Billy Beaverhausen
What's this? What's happening? What's going on?
What’s Eating TMP 10
What’s TMP? It stands for The Mesh Project and though I wasn’t a Second Life citizen yet when they launched their mesh bodies and heads, I believe that at the time they were ahead of the game and now they are behind, far behind, with no update in sight. So why would you still get their body and/or head? Because for 500 L$ they look amazing. As always there’s a word of caution. TMP allegedly operates on their own servers and if these would ever go offline, the body would stop working as it should… Allegedly.
I made a quick visit to The Shops to check if anything has changed, but you still land at a so called pre-launch pop up store where TMP recently started selling new hair and you can click through from there to get to the old bodies, heads and skins.
For me it was my first mesh body and I enjoyed it a lot. Some people will say that clothing designers have stopped supporting this body, but that’s not entirely true. Some have dropped it, yes, but some picked it up at a later stage. I went to the current round of The Mens Dept. to see what’s new and comes in a TMP size. The event started at the 5th, as usual and will be running till the end of the month.
Cold Ash has a well-made tight-fitting shirt with short sleeves and some buttons undone to create a sexy plunging neckline and show off that chest. You can also get the new Not So Bad jeans at TMD which happen to be a perfect choice to wear with the shirt. I don’t think that any of the shoes at TMD this month include a TMP size and instead of trying any of them, I went with a pair of sneakers from an old gacha set at Semler, because these have stood the test of time very well and actually were rigged for the TMP body.
The Lenox “Juneau” jacket is a bit bulky but you can make your avatar somewhat slimmer to downsize the overall look, which brings me to the sweater and trousers from MGmen’s at The Men’s Dept. My avi looked like a blimp in that sweater, using his broad shouldered muscular shape. Only after severely toning down the body did this outfit become more or less acceptable. If you’re going to wear the trousers without the shirt, you can bulk up again, but they don’t accommodate a butt size over 20, which is a shame, especially with the caboose potential of the TMP body. The second pair of sneakers is also from Semler, available at their main store.
Etham continues to support the TMP body as well and has a shirt at TMD which of course combines easily with their chinos which you can get at Etham’s main store. For shoes I suggest the Deadwool sneakers.
Aitui also keeps including a TMP size with their typically layered and lightly crumpled looking jackets and coats.
You can of course try items that don’t include a TMP size, there’s a chance they’ll work if you use the Signature or classic size where available. Don’t get your hopes up for things like tank tops and underwear though. Those really need to be rigged for a specific body to work.
Credits
- TMP mesh body
- Catwa Stanley mesh head
- Skin is from Aeros as they are one of the few places that carry both TMP and Catwa appliers. ‘Brox‘ in the tequila tone.
- ‘Season 5 Steking’ mesh ears from Mandala
- ‘Reach’ hair from Stealthic
Changing Colors hunt
Soon some people will be doing that annoying thing of going to some woodsy area to witness the changing of the leaves in person, much to the chagrin of the locals because, well… tourists! Personally I’m spending some quality time with my friends and family in Belgium before I return to Sweden. Here it’s still too soon to for leafs to turn golden, orange and red and once I’m back in Stockholm, chances are it will go very quickly from yellow to brown with not much splendor in between. Now let’s see if this Changing Colors hunt will fork up some splendid prizes. I couldn’t find a hints list, but I can tell you the hunt starts at Wiccan Wears. The hunt runs till the end of September, you’ll be looking for an autumn leaf and the prizes are 1L$.
- The first hint at Wiccan Wears is “When it’s your turn have a seat!”
- The second stop is Storax Tree and you’ll find the gift right at the poster. In other words, there’s no hint here.
- Next stop is Timeless Textures. Hint: No hint here! So let me give you one of my own: Yesterday I visited a medieval castle. (true story).
- Changed Seasons. Hint: Again no hint in the hint giver! It’s starting to look like participants don’t care much about this hunt. So here’s my hint: I sure hope this isn’t poison ivy!
- The Happy Hat. Hint: Again no hint, but this store is no bigger than a top hat, so you should be able to find that leaf. The gifts is a nice scene with horses, a broken fence and some trees which includes a couple of poses and a colourful cowboy hat.
