful lighthouse, a naval museum, small
deserted islands, a ghost ship, and some airplane wreckage that pointed to a fantastic coral reef perfect for
some scuba fun. Who knows what other wonders you and your partner might discover!
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Fruit Islands Treehouses

Contact: Dennis Lagan or Equinox Pinion
Rentals: A variety of unfurnished tree houses are available at L$2200 a week for 500 prims. These arent
listed in their land office, but you can visit the island of Fig and simply pay the tier stone for the one you like.
At over 150 sims, Fruit Islands is one of the most popular residential communities in Second Life. If this
were an article about where to settle down, Id certainly suggest this as a place to land hunt. However most
of their numerous properties are intended for the long haul - the land purchase prices are not for starter
budgets, and the tiers are respectable.
But if youd like just a taste of island life (or even to try this community out), Dennis Lagan and Equinox
Pinion have reserved the island of Fig for short term rentals of a most unusual kind - incredible tree houses!
They come with a generous amount of prims so you can have fun setting up your love nest (and quite the
appropriate place for a nest it is!) just the way you like. Although the island is shared, being up in the trees
offers a secluded feel that will allow you to relax and sip a pia colada from a shared coconut shell while you
play castaway with your sweetie. This is, as well, another great spot for sailing buffs - the two of you can
rez your boat and explore the vast community to your hearts content!
Wolf Mountain
Contact: Peach Fizz
Rentals: Three fully furnished luxury honeymoon suites (chalets really) are available for daily or weekly
stays. Prices range from L$850-1000 a night but are discounted for longer stays. A small prim allowance is
also available for any special items, and the owners are happy to accommodate special requests.
Wolf Mountain is another place we love, and it was featured in our December 2009 issue. Like the Galaxy,
Wolf Mountain is not lacking in fun activities to share. Year round winter sports like skiing and ice skating are
available, including my personal favourite, the very fast and dangerous toboggans which owner Peach Fizz
had specially designed for her mountain. But you can truly have it all here, as sailing, kayaking, horsebackriding and raft rides are also available... not to mention romantic balloon rides and a tunnel of love!
Similar to Fruit Islands, Wolf Mountain is a residential community with a host of regularly scheduled events
and a friendly population base - which can certainly make for a fun social experience. But when you want
more quiet moments, the honeymoon suites feel perfectly cosy and have all the amenities you might want
for enjoying intimate time. While two of the suites are very up-to-date, Peach also rents her original chalet
(at a slightly reduced rate), a funky hexagonal tower which might allow some older avatars to reminisce
about the good ol virtual days. But it is still very current and also very popular according to Peach, so book
in advance!
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Mystic River Estates

Contact: Winter Loxley
Rentals: Beautifully constructed and furnished cabins for weekly rent in the L$1500-2000 range, with 100
prims for your personal touches. Extra prims available for a reasonable fee. Each landing point has signposts
with available rentals, which you may tour, then simply pay the rental box outside the home of your choice.
Mystic River is just one of several residential estates owned by Winter Loxley, which also includes Big Bear
Lake, Sonoma, and Summerfield Estates. This is a bit of a different recommendation, as these estates are
strictly residential and are not resort-style destinations like the others here. However, they are so beautifully
composed - and so gorgeously landscaped - it occurred to me that they are perfect getaways for those who
dont want anything more than a private space to relax, talk, dance, and enjoy each others company. (I may
have even become enamoured enough to grab one for a weeks vacation myself!)
Part of what makes this so stunning is the selection of cabins, many designed by the talented SkyeRyder
Varriale of Varriale Designs or Rider Raleigh of Stonewood Homes. Winter has tastefully decorated them in
cosy, rustic styles with furnishings from places like Zen Creations. Each home is nestled in cosy forested
surroundings and is equipped with a SHOUTcast radio and a well-stocked Intan so you can enjoy a dance
with your loved one anywhere on your property. For added privacy, land security is also available to you, but
the stunning landscape makes each house feel like a secret hideaway.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH
If you are in the mood for a more exotic or quirkier adventure, why not construct your own tour around the
virtual world? Exploring the grid is a regular part of many of our second lives, but with just a little planning
you could create your own themed adventure.
For example, artsy-muso-types might want to check in at the funky Hotel Chelsea (contact: enola Vaher)
- where the Kings of Leons Your Sex is On Fire was appropriately blasting when I arrived. Modelled after
the original New York City bastion of bohemian culture, there is even a replica of the room where Sid and
Nancy once stayed... and where Nancy was infamously stabbed to death (their ghosts hover about) - trs
romantique for you and your punk rock girl! While there isnt as much to see in the surrounding area, there
is a regular event schedule of live music and poetry readings in the hotel bar, and you could use the (cheap
at L$75-400 a week) rooms as a home base while you globe-trot to Paris 1900, London, or wherever else
takes your fancy; or gallery hop the grid between taking in virtual gigs.
And this being a virtual realm where anything is possible, why stay rooted in the present? How about a
steampunk honeymoon in New Babbage, where you can get a cosy room at the Brunel Hall Hotel (contact:
Victor1st Mornington). Ground floor rooms rent for L$300 a week (75 prims) and the upper floor is available
for L$350 a week (100 prims). Brunel Hall also has a cosy pub (the Scottish proprietor has made it very
authentic!) and a swimming pool (olde tyme bathing costumes are free). New Babbage has fun activities
happening all the time, wonderful sites and shops to explore, romantic hideaways, friendly residents, and
even a dastardly villain or two to spice up your adventure! Youll soon find yourself exploring the mysterious
back streets, or perhaps even the sewers or sea, whispering the infamous town motto in trepidatious comfort:
What could possibly go wrong?
In Second Life, your honeymoon is only limited by your imagination. Whatever you do, make it something
you both will enjoy and which will enable you the precious time to create memories and share your hopes
and dreams for a beautiful virtual future together.
Historical Honeymoons
Did Antony and Cleopatra have a honeymoon? Perhaps! The notion is quite old, even biblical, and relates to the settling
in period after a couple was newly married. A time when a couple could come to know each other in all ways, including
sexual initiation.
The phrase itself has somewhat mysterious origins but seems to have been in use in England by the 16th century. It
is largely thought to relate to the idea of a sweet period of love and romance after marriage, lasting the phase of a
moon. It may also relate to the European custom of giving the bride and groom mead (honey wine) for a month after
their wedding.
The custom of taking a trip evolved in the 19th century and was taken from Indian bridal tours, when newlyweds would
travel to see relatives that could not attend their ceremony. This changed into the practice of an intimate holiday during
the Belle Epoque. This is certainly reflected in the French term for honeymoon - voyage damour!
Our modern society has rendered some of these necessities obsolete for many of us. But your honeymoon is still a
wonderful time to celebrate your love and your decision to share your life. Why not let it last a full moon phase - or
perhaps many moon phases!
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82
adv i c e f or n e w c o m e r s
Virtual World
Wedding Etiquette
by Annechen Lowey
photographed by PJ Trenton
83
Your best friend on the grid is getting Your invitation should convey the tone of the wedding.
married! What do you do next? Here are The particulars should include
some tips for making the event memorable
- in a good way.
In all honesty, there are hundreds of articles
concerning wedding etiquette. Several respected
experts in the field have websites devoted to the
subject. Why would we consider adding another
article? For the simple reason that there are many
things specific to the virtual world that have not
come up before.
The virtual world has so many new frontiers - and
we are happy for those of our friends who find
someone to share the journey as they explore
the new horizons. We can help the happy couple
celebrate their joy by making their celebration as
smooth as possible. Some of these tips are generally
applicable to any heavily-attended event, and there
are some that are specific to the wedding party, but
with everyone cooperating, the ceremony will be a
beautiful memory for all involved.
First, for those most centrally involved in the
ceremony, there are important considerations to
ponder months before the event. In the physical
world, weddings can take over a year to plan, booking
the sites and caterers and having the clothing made.
Many of these considerations are either negated
or shortened in the virtual world, but an event
this important still requires some thought. Having
a wedding on a holiday weekend is usually only a
good idea in the physical world if the guests need
the extra time to travel. In the virtual world, these
times are bad for lag and people actually travelling
in the physical world. Take some time to remember
grid conditions, the availability of the officiant, and
the schedules of your guests when picking the date.
One of the wonderful things about the virtual world
is that your invitation is not constrained by postal
costs, standard sizes, or even conventional physics!
However, requiring that your invitees go to a sandbox
to open an invitation embedded in a sculpture built
with 100 prims, multiple rotational scripts, and music
samples is a bit excessive. If you really want to
give this huge construction as a gift to your guests,
include a notecard with all of the details about the
wedding that does not require them to unpack the
sculpture.
Names of the Brides, Grooms, or Bride and Groom

(just to make sure everyone is on the same page)
Names of those hosting the wedding (more on
this later)
Day and date (double-check this on the calendar,
to make sure the 19th is actually on a Friday this
year, for instance).
Weddings are normally formal events, so spell
the date out. On the off chance this is an informal
wedding, you could opt to use the numeric date,
but remember that while Americans use the
format Month, Day, Year, Europeans favour Day,
Month, Year. You dont want half your guests
turning up on 3rd February to a 2nd March
wedding because you put 3/2/2012!
Time (again, defaulting to the formal event
format - spell out the time such as Six oclock in
the evening, Second Life Time)
Location (preferably with a landmark in the
invitation package or folder)
Appropriate attire (White Tie, Black Tie, Festive,
Formal, and so on)
Something that should be mentioned as a carryover

from the other articles - registry information should
not be included on the invitation. Traditionally, that
information is passed along by word of mouth, since
wedding gifts are not mandatory. The maid of honour
and best man have been the traditional point of
contact for this sort of information. If the invitation
has the couples families listed (Doctor and Mrs
Frankenstein and Admiral and Mr Kirk request your
presence at the marriage of their children), ask these
people who is driving the ceremony. Sometimes, the
host or hostess may not be listed on the invitation
but could be the one who sent out the invitation,
so check your transaction record if you missed that
when it was received. If there are still no clues, drop
a short notecard to the couple to ask if they have a
wedding wrangler.
There are those who might feel the ceremony itself
is a very private thing, and this is an acceptable
84
practice for those who wish to keep the ceremony in

religious solemnity or have a small venue in mind.
Another consideration, specific to the virtual world,
is it might not be feasible to schedule the ceremony
at a convenient time for friends from all time zones.
So it is perfectly acceptable to send invitations to the
ceremony to intimates and have a larger reception
later. The reverse is not true, though. Everyone
invited to the ceremony should be invited to the
reception. If there are those invited to the ceremony
who do not care for the style of the reception, it is
their choice if they wish to decline that portion of the
festivities, but you should give them the option.
Please also remember to proofread the invitations

before you send them out or have the texture created,
and even have a friend proofread them as well, to
make sure nothing has been forgotten. You know all
the particulars to the event, and the reason you have
someone else proofread is to make sure everything
about the grand plan in your head gets communicated.
It is quite understandable that you may be twitterpated
enough to forget to mention the day or add the wrong
landmark. Your good friend can make sure all of the
particulars are in place and correct. This is also your
chance to ensure that the friend you ask to proofread
knows he or she is invited as well.
85
Now for the points to ponder for the guests. The

invitation will usually have a note about appropriate
attire, which brings up another issue. Unless the
invitation specifically says Clothing Optional, you
must wear clothes. The type of clothing should fit
the request of the couple as stated in the invitation.
The same standards that apply to a physical world
wedding would apply to a virtual world wedding though black might not be the best choice for a midafternoon ceremony in the spring, the little black
dress is perfectly fine for any evening wedding. If
the couple is being married in a roleplay sim, find
out if the guests are expected to conform to local
standards. Otherwise, good taste is generally a good
guide.
Most would say that one does not need to RSVP for a
virtual wedding, as there is not a per-person catering
contract involved. This is most definitely NOT true!
Reply promptly, within a day or two of receiving an
invitation. This is NOT optional. It does not mean to
respond only if you plan to attend, and it does not
mean to respond only if you do not plan to attend.
Even if you are not sure of your schedule on that date,
let them know you actually received the invitation.
Also, as when attending any large event on the grid,
you should consider your load on the server. Yes,
you want to look good for your friends, but at the
same time you do not want to lag the sim. Are your
prim pieces scripted? If they are using scripts for

sizing, it might be a good idea to take a copy, fit the
copy, and strip out the scripts before the event. Is
there really a need to have bling jewellery for the
wedding? Do you need your full modelling Animation
Override for the day, or will a simpler, streamlined
one with a graceful stand, an elegant sit, and a good
walk suffice?
In the physical world, it is not exactly a great idea to
bring your gift for the happy couple to the wedding
because someone has to arrange for the gifts to get
to the newlyweds home, and gifts have been known
to be lost in the aftermath of the event. As in the
physical world, so too in the virtual world - it is a
better idea to give your gift to the couple sometime
other than the event itself. For one thing, it is better
to have the gift delivered during a time when the
celebrants are not overwhelmed with IMs or Busy
or, if they are offline, when the deliveries could be
capped.
There are many things we might wish for our friends
when they join their virtual lives. A beautifully
memorable ceremony is one of them. Anything we
can do as their guests or hosts to ensure a wonderful
day is an additional gift.
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87
Prim Perfect Magazine is

