Calla's Last Chance Sale & Flickr Contest!

I've marked over 20 styles down to half off, and after Oct 31st they will be deleted from the store. I'll also be deleting them from my inventory, so they will be gone for good!

Quite a few of the styles are some of my favorites, but they've been around a while. Or I've made something better. Like Fennel. Poor Fennel. It is one of my absolute favorites, and I actually like it better than Lavender personally. But mean ol' Lavender came in and took over the show leaving Fennel in the dust. And now Fennel is getting the chop.

In selecting the styles that were going to be cut off, I had this trip down my virtual memory lane. I remember making each of them, and what was going on in SL at the time. I remember wearing certain ones to different events. (I wore Candytuft to the grand opening!) I remember that hot-off-the-pose-stand moment when I first put them on, and the excitement of seeing customers squeal over them for the first time. I remember all of you who came in looking for something for a first date, or your wedding day, or the SL job interview, and fell in love with one of them.

So to honor those memories for me, and for all of you (because I've heard more than a few "Not ____! I love that one!") there will be a Flickr contest starting tomorrow. I'll be posting the details and prizes then.

Until then, happy shopping! Calla's SLURL

15 hour party and treasure hunt for Master Jeweler Graduates

Laurelrose Anthony is one of my fabulous customer service reps. She is also about to graduate from one of the most difficult courses in Second Life. (I know this because I looked into it quite a while ago and was too much of a tiny prim wimp to sign up.)

Only two people have stuck it out and are graduating this weekend, which goes to show how difficult the course is and the dedication required. I am so proud of Laurel and I cannot wait to see all the fabulous things she will have on display!

Please take a few minutes to swing by and support these two upcoming designers. They have worked tirelessly to improve their skills, work on their craft, bring their creativity to life, and they are ready to share their works with the community!

There are lots of fun things planned, including a treasure hunt.

Without further adieu, here is the press release.

The Master Jeweler Certified program is graduating its latest class. Two candidates have completed the intensive training. To celebrate, they are hosting a 15 hour event on October 5, 2008 on the grounds of the school.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Magique/34/216/27/

The "party" will run from 3am to 6pm SLT. The theme, "A Journey Back Through Time", will include music from the 90's to the 50's. DJs will provide the music, and later in the day, Elvis will entertain.

There will be trivia contests and a treasure hunt. Most importantly, you will be able to see AND buy some of the beautiful work by these talented ladies.

Come play, dance, shop and meet Albros and Laurel.

Lily's Leavin'

I'm taking some much needed and long overdue leave time. I've been struggling with personal health issues (4 surgical procedures in just over 2 months, and another that still needs to be scheduled) and I need to take some recovery time.

I will be back Oct 6. If you need anything in the mean time, please contact one of my customer service staff.

Store Manager - Katoria Stevenson
Customer Service Reps - Always Loveless, Laurelrose Anthony, Alyssa Gould, Sinnamon Carter, Elspeth Jewell


I will handle everything they aren't able to take care of upon my return. If you have a failed delivery, please contact Katoria Stevenson. She has the power to verify your transactions and resend items to you.

Lots of love,
Lily

Out t' sea

This mornin', I woke up t' "Mommy, Kenny spilled th' box o' cat poop." Some days be better spent in bunk. Wishin' ye could ship th' rugrats ou' t' sea. Days like today, 'tis actually encouraged!

Good thin' 'tis International Talk Like a Sea dog Tide!

Thar`s a fun wee seafarin' hearty name quiz here if ye want t' find ou' yer seafarin' hearty name. I stole 't from Black Ethel Kidd, better known as Shelly Toonie o' Moonshine.

Be havin' fun wi' 't! An' share yer seafarin' hearty names!

Here`s me buccanneer name.

My pirate name is:

Captain Bess Vane

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You tend to blend into the background occaisionally, but that's okay, because it's much easier to sneak up on people and disembowel them that way. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

What's your favorite color? And Inventory loss/issues - Customer Service related

I need your input! If you have a few minutes, please stop by and answer the very brief questionnaire. There are a total of three questions, the most important being:

What is the one single Calla color you can't live without?

I've got something I'm thinking about doing, but in order to do it I'm going to have to narrow down the color selections. So I really need your input on this!

