Category Archives: Awards and Such

Moar Questions!

Because I know you’re all dying to learn more about me. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself when I want to feel important 😛

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Belated Awards Post

So, Gryffindork and DSLady’s mega awards posts led me to remember that I had another nomination, and completely spaced on posting about it.

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Leibstered!

It’s been a while since we’ve had one of these awards go around, and though I haven’t had much time to play lately, I figured I could spend 10 minutes answering some questions. Always love getting to know fellow bloggers. And I adore the new pic!

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Golden Plumbob Nominations

The Golden Plumbobs are on again, on the boolprop forums, and my Rourkes have been nominated for a couple of awards! I am so beyond thrilled to be nominated, so thanks to whoever nominated me.

The full list of nominations is here – while I would love for you guys to vote for me, there are a bunch of strong options. If nothing else, it’s expanding my reading list.

This legacy has been nominated for (links to voting pages):

And I was also nominated for Most Helpful, which is really interesting (and amazing!); here I was thinking I should participate in the forums more.

So go and vote, and if you’re not already a member – why not? Come join the fun (now I sound like a commercial…)

Oh, and I will have a new chapter up soon, I promise!

Sunshine!

No, it’s not a new post, but one is on the way!

This post is to acknowledge the FIVE nominations I received for the Sunshine Blogger award. OMG, guys, I seriously don’t know what to say, other than THANK YOU! I know I’m not the funniest blogger out there, and my sims don’t have as much character as some others, so I’m so so glad that you like them.

Umbra, Earthqueenami, meg, cyanyx and dawnstar thanks so much!

Sunshine Blogger

Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and add a link to their blog.
  2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
  3. Nominate 11 bloggers and add their links.
  4. Notify the bloggers you included.
  5. Keep the rules in your post.

Questions (strap in, there are lots):

From Umbramuse:

1. Hi, how are you?:)

Run off my feet with work and uni, but doing pretty well, considering 🙂

2. I’ve had the misfortune of having Avril Lavigne’s “Hello Kitty” stuck in my head for the last three days. Has a certain catchy tune been on your mind lately?

I’ve been binge watching the Olympics a lot (such a sports nut), so the Olympic theme song is always on. It’s not brilliant, which makes it even more annoying when it gets stuck in your head.

3. If you could only eat one meal, three times a day, for the rest of your life (cost and calories not an issue) what would it be?

…tough one. Probably spaghetti/pasta bolognaise. It’s my absolute favourite pasta dish, and I never get tired of it.

4. Is there one thing you wish you could go back and change in your Sim challenge/story/legacy?

Hmm, not really. Certain things in my ISBI haven’t gone the way I’d have liked them to, but that’s the nature of the challenge.

5. What tv show have you recently binge-watched or what book have you recently blazed through?

I have been blazing through the Chess Team series by Jeremy Robinson. And been binge (re-)watching Greys Anatomy – just started S10 last night.

6. Go anywhere fun over the summer? (Staying home can count as fun.)

Here down under we’re coming to the end of winter, so no long break 🙂 Planning a holiday for when it’s a bit warmer, though.

7. Is there a new game/show/movie/book you’re really looking forward to this year or the next? If so, what is it?

Fantastic Beasts!

8. If you had a chance to instantly learn any language in the world and speak/understand it fluently, what would it be?

It’s a cliche, but I would love to learn Spanish. My dad is Chilean, and his half of the family all speak it fluently. I know a lot of words – mostly food and numbers – but I’d love to be about to form proper sentences.

9. Right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous? (Where my lefties at?)

Right-handed, left-eye dominant, ambidextrous with kicking a soccer/football 😀

10. Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? (Read: Umbra got lazy and is quoting lyrics from a Carpenters song…she’s also referring to herself in the third person. What a moron.)

My pockets are full of bread!

11. And finally, for you crazy kids and your Pokemans: Mystic, Valor, Instinct, or ‘forget that, the real question is Sun or Moon’?

Mystic! Probably Moon, though I haven’t played a new game since Black & White.

 

Earthqueenami’s:

1. Who or what inspired you to start writing a Sims blog?

A combination of reading the Chimeree legacy and the lovely responses I received from my comments on other people’s blogs. I wanted to be part of the Sims community and share my game.

