Now for something completely different…
I’ve had a couple of different ideas for projects swimming around in my head for a couple of weeks now — one of them was “Fran goes to college”, and the other was “New England village that will look good when Seasons hits”. (Actually, I’ve been wanting to create a New England village for ages — I’ve been gathering inspiration pics for it since before Sims 3 even came out!)
Since I only have so many hours in the day that I can devote to Simming, I decided to combine the two projects. (Hey, at least I’m efficient in my fickleness! :-D )
After a disastrous attempt to make my own world in CAW, I ended up choosing to build my village in Johnnywr’s beautiful world, Matkooskee. Awesims’ Pounawea was also a serious contender, but in the end I decided I didn’t want to mess with the unique New Zealand thing it has going on, so I’ll either play it on its own or use it as a vacation destination. Matkooskee seemed a logical choice since Johnnywr based it on islands off the coast of Maine…perfect!
I probably could have kept most of Johnnywr’s lots, as they were lovely, but I really wanted to build a town from scratch (because I’m framming insane), so I deleted everything except for the pond/fishing lots…I don’t really enjoy building those. ;)
So, after that long preamble, here’s what the map looks like:
I’m calling my version “Whimsett Cove”, and I may never finish it, but I’m really enjoying it so far! I’m working on it in my “low CC” save, which is rapidly becoming a “medium CC” save, mostly because I’ve been downloading colonial window sets like mad. :-P But hey, variety is good!
The first lot I built was the Town Hall, because I gotta have my access to those NRaas menus! No paparazzi allowed in my town!
It’s a bit weathered and worn; apparently the people of Whimsett Cove aren’t in a hurry to spiff everything up. The town hall is only a short walk from the pier — I’ll have to see if I can get some seagull action going on here! (WebbyMom, with her pigeons in Doogan Harbour on The Sims Daily, has inspired me to try that…another night… :-D )
In the hope of not taking a million years to fill up this town, I’m keeping the lots relatively consistent in design and spartan in decoration. In this manner I can knock out a whole lot in one evening, instead of the 4-5 evenings it usually takes me ( as Dee says, I am sloooooow). So the inside of the town hall is pretty bare…which is fine with me, as all it really needs is the rabbithole rug. I can spruce it up later if need be.
And here’s the other lot I’ve built so far, the local church. Since my Sims aren’t particularly religious, it’s really just for weddings, but as churches are usually the most prominent building in a New England village, I had to have one!
I discovered that you can’t put a wedding arch on the platform, but one fits nicely just in front of it, so if I ever hold a wedding here, I should be all set.
I might have gone a bit overboard with the flowers…
Looking towards the front of the church from the altar:
A spiral staircase going down leads to a couple of basement bathrooms. The staircase going up leads to a balcony which doesn’t have much except for an organ.
I’m not sure where I’ll have a reception if there IS a wedding here…I haven’t had many weddings in TS3, so I didn’t really think about it. I’ll probably make them go somewhere else like people do in real life. :-D
Here’s another overview shot so you can see the town hall and church relative to one another. I wanted to have a town green, another staple of New England villages, and my best bet was the two lots in front of the Town Hall, even though they’re bisected by a pathway. I’ll put some trees and a gazebo there, and then other stuff when the town holds festivals.
Even though I’ve started this town, I’m not giving up Mt. Geneva (and Chris, Aggie, the Goths, etc.) — that town is going to be my “play a bunch of families” town, where as Whimsett Cove will mostly center around Fran. (And Moonlight Falls will be my “play with all the Supernatural features” town…and Lucky Palms and Pounawea and eventually Sunlit Tides will be my “vacation towns”…and Appaloosa Plains will be my “whenever I miss playing Honey/Reese/Val/Jack/Austin” town… :-P)
Whew, that was some long-winded rambling…thank you for reading and looking!
Two lots in one night sure goes a long way to proving a point. :-p
LOL!! No no, it took me one lot per night. I did the town hall about a week ago. :-D I’m still pretty slow. ;-)
Wow, so here’s the “Fran goes in college in New England village” town!! It’s really awesome, Jen! *heart*
It’s crazy how you can do stuff with low/medium CC!
The Town Hall is magnificent and cute in the same time! It’s really beautiful!
And that church… OMG, that church!!!!
I love every single bit of it! That square tower and the conic roof on columns! That’s brilliant. I’m truly impressed by the inside! It looks all fresh with this white and pink flowers! *swoon* I like how you used two colors on the benches! That looks so good! It makes the place very chic.
Oh, and please, please, promise that if Fran gets married there someday, you will authorize paparazzis! Fran’s Wedding pictures would make their fortune, I tell you! ;)
Thank you for your lovely comments, Sandy! *smooch* And thank you for those benches, which look so awesome in two colors! :-D Even though this is my low/medium CC world, I just had to have those…and the altar…and the lectern…you can see how this low/medium thing won’t last long! *lol*
Simply wow, don’t you just knock together most wonderful lots in a most shortest time. I don’t think you slow simmer, you super fast! I spend ages on every lot, specially decorating.
That church is absolutely gorgeous, and so beautiful inside. You are very good at decorating all sorts of lots and making them look unique…I wish I could do that:( mine are all simply almost the same ..doh.
Looking forward to seeing the town to become me filled by buildings and Fran appearing on the scene :)
Aw, thank you, Kris!! I think you’re amazing at decorating and building…so thank you for the compliments! *hugs* Usually I’m super slow at building/decorating but I don’t want to take forever creating this town, so I’m ignoring my usual perfectionist tendencies…:D Or trying to anyway..
(jaw hits the floor) Ohmygoodlord! Whimsett Cove is looking fabulous, Jen! And it’s name suits, too, very like whimsical (did I spell that right?). I’m looking forward to seeing Fran, too, it’ll be like an old friend coming to visit. By the way, have you any tips on dealing with those sodding, rotten, idiotic, empty-headed Pleasure sims? I have about five in my prosperity challenge hood, and I’m just about to go mental (play in bath, have a date, juggle, play in bath, buy a toy, play in bath…AAAAArrrrrrggggghhhh).
Thank you, Scally! And I’m glad you thought of “whimsical” (yes, you spelled it right! hehe)…I did, too, when I was looking for names. As for Pleasure Sims…hooboy, well…I haven’t played TS2 in over three years, so unfortunately I don’t remember how best to deal with them! ;-D Are those wants they’re rolling up? Or is that just stuff they do autonomously all the time?
Yay, I got it right! Do I get a cookie? :-) Those are both the wants they’re rolling up, and, other than the bathtub one (Best Hack Ever: No Play In Bathtub.)and dates, what they are actually doing automo… autom… er by themselves :-) It’s annoying, because I’ve got a hack in that stops juggling, but those darned overgrown children (nope, take that back, my sim kids, all of them, are way more mature than these twits) seem to think it doesn’t apply to them. I hate Pleasure sims.
I’m so glad you’re posting again! I still check back now and again to see if you’re still around. :D
And holy crap, please let me steal your brain/talent for like, a WEEK. That’s enough time to build all the most amazing buildings that I will ever need! I am IN LOVE–LOOOOOOVEEEE–with that church! The interior… gaaah! Almost makes me want to have lavish weddings. Almost.
I will go back and check on your actual story posts, as I have to head off to work. I just happened to pop in and see POSTS!! so I looked at the first one. xD Again. Stealing your brain for a week. Think of like a vacation or something. ;)
MAO!!! It’s awesome to see you! :-D Are you posting again, too? I’ll have to go look!! You can certainly borrow my brain for a week if you want, but you might not get much done…I’m slooooow! LOL…you might get 1 or 2 lots done at the most! ;) I really appreciate your kind words, my dear — thank you so much!
*droooool*
Just…augh. So lovely! <33
Thank you, Cheezy dear! *hugs*