The Gallery Gift Shop

Bringing to together art, fashion, and decor, the Gallery Gift Shop offers something to please every aesthetic.

Visual art is displayed throughout the location, with links to the artist's flickr photostream. Some is available for purchase as well. The landscaping that adorns the outside area and some of the furnishings within may be purchased to beautify your own home. Inside, designers including Tableau Vivant, 22769, and Glam Affair and many others, offer exclusive skins, clothing, and furnishings

The site itself is a work of art, with crashing waves bursting through the gallery wall in contrast with the urban skyline outside.

Visit The Gallery Gift Shop.

Black & White Auction

Well-made goods are highly valued in SL, and designers who make beautiful things can become quite popular, which is great for them, but not always great for consumers, who may find half a dozen other guys wearing the same new jacket. The opportunity to own something completely unique is rare, so when it arises, and especially when it arises in support of a good cause, we should take notice.

The Black and White Auction in support of Second Pride opened today and runs until Sunday, June 17. The event offers an array of one-of-a-kind clothing, art, furniture and structures, all in the black-and-white theme.

The silent auction boards are set up in the plaza outside of [N] club and will be accepting bids until the culminating event — a live auction and black-and-white–themed party — on Sunday June 17 at 6pm SLT.  Bidding is easy: simply pay the vendor however much you'd like to spend on the item. If someone else comes along and enters a higher bid, your money is returned with a message informing that you've been outbid. You can then return to the vendor and pay again, raising your payment to above the current high bid.

Some items are reserved for Sunday's live auction, so be sure to return to the party to get your bid in. There will be dancing at [N] Club with music provided by SquirtN DJ so don't miss this chance to own a truly original creation while having a good time and supporting a good cause.

You May Say I'm a Dreamer, But I'm Not the Only One.

You just know you want to click that pic and see all the details.

John Lennon was dreaming of Peace of a different sort, but I suppose this lovely chair, named Peace, will have to do for now. This incredible lawn chair is one of Sway's Relay For Life offerings at the Home and Garden Expo this year and when I saw it, it immediately began to beg me to take its portrait. This groovy chair has plenty of personality, including the 11 animations packed into its 6 prim frame. The peace sign fabric is perfectly aligned, adding realism to the seat. And, see that far out 5 prim guitar? It's included, along with a guitar playing animation that automatically rezzes the guitar in your hands.

The Home & Garden Expo opened today, May 19th and will remain opened until May 28th. There are so many great designers there and way too much to put in one blog post without completely overwhelming you, so stay tuned as we share more of the fabulous designers at the expo.

Mesh, Part 1: The Horror!

Mesh is scary.

It's hiding in the stores, lurking in the shadows of sims, watching you as you try to go about your Second Life in peace. It knows you know it's there, but it doesn't care. It's a demon, poised to take over your screen, robbing you of the prims you've loved while introducing you to new addictions that no 12 step program could touch. Mwahahahahaha!

The real problem isn't that mesh is some evil demon, but that change is frightening. While the photo above has horror elements to it, the fact that the trees and cross are the equivalent of one prim each is rather sweet. Take a minute to look at the textures on the tree in the foreground. Notice the many branches on the tree next to the cross. Intricate designs and beautifully baked textures are just two of the many benefits of mesh in Second Life.