delighted to present a new
feature for our readers - a
guide to planning your perfect
wedding in Second Life.
With virtual weddings so
popular, our list can only
feature a few of the many fine
providers of wedding venues,
supplies, and services. While
tastes may vary, we can say
that our staff has personally
visited each of the shops and
service providers on our list
and found a focus on quality
and style. Youll get a good
start here!
We hope youll find our guide
useful - and we wish you a
beautiful wedding and a happy
life together!
Animations/HUDs
101 Delmations
Bits and Bobs Animations
The Motion Merchant
PNP (Props-N-Poses)
Saintlouis Animations
Slash Me Poses
Weddings by PondLife
Goun/232/8/41
The%20Island/235/132/23
Aelin/182/194/22
Phoenix%20Determined/71/187/1102
Predrow/135/87/31
Existence/173/129/21
PondLife/146/26/22
Apparel/Jewelry
Alienbears Designs
Bratz/183/200/29
Alli&Ali Designs
Wonderland%20Beach/179/115/24
Alyssa Bijoux Jewelry
Kirkstone/56/236/37
Ashiras Aerie Creative Jewelry
Isle%20of%20Mists/103/110/25
Azul joia%20azul/114/128/25
Details by Nonna Hedges
Picasso/134/104/22
Continued next page
88
Apparel/Jewelry (continued)
DNR Stylish Digital Couture Gowns N Dresses Tropical%20Orchid/168/126/281
EarthStones EarthBound/122/128/26
Evocative Weddings Evocative%20Weddings/126/130/28
Inca Temple fine jewelry
Beggars%20Bowl/169/67/21
JCNY Farrah%20Island/160/131/33
Rebel Hope Designs
Monarch%20Bay/203/58/22
sf design Penryn/69/81/36
Styles of edo Tyche/142/128/55
SySys Bridal Design
Eostara/76/49/265
Wishbox BraveHearts/196/160/41
Food/Flowers/Supplies
Aphrodite Shop Gigli%20Neit/162/155/693
Artwear Justice%20Bluff/204/237/23
Evocative Weddings Evocative%20Weddings/126/130/28
Meant To Be: Cake Design!
Star%20Crossed%20Isle/170/215/36
MW Designs Wedding%20Lane/54/128/23
Piece of Cake! Bakery
ZHORA%20GALLI%20BAY/50/211/22
Q&A Wedding Supplies and Services
Odumin/230/200/46
The Sacred Flame Weddings
Wedding/160/156/22
The Tastery Beyond%20The%20Prim/147/93/22
Continued next page
Food/Flowers/Supplies (continued)
Tupelo Honey Artstonia/61/71/45
Unforgettable Gifts
Islip%20Shores/214/165/23
Wedding Nibbles & More
Naughty%20Nibbles%20Isle/87/128/23
Weddings by Nirvana True%20Love/63/191/22
Photo/Video
A Touch of Glamour
Lawn%20Crest/151/49/22
Elegant Images Photography
flickr.com/photos/briepinazzo/
Elements Photography
Island%20Depot/236/210/22
Kent Photography Playa%20Baru/221/76/502
October Studios October%20Enterprises/159/232/37
Oh Kay Wedding Photographer Studio
High%20Sierra/22/221/24
piCS Photography Maekju/111/251/1501
Picturesque Photography
Azure%20Oasis/65/35/22
Spittin Image Ryshia%20dAlliez/117/197/22
Timeless Photography & Videography
Kalamata/176/105/27
89
90
Venue/Planning
Calas Galadhon Calas%20Galadhon/142/230/23
Cobblestone Vineyard Weddings
Petals/46/123/30
Dreamscape Wedding Design
Shenzhen/78/247/22
Eostara Eostara/125/131/276
Extravagant Affairs Opal%20Isle/99/247/22
Fairytale Wedding Kenilworth/184/148/3210
Hearts Delight Weddings & Mall
McKindred%20Shores/79/201/1001
Loves and Dreams
Dynasty%20I/224/87/23
PATRON Patron/59/140/27
Precious Memories Neomah/71/206/25
The Sacred Flame Weddings
Fire/73/206/22
Star*Crossed Weddings and Designs
Star%20Crossed%20Isle/91/129/36
Tree of Lovers Tropical%20Beach/197/110/22
Wedding Day Rose%20Kir/17/21/31
Wedding Lane Wedding%20Lane/54/128/23
Weddings By Nienna Wood
Beyond%20The%20Prim/147/93/22
Weddings by Perfect Pairings
Bahini%20Islands/56/199/37
Romantica Island Romantica%20Island/171/182/22
91
94
Expo-nential
- A review of the Home and

Garden Expo 2011
by Beq Janus
photographed by
PJ Trenton, Judith Lefevre and Wildstar Beaumount
95
The Expo has closed, the crowds have The event was laid out in a large H plan (perhaps
returned to the malls and market place. What the H stood for Home?), with four sims to each side
and two in the centre. All the sims housed displays
memories did the event leave behind it?
As the doors close and the crowds are replaced with
bulldozers, the Second Life 4th Annual Home and
Garden Expo 2011, to give it its full title, is over.
For ten full days, from midday on the 13th of May
until 10pm on the 22nd of May, the ten sims buzzed
with life, packed beyond breaking point at times,
benefiting Relay For Life of Second Life and the
American Cancer Society.
This years extravaganza spanned a full ten sims,
with more exhibits, more entertainment, and more
ways to benefit Relay For Life than previously seen.
The Expo covered all areas of virtual home and land
dcor. From prefabs and furniture to flowers and
swimming pools, the event gathered together many
of Second Lifes greatest architects, furniture makers,
gardeners, and landscapers, some well-known and
some not so well-known, in a grand display to Second
Life shoppers and visitors.
by participating merchants/designers with sims

number five and six, the two that formed the central
horizontal of the H doubling as entertainment and
education centres. Whether having the two sims
in the centre rather than a more conventional ring
layout contributed to the crush in the two centre sims
is hard to say with certainty, and it will be interesting
to see if this layout returns next year.
With so many things to see and do it was no surprise

to find the event packed with people at all hours of
the day. With no guiding theme, the exhibitors were
given free reign to construct their displays adding fun
and colour to the landscape. A number of designers
chose to premier new products at the event and even
offer special event discounts.
The sims were simply numbered 1 through 10, but
each sim packed in many exhibitors, and some sims
had a loose theme: prefabs or gardens for example.
But in most sims there was a range of different
products available.
96
Sim number 1, sponsored by ShamelessTrouble Bing, one of the Expo staff, through his Shameless Bits
business, was centred around his romantic poses laid out in a large beach area.
The sim was filled with a broad spectrum of other talents besides, from the grungy, atmospheric spookiness
of Julia Collection to the clean cosy prefabs of Awesome Blossom; and from the medieval rustic charm of
Kismet to the chic modern architecture of Maven homes. But perhaps my favourite place was the inspired
mannequin garden that was home to LISP Bazaar and Art Dummy where giant wooden mannequins posed
as both background and stage for these inventive designers.
Photographer
PJ Trenton
100
Sim number 2 was sponsored by a hitherto unknown publication called Prim Perfect. Yes, it was our
very own sim and often crowded with visitors coming to see the gaggle of top designers that allowed
themselves to be subjected to our interviews. Amongst the other visual treats was the wonderful exhibit
from Landscaping By Felix, whose small plot was transformed into an exotic wilderness that drew you in
along the circuitous pathway. A lovely use of space. Alongside the Designing Worlds and Prim Perfect stage
sets were special podium and display areas showcasing our Trailblazer and Pathfinder programmes as well as
a display of low prim furniture aligned to our Linden Home series. Far away from Linden Home minimalism
was the extravagant Nymph and Lion fountain by True North Designs.
Sim number 3 was sponsored by PreFabulous, who launched their modern house upon the world. To
great effect. One of the underlying trends of recent times, which was really brought home by the Expo, has
been the incredible quality of texturing that is found on high quality builds now. Both the Modern House
and the Pool Party House by PreFabulous are great examples of this, with shadows baked into the texturing
to give the build an atmosphere of its own. The pool party house is rendered with night time in mind and
looks gorgeous with a clear starry sky. We saw more examples of this trend in texturing as we progressed.
Elsewhere in Sim 3 we found The Loft, whose little garden patch, looking rather overgrown and wild, was
exhibiting delightful furniture, including a sweet new dining set that reminded me of tea at my grans when
I was a child. Thistle Homes, whose houseboats would make a wonderful addition to a lakeside estate, had
a number of their wood framed prefabs on display.
101
102
Sim number 4, sponsored by Cozy Homes, brought together the wonderful windmill of Canolli Capalinis
Fine Furnishings alongside the colourful, wacky homes of Fae Faire Homes & Gardens, whose main display
was over in sim 10. Sim 4 was mostly about furnishings; the Cozy brands, including Cozy Baby and Cozy
Kids, feature a range of parent/child animations that complement the detailed furniture they produce.
Michigans Shack displayed a lovely range of pianos, alongside their range of prefabs and garden features
on a fun beach setting packed with interest.
The demands upon all the sims were high as the volume of visitors and the detailed creations called heavily
upon the long suffering infrastructure, but perhaps the most affected were sims 5 and 6. These two sims,
a bottle neck joining two halves of the event, were primarily hosting entertainment and training. A busy
program of live music and DJs was organised alongside competitions and events in sim 5 (sponsored by
KittyCatS, who launched no fewer than FOUR special Relay For Life cats to honour the event while just to the
south sim 6 (sponsored by Fatima Ur of Antique Artistry - who created a small but meticulous recreation of
a 19th century Western town) hosted a packed schedule of training events given by the wonderful trainers
from Builders Brewery. It was a tribute to their dedication to see the sim implode in mid session as people
crammed in only to reappear and carry on from where they had left off.
103
Photographer
Judith Lefevre
106
For me personally, and looking also around at the blog activity that surrounded the event, there was a clear
highlight in terms of the sim presentation when you reached sim 7, sponsored by Pitsch Parxs UrbaniseD
and nestling at the North Eastern corner of the Expo map. This beautiful sim was an escape from the
hustle and bustle of the Expo at large. It was the only one of the ten sims that had been fully and cleverly
landscaped. Most of the landscaping had been done by Pitsch as the sim sponsor, and whilst still conforming
to the decked criss-crossing paths of the event, the rich undulating woodlands provided a more permanent
feel and a rich context into which the displays were installed
The stated aim of offering the best canvas for all the participating designers to display their work on was
the inspiration behind the design. We realize that we have been lucky to have such a huge concentration of
talent on this sim; we are so proud to have them on our sim, Pitsch said.
That talent included many examples of that movement to deeply rich and detailed texturing. From the
moody Nordic influenced creations of POST to the idyllic early summer sunshine of LaLicious. Perhaps
the finest examples were, however, those exhibited by Danny Bournes ReBourne. Both his exhibits were
meticulously detailed. One of the distinguishing aspects of Dannys work is the lighting and reflection that
brings a richness and depth to the products that is rarely seen. But given the sights shown across the Expo,
it will not be long before such obsessive detail will be the norm.
Sim 8 brought us back into Expo land, sponsored by Stonewood homes, whose range of prefabs were on
display, this sim being marked out by some of the slightly unusual homes for sale. The log cabin range of the
sponsor contrasted nicely with the fairy tale gothic of Persnicketys store whilst the wonderful retro caravans
and decor of Artilleri left a lasting image and for me was the highlight of the sim. It was here on the edge
of sim 8 and 9 that I also found my favourite sign. Nonnapie - we build what we damn well please: a
merchant that truly has not forgotten why they came to Second Life.
107
108
Across the sim border into sim 9, sponsored by Zoes Garden, we found a feast of green fingered delights.
Nice little reminders of quiet suburban weekends, a vegetable plot and wheelbarrow brought a smile as you
walked by. The centre piece of the sponsors display was an elegant formal garden, laid out around a simple
low prim glass house, a contrast to the high prim builds around us, providing a low key presentation for a
pretty hothouse display. Another garden treat was laid out by LOTTIE. A pretty walled garden with sculpted
alcoves and mature planting provided a tranquil resting place, whilst further along Houses For You showed
the breadth of their range with quaint stone cottages and a witchs home alongside stacked industrial
porta-cabins.
Photographer
Wildstar
Beaumount
112
Sim 10, brought to us by RH Engel and Rebel Hope of The Woodshed, showed us a large central tract of
lovely cobblestone pavements weaving their way to cottages, sheds, and timberframed houses by the
sponsor. Beyond that we once again got to experience the vivid colour of Fae Garden that we glimpsed
earlier in sim 4. At the other end of the sim, however, stood a rather unassuming town house. The Parisian
house by Looking Glass is understated in its muted greys, but look closer and venture inside. Looking glass
previously wowed us with their Fantasy Faire sim, built to an Arabian theme, and this time Markus Inkpen
has turned his eye to early 20th century Paris. The attention to detail is startling; very different from the
cleverly rendered reflections and shadows of the reBourne builds in sim 7 and yet every bit as obsessive and
effective, creating a thick palpable atmosphere.
113
Zinnia Karu (Pathfinder) Getting to take part in the Home and
Garden show was an unforgettable
experience for me.
It was a fantastic opportunity to see
what its like to take part in such a
big event, and Im sure we all had
butterflies in our bellies!
I got to meet some of the others
involved in this program and share our
hopes and fears, and I even got to chat
with two of my favourite designers,
Froujke Hoorenbeek and Maxwell Graf,
who had set up beautiful displays right
next door to me.
And there ended our tour of the Home and Garden Expo. What did we
learn? The crowds showed us that homes and gardens are every bit as
popular today as in previous years. The merchants showed us that no
matter what style, colour, size, or shape, there is a place where it is
created in Second Life. We saw also that our creative merchants are
pushing ever harder at the boundaries of our world, packing more detail
into every texture and every sculpt than ever before. With mesh on the
horizon now, one has to wonder what next year has to offer.
I especially enjoyed the Meet the

