Tag / Ohmai

by Three Knots

I will be talking to the manager.

I answered them all. All the questions. I was truthful. I was clear. I did not mince words or skip things or dance around subjects. And it seemed pretty straightforward. You apply to be in a fairy tale, and you tell them what kind of fairy tale you want to be in, and you pay the deposit, and then they put you in the fairy tale.

Does this look like a castle to you?

Does this look like a castle to you? No? That’s right! It’s not a castle. I was very very clear about that. I said I wanted to live in a castle. Not once did I use the word cottage. Not once did I use the word hovel.

And yet, here I am.

And yet, here I am. It’s been a week. My notes go unanswered, even though I put them in the post box as indicated. The three women who live here and take care of me insist that I call them my Aunties. They call me “Little Fair One” to my face, and “Little Smart Mouth” when they think I can’t hear them.

At least something about this place is smart, hm?

At least something about this place is smart, hm? I mean, obviously, Sleeping Beauty at least in a couple of versions, lived with three transformed fairies who took care of her until she pricked her finger anyway, but that is not what I signed up for; it’s not what I paid a deposit for, and no-one seems to be responding to my strongly-worded notes. I don’t know how these people expect to keep a fairytale tourism business running if they offer such poor service.

Ooh, golly, let me show you round my humble home!

Ooh, golly, let me show you round my humble home! And I do mean humble. Here is the entry foyer; as you can see, there are no footmen, no servants, not even a mouse to take my cape. There is a hall stand, a stairway, and that’s pretty much it.

The Aunties spend a lot of time here in the kitchen.

The Aunties spend a lot of time here in the kitchen, which means I spend as little time here as possible. Would you believe they tried to get me to peel potatoes my first night? Potatoes? I explained to them that carbs are really bad for me. Auntie One (I have no idea what their names are) said, “Oh, well, I guess we can substitute with carrots.” Wow.

Their lounge is full of kitsch

Their lounge is full of kitsch and mementos from their pasts, maybe? Or maybe they’re just props. Pictures and silhouettes of former residents, Half a tonne of music boxes. I asked about some of them. “Oh, that was one of our favourite Little Fair Ones,” they said, about the blonde cherub on the wall there. “She went on to do great things.” Then One clucked at Three and Two gave them both a dark look and they all three shut up. At least there are books there, and at least they don’t bother me too much. Funny they haven’t even asked me about any balls or anything. I’ve been here a week. Maybe management has already contacted them about the mistake and they’re just waiting for the fix. Yesterday, a spinning wheel appeared by the lounge front window. I think they’re just torturing me now.

My little room might as well be for a servant!

And speaking of torture— my little room might as well be for a servant! It doesn’t even have a proper door. I mean, sure, it’s got some castle décor and there’s a pillow with a crown on it, but other than that, I’m experiencing the top of the wattle-and-daub line, here. And that’s not a compliment. I’m taking a lot of snapshots to make my eventual complaint more colourful when I finally make it back home.

Well, sometimes we just have to take matters into our own hands.

Well, sometimes we just have to take matters into our own hands, don’t we. I’m going upstairs with a pair of scissors, I am. And I’m ripping that crown off the pillow. That’s what I’m going to do.

It should be hours before the Aunties get back from market day.

It should be hours before the Aunties get back from market day. They were gone ’til nearly midnight last time, and they came back with hardly any shopping. The market must be a long way away and it must not have very much, is all I’m saying.

Out in the front garden, there’s a statue of a dragon guardian, and I’m sure he can help me out. Dragons always know what to do.

C’mon, help me out here!

C’mon, help me out here! I paid good money for this, and I know you must have a direct line to whomever’s in charge. Anybody with a big glowing orb is important; at least that’s what my GM always says. You don’t want to be named in my official complaint, do you? Just get me out of here, OK? This is not what I paid for.

Notes & Credits:

Enchantment’s Sleeping Beauty round closes on the 31st of August! That’s in just a few days. So you only have a few days to rush down there and fulfil all your fairytale needs! This is a great round, full of beautiful story-inspired items for your home, great clothes, beautiful hair, accessories, and some surprises that you didn’t know you needed until now.

Pictured items featured at Enchantment:

  • Hair & Crown: Love, Rose Hair
  • House: Hisa, Merrywether Cottage
  • Porch Dragons: Banana Peel: Dragons O De Moors
  • Princess Bedroom: StarSugar, Sleeping Beauty Gacha Items, including: Bed, Side Table, Crown Pillow, & Pink Rug
  • Dragon Statue: Cerridwen’s Cauldron, The Guardian Statue

Other Nifty Stuff
(Avatar):

  • Skin: Wyrd, Saga, T2
  • Body: Maitreya
  • Head: Catwa, Blueberry
  • Eyes: Avi-Glam, Siren Eyes
  • Ears: Andore, Delfiya Ears
  • Necklace: Rise Design, Cap d’Agde Necklace
  • Gown: Silvan Moon Designs, Princess Buttercup Gown

