Interviewing BB_Licious and Sweetpea

I and Pascalou_dO met with BB_Licious and Sweetpea, two of the organizers of the Zaby Home Show Deco Contest at my Paris Riverside Property on Saturday 25th March.

Claire_B_dO: First of all I would like to thank you both for agreeing to meet with me.

BB_Licious: We thank you as well. We’re very appreciative that you took the time to meet with us.

Claire_B_dO: I would first like to ask you both how long you have been in RLC? BB first.

BB_Licious: I first came into RLC in January of 2011 so I have been here 12 years.

Claire_B_dO: And you Sweetpea?

Sweetpea: It was 13 years for me on February 19th 2023, so in 2010.

Claire_B_dO: You have both been here a long time compared to my 8 years then.

BB_Licious: Yes, we’re both veterans I guess you could say.

Sweetpea: Old lady in real and old lady here!

Claire_B_dO: Do you remember what first brought you here?

BB_Licious: Actually, yes. I was online and on another site and saw Utherverse in the Sidebar, where the advertisements are. The avatars caught my eye and I was into gaming a little bit back then so I thought I’d give it a shot. I logged in as a Basic Member, was here for 2 days and nobody talked to me. I told myself, if nobody talks to me today (third day) I’m leaving. Well, somebody DID talk to me. It was a very nice conversation and I decided to stay. And here I am 12 years later.

Claire_B_dO: And Sweetpea, do you remember what first brought you here?

Sweetpea: I had been laid off work and between sending our resumes I played a lot of Facebook Games. One of my Facebook friends told me about Red Light Center, so we decided to check it out. On the third day I decided to go VIP to get the full experience. Been here ever since.

Claire_B_dO: RLC has a way of keeping you coming back doesn’t it?

BB_Licious: Yes, it does. Very addictive to new members.

Sweetpea: Yes, it does.

BB_Licious: I keep trying to leave and it keeps sucking me back in.

Claire_B_dO: And much more of a Community than other platforms too.

BB_Licious: Yes, I believe that to be true.

Sweetpea: Al though, to be honest, it wasn’t the pixel poking that kept me coming back. It was being able to talk to people with no expectations.

BB_Licious: LOL, Pixel Poking!

Claire_B_dO: Yeah, that get’s old fast. The community is what keeps me here. I have made some wonderful friends over the years.

BB_Licious: When you have been here as long as we have, you develop different kinds of relationships with people.

Claire_B_dO: So, I believe the two of you are involved with the Zaby Home Show, what can you tell me about that?

BB_Licious: Well, I’m trying to figure out exactly what you want to know. About the show itself or how we became a part of it?

Claire_B_dO: Let’s start with what it is.

BB_Licious: Sweetpea will have to answer this one because she knows more about the history than I do. She wants to build a Zaby Home Show Museum so she has been doing her research.

Sweetpea: The Zaby Home Show was started in 2008 by StevenKreg.

Claire_B_dO: Oh, so a long running thing.

Sweetpea: He did it for the first year and it has changed management a few times. So, yes it has been around a long time.

Claire_B_dO: And it is a Deco Contest I believe?

BB_Licious: Yes.

Sweetpea: Yes, it is a Deco Contest. And it has grown to include many categories.

BB_Licious: I think back then there was a limited amount of categories, like 5 or 6.

Claire_B_dO: Such as?

Sweetpea: LivingDeadGirl is the one that started doing it 3 times a year, breaking it down to Spring/Summer, Fall/Halloween and Winter/Christmas categories.

Claire_B_dO: That’s a nice way to break it down.

Sweetpea: LivingDeadGirl took over in 2010 until 2017.

Claire_B_dO: Wow, so with 3 a year there have been more than 30 Contests.

BB_Licious: Yes, as we said, it’s been going a long time. BeeLiCiOuS ran it from 2017 to 2019 when LivingDeadGirl took over again. But she has just retired this week which is how Sweetpea and I became involved.

Claire_B_dO: So are the Entrants given any guidelines to follow or are they just free to be creative?

Sweetpea: it is all their creativity.

BB_Licious: There are still rules to follow, but creatively it’s open.

Claire_B_dO: The Christmas and Halloween ones already have a Theme, but as long as they build a Zaby is that OK?

BB_Licious: Well no, it doesn’t exactly work that way. Every season there is a Theme, Spring/Summer, Fall/Halloween, Winter/Christmas.

Claire_B_dO: It’s OK, you don’t have to give away too much here. But how would people apply to enter?

BB_Licious: There is a list of rules and an entry form in the Blog of the Zaby_Home_Show Social Center Profile. So for Spring/Summer they would need to build Spring, Summery Homes etc.