Designer series hosted by Saffia
Widdershins. These chats were open to
all, and it was great to get to find out
more about some of the personalities
behind the designs.
Angie Mornington (Pathfinder) This years Expo was truly exciting. I
never would have thought that I would
have a space at the Expo so soon, but
it was an honor to be a part of it as a
Pathfinder. I hope to have my own spot
at next years Expo - I would consider
that to be a major achievement.
Laetitia Aluveaux (Trailblazer, also
had her own spot @ the Expo) This was my first expo, and it has
been a memorable one. There is this
buzz about the whole event that starts
as soon as you begin planning your
exhibition space. Did I choose the right
lay-out, the right objects to display,
will people actually visit my space?
Strolling through the sims of the Expo
showed there are so many talented
people in Second Life. I loved the whole
event so much that I actually felt a bit
sad when the Home Expo 2011 shut
its doors. Ill be back as an exhibitor
again next year for sure. Ive started
making plans already.
114
Prim Perfect at
the Home and Garden Expo
Saffia Widdershins reflects...
photographed by PJ Trenton and Wildstar Beaumount
115
Prim Perfect has been involved with the Home and

Garden Expo for the last three years. It is, after all,
our patch - we are a homes and gardens magazine.
In addition to producing a Designing Worlds show
from the site, blogging the Expo extensively, and
running a feature issue on the show in our June issue,
we have always had a presence on the ground. The
first year we had a display; the second year, as well
as having a display, we helped to produce the Guide;
and this year, in addition to helping to produce the
Guide (and send it to our subscribers, of course) we
were very proud to sponsor a sim.
I must confess unashamedly to loving the Expo. A lot
of hard work goes into planning and execution for me
and for my team (Dellybean North, Winona Wiefel,
and Aisling Sinclair), but nothing can really beat that
moment when we are told the sims are open and we
jump in there and see yellow dots spring to life all
around us. For me, its a unique opportunity to spend
ten days with the people whose work I adore and
spend the rest of the year supporting and promoting.
And it is fabulous.
The odd thing about the Expo for us is that - unlike
many of the people there - we have nothing to
sell. For us its about having a visible presence and
continuing what we do throughout the year. But
we have, over the last couple of years, focused on
two programmes that we run in the magazine: the

Linden Homes project and our business support
programmes for new and growing businesses. This
year was no exception as we hosted a pavilion for
the Pathfinders and Trailblazers, who were excited
to be part of such a high profile event. Our other
pavilion was mostly occupied by people who were
very familiar with the Expo - indeed, most of them
had their own exhibits elsewhere. But the Linden
Homes display gave us - and them - a chance to
showcase what amazing things can be done with low
prim furniture, conclusively proving that low prim
doesnt equate with low style.
Delly had the brilliant idea of using the concept of a
three ring circus. This gave us great display spaces in
the two rings to either side but gave us something
of a puzzle - what should we put in the central ring?
116
In previous years, we had exhibited displays about

our magazine and the Treet TV show Designing
Worlds. But now, while we still want people to have
the opportunity to find out more, or pick up that copy
of the magazine that they missed, we also felt that
most people who came to the Expo would at least
have heard of Prim Perfect and Designing Worlds. So
we wanted to bring another focus to the Expo, and
we found it in the concept of presenting a series of
interviews with designers and creators.
These proved fascinating. Our designers ranged

from young people fresh from the teen grid, like
Kyle (Divine Falodir) of Infinite Furniture and Emily
Croire of Croire, to long-established designers such
as Maxwell Graf of Rustica and Fornicola Butuzova
of PreFabulous, Pitsch Parx of UrbanizeD (whose
sponsored sim, as Beq tells us, was the Must Visit of
the Expo), Elle Kirshner of Second Spaces, and many
more. Two popular sessions featured the KittyCatS!
with presentations from Callie Cline and Equinox
Pinion (whose interview was in her native German).
117
The enthusiasm at these talks was wonderful. The

audience were mainly fellow designers, but there
was a real vibe to the talks and the questions, which
often extended much later as people popped upstairs
to hang out in the beautiful caf that Delly had
designed to just talk about a whole range of design
issues and, really, simply hang out.
We are planning to continue this with a series of talks
at the Prim Perfect headquarters over the summer.
They will be aimed not only at designers but at
anyone interested in learning more about design and

designers in virtual worlds - and joining the party
afterwards! And, of course, there will be our talks at
SL8B, as mentioned in the News from the Grid.
Would we do it again? Definitely! We have already
told the tireless Nikki Matheson that we will sponsor
a sim again next year, and we plan to feature more
discussions with designers and similar events.
And well be hoping to see you there!
118
l i nd en ho m e s
Prim Perfect AND LINDEN HOMES

by Saffia Widdershins
We here at Prim Perfect are great fans of Linden Homes.

We believe that the project:
t benefits new residents by giving them easy ac-
cess to owning and managing their own property.
t benefits content creators who make sets for Linden
Homes - as there will be a new and potentially growing

market for low prim and (we hope) high quality furniture.
Readers Home
In addition, we ask YOU, our readers, to send us pictures
of your Linden Home, and each issue we want to feature one in the magazine to show what stylish, creative,
and/or original uses can be made! We have received several wonderful applications and will be visiting some of
you very soon!
t benefits virtual land agents as people move from the
confines of their Linden Homes to more flexible areas.
t benefits residents, as the availability of good qual- Prim Perfect and Linden Lab
ity, low prim furniture becomes more widespread.
When we began this series, designers furnished existing LinTo encourage all this, we at Prim Perfect run two special Lin- den homes - usually their own. But now Linden Lab are
supplying the home selected by our designer on Linden land.
den Homes features.
This will give more designers an opportunity to participate
and display their work, and we thank Michael Linden for setDesigner Home
ting everything up - and Linden Lab for making this available
to us.
Each month, we ask a top class Second Life designer to make
over a Linden Home with their own furniture. This might
be in any of the four Linden Home styles: Contemporary, Advertising
Mountain, Oriental, and Fantasy.
If you make a range of Linden Home furniture and want
This month, we have a very exciting Linden Home, as it is our to make sure that your advertisement appears close to
first Oriental-themed design. The Oriental Linden Homes, our Linden Home features, just specify that this is a Linden
built in a Japanese style, are of course one of the four current Homes advertisement when submitting it, and we will make
styles of design. Cherelle Capra of C&D Designs has created every effort to position it as close to the features as we can.
a very elegant home for us, and Ethan Westland has explored For details of how to place advertisements in Prim Perfect,
it - and talked to Cherelle about her designs.
please see page164.
120
lind en ho m e o f t h e m o n t h
Linden Home of the Month:
Achieving Balance
and Harmony
by Ethan Westland
photographed by wilDstar beaumont
121
C & D Designs Cherelle Capra takes on the

Linden Home of the Month Design, achieving
both balance and harmony of living while on
a budget.
Japanese architecture is very much about the
relationship between man and nature, achieving a
balance and creating an environment where one feels
a sense of harmony with the surroundings that one
interacts with. It almost invariably includes the use
of various woods, stone, water, and organic materials
to bring this about, and our designer, Cherelle Capra,

has worked to make certain that these elements are
included in her makeover of our Linden Home for
July. Working exactly within the familiar 117 prim
limitation, Cherelle has managed to capture both
the elegance and requisite sense of oneness that the
very best of Oriental design can bring to a home.
Moreover, while a Linden Home is a small living space,
one doesnt have to feel claustrophobic inside; with
the right interior design, a small space can become
expansive and open, which is the effect that Cherelle
has achieved.
122
Upon entering the dwelling, the focal point that

immediately draws your attention is what Cherelle
calls a large tree pond that seems to grow from
a pool of water in the floor. It draws you into the
surroundings and embraces you with the calming
effect of the water in gentle motion as it caresses
the smooth rocks and feeds the living tree that
draws sustenance from it. The tree pond successfully
conveys the intended purpose for this living space:
to breathe, to live, to thrive.
As you turn to the left of the entrance, you see

Cherelle has created a gathering space that lends
itself to interesting artwork: a hanging wall tablet,
aged and faded, such as one might find in an out
of the way antique store, and a substantial wooden
bookshelf with graceful, fluid curves, harboring
nooks for displaying collected treasures. A sculpture
that speaks to both the eastern and western world,
the North American Sandhill Crane, calls to mind the
beautiful Origami paper cranes of ancient Japan and
ties the area together nicely.
123
From there, one moves into the dining area where

a low Oriental dining table seats four in comfort
on floor cushions in varying hues of red that work
in concert with the place settings, all of Cherelles
design. A small pot of hot tea completes the table
and adds to the inviting feel of the room space while
heightening the anticipation of the meal to come.
Warm, ambient lighting from a Shoji floor lantern
located in the corner provides just the right glow to
dine by.
The rear wall of the room is both thoughtful and

contemplative, featuring several pieces of Oriental
artwork centered above a substantial table of wood,
the design of which echoes the lines of the house
itself. Cherelle uses this space to bring nature into play
again; a tall vase with bamboo shafts flanks the table
on the left while an Asian birdcage anchors it on the
right, complete with a robin that one can silence if its
sound becomes annoying. On the table lies a piece of
parchment with faint Oriental writing on it. Perhaps it
conceals a hidden message for the viewer to find?
124
With a Linden Home, creating an individual and personal space to retire for the evening is frequently limited
to crafting a partition wall to define the space. Cherelle has taken advantage of the theme to use a tasteful
and well-placed wooden screen to divide the sleeping quarters off from the rest of the home, complete with
a tiny shelf to hold a bud vase for some tastefully arranged flowers. A double bed with an overhead mirror
and shelf for personal items provides a cosy, intimate space for rest or snuggling with someone special, all
rendered in complementary woods, fabrics, and the style of the other furnishings throughout the residence.
A small table and a set of pottery suggest a work/hobby area for the homes occupant.

In designing the interior fixtures for this particular Linden Home, Cherelle has created a space that is both
personal and intimate while being simultaneously open and expansive, achieving a delicate balance despite
the strict prim limit that comes with a Linden Home. The house provides spaces within the space: for
gathering and socializing; for dining; for appreciating art; for rest and renewal and for personal recreation,
all within a small footprint. When asked what she found challenging about creating this particular space,
Cherelle told us that, The most exciting thing about the challenge was being asked to create something in
an Asian theme. I hadnt done much of this type of design in the past but had wanted to for a long time. I
was really ready to go on this project.
Her enthusiasm shows.
Cherelle sells all of the products shown in our Linden Home of the Month through her Second Life business,
C & D Designs. To see what is possible, check out her main store or go by her lighting store. A second store
is also located on Mapinguari sim.
125
126
Driven to Success
Cherelle Capras Winding
Road of Creativity
by ethan westland
photographed by wildstar beaumont
127
Whether racing cars, designing a table, or

taking on a Linden Home interior design,
Cherelle Capra of C&D Designs has done
it all and shows no sign of slowing down.
Cherelle talks to Ethan Westland about her
discovery of Second Life and of her own
talents.
Cherelle Capra came into Second Life after a phone
call from a friend and a conversation about how
the virtual world and her design background could
be incorporated into it. Her induction into this
environment in 2007 was a bit different from what it
is for many newcomers though. I had a few friends,
including this one, who had put together an online
presence as a gaming society, she explains. They
had over 250 members or so, had been mentioned in
many gaming magazines and decided to expand on the
society within Second Life to grow their membership.
I was brought into SL for my architecture and design
background to help them build on a non-profit sim
they had started. I was added to a team of builders,
given a rank (since it had a military structure) and
began learning the skill and trade of being a builder.
From the time she arrived, she knew she was going to
become a builder/architect but didnt know how that

would transition into the creation of interior designs
the way it eventually did. As a real life practitioner
in the field of architecture, as well as the general
arts, she had worked for studios and galleries doing
large sculptures, painted works in water colours and
acrylics, and drafted architectural designs. Add to
that some prototypes for lighting and furniture, and
the elements were in place to allow her to combine
her technical side with her artistic nature.
I started out building architectural forms, then I went
into a business partnership in the early part of 2007,
creating race cars, Cherelle recalls. We focused on
top fuel models and eventually grew the business
towards having car tracks for actual racing. I was
even part of an all-womens race league but hardly
participated because of my concentration on design
time! The early days of the store were a combination
of race cars and furnishings, the latter being more or
less room sets and other pieces to experiment and
practice her technical skills of scripting, animations,
and overall creation. I really thought my initial
creations would have focused on architecture but I
went in a totally different direction, she adds.
128
Just six months after her arrival in Second Life, when

many are still trying to figure out what direction
their virtual lives will take, Cherelle and her partner
opened the doors to their first store in Mapinguari
with their own furniture brand. Five months later, in
November of 2007, they had expanded three times
and, a year later, purchased their own sim to expand
even more. They developed more ways to remain
competitive through scripting tools for product
features, advertisement creation, and networking.
In May of 2009, they took part in their first Home
& Garden Expo, which was a large success for
them. They have returned ever since. Today, they
concentrate on popular design lines and focus on
niches that are lacking in the industry, such as
lighting, which accounts for over 50% of their sales.

