Happy Independence Day!

Hi all!  Just a quick post so I can get outside and enjoy the holiday!  I wanted to let you know about several great bargains you can find that are American themed and exclusive for the holiday.  I planned on a longer post but in the interest of time I am going to tell you about a few that I think are not to be missed.  Let's begin with the items in the photos.  Two of my favorite stores, Pididdle and Boom, are offering great gifts; Pididdle has a limited edition "Fireworks" set that includes the Hyperlip makeup in both a teeth and no-teeth version and fantastic nails in 2 sizes.  Boom has a special edition of the Ellio bikini.  It has all clothing layers as well as modifiable prim ties and tan line tattoo layers.  Chop Zuey has group gifts for both men and women.  Women get a Home of the Free set of earrings and men get a awesome ring which are adorned with the American Flag.  I personally love Chop Zuey's male jewelry and it works great when resized.  Chop Zuey is a pay to join group but it has weekly gifts for members and so I've recouped my join cost many times over.  Sanu has a special version of her Candy Corn popsicle for only 1 L.  There are 2 versions, one of normies and another for Petites.  It's in a gift box not far from the lucky chair.  I had to pick up Earthstones specially colored version of Bikini Beads.  I have other colors of these and love them.  They are not free but about 100 L less than the other versions!

BARGAIN TIP:  As I noted above I did not get to show all the things I wanted but there are a few that are outstanding deals from really great folks! Cupcakes is having a great sale today only: Special mesh items and bikinis in a special section are only 10 - 25 L as well as all older clothing in red, white or blue is only 10 L.  There are some great items there.   Also the new Emma line of skin has one version marked down to 50 L.  You will find it in all skin tones.  It's a great face and includes a bare version as well as several makeup options, making this a runaway steal.  I've adored Cupcakes for years and this line has to be one of my favorites.  One skin is free!  The trick is you have to find it.  I will give you a hint because I searched all over for it.  It's not boxed like a hunt item and it's right in there amongst the other Emma skins.  Just think a bit outside of the box and you will find it!  

Credits:

Bikini: Boom: Ellio bikini - American Flag: free

Makeup and Nails: Pididdle: Fireworks: free

Jewelry: Chop Zuey: Home of the Free (mens and womens): Group Gift (join fee)

Bikini Beads: Earthstones: Indepence: not free but reduced price

Noms: Sanu: Candy Corn Popsicle - 4th of July: 1 L

Skin: Cupcakes: Emma - Heavenly: 50 L special

Non-Discounted:

Hair: Wasabi Pills: Megan: new at FaMESHed

Feet: Slink

Pool: Trompe Loeil: Patio Pool: new at FaMESHed

Chair: Trompe Loeil: Tropical Scoop Bed

My Favorite Holiday "Stuff"

Most of my blogging time is spent on wearable items.  But without all the amazing "stuff" in SL, it would be as boring at the platform where I spend most of my SL time.  Lots of awesome creators of home items, animations and other things that make SL fun have jumped on the holiday bandwagon by either participating in hunts, advent calendars, 12 days of Christmas, and other ways and I wanted to take the time to feature some of my favorites.  This is in no way an exhaustive list but a few I found worth the trips around the grid.

I would be completely remiss if I didn't start with FD Decor.  My friend, Fallacy DeCuir, has her entire sim decked out with holiday goodies.  I swear it has more stuff than Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan, which is a place my grandparents lived near when I was a child and once caused my then 5 year old son to have his first anxiety attack, which he remembers to this day as "chest".  If any of you know Fallacy, she tries to make off as if she is some scary mean girl but I think she is a doll and anyone that makes little flowers with happy faces definitely has a bark worse than her bite.  You have to go there if only to see her sim.  When you get over the shock and find the main store, you will find several lucky chairs and lucky presents with awesome prizes.  She also has a log cabin in the Midnight Mania as well as participating in several hunts.