Other Nifty Stuff
(Environment):

  • Hall Stand: Second Spaces, Coven Hall Stand
  • Hall Desk: Kraftwork, Fairy Cottage Desk
  • Hall Desk Knicknacks, 3rd Eye Twisted Fables, Fairy Gifts
  • Living Room
    • Light: Petrichor, Triin Celestial Lamp
    • Couch: Kraftwork, Fairy Cottage Couch
    • End Tables: Petrichor, Clarus Table (short)
    • Lamps: Kraftwork, Fairy Cottage Old Lamp
    • Table Under Window: Petrichor, Clarus Table (long, cloth)
    • Wand Stand: Petrichor, Rinik Wandholder
    • Book: The Plastik, Anthophilia Book
    • Hourglass: Ohmai, 100 Years Of Waiting Hourglass*
    • Spinning Wheel: HopScotch, 100 Years Of Sleep*
    • Book Stack: 3rd Eye Perceptions, Grimm Storys book 1
    • Bookshelf: Moonlight Shadow, Old Bookshelf A Iron
    • Music Boxes: Various, from The Looking Glass, 3rd Eye Perceptions, Aine Marie Flanagan (I collect SL music boxes; contact me for details)
  • Kitchen
    • All kitchen fixtures: Artisan Fantasy, fantasy kitchen
    • Table: Apple Fall, Pottery Dining Table
    • Chairs: Apple Fall, Steadfast Dining Chairs
    • Chandelier: Di’Cor, Jacqueline Chandelier
    • Wall Art: The Looking Glass, Live, Love, Laugh Succulents

All poses: An Lar
Photographic lighting: LumiPro & Nifty Windlights
Post Editing: Affinity Photo on a 16″ MacBook Pro

* Way back in the long-ago, there was another kind of Enchantment event. These two items are from the Sleeping Beauty round of that event. I was, no pun intended, enchanted to find that I still had a few things from that event in my inventory, and it was fun to use them in photos for this one.

by Three Knots

Decorating, With Ponies!

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The Empty Room

People say empty rooms are some great, undiscovered country. They are meant to be full of possibility. For me, they’re more an obstacle course to navigate.

When Queen Gwyneth told me that as her intern I’d be assigned a room in the castle, I didn’t expect to have my own tower. Well, half a tower. It’s really one big room and a little entrance hallway that also serves as the corridor from the main house to the secondary tower.

“I was going to give you both the tower rooms,” Her Majesty explained, “but then I realised there’s no set of stairs going directly from this room into the room above, and I thought you’d go batty running from one room to another via all the other staircases in the castle. I figured you’d end up spending most of your time in one room anyway, so this will be your private space. Mine and Nathaniel’s rooms are up in the main tower, and Wren and Drysi will be on the first floor, so you’ll be the only person with living space on the ground floor. You’ll almost have a castle to yourself!”

Not really, but I wasn’t going to argue. “It’s a great space,” I agreed.

“Wonderful. Your things have arrived from Cymriel, so you can have the day to put it together. But I expect you back at work with Nathaniel tomorrow on those brochures.” She winked as if she weren’t really serious about all the work she expects, but I know differently.

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The bed comes first

Of course, the bed has to come first: it’s just a matter of bulk. I’m so glad my parents sent over my old bed—with a new duvet! I’ve slept in this bed for years, and it would feel sort of funny to sleep anywhere else. I guess I’m not as grown up as I want to be, because the sense of comfort I felt when the footmen brought that bed through was palpable.

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Next, the vanity

Her Majesty insisted I have a vanity in my room, “because you’ll be going to all sorts of events and I need you to look your best. Thank you, by the way, for working on a new look for me: I need all my top level assistants to look exotic and interesting for the tourists.”

OK, fine. I’m not much for being super well put together, but I understand her logic.

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After that, my favourite settee

Then, I had the footmen place my favourite settee, again lovingly recovered by some of my mum’s helpers. The book on the settee is my journal, and yes, it’s locked, and no, you can’t read it.

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My desk!

My desk doesn’t look right without my computer and my lamp and my favourite cup and these pictures. All of these things are important to me. The unicorn lamp was a gift from one of my brothers. My favourite cup I found just a few weeks ago at a faire. I love cats, and unicorns, and of course My Little Pony (who doesn’t?). In fact, to use the current young people’s parlance, I would say that Fluttershy is my spirit animal. When Queen Gwyneth asked me to make myself over in order to look more interesting for tourists, I decided to become the fae incarnation of Fluttershy. So it’ll be like I’m cosplaying 24/7!

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Decorated desk

Now we come to the part of decorating that I actually like: the putting-in of all my little things that makes my space mine. My unicorn chair has to go close to the desk so I can reach stuff, but far enough away from the computer that I won’t be tempted to spend all my time on Discord with my friends. Pegasus Pony and Bunny (I’m so creative with names!) have to go on the shelf, because they help me with assignments. I’m not making this up. And the Fairytale sign was another gift from the same brother who gave me the unicorn lamp. Eponas really gets me.

