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A Gift for my aMAYzing Gifting Buddy: fission63
suepea
Posts: 1,832 Member
Hi fission! It's me, Sue Pea and I'm your buddy from the aMAYzing Gift Exchange.
I have a much bigger project in the works for you as your gift but I started this little cottage as a project for the most recent ZOOU class and it just felt like it needed to be part of your gift. I created it in Isla Paradiso but I think it will fit in well in most any of the worlds. So without further ado, I present:
Water's Edge Cottage
please forgive me! I must be more tired than I thought -- I totally forgot to replace the images for my DL! AAAaarrgggh! I will do that as soon as I can find 2 brain cells to rub together!
Water's Edge Cottage is a one bedroom, one bath cottage surrounded by gardens and a lovely pond. It is the perfect country retreat for a single Sim or Sim couple, whether they are just starting out or enjoying the golden Sim years. Let me take you on a tour of the property.
What better place to enjoy some quiet time by the pond than a gazebo with it's own swing?
The views are amazing from the wraparound porch and there's a place to sit and eat or just relax on the screen porch. There's also a backyard patio with plenty of space to entertain.
Farm fresh eggs are available from your very own chickens and there's also a couple of beehives that provide the sweetest honey.
I have a much bigger project in the works for you as your gift but I started this little cottage as a project for the most recent ZOOU class and it just felt like it needed to be part of your gift. I created it in Isla Paradiso but I think it will fit in well in most any of the worlds. So without further ado, I present:
Water's Edge Cottage
please forgive me! I must be more tired than I thought -- I totally forgot to replace the images for my DL! AAAaarrgggh! I will do that as soon as I can find 2 brain cells to rub together!
Water's Edge Cottage is a one bedroom, one bath cottage surrounded by gardens and a lovely pond. It is the perfect country retreat for a single Sim or Sim couple, whether they are just starting out or enjoying the golden Sim years. Let me take you on a tour of the property.
What better place to enjoy some quiet time by the pond than a gazebo with it's own swing?
The views are amazing from the wraparound porch and there's a place to sit and eat or just relax on the screen porch. There's also a backyard patio with plenty of space to entertain.
Farm fresh eggs are available from your very own chickens and there's also a couple of beehives that provide the sweetest honey.
![h2xmsbl]](https://us.v-cdn.net/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,width=1600/http://tinyurl.com/h2xmsbl])
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The bedroom, bath and art studio take up the lower level of the house and walk out onto to back patio.
Here's a closeup of the gazebo and swing.
Now that we've seen the outside, let's take a look inside!
Here's the living/dining space with a cozy fireplace.
The piano is the perfect spot for an old fashioned sing-a-long!
Here's another shot of the living room before we head into the kitchen.
That's my good friend and tester Sim, Juliana Tester helping out in the kitchen and making her breakfast. I don't know what I'd do without JT to check out all my builds (credit to ZooProfesser3 for creating and sharing her!)
I think Juliana's favorite place to eat breakfast is at this little table.
There's access to the screen porch through the kitchen.
I am pretty sure that would be my favorite spot in the house.
I don't know about you but most of my Sims have the artistic trait and so I try and give them space to create. So here's the art studio.
I have to get back into my game because I somehow managed to forget to take pictures of the bathroom :oops:
I am going to leave you for now with this last image of the back porch. I know you didn't want pets so I hope you don't mind Juliana's cat, Helix hanging around while I build. Juliana takes him everywhere with her but he doesn't come with the house
Ok, off to get my lot uploaded to the Exchange! Links and updated pics to come ASAP!
It is a very nice home and a special gift!
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/817478/hello-come-and-introduce-yourself
http://tinyurl.com/OneRoomOneWeek
http://tinyurl.com/rosemow
My Showcase thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/948861/rosemow-s-rooms-showcase
Absolutely stunning! Rec'd, and will download, too
Thank You Again for this lovely cottage - I chose this photo to say thank you because her name is Li-Sue, your name reminded me of hers. She's just the coolest little cat.
I want to live there!
I really love the landscaping for the cottage and so many wonderful touches throughout the lot. Putting the swing in the Gazebo is a very creative touch!
Store Install
Unlocked Stencils
random legacy
Now on with the next gift. This one is coming in installments because I can only fit in a little more Simming time this morning. My hubby is coming home from a business trip and the house is a mess. And I haven't been out in my garden today but I am Simming on just a little bit more.
:roll:
So, without further ado, here's installment 1 of the Shark Hut Saga!