- Sassy Brats. Hint: Oy vey! Here I go again with a hint of my own. Hit the stairs but watch out for the cat! It’s just a bit playful but those claws are sharp.
- Grumble. Hint: Nope! Shake your magic ball to get an answer.
- Waffles. Hint: Again njet on the hints! Check out the nooks and crannies of the ground floor. You may want to check if you got mail while you’re at it.
- DRAMA. Hint: No hint again here, but as it’s a small shop it’s no big drama.
- WCI. Hint: You guessed it! No hint in the hint giver. Go take a walk on the beach, especially if you always wanted to make furniture or art out of driftwood.
- The Sissy Bar. Hint: nope. This leaf got lost in a hibiscus bush.
That’s all folks. Happy hunting!
Dabbling with Geralt VIII
It’s time to look at another styling exercise with the Signature Geralt mesh body and head. 7 Deadly S[k]ins have a group gift skin out at the moment, named Bart in eleven skin tones. How generous is that! ELEVEN skin tones! I’m not sure how long they will have this one up for grabs. Maybe till the end of September, maybe a bit longer. Don’t procrastinate! Go get it now. Go on, do it! Do it now. Do iiiiit. Hmmmm and this is me without caffeine. Currently the joining fee for the 7DS group is 225 L$ and they usually have a new group gift every month, not to mention the daily gift from their advent calendar! Christmas will be here before we know it. Oy vey!
The skins from 7DS have a coarser look than some other male body appliers. In my opinion this doesn’t make them better or worse, just different. Both their body and face appliers are a good fit for the Signature Geralt body and head.
Credits
- Signature Geralt mesh body & head and boxers
- 7 Deadly S[k]ins Bart skin, omega applier includes face and body
- Dura B&G 77 hair in dark brown.
- NSS Vermeer mesh eyes
More shopping with David
As promised in my previous post, here’s the remaining item I bought on my latest expedition to the current round of the Men Only Monthly event with a focus on clothing that works for the NX-Nardcotix David avatar.
When you get the single colour version of this sweatshirt from Loulou & Co / Bebop @ MOM you get it with a couple of options. I’m wearing the simple grey and red one, but it also comes with patches and a camouflage pattern, so even your single colour version is a “light” fatpack. Other good news is that a Nardcotix size is included and no shape alteration is needed to wear it. You shouldn’t have much trouble finding a pair of trousers or jeans to wear with it. The Men Only Montly event runs until September 16th, if you’re reading this post at a later date you should check out Loulou & Co’s main store.
For one of the outfits I showed in my previous post, I had to schlep my toches over to the Hipster Event to find the trousers that went with my new shirt and vest from Soul Identity. While I was there I had a very quick look around and saw something with potential.
R2A has created items with an NX-Nardcotix size before, but they haven’t always been able to convince me it was good enough to cough up the dough. When I saw it at the Hiptster Event I thought maybe baby and grabbed it. This “half vest” is a fun piece you can combine with jeans or sweatpants, like the ones from Lavarock I’m wearing in this shot.
And now I’m running out of here and straight to bed. Ruuuuun Forest! Ruuun!
Credits
- NX-Nardcotix David mesh body
- Catwa Stanley mesh head
- Clef De Peau Ivo for Catwa + applier for NX-Nardoctix
- Stealthic hair
- Mandala mesh ears
Taking David to Men Only Monthly August/September 2018
Right! Let’s take a look at the current round of Men Only Monthly and see what we can find for the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body. It started on August 20th and runs till September 15th, so you still have a couple of weeks to go check it out. If you’re reading this at a later date, you will be able to find the items at the main stores of the individual brands. Here’s what I got for David…
To be perfectly honest, this vest and shirt from Soul Identity @ MOM are not a perfect match for David. However, the outfit looks so dapper, I simply couldn’t resist it. The Gianni size is my best option, but when my arms are bent, the rolled up sleeves slightly clip with my triceps. It’s no big deal really. Of course I like everything to be perfect, but every now and again one needs to let things go. Even more so in Second Life or it will drive you bonkers. If you want the matching trousers of the same maker, head over to the Hipster Event (running till September 16th). There are also Soul Identity shoes to go with this @ MOM, but I chose the trusty Jude ankle boots from NX-Nardcotix, because they look great and I don’t have to wonder whether they will fit or not.