Their lighting designs are well known and considered
some of the best in the industry due to the wide
variety of style and features.
Cherelles Linden Home of the Month interior design
is Asian in style, but when asked to describe her
design ethos, she replied that predominately, its
modern and post-modern in style but I do love adding
in other styles and periods to the mix of what we
produce. Such examples would be Egyptian, fantasy,
futuristic, Asian, Art deco, and Art nouveau thus far.
She sees these as opportunities to stretch herself
and keep her abilities sharp. So often I will be asked
or will volunteer for projects that are quite different
129
from my usual themes to keep me in practice and

show the flexibility and vastness of my work. I like
to be a chameleon of sorts to convey my versatility
but still reflect a personal style which is important.
Cherelle takes pride in her work and enjoys being able
to see the growth and progression in overall design,
technique, and skill level through her four and a half
years in Second Life. She also enjoys being able to
overcome challenges and when asked what challenged
her, she laughs and says, I often say its scripting but
its more than just this one design element for me
or I might even say not being so critical of what I
produce. In the end though, I think Id like to say
keeping fresh, foreseeing trends, and forever evolving

without compromising personal style.
She will continue to look ahead into the future for
design inspiration and business opportunities, but
right now, she is very interested in doing more
collaborative work with other designers and looking
forward to getting started on it. One such project will
merge her work even further with the architectural
world of Second Life that will provide greater choice
to the public when purchasing a build. No doubt many
Prim Perfect readers will benefit from her continued
work and exploration of her ability and creative talent.
130
Pits c hs Pl a c e
Living In A Shoebox
by pitsch Parx
How much did you pay for your latest skin from that fancy designer?
And how much do you spend on your hairdresser?
And how about those super trendy new high heels?
I bet that the entire ensemble you are wearing cost a small fortune to put together.
Most of us change our looks almost every week, we run to the wig store for each new
release or eat crackers all week after shopping for our 276th pair of new shoes... Right?
Well, nothing to be worried about, just blame it on those amazing creative designers!
131

But, here is a question for you, how much did you
spend on your virtual house?
There was a time we actually paid a lot for new and
unique designer homes, paying L$10,000 wasnt
unusual for a big (unfurnished of course) build from
a top designer. But times have changed; as the global
economic climate changed, so did our virtual world.
Prices collapsed within the space of a year, and only to
still our hunger to collect things. Please be honest,
how many houses do you have in your inventory, and
how many of those have you never rezzed (take for
instance those hunt or groups gifts), and in how many
of the homes you did rez have you actually lived?
Maybe youre more the type that moves home every
week? Or maybe you just go back to your favourite
house every time?
With current price levels at most house brands, you can
just collect every design that is released. At this point
you can find well built, well textured, even complete
with security scripts and full furnished homes for only
L$250. Just open the Marketplace, browse through the
most popular section, and you will be blown away by
the amazing homes you can find.
But how is it possible that a designer is able to release
a house on the market at that price level? All those
hours of building, buying textures, sculpts, scripts,
putting together the furniture, and again, spend a lot
of time and money on animations... I just dont get
this.
And on the topic of sales... what is the expiration date

on design? What determines the life span of a design?
Some items (right click anything > more > more >
Inspect = look at the the date a prim was first rezzed)
are kept on sale for like a hundred years. Please dont
mind the dust covering the box.
But a well designed object should be timeless, just
like the fact that we pay a lot of money for antiques
in real life. Does that same principle work in Second
Life? What if Scarlet Creative had decided to have that
same sale, but with the statement, In one week I
will take all older houses off the market; they will
become collectors items? Would people than actually
have been compelled to pay double for them once one
of them showed up in a few years time on the second
hand pages at the Marketplace?
What about some good value evaluation before we

buy?
Do we ever ask ourselves the question if price and
value are in balance? Should smaller objects be
cheaper than bigger ones? Does size really matter?
Or are prices based on the complexity of the object?
Or does it just depend on the popularity of a brand?
A famous designer? Limited editions? Should
mainstream always be cheaper than designers stuff?
And how do you define whos hot and whos not?
And not to forget, there was a day, a long long time
before most of us were born, Second Life wasnt all
about money and labels, but about sharing. Second
Life gave every single person using it the chance to
build. This opportunity still is one of the fundamental
freedoms, but only a few of the builders will be able to
make some money out of it and maybe no more than
one percent of the builders will actually be able to pay
their bills from the sales. Its not because some store
looks big that the sales are in proportion to that.
Last week, just a random count on homes and furniture
Flickr groups came up with a staggering fifty-six new
home releases. The majority of them all in the same
style, human cottage shabby look (mostly done in
pastels), two were modern, one futuristic, and one of
them a treehouse.
I wondered, knowing that inflow of new users in
Second Life has gone down coupled with the fact that
we now have more males around in Second Life... Are
all those cute girly homes really called for?
What about furries? Tinies? Nekos? Steampunks? Do
they live in those cute cottages too? I sincerely doubt
that... But the fact remains that in home and furniture
designs, the dominating trend is human-reality, this
uber realistic human look is really undermining the
Linden Lab credo of be who you want to be that
is the very foundation of Second Life. Why are we
not taking advantage of the freedom that Second Life
gives us in the way we live our second lives?
I think it is obvious that we have to bring more new
and daring design to Second Life and work on more
variation in the available designs or it wont last...
And once the shoppers are fed up
shopping the same over and over, the
give up as well... and those that will
maybe live in a 1 prim shoebox. Still,
huge primsaver!
and give up
designers will
remain could
it would be a
Pitsch Parx
Queen Mother of the Second Life modern prefabs,

pioneer brand Scarlet Creative announced a sale last
winter, 70% off older designs, to clean up for the
release of the newest collection.
Homes that we have all seen and lived in, quite
expensive homes at that time, were now thrown out
at only 30% of their market value, knocked down to
the price of a pair of sneakers. I was devastated; my
oh-so-cool-hyped-homes were suddenly nothing more
than an old worthless sale item, and my muse fell
off her pedestal. I never rezzed those buildings again,
and that particular sale just made me feel like an idiot.
Why on earth had I spent so much money on virtual
homes?
This particular sale changed my view on branding in

Second Life. Since we can build at a fast pace, designs
dont last as long as in real life. In real life you just
cant replace your house and furniture that easily. The
bigger the hype, the bigger the sales. Its not always
about the quality of the design. Truth is, most people
just like to collect things and want to be able to say
they own a home of an up-and-coming designer.
Nothing wrong with that - its part of marketing. The
more feeds and Flickr groups your pictures are shown
on, the more sales they will generate, even if its a
shoebox youre selling to live in!
132
PATHF I N D E RS
Prim Perfect Pathfinders

and Trailblazers:
An Introduction
By Qwis Greenwood
Catch up with the members of the Prim Perfect Business Support Programs - the
Pathfinders and Trailblazers. What have they been up to since you met them last
month?
Since their introduction in the May issue of Prim Perfect, the Pathfinders and Trailblazers have been
kept busy with challenges, occasions to learn, and the chance to show what they can do. The Prim
Perfect pavilion at the Home Garden and Patio Expo was the scene for much of this, with a space
for these designers to show their work. Each member built a small display, putting their talents
and personalities into their space and offering an item for sale in the Relay For Life vendors. They
participated in Meet the Designer sessions offered by Prim Perfect. When the Expo was over, they
returned to the Prim Perfect headquarters for a few education sessions of their own.
The Pathfinders gathered one evening in the caf at the Prim Perfect headquarters for their first
mentoring session. Joining them was mentor Cain Maven of Maven Homes and Quantum Destiny
Luxury Prefab Homes. He led the group through a discussion about packaging their items for sale.
From shopping bags to vendors to placing the item on the Marketplace, Cain shared practical advice
and tips from his own experience. See what the Pathfinders thought and learn a bit about Cain
Maven on the following pages.
The Trailblazers took their experiences at the Expo back to their own businesses, creating with a new
outlook and energy. They share a little of what theyve been doing and what might be in their near
future. The group also played a part in Prim Perfects first business development seminar open to
the public. With Saffia Widdershins moderating, Nikk Huet discussed social marketing, Elle Kirshner
talked about blogging in conjunction with her business, and Cherelle Capra shared how she uses
Flickr to promote her work. A recap of the seminar is shared here with you.
And that is not all! Keep watching the magazine and Prim Perfect blog for upcoming events including
presentations at SL8B, a Meet the Designer series at Prim Perfect Headquarters, future business
seminars, and a visit to the Inworldz grid!
Packaged to Sell
- Advice by Cain Maven
by Qwis Greenwood and CAIN MAVEN
133
134
With a new class of Pathfinders onboard, we

decided to start at the beginning - how to take
those designs that they spent so much time
creating and package them up to get them
sold. With advice from Cain Maven, they
discussed permissions, boxing, vendors, and
selling in the online Marketplace. Besides
providing good lessons for their businesses,
Cain also turned their thoughts toward the
customers experience, knowing it to be a
key to their reputation and future sales.
It was another beautiful day in Costa Rica, sunny
with only a few clouds in the clear blue sky. At the
Prim Perfect headquarters, people were lounging
in the caf. The fruity drinks were plentiful and
the cushions were just right for bouncing and yoga
poses. Although it looked like a casual gathering,
there was an important discussion taking place.
The Pathfinders - Zinnia Karu, Angie Mornington,
and Piper Roxley - were having their first mentoring
session. Trailblazer Roger Thunders joined the
discussion while Qwis Greenwood, the programme
coordinator, furiously scribbled notes to share with
the Trailblazers who were unable to attend as well as
sharing the mentors wisdom and experiences with
the readers of Prim Perfect magazine.
Leading the discussion was this issues mentor, Cain
Maven. He is the owner of Maven Homes as well as
Quantum Destiny Luxury Homes. Cain asked the
participants to introduce themselves as they settled
down for a discussion on Packaging your items to
sell. He had many tips and strategies, focused on
giving the customer an excellent buying experience
and making wise decisions as a creator.
Permissions 101
He started with a review of item permissions. Any item
has the ability to be copied, modified, or transferred.
Cain reminded the group that an item must be copy,
transfer, or both. It is not possible to have an object
that is no copy and no transfer. The selection of
these permissions determines what the creator can

do with the object. More importantly, the creator has
to decide what to allow the next owner/customer
to do. The object has full permissions for yourself,
and you need to set the next owners permissions to
what makes sense for your business.
The group tossed around ideas on what the right
combination of permissions should be for their
products. Everyone agreed that most homes should
be modifiable. Many people like to tweak their home
and make it their own. Cain reminded the group
that if homes are modifiable, be prepared to provide
customer service when people break something and
want it reset to new condition. Angie has heard that
some people wont buy furniture if it is no mod.
135
Some customers will want multiple copies of an item,

such as a chair, to place around their homes. Cain
recommended being familiar with the permissions
used by your competition and then deciding for
yourself.
Compound objects are items consisting of linked
prims or objects which contain items such as scripts
and animations. When editing linked prims, the root
prim will be outlined in yellow while the others will
have a blue outline. This root prim will determine
the position of the object in space and set the
permissions for all prims in the group. If your design
uses items purchased from someone else (textures,
animations, scripts, sculpty maps), make a copy of
that item and set its permissions as specified by the
creator before embedding it into your design. The
permissions of a compound object will be the least
common denominator of its components. The whole
object will have the most restrictive combination of
permissions that its components have. Cain provided
an example:
1. Assume you have a prim set to modify, copy, and
no transfer.
2. Into that prim, drop a script that is set to no
modify, no copy, and transfer.
3. The combined permissions will be no modify, no
copy, and no transfer.
Using Alts
Many people have alt avatars for various reasons.
Cain Maven recommended using one to test your
designs. Give the item to your alt and go someplace
quiet to rez it. Test all of its features for bugs. Make
sure the permissions work the way you intend. When
you are satisfied, then you can package it for selling.
Strategic Packaging
There are many ways designers have packaged their
work. It can come in a moving van, a shopping bag,
or a fancy scripted box that opens. It can be a simple
one-prim box with the picture from the store vendor on
it. Cain stressed that it is more important to have userfriendly packages than flashy ones. If you create a
good experience, you will get repeat customers. Those
customers may also recommend your work to others.
To make packaging user-friendly, start with naming
both the item and the box. Use the name to identify
what the product is and the name of the store where
it was purchased. Choose names that customers will
be able to find in an inventory search or recognise
when browsing their inventories. If customers cant
recognise what it is from its name, they wont be
inclined to try it. Cain suggests that Red six-piece
dining room set from Acme Furniture is better than
Dining table with chairs.
136
The box itself should be a reasonable size. It is a

surprise to pull a box out of your inventory to
find a full-sized moving truck inside your home. On
the package, put your business logo and product
name. Include a picture and permissions if possible.
Consider incorporating the picture you are already
using for your vendor.
There are many styles of product vendors available

with many different options. Cain Maven chose to
keep his simple - click to buy. The vendor is an
important part of the store - part packaging, part
advertising, and part cash register. Its appearance
can be the deal-closer. Will the customer buy now or
later, buy from you or someone else?
More than just the object for sale should be inside

the box. Definitely include a landmark to your store
and a notecard with helpful instructions or support.
A note thanking the customer for the purchase is a
nice touch. You may even wish to include a discount
coupon for their next purchase. Angie mentioned that
she has been seeing reward systems in stores that
remember who you are and reward you with store
credit each time you purchase something from the
store. Homes dont turn over as quickly as fashion,
so Cain finds discount cards more useful. All of the
items placed inside your packaging play a part in the
customers shopping experience and strengthen your
brand identity.
Make the vendors informative and attractive. To

