Memoirs of a Sim

Drifter Update - Part 4 Finale

2012-01-29T18:25:00.000+11:00

The above shot wasn't used in this update but I had to post it because the way Will looks at Eliza, even his kids, makes my heart melt every time. lol I think I've made his day again and possibly Charlotte's. Click HERE to find out why in the Part 4 Finale - Things To Come. :)

Now with another Part completed I will be taking my usual break, but not straight away. There's a couple of other posts I'd like to complete before my break like, Part 4 - Behind The Scenes and Part 4 Summary.
So it's not goodbye just yet. ;) I will let everyone know when it is because I will be taking a proper break this time and that means from the internet as well.
I see the sims community changing and I'm not sure it's for the better. Anyway, now is not the time to go into it. I'll save that rant for some other day but this is one of the reasons as to why I need a proper break.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Much love, Jen. <3

A long overdue introduction to... Greenwoods Stud Farm!

2012-01-21T23:16:00.000+11:00

Okay, so I know a few people are already aware of my equine blog, mainly because I've mentioned it on Twitter and also posted a few pics on Tumblr, but I wanted to give it a proper introduction here on my main blog.

It all started with the anticipation of the TS3 Pets EP and once it was released two lovely ladies, Christina & Rachel, created the first 'role playing' blog that was dedicated to everything sim equine related - Equus Sims. They set the trend, and the standard I guess, and soon to follow after them were many inspired equine blogs which then developed into a little community with in the sims community!
In a nut shell each of our blogs are a stud farm or equestrian center of some kind. We breed, train & sell our sim-horses, offer downloads and some even hold competitions.

Greenwoods Stud Farm & Acreage is the equine blog that I manage and over there we specialize in Thoroughbred horses. Why did I choose this breed, you ask? Well, because I own one in RL, of course! That's if you didn't already know. lol With sixteen years of companionship with my beautiful boy, Zac, there was no way I was going to stray from this breed. I'd developed too much of a soft spot for them!

Below is a little taste of what Greenwoods Stud Farm can offer you, sim equine enthusiast or not:

Breeding, training and selling of our registered Thoroughbreds.
Downloads will be available. These will include, real estate (lots mainly for the equine enthusiast), horses and some EA accessories (clothing, riding tack etc).
Friendly games and hopefully some competitions (depending on how much time I have).

Profiles for our stallions, Red Regal & Merit Zerif have been posted, and also our mares, Lady Jasmine & Malabar Miss.

I recommend you check out the Introduction and the Meet The Staff posts which will give you a more informative explanation of exactly what Greenwood has to offer and also who runs and helps manage the stud farm.

If you do happen to pop over and have a look at Greenwoods, you might notice that I'm having an absolute ball with this blog atm. It's just what I've been looking for and possibly waiting for with the sims. Pets was one of my favorite EP in TS2, (close second was Seasons) and with thanks to Christina and Rachel for inspiring us and guiding us in what needed to be done to start our own equine blogs. I love you ladies for everything you've done so far!!

That's about as good an introduction as I can give you, your best bet is to wander over and have a look for yourself. Just a note that although there aren't any downloads up yet, there will be very soon, I promise! The Greenwoods lot itself will be available for download as well, just need to finish the dwelling first. It's almost done too! I have a few other lots in the works as well but there's still some preparation to be done before I upload them.

So with out further a-do, I welcome you to Greenwoods and hope to see you over there soon! :)

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-02T16:37:00.000+11:00

Well, that was quite a night. lol Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's!
We had drinks at a friends place, watched the fireworks go off in our surrounding streets and just generally stayed up really late. lol It was a great night though and wasn't filled with expectations, that's probably why. ;)

So how was everyone's Christmas? I didn't get a chance to post a Christmas post this year. Everything just kinda crept up on me. We had Christmas day at my sister's. She's pregnant with her third bub at the moment and is about ready to burst. lol She's due early January, which is like really soon! There's a possibility that she might even have to share her birthday with her new son but we will see.

I'll make this short but I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best for whatever might come your way. Who knows what this year will bring us but whatever it is I'm going to tackle it head on. lol

Also, I just wanted to say a big thanks to my blogger & net friends for all the support you gave me through out 2010. I feel like I've had a fantastic year of blogging and writing The Drifter, and every comment no matter how small has always helps to lift my spirits and encourage me to continue on.

So, thank you. <333

Drifter Update, Gasp! lol

2011-12-30T17:09:00.000+11:00

Yes that's right, oh-my-golly-gosh I have an update for you all! That's if anyone is still there? lol

Okay so where have I been the past month?

Firstly, we actually got a little busy with our business. Warmer weather and I guess people wanted to cleanup their homes and yards before the Christmas/New Year break, which is understandable.
We now have our house on the market, again. We've made a few other improvements here and there and hopefully now that the property market has made a come back, if only slight, we'll be able to sell this time around. Hey, there's no point in just standing around if your not happy, you've gotta take the steps and MOVE! lol

Secondly, I've been spending some time on Tumblr. Okay not just some time, a lot. lol It took me a while to get used to it and now that the whole ridiculous-immature-slagging-off-other-people-thing has died down (sort of, grrrr) I've been having a lot of fun posting my screenshots on there. It's been like a trip down memory lane for me because I've been posting little snippets of some of the things that happened in the earlier parts of The Drifter.

And thirdly...nope there is no thirdly. ;) But over the past week I worked pretty hard on completing this update. I don't think I've ever finished an update so quickly since I started blogging. lol Anyhoo, my aim was to have it done & posted before NYE and I succeeded! Kudo's to me!
I hope you enjoy it. This chapter was a lot of fun to shoot and write. I feel like I've gone back in time to my teenage years just writing about these teens.

Click HERE for the update; 'Special' - Prom

I've got a post lined up for new years day so I'll wish everyone a Happy New Year then, but for now I hope everyone has an awesome night tomorrow night!

Cheers to you all!! *clinks champagne glass*

Story Babble & What? Josh Too?!

2011-12-05T20:55:00.001+11:00

This was not intentional when I took shots for Chapter 13 of The Drifter, but once again I've found another in-game pic that looks like one of my characters/sims. lol That small pic of the child wearing a blue shirt on the corner of the mirror could definitely pass as Josh, don't you think?
I know this might be bordering on narcissistic tendencies but seriously, two of my characters? Also since chapter 13 has already published I won't be working this into the story. Ha,ha, unlike the shot of Will, which I simply couldn't pass up, lol!

These two are going to have one of those up & down relationships I think. If you've read the latest update then you'll realize things have already begun to get complicated. Teen love can be awkward and sometimes obsessive. I never had a boyfriend in my teens but a few of my friends did and they all thought they were going to be together forever. Let me say this, you really don't know someone until you've actually lived with them and sometimes the grass can be greener on the other side. lol

My other half was sick over the wkend, some kind of virus, he has a bad fever, says his whole body aches and has headaches that are close to migraines. :( I hate seeing someone I care for be uncomfortable and in pain but because he's been bed/couch ridden I've had a chance to really sit down and write a few more notes/ideas about what direction I want Part 5 to go in.
My teens will only be teens for the first few chapters then I'll age them up in a sort of joint birthday party. Sounds interesting doesn't it. lol I think it'll work out. Well I hope. ;)
There's going to be some interesting times ahead for these soon-to-be young adults. I never thought plotting could be so much fun!

Well, it's that time of year again. Bah humbug. LOL Not really feeling overly festive this year but who knows maybe my mood will change once I've done my Christmas shopping. Ha and no, I haven't even started.

Hope everyone is well and having a great week! :)

P.S. Btw people I am really missing everyone's updates. I know this is the busiest time of year but man oh man is it quiet out there in the blogger world. Could things be a-changin'?

Drifter Update - Chapter 13

2011-11-30T22:25:00.000+11:00

Had this chapter simmering in drafts for a little while and I honestly didn't expect to have it finished by the end of this month but low and behold, here it is! I'm pleasantly surprised at myself too for finishing it. This tends to happen quite a lot actually. lol Sometimes I'm just baffled and amazed that I'm even able to produce what I have. Oh god, it totally sounds like I'm blowing my own trumpet but seriously I am not! I feel I have those around me to thank, my fellow sim story-tellers & readers, you guys are really my inspiration and I love you for it! :)

The shot below might suggest a certain topic but I think some of you might be surprised by what it's really about. As much as I enjoy shooting and writing romantic love scenes, Josh & Tash's 'first time' will not be screened. I was kinda leaning towards it but I've discovered that it's not going to work well with what I had planned originally. You know how these things go.

Anyways, this isn't the last we see of these two. Oh no. Next post will be The Prom. *Gasp* I haven't even started on the set for those scenes, will be doing some of that tonight. Building a gym decorated for The Prom is going to be fun, I hope. lol Anyone know of some good CC party decorations? I could really use some.

Click HERE for Chapter 13 - The Last Couple. Hope you enjoy!

Hope everyone is having a great week as well! Me, I'm hoping for some warmer weather. We've had some massive amounts of rain the past few weeks (a really wet Spring) and this means business stays quiet. Here's hoping we don't have a wet Summer. End of a 10 year drought though so who can tell.

Take care! <3

Drifter Update - Chapter 12

2011-11-16T21:57:00.000+11:00

Click HERE for Chapter 12 - Dinner For Two

Not much else happening atm.

I have decided on what I'll be doing for the next part though and it will be like a side-story-thing to The Drifter. Can't think of how else to describe it. lol The Drifter will have a second title as well, to define the next major part. I haven't settled on what the second title will be yet but I have a couple in mind.

Anyways, just a little teaser there. Hee, hee.

Enjoy the rest of your week! :)

Pets EP and Story Updates, Woo!

2011-11-13T23:32:00.004+11:00

Just a tad excited to have finally installed the new TS3 EP--Pets! Thanks to a couple of lovely ladies (thevintagesim & thelunarfox) the installation went smoothly and for the first time ever too. Shock horror! lol

Appaloosa Plains loaded straight away. I went in and played the Martingale family for a bit--Sofia (divorcee), her son Cruz and their horse Marney. The moment I saw Marney a ridiculous looking grin grew across my face. *omg,omg,omg we have horses in game now!! Argh!!*

Who doesn't love a gallop!

Back from their ride.

So I told them to go for a ride down the trail, so I could see the first horse in my game in action. lol I was pleasantly surprised at how good the horses actually looked. Their movement and interactions are very well done. The muscle definition too is excellent.

Little things like the area where their fetlocks are, the shape of their legs, chest and rump. The bone structure on the face and their muzzle. The little curves and grooves that really define what type of horse it is. I was amazed.

I did attempt to try to create my beautiful boy Zac, he's a thoroughbred, and I found the whole color scheme thingy a little confusing, and annoying. It was getting late though, tired eyes and having just had the busiest weekend I've had in ages end, it was no surprise. I will definitely give it another go when I'm feeling a little fresher! ;)

Soon I'll be unveiling my own horsey blog. Hee, hee, yeah I know, but being a horse owner myself it was going to be impossible for me to not have one, now that we have horses in TS3.

There will downloads available, horses, some accessories (EA only) and possibly some lots too. It might not be ready until the new year due to installing Pets so late. I'll see how I go but before I start uploading stuff for download I really want to explore this EP and know it from the inside out.

Drink up Marney!

As for The Drifter, well there will only be *EDIT* >> FOUR more chapters in Part Four (including the Finale) (forget about a 'special' I'll be doing. Derrr! lol) I've been feeling really inspired and motivated the last two weeks. This is thanks to RL business being busy and just feeding off some of the amazing sim stories out there. Reading other people's stories really is a great way to get yourself inspired to write your own story. There is definitely some awesome talent out there!

My short story is still coming along and there will be a post out soon-ish. If you know me, then you will know that I don't do things half-assed. lol I found that writing this short story has given me a little break from writing The Drifter, which then allowed me to find some much needed inspiration & motivation. I know a few of you write more than one story and I've found too that it does help to put your focus on something different for a while.

So that's all for now, just a little update on things.

Hope everyone is well and had a great wkend! :)

One Way To Find Love - Our Gentlemen

2011-11-09T23:41:00.002+11:00

This is just a quick glimpse of the guys. I'm not sure yet as to whether I'll be going into too much detail about their back-stories so I thought I'd give you a little info here instead!

________________________________________________________________

Presenting....

Seth Miller

Favorites - Classical, Sushi, Orange

Seth is a dentist who lives and works in the CBD of Bridgeport. He's a fairly quiet guy, probably the most reserved of all the guys in the house. He is quietly confident and is also an over-achiever. He's quite picky when it comes to women. He thinks he knows what type of woman he's looking for--the perfect woman--but he's having a little trouble finding her, anywhere.

Toby Carter

Favorites - Indie, Mac'n'Cheese, Spice Brown

Toby is a down to earth guy. His passion is surfing. He grew up in Sunset Valley right on shores of Old Pier Beach. His mother and father own a local Bed & Breakfast. Toby lives the beach life 24/7 but is looking for a lovely lady that will share the waves with him. His mother just wants him to hurry up and move out of home.

Davey Moore

Favorites - Rockabilly, Stu Surprise, Black

Davey is the funny guy of the group and works as a DJ in Bridgeport's notorious nightclub, Club Tangerine. He finds it hard to be serious when in romantic relationships and is often covering his nervousness with his funny jokes or comments. Davey tends to become more of a friend to the ladies and has grown tired of the 'I'd rather be friends' statement he receives. He wants this part of his life to change.

Ruban Little

Favorites - Soul, Sushi, Purple

Ruban works as a personal trainer. He is finally ready to settle down in life and has been actively looking for that special someone. He also thinks that if he finally gets married he won't have so many women hitting on him while he's at work. Apparently, that certain ring on a certain finger can deter the most attractive women. He tried it once and it did work. Also, his mamma thinks that it's high and time that he gave her some grandchildren, not sure what hope there is of that though.

Hank Taylor

Favorites - Rockabilly, Spaghetti, Red

Hanks is a rough and rugged tradesman. He owns his own carpentry business and has recently built his dream home on the river banks of Riverview. He's put a lot of blood sweat and tears into building this home, over many years, and now that he's finished it he hopes to find a lovely lady to share it with.

Callum Hughes

Favorites - Latin, Lobster Thermindor, Blue

Callum works as a freelance bartender. He travels around a lot and parties, a lot. He's a big hit with the ladies due to his smooth moves and charismatic ways but he's yet to find a women that's willing to put up with the lifestyle he leads.
He earned a scholarship to play professional football for the LA Llama's but chose to take a break after college and travel instead. He often wonders what his life would've been like if he did take that scholarship, how different would it be compared to his job today.

Xaunder Day

Favorites - Indie, Autumn Salad, Irish Green

Xaunder is your quirky, alternative guy. He loves the ladies and also really respects them. You can thank his mum for that. But he usually dates girls that you'd call 'plain Jane', so not to ruin his own complex of himself. He can be a bit of a mummies boy too. He doesn't think that being in your early thirties is too old to still have your mum doing your laundry. Yes, he actually brings it with him when he visits her.

>>Coming soon, a introduction of our Leading Lady!

Drifter Update - Chapter 11

2011-11-02T21:06:00.000+11:00

I think this month will be a little more merrier than the last for updates of The Drifter, possibly only by two though. lol I feel like I'm slowly tying up a few of the main stories in this Part.
The teens are definitely hogging the lime light. Still not sure as to how I'm going to handle the next part, as in will they still be teens or should I age them up to young adults. Decisions, decisions. I would like to do something a bit different.