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Hearth

After that, I worked on the hearth space. I know you can see a bit of the vanity on the left, but we’ll get to that: I forgot to take photographs as I was going along, so these were mostly taken after the room was finished.

I’d never had my own hearth to decorate before: our family’s home in Cymru is quite small in comparison to Queen Gwyneth’s amazing castle. She gave me a little design lesson the castle when I first visited, and she promises to take me to visit the designer, Rivendale, one day soon. She says everything in that shop is amazing.

This old mirror and the butterfly hangings come from my “hippy” period, which occurred more or less when it happened; I was in my 50s at the time, and the counterculture movement in the USA really spoke to me. The bunnycorn I’ve had since I was very small and I don’t remember where it came from. And of course, Fluttershy is there to guard me whilst I’m sleeping and make sure no monsters come through the fireplace. She’s good like that.

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Fairy Collection

I was really surprised that mum included this little set of fairies in a box labeled “special decor”. She collects decor, and this is one of her favourite sets of figurines. I’ve always loved them, so she sent them along. Given the rate at which she collects stuff like this, I’m sure she already has a replacement set for the curio shelf back home.

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Vanity stickers, and Mean Cats!

Yes, I have a large wall sticker depicting the My Little Pony cast. I love how Fluttershy is looking over them all, as if she is the grand caretaker. As for the cat balloon, I have a bunch of them, but I couldn’t find the others, so I put the Mean Cat pictures up on the window. Mean Cat is another one of my special animals: he (in his many incarnations) helps me when I desperately need to stab someone but would rather not get in trouble for oathbreaking, so I pretend that he is doing it instead of me. I mean, I pretend that whoever is bothering me gets stabbed by him, not that I somehow become him in a weird Son of Sam kind of way. Because that would be creepy.

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After break, bed and balloon!

I took a break to see the hairstylist, Robin. She gave me this gorgeous cut with a braid extension (you can’t see it in this picture; it’s behind me), and then I found the kitty dress and my witch hat and my favourite pink boots in one of the boxes. In that box for some reason, was this amazing unicorn balloon, which of course I put up right away: a girl can’t have too many bedroom guardians; am I right? And—about that wall sticker. When I was in my 70s, my mother got this idea in her head that everybody needed to have a personal statement, preferably displayed prominently in their living space. So… this is my personal statement. It may be a bit juvenile, but that’s how I feel about life. If everyone isn’t a pony, they should be.

By the time I got to this stage, I was tired, but there was still one completely unfinished and undecorated wall. “OK”, I said to the helper fairies, “We need some shelves up in here, pronto.”

They were good to oblige me and made sure the shelves looked like trees. I approve of this.

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My favourite part!

Then it was time for my favourite part: my collections. I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree here: I have so many little things I’ve collected over the years that they took up, well, several boxes, and there’s not enough room to put all of them up here, so I just put up my favourites.

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Real fairies!

Now, some people have been downright critical of me for this collection: these are real fairies from Cymriel, and I caught them when I was very small and put them into jars and gave them great living environments. I am very careful to feed and water them frequently. They will be such a wonderful reminder of my homeland: the native plants in the terrariums just make everything so much nicer. I know they are happy because they’re always smiling, so don’t look at me like that.

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Meowls!

I love meowls. I used to train them and show them back in Cymriel, and these are ten of my absolute favourites: the rest have been left in the company of one of our gardeners who loves them almost as much as I do. They all have names, and there is a story behind each one, but I won’t bore you with details. They do get up to some mischief, but once they’ve been here long enough that they understand this is home base, I’ll open a window and let them fly in and out as they please. Until then, my handmaid is going to have her hands full (see what I did there?)!

When we got to this stage, there were still about six boxes of stuff left over. For right now, they’re being stored in the corridor: Queen Gwyneth says she will drop them into a pocket dimension for me in a few days when the moon’s right for it.

Am I finished? No clue! I’ll probably want to change things up in a week or so: that’s how my squirrel brain works. But for now, I’m pretty happy.

Many of the items in this post are featured items from the Spoonful of Sugar Festival. Spoonful of Sugar is a charity event to benefit Doctors Without Borders, which provides medical care to vulnerable people and in crisis situations all over the world. The festival offers entertainment events, fashion shows, and of course many ways to donate to this great cause, including five shopping sims! Make sure and visit Spoonful of Sugar during the month of September: you won’t be sorry, and you’ll probably come home with enough swag to decorate an entire castle tower!

