Glazey's Ten-Gen Jumble - 5.11 Prepping For the Future (7/21/24)

[GlazeyLady]

4.11 Family Vacay


Previously, in our Ten-Gen Jumble . . .

The Sandovals celebrated their second Thanksgiving on the ranch. Oliver and Ivy worked on improving their magic skills, and Ivy and Ash both graduated high school early so the family could take a week's vacation in Selvadorada. The day before they left for vacation, Oliver hosted a Ranch Gathering event, which completed all but one of his requirements. When Khaleesi ages to elder in a few days, Oliver's part of the Sandoval story will be complete. Ira convinced Oliver to let her be a live-in Ranch Hand, but Ash has a different role in mind for her. He talked Oliver into taking both Khaleesi and Ira to Selvadorada with the family and arranged for Jaime, in ghost form, to care for the mini animals and garden while the family was away.


Oliver: We arrived at our villa late afternoon on Sunday and quickly settled in, claiming our beds and switching out our mattresses for better ones. Then we met out front to go together to the Puerto Llamante Marketplace to stock up on jungle supplies and have dinner.  The trip really wore out Khaleesi; she was already asleep in the stable. She seems to be sleeping more lately. I guess it’s a sign of her aging.


Oliver: The marketplace tables were empty when we arrived and the marketplace food stall was closed, so we got a table at the Selvadorada Eldorado Bar and ordered drinks and snacks.  It was so nice sitting out on the patio, relaxing and chatting about what we wanted to do on our vacation.


The vendors showed up after a while, and we all went over and got supplies and then selected local dishes to try. They were delicious and the best part was that as soon as we tried them, we were imbued with the ability to recreate them in our own kitchen! We chatted with the vendors and other locals and learned some interesting tales of the jungle. We stayed late and went home tired and ready for bed.


Ash: The rest of the family was tired, but I had spotted that hot tub as soon as we arrived and I’d already suggested to Ira that we try it out when we got back. When everyone else went to bed, we went to change and slipped into the water. We sat close and talked quietly and it was just the best night.


Ash: She smiled at me when I blew a kiss her way, so when we got out I decided to go a step further. Our first kiss was perfect. I just know she’s the right one for me.


Oliver: After a good night’s sleep, we got up early and had breakfast together, as we talked about how to spend the day. We all agreed that first on the list was finding and exploring the temple. We made sure Khaleesi and Heidi had plenty of food, water and toys, and then we started down the path to the jungle entrance.


Oliver: Although we purchased all the different jungle safeguards, we failed to split them among us to make sure everyone had one of everything. Ash paid the price for that. Nylah has spent so much time working out, she didn’t even need her bat remedy.


Oliver: Ira and I were fortunate. We both had what we needed to fight off the pests that came for us.


Ira: When we got to the temple, I wanted to show the family that I could be useful, even off the ranch. So I jumped right in to help disable a trap. I didn’t realize at the time that once I’d done one, it would make sense for me to continue until I’d done 3, because of the aspiration. While Oliver worked on the other trap, Nylah, Ash and Ivy excavated dig piles. The three of them didn’t seem to mind that I rushed to work on the trap. I hope that’s true for the next two traps as well.


Oliver: On the next trap, I got the options down to 2, but chose the wrong one and got a mouth full of bone dust. Ira fared better and disabled the trap while ironically being blessed with Glorious Tastes. Perfect - she gets every dish delighting her taste buds and I get a mouthful of bone dust.


Oliver: When we got to the last trap, Ira and I had examined 3 each, and Ivy wanted a turn. So we let her at it while the rest of us tried repeatedly to run off and swim. Some unseen force kept pulling us back. Over and over. It was very irritating. Must have been some kind of temple magic. She finally disabled the trap and we were able to enter the last room.


Ivy: Since I disabled the last trap, I got to open the chest. I found a Sprout Sapphire Gold Perereca worth thousands of simoleons, along with an Omiscan Vase. Mom opened the smaller chest, but someone must have beat her to it and replaced the treasure with spider repellant. At least she got something for the effort.


Nylah: We got back to the villa well after midnight. We were all tired and hungry, so I cooked up burgers while the others went to see to Khaleesi and Heidi.


Oliver: By the time the rest of us got to the table, Nylah had already scarfed her burger down and gone to bed. I saw Ira and Ash eyeing each other over the table and wondered if they were going to have the energy to hit the hot tub again, but of course I couldn’t ask since they thought we didn’t know.


Oliver: I got up in the morning and went to check on Khaleesi. Tomorrow’s her birthday, and I’m not sure how much longer she’s going to feel like going on rides with me, but she seemed lively and energetic, so we took a leisurely ride down the dirt paths and past the neighboring houses.