The writers of one story blog I follow branched off a little into almost separate stories once their teen characters became young adults. I really like this idea. Obviously I would still post this on the same blog but it would be like a side story sort of. Anyway, this is just me thinking out loud. lol

Click HERE for Chapter 11 - Ripple Effect

Mirror shot! lol

Thanks for reading guys and hope your having a great week! <3

One Way To Find Love - Episode One (Week One)

2011-10-28T19:20:00.003+11:00

As Marlena stood on the porch, awaiting the arrival of the first car, her knees felt shaky and her feet unsteady in the heels she was wearing. Any minute now one of the first cars would turn into the driveway of the Avonsleigh Estate she was staying at.
This is where it was all going to take place.Was she ready for this? Had she made the right choice? Well, she had her friends to thank for getting her into this in the first place.

Adjusting her feet, she heard the sound of her high heels tap lightly on the wooden floor of the porch. She wiggled her toes in an effort to get the circulation going back in them. Pins and needles had somehow developed in the few moments she'd been standing there.

Her girlfriends talked her into this, though that was only after they'd decided to add her name to the entrants box. She couldn't believe it when they'd told her, and that she'd been chosen.
At first she felt shocked and angry that her two best friends would do something like this with out even asking her first. But when she heard their reasoning behind it she couldn't help but fall in favor with them.
She was pretty hopeless with men and she seemed to have the worst luck with them too. Marlena knew her friends only wanted to see her happy and with someone that cared about her.

Whether she'd made the right choice or not, at least being here and was going to be a experience in it's self.
She heard the low hum of an engine and the nose of a black Mercedes became visible at the entrance to the driveway. As it made it's way slowing through the estate' entrance, she clasped her hands together in an effort to tame the nervous tension she was feeling.

This was the first car and there were still seven more to come. Oh god, what if they didn't like her? Worst yet, what if she didn't like them? Any of them?

Her first possible suitor casually exited out the passenger side of the car and walked towards her. The sky was beginning to darken, the shadows grew tall and and the porch area became hazy, which made it hard to see his face properly.

"Hello, Marlena," said a smooth and steady voice. "My name is Seth."

She lent backwards onto her heels as she was struck by how handsome her first male suitor was. Describing this man as tall, dark and handsome was not going to do him justice.

After meeting her first possible suitor, she thought the next one would be easy. She was wrong. Her nervous tension had turned into nervous excitement as she watched the second black Mercedes drive up.
She had no idea what these men would look like or what type of sim they were but she was somehow starting to find this rather exciting.

A young looking man with striking blonde hair made his way up the steps. "Hi Marlena," he said. His ocean blue eyes staring back at her. "I'm Toby, it's nice to meet you."

With two out of the seven possible suitors out the way Marlena felt like she was starting to get the hang of this, but her mood changed again as soon as she met her third.
Her nervous excitement turned to nervous laughter when she met Davey. He walked with a spring in his step as he made his way over to her. As soon as he was on the porch he immediately began telling her a joke.

Marlena laughed and was thankful to Davey for making light of their situation. She figured he must have been just as nervous as she was because after he finished telling his joke he proceed to walk off up to the front door, totally forgetting to introduce himself.

"I'm Davey, by the way." He said suddenly turning around and giving her a brief wave.

Her fourth possible suitor was just as handsome as the first three, if not more. She was in awe by this man's beautiful dark chocolate skin. Was she allowed to think that? Well, as long she didn't say it out loud, all would be good she guessed. But really, you know what they say about.... Maybe we should just leave it there for now.

"Hi, I'm Rubin," said a deep masculine voice. He handed her a not-so-small box that was gift wrapped with a red bow. "Just a little something," Rubin said smiling.

Marlena accepted the gift and shyly thanked him. She was surprised but appreciative of this thoughtful gesture. She wasn't at all expecting any kind of gift, from any of them. Rubin of course knew that getting off on the right foot was essential if he was going to win over Marlena's heart. Well, at least that's what his mamma kept telling him.

"Hi there, I'm Xaunder." Said her fifth possible suitor. He was tall, fair skinned and had a thick head of lush red hair. She could see a light sprinkle of freckles across his nose and cheeks.

A cheeky smile quickly grew on his lips. "It's lovely to finally meet you."

She shook Xaunder' hand and the touch of their skin together felt too intimate for such a friendly introduction. Was it possible for her to feel a connection straight away with any one of these men? Marlena had heard it could happen but she'd never actually experienced it herself. Maybe it was just her nerves playing with her.

She was beginning to feel giddy with excitement now as she watched her sixth possible suitor approach her.

"My, my, Marlena. You are stunningly beautiful." Said a dark haired young man. He took her hand and kissed the back of it so tenderly. "I'm Callum," he said as he looked up into her eyes.

Marlena was feeling weak at the knees now and she noticed that Callum walked up to her with a confidence that some of the others didn't. Charisma seemed to ooze out of his every pore and not too mention his pretty boy Italian-like looks. But she couldn't help to think that he might be a little experienced at wooing the opposite sex.

She realized her instincts were right after he produced a bouquet of red roses from behind his back.

"These are for you my dear, I hope you like them."

She lifted the bouquet flowers up to the tip of her nose and breathed in deeply. They were beautiful and they smelt fresh too! For now she would give Callum the benefit of the doubt. He brought her flowers, every girl loves flowers!

Last but not least came her seventh possible suitor, Hank. Hank seemed shy and nervous as he introduced himself. He held his hand out and as Marlena shook it she stared back into his eyes thinking that he had a kind and caring look about him.

Hank looked like a man that didn't take himself too seriously but she tried to put aside any good or bad judgmental thoughts for now, she was only meeting them all for the first time--although, good, first impressions did normally last.

With her seven suitors now inside Marlena took a deep breath and went in to greet and chat with them all properly. This was it, she thought at she walked into the living room to find them talking amongst themselves.
Gee, if she wasn't able to find love with one of these seven young handsome men then maybe she wasn't meant to find love at all.

Grabbing a drink from one of the trays off the bar she made her way into the middle of the living room. She still felt nervous as she stood in front of them and with seven pairs of male eyes on her, summing her up, eying every inch of her over, it was no wonder. She couldn't recall the last time she'd been so nervous or the center of attention--which by the way, she was obviously going to have to get used to.

She cleared her throat slightly, she wanted to make a little welcoming speech to the gentlemen sitting before her.
"I gather you've all had a brief chance to mingle and I really am looking forward to getting to know each of you over the coming weeks. I predict that it's not going to be easy, all of us here and in the one house," she laughed nervously at the thought of this, though she couldn't quite figure out who it was going to be the hardest for, her or them.
"I really would like it if everyone was able relax and just enjoy yourself while we're here. This place is amazing and I've only had a brief look myself but they say there's a lot to see and do here."

While she was talking she made an effort to make eye contact with them all and in doing so she realized just by looking at them, how different they all were. She suddenly wondered how on earth was she ever going to be able to choose between them all.

"...so let's toast to...new beginnings, I guess." Marlena lifted her cocktail and the others who had drinks themselves joined her. She watched them above the rim of her glass as she took a sip. They were all really quite dashing, dressed in their black suits, all neat & clean shaven--well some of them were, though she didn't mind a few whiskers.

"Yeah, wooo! Bravo!" Callum said applauding their hostess excitedly. "Now lets get this party started!"

Seth, being the observant type, had the feeling that Callum seemed to be one of those show-off-lookit-me type of guys. He knew a few guys like this and he also knew how they could easily crumble and turn into a quivering mess while sitting in his dentist chair.

After her little welcome speech everyone seem to relax and start to mingle again. A few got up to grab another drink or two. Hank stood up from the couch and walked over to the fire place. Marlena smiled at him as he walked past her.

She definitely was a real beauty, thought Hank. He wanted to talk to her as he stood beside the fireplace but it seemed he was a little lost for words.

While Hank was thinking of something to say to Marlena, Rubin appeared at her side and they began talking. He knew he wouldn't have too many of these chances so the next time he was thinking of making a move he'd better hurry up and make it.

Xaunder seemed to see the disappointed look on his face and walked over to him. "I think you'll have plenty of time mate," he said smiling.

Hank tried to shake off the thought of a lost chance already with Marlena as Xaunder began asking him about his occupation.

Toby and Seth stayed seated on the couch, also talking about their occupations, though Toby never seemed to mention that he actually had a job, just that he lived on the beach and surfed everyday.

With Seth being a dentist Toby began asking him about wisdom teeth, he could swear he had some pain at the back of his mouth the other day.
Toby took a couple of strawberries off the plate that was on the end of the coffee table. As he threw the green stems onto the small empty plate, Seth suggested that he should remember to floss tonight. "Those little black seeds have a habit of getting stuck in your teeth, permanently." He said.

On the other side of the living room Callum was attempting to enthuse Davey about cars but Davey was becoming bored very quickly. Fast cars was something that Davey wasn't into. He didn't even own a car. Why need a car living in the city when you had the subway?
Callum didn't seem to register Davey's bored expression because he just continued rattling on about the latest fast cars on the market.

They eventually made their way out onto the back verandah. Marlena stood at the top of the stairs and looked up at the stars, a warm breeze washing over her bare shoulders.
She watched a couple of the guys walk down to the pool area to check out exactly how they'll be relaxing for the next few weeks.

This was it. There was no turning back now, she thought. She was really here and eventually she would have to make her decision. She realized that the nervousness she was feeling earlier had disappeared, probably thanks to that cocktail she drank.

Marlena didn't consider herself to be a lucky sim, but she was feeling just a little bit lucky tonight to be amongst these men.

>>Episode Two, Coming soon....

My New Short Story Coming Soon!

2011-10-22T19:02:00.001+11:00

Alrighty, so I've made some progress on my new short story and I hope to publish the first episode in the next couple of days. I wanted to give you just a little info into it before I started posting though.

Okay, so it's loosely based on a challenge I found over at MTS. I'm not going to follow any real rules of the challenge though because I plan to just kind of wing it as I go along AND because I wanted to add my own little touches. ;)
But months ago I created all of the sims and started to take shots. I'm not sure why I didn't start writing it. I think I most likely got distracted by writing The Drifter and seeing things progress a little more with that story, and btw, I'm sooooo happy with the way things are going too.

Anyway, if you didn't check out the link above then here's a brief explanation of how things will go:

- There will be seven gentlemen for our one lady to get to know and choose from.
- One guy will be voted out every week. Now I'm not sure how long the weeks will go for but whatever week we are up to will be noted in the title of each episode. As for how each guy will be voted out, well, that will be up to how well our bachelorette gets along with each of them. I was thinking of adding a poll for readers to vote on too. Polls are fun, yeah? I like polls! lol
- There will also be a short interview with each guy that is voted out every week. You know, to hear their thoughts on everything.

That's kinda the basis on how everything will go but as I said above I do plan on just winging it a little. ;) This is just for fun people! Hopefully once I start posting everything will make a little more sense (or not, lol!)

Prepare for the romance though, prepare for some seriously sexy male sims (not all my creations btw) and prepare for some dates at exotic locations (and some not so exotic, lol).

Hope you'll come along for the ride with me! :)

Drifter Update - Chapter 10

2011-10-17T21:03:00.001+11:00

Click HERE for the latest update of The Drifter! Chapter 10 - See Ya Round

Thanks for reading everyone and I hope you have an enjoyable week, whatever you might be doing! <3

EDIT: Forgot to mention (warn), some course language in this chapter.

A heads up!

2011-10-12T15:48:00.000+11:00

Alrighty, so due to a couple of things popping up recently in RL I'll be taking a step back for a little while.
Everything just feels a bit up and down and all over the place atm, for both of us. All is good (I think), but I'm just feeling the need to step back for a bit.
I'll still be logging in to catch up on everyone's updates but as for me posting any updates, well, it might be a little quiet for the next month or two.

*sigh* Ho, hum. That's life I guess.

As for the next update of The Drifter, I've probably got 80% of the next chapter done. Just one more scene to shoot and then write. I was aiming to have it done by the weekend but I'm not so sure now.
There's also the supposed short story I was starting too. Intro post is 95% done and I really wanted to have at least that and the first two episodes completed before posting anything. Just so I know where I'm headed with this and how I'm going to organize posts, etc. Got you intrigued? Sorry to tempt you. I did post a teaser shot on my Twitter account though. ;)

So, yep, this is just a heads up on what's happening in the coming months. I hope you'll stay with me. I appreciate each and everyone of you, oh yes I do! <3

Thanks for your patience,

Jen.

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day 30!

2011-10-01T17:59:00.002+10:00

'The reason you are still a Sims fan today'

(Left to right - Reece, Connor, Susannah, Sandy, Josh, Charlotte, Eliza, Will & Flynn. My selfsim sitting in the middle.

Wondering what happened to all the other characters? Well, they didn't want to co-operate!)

The main reason would be because of sim storytelling. I just don't think that I'd be as into the sims, as I am today, if I weren't using them to write a story. To me, creating characters has brought the sims I make alive. I've said this before about some of my sims but they just don't feel like sims anymore, they feel like little people. That I get to lovingly annoy. :D

The Sims in general has evolved a lot over the years and this would be another reason why I am still a fan today. The graphics just get better and better. Expansions I'm not so sure, mainly because I have so much trouble every time a new one comes out. Sims 2 EP's are by far my favorite - there's so many! And Weather, hello!? *sigh*

Putting that aside, there's also the creative design outlet of this game. Being able to build, design and decorate a home is one of the coolest things and I've always loved that aspect of this game. Tell me who has never thought of designing or decorating their own home? If you say no, then I don't believe you!
Building/designing also gives you a break from playing your pixelated friends. I went a little crazy when TS2 came out, with building homes. I don't do it so much in TS3, too busy writing, preparing & taking shots for the next chapter of my story. Every now and then though I feel a creative burst and make over one of those icky EA homes or just start one from scratch.

All in all I think the Sims still rocks! Don't you?

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So this is the last day for this challenge. Glad to have finally completed it, even if it did take me more than 30 days, lol! I'd love to do another one some day and I do have a couple in mind but I'll see how I go.
Wanted to say thanks to everyone that commented too. It was fun and interesting to see what other people thought of some of the things I chose.

Well, till next time! :)

Drifter Update - Chapter 9

2011-09-27T23:26:00.001+10:00

Next chapter of The Drifter is up people! Click HERE, Chapter 9 - Gossip

I'm still anticipating Part Four to be longer than expected too. With some of the plots I've got going on at the moment it just doesn't feel right to try and push an ending onto them all. It would seem rushed and I don't like rushed. Well, more so I don't like to be rushed. lol

I've been thinking that Part Five may even feature the teens also. After all the teen years feel like they go on forever - am I right or am I right?
Personally I'd never want to go back and relive my teens, no thank you! lol Much prefer being an adult, even with the stress that comes along with being one. At least at the end of the day you can kick back with a tall glass of wine and drink away your troubles, until you wake up the next morning that is.

Sorry, in one of those moods. My apologies.

Anyway.... I'm trying to really plan out the next few chapters ahead. I want to be more organized with my story. I'm learning a lot off other sim storytellers in the way they organize their writing, stories and blogs. So expect to see some 'coming soon' info on future chapters.
Also, if you haven't yet voted on the poll of 'What should Susannah do about Connor?' then please do so. Really really want to hear what my readers think she should do, as I'm thinking of swaying towards the most popular option ticked.

Have a good week everyone!