There's also a small gift for you at the end of the survey as a thank you for stopping in long enough to give me your opinions.

Depending on how the survey continues to go (there's been some really surprising choices so far!) I'll hopefully be letting you guys in on more of the details sometime this weekend or early next week.

And aside from that, if you've sent me a note card in the past few weeks and I have not responded to you, please resend it! I've had some major inventory issues, so bad that LL had to run some "fixing scripts" on my inventory and restore me. They said "There was some corruption in it, which now has been fixed." Which I've never heard of before, but at least they've fixed it! But in the mess it looks like I've lost some things. So please just drop those to me again and I will do my best to get everything dealt with as quickly as possible.

Thanks so much guys and dolls! Have a beautiful day!

50% off sale, and Hair Fair styles out finally

Today is a very special day for me, one that marks a huge turning point in my life. To celebrate the seventh anniversary of this day, I'm having a sale!

Store Cards are on sale for 50% off TODAY ONLY until 6pm SLT! Grab them while you can.

After a week of fighting my inventory, finally all of the Hair Fair styles are now out! Here are the pics again:









I hope you have a beautifully special Sunday!

Awesome FREE Image Editor - Pixlr

My husband sent me a link this morning that was too good not to share, so he gets full credit on this one.

Pixlr

It's a free online image editor, that is by far one of the best I've ever seen. There's nothing to download, nothing to register for. You upload your image to the browser, edit it in the application (found here: Pixlr editor) and save the finished image to your hard drive.

It's got a super easy interface, and anyone familiar with PS or PSP (and probably gimp) will recognize the set up. You can cut and paste from multiple images, and can open several at a time to work with. It has filters and adjustments and all kinds of good stuff you'd never expect from a FREE online editor.

It's probably not great for making clothes and whatnot but it's definitely good for tons of other things. That said, they also take feature requests! So if you want it to do something that it doesn't, you can send them an email. The next release according to the image on their blog has a text tool! They're working on a red-eye reduction tool, and a patch tool.

The blog seems really open to communication and feedback, so I highly recommend having a gander there if it's something you'd like to learn more about.

Happy editing!

Flickr Winners!

What a difficult this choice was! After consulting with my staff, and mulling things over, we finally have a list of winners! The prizes will be headed your way today. Congratulations and a huge thank you to all of you who entered! There are some honestly amazing pictures and it was a very tough choice!

First - Phire Zuhra

Second - Casandra Serevi

Third - Bailey Longcloth


Honorables: Stephanie Alvarado

Ryker Beck

Most Gripping: Griptape Pro

L$ 10,000 in prizes! Last day to enter!

Today is the last day to enter the Calla Summer's End Flickr Contest! There's over L$ 10,000 in prizes being given away. You can pick up the details in the store or you can read about them here. Hurry and get your entries in!

Kitty needs a name!

Thursday of last week, the neighbor's kitty ended up in our house over night. Our two-year-old immediately claimed it as his. I spent all day Friday finding out which neighbor it belonged to, and Friday night the rightful kitty owner came to pick him up. Our son cried like his little heart was broken, and it was so pitiful that I cried, too. Needless to say, Saturday was spent on the great kitty hunt. We hit every shelter within an hour of us in every direction, and a few of the pet stores, and this was the only one that ranked as "Mine."

But so far, we're unable to come up with a name that our (very opinionated) two-year old will accept. So here are some pics, and if you have any suggestions at all, it'd be greatly appreciated! Kitty goes to the vet for a kitty check today, and they kinda want us to have a name for him.

Flickr contest!

The summer is coming to a close, the kids are going back to school. The crisp autumn days are just around the corner. (I hope!) What better way to celebrate the end of a beautiful summer than with a contest? I want to see your tribute to the summer, and of course, your favorite Calla hair!

Prizes:
* Grand prize: 5000L$ Calla Store Card, 500L$ Eolande's Accessories Store Card
* Second place: 2500L$ Calla Store Card
* Third place: 1000L$ Calla Store Card

There will be several honorable mention prizes, cause I'm just like that.

Theme: "Summer's End"

Go here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/708499@N25/ and click the Join? link if you're not already a member of the Calla Hair Flickr group.

Upload your picture to the Calla Hair group, and label it "SummerContest"

If your picture is not labeled appropriately, it WILL NOT be judged!