Meet David and Juliet Ryan. They met while they were both just freshman in Art School and it was love at first sight for both of them. But neither of them had the courage to approach the other until the day they were to graduate and go their separate ways. That’s when David knew that if he didn’t make a move, he risked never seeing her again. Noticing that she was alone, as he was, without family or friends surrounding her and waiting to whisk her off to some party or celebration luncheon like all the other graduates, he quietly asked her out for coffee and she quietly accepted.
Would you be surprised to hear that their first date was at the only Art Gallery in Bridgeport or that David and Juliet have been together ever since?
Well, when David met Juliet he knew only 2 things for sure: he was going to be a famous artist and gallery owner and he was going to marry Juliet. And Juliet knew 2 things for sure as well: She was going to be a famous artist and own a gallery and was going to be by David’s side for the rest of her life. Being the quiet and determined couple that they were, they set out to make the two things that they were both certain about, happen.
Fresh from Art School David and Juliet spent their days at the local art gallery and their nights painting. As they gained more and more experience and their portfolios grew, David began to feel restless and unfulfilled at his job at the local gallery. Frankly, the owner was getting tired of running the only gallery in town and he began to let the gallery go to seed. There was no new art and very little life left in the old establishment. David and Juliet both ached to make a change in their lives and longed to open a gallery of their own — a place that they could paint and teach and instill the love of the arts into the community and into the family they hoped they could have soon. But the small paycheck they got from the gallery owner and the minimal sales of their art wasn’t enough to make that dream happen for them.
That’s when fate stepped in. Neither David or Juliet had any contact with family at all. David was an orphan and Juliet and her family were no longer on speaking terms. While there had been many foster homes for David that never quite worked out, he lived in a group home for most of his teen years and walked out when he turned 18. There was a lawyer who had worked for David’s parents on occasion before they died and while he kept track of David’s whereabouts and sometimes even sent money, David had no memory of ever meeting or speaking to the man who signed the infrequent checks.
Then from out of the blue came a letter. Apparently, David’s long lost Uncle, Clay Ryan had been searching for the only child of his only sister. He had no idea that David had been placed in foster care for most of his life but hoped that he would either find him before she died or would be able to leave his substantial estate with someone who would eventually locate David and tell him of his good fortune when that time came. Unfortunately, that time came way too early for David’s Uncle Clay. He and his new bride, Letitia, were vacationing at their home in Sunlit Tides and had taken a walk by the beach. From out of the sky, a meteor appeared turning Uncle Clay and Aunt Letitia to molten lava and making David the sole heir of a whole lotta money and a vacation home in Sunlit Tides. But at the time of Clay and Letitia’s untimely demise, David was still a small boy bouncing around in foster care and it took many years for the lawyer to make the connection. By the time David knew of his good fortune, his Uncle David had been dead for at least 30 years and the house in Sunlit Tides, known to all as Shark Hut, had fallen into disrepair.
And while neither David or Juliet had the time or the inclination to renovate a mansion in Sunlit Tides, the money they received from David’s Uncle was enough for them to buy a penthouse loft in Bridgeport and an old warehouse large enough to turn into their dream gallery. So that’s exactly what they did.
*More to come!*
The Ryan Art Gallery became one of the most popular destinations for artists and crafters in all of Bridgeport. Opening parties at the Ryan became harder and harder to get into and the paintings of both Juliet and David were well praised and highly sought after.
The Ryans worked hard to make their gallery a success and they were living the high life and enjoying their dream.
Just when they thought things couldn't get any better, Juliet discovered she was going to have a baby.
Juliet worked right up until it was time to have her baby.
She and David were thrilled when they saw their little boy, Zach, for the very first time.
Zach was the perfect baby. He rarely ever cried and was content to lay in his crib while Mom and Dad painted, created and ran the gallery. Life was good for the Ryan family and it got even more so with the addition of baby sister Amelia.
By now, the penthouse apartment in Bridgeport was bursting at the seams and honestly, the stress of raising a young family and running a thriving business was starting to wear poor Juliet down. The city seemed noisier and more dangerous than she remembered it being when she and David first got married. Zach was a teenager now and Amelia wasn't a toddler anymore. Juliet wished they could get away to the country so she and her family could smell the fresh air and feel the grass between their toes. David was working harder and harder at the gallery, trying to make up for the fact that so much of Juliet's time was spent with the children. They were arguing more and more and the whole family was feeling pretty stressed.
Early one summer morning, while Juliet was getting the kids up and ready for their summer camps, David walked into the kitchen made an announcement. "We are taking a family vacation." he told them. "Pack yourselves a bag with everything you will need for the week and don't forget to throw in a bathing suit. The Ryan family is taking the week off. Don't worry about camp, I've cleared it with the director. And I have our Gallery Manager covering for us so all we have to do is pack the car and we are off."
