This sweater, like many of the new cacao designs, is inspired by African baskets. Their neutral colors include harmonious shades that will warm your simulated heart! A prim turtleneck and sweater bottom make it even handsomer. Mod/Transfer, like everything in the store. cacao...couture from the chocolate lands Main Store http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/197/170/27
***Market Stalls: The temporary Festival Market stalls were a big hit with visitors, and several of the vendors mentioned how pleased they were with their sales. Saminaka will be developing its Anioma sector with Igbo buildings soon, and we've relocated a small open market at the site. Solylence Houston has an African clothing stall, Feretian String a tarot tent, and Fanda Ryba sells drums and other items to support real life Ugandan orphans. We welcome other vendors with a zest for things African! 25 prims for 150 a week--contact Tamsin Barzane
***cacao Main Store: The main store for cacao will be opening this Sunday. This means that Cinnamon Brigade will be phased out, its inventory updated and folded into the new cacao--which means an expansion for Seven Cowries! It's a shuffle all round--some of the stock of African Art at Pangolin Dreams (on Robben Island) will move to Saminaka, as Pangolin Dreams narrows its specialties. Likewise, Tropicality clothing and shoes will in part move to cacao (with updates!) as Tropicality shifts its focus exclusively to beach and resort wear with African flair. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/197/170/27
***Kiko Life! Kiko is having a huge sale at her main store--MEN'S SKINS AS WELL AS LADIES! See her ad above; this is your chance to stock up on beautiful skins, as well as support a Saminaka merchant (we want her to produce some ethnic marks and cosmetic scarifications in future, so encourage a sista!) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kiko%20Life/209/108/1505
This is a preview of an item that will soon be available at cacao! It's a great embroidered Yoruba traditional outfit--short pants with a full skirted embroidered top, folded back sleeves, and a flop-over Yoruba cap.
We are gearing up with new African traditional and contemporary styles for men and women, preparing for the grand opening of our new main store on Saminaka this Sunday! For now, see the Hausa-style building and a few items--much more to come! See it at:http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/197/170/27
Sunday, Oct. 25 ALL DAY! GRAND OPENING CACAO MAIN STORE! cacao is finally going to open its main store. Tamsin has been designing and getting things ready in secret, so that there will be initial stock--clothing that is both inspired by Africa and that is traditional, as well as furnishings and shoes. Jewelry will be coming soon! On grand opening day, there will be treats for visitors, as well as Subscribomatic group members (hit up the sign in the store!) and there will be DJ's playing to let you dance in the store and have fun! The store's exterior is in the Hausa style of architecture, and a treat for the eyes! Get your LM at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/197/170/27
Ongoing, extended until Oct. 31. Saminaka's great Cantaloupe Treasure Hunt allows you to wear a new calabash on your head, this time loading it with half cantaloupes as you search through the sim for 20 of the fruits. They're all hidden near Nigerian plants, and pile up in your calabash as you find them. All located? Go back to base and touch the giant cantaloupe for a grand prize. All prizes transfer. Any that are gender-specific include both a male and female version. All prizes unique to the hunt, comprising clothing, furniture, art and other goods with an African plant theme. The starting point can be reached from teleporter via Saminaka's infohub tent, or at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/93/66/30
Ongoing indefinitely. Saminaka has a new exhibit about Nigerian plants. This slideshow features information and images of over fifty trees, plants and flowers, native and naturalized. Some of the information is surprising (Nigeria is the third largest supplier of peanuts in the world--outranks U.S.!), some is interesting (Nigerian henna use does not involve elaborate patterning). Enjoy finding out a rubber tree doesn't look at all exotic, soak up some beauty, and get some hints for the treasure hunt above! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/96/65/30
Ongoing indefinitely. Saminaka's MIDDLE PASSAGE EXPERIENCE is up again, in an even more realistic environment! Treet.TV kindly hosted it for months, but London's Kingston University has now generously provided space for a permanent exhibition of the African side of the transatlantic slave trade. It isn't roleplay, but it does allow you to try on the lives of ten individuals from different eras and parts of Africa who were seized and taken to the U.S. See it here (and take the teleporter if you land at the university's hub):Ongoing, extended until Oct. 31. http://slurl.com/secondlife/SolipCISM/4/253/24
***Market Stalls: The temporary Festival Market stalls were a big hit with visitors, and several of the vendors mentioned how pleased they were with their sales. Saminaka will be developing its Anioma sector with Igbo buildings soon, and we've relocated a small open market at the site. Solylence Houston has an African clothing stall, Feretian String a tarot tent, and Fanda Ryba sells drums and other items to support real life Ugandan orphans. We welcome other vendors with a zest for things African! 25 prims for 150 a week--contact Tamsin Barzane
***cacao Main Store: The main store for cacao will now be developing quickly, since the building is up and the Festival is behind us. This means that Cinnamon Brigade will be phased out, its inventory updated and folded into the new cacao--which means an expansion for Seven Cowries! It's a shuffle all round--some of the stock of African Art at Pangolin Dreams (on Robben Island) will move to Saminaka, as Pangolin Dreams narrows its specialties. Likewise, Tropicality clothing and shoes will in part move to cacao (with updates!) as Tropicality shifts its focus exclusively to beach and resort wear with African flair. Tamsin has been designing like mad--the grand opening will be later this month.
