My Life As You Know It - And My Real Life Name

I miss the swimming world something terrible but nevertheless life keeps on. I want to let you all know that I am in good health and I remain sound of mind (as much as my mind ever was sound). The promise of next year has me in anticipation already. I will begin a new course in IT and Office Administration next year as being a dental assistant hasn't really panned out (did I ever mention the dental assistant thing? I think maybe not but okay you know now).  The whole idea of doing this course is to aid me in my goal of working in a bank. 

Anyway enough about the future when there is so much in the past we haven't even caught up on yet. 

First of all...300,000 hits! 

That's not too shabby even if I do say so myself. I mean I'm not it the Mare's Millionaires club or anything but still. 

Hey I've recently started getting into horse riding you know. I hadnt been on a horse since I was a child so it was the first time in my adult life that I've been on a horse! I loved it thoroughly. 

I'm 19 now and I really feel like my life is finally beginning. I mean things aren't exactly as I'd hoped. My hopes of travelling to Europe and America are at least a year away probably longer but I don't mind, I can wait. And that's also not to say that my life until now has been dull. It's just that I feel, in a rather story book way, the way I think a young 19 year old man ought to feel, bright eyed and full of hopes and dreams. I was having a rather deep discussion with a friend and they told me "2015 may just be your year" and you know as cheesy as it is I really feel that it will be. 

Did I mention I have my restricted liscene? I got it some time ago now but it allows me to drive about on my own. I also have a car now and I've had that for a while too but just so you all know. Nothing fancy of course but still it does the trick. 

I've also been very adventurous in the kitchen. Learning how to cook and bake. I mean I could cook and bake a little but now I'm exploring (with the aid of my mother). I challenge you to find a greater pleasure in this world than the pleasure one derives from making a curry directly from spices. The madness of the half-recipie half-experiment, yet whole hearted approach is something I would not trade for anything. I talk as if I were some sort of spice master but I just confess I'm still completely amateur. I still haven't decided how to pronounce cumin (but then really has anyone?). I just enjoy the experience. 

I'm reading a lot more too which I'm so happy about. One book I read recently called One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore moved me to tears and left me haunted for days. Something that only a few years ago a book would never have done. 

I'm also writing as a few of you may know. Just some fiction. Nothing published or anything like that you understand. Just as a hobby. A creative outlet. It all started when I was drawing and I just couldnt capture on the page the story in my imagination and so I decided to start writing and I've not stopped since. My grammar is lacking in the extreme but my passion for it cannot be quelled. 

Oh well I think I've taken up enough of you're time. Thanks for bothering to read this all. If you got down this far I salute you. Please leave a comment if you just want to say hi I would love to ear from you. I think (or rather that stats tell me) that most of the hits get are for all that custom content I made so I don't anticipate anyone actually reading any of my personal life ramblings and therefore I anticipate few or no comments but that's okay. 

I want to conclude by wishing you all a bright and wonderful future and all the very best on your endeavours in the new year. 

By the way my real name is Zak. (Oh just like that episode "The Name of The Doctor" except in this instance no one actually cares what my name is and also unlike the Doctor whose name remains unknown you actually find out what my name is).

The Alexander Palace Sims 4

- The Alexander Palace -

Available on the gallery under "The Alexander Palace" 

Creator name: "SimRomanoff"

These first pictures are actual images of the real Alexander Palace in the town formerly known as 

Tsarskoye Selo (Tzar's VIllage). The palace was built in 1876 and was the favorite Imperial residence of Tzar Nicholas II. 

Now for the Sims 4 version of 

- The Alexander Palace -

The palace is naturally scaled down to fit in game and has been made single story in order to maintain proportion. The design while altering the layout for practical reasons retains the Corps de logis/Cour d'honneur architecture. The colonnade, perhaps the palace's most iconic feature, has also been recreated. 

The lot contains four bedrooms and single bathroom, which is relatively small however this was done in order to allow room for the ballroom as well as the generous sizing of most rooms in order to avoid pokey little rooms. Ballroom? Why yes I did say ballroom! This house has two grand pianos as well! Excessive? Why yes it is. This lot is exactly what you need if you are seeking to ignite discontent among the subjects of your empire, it says "I have more money than you" in the most elegant way possible. The palace has been furnished in a neoclassical style which is entirely suited to the structure. anyway I waffle on so check it out below and don't forget, you can download it on the gallery: "The Alexander Palace" by "SimRomanoff"

Warning: Put up a boundary fence in case of Bolsheviks [It's a joke]. 

- Exterior -

This picture below is my favorite!

- Reception Room -

- One of the bedrooms each one individually decorated- 

- Kitchen- 

- Dining Room -

- Bathroom -

-Entryway-

- Sitting Room -

- Ballroom -

- Passageway -

- Study-

- Layout -

Rose's Titanic Dress (Sims 4 CC)

Rose's Titanic Dress 

-Sims 4 CC-

Click Here or at the Bottom To Download

This elegant dress is taken from the epic film Titanic. This iconic dress was worn by the leading lady Rose during her famous suicide attempt on the stern of Titanic. 

This is non default replacement and is accessible as a swatch of the Maxi dress.

I hope you like it! Hoping to do more in the future from the film.

Click Here To Download! (4Shared)

My New Header (Sims 4 Update)

Hey Look Shiny!

I've gone and updated my header with a Sims 4 pic, still the same concept and layout (i.e. the blog name amid an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party against a damask background). But do you like it?

I do think the old one was better for several reasons but it was old all the same. Its a little less detailed and perhaps the Alice theme is less noticeable? Not sure, but anyway it will do nicely. Here is the old one for comparison.