Oliver: I didn’t rush her and she chose to walk slowly. Little creatures skittered across the path but they didn’t seem to bother her. It was nice being out together in the morning air ambling along, enjoying the scenery and our time together.


Oliver: She must have recognized our villa, because she picked up her pace a little as we approached. After dismounting, I brushed her and cleaned her hooves, and then she headed for the stable and a nap.


Ivy: “There you are! I was looking for you.”
Oliver: “I took Khaleesi out for a ride. What’s up?”
Ivy: “Is there a way to get hold of Watcher?”
Oliver: “Maybe. Why do you ask?”
Ivy: “When Khaleesi celebrates her birthday tomorrow, your tasks are done, right? I’ve graduated and it’s nearly my YA birthday, but I don’t know anything at all yet about my destiny.”
Oliver: “I wouldn’t worry, honey. You’ll find out soon enough. Meanwhile, let’s enjoy our vacation.”


Ivy: “Easy for you to say. You told me that you had tasks to complete when you were just a boy. You always knew what your destiny was. And you were happy about it. But I have no idea. What if it’s something like Grandma Jasmine’s? What if I have to watch people I love die? Or worse, cause people I love to die?”
Oliver: “I know it’s not easy being patient, honey.”
Ivy: “So is there a way to contact her? I need to try to find out  . . . something.”


Oliver: “Okay. There’s a number you can text. But she may not respond. And if she does, she may not respond the way you want her to.”


Ivy: “Well, we’ll soon find out. Thanks, Dad.”




Oliver: After dinner, Nylah and I played cards with Ash and Ira while Ivy uncovered the artifacts we’d found and attempted to authenticate them. It gave us a chance to get to know Ira a little better since she was clearly more than a Ranch Hand to Ash.


Ivy: The first artifact I uncovered was very disappointing. I know I’m new at this, but even I can tell this is a fake. Everyone knows this shade of pink wasn’t found in historic days, and if the pink didn’t give it away, those googly eyes would. But my second piece was better. It’s not great quality, but it’s clearly an authentic artifact. Probably only worth a couple hundred simoleons, but I won’t be selling it. This will be a keepsake of my first, but hopefully not last, jungle adventure.



Progress:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Generation 1(Founder): Leo Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
Generation 2: Rose Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
Generation 3: Jasmine Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
For more information on complete requirements see the Generation Challenge Requirements Post.

Generation 3
The source challenge for Gen 4 is The Pack Legacy Challenge by rosannatxt, the same content creator who co-created the save I started my challenge with.

Gen 4 Heir: Oliver Sandoval
Traits: Horse Lover, Loyal, Rancher
Spouse: Nylah (Hardy) Sandoval
Children: Ivy and Ash (twins)
Challenge Requirements:
Watcher created (toddler through teen):
[✔️] Top-Notch Toddler
[✔️] Complete Slumber Party Animal aspiration
[✔️] Be friends with a mini animal
[✔️] Be a Llamacorn Scout

Source Challenge
[✔️] Live on a ranch in Chestnut Ridge
[✔️] Own at least 2 horses (2/2)
[✔️] Have at least 1 mini sheep or mini goat (1/1)
[✔️] Make Nectar at least once and only with home-grown ingredients
[✔️] Explore Dreadhorse Caverns
[✔️] Each horse you own must fully develop their skills, even if you sell them or move them out later (3/3)
[    ] Breed at least one time and raise a horse from foal to elder (Khaleesi is 1 days to elder)
[✔️] Win every horse competition available (17/17)
[✔️] Complete the Championship Rider Aspiration
[✔️] Host a Ranch Animal Day Event (achieved a Gold)
[✔️] Host a Ranch Gathering Event (achieved a Gold)

[oshizu]

Yay, Oliver is soooo close to completing his final requirement!  How does it feel, Watcher!

Oh, Ivy! You do NOT want to be rude to your Watcher! She might decide to add a new requirement for you to complete the Light Saber Parts collection.
I'm glad Ash has time to prepare for his life with Ira on the rank before Ivy moves out.

Hmmm, Ivy's first but hopefully not her last jungle adventure, eh? Hmmmm.....
Ah, but if she's moving somewhere with a beach, we will not be seeing Ivyana Jones...
Loved the shots of Oliver riding around Selvadorada with Khaleesi. *sniffle, sniffle

[Granny Lawlor]

You had a lovely time in Selvadorada! I confess that I get focused on doing temple runs and don't make the most of the time there.

I love that you took Khaleesi and Oliver got a (maybe) final ride on her. I am looking forward to getting a horse when my Sims get around to it.