Rules:

* You must be wearing Calla hair (stating the obvious here).
* You will get extra credit for wearing Eolande's Accessories with styles that have custom accessories, and bonus points for wearing Calla skins or accessories.
* Editing in Photoshop (gimp, etc) is acceptable but not required.
* Tasteful nudity is acceptable, but please no XXX rated images!
* You may submit up to 5 photos.
* In your photo description, please include the following:
- Avatar Name
- Hair Style and Color
- Why you love this particular style
- Please also give other credits for clothes, skins, shoes, poses, etc & Photographer's name (if not yourself)

*** All photos must be submitted by Tuesday, August 31 at 11:59pm SLT ***

Photos will be judged by Tigerlily Koi and the Calla Staff. Winners will be announced September 3.

Eight new and a new freebie!

I put out four styles in the store Thursday night, and of course Hair Fair opened Friday. I've got four styles there, plus a fifth that's a new freebie!



The new freebie! You can find it in the store beside the cake in the cafe, and you can pick it up at Hair Fair, too! It's in all 175 colors, and has the Touch-to-Fit sizing.

Hair Fair Releases:


Clandestine has a slight vintage look to it, lots of curls, lots of class. It's very sweet and great for an evening out, or a day in the office.




Columbine is my Locks of Love donation style, and is my first ever Unisex style. This is...well actually, it was a request for "Pony girl" hair. But it makes an awesome mohawk-type style, so here it is. I've had requests for "the other half" of the style, which I will probably do in the not too-far-off future.




Dahlia is SOOO awesome! It's a Transitions style, and the sunglasses go up onto your head, or down so you can wear them. The glasses are based on the big style all of the real life celebrities are wearing. It's a French braid that falls into a loose ponytail, perfect for shopping on Rodeo Drive, or an evening walk on the beach.




Red Camellia is one of my favorites this round. It's got a hint of 70's disco to it, and a splash of Peg Bundy. The headband is color change, but due to the shine the colors aren't quite as true as they usually are. (So you might have to play with it a bit in the edit mode to get it just right.)

And in the store are these next four!



Fieldrush is one that's been on my to-do list for ages. It's been my "fan bun hair" that's been floating around in my head forever. I even tortured myself, I mean, tiny prims, to make the little dangles on the chopsticks. Maybe I can convince Eolande to make something pretty to add to them. /hint




Honeysuckle got a makeover! And it's by far my current most favorite style. I didn't change a lot, the base was there, but the top part needed some work. (Hey, I made it a looooong time ago!) It's also been upgraded to color change clips!




Hortensia is another Transitions style, with sunglasses. This time, there's a ponytail instead of a braid. It also got smaller, more chic sunglasses, which are color change! The frames change colors, as do the little gems on the nose piece. So you have 140 different color options for the frames, and 140 options for the gems. They work as all the other styles do, just type "/4 glasses colorname" and "/4 gems colorname" in chat. The hair band is color change as well.




Lily of the Valley got a make over too! It's been a favorite of many for a very long time, and deserves some extra love. It's a little softer around the face, with flexi added in the back for pretty movement.

Look for exciting news coming later tonight!

Group Presents - Free hair & a free skin!

I sent these out to the in-world group last week, and tried to send it out to the SoM group members too, but my controller bit the dust and I had some issues with it. But that's all fixed now, so I'm resending it!

In the box is an unreleased skin. It's a makeup I did for myself that I haven't released yet. I wore it in the RFL ads - so here's what it looks like:



There is also a Lily's Favorites pack of the new release style Ash. That has 5 colors in it, Auburns (Cherry Wood), Brunettes II (Mocha), Dirty Blondes (Honey), Dreams (Honey Brunette Highlights), and Reds (Golden Red).



Go touch the kiosk located at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Calla Lily/149/156/38 and view the history to get the gift! It's not staying there forever, so grab it quick!

At long last...

Water Willow...without the hat! I know! I've said for ages that it couldn't be done. Until now, it couldn't! I had a brainstorm one morning after getting the age old "Would it be possible to get Water Willow without the hat" question for the 5000th time. Here's Water Willow:



And the new, improved, with or without the hat Windflower:



This one is a Transitions style, so it's two styles in one, and thus runs a little more than the regular styles. The hat is different, it's the traditional cowboy hat opposed to the Aussie style hat of Water Willow.

