So 2009 begins

It was fantastic to see the new year in with friends, a lot of the crew came to join me at the main office as well as close friends like Pup Witherspoon and I am actually glad it wasn't a huge crowd at least I got to chat and have a laugh with friends. It was a lovely atmosphere with DJ Qwark playing 70's 80's and 90's music for us. We were counting down to the European New Year at 3pm slt but we ended up staying until we hit midnight GMT with fireworks on both
Then I was off to Skybeam Estates and the New Year ball the amazing DJ Dakota Christensen was on a mission to see in each new year around the world going from 2pm SLT through to 1am today so if you missed the party last night you can still join in at http://slurl.com/secondlife/SkyBeam%20Muse/204/44/24 Here was a real sense of community and I felt at home.

Skybeam also announced their contest winners, over christmas Skybeam held 2 contests one for plot decoration with 3 prizes being awarded dependant on plot size and an Ice sculpture contest 3 prizes awarded to the 2 catagories or sculpts or non- sculpted sculptures and the winners were:
Decorating Contest , sponsored by Charlene and Amethyst of Captured Heart ..
each catagory gets 1st =3000, 2nd - 1500, 3rd = 750

Larger than 8192
Phoenix Ember 1st
Morgania Zilz 2nd
Tamsin Ireton 3rd
4096 to 8192m2
Crysta laville and Buck Morane 1st
Jaysyn Jameson and Harbinger Tinkel 2nd
Ticia Babii 3rd
Under 4096
Miranda Milestone 1st
Glitter Xeltentate 2nd
Breezes Babii 3rd

Ice Sculpture contest .. sponosred by Skybeam and Alessandra Pinklady
1st= 6000, 2nd = 3000, 3rd = 1500, HM = 500

Sculpted:
FIRST PLACE - #6 - Cameron Stubbs - Airship Terminal -
SECOND PLACE - #9 - Dana Vanmoer - Time Guardian
THIRD PLACE - #3 - Rowena Paine -

HONORABLE MENTION - #10 - Cheen Pitney

Non - Sculpted :
FIRST PLACE - Zanebono Capalini - #15
SECOND PLACE - #12 Jaysyn Jameson
THIRD PLACE - #11 - Thril Shan

HM - #5 Audrey Fotherington
HM #7 Azure Blackadder
HM #1 Vessus Candour

Later I popped into to the beautiful Roselindas Paradise with Rose and Eymerich Unfortunately not long after everyone finally rezzed my struggling computer finally gave up and crashed completely by this time it was almost 3am for me so I gave up. Thank you for the invitation Eymerich, I am sorry I couldn't stay.
I would like to thank all for making 2008 a great year and I look forward to a brand new year with lots of exciting challenges for us all.
2008 and has been eventful to say the least very firmly seperating the Lindens from the Residents with some VERY unpopular choices on the lindens part, my wish for 2009 is for Linden Lab to realise the damage they are doing to Secondlife and to act now before the good in SL is lost through mistrust of them.
I, for one, love secondlife as many I know do but now most stay for their friends and if large networks leave others will follow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What a night!

Oh what a night is right, right on til the wee small hours.
I must admit to not really being in the party mood last night, with being home with 3 young children and my love being away it wasn't a night I was looking forward to.
First I dropped in at Candy rose resort for the birthday of Lordpercy. Serina and Dax had sprung a surprise party for him and the family atmosphere was just what I needed to relax and start to enjoy myself, the fab 80's music from DJ Dax helped a lot. Thanks everyone!

Then on to Fire Island's 1930's and 40's new year bash

As always Carter and his crew had done a marvelous setup, this was Hollywood glitz and glamour at its best!

The party was in full swing when I arrived almost landing on top of Mia Linden, yes you read it right!

Fire Island parties are obviously not to be missed even for the Lindens!

The spinning globe above kept us all informed as to whose New year was approaching and every hour balloons flowed down over us and the party started again waiting for the next one!

Carter Giacobini: This was the perfect way to cap off an AMAZING year!! People were coming all night long, re-connecting, laughing... It really felt like a community event! It was FANTASTIC!

The party went on for over 14hours with never less than 30 on the sim! Some went to bed and got back up to join right back in again.

What a night, culminating in a conga line this has to be a party to be remembered forever!
I wish I could have stayed til the end, but off I went again.

This time at the invitation of Eymerich Lane and Roselinda Mayo at Roselindas' paradise I went along for a dance and a wind down after the party at Fire Island and also to meet up with Pup Witherspoon the new Miss Costa Rica, a lovely lady who fully deserves her title but for her its not about a beauty pageant, more about that later.

For now I just want to thank a few people for making my new year so special:

First and foremost has to be Carter and all the guys at Fire Island as well as Lyric and Harper who at least help me not to feel like the odd one out LOL, without you all it would have been a lonely evening *hugs* and 'Thank you'

Serina and Dax along with Mommy (Breezes Babii) and everyone at Candy rose resort, you have a special family there. Thank you so much for allowing to become part of it.

Eymerich and Roselinda I wish you all that you wish for yourselves for 2008, Thank you for a lovely time.

We look forward to 2008 with renewed hope for the future, with the friends I have made in my secondlife and all the crew of SL-Newspaper.com I wish all our readers the best for 2008

Finally but most importantly this paper would be nothing without the crew, Dixie Barbosa, Connie McMahon, Baron DeSantis, Dashwood Dayafter, Alesia Schumann, LaDonna Upshaw, Bixyl Shuftan, Nazz Lane, Delinda Dyrssen, Pelton Darkstone, Kerri Spitteler, and all the writers who have been and gone - Happy New Year to you all and many thanks from both James and I for being with us.

Dana Vanmoer XXX