Gossiping, giggling teens - oh, I dunno! lol

Half Meaningless Post

2011-09-16T19:48:00.004+10:00

So I wasn't going to post a post to tell you that A Tour of The Seymour Home is up, since most of my wonderful readers who follow The Drifter also follow this blog too--but here it is anyway. lol And if you missed the tour of the Frio Home then you can find it here! Shameless plug, I know. lol

I did want to post the two snap shots below though. Finally after having the lighting mod installed I got to watch my first orange sunset. Beautiful, absolutely stunning are the colors and I am so so so SO loving this mod.
It feels like in a blink of an eye the graphics of TS3 have some how gotten better than what they originally were. I just can't get over what the water looks like now. Check out the reflections in the second shot below to see what I mean.

Orange Sunset on Old Pier Beach

Bye-bye moon, lol

Hope everyone is well and have a great weekend!

Is EA secretly using my sims? I wish, lol!

2011-09-11T21:04:00.002+10:00

Today while I was finishing up decorating the Seymour home (Will & Eliza) in preparation for the next character home tour, I noticed something on one of the decorative wall objects.

Will's face.

The object above came with Generations (TS3) and I know it's purely coincidental but that picture of the dark haired guy with the red headed girl (a Nina Caliente look-a-like) resting her chin on his shoulder, totally looks like Will. He's even wearing a red polo shirt, lol!

So the nose and chin (line) are all wrong but it's the eyes and brows that caught my attention, and the hair too. It's the exact same style Will has.
I guess it's not really that unusual for this to happen since a lot of TS3 sims can and do look a-like in ways.

When TS3 was first released I remember hearing this as one of the main complaints, that it was hard to make each sim look truly different--and that their faces looked fat. I don't know what was up with the fat face complaint as I thought it was quite achievable to create a sim that didn't have a boofhead. lol

It's totally lame, I know, to think that EA would use one of my sims. I'm sure they have plenty of staff that sit and create sims for their promo's or whatever. But, if they ever did want to use one of my sims then I think I'd have to charge them. lol After all they make us pay to download content from their store. Only seems fair. ;)

On another note, I wonder what Eliza thinks of this picture?

Drifter Update, Chapter 8

2011-09-09T14:50:00.003+10:00

So I snuck this post in just before the weekend. ;) And I've gotta say that I'm really having a lot of fun writing and taking shots for Part Four. Not sure what it is but I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with what I'm doing now. Not that I didn't before but, I dunno, maybe I'm feeling more confident and at ease with my sim story.
Whatever it is, I think I'll be continuing on with The Drifter for sometime. There's a couple of future plots I have in mind. *rubs hands together* Hee hee, some of these are way off though, so don't get too excited. lol

Also, I know it's pretty quiet out there, blogger wise, but I hope everyone is doing okay. Wishing everyone a great weekend and don't forget to sit back & relax for a bit. Take a break, a breather, whatever it is that you do.

*Edit - I've added a poll to The Drifter in regards to what you think Susannah might do about Connor. Feel free to choose any of the options listed. Feel free to vote as many times as you want too, depending on what mood your in and how much you think Connor deserves. ;)

Click HERE for Chapter 8 - Coffee Kisses

*hugs*

Jen <3

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day 29

2011-09-03T15:22:00.002+10:00

'The reason you started playing Sims in the beginning'

I was introduced to the Sims by my boyfriend back when he owned a games store and there's not a lot you can say about the first Sims game (it just seems so basic now) but I loved this game as soon as I started playing it.

There was something about these little pixelated people that kept my attention. It entertained me to see a town filled with sims that I created grow before my very eyes. I was utterly fascinated by the concept of the whole game. Plus, it was like no other game that I had ever played before.

I guess the reason why I started playing the sims in the beginning is because I never found any other game that really caught my interest enough. I've never been into adventure games or first person type games. You know, like on the X-box or Playstation.
There's been a few games that I've played with my bf but just couldn't get into them, probably because he's always shooting zombies or trying to beat me in an off road buggy race. lol Men are way too competitive with their console games, almost to the point that it gets annoying. I just want to play to have fun and not everything has to be a race. Geez. LOL

*No pic with this one, feeling lazy. ;)

The Drifter Character Home Tours

2011-09-01T22:18:00.001+10:00

Finally made a start on completing a few tours of my character's homes. I'm thinking of posting these for three families only--The Frio's, The Seymour's (Will & Eliza) and The Seymour's Beach House (Barbara & Howard). These are the homes that are complete and the ones that I worked on the most for Part Four of The Drifter.

It's been ages since I uploaded any homes I've created and I forgot how tricky it can be to get really good shots of every room. Got there in the end, I think. Anyway, I will not be uploading these homes for download because of the amount of CC in them. Sorry!
I really would love to go completely CC free one day. That would exclude hair and clothes though, no way in the world am I giving up those, lol!

Next chapter of The Drifter will be up soon, aiming to have it published by next weekend. There are storms brewing people, big storms! LOL Sorry, just being a big tease. Hopefully I can pull it off. If not well, meh. It's important to make sure this still stays fun and doesn't turn into a laborious task.

Hope everyone is well and living life!

Click HERE for A Tour of The Frio Home

Drifter Update & Some Other Hoo Haa!

2011-08-23T22:50:00.002+10:00

Click HERE for Chapter 7 - Past Mistakes

The above shot isn't in this chapter but as you already know I am totally in love with Sunset Valley. lol Plus, seeing these two happy and together again makes me smile. :) Happy endings, oh there's two many in my sim story. lol Gosh it must be boring. LOL
Well there will be some tradegy coming up soon but I'm not giving away any hints!
I've updated the Families of Greenland Bay post. Added a few other families in there from The Drifter, some old and some new. ;)

Not much else is happening atm. We're coming into Spring soon over in Oz, which I'm really looking forward too. Already we are seeing some of that beautiful Spring weather. We've been out in the garden weeding and cutting back trees and shrubs. Probably a bit late for that but it feels good to get out in the sunshine again, gee I really miss it during Winter. Can't wait to get back into my running again too.

Below are a few shots I took and created for a CAS challenge that I entered on HHS Sims Forum. It's nothing too exciting just a little friendly competition between some other simmers.
I'm not all that competitive in RL, never have been, but I've always been creative. I do have a lot, and I mean A LOT to learn still, especially in using Photoshop. lol
Anyway, we were asked to create 'The girl next door' and Charlotte Seymour immediately came to mind when I thought of this type of girl.

Head shot. Now, tell me she doesn't look like the girl next door? ;)

This shot isn't part of my entry but I was having too much fun with the poses and Photoshop that I had to publish this one some where. lol Isn't she just the cutest though!

Body shot. Nothing too special here. I guess I was thinking of what you would normally do when uploading a sim somewhere--adding all their outfits. lol

This was the free style shot, which meant we could do any amount of editing we wanted to the picture. As I said above, I still have a lot to learn in Photoshop and I ended up editing this in Picasa anyway, lol! But whatever, I'm happy with the look and feel I achieved with this shot.

Couple Pose Pks + Will & Eliza = Romance!

2011-08-19T19:08:00.001+10:00

Just a little something to tie you over till the next Drifter update, which will hopefully be sometime next week. Writing has been a little slow this month!

So I've been playing around with the TS3 poses and I'm totally wrapped with a lot of them. It's fun to play around with them, mix them up, see what works and what doesn't. It's time consuming and can be tedious but it's still fun. Hey, this is all new for us TS3 players!

While I was shooting scenes for chapter seven I couldn't resist taking some extra shots of my favorite couple. I think I'm falling in love with these two all over again.

I also reinstalled Generations and everything is going smoothly. *touches wood* And also installed Town Life and no problems there. It's so strange how a re-install can make a difference. I don't really understand how it can but if it works the second time round then I'm super happy. It's just a pain that I have to go through this crap every time a new EP comes out. Oh well, it shows my love and tolerance for this game that I do put up with it. ;)

Enjoying a moment alone in the afternoon sun. Love how her hand is just touching his leg. So sweet.

The male sim has their eyes closed in this pose. The position seems a little teen/young adult for my liking but they still make me, awwww!

Really love this pose. The expression on their faces says it all. These two shots were taken on the balcony of Will's parents beach house or Sunnyside Strand as some of you might know it. Isn't Eliza one lucky woman. ;)

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You can find these poses here. I've got another little photo shoot up my sleeve that I've wanted to do. It's something funny and sexy, involving Will and Connor--in kilts, lol! These two will always be my main men and I will always have a soft spot for both of them. So keep an eye out for that one! ;)

Hope everyone is well and have a great weekend!

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day 27 & 28

2011-08-14T16:52:00.002+10:00

'The cheat you use most commonly and a cheat you rarely/never use'

Most common cheat I use now-a-days is hideHeadlineEffects. Just a preference of mine to not have the plumbob or any thought bubbles visible in my story shots. Each to their own!

Most rarely used cheat is constrainFloorElevation. Don't even get me started on building cheats--I am totally hopeless at using them. I did try once and even looked up a tutorial on the net but I just don't have the patience for it so I'll leave it to the more building-enthused creators/simmers. ;)

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'An expansion pack you wish EA would make'

I'd love EA to bring out a University EP for TS3. I know it's not probably everyone's cup of tea but I thought it was great in TS2. I found it really gave you the feeling of a fresh start with every family you played. You could leave behind the parents for a while and go and watch the YA's run a muck at college. I liked the extra qualifications and skills they gained while they were away once they returned home too.

This EP would also go hand-in-hand with where I'm at in my story atm too. I'm having so much fun with my teen characters that I'd really love to include some sort of College/University part. I don't really see myself building that sort of set either but then you should never say never!

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day 25 & 26

2011-08-09T22:19:00.001+10:00

'Something that happens in Sims you wish happened in real life'

Wouldn't it be nice if we had the ease of getting a promotion like our sims do?

Seriously though, it is so hard to move up in the ranks in the real world. You really have to go that extra mile and work your ass off. Not to mention the ass kissing that you have to do too and also having to pretend to believe in the company that your working for.
I find it really difficult to 'play that game'. I believe that we should work to live, not live to work.

Oh and I noticed I'd made a mistake in my last chapter about Susannah's job. That's been fixed up now. lol

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'Favorite place to download Sims custom content'

I generally don't like to single out creators or any one place that I download CC from because there isn't just one, there's many!
I particularly love the clothes from All About Style though. The attention to detail and the range of different styles they have (mainly for females) makes it one of my many favorites sites to download CC from.

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day 23 & 24

2011-08-05T21:49:00.003+10:00

'The most awesome Sims you’ve ever had without cheating'

I actually had the time of my life playing this family. Grandpa George and Grandma Josephine became retiree's and moved to Sunset Valley to start their retirement. Such a sweet and loving couple. They had a few ups and downs and even adopted a daughter, who grew to be a YA, before they both met the Grimreaper.
Pretty sure I only ever used the very basic cheats when playing this family. I wanted them to tell me their story, not the other way around.

If you do happen to come across this story on TSR then brace yourself. lol This was my first ever sims story. It's definitely not my best writing but you've gotta start somewhere, right? ;)

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'A video you made yourself with Sims'

Well this was fun and interesting. I've never made a sim video before. It's pretty basic so don't get too excited. lol I used windows movie maker to create it. Even managed to add some music. lol

If you don't know already, I'm a huge fan of the landscape in sims 3. Absolutely love it and my other love is the town, Sunset Valley. So I tried to incorporate these two things into my video along with some chill out tunes, another of my favorites. Not sure if it all works together but this is the end result.

Drifter Update - Chapter 6!

2011-07-30T19:21:00.003+10:00

So things seem to be pretty quiet on the Blogger-front. Not much is really happening for me atm either. RL is fairly quiet. Business is fairly quiet, unfortunately. It's still winter over here though, so what else can you do? Not much I say. lol Hopefully things will pick up a little once Spring hits.

I'll be posting some tours of the homes I created soon too. Tours of Greenland Bay though are going to have to wait as I still have some work to do there. A few more make-overs and finishing touches. Meanwhile here's an update for you, hope you enjoy!

Click HERE for Chapter 6 - And So It Begins

The Drifter Family Portraits

2011-07-23T22:29:00.000+10:00

Just a short note to let you know that I've finally finished some of the family portraits for The Drifter. I've included a bunch of info as well on each sim if anyone is interested. There's still a few more families that I'd like to add but I figure the main ones that are the focus in Part Four are completed. I'll just add the others later when I've got some more time up my sleeve. ;)

Click HERE for Families of Greenland Bay.

Now, back to watching the end of Harry Potter on TV and eating my peppermint Magnum! Yum!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! :)

Drifter Update - Chapter 5

2011-07-17T15:55:00.001+10:00

Man, was this chapter a struggle to complete. God all mighty! Crash to desktops, glitchy sims, crashing in CAS. Crazy crazy stuff happens when you install a new EP and also update to the new Patch. Thanks for nothing EA! *pokes tongue out* I'd give them the bird but that's not very lady like now is it. lol

Anyway, despite all the troubles I had I still managed to complete it. Apologies for some of the shots, they aren't my finest due to having to think fast and shoot fast, as well as trying to copy and paste the shots into my stories folder, all before the game crashed on me! Phew.

Some gushy, mushy and possibly corny dialogue too, so be prepared.

Click HERE for Chapter 5 - Young Love

Hope everyone had a great weekend and wishing you all a great week ahead! :)

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day 21 & 22

2011-07-14T21:51:00.002+10:00

Firstly, I know how super super super late this is but I've decided I will finish this 30 Day Sim Challenge - even if it takes me six months. Though I don't think it will resort to that. lol

With only ten to go they'll eventually be completed in between The Drifter posts. I figure I can cut myself some slack too because I did a pretty good job completing and posting the first twenty. The next lot will all be posted in two's, to make up for lost time! :)

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'Something that happened/could happen that made you quit without saving'

Okay so she's looking like a possessed sim here, makes me think of the exorcist, lol!
I tend to not save as much as I do save but generally the times I don't is when I've been moving my sims around for shooting. I've found them in some funny spots when I have saved before after moving them around, stuck in ceilings and walking through floors.*facepalm*

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'The most scandalous thing you’ve done with Sims'

This is about as scandalous as I'm going to get. lol I really did love this home and I think Will & Eliza did too. Thanks to long loading times and regular crashes though I had no choice but get them outta there and into something a little more cozy. Hence the burning down of this house in The Drifter.
My poor sims, I put them through hell and back. Thank god EA didn't add memories to TS3 until Generations. ;)

Drifter Update - Chapter 4 (Pt 2)

2011-07-05T20:03:00.000+10:00

Here it is, the second part to Chapter 4! ;)

Click HERE.

Oh, and just a little warning-- this post contains some language, nudity and err, teen/young adult canoodling. *gasp*

My next update probably won't be for another week or so. I think I'll be going back to fortnightly posting. I'd like to try and finish the 30 Day Sims Challenge I started. I've only got 10 left so why not complete them. Plus I've rather enjoyed this challenge. It has been fun!

Another task I'd like to complete is a list of families living in Greenland Bay. Well it's really just the families that make an appearance in The Drifter. This is proving to take a little longer than I expected. Taking portraits and adding info for all the sims for almost 10 families really is quite a task, lol!

Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments too, they really keep me going. Have a great rest of the week! :)

Drifter Update - Chapter 4 (Pt 1)

2011-06-30T22:05:00.000+10:00

Just a heads up that this chapter will be in two parts - if I haven't already mentioned it. ;) The second part is pretty much finished so I may post that a few days after this one. No guarantee's though, I'm not good with sticking to deadlines but I do hope to post it soon.

