Because I have been uncharacteristically productive, I finally finished fixing Moon's tunic for Marina (or anyone else that might want it). I had actually done two versions, one as a tank tunic and one as a solid, so I just put both up in case anyone prefers one over the other.



No mesh is needed, but I'm not sure what maxis mesh it's based off of, since it's a recolor and alpha edit of an outfit from Illusions of Grandeur, which appears to be gone. I'm 99% sure it's a base game mesh, though. There is a pregnancy morph, too. Also, I should give credit to Adele if I'm going to be proper about it since I used one of her alphas and textures to fix the shoes.

The tank tunic is called 2bluetunic and the solid is 1bluetunic. Both have been compressorized.

Download Here

Edit: Ori, I hope it's alright that I used Moon for the pictures. Just whap me if it's not and I'll change it.

I’m always at a loss about how to start these things. I guess what I should do first is thank everybody who sent me sims for it. I was so happy with all the sims in the house. They were all so fun to play, I really could have been happy with any of them winning.( A lot of rambling and 60+ pics behind the cut )

So I'm (finally!) done with the Bachelor Challenge. What now? Well, I've got a few things swirling around in my head, so I thought I'd brain dump them here so that I don't forget. Here is my current sims stuff to-do list:

1. Write up a BtS/Meta on the bachelor challenge. I've started it, but didn't make much progress last night. I hope to have it up in the next day or so, though.

2. Fire up Bodyshop and fix Moon's outfit so that I can share it with Marina. She only asked for it months ago.

3. Start writing Barsoom's Chapter 18. I was really hoping to have it out on my legaversary, BUT I just looked up when that was and it's November 15th. Not happening. So by the end of the month will be my (very tentative) goal. Close enough, right?

4. Get caught up on a couple of new (to me) legacies I've been trying to finish.

5. Share some picspam. Orikes is right, we don't do that enough anymore. I never did it enough anyway. I have hundreds of pictures sitting on my hard drive that will never get used otherwise.

6. Pull my downloads folder and play around to see if it's a hack conflict causing some game weirdness I've been seeing lately. First, the whole getting the fall-in-love hearts, with sims who are already in love, but have just gotten engaged. Second, and this is something I just noticed with a certain BC winner, but the married-in person is showing her new in-laws as family (the family kiss option is there), but she still has lightening bolts with them. Is that something I just never noticed before or is it weirdness? I'm thinking weirdness.

7. ??? No idea. Right now, I'm thinking that I'm not even going to attempt Chapter 19 until after the holidays are over. First, it's a busy time, but more than that, I need a chance to regroup and think about where I'm going. Once the whole Llana/Quinton/Katherine thing is completely over (upcoming chapter), I have absolutely idea where to go next. I've got some small plots points running around in my head, but no arching narrative. This is bothering me a little and I'm hoping that something will come to me sooner rather than later.

As for non-sims stuff, well, I need to order some yarn so I can finish a couple of Christmas gifts for my kids (I'm crocheting a laptop cozy for my stepdaughter and a DS cozy for my little one), I've got about 5 lbs of banana peppers in my fridge that need to be canned before they go bad (it might be too late; I'm afraid to look), I've got to put away our summer clothes and get out the winter stuff (I'm currently just digging through containers for what we need), and I've got a package that should have been mailed out a week ago just sitting around staring at me accusingly.

And, um, I guess that's it.

And it's finally here! I apologize that this took so long to get out. I just wasn't my normal writing self for a couple of months.





Option One
Read the PDF Version

Option Two

I don't know what is wrong with me. I am feeling very frustrated with myself and my lack of desire to get this update over and done. I'm hoping that it's the time of year. Some people tend to be on the computer less during the summer, but I get like that in the fall, or at least once the weather cools off a little. Combine that with getting the kids ready to go back to school, and then adjusting to them being back in school, finishing up canning things from the garden, the walking program I've restarted, and the crocheting bug re-biting me suddenly, and it all just makes for a big ol' pot of procrastination when it comes to simming.

I was feeling pretty good last week when I made some progress on my commenting list, but now there's a whole new batch of updates and I'm back where I started. I'm not complaining about the updates, mind you. I'm directing my frustration at myself for getting so far behind in the first place. I know that it happens to everyone, and everyone understands, and you are all just awesome about it, but I still feel guilty. I think most of us do in this situation.

But I'm not just here to whine. I also have questions. Does anyone around here twitter? I've ignored this for a while, but the more common it becomes, the more I'm wondering if I'm missing out on something. I don't have any desire to twitter, myself, but I'm starting to think I might like to read other people's. Opinions?