2. Do you have a favorite townie in any of the games? If so, why are they your favorite?

Not really, I don’t often play the townies.

3. What’s your favorite song (or songs) at the moment?

Loving Delta Goodrem’s Enough. She has such an amazing voice, and is absolutely gorgeous.

4. What’s your favorite Disney movie?

Tie between Mulan and Aladdin. I love the songs in both, and the storylines – neither has helpless princesses!

5. What is/was your favorite subject in school? Why?

Science, probably because I had a couple of brilliant teachers who made learning great fun.

6. If you could live inside of the world of any fandom, which would you choose?

Interesting question… I haven’t experienced all that many fandoms, but maybe Glee? They aren’t afraid to make fun of themselves, and they’re very open to different ‘ships.

7. If you could be any life state from TS3, which would you want to be?

Witch, definitely. Being able to clean the entire house with a wave of my wand would be amazing!

8. Which Olympic sport do you enjoy watching the most?

Artistic gymnastics! The USA girls are amazing.

9. Are you more of a cat person or a dog person?

Dog person, definitely.

10. Why is a raven like a writing desk?

They can both create murders 😉

 

meg’s questions (sorry, skipping the story question, it’s way too late for that):

2. What is the strangest dream you can remember?

I don’t often remember dreams, but there was one about two competing camp groups who ended up banding together to escape a murderous camp supervisor – who was the father of one of the campers and killed his son after they lost a game of water polo.

3. If you could live inside a video game as an NPC, which would you choose?

I don’t really play any video games other than Sims/Pokemon, so I guess Sims. NPCs in Pokemon have no life.

4. What is your biggest pet peeve?

I’m Grammar Nazi, so I really hate grammar errors like your/you’re and their/they’re. Also extra apostrophes in plurals!

5. If you had to choose anyone (alive or deceased) to be your roommate, who would you choose?

Robert Downey Jr. Pretty and funny 😀

6. What is the last book that you read?

I finished Karin Slaughter’s Fallen yesterday 🙂

7. If the main character from the last TV show you watched tried to kill you, would they succeed?

The last show I watched was Grey’s Anatomy, which has about 10 MCs, so probably, by sheer weight of numbers.

8. What is something (book, movie, game, etc.) that you will never get bored of?

Harry Potter series. Or the Newsflesh series.

9. If you could have a home built in any style, which would you choose?

I’m not really familiar with housing ‘styles’, but I do like the modern look, so let’s go with that.

10. If you could only listen to one musician for the rest of your life, who would you choose?

Gawd… either Kelly Clarkson or Good Charlotte. This week, at least.

11. What do you enjoy most about this community?

How encouraging and open everyone is, no exclusive cliques here (outside of MATY, that is ;))

 

Cyanyx’s questions:

1. If you could live in the universe your stories take place in/ that your sims live in, would you?

Nope. I like my townies to have their own dreams and free will.

2. What’s your dream job (one that actually exists in the real world)?

I have no clue, it changes week to week. I like what I do now well enough, but it’s not really my dream.

3. What’s your favorite song, or your favorite band/singer?

See above questions, current fave song and fave artist are both there.

4. What’s your writing process?  Do you do anything unusual or funny while writing or to come up with ideas?

No, but I do have to be in a mood to write, otherwise the words won’t flow.

5. Any funny or weird facts about yourself or someone you know?  If you can’t think of anything, put a quote or a picture of a cute animal here.

I have webbed toes. My second and third toes are connected with skin, right up to the toenail.

6.  If you could live anywhere for the rest of your life, whether it’s real or not, where would you go?

I absolutely love Venice and New York. Either of those will do 🙂

Or a world where Hogwarts is real, that would be awesome.

7. Favorite quote?  If you don’t have one or can’t think of anything, put whatever you want in this space.

“He who dies with the most toys is…nonetheless, still dead.”

“Whoever said nothing is impossible has never tried to slam a revolving door.”

8. Is there a movie or book character you’d like to become (it’d be permanent)?  If so, who?

Iron Man! Or any of the kids in Gryffindor 😛

9. Do you have any pet peeves?  Is there something in particular that annoys you?

See above, regarding Grammar Nazi.

