Beautiful View

 

I’m very excited to announce the upcoming expansion of the Provence Coeur Estate!

A new region will soon be added to the east side of the Jardin Français (Provence Coeur Est2) and will be home to the Châteaude Bellevue, Madame de Pompadour’s elegant home with its beautiful view of the Seine River.

My version will be based on the 1750 plan as originally championed by the Marquise and though it will be simplified for Second Life (I’ve learned more than a few lessons from my never-ending building journey with the Petit Trianon) I hope it will evoke some of the atmosphere of the original.

More details to follow.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for some fascinating reading check out BetweenWorlds: The Biography of Madame de Pompadour's Boudoir Turc a “biographical account of her Turkish boudoir at Bellevue examines its implications of personal and private life, class and gender, and the role of exoticism in eighteenth-century architectural interiors“.

 

Image: The Château de Bellevue, in the time of Madame de Pompadour, from the courtyard to the west on Wikipedia

Sugar Plum Manor

Sugar Plum Manor

My entry for the Lights of Hope Home Decoration Contest 2022.

See it at:

Lights of Hope - Sugar Plum Manor

Did you ever wonder where the Sugar Plum Fairy spends her downtime? I imagine she lives in a neat little neoclassic townhouse surrounded by a lovely park with a Zen Garden. Of course, there are macaroons and other treats sprinkled liberally around the lot and various nods to her ballet background. And mice ... lots of caroling mice ... because after all it wouldn't be The Nutcracker without a few rodents hanging around.

Photo Credit: SkyeRyder Varriale

AES Journal: Tatiana's Farming for Fortune

How time flies! It's been more than six months since my last journal entry; apparently I've been so engaged playing that writing rather fell by the wayside.

Shortly after the last journal entry, back in June, the focus of our farming in the Queen's Hamlet switched over to using the brand-new Household (HH) functionality. Anastasia, Duchesse de Coeur, stepped in as the QH HH Owner and we adapted our production strategies to better suit our HH needs.

I'm glad to say that controlling the scope of our endeavours proved to be a wise decision. Our QH HH has slowly grown to include seven members, a size that seems to be easily sustainable even during times of transition. It's always good to keep in mind that this active roleplay is for fun!

Read more of the latest installment of AES Journal: Tatiana's Farming for Fortune

TTR-Bread & Cookie Making Kit

Experience the joys of baking with this delightful bread & cookie making kit. Mix ingredients, knead dough for bread or roll dough for cookies and when you're all done baking enjoy a slice of fresh bread or a beautiful snowflake Christmas cookie. Lots of little details help add to the overall experience; bread steams when rezzed then cools as it sits, rolling pin pops off the counter into your hand as does the mixing bowl and wooden spoon.

With a variety of lovely accessories, this kit makes your Second Life roleplay both beautiful and a whole lot of fun!

See it inworld or on the SLM .

Happy Baking!
Tat

QH Co-op: The News ~ January 5, 2020

Happy New Year!

It's been ages since our last official QH Newsletter but given all the good things going on in our household a new one seemed like an excellent idea so here's the news ...

Photo by Tatiana Dokuchic taken in the Queen's Kitchen Garden, Second Life.

LHVW Comes Clean for Spring

Seems that every spring I get the urge to clean, not my house but my websites. This year Living History via Virtual Worlds (LHVW) is the beneficiary of my efforts.

Nothing like starting off the season with a few software upgrades, some html coding, and a new flavicon. You can get the full rundown at Site News: Construction & Clean Up 2019. 

Recent visitors should clear their image cache to see the fabulous new banner image, "Barks & Paddles", by Abbondio.

Good times!

Tatiana's Tea Room: Setting up Shop on the Kitely Market

I'm delighted to announce the latest online location of Tatiana's Tea Room on the Kitely Market!

I've been busy setting up shop and porting products over from my main store in Second Life. Everything sold from this location will be marked as Export allowing purchases to be transfer to their owners in other grids.

It really is exciting to be plugged into the Hypergrid!

Needless to say, it's going to take a while before I really feel established but I feel I'm off to an excellent start.  Though there's still a lot to learn, I found the Kitely Market very easy to use and I absolutely love the option of creating product variations.

Kudos to the Kitely team for making merchandise setup so painless.

