It's a Grand Night For Singing

An Edwardian Garden Party at Ocelot Valley

Ocelot Valley is a most exceptional and exclusive little community.  It's my community where I reside in an exquisite 18th century Georgian mansion filled with period furnishings.  My friend, Painter Meriman, a highly talented Australian architect, is the designer and owner of Ocelot Valley, as well as the owner of Painter Designs. Painter immerses himself in the architecture and decorative arts of the historical periods that capture his fancy and inspire his creativity. Quality, precision,  and historically accurate details are hallmarks of his builds. And no builder in Second Life can better capture a time and place than Painter Meriman, especially when he teams up on a project with fellow architect, Jaysun Dagger.  

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.



Party Host, Painter Meriman

Painter recently held a garden party at the village square in Ocelot Valley. Guests were asked to arrive dressed in the edwardian fashions of the first decade of the last century. Edwardian England has been nostalgically  rhapsodized as a vanished golden age. It saw a country at its greatest height. It was a period of imperial empire, progress, and confidence in the superiority and endurance of English culture and values. It was also the golden age of garden parties. Those wonderful summertime affairs showcasing cakes and ice cream, entertainment and convivial conversation, and gracious manners.  You just knew that Painter would transport us back to those wonderful times.

You can't have a more lovely location for a garden party than the village square at Ocelot Valley. Our village is a homage to the Belgium town of Bruges - the very picturesque Venice of the North. I couldn't wait for the guests to start arriving across the bridge and through the village gate via the red carpet. I wanted to see the fashions.
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I think this scene outside the Cafe Bruges captures the party's edwardian ambiance.

You can't have a garden party without the refreshments. And isn't this a marvelous table?

Pleasure Gardens in Edwardian England featured entertainments as well as trees and flowers and would  have concert halls, bandstands, and amusement rides. The centerpiece of our garden party was this magnificent carousel.

The highlight of the evening was the entertainment provided by our very own Zachh Cale - instrumentalist, singer, composer, popular Second Life live performer, and my neighbor at Ocelot Valley. The songs and lyrics were sophisticated and witty, and Zachh was so charming. It's what I imagine an evening party with Cole Porter at a piano would have like. 

This is a portrait of our little community at Ocelot Valley. We are only four residents occuping four unique and fabulous properties. From left to right: Zachh Cale, me, Terrwyn Shergood, Hockey Fouroux, and our community leader, Painter Meriman.

The dashingly handsome Jaysun Dagger

I was dressed in Audrey Hepburn's eye catching black and white dress from
the Royal Ascot Horse Race scene in the film My Fair Lady

Zachh and his manager, Kalli Berman

Leesa Donner

WK Ganesvoort, naturally

Nonna Hedges and Piedras Chama

Bacchus Ireto looked like a Music Hall entertainer. Music Hall was very popular in Edwardian England. This form of British theater featured variety acts much like American vaudeville.

Sommer Shepherd

Wysnhym Beaumont

Huntington Harbour

Saffia Widdershins, Owner and Editor of Prim Perfect

Visit our community at Ocelot Valley, and at Painter Designs have fun rezzing and entering houses from Painter's collection of extraordinary homes.

Ocelot Valley:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ocelot%20Valley/108/175/25

Related Post:

An Extraordinary Musical Event (December 19, 2010)
http://mariko-nightfire.blogspot.com/2010/12/extraordinary-musical-event.html