Illiana's Blog - RSS feed 
![[Valid RSS]](/images/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
100,000 Downloads!!!!
Posted On Jul 21, 2008 | 3 Comments
Oh my goodness! I cannot believe that I have gotten to the 100,000 download mark! Thank you ALL so very much for your support and encouragement. I am so happy that so many people like the homes I have created. I'm honored and humbled today. TSR really is full of wonderful people!!!! Thank you again!
--(A VERY grateful) Illiana
New Gothic Community Lot
Posted On Jul 10, 2008 | Click here to comment
Zutafen mentioned Gothic Architecture on one of my previous blog messages, and it got me to thinking...yes I know, always a dangerous thing...so I decided to give a community lot a shot.
This particular lot is aimed more towards being used as a University library/bookstore and coffee shop, but might even make a great Storytelling backdrop. ;) It is in no way completed yet, but I thought enough of it was done that I could show you a few sneak peeks.
--------------------------------
Here's the info on it:
- EPs required - Just Uni - I am thinking of putting it into a later EP game and adding more exterior decor as Uni decor is limited, but I'll have to see about that. If I do, it will be a seperate uploaded lot so both choices will be available.
- Size - LARGE! (Read: This is a big lot - 5x5. Not a laptop lot or an older computer lot.)
- Purpose - This will be set up as a Park/Bookstore/Library/Museum/Coffee Shop. If I create a later EP version as well, I want to remove the Museum part and replace it with a Restaurant instead. I'll have to see.
- Floors - Although there are technically 7 floors in this building, there are actually only 3 playable. Trying to play a lot with more floors than that is nigh impossible. If you want to try to add stairs to the top 2 floors, go right ahead. ;) But for my release, the top 2 floors are decorative only.
- Custom Content - As you can see there is some CC here. I have used a few items from Cyclonesue's wonderful Gothic Building set, but not a lot. The file size is going to be large enough without adding more CC to it. These are the only items I have used. Everything else is Maxis only.
--------------------------------
Ok...bear in mind that this is NOT a finished lot. It may be a day or so before it's done, and then the testing will begin. Mwahahaha! Hope you all like it! If it is well received I may do a series of smaller Gothic lots to create a University-type block with this lot as the centerpiece. Thanks for your continued support, and wish me luck on completing this behemoth! :D
UPDATED PICS - Finished! Zutafen tested it himself! He liked it...isn't he terrific?! :D
--Illiana
June Lot Tally!
Posted On Jun 30, 2008 | 1 Comments
Purely out of curiosity each month I try to tally the numbers and find out what I have done. Here is a quick list of the homes I have built, and their EPs!
Total # of lots built and available for download:
16
Type of Lots:
Community Lots - 2 (Including 1 beach lot which is also a THEME)
Residential Lots - 14 (Including 1 beach lot)
EPs used:
Base Game - 3
OFB - 3
Uni/NL/OFB - 7
Uni/NL/OFB/Seas/BV - 2
Uni/NL/OFB/Seas/BV - (& SP Glamour Life) - 1
Content in Lots:
Maxis Only (No Custom Content) - 11
Some Custom Content - 5
BONUS -
1 tutorial
1 Lot Pending - (Uni/NL/OFB/Seas/BV - Maxis Only)
1 Lot Approved and scheduled for release (Uni/NL/OFB/Seas/BV - Maxis Only)
Thank you all for your continued support and wonderful comments! I love building homes for others, and I love it even more when I find out that one of my lots has made someone happy. Thanks for another great month everyone!!! (Now...on to July! Mwahahahaha!)
--Illiana
New Project - Adobe?!
Posted On Jun 28, 2008 | 1 Comments
Yes that's right. I thought I would give an Adobe home a try...not some itty bitty one either. LOL! No, I had to go ALL out...er, or at least as far as Maxis Only would let me. They don't really make much in the way of Spanish/Meditteranean decor. So here's a few "known stats". (Keep in mind that this home still needs lighting and testing so it may be a day or so before it is ready to be uploaded.)