Items Featured at Spoonful of Sugar:
Bed and End Tables: SPF, Lisette Bedroom
Vanity: SPF, Boudoir Vanity
Settee: SPF, Lisette Chaise
Unicorn Balloon: Tiar, Balloon Beely

Other Décor Credits:
Mirror, Butterfly Hangings, and window treatment: Death Row Designs, Boho Wall
Hearth Fairies: Lucas Lameth, Autumn Fairies (Available NOW at The Arcade Gacha!)
Bunnycorn: Jinx, Rabicorn 1-Mystic
Fluttershy: Gruw Creation, Pony Fluttershy
Journal (on settee): Pixicat, SpellBook (light)
Mean Cat 1 & 2: Eclectica, A Cat of Ulthar wall, Puss and Raven
Fairytale Sign: Hive, her own fairytale sign, white
Pegasus: Hextraordinary, Blossom Pegasus Pony
White Bunny: Birdy, Loafs, Bunny White
Unicorn Lamp: Runic, Magical Unicorn Lamp
Favourite Cup: May’s Soul, Unicorn Milkshake (Available NOW at Equal10!)
Unicorn Chair and Wing Rug: Cherry House, Unicorn Pillow and Small Sofa, Wings Carpet
Wall Shelves: Runic, Herbalist Tree Shelf, Herbalist Floating Shelves
Terrarium Fairies: Ohmai, Fairy Terrariums (from the summer fairy scavenger hunt gacha)
Foxes: Kite, Foxy Pups, Happy and Eskimos
Brown Bunnies: Fawny, Forest Friend Bunnies
Captured Fairy Lamps, Hextraordinary, Captive Fairy Lights, Rose and Sun
Rainbow Patchwork Owl: Chiana Oh, Because Owls
Badger: Schadenfreude, Pastel Badger
Blue and Green Meowl: Schadenfreude, Alle Meowl
Pink Dragonet: Lassitude & Ennui, Dragon Whelp Pink
Magical Sign: Kres, Electric Ever After, Magical
Meowls and Meowl Tree: Hextraordinary, Meowl Tree, Meowls (various colours and descriptions)

Angharad’s new skin: The Plastik, Elvenne Skin, Female, Sunshula
There’s so much else to credit here, and Angharad only appears in a couple of the photos; the main focus is the decor. If you have any questions about anything she’s wearing, just IM me in world!

Spoonful Of Sugar AD 2018

 

by Three Knots

Nag, Nag, Nag!

I swear, sometimes I wish I actually had to do everything myself, because then I would not be surrounded by dozens of demifae, all twittering at me to do this or that, or make a decision about that other thing, and why don’t I want a big formal dining room in the treehouse, and on, and on, and on!

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“It’s not finished!”

“It’s not finished!” Clutie is jabbering in my ear as I survey the Treehouse living room. “You need a rug, another sofa, and what about something more formal in here? You never know who might be coming to visit!”

I sigh. I roll my eyes. “Clutie,” I say, “how many times do I need to tell you that this is my private home. There will be no diplomatic visitors. Friends come here, not dignitaries or emissaries. All that stuff will take place down in the pavilion.”

“But the pavilion is so open, Your Majesty.” She is whinging now, and right into my ear, and the timbre of her voice is beginning to drive me mad. Why did I pop to the Wylds and save her from the ire of the Unseelie Court, again?

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Now I’m pacing.

Now I’m pacing. “Look, the kitchen is finished.”

“There isn’t a spice rack,” Clutie says.

Her constant companion these days is Arabelle. All Arabelle ever seems to do is nod and voice her agreement with Clutie. She does this now.

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“Will you two shut up?”

“Will you two shut up?” I’m losing patience now. “Blah, blah, blah! How many times do I have to tell you: I cannot be in ten places at once. I have a town to finish, a Realm to polish, and then I have to go to the Supernatural Paranormal Whatsis Agency to apply for Open Fae Town Status, which is just dumb if you ask me. While I would love to spend the majority of my time here in the Treehouse snuggling up to my husband and entertaining you lot, I do have more important things to do.”

“It’s the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, Your Majesty.” Clutie’s smile is smug as she corrects me. “But we do really need a rug or something in here. These wooden floors are so cold.”

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I stalk back into the kitchen.

I stalk back into the kitchen. “And Bran insisted on a mediaeval kitchen in here, so I can’t even toast bread! I’m going to designate one corner of this kitchen as belonging in the twenty-first century, and I’m going to get a toaster and a proper electric kettle and a microwave in here, and Bran can bite me.”

“I don’t think Bran would ever bite you, Your Majesty. I mean,” and her smug turns sly, “unless you really wanted him to.”

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Now I’m angry.

Now I’m angry. “My relationship with Bran, and it’s none of your business anyway, is purely platonic and he’d probably drop dead of embarrassment if I ever tried to make it be anything more.” Great; she’s made me raise my voice. I take a deep, calming breath.

“That’s right, Your Majesty,” Clutie says, as if there’s nothing for her to worry about in the world. “Calm yourself down, and then let’s go talk about rugs for the living room.”

I actually growl. “Clutie.” And now my voice is soft, even, possibly dangerous. “You and Arabelle need to find something else to do. Right now. You are both dismissed, and I don’t want to hear another word from either of you until I’ve had two cups of coffee and some French Toast. Bran!”