Oh Aitui here you go again with your nice but oh so predictable jackets. But they caught my attention with the cheerfully green camouflage version and with autumn around the corner, at least it’s more or less season appropriate. This jacket goes well with the Finlay cargo pants from NX-Nardcotix and of course the Jude ankle boots again. I own fatpacks of both these pants and shoes and I think that often it makes good sense to have basic items such as these in several colours and only get one version of something that looks very particular. If the Aitui jacket looks too baggy, try decreasing your love handles, belly, saddle bags and butt. I’m not sure if the TMP or Gianni size is the best option here, both seem to work equally well.
I like to tell myself that summer isn’t quite over yet and there still will be plenty of days for wearing shorts and colourful summer shirts. In any case, sunny beaches and parks are always just a quick TP away in SL. FE Style has just the thing @ MOM and it comes in the Nardcotix size, so there’s no need to futz with your shape. An added bonus is that these are actually two pieces and you can wear the tank and shirt separately. Single pattern versions come with a hud with some colours for the tank top, so you can colour coordinate it better with shorts or trousers. Don’t let the bold pattern scare you off, plain colour versions are available too. The shorts and sandals are both from David’s own range at NX-Nardcotix.
There are a few more items from MOM I want to show on David, but it will have to wait till tomorrow or possibly the end of the week. As for the remaining credits: I’m using the ‘Wood’ applier from Birth on the Catwa Stanley head and the matching Birth body applier in skin tone #3 which is a good fit for David. You can find my boyishly messy hairdo at Vango.
To be continued…
Things are going swimmingly
Right my eager beavers, it’s time to get the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body some new threads. There still is a sad shortage of underwear for this body, but I did spot a tiny pair of swim briefs for it in MarketPlace a while ago and was lucky enough to find one of these at Horr in the Dumpster Diving Hunt (ends on 31 August 2018), so let’s take a look at that. At the very least it’s a good way to show of this body without going completely naked (again).
Of course this body has a glossiness setting which you can turn all the way up to add an extra touch of realism to swimsuit situations, something you can help even more by using a wet look hairstyle like Enju from Argrace. The bento mesh head I’m using here is Stanley by Catwa and the ultra ripped skin is from Birth.
Hope you’ll enjoy making a splash in this last week of August. Where has this summer gone to?!
Alice In Wonderland Hunt.
There are times that I don’t do any hunts for weeks or even months on end and then when I stumble across one, I usually will start digging a little deeper to find some more. I found the title of this particular hunt sufficiently enticing to give it a go. The worst thing that can happen on an Alice In Wonderland Hunt is that things get curiouser and curiouser, right?
Before you start on this hunt, you may want to know that the prizes are 1 L$. Looking at the list with slurls and hints, I saw that some stores have a hint for a female (F) and male (M) item while others are only showing the F, so I skipped all those that appeared to have no male or unisex item. Here’s what I was left with after carefully curating my finds. You have until 10th September to grab them all.
This scene from :DH: Shop, showing cards, hearts, an empty bird cage with an butterfly perched on top of it, a candelabra and a couple of colourful toadstools, will look good in a clearing of a wild garden, or on the worn stone floor of a garden folly or a ruin of some kind. A nice extra are the books and clock that pop up with some of the animations.
I hadn’t been to X-Clusives Animations in a while. Their furniture isn’t particularly LGBT friendly or up to date, but they are pretty generous with animations. This dried up reflecting pool for example is packed with a bunch of romantic and plenty of hardcore animations. Finding items with adult animations in a hunt is always a rarity, especially if they don’t look too bad either. Our boys both are wearing the Aztec shirt by Waffles, also from this hunt. Aaaaawh, matching shirts! How sweet! Someone get me a bucket! *barfs*
Well, that’s it. That’s all I wanted to save from this hunt. It’s time for a quick shower and getting my ass out of the virtual and into the actual reality to soak up some daylight and inhale some outdoor air… Or I could just sit here and shake my wrist till my Fitbit tells me what a good boy I have been.