I also enjoyed Ivy's "debate" with her Watcher! Our Sims don't always co-operate, lol.

[GlazeyLady]

Yay, Oliver is soooo close to completing his final requirement!  How does it feel, Watcher!

Oh, Ivy! You do NOT want to be rude to your Watcher! She might decide to add a new requirement for you to complete the Light Saber Parts collection.
I'm glad Ash has time to prepare for his life with Ira on the rank before Ivy moves out.

Hmmm, Ivy's first but hopefully not her last jungle adventure, eh? Hmmmm.....
Ah, but if she's moving somewhere with a beach, we will not be seeing Ivyana Jones...
Loved the shots of Oliver riding around Selvadorada with Khaleesi. *sniffle, sniffle

I love Oliver and Nylah and their love for their pets and family, but I am ready to be off the ranch and done with the horse-poop pickup. I've learned that even when you ask the Ranch Hand to pick up the poop, they often don't do it.

My 10-year-old granddaughter is already starting to get some of that early teen sass - I don't let her get by with it either, but at the same time, I like her spunk.

I know elder horses can't compete, but I'm not sure whether they can still be ridden. I googled it but didn't find anything. So I thought Oliver taking her out around the area was fitting. I set the camera to follow them around and, as sappy as it sounds, it really felt meaningful. A man and his horse, his best friend since his teens, out on what may be their last ride together. I have at least a dozen pictures, so narrowing down to 3 was challenging. 

You had a lovely time in Selvadorada! I confess that I get focused on doing temple runs and don't make the most of the time there.

I love that you took Khaleesi and Oliver got a (maybe) final ride on her. I am looking forward to getting a horse when my Sims get around to it.

I also enjoyed Ivy's "debate" with her Watcher! Our Sims don't always co-operate, lol.

The initial line I had for Ivy was: "Have you thought about how hard it will be if I always drop my queues and just don't do what you want me to do?" Because that is what they do! But it was too long for text. 

[GlazeyLady]

4.12 So Long, Gen 4!


Previously, in our Ten-Gen Jumble . . .

With only one requirement left for Oliver, the family took a vacation to Selvadorada. Ash and Ira got closer, and temple explorations filled the first couple of days. Everyone participated in excavating dig sites, exploring traps, fighting off jungle dangers, and finding treasures. Oliver and Khaleesi took a long ride around Selvadorada, enjoying the beautiful scenery and just spending time together. Ivy contacted Watcher to try to find out about her destiny and to say that her best friend Adrianne would be moving in with her when she leaves the ranch.


Oliver: I woke up early the morning of Khaleesi’s birthday, unsure of what awakened me. Then I realized it was a notification that Heidi was bitten by a squirrel. I went looking for her, but she was nowhere on the lot. I remembered that when we got her, the pet adoption guy said she’s adventurous and liked to go off on her own. We haven’t seen her do that much on the ranch, but maybe she went exploring in this new place. I found her sleeping near the waterfall.


Oliver: She must have heard me approaching, because she woke up and jumped into a nearby bush. When she jumped out, she had something in her mouth. It was a purple box, and she seemed to want me to open it.


Oliver: “Good girl, Heidi! Good girl! You found a diamond. Your momma is going to like this. We’ll have it made into jewelry for her, that’s what we’ll do.”


Oliver: “Here, Heidi, I have a wellness treat for you, just in case that mean ole’ squirrel passed along his nasty germs. We need to keep you healthy. Now let’s get this leash on you . . . . NO! Heidi! Not back in the bush!”


Oliver: “Okay, girl, you got him. That squirrel is no more. Now let’s head back to the villa. They’re all going to be wondering where we are. And it’s Khaleesi’s birthday today. We don’t want to miss that.”


Oliver: “Ok, ol’ girl. Whaddya say? You ready to celebrate your birthday? Yeah? Okay, then!”


Oliver: “I have a special treat for you right here. Just to make sure we can all be here right at the moment you age up.”


Everyone: “Happy Birthday Khaleesi!”


Oliver: “Oh, Khaleesi, you are the best horse ever! Not just a Ultimate Champion, but also an Ultimate friend. Happy Birthday. And look! We can still go riding together, but if you get tired, you let me know."


Ivy: I’d been looking at this relic every day since we got here. I knew the Gem would fit into it, I just wasn’t sure what would happen if I activated it. But I’d resisted as long as I could. I had to know.


Ivy: Just as I thought, the crystal slid right in, so I headed downstairs. Since I didn’t know what would happen, it seemed like a good idea to have people around in case I needed help of some kind.


Ivy: I raised it up and it floated right out of my hands and hung in the air, glowing. I knew right away I’d been cursed, but it took a bit to figure it out.