10. How did you get into writing your blog, or writing in general?

I used to write fan fiction in my teens and early 20s, but work and uni sucked a lot of the imagination out of me. So now I need the pictures to help me tell a story.

11. If you could be the best in the world at one thing (such as playing a specific instrument, playing a specific sport, or painting), what would you pick?

I’d prefer to be good at a bunch of things, too much of one thing isn’t good for the soul. …nope, can’t think of just one thing I’d like to be the best at.

 

Dawnstar’s questions:

1.  Red or Blue? Jedi or Sith?

Red! And Jedi 😛

2. You open a book and are whisked away to the world of your dreams. What book is it?

Harry Potter, of course 😀

3. You have to pick one to play for the rest of your life. Sims 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Three!

4. Who’s your favorite character from your blog?

Hmm, tough choice, I love all my heirs so much. Probably Cosette or Seaweed. They are both such great character.

5. Old Ghostbusters or New Ghostbusters?

Not seen either, but the trailer for the new one looks terrible, so I’ll pick the Old.

6. What time does the Narwhal bacon?

0300 hours

7. What is your ideal day of relaxation?

Sleep in, have the entire day to myself, no-one else around, so I can read and play sims and watch movies.

8. What is the funniest or scariest glitch you’ve seen in-game?

I consistently have the stretchy demon toddler glitch when a parent reads the toddler to sleep. It’s terrifying. And strange, because I have legit copies of all the games, so not sure why that one animation doesn’t work.

Another scary/annoying glitch was the one where a female child wouldn’t age up, then reset as a face one. Happened in both this blog and my WYDC. It’s the reason I always save every sim to the bin after each age makeover.

9. Who was your blog sensei? AKA Who influenced you to start a sims blog?

Heather of the Zale ISBI, she was my first friend in this community and was so encouraging in the beginning.

10. Do you know who Llandros is?

No…but now I have to Google!

11. What’s one thing you wish EA would come back and fix in The Sims 3?

The instability. Is it that hard to make a game with fewer bugs???

 

Nominations – I don’t want to double/triple up on other people’s nominations, so only have a few:

  1. Scatterday Matriarchy by Emily Whalers
  2. Moonwisp Chronicles by Voguishstorm
  3. Colorful Insanity by crazyleo
  4. Ultimate Rainbowcy by SgtSunflower
  5. Zale ISBI by Heather
  6. Berries of Insanity by Chazy
  7. Insanity Family by MichelleLynn

 

My Questions:

  1. What habit do you have that you would really like to break?
  2. Marvel or DC?
  3. What wild animal would you like to have for a pet? Why?
  4. Favourite guilty pleasure?
  5. If you could mash up two movies together, which would they be?
  6. Do you play mobile games? If so, what’s your favourite and why?
  7. If you could win an Olympic medal, what sport would it be for?
  8. Favourite movie villain?
  9. Would you prefer to pay for a game upfront, or pay to unlock areas/content later?
  10. Vanilla or chocolate?
  11. Who is your least favourite sim in your story/legacy/challenge?

Animal Award!

 animal

I got nominated for a Spirit Animal Award! Jenn (Dreamsicle BISBI, among many others) nominated me for this blog; go check out her blogs if you haven’t already.

My other blog, Young BISBI also got nominated, so I’m going to use the same post and nominations – we’re all going around in circles with being nominated multiple times anyway.

As ixot said, so much more eloquently than I, in her post, there have been some objections to the use of the term “spirit animal”, thus I have chosen to just go with her Animal Award (though I also debated Patronus…and couldn’t be bothered to find make a new picture for the Patronus Award, so Animal it is!).

Spirit Animal Blog Award Acceptance Rules:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, and link back to their page.
  2. Post the award picture on your blog (I’m using ixot’s Animal picture, instead of the totem one, but still valid!)
  3. Write a short paragraph about yourself and what your blog means to you.
  4. If you could be any animal, what would it be?
  5. Pick and notify ten nominees

About Me:

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, I’m currently working as a demand planner, which requires lots of analysis and Excel spreadsheets and not so much interaction with other people. Which is great, because I’m a huge introvert (hmm, reading some of these other award posts, it seems we simmers are often introverts…maybe it’s the video game thing). I love reading and gaming and prefer talking to people via text or instant message rather than in person. I don’t make friends easily, and feel awkward in social situations, thus love finding a place in online communities, where we are often similar in this way.