On a related note, does anyone use LibraryThing or GoodReads? I'd love a way to keep track of what I read. There's been a few times that I've gotten into a series, but then by the time a new book comes out, I've forgotten about it and moved on to something else. LibraryThing seems like it would be a good fit for me, but you have to pay to catalog more than 200 books. Now, I wouldn't hit that unless I was able to remember everything I've read over the past few years, but eventually, well, maybe. And then what? So if anyone uses either of those sites, I'd love to hear your opinion.

So those are the things I've been thinking about this evening. I know it's my own fault for being so quiet around here lately, but I still miss talking to you all. So talk to me...how are you?

How quick is this? It's the fastest I've ever gotten an update out. Last Wednesday, my daughter spent the entire day with my sister-in-law and I spent the entire day writing. You wouldn't believe how happy I am to be this close to the end. So without further ado, I bring you Day 5. Enjoy!

Edit because I feel like I should add a warning for some mild language. 


Option One
Read the PDF version

Option Two

I feel like I rushed through this one a little. Not in the beginning, obviously, since it took me forever to get it out, but over the past couple of days. Plus, I'm tired from hamster related shenanigans last night. So I'm hoping that it's good enough and there aren't a million typos or conversations that don't make sense. *crosses fingers*



Option Uno
Read the PDF Version

Option Dos

Okay, so just about an hour ago, I signed off from chat and closed down PowerPoint and decided it was time to GO TO SLEEP. While checking to make sure the back door was locked up tight, I was less than stealthy, and woke my daughter up. After going into her room to talk for a minute so she would go back to sleep already, I happened to notice that her hamster cage was very, very empty.

So I gave up on going back to sleep for a while and began a great hamster hunt, to no avail. Just as I was calling it a night, with promises to check the interwebs for how to set up some kind of a food trap, I noticed a small flash of fur dart out of my step-daughter's room and straight back in again.

So the next 20 minutes of my life was spent, not sleeping, but chasing a small rodent endlessly around a 12x10 room filled with the kind of junk teenagers love to fill their room with--and not pick up off the floor. It was a perfect little hamster haven. I finally trapped him in her closet, fed him treats to keep him still and grabbed him up so fast that I'm a little afraid I might have caused him internal injuries.

And now I'm not that tired anymore.

Day 3 is finally here, with 2 viewing options as usual:





PDF
You'll probably need to zoom out a bit for best reading. You can move from page to page by using the Page Up and Page Down arrows, or you can scroll. The file may take a little while to load in your browser.

Click here for PDF version



Authorstream slideshow
As always, viewing in full screen is best.

</div></div>

Now with two viewing options:





PDF
You'll probably need to zoom out a bit for best reading. You can move from page to page by using the Page Up and Page Down arrows, or you can scroll. The file may take a little while to load in your browser.

Click here for PDF version



Authorstream slideshow
As always, viewing in full screen is best.

Better late than never, right?

( Cut because I can. )

I'm so far behind on commenting that I have actually made a list of updates just so I can keep track. If anyone out there is wondering what the heck my problem is, I will soon be making my catch-up rounds through boolprop. Even with my list, I have a feeling that I'm missing some updates, so if you don't hear from me in the next couple of days, please feel free to poke me with virtual sharp sticks.

I have one good excuse for getting so far behind and one bad one. First, RL has gotten really busy over the past two weeks. Normally I have oodles of time to myself during the day, but it seems like the end of school + onset of summer has packed my schedule. Hey, I might even have two good excuses. Everyone was so helpful after my writer's block post that I was actually able to sit down and write quite a bit more of day 2. There's still a bit to go, plus some scenes to shoot, but I'm REALLY hoping to have it out this week. Now that I've typed it here, I'll be more likely to stick to my goal, so I'm kind of putting pressure on myself. I work better under pressure, so feel free to pile on, if you wish.

( Bad excuse behind the cut. )
So after all that, I was going to add in my recipes that I promised Circe, but this is so long already, I think I'll leave it here. I'll get the recipes up in a new post tomorrow.

I saw this at Cracked.com. It's from a Photoshop contest. The theme was "Great Historical Moments Ruined by Modern Technology."

Di's search for better story hosting got me restarted on my quest as well. When I started uploading to Authorstream, I searched and searched for a better option that wouldn't degrade the picture quality, allowed you to open the story in a window, and would allow you to copy/pasta text for quoting, should you desire.

I THINK I might have found a solution. I am eager to get some opinions about this method. What I did was export my slide show into PDF format. Then I signed up for a free Wordpress blog so that they could host the files. If you click on the link below, it will open up the slide show in PDF form.

The main drawback that I see so far is that it does take a little bit to load. It will probably take even longer for regular legacy chapters since they are quite a bit longer than this chapter of the bachelor challenge.

Of course you need to be able to view PDF files to see this, but just about everyone can do that now, right? Also, you can scroll to read or just use the page up and down buttons for the slide show effect. I like reading it at either 66.7% or 75% zoom, but YMMV.