Ivy: Later, while I was working on our dig finds, I began hallucinating food, but of course, I couldn’t eat any of it. I wanted to, mind you, but you can’t eat what’s not there. It was driving me crazy.


Heidi: That is my bush. I hunt in my bush over and over every day. I find presents and feathers, and I bring them out for my family but they do not notice. Something got into my bush and made it shake and that made hearts float out. I did not know what was in my bush, and I was not ready to go in after it. I needed to watch and think.


Heidi: Then my bush started exploding. I was glad I did not go in. The exploding was like fire, and fire hurts. But then the exploding stopped and Ash came out. He did not look hurt. I am glad he did not get hurt. Did Ash make the exploding? Why would he do that? Oh! Ira was in the bush too! How did they both fit in the bush? Why were they in the bush making that exploding? I do not understand Sims.


Ivy: The food hallucinations were making me crazy. I tried eating leftovers, but nothing helped. Mom made me some arepas, and they finally did the trick. I ate nearly the whole platter, and they not only got rid of the curse, but actually replaced it with a blessing that made everything I ate taste great! On second thought, I’m not sure that was a blessing - it made me want to eat all the time, and I didn’t need those extra pounds.


Oliver: We were back home for Christmas and we all dressed in our holiday garb and spent the day together. Ira wasn’t like a Ranch Hand anymore. She was really one of the family, and we all knew it was just a matter of time until they made it official. Ash was still a teen, but he’d made it clear he intended to celebrate his birthday right after Christmas, and Ivy was right there with him.


Oliver: We had a nice visit with Father Winter and then we all sang holiday songs together. It was a nice ending to a lovely family day.


Oliver: The day after Christmas, we replaced our holiday decorations with new party decorations Watcher provided us. It was very festive, and Ash and Ivy took turns blowing out candles. Ash added the Romantic trait to his previous traits of Genius and Active. I can’t help but think Ira will appreciate the addition. Ivy was already a Cheerful Music-Lover, and now she’s also Family-Oriented.


Oliver: Ash asked me for a Potion of Rejuvenation, as he hasn’t yet learned to make that. I gave it to him, knowing his plan without him telling me. When he explained to Ira that it would restore her back to his current age, she was quite willing to chug it down.


Ash: With Christmas and birthdays behind us, I convinced Ira to get away from the snow with me and spend a day in Sulani. I’d heard about this romantic waterfall setting, and I thought it was the perfect place to propose. I asked her to be my girlfriend first. I really wasn’t worried about her saying no, I just thought I’d start small and work my way up.


Ash: We decided to elope and celebrate right then and there. I feel like my destiny has found me and life is on exactly the right path.


Ash: The next day Ira came and told me we have a nooboo on the way! I couldn’t be happier!


Watcher: “Ok, girls, looks like you forgot what I said about everything you need being provided in your new home. Are you sure you need all this?”
Ivy: “Of course we do. It’s the bare minimum. And we only stopped with this because we know we can come back and get more if we need to.”
Watcher: “Actually, no, you can’t. But don’t worry. You will have everything you need and more. You’re going to love your new home.”
Adrianne: “Ivy told me you said I’ll be working . . . ?”
Watcher: “Yes, but nothing too difficult. I had planned on going with Ivy as a helper, but since she wants you with her, you’ll act in that capacity instead. Can you cook?”
Adrianne: “No, not really.”
Watcher: “You’ll learn. Now let’s load up and head out. Say your good-byes. You’ll be able to come back and visit, just not right away.”


Progress:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Generation 1(Founder): Leo Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
Generation 2: Rose Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
Generation 3: Jasmine Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
For more information on complete requirements see the Generation Challenge Requirements Post.

Generation 3
The source challenge for Gen 4 is The Pack Legacy Challenge by rosannatxt, the same content creator who co-created the save I started my challenge with.

Gen 4 Heir: Oliver Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
Traits: Horse Lover, Loyal, Rancher
Spouse: Nylah (Hardy) Sandoval
Children: Ivy and Ash (twins)
Challenge Requirements:
Watcher created (toddler through teen):
[✔️] Top-Notch Toddler
[✔️] Complete Slumber Party Animal aspiration
[✔️] Be friends with a mini animal
[✔️] Be a Llamacorn Scout

Source Challenge
[✔️] Live on a ranch in Chestnut Ridge
[✔️] Own at least 2 horses (2/2)
[✔️] Have at least 1 mini sheep or mini goat (1/1)
[✔️] Make Nectar at least once and only with home-grown ingredients
[✔️] Explore Dreadhorse Caverns
[✔️] Each horse you own must fully develop their skills, even if you sell them or move them out later (3/3)


Progress:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Generation 1(Founder): Leo Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
Generation 2: Rose Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
Generation 3: Jasmine Sandoval - Requirements are complete.
For more information on complete requirements see the Generation Challenge Requirements Post.

