Bit of a slowdown

Real life, including some health issues, has been intruding on my Sims time lately. I've also been working through some tutorials and Photoshop manuals to begin trying my hand at recoloring. Still, I have plenty of Maxis catalog clothing sets ready to be recoded to work for elders, and I hope to get at least one set published every week or so while I sort things out in my real life.

Abundant thanks to all of you who give me such great feedback about the elder-enabled clothing! It feels great to know that this is a gap that needs filling, and not just my own narrow preference for elders with a little more oomph! than Maxis programmers decided they should have!

January. New York. 68 degrees F, 20C.

I've experienced January thaws before here in beautiful upstate New York, but this is phenomenal. For the second straight day, the thermometer has registered nearly 70 degrees. For all you Celsius fans out there, that's around 20.

All the snow has melted away except for a few stubborn little icy chunks here and there in shady spots. It feels like an early April day here and Spring fever is bubbling. So what am I doing sitting inside typing this blog entry???

Happy New Year's Resolutions!

Time to tally your favorite resolutions:

Question: Do you intend to make any New Year's resolutions?
57.63% (34) Yes! It's a great chance to start over with a clean slate.
40.68% (24) No, I think it's a stupid idea. Nobody ever keeps them anyway.

Question: What New Year's Resolutions do you plan to make this year?
3.39% (2) Quit smoking
30.51% (18) Lose Weight
30.51% (18) Exercise regularly
8.47% (5) Watch less TV
10.17% (6) Spend more time with family, friends
11.86% (7) Spend less time on the computer
8.47% (5) Go to church more often
37.29% (22) Something else

Whatever improvements you choose to make in your lives this coming year, good luck! Thank you all for taking my poll, and for all your support and encouragement during the last year.

:) Gina

Your favorite Christmas songs

182 of you responded to my Christmas song poll and the top favorite with 25 votes was "Silent Night." Second place was a three-way tie with 18 votes each: "White Christmas," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "The Little Drummer Boy." My personal favorite, "Carol of the Bells," garnered a respectable 12 votes, along with "Jingle Bells." Thanks to everyone who participated, it was fun!

As we wind down 2007, I want to thank all of you in the TSR community for your support and encouragment this past year, both my fellow artists and all the wonderful Simthusiasts who've downloaded my humble offerings. I promise more and better things to come, and wish for all of you a joyous and abundant 2008!

:) Gina

For those who wished for snow for Christmas...

We got our first real blast of winter here in beautiful upstate New York today. Here's a view from my kitchen window: And another view, from my living room window: We're predicted to get anywhere from five to 11 inches before the storm moves eastward. Our little valley is usually well protected from the brunt of most storms, but every once in a while we get to exercise our shovels and see if the snowblowers still work. :D

Look, Mom! I'm an SA!

What a wonderful surprise this morning, a PM from Anita (Atwa) telling me I'd been made a TSR Select Artist! My guest book has been filling up all day with great messages and congratulations, and I've tried to answer everybody but the server upgrades have been getting in the way. So right here I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time to stop by and congratulate me. I'll do my best to keep getting better and give you creations worthy of space on your hard drive and in your Sims world. Happy holidays!

:D Gina

What was your favorite Christmas present?

For Ralphie, it was a Red Ryder BB Gun. For me, it was a Chatty Kathy doll when I was about six years old. Everybody's got one special present they yearned for that Santa brought them one Christmas. What was yours?

Poll results: What you want for Christmas

Here's what your hearts desire (well, 94 of you, anyway):

Question: What do you want most for Christmas?

7.45% (7) Bon Voyage
7.45% (7) Teen Style Stuff
19.15% (18) A new computer
17.02% (16) Snow
25.53% (24) Peace on Earth, good will toward men

And the winner:

26.6% (25) For my relatives to shut up about somebody my age playing computer games

I've passed your list along to Santa. Here's hoping you all get what you wished for, and more!

Happy holidays!

:D Gina

Wow! Front page at last!

What a sweet surprise this morning as I settled in, bleary-eyed with coffee mug in hand, to "mission control" (alias my little nook in the living room where my computer lives). There in my guestbook was a message from my buddy Tigerblue, congratulating me on having one of my submissions ( Nightlife Slant Hem Dresses for Elder Females ) featured on TSR's front page!

This is a real honor. The best of the best showcase their work here on TSR, and to be granted a place in the same spotlight is a genuine rush. I especially want to thank BlackGarden for her superb tutorial on "How to Extract Sims from Screenshots". I've been having a ball playing around with her technique and Photoshop's special effects, and I love the energy I can get into my previews now with action shots of my Sims.

I'm extremely gratified by the response my recategorization of these Maxis clothing sets has generated. I'm glad that so many of you feel, as I do, that EA/Maxis has really fallen down where elder Sims are concerned. Those of us who've seen more than three decades go by know that life doesn't end with the first gray hair. It really can get better, richer and more fun as time goes by!

Thank you everyone, for your support and encouragement. I do love The Sims and this community is a big reason why.

What do you think about my recategorized clothing for elders? Vote now!

I've just published my first poll ever, and I'm not at all sure I did it correctly. It looks pretty good, though. :)

I've published quite a few sets of Maxis clothes for adults, recategorized to work with elder Sims. Judging by the download numbers, there are a lot of people out there who think this is a good idea. I'd like to know how many of you agree with me that Maxis really falls down when it comes to elders. Maybe it's because none of their programmers are old enough to appreciate the beauty and dignity of the aging process.

What are your thoughts? Take the poll, and add any additional comments or suggestions here. I'd love to hear from you!