be informative, give the potential customer all the
information they need to make that decision to
purchase. Put your logo and business name on it. List
the product name so customers know how it will be
labelled in their inventories. List the number of prims
and what permissions it has. To make the vendor
attractive, take pictures that show the product at its
best. Cain warned the group to make the pictures
honest. Using Photoshop to smooth imperfections or
even enhancing with WindLight settings will make
a nice photo, but it is not necessarily what your
customer will see. They may give you one sale,
but it is not an honest view of what you are selling.
False ads like those could turn into complaints, a bad
reputation, and no return business.
Stylish Vendors
Some stores have vendors where you click and pay

it rather than buying. This is done through scripting,
as when there is a revenue sharing agreement. The
designer would get part of the payment and the
landlord would get the other share. The dialogues
that go with the pay option do not give the customer
any way of verifying what is being purchased. Cain
recommends avoiding using pay since it is not a
good experience for the customer.
Savvy Search & Marketplace Tips
Cain Maven suggested some techniques to have
your items show up in Search. There is an option
in the Edit menu, General tab, to have any item on
your land appear in Search for free. Set as many of
your objects to be visible as you can. Use unique
descriptive keywords for the items. He learned from
137
experience that using the same name too much will

make the search engine think you are spamming
it. He set too many similar items and was dropped
completely off the search page. He had to rename
the objects and wait forty-eight hours to reappear.
rather than on the main page. Also, some people

shop by price. If you decide to discount one of your
items, be aware of the price brackets and set your
discounted price so that it falls into the next lower
price bracket. You may pick up more sales from
people searching for that new bracket.
Cain Maven provided the Pathfinders a lot of helpful
ideas to consider. There were a lot of questions,
ideas tossed back and forth. Have they received
one of the keys to being successful in their new
business? Perhaps theyll share that with us in their
response, but in the long term, only time will tell.
Selling items in the Marketplace is similar to preparing

your vendor, but you have extra text available to
describe the product. Write good, short copy and have
a proofreader look it over. Misspellings will cause it
not to show in a search. The Lab doesnt offer much
for metrics, but Cain suggested experimenting with
keywords to see what draws more search hits. He
took two similar items and made slight changes to
the keywords, watching to see which one received
more hits. You can know what gets more search hits
but not why. Once you set your items up, do a test
search and see where your product appears.
There were a few more tips about using Marketplace.
The
Marketplace
offers
paid
promotional
advertisements on the front page. Some designers
use it extensively, but it did nothing in Cains
experience. Some Pathfinders and Trailblazers
agreed with Cains opinion from their experience and
what theyve heard from acquaintances. They are
like ads on websites - your eyes gloss over them and
move on. You may be more likely to get sales if you
get an advertisement on the proper category page
138
A Dream, A Destiny, A Journey

with Cain Maven
by Cain Maven and Qwis Greenwood
When this Pathfinder Mentor came into the virtual realm, he had a grand scheme in mind. A
few twists of fate and flashes of inspiration later, Cain Maven has developed a successful home
business in both Maven Homes and Quantum Destiny Luxury Prefab Homes. Taking a break from
moving ahead, he shares a look back with us.
139
Cain Maven first learned about Second Life from

friends, but their stories were not enough to tempt
him into trying it himself. Some of my friends were
Second Life fans and had run some reasonably
successful businesses in here; they eventually left,
and I more or less forgot about the whole thing.
So what was it that finally convinced him to take that
first step inworld? He explains it best himself. Over
a year later, I read an article about the size of the
Second Life economy. A cool US$30 mill? I wanted a
piece of that pie. So I signed up, logged on, and got
some awesome free shoes from Help People Island.
I had arrived.
Of course, I had no idea what I was doing. I had
played some online games - although not many - so I
found the environment reasonably easy to navigate.
But this place was big. Very big. I had no idea where
to begin... so I realised I had to explore a bit first,
maybe make some friends, find out where the action
was. Thirty million, remember?
I met some people who apparently liked to party.
A lot. They seemed to know their way around, too.
They would say things like sploder and drop the
stream and woohoo. In fact, they said woohoo a
lot. That, and Linden love, which was about the only
thing I understood at the time.
Then it hit me. In a flash of inspiration, I suddenly
realised where my path to fame and fortune lay: I
should start a club. Obvious, really. So I bought a
club building, got all the gear, rented land, signed up
DJs, and was ready to roll. I was very close to the
Grand Opening when I decided to do some back-ofthe-envelope science and see just how filthy rich I
would be after a week.
Those numbers were in red ink and reality set in. Cain
closed the club before it even opened. He turned to
running rental homes and wound up having as much
fun and financial success there as with the club.
Managing empty homes wasnt for him.
Some of the money I hadnt lost on running a club
I spent on a nice house and some furniture. One
day, I decided that one of the bedrooms was just a
little bit too small and bravely set out to expand it. It
went... okay. But I did realise that I could probably
figure this stuff out. Learn how to build - after all,
everything starts out as blocks of plywood - texture,
write my own scripts. Maybe even build a complete
house. Sell it! Make money! Finally!
My first house was released in the fall of 2009, and
it was ugly. With the airy elegance and nimble spaces
of a WWII bunker, it met with limited commercial
success. Some of my friends made Pity Purchases.
Greatly encouraged, I designed two more models in
the same style.
140
In the course of starting his home business, he

realised one of his harshest lessons. He was not
really a business person. He lacked the training that
one has, and his interest in learning wasnt there.
I was there to design Great Things and just wallow
in the waves of Linden love. When I realised that
a) being a business person really helps if you want
to run a business, and b) being a business person
actually can be a lot of fun, I adjusted my approach.
With that change in attitude, he saw a steady growth
in Maven Homes.
Cain calls himself a hopeless modernist at heart,

and his modern designs are gorgeous. Straight lines
unite glass, brick, water, stone, and wood around
open, flowing spaces. His method of designing
spaces first and worrying about facades later became
a challenge when he expanded to some of the classic
styles of architecture. Learning to build in those
different styles is an education and a very satisfying
experience. And after all that, he claims his friends
still make Pity Purchases.
The market for Maven Homes is generally the mid-
141
range in size and price, though Cain offers a few entrylevel homes to attract the attention and hopefully
gain the loyalty of new homeowners. Less than a year
ago, he received an interesting opportunity. When,
in September 2010, a fine gentleman by the name
of Quantum Destiny approached me with an offer to
buy his business, I pounced. This was the opportunity
I needed to break into the high end market without
spending months designing and building. Between
the two brands, I was now able to cater to the whole
price and size range. Quantum Destiny is the perfect
complement to Maven Homes. The yin to my yang.
The Lexus to my Toyota. Both brands feel similar in
the quality of their textures and attention to detail,
but their size and style of architecture are distinctly
different.
Steady growth is planned for both Maven Homes and

Quantum Destiny Luxury Prefab Homes with new
models, increasing variety in the styles offered, and
the use of upcoming technologies such as mesh. Has
Cain Maven become all about business? Are those
days of sploders and nights of woohoo in his
past? Cain Maven has a new outlook on that as well,
realising the potential of Second Life as a platform
for doing good things. Relay for Life and autism
awareness are two causes important to him, and he is
planning ways to support them through his business
but perhaps with some fun thrown in as well. As I
discover more opportunities, I will attempt to use this
not-always-so-virtual world to support worthy causes,
in whatever small ways I can. In the end, that will be
much more important than plywood cubes.
142
PATHF I N D E RS
Response to mentoring by Cain Maven

Piper Roxley I really enjoyed being able to not only listen to Cain but also get the chance to ask him questions. Being able to
ask an established builder questions was really insightful. He offered great advice and took the time to give us
really thoughtful answers. Im really glad we had the chance to talk with him.
Angie Mornington -
I really enjoyed the mentoring session we had with Cain Maven of Maven Homes. He shared some really great
tips on the basics of boxing items and how to set up permissions on objects. He also gave advice on vendor
systems. I really enjoyed this session and I learned a lot of new things. Sometimes when you are building you
can get stuck on the little things and it can get pretty frustrating. It is fantastic to have mentors guide you
through things and share their experiences. It makes the building experience easier when you can apply great
tips from veteran creators. I am really looking forward to our next mentor session.
Zinnia Karu -
One of my favourite parts of being in the Pathfinder Program is getting to meet other people who share my
interest in building, so I was really looking forward to taking part in the mentoring session given by Cain Maven,
owner of Maven Homes.
Cain very patiently and generously shared his expertise, shedding light on such SL mysteries as item permissions
and product packaging, as well as sharing his experience on best practice for using in-store vendors and putting
our creations on the Marketplace.
It was such a relief to finally have the opportunity to ask all the stupid questions in an intimate and supportive
environment. But I was even more relieved to find out that others had the same questions that I did!
The workshop was a chance for us all to clarify some hazy areas and to learn new skills, and I know I came away
feeling clearer and more confident as a builder.
143
trailblazers update
The Trailblazers had a fantastic experience at the Home Garden & Patio Expo. With the energy and
experience they gained, the Trailblazers have poured it back into their own businesses. Between their
Prim Perfect assignments, heres a little peek into how theyve been spending their time.
145
146
PATHF I N D E RS
Laetitia Aluveaux, Lottie Garden & Home

What has Trailblazer Laetitia (Lottie) Aluveaux been up to?
Quite a lot actually. Joining the Trailblazers has made her take a different and fresh approach on her work.
This year she was an exhibitor at the Home Expo for the first time. Oh boy, what an amazing event! The
buzz, the talent, and the amazing work that is to be seen there. To be part of it is an experience that
certainly has an impact. She will be back next year for sure.
But... the Home Expo is over, time to get back to her other work, i.e., creating for Lottie Garden & Home.
A tree seat has been finished very recently and there are still at least a thousand other ideas and projects
in her mind. Time to transfer those ideas into prims and to continue the Trailblazer program. The program
entails several mentoring sessions where she hopes to gain more knowledge about lots of subjects that will
improve her business here in Second Life. She will keep you posted.

Elica Bowenford, EBDesign The little Shop
Elica Bowenford has owned EBDesign The little Shop since October 2010. Miss Bowenford does all a
merchant shouldnt do. She has her apartment over her little shop. Her shop is small - only two rooms. It can
be claustrophobic if more than seven people are inside. Her little sandbox is beneath her garden, near her
lovely Victorian house. Everybody told her: do not work and live where your customers shop. Miss Bowenford
replied, That is all I always wanted - a place like this. She creates items for her Second Life dream place.
Mister Pfeffer, her husband, commented on her work, My beloved wife is a woman who loves her freedom
like a flying eagle. And her creations express this. They are unique without needing to fulfill the established
standards you can meet everywhere in Second Life. They are created with love and passion. Her goal is not
to make a bestseller, but something she loves and likes.
How does she reach her customers? First, through notices to Midnight Mania Groups. A full perm Mania Board
is in her shop with little items and textures for builders. She gives away every item only once; Nothing goes
back from the shop to the Midnight Mania Board. Second, she is proud to be a merchant of LOW (Letter of
the Week group). There she promotes new items every week in a release sale for 50% off or more. Every
item appears only once. She also participates in hunts with creative themes and offers a Fashionista L$10
item every two weeks.
And a personal weakness - she loves to be invited. Recently she joined the Colab Creators, a group of
designers who create and offer unique full-perm kits for sale in the members stores. Miss Bowenford would
like to thank Miss Mauve Binder here, who told her about the group and encouraged her to participate in this
community project.
What does EBDesign offer? The little Shop offers low prim furniture, garden items, flowers, full perm items
for builders, full perm music of adaptions and originals by Miss Bowenford, and animations - all with a touch
of steampunk and Victorian lifestyle. It can also be found in her Marketplace shop.
147
148
Grow Your Virtual Business

Through Social Networking
- A Prim Perfect Seminar
by Qwis Greenwood with Zinnia Karu and Saffia Widdershins

What is this social networking and how can it
improve your sales? Can you use Flickr to build
your brand identity? Should you create a blog, and
how do you attract readers? These were the sort
of questions that brought people together at the
Prim Perfect headquarters for a business support
seminar sponsored by the Trailblazer programme.
The seminar was held in both voice and text, and the
following is just a sampling of the conversation.
* Second Life is a social media, based on community.