***Kiko Life! Kiko is having a huge sale at her main store--MEN'S SKINS AS WELL AS LADIES! See her ad above; this is your chance to stock up on beautiful skins, as well as support a Saminaka merchant (we want her to produce some ethnic marks and cosmetic scarifications in future, so encourage a sista!)
This is a preview of an item that will soon be available at cacao! We are gearing up with new African traditional and contemporary styles for men and women, preparing for the grand opening of our new main store on Saminaka later this month! For now, see the Hausa-style building and a few items--much more to come! See it at:
***Market Stalls: The temporary Festival Market stalls were a big hit with visitors, and several of the vendors mentioned how pleased they were with their sales. Saminaka will be developing its Anioma sector with Igbo buildings soon, and we're going to relocate a small open market there.
Solylence Houston and Nygela Paris are both taking African clothing stalls, and we welcome other vendors with a zest for things African! 25 prims for 150 a week--contact Tamsin Barzane
***cacao Main Store: The main store for cacao will now be developing quickly, since the building is up and the Festival is behind us. This means that Cinnamon Brigade will be phased out, its inventory updated and folded into the new cacao--which means an expansion for Seven Cowries! It's a shuffle all round--some of the stock of African Art at Pangolin Dreams (on Robben Island) will move to Saminaka, as Pangolin Dreams narrows its specialties. Likewise, Tropicality clothing and shoes will in part move to cacao (with updates!) as Tropicality shifts its focus exclusively to beach and resort wear with African flair.
cacao recently participated in Avenue's Ebony Show. Our first fashion show! It was a thrill to be invited, but I was going to pass, not being sure the outlay (for you have to pay!) would be worth the payback.
But I was seduced by the lure of the catwalk and all those teenage perusals of Vogue. Oh yes, child, I wore high style, personally sewn Vogue patterns through high school and college when every other girl had her jeans and T on! And walked through snow drifts in open toed stilettos, too!
I understand the costs. Lag forces organizers to rent a sim, and they pay for models, accessories, designers. There was an afterparty, there were photographers.
But where was I? Well, in rl I was out at the zoo, and a cute little sprite just didn't seem to deserve me rushing back for SL just when she saw her first gorilla...
So I missed it. These wonderful photos were taken by the Avenue folks, and it is fun to see my creations on a shot-hip sylph. And the Avenue folks were very organized, professional and pleasant, so I'm sure the event itself was a big hit, and I really regret not seeing it.
BUT...for those of you who have also been invited to participate in an SL fashion show and are wondering if it's worth it, let me just say this: it took place over a week ago, and I have not had a single sale since.
For my money, being in a hunt brings in interested traffic, though not many sales, and the single best grabber of new customers? Why, it is the economical Midnight Mania board.
They come, they click, they sometimes buy. And as for groups and notices? Do Vain--they're free, pending approval (which ensures quality), and they are the friendliest, funniest group chats ever--I never click them off! Rosalee Canning rules the roost with a wry and happy hand, and Vainers know where EVERYTHING worth knowing in SL is. You can't go wrong!
***The temporary festival market has been set up for Oct 1 through 4! Maybe you can snatch a stall for your African goods, if you move fast! We will be getting a lot of traffic with the Cantaloupe Treasure Hunt, so you can't lose! Specialty items galore
***Our new cacao mainstore has been built, its exterior a carefully-crafted Hausa building. Some stock is inside, but the festival has postponed its grand opening and new items. Stay tuned, since Cinnamon Brigade and Tropicality will be partially folded into cacao, the latter taking on a new direction....
***IYAWO is open on Saminaka! This fascinating store (formerly was to have been named Adire Extraordinaire) combines images drawn from the Yoruba diaspora to clothing and ritual objects from that diaspora! It's still growing, but orisha dresses for Yemanja, Oshun and Oya are out, all in Brazilian style. More orisha clothing in different traditions will be added, for women and men.
***Changes are still afoot for the grand opening of the cacao megastore on Saminaka, due to take place next week! For the moment, furniture cannot be found, because Gidan Magarifi's stock has been removed for the building of the new store--it will find its way back, in new and improved form!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
This casual outfit has a sexy bra top with an asymmetrical short flexiskirt made from Yoruba cloth. This aso oke, a heavy cotton woven by men, is made in narrow strips that are sewn side-by-side to make wider textiles. Indigo is a favorite, locally-made dye, and is used here in various shades.