No matter how much anyone pestered him, David refused to tell them where they were going. "You will know when we get there." he told them. And so the adventure began.
It was a long ride from Bridgeport to the beach town of Sunlit Tides and as they got closer to their destination, Juliet began to figure out just where it was they were headed. She looked at her husband. "You are taking us to the Shark Hut, aren't you?" David kept on driving. " Do you even know what condition it's in?" Juliet asked. No response. "Ok, I'm in for the long haul." Juliet said as they turned off the highway and followed the directions of the GPS onto the winding roads of Sunlit Tides.
Just when they thought they couldn't bear to be in the car a minute longer, the voice of the GPS Navigator announced, "You have arrived" and David pulled the car into the carport of the Shark Hut.
ETA: Wait, there's more! Stay tuned!!!!
"Welcome Home!" David announced to his family as they sat, silent and open mouthed in the car. "Let's take a look around." David unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out onto the driveway. The rest of the family followed, staring at David as he led them to the front of the house. "This doesn't look too bad." he said as if trying to convince himself he had made the right decision.
Juliet stood and took a long look at the enormous house in front of her. She took a deep breath and turned to David. "Home?" she said. "Home." David replied. " That is if you want it to be. I know it's a big change for all of us but I know you were ready to leave the city. This house may just be the answer to all of our problems. We are close enough to get in and check on the Gallery when we need to and we do have a great manager to run the place. There are wonderful schools here for the kids and they'll make tons of friends. And we are walking distance from the beach. Wait til you see it, Jules. It needs a little work here and there but I think we can really make a go of it here. Besides, it belonged to my family. My family. I may have never known them but just knowing they were here makes me feel a part of something bigger than myself. Bigger than just the four of us. I really think this is the right thing to do."
Juliet looked at David and he looked back at her expectantly. "I guess the 'week vacation' was just a ploy to get us in the car." She looked at David with a playful grin. He shrugged his shoulders and looked back at her. "What can I say? I knew you wouldn't come out her any other way." Juliet sighed. "Well, let's take a look at our new house."
"Mom, Mom!" Amelia came running out from the back of the house towards her parents. "There's a pool! And a playground! And Zach's already set up his computer in the family room." No surprise there, Juliet thought to herself. "And Mom! There's a whole separate wing with bedrooms just for me and Zach!" Amelia ran into the house and her parents followed behind.
"It's a bit . . .um . . . rundown, don't you think?" Juliet looked at David to see his reaction. "Yes, you could say it's rundown. My Uncle Clay and Aunt Letitia left the house and were struck by a meteor. No one ever came back to take care of the place after that. I think whoever was left was too spooked to even come in. So, it's exactly as they left it. Just a bit, well, dusty and yes, a little run down. It's been over 30 years. The neighbors think the place is haunted but I don't believe in ghosts or spirits." Juliet was quiet. "Do you?" David asked her? "Me. I never really thought about it but I guess not."
"It certainly is a big house." Juliet said as they walked into the entrance hallway. "This must have been a grand old place in it's day." At that, David perked right up. "Yes, it probably was! Jules, there's so much potential here -- just wait -- you'll see. We'll remodel and fix things up and it will be the most amazing place. Give it some time and I know you'll love it!" Juliet looked at her husband and thought how much he looked like his younger self in this moment. So filled with hope and enthusiasm. "Let's finish looking around and then we can get our things out of the car. I think this will be an amazing adventure." David walked off in the direction of the family room and Juliet stood in the entryway for a minute. "Ghosts, huh? She said to herself. "I sure hope not."
The Ryan family settled into the house that had been known as The Shark Hut and spent a busy week exploring both the house and the neighborhood. David and Juliet were pleased to see how adaptable their offspring were. Neither one of them were concerned or vexed about leaving their home in the city. Juliet had been sure that Zach, her teenager, would be making the biggest fuss but he looked at her one day as if she was just slow and said, "Mom. This is the coolest house ever. It's by the beach. It has a enormous pool and a separate wing for kids. And. It's. Haunted. My friends will be dying to come visit me here. I'll have to start taking reservations!" And with that he ran off to turn on his computer and get on Skype. Hey, even haunted houses have internet connections! Juliet shook her head in wonder.