First time I've ever had to split a chapter into two parts. It was fun! lol And a bit draining. I lost my mojo for a little while there and a few things in RL have been a tad draining atm. Mentally. It's hard to sit down and write when your mind is else where and preoccupied with other things.
Anyway, enough of that....

Click HERE for Chapter 4 - Hello, Goodbye (Pt 1)

Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend everyone. :)

Sandy, just who are you gawking at?

Drifter Update, Chapter 3!

2011-06-19T14:28:00.000+10:00

Another chapter is up, gee I could really get used to this weekly posting thing! I feel like I've got ideas coming out of my ears too. lol
It's unlikely though that I'm going to be able to continue on at this pace. The next couple of weeks I'm going to have some RL stuff to attend to so the next update won't be until the following weekend.

You might want to grab a cuppa before you get comfortable too, this chapter turned out to be a tad longer than expected. Hope you enjoy it though. ;)

What in god's name...?!

Click HERE for Chapter 3 - Death Has A List, You Know?

Have a great week everyone!

Another Drifter update, already? You betcha!

2011-06-12T20:53:00.000+10:00

So I seem to be having a good run at the moment and I honestly cannot explain where this inspiration is coming from. Could be because I was a little more organized this time around and maybe it's because I've moved forward in time in the story. I don't know. Though it does feel like it's help me to 'freshen it up' a bit, so to speak.
Also I'm really enjoying writing from the teen POV. Some of the things they are going to get up too - tsk, tsk! lol But whatever it might be I am certainly not complaining. I just hope it doesn't stop! lol

As you can see from the pic above, Will and Eliza feature briefly in this chapter. Wondering why they are both doll'd up? Well, you'll just have to read this update to find out. ;)

This chapter also introduces you to a new character. I hope you'll like him. He might just be the perfect package all in one. Oh hang on, that's Will isn't it? Anyway, he will hopefully add a little something to the story, or to a certain someone. No hints though, sorry!

Click HERE for Chapter 2 - Trust

Hope everyone is doing well! :)

The Drifter is back!

2011-06-03T18:46:00.000+10:00

After a month off and lots and lots of organizing in game, creating, building, aging up sims, just doing a complete redesign of everything I finally have the first chapter of Part 4 for you!
Although all of the above was fun it was still very time consuming and a little stressful. It took a lot of work and I probably wouldn't do what I attempted again. But then I'm not one to never say never, so we will see.

I still have a few lots to finish, some community lots and a couple more homes. You try to build and design as quick as you can so that you can just hurry up and get on with the next part of your story but really, some of these things cannot be rushed. If I rush things then they start to look like crap. lol

I hope things aren't too unfamiliar because of how far I've fast forwarded into the story. I'm currently working on a post that will contain family portraits and other necessary info regarding the families in the story and I think this will help anyone who might be confused at all with any of the new changes.

Click HERE for Chapter 1 - Not Likely

Have a fantastic weekend all! :)

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Twenty

2011-05-24T13:12:00.000+10:00

Because the person who created this challenge forgot to add in Day 20 we get to make one up ourselves and this is what I came up with:

'Your all time favorite creator'

There are a lot of really talented creators out there in the sims community but my favorite would have to be Fresh-Prince. I am in love with the cars he creates.
If there is any creator that pays the most attention to detail then it's Fresh-Prince. He has a wide range of vehicles for you to choose from as well, from an old truck for your farmer sims to the very latest sports car for your jock sims. There's even the basic car for the teen that has just turned eighteen.
If you haven't checked out his blog then get over there. You won't be disappointed! ;)

Another sneak peek!

2011-05-21T14:03:00.001+10:00

This time it's a sneak peek of the Frio home. Yes that's right, Susannah and Connor are still together in Part 4. But I will say no more because I've given away so much already!
Their home is still a work in progress too so forgive me if it's looking a little bland. The only rooms I didn't take shots of were the two spare bedrooms, main bedroom & ensuite, reading room and also garage. There are still lots of finishing touches to be made but I think I'll do most of those when I decide to start posting the first couple of chapters of Part 4. And I hope that will be soon! For now though, I hope you enjoy the brief tour.

Have a great weekend! :)

The Frio home.

(Connor, Susannah & Flynn)

Entry.

That door there leads you to the main bathroom...

...which is here. There's a shower in the far corner but couldn't quite get it in the shot.

Lounge.

A few wedding shots down the hall way.

And yes I gave them a proper wedding. It's no fun if you don't! ;)

This hall way leads to two other bedrooms and the garage.

I love that shot of Connor & Flynn. There's something about seeing a male adult sim

holding a toddler, it's a real turn on, lol!

Kitchen and dining.

Bar, spa, outdoor dining/BBQ, pool & small playground area in the far back corner.

Oh! Lookit here someone's having a birthday! Yey!

Meet Flynn. He has his mother's excitable trait, his father's green eyes and red hair. He is a complete computer nerd and can also be a bit of a slob. I've got a feeling that when he ages

up to a teen he will gain his father's charismatic trait. He's a bit of a smooth talker. lol

He will definitely grow up to look like his father too but I think his features will be a little softer thanks to his mother.

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Also due to losing my half written post on Chapter One I've had to do a rewrite. :( It was tough and I'm not really happy with it because I pretty much had it right the first time and you can just never quite recreate what you lost now can you. Anyhoo though, moving on!
Flynn will be a teen once I start writing but I'm not sure that he will be featured that much. I actually haven't worked out any plots for him yet, the main teen characters will be Joshua, Natasha & Sandy. I'll see how I go though, things can always change! ;)

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Eighteen & Nineteen

2011-05-19T17:21:00.002+10:00

'The longest family tree you ever had / the Sim you played with the most and why'

I haven't played any sim as long as I've played Will. When I created Will and decided to write a story about him I had no intention of him becoming the sim that he's become today. He doesn't even feel like a sim to me anymore, he feels like a person. A person that lives inside my computer, lol!
Seriously though... Some of the things I've put him through, and how he has grown as a character. I feel quite proud of him. And me. I really dread the day when he and Eliza become elders and aren't around anymore. But hopefully my story won't stop there. I guess the younger generation will just take over.

His family tree is growing too but I chose not to display it just yet as I don't wish to give the few surprises away that are still remaining. I've been a little bit naughty and a bit too excited at the fact that the next part of The Drifter is going to be many years later and I haven't been able to keep my mouth shut about a few things. lol So for now enjoy a montage of Will. :)

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'One thing you would change about the game'

This might sound a little backwards but sometimes I really wish that we were able to send our sims 'downtown' like in TS2.
Did EA even consider the fact that you cannot place any (okay maybe one or two) of the Late Night community lots in the existing towns like Sunset Valley and Riverview. This really irritates me to the max.

I want to be able to send my sims on a night out but not actually have to load a separate game in Bridgeport. I'm not sure what Twinbrook is like because I don't really play that hood but I imagine it would be the same as the others.
I've noticed too because of this many people have created their own community lots to allow their sims in the basehoods to have a night out.

Sometimes I think EA.... agh, whatever. I'm not going to make this into a rant. But the fat cats that sit in the board room thinking up these ideas really need to give it a little more thought. Don't you think?

*snickers* Bet they don't even play the game....

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Sixteen & Seventeen

2011-05-18T19:25:00.001+10:00

'A music clip/YouTube video of the background music you enjoy most'

I don't really have a favorite song from the in game boombox. There's many that I like but none that really stand out. Actually, I've been short on time to complete these challenges so I just chose John when I saw him in the list. He's familiar, I'm a bit of a fan too though. He's got a few good songs. Heartbreak warfare, Who Say's and an oldie, Your Body is a Wonderland. That song I added to one of the playlists in game in TS2 and man did I hear it over and over when my sims turned on the stereo. lol Got a bit sick of hearing it so I had a long break but now I'm getting back into his songs. They're all easy listening.

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'Your favorite “special” Sim species'

I haven't really played many of the other sim species. I ignored the Vampires in TS2. The whole hand over the mouth thing totally ruined it. But when I heard that Vampires would be inlcuded in with Late Night I was surprised how different they were from the TS2 ones. Even just by seeing them in the streets and out late at night, they are much more realistic.

One of my sims from The Drifter has actually befriended one and although nothing has happened yet I'm curious as too maybe how I could include their strange friendship into the story. I guess my sim would have to be a bit of a night owl, right? Not sure how that's going to go down with his/her parents. lol

Overall though, I think you've got to admit that Vampires really are pretty cool!

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Fourteen & Fifteen

2011-05-11T23:20:00.001+10:00

'Your favorite and least favorite stage of a Sim’s life'

Favorite - Young Adult; least favorite - Toddler.

Young Adults have always been a favorite of mine. Maybe it's because I've enjoyed my own young adulthood more than my childhood. And although it might've been tough I would never take back a second of it because it's made me who I am today.
Nothing can prepare you for life outside of school, you just have to get out there and start living and try to make something of yourself. I see it the same way for my YA sims.

Now don't get me wrong, I love our little sim toddlers to death but what more can I say, there just isn't enough interactions with them. I'm pretty sure there were a lot more interactions for toddlers in TS2 and it baffles me why EA wouldn't just add the same ones into TS3, or add more. Honestly!

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'The Life Time Aspiration/wants/fears your Sims most commonly have'

I don't really fuss over a sims life time wish when I create them. It's chosen based on their traits and what I think might become of them. Sometimes their LTW changes if I find that the one I've chosen isn't working out for them. It happens. But I often choose an easy LTW too so then they can complete several in their life time. Let's be honest here, it can get quite boring aiming to complete just one!

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Thirteen

2011-05-10T15:14:00.000+10:00

'Favorite piece of custom content/mod or the reason why you don’t have any'

Finally found some time to post another question. I feel like I getting really behind with this challenge but one can only do what one has time for. I may try to post two at a time for the next few questions. I'll see how I go though.

So onto the next day, day thirteen - favorite piece of CC. Plants.

Funny really because I'm so not a green thumb in RL, even though I do love the outdoors. I think it's because I find all sims homes a bit sterile, whether they are made by me or someone else. Plants can add so much to a room, they make it feel more homely. A bit like family photos hanging on the wall, I guess. A room just doesn't feel finished to me if it doesn't have some sort of pot plant in it.

Greenland Bay Update!

2011-05-07T11:59:00.002+10:00

I know I should be posting another question from the 30 Day Sims Challenge but I have another little sneak peek of one of the lots I'm (slowly) building for Part 4 of The Drifter.

Now the lot isn't complete just yet, it's still a work in progress. The only room I didn't include was the master bedroom because that is far from ready. I've been really slack and busy, all they have is a big ugly bed that I haven't even changed the covers on. lol

I have one more lot to build once I've finished this one, who knows I may even start Part 4 with out fully completing them. Just to get the ball rolling. I'll see how I go though. Time is not on my side these days.
Anyway, enough babbling from me. Hope you approve!

The Seymour home.

(Will, Eliza, Josh &..... )

Entry.

Please ignore the hole in the ceiling leading to the second floor. lol

Kitchen and dining.

Excuse us while we shoot away!

Lounge, with open fire place. Eliza still in her preggy clothes. lol

Downstairs (main) bathroom. You can just see the decking through the window there.

Upstairs hallway.

A couple of family shots.

Still need to change Eliza's hair, but Josh and Sandy are as you see them! ;)

This is the second born' room. You know of course that Eliza was having a girl.

So I kind of incorporated the nursery with the kids room. She's a toddler atm but will be a teen once I start writing Part 4.

Second floor bathroom.

Third floor - Josh's room.

Being a teen boy I wasn't going to make him share a room with his sister/s.

Back patio with the essentials, a spa and bar.

Pool. Still more work to be done here, I think!

Surprise! Meet Charlotte.

Doesn't she look just like her daddy. I actually pictured her with blonde hair

but she came out with brown so brown she will stay.

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Twelve

2011-05-02T13:41:00.000+10:00

'The community lot you visit the most'

I love to be pampered so of course my sims are going to be pampered too! lol
Manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, body treatments and don't forget the packages. OMG! It's a girls dream come true!
I love the moodlets that all these treatments give your sims too. The packages in particular, they last for a week! Now you can't argue with that. A relaxed and pampered sim is definitely a happy sim!

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Ten & Eleven

2011-04-30T21:14:00.001+10:00

'Your favorite celebrity as a Sim (made by you)'

So this is my very poor attempt at creating a celebrity into a sim. I don't normally create celebrity sims. It's just not my thing. I also don't download them either. It just doesn't interest me.
I'm a huge fan of The X-Files though so it was either going to be David Duchovny or Gillian that I created. I made a choice on what I thought would be the easiest but even she wasn't easy to create. Outfit and hair, fine. The rest, ....*sigh*...

On to Day Eleven......

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'Favorite Sim living in the neighborhood that you didn’t create'

Hmm, what can I say about Connor? Alright, well, putting aside the fact that I've made him out to be a liar, a cheater, and strangely handsome? lol
Connor is one of the EA sims that caught my attention the most when I first started playing TS3. Any community lot I'd send my sims to visit he would be there. I found this a little weird considering the EA Connor has the Loner trait. Wouldn't a community lot be the last place a loner sim would want to be? Anyway, there's just something about him. He grew on me and because I saw him so often I decided to add him to The Drifter, as Will's best mate.
He does look like fun and extremely cheeky though, don't you think?

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Eight & Nine

2011-04-29T23:38:00.001+10:00

'The most common reason your Sims die'

Not many of my sims die, if they do it's normally from old age. Boring huh? lol It normally happens the only odd time that I manage to change over to free will.
The shots above are from my very first sims story, Retirement 101. I had a lot of fun with this story. Basically it's based on the lives of Grandpa George and Grandma Josephine. The young girl in the shot is their adopted daughter Emily. I let the sims tell this story by leaving free will on and unfortunately Grandma Josephine's time came. :( I think it's nice to let these things happen naturally sometimes.

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'Favorite and least favorite expansion pack or version of the game'

I think this was a hard one to choose because as a few other people have said each expansion has good and bad things. But, once I finally got Late Night installed, then re-installed and finally didn't get any crashes this is by far the one I enjoy most.
It's not so much for the new city, although that is pretty cool (wish we could link it up with hoods like SV though, you know, like Nightlife in TS2...anyway) it's more the objects that came with the expansion. Hot tubs for instance, the bars, some of the clothing is cool - though a little too futuristic. lol I luuuvv the new dance moves and the mixology skill!

You might be shocked but I've only completed about 2 or 3 tombs in WA. Adventuring just isn't my style. Hence the look on my self sims face. lol I also don't play any adventure games in RL either. France is the only town I visit. It's such a beautifully landscaped town. Um, but what's up with our sims not being able to visit the Eiffel Tower??? Lame!

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Seven

2011-04-28T22:39:00.000+10:00

'Your favorite facial expression'

Not sure what to call this facial expression but it pretty much cracks me up every time. I guess you would call it a look of shear terror. It's like she's about to be murdered or something. Geez woman, calm down. It's just a broken faucet. It's nothing to pull your hair out over...honestly.

I guess this is what happens when a sim with the Neat trait experiences a handiness disaster. lol Though she had just been outside attempting to have a spa but discovered it was broken. Maybe she's freaking out about how much it's going to cost to have a repair technician out to fix both of them. Ha, I may not make a face quite like this but I am always shocked at the prices plumbers charge to fix something in RL.

(Oh and I know I'm getting really behind now with these challenges but hopefully I can post several over the weekend. I don't have any other plans, so it's lookin' good!)

