Time for Thyme Again-December 30 - A Fond Sad Farewell

[hazysmith]

That's a fantastic house, puts my efforts to shame. Congrats on finding Rez too, what a catch!

[ManiSims]

Ooh, glad you're attempting another dynasty again! You're gonna have a full house soon with the Landgraab baby and (I'm assuming) your founder's! Looking foward for more.

[Playalot]

The house is amazing! Rez is the catch of the century, what a great looking townie and 'Donnie' *snicker* seems to be working out well for you there. So much to love!

[Nettlejuice]

Swaggers off with Nina...

*snorts out tea* Oh, Donnie! Those muscle probably won't work in real life, lol.

Congrats Nancy and Geoff, hope the new nooboo takes after both of their better traits =D

[dethdukk]

I like your founder, very pretty... and this is a side of Don that I haven't seen yet, though it seems more his style.

[Joria]

Once again, thank you one and all for reading and commenting.  It really helps to keep me going.  I'm fairly far ahead in game play.  Just have been procrastinating something fierce about writing.  My bad!

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Spring:  So, Watcher, is dynasty life always so boring?

W:  Boring?  How can it possibly be boring?  Not in your household anyway.

Sping:  *sigh*  I suppose you're right.  We just never seem to have much time for play.  I've yet to sit down and play cards or go for a swim or........

W: Enough!  You are going to have eternity to do all those things.  Every day your life will get fuller and less hectic.  You'll see children come and go, have so many grandkids you'll lose track of which generation they are.  You'll never have to be lonely or alone, unless you choose to. So quit your complaining and get back to work.  You have a lot of cooking to do!

Spring:  I'm in kind of a down and funky mood today so is it ok if I just show off what you made for us?  Maybe walking around and talking about our house will cheer me up.

W:  If you must.  Realize, however, you may just send your boredom off onto the others.  At least warn them it's all they get today.

Spring:  Dear friends and neighbors.  Here is some of my house.  If you don't want to see what it's like so far, I'll be back tomorrow with more to say.

Spring:  Coming up to the front of the house, you enter into our foyer, a cozy place to sit and read the mail or wait till someone comes to talk to you.  Furnishings came from the Landgraab mansion.  Oh, ignore that bit of a person to the left.  It's just me heading off to work.



Spring:  From the foyer you have a choice of going left or right.  If you choose left you will enter most of the main area of the house.  The kitchen is to the left and "north".  It's where I'm working my fingers to the bone for posterity and an immortal life.  Please excuse the leftover mess.  The family neglected to tidy up before I took the shot.  It is actually still a work in progress.  Needs "character".  You'll notice there is no sink.  You won't find a single, solitary sink anywhere on this lot.  Just too much time was being spent in washing up so we installed multiple leftover eating trash cans instead.  It also meant fewer items to constantly repair or upgrade.



Spring:  The kitchen is actually one, long room that also encompasses our dining table and juice bar.  Many, many hours are spent here with one household member or another constantly making a frosty beverage.  We are considering removing the juice bar because of this situation.  Most of the art work you'll see, although not all, has been painted by our resident artist, Don Lothario.  He says it helps him to relax after a hard day at his "work".  Strangely, I always thought he was unemployed.  *snickers*



Spring:  To the "south" of the kitchen/dining room is our gym.  A bit crowded and we are considering moving things down to the basement where we have a lot more room.  It is our "energized" room.  Anyone working out here is full of energy and raring to go.  Plenty of sunlight from the many windows lift the spirits and gives you that go get 'em attitude.  You'll note there are two of each of our exercise items.  This is so there is room for conversation as well as exercise, or you could multi-task by turning on the large screen tv.



Spring:  Coming out into the main area, you'll find a rather large, all purpose area.  Here we have one of our pianos placed for the enjoyment of party guests.  To the left in the photo is the arch leading to the kitchen and to the right are sofas facing a tv.



Spring:  More of the "lounge" area plus a bit of our gaming area.  To the right is a cozy place to sit and chat.  Strangely enough, that gets more use than the sofas.



Spring:  You can see another room through an archway to the right.  This what I like to call the "library" although there is only one bookshelf.  Still, with a cozy fire roaring away, it is a nice place to read.  Rez and I often spend time here chatting about the family and our future.  He is so supportive!



Spring:  Now for some of the bedrooms, starting with mine.  I do love pink!  Thankfully, Rez is ok with this.  "Anything that makes you happy, honey.", he says.  Almost all the bedrooms are ensuite.  As a matter of fact, I think there are more bathrooms on this lot than there are bedrooms!  But you know, when you gotta go, you gotta go.  Our bedroom definitely is a happy place for us.





