Hart to Hart

Lillie Hart is a daughter of one of Colonial Village's most wealthy families - the Vantross family. The Vantross family is one full of cold, calculating, and ruthless individuals (recall Emmett Vantross if you will) but Lillie has always striven to give the family name some much needed moral shine.

Lillie moved out of her parent's home after high school and temporaily lived with her older sister, Adela. Adela had just gotten divorced and Lillie was happy to help take care of her two nephews. After some time, Lillie met Jessie Hart on a blind date and the two of them could not wait to start a new family.

But, there were problems. Lou Ann Vantross, Lillie's mother, greatly disapproved of her daughter's choice in a husband. Jessie was a soldier in the Sim Military and though the Vantross's stood by the troops - they certainly didn't want any of there own bringing a low ranking officer into the fold. Lou Ann was especially against the marriage because her other daughter Adela had gone the "dating below the Vantross name" route and that union had ended in divorce.

But Lillie followed her heart.

Lillie and Jessie were married in a quick ceremony and bought a small home on the south side of Colonial Village.

After a year or two they welcomed twins Danny (always in daddy's arms)...

...and little Della Lou, who loved getting kisses from mom.

Life moved along happily. Jessie worked his way up the military ranks and finally became an astronaut. It seemed as if any tarnishing Lillie could have been accused of placing on the family name was long gone.

That is, till a mysterious letter arrived in the mail. The cryptic handwriting read, "Your family is a sad circus...a shadow of what it could have been if only Jessie Hart had never been invited along for the ride. May your new baby be cursed with everlasting tragedy!"

Lillie was horrified. She ran inside and burned the letter so Jessie wouldn't see it. She didn't want anything to spoil the serene life they shared together.


Lillie went to bed early that night with her mind full of questions.

She woke up the next morning and called her mother for the first time in 11 months. Her mother had many connections due to her powerful standing in the community. And Lillie invited her for dinner, hoping she'd have some idea as to who would threaten Jessie or the new baby. Her mother headed right over and brought her favorite granddaughter, Vinda.

Jessie arrived home from work to find his venemous mother in law was in the house. He was surprised, and unsettled, by how nice she was being to him.

Things changed as soon as Lillie left the room. Immediately Lou Ann and Vinda started in on Jessie demanding that he leave Colonial Village...or else!

Jessie ran and got Lillie. After telling her of Lou Ann's vague threat, it was clear to Lillie that her mother was up to the typical Vantross schemes. Lillie tried to explain to her mother that her marriage wasn't going anywhere - and her threats wouldn't work anymore.

Lillie implored her mother to think of the children she shared with Jessie. Lou Ann quickly changed her tone and apologized. She confessed to knowing who wrote the letter, but refused to reveal her sources. Lou Ann gave Lille a hug and headed back to her mansion.

Later that night, Lille woke to piercing pains in her stomach. The new baby was on its way!

Rylie Bea Hart, born this night, let us hope you are the child who will be a Hart of honor and decency within the Vantross clan.

Death Comes To Those Who Wait

Murder. Death. Torture. Words not often heard of in Colonial Village. That is till now - till Melvin Lawson moved into town.

Melvin Lawson seemed like a nice enough guy. He had a great sense of style and the cutest little puppy named Vivian Leigh. But sometimes the nicest, most charming sims hold the darkest secrets.

Visitors came by to welcome Melvin and Vivian Leigh. But not every visitor returned home.

It turns out Melvin had a secret room in his house where he'd trap visiting sims in the hopes of torturing them.

He was always coming up with deviant schemes.

Sometimes a sim was lucky enough to be too cute for Melvin to lure into his secret room. Sometimes he'd just cook a visiting sim dinner and let them go.

Most days, Colonial Village was lucky because Melvin was often in the mood to watch tv with Vivian Leigh.

Other days he'd stay online for hours - texting and chatting...and looking at online matchmaking sites.

But despite appearances, Melvin was always on the prowl for fresh meat.

It's surprising his neighbors weren't suspicious of his "hole" digging. Why were the holes always 6 feet deep?


One of his favorite torture devices was death by fire. He was an expert at setting fires in confined spaces so they would consume his "guests."


