Traveling Second Life

A Green Day by the Intrepid Gonzo Journalist

2006-03-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

Fair Ireland, with its rolling green hills and meadows. In the center of the "Emerald Isle" lies its beating heart, the vibrant city of Dublin. I was visting this town at the ford of the river of life in search of a St. Patrick's Day party.

Walking the streets, I come accross a tall spire dubbed "Bertie's Pole" and scrabble to its top. The ever changing city beneath is chockablock with various sized buildings. A quick survey reveals the gritty streets and alleyways of the north and the fancier shops and offices of the south. Suddenly my ears prick up at the sound of a fiddle playing off in the distance.

Climbing down I decide to investigate, and cross over the river. Following the lilting reverberations of an Irish folk song, I come accross a drinking establishment with the charming name the "Blarney Stone".

As I walk inside the pub, a man named Ham Rambler utters "Failte!" resoundingly. The proprietor's welcome is as inviting as the interior of his enterprise. One side holds a bar area featuring all manner of draught. Ordering a pint of Guinness I settle myself atop a stool. I take a slow mouthful, and relish the stout's warm meaty taste as I wipe away a little foam from my lips.

On the other side of a dividing wall, I hear the boisterous laughter and the wild stamping of feet on a hardwood floor, the signs of a true Ceilidh in progress. Strolling over to the dance area I behold a sea of green-clad partygoers. Raising my feet to an Irish jigg I join the overflowing crowd, which includes some little folk and pixies. Looking up, I notice that overflying us is a gossamar winged faerie wearing a couple of well placed shamrocks.

Knowing I had only downed one pint, I resolved that this was not a dream and perhaps this place was enchanted on this special day. It was as if the green was no longer signifying merriment but encompassed a sense of the coming renewal of spring. As I continue to dance I am easily carried away by the generous and fun-loving spirit of the gathering and I loose myself in the swirling mass of people.

Sometime later, the throng is whipped up into near hysteria as a band takes the stage at other end of the dance floor. They bear an uncanny resemblence to a famous Irish rock band and sound eerily like them when the characters on stage play "Where the Streets Have No Name".

As the performance moves on from one song to the next, the mob jostles me about like I was inside an oversized rugby scrum. Reacting to the palpable excitment and energy of the crowd, I fumble for a cigarette lighter. I set it alight, and raise it over my head while singing along with the other fans.

With the night finally drawing to an end, the characters on stage close with "Wild Irish Rose". Listening to the faint murmurs of the audience, I cast aside the typical "Brigadoon" cliches about the Irish, and think more soberly:

"We could all be a wee bit more green and Irish ..."

Friday night in Chinatown by "Gonzo"

2006-03-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

(Note from Dhalia: Once again "Gonzo" has graced us with another tale of adventure. This time he takes us to The Golden Orchid, a new Jazz/20's club. Pictured here: Dhalia and "Gonzo" sling back drinks at the bar.)

Friday night in Chinatown
by the intrepid Gonzo Journalist

It was raining hard ...

The rain bore down as if trying to cleanse the city of all its dirt and corruption.

Looking up at the pale moon, I turned up the collar of my trench coat and strode down the street.

A Duesenberg pulls up alongside me and a woman rolls down the window. Taking a drag from a long cigarette holder she exclaims: "Come here big boy ... want to go to a nice party". Looking at the rain splattering against the windshield, I reluctantly agree to go along for the ride.

In an instant we are whisked away to what looks like a gift shop in Chinatown. The dame touches some flower with the name "Golden Orchid" to reveal a long corridor ending in an ornately gilded door. The big palooka guarding the entrance instantly recongnizes the dame I am with.

As we walk through the door, he grabs me by the arm and yells that I remind him of some mug who had raised a ruckas last week at a place called the Cotton Club. Poking me with his finger, he insists I am a shamus working for some politician named Volstead who was putting the squeeze on them.

Stiffening my back, I look him straight in the eyes and howl back that I thought all polticians were low down dirty crooks and I had no dealings with them. He grunted and when the dame winks at him, he lets me pass.