My Animal:

So I took a couple of totally legit-looking quizzes about spirit animals and patronuses and the like, because I’ve never really considered this question.

However, I did come to the conclusion that my spirit animal/patronus should be a rabbit:

rabbit

Rabbits tend to be quiet and shy around others, especially new people. But they’re also smart and alert, and adorable (okay, maybe that last part isn’t so applicable). They are good at reading people, and can tell who to trust.

Nominees:

So many of my fave blogs have already been nominated; luckily, I read a million blogs, so have plenty of options 🙂

  1. Tart ISBI by Jenn.
    I’ve been watching Jenn deal patiently (for the most part) with these idiots since I first joined the simming community. Jenn is one of those simmers who won’t give up on a legacy/challenge, even when the instability of the game corrupts sims and save files. She’s amazing, and her simmies are always absolutely gorgeous, to boot. Anyone who hasn’t read her stuff should definitely check it out – she’s done so many challenges, there is bound to be one everyone likes.
  2. Zale ISBI by Heather.
    The first simmer whom I spammed with comments, and one of the first to take me into the into the fold of bloggers. The Zale ISBI is the first Alphabet ISBI, and is going strong past 10 generations! What I love most about this blog is the enjoyment of the game that comes through in every post.
  3. Mendeleev ISBI by theamazinggrey.
    What began as a normal legacy with the periodic table as a naming theme has evolved into an ISBI once the first 10 generations were finished. Always laughs a plenty in this game; not least because these guys come up with some of the most entertaining glitches ever.
  4. Evans Epic Challenge by Livy.
    There are only a few blogged Epic challenges, so naturally, I had to pick one. This began in Dragon Valley, and so we have all the fun of the multicoloured townies. I also just discovered (literally while notifying Livy on her blog) that the chapter titles are all based around that generation’s challenge, which is so cool!
  5. Moonwisp Chronicles by vougishstorm.
    An ISBI Alphabetcy, this is a recent discovery of mine, and I’m enjoying the antics of the Moonwisps and their zany family.
  6. Scatterday Matriarchy by Emily Whalers.
    As I went to notify Emily, I saw she’s already been nominated by someone else, but oh well. I love this story, one of the few non-ISBIs to make me laugh out loud with the antics of the simmies. She writes such unique characters, every generation feels like something I’ve not read before.
  7. Nawatt ISBI by Kim.
    Started in TS3, but recently moved to TS4, this is one of the few TS4 blogs that has held my attention – Kim’s TS4 idiots are actually entertaining, unlike so many I’ve seen. This alone deserves a nomination, but she also has some great characterisation, which makes it even more fun.
  8. Pink’s ISBI by Pink
    Along with Heather, Pink was one of the first bloggers to take me under her wing when I started blogging. She’s always helpful with simming and troubleshooting suggestions, and her sims are endlessly entertaining. She’s also one of the few I’ve seen make it past 10 generations!
  9. Eliotts ISBI by crazyelo.
    It’s only a few generations in, but this ISBI is already a whole new level of crazy that I’ve seen before. For starters, her sims have mountains of kids, which gives us plenty of heir options, but also causes much hilarity and many, many fails.
  10. Berries of Insanity by ChazyBazzy.
    Okay, so ixot picked this one too, but I couldn’t leave this out. I, too, use a lot of Chazy’s retextures, and couldn’t believe when I found her ISBI! It’s full of gorgeous hairs and sims and so much fun.

Leibster Award

liebster-award-300-px umbramuse (Stephanie) nominated me for this award, which amazing!

EDIT: after posting this last night, I found out this morning that I had two more nominations, wow! Thanks to ica and ixot for their additional nominations. You guys make me feel so loved ❤

The award is to help bloggers with under 3,000 followers to, well, get some new ones (hopefully). Really great idea to help us spread the word about awesome blogs we’ve found.