The Ryan family settled into the house that had been known as The Shark Hut and spent a busy week exploring both the house and the neighborhood. David and Juliet were pleased to see how adaptable their offspring were. Neither one of them were concerned or vexed about leaving their home in the city. Juliet had been sure that Zach, her teenager, would be making the biggest fuss but he looked at her one day as if she was just slow and said, "Mom. This is the coolest house ever. It's by the beach. It has a enormous pool and a separate wing for kids. And. It's. Haunted. My friends will be dying to come visit me here. I'll have to start taking reservations!" With that he ran off to turn on his computer and get on Skype. Hey, even haunted houses have internet connections! Juliet shook her head in wonder.
Amelia spent her days out in the playground, in the pool and wandering through the rooms of the large house. While Juliet and David expected Zach to keep to himself and not say much, they were surprised when Amelia became very quiet. "What's up, Peanut?" David said to his daughter as she ran past him in the yard. "Can't talk now, Dad. Letitia and I are playing hide and seek and I'm it." Before he could wrap his mind around what his daughter had just said, she was gone. David stood with his mouth open for a minute and then decided that hey, she was a kid and kids love to make stuff up, right? He chuckled to himself about his clever girl with her wild imagination then went off to finish cleaning out the junk from the bedroom closet.
The idea that the house was haunted played heavily on Juliet and David’s minds but for most of the week they tried not to talk about it. Despite being “rundown” and neglected for all those years, the house felt like a home. More importantly it felt like their home. And while Juliet noticed that every once and a while she felt like someone was watching her and David noticed that sometimes when he put something down like a set of keys or a tool, he would find it lying in a different place from where it had been left, for the most part, life was pretty uneventful in Shark Hut. Amelia still insisted she had found a playmate in Aunt Letitia and Zach, well, he rarely lifted his head from his Skype chats with his friends.
Uncle Clay and Aunt Letitia were just stories of a family David had but never knew up until the day that David found the locked chest up in the attic. It was a small attic for such a big house. There was a couple of trunks and boxes and a large bookcase but not much else. David was surprised that there wasn’t more to the attic but he didn’t give it much thought as he poked through the piles that had been left behind by his Uncle Clay and his Aunt Letitia on the fateful day that the meteor took them from this world. David would have still been an infant and his parents would not have been gone from this world long either.
Most of the boxes were filled with books and old clothes but David pulled the chest from the bottom of a particularly heavy one. He fiddled with the lock a bit but didn’t have to try hard. It opened easily and was empty except for one thing: an yellowed envelope with his name written on it. David held the envelope in his hand and turned it over and over. Who could have written his name there and what would he find inside. Should he open it right now and read it or should he find Juliet and read it with her by his side to give him comfort and strength?
David took a deep breath and slipped the fragile flap of the envelope open with his finger.
“Dear David,” the letter began. I am writing this letter not knowing when or if you will ever find this. I am the last of your living relatives, the brother of your loving and lovely mother. My heart is heavy with grief at her death and the death of your father. Your mother and your father who are now in Heaven, will live with angels for the rest of eternity. You may be wondering why, if I loved them — and because you are a part of them, you as well, I did not come to take you into my home to live as my own son. Well, the short answer is that your mother and I had an argument and she ran away from Sunlit Tides without telling anyone where she going. It was only after the accident that took your parents’ lives that I learned where she had gone and that she had you. But by that time you were with a family who insisted that I have no contact and instead of fighting for you as I should have, I went against my better judgement and let you stay with them instead of coming to get you and letting you live with me, your family. I made excuses and told myself you were better off even though I knew the truth was that you weren’t, that you would have been better off with Letitia and me. While the first family who had you didn’t work out, you are now with another and hopefully better and more loving family and will have a good life with them.
I am hoping that if you are reading this letter and I am not by your side as you do so, you already know that the house and all the money I have in this world (which, if you don’t already know, is quite a fortune) belongs to you and to you alone. Letitia and I never had children. You are the only one of the Ryans left to claim this fortune.
I hope that you can make this house into the home you never had, a home filled with laughter and light and most importantly, love. I hope that you discover that every room is this house is filled with the love of a family you never met and all of that love is love for you.
If we never meet on this side of our journey to who knows where, know this one thing. You are loved. You were always loved and will be loved for all time. This is my promise to you.
Your devoted Uncle, Clay David Ryan”
David breathed a heavy sigh. He folded the letter, placed it in the breast pocket of his jacket and climbed down the ladder and returned to his family. If Shark Hut was indeed haunted, it could only be haunted with the spirits of his loving family. If that was true, David could deal with a ghost or two.