The joint was hopping with a wild jazz beat. Clad in red, like a Chinese lattern, the room was expansive with a bar at one end and a dance floor at the other. The place held everything from a two bit hood with his maul to some dandy dancing with a girl lit up like a canary.

Pushing my way past the throng of dancers, I saddled up to the bar and ordered a Jake. A pretty woman named Willow Perkins, acting like the owner, asks the bartender to clear a place for us. Taking a slow sip from the glass, I decide it tastes better than the typical bathtub gin most places were serving.

Hearing the piercing echo of Satchmo's trumpet, I was pulled to the dance floor. The music was heating up the crowd. The whole room swayed to the unreleting rythm.

Several sweaty hours later, out rolls an oversized three-tiered birthday cake. Like a reel of cellulloid unravelling in my head, I think to myself that this can't be good. Palming my .32 snubnose I slowly back towards the door when I spot a head emerging from the cake.

Could this be a hit?

Is some machine gun wielding mobster going to splatter us against the wall?

I elect not to find out. Oddly, I hear the roar of applause and jeers as the door slams closed behind me. Not wanting to look back I continue on, one thought lingering in my mind:

"There are never any easy answers in Chinatown ..."

Ardentua Nabob; changing the face of SL

2006-03-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

Ardentua Nabob and Dhalia Unsung

Im always out and about, looking for places and people to admire and examine. I think I struck gold with this one; if there ever was an interesting person, it is Ardentua Nabob.

I had planned to write about Mardi Gras ( as you have read, "Gonzo" covered it much more beautifully than I could have) and as I was examining the floats and drunken people I ran into a blue haired man who, among other things, invited me to "shake my ass" on his float. Lack of time was responsible for my lack of ass shaking, but I did visit Ard at the Voodoo lounge the next day as he was DJing.

It was 9am and the coffee had started percolating through my system, so I was ready for whatever music Ard could throw at me - or so I thought. This is a man who mixes his music live. Have you ever heard Cyndi Lauper or Rick Astley mixed together? It was certainly a first for me! Im honestly not much of a club go-er. Every club seems exactly alike, boring, cliquey and laggy. Ard with his unique mixing style and extreme amount of attention to club-goers has changed my opinion.

I talked to Ard while he was DJing, but we decided between us to postpone the interview till a later date when neither of us was distracted. We sat down for a cup of coffee this morning; what follows is a mix of both conversations.