Spring:  Next is the nursery.  We decided to use non-gender colors for this room so it could be enjoyed by either boys or girls.  It is my favorite room in the house.  It is a "focus" room so the kids can go off to school in the right mood.



Spring:  Don Lothario also has his room on this floor.  It is what I jokingly call, "the Passion Pit".  He does most of his "work" here.  Note the red lights.  Hmmm.   Could we call this the "red light district"?



Spring:  Sadly, I did not get a shot of Nancy and Geoff's room.  It is being renovated.  Here is a shot of Malcolm's room though.  He's one spoiled young man.



Spring:  Now for some input from you!  Upstairs there are three undecorated bedrooms, a huge "hall" and a lovely deck.  All rather naked.  One of the rooms has no door at the moment in order to keep a few things "safe".  So, how about some ideas of what to put in that hall or how to decorate the empty rooms?  Any input via PM would be appreciated.

Deck:



Hall:



Empty bedrooms:



Spring:  I hope you enjoyed touring this much of the Thyme House.  See you soon!

[Justwright]

Beautiful!  My favorite is the Passion Pit 

[MarianT]

My sims are very envious. They're threatening to leave my dynasty and move into yours. I love the child's room, but it's all gorgeous.

[FrancescaFiori]

Beautiful! I especially love the library. The house is so stately, it makes me think a portrait gallery might be fun in the upstairs hall. I can't wait to see what you do with it!


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[Playalot]

Just. Simply. Gorgeous.

[officialghosts]

Darn it, Joria! It's houses like these that leave me spending many a fruitless hour to get something not even half as gorgeous! *shakes fist* 

If you have the patio pack, maybe you could put a hot tub on the upper deck. Or just make it a nice place to sit outside. You could also make a dedicated inspiration room, and also a focused room that doesn't compete with kids stuff for space.

[Nettlejuice]

What a beautiful home, Joria, your immortals and spares better not complain about anything xD

[dethdukk]

Haha "The Red Light District".  I like it.  The whole house looks very good.

[Joria]

Thanks one and all for your kind words.

 Dethdukk, glad you caught the red light district thing.  I've very little sense of humor but what I have is wicked. 

officialghosts, building in TS4 is much, much more difficult.  I look at some of the really good builders, like Playalot's house in the Hollingsworths, or some of the "official" forums builders and I despair.  Thanks though for your kind words and inspiration.  I had not even considered putting the hot tub up there but it would work really well.

FrancescaFiori I love the idea of a portrait gallery in that huge hall.  Why not?  It's a perfect place to perhaps remember all the spouses and helpers.

MarionT  you made me laugh!  The thought of your Sims just packing up and moving in cracked me up.  I guess I could put them in those spare bedrooms.  lol

[Joria]

 W:*Yawns.....stretches.....Hey Spring!  You awake?

Spring: Barely.  You got the coffee on?

W: Tea.  Earl Grey.  Milk, no sugar.  Right?

Spring:  Sounds lovely.  So, what's up?  Why you yakking at me so early in the day?

W:  Early?  Girl, you gotta get a move on.  Aren't you planning a big day fishing?  It's going to take hundreds of angelfish to make this dynasty work, you know.

Spring:  Day late and a dollar short, W.  Did that yesterday.  Last evening anyways.  That's why I'm so sleepy today.  Long, long night.

W: So catch me up.  I spent the night with the other Watchers.  Lot of reading to do there.  Unlike you.

Spring:  Give it a rest, W.  I will not be guilt tripped into rushing this.  Ok, let's see, where to start.  Oh, a hysterically funny occurrence, anyway I think it's funny.  Don has decided to develop a new "technique".  He said it was taking too long to get the ladies in the mood and figured it was because of his clothes.  "Clothes, makes the man.", he said.  He figures this is a sure fire win to a fast trip to the Passion Pit.  Honestly that man is a riot.  So here he is in his new sartorial splendor........



W:  You gotta be kidding me!  What a hoot.  So, did it work?  I mean, personally I wouldn't look twice but who knows.

Spring:  He says it does.  If the count of his offspring is any indication he may be right.  Said someone called oshizu gave him the idea.  We'll see how it goes as time goes on.  One day those dark locks will be all grim and grey and he'll have to hang his suit up.  For now, well he's doing his "job" very well.