Thoughts?

http://leaths.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/bc_d1_pdf.pdf
(It's just Day 1 again for the test--nothing new here. Sorry!)

I am so regretting doing this bachelor challenge. Not because of the outcome. Truth be told, Djor and the winner make me so happy that they have officially become OTP in my mind. Not that it has to be that way for anyone else, but I love them together THAT MUCH.

No, writing the damn thing is killing me. Or more specifically, it was killing me--until I gave up. My original plan was to get out one chapter per week at a minimum. Since the chapters were short, I was going to shoot for two. Here's the part where you point out that it has been two weeks since I posted day 1.

I have gotten the worst case of writer's block that I have ever had in my life. I am not exaggerating. I was writing along and got about 20 slides into day 2 when I hit this one scene and it BROKE MY BRAIN. I thought it was temporary, so I shut down the slide show for the night and tried to start fresh the next day. I have opened and shut that slide show about 10 times. And I have one stinking sentence to show for it. Whenever I try to even think about writing a scene, my brain says "tra la la, no let's think about THIS instead." Seriously. It's broken.

It's even affected my commenting and such and is rebelling against me even writing this. It's as if my subconscious is screaming NO MORE WRITING. Help?

So what have I been doing with my free time the past two weeks?

1. Lurking around MATY's TS3 threads, along with half of the simming community apparently. I think I am going to get the game, but I don't see it replacing TS2 for me. Regardless, I have decided that I'm not going to buy it until I finish writing the BC. :P

2. Baking. Strawberry pie and banana bread, to be specific. OM NOM NOM

3. Sitting on my back steps with my daughters watching a black snake that had crawled onto our patio. I tried to take a picture, but my batteries were dead. Not that a picture of a black snake is all that interesting, but it would add a bit to this post, now wouldn't it?

4. Browsing around the new Sims 3 exchange. I'm really curious how cc is going to work in this game. I played (very, very quickly) with the story maker and it's pretty neat.

5. Reading the last Dresden Files novel. Twice. Do any of you Dresden fans ever visit the forums on JB's home page? Those guys are almost scary. I can't even remember half of the things they talk about from previous books.

6. Lurking around the Dresden Files forum.

7. Transferring songs from my old iPod to my new one. Thanks for making that such a PITA, Apple! Also, adding songs to the new iPod from my cd collection that I've been meaning to transfer for about 2 years now. Finally, letters S through W are represented in my play list.

8. Yard work.

9. Getting sick. Yes, I now have a head cold.

Wouldn't it be a better list if it were 10 things? So close. Unfortunately, that's all I can think of right now. Notice what's not on the list? Simming. Beyond getting a couple of non-essential households caught up in the rotation, I haven't opened the game for two weeks.

What do you all do to snap yourself out of either simming or writing malaise (or both)?

Earlier than expected, I have Djor's bachelor debut for you...


Uploaded on authorSTREAM by leaths

Now with a PDF viewing option
You'll probably need to zoom out a bit for best reading. You can move from page to page by using the Page Up and Page Down arrows, or you can scroll. The file may take a little while to load in your browser.

View as a PDF

I had a really hard time choosing who to ask for sims for this BC. About two months ago I sat down and made a list of everyone who writes a story that I enjoy over on boolprop. And well, of course, people who also read my legacy, because I wanted them to know who Djor was. To my disappointment, I had like 12 or 13 names and I knew I was going to have to pick.

I hate picking. And I hate feeling like I'm leaving someone out. For a few days, I thought about downloading the lot full of sims hack and running the BC with everyone I wanted to ask. But in the end I decided not and I forced myself to choose. I chose some people based on completely arbitrary criteria that would only make sense to me and others I picked randomly when I couldn't decide.

I'm not telling you this to take away from those people I did ask--I do love all of your stories. I just want the people I didn't ask to know that I really did want to. While I'm not disappointed in anyone that I chose, I was disappointed that some people weren't chosen. If that makes any sense. (It makes sense to me. :P)

ANYWAY, all of this is just a rambling lead in to my cover for the BC. I haven't told anyone who all the contestants are, so I'm revealing it now. Mostly because I just finished making the cover and figured why not.

( Is the suspense killing you? No? Click anyway! )

This is for the people who sent me those one and zero nice point sims. Hope you're happy.

( Click for bad behavior... )

Ahoy! Picspam off the port bow!



Or is it starboard?

( (Spoilery for Chapter 17, of course) )

I don't usually do recaps, but it's been so long since my last chapter, I've changed my mind this time. I didn't include it in the presentation, though, so if you need a recap get it here.

( Recap )


Uploaded on authorSTREAM by leaths

I also want to think PetTech for uploading Liz and Inga for me. They are the daughters of my simself and BlueBerryPie from her OWBC. They are a lot of fun to play.