The Frog Prince Hunt
Enchantment presents The Frog Prince Hunt and I wonder if any of the prizes are going to be prince worthy or if yet again this is going to be more of a princess-centered hunt. Of course if there’s nothing I can wear, I’d happily settle for some nice decor items. Right, let’s hop into this hunt, because it only runs till 31st August and I’d like to publish this post while it’s still relevant. So let’s pucker up to go kiss some frogs and turn them into prizes.
I had never heard of 3rd Eye Perception before, but at first sight they seemed to have some nice items, so I was hopeful for their gift and indeed, this mossy log complete with grass and leaves and a couple of animations isn’t bad, not bad at all.
From the set of three rings I got from Dahlia, the golden firefly makes perfect sense to wear with my fairy look. The frog with a kissing pose from The Cove was good for a giggle and we’re definitely sticking with the theme by taking a look at the whimsical frog figurine and its “free kisses” sign from Serenity Style. I like that word: whimsical, whimsical, whim-si-cal… Oh I’ve said it too much, it’s gone weird now!
It was a good idea to work with the fairy look throughout this post, as I can’t see myself getting away with this lily pad mask by Snowpaws with any other look.
This is where my show and tell for this hunt ends. If you want the credits for this look, please head over to my older post: Revamping the fairy.
Right! Time to stretch my wings and fly out of here, off to The Moulin Rouge.
Dumpster Diving Hunt
Dumpster diving has always intrigued me in real life, but personally I’ve never taken it further than occasionally saving something from the reasonably clean bins in the recycling room to which I have official access (with a key and everything, it’s legit). I don’t think the Dumpster Diving Hunt will be taking me to dark back alleys or even the seedy underbelly of the grid (I know it well), but there is always the chance of finding a wee gem among the overripe fruit. So let’s see what I can unearth from the depth of that dumpster. I’d better get a wriggle on cause this hunt ends on 31 August!
The stops on this hunt are named Mayhem 1, Mayhem 2 etc. This outfit is from Fukin Cute, which is Mayhem 5. Is this top notch? No, I wouldn’t say so, but it isn’t bottom of the class either and it comes in an impressive number of sizes. Too many to mention! I like the tank top more than the jeans and can see myself wearing it with another pair of jeans or shorts.
Mayhem 16 – Puppet Master: Having such a direct link between the hunt object and the prize is a bit on the nose, but apart from that this is an excellent gift for anyone who wants to add some realism to their urban scene and the cute pose is a cherry on top of the dumpster cake.
Mayhem 28 – Horr: There’s much better swimwear available in SL than these swim briefs, but seen in the light of a free hunt prize, they’re acceptable. They come in a bunch of sizes and there’s even one for the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body. I’ll have to try them on that body some day, cause I’m sorely lacking swimwear options for tragically beautiful David.
And that’s pretty much all I felt like showing. Of the 28 stops on this hunt, 12 only offer a female gift and 3 had to be skipped (no gift yet, or opted out, who knows?) and the rest simply didn’t cut the proverbial mustard.
Everything shown on the Signature Gianni mesh body and head, with Stray Dog skin and Tableau Vivant hair (couldn’t find the hair at their new store yet though).
L’Homme Magazine group gifts August 2018
The new issue of L’Homme Magazine has been out for a couple of weeks and as usual while it is very light on reading material, the magazine is packed with stunning images. That makes it perfect for lazily flicking through it and getting excellent styling inspiration for your avatar, home and sim. Of course there are the usual group gifts and you can find a list of contributing creators on page 24, under the editor’s letter. Now let’s take a closer look at some of these gifts.
Sure, you wouldn’t necessarily wear this heavy eye make-up from Alma for a daytime grocery run, but it’s perfect for a night out at an edgy club, whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean. It’s a little bit “smokey eye” turned raccoon, but with a hint of mystery and sexiness… Hey, who says raccoons can’t be sexy?! Catwa, Lelutka and Omega appliers are included
I was well chuffed to find a fine example of facial hair by Mr. Razzor among the L’homme magazine gifts. Altamura has thrown in a bandanna with a pair of glasses and going further down the list of goodies, you can pop on the cropped t-shirt from Clef De Peau with the Kalback sweat shorts and you’ll have yourself a well coordinated outfit. Those shorts even come with a hud for the main fabric and the boxer shorts, which makes this a rather generous gift. The cropped tee comes in Aesthetic, Gianni, Jake, NX, Slink and TMP size. The shorts work with Jake, Gianni and Geralt.