His favorite method was to start a fire when his unsuspecting victim was sleeping.


Perhaps, then, he should've been more cautious while making toaster pastries one fateful morning.

When fire starts a rockin...

...the grim reaper comes a knockin.

And so do the cops. Police arrived after a few days of complaints about a strangely horrible smell emanating from Melvin's home. They arrived to find Melvin burned alive.

They also busted through a wall and found Melvin's secret chamber. Amidst the chard remains of people and objects, teenager Kerstin Bugger was in a daze. Officers rescued her and sent her home to her parents.

Will Colonial Village be safe now that Melvin Lawson is no more? Time will tell. And let us hopes the hearts and minds of Colonial Village heal in time as well.

Special Sandies.

The Sandie family is a family that has adapted well to a challenging life. Mick and Sylvie have been married for 20 years now, and their bond is strong. They have three children: Lark, Pecan and Aleck. Sylvie is a top notch, self trained baker and she just opened a bakery on the family property. Sylvie’s Delights is one of the best home-run businesses in Colonial Village and customers flock to the store daily for delicious baked goods and to experience the world class service Sylvie is so good at offering. Mick is a successful ball room dancer and is gone most nights. When he’s home he enjoys working off all the calories gained by his wife’s good cooking!

Slyvie Sandie in her favorite spot - the kitchen!

Mick Sandie thinking about going jogging after scarfing down some his wife's cheesecake.

Lark Sandie recently moved out on her own and doesn’t have the best relationship with her parents. Mick and Sylvie disapprove of their eldest daughter’s shot gun marriage to the recently widowed Rhys Valdari. Rhys Valdari is a mysterious sim from a mysterious family, and his recently deceased wife’s death is one mired in ambiguity. Lark and Rhys recently had twins, but Grandma and Grandpa Sandie do not see them often.

Dad Mick discusses with daughter Lark the feelings he has about her marriage.

The Sandie boys, Pecan and Aleck, are great friends. Pecan Sandie is a sim known throughout Colonial Village as a kind and gentle soul. Most sims are accepting of him despite his “challenges.” Pecan was born with a rare sim disease, Mysozaglotopia, and will likely never live on his own. Though he is grown, he is happy to remain with his parents and work as a cashier at Sylvie’s Delights. Sometimes working the register is hard on him, but mom Sylvie keeps everyone happy and patient with her gregarious nature.

Pecan Sandie.

Aleck is the youngest of the family and attends Colonial Heights High School. He’s something of a heart throb, and almost nightly the family trash is knocked over and opened by the curb due to some disgruntled ex girlfriend of Aleck’s. Mick and Sylvie both hope Aleck learns to keep his romantic escapades more civil, and they are hopeful that this is all just a phase for him. Knocked over trash cans equal roaches which equal expensive appointments with the exterminator! And customers walking into Sylvie’s Delights could do without that kind of eyesore.

Aleck loves playing games, both in love and on the chess board.

Life marches on for the Sandie family. Mick hopes to advance his dancing career – perhaps by becoming a world class ballet dancer. Sylvie will continue to grow her thriving business. Everyone hopes tensions will be eased with Lark, so that the new grandbabies can be more a part of the family. Aleck’s future looks bright and the family is excited to see how he will carry on the family name. Pecan loves working as a cashier and his future seems subdued but happy. And who knows how life might change for him? Could he ever move out on his own? What will happen when his parents pass away? Tough questions perhaps best saved for a later time. A less happy time.

FIN

Sylvie on the doorstep of her bakery, "Sylvie's Delights"

Sylvie charming a customer.

Lark supports the family by buying baked goods from the shop.

Sylvie can sell a frying pan to anyone.

Sylvie watches t.v. with her boys before heading to work.

Pecan takes advantage of the absence of mom.

Aleck finds Pecan playing on the couch and jumps right in on the fun!

Splendidly Smiling Shibatas!

We all know people whose lives are perfect, even sickeningly so. But every now and then you run across a sim who deserves the happy ending their life story seems to have reached.

Katherine Shibata is one such sim.