Have you made the jump to the Kitely Market?  How did it go?  I'm really interested in hearing your stories, tips & tricks.  As a newbie I could really use all the advice I can get.
___________________________________________________________

Tatiana's Tea Room: Setting up Shop on the Kitely Market by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2016-02-11 I'm delighted to announce the latest online location of Tatiana's Tea Room

Images: Tatiana Dokuchic (click to enlarge)

Related articles

• Tatiana's Tea Room: Take Two
• Enjoying Work in Progress
• Maison Margaux: Exploring Classic Contemporary Interior Design
• Chasing Judith ~ Finding Caravaggio
• The Potager or Ornamental Kitchen Garden

Maison Margaux: Exploring Classic Contemporary Interior Design

"Surround Yourself with Classic Beauty" has been TTR's motto since my very first days in Second Life.  Now as most budding entrepreneurs can attest, choosing a business motto can be serious stuff so I took some time with the selection, wanting something that summed up the "visions of antiques that danced in my head".  Antiques & Classic Beauty, now there's a match thought I.



When I found myself seduced drawn to the dark side (see Chasing Judith ~ Finding Caravaggio), i.e. away from the 18th century and into the 21st, by the Princess Margaret Oakville Showhome 2015 I had to reevaluate my personal definition of "classic".  Can contemporary interior design also be considered classic?  And what about "eclectic" because if I'm taking a break from 18th century rules there's going to be a whole lot of eclectic going on.  All that dynamic tension that comes from pairing a "Louis" chair with a Lucite table is just too good to pass up!

A Dance ... with Dragons

Great Balls of Fire!!  It started out as another beautiful day at the Petit Trianon; sun shining, birds singing, absolutely perfect for the All Hallows' Costume Dance.

The guests started to arrive; some on broomsticks, others just appearing out of nowhere.  This being Second Life their chosen means of transportation didn't raise much of fuss (well except maybe for that HUGE spider that scurried in ... not sure where that creature was hiding her invitation and I certainly wasn't about to approach her to ask!).  The costumes were fabulous ...

BEEing Rocca Sorrentina

Rocca Sorrentina is one of those wonderful Second Life estates that always has something splendid going on.  Seeing as they are my southern neighbours I'm rather spoiled with views of their shores & news of their activities.

When I heard they were hosting the To Bee or Not to Bee Hunt I thought it was the perfect opportunity to snoop  er ... explore some of the less traveled routes through their fair land so I put on my best exploration outfit and set off on a summer adventure.

A helpful hint card gave me clues as to the whereabouts of the twelve hidden bees and warned me that my prey was going to be rather small, as bees tend to be.  Just as well as I really didn't fancy running for my life from an over sized bumble!  You just never know in Second life.

Now I have to admit that my hunting skills really aren't the sharpest as I tend to drift .....

Apparently the citizens of Rocca could sense this as everyone was eager to distract me from my search: the printer wanted to show me his latest work; the baker needed kneading help; the florist wanted her garden weeded (as though I don't do enough of this at home).

My Chateau Reno

Though I've had abundant experience with real-life home renovations, my Second Life renovation record is rather spotty.  When it comes to virtual homes I'd generally rather build them myself than buy them, especially because I know I just can't stop myself from remodeling my new purchase.

It was the same way back in my days of TheSims2.  I'd download a brand-new abode and spend the next week (or two or three) ripping it apart and putting it back together.  On the bright side, that destruction/construction cycle taught me a lot about architecture & 3D construction.  I'd actually recommend it to anyone interested in honing their own skills.

This year with spring just around the corner, I was anxious to add a few new rentals to my Duché de Coeur regions. Being long on ambition but short on time, I decided that a purchase was in order and after much consideration selected a chateau from Never Totally Dead.

My Blogging Journey

With the arrival of spring I've been revisiting my own blogging journey so Strawberry Singh's Blogging Journey Challenge is very timely indeed.  What a wonderful opportunity to reflect on my travels, ponder the paths taken by other Second Life bloggers and make some corrections to my current course.  Thank you, Berry for launching another excellent adventure!

Which electronic devices do you use to blog with? Tatiana, Duchesse de Provence Coeur, would say she uses only the finest quill pen and perhaps some oil paints.  I keep it almost as basic and stick to my computer.