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Lona
Eyes: Mesange, Sanford Eyes
Ears: Lumae, Leevi Long Ears
Skin: 7 Deadly s{K}ins, Rood
Hair: No Match, No Return (Available NOW at Hairology!)
Headpiece: Una, Tiara Leaf
Suit: M.I.X., Autumn Jacket
Shoes: Empire, Xyris

 

House: LAQ, Serene Tree and Windmill House
Living Room Furniture: Libertine, Viscount Set
Kitchen Fixtures: Artisan Fantasy, Kitchen Collection
Kitchen Table and Chairs: Cheeky Pea, Modern Farmhouse Dining Set

Faery Companions: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion (Clutie); and Tulip Fairy Companion (Arabelle)

Wall Art:
“Now I’m Pacing”
Black and White Photo: Starfall 04, by Bear Silvershade
Kitchen Painting: The Last Dance, by Eucalyptus Carroll
“Will you two shut up?”
Foreground: Music in my Mind, Part 2, by Kody Meyers
Background: Ilse of Serendipity, by Sandi Benelli (top); and
Winds of Change, also by Sandi Benelli
“I stalk back into the kitchen”
Kitchen Painting: The Last Dance, by Eucalyptus Carroll

I try to buy the photographs of artists I admire when they have gallery shows and put their stuff up for sale. It seemed only right that I decorate my personal space with the photos I love the most, those of my peers. Kody Meyers is a particular favourite: He and I were classmates at the Visionaire Institute, and his style and the elegance of his compositions never cease to amaze and please me. I’m honoured to know so many talented photographers, and I hope I’ll be able to talk about that side of my Second Life a little more in blogs to come. 

skinlogodiap   hairology-October

 

by Three Knots

Getting Ready

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Gwyneth:

I love decorating. Always have. What I don’t like is the idea that I’m decorating maybe for people other than myself. The Atrium has to be a place where I can receive beings of all races and creeds, and it needs to have an appealing and comfortable atmosphere. I also need to be able to host visitors in the Atrium, so I’ve designated two of the rooms there as guest rooms for visiting folks.

I guess one of the guest rooms should have a more mortal feel to it, and I’ll make the other decidedly Fae. I’m not going to redecorate every damn room just because, say, a vamp or a demon drops by.

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One half of the room was easy enough!

One half of the room was easy enough! That genius at Fallen Gods made this couch. He calls it “Justine”, but I’m not sure if mine actually has a name. Anyway, lots of people can sit on it at once, and it has the plus of coming with many matching pillows and accessories, so it easily fills half a room.

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And of course, I had to get the place ready for Yule as well.

And of course, I had to get the place ready for Yule as well. I found the most amazing tree, created by a designer I’m only just getting to know, Dema Fairport. It’s a tree made out of books! I giggle in anticipation of what Nathaniel will say when I show it to him. She also designed this hearth, which gave me a perfect space to put in all those Fairytale Villains collectibles I picked ups. couple of years ago. And yes, the big box on the floor by the tree is for Nathaniel. I put in a formal dining table because I suspected I’d need one; Bran will be pleased. And of course I had to put the espresso machine in a place of honour, if only so that Nathaniel will have nightmares.

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All that magic is tiring!

All that magic is tiring! Well, for a moment or so. When I am back in my little grove, my energy replenishes more quickly than I thought it would, this being sort of Faerie-Light. In any case, I felt ready to do at least one of the bedrooms.

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Of course, my guests have got to have somewhere comfortable to sit…

Of course, my guests have got to have somewhere comfortable to sit, so I chose this bench from Death Row Designs, because it’s mundane with a bit of a Fae flair to it with the curtain and the sparkly lights and all.

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Here’s the rest of the guest suite!

Here’s the rest of the guest suite! Luckily for me, Death Row Designs makes the most gorgeous stuff, so I just picked up the whole set from them and there you have it!

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Of course, I had to test the bed….

Of course, I had to test the bed. It’s fluffy, yet firm and comfortable. I think my guests will like it very much.

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Whew! Now just one thing left to do.

Whew! Now just one thing left to do….

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Happy Holidays from Gwen Enchanted!

And that’s send a happy Yule greeting to all of you! My beautiful tree, my beautiful hearth, the most important gift all wrapped up and others to follow.

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Destiny
Hair: Emo-Tions, Avril (Available NOW at Hairology!)
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Avenge, Arwen Elf Skin (Catwa Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone Ivory) (Available NOW at  Winter Solstice in the Mystic Realms)
Clothes: Wicca’s Wardrobe, Lilly, Winter Dreams (Available NOW at  Winter Solstice in the Mystic Realms!)
Crown: Aisha, Holly Crown, Black and Gold (Available NOW at We❤ RP)
Jewellery: Empyrean Forge, Wassail Necklace (Available NOW at Winter Solstice in the Mystic Realms!)
Shoes: Violetility, Fairy Heels

The Scene:
Couch: Fallen Gods, Justine
Fireplace: {e}lusive designs  (Available NOW at The Liaison Collaborative!)
Book Tree: {e}lusive designs, Book Tree (Available NOW at The Liaison Collaborative!)
Fairy Collectibles: Ohmai, Fairytale Villains Collection
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox
Skein: Jian, Christmas Cats, Grey Kitten
Urðr: Pixicat, Sphynx Cat Sitting
Guest Bedroom Furnishings: Death Row Designs, Bed and Breakfast Set, Bed and Breakfast Bench. (Bench Available NOW at The Liaison Collaborative!) (B&B Set Available at NOW at The Crossroads!)