Generation 3
The source challenge for Gen 4 is The Pack Legacy Challenge by rosannatxt, the same content creator who co-created the save I started my challenge with.

Gen 4 Heir: Oliver Sandoval
Traits: Horse Lover, Loyal, Rancher
Spouse: Nylah (Hardy) Sandoval
Children: Ivy and Ash (twins)
Challenge Requirements:
Watcher created (toddler through teen):
[✔️] Top-Notch Toddler
[✔️] Complete Slumber Party Animal aspiration
[✔️] Be friends with a mini animal
[✔️] Be a Llamacorn Scout

Source Challenge
[✔️] Live on a ranch in Chestnut Ridge
[✔️] Own at least 2 horses (2/2)
[✔️] Have at least 1 mini sheep or mini goat (1/1)
[✔️] Make Nectar at least once and only with home-grown ingredients
[✔️] Explore Dreadhorse Caverns
[✔️] Each horse you own must fully develop their skills, even if you sell them or move them out later (3/3)
[✔️] Breed at least one time and raise a horse from foal to elder (Khaleesi is 1 days to elder)
[✔️] Win every horse competition available (17/17)
[✔️] Complete the Championship Rider Aspiration
[✔️] Host a Ranch Animal Day Event (achieved a Gold)
[✔️] Host a Ranch Gathering Event (achieved a Gold)

[oshizu]

A huge congrats on wrapping up Oliver's generation!  That was one long, hard generation!

I have neither the Pooslide Splash or Party Essentials kit, so it's great seeing you use their items!
Ira looks lovely in her high-leg swimsuit and the Sandova'ls birthday party looks awesome!

Really looking forward to what Ivy's new life has in store!

[Granny Lawlor]

Well done, Kahleesi. You've been the perfect horse. A great update to close this gen.

I'm very much looking forward to see what Ivy is going to get up to with Adrianne but sans Watcher! Looks like there'll be trouble ahead! Lol

[GlazeyLady]

I hate having such a delay before the next chapter. Ivy's generation is a little complicated and it's taken me awhile to build her house. I built it in a different file, saved it to My Library, and then tried to download it into my save file, and it won't download - it just spins. It just spun all night last night while I was sleeping (patience is not my best thing, so I went to bed to avoid the temptation to cancel the download without giving it a fair amount of time). I am working on a solution - removing mods, repairing, reducing the size of my tray file - hopefully I will get it resolved soon and be back with the next chapter.

[Granny Lawlor]

That sounds really annoying. I hope you can find a way through the problems.

[GlazeyLady]

I actually did find a solution - it is a big house and has several cc items, so maybe that was the issue. I saved each room of the first floor to My Library, and then deleted all the items in the room. Once all the first floor rooms were empty, I saved the house to My Library. Then I was able to download the house with the empty first floor, and then download each room individually. I was actually expecting to run into an issue on at least one room, and that would be the room with the cc that was causing the problem, but since they all downloaded fine, I'm thinking I just hit some kind of limit on the number of items or something. So, maybe it means that I got a little carried away with the house and its furnishings/decorations . . .

At any rate, I'll be able to start playing Ivy in her new extravagant home today after work.😀

[GlazeyLady]

5.01 It's All About Ivy


Previously, in our Ten-Gen Jumble . . .

Khalessi aged up to elder, completing Oliver’s legacy requirements. The Sandovals enjoyed their remaining vacation days in Selvadorada and returned home in time to celebrate Christmas. Ash and Ivy’s birthdays gave more reason to celebrate. Ash and Ira visited Sulani, getting engaged and married there. They are expecting their first nooboo. Ivy and Adrianna packed their bags in preparation for their big move.

Wednesday . . .


Ivy: “What are we doing here?”
GlazeyLady: “Moving in. Not me. Just you two.”
Ivy:  “WHAT!?! This is our new home? It’s HUGE!”
Adrianna: “Who else lives here?”
GlazeyLady: “Right now, no one. But you’ll have a full house by Saturday, so enjoy the quiet while you can. And Adrianna, check out the kitchen and get in some practice please. You’ll be cooking for everyone.”
Adrianna: “But I don't know how to cook. I just know how to dance and work out.”
GlazeyLady: “Better head to the kitchen and start learning then. I left you a cookbook. We don’t want a house full of botulism.”
Adrianna: “Before you go - I was thinking I’d really like to be just Anna. Adrianna is just too long and people spell it wrong and I feel more like Anna now.”
GlazeyLady: “Call yourself whatever you want, dear. Just please learn to cook.”