1 - It is Maxis Only - No Custom Content (CC) used in it at all.
2 - It will, as per my usual, be only available to the UBER-cheaters, or mega rich. LOL! (Somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 - 400,000)
3 - It is a 4 bedroom, 3 and 1/2 bath home - 2 Stories
4 - It does have a study, formal dining, full kitchen, gorgeous living room, huge first floor master with large ensuite bath and walk-in dressing area...also a private deck, large bedrooms, living room is open to the 2nd floor, 2 fireplaces, an attached garage with minivan, fully landscaped, indoor and outdoor fountains, all skills, alarms, and phones supplied.
5 - An attempt has been made to try to capture the Spanish/Meditteranean feel that I wanted, but with Maxis only that is very hard to do. I am quite certain that those who enjoy this type of architecture/home will have the CC, or be able to get the CC, necessary to make this house be all that it can be!
Enough babble - Here's some sneak previews - (Without lights, and no testing yet so some things MAY change...but I'm pretty careful so they may not. Hehehe!)
Plant Poll Results!
Posted On Jun 25, 2008 | Click here to comment
Here are the results of my latest poll - With 164 people participating!
Question 1:
What plants do you most like to see in the homes you download?
Flowers 34.76% (57)
Trees 29.27% (48)
Bushes 20.73% (34)
None 5.49% (9)
Ground Paints 4.88% (8)
----------------------------------
Question 2:
When you download a home do you like Custom Content plants?
Yes - I love new plants! 45.73% (75)
Maybe - Depends on the home! 31.71% (52)
No - I like to pick my own! 16.46% (27)
Don't care! 6.1% (10)
----------------------------------
So it would seem that (gardener be darned) most prefer flowers, although trees and bushes were still pretty close. I must say that I am surprised at the low numbers for ground paints though. That is an interesting result which I may have to look into in more depth later.
Also, it seems that CC plants are accepted much more readily than other objects or items. That, too, is surprising! I am actually a HUGE plant fan, and in my personal game I think I have just about every plant ever made...anywhere. LOL! But, I'm also a lazy player so they have to be low-no maintenance ones. ;) Hmmm...it is an interesting result, and I will bear this in mind in future building projects.
Thank you all for participating! Every new piece of information is another part of the puzzle. The more I know about what you like, the better job I can do for you. Thank you again!
--Illiana
Latest Project - Breckenridge Manor
Posted On Jun 23, 2008 | Click here to comment
With the popularity of my Pettibone home, I thought I would give a more traditional brick house a try. I am really glad I did! This home is, I think, one of the best I have done so far. :D (Yeah, I'm modest too.)
Some facts:
-It is base game only - Yup! No EPs needed!
-It is Maxis only - No custom content of any kind.
-It is going to be expensive...so what else is new?
-It is on a Medium sized lot - 4x3
-The garage is EP ready, but will be a good place to put reward objects as well.
-2 floors
Right now, the exterior is pretty much completed except for lighting, but I still need to finish the rest of the interior decor. It should be available sometime within the next week or so. Here are some sneak peeks. I do hope you like them!
UPDATE: I finished all the landscaping on Breckenridge, and she passed all of the testing phase. She will be available for download on the 25th. :D Happy simming!
--Illiana
Upcoming Contemporary
Posted On Jun 15, 2008 | Click here to comment
Just wanted you all to know that I am diligently working on a new base game only home...yup, no EPs needed, although the garage is EP ready. Here's a quick sneak peek. It still needs some landscaping, but the inside is completed, and as usual it will be Maxis only - No Custom Content. You should see this for download in a few days. Hope you like it!
--Illiana
ZIP not found...Fixed!!!!
Posted On Jun 13, 2008 | 1 Comments
UPDATE -
Apparently, TSR has been slaving away to try to fix the server problems that are occuring. Thank you TSR for being so quick to respond! :D
----------------------------------------------------------------
(Earlier Today...)