Oh and also before that a little note of self congratulations. I got my first Sims 4 CC post on My Sims 4 Blog, Woot!, its like the good old days. (I may just hang around, who knows? who even cares? haha)

Anyway on with the show...

Th-th-tha-tha-tha-tha-that's all, folks!

My First Build in Sims 4

I've always loved building in Sims. Its a great creative outlet, or rather it was. I find the new build mode so restrictive and limiting but I know many would disagree however for me I prefer the Sims 3 Style of building. I do think the builds in Sims 4 are prettier though, like they have a distinct look which I like. 

The build is relatively small (relative to builds from The Sims 3 at least). Its quite ordinary and traditional but I loved making the garden more than anything which was an unexpected surprise.

Anyway here are the pics!

Sims 4 Big Glasses - Default Replacement By SR (Higher Bridge)

Big Glasses (Default Replacement) for 

The Sims 4 By SR

I'm so excited to share my first cc for The Sims 4!

Click Here (or at the bottom) To Download

Note: This is not a recolor but an actual mesh edit and it is default replacement. Its the Big Glasses which I love but I felt the bridge needed to be higher (seemed kinda odd right in the middle) and also minor edits to the shape (squaring the top corners a bit more). 

You can see the comparison below:

Click Here To Download (4shared)

Sims 4 Piracy Mosaic! (And its already fixed!)

So I was reading over at PC Gamer about this built in anti-piracy suprise in which the game screen becomes a complete pixilated mosaic (simillar to the nudity mosaic but applied to the whole screen) making the game unplayable. This was made so as to ruin the game for pirated copies.

Apparently people complained about the 'bug' on the forum exposing that they had an illegal copy. No doubt many laughs were had, and tears too.

But not to be done out of a deal the pirates have already solved this with a patch of their own.
All that hard work on EA's part to get a stab at pirates and its undone in one day. It makes me sad that EA actually spent time doing that and yet the game is missing so many previous features.

Lesson for EA: Your game will get pirated. Any attempt to punish pirates will probably be unsuccessful. So instead of spending time punishing pirates, spend your time rewarding fans, eh?

I can't find the quote but one blog noted that those who got the sour deal here are really those who paid for the game. Preach.

Day One Patch

Despite the game not being available in my country until tomorrow I'm already reading about glitches and even a day one launch patch fix.

I laugh at you indignantly EA.
Indignant yes, but still I laugh.

The new forum is well...

The New Forum

I just can't adjust. I take an instant dislike to almost anyone. People either seem to say generic compliments or suggestions or are purposely difficult and hostile. Wheres the good quality from times past? That fine old vintage of yesteryear!

I don't recognise anyone on he forums except the trolls.
Which brings me to another factor, the forum is heavily under moderated. (Never thought you'd hear me saying that did ya!)

All in all I'm not overwhelmed but I guess I'm the bob and betty newbie in the sims world now. My question is this, just where are the Mortimer and Bella Goths?

P.s.
(Hey look at that hit counter, for a fairly inactive blog I'm not doing so bad, thanks all, gloating over)

I'm on the New Forum!

Hey Guys and Girls!

I don't know if anyone will even read this anymore but hey just thought I'd say I'm on the new forum now. The name is Sim_Romanov. Don't be a stranger, if you see me be sure to say hi! And to make things easier call me SR. Not many people get my name anyway, a lot think its just a funny way of spelling Roman, and as great as their empire was I'd take Imperialist Russian Autocrats over Caesars any day!

For reference I'm using the same old picture of a young Mortimer Goth that I've been using for many moons. Namely this one.

It's Been a While...

It has been quite some time hasn't it, so long in fact that I almost forgot what my password was.

But nevertheless I am here to say "Hi".

I've been getting all nostalgic and wondering how everyone is.

Most of you I see are about as active as I am. Not that I blame you, I totally understand. Its sad but such is the nature of life, why should it be any different on the web right?

So an update about me for anyone who actually wants to know (I'm guessing for anyone reading this your probably here by mistake, emergency exits are towards the front and rear of the blog)

Well I've been good. I've been writing a lot, not blog writing clealry, but writing fiction. So thats been a lot of fun and continues to be. I am still trying to figure my life out, and its dawning in me that perhaps no one ever does figure their life out, but I'll leave that one for the philosophers. I've not touched a sims game in the longest time. Life is just so busy, but its a good busy. 

You'll be pleased to know I've behaved as a good little boy in the interim, I've managed to avoid breaking any laws or finding myself on the bad end of a harmful or addictive substance. 

(Stay in school kids) 

Being a new year I've set myself some goals, to get up earlier and to go to bed earlier 

(ha its currently 4 minutes past midnight).

Other goals include finding a new job, I've had a good run at my current job but time for soemthing new I think. 

As for my long term future?

Well I'm not much one for a career, I was in school, you know how it is plans for uni, dreams of the middle class suburban life. Well I've changed since then. First I want to get my book written (not necessarily published, just written, sorta like a bucket list thing). Second I want to travel, I have been overseas in the past but I want to do some proper travelling, by that I mean I want to move offshore, try my luck in different parts of the world, see what sticks. 

I guess I'm a bit of an oddball, don't get me wrong I'm not a slacker, I'm a firm believer in hard work and determination. I'm just testing the water for a life of less structure. Free spirit and all that. Who knows I am a teenager, it may, like all this, pass eventually.

As for my future with the Sims?

Well The Sims 3 has well and truly become a part of my past, and I don't see it in my future. The Sims 4, maybe. 

The one thing in my immediate future is a pillow and a night of rest. And perhaps some french radio, I find it helps me sleep and I pretend it somehow makes me more cultured. 

Goodnight all.

 (Assuming someone actually reads this and that its actually night when you do)