Anna: “Look at this kitchen! It’s huge and the appliances are top-notch! I’m sure I can learn to cook here. But . . . maybe we should look around first. I’ve never been in a house this big before. Have you?”
Ivy: “No! Geez, we could get lost trying to find the bathroom!”


Ivy: “But first, it’s your birthday! Time to leave your teens behind.”
Anna: “You brought me a cake!”
Ivy: “I did! Now blow out those candles and let’s go get lost in our new home!”


Anna: “Ivy! Look at this gym!”
Ivy: “Yeah . . . um . . . I’m not really the gym type but . . . .OH . . . look!”


Ivy: “A swimming pool!”
Anna: “And a hot tub!”


Ivy: “Since you’ll be doing the cooking, I’ll do the drink-making. Starting right now.”
Anna: “Great idea. We need to celebrate our new life. Then I'll whip us up something for dinner.”


Ivy: “Here, Anna, drink this. It will help you improve your cooking skills faster.”
Anna: “Thanks, Ivy. Pretty handy that you can concoct such a thing.”
Ivy: “This taco casserole is delicious. Well done, Anna.”
Anna (grinning): “And here we are eating it in our very own fancy dining room.”

Thursday . . .


Ivy: “This is the life. And we can spend the whole day doing it.”
Anna: “I hear you. But I don’t think I can stay in the sun all day. I don’t want to burn.”
Ivy: “True, but we’re both so pale. Wouldn’t it be nice to start the new year off with a tan.”
Anna: “Yes, it would. But let’s just be careful.”


Anna: “Look at this room.”
Ivy: “What about it?”
Anna: “Well, nothing really. I mean, it’s very basic. But there are five more just like this one. I mean, the colors are a little different in each one, but they’re all the very same size and have the very same furniture. And they all have their own bathrooms. And the bathrooms are all exactly the same too.
Ivy: “Hmmmmm. Almost like hotel rooms.”
Anna: “Watcher said we’ll have a full house the day after tomorrow. Do you think that means 6 more Sims are moving in?”
Ivy: “Maybe. But who? And why?”
Anna: “Beats me. But at least they probably aren’t kids. I don’t see any kid’s stuff.”

Friday . . .


Ivy: “This arts and music room is awesome. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at piano.”
Anna: “Given that I’ve never painted before, I think I did pretty well.
Ivy: “Tomorrow is Saturday. I wonder who will be living here then.”
Anna: “I’m a little nervous about it. Are you?”
Ivy: “More than a little.”
Anna: “Me too. I try not to think about it.”
Ivy: “I think Watcher gave us these days in the house alone so we’d feel comfortable here before they get here, whoever they are.”
Anna: "I'm going to go make us some lunch. Come down in a bit, okay?"


Ivy: “Was that Watcher? What was she doing here? Didn’t she want to talk to me?”
Anna: “Oh, Ivy, wait til you see! Come with me.”


Anna: “Just look at these guys!”
Ivy: “Who are they?”
Anna: “They are who’s coming tomorrow. And they are coming because they are bachelors. And you, my dear friend Ivy Sandoval, you are The Bachelorette!”
Ivy: “What?!”
Anna: “Yes! These guys all want a chance to become your husband! They’re coming to sweet talk you and romance you and sweep you off your feet!”
Ivy: “You know, some of them look familiar.”
Anna: “You know some of them?”
Ivy: “I don’t really know them. It’s more I know OF them. I just can’t quite remember.”
Anna: “Oh, here, Watcher left a little information about them.”


Anna: “This one is Andrew Cruz. It says he likes sports and being active, and he’s also a bookworm. But he says family is more important to him than any of that. He grew up happy in a big family and wants a big happy family of his own one day.”
Ivy: “He’s pretty cute, but . . . I wonder how big?”
Anna: “How big? Ivy! Whatever do you mean?”
Ivy: “I mean how big a family he wants. Anna! What did you think I meant?”
Anna (grinning): “Ummm . . . . moving on . . . “


Anna: “This one is Henry Banwell.”
Ivy: “Banwell . . . Banwell . . . Yes! I remember him. He's some kind of computer genius. He’s that guy who hacked his grades at school and then after he graduated, he just kept hacking them. Everyone knew about it, but he never got in trouble for it.”
Anna: “Why would he hack his grades after he graduated?”
Ivy: “Who knows. Maybe just because he could?”
Anna: “This says he’s also adventurous . . . so . . . maybe he just likes to see what he can get away with.”