Grrrrrrrr!!!!!!! Well, once again the servers are acting up. I am sure TSR is working on it, but until then you can still OPEN the tutorial. You'll just have to wait a bit to actually download it to your own computer. I will update as soon as I have more news. Sorry all...
--Illiana
New Tutorial - New Home!
Posted On Jun 13, 2008 | Click here to comment
One Tutorial...coming up!
Well, I've been busy studying, reading, asking questions, and experimenting to find out all I can about beach lots. There is information out there, but it is scattered and sketchy. So I've taken the information I gathered and created a tutorial to better explain how beach lots work. It has information for both downloaders and creators, so hopefully it will help someone out there. I sure wish there'd been one when I was experimenting with my own lots. LOL! Anyway, the tutorial "The Hidden Rules of Beach Lots" is due out on the 13th. I do hope it helps!
By the way...a HUGE thank you to gamelia for making the suggestion to create a tutorial. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have thought to do it. :) Thanks Gamelia!
New Lot...and it's just Base Game!
Fresh out of testing, comes this cute little 2 bedroom suburban style home. It is due out on the 18th, and is base game only...yup, no EPs needed! Nice, huh? Bet you thought I'd given up on base game homes. LOL! I just adore how the interior of this home turned out, and I sure hope you like it too. :)
--Illiana
ReUpload - New Lots
Posted On Jun 12, 2008 | Click here to comment
TSR has graciously admitted there was a server glitch this weekend, and has fixed the problems. So, the Sea Witch has been reloaded. Sorry I removed it, but you all know how I feel about people trying to download a file that doesn't work. If it doesn't work, I don't upload it. Period.
SEA WITCH (AGAIN) - A reminder about beach lots - DO NOT turn them to place them. Once you take the lot out of the bin you must place it in whatever direction it is already facing. So if you take out the lot, and it is facing AWAY from you, you MUST place it on a spot that is also facing away from you. If you turn your new lot or the neighborhood to place it, you are asking to crash your computer. It's all tied into the animations for the beach itself. Sorry. We just build 'em, we didn't code them.
NEW LOTS - There won't be a long wait on the next two lots. They are due out on the 12th. (Tomorrow)
OLD SEA DOG SALOON - I realize that some of you think that I am suddenly building nothing but custom content lots or beach lots lately, but I promise that isn't the case. ;) Many of the SAs have decided to create some beachy themed stuff with summer here and all, and I just didn't want to be left out of the pack. LOL! I promise...I am going to try to avoid beach lots for the rest of my TSR existence...or until they do another one of these at least. Hateful, horrible, glitchy things...
Anyway, since all the other SAs are making beautiful, magnificent, and gorgeous lots, objects, and sets, I thought I'd try something different. Something that evoked the feeling I get when creating beach lots...A dive bar! Perfect! Thanks to drewsoltesz I even had a name for it...The Old Sea Dog Saloon! (Hey, it's on a beach and you can eat there, though I wouldn't recommend it.) It's great for sims who like to hussle pool, brawl, play poker, lounge in the hot tub, and then brawl some more. A word of caution with this lot - READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!! They are there for a reason. Thanks.
I do have to say that I did have a lot of fun taking pictures of the sim I created to test this one. I called him Crusty SeaDog, and he looks as mean as his name. LOL! I think I took more photos of him than the lot! Hope you like it.
COURTYARD CONTEMPORARY - You will be happy to know that this lot is NOT a beach lot, and does NOT have any custom content. :D YAY! I really like the way this home turned out. The courtyard is lovely, and the bedrooms are spacious. See?! Told you I would get back to normal soon. LOL!
Thank you for your continued support, and dogged determination to stick with me through this beach lot thing. I am SO ready to make some good old fashioned Contemporary homes. LOL!
Thanks again!--Illiana