The Official Rules: 

1. Post the award on your blog.

2. Thank the blogger who presented the award and link back to their blog.

3. Nominate 5-11 bloggers whom you feel deserve this award and have fewer than or equal to 3,000 followers.

4. Answer 11 questions posted by the nominator, and ask your nominees 11 questions.


My Nominees:

Zale ISBI by Heather; this is the longest legacy I’ve read, and it just keeps getting more awesome as the generations go by. Heather was one of the first sim bloggers to make me feel like I was part of the community, and I’ll always be grateful to her.

Cabernet ISBI by loralie0512; a berry ISBI that is hilarious and great fun to read.

The Simple Life by autumnrein; a cool new legacy idea that is hilarious, since it’s written by the amazing Tam 🙂

The Moustachy ISBI by Malin; hilarious with a unique theme and some amazingly non-Face One genetics.

Through the Plumbob by zefiewings; the creator and writer of the Cultracy, where each generation revolves around a different culture. Also the creator of the Backwards ISBI, which I have just started playing myself.

Wishing for the Ether by Pink; a wishacy with Heather’s simself as the founder. Has all the things we have come to love from Pink’s legacies – insane numbers of children and randomness from the heirs.

Kanto Legacy by earthqueenami; a casual Pokemon-themed legacy that has produced some really cool genetics.

Insanity Family by MichelleLynn01; the first Backwards ISBI I read that made it past the first generation. Love these Kooky guys 🙂

Mendeleev Legacy and ISBI by ozziedoggirl; a legacy and now ISBI that is attempting to make it through the entire periodic table – yes, every child is named after an element. Europium is the latest TH.


Questions Asked by my Nominator (umbramuse):

1. To be or not to be? The answer is 42.

2. Okay, let’s get serious. Why did you decide to write a sim legacy/challenge/story/clusterf**k? I had read so many awesome legacies and challenges, and my own playing was becoming kind of boring, so I figured blogging about it might help me focus; challenge accomplished!

3. Do you have a favorite sim from your challenge/legacy family? It’s okay, the others don’t have to know. Fiyero, my gen 3 heir – he did so much with his life, seemed he lived for way longer than he actually did. Plus, he was insane, so his outfits always made me smile.

4. Are you the only Simmer in your family? If so, do they think you’re totally crazy for bossing around a bunch of little pixels? Yes and no. My little sister loves the Sims, but she hasn’t played TS3, now too busy with her social life. Most of the rest of the family don’t know how much I play. Shh, it’s a secret!

5. What’s your favorite Sims 3 expansion and why? Generations. Despite the annoyance of the Read to Sleep cycle, I love all the additional activities and animations, especially for the kids and teens.

6. What do you love the most about the Sims 3 (or the Sims 4), besides sating that god complex? The open world. I love being able to take my sims around the world, collecting and jogging and going on family outings. And I also love being able to watch other sims live their crazy little lives in the public sphere.

7. Would you rather Nick Alto, Gunther Goth, or Geoffrey Landgraab? For any lady lovers: Vita Alto, Cornelia Goth, or Nancy Landgraab. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t played with any of them that much, but Geoffrey is probably the cutest, and has the nicest traits.

8. Favorite world? Custom, store, or EP are all acceptable. Hmm… I like so many worlds, for different reasons. Sunlit Tides has amazing lighting and scenery. Egypt is also gorgeous, while Moonlight Falls has some very cool characters. Just started playing in Midnight Hollow, which is great fun, too!

9. Are there any other video games you enjoy playing? Do mobile games count? I’m addicted to Plants vs Zombies 2, and Another Case Solved on my phone. Don’t really play many other games.

10. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Pop, mainly, though I also love Musical Theatre and some kinds of Rock.

11. And finally the most important question of all: Coke or Pepsi? Admission that Dr. Pepper is the one true soda is also acceptable. Whichever is available. I prefer the taste of Pepsi Max, but in Australia more places sell Coke, so I’ll drink Coke Zero then.

