April 25, 2010

Happy Birthday Beth


There is no way I could put into words how much it means to have a friend like Beth. I cannot even begin to express my thanks for all that she has done for me, the times she virtually held my hand through so much these last few years.

I want to take the time to say thank you for unwavering friendship and support. It has meant a lot to have collaborated with you these last 3 plus years but most importantly, thank you for being a great friend.

If you are out there and reading this, please join me in wishing Beth the happiest of birthdays.

Lightning Strikes Again


A representative shot of what just happened in my NB.

I had big plans for this weekend, several things I wanted to accomplish that were important to me. Unfortunately I chose a most inopportune time to try and clean out my game files, specifically the nearly 700 character files. I didn't attempt it the way I would have done it in the past. My old way would have taken the better part of a week given my insane work schedule and need for sleep. So I tried a different method, one that I know has worked for others. Not so for me however. Many of my key lots are corrupt now. I reinstalled them and still cannot get into them. Bad timing and bad planning as I had a very special photo shoot planned that I highly doubt I can pull off now.

The bottom line is that I restore my back-up and do it the old way, the long, tedious way. I don't see any way around it. It is either that or I begin again and I just don't think I have the energy left for that task. Still confused over the fact that I can access the lots in the backup but not when I re-install. I'm guessing there must be some residual that stayed with the lot from the families that moved out. Sucks for me since I will have to rebuild some of them. One family is going to be moving as opposed to getting the same lot since I cannot redo it. Hopefully I can make it work for their storyline purposes.

I am 2-3 months behind posting any updates. I don't like that fact, not one bit. It is what it is. A year and a half ago this would have been a debilitating blow. Now it just pisses me off.

END WHINE

April 24, 2010

Blah

So yeah, I guess if I was going to post on any sort of schedule it would not be every 2 weeks. More like every 2 months if I am lucky and feeling creative.

I meant to post this awhile back. Forgot to do it. Gemma's mosaic.
Gemma
1. First Name - The Gem
2. Hometown - La Jolla
3. Favorite Food - Chile rellenos
4. Favorite Color - Red
5. Favorite Weather - Misty mornings
6. Favorite Drink - Merlot
7. Dream Vacation - Portofino
8. Favorite Dessert - Mousse au chocolat
9. Vocation/Career - Business agent
10. One of the things I love most in the world - Evening romance
11. One Word That Describes Me - Playful
12. Something Else About Me - Passion for music

April 11, 2010

When In Doubt, Check the Plants


I adore this lot. It has a nice bar. Jimmy seems to like it as well. All that incredible work you see is by Beth.

For my birthday I splurged and bought myself a 1/2 LB of Kona from Starbucks. I must confess that it is not as bold as I prefer and admittedly it tastes much better when brewed in Hawaii. It must be the water...

Anyway, I am sitting here with a hot mug of coffee reflecting on this past week. This was one of those times when I wish that I could devote all my time to something other than work. I would seriously like to be able to spend time cleaning out my Downloads and re-categorizing the idiocy that is the thought process that many creators use when creating a new piece of CC. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the custom content creators more than I can ever say and praise their talent but I spent hours, and Beth can vouch for this, looking for a crate that I eventually found...in the plants. o_0 So I guess throwing out a request for a specific type of pose box would warrant tomatoes and spit balls to be hurled at me after that sentence eh?

I lost count at how many times we struggled to get a particular lot to function...I still don't know where the breakdown occurred but I think we may finally be in a place to move forward. I've written some stuff, I hate it all, but meh, it's a start right?

A couple of Blogthings under the cut.




You Shouldn't Procrastinate



While procrastinating is a good strategy for some people, it doesn't really work for you.

Deadlines make you feel pressured, and a creeping deadline is a recipe for disaster.

Instead, you should just plug away at getting what needs to be done finished... even if it's painful.

Once you've completed your task, it will be a huge relief. And then you can go have some fun!






You Belong in San Diego



Laid back and friendly, you were meant to live most of your life on the beach.

You usually think everything is "all good"... except when the weather dips under 60F.

You stay classy - especially when you're in Tijuana!



April 5, 2010

Busy Doing Nothing


If my lack of productivity is any indication of how enamored I am with this guy...turns out Jimmy likes to lay out on the beach. He ended up with a nice golden tan. You should see how his rippling abs look...

*slaps self*

I have words in my head that I cannot shove onto paper. I don't know what you do when you are at a crossroads or can't seem to eke out a sentence that goes anywhere you want it to, but when I get stuck I tend to create people. So I did.

I'm very self-conscious about my inability to decorate. I've spent countless hours, days even, decorating a lot. Literally days. I cannot build from scratch to save my life but I can sometimes hit on a theme that I can run with. It usually helps if I know who will live there and what makes that person tick. Although landscaping escapes me. And it still isn't "perfect" but it's decent. Someone does need to explain to me however why a character can stand next to a room and yet walk outside and all the way around the lot to get there. Or why visitors use the back door when there is clearly a front door waiting for them.

I'm behind on my reading, no scratch that, I've been reading, I just haven't been leaving comments. I will. I promise. New schedule starts tomorrow so I will be even more tired than I usually am. I want, need, to focus on writing something. One thing I learned is that you never get more time. It keeps going and you cannot recoup it so you have to use it wisely. Knowing that and executing that however are tough for me.

April 1, 2010

Fire and Rain


I tried to upload a shot but Blogger is being an asshat again.

We just updated at Sessions. The chapter is called Fire and Rain. We learn who the mysterious Julia lookalike is and what she wants (maybe). As always this was a collaboration but Beth has been busting her butt not only with her Passages pieces but also with all the shots on this one as well. I will say that even though they are a pain to get and I know how she struggles to get just the right look, her shots are, as always, simply amazing.

Song in the playlist #23 is by James Taylor.

Enjoy!

In Perfect Harmony

In June of 2007 I posted my first chapter of Dark December. Since that time, the story has evolved and changed in part through a collaboration that developed and lasted over 4 years. During this time a friendship was forged. Thank you Beth, for unwavering friendship, support, and generosity over these last 4+ years. It has been a journey I will never forget.

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

In dreams, the sun sets in our eyes
In dreams, we'll never be apart
In dreams, I'll promise you'll never be alone
How much I wish your voice could send me home