[Editorial note: The Zaby_Home_Show Profile is on the link: www.utherverse.com/net/profile/view_profile.aspx?MemberID=104903497]

Claire_B_dO: Oh yes, thank you to whoever sent me a Friend Request from that Profile.

BB_Licious: You’re very welcome.

Claire_B_dO: I have a little bit of experience with Deco Contests myself. Xx_aliona_xX and I finished 4th in last years Deco vs Theme Challenge.

BB_Licious: That’s Sweetpea’s own Deco Contest.

Claire_B_dO: Yes.

Sweetpea: Yes, I’ll be getting the announcement out soon for the DvT Challenge.

BB_Licious: We hope you’ll endeavour to enter the Zaby Home Show as well.

Claire_B_dO: I’m sure we will consider it. The DvT Challenge was fun.

Sweetpea: I have a great theme this year so I’m excited to see what people come up with.

Claire_B_dO: I look forward to that. So, do you get a lot of people entering the Zaby Home Show, or does it tend to be the same few every time?

Sweetpea: What really is exciting about BB_Licious and I taking this on and since the announcement is that we are getting people with ideas to improve.

BB_Licious: I think it varies from show to show. There are a lot of the same people entering but we are hoping to promote some growth within the show and get some new entries. Which is why we were so happy to do this interview.

Claire_B_dO: Well hopefully interviews like this can only help. I hope!

BB_Licious: We hope so too.

Claire_B_dO: So, when is the next Contest?

BB_Licious: Spring/Summer Show entries begin May 7th and run till May 21st. After that they’ll be closed for judging then the Winners Announcement Party will be on June 10th.

Claire_B_dO: And people need to message the Zaby_Home_Show Profile to enter?

BB_Licious: They would need to look at the Blog on that Profile, It has all the instructions for entry, including all rules and fees. As well as information on the new/added challenge. From there they can copy and complete the Entry Form and mail it n along with the Entry Fees.

Claire_B_dO: It sounds like fun and it’s always amazing to see what some people can do with Deco here.

BB_Licious: Oh yes, I agree. I love the Best Prop Category for that reason.

Claire_B_dO: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

BB_Licious: Oh I just thought of something. Not long after I joined RLC, in March 2011 I was recruited to play a game in RLC called “The Apprentice” which was owned and run by StevenKreg. I came in second place that season and but they added me to the board anyway, along with the winner. I didn’t know until recently that is the same StevenKreg I mentioned earlier who started the Zaby Home Show so it almost feels like I have come full circle now.

Claire_B_dO: Not many things in RLC last that long. I know that from being a Galaxy Girl. We are the longest lasting Dance Team in RLC and celebrate our 11th Anniversary on March 27th.

BB_Licious: Oh, I didn’t realise the Galaxy Girls had been going that long, congratulations.

Sweetpea: Happy anniversary.

Claire_B_dO: Thank you. Is there anything further you would like to add?

BB_Licious: People may be wondering hat background or world experience do we have that would make us good managers for the show? For me, I have 12 years of business experience in RLC. I have several businesses and have a track record of organizing and executing successful business events, including very successful fundraisers. I'm very organized, know a lot of people and have an outgoing personality. Also, I feel strongly that Sweetpea and I complement each other, in that we have strengths that play to the others weaknesses. I don't know what weaknesses Pea has, lol, but I know she is a strength to mine. We are long time friends and we work well together, so this is a win for us, in my book.

Sweetpea: For me, in the 13 years I've been in RLC/UV, I started out as part of a deco team. My design passion has always been making furniture. I do love the challenge of creating layouts on the existing RLC hardcoded properties, glitches and all. Over the years, I’ve run the Flea Market, we’ve held many parties there including auctions and fundraisers. Dawl and I rehashed the Decorator vs Theme Challenge and now I run that alone. The DvT Challenge is now in it’s 5th year. Mr_Traditions, diving_WnC, Jonash_Novo and I also run Holiday Traditions that goes from Advent through Epiphany. Both BB and I are very organized and I’m so thankful she is so outgoing because small talk is not something I’m good at and tend to lean more towards being an introvert.

BB_Licious: Collectively, Sweetpea and I make a great team. With our combined experience, we both feel as if we are more than qualified to be the next generation of caretakers for the Zaby Home Show. We only hope that the rest of the deco community feel the same, and hope that they feel they can put their trust in us, that we will put our best foot forward and do what is best for the future of the Zaby Home Show.

Claire_B_dO: Thank you both again for meeting with me.

Sweetpea: It’s our pleasure, thank you.

BB_Licious: Thank you

Pictures by Pascalou_dO