* Augment this social aspect by connecting inworld
and out of world and/or by using a blog to form social
links.
* Blog creations of others as well as your own - it
makes the blog more interesting and creates a
network.
* Provide informative posts; avoid spamming.
Social Networking - Nikk Huet (Nik Hewitt)

Nikk Huet (Nik Hewitt) has experience in social media
as the Lead Strategist for Conversify. He works
with PR companies, ad agencies, and developers to
navigate the ever changing climate of social media.
He spoke on the general use and benefits of social
networking.
Blogging - Elle Kirshner

Elle Kirshner is the talented home furniture and
accessories designer behind the brand Second
Spaces and the blog of the same name. She uses her
blog to showcase her work, but the blog also reviews
other designers work and special events.
149
*Second Life is a visual media

* Elle started blogging to celebrate creations around
the grid.
* It is easy, free advertising.
* Plurk can be used as an extension of the blog.
* Elle uses her blogs to organise and promote
decorating competitions.
* Link to other social media - use an ad in Prim
Perfect to direct people to your social media.
Using Flickr - Cherelle Capra
Cherelle Capra is the owner and designer of C&D
Designs. She uses Flickr to promote her business
through a Flickr group, coming up with interactive
and innovative ways of using that social media.
* Flickr is a way for your business to be visible,
and you can interact with the public, offering and
receiving feedback on your work.
* Use it to grow your portfolio and give your brand
exposure.
* Connect with people through creating a friends list
- your photos will appear on their page when they
log in. Join groups within Flickr that relate to your
work and interests.
* When you or others tag pictures as favourites, they
get noticed, creating a domino effect.
* Give your photos relevant tags to get noticed.
* Group owners might find your photos by tags
and request permission to add your photos to their
groups.
* Describe your work and include links to your blog/
website/store. If people are interested, they will
come inworld to see it in person.
* Per Flickrs Terms of Service, advertising is not
allowed. Do not post prices or include them in the
graphics.
* You cannot advertise, but you can build brand
awareness.
After the presentations

Conversation continued on after the seminar,
uncovering some of the keys to successfully using
social networking.
* Kghia Gherardi noted that with social media, you
get out of it what you put into it.
* HootSuite is a website which can help organise and
track your presence in various social media sites.
* Co-tweet is another social media organising
platform.
* bit.ly allows you to keep track of where people are
coming from.
* Kghia brought up the term agile marketing and
believes it applies well to Second Life and social
media - try something, assess, and either do it again
or alter it.
* Cherelle Capra emphasises being consistent and
aware, keeping with the pulse of what is going on,
and watching the trends.
* Saffia Widdershins noted that her blog receives
more hits for think pieces, but people will also see
other announcements and information while theyre
there.
* Cherelle suggests blogs succeed when you provide
interesting writing, use humour, and include good
pictures.
With pages of notes and heads full of ideas, the

attendees took home much to think about and
implement in their own businesses. Plans are in motion
to offer more business support seminars.
Keep watching the Prim Perfect blog for announcements!
150
The Gridnauts Journey:
Avination
written and photographed by Ignatius Onomatopoeia
151

Getting to Avination
This grid has created a lot of buzz in the last few months as a
fast-growing destination. Maria Korolov, the Editor of Hypergrid
Business, places it at the second-largest non-Second Life grid, at
1,163 regions, and most active of the non-Second Life grids, with
4,861 logins for April 2011.
I decided it merited a look. Im fond of the original GI Joes of the
1960s and 70s, especially the Adventure Team, so when I was
forced to choose a last name, I saw Kungfu as a choice and chose
Grip as my first name.
Off to Adventure!
Avatar creation was painless and offered more than Ruth. I rezzed
slowly but found the lag imperceptible on my rig. From the starting
avatars onward, I felt myself in a much more evolved virtual world
than what I found in Second Life in 2007. Though I crashed twice
during my visits, overall the experience was as seamless as the
other grids reviewed in this column. Ill add, though, that the
crashes werent on the Avination client but on Imprudence, which is
my grid-hopping favourite and with which Ive experienced crashing
a bit lately in several worlds.
As with InWorldz, I felt part of a community that, while smaller
than Second Lifes, is on its way to being a vital competitor to what
InWorldz resident Lalo Telling once called The Old Country from
which many of us have migrated.
After getting my rez issues sorted, I explored a bit, and right away
I found a way to buy currency. From there, I did a bit of shopping,
starting at Thorne Maximus Vanity Hair. Its among many outposts
for main stores in a mall off the Welcome area.
I met a few other avatars who had just entered the world. Armani
Armeni was talkative, though I started logging chat only after we
had spoken for a while. Like me, hes an explorer, but mostly hes
a social user of virtual worlds and had heard good things about the
grid.
Getting Started: http://bit.ly/mODPov

& Blog: http://bit.ly/jVKBiJ
Size of Grid: 1163 regions (kudos to
Maria Korolov for this figure)
Pricing Information:
Region: free setup, rental per month
US$60
CCS enabled region: rental per month
US$75 (another US$50 per month to
have the CCS system with XP enabled,
for character levelling). For more about
CCS see gametech.com.
Uploads: C$10
Group creation: C$250
Bonuses: Stability of grid, large number
of merchants and content quality on par
with Second Life, easy-to-use virtual
currency, gridwide support of roleplay
in segregated regions, cheaper pricing
than in Second Life. Shopping is still an
inworld affair and has not been displaced
to a Web marketplace. Vendors worked
fast.
For some users, the no-freebie policy
might be a boon. Social and roleplay
scenes look vital and for those interested
in adult content or gambling, both seem
plentiful.
Drawbacks: Smaller but growing
resident base, lack of free uploads. Must
start with last name from list. Grid ripe for
litigation over gambling and unrestricted
access to adult-rated content. Not a grid
for educators, nonprofits, or businesses
with a real life reputation to protect.
Commons and natural vistas/areas
seem scarce.
Special Instructions: For migrants who
wish to use the same name in Second Life
and Avination, there is a helpful tutorial.
152

Prices seem reasonable and, when I saw Ivy Misfits
vendors, I felt as if Id never left Second Life. Shes
Ivy Thatch in Second Life and owner of P3 Costumes
and More in both worlds. Her products dont hold a
lot of interest to an educator, but they are humorous
and well made. Im glad that Second Lifes sense of
irreverent and sexy humour found its way into the
new virtual world as well. You have to respect anyone
with an outfit called Bunny Fu Fu. Was the end of
the semester playing with my brain? I began singing
Little Bunny Foo Foo at this point, which has the
most twisted lyrics of any childrens song, ever.
Okay, I was ready to go exploring. Thank you Ivy; you
gave me an Avination soundtrack in my head.
Other well known Second Life designers have already
set up shop. Lolmacshan Spot, who runs the stunningly
designed Lost World sim in Second Life under the
name Lolmac Shan, has a shop in the Welcome Area
mall. Nearby hung a few vendors by sachi Vixen of
Adam & Eve. Such content shows that some names
from Second Life trust the grid owner.
I saw other designers with roleplay themed content,
but other than some C$25 items, I saw no freebies,
something that makes Avination quite different from
other virtual worlds.
Teleports proved painless on day one, when I

confined myself to a bit of shopping. On other
occasions I had more difficulty.
IP Protection
The plain-language explanation of copyright policy
really came as refreshing after the labyrinth of
legalese that Linden Lab uses. Of course, miles of
legalese may be but a single lawsuit away at these
smaller grids. Many of us recall a simpler time in
Second Life as well.
Note to builders: at the time of my visit, Phoenix
Viewers import function was not supported.
Avination recommends Imprudence, Hippo, or the
native Avination viewers for importing prim items.
For content creators migrating to the grid, Avination
features a limited time offer of upload credits.
As an educator, I have steered away from closed grids
and preferred ones with hypergrid access. But for
the same reasons I have previously recommended
Third Rock Grid, Open Life, or InWorldz to Prim
Perfect readers, Id say that Avination offers the
sort of IP protection we cannot yet expect on the
Hypergrid.
153
A Grid For Merchants, Not Freebies

Avinations creators hold that In other worlds, Freebies
have taken over and have begun to hurt the economic
success and the quality of goods overall. I could care
less, since educators want to give stuff away, but for
merchants, the freebie policy may prove much more
useful than has Linden Labs bungled attempt to be rid
of them on Marketplace (angering many educators).
The limited freebie policy in Avination, on the other
hand, pleased merchants like Estrellita Mildor, Hadita
Kondor (on left in picture), and Flavio Bressia (on right).
In Estrellitas shop, I hauled out my somewhat rusty
Spanish, not having a translator, and we carried on a
conversation mostly in that language. Ive translated to
English here:
We have a good freebie policy here, said Hadita
Kondor.
Many creators have joined us in taking shelter here in
Avination, Estrellita Mildor pointed out. Its a higher
quality place [than Second Life].
It permits us to have lands and shops at a good price,
agreed Flavio Bressig.
I asked their opinions of how Marketplace has

changed shopping in Second Life and received
some trenchant responses.
In Second Life trade has vanished, said Hadita
Kondor.
Estrellita Mildor agreed. Yeah, Second Life is not
the same.
Flavio Bressig pointed out a major contrast - that
from the beginning in Avination. there was better
contact with the developers.
It may be that Linden Lab needs to work harder
to make its merchant class happier, as these
merchants are using word of mouth in Second Life
to bring other residents over to Avination, starting
with their friends. Though concurrency hovers
around three hundred now, they stated that they
have great plans for the grid. Those are small
numbers for Linden Lab, but if fifty new grids each
were to get one thousand residents to spend more
time in them well, that does seem to be the
trajectory of virtual worlds these days.
154

Q&A With Helen of Avination
Just before deadline, I got in touch with
Helen, who is with Avinations A-Team
and works as the spokesperson and
public relations manager for the grid. I
put some questions to her.
Grip: I heard that Avination grows
mostly through word of mouth in Second
Life. Is that true, and are there other
ways your team promotes the grid?
Getting Money
So no free items for Grip Kungfu! Hair matters, especially for an
avatar named in the spirit of GI Joe with lifelike hair. So I decided
not to be a penniless tourist. From a terminal at the Welcome Area
I bought C$1000 using my PayPal account (Saffia, where are those
expense account forms?) (Gosh, they were misplaced in our move
to Costa Rica. Im sure Ill put my hand on them any day now - Ed).
Kudos to Thorne at Vanity Designs. I did get a free bald hair base
an essential for any hair shopper. I blew money on Anil, one of
Thornes long hair designs with a queue in the back (dreads being
beyond my pocketbook). I liked the look of the starting dark skin,
so I didnt buy a custom one. In the end, the avatar looked like
an Indian-American or dark-skinned Hispanic male; Im a darkskinned Arab-American in real life, so Im fond of ethnic avatars,
as a rule. Too many white dudes in virtual worlds look like bikers,
male models, or hipsters.
But Grip Kungfu needed a walk beyond the stock chicken-strut. I
put down C$250 at Vista Animations for a basic Animation Override
called Danger Man. Fidgety, yes, but funny. Given Grips origins
in the world of 1970s GI Joe, the name fit.
Danger Man. Im a sucker for marketing, dont you know.
I spent C$10 to upload a denim jacket and was as ready as Id ever
be for this virtual world.
Only at logoff did I notice Id been on a wireless Internet connection:
very impressive for the speeds I encountered.
Helen: Yes, in Second Life our name

spreads only by word of mouth.
Previously we ran radio advertisements
in West Coast United States and
are currently seeking promotional
appearances in virtual world media. In
the coming months we are unveiling a
promotion for adult education and nonprofit organisations, holding networking
events to enhance our residents inworld
resources and rolling out more nonEnglish welcome areas to accommodate
current and new non-English residents.
Roleplay is also gaining in popularity so
we expect growth from that sector as
well.
Grip: My time inworld was brief, but
merchants seem really happy here.
What do you think keeps them here,
given your relatively small user base?
Helen: To start, upload credits are given
in increments of C$10,000 to verified
creators. They have the ability to build
without the need of megaprims, and the
cost of a 15,000-prim sim is only US$60
with no setup fee. What this means is
they use up less prims building and have
less overhead cost, thereby churning out
a better return on investment. Region
owners and estate managers have the
ability to restart their regions from the
website. Creator meetings are held
weekly with Avination Management and
merchants may communicate with me
by inworld instant message or email
with urgent concerns. We are trying our
155
best to protect their investments and

have also put out a customer satisfaction
survey recently to gain feedback for
planning future improvements.
Grip: I didnt see too many areas for
exploring: parkland, natural wonders,
etc. While I did enjoy shopping and
socialising here, are there points of
interest on this grid I need to see?
Helen: While it is true that we may
not have as many places to explore as
some of the other grids (we are a young
world yet), there certainly are points of
interest in Avination. We finally have our
commerce built up and now are starting
to see many new areas for exploring.
Weve started a campaign to visit new
regions each week. Footage is taken and
published into a sneak peek that can be
found on our YouTube channel: http://
bit.ly/iPGXPk. Each video is less than two
minutes long. Past explorations can be
found there as well.
Grip: Does the grid have age verification?
If not, what might prevent underage
residents from accessing adult-rated
content?
Helen: Avination is a Mature 18+ grid.
No age verification is needed in our case
since we do not have minors at all. In
the UK, you just have to state that youre
of age - proof is not necessary unless
there is reasonable doubt as to the users
age. We explicitly state both on the Join
page and also in our TOS (which must be
accepted to enter the grid) that minors
are not allowed in Avination.
Helen also noted that Avination is the
only grid based on OpenSim technology
to offer Vivox voice. So besides Second
Life, if virtual world residents, especially
educators, want clear and reliable voice
service without extra cost to the user,
then Avination is the place for them.
A Viable Alternative Grid... For the Adventurous

Danger Man was the right choice. Avination has a bit of a bad
reputation, based on hostility by the grid owner to merchants
who provide free items, as well as the presence of unprotected
adult content and lots of gambling. Google around to see some of
the forums and factions that have discussed this grid. These may
be sour grapes; let the reader decide.
Gaga Gracious history of both Avination and InWorldz,
accompanied by a tour, seems more balanced than some of the
flames Ive seen online. Have a look at Traffic: Opensim Grids Up.
Second Life Down.
I take the more negative reviews with a grain of salt, given my
positive arrival and the presence of familiar names from Second
Life on that grid. Still, given the FBIs work in Second Life with
the consent of Linden Lab, any US citizen might want to be quite
careful before pulling the arm on a virtual slot machine.
Regions come in PG, Mature, and Adult flavours. Armani had
mentioned how Avination provided no protection against minors
visiting Adult-rated sims. Im not age verified there, so I tried to
get in myself. Any Avination visitor can set preferences to maturity
ratings under a pull-down option in the viewers preferences. The
old standby, sex, in the search tool revealed the sort of content
that a teenaged boy would love. Im no prude and dont care what
consenting adults do, but Avination may well find itself subject to
litigation from parents. They need at least a fig leaf such as age
verification.
156