You: there we go, i lost my notecard *rubs her eyes and wakes up a bit*
Ardentua Nabob: lol *smiles at Dhalia and rubs her eyes gently*
You: last time we were talking about your djing... lol and thanks :)
Ardentua Nabob: yeah we didnt really get very far lol
You: not really :D
Ardentua Nabob: I tend to switch off when im Djing
Ardentua Nabob: but heres part 2 anyways :-)
You: well it sounds like youre awfully busy, mixing yourself
Ardentua Nabob: well yes I am, I put a substancial amount of effort into my shows, and i hope that comes across
Ardentua Nabob: but at the same time i want to welcome listeners and be the friendly person I am when not DJing
You: do you find it hard to balance the cheerful greeting with mixing live and playing the game?
Ardentua Nabob: not at all, most of the work is done pre-show...I have listened to most of the songs that i play, time and time again, so i know what goes together and what doesnt
Ardentua Nabob: As I showed you yesterday there is no set playlist and I can pretty much work anything into it
Ardentua Nabob: just shoot me if I ever play Rick Astley again
Ardentua Nabob: lol
You: *laughs* i rather enjoyed that, it was unique
You: besides the voodoo lounge, do you dj anywhere else in sl?
Ardentua Nabob: I have a long list of clubs that I have DJ'd at in SL
Ardentua Nabob: Bad Girls, Euphoria, The Malahai Asylum , Heaven's Gate, Twisted Lovers and a few others
You: sounds like you are in demand!
Ardentua Nabob: I am, I would have been still busy but due to rl issues ive had to drop my personal radio stream
Ardentua Nabob: having your own stream as a dj is very important
You: thats too bad, that would have been fun to listen to :)
You: why is that?
Ardentua Nabob: Club Owners are far happier to accept djs with their own stream
Ardentua Nabob: having your own stream is a great advantage as a dj
You: how did you end up at the voodoo lounge btw?
Ardentua Nabob: well i saw their ad in the Classifieds
Ardentua Nabob: so I thought i would apply
You: and there you are!
Ardentua Nabob: nods
You: when you were growing up did you say to yourself, "I think I'll be a dj when I grow up?"
Ardentua Nabob: yes, quite literally from a young age - perhaps 12 or 13 I had the idea
You: what inspired you at such a young age?
Ardentua Nabob: around that time, some very powerful dance music was coming around and being popular in the charts
Ardentua Nabob: Tori Amos - Professional Widow
You: *tries to do the math, knowing how old you are* :p
Ardentua Nabob: All the Ibiza popularity
You: for anyone who doesnt know.... ibiza?
Ardentua Nabob: sorry
Ardentua Nabob: over here in the UK from 1996 onwards, Ibiza became a popular choice for clubbers to go
Ardentua Nabob: Ibiza is in the Ballaric Isles
Ardentua Nabob: anyways thats the music that started it off for me
Ardentua Nabob: and i think the first ever album that got me into it was Ministry Of Sound - The Ibiza Annual, it was a copy but I listened to the cd's for about 4 years
You: and you wanted to do it your way ever since then?
Ardentua Nabob: yes, but it was still a rocky path, before i learned about beat mixing, my first set of decks literally was 2 cd players and a mixer
Ardentua Nabob: but I think up until that point I had also wanted to be a radio DJ
Ardentua Nabob: the more conventional, one song after another from a set playlist types, I know it sounds like a contradiction, but i feel like i have the best of both worlds
Ardentua Nabob: I enjoy speaking on the mic while mixing, I feel it breaks the generic mixing that goes about nowadays, after all, literally anyone can call themselves a DJ now
Ardentua Nabob: heh, cant forget the crowd either
Ardentua Nabob: even in SL where the crowds are relatively small - its still so exhillerating to meet the passionate and devoted dance music lovers that follow me about
You: do you have a lot of friends/fans who will follow you from club to club?
Ardentua Nabob: yes, I still have a few who have followed me since my first gig
You: that must feel wonderful :)
You: besides dance music, do you enjoy any other types?
Ardentua Nabob: oh in real life, I listen to all types of music
Ardentua Nabob: I adore the Kaiser Chiefs , Snow Patrol and a few other bands
Ardentua Nabob: Feeder used to be a favourite until their drummer killed himself - never really been the same
You: thats awful :/
Ardentua Nabob: its the music buisness im afraid
Ardentua Nabob: the rise can have its effects
Dhalia Unsung nods
You: i want to move a bit away from music cause i want to mention your profile, which is rather amusing. It says "Yes thats right - by clicking my profile you just sold your ass to me - and any other part that might come in useful". So just how many asses have been sold to you since you started the game? :p
Ardentua Nabob: ahhhh rather alot
Ardentua Nabob: I guess its impossible for those that treat SL as a boundary-free extension of RL to get along with those who see SL as nothing more than a means of living out fantasies
You: ahhh i see! i also get the feeling from your profile that youre very big on being yourself, especially the lines that say "Im the same person I am in RL, in a great world you bunch of desperate ppl hiding behind a alter ego could come to terms with your insecurities and be yourself"
Ardentua Nabob: yes totally
You: which is what you just mentioned :D
Ardentua Nabob: yes, I know the game is called second life, but when you come to a point when some people are genuine and some are fake, who do you trust?
You: how do you decide who to trust?
Ardentua Nabob: I dont
You: you dont trust anyone?
Ardentua Nabob: Its the internet
Ardentua Nabob: I dont trust anyone in my life unless I have met them face to face
Ardentua Nabob: And I dont understand how anyone can possibly comment on any feelings they have when they havent even met a person
Ardentua Nabob: its just baffling to me
You: so no wedding in the future for you eh?
Ardentua Nabob: yes yes
Ardentua Nabob: Me and my inflatable penis, Timothy shall be wed soon enough
Dhalia Unsung starts laughing and chokes on her coffee
