Roland Writes

Sunset at the Fair, originally uploaded by roland_zepp.

With 30 minutes to go on the PhotoContest, I was looking for something that spoke to how I felt about this last week.

I started out with these Parachute Shorts from Barefoot Apparel (Thanks, Ryan) and Kith Decuir pointed me to this navy “parka” as a great top. The necklace is one that I stumbled on and I love the simplicity of it.

The trunks called for a water scene and I found this float on the Entertainment sim. I’m feeling at once relieved and let down. It’s been a wonderful week working with a great group of people toward a really worthwhile goal and I don’t want it to end. At the same time, it’s been a lot of work and I’m feeling really good about the way things have worked out here.

Thanks to everybody who helped and who donated. Thanks to all of you, we’re that much closer to finding a cure.

The 2009 Clothing Fair has a few more hours to run. The deadline looms at 8pm SLT today (the 22nd) and every linden counts in the Race for the Cure.

The designers, organizers, builders, and entertainers are all grateful for your support but this isn’t the time to let up. I’m doing my part, making one last pass through the sims — buying up the last-chance deals but you all need to take advantage of these last (mostly lag-free) hours to get in some shopping. I’ve just picked up a terrific new Styles of Edo black suit and another bit of jewelry myself. I see a great new photo op coming before the Photocontest ends at 6pm and the party starts!

And you all still have time! Get out to The 2009 Clothing Fair now. Take advantage of some wonderful bargains, admire the great build, and help the Relay Raiders in their race for the cure.

No self-respecting pirate would be caught without a treasure and this Pirate Themed Festival is no exception. We’re in the final couple of days now but there’s still time to find the treasures hidden around the various regions.

This, Me Hearties, is what yer lookin’ fer:

Every one of them is in plain sight. None are hidden in anything. None are in shops. None are on roofs. Some require you to look in different places. One Hint: turn around occasionally and look behind you.

Keeping with the idea that every linden counts in our race to find the cure, each chest will cost you 10L. In case you don’t think these treasures are worth 10L of your precious horde, Bucko, here’s the list of what I found in each and every one! (I beg humble pardon in advance if I’ve messed up the name of the outfit or made some horribly gauche faux pas in designer/outfit name.)

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 1 – Ripped Pirate Necklace

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 2 – Ripped Key Kilt

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 3 – Dagger Heart Rope Necklace (Dark Depressions)

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 4 – (nova) RFL sakura Tee & Tights

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 5 – Castaway Sarong and Bikini

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 6 – Awesome Designs Lily Dress

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 7 – Solstice Silks

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 8 – Calibre – Pink top/skirt

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 9 – Fetish gifts from Couture by Cat (Barbarella and Passiflora)

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 10 – Dark Matter L$250 Gift Voucher

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 11 – Silk & Satyr Wish Upon a Cure

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 12 – ::: B@R ::: Lutenant Navy Lady

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 13 – DeLa – Pirate Tattoo

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 14 – Ripped – Pirate Headband & Belt

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 15 – Ayaka top&skirt purple

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 16 – ~Blacklace~ Enticement LE

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 17 – Isis silks (pink) – Eye Catcher

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 18 – Flower Fae Peach

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 19 – To-a-T ~ RFL-2009 Commemorative Jolly Roger Fob Watch

Clothing Fair Treasure Chest 20 – Evie’s Closet Hair Pin

As you’re wandering the islands seekin’ yer not-buried treasures, remember to peek into the shops once in a while. The 2009 Clothing Fair is almost over, and when it fades off into the mist like some Peg-Legged Brigadoon, your chance to take advantage of these great deals will be gone forever.

Remember, too, that it’s for a great cause.

Now, get off the blogs and go look for treasure!!

It’s not too late to get in on the action at the Clothing Fair. In addition to all the great clothes and the opportunity to help find the cure, there’s also a photo contest. Here are the rules from the notecard:

Category name: RFL exclusive style (both categories: Male and Female)

Goal: Mix and Match the exclusive items available from the RFL-kiosks during RFL Clothing Fair to create a composite style.
Each Item must be purchased from the fair.
The look must include items from at least 3 different designers.
The person must add on the description of the photo the reference of store name and item name for each RFL-item that comprise the final look, so other people can buy them if they wish have the same look.
HAVE FUN!
Mix and Match

Prizes will be given to the Best Male and Best Female COMPOSITE. This event is sponsored by the designers of the fair and photoLIfe. Each winner will recieve a brand new photoLIfe Studio plus a wonderful gift bag from the designers.

Just some basic rules to remember…1. all photos must be PG rated…absolutely NO nudity…2. May be post processed. We want your best work … .3. Focus of the photo must be a of RFL outfits purchased at the fair…4. No more then three entries per person…5.Have fun!

Upload your entry to http://www.flickr.com/groups/slclothingfair09photocontest/

Contest Runs from 10am slt March 16, 2009 till 6pm slt March 22, 2009 . Winners will be announced at Party at 6pm-8pm slt on March 23 on the Entertainment sim at the Fair.

I’m so into this. I probably won’t win, but I’ve had a ball finding pieces to put together and I’m not done yet. I can submit up to three!

Here’s a sample of one of the outfits I’m working on. I don’t know if I like it well enough to submit yet. I’m trying to remember if I’ve seen anything else on a RFL vendor that I can put on with this.

Maybe the To-A-Tee Watch? Hatpins Steamer Hat? Hmm..

Anyway, when I’m ready to submit it, I just need to add it to the group listed in the note and I’ll be in the running for that shnazzy PhotoLife studio.

We’re in the final days now, folks, but the weekend’s upon us and there’s still plenty of time to get down to the fair, find some great deals, have a lot of fun, and – oh yea – help cure cancer.

Halfway thru the week already and I’ve only managed to visit about 2/3rd of the region. Gah. I don’t know where I’m gonna find the time to visit the rest of this place, but you’ve still got time to check out the silent auction! I’ve mentioned it a few times already but here are the details.

Seven of SL’s hottest designer have contributed one-of-a-kind gowns to the Relay For Life Silent Auction. Each gown represents one of the sins and all proceeds will go toward helping to fight cancer.

I don’t normally go around in circles where unique, one-of-a-kind designer gowns are even available. To find seven of them in one place is amazing to me. And these are amazing gowns, each one representing hours – if not days – of work on the part of very talented people and brought to the Relay for Life.

RFyre’s entry is Wrath. It’s being auctioned complete with skin and hair and it’s a gorgeous gown.

Wiccan Sojourner from Bewitched has contributed Vanity and it even comes with a scripted mirror. Hey, don’t be so judgemental. Everybody needs a reflective moment.

Moxie Polano of Haute Couture has given us Sloth. I’d write more, but I’m too lazy.

Lapointe & BastChild Designs contributed Lust in passionate red. Given the amount of lust I’ve expended over the Lapointe & BastChilde designs, this seems an appropriate choice.

Avarice (Greed) is a great group project from Lemania Indigo, Endra Graves and Lestat Reuven. This silent auction item even comes with the chair. That seems pretty generous to me.

Nicki Ree contributed a paen to Gluttony in this gorgeous gown inspired by Greek mythology. The gown itself is named Adephagia and it’s gorgeous.

Last, and hardly least, SF Design adds a touch of green for Envy with this wonderful creation by Swaffette Firefly. Yea. Envy is right. I almost wish I could wear it myself.

Bidding is easy. Go to the venue, click on the vendor, and pick “Place Bid” from the popup menu. Each vendor has a note card with more information about who made it, what’s in it, and even some personal messages from the designers.

These little photo snaps of the vendors and the paintings that inspired the designs really don’t do them justice. You really need to go see them at The Mediterranean Sea.

Remember! All contributions go toward finding a cure for something more deadly than sin.

Some of the frenetic first blush has passed, and the issues with lag are being addressed as quickly as possible as the organizers struggle to get the kinks out of what might be the Grid’s Largest Mall.

Lots of people are blogging about the clothes, but today I want to talk about the shops themselves. The builders did a great job of creating just the right touch of variety and uniformity to create the backdrop in front of which our little passion play can play out. There are about 5 or 6 basic shapes arranged on the paths and each merchant appears to have some leeway as to how they implement the Pirate theme.

The other day on my preview run, I noticed this cute little diorama in the middle of a shop.

I really liked the way Couture by Cat used the ship’s ribs as part of the side wall. It was the first time I really noticed how far the merchants were getting into the decorating.

Today I got a little tired as I wandered the venue so I grabbed a quick nap in this handy store-mounted hammock in Devilish Cupcake’s shop.

Yes, those are the same red parachute shorts from Barefoot Apparel. They’re low lag and fit perfectly in the beachy theme of the regions.

Refreshed I managed to stumble onward and around the corner I found On a Lark with their pirate themed extravaganza.

All these decorations are a lot of fun, but the merchants are also competing for a great prize package from SL-Newspaper.com which involves three months of sponsorship for advertising space to promote their products. Over the course of the week, staffers from SL-Newspaper.com will be wandering the sims and judging each shop based on a set of five criteria including how well the decor fits the theme and how attractive it is to shoppers.

This group has really gone all out to coordinate a wide variety of efforts so that everybody who participates can have a lot of fun in a good cause, and maybe win some valuable prizes along the way. From the Seven Deadly Sins Silent Auction, to the Photo Contest, to the Treasure Hunt — and I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff — kudos rightfully go to the Relay Raiders for a great “fleet action.”

I’m still looking for my photo-contest outfit. I haven’t found it yet, but maybe around the next bend …