I like whimsy; I like to smile. Sometimes I don’t feel as if I smile enough. In fact, there are times when I can be pretty dour in SL (we’ll leave the other life out of this, OK?); yet when I think about it, most of what I see and do in SL does bring a smile to my face. Otherwise, why would I be here?

One of the things that I do enjoy about exploring SL is that so much of it contains the whimsical and the lyrical, making exploration and blogging a joy. So when I saw that Katz Jupiter had reworked her region, Slightly Twisted, into ” a whimsical but serene and peaceful landscape filled with art, animals and fun elements,” I had to hop over and take a look. Truth be told, a visit was long overdue; the last time I had dropped in was nigh-on 18 months ago, when the region was hosting The Gathering of Sky Women in July 2012.

Slightly Twisted (Flickr)

Katz’ profile gives a little more information on the region’s winter design, stating: “Slightly Twisted reflects the beauty and serenity of winter in BC, Canada, as well as the special time of the approaching holiday season. Of course there is always a few twists to make it more fun.”

You might want to wrap-up warm for this one as well; winter is very, very much the theme here – the arrival point is even inside a frozen cave, complete with a huge statue of the Snow Queen by Fuschia Nightfire. Fuschia has worked with Katz on various art projects, and more of her sculptures can be found throughout the region, together with pieces by other artists such as Kicca Igaly and Chuckmatrix Clip.

A welcome poster, complete with seasonal greetings from Katz provides a list of activities within Slightly Twisted and a note on the default windlights. You can also grab a pair of cross-country skis to ease your travelling. If you take a set, do make sure you disable any AO you’re wearing or conflicts may result.

Slightly Twisted (Flickr)

Once outside, the full beauty of the region becomes apparent. The default windlight settings work well with the environment. Combined with the seasonal lights on trees, etc., the overall effect presents something of a winter’s evening feel, with a slight mist in the air. However, as I’m a bit of an awkward so-and-so, I opted to take the majority of my pictures using a combination of Annan Adored’s 2013 windlights (which I adore – no pun intended – and so tend to use a lot), together with Jackson Redstar’s windlights, which have long been favourites and are probably the settings I use and play with the most.

A large frozen lake offers plenty of space for ice skating – grab your skates from the little kiosk on the other side of the lake from the arrival cave. This is flanked on either side of the region by a large house and equally large frosted glasshouse. Around the lake are snow-covered paths, frosted trees strung with lights, horses and wildlife to be observed (and photographed!) and more.

The whimsy in the region comes in many forms; some of the art pieces have a certain whimsical feel, such as Kicca Igaly’s Musical Conductor, happily overseeing an invisible orchestra and their music as you skate across the ice, or the innocent (and rather cute) snowman by Trigit Amat, complete with felt top hat and scarf, standing with his back to the path, but who will deftly turn around and lob a snowball or two at passers-by. The polar bears busy with their ice ballet in the frosted glasshouse put me in mind of an advert we used to have for a certain chocolate bar (even if the ad did involve pandas and rollerskates, rather than polar bears and ice – but that’s the way my little mind works).

The pleasure of a build like this is in the composition and the detail, and Katz has done a fabulous job in bringing pieces together from a wide range of creators and artists to present a scene which really does encourage exploration and offers a lot of entertainment; so do take your time when wandering, you never know what might lie around a corner or among the trees. If you do tire of walking, there are balloon and horse rides to be found, adding even more enjoyment for explorers. If you feel like a break, there are places where you can sit and cuddle or watch the world go by. And if you get too cold outside, don’t forget the big house, which contains more art in both images and sculptures, to appreciate.

Above the lowlands, atop the hills there is more to see, including a cosy barn where Katz has some of her own artwork on display. There’s even a roaring log fire outside where you can warm your hands. Getting back down the hills after a visit is easy as well: simply grab a sledge and push off down the slope!

There’s more to see beyond this, but for me to say more would be to spoil things. Why not pay Slightly Twisted a visit and see what’s there for yourself?

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