Ardentua Nabob: Once Timothy gets his divorce papers through from his Ex-Wife donkey
Dhalia Unsung sputters and cleans her computer screen
Ardentua Nabob: good lord girl
Ardentua Nabob: its coffee
Ardentua Nabob: not vodka
Ardentua Nabob: lol
You: dont make me laugh like that with hot coffee in my mouth :p
Ardentua Nabob: so anyways yes I am a firm believer of being yourself
Ardentua Nabob: I laugh so much when i skype with people and they respond to their gamename
Ardentua Nabob: lol
Ardentua Nabob: Well I cant actually remember
Ardentua Nabob: I think I was going to come up with a smart latin name
You: and got this instead? :p
Ardentua Nabob: smiles
Ardentua Nabob: my very first gig
Ardentua Nabob: http://secondlife.com/events/event.php?id=126773&date=1135112400
Dhalia Unsung goes to look
Ardentua Nabob: *wipes a tear*
You: that was a few months ago... what do you recall about your first gig?
Ardentua Nabob: well first off
Ardentua Nabob: I missed the first hour
You: oh no! lol
Ardentua Nabob: I was so nervous, I went to lie down
Ardentua Nabob: and woke up an hour into the show
Ardentua Nabob: I was nearly crying in RL, was so gutted in case Id missed it
Ardentua Nabob: so anyways, I played a blinder that night
You: blinder?
Ardentua Nabob: and everyone loved me
Ardentua Nabob: a great set ^
You: so it was a sucess and youve been doing it ever since :)
Ardentua Nabob: i went from that non-descript mention
Ardentua Nabob: to this
Ardentua Nabob: http://secondlife.com/events/event.php?id=129368&date=1135656000
You: that is more than a small mention :)
You: and you have a gig today you said earlier, where is that at?
Ardentua Nabob: that is at the VooDoo Club
Ardentua Nabob: but
Ardentua Nabob: as of today
Ardentua Nabob: my rl issues with cash are over
Ardentua Nabob: from monday I will have a stream again
Ardentua Nabob: so lets talk about the future ;)
You: oh how wonderful :)
You: hehe *licks the tip of her pencil* do tell me about your plans for the future Ard :)
Ardentua Nabob: well firstly, I am looking in the future to be part of a new club
Ardentua Nabob: a dance music only club filled with RL dj's bringing it to SL
Ardentua Nabob: I am so sick and tired of these clubs that try to cater for everyone
You: what do you mean cater for everyone?
Ardentua Nabob: with their music policy
Ardentua Nabob: take any example you like
Ardentua Nabob: its all "general" popular music
Ardentua Nabob: and as for the clubs that play club977.com....well I dont even rate them
Ardentua Nabob: now the Asylum Club on the other hand, I have a lot of respect for them
Ardentua Nabob: they dont pull any bullshit, its metal only in there
Ardentua Nabob: they stick to what they know and they are popular FOR that
You: what do you think sets a GOOD club apart from the masses?
Ardentua Nabob: Individuality
Ardentua Nabob: going back to a clubs roots
Ardentua Nabob: content
Ardentua Nabob: no money balls
Ardentua Nabob: no raffles
Ardentua Nabob: no contests
Ardentua Nabob: just great music and a friendly crowd
You: the proprietors would argue that money balls and the like are a good way to get people into the door
Ardentua Nabob: thats what you need in ANY club Rl OR SL
Ardentua Nabob: people are fed up of money balls,
Ardentua Nabob: sometimes they just want to go and dance !
Ardentua Nabob: and not have all the hassle of "Best in Pink, because were so unoriginal we cant think of something"
You: well now you are referring to contests... if a club had an original contest that made people think and try new things would you be opposed to it?
Ardentua Nabob: good lord no
Ardentua Nabob: but just look at the events classifieds
Ardentua Nabob: i need say no more
Ardentua Nabob: the thing is
Ardentua Nabob: i dont even HAVE problems with events
You: you mean 'best in black' isnt your thing? :)
Ardentua Nabob: theyre just overused and exploited
Ardentua Nabob: if best in black was given more meaning and a week to do it
Ardentua Nabob: and a substantial prize
Ardentua Nabob: rather than $200
You: so do you want to start a club or just be involved heavily in one?
Ardentua Nabob: I dont know
Ardentua Nabob: Involved heavily I guess
Ardentua Nabob: Ive just finished being "heavily involved" with a club
Ardentua Nabob: I can't name names because its not finished
Dhalia Unsung smiles. "Thats perfectly alright."
Ardentua Nabob: but I was hired to be the Head DJ, with the promise that it was a dance music only club..
Ardentua Nabob: I would be in charge of all the other dj's etc
Ardentua Nabob: which was fine, I spent some RL money getting in touch with some popular uk DJ's for a possible launch night party
Ardentua Nabob: only to be told that the owners were making the DJ decisions and that the club was taking a new "commercial" turn with the music
You: do you have a club in mind for your future or are you still looking?
Ardentua Nabob: still looking, I am busy planning an event at the moment
Ardentua Nabob: takes up most of my time
You: oh tell me about your event :)
Ardentua Nabob: well its a charity event
Ardentua Nabob: funds donated in SL will be transferred and donated to a charity in RL
You: which charity is that?
Ardentua Nabob: I havent decided yet
Ardentua Nabob: its going to take the form of a large open air concert
Ardentua Nabob: 24hour's of Dj's
Ardentua Nabob: we have 3 so far but im still looking
You: what a fun idea!
You: just dance music?
Ardentua Nabob: just dance music
Ardentua Nabob: but all kinds
Ardentua Nabob: from funky house
Ardentua Nabob: all the way to euphoric trance
Ardentua Nabob: bouncing hardstyle
Ardentua Nabob: and blissful chillout
Ardentua Nabob: yes sometime in May
Ardentua Nabob: I plan on getting the lindens help with some of it
Ardentua Nabob: with it being a RL charity benefitting from it
You: okok hehe is there anything else you would make sure readers should know?
Ardentua Nabob: that Im coming to change SL
Ardentua Nabob: :p
You: i believe your exact words were "I am changing the face of SL by bringing a musical passion and a level of professionalism never before seen in SL."

