Is it too early for Christmas? I know that in real life you can see Christmas trees and decorations two or three days after Hallowe’en, which is far, far too early.

In real life I’d consider today, four weeks away, to be far, far too early for decorating. Two weeks time sounds about right to put the tree up and the lights out.

But this is Second Life, where anything goes, so I teleported over to Eden earlier when I got a call from Howie.

While he gave up publishing SLN earlier this year, and hence the blog’s rebranding as SLN2, he was kind enough to provide Trine, initially, and then myself with access to the home he doesn’t use, but still pays rent for, specifically for the purpose of us having our own blog ‘home’.

The tree is up, and more than that, he’s affixed a new SLN2 sign to the wall of the building, so that our home is well signposted and if you’re sailing by on the Eden Naturopolis estate, you can drop anchor, step onto dry land and say ‘hi!’ if we’re around. A Christmas present from our continuing benefactor!

I’ve also been given some rights to allow me to re-decorate, so the furniture will go and it will take on more of an office look in the New Year (when the tree comes down).

We decided to celebrate this with a photo…

If you think I’m not looking quite myself, that might be down to different glasses. I’ve taken possession of a new pair in real life this week, and decided I’d update slightly in SL to reflect this new look. I’m not actually coping very well with them, if truth be told, and have been swapping between old and new for the past 8 days. I think I need to go out and treat myself to a new pair in SL so I feel more comfortable in my avatar.

So yes, it’s too early for Christmas, honestly, but it had to be done. I fully expect much of the grid to follow suit next week when we finally enter December.

Ella

I’m grateful to former SLN photographer Diane Toxx for sending me a photo which utilises the current group gift at Reel Poses. Entitled ‘Shake it’, it’s certainly a booty-ful naturist friendly pose. Group join fee is L$0, gift is L$0.

The photographs above reminded me of something…

…scuba diving at Naked Dreams! It’s a sim I’d not visited for some time, so I rectified that earlier with a re-visiting of Tess’s wonderful sim, majestic from the highest point of the island to the lowest point of the waters surrounding it.

Yes, as well as being an imaginative, beautiful build above water, you can get some scuba gear and search the waters beneath it, and although we’ve blogged this before on the original blogsite, it’s certainly worth blogging again.

Ella and fellow visitor Lee take in the sights of Naked Dreams

One thing I’m noticing is becoming much more prevalent at naturist sims is the number of avatars who imagine that signs such as this, which outline the sim’s dress code, don’t apply to them. I’ve no idea who the avatar left of picture is, but clearly she can’t read. Here’s an idea, folks. If you aren’t going to go nude at a naturist sim, don’t visit the naturist sim. Go elsewhere!

 Harry and model Justine try out an animation at Naked Dreams

Former SLN contributor Abi at Naked Dreams (photo from our archive)

Avatars take the boat from the main Eden landing point out to Naked Dreams (photo from our archive)

Abi collects her free scuba gear (photo from our archive)

Abi amongst the sea life beneath Naked Dreams (photo from our archive)

I’ve never scuba dived. That’s not strictly true, I’ve tried to scuba dive (not naked) but was terrible at getting the breathing right and abandoned the lesson fairly quickly. I just couldn’t get it, and the mouthpiece made me feel like I was going to gag. Lots of people I know just love snorkelling and scuba diving, but I’m afraid  that it’s something I’ll never truly live, so it’s great fun to be able to pop on an oxygen tank and go diving amongst the coral at Naked Dreams.

The scuba gear provided includes a wet suit, if you’re not naturist. However, as you’re on a naturist sim…when in Rome, do as the Romans.

Ella