Do you have a mission statement for your blog, if so, what is it? Connect; Create; Entertain; Inform; Have Fun; Do no Harm; (not necessarily in that order).

How do you feel about blogs that use their platforms to spread negativity? If that's their only goal I'm not interested in them.  Though I appreciate all sides of a discussion, relentless negativity will just suck the soul right out of you.

Are you a grammar junkie? Do you thoroughly check your blog for errors before posting and/or do you judge other people’s posts if they contain errors? I do make an effort to act as my own editor (it's not easy) with the goal of communicating clearly.  As for judging other people's posts; I firmly believe that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones :)

If you could switch blogs with another blogger who would it be? He's not a SL blogger but I would switch with Philippe Joubert Lussac of Gris-bleu, consistently one of the most beautiful blogs I've ever seen.  I also love Jamie Adair and her History Behind Game of Thrones.  Dang!  Why didn't I think of doing that!

Has your blog/blogging style evolved over the year(s)? How? My first post, Just Arrived, was published January 1, 2009.  The whole blogging process was exciting & a tad overwhelming.  Not only did I have to begin writing again but I had to figure out all the technical aspects as well as the whole blog design thing.  At least now I can leverage my basic knowledge and concentrate on improving.  Honestly, I continue to find the whole process fascinating.

Flat Ebbe: The Age of Enlightenment

It only seems appropriate that I take Flat Ebbe back to my home in 18th-Century France.  I know that he's been run off his feet this week as a result of Strawberry Singh's Flat Ebbe Linden Meme and so I figured that a quick tour through the Age of Enlightenment might make for a bit of a respite and perhaps some, well, enlightenment.

After touring the French Gardens outside the Petit Trianon, we paused for refreshments in The French Pavilion while I pondered the advice that I could/would/should offer this new Linden Lab CEO.

It's not like I'm a stranger to offering advice, solicited or not, to CEOs.  My real life (RL) resume is pitted with examples but as I said in  Adventures w Flat Rod: Rod Humble Crept into My Life with regard to Second Life (SL): I'm just one among the many and for the most part I'm very content with our at-arm's-length relationship.

Shared Seas Sailboat Race

Way too much fun was had at the April running of the Shared Seas Sailboat Race!

The competitors loaded up their boats with lucky charms & brave passengers before setting sail on the challenging course that threaded its way through the Duché de Coeur & Rocca Sorrentina.

It was a bit of a wonder that Fortune smiled on everyone and they all made it to the finish line, a bit soggy but mostly intact.  

Perhaps the Navigator Challenge is having a beneficial effect on our Shared Seas Sailors as not a shipwreck or lost vessel was to be reported.

There were, however, rumours of some rather aggressive sailing maneuvers conducted by my sister, Skye.  Something about her attempting to drive Mercury onto the rocks?
I'm not going to ask too many questions about that.

Last Dance with Rodvik

Warning!! Given Rodvik's recent departure from Second Life, the title of this post might imply some melodramatic musings when it's actually a response to Strawberry Singh's latest Monday Meme, Dance in Second Life Challenge.

SL Sailing Pro Tips: A Lighthearted Look at Second Life Sailing

Now that Port Trianon is open and the Shared Seas of the Duché de Coeur & Rocca Sorrentina have become a reality I've set my sights on becoming a Second Life sailor.  It hasn't been easy and though I've had to swim for my life more times than I care to count I have learned a few things along the way. Calling them "Pro Tips" may be a bit of a stretch (though it does have a nice ring to it!) but they may help novice SL sailors figure out their port from their starboard.  Have a look & see what you think!

First things first; take my hard-earned advice and make an effort to get to know your sailboat, especially if you intend to do any racing.  Being a "last minute" person myself, I've suffered the embarrassment of backing over my competition at the starting-line when I really meant to move forward.  Fortunately, they're a forgiving bunch!

Public sailboats are available at the docks of Port Trianon & the beach of Rocca Sorrentina.

The green & brown sailboats from the Duché are for singles & groups; these are the ones used for racing. The blue sailboats are for couples that like to cuddle though they can also be used as a rather awkward single.

With the Duché boats make sure you "sit" to the right of the rudder otherwise the boat, thinking you are a passenger, will not follow your commands.