Ramos Designs

Wow! I’ve been so busy lately, that I’m afraid I’ve really dropped the ball and let myself get further and further behind with this blog. For that, I apologize deeply. I want to try and make a bigger effort to stay on top of this, and keep the posts coming a lot more frequently.

I got the urge to write a blog post this evening, and was flipping through my notes and trying to decide who I wanted to feature. Last night I heard a friend ask in a group chat where she could find some nice indoor Christmas trees. After thinking about it for a moment, the first place that came to mind was Ramos Designs. I haven’t even been to the store since October. But I remembered that they had some fantastic Halloween decorations out for that month, so I was willing to bet that they have a lot to offer for the Christmas season as well. I sure wasn’t disappointed! Wow- as soon as I rezzed in, the first thing I saw was the huge winter wonderland they have set up outside their store.

I recenty was wondering to myself if anyone has made toy soldiers or Nutcrackers in Second Life, so I was glad to see some at Ramos. They have at least a couple of different kinds, but I really liked the marching band version. And also these great ‘modern’ Christmas trees that are made from spiral prims. You can even change the color of the prims on the Christmas trees by clicking on them to make some neat effects, like the one in the back with all three colors.

And speaking of Christmas trees, there are plenty of different types besides the modern spiral trees. There is a large selection of traditional, indoor or outdoor Christmas trees of all sizes. I absolutely love the purple frocked white trees! They have traditional green pine and snow coated trees as well, but these white and purple ones were my favorite. I also love that they have tree skirts available, and even a toy train set to circle your tree. How cute!

Near the Christmas tree section is a cute little gingerbread prefab store (also for sale), with lots more goodies inside. Do you own a really small home and don’t really have room for a full sized Christmas tree? I have good news for you- there are some adorable table or mantle sized Christmas trees that look just like the full sized versions that are outside, right down to the sparkling lights. There are also several tree toppers and a very nice nativity scene.

There are many other seasonal and holiday decorations available if you don’t celebrate Christmas. Susan and xTrojan Ramos also have many other beautiful holiday items, such as rugs, wreaths, candle and flower arrangements, and these very nice Menorahs with the option to turn the candle flames off or on with a click of the mouse.

While I was here looking around, I also noticed that they have a neat service available. Personalized prim stockings! You can fill out a form to have a special customized stocking made for your friends or partners. I thought this was such a clever idea.

There is a lot more to be seen in the Christmas and Holiday section, but I want to devote the next half of this article to the Ramos Design main store. xTrojan and Susan Ramos have done some terrific work, and I am proud to say that I owned some of their designs when Keeme and I had our home a few months ago.  Their store is huge and features both indoor and outdoor furniture, so I’ll just highlight a few of my favorites here.

Regular readers of this blog will know by now that I have that persistant weakness for modern furniture, so naturally I have to mention my favorite living room set here at Ramos. The Modesto sectional couch and chair have a sleek, curved appearance that is nicely complimented by the round glass coffee table and the arched chrome lamp. I also really like how well the abstract tapestry and rug tie in with one another. I’ve heard a lot of complaints that most couches in SL only have couple poses. So many of you will be happy to hear that this particular couch includes 6 single poses and one couple pose in the cushions.

And here is something really unique, for the guys. xTrojan Ramos has an extensive collection just perfect if you have a game room or bar. There are several very nice playable pool tables available, and even other accessories like pool cue racks, pool clocks and table felt changers.  

Not only are there pool tables, but also playable darts and air hockey, as well. I’ve seen 1 prim dartboard textures here and there, but never a playable dartboard. And I definitely have not seen any air hockey tables in SL yet, before this!

The games are set up so you can play them to try it out. I tried the pool and air hockey tables- there is a HUD available, although I did not get it because I wasn’t sure if you need to purchase the game to get the HUD. But I did get a blue menu panel on both the pool and air hockey games that did let me play them. I didn’t try the darts, but I imagine you can demo those as well. As far as I can tell, the pool and air hockey tables did not animate my avatar. But it still allows you to play, even as a one player game. These are very neat!

There are several bars, tables, booths, stereo systems, and other bar and club items and decor available in addition to the games.

Need a cake for a wedding or rezday party? Ramos Designs also offers a bakery, with some beautifully detailed cakes, pastries and other party treats. These are very well done, and are sure to impress your guests.

Psst.. there’s a free goodie somewhere in the bakery. Can you find it?

These are just a few things you’ll find at Ramos Designs. As I said, the store is huge. It has two floors, plus a full sim of outdoor furniture.

SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ramos%20Designs/47/133/27/

~ by Nika Dreamscape on November 20, 2008.