The Good Eggs

Beginning this month, we will shine the spotlight on one of our loyal customers. Look to this space to read the who-what-when-where of what these fabulously creative people do. We start our series with Thaihiti Baroque, of Thaino Designs. Be sure to visit her shop on the west side of our parcel. You can take the teleporter directly to her great creations.

Hello, Thaihiti! Tell me a little about yourself and what you do!
When Thaino Designs was "born" I knew where I wanted to go with it, knew what I wanted to create, but it was in my head. I found it hard to create it for real. I loved playing with textures but hated building. I found it difficult and time consuming while all I wanted to do was make things look pretty. However, I became so excited about buying new textures that I needed to build fab things to try them out on. That made me keep trying.

Now, when i look back at what I made in the early years, I cringe! Sculpties were far and few between and I was making square sofas. In fact, everything was some form of a square. I rented my first shop and sold quite a few "square" items. This inspired me to keep going and become better and more knowledgeable about shapes and what could be done with them.

I finally feel I've gotten to where I want to be, making vintage, shabby chic items that are ok! Although I'm still stunned when people buy from me and that little voice inside my head thinks, "Is my stuff good enough to be sold?"

Do you have a business partner?

 I started Thaino Designs with my RL/SL boyfriend Rhino. That is how Thaino Designs got its name...a mix of Thaihiti and Rhino. I have now been running Thaino Designs for the last two years on my own. Rhino is no longer in SL and is no longer my RL boyfriend, though we still are good friends, and meet for coffee. So it's not a sad story :)

So how long have you been in business?
Thaino Designs was started in 2007. In 2009 I took a year's break from SL, but I still kept my shop open. I came back in 2010 with a new outlook and enough "oomph" to get creative. I completely wiped my stock clean and began again, or at least redesigned what I already had.
It did take me a while to even remember how to rez and move a simple box! It was like starting all over again, which was a good thing as it made me reassess what I had made in the past.

What drew you to Second Life?
I read an article in some women's magazine about SL and thought I would take a look at it. I was fortunate because when I arrived I met some amazing people who took me under their wings and helped me. I was hooked within days.

What led you to opening a business?
Having gotten my own little house in SL, I couldn't afford to buy very much furniture. That was back in the days of camping for 1L$ every 10 minutes, which I wasted away doing, not knowing any better! I did gather lots of freebie things, but they weren't what I wanted. That's when I started creating my own furniture. I got a buzz from it, even though the building part of it frustrated me! Friends started asking if they could have a copy of what i was making, and that spurred me on to thinking, "What if..."

How did you find :Rehatched: and how do you use their products?
Being a total texture freak verging on obsessesion is what led to me to Rehatched.

What does the future have in store for your business?
I take each day as it comes. Every day I seem to come up with a new idea, usually as I'm in bed drifting off to sleep. Lack of time and lack of prims are my enemies! I just enjoy making and creating and hope that people love my work.

Thank you very much Thaihiti, and good luck with Thaino Designs!