Rockin’ Out With Gabriel

Hey Fab Freebers! I was wandering around Gabriel checking out some of the great stuff they have in the store and discovered the MOH3 hunt prize… of course I had a little help (thanks Love!)  I am horrible at hunts and am always in need of help – with hunts.  The prize is this great mesh rocker outfit that I’m showing here (guitar and hair not included, but everything else is!) Gabriel also has some other great gifts for members and it is FREE to join. So if you’re in the mood to rock out some, head on over to Gabriel and snag this great hunt prize.. but ya gotta find it first!

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Cal’s Free Stuff:

MOH3 Gift – GB Rock n Roll Set (FREE)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GABRIEL/141/184/24

Cal’s Not-so-Free Stuff:

Hair – Teeloh by Wasabi Pills

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Coraline/206/135/53

Skin – Johan Tan 3E by Belleza

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Belleza/128/198/24

The Fisherman

Ah… what a beautiful morning for some fishing on the lake. So far, I haven’t caught anything, but I’m not ready to go home yet. Good thing I brought my lunch. Anyway, my fishing gear today consists of these great cargo pants and skullie shirt by Ruca Tease for the Color Explosion Hunt. Care and Love have already shown you a few ladies items from this hunt, but there are also men’s prizes to be found. The hunt runs until May 31st, and all prizes are free. More info on the official blog.

My hat is a MENstuff gift from JfL, bracelet is a group gift from Ronsem, and my earring is a group gift from ::GABRIEL::. These unisex sneakers were just 10L at Duh! and come with both black and white versions in the box. However, if you’re a new resident under 30 days old, you can pick up a free pair at the front desk of the in-world store.

At the rate I’m going, we won’t be having fish for dinner tonight.

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Gavin is wearing…

Skin - REDGRAVE Chris Tan (not free)

Shape - REDGRAVE Chris (not free)

Eyes – IKON Vanity Eyes Denim (not free)

Hairbase – REDGRAVE Tyler (not free)

T-shirt & Pants – Ruca Tease Cargo Pants and Tribal Skull Shirt (0L / CEH)

Shoes – Duh! Unisex Black Leather Sneakers (10L)

Hat – JfL Crushable Denim Hat (MENstuff group gift / 50L to join)

Bracelet – Ronsem Leather Bracelet (group gift / free to join)

Earring – ::GABRIEL:: Achilleus Pierce (group gift / free to join)

Glasses – [Steinwerk] Alphabeat Glasses (not free)

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Other Stuff…

Boat – {what next} Lakeview Row Boat (not free)

Thermos – [monaya] Thermos Bottle Spring Version (1L)

Burger – Pilot Burger Meal (not free)

Lunch Box – {what next} Picnic Tins (not free)

Fishing rod and pose by the  boat

A Day NOT at the Beach

I do spend a lot of my time at beach.. but occasionally I want to take a walk on the “wild side.” So I tossed on some clothes that I found at Lapointe &  Bastchild (L&B) and went in search of something scary.  I ended up in this old broken down cathedral that looked as if it had been ripped right out of the pages of a Scooby Doo episode… it was THAT scary!  It’s a good thing I had some nice leather boots on from L&B.. there were nails sticking up everywhere.. some with blood on them.  The boots were in two pieces so you could wear them with out the tops – perfect for wearing with flared bottom pants. The pattern long-sleeved shirt was open to provide a little ventilation in case I broke out in a cold sweat… L&B has a LOT of free stuff for both guys and ladies that are interested in “going gothic.”  I’m just showing you a small part of what is available for FREE.

Intrepid Adventurer?

My intrepid adventuristic (probably not a word) tendencies took over and I started wandering around the dark and creepy place. The music and sounds were creepy… there were visages of nuns (at least they were dressed up as nuns) with whips and contraptions that I’m not sure were designed for the comfort of their user.  As I was taking notes my boot stepped on something that caused a crunch… I looked down and backed up a step to examine the remains of the unfortunate soul who’s finger bone I just crushed…

Can I get you a glass of water?