To test the ease of finding naughtiness, if not partaking
in it, with a click I went to Nederland, an adult-rated
shopping region. Seeing nothing risqu, I moved on
to another bte-noir of American legislators: online
gambling.
It is alive and well in Avination, as it was when I
first rezzed in Second Life. The search tool turned up
many working casinos.
Sadly, I didnt find too many whimsical, artsy, or
natural builds in my searches around Avination. On the
other hand, this is a grid for socialisers, roleplayers,
gamblers, and the adult community. It might then
be the readers perfect home or worst nightmare. As
one might expect, the Gorean community is present,
and there are some high-quality items themed to
that style of roleplay.
In the end, Linden Lab had best pay attention to what
is happening at Avination and InWorldz, then provide
value-added services to keep residents happy and

attract new ones. For social users and roleplayers, the
only advantage Second Life now offers is population.
As these alternative grids expand their number of
residents, that too may change.
And in Other Grids: Closure and New Technology
As Avination considers its gambling and adult content
concerns, we all should recall how quickly an upand-coming grid can close. See Maria Korolovs story
for what happened at Meta7, a grid that has closed
after being handed a court order over copyright
infringement.
On the other hand, a non-Second Life grid can deploy
new technologies and thrive. I was impressed by
news of InWorldz Phlox Script Engine. Artist soror
Nishi notes that forty European residents (and three
horses) gathered for a Phlox test party and the
results were impressive. There was no chat lag and
no grey avatars. Try that in Second Life. See her post
on the topic for more details.
157
S P RUC E U P Y O U R SPA C E
SPRUCE UP YOUR SPACE

in june!
By HoneyLicious Spaces
What is Spruce Up Your Space?
HoneyLicious Spaces is ecstatic to bring you a unique

monthly shopping event - Spruce Up Your Space!
Each month, a group of Second Lifes best furniture/
decor designers will be joining together to help you
Spruce Up Your Space!
Heres how it goes:
Second weekend of the month - well announce that

months theme.
Third and fourth weekends - our participating
designers will release new items for the theme. For
those weekends only, the items will be available at
special discounted prices, L$150 or less!
Junes theme is Inside Outside - a celebration of
summer and outdoor spaces where we live, eat, sleep,
or play!! Some of the awesome themes weve enjoyed
in the past months are Life of Luxury, Beachy Keen,
Working 9 to 5, So Boho, and Straight Out Of the
Trailer Extravaganza!!
Our star-studded roster of participating designers

continues to grow! As of press time, the list includes:
Alchemys Attic
Ambiance
ARIA
Awesome Blossom
[ba] Barnesworth Anubis
Belle Belle
Blonde
buttons
Cheeky Pea
Cleo Designs
Croire
Deco*Licious
Funky Junk
GREENE Concept
Herbalys
Ingrid Ingersoll
Insight Designs
Interior Addiction
Julia Collection
LaLicious Designs
Laura Liberty
LISP Bazaar
Little Boxes
Made By Moo
MB Creationz
Modest House
Morantique
MudHoney
Northwest
Palais
Panache
Pookea
Second Spaces
[SPRY]
sur+
The Loft
Trompe Loeil
Turnips Home & Garden
UrbaniZeD
{what next}
Join our in-world group to get update notices! Search

Groups for Spruce Up Your Space - membership is
free! You can also join our Flickr group at http://www.
flickr.com/groups/1329331@N20/ to see preview pics
of the new releases on each release weekend!
HoneyLicious Spaces is a co-op venture between
MudHoney, LaLicious Designs, and Second Spaces.
158
DES I G N I N G W O RL DS N E W S
AnExcitingSeason
forDesigning Worlds
by SAFFIA WIDDERSHINS
Designing Worlds is Prim Perfects

sister programme on Treet.TV,
and it has an exciting mission: To
bring to the metaverse all the best
and most remarkable in design for
homes, gardens, landscapes and
beyond!
Designing Worldsis shown live every Monday
at 2 pm SLT. If you have an inworld Treet.TV set,
you can watch the programme live, or you can
watch it live on the web - and join in the chat
too! Or you can catch repeats on the Lifestyle
channel (times vary).
You can also watch the show on the Treet.TV
site, or download it from the iTunes store (just
search there on Designing Worlds) to play on
your screen or on your iPod - it can be fun to
watch at the gym!
But most fun of all is to join our live studio
audience on Northpoint- where you can watch
the show and even be a part of it if we are
filming in the studio! In addition, you will have
a chance to talk to the guests after the show is
ended and receive an exciting free gift: recent
gifts have included some wonderful avatars from
Grendels, a special Prim Perfect incense burner
and a floor vase from Urbanized, and a beautiful

romantic beach cottage from Maven Homes!
So What Is Designing Worlds?
Designing Worlds - brought to you by Prim
Perfect Productions, the people behindPrim
Perfectmagazine and thePrim Perfectblog is one of a range of shows from Treet.TV, the
virtual worlds very own cable network. The
programme is presented by Saffia Widdershins, the Editor ofPrim Perfectmagazine Prim
Perfect magazine and Elrik Merlin of Radio Riel.
The show explores the work of and the
issues affecting designers in virtual worlds.
We feature material about design, especially
homes, gardens, and related topics - as well as
makeovers ofSecond Lifehomes like yours! We
visit locations inSecond Lifeand in other grids
like Inworldz which we believe will interest our
viewers - looking at the work of talented content
creators, as well as nonprofit and educational
projects. And sometimes we just have fun!
We also have shows set in our fantastic
studios. These shows feature discussions about
important issues such as content theft and IP
rights, tips for the home owner and home renter,
and interviews with some wonderful designers
159
and creators! Recent studios have included an

interview with Kamilla Hauptmann, animator
extraordinaire, and a show on the protections for content creators on open sim grids.
Founder and Co-ordinator of the Expo, and MamaP

Beerbaum of Relay for Life in Second Life. And we
saw something of the special RFL KittyCatS! too. It
all made for an amazing opening show - make sure
that you dont miss it.
All our earlier shows are available on the Treet.

TV site, and available for FREE download from
iTunes as a podcast (just go to the iTunes store
and search on Designing Worlds - its free to
download, or to subscribe to the podcast).
The show is available on the web , or get it from the

iTunes store.
Season 7: Episode 2 - Designing Worlds brews

up some prims at the Builders Brewery!
Look out for the Treet.TV show website. As

well as giving you a great deal of information
(and access to) all our shows, you can also
join in the chat and forums - and let us know
whatyouthink! Well be commenting, too, and
joining in the discussions, so we will see you
there!
h
Season 7: Episode 1 - Designing Worlds visits
the Home and Garden Expo
This year the Expo consists of ten regions packed

full of home, gardens, furniture and KittyCatS! We
visited as much as we could on our show and talked
to designers, as well as to Nikki Mathieson, the
Elrik and Saffia paid a visit to the Builders Brewery one of the best resources for Builders on the Second
Life grid. They explored the combination of classes,
sandbox, and items on sale that make Builders
Brewery such a popular destination for builders and
scripters across the Second Life grid, meeting with
Supremius and Sensuous Maximus, the creators and
owners of this amazing resource for builders and
scripters in Second Life, as well as DeAnn Dufaux,
Head of Instruction, and Kireji2 Haiku, Scripting
Instructor. And they tried a class of their own too!
The show is available on the web , or get it from the

iTunes store.
160

Season 7: Episode 3 - There be pirates on
Designing Worlds!
Season 7: Episode 4 -Discover the Elves of

Inworldz with Designing Worlds
In this episode, we paid a visit to the Isles of

Jabberwock and explored the phenomenon of
seagoing pirates in Second Life! Saffia and Elrik took
a look at the world of the 18th century Caribbean,
by exploring the region of Jabberwock, which has
pirate lairs, a British settlement, and plenty of seas
and desert islands to sail among - to say nothing of
having battles and performing deeds of knavery or
derring-do, as the fancy takes you!
In this episode, Saffia and Elrik travelled off the

Second Life grid to visit the Elf Lands of Inworldz
and talk to people involved in creating a fascinating
series of communities in a whole new world! Although
Inworldz is amongst the most popular and stable
of the new walled garden grids, there is still very
much a sense of newness and freshness as people
explore, try things out and begin to found new
communities. Some of these communities have their
origin in Second Life - such as the Elf Clan. But now
they are a very real presence in Inworldz too. We
explored several of these thematically linked, nascent
communities, talking to Balpien Hammerer about his
philosophy of communities - and his wonderful boats
- as we explored Ardhon en Ceredir and Faelf Lands
of the Sidhevairs, to Wayfinder Wishbringer of the
Elf Clans, who talked about the development of their
(currently) eighteen regions. And we talked to Fleure
Homewood of Falathrim about her art gallery and her
popular venue for live music in the Elflands. There
will even be a quick look at the commercial side of
Inworldz as Saffia makes a stop to look for dress
to suit her inner elf! And Russell Eponym plays his
original music to make sure an Elvish party is a good
time for everyone to test dancing in Inworldz!
While Saffia, visiting a disreputable local tavern with

Jabberwock owner Antigua Jewell, found out about
the community of Jabberwock and its associated
islands, Elrik explored the wonderful ships created by
Martina Lewsey - with the help of the rascally Captain
Tweed, who took him sailing. And, as any crew of
pirates needs the forces of authority to defy, Saffia
travelled to Port Charles to meet Commander Paul,
Commander of British forces, and learnt what the
pirates are up against, while Elrik became involved in
a sea battle It all made for a rather exciting episode
of Designing Worlds!
The show is available on the web, or get it from the
iTunes store.

iTunes store.
161

Season 7: Episode 5 - A Study in New Babbage
for Designing Worlds!
Exhibitions in the Hall

One advantage of ourDesigning Worldsstudios on
Northpoint is that we have a large exhibition hall
where we can display information and objects related
to our programmes. Here, visitors are able to learn
more about the background to our shows and can
see and try out furnishings used on the show - or
different pieces made by our designers. And visitors
may have the chance to buy their favourite pieces
as well!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet again we set out to have a nice, calm show in

New Babbage, exploring the builds based on famous
places that residents have created there (fictional and
real world). What, as the people of New Babbage say,
could possibly go wrong? Well, we werent expecting
that - on a visit to a recreation of 221b Baker Street
- Elrik and Mr Victor Mornington, the Assistant MaceHolder, would be mistaken for Mr Holmes and Dr
Watson by a beautiful young lady in some distress...

iTunes store.
Coming soon:
Planned shows include:
A visit to Second Lifes Eighth Birthday celebrations
Fireworks - for the Fourth of July!
A visit to the Relay for Life builds
Romenna - a Tolkien-based OpenSim grid
Imperial College - exploring the new unit training
doctors to respond to major incidents
Rails and Trails - travelling the Second Life mainland
As part of our show,Designing Worlds, we are still

doing Meta Makeover segments, where we bring
in a top designer to make over your virtual home
or garden! In those shows, we take a house and
make it over, deploying a skilled designer. Theyll be
interviewed about why theyve made the choices that
they have - with the delighted (or appalled) owner
having a chance to say what they love or loathe
about their new home.
So if you would like to have a virtual home or garden

given the treatment by a top designer, send an
email to us atmetamakeover@gmail.comwith three
or four pictures of your home or garden attached,
stating your reasons why you would like a makeover.
And if you know a special place inSecond Lifethat

we should really feature on the show, drop us a line,
too!
162
metaverse arts news
Metaverse Arts News

by Tricia Aferdita
After a brief spring break during the month of May, Metaverse Arts is ready to launch into the last two
episodes of its first year.
For the June episode we are lucky enough to be able to film directly from the scene of the Second Life
8th Birthday celebration. In honour of eight years of creativity on the grid, we are exploring a selection of
exhibits from artists across Second Life.
In July we will be celebrating our 12th episode. One whole year of Metaverse Arts! We will be revisiting a
few of the artists we have hosted throughout the year and taking a look at some of the new things theyve
been up to. Stay tuned for more details!
Love Metaverse Arts? If youd like to join our team, were looking for a few staff members to help us pull
together each months show, promote it, and post news on our blog. Think youve got some skills to add to
the program? IM Tricia Aferdita inworld or email triciaaferdita@gmail.com
164
HowDoIAdvertise?
We welcome you to consider joining our Prim
Perfect community of satisfied advertisers.
Our circulation is rapidly growing, and includes
readers who are among the most discerning
lifestyle consumers in the Second Life world.
We offer click-through SLurls in both our
inworld and web versions to allow readers direct,
immediate access to advertisers stores or
websites.
Even better, the inworld magazine can deliver a
landmark, a notecard, even a gift to readers on
behalf of our sponsors. For a trial period, were
offering this service to our advertisers at no
increased cost.
Our Pledge: We do not have block pages
of advertising. We make sure your ad gets
maximum attention by placing it within our highquality content. We guarantee that readers will
never turn more than two pages without content.
Ad Design
To display your ad to best advantage, please

follow our guidelines for size and graphic quality.
Dimensions below are in pixels (width x height)
at a resolution of 300 dpi.
Two-Page Spread:
Full Page:
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4896 x 3168
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location, which we will enable as a click-through.