Anna: “This is Zyaire Mistura. He’s a direct descendant of Prince Mistura. It says he loves music. Apparently he’s a great dancer, and a perfectionist as well. I wonder if he’s an amazing musician like Prince.”
Ivy: “I read about the Misturas. I remember one picture of a descendant of Prince’s named Xavier. He was standing in front of a black door wearing white sweats and some kind of neck jewelry but no shirt and his head was thrown back, and I am not kidding when I say it took me a long time to tear my eyes away. And I tell you, Anna, this guy’s hair is different, but I swear other than that, he looks just like Xavier Mistura.”
Anna: “Maybe Xavier is his father.”
Ivy: “Maybe. According to what I read, the Misturas are spellcasters like me. Does it say anything about that?”
Anna: “No, but it gives you something to ask him about when you meet him.”


Anna: “Hmmmm. This guy came from a place called Sunset Valley in a whole different Simverse. His name is Christopher Steel. It says he’s the youngest of a long line of Christopher Steels, and that, despite their thin lips, they have been selected to help found more dynasties and legacies than any other Sim family ever.”
Ivy: “He’s good-looking, but it would take more than that to make the men in his family so popular.”
Anna: “Well, it says here that the Steel men are all known to be friendly, good cooks, and great kissers. I’m betting it’s the great kissing that does it.”


Anna: “Oh, get this! This guy is DOCTOR Nathan Beck. Apparently he’s some kind of genius who just rescued a guy in Newcrest who got hurt in a hit-and-run and had no memory of who he was. The guy had something with him with his first name on it, but had no idea what his last name was. I heard Dr. Beck helped him so much that he let the doctor choose his new last name.”
Ivy: “A doctor, huh. I wonder if he has a big head.”
Anna: “His head looks normal to me, but I can't speak for anything else."
Ivy: "Anna!!"
Anna: "Ivy! I'm just saying . . .  Anyway, he’s probably very self-assured, out there saving lives and all. That kind of confidence can be very attractive.”
Ivy: “We’ll see.”


Anna: “This last guy is Tyler Larkin. He’s a Creative type who loves all kinds of art. He wants to be the most extraordinary painter. He doesn’t look familiar to me. Have you heard of him?”
Ivy: “No, I don’t think so. He doesn’t look familiar to me either.”
Anna: “It doesn’t say anything about him being famous. I wonder if we’ve seen anything he’s painted and just don’t know it.”
Ivy: "Well, he certainly looks . . . limber."


Ivy: “Anna, these guys are all fabulous. What if they don’t like me?”
Anna: “How could they possibly not like you? You’re beautiful and smart and friendly and just all-around wonderful! Don’t worry.”
Ivy: “How will I ever choose?”
Anna: “You’ll get to know them and you’ll follow your heart, and it will lead you to your happily ever after. No fretting now, you hear? You’re going to have six gorgeous men clamoring for your attention. Girl, enjoy it!”


Ivy: “What time are they coming tomorrow?”
Anna: “They’re supposed to get here around noon. You’ll have the afternoon to get to know them a little, then there’s a New Year’s Eve party tomorrow night. I’ll have to cook food for it, but Watcher said I can attend, as long as I don’t flirt with any of the guys. She even made me change my traits! She was ok with Perfectionist that I picked up on my last birthday, but made me change the others to Neat and Unflirty. She said it’s very important that I don’t flirt with any of the guys, ever, even accidentally.”
Ivy: “Oh, Anna! I didn’t know you’d have to change yourself if you came with me.”
Anna: “It’s ok. I’m glad to be rid of my Clumsy trait. Being a Bookworm was ok, but not anything all that special. She said once you’ve made your final choice of these guys, she’ll give me another potion and I can change my traits to anything I want. So it’s cool.”
Ivy: “My final choice! And they'll be here tomorrow! All six of them, all at once! Oh Anna, how am I ever going to sleep tonight?”
Anna: “I don’t know . . . maybe . . . a drink . . . or six?”
Ivy (laughing): "Probably not six."

Watcher: After spending so many hours working on this Bachelorette Mansion (which of course is not actually Ivy's house) and all the difficulty I had downloading it (for some reason, when it did download, many - but not all - windows, doors, and ceiling light fixtures were duplicated), I just can’t not show you some pictures.


This is the large central room with the bar, tv viewing area, and front entrance. Opposite the front entrance is a door leading to the pool/patio. To the right is the library (top) and just out of the picture, the kitchen, dining room and gym. To the left is the rose room (top - yes, it’s green, but it’s where the rose ceremonies will be held to eliminate bachelors one at a time) and just out of the picture, Ivy’s bedroom, Anna’s bedroom, a shared bath between the bedrooms, and another half bath.