Gabriel still has several of the previous L’Homme Magazine gifts on display and up for grabs, so if you’re a newbie, grab them all! This time they’re giving us a casual open shirt, very nonchalantly worn, in a subtle pink. Gianni and Jake sizes are included with this shirt. I couldn’t be bothered to change out off the Kalback sweat shorts, but I did chose another texture and I put on the bracelet from Soul Identity.
Bakaboo is always daring and creative with patterns and colour, though the transparent vest (or you could call this a sleeveless shirt) and shorts they’re giving us this time, are understated. The included sizes are Adam, Altamura, Jake, Gianni and Slink. I think you can easily combine the shorts with the cropped tee and bandanna shown in my first outfit and the vest can go with a fancy pair of trousers to take it from day to night.
Contraption is giving away an interesting mask, complete with a hud that gives you some options for the base and glass “teeth”. I’m not sure when and where I’ll be wearing this, but I kinda want to keep it in the inventory, cause I can’t really fault it and also, Halloween will be there before we know it.
This certainly isn’t every L’Homme Magazine gift for this issue, but I’m ending this blog post here for now. Perhaps other gifts will pop up in future blog posts. If you wonder where you can find the landmarks for all these gifts, just go through the magazine till you find an advert for one of the brands and click on their logo.
Shown on Belleza Jake mesh body with Catwa Stanley head, Stray Dog Erwin skin and Stealthic Reach hair.
Taking David to TMD August 2018
Time for another shopping trip dedicated to the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body to show that just because there aren’t many things being made specifically for this body, it doesn’t mean you have nothing to wear. Before we dive into the little stash from this month’s The Mens Dept. event, we should take a closer look at my current “Birth”-day suit.
I’m using the ‘Wood’ applier from Birth on the Catwa Stanley head and the matching body applier in skin tone #3. This applier is a good fit for David, with nipples and shadows where they’re supposed to be. I particularly like the generous body hair choices that come with this applier. That same generosity can also be found in Birth’s appliers for Catwa heads. They always include blond, red, brown and black eyebrows or you can leave the brows off altogether so you can apply other ones if that’s what you need. The same goes for the hair base and beard. I particularly like the dimple in the chin of Wood, but for some of the shots I applied one of the beard options, because it looks so damn rugged!
As usual I put on my trusty Mandala mesh ears and if you’re after that deliciously tussled hair you should head over to Vango.
Now let’s put on some clothing. I often make fun of Etham’s lack of diversity in their range, but I also end up using one of their “new” creations in most of my Nardcotix blog posts, because those jackets usually fit the David body quite well. This is the case again with the Kit bomber jacket they have at TMD. It’s perfect to go with any pair of jeans or for example the NX-Nardcotix Finlay cargo pants.
With a severely reduced butt I can squeeze into the Enzo size of the Long Island shorts from Tori Torricelli. Or to put it more correctly, with a full sized butt the shorts stand away from the body but when you shrink your cheeks, they become a better fit and still leave you with enough padding so your derrière won’t look too flat. There is a t-shirt to go with these shorts, but sadly I couldn’t make it work at all.
This simple layered shirt combo from Sleepy Eddy won’t be winning any prizes for originality, but it’s always good to have some basic casual pieces like this in your wardrobe and the Gianni size was easy to put on.
There are too many sweatpants in SL! At least that’s my opinion. Sometimes I feel like screaming when I see the umpteenth pair of joggers pop up at an event. If you can’t beat them, join them! That’s what I thought here and I got a new pair of Lenox sweats in a cheerful tribal pattern. It’s perfect for those lazy days with comfort food and Netflix-binges. The Aesthetic-size seems the best option, with some squeezing and pulling of course.
The Not So Bad open shirt works best in the Gianni size and if you’re struggling to find a pair of jeans to wear with it, I suggest you take a look at the Keanu jeans at the Not So Bad main store. There is a small clipping issue with the shirt in the collar bone area, but this depends on the moves in your AO and doesn’t take away from how seductively unbuttoned it looks.