I looked around and noticed other unfortunates that had experienced the same fate.  I calmly stood.. took a few notes and continued my research as I made my way back to the entrance… I did not bother to take any more pictures of the grisly scenes I observed as I cataloged everything I wrote down as I calmly exited from the grounds.  Perhaps I shall return and seek vindication for those lost souls another day…

Cal’s calm departure

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Cal’s Free Stuff:

 -Shirt – “Night Breeze” by Lapointe & Bastchild

- Pants – “Warrior Leather Pants” by Lapointe & Bastchild

- Boots – “Biker black boot” by Lapointe & Bastchild

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Evocative/128/130/29

Skin –  Jomo Halloween 2012 gift skin (still free for members!/0L to join)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Adrian/128/118/31

Eyes – Mayfly Deep Sky London Fog (Free)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Noul/201/134/651

Cal’s Not-So-Free Stuff:

Hair – Truth Liam Silver (250L)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Truth/155/22/35

Caution… Step Away From the Turtles

I was wandering around that beach that Love dragged me to for a photo op… and I came across an interesting sign…

Wasn’t sure what to make of that… as I drifted off to sleep dressed comfortably in the great shirt/shorts combo that is still available as the March gift at GizzA!  The group is free to join and they have some really great gifts for both guys and gals. I was awakened by some talk about saving the turtles at the beach.  By the time I had shaken the wool out of my head I had been deputized as a Turtle Protector o.O   Didn’t get a cool badge or anything, but I did chase off a guy bent on making turtle soup out of the poor denizens on the beach.  You don’t have to be a Turtle Protector to grab the great March gift at GizzA. So get your bums over there if you haven’t already!

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Cal’s Free Stuff:

Outfit – March Group Gift by GizzA (OL/Free to join)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GizzA%20Creations/133/112/72

Shoes – Mesh White Boat Shoes by Gabriel (OL for group members/free to join)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GABRIEL/128/127/23

Cal’s Not-So-Free Stuff:

Hair – Drake Sahara by Truth

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Truth/106/85/25

Skin – Johan 3E Tan by Belleza

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Belleza/128/128/27

A Bright Ydea

So there I was.. wandering around aimlessly through shops trying to recover from a day at the beach with Miss Tw… Love, when this Ydea went off in my head… mostly because I was standing in front of the guys May gift for Ydea group members. So I slowed my breathing down and wiped the sweat from my eyes so I could read the sign. It turned out to be a great outfit, featuring shirt, windbreaker, jeans, and sneakers!  The only thing missing is a .. well nothing is missing other than a place to romp around so I found one myself. The outfit is called “StreetBoy,” so naturally I went off-road at the beautiful  HumaNoiD sim to snap a pic of the outfit.  Get on over to Ydea and pick up this great outfit that is FREE for members. Going off-road is at your own risk

 

Cal’s Free Stuff:

Outfit – Streetboy by Ydea (0L/Free to join)

Cal’s Not-So-Free-Stuff:

Hair – Drake by Truth

Skin – Johan Tan by Belleza

Eyes – Kaliedo Day by Ikon

Friday GuyDay: For Men Only

FINALLY – a day off! I’m actually supposed to be taking Serena out for her Rez Day, but I thought I’d spend a little time relaxing at the beach first. Before heading out, I picked up these cargo shorts and tank top, the Men Only Hunt 3 gift from 22769. This hunt runs until May 31st, and all items are free. And you know how hard it is to find good free stuff for men!

Speaking of free, I’m wearing the new group gift eyes from IKON that Love showed you earlier today. Yes, guys can wear them too! All of my jewelry was also free; my earring and rings are gifts from GABRIEL (free to join), and my bracelet is a group gift from Chop Zuey (350L to join). My flip flops were not free, but are on sale for 30% off until May 5th at Slink. In fact, everything except hands and feet are on sale, so if you’ve been waiting to pick up a new pair of shoes, now’s the time!

Oh, one more thing: Katey Coppola of Glitterati Poses celebrated her birthday on May 1st, and is giving a gift to all of us! For a limited time, you can join the FREE Glitterati VIP group (not to be confused with the not-free, 500L, VIP group), click the gift board, and get 150L in store credit. If you happen to be a member of the 500L VIP group, or feel like joining, you can hit the other gift board and get 500L in store credit. So take your pick! But hurry – Katey said the gifts would only be out for “a few days,” whatever that means. And who doesn’t need a new pose or two?