W:  No accounting for taste I guess.  And the rest of the family?

Spring:  Patience, W.  I'm not even married yet and I'm not sure Rez is ready.  I know I'm not.  I've a career to max out first, if I can.  Meanwhile, Nancy and Geof are moon calfing all over each other.  Nancy spends her days typing away while Geof is at work but when he's home and not doing chores he just gushes over her.  The other day I caught them at it again.......

Geof:  So, how's my sweet iddle baby?  Is he doin' ok in mummy's tum tum?



Nancy: *laughs*   He or she are just fine, honey.  Moving around like there's a herd in there.  Sometimes I wonder if he's doing some dance moves.

Geof:  He?  You think it's a "he"?  I wouldn't mind either way you know.  Just hope whoever it is has a better temperament than our Mal.  May I?  *feels tummy*



Geof:  Say, you're right!  This one is really active.  You ok?  Not too tired?  Taking care of yourself?  Eating enough?



Nancy:  I'm fine honey, and eating enough for three.  We'll be just fine............

Spring:  So the two lovebirds are happy as clams.  (How does one know if a clam is happy?)  I've got a lovely nursery all fixed up for them but Nancy is insisting that room is for the heir and she prefers to keep her baby in her room with her and Geof.  I think you've been talking to her about the whole heir thing, haven't you?

W:  Moi?  Why, Spring.  You have such a suspicious mind!

Spring:  Yeah, right.  I know your ways W.  It's not the first Thyme around you know.  So the fishing trip.  It was fun.  The way it's going though I have my doubts we'll ever have enough angel fish. We got a late start.  It was already evening but Rez and I needed some time alone together to just chat and grow closer.  It was a beautiful night and we were at one of our favorite spots.



Spring:  I started pulling stuff in.  First a bunch of weeds, then a strawberry!  I thought it was a treasure box but just a strawberry.  Who puts fruit in treasure boxes anyway?



Spring:  Rez got the first big catch of the night.  He was so excited!  Totally convinced he had done it and gotten me our first angelfish...........



Spring:  Close, but no cigar hon.  That's a beta.  Pretty thing, though isn't it?  Did you know they are called Siamese fighting fish?  They are tiny but so aggressive.  If you put one in an aquarium with a mirror in it they'll get all puffed up and colorful and try attacking their own image.  That one's a male.  The females aren't as pretty or as feisty.  If you actually get them to the point where they breed he builds this cool "nest" out of spit bubbles and tends it very carefully, hopefully waiting for a lady to swim by and like the home he built.  The female sees the nest and gets amorous.  She lays a bunch of eggs which he then covers with sperm.  Then she runs away, no longer interested and in danger of her life.  He carefully picks up the eggs and places them one by one in the bubble nest which he watches and tends till they hatch.  He doesn't eat during that time but is completely focused on keeping that nest perfect and keeping away any intruders.  Once they are hatched you have to scoop them out immediately and put them in individual bowls.  If you don't he'll eat them.  After all, it's been a long time between meals and he's hungry.  Even as small fry they are pretty aggressive.  Must be a lonely life.  Hey!  I think I got one!



Spring:  Naaahhh.  Just another beta.  He's a beauty though.  Maybe we could put him in a bowl in the living room?



Rez:  You know, sweetheart, you never fail to amaze me.  A beautiful night, out with a beautiful woman, and what do we do?  Talk about fish.  It's just one more reason to love you.
Oh!  Oh!  Hey!  Look at this!!

Spring:  Yeah!  Me too!  *both laugh*



Rez:  Bait?

Spring:  Yep.  Bait.  I love you, Rez.  How many guys would spend a "romantic evening" out fishing with the woman they love? 

Rez:  How many gals would consider a fishing trip romantic?  We make a good pair.  We're going to do ok together.  *talks to self:  Hmmm.  Should I let her know I got the first one?  Nah, let her have that small triumph.*



Spring: *talking to self:  Hmmm.  Should I let him know I got the first one?  Nah, let him be the hero.*



Spring:  We were really doing well.  Got a few angelfish but the prettiest catch of all went to Rez.  He caught something that I think must come from another world.  It's pretty rare.



Spring:  After that we both decided we were pretty tired and had other things we'd much rather do right in the comfort of our own home.  So, here we are.  A few fish in bowls and a lovely evening spent together.  *yawns again.  Sips tea.*

W: Time for me to be off.  Thanks for the cuppa and the chat.  See ya around.

Spring:  See ya.  *stumbles back to bed*