Strangetown extras: Family portraits, gardening, and reader participation + sims talk

[strangetomato]

I just wanted to share a couple of photos and do some sims gabbing about CC and the Kitchen and Bath Stuff Pack.

Have you seen these recolours of the Teen Style Stuff gym wear converted for adults by cloudlessnights on MTS2? I think they're really cute. Lots of nice colours and patterns, and it makes up for the lack of gym clothes in the game. I'm a pretty big fan of conversions like that in general, and migamoo also did some really great ones, including the clothing that Ripp wears right now in this story. Imagine that - a plain black button-up shirt! It seems like something you would take for granted, but I don't, considering how specialized a lot of CC is (and the Maxis stuff too, for that matter). Basics, people, we need basics.

Speaking of basics, the new Kitchen and Bath Stuff seems awesome to me. And it has clothes! Nice clothes. Argyle sweaters with jeans (Buck and Frances just heard that and looked over), and a nice sweater and leggings outfit. Yes, actually classic and nice, not trendy (I couldn't believe it either)! They've posted the item pics at the official site, if you haven't taken a look at them yet. It seems like a good SP to me. Lots of things that have already been done pretty well by Holy Simoly, but some new things too.

I only recently started using the hula mod, and I'm really liking it. Especially the still poses from the lot loading screens. I've always wondered how other people posed sims for photo shoots like that and now I know. I'm so behind sometimes. Anyway, I thought I'd share the results of my tinkering with the poses and moveobjects/snapobjectstogrid.




A little "family" portrait. Aren't they cute? Why limit myself to Sim Couple A & B, when I can pose three together!

You can see Ophelia's garden in the background too. She already has her gold talent badge, and Ripp and Johnny are both getting there too, just from occasionally helping her (the garden got so big that she really needs some help). Here they are in action:




Sure, guys. Why bother getting dressed first? Why not?


ETA: I also just noticed this new "Cottage Garden" loveseat on Holy Simoly. How perfect for Nervous' garden one day! :D The universe just seems to be aligning for me right now.

Also, is anyone interested in some reader participation related to the next chapter? No promises that it will end up in the story, but I'm opening the floor to anything that you would like to see come up in conversation at the dinner party with Johnny, Ophelia, Ripp, Stella and Jayne (within reason and character, of course). I have plenty of my own, but is there anything that you would like to see brought up? Just curious. Maybe I'm overlooking something good...

Comments

[ndainye.livejournal.com]

I'm really looking forward to Kitchen and Bath stuff as well, but then I'm a completest must have everything! They are almost getting to the point where I'd be willing to clean out my cc again (major project) and only keep Maxis meshes and recolors - except for hair I'd die without my hair.

As for the dinner party I'm wondering what Johnny would think about Stella and Jayne's relationship? The one that was hinting at with the spooning picture in a previous chapter. Johnny's a pretty uptight guy sexually, of course Stella and Jayne's relationship could be reflected as similar to Johnny and Phi's roommates that care for each other and that keep each other warm and seek comfort from each other rather than strictly sexual but with Stella's frankness and scientific approach to human sexuality I don't really see it that way. And I don't think Johnny would either since he's of course known Phi for in his opinion forever, long before the hint of a arranged marriage was proposed. Jayne may just see it as experimentation/curiosity but how would Johnny react to it?

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm somewhat of a completionist too, but I'm still giving Bon Voyage the cold shoulder, for now. I have pared my CC way back. I do have most of Holy Simoly's stuff in my game, and a number of recolours and conversions, like I mentioned, but I'm very selective outside of that. It's almost all Maxis or Maxis-like for me. It just suits the game for me. And it keeps things pared down, so my loading times aren't THAT outrageous (they can still be slow at times).

That's a really good point. Excellent, excellent point. And it does depend on how they approach it. Jayne and Stella are involved with each other sexually, and I think that has been pretty clear in the story, but they don't really see it as "a relationship", with Stella's mission being as it is. It might not come up, but will Johnny get the vibe from them?

[ndainye.livejournal.com]

I just kinda see Johnny as thinking that the choice is all his. That if he decides he should marry Jayne then they will get married. Realistically that's probably true but maybe Johnny needs to feel that he's got some competition for Jayne. Of course he already feels as if he's competing for Phi with Ripp but I think that's a different situation he knows Ripp and Phi much better than he knows Stella and Jayne.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Yes. Johnny is a competitive type, and that sort of thing would likely make a difference on some level, if and when he picks up on it.