OFFICIAL MEN ONLY HUNT 3 BLOG

May 1 – 31, 2013

HUNT ICON – A guitar (0L)

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Gavin is wearing…

Skin - REDGRAVE Chris Tan (not free)

Shape - REDGRAVE Chris (not free)

Eyes – IKON Vanity Eyes Denim (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Hair – SF Design Baseball Cap with Hair (previous group gift / not free)

Shorts & Tank – 22769 Cargo Shorts/Louder Than Life Tank (free / 0L / MOH3)

Feet - Slink Men’s Natural Bare Feet (not free)

Shoes - Slink Aussie Thongs (30% off until May 5th)

Bracelet - Chop Zuey Tightrope Men’s Bracelet (group gift / 0L / 350L to join)

Ring – ::GABRIEL:: Curb Chain Male Ring (0L / Facebook Gift)

Earring – ::GABRIEL:: Achilleus Pierce (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Glasses – *BOOM* Minimalist Glasses (featured @ Collabor88)

Pose by Glitterati Poses

Location – The Noble Storybook

From the Desk of… And PeKaS to Boot!

Greetings and permutations, Fab Freebers!

Ok, so this really isn’t MY desk.. Jac Mornington was kind enough to lend me his place so that I could log in and get some info for the Server Side Baking (SSB) stuff that you all have been hearing about. Love asked me to share what little I know on the subject with all of you since, if you’re reading this blog, you care about the appearance of your avatar  So I tossed on some clothes I picked up from the monthly gift vendor at PeKaS Urban and sat down to draft up the info. The clothes include snazzy pin-stripe pants with loosened suspenders, a tank top, sweater draped over the shoulders, and a fedora (not shown.)

Well.. time to get to it. I hope this helps. If you have any questions… please by all means, pelt Love with them (kidding!)

<Starts scribbling…>

Linden Lab has finished working on the Server Side Baking (SSB) improvement. I am not a representative of Linden Labs nor am I an expert (except in my own mind) but I thought I’d share with you my answers to the questions that I hear most people asking:

Q. What is server side baking?  

A. It is a modification to the LL code which will move baking (or rendering) of your avatar to the region server that your Avatar is currently occupying.  Previously all avatars were rendered on your client (or personal computer, Mac, etc)

Q. Will I have to do anything to my computer to take advantage of it?

A. Yes.  All viewers will have to be updated to use it.

Q. Do I have to update my client?

A. No, you do not have to update your client, but your avatar will continue to render the “old way” which means that there may be white masks for some parts of your avatar or clothing because some textures from  the SSB code will not be recognized by the older client.

Q. What viewers have been updated?

A. The LL Second Life V3 viewer will be updated as well as most major third party viewers. Check with your particular viewer website for updates.

Q What are the pros and cons?

A. Pros – Faster avatar rendering with less resources needed on your computer. This means your computer will be able to do things in SL a little more efficiently.

Cons – It will require you to update your viewer, assuming an update is available.  As with any change, there is likely to be some issue that hasn’t been discovered through the beta testing that may adversely affect your experience within SL.

Q. Why Why Why?

A. Because it will make avatar rendering much more efficient since now the baking will not have to depend on connections and computers of individuals which can be very laggy at times.  If you have a slow computer it will not matter to everyone else. They will see a beautifully rendered avatar  a lot more quickly.

Cal’s Free Stuff:

PeKaS Urban Rikko –  Monthly Guy’s Gift at PeKaS Urban (OL/Free to Join)

Cal’s Not So Free Stuff:

Skin – Johan Tan 3-E by Belleza

Hat/Hair – Hunting – Naturally Wavy by Argrace

Shoes – RG Classic Loafers by Redgrave

April is Not for Fools at Vero Modero

The day before a concert, I like to explore interesting places with an element of danger to get inspiration.  So it wasn’t surprising to me when I found myself alone in the middle of a burned out section of town, examining the “artwork.”  To try to blend in, I tossed on some clothes I found at Vero Modero in the guys free section. They wouldn’t do much good at stopping a stray (or intentional) bullet, but at least I looked the part..  mostly. The jeans and tank top hoodie are the April gift are free for members (0L to join!). The gift was posted in the middle of the month so I’m not sure how long it will stay there but hurry up and get over there just in case!