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Six

2011-04-25T09:30:00.001+10:00

'Something your sims do that drives you crazy'

This doesn't drive me too crazy but I do find it really annoying when your trying to take shots for a scene. I've noticed it doesn't happen too often though, obviously only when several sims are in a small space together. I just find the whole stance a little weird and rude.
Sim Jennifer just didn't want to co-operate for me so Will happily accepted to act this out so I could take a few shots. Thanks Will. You can always count on your characters can't you. ;)

Oh, and it looks like my avatar's appeared again, yey!

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Five

2011-04-24T10:23:00.000+10:00

'Your favorite EA object in the game'

Can't really express how peeved off I was when I discovered that the hot tub wasn't included in the base game of TS3. I mean, what on earth were EA thinking? Trying to drip feed us the cool stuff I guess. Well, not happy Jan!! lol

My sims have a lot of parties and I've found that this object, just like the buffet table and the stereo and of course the bar, is a must for any successful party. I think it's a real social object. Anyone and everyone always wants to jump in there. But they've gotta be quick because there's only enough for four sims!

Being able to change the color of the lights underwater can also add to the mood for your sim (not literally btw), depending who your sim is in there with and what they plan on doing together. Wink, Wink. ;)
The moodlet is just too cute as well. A picture of a little bubble smiling happily and then the text - 'Oooo....buuuubbles! Multitudes of bubbles makes everything more fun!'

Oh and, Happy Easter Everyone! :)

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Four

2011-04-23T15:30:00.000+10:00

'The skill your Sim is most commonly learning'

When I saw that the new skill in the Late Night expansion pack was Mixology I was totally wrapped. Finally my sims were now able to hold a proper party. Cocktails baby yeah!! lol

I have to admit too that I generally cheat a lot these days when my sims need to learn any skills, thanks to Twallans mod, but with this skill I resisted the urge and I'm glad I did. It's been very amusing to watch them behind the bar, spinning cups through the air and blowing fire off a drink. Makes me want to have a drink myself sometimes though. lol

And topless male bar tenders, hello! ;)

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Three

2011-04-22T01:22:00.002+10:00

'Your favorite neighborhood'

So it probably comes as no surprise that my favorite neighborhood is Sunset Valley. Yes?...No? Well, there are few reasons why I love this town/hood.

I absolutely love the beach in RL so I guess that stands to reason why I love this neighborhood so so much. What can I say, I'm a beach bunny and any chance I get I visit one. I can waste hours lying on the sand, reading and soaking up the rays. It really is my number one place to relax.

Sunset Valley was the first town that loaded up on my laptop screen when I first bought TS3. I was so excited to see what the graphics were going to be like and not to mention the seamless neighborhood. Watching my sims visiting their neighbors or taking a bike ride down to the local book store with out any loading time was just awesome. I was in total awe of it all.

This is the main town/hood featured in my story. Well, was. I'll be introducing you to Greenland Bay soon, once it's completed. But I used SV for the basis on the new town I'm creating. I don't have create-a-world so I just edit through the 'edit town' option in game.

And, I can honestly say that I will never see myself becoming bored of watching the pink and purple sunsets on Old Pier Beach. I will never tire of seeing the sun rise over Stoney Falls and imagining the warmth it's casting over the valley down below welcoming my sims to a new day. Which might I add will be filled with endless amounts of sunshine.
I will never tire of watching the light in the lighthouse continually turn round, pretending to shine the way for boats and ships far out in the Sim Oceania. If only that little sailing boat would finally drift to shore though and our sims would be able to take a ride into the sunset. Wishful thinking!

Lastly, beach wedding. Need I say more. I've done one in the very first story I wrote and posted on TSR. But there hasn't been one in The Drifter yet, though that might change! ;)

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Just adding too that my avatar pic seems to have completely disappeared from every blog that I'm following. Arghh, this is so annoying! Rest assured though friends I am still following YOU because I'm still receiving your blog updates in my Reading List.

I did notice the number of followers went down suddenly and maybe this is why they left because they think I'm not interested in their blog anymore - well I AM! Very much so! And I'm still playing catch up with some blogs too.Which I'm feeling a tad guilty about! I hope this doesn't last too long though.

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day Two

2011-04-19T23:26:00.001+10:00

'A house you built'

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Entry, garage, bar & main bathroom

Kitchen/dining & lounge

Two main bedrooms

Kids bedroom, alfresco, playground & pool

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Well this just feels like whole lot of pic spam, now doesn't it! lol
This was the third and last lot I uploaded to TSR last year. I chose Riverview for the location because I noticed that a lot of people weren't creating lots for that neighborhood and now I know why - it's just not a very interesting neighborhood to play. Though the landscape is quite picturesque with mountains, rolling hills, and hay field's - I can almost smell the fresh air! lol
It is set out a little weird though, right?

Most lots I upload, which has only been three, are built for families. It's funny actually because I've never used these lots in my game. Ever. I always use other people's. Not sure what's up with that, maybe it's because a lot has come out since I built these. Like several new expansions and stuff packs and not to mention the amount of CC that is created daily. Lots that I've built recently are much more cluttered, inside and out.

If you like it and wish to download it then you can find it on my profile page. I think it might require membership though, sorry about that! And I won't be offended if you don't like it and don't want to download it either, lol! Let's face it there are a lot better lots out there. ;)

30 Day Sims Challenge - Day One

2011-04-18T15:39:00.002+10:00

'Yourself as a Sim with your traits/aspiration'

So this is sim Jennifer. What she's wearing is pretty much what I wear in RL. Love my jeans, corduroy jacket and sneakers. She's a little quirky and laughs a lot. Her traits are pretty accurate but of course I think we can always add a couple more so they would be, Over-Emotional and Light Sleeper.

Her LTA is as close to what is available for me to choose from. Basically, I love to keep fit and I treat my body as a temple. Hey, you only have one so why not look after it! And to be honest I really don't like the term perfect body. No-one is capable of being 'prefect'. Perfect does not exist in my mind. It's about being happy with yourself and who you are.
Same goes for prefect mind. I love to read and I think with reading comes knowledge. Sim Jennifer would rather be star gazing than playing chess too btw since I've never played a game of chess in my life!

Oh and I went a little over board on making her pose for me last night and took loads of shots. You can check some others out here. Damn, was I having fun! These new pose packs are soooo cool!

The Drifter Update - Part Three Finale

2011-04-17T15:13:00.001+10:00

Click HERE for Part Three Finale - New Friendships, Old Ways & Reunited.

I've probably given the biggest surprise away by posting the pic above but what the hell. It was coming sooner rather than later anyway!
I think you will all enjoy this Finale. Well I hope you do. There's a couple of surprises in store but basically it sets things up for where we will take off in Part Four, and that will possibly be 6 to 8 years later.

Now, with another Part complete I am going to do what I always seem to do after wards and that's take a short break from my story. I'm thinking about a month maybe. I still have the neighborhood to complete and there are a few other things that need to be done before I even start taking shots for Part Four. Although I have to admit I'm pretty excited about writing it.

Lastly I wanted to thank each and every one of my super, fantastic, wonderful, friendly, kind readers for all your truly wonderful support. Every single comment means the world to me, that includes the readers that have come and gone too. The support that we receive on our blogs is one of the greatest things I have experienced in the sim community.
I've noticed some changes as well to people during the time that I've been blogging and some are great and some are not so great. One in particular I am really disappointed in. Gosh, I hope this doesn't come across as a rant but I just had to get this out.
I really admire every one who gets out there and writes their own story. I think it takes guts, especially to write it the way you want to. Anyway, there was one reader in particular that I admired a lot. I'm not sure what to think anymore but I do know this - you don't abandon your friends or any support that you recieve on your journey through life. And that's all I have to say about that.

So I'll still be logging in and reading everyone's blogs. And I'm also attempting to complete the 30 Day Sim Challenge along with Kaleeko and Amelia. You guys are going to be like three or four days a head of me before I even get started, lol!

Well, have a great weekend people!

30 Day Sims Challenge

2011-04-15T20:30:00.001+10:00

Just to add a little more heat and chaos to RL atm I've decided to join Miss Kaleeko in completing a challenge. The 30 Day Sims Challenge.
Yes I know, I still have Part 3 Finale of The Drifter to finish but it's almost done and this challenge I just cannot resist. I love the Sims, what can I say! This is something fun I feel like doing right now, just for me. I will probably, no definitely, go over the 30 day deadline but who cares. Rules suck anyway!
I'll be starting this either tomorrow or Sunday, just depends on what sort of progress I make on Part 3 Finale. Really would like to have it done and published by the end of the weekend. I will try. But either way this challenge will begin in the next few days! :)

Day 1 - Yourself as a Sim with your traits/aspiration
Day 2 - A house you built
Day 3 - Your favorite neighborhood (EA, downloaded, or self-made)
Day 4 - The skill your Sim is most commonly learning
Day 5 - Your favorite EA object in the game
Day 6 - Something your Sims do that drives you crazy
Day 7 - Favorite interaction or facial expression of a Sim
Day 8 - The most common reason your Sims die
Day 9 - Favorite and least favorite expansion pack or version of the game
Day 10 - Your favorite celebrity as a Sim (made by you)
Day 11 - Favorite Sim living in the neighborhood that you didn’t create
Day 12 - The community lot you visit the most
Day 13 - Favorite piece of custom content/mod or the reason why you don’t have any
Day 14 - Your favorite and least favorite stage of a Sim’s life
Day 15 - The Life Time Aspiration/wants/fears your Sims most commonly have
Day 16 - A music clip/YouTube video of the background music you enjoy most
Day 17 - Your favorite “special” Sim species (Witches, Vampires, Aliens, Werewolves, Plant Sims, etc)
Day 18 - The longest family tree you ever had/the Sim you played with the most and why
Day 19 - One thing you would change about the game
Day 21 - Something that happened/could happen that made you quit without saving
Day 22 - The most scandalous thing you’ve done with Sims
Day 23 - The most awesome Sims you’ve ever had without cheating
Day 24 - A video you made yourself with Sims
Day 25 - Something that happens in Sims you wish happened in real life
Day 26 - Favorite place to download Sims custom content
Day 27 - The cheat you use most commonly and a cheat you rarely/never use
Day 28 - An expansion pack you wish EA would make
Day 29 - The reason you started playing Sims in the beginning
Day 30 - The reason you are still a Sims fan today

The Drifter Update, Chapter 11

2011-04-01T16:05:00.001+11:00

Thought I'd start the first day of the month with a story update! :)

Shots were taken a while ago for this chapter and I briefly wrote the first draft in. Very briefly. lol So it had been sitting in the drafts folder for god knows how long. In some parts it's quite text heavy as I tired to explain a little about Rainia's background. Hope I don't cause you to nod off at all, lol!
Oh and this chapter we will see Charlie as a 'new man', aka his transformation. ;) See my post about changing a sim from elder to adult if none of this is making sense to you!
I'm not sure how much of a difference this is going to make to the story. I was thinking just now that he pretty much won't age at all in Part 4 even though I will be aging up most of the other characters. Is this going to be weird? I don't think so. These two won't be featured too often and I just cannot go back to using elders again. I do love them dearly but it just ain't gonna happen! ;)

Click HERE for Chapter 11 - Feeling Alive Again.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

A sneak peek!

2011-03-22T17:33:00.002+11:00

Just a little something to tie you over before the next chapter of The Drifter is out. Which I think will possibly be later this week. ;)
So below are a few shots of one of the lots I've been working on for the new town, Greenland Bay. It's a revamp of the Old Pier Beach lot in Sunset Valley. It's not quite finished yet and these shots I've taken are not great. Just a little warning there. lol It was a spur-of-the-moment thing so I left the grid lines on and just snapped away.
I might have a few more shots soon of some of the other lots I'm renovating but it all depends on how much free time I have.

See the light grey fence in the background, the one with the wavy pattern, well that's the fence I wanted to delete (see rant in previous post) but couldn't because it's not actually selectable. Curse you EA!

For some reason I've developed a strange liking to these lamp posts. lol

I think the pier will make for a great scene setting for stories.

In the background to the left you can see the Salon and Tattoo Parlor. The Day Spa is just behind those beach huts.

The grid lines totally ruin it, I know. lol I I'd still like to sit there though!

And just for comparison a few day time shots.

Is it just me or is the water and reflections becoming a lot sharper in TS3?

Gotta have some beach huts!

And everyone loves a barby or picnic. ;)

Story update and maybe a small rant..?

2011-03-19T16:19:00.003+11:00

Finished Chapter 10, yey! Kudo's to me! Just a warning that this update might be a little depressing but on the flip side you get to see Connor's naked buffed upper torso. lol

Click HERE for Chapter 10 - The Move

I will posting some pics soon of the new neighborhood that I'm creating, Greenland Bay. As I mentioned in some earlier posts all the character's will eventually be living in the one town. Also, it didn't occur to me until I started this little task that TS3 is in no way neighborhood edit friendly. I mean what is up with that?

Why on earth did EA think it was a good idea to disable the option of being able to edit the neighborhood?

I remember playing TS2 and always rearranging things in the neighborhood. It was cool and allowed you to customize the neighborhood to how you wanted it. Well not anymore folks. I know there's always create-a-world but I don't think that's the same thing. I want to be able to edit the neighborhood while in game and then go back into my families. Oh well, we have to make the most of what we've got, so I guess I'll get over it. lol

Have a great weekend. :)

Part Summaries for The Drifter

2011-03-06T14:46:00.004+11:00

So I finally got around to finishing two out of three Part Summaries for The Drifter. I was too tired last night to post this post, my eyes were killing me. Too much time on the computer I guess, and late night TV. lol

The summaries are very detailed allowing anyone new to catch up pretty thoroughly straight away. I know everyone is different when it comes to reading a new story. Some like to jump right in, some like to read from the beginning. I do this. Read from the beginning. It might take me while but I really enjoy getting to know the characters and what they've experienced. It's fun to get lost in some else's story.
I've also added a Chapter Synopsis. There's links to all chapters and also the Part Summaries in there.

Well that's about it, nothing too exciting. lol There's a few more things still to come that I'm working on but they won't be finished for a while yet. This is all part of a small task I've set for myself and so far it's keeping me motivated. Which is a good thing!

Hope everyone is well & having a great weekend! :)

The Drifter Update, Chapter 9

2011-03-01T13:05:00.000+11:00

Okay, so I got my butt into gear and stopped fussing over this chapter. I think sometimes you can make too many changes and then the whole thing turns to crap. lol

Click HERE for Chapter 9 - Memories.

Barbara makes a solid appearance in this chapter. I have to say too I've been having some difficulty with her story lately. I think though it was the way I was thinking about the story as a whole, you know, not in a positive light. But thanks to some brainless story babbling I've been doing on VSS I've finally figured it all out. Yey! lol The inspiration I've gained since joining VSS has really been a tremendous help. Venting is good people! lol

No, I'm not on another blog break, lol!

2011-02-27T20:32:00.001+11:00

Just a quick post to say that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or anything, lol! I've just been super busy. Still organizing lots of things for our new business. We seem to have completed the hardest and most mundane tasks though so hopefully I will have some spare time soon to blog a little.
We've also been doing mid week open houses as well as weekend ones. For those of you who have sold or selling I'm sure you'll agree that it can very tiring, cleaning and then disappearing with your dog for 45 minutes. Shorty, our dog, thinks it's wonderful though. She gets to ride in the car twice weekly and stick her moosh (face) out the window. lol I'm pretty much over it though. Apparently the housing market is flat atm. It's still a buyers market but it's just flat. We really aren't too fussed if we sell or not because we will be getting stuck into out business very soon and the thought of having to look for another home and starting that up really doesn't appeal to me.