Katherine is the oldest of the three Pipper children. Katherine and her two brothers were raised by parents who were less than exemplary. Papa Pipper can’t hold down a job and Mama Pipper has been having an affair for years now with some young blonde guy. Katherine’s teenage years were spent stepping in as a stand-in mom for her younger siblings, and she neglected a lot of her younger happiness. She never had a boyfriend or many friends, for that matter, growing up. And though she loved her brothers, she couldn’t wait to try her luck at a life on her own.

So Katherine grew up, moved out, and enjoyed the single life. She had an adorable apartment and began a career as a City Planner for Colonial Village. Things were great but they got even better when she met Trent Shibata on a blind date! What a catch he was! Trent was at the peak of his career as a professional party guest for the Sim City elite, and had acquired a hefty fortune as well. When Katherine and Trent met, it was love at first sight, and Katherine’s sad chapter seemed to come to an end.

Modern in tastes, the newlywed Shibatas moved into a fancy, contemporary home in the nice part of Colonial Village. It wasn’t long before they unexpectedly got pregnant and welcomed twins Kennera and Tiernan into their home.

Katherine and Trent are happy with their little family and don’t plan to grow in size any further. Instead, they choose to grow in love. Katherine enjoys each day at her City Planning job and Trent only has to work a few nights each week – depending on the demand for his party animal personality. The kids love the great advantages growing up in a financially and emotionally secure family has afforded them…and rest assured, mom and dad are raising them to be model citizens. Trent shares with them his love of birds and dancing. And both Katherine and Trent school the kids at home on how to be great friends to the people they meet.

Life is good for the Shibata family. Let’s hope it always will be.

Katherine hugs son Tiernan after he gets off the schoolbus.

A family dinner discussion on the merits of being a good friend.

Trent gets busy perfecting his dance moves while the family is out for the day!

Katherine and Tiernan share a fun romp in the front yard.

Katherine never knew life could be so...warm.

The Other Side of the Coin

In case you are wondering what ever happened to the woman who left Emmett Vantross, lay aside your curiosity.


The then Mrs. Vantross and the now Mrs. Valdari started out as Lauryn Thatcher, the eldest daughter of the large Thatcher family. The Thatchers are a simple family, and no one was more surprised than Lauryn when the heir to the Vantross name fell in love with her.

They quickly married and had two children, Vinda and Hugh. If you know anything about Emmett's melodramatic personality, you know the rest - he cheated on Lauryn constantly, and left her feeling like a shell of the thriving woman she had once been.

It took some time, but after Hugh's birth she ran into an old friend, Riordan Valdari. Henry was the first born of the mysterious Valdari children and it was clear that some chemistry existed between Lauryn and this mysterious man. The chemistry proved too strong and Lauryn left her loveless marriage and began anew with Riordan. Emmett never thought Lauryn would actually leave him, and threatened to destroy her if she took their children (Vantross heirs) away from him. It was with a grieving heart that Lauryn left Vinda and Hugh with their father and married Riordan.



Grief did not last as they quickly welcomed their first child, Esme Tessa into their lives. With her birth, Riordan disclosed to Lauryn the secret that made his family so mysterious - his father Henry was a vampire, and his mother, Contessa, had been one as well. This only added to Lauryn's infatuation with Riordan and they unexpectedly added to their family with little Declanne Noa.

The Valdari family's story is a sad one, as the story of vampires usually goes. Riordian's mother Contessa died by exposure to sunlight. And Riordian's beloved brother Declan died along with his newlywed wife in a fire. Though Riordian loves his life with Lauryn, he fears some tragedy will one day befall them.

But the tragic appetite of fate seems well satiated for the time-being. Lauryn and Riordian work hard at their careers (Lauryn is working towards becoming a business tycoon and Riordian is well established in the athletic field) and raising their children. Lauryn just gave birth to twins Constance Fleur and (their first boy) Emeric Declan. Grandfather Henry, forever frozen in vampirism, comes by often to spend time with his grandchildren.

For now, life is good.

Declanne Noa bakes on her play stove as big sister Esme Tessa supervises.

Henry Valdari discusses his grandchildren with his son Riordan.



Lauryn puts Constance Fleur in her crib.



Henry advises his granddaughter Esme Tessa on all he has learned in his many sim years.

Life is truly sweet.