I applied a little powder to give my skin a lighter color (current free gift Caesar skin for members at Akeruka – 250L to join but they have fabulous skins!)  so that it didn’t look like I hung out at the beach all day – a pastime not shared by most of the denizens of the neighborhood. A young street waif wandered by wearing a garbage bag for a shirt and I couldn’t justify not giving him my shirt since I had plenty more, plus it gave me the perfect opportunity to show off the great Caesar skin is offering!

After spending a few hours absorbing the ambiance and gathering my inspiration, I carefully crept back through the dozens of rusted, broke-down cars and abandoned shops to the edge of town, and quickly caught the train to Solelua Beach where I would be performing a sunset concert that evening.

I changed into a violet jacket and clean t-shirt  (another free gift from Vero Modero)… something a bit more palatable for the concert. I relaxed for a few minutes and read over my notes I had taken while in the city. As the sun sunk  lower on the horizon, I settled behind the piano amid streams of gold and red rays and let my fingers take over..

Cal’s Free stuff:

Male  hoodie and jeans - April Men’s Gift by Vero Modero  (0L to members/Free to join)

Blazer – March Men’s Gift by Vero Modero (still 0L for members)

Rolled up jeans by Airflow (previously posted by Kyle)

Skin – Caesar gift skin by Akeruka (Free for members/250L to join) (previously posted by Serena)

Cal’s not so free stuff:

Hair – Teeloh by Wasabi Pills

Boots – Mesh Greenhouse Jumpboots by DECO

Tennis Shoes – White E. Chucks by Energie

Dog Day Afternoon

You know the expression, “Going to the dogs?” Well, that’s pretty much where my day has gone. In addition to the many, many SL problems, there have been family interruptions, phones and doorbells ringing, and numerous computer problems that have left me eyeing the hammer for a solution. I had so much trouble taking this photo that I finally just gave up and went with one of the few shots I managed to get. So I apologize for the goofy errors you see here.

Ok, enough whining. I’m sure you’d rather know what we’re wearing, anyway.

Gavin and I are both wearing the April group gifts from Vero Modero. Gavin’s outfit includes the mesh hoodie and pants, and mine is this floral print, mesh dress. The sleeves of my dress are supposed to have the cutouts you see here, but the additional little “hole” is a break in the mesh from this pose, which I didn’t notice until after I had given up on the photos. I didn’t want you to think it was a flaw in the dress, because it’s not (Gavin’s pants have a little rip in the right leg, but that’s supposed to be there). Our necklaces are group gifts from Chop Zuey (350L to join). I apologize that you can’t see the earrings hidden in my hair, and bracelets that Gavin is blocking, as both are free gifts for everyone – no group is needed! If you head over to the Chop Zuey store, you’ll be able to see big photos of both of these under the FabFree sign. Gavin is still wearing the free group gift eyes from Hudson’s Clothing Co. (free to join) that he had on here. The sunglasses are part of the Mr. Hunter Hunt v.IV gift from Shadow Moon, which Gavin modeled here. Oh, and Gavin’s ring is a free gift from ::GABRIEL:: – no group is needed, but you do need the special code from their Facebook page.

If you have ventured into the world of mesh feet/hands, you’ve most likely heard that many skin designers have released texture applier HUDs for the recently updated Slink feet and hands. I won’t get into the details here, since several other bloggers have already written detailed posts on the how’s and why’s of using them. But I will say this: I’ve wasted spent many, MANY hours trying to match my feet to different skins, and it wasn’t easy. These appliers are literally ONE click to match. It’s that simple! To celebrate, [:Tuli:] is offering these cute henna tattoo appliers for her group members (199L to join). These are actual appliers for the Slink mesh feet – not simple tattoo layers – and include 3 different henna tattoos. I still haven’t made the leap to mesh  hands, but in case you have, there is also a gift henna applier for hands. Note: these gift appliers only work with [:Tuli:] skins, and will not match skins from other designers (mesh feet are not included).