Cold Ash have a great new pair of ripped jeans at TMD and the Gianni size fitted after a nip here and a tuck there, here a squeeze, there a squeeze everywhere a pull… In other words, some shape editing was definitely required, but they’re looking pretty fine, like your great great great grand daughter in the year 3000.
MGmen‘s outfit works best in standard size. You can’t wear the jacket without the hoodie, but you can wear the sweatpants by themselves, I just really didn’t want another sweatpants-only look. The shoes I’m wearing with this are the Two-Plat sneakers from Semller.
As always TMD lasts till the end of the month, so you still have time to go get all this good stuff from that one handy venue. If you’re reading this blog post some time in the future, you can of course zip around on the grid and get it from the various stores. Such fun!
New Port House IV
Here’s the last episode in my New Port House series. This spacious two-bedroom house from Roost kept me busy for a while with its very large main room which functions as an open plan kitchen-diner and living room. Having shown the living room side before, it’s now time to take a closer look at the kitchen-diner.
I really didn’t want to tie myself down with a particular style for this home. The outside can best be described as a New England house, but for the interior I went with something that’s cozy, stylish and suitably masculine for the bachelor who’s living here.
The Loft & Aria: Alderan table, chairs, pendant lights and white candle sticks; Harmon credenza; stone bowl. Fancy Decor: grandfather clock and serpentine candle sticks.
Lisp Bazaar: faded summer rug. Dust Bunny: Woodland dreams head planter.
Consignment: Catia kitchen (includes microwave oven and bread box).
Apple Fall: gourds in vintage bowl, Charlotte’s Pears, Natural Apples, enamel teapot.
Lisp Bazaar: newspaper and cup of coffee. 22769 Bauwerk: Coffee maker (gacha).
The Outlet: stool (tinted). The Loft & Aria: Holden radiator and decorated shelf.
Dutchie: pot with utensils.
Between the doorway to the sun room and the French doors leading to the deck there is a short stretch of wall perfect for a standing piano.
Lisp Bazaar: Into the Light piano and stool. 220ml: flask, cups and funnel (prize in Men Only Hunt 2018). What Next: Pothos plant.
The hallway and corridor in this house have plenty of open space with decorating opportunities.
Fancy Decor: storage bench, vintage handled vases, baroque winter landscape.
Chez Moi: coat/hat stand. Theory: Tansu chest.
Fancy Decor: cuckoo clock (gacha), wale tale books (gacha), table.
The Loft & Aria: table lamp, group of vases (gacha). Dust Bunny: plant.
I decided that the small space next to the downstairs bedroom was best suited as a dressing room.
~Bazar~: Glam wardrobe (with retextured clothing). N4RS: chaise. Thistle: table lamp.
Digs: Bryson tall boy. 22769 Bauwerk: Little Glowing Boyfriend floor lamp.
The downstairs bedroom in the New Port House is spacious enough to accommodate several chests of drawers and a sofa as well as slightly more crucial furniture, such as a bed for example.
Jester Designs: bed (retextured). Fancy Decor: chest (gacha), wooden box, catch-all, slippers, travel clock, chandelier. Digs: Dempsey dresser. Apple Fall: vintage camera (gacha). Thistle: table lamps. Lisp Bazaar: night stands. MadPea: bonsai (gacha).
Trompe Loeil: Xeni couch. Thistle: table lamp. Apple Fall: vintage radio (gacha).
Fancy Decor: books with glasses, copper magazine holder (group gift), radiator (gacha).
Lisp Bazaar: cup of coffee. Loft & Aria: side table.
N4RS: bombe chest. Loft & Aria: orchid. Apple Fall: Travel drawers (gacha), frame with light (original artwork replaced). Dust Bunny: French horn planter (gacha).
The bathroom is also quite sizable with ample room for both a bath and shower.
Loft & Aria: bath tub, sink, mirror, sconces, cupboard. David Heather: bathroom shelf (gacha). What Next: snake plant. Soy: long hanging hedera. Consignment: hanging lamp.
Loft & Aria: shower and toilet. David Heather: toilet paper holder.
That’s all folks! Hopefully most of the links will take you where they’re supposed to be taking you, but as you know, the SL landscape is ever changing. Good luck.