Spiffy photos taken with the indispensible aid of my LumiPro. I never decorate for Yule without it!

 

by Three Knots

Putting it all together 

Gwyneth:

Today, I began working on my throne room for White Owl. I know: I’ll probably never get to use it, but it’s a good exercise in decorating, and I was bored.

Below is a photo of my new throne — the demifae are enjoying it, as you can see. I’ve also acquired two new kittens—not CaitSidhe, but honest-to-Goddess kittens! The one on my lap is called Skein, and the black one is Urðr. Of course, this means I’ll have to get two more kittens, since I can’t overlook the other principal Norns.

The throne itself is grown from a special spell provided by the Master Wizards at Hextraordinary. I found them at that most excellent shopping faire, We , and they delivered it for free! Of course, tree thrones are a bit hard and somewhat scratchy, and the Royal Bum cannot deal with that for long periods of time, so I added a bunch of throw pillows I picked up from a gypsy at a gacha Faire some years ago.


Of course, I had to call Nathaniel for his approval (he always approves, does my Beloved Consort), so I summoned a will o’ the wisp to get him there quickly. The will o’ the wisps seem to like me much better now; I can communicate with them easily. Then, I got sentimental and summoned Drysi as well—she’s the only one of my children who reliably comes when called—and she surprised me by showing up in a very fetching dress! Of course, she’ll be back to jeans and t-shirts as soon as she’s out of my presence, not that I mind her dressing up to please her Mother.


I thanked the will o’ the wisp when it returned, of course. And what a lovely feeling of oneness I had with it! I must investigate the Unseelie connection to wisps more carefully at some point.

I have more work to do here, of course, but what a joy it was to write this from my office, in another of my realms, and not have to appease the Luddite Goddess by hopping off to another Realm to access the internet!

Now, of course I have to decorate both the Residence and this official Receiving Area—I think we’ll call it The Atrium—for Yule. Which will keep me busy at least for a couple of hours. I do have the perfect tree in mind for Nathaniel. I hope he loves it.

Style Card:

Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Destiny
Hair: Analog Dog (natch!), Vanessa (Available NOW at Hairology!)
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Atomic, Elf Gacha (Catwa Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone Porcelain) (Available NOW at the Arcade Gacha)
Clothes: Mimikri, Vega Tank Top and Shiny Leggings (Available NOW at Cosmopolitan!)
Jewellery: Emo-Tions, Aurora Necklace and Forehead (Available NOW at On9!)
Shoes: Violetility, Fairy Heels

The Scene:
Throne: Hextraordinary, Elven Throne (Available NOW at We❤ RP
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Acorn Fairy Companion
Other Demifae: Ohmai, Bumblebee Fairy Companion, Ladybug Fairy Companion, and Horn Beetle Fairy Companion
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox
Skein: Jian, Christmas Cats, Grey Kitten
Urðr: Pixicat, Sphynx Cat Sitting

Poses:
Throne Pose: PoseIt, Glam Sit
Will O’ The Wisp Poses: Nantra, Charmed, I’m Sure (Available NOW at Winter Solstice in the Mystic Realms!)

Spiffy photos taken with the indispensible aid of my LumiPro. I never create new throne rooms without it!

h121016

 

by Three Knots

Morning After

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Gwyneth:

So, yeah. I was talking about Clutie in my last post, and about how she just annoys me to pieces these days.

As it happens, the morning after my little excursion into the Wylds, I was just sitting on the couch, playing with one of those winged cats I like so much—I don’t know why; they just fascinate me. I was thinking about what I’d do in the Bower for the Winter Solstice, and whether or not I would need to get some demifae in to do a bit of heavy lifting (it always amuses me that I get creatures no longer than the length of my hand to do my heavy lifting), when I felt a familiar buzzing in my head.

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See? I really was just minding my own business.

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And the next thing I knew, I was arguing with Clutie.

And the next thing I knew, I was arguing with Clutie.

‘No’, I said. ‘I have no interest in trying on winter gowns today. As you can see, I’m very comfortable on this large sofa with this fascinating cat, and I intend to keep on doing this until noon at the very earliest.’

‘But Your Majesty’, Clutie reminded me, ‘I am still your handmaiden, no matter’ (and here she sniffed, perhaps judgmentally) ‘what kind of journey your soul is taking in to night at this moment. And being your handmaiden means that I must prepare you for events to come. And whether you like it or not, it is December, and that means Year Turn parties and Winter Solstice gatherings, and halls filled with light and music’. She sniffed again. ‘I will not have my Queen in a hall full of light and music wearing…’ she wrinkled her nose. ‘What exactly are you wearing, Your Majesty?’

