Rewind: One Happy World Charity Show

[The Sims 2, 2008]  I found this recording in my archives, a pretty cool recording from a charity show arranged in my Simmerville Hood - long ago. I have forgotten the hostess' name, and most of the other featured sims' names, as well. But I still recall the magic.

It took days to get it all right, and there are so much that I would like to make different today. Did you ever record as show like this, and would you care sharing your link? Would love to watch it :)

TS2 Rewind: Rebecka's Kissing School

Hello! I found a funny clip in my old files, Rebecka's Kissing School! It's a very short clip (1:25), it's just a silly glitch presented in a funny way :)

Rebecka (Goth) Mervil married Egoon Mervil, one of the two criminal sons of Simmerville Hood's wealthy Mervil family. This was actually my hood's evil couple. I still like to add a few evil characters to all my hoods and worlds.

TS2 Rewind: Simmerville in Concert

Back in my old TS2 game, there was a popular hangout called Lake Ellie's Cultural Retreat. When instruments and jamming was introduced, this location had the only stage in town. So, I brought many of the best known families to stage, for jam sessions that was recorded. It's now available on Simmerville's Youtube channel.

You might recognize VIP reporter Lisa Snakespear, webmistress Bimbo NL and baby expert Ursull Swims, just to name a few. Duration 4:26.

Bimbo NL - Simmerville's webmistress of the past

Among tons of sims, from all 3 The Sims series, one character was my clear favourite for a long time; Bimbo NL. She was the webmaster of my Simmerville website covering the development and gossips of my main games - both in The Sims 1 and 2.

Her full name was Bimbi O'Brian, and I recall she originated from a made up hood called Rosewood. She moved to my TS1 Simmerville hood, together with a high school friend, Jim Loveless. He was just a bi character though, as Bimbi NL grabbed all the spotlight :)

Bimbo NL was concerned with the Simmerville website (although it was actually Jim that initiated it). She covered local politics as well as more glitzy stuff. She even investigated, and from the top of my head I recall a top secret military operation, involving aliens, where Bimbo went a bit too far to get the scoop she wanted.

Well, here is Bimbo NL's personal TS1 diary! Note there are a total of 3 pages covering 2004, 2003 and 2002 (linked on bottom line).

Anyone following my Simmerville site back then, might recall the ambitious project where my TS1 hood prepared themselves to move into TS2 - the return of a lost demention. Bimbo NL was probably the only TS1 sim who was allowed to visit the new TS2, with the generous help from EA's very own Lucy Bradshaw. Bimbo NL was simply recreated in the new CAS, then sent to EA Games who returned a few pictures :)
Bimbo NL was of course wearing a tank top with the "logo" of Simmerville website - those 4 yellow dots.... Here's the article including those early TS2 pictures.

Oh, I just discovered that Bimbo NL (and a few other sims from several hoods out there) wrote a transformation diary, supposed to cover her first 5 days in the new TS2 place. How cool is that! I had forgotten all about that!

So how did life handle Bimbo NL in the new TS2 hood? She did rather well, she married (hm, did they ever marry?) and had to kids. She was 52 when marrying Simbille Ballong. She quit the webmistress job, and bought Café Cornell. At 55 she wrote this in her diary:

"I attended the annual Golden Star Awards, and guess what! Simmerville won the community website award again, and I was given the surprise lifetime achievement award, including a Dame title from the King of Simborough! My friend Anthony Troy must have put in a good word I think, lol, cool!"

So she was Dame Bimbi O'Brian Ballong :)  Check out her TS2 diary, with more pictures!

Well, I knew Bimbo NL through many years of simming, so when she passed I was pretty sad, no wonder. I found this posted on my TS2 Simmerville's 45th year:

"Bimbi "Bimbo NL"(O'Brian) Ballong (75)
Simmerville's coolest websimtress ever, Bimbo NL, died today, while drinking her daily espresso. Also known for several bestselling books and for owning local Club Cornell. Married twice. Leaves husband Simbille Ballong and their teen son Simerin, and her adult daughter Claira O'Brian from first marriage with Joe Carr. Bimbi Ballong reached status of platinum and will be found at the Cemetary d'Honour. R.I.P."

 You do get attached to those sims, don't you?

Shops of Simmerville hood

My greatest project of the past was my Simmerville website. It started early 2001, and was closed nearly nine years later. When The Sims 3 was released, my The Sims 2 game was already unplayable because of too much content for my old computer. Simmerville became a pretty busy community spot, with so much content that I often felt bad for any newcomers trying to get on top of it all :)  Now, four years later, even I have trouble navigating that site. It's so packed with content that you simply can't find it all, even if you try very hard. Muha!

In this post I'll guide you to the old section of downloads. Most of it was in a section called SHOPPING, and it contained several stores ran by local sims residing the Simmerville hood. I knew them all, because they were all born in my game, some were running a business that their parent or grandparent once founded.

Little Shop Of Arts, ran by Adrian Hanssen, was one of my favourite shops in Simmerville. Creating new decor items, mainly posters and paintings, but also signs and cork boards, trigged lots of creativity. And creativity is actually a word that I feel describes these games well.

Gobelin Fashion, ran by 3rd generation, Petunia Gobelin. It was another popular store, actually founded back in my The Sims 1 game. My own creations for download wasn't really great, ha-ha, but the store itself was pretty decent.

You can check out all the The Sims 2 downloads here.