***Oliha has returned from Nigeria, raring to go! His office on Saminaka will be accessible directly from the beachside, beside the new shrine, or through the Adire store. Be on the lookout! Hope to have it open this week
***VENDORS! CALLING ALL AFRICAN MERCHANTS! Saminaka will be holding SL’s first African Festival from the evening of Oct. 1 through Oct. 4. Its many events will include appearances by masqueraders, stiltwalkers and acrobats, as well as a decorated canoe regatta, a durbar with a display of finely attired horses, an African fashion conest, two (or three!) djed parties, a live musical performance, cultural lectures, readings, displays about Nupe culture, the horse in Africa, and Nigerian plants, a sim-wide treasure hunt, the launching of Ananse, an SL group devoted to African and Diaspora scholarship and more! During our last treasure hunt, our numbers were in the thousands. And what’s a festival without a special festival market? The big boat is coming down, and in its place we will have festival stalls, ready for stocking with African merchandise. Do you sell African clothes? Jewelry? Drums? Hair? Skins? Come and take a booth and sit back for a willing audience of strollers! Our prices are low because we really want your participation to add to the atmosphere: 125L a day for 25 prims worth of display, or 300L for the three and a half day period. Contact Tamsin Barzane for details; there will be a limited number of spots available, and we have about five already.
***Thursday, Sept. 10, 6 pm SLT. ADIRE EXTRAORDINAIRE! Adire has been a rather moribund store, but no longer! This Thursday, come and see the impact of Yoruba culture on the diaspora and the world, as Adire premieres its line of orisha ritual dress in African, Brazilian, and Cuban traditions. Visit our Olokun shrine as well, and be on the lookout for expansion in this area.
***Plans afoot in September. Tamsin is in a consolidation and new direction phase. Some aspects are still hush, hush, but be on the lookout for a new superstore on Saminaka, the cacao main store! Some of Tamsin's brands will be folded into this store, but that doesn't mean her off-sim stores will vanish. Kiko Life's cacao store will remain the jewel box it is, and will only carry the latest cacao collection, but Tropicality will change directions somewhat, becoming what its name implies--THE spot of African-inspired beachwear! Most of Pangolin Dreams' African art works will move into Seven Cowries, but Pangolin Dreams will continue to carry some art and artifacts while changing direction somewhat. As for the promised cacao superstore....wait and see! Its exterior will be a spectacular piece of Hausa architecture, filled with products you'll be eager to stock up on! Keep looking here for the grand opening date!
This lovely indigo wax print dress comes with two skirts: one is a smooth, chic, but still respectable short skirt, the other a two tier midi length. The longer version has a prim sash that's resizable by just clicking! And what could be nicer? Matching indigo wax print strappy high heels!!! Just the outfit to stroll through Abidjan or Porto Novo, or pack up for your trip to Paris! Come see it at cacao...couture for the chocolate lands.
cacao....couture from the chocolate lands offers this exclusive dress--only ten will be sold, so you needn't worry about seeing it everywhere. It has your choice of two flexiskirts, one in full ballgown length, the other a short sheer version. The bodice, sash and shoes are made from Yoruba aso oke cloth, hand dyed and woven. Prim elements make this attire distinctive, from its regal stand up color to the bow on its sash. It comes with matching high heels, also with a prim bow, and jewelry--earrings, bangles and armlets. Rock your world!
***cacao...couture from the chocolate lands, has released its men's line, chock full of prim details and African elements, but in contemporary styles. Come see at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kiko%20Life/234/114/1506
***On Thursday, some clothing goes on sale at Cinnamon Brigade AND Tropicality! Some current items will be reworked, and new traditional attire will be introduced, all taking place over the next two weeks.
***A small delay, but keep an eye open--soon a new publication at at Slate, Scroll & Stick--Olaudah Equiano's brief history. This remarkable Igbo man traveled much of the globe after being enslaved as a child and buying his own freedom--and his life as writer, speaker and abolitionist was a runaway success in the late 18th c.
cacao...couture from the chocolate lands brings you three dress shirts with prim collars and cuffs, as well as three mix-and-match prim ties. The ties are decorated with patterns from Zulu telephone wire baskets.
This--as well as all cacao products--is mod/trans.
***Preoccupied with her new boutique cacao, Tamsin hasn't done much in the Saminaka market--tsk, tsk. It must be time for a sale! Look for one later this week at Cinnamon Brigade--because there are soon going to be some new clothes and reworked details on these!!!
***New book coming late this week at Slate, Scroll & Stick--Olaudah Equiano's brief history. This remarkable Igbo man traveled much of the globe after being enslaved as a child and buying his own freedom--and his life as writer, speaker and abolitionist was a runaway success in the late 18th c.