Questions from ixot:

1. Have you had a hobby/interest that you have completely given up nowadays? What and why?
Yes, writing, specifically fan fiction writing. In high school and the early years of university, I got very involved in a number of fan communities for various TV shows, and wrote a significant amount of fan fiction around the characters. When I lost interest in the most recent one (Glee), I just didn’t feel like writing any more. Between working full time and university part time, I barely have time for relaxing stuff (of which Simming is very important!), and have no ideas or desire to write. Who knows, this might change when I (finally) finish university next year.

2. If you and your family or your friends were to go on an outing nearby, where would you go and what would you do? If you went alone, would you go to the same places or do something completely different?
Most of my outings are to do with sport or eating, since I’m mostly content with staying home. When we go out to dinner, my family like to try new places that family/friends have recommended. And I love going out to watch the national and profession leagues – mostly soccer (football for the Europeans reading).

3. Best memory of something you and a sibling/cousin or a friend did when you were kids?
Good question… I think I need TS3 memories, because mine are disturbingly blank at the moment. I remember painting our playroom (loft above the garage) with Disney characters; there was lots of debate between my sisters and I over which characters would be used, and where.

4. Most useful mod and most useful setting you use while playing TS3? If you don’t use mods, why? WHY!???
nraas ErrorTrap/Overwatch, hands down. I have read so many horror stories about game crashes and such, yet can count on one hand the number of crashes I have experienced, and I put a lot of it down to these two mods.

5. What’s your favourite perfume, and if you don’t use perfume, favourite lotion/soap or favourite natural smell.
I don’t use perfume a lot, but the one I do use is CK Shock. My favourite natural smell is vanilla – nothing flowery or sweet.

6. What’s your least favourite household task to do, and what don’t you mind as much?
I don’t mind washing/sorting laundry. Due to my severe hayfever, I can’t do much cleaning, especially vacuuming and dusting, sends me into sneezing fits.

7. If you were to learn something you know very little about, what would you most like to learn?
Would love to learn how to speak a second language. My father was born in Chile, and speaks fluent Spanish, and I’ve always envied his ability to switch (seemingly) effortlessly from one to another.

8. What kind of (non-existing) expansion would you want the most from EA?
I’ve been thinking about this question since I asked the same question of my own nominees last night…and still haven’t put my finger on an entire EP. I would like some more sporty things, like kids have sport on weekends, and more than two sims can play soccer/basketball/whatever sport together. Would also like a slightly darker element, though can’t figure out how to do that, my Evil sims just seem so tame. Ooh, and a foresty/snowy vacation spot, like in TS2 and TS4. Would love to have my simmies go skiing!

9. If you make your own CC, what are you most proud of? Who is your favourite creator of clothes and objects?
I mainly use mods (so many mods), have weaned myself off most CC. But I do use a bit of CC hair – Anubis is one of the best at texturing, and I also love PaintStroke’s streak retextures.

10. Tell me about some weird/special food from your region or where you grew up, or from your own family. If nothing comes to mind, what’s your favourite dish? Main course and dessert.
I’m Australia, so a good old fashioned barbecue…not so weird or special, but still great. My favourite dish varies depending on the day, but I could never go past spaghetti bolognese. I think I was Italian in a past life. Dessert, has to be a chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream.

11. Which is the best book on the top shelf of your nearest bookcase? (if you’re at home – if you’re away, just name a good book plz).
My nearest bookcase needs a good cleaning, it’s so full of books, they’re two deep and stacked on top! My favourite books at the moment are the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant; about reporters after the zombie apocalypse, where zombies are a fact of life, no longer the story.


Questions for my Nominees:

1. Would you rather have a face clone heir or a Face One heir?

2. If you could change one aspect of TS3, what would it be?

3. What is your favourite expansion pack? Why? (cliched, but a classic)

4. Who is your favourite spare in your challenge/legacy?

5. Who was the very first sim you created in CAS? Were they based on anyone?

6. If you could create a new TS3 EP, what would it be?

7. If you could only eat one food/meal for the rest of your life (assuming it could sustain you), what would it be?

8. What was your favourite childhood movie?

9. Did you play video games as a child, or only started when an adult?

10. What animal would you most want as a pet? (fantasy/extinct animals allowed!)

11. Do you believe in true love? Is there only one out there for everybody?