The Drifter updates will now be posted fortnightly instead of weekly. For a while there I think I, just barley, got them out weekly anyway. I'm really no good with schedule's/timelines etc, I don't like to be rushed, I like to pace myself, I like to post when I'm ready. lol
I've been working on some other things for The Drifter too, chapter synopsis, part summaries (for new readers that don't wish to read from the very beginning) and some other stuff. Just want to get my story blog a little more organized. The next update is almost done and will hopefully be published sometime next week. And yes I'm sticking to that!

I realized the other day too that I've actually been writing this story for a little over a year now (in between many blog breaks) and I feel quite proud of that. There have been ups and downs though. A few times I've felt like quitting or taking a long break and starting another story but then I realize why do that when this story is already established. The characters are already established. And the fact that I feel like I've put a lot of work into this story (because writing doesn't come naturally to me) isn't worth quitting over. I've become attached to these sims/characters.
I know what was happening too I wasn't thinking the right way about my story. I wasn't thinking positively. I was making out to myself that each post felt like it was a task to do. Whenever I came to finishing up a Part I would kind of freak out. I read somewhere on VSS, which I cannot locate where (very annoyed at myself for that because I wanted to link to it) that don't think of it as an ending, think of it as a new beginning. Brilliant. And I totally slapped myself for not thinking outside the square. You dummy Jen!! lol

Something else I'm doing is attempting to catch up on some new sim stories I've started following. Some of these I have followed their links from VSS. I joined early this month and I have to say I'm really enjoying this sim/writing forum. Very thankful to Stacy for the invite.

I knew this month would be slow for posts/updates but I never expected it to be this slow. Oh well, you can only do what you can do!

Hope everyone is well and have a great week!

This, That & The Drifter Update!

2011-02-11T22:48:00.001+11:00

Finally got an update for everyone. We've been super busy the last two weeks organizing lots of stuff for our new business and all seems to be going to plan atm. Finger's crossed!

I think my bf is holding his breath though and waiting for something to go wrong. He had some pretty tough times during the last 4 years he owned his video game store. Franchise bulls**t, losing a business partner, the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) and more which I won't go into.
I'm pretty optimistic about our situation though. I think not being linked to a franchise is going to make the world of difference this time around. They really suck your business dry and at the end of the day they are only interested in one thing, taking as much money from you as possible to make themselves richer.

I think that was a rant right there, wasn't it? Oops! Oh well, it's out of my system now. lol

Click HERE for chapter 8 - Suburban Inferno

Due to some in game problems (massively long loading times & constant crashes) I've had to move Will and Eliza out of their beautiful home. :( I know I am not all that happy about it either but doing so has actually given me some inspiration and ideas for future chapters, which I am thrilled about.

Also, I'm moving everyone into the one town/one saved game hoping that this will help with the long loading times and to make it easier taking shots etc. I've been busy deleting a lot of the townies that I don't play. They always seem to get in the way when I'm trying to take shots too, as you will see in this update. lol Sometimes they are handy but most of the time they just annoy the ba-jesus out of me!

And in between this and that I've been trying to organize something for my birthday. It's proving to be difficult as I've decided to celebrate my 30th at one of the many winery's down our way and there are just so many gorgeous vineyards that I can't seem to choose just one.
Maybe I could make it a winery tour where you visit several different winery's in the one day? But then I worry about other people having to drink and drive etc, and traveling on those tour buses isn't really that appealing to me. lol
I still have almost two weeks left, well one and a half, I'm sure I'll be able make a choice before then. Maybe I'll start a process of elimination, tonight!

Oh dear, forgive me for the brainless babble here.

I hope everyone has great weekend. :)

Beach break ended, now to catch up on RL

2011-01-31T18:00:00.002+11:00

Why is it when you return home from a short break away, that you always seem to return to more work than what you left for yourself?

Real life is stepping in again. In a major way. Gaaaa! Well it's not really that bad. lol My bf and I are knuckling down on our small business opportunities. It's the new year and we want to make the most of it. There are a few others things that must be tended to as well, so my blogging and simming time won't be as frequent during the next month.

I did plan to have the next chapter of The Drifter published early this week, but the outlook is grim. It's going to have to wait, also I'm still fussing over shots and my text. Wish I had the ease of writing like some of my other blogger friends. ;)

Also I know I have many comments to respond to, a big big BIG thank you to everyone, and I will hopefully get to those today if not, then tomorrow. Same goes for everyone's updates too. I see a few that I'm just hanging out to read but unfortunately I may not get to those until later in the week. :(

And if your wondering whether I had a nice beach break, then yes I did thank you! T'was a fabulous four days. We were lucky with the weather too. But as usual just when your leaving the weather get's even better. lol

Hope everyone is well. :)

*hugs* ~ Jen

The Drifter Update & an early Happy Australia Day!

2011-01-24T16:46:00.005+11:00

Posting this chapter early since I will be away for 4 days next week, and I won't be taking my laptop. Arghhh! lol We've been inseparable lately and I'm thinking that leaving it at home will feel like I've forgotten my mobile phone....but, I think I'll survive.

We're leaving Tuesday night and heading down to the beach. One of my relatives owns a holiday house at Cape Paterson. I love it down there. Lots of memories too from when I was a teenager and stayed down there with my cousins. We got up to some naughty but very funny things. Three teenage girls, you can just imagine! Haha! ;)

Click HERE for Chapter 7 - Choices.

Also, because I will be away I wanted to wish my fellow Aussies a very Happy Australia Day for the 26th Jan. Whether your spending it with friends or family, with a good old Aussie BBQ or by the pool or even in front of the T.V. I sincerely hope you have a wonderful day! That goes for everyone else too!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi oi oi!

Have a great week everyone! :)

The Drifter Update, Chapter 6 - The Morning After

2011-01-18T23:59:00.008+11:00

So I think it's fair to say that I've had a pretty good run with the start to Part 3 of The Drifter.

Well I think so anyway. lol

All these ideas just came to me and I went with them, well most of them. But certain characters have been whispering in my ear more than others so I went with what they wanted as well instead of what I'd planned, or more so, what they showed me while in game.

Connor you are a bad bad boy! lol

Anyway I feel like my ideas have dried up a little bit now. I seem to have come to a stand still. I'm trying to think outside the square, really I am! But I'm just getting nothing. Zero. Zilch.
So I'm thinking that taking a break from this story for a while won't hurt. I've been writing about these characters since May last year, well earlier if you account for it originally being published on TSR.
So once Part 3 is finished it will temporarily be on hiatus. I will however be focused on something else. I've been feeling the desire to take a different direction. Not too sure how it will work out but I'll see how I go. lol
There are still a few chapters to go and I pretty much have them sorted just gotta do some organizing, tidying up etc.

Click HERE for Chapter 6 - The Morning After
*This chapter contains some course language and sim style nudity.

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is having an enjoyable week!

Trying out the mosaic thing too

2011-01-14T19:09:00.002+11:00

I wasn't going to do one of these. I said to myself... no! lol But after seeing what others have come up with for their characters and also themselves, well, I just couldn't resist. So here goes...

1. What are you currently reading? Biography of Chanel by Edmonde Charles-Roux.
2. What is your dream job? Runway model
3. One place in the world you want to visit? The Whitsundays
4. Favorite color? Purple
5. Favorite drink? Gin n' Tonic or my bf's home made Long Island Ice Tea (alcoholic of course!)
6. Favorite dessert? Trifle
7. Favorite film of all time? Dances with Wolves
8. Favorite piece of clothing? A blue & white check linen shirt.
9. One word that describes me? Reserved
10. When are you most comfortable and at ease? When I'm out running, pounding the pavement with the sun on back and the wind in my hair.

Below are just a few things that you may or may not know about me. I'm not used to talking about myself. Somehow it always feels like your in an interview. lol

I'm a relatively happy person. I love to laugh, whether it be at myself or something else. I am a bit of a clown at home and watch out if I've had a few drinks. ;)
I can be very quiet though and tend to keep to myself most of the time. Probably why I enjoy blogging so much. If and when you get to know me I do come out of my shell eventually.

I love food! All types. And I'm not afraid to eat! I've found that my tastes are changing as I'm getting older and I'm eating things now that I wouldn't have even touched when I was a kid.
I was always told as a teenager that I had hollow legs, probably because I was constantly whining that I was hungry and always eating. I'd even eat the left overs from dinner off my sister's plate!

My childhood dream was to become a model. I grew up when supermodels were big, in the 90's and I totally idolized these women. And because I inherited my fathers height and his slim physique I was constantly told I would make a good model. But tall and skinny doesn't always mean you are model material. You have to have a certain look as well. Whatever that may be.

I love fashion. The expensive kind. Just wish I had the job that could pay for it. And hence the book I'm reading. Which is really quite an interesting read. Did you know that the name Coco is not her real name? Of course you say! Well, her first name is Gabrielle and she took the name Coco from what her great-grandfather used to inscribe on his furniture, he was a carpenter/tavernkeeper in the early 1800's. A bit of trivia there for you.

I'm also a bit of an exercise fanatic. I've become addicted to running and I've worked hard for the past 4 years trying to develop some sort of rhythm. It's not easy if you haven't done it before, as well as trying to fit it into RL schedule. It takes dedication and persistence - probably some coaching too. I'm at the stage now where I can miss one or two weeks of running and then get back into it with ease. Unfortunately my knees and ankles aren't liking it too much but that's where stretching comes in. And ice packs!

I'm a real home body and forever pampering myself. Wouldn't list myself as high maintenance though, I just enjoy being groomed. lol My motto is that you have one life and one body to live it, why not look after that body. Manicures, pedicures, face masks, exfoliating scrubs, body brushing. I probably should have become a beauty therapist. Oh well. Instead I tried to climb the corporate ladder.

Not much else, I'm a listener not a talker. My boyfriend constantly chews my ears off with his long rants about the world. lol He does make some good points though, sometimes.
I'm very loyal. Our pets are our children atm. One horse and one dog. We've had them for a very long time and they are getting on. Their time is coming soon.

Blogging and sim story writing has become a real a hobby for me. And since in RL I can be a bit of a recluse I am very much appreciative of the support I have received and the friendships I have made. I really feel quite at home here now. :)

And if you haven't heard or read about my frustration in some recent posts, my bf and I about to embark on a tree change. Yes tree change, not sea change. We will be moving from the suburbs very soon. We've had enough and life is too short to be unhappy where you live. We both aren't working atm and are tossing up ideas for home businesses. Who knows, we might even just work the land if we buy enough of it!

So there's a few tidbit's about me, well more than a few...oops!

Oh, one more... I love white chocolate!

The Drifter Update - Chapter 5

2011-01-10T14:41:00.003+11:00

It's funny, even when you think you have plots planned certain characters just decide to completely take over and do what they want. I seemed to have really focused on Connor and Susannah in Part 3 but that's because they won't stop talking to me! lol Connor is definitely stealing the lime light more than anyone else. But that's cool. I'm enjoying writing about him.

That goes for Charlie too. He will be going through a complete transformation soon. *Hint hint* ;) Read up on an older post about Changing a Sim from Elder to Adult if your not sure what I'm talking about.
Barbara isn't really saying much atm. I do have some plans for her but I'm not feeling ready to execute them just yet so we may not see her change until Part 4. But she will be seen very soon now that we are in the latter half of Part 3.

Click HERE for Chapter 5.
*This chapter contains joyous laughter and may give you that cheezy feeling of happiness inside. There's also some course language and drug references. Sheesh! Never thought I'd stray over that line but it's really just too tempting.

I have to say I love this shot of these two. Will looks totally happy and the look on Connor's face just cracks me up. He doesn't seem to get it. lol

In other news....
I finally got Bridgeport loading. Woo hoo! Holy cow, if I'd know I just had to do a reinstall then I probably would've done it ages ago! Oh well. I had a wander around, it's pretty cool to have another town to cruise around in. I have a question though has anyone seen a sunny day in Bridgeport yet?
I'm looking forward to meeting some of the local night stalkers too. I never really played the vampires in TS2 they kind of annoyed me too much with the arm over the face thing.

We finally got some rain yesterday, thank you Illandrya for sending some down our way. No one likes a dreary cold and wet day but we've had plenty of warm hot days lately. Btw, did you get that sunshine I pulled from our sky and packed up and sent in the post for you. lol

Wishing everyone a great week. :)

Picspam!

2011-01-06T14:42:00.006+11:00

So I haven't posted any shots on my picture blog for a while and thought this was a perfect opportunity since there is a birthday coming up!

Yep, you guessed it, little Joshua will be celebrating his age up to a child.

I'd taken some of these shots a while ago, just for memory's sake. lol Actually I went a little silly taking shots of Joshua while he was learning to walk and talk. I just couldn't help it, I mean, sims kids are just soooo cute!

What was I saying? Okay, so he's chucking a bit of a tantrum here. lol

That's better.

Um, I don't think that's such a good idea Joshua...

Awwwww.

Click HERE to see the many faces of Joshua learning to talk. ;)

I'm still not sure what is happening with the feed for my picture blog either. Posts still aren't showing up in the feed reader. This happened last time. If anyone has any ideas as to how I can fix this, I'd love to hear them, because I am completely stumped.

Have a great rest of the week. ~ Jen

With a new year, brings change...

2011-01-02T23:25:00.004+11:00

Thought I'd add one more thing to the list of changes that my bf and I will be going through this year - a new, clean, fresh, blog template.

I've been wanting to change it for a while now, to something that isn't so, err...pink! I think I've been avoiding it though as I seriously take way too long to decide on colors, designs and layouts etc. Not sure about the rest of you but changing the whole template thing kinda drives me bananas! Some of them have way too many options and things that you have to change, that I get so overwhelmed I eventually just give up. lol

So today I started to have a fiddle around with another blog, which isn't live yet, and this is what I came up with. Everything just seemed to pop into place, colors, widgets, and a new banner. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I hope the layout makes it easy for you to navigate. :)

EDIT: I'm having a little too much fun with this new layout. :D On the left hand side I've added a poll for the Best Kiss so far in Part 3 of The Drifter and once a month I will post a blooper shot from my story or just something funny in general that happened in game. You can find this pic on the footer of this blog. Susannah is the star of this months shot!

Hmmm, now what else can I add....

The Drifter Update & Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T23:07:00.004+11:00

Firstly, Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and celebrated their New Year in style!

Our style was staying at home. lol Champagne in the spa and, unfortunately, listening to the local bozos (or is that bogans?) set off fireworks in their backyards. Our poor dog was scared shitless.

Anyway, that's the 'burbs for you. And that's one of the many reasons why we are moving away from here. Land and open spaces here we come!

Click here for the latest chapter of The Drifter, Chapter 4 - Goodbye.

I'm actually having some writers block atm. I've taken and organized enough shots for the next two, maybe three, chapters but after that, well, I'm not sure. Thinking I may take a little break. It can never hurt.
I still can't get Bridgeport loaded believe it or not, so I'm thinking of a complete unistall/reinstall....again. Anyone know when the next EP is due out? Maybe I can hold off until then. lol

Seasons Greetings!

2010-12-22T23:06:00.002+11:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and very MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all have a wonderful break and receive lots of lovely prezzies on Christmas Day, and remember not to eat too much! lol I always do! lol

I also wanted say 'thank you' so much for everyone's support throughout the latter half of this year. Back in May I was so nervous about moving over to blogger with my story, and since doing so I have met some wonderful and amazingly talented, and supportive people. (That includes old friends too!)
Being able to share this one thing in common has been such a joyous experience for me. Never did I think there were so many others out there that loved simming as much as me! lol

So, thank you again and I look forward to reading more of everyone's stories and just blogging in general!