When you touch the hair, you do the super cute animation and the hat disappears and you get the full, without the hat style. If you touch it again, you do the animation and the hat comes back. There was a lot of work in this one, and more sculpts than I like to use, but it was the only way to get the hair to work without a hat. (If you've ever tried to take the hat off of Water Willow, you know what I mean.) I'm completely thrilled with the results, and without the hat, Windflower is a very sexy, slightly disheveled style that totally screams "Yes, I was in the hayloft, and no it wasn't with you."

If you don't know, the styles are named for the meanings of the flowers. If you look in your Properties box, most of the styles will have the flower meaning in the description. In this case, both Water Willow and Windflower have the same basic meaning. Water Willow means freedom, and Windflower means abandonment - in the "to run with wild abandonment" sense of the word.

Then among the other releases is Ash:



This was a request from my super duper builder, Holly. She wanted a classic, traditional French Roll. So here it is! It's simple and elegant, exactly as a French Roll should be. Eolande is also working on something to go with this one, so keep an eye out for that. She's already told me what it is, and I can promise you won't be disappointed!

Next up is Butterfly Weed II.



This is also by huge request, and if you owned the original, you'll be able to notice the difference right away. I love how it turned out, and I hope that y'all do too. There's also a sculpted prim now, which smooths out the top of the hair considerably. (I'm very proud of that sculpt, btw!)

And last but not least is the sassy Bindweed II.



The flexi has been updated, it was still the old tapered kind. Bindweed never made it out in all 175 colors either, so this is the first time it's been available in all the color options. Bindweed will either be hitting the trash folder or possibly the discount section. I'm still undecided on that one.

So there ya have it! Four new heading into the weekend, and I am headed back to the skybox to keep at the hair fair styles!

Relay, Baldie, and Some Press

As most of you know, Relay for Life wrapped up just about two weeks ago now. Not only did we meet the total of the last four years combined donations, we surpassed it! And my own team not only met the 2.5 million L$ I challenged them to, they surpassed that, too! The Designers in Seclusion team raised just over 2.9 million L$ and I could not be more proud! As promised, I am bald!

Heidi Ballinger has managed to snag a pic and put it in her article. She was a joy to talk to, and happily it was under much more pleasant circumstances than the first time I met her. (The first time I met her she was alerting me of stolen hair, which she also mentions in her article.)

And, in case you haven't seen this:



That's me. On the cover of Second Style! I'm so honored that I haven't even known what to say. I'm still not sure that I do! But that means a huge deal to me. Second Style was the first mag in-world that I ever read. Heck, it may have been the first one in SL period! But to be among the great talents that have been feature-interviewed and have graced the covers of Second Style over the years, like Nyte Calligari, Elikapeka Tiramisu, Blaze Columbia, Torrid Midnight, Launa Fauna, Stiletto Moody...it's an honor that I cannot even begin to explain.

I'm especially honored to have been included in this specific issue which also focuses on Relay for Life. It's obviously a cause that means a great deal to me and something I've devoted a lot of time and energy toward.

I've never been so nervous for any kind of interview, SL or RL, in my entire life. Thankfully Iris was awesome and by the time it was over, we were both laughing, and I was slightly less nervous. For heaven's sake...it was SECOND STYLE!

You can click the picture to go directly to the pdf issue or you can check it out via the Second Style site.

Twelve 2-day ONLY releases for RFL!

100% of the proceeds from these go directly to Relay for Life. They will only be available until tomorrow at 10am SLT. They are 200L$ per pack, and there are six colors per pack. You can pick them up here: Calla

or here: Heroes 9

Bald for RFL!

A picture's worth 1000 words, so here it is!

649,275L for RELAY!

The Momento fashion show and auction ran an amazing six hours long! During that time, 649,275L was raised. That's over $2000 USD!

I cannot thank you all enough for the generosity, time, support, and most of all for showing cancer that it is not going to win this war!

Don't forget all of the jewelry items, including the Ode sets and pieces, and the artwork will be on display at Metro Models until Noon SLT on Tuesday. You can place silent auction bids for them up until that point.

Here's the slurl, so come on by now that it's less laggy! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Luxury/210/50/23

I know that more details of the event will be forthcoming from various sources, so I will leave the pretties for them to share with you. I just couldn't go to bed without expressing my awe, and my thanks to everyone who has supported us with this event! GO RELAY!!!