I'll leave you with this: If you enjoy dance music, you will most certainly want to be there while Ardentua is mixing.

Fat Tuesday - Une Bonne Fete??

2006-03-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

"Fat Tuesday - Une Bonne Fete??"
by the Intrepid Gonzo Journalist
Note from Dhalia: We are lucky this week to have a special guest contributor. Much thanks to Gonzo (not his real name) who braved Mardi Gras and files this report.

Arriving in the "Big Easy" in a cloud of pink tafetta, I was greated by a vision of man with horns breathing fire. Had I mistakenly entered the ninth circle of hell?

Reserving judgement I walked over to a large square, being strangely drawn towards a curious looking blue monkey head. It had a little blue pixie dancing in front of it carrying an oversized glass. She offered me some sort of blue concoction which I quickly seized and downed in one gulp. To survive this ordeal, I decided I needed to ask for another.

As I was adjusting to my new surroundings, a man with blue hair encouraged me to dance around the blue monkey head. Could this be some sort of figure of worship in this exotic land?

The next instant it hit me; that blue swill was making my toes tingle. My feet started dancing as if they had a mind of their own. Soon I was encircled by a group of beautiful women, hazy long legged figures clad in varying shades of blue. They were dancing and exhibiting all manner of flashy jewelry including oddly colored beads. Was this some sort of ritual I was caught up in? Was I to be "sacrificed" somehow?

Putting aside the warning signs, I decided to keep medicating myself with the strange brew. No sooner had a I consumed another, when the monkey head started bobbing and weaving down the street. As if by some sort of mystical force our entire merry band was being dragged in its wake.

Looking up I saw the blue pixie buzzing around the monkey head. I decided to climb up onto what could be called its back for a better view. The boulevard was lined with pretty two- storied houses wrapped in iron-worked balconies. Throngs of people were waving and dancing. Many dressed ostentatiously, others seemingly half-dressed wearing strange colored beads.