Take care,

*Hugs* ~ Jen

The Drifter Update Pt 3, Chapter 3

2010-12-20T21:42:00.005+11:00

The next chapter of The Drifter is up. Click HERE! for Chapter 3 - First Time.

Haven't got much else to say. lol But I will have another random post up later in the week and I will wish everyone a very Merry Christmas then. ;)

...oh and there is a touch of nudity in this chapter. lol

Have great week everyone!

Awww, cuddles under the stars!

Our work is done, so back to blogging!

2010-12-18T19:37:00.003+11:00

We have finally finished all that is needed to be done to put our house on the market. Phew, that was some hard work! *Pats self on back*
We know Xmas time probably isn't the best time to do this but we have limited time before my redundancy funds run out. lol There are also other circumstances that haven't been in our favor but you have to make the most of the situation you're in and move forward, right? Right. So that's what we've done.
I'm not one to dwell on the negative things that happen in life. A bit like Susannah below. ;) Oops, I just compared myself to a sim!

I have finally completed another two Character Bio's - Susannah Seymour & Connor Frio. These I've been working on for months, adding bits here and there when I had time. I really wanted to have Connor's posted before I publish anymore chapters in Part 3 of The Drifter.
I know some of you say that Connor has grown on you, well me too! lol

I'm finding him to be one very interesting character and it has been fun building up his back ground. Susannah also, but she is still quite young so she really hasn't had many life changing experiences yet. But there will be some soon. ;)

Click on the names above their pic to read their Character Bio. And if you haven't checked them out already, Will and Eliza's were posted a little while back, I've added a link below for those too.

Also, I know I am behind in reading and my apologies! I don't like to miss out on any of the action in the stories I'm following, so this weekend I will be making it my No. 1 priority to catch up on these wonderful sim stories.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
~ Jen

Click here to read William Seymour's Character Bio.

Click here to read Eliza Evans' Character Bio.

Susannah Seymour

Connor Frio

The Drifter Update, Pt 3 Chapter 2

2010-12-13T10:49:00.000+11:00

Taking a break from cleaning and tidying up our house. We've worked really hard the last week and made lots of progress already. Boy is it work though! I'm not used to this sort of 'hard labor'. I think my spindly arms have built up some muscle from carrying and holding up so many sheets of plaster. lol

Thanks everybody who read and left some wonderful comments on my first chapter back. It's great to see that everyone is still interested in reading what happens in The Drifter.

This week is going to be a busy one again so I'll be a little absent still. I see lots of new updates too. Eeek! I will get to those asap!

Click HERE for Chapter 2 - Old Friend

Hmm, I wonder why Eliza looks so worried? ;)

Hope everyone has a great week!

The Drifter Update and some other stuff! lol

2010-12-05T11:44:00.004+11:00

Hey all, so I've finally made a start on Part 3 of The Drifter. And since being off work I've had plenty of time to think up plots, take tonnes of shots, and just simming in general. So much so that I'm up to writing chapter 5. lol

It's not just about getting the chapters done though, doing this has really helped me to see where I want this third part to go and be about, and I'm really happy with the outcome so far.

But.....yes there is a but! lol We are currently in the process of preparing our house for it to be put on the market. Which means lots of painting, plastering, nailing, screwing, lacquering, cleaning, the list goes on! We have one completely unfinished room. Back when we moved in we changed the fourth garage into a gym/relaxation room and all we've done so far is put up the weather boards on the outside! lol Lots and lots of work to do.
So I will be a little absent from blogging for the next couple of weeks. We are finally looking for a rural property to buy. Very exciting as we are thinking of starting up a business from home as well.

So lots of stuff happening atm.

I plan to have another two Character Bio's done as well, Connor Frio & Susannah Seymour. These will be posted very soon as they kinda tie in with chapters three and four.

Anyhoo, click HERE for chapter 1 of Part 3 of The Drifter.

Hope everyone is well and having a great weekend! ;)

Oh and the shots below were a request from Drew a while ago. Enjoy!

Father and son flex time.

One word...yum.

Back shot!

And another. Like, whoa!

Winding Down From a Late Night Out

2010-11-21T23:58:00.003+11:00

Yep, here is another post of my self sim and her friends. I know, I'm probably boring everyone but I'm having fun doing this and, well, that's all that matters. Right? Plus, this is my blog and I can post what I want! ;)

Really though, this is all part of the joy of having your own blog, isn't it? You can write, post, publish whatever you want. To a certain degree.

Whenever a new expansion comes out I normally send my self sim off on an adventure. Actually I forgot to with Ambitions. Now that I think about it that is the one expansion I haven't really explored. Oh well, guess I'll deal with that later. But these last few posts, they were just a 'little' something, some fun is all, before I start on Part 3 of The Drifter.

Not sure why am I rationalizing this. Probably for the lack of comments. Humph. But then comments aren't everything. And I don't take myself too seriously, not like some writers/bloggers out there. As long as I'm having fun and enjoying myself then that's all that matters.

Enough with the rambling, see below for their wind down from a Late Night of clubbing. Next post will definitely be an update of The Drifter. Oh and just to be entertaining this post contains some light sim style nudity. ;)

**************

Early morning and with the sun rising hirer by the minute the gang chill back at Justin's bachelor pad.

A minimalist but modern abode.

Mel, Kyian, Tuesday and Diego head straight for Justin's new outdoor decking, to relax by the spa, or in it.

Bare foot and a tight tee, Justin practices on the dart board.

Hmm, loving that muscle definition.

'Zzzz Zzzz Zzzz...'

My self sim enjoys a power nap upstairs.

Couple of hours later....

Yawing and stretching noises, along with a grumbling stomach.

Justin cooks up some lunch for everyone.

Mmm, hot dogs, my favorite.

What is he pondering here?

Melissa and Kyian join Diego and Tuesday at the table.

Agh, Tuesday your meant to chew your food not choke on it.

Attempting to play a game of Shuffle board and look who's in the lead!

Was...in the lead.

'Woo, I WIN!'

Settle down there tiger, it's just a game. God, men are so competitive.

Kyian and Diego enjoy a couple more drinks.

Meanwhile in the spa... Tuesday and Melissa talk boys.

'Seriously Tues, I don't know what you see in Diego. He's always flirting with other girls. Last night was

the first time I'd seen him actually not flirt with another girl while your on the same lot! I mean

are you or aren't you a couple?'

'He did didn't he. Maybe he's up to something?'

Melissa laughs. 'Like what?'

Tuesday leans back, resting her hands behind her head and cheekily raises her eyebrows.

'Oh Mel, he is very different to your Kyian, very different.'

Mel isn't sure what Tuesday means by this so she lets it go.

'Man, get outta my way! Your pushing me off the track!' yells Diego.

'What are you talkin' about? That's not me, that's one of the games cars!'

Boys.

Sexy backs though. Hmm? Backs can be sexy, yeah?

'Arghhh, no way!' says Kyian frustrated.

Diego laughs.

'Get there, damit! ' Kyian resorts to using the base of his palm. 'This controller must be broken.'

Diego laughs again.

'Oh, Diego?' Tuesday calls casually as she walks up the stairs.

'Looks like your up dude.' Kyian says without glancing away from the TV.

'Up for what?'

Silence.

'Oh.'

.....

Meanwhile, back in the spa....

...Mel and Kyian steal a kiss...

...and Justin tries to make a move, again.

Aww...who could say no to that sweet face.

Young love.

Oops, excuse us!

Mel and Kyian relax in the...hang on, who is that coming down the stairs?

Mixing up a new concoction Justin doesn't notice Diego streaking.

My self sim doesn't look to amused by this. lol

'Oh, Dude!' Kyian says, startled.

Melissa giggles.

Tuesday removes her swimsuit, poolside, before joining Diego.

Justin hears commotion in the pool...

...then wanders upstairs for a nap, only to find....

Clubbing With Friends and a Short Video!

2010-11-16T19:49:00.004+11:00

So I managed to place a couple of clubs in Sunset Valley. It was a tedious task since most of the lots you can place them on are the ones you already need. Yep EA do not make anything easy. Anyway, my self sim and her friends had some fun. See below if your interested. There's an amusing video at the end!

***************

After meeting up with Kyian (Driver's seat) and the others,

we head off for a night of drinkin' and dancin'!

(Justin in passenger seat, Diego right backseat and Tuesday, left backseat. My self sim and another friend, Melissa, must have driven off separately. lol)

First club stop, The Grind.

Justin orders a round of drinks as soon as we arrive at the club.
Energy drinks to the left and romantic drinks to the right.

Notice my self sim chooses the energy drink. She discovered exactly what Justin gave her back at his bachelor pad, but only after she couldn't stop thinking wicked thoughts of him on the way to the club!

Obviously up for some action, Justin and Kyian take a romantic drink.

Hmm, steer clear of those two.

The others move to the dance floor after finishing their drinks first.

With two drinks already in her system, my self sim gets the giggles before letting

loose on the dance floor.

Okay so not really dancing, just gazing into each other's eyes. The others get down

and boogie though.

'Hey darlin', come sit with me over near the window.'

'Oh, um...hee hee, okay then.'

So much for steering clear. Honestly though, who could say no to those blues eyes
and a gentle stroke of the cheek.

Diego and Tuesday decide to do a little more than just boogie.

We sit this song out, but Kyian and Melissa go for it.

'Come on guys!' Tuesday yells.

Looks like we're done here already. It wasn't really a very happening place anyway.

Second club stop, The Brightmore.

Gathering in the foyer.

Head count- Mel, Diego, Kyian, Justin, Tuesday and um, err...

...who is that chick at the back there?

I present to you....the elevator! All hale the elevator!

(As well as the hot tub, I was waiting for this object too. Stairs can be so yesterday.)

'Come on Justin, hurry up!' Tuesday yells excitedly.

'Keep ya panties on, I'm-a-comin'.'

Melissa moves in closer to my self sim, whispering in her direction.

'Who is this (points to the red-head) following us around?'

'I dunno, guess we have a cling-on.'

The girls cover their mouths trying to muffle their laughs.

Some woman snuck into the VIP area. That's a big no no.
The bouncer wasn't too happy, he yelled at her to get out! lol

'Oh Jen I so love this song!'

'Yeah, me too. This club is way better, huh?'

'For sure. Oh dear, don't look now but the cling-on is staring at us.'

'Seriously? That's just creepy. Come on, lets move over here.'

Tuesday and Diego try out the bubble machine.

'Buuurrrrrrrrp!'

Diego moves from the bubble machine, for fear of burping in public again, and onto the dance floor.
He shows us the Latin roots deep with in his sexy sim bones.

Move those hips Diego, move those sexy hips!

Tuesday finds the hot tub and Kyian and Justin play a game of foosball. You'd think they could
do that at home though, right? Nope. Come on guys, go dance with your girls.

'Just one game' pleads Justin.

Kyian flicks his wrist too sharply, letting the ball through, allowing Justin to score.

'Dude, you suck at this,' Justin laughs.

'Yeah, well I play better when someone doesn't have a camera in my face!'

After some serious dancing my self sim orders a drink at the bar. Well tries too anyway.

'Um, can I order a, argh...wat-a thay call'd....oh yeah, a rockin' roller! I'll have one of thoz pleeze.' Smiles drunkenly.

Diego soon finds Tuesday in the tub and slips in beside her bringing with him a bottle of champagne on ice.

Kyian and Melissa test out the bubble machine as well. Mel gets a little to into it
and tries blowing bubbles out her nose.

With Kyian and Mel taking to the dancefloor, Justin and my self sim decide to
test out their bubble blowing power!

Tuesday and Diego still in the hot tub.....

Closing time. :(

Why are these fun nights always over so quickly?

Tuesday stands up in the hot tub looking around, puzzled.

'Where is everyone? Why has the music stopped?'

Holding the lift for Diego and Tuesday.

'What are those two doing!' Mel exclaims, impatiently tapping her foot.

Finally getting out of the hot tub, Diego gives us a smoldering look.

Oh my, what a fine upper torso you have. Drool!

Early hours of the morning and they emerge from the club still in high spirits.

'More drinks or coffee at my place guys!' Justin says enthusiastically.

'I could so do with a coffee' says my self sim.

'Yeah, me too' adds Mel.

'I could go another drink or two' says Diego flirting with Tuesday.

***************

Below is a short video of Diego dancing, thought it was pretty funny. Love the last bit of him grinding his hips, which I cut off unfortunately because I haven't changed the length of time video runs for in my game. Sorry!

Changing a sim from Elder to Adult, is it possible?

2010-11-13T23:17:00.004+11:00

I've been thinking of doing this for a while now, ever since I started on Part two of The Drifter.

If your a regular reader then you will know that I include elder sims in my story too. What can I say, I love the elder's! lol I only wish they didn't look like they were 95 yrs old. My grandma is almost 87 and she doesn't look like a thin hunched over old women.

Until now though I hadn't found the time to sit down and actually look at the differences. Basically what I want to do is change my elder sims back to Adults, so they don't look so ancient. And after putting the shots together I was actually surprised at the differences.

Barbara Seymour was happy to be a willing participant and apologies for the first two pics below, they're a bit blurry but we're really just looking at the body shape in these two shots.

Above you can already see the difference. As an Adult she stands taller, more upright. Shoulders are back and not hunched over. Her waist is thinner, hips almost look the same. She's also not as skinny in the Adult pic. I don't like my sims too thin, it's good for them to have a bit of meat on em'! lol

Swimsuits are not terribly flattering either. Side on view the elders really look their age. Everything is saggy and flat. Breasts, butt, even her neck. You can also see how thin they really are. I've tried making them a little weightier but doing so really just makes their body wider and saggier. Why they make the elders so thin I will never know.
I do have breast and butt slider's in my game too, I have given her a slight increase in size for both. I mean she's meant to be a middle aged woman.

Facial features are pretty much the same. I only made a few very minor changes. When you create a sim and then change him/her down an age level their faces seem to warp a little. They get really thin. Funny that because their bodies do the opposite.
Noses, cheekbones and chins become very angular. Her mouth got wider so I shortened it slightly. Also her eyes were too large so I made them a little smaller. Plumped up her cheeks a bit too, to get rid of that starved to death look. lol

She definitely looks younger but is too much that it will be strange in my story?

This shot is with the age facial detail option ticked, which I'm pretty sure came with the new expansion. It doesn't give a whole lot of detail but just the basics I guess. Crows feet in the corners of the eyes, forehead wrinkles and cheek lines, or would they be laughing lines?

Not sure I really like this look though. Especially on the females. It might make the males look a little more rugged and realistic, since they tend to look like that in real life anyway. lol

So do I or don't I? I'm thinking I can get away with it. What do you think?

Self Sim Explorations

2010-11-10T00:02:00.006+11:00

Finally got Late Night working. Actually it's just Bridgeport that won't seem to load. At all. If it wants to be like that then fine, I prefer Sunset Valley anyway!

I haven't even played half of this EP (due to CTD) but it seems that we have A LOT of cool new stuff. I'm very pleased with the new clothing. And not to mention some of the objects. Yes the hot tub. OMG! I cannot stress to everyone how much I have missed this object.