We will be happy to arrange for ad design at
reasonable rates. Please contact Aisling Sinclair
(details below).
Rates
Standard rates:
Two-page spread
Full-page
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L$18,000
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Premium placement (first 30 pages):

20% above standard rates (Two-page and full-page
only)
Business-class placement (pp. 31-60):
10% above standard rates
Other premium opportunities:
Inside Front Cover
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Special Insert
Discounts are available for multi-issue contracts or
for placing our subscription kiosk at your location.
Newcomer Spotlight program: We are accepting
applications for our Newcomer Spotlight program.
This program is intended to help new clients reach a
broader audience. Its open to businesses operating
in Second Life for six months or less.
Deadlines
Formats accepted: JPEG, TIFF, EPS, PNG. Save

JPEG files at highest quality.
Prim Perfect is published about every six weeks.

Below are guidelines for booking and submitting
your ad.
Please submit your ads to Winona Wiefel at

w.wiefel@gmail.com. Include a SLurl for your
For questions or more information, contact Aisling

Sinclair inworld or at aisling.sinclair@gmail.com.
To advertise in this issue:

February 1
march 15
May 1
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October 20
December 1
Book your ad by:
January 11
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September 29
November 3
Submit your artwork by:

January 25
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165
HowDoIGetFuture
Copies of Prim Perfect?
LovePrim Perfect? Heres how to get future copies and access back issues!
INWORLD
ON THE WEB
Prim Perfect Subscribe-o-Matic kiosks
Calameo
Click to join, and receive the current issue in

Intellibook form, right then and there! Later issues
will be delivered to you directly.
Calameo is a browser format which enables you to

flip through pages smoothly and zoom in, giving the
feel of a real magazine. Youll find the Prim Perfect
magazines (including back issues) all listed at
Calameo.
Kiosk locations:
Prim Perfect Headquarters,
San Jose East1, Costa Rica
(back issues available here as well)
Designing Worlds Studios,Northpoint
Prim Perfect Blog

Details of the exact link for the latest edition will
appear on our blog, as will a link to a standard PDF
for downloading and printing, if you like to download
and print out your magazines to read as you commute
to work, or in the bath, or wherever!
Prim Perfect Readers Group

Join this group and have each issue delivered to you
automatically inworld. Joining is free, and we wont
overload you with messages!
How to join:
1. Inworld, open Search.
2. Search Groups for Prim Perfect Readers.
3. Click to join!
SL Marketplace
You can also buy (for L$0) Intellibook copies of
the current magazine and back issues from theSL
Marketplace.
Please note that at Calameo and on the Marketplace,

you can also see copies of our other publication, The
Primgraph, aimed at historical and steampunk sims as well as other special publications that we produce
from time to time, such as our Guide for Gardeners
in Second Life and our Linden Homes Special.
Enjoy! And let us know what you think of our new
edition!
166
PrimPerfectContributors
Ceejay Writer
A steampunk since age nine with

a fascination for the Victorian era.
Ceejay is barista and owner of the
Java Jive dieselpunkish roadsideart coffee house in Seraph City.
She has been known to dance
burlesque at the New Champagne
Rooms. In a former life, Ceejay
thinks she may have been an archaeologist.
Annechen Lowey
ciology and dance.
The person behind the keyboard

for Annechen Lowey was raised in
the wilds of the American Southeast by a pack of feral English Literature professors. She is a resident of Caledon, Winterfell and
Steelhead and is said to have an
unhealthy interest in building, so-
Qwis Greenwood
ever since.
Qwis can be found living in the future, exploring the present, and relaxing in the past that never was.
Stepping up from the text-based
worlds she discovered over twenty
years ago, she came to Second Life
in 2007 and has been writing about
her experiences and discoveries
Java Jetcity
A jet-set girl who lives out of her

Gucci bag, Java can be found on
tropical beaches, in the most
trendy of clubs, at art gallery
openings, or sailing into the sunset on someone elses yacht. She
claims to be a professional hedonist. Beneath her exotic exterior
though, lies the brain of one smart cookie. And that
would be a Godiva chocolate cookie, darling.
Eva Bellambi
A denizen of Second Life since May

of 2006, Eva landed nearly immediately on the shores of Caledon.
Styled the Duchess of Loch Avie in
Caledon and The Lady of Skye in
Winterfell, she has been an event
creator, hostess, and writer since
late in 2006. Eva has found SL to
be a fantastic outlet for her creative side. This creativity
has expressed itself in the events she has created in the
Steamlands, for the SL Relay for Life, and the Susan G.
Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.
Tricia Aferdita
An artist in real life, and an active

member and supporter of the Second
Life arts community since 2006, and
has curated major exhibitions, Tricia is currently is the director of the
Tricia Aferdita Gallery, and Manager,
Curator and Events Director of the
Avalon Art District. Tricia is also the
producer and host of Metaverse Arts on treet.tv
Beq Janus
Beqs journey in Second Life began

in 2007 after a chance meeting in a
pub. Days later she found herself in
Babbage, a town that captured and
inspired her. Her heart lives in the
late 19th century, as does most of her
wardrobe. Versatile and resourceful
she can turn her hand to most tasks.
She can be found as Frankie, the captain of the Phoenix in
The Primgraphs Quest for the Golden Prim.
Rowan Derryth
An art, fashion & design historian in

real life, Rowan profiles some of the
most innovative Second Life artists
in her column Ekphrasis on the Prim
Perfect blog, and writes features for
the magazines. She also lectures on
art & architecture; is a judge for the
UWA Open Art Challenge; and is Curator of the new Avalon Arts Intiative for new artists. She
owns RoHaus Gallery and Sculpture Park in Avalon, where
she displays her growing private collection.
Ethan Westland
Ethan is a resident of Avalon Town

where he works as Assistant Town
Manager. He formerly was the Vice
President of Marketing for Cetus Gallery District, was a founding member
of the former Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Museum and served as Chairman
of its Board for 2010. In his spare
time, he designs and builds custom homes in the midcentury modern style as well as 19th century architecture.
Scotti Lyle
Scotti found Second Life in 2007 and

wandered the grid aimlessly until she
stumbled on Caledon, where she immediately fell in love with the creativity and spirit of community she
found there. Her Other Being is a
self-described grammar geek who
loves to write both poetry and prose.
167
Lette Ponnier
Lette is a Second Life multi-tasker. Playing and hosting live trivia

events inworld is her first love, but
shes also excited to be proofreading for Prim Perfect and proud to
be on the Phoenix Viewer support
team. Shes in the process of writing the Neverending Dissertation,
also on the subject of virtual worlds. She spends much
of her time in her clock-filled garden in New Toulouse
Algiers.
Stephen Venkman
One chilly spring morning in

2006 Stephen Venkman stumbled
through the Rabbits hole of Second Life. Finding the Mad Hatter
peddling bowler hats, and the
Queen of Hearts singing disco, he
knew he wasnt in Kansas any longer. Photographer, gallery curator,
magazine contributor, artist, hes captured some of the
most amazing content found on the grid. Photoshop only
added to his addiction.
Twisted Lemon
Twis is Australian, deaf, selfemployed, has a heavy photoshop

habit, and thinks Second Life is a
wonderful thing.
PJ Trenton
A Second Life resident for over 4

years, PJ roams the grid photographing for Prim Perfect and The
Primgraph magazines, as well as
Designing Worlds and Metaverse Arts
on Treet TV. PJ is also photographer
and designer of the Quest for the
Golden Prim, a serial running regularly in The Primgraph. PJ owns Exposure Art Gallery in
Avalon Town.
Judith Lefevre
Aisling Sinclair
Ash discovered Second Life in

2006 and remains utterly fascinated. She feels very much at home
in this best of all creative sandboxes and ponders the ability to
feel so close to people shes never
met face to face. Ash joined Prim
Perfect as Advertising Manager in
Spring 2009, and takes pleasure in combining her creative
sensibilities with her business sense, here as in first life.
Second Lifes creative community continues to amaze
me, she says. I want to do all I can to help grow their
businesses, because I never want them to stop.
Pitsch Parx
Pitsch is the driving force behind

Urbanized. His evolving boundarypushing designs keep pace with
the changeable nature of Second
Life. He appreciates minimal design, natural plants and a sheer
abundance of textures. Brussels,
Belgium is both his home and his
influence. A background in creative design and a degree
from St. Lukas art school give Pitsch the skills to bring
the best of his urban surrounds to a virtual world.
can bring to life.
An SL butterfly, Judith has fluttered

around the grid for nearly 3 years.
In Second Life, as in Real Life, she
loves to explore and always has her
camera ready. She loves to capture
the essential beauty of the worlds
and is inspired by the amazing
dreams that Second Life designers
Wildstar Beaumont
the Golden Prim
Explorer of virtual worlds by land

and sea since 2007, sailor, privateer,
fleet captain, resident of Winterfell
since the very beginning of his Second Life,lover of musical and literary
events and part time photographer
Plays the role of Captain Ralph Montcalm in the webcomic The Quest for
Winona Wiefel
Win is a Mac Designer from Norway,

currently living in Spain. Resident
in Second Life since 2007 where
she spends her time running PRIME
Furniture with a friend, designing Prim Perfect, talking crap and
waiting for her inventory to load.
AdvertisersDirectory
Ambiance Interactive Furnishings 6
Antique Artistry 34
Avalon Town 22
Barefoot Homes 92
Basic Elements 46
Cafe Curiousity 156
Castle Q Castles 42, 109
Costa Rica 73
Creative Fantasy 18
Elements in Design 144
Eostara 58
Incwell Textures 31
Kismet 2
Originalia 125
Patron 14
PRIME Furniture 97
Radio Riel 170
Regent Estates 119
Sim Preservation Project 5
Sofias 28
Temasek sim 38
Tempura Decor 12
The Primgraph 170
Thistle Hill Marketplace 24
treet.tv 163
True North Designs 63
UrbanizeD 80
171
Credits
Publisher and Editor:

Saffia Widdershins
Design Manager:
Winona Wiefel
Deputy Editor:
Ceejay Writer
Advertising and
Client Relations Manager:
Aisling Sinclair
Copy Editors:
Rowan Derryth, Lette Ponnier and Ceejay Writer
Writers:
Saffia Widdershins, Ceejay Writer, Qwis Greenwood, Tricia Aferdita, Ethan Westland, Rowan
Derryth, Ignatius Onomatopoeia, Beq Janus, Linus Lacombe, Scotti Lyle, Eva Bellambi, Annechen Lowey, Pitsch Parx, and HoneyLicious Spaces
Photographers:
PJ Trenton, Tricia Aferdita, Wildstar Beaumont,
Stephen Venkman, and Judith Lefevre
Bloggers: Saffia Widdershins, Beq Janus, Rowan
Derryth, Froukje Hoorenbeek and Ceejay Writer
Ekphrasis Column by Rowan Derryth
Special thanks to Bastchild Lotus and Paul
Lapointe for their time in helping us bring their
stories to this months magazine and Monica
Weir, wedding planner extraordinaire, for lending her knowledge to our special wedding issue.
Thanks to Michael Linden and Linden Lab for supplying the land and Linden Home for our Linden
Home design showcases - and thanks to Cherelle
Capra for creating a wonderful Linden Home.
Thanks to Cain Maven of Maven Homes for providing invaluable advice to our Pathfinders and to
Nikk Hewitt of Conversify, Elle Kirshner of Second Spaces, and Cherelle Capra of C&D Designs
for being on the seminar panel for our Trailblazers.
Our thanks go to all the designers and other
people across the Second Life world who have
given advice and support to help us produce this
edition of Prim Perfect.

Prim Perfect

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4

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

From the Editor...

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

15 Relay for Life News

20 A Virtual Search for the Missing

Grand and Traditional Weddings in Second Life

36 Goin to the Chapel

Interview with Monica Weir

48 Lapointe & Bastchild

Designers of the Month

54 Finding Your Place in Time

Weddings in the Past and Future

64 Creating a Wedding Garden

Landscape of the Month

82 Virtual World Wedding Etiquette

Advice for Newcomers

Home and Garden Expo

114 Prim Perfect at the

The Table of Contents and advertisements

Visit Prim Perfect online at:

Summer 2011 Issue 34

Whats New in Second Life

118 Prim Perfect and Linden Homes

Cherelle Capras Linden Home

126 Driven to Success

Cherelle Capras Winding Road of Creativity

130 Living in a Shoe Box

132 Pathfinder Introduction

138 A Dream, A Destiny, A Journey

142 Pathfinder Responses

157 Spruce Up Your Space!

[ON THE COVER]

Cover photo by Judith Lefevre

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

News from the grid

Rowan Derryth, who writes the popular Ekphrasis

The Homes & Design store has been redesigned

The Ultimate Auction - Exclusive Items Raise

Vivid Vintage - Melu Deco

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

Round Two at the Avalon Arts Initiative

Melu Deco Catalogue on Flickr

After the extremely successful launch of inaugural

Darkstone Dungeon is an Italian sim designed by Sedai

The new exhibit will open on Sunday the 26th of June

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

Relay for Life of Second Life

The worlds favorite season is the spring.

Elsewhere across the grid, purple suits and dresses

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

Prim Perfect recently caught up with two of the top teams

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

So what is next for Friends Fighting Cancer?

Goreans - theyre almost at $L2 million raised and

It is our ultimate auction, only a limited number of

The Goreans in Relay For Life team have in fact

Embers thoughts turned then to other teams

The pride of the Gorean has helped to collect, in

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

parades, to yard sales, auctions to great music...

life-changing experience. At Relay, every person in the

Prim Perfect Summer 2011

Written and photographed by Tricia Aferdita