Next is C&D Designs.  Lovely Cherelle Capra, sister of Helena Stringer, fellow Free*Styler and maker of wild hair (we miss her terribly), has been creating for as long as I can remember.  Cher frequently sends out gifts to her subscriber groups (supposedly a big one is coming as soon as tomorrow).  She also has some spectacular items out in hunts right now.  The two builds in the collage are hunt items.  She also is participating in Royal Living's Snowman Hunt, which ends on the 15th.  Those items cost 45 L each but are huge gifts worth hundreds more.  I apologize for forgetting to take a photo.  Cher also has an advent calendar at her store for members of her inworld group.  The cost of each of those items is 1 - 10 L.  The group is free to join now until 12/24.  The group will have a fee after that and an extra special gift is planned for December 25 so get in now if you have the space.

Lots of bloggers have been showing items for the With Love Hunt.  It is one of my favorite hunts right now and I will easily shell out 10 L for such high quality items.  This includes a sample of some of the non-avatar items, though I did want to also mention Adorkable and Status, who have really nice pose packs in the hunt.

Page Eames from LaFlat gave me permission to use her and Plurabelle Laszlo of Bliensen&MaiTai's ad texture for their 12 days of Christmas event which began today.  The two designers will provide free gifts for the next 12 days at their adjoining shops.  I adore these two women and highly recommend the visit.

A new place to me, Dirty Little Secret, has a in-store hunt going on through the 25th with 10 prizes to find.  I am showing one, the tree stump lounger, but there are others from furniture to cuffs/collars.  They are hidden in the store and enclosed area as well as the skybox store.

Baby Monkey's 12 days of Christmas begins tomorrow with this gift.  Yeah, this stuff is wearable but this is always a very popular event and includes shoes and accessories.  It is free to everyone.  The group is currently closed to new members as there is a big celebration but make sure to check out the numerous lucky boards, the midnight mania as well as super-cheap (like 10 L) cute shoes during your visit.  You can find the item hidden in one of the ornaments on the tree.  Pixieplumb Flanagan has told me she will keep each gift up for a few days in order to give more people a chance to get them.  A new gift will be added daily.

Other places I've really enjoyed this holiday season have been the Advent Calendar at KittyCats, which Sileny mentioned in a previous post.  All items are free and I was able to get past gifts which I had missed, which was a really nice feature.   Also, Sway's, as in previous years has a fantastic advent calendar.  Her's are a bit challenging because you have to go find the hints but it has definitely been worth it.  Zacca and nonino have joined in this year and made it really special.  Adorkable has also been giving out a free pose every day during the holiday season and there are still several more to pick up.  She is also participating in the With Love and POE hunts so she is offering an insane amount of free poses right now.

All these designers have put in countless hours at little to no compensation to provide us with wonderful gifts.  When I think about where to spend my lindens, I feel it's important to support folks like the people I've written about above.  Give back if you can!

Credits:
FD Decor Collage: (clockwise from flowers): Candy Cane Hunt, POE Hunt, Lucky Chair Prize, Traditional Christmas Hunt, Lucky Chair, Lucky Chair, Lucky Chair.

C&D Designs: (clockwise from fishing shack): POE Hunt, H&G Traditional Christmas Hunt, Subscriber gift (today), packaging (sometimes I love this as much as the gift! Am I alone out there in this?)

With Love Hunt: (clockwise from Lamp Post): each item 10 L
Lost Angel: Winter Street Lamp: multipose
Awesome Blossom: Madison Loft Skybox
Artilleri: Bixleta Toaster Fatpack
Intrigue Co.: Unicorn Carosel (w/ and w/o rainbow - but why wouldn't you?)
oOo Studio: Cozy: multipose
Hanaya: Canadian Cedar Greenhouse (winter)
Adorkable Poses (not pictured)
Status Poses (not pictured) sim seems to be down!  Look up Gidge Uriza's profile, leave her random IM's and find the store location in her picks.

LaFlat/Bliensen & MaiTai 12 days/12 gifts

Dirty Little Secret: 2011 Holiday Hunt

Baby Monkey 12 Days of Christmas - begins TOMORROW

Old Glory

I can't let Independence Day pass by without showing a few holiday items hitting the grid. These struck my eye. Personally, I get to spend the holiday stuck at home with a still horribly sprained ankle while the rest of my clan attends the holiday celebrations. I would set off some firecrackers but with my luck I wouldn't be able to run away fast enough and end up with some kind of burn to go with my purple foot.