Suddenly the monkey started bucking up and down uncontrollabely, throwing me aside. It looked as if it were entangled with a huge treasure chest. If that wasn't peculiar enough, the chest started spewing forth some sort of women's lingerie. Finally the monkey landed on some poor girl, after which she was unable to stop waving her arm. Oh, the humanity!

I thought I should alert the nearby policemen. However, one was getting in on the act, dancing to the strange swaying rythm of the monkey head. Further down the road was another cop in a squad car giving an imitation of Fred Flinstone driving, but, going nowhere. Were his feet really on fire? Was that his pal Barney up the street dancing? I needed to imbibe another shot of the good old blue liquid to calm myself.

As we rounded the next corner I could see the square where all the trouble had begun. Then poof the blue monkey was gone. All the laughing faces had vanished as well. As the music started dying down I could hear a voice screaming in my head:

"Where is Alice? ...."

"What happened to the Red Queen? ...."

Angelz High and Owner MaryJane Candour

2006-02-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

Angelz High Owner MaryJane Candour
Angelz High (49, 223, 27)
(Dhalia worshiping at the 6ft tall waterpipes)

When you land in Angelz High, the first thing you see are marajuana plants. This is not surprising since this sim is described as a place where smokers (and non-smokers) can chill and relax. I actually stumbled upon the place while I was looking for a less laggier place to play Slingo. Let me tell you, this sim has no lag!

I walked across the sim, passing stores of every variety, casino games, dance pads and camping chairs that pay more than any other sim I've seen yet, and always everywhere, the ubiquitous pot plant. Everyone I've met in this sim is so relaxed and friendly. Though the place has been open only 3 weeks, so far it seems to be drama-free.

A Slingo game began, hosted by the lovely MaryJane Candour, the owner of the sim. "Ive spent a lot of $L getting this place up and running, but its worth it," she said inbetween rounds. She describes her island as "a peaceful place for pot smokers or non smokers to have fun without all the drama. My island is lag free and has Slingo, Pizza, slots. Coming soon we'll have jacks or better, joker poker and a cannibus nightclub. Follow the leaves to the games; enjoy and most of all have fun and socialize."

The decor of the sim is... well... pot. If thats not your thing then it may not be the most well attired sim you've ever been to. Although it may be interesting to find out just how many pot leaves are on that sim! Curious, I asked MaryJane how long it took her to find all the pot textures and pictures. "I have had many pictures that I have collected and just uploaded most," she replied. "The club itself is a giant pot leaf, my long time friend from rl got me into this game and I let her put up a club free of charge."

"This place has been open now for 3 weeks and I have given away about 100K of lindens to all," MaryJane added, giving insight to her character. She is one of the nicest "strangers" Ive met yet, always willing to chat or lend a hand.

Angelz High is planning a Slingo tourney Feb 22nd, 5pm sl time. You can contact MaryJane Candour for more info.

As for me, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the personalities I met on this sim. The complete lack of lag is just an extra. I invite you to check the place out, pothead or not ;)

Tabitha Marquez, Owner of Beau Monde

2006-02-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

Tabitha Marquez, Owner of Beau Monde (Penrith 101,46, 33)
(Photo by Dhalia Unsung)

We met Miss Tabitha when we discovered her grand opening sale two weeks ago. Tie and I are suckers for new hair, so we had to check the place out. Her store is set up nicely; those with lag issues should have no problems. As of this writing, Tabitha has free hair of your choice for every 10th customer.

Not only are we suckers for hair, we're suckers for new designers! For 175L we bought ourselves her CrAzY hair; mine in red and Tie's in blue. Tie has a small head while evidently I have a large head and the hair did not fit. Not being experts at hair fixage, we IMed Tabitha to see if she could help. She was there immediately. Not only did she spend the time to fix our hair, she went back to the drawing board to make that particular style more universal for all head shapes; she promptly gave us new hair (she even remembered the colors we chose for ourselves) on top of all her other kindnesses.