‘Pink footie pyjamas’, I answered, with as much grace and dignity as a grown woman could have, saying the words “pink footie pyjamas”, while actually wearing pink footie pyjamas. Granted, that’s not a lot of grace and dignity.

Danae coughed to hide her laughter; it didn’t work completely, because Clutie turned and gave her the most potent eat shit look I think I’ve seen since that time I suggested to Maric that he dress up as Santa Claus for all the children of the village. Serious lead balloon, that was.

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Not three minutes later, I was fuming as Clutie, Danae, and their cohort (whose name I didn’t catch) fitted me in to what was, granted, a gorgeous dress.

Not three minutes later, I was fuming as Clutie, Danae, and their cohort (whose name I didn’t catch) fitted me in to what was, granted, a gorgeous dress.

Clutie, who was ignoring my crankiness completely, flitted back and sighed with dramatic happiness. ‘Oh! I knew you would look marvellous in this one: I had it sent in specially for you. It’s made by Junbug.’

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I was still bored when they posed me in front of a rose curtain and started messing with my hair again.

I was still bored when they posed me in front of a rose curtain and started messing with my hair again.

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Honestly, I felt like a mannequin with the gift of speech when Clutie finally told me to smile and had her cohort (Sorcha! That’s her name!) snap a photo of me with that Polaroid camera I bought her in Nu Jyorck.

Honestly, I felt like a mannequin with the gift of speech when Clutie finally told me to smile and had her cohort (Sorcha! That’s her name!) snap a photo of me with that polaroid camera I bought her in Nu Jyorck.

‘You look like a goddess, Your Majesty’, she said.

I made a noncommittal noise, although in fact, I did like the dress. The shoes had little butterflies for heels, and I liked those too.

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‘Don’t you think this one’s too formal?’ I asked Clutie after they’d all stopped pinning me in to it.

‘Don’t you think this one’s too formal?’ I asked Clutie after they’d all stopped pinning me in to it.

‘Can you ever really be too formal?’ was Clutie’s response. ‘Besides, you love this designer. It’s Silvan Moon Designs. You have this dress already in a sort of ice white colour, but I thought you might appreciate wearing blue and gold again, you know’.

I sighed. ‘Maybe in the summer’, I said, ‘we’ll go back to the Summer Court colours then.’

Clutie pouted. ‘You’d never wear this gown in summer’, she asserted.

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‘This is true’, I replied. ‘Fine; I’ll think about it’.

‘This is true’, I replied. ‘Fine; I’ll think about it’.

Then she had Sorcha photograph me again, and we went on to the next dress.

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At least this one was red, though it seems she has a thing for trains this year.

At least this one was red, though it seems she has a thing for trains this year.

‘This one’s also from Junbug‘, Clutie informed me as she did something with the crown she insisted on fitting on me “just to see how it looks”. Never mind that I’ve worn this crown dozens of times before and it always looks good: it’s one of Evangeline Miles’ designs, so it’s practically perfect in every way.

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‘I do rather like the fit of this one’, I finally admitted.

‘I do rather like the fit of this one’, I finally admitted.

Danae and Sorcha made my nails and lips the same colour as the dress, and of course they glamoured the shoes to match as well. Proper little artists, they are.

‘How many more?’ I murmured wearily to Clutie.

‘Just one more’, she promised. ‘And I saved the best one for last, of course’.

‘Why do we play this game, if you always know the one I’m going to pick as my favourite before I do?’

‘Because it amuses me to know you well, Your Majesty’, she replied. I just about swatted her, but, you know. My nails were still wet.

‘Better colour those black’, she instructed to Danae and Sorcha. Sorcha blinked once, twice, and I’d swear steam came out of her ears.

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‘Oh!’ I twirled! I giggled. ‘This is gorgeous, and you don’t even have to tell me who designed it.’

‘Oh!’ I twirled! I giggled! ‘This is gorgeous, and you don’t even have to tell me who designed it. I can tell by the colour alone. Why didn’t you tell me there was an Evangeline Miles design to try on? I never would have snapped at you, not even a little bit.’

Clutie sniffed again.

I rolled my eyes. ‘Are you coming down with a cold, Clutie dear, or are you just so fucking superior you can’t hold it in?’

Clutie huffed. ‘Your Majesty! I never! Your attitude is unbecoming of a Queen sometimes.’

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At that, I laughed out loud.

At that, I laughed out loud. ‘Well, at least some things never change,’ I said. I spread my arms out. ‘Now, this dress makes me want to dance. Is there a Solstice Ball this year?’

Clutie clapped her hands. ‘Of course! Nothing could keep us from celebrating the Return of Light, My Queen.’

‘Good’, I replied. ‘This is for that, then. And wherever did you find this gorgeous jewellery?’

‘Oh, now, this is from Vae at The Plastik. She sent it over on approval, with compliments. Shall I send her some faerie gold?’ Clutie’s little helpers tittered at this.