Some other cool new stuff includes, a shuffleboard, a dart board, awesome new bars. New sinks, (yes I was so sick of using the only good one they had). The piano, a drum set, lots of new instruments. A stage. (This will come in handy, maybe, for my next story). Oh, and a breast slider and muscle definition slider too. Add this to the awesome skin from Garden of Shadows and you have one sexy male sim! There is heaps more I can name but I won't. lol

I'm having a real good break from sim story writing atm too. Sunset Valley hasn't crashed on me once. (Touch wood). So I've been having some real fun just 'playing' the game. I've always been a player and I think I always will be.

I went a little crazy building a new lot and I've also included my self sim in on the fun too.

Below is a little capture of her over at a mate's house. These will just be some short little explorations of my self sim as she, or we, discover the new EP.

For your amusement only, I hope you enjoy! ;)

***************

So here she is relaxing, in the hot tub, with one of her yummy male companions. (I can dream! lol)
Soooo happy we have the hot tub back. Yey!

Meet Justin. He's in the firefighter profession and he's also just finished building his bachelor pad. It's got the whole shebang. All the right stuff to schmooze those lovely young ladies. My self sim included. lol

Speaking of which Justin try's to make a move.

'Argh, I don't think that's such a good idea, Juz.'

'Just kiddin' Jen, haha, I had you there!'

'Oh, arghahahaha!'

(Did I mention how happy I am to have the hot tub back?)

They head inside for a cocktail or two. Justin shows my self sim a few tricks behind the bar.

'Tadaaa!'

Men are such show off's. Yikes, I think your arm is on fire mate!

Hold up, what's that? The look on his face, alone, tells me he's up to something.

Justin adds an ingredient that my self sim has no idea what it is...or what it will do.

She doesn't look too impressed, even with a little love heart cocktail tricket-thingy he placed in there.

Never mind the drink though, check out those abs! Hubba hubba! lol

'Bottoms up!'

Before they head out Justin performs a song on his piano...

'What's your sign?' (Star sign that is).

My self sim suddenly feels the effect from her drink and sways unsteadily on her feet. Justin reaches out, grabbing her by the arm.

'Err Juz, just exactly what did you put in that drink?'

'Oh you know, the usual? Come on, we better get going if we want to make it into the club on time.'

My self sim has a sudden urge to put her arms around him. Little does she know he made her a romantic cocktail. This guy is playing all the right moves tonight.

Heading out the door. Next update you'll see them out on the town. Hopefully. ;)

P.S Cool fish tank huh? To the right. It almost goes the whole length of the wall! So awesome.

Back from my holiday, Character Bio's and a small rant...

2010-11-02T14:41:00.008+11:00

Hi all, so we came back a little over a day early. It was only ever going to be a short holiday anyway. We never made any solid plans of where we were going to stay, just kinda flew by the seat of our pants! lol
It was fun though. We had a great time and got to see more of the wonderful country we live in. The drive home was long. Funny that, because normally it's the opposite when you go somewhere!

We also have animals at home that need care and attention. They're quite old. We were worried that our dog, Shorty, would be stressed with out us. She's used to a set routine, as most animals are, but my mum did a great job of looking after her. Thanks mum! Also my horse too. He is bordering on 26yrs old. I don't know what I would've done if he passed while we were away. Had him for almost 16yrs now. He is my baby. Big baby. lol

Over the past few months I've been working on some Character Bio's for The Drifter. Adding bits here and there when I could in between RL. But now that I'm not working (I'm calling myself a lady of leisure for the next 2 months lol) I've managed to finish two of the six Character Bio's I plan to write.
And I must say it has been so much fun! Delving into the past of your own characters you create is a wonderful way to the pass time. Also, it really helps you to understand your own characters so much more. Well for me anyway. I may add more info in the near future, obviously as the story progresses.

I've also updated the family tree, little Joshua has been added and so has Connor. Connor and Suzie will be a main focus in Part 3. Also, Charlie and Katherine Evans and Barbara Seymour. Will and Eliza will still be featured but not as much.

Having some real troubles with the new EP too. Loads up Bridgeport and into a family for like 10 seconds then crashes. CTD's are a constant reminder to me that EA don't give a S*%@* about the fans or their customers. They're just another big greedy company. I honestly don't know why I am not surprised that it didn't load smoothly. Due to my love affair with the sims though, I will not give up. Patience is a virtue. lol And I have seen some really great shot's of Late Night that show me this might be the coolest EP to come out.

I'm getting around to reading everyone's updates too. I shouldn't be that far behind since we weren't away for very long. Hope everyone is well and having a great week. ~ Jen ;)

Click on the name/s below to read their Character Bio.

William Seymour

Eliza Evans

Checking in! lol

2010-10-29T15:41:00.003+11:00

So this is just a quick post! I'm on holidays atm and won't be back till Tuesday. The internet sucks from this hotel, sooooo slow on our laptops so I'm using their facitlties. Which means I won't be doing any sim story reading till I get home. :(

Thanks to those who have left comments on The Drifter, I will reply asap when I return. It was all kind of rushed when we left and I didn't even get to reply etc.
So far it has been relaxing though. The long drives haven't been too bad either, except being tall doesn't help, (my lower back was killing me for a bit) we took breaks here and there though.
Well better get back to relaxing. lol I can feel that cocktail I just had kicking in! Haha! ;)

Can't wait to catch up on all the updates when I get back.

Take care,

Jen.

Redundancy, a holiday and The Drifter Pt 2 Finale.

2010-10-24T23:11:00.010+11:00

Wow, what a week it has been for me. Tuesday morning I went in to work as normal not realizing that it would be second last day working there. My position had been made redundant as of 18th Nov.

Normally this would be a terrible thing for some but since I'd worked with the company for 9 years it wasn't so bad. I'd moved around a lot with in the company, made a few friends here and there but at the end of the day work is work to me and once that clock ticks over to 5pm I am out the door. lol

I had plans to resign early next year anyway and take a few months off. So this just brought my plans forward several months, which is a good thing. Now my bf and I can finally take a well deserved break together and I won't have that nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I have to go back to work after wards.

So after the 'good' news had sunk in I made Weds my last day. I thought why work until the 18th when I could start my break earlier? I went in and said my goodbyes and tidied up a few things up as well. Although there wasn't much to tidy up as I'm pretty anal when it comes to paperwork and organizing. lol

I can tell you that it was very surreal. It still is. And I think it's going to take some getting used to, for my mind and body, to get out of the routine of getting up early every morning to go to work. I know a holiday away will definitely help me snap out of that though.

I'm not sure what the G.O is at the moment but I will be sure to fill you in. For starters though, HERE is the Part 2 Finale of The Drifter.

Late Night EP is out in a couple of days...I think, I cannot remember.
But I will be searching the stores to purchase my copy asap. And once the mods I'm using are updated, and hopefully I don't have any problems, I will be making a start on Part 3.

Might be a two and a half week break from updating though. But I will still be around to read everyone's awesome stories. Still got a few new ones I'd like to catch up on.

Hope everyone is well and having a great weekend! :)

Stages of a Kiss

2010-10-19T19:36:00.001+11:00

As you know I've been having some trouble with my game recently, so I went a little crazy taking shots last week. Probably out of fear that I wouldn't be able to play for a while.

I managed to load up my game last night though and it didn't crash on me, once, which was nice!
I practically hold my breath every time now when the saving symbol pops up and silently chant to myself, please save please save please save.

Anyway, I've put together a few shots on my picture blog called 'Stages of a Kiss'. I think some of these shots show real emotion but I'll let you decide for yourself.

Click HERE to check them out....if you want. ;)

The Drifter Update, Chapter 10 - Bundle of Joy

2010-10-16T20:16:00.003+11:00

Hey everyone, chapter 10 has been published. Click HERE! I will warn you this chapter is all baby. lol

I've been having some trouble with my game lately. Getting 'Error 12' and it's not allowing me to save my games. Stupid EA! God they s%#@ me! Argh!! Googled it and found a short term fix but I guess until I patch I'm going to have to play sparingly. :(
Want to wait till Late Night comes out before I patch again. Haven't even added Fastlane Stuff Pk yet for fear of losing my recent games. Anyway, I managed to take enough shots to complete this chapter and the finale...and maybe a couple of posts for my picture blog.
Things are still busy for me but I'm trying to get to people's updates asap. I don't like to miss out on ANY of the action in the stories I'm following. I'm also trying to catch up on a few new blogs I've started reading as well.

My bf finally sold his business and we will hopefully be taking a holiday soon. And about time too. We've been together 8 yrs and we've never ever had a holiday together. That's really sad, isn't it? Well I guess that's life. Not sure where we're going to go though. Makes it hard cause he doesn't like to fly. We may just do a road trip, I guess. YEAH, ROAD TRIP! lol

Thanks everyone for your comments on the previous chapter, really appreciate it. Reading them really makes my day and also inspires me to continue on writing. I am loving having my own blog and love reading everyone else's. ;)

Oh, below are just a few extra shots that I didn't add to the most recent chapters.

Have a great weekend!

Hello in there? This was before Eliza was even showing. Will never let the chance slip to feel her belly or put his ear up against it....though I'm not sure what he's really going to hear in there anyway. lol

Thought this was a nice shot since Eliza and her mother aren't on good terms.

Yes, that's right...I planned a baby shower! lol I went to all the trouble of rearranging the dinning room, adding some kiddy toys or gifts from guests but once I started taking the shots, I just couldn't seem to work it into the story. I guess not all ideas can work out the way you want them to.

Peek-a-boo! Aww...look at that little hand on her shoulder.

It was love at first sight for these two.

The Drifter Update, Chapter 9 - Content With Life

2010-10-06T15:48:00.000+11:00

You can find Chapter 9 HERE. Hope you enjoy! Things are getting a little busy for me at the moment so I may not be around as often. Forgive me if I'm late in replying to your comments or reading your updates. I will get to them as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is well and having a great week. ~ Jen :)

Loved up couple

2010-09-30T21:22:00.001+10:00

A few more shots up on my Picture Blog. These are of my one and only favorite couple, Will & Eliza. Just a few shots I felt I couldn't fit into chapter 8 so thought why not post them here.

Also something is wrong with the feed for this blog. My posts aren't showing up in my reading list so I'm not sure if anyone else is seeing them. It's not a big deal though as I might just do what I'm doing here, post a post on MOS (Memoirs of a Sim).

Hope everyone is having a great week....Friday tomorrow, woohoo! ;)

The Drifter Update, Chapter 8 - Family

2010-09-29T21:49:00.000+10:00

Getting a tad excited about the next couple of posts. It's more a personal thing though with me and my sims or should I say my sims and I?

Anyway, the next chapters might seem a bit boring to others but I love to see my sims progress in their short little lives. I want them to be happy and experience as much as possible. That sounds weird doesn't it?

I do kinda think of them as people. Little people that I play through my computer, little people who's lives I get to control. lol And I'm also coming to the end of Part 2. Which I think is exciting but nerve wracking too! *bites nails*

Click HERE for the chapter 8 and thanks everyone for the support!

Sassy Sim Snaps - New Picture Blog

2010-09-24T23:07:00.005+10:00

Being a sims story teller I have really developed a love of picture taking in game. I simply cannot get enough of the landscape in TS3. Actually I think it's really just the graphics in general. lol
I remember watching it load up for the first time and I couldn't believe my eyes. The graphics were absolutely awesome. I could see texture, shading, depth. Of course it's probably thanks to my graphics card too, but I was just so amazed.

So this little extra side hobby has brought me to create a separate blog for my picture taking.

Feel free to wander over and take a look at my Sassy Sim Snaps. lol Feel free to leave a comment, tick one of the check boxes or two or none, whatever... I'm easy. ;)

I'm just thrilled to see my pics larger than normal and being able to marvel at the clarity and awesomeness of this game we all play and love.

Hope to see you over there soon.

P.S. It has been quite a task enlarging the pictures but I finally got them to the size I want, the only thing is they aren't centered in the middle of the blog....yet. Still working on that. I've posted a question on the blogger forums as this html stuff is really doing my head in.

The Drifter Update, Chapter 7 - The Rescue

2010-09-22T23:12:00.002+10:00

Hey all, hope life is treating you well. Thanks to the rainy spring weather we've been having and lack of sunshine :( I've been able to get a few chapters backed up. It feels so good to be organized and to be a step ahead. I think to write a good story you have to be one or two steps ahead.

The title of this chapter says it all. I think you will enjoy this one. I must admit though I'll be glad when this incident in Will and Eliza's lives is over. Damn that Thornton!! Damn him!!

Been having some fun with the next few chapters too, so much fun that I actually got carried away building a new lot on the weekend! Yes shock horror. lol Takes me forever to build one lot. Thinking I might even upload this one a bit later on.
Anyway, starting to babble a bit so HERE is chapter 7, hope you enjoy!

Take care, Jen.

The Drifter Update, Chapter 6 - Insanity of a Lover

2010-09-14T21:43:00.002+10:00

Alrighty, click HERE for Chapter 6. Hope you enjoy!
Already taken all the shots for chapter 7 just gotta add some txt and wala!

Oh, and my super super humble apologies for all these cliffhangers! Omg, I hope you, my readers, will still stay with me. I do appreciate each and every one of you (*points finger*) and once this horrible event for Will and Eliza is over I promise not to end with any more cliffhangers.
Well, maybe just one... or two. lol
Have a great rest of the week!

The Drifter Update, Chapter 5 - The Waiting and Not Knowing

2010-09-10T23:50:00.001+10:00

With a fair bit of trouble, due to a most annoying pop up on my computer while playing, and a rushed effort chapter 5 has been posted. Click HERE!

Hopefully I haven't been dragging it out for too long for everyone. You will be happy to know though (after you read this chapter lol) that Chapter 6 is almost done, and it will be posted early next week. That is the one I think you are waiting for.

And once again thanks everyone for reading and commenting on the previous chapters. I am really loving that you are still interested in this story of mine. These two are definitely my favorite sim couple and I look forward to featuring some of the other characters soon too.

Have a great weekend all! :)

Spring is in the air!

2010-09-01T12:05:00.004+10:00

Well, for some of us anyway....
.....and it's so typical of Melbourne weather that the first day of Spring is absolutely pouring with rain! So much fun driving to work this morning with many motorists doing 10 k's under the speed limit. I won't rant about that though. This is a happy post!

The last couple of weeks you could already feel the weather warming up. Had to remove that 'extra' blanket from our bed, the central heating hasn't been on as often and I've reduced the amount of clothes I put on every morning. (Although I am still wearing my scarf everyday, but that's because I'm a 6ft tall giant with a long neck! lol)
Also it's lighter in the mornings and doesn't get dark till 6.30 now. Woot!

I love Spring though. It's a sign of the warmer weather that is yet to come.
On the drive up to feed my horse you can see and feel it everywhere. Blossom trees are in bloom, daffodils are popping up everywhere, little ducklings waddle along behind their parents, baby calf's eat closely beside their mothers, and even the horses are getting a little crazy from some of the spring grass shooting up.

I'm a real out doorsy person and in summer a bit of a beach bunny. Born in late Feb, so hence my eagerness to say goodbye to winter and my excitement for a warmer season.

Looking forward to taking my runs again after work. Feeling the sun on my back and the pavement passing underneath me like a film strip or... something. lol Thongs! I can start wearing my thongs again! Basically live in them right up until Winter. Not to mention shorts, skirts and singlet tops!
Blue sky's too and being able to get lost in a book on a sunny day lying on our back decking.

And what has become a yearly tradition, I am welcoming spring in by trotting off to watch a few fashion shows at the MSFW (Melbourne Spring Fashion Week) with my mum and sister.

Wishing everyone a fabulous day/week and nothing can kill my mood today, not even the spring rain! ;)