We sat down with Tabitha Marquez to learn a little more about her and her new store.

Tabitha Marquez: have a seat!
You: Oh, thank you
You: I will warn you that we are just starting this out, we picked you for our first interview because of how kind you were with us
Tabitha Marquez: Awesome!
Tabitha Marquez: Glad to help
Dhalia Unsung smiles.
You: So tell me about how you found sl, why you decided to stay
Tabitha Marquez: Well, I heard about it on Fox News, Bill OReilly lol
Tabitha Marquez: and he raised my curiosity..and when I got here..I was instantly addicted, just like everyone else.
You: Im curious, what did he say about sl?
Tabitha Marquez: I really cant remember, tho Im not so sure it was good things.
Dhalia Unsung laughs.
You: What did you do when you first started playing sl?
Tabitha Marquez: I explored, met nice people..got a tiny apartment
You: And as you know, tie and I really enjoyed your hair, what made you decide to try your hand at hair design?
Tabitha Marquez: Well, I couldnt stand not doing something useful, and I am a hair designer in RL :) I also co manage this sim, and owned a large wedding planning business. !!
You: Was your wedding busniess rl or sl?
Tabitha Marquez: SL, very successful, tho the demands were huge, so I had to make a decision of what I enjoy doing the most.
You: what was the name of your wedding business? and that must have been a difficult decision!
Tabitha Marquez: Secret Garden Weddings. And yes, it was a hard decision, tho my hair is selling very well, and so that helped me decide in the long run.
You: I was just going to say, Ive never been in your store when there were no other customers, youve been open about a week correct? Is it going as well as you've expected?
Tabitha Marquez: We've been open almost 2 weeks, and yes..its going great! Better than I expected.
You: Well I have to say, your freebie blonde ponytail even looked good on me and I never go blonde.
Tabitha Marquez laughs
Tabitha Marquez: I get that a lot
You: Wonderful, you must be doing something right :) its always good to have positive customer feedback
Tabitha Marquez: Yes! I check in frequently with random customers to see how everything is going.
Tabitha Marquez: I have a personal motto: Making the world a more beautiful place, One head at a time.
Tabitha Marquez giggles
You: I believe you said you were going to put up so many new hairstyles a week(?) do you still have plans to do that?
You: hehe thats a wonderful motto!
Tabitha Marquez: Yes, and I have continued, at least one every two days or so, altho recently I have been updating some of the styles, changing them a bit etc
Tabitha Marquez: so that has taken some of my time.
You: I noticed more new ones there this morning :) How long does it take you to do one hairstyle?
Tabitha Marquez: It depends, usually a day, if its a big one, or curly a little longer.
You: So you find curly styles to be the most difficult, what is your favorite piece you've created?
Tabitha Marquez: My favorite and best seller is my "Celebrity Curlz," and actually mens styles are the most difficult for me.
You: What about men's styles is so hard Tabitha?
Tabitha Marquez: Well, for starters I dont have a man shaped head, lol, so I have to either become a man, or find a model. :)
You: And yes that celebrity curlz is really beautiful, I think Tie might have gotten that one :)
You: Do you have any plans for your store in the future?
Tabitha Marquez: YES! We are currently expanding. I have a clothing line coming out, and Danielle Maradona (who is an amazing designer) Owns PINK designs-she is expanding as well. We work closely together.
Tabitha Marquez: Her store is attached to mine
You: Oh really, you are branching out into your own clothing line!
You: Yes, we visited her store, tie is quite fond of pink :)
Tiernan Serpentine scribbles in her journalist's note book, "expanding... must visit!"
Dhalia Unsung laughs
Tabitha Marquez: Im starting small with that..but yes. I made this shirt in fact lol
Tabitha Marquez: Well, she doesnt have all pink, lol she has been working on oither colors as well
Tabitha Marquez laughs
You: And your shirt you designed is pink too, do i sense a theme? ;)
Tabitha Marquez: LOL we love pink :)
You: when can we addicted shoppers expect to see clothing in your store, do you have a time frame?
Tabitha Marquez: Well, the shirt I am wearing is out already,
Tabitha Marquez: and I fully expect to be up and running with more styles within a week.
You: Oh no I must have missed that this morning, sissy we're going to have to go back ;)
Tiernan Serpentine giggles.
Tabitha Marquez: We'll also be having a huge bash with door prizes and giveaways soon
You: I hope you will let us know!
Tabitha Marquez: OF course. Anyone who wants to hear the announcements should join the Beau Monde Group.
Tabitha Marquez: We run sales constantly
You: I know you dont have much time left, so I'll wrap up shortly, but where do you find inspiration?
You: thats great :)
Tabitha Marquez: My inspiration..hmm
Tabitha Marquez: I find inspiration everywhere. LOL, But I do this because I enjoy it, truly. I have fun.
You: having fun is what the game should be all about :) Last question, although you are more than welcome to bring up anything you'd like, Do you dream of becoming the most popular designer in all of sl? :)
Tabitha Marquez laughs
Tiernan Serpentine grins
Tabitha Marquez: Actually no. I just dream of being successful.
You: And do you feel you are on your way to success?
Tabitha Marquez: Yes. I feel that I already am. Im surrounded by amazing people here, that care about me-and I them, and they arent going anywhere. Thats what really matters, and as long as I find happiness with my family and friends I'm successful.
You: Thats a wonderful and admirable attitude, more people should have it :) I know you have pressing rl issues, so I wont keep you... is there anything else you would like to add?
Tabitha Marquez: I love you Sirus :))) lol!
You: Yes thats right, you just got married, we send you huge congratulations!
Tabitha Marquez: TY!
Tabitha Marquez: I'm so lucky :)
You: (That must have been fun for you since you were a wedding planner!)
Tabitha Marquez: We eloped actually...
Tabitha Marquez giggles
Tabitha Marquez: no wedding
Tabitha Marquez: :)
Tabitha Marquez: And I wouldnt have had it any other way.
You: Oh! *laughs* Well I guess you planned enough weddings for other people :)
Tabitha Marquez: Exactly
Dhalia Unsung smiles.
You: Thank you very much for sitting down with us, I'll make sure you get the link as soon as its up.... feel free to share with family and friends as well :)
Tabitha Marquez: GREAT! I will :))
Tabitha Marquez: TY two for coming!!