V-Fashion (also known as Victoria V Fashion) is offering the stunning Miss America gown as a free gift. It has a sensual wrap around the waist that perfectly brings it together creating the effect of Old Glory wrapped around your body. The hair is one of several gifts offered by Calico Ingmann. The color texturing is fantastic.

Orage Creations has this sexy little number offered for only 15 L at the front of the store. It covers enough to leave the rest to the imagination. The Ultimate Patriot shoes from Baby Monkey are available at a steep discount over regular prices at 25 L for group members and 50 L for non-members. The group is free to join and the gifts in the group are plentiful. The Josh hair is one of the gifts from Calico Ingmann. It's designated as men's hair but I think it's the shizz. The skin, London Revolutionary, a past group gift from LeLutka, so it's no longer available, but the eye shadow was too perfect.

Dirty Bunny

I have a secret.
That I will Share.
It may Surprise you.
It may Frighten you.
And I'll most likely have to kill you after I'm done this post.
But I can't keep it in any longer.

I'm a demon that loves bunnies.

See this is where the murdering begins. What better way to start it off, then hopping amongst you all cute like?



What better Tool to wack people with then a gigantic Carrot? this thing has this little bunny, that hops around on it.

Yohane Rockett of Strayer sent me this shirt the other day. I was like oooo, my first designer passing me shit! Happy dances! Nice thing about it, is it could be worn all year. It's not covered in eggs. You have to join the group, and then click the little box beside the group sign, at the store. Then it'll all be yours! It is unisex too, or at least I made sure it looked fine on my dude shape.

Who doesn't want a rocket bunny?

I found this skin that just went so well with my theme. Didn't need whiskers or anything!



I found these jackets by accident. God I love it when that happens. Wanted to bunny hump the signs, make multiples. I guess I'll have to deal with you all buying it and being bunny clones!The pinky one(uck!) is for the Chics and the Black one is for the dudes. I didn't feel like crossdressing today. I'll have to man out for your soon.



Shoes! more shoes! Just a bit of a preview of Part 2 of my shoes posts, it'll be out on this blog next week.



Now for some non fashiony, but totally bunny house goodness. What little bunny wouldn't want butterfly art?



These are the gift from C&D Designs, from the bunny hop. now I know we all don't have homes, I don't either. But you might know of someone that would LOVE this. The butterflies flap their little wings.



You get all 3 of these. There is the first one, which is a bit primmy, but never fear, Cherelle Capra, the Designer/Owner of C&D designs is looking out for you! There is a slightly less primmy version(pic 2) and then the 3 panelled version. You can split those ones up, or just have one out, or whatever. I think it's great.

Off to murder those people over there looking at me being all bunny-ish.

Hop

Hop

HOP!

(Off with their . . .)

Picture 1&2

Skin-Aldegan Design-Bunny Skin-L$1
Eyes-House of Ruin-Felid in Sakura(Love these!)-L$20(Store rebuild still going on, so not open, but I'll keep tasing all of you!)
Ears-Katat0nik-Bunny Ears-L$200(Colour Change)
Shirt-Strayer-Easter Rockett Bunny Shirt-Group Gift(TP, hit the group joiner sign, then hit that little box beside it, and this baby is yours!)
Pants-Donna Flora-From the Pat outfit, just wearing the pants tho-L$1
Mouth Carrot&Backpack-Cute Bites-You get both in the pack-L$10

Picture 3

Jackets-Deep Red Creations-Pink for the Chics and Black for the Dudes-L$1 each
Middle Pants-mailto:Pants-Sn@tch-Past Gift, but there is a new one out, not shown, a cute dress.

Picture 4

Shoes-Brazilian Style-All 4 shoes are Free!

Picture 5-7

Art-C&D Designs-Bunny Hop Prize

***Why is there stuff not Credited? Find out why here!***