Ok dogs: I want my day back!

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Serena is wearing…

Skin – [:Tuli:] Elyse Pearl (not free)

Eyes – IKON Ardent Eyes Blossom (not free)

Eyelashes – *Redgrave* 6-Natural (not free)

Hair – Analog Dog Smitten (not free)

Nails – Izzie’s Classic Nails (not free)

Dress – Vero Modero April Female Dress (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Necklace – Chop Zuey Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright! (group gift / 0L / 350L to join)

Earrings & Bangles - Chop Zuey Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright! (free gift / 0L)

Feet - Slink Women’s Natural Bare Feet (not free)

Henna Tattoo/Applier – [:Tuli:] Slink Feet Applier (group gift / 0L / 199L to join)

Pose by Atooly (previous hunt gift – no longer free)

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Gavin is wearing…

Skin - REDGRAVE Chris Tan (not free)

Shape - REDGRAVE Chris (not free)

Eyes – Hudson’s Clothing Co. Gazing @U Dusk (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Hair – REDGRAVE Chris (not free)

Pants & Hoodie – Vero Modero April Group Gift (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Feet - Slink Men’s Natural Bare Feet (not free)

Necklace - Chop Zuey Tyger, Tyger Men’s Choker (group gift / 0L / 350L to join)

Ring – ::GABRIEL:: Curb Chain Male Ring (0L / Facebook Gift)

Sunglasses – Shadow Moon Invested (0L / part of Mr. Hunter Gift)

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Other Items…

Blanket, Pillows, Book – LISP Bazaar Little Beach Reader Set (10L)

Candle – LISP Bazaar Montmartre Votive (1L)

Thermos – [monaya G] Thermos Bottle Spring Version (1L)

Picnic Tin – {what next} Vintage Picnic Tins (75L / Lazy Sunday)

Dogs – Virtual Kennel Club (not free)

Friday GuyDay: Fields of Green and Gold

With all the new ladies here at FabFree, I thought maybe we could use an infusion of testosterone. So I made an “executive decision” and declared Friday to be GuyDay. It’s still Friday where I am, so I can just squeak this one in under the wire.

My outfit today is made up of a variety of freebies, group gifts, and one very good deal. First, the good deal, which is this mesh sweater and t-shirt by Kauna that Serena picked up for me at this month’s Collabor88. For 288L, you get 5 different colored cardigans, with 5 different colors of t-shirts. You can mix and match the sweaters and t-shirts, or even wear the t-shirts without the cardigan, if you choose. So that’s… what… about 29L per item? Not free, but not a bad deal, either. All items come in standard mesh sizing. You can’t have too many t-shirts and sweaters, can you?

Now, the freebies: these mesh jeans are the current group gift from [meshTheory]. The group is 150L to join, but there are quite a few gifts for both men and women out, and a new gift is available each month. My hat/hair is this month’s group gift from SF Design (100L to join). Both the hat and the hair are color change (and resizeable), so there’s sure to be something for everyone. These awesome mesh sneakers are a group gift from BalkaniK 2.0 (free to join), and come in 7 different colors/designs. Finally, my leather bracelet is a group gift from RONSEM (free to join).

*TGIG, folks. Enjoy your weekend.

Gavin is wearing…

Skin - REDGRAVE Chris Tan (not free)

Shape - REDGRAVE Chris (not free)

Eyes – Hudson’s Clothing Co. Gazing @U Dusk (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Hair – SF Design Baseball Cap with Hair (group gift / 0L / 100L to join)

Pants – [meshTheory] Men’s Jeans Straight Leg Tan (group gift / 0L / 150L to join)

Cardigan & Tee – Kauna Argyle Cardigans (featured @ Collabor88)

Shoes - BalkiniK 2.0 Vintage Sneakers (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Bracelet – RONSEM Leather Bracelet (group gift / 0L / free to join)

Glasses – *BOOM* Minimalist Glasses (featured @ Collabor88)

Pose by {.:exposeur:.} (not free)

Location – BCC, Cours

*TGIG = “Thank God It’s GuyDay.”