Their week in Sunlit Tides went faster than the Ryans could have imagined. The family headed back to Bridgeport to pack up the Penthouse and get things in order while The Shark Hut underwent it’s extensive renovation. Both Juliet and David were surprised at how reluctant they were to return to city life and were hoping that the house would be finished soon so they could get back to Sunlit Tides and start the new chapter in their lives. They spent their time saying their goodbyes to friends and colleagues and while it felt like an eternity, in just a few short weeks, the Shark Hut renovation was finally complete. While the work had gone smoothly, workers reported mislaid and missing tools, doors locked without explanation and general tomfoolery, as if a prankster was on the loose in their midsts. When they heard the report, David and Juliet could only smile to themselves. The most puzzling occurrence in the house had been when some of the workers had gone up to the attic and attempted to move the old bookcase so they could paint the wall behind it. Not only would the bookcase not budge an inch but the men could not remove a single book from it’s shelves. They were forced to paint around it, wondering to themselves about the mysterious force that held it firmly in place.
Moving day for the Ryans had finally arrived. David and Juliet watched as the movers loaded the last of their belongings onto the van and the family piled into to the car for their journey to their new life in Sunlit Tides.
*Almost done! Stay tuned for just a little bit more!*
The drive seemed endless to Juliet and the children but finally, David turned the corner of the sleepy little street in Sunlit Tides and there before them was the new and improved version of the home known as the Shark Hut. Even Juliet was unprepared for the changes that had been made to the house and property. They sat in the car, looking out the windows in awe and then collectively, a long intake of breath. David looked at his family. “Well? Don’t you want to check out our new home?”
Zach was out of the car in a flash. “I’m going to see if the internet works,” he called to his parents. Amelia jumped out of the car and ran towards the front door. “I’m going to find Letitia and show her my new room.”
Juliet gave David a quizzical glance. “About that.”David looked at his wife. “I made an interesting discovery while we were working on the house. Apparently there was a bookcase in the attic room that was giving the painters a bit of trouble. I wanted them to paint up there and get rid of the musty smell but for some reason they couldn’t move the bookcase away from the wall. And all the books seemed glued stuck to the shelves. I just had to check it out for myself. I climbed up the ladder and sure enough, I couldn’t get it to move an inch. Then I lost my train of thought and found myself browsing through the book titles. I saw a copy of a book I hadn’t read since I was a child. I had read it and related to the character and how lost and alone he felt and how much being an orphan had affected him. I reached for it instinctively, even though I knew that none of the books would come free from the shelves. As I pulled at the book, the bookcase moved to the side and in front of me was a door. Behind the door was a series of rooms set up for someone to live in. There was a bedroom with an old fashioned bed and a living room with a TV. I found an old ham radio and a fortune teller’s crystal ball. There’s even a bathroom up there. In all the time we’ve been to the house, no one knew those rooms existed. And Juliet,” David looked at his wife. “Someone’s been living up there. I think it’s my Uncle Clay and my Aunt Letitia.” He stopped Juliet from speaking, not that she could find any words to say. “I know. It’s impossible. But I know they are there.” Juliet continued to stare at her husband, his words confirming what she had already felt in her heart was true. “Once I found the door I took it on myself to give them a new space to match the one we were getting downstairs. I cleaned and painted and set things to rights. I didn’t change it much. It wasn’t my place. But I made it sparkle and shine for them and I hope they like it.” Juliet reached over to give her husband a hug. “I am sure they will. Now, let’s get out of the car so you can show me around.”
David and Juliet stepped out of the car and onto the front walkway. “I’ve been thinking,” David took Juliet’s hands in his as they stood by the door. “Shark’s Hut might have had some significance in the past for this house but I’m thinking we should give it a new name. A new house, a new name, a new life. My Uncle Clay wanted me to have this house for my own to carry on the Ryan name so I was thinking we should call it ‘Ryan’s Promise.’ What do you think? It’s his promise to me and mine to all of you.” David looked at Juliet to see her reaction. “Ryan’s Promise, it is then. Now, let’s go and take a look at our new home.”
And with that, they began to live happily ever after.
*I bet you thought this would be all! Please stay tuned for the unveiling of Ryan's Promise!*
I now present, dear fission, your second gift of the Exchange: Ryan's Promise
Slideshow here
Some Exterior Shots:
Store Install
Unlocked Stencils
random legacy
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/817478/hello-come-and-introduce-yourself
http://tinyurl.com/OneRoomOneWeek
http://tinyurl.com/rosemow
My Showcase thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/948861/rosemow-s-rooms-showcase
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/817478/hello-come-and-introduce-yourself
http://tinyurl.com/OneRoomOneWeek
http://tinyurl.com/rosemow
My Showcase thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/948861/rosemow-s-rooms-showcase