Detailed bodice with interesting horizontal and vertical strapped back, its asymmetrical flexiskirt is made from Yoruba asooke, handwoven cotton cloth dyed with indigo. Get it at cacao:
Tues., Aug. 4, 6 pm SLT. Weekly meeting of Egbe Akowe Writers Group at the new Slates, Scrolls & Sticks, Saminaka's library cum bookstore. Join the group and receive its missives by hitting the Subscribe-o-Matic (doesn't add to group count) at the meeting location. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/174/194/30 or the Manatee Lookout Palm Wine Joint on Tarkwa Beach. Critique/sharing the first hour, then writing fun afterwards for the lingerers--if we get that far! The discussions have been preoccupying us. We have great meetings--come even if you haven't written this week and join the discussion and in-place exercises!
Sunday, Aug. 9; 3-5 slt. The REAL Grand Opening of Tamsin's new boutique on Kiko Life sim--Aug. 2 was just a preview. Hear fantastic DJ HarleyMC Homewood spin African popular music -- a fantastic mix of Afrobeat, highlife, hiphop, Congo music, remixes--not to be missed! The preview was an absolute joy! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kiko%20Life/234/114/1506
Ongoing for 1 more weeks--BUT it looks as if it will find a permanent home elsewhere afterwards. The Middle Passage Experience has been relocated outside Treet.TV's studios. With more prims, it is more powerful than ever! Foliage surrounds the paths you take from freedom to slavery, and evocative sounds reinforce the move from everyday contentment to horror. Make history come alive! At http://slurl.com/secondlife/Northpoint/71/68/23
***Tamsin is opening a new upscale boutique on the fabulous new Kiko Life sim. Called cacao...couture from the chocolate lands, its clothing is inspired by Africa. The first line was prompted by the designs of Zulu baskets, woven from colorful telephone wires. Grand opening party!!!! (see events)
***Market Stalls: The temporary Festival Market stalls were a big hit with visitors, and several of the vendors mentioned how pleased they were with their sales. Saminaka will be developing its Anioma sector with Igbo buildings soon, and we've relocated a small open market at the site. Solylence Houston has an African clothing stall, Feretian String a tarot tent, and Fanda Ryba sells drums and other items to support real life Ugandan orphans. We welcome other vendors with a zest for things African! 25 prims for 150 a week--contact Tamsin Barzane
earch through the sim for 20 of the fruits. They're all hidden near Nigerian plants, and pile up in your calabash as you find them. All located? Go back to base and touch the giant cantaloupe for a grand prize. All prizes transfer. Any that are gender-specific include both a male and female version. All prizes unique to the hunt, comprising clothing, furniture, art and other goods with an African plant theme. The starting point can be reached from teleporter via Saminaka's infohub tent, or at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/93/66/30
ngoing indefinitely. Saminaka has a new exhibit about Nigerian plants. This slideshow features information and images of over fifty trees, plants and flowers, native and naturalized. Some of the information is surprising (Nigeria is the third largest supplier of peanuts in the world--outranks U.S.!), some is interesting (Nigerian henna use does not involve elaborate patterning). Enjoy finding out a rubber tree doesn't look at all exotic, soak up some beauty, and get some hints for the treasure hunt above! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/96/65/30
Ongoing indefinitely. Saminaka's MIDDLE PASSAGE EXPERIENCE is up again, in an even more realistic environment! Treet.TV kindly hosted it for months, but London's Kingston University has now generously provided space for a permanent exhibition of the African side of the transatlantic slave trade. It isn't roleplay, but it does allow you to try on the lives of ten individuals from different eras and parts of Africa who were seized and taken to the U.S. See it here (and take the teleporter if you land at the university's hub):Ongoing, extended until Oct. 31. http://slurl.com/secondlife/SolipCISM/4/253/24
perusals of Vogue. Oh yes, child, I wore high style, personally sewn Vogue patterns through high school and college when every other girl had her jeans and T on! And walked through snow drifts in open toed stilettos, too!
e not had a single sale since.
***Preoccupied with her new boutique cacao, Tamsin hasn't done much in the Saminaka market--tsk, tsk. It must be time for a sale! Look for one later this week at Cinnamon Brigade--because there are soon going to be some new clothes and reworked details on these!!!
Ongoing for 1 more weeks--BUT it looks as if it will find a permanent home elsewhere afterwards. The Middle Passage Experience has been relocated outside Treet.TV's studios. With more prims, it is more powerful than ever! Foliage surrounds the paths you take from freedom to slavery, and evocative sounds reinforce the move from everyday contentment to horror. Make history come alive! At http://slurl.com/secondlife/Northpoint/71/68/23
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