Much, much love!

Momento: Auction and Fashion Show Extraordinare!

As Captain of the Designers in Seclusion Relay for Life team, I would like to extend a personal invitation for all of you to join us today at the Momento fashion show and auction. Almost 50 designs will be hitting the runway and auctioned off during the show, including the last Fishook Dress.

There are also over 100 "Ode" pieces generously donated by Random Calliope's butterfly hunters. Among them are eight complete sets, and a "Shades of Golden" piece.

There are other hard to find, and one-of-a-kind jewelery pieces as well that will be on display. All jewelry will be auctioned via silent auction due to the overwhelming number of pieces.

I will be your hostess for the event, and your official auctioneer. I hope you can join us for this amazing collection to benefit the American Cancer Society! You can pick up a HUD Alaska has made which has pictures of all the fashions to be auctioned at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Calla Lily/128/110/35 to get a head start! (Unfortunately the jewelry just didn't make it in - again due to the sheer volume of pieces. Ode hunters rock!)



Designers in Seclusion Relay for Life Team and Metro Models are Extremely Proud to Present to You

Momento



MOMENTO: A Distinctively Unique Combination of Fashion Show Meets Auction.

The Exquisite, Metro Models are generously donating their time and talents to work the runway for what is sure to be an Unforgettable Event.

Highlights you do not want to miss feature Limited Editions, Exceptionally Hard-to-Finds & Original One-of-a-kind creations, all from some of the grid's finest Designers; Past, Present & New Rising Talents.

All of the items on display will be auctioned during a live auction during the show, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the American Cancer Society.

In addition to the tremendous fashions, original artwork will be showcased and also auctioned off during the course of the event. These works of art are donated not only from established creators but also endearingly submitted by a number of Cancer Survivors as well.

We invite you to join us as we Celebrate and Remember along with those who shape the face of fashion in Second Life.


SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Luxury/210/50/23

Calla is hiring!

I've decided to open to applicants for customer service positions within Calla. Katoria Stevenson is my store manager, and totally rocks. She's awesome, and because she knows the vendors inside out, she's able to quickly act anytime there's an issue with the vendors (which is usually my fault – if it's scripted, I can break it) and is fabulous with customers. So you will be working directly with her as well.

Always Loveless has also been on as a customer service rep for several weeks, and she is super awesome. She's friendly, and helpful and knows the ropes. She has great ideas and shows a lot of initiative!

If you are interested, the details are below. Have a look, and follow the instructions. I will start setting up interviews next week.

(Thank you to those of you from my group who have submitted applications already! I have been through them and will be contacting some of you this weekend.)


Job requirements:

~ Must be proficient adjusting prim hair (you will have to pass this test!)
~ Must be able to explain to someone else how to adjust their own hair (you will have to pass this test, too!)
~ Must be knowledgeable of the selections and styles available at Calla (see above!)
~ Must be friendly and approachable but not overbearing
~ Must have a rez date of March 1, 2008 or prior
~ Must be able to follow instructions
~ Must be reliable and trustworthy
~ Must be willing to share ideas, suggestions, and share customer feedback with me, Katoria, or both of us
~ Must be able to accept constructive criticism
~ Must understand that RL is *always, always* first

(More than one language is a plus, but is not required)

The first two weeks will be a trial period during which payment will be in the form of Calla Store Cards. After the initial two week period, payment will be 200 L$ per hour. Clock-in will be required and payment given at the end of your shift. You will also receive all new releases in the pack option of your choice. Other goodies and presents/bonuses/etc will be handed out at random.

Calla Customer Service Application

Please complete the following information. Be sure to rename your note card to "Calla Customer Service Application – YOUR NAME" and drop it in the mailbox by the front door at Calla. SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Calla Lily/128/110/35

Name:
Date:
Rez Date:
References (if any, not required):

Please explain why you would like to work at Calla and what assets you will bring to the Calla family:

Please list your (general) availability within SL (I will also use this time frame to set up an interview with you):

Do you have any other SL commitments? If so, please list them here:

Do you completely understand that this is never to take priority over your real life, and any personal real life commitments and obligations you have?

Suggestions, comments, concerns, etc: