POPPY Girl

The fact that my last post on this blog was over two months ago sort of says it all...RL has really taken over. Not so much all my time as all my attention, and my incredibly patient and loyal customers have had to wait forever for their fix. And right at the beginning of bikini season!

I'm sorry, Poppies, but you'll have to wait just a wee bit longer, as I'm on official holiday now until at least May 25th. I promise to make it up to you after that! After all, I have the whole top half of my store to fill. In the meantime, if you have questions or problems, please drop a notecard on me in-world (IMs are notoriously unreliable and cap on me pretty quickly) or send an email to me directly at this address: francescapoppy@hotmail.com. I'll respond as soon as I can after I return.

xo Francesca :)

I was loving the boy shorts so much that I decided to make some very simple ones in all of the colours of my still-popular Essential Bikini Collection (hard to beat eight basic bikinis for 200L!)...eight in all, with contrasting trim as shown on the ad. I've done them on both underwear and pants layers, so you can wear them as coverups as well...great for mixing and matching with the classic solid colour bikinis.

These boy shorts can be found in the centre swimwear section of my main store on Venice Beach, right next to the Essential Bikinis.

Two new and very feminine bikinis this week...one is called Sweetheart and really should have been out in time for Valentine's Day, if I had been a little more industrious. On the other hand, the one true love that I adore is my valentine all year long, so why save the hearts for just that one day?

Besides the usual bikini top and thong (with tiny heart clasps), Sweetheart includes cute little boy shorts in both pants and underwear layer, so you can wear them as a coverup as well, if you want. And as a bonus, I've included a matching pink Sweetheart tee.




Lulu is a Parisian-inspired retro print (note the shopping theme!)...it also includes bikini top, thong, boy shorts in both layers, and a bonus tshirt.

Both bikinis are available now at my main store on Venice Beach, but will be installed in other locations soon. (And watch for my main store to go through a little renovation/expansion in the coming weeks...)

I've had questions from several male customers recently, looking for a little help choosing the perfect Valentine gift (impressed that they're shopping so early, I might add!), and it inspired me to finally introduce something I've been meaning to for a long time (oh, such a long list...). So finally, and just in time for most Valentine shoppers, POPPY gift certificates!

They're available in my main store only, in denominations of 100, 500 and 1000 Lindens, but I'm also offering customization by request. That means you can choose whatever value you want, and even personalize it with the name of the recipient. Click on the sign in the Venice Beach location for a notecard with all the info you need.

P.S. All of my items are transferable, so if you know what you want, you won't need to buy gift certificates. But if you can't decide, or you're not sure what POPPY items might already be in your sweetheart's closet, this is for you!

I don't usually blog about new shops (as I generally have lots of outlets at any given time) unless the builds are special in some way...like Luth Brodie's lovely Lalique Square, which is near and dear to my heart. Past and current shops that I've especially liked and put in my picks include Amsterdam and the dearly departed Polly's and Foo.

But two that I've recently opened are in builds that I've really enjoyed exploring, and are definitely worth your time: New Paris and Cocololo Island Resort. New Paris has an Eiffel Tower front and centre, as you'd expect, but also lots of interesting details here and there, often down back alleys and side streets. There's a dingy quality to the glamour that seems rather authentic for a sim that bases itself on one of the biggest cities in the world...buckets full of what appears to be toxic waste in front of my shop, for example. The place also seems full of French-speaking newbies wandering around looking for help, so if your French is better than my rusty high-school version, perhaps you might lend them a hand as you wander.

Cocololo isn't even officially open yet, but has already generated lots of buzz, and it's beautifully done. It includes a hotel, guest cottages, a scuba diving site and a wedding chapel, as well as a handful of carefully chosen shops that reflect the tropical theme. Check out the official website and Torley Linden's recent photos posted on Flickr.

Happy New Year to all of my friends and customers! Wishing everyone as much happiness in the coming year as I've had in the past one. How exciting it will be to see what 2007 brings...

xo Francesca :)

P.S. Only a few hours left to grab this year's holiday tees...they vanish forever at midnight SL time. (Unless, of course, I'm a little too tipsy from the bubbly to get around to the shops and remove them...in which case you may have a few extra hours!)

On this bright and cheerful day, I'd like to wish everyone the happiest of holidays, whatever that might be for you. May you enjoy the warmth of good friends and family today and throughout the next year!

xo Francesca :)

Wow! Only one week left! And if you're like me, you probably have a list a mile long of friends to visit, presents to wrap, last minute-gifts to pick up... It's such a whirl, but all happy goodness.

Thanks to all who sent along best holiday wishes and such positive comments on the LE tees as well...the consensus so far seems to be a tie between Welcome 2007 and Deck The Malls for fave, though I'm partial to 21st Century Santa myself. Just a reminder, too, that you've only got two weeks to snap them up.

Hope your week is merry!

Yes, poppies, I do listen to you...given the number of customers and friends asking about Christmas tees, I've just released a limited edition collection for the holidays. Four for Christmas (21st Century Santa, Be Merry And Bright, Christmas Sweetness and Deck The Malls) and two for New Year's (Happy New Year and Welcome 2007). As with my recent Halloween tees, these will only be available for a brief time...just until December 31st...and only as a six-pack.

Like everything at POPPY, these are transferable, which means they're a great gift idea... Happy shopping! :)