Watcher: A glass-front door leads to a small hall with access to the girls’ bedrooms and shared bath. That door is locked to everyone but Ivy and Anna. Ivy has the large front bedroom with the bay window. Anna has the smaller back bedroom, and they share the bath in between. The half bath is at the bottom left.


Watcher: The kitchen, also with a bay window, is at the front of the house and adjoins the dining room. The gym, with two showers, two toilets and a sink, is at the back of the house with a door going out to the pool.


Watcher: The pool/patio area includes a hot tub, a comfy sitting area, two dining areas, a grill, and a bar. The second and third floor will be featured in upcoming posts.


Watcher Notes:
The Bachelors:

• Andrew Cruz: “Gallery Hot Guy - Dean” by sims007anon - modified slightly.
• Henry Banwell: Henry Banwell in "Banwell High Tech Start" by JudiLawler (our own @Granny Lawlor ). Featured in Granny Lawlor’s story The Banwell SimTech Dynasty. Aged up to YA in CAS.
• Zyaire Mistura: created in CAS as a twin of Xavier Mistura by Shizu9no1 (our own @oshizu ). Xavier Mistura is featured in oshizu’s story Mistura Mishmash Legacy.
• Christopher Steel: “Steel Sim 3” by gemz123 - modified slightly.
• Nathan Beck: “Dr. Nathan Beck” by Jennifer9224. Dr. Beck has been uploaded over and over by many different simmers, some have Jennifer9224 credited as the original creator and some don’t, so I’m not sure who actually created him first, but clearly he is popular.
• Tyler Larkin: “Mathias O’Neil” by illusie - modified more than slightly.
  

The House:
There is quite a lot of custom content in the house - too much to list, but I do want to call out the exercise equipment from the SimRealist Flow Fit pack. It includes the rowing machine and ellipticals in the gym, and also has a climber and a new treadmill. The patreon page (do not have to be a member to download) says a cycle is coming soon.
That’s the only one I really wanted to call out, but if you see anything in any of my images that you want to know more about, just let me know and I’ll provide more information.

The Challenge
I reviewed multiple Bachelor and Bachelorette challenge versions and used rules from various sources and some rules I created myself. I'll post the general rules I'm following soon along with specifics about the first elimination. Each time a bachelor leaves, I'll post specifics about the next elimination.

[Granny Lawlor]

I'm over the moon that Henry Banwell is entering the house! I always felt he was too cute to not get beyond his teens. He looks great as a young adult.

A bachelorette challenge! I can't wait to see how it plays out. I bet Ivy's really glad to have Anna's support. And that house? It is magnificent. Well done getting through all the difficulties to make it happen.

Looking forward to meeting all the housemates. Good luck Ivy.

[GlazeyLady]

I'm over the moon that Henry Banwell is entering the house! I always felt he was too cute to not get beyond his teens. He looks great as a young adult.

A bachelorette challenge! I can't wait to see how it plays out. I bet Ivy's really glad to have Anna's support. And that house? It is magnificent. Well done getting through all the difficulties to make it happen.

Looking forward to meeting all the housemates. Good luck Ivy.

I was so glad you uploaded the Banwells! I already had six bachelors picked out at the time, but immediately traded one of them out for Henry. I'm so happy to have him in this and I'm really glad that you are happy to see him in it. I think it's really going to be fun playing this out.  I'll be posting the rules soon - there are limitations to what I can do; much of the determination of who stays in the house and who leaves the house will be based on autonomous activity and RNG.

[oshizu]

I know from chatting with you on Discord about the many hours and efforts you poured into your Bachelorette house.
The results are fantastic! What a gloriously fabulous mansion!
Now I understand why you persevered in uploading your original build with all its cc intact. 

Loved the setup for this challenge including the intros to all the candidates.
The girls seem to believe that "Size matters," so I recommend that they check the candidates' shoe size.
You know what they say about big feet.  Wait, was that about big hands?
Whatever, I'm looking forward to seeing how your challenge unfolds and how you have tweaked the rules.

[Granny Lawlor]

I know from chatting with you on Discord about the many hours and efforts you poured into your Bachelorette house.
The results are fantastic! What a gloriously fabulous mansion!
Now I understand why you persevered in uploading your original build with all its cc intact. 

Loved the setup for this challenge including the intros to all the candidates.
The girls seem to believe that "Size matters," so I recommend that they check the candidates' shoe size.
Wait, was that about big hands?
Whatever, I'm looking forward to seeing how your challenge unfolds and how you have tweaked the rules.
You know what they say about big feet.

Big feet ..... big shoes!