‘No; I shall send her some real gold’, I replied. ‘No reason to make her grumpy. Besides, I think she may be a demon, and I’d rather not piss her off. Hard to tell, really, with some people. And I’ll visit Evie myself to tell her how gorgeous this dress is. And the crown of candles! You’ve outdone yourself, Clutie.’

Clutie puffed with pride. ‘Actually, Danae found this while we were touring round that faire you like to go to, the one about Roleplay. It’s from Paper Moon.’

‘Well, it’s perfect’, I declared. ‘Makes me feel creative. You know, I think we should put a carpet of grass in this atrium, give the tree something to feel under her feet, and us as well. What do you think of that?’

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‘A marvellous idea, Your Majesty’, Clutie replied.

‘A marvellous idea, Your Majesty’, Clutie replied. ‘Sorcha, do take another photo, would you?’

Sorcha grumbled that she never got to be in any of the photographs. ‘Oh, do stop moaning’, Danae said, and she levitated the camera to photograph us all together as I struck another dancing pose. ‘There, now’.

‘I could have thought of that’,  Sorcha said, sullen.

‘But you didn’t’, Danae said.

Just then there was a crash from somewhere behind me, and musical cursing.

‘What the fuck?’ I turned, but Clutie obscured the arched doorway with a wall of mist.

‘Sorry, Your Majesty; they’re not ready for you yet’, she said.

‘Who is this “they”?’ I peered into the room, squinting, then raised my hand to clear the mist.

‘Oh, please don’t, My Queen’, Clutie said. ‘Kern’s so excited about this, and I don’t want to ruin his fun. Let’s just say there’s a surprise waiting for you when we’re done here’.

I raised a brow. ‘Oh, fine’, I said, ‘but it had better be good’.

Style Cards:

Pyjama Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Destiny
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: DeeTaleZ, Madelyn (Catwa Head Appliers, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Celtic)
Hair: Pink Hustler 8160
Pyjamas: Cracked Mirror, Footie Pajamas, Pink

The Cat: Half-Deer, Winged Cats
The Couch: Fallen Gods, Justine
The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Tulip Fairy Companion
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: !bang

White Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Destiny
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: DeeTaleZ, Madelyn (Catwa Head Appliers, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Celtic)
Makeup: Izzies, Catwa Silver Glitter Makeup (Available at the United and Kind event!)
Hair: Sinkitlia, Giselle
Gown: Junbug, Elia in Mist (Available at Uber!)
Crown & Bracers: G-Spot, Dyonysus’ Bride
Necklace: The Forge, Ember in Bronze (Available at the United and Kind event!)
Shoes: Violetility, Fairy Shoes

The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Tulip Fairy Companion
The Wardrobes: Scarlet Creative, Nerites Wardrobe, Venice Wardrobe (both from past Arcades)
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: POSEsion

Blue Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Stella
Hair: Truth, Xia
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Lumae, Yulia (Lelutka Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone 1) (Available NOW at the Lumae Main Store!)
Hair: Truth: Xia
Gown: Silvan Moon Designs, Victoria Faun Gown (COMING SOON to Winter Solstice in the Mystic Realms, opening December 9!)
Shoes: Illi, Maitreya Roslyn Rose Heels

The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: POSEsion

Red Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Stella
Hair and Hair Jewellery: Mina & Empyrean Forge, Harmony (Available NOW at FaMESHed!)
Ears: Mandala, Steking Ears, Season 5
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Lumae, Yulia (Lelutka Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone 1) (Available NOW at the Lumae Main Store!)
Gown: Junbug, Odette (Available NOW at FaMESHed!)!)
Shoes: Illi, Maitreya Roslyn Rose Heels
Crown and Collar: Evie’s Closet, Alateriel

The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Tulip Fairy Companion
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: POSEsion

Ombre Grey Dress Pictures
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Stella
Hair: Spellbound, Lionhearted
Eyes: Mesange, Kelpie Eyes (Omega appliers)
Skin: Lumae, Yulia (Lelutka Head Applier, Maitreya Body Appliers, in Tone 1) (Available NOW at the Lumae Main Store!)
Gown: Evie’s Closet, Amalthea (Available NOW at We ❤ RP!)
Shoes: Illi, Maitreya Roslyn Rose Heels
Necklace and Earrings: The Plastik, Serra Chain and Earrings (Available NOW at We ❤ RP!)
Crown: Paper Moon, St. Lucia Wreath, Fir, Midnight (Available NOW at We ❤ RP!)

The Fairies:
Clutie: Ohmai, Gerbera Fairy Companion
Danae: Ohmai, Dandelion Fairy Companion
Sorcha: Ohmai, Tulip Fairy Companion
The Rose Curtain: Half Deer, Fairy Curtain
The Skybox: Spellbound, Atrium Skybox

Poses: Black Tulip, The Darkness In Me Series

Spiffy photos taken with the indispensible aid of my LumiPro. I never subject poor, poor Gwyneth to yet more fancy dress fittings without it!