Nearly a Year Ago Now

Oh wow, it's been nearly a year since my last post. I've been keeping pretty busy with my small business, Smallhouse Models.

I was devastated when I realized I couldn't finish my Pleasantview Renovate for my Creator Anniversary last July, but the project isn't scrubbed, it's just on the back burner. I moved out of state two weeks later and needed the time to pack. After the move it didn't seem as urgent because I missed the deadline.

I wasn't about to let another important yearly tradition slip past me. This year the calendar contest's theme is simply to embody that month with a sim in the scene. I've previously entered a January, July, and October months in years previous, so as an added challenge to myself, I can't repeat months I've done in years past. This year I got the idea to depict Groundhog's Day, so that's what I did. Move over Valentine's Day, you are so overdone.

6 Years Creating for Sims

Today marks my 6 year Creator Anniversary, and as always, I've uploaded something special. This is also my 160th upload. Some of my favorite things to mod in TS2, are bodyshop stuff, so it was a fun project to work out custom pet markings. For some strange reason, that was never figured out. The reason I chose to tackle this project (instead of my other much larger secret project) was that on July 3, my dear Bootsie Cat died. She'd been sick with stomach cancer for a long time, and it was finally time for her to go.

My favorite part of my sim version of her is either the custom eyeliner marking I made just for her, or the very subtle changes in the grey color of her coat. While she is mostly a solid grey cat, there are tons of layers in there to change the grey from lighter by her tummy to darker on her back to even darker on her tail. The white tip on her tail is another custom marking. See the full post with more pictures here!

Upping the Contest Houses in Preparation for Creator Anniversary

In preparation for my 6th Creator Anniversary, I'm trying to upload the past 10 contest houses quickly, but with all the CC that I was using haphazardly for the contest, its taking me a bit longer to track down credit for some things. Other houses just have a ridiculous amount to begin with and I am trying to reduce, reuse, and recycle some of it.

I've always tried to have my creator anniversary post fall on certain round numbers. My first was on my 100th, second on 118th, third on 129th, fourth on 137th, and fifth on 150th. Okay, so maybe I didn't try all that hard, but some of them did, and I'd like my 6th to be on 170. I'm currently at 157, with 2 more houses from Pleasantview to toss up, then 5 from Veronaville. That should put me at 164. Here's some spoilers: for my 6th Creator Anniversary, I think I'm going to make 6 posts. That will put the final one at 170. I only have a month left at this point, so I don't know if I'll manage it, but I'm going to try. My boyfriend and littlest sister have both offered to help me with my project, so there is still hope I suppose. The biggest road block at the moment is getting these last seven houses up. Why didn't I do them during the contests?!? I've just got to knuckle down and push!

Upcoming Creator Anniversary!

Goodness, how time flies! May is nearly done and June upon us! Halfway through July is my Creator Anniversary, and I always release something interesting in celebration of that! Now, let's see. I have a month and a half, are any of these projects far enough along to be finished by then? .... <goes looking through blog posts and projects folder> Hmm. No. Not really. Well, drat.

Now what? What is something easy, but festive enough for the occasion? Something I can possible pull off in the month and a half I have left. Something to help commemorate the six years I've been creating and uploading to MTS. Something that shows how appreciative of everyone over the years. Hmm, what to do...

Yes, that's it! That's what I'll do!

3 Year Anniversary Project

So my third creator anniversary is coming up this monday, the 19th. As is my usual style, I'm making a celebration upload for it. It's been on my to-do list forever to make more swings. Somehow that ended up into a full blown playground set. And yet, no additional swings....

Playground Set

Anyways, if you are interested in my trials and tribulations with this project, I have a very lovely lengthy thread over in Object Repair Workshop about it.

I've also been working on columns, a merry-go-round, and a drinking fountain. Still in the plan are animated flags and toddler bouncy rides. If I can get it worked out over the weekend, I also might be able to include some toddler swings, no promises though.

1 Year of Phae Creations!!!!

Today is exactly one year after my very first upload! I guess that means its my creator birthday? Anyways, I'm celebrating it with my 100th upload (also an achievement to be celebrated)! If when I started out someone told me that I would learn everything I have, be able to do all that I can do now, be Featured AND hired on as Staff within a year I probably would have choked to death laughing at the possibility. Yet here I am standing tall and proud of my achievements. I hope that I've been an inspiration to others to learn how to create things for themselves and hopefully get up the confidence to create and post for the benefit of others.