Tiernan's review of Beau Monde

(Ratings: Up to 5 stars for each section on which the store is rated - Style and Originality, Variety and Options, Store Layout, Updates, Customer Care)

Style and Originality: (4 star) This store has a range of styles from the sensible to the sublime, the pieces coming in a variety of colours which focus mainly on the traditional reds, auburns and blondes, with one or two more wild options. The range of reds available are particularly desirable and lustrous. Some of the styles are similar to those one can find in other stores while others are entirely unique, and all have characteristic touches of style and chic that the designer brings to her products. A free hair style to every tenth customer at the time of writing.

Variety and options: (3 star) Currently there are sixteen hair options to buy, all with between five and thirteen different colourings to choose from. There is one interesting punk style for men (or women) - a mohawk design which comes packaged with six colours. There are only a handful of demos to sample thus far, but at less than $200 each, these styles are very reasonable for their quality. All hairs come with copy and modify permissions but are no transfer.

Store layout: (3 star) A small store, minimally decorated and simply laid out.

Updates: (4 star) At the time of writing there were sixteen different styles available to buy, two of which were new within the past two weeks. The creator had also opened a clothing store and a tattoo store within that time (to be reviewed at a later date!)

Customer care: (5 star) Both Dhalia and I initially had problems with fitting one of the hair styles. The creator responded promptly and efficiently and personally assisted us in adjusting the hair, with a full refund, demonstrating both a desire to satisfy customers and to preserve a standard of excellence in her products. She requested and responded to feedback, immediately taking down the particular line until it had been fixed to her satisfaction - and then sent us both an update free of charge within the day. Overall, excellent service.

Coming Soon...

2006-02-13T09:26:00.000-08:00

Coming soon... An interview with Beau Monde owner Tabitha Marquez!