Santa's Elf of the Year ~ Winners Announced!

[Shenanigans_SC]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/title.gif
It’s nearing that time of year again! Christmas trees are sprouting up all over the world. While St. Nicholas enjoys being the center of children’s dreams everywhere, there is much going on behind the scenes. His elves are working around the clock to make the ever important deadline. Fulfilling toy wishes, cleaning up after reindeer, and even helping Mrs. Clause feed that hungry plump man, the job of an elf is usually thankless. That’s why this year; Santa has decided to reward one special elf with the recognition of being Elf of the year!

~ ~ ~

Do you have what it takes to be named Elf of the year? This is not a beauty contest! Instead it is a competition to be recognized as the hardest working, most creative and resourceful elf at the North Pole.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/Rules.gif

Rounds will be five days in length.
This contest will be done with accumulative scoring. Meaning all elves will make it to the end, their scores tallied up and a winner announced.
Each round you’ll be given a scenario to create a story about, accompanied by 2 – 5 pictures matching the story. Entries will be judged on their story’s creativity, and the skill of photo taking.
I seriously dislike extensions; however I understand how demanding real life can be. Each contestant will be limited to one extension not to exceed 24 hours.
Limited photo shopping will be allowed. For example, you can sharpen an image or add borders to it, but you may not remove a sim from game and put them on a photo background. For clarification on what is and is not allowed, please ask prior to submitting a questionable photo.
Needless to say all forum rules apply as well. Watch your picture sizes and spammage!


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/Applications.gif
Since Santa’s elves are supposed to be small, I’d like applications to be child age sims. You will enter them as if they were adults however.
They may have appeared in other contests, as long as they are made by you.
Please include the following in your application:

Name
Age
Your favorite and least favorite part of being one of Santa’s elves
1 head shot
1 freeshot of your life at the North Pole


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/Judges.gif

MissTech (http://forums.sims2community.com/member.php?u=51275)
FurryPanda (http://forums.sims2community.com/member.php?u=158555)
migamoo (http://forums.sims2community.com/member.php?u=146992)

Back up Emergency Judges

D63121 (http://forums.sims2community.com/member.php?u=155483)
Lottie. (http://forums.sims2community.com/member.php?u=163273)


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/Contestants.gif

Snowdrop Hollyberry (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1067268&postcount=5) - DROPPED OUT (computer probs)
Cassie Cassadine (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1068008&postcount=14) - DROPPED OUT
Evealynn Klews (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1068757&postcount=25) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1071949&postcount=61) - DROPPED OUT
Dr. Jolly Giselle (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1069263&postcount=27) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1075386&postcount=90) - Round 2 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1080003&postcount=122)
Snoflinga (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1069298&postcount=29) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1074248&postcount=74) - Round 2 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1080183&postcount=125) - Round 3 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1084359&postcount=141)
Darla Everberry (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1069381&postcount=31) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1074847&postcount=81)
Elphie Louvre (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1069914&postcount=35) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1074611&postcount=78) - Round 2 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1079861&postcount=119) - Round 3 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1083849&postcount=139)
Rebeccie Lovitea (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1069998&postcount=38) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1070985&postcount=58)
Lin Flamebright (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1070260&postcount=42) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1073338&postcount=66) - Round 2 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1079569&postcount=117) - Round 3 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1083840&postcount=138)
Leon Twinkletoes (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1070569&postcount=48) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1074404&postcount=76)
Mistletoe Tuddle (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1070740&postcount=54) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1075040&postcount=84) - DROPPED OUT
Bernie Mintruffle (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1074168&postcount=71) - Round 1 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1074237&postcount=73) - DROPPED OUT


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/Rounds.gif

Toy Making 101 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1070713&postcount=52) 11/24 - 11/29 - Scores (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1075563&postcount=93)
Decking the Halls 101 (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1075140&postcount=88) 11/30 - 12/05 - Scores (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1080737&postcount=128)
The other side of Santa (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1080361&postcount=127) - Scores (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1086480&postcount=148)
You've got to be kidding me!


Prizes
We're going to handle the prizes grab bag style. The elf that places first gets first pick, second place gets second pick and so on and so forth. Sorry, I did it this way because I think all of the prizes donated are worth being 1st place prizes. Huge thanks, and my gratefullness to everyone who donated prizes for this contest. Their kindness makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/Conifa2.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/Conifa.jpg)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/dudley.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/dudley2.jpg)
Both Dudley and Conifa were graciously donated by linuslover30.
(You can click on the pictures above to see other pictures.)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/skirts.jpg
Untuckable Skirts for girls were graciously donated by migamoo.
(Here's clearer pictures: Skirts 1 (http://digitaldeathwatch.com/sims/creations/unskirts/untuckedskirts.jpg), Skirts 2 (http://digitaldeathwatch.com/sims/creations/unskirts/untuckedskirts2.jpg), Skirts 3 (http://digitaldeathwatch.com/sims/creations/unskirts/untuckedskirts1.jpg).)

Again, I can't say thank you enough for the prize donations. :)

[beeps]

Contest Approved
Begins 11.18.07
Ends 12.18.07

Do not post replies and/or contest applications before the contest host has checked in on this thread, or your post will be deleted.

DO NOT WRITE USELESS POSTS like "Hey cool contest, I think I might join." Reserve type posts and useless posts about coming back with an application will be deleted.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Yay! Checking in so people can ask questions. :)

As long as I get the judges I need and everything's in place, round 1 should start on Nov. 24th. If we have at least ten contestants Applications will close then. If not, they'll stay open during the first round.

[summer_wine]

sounds very cool. question: will the scores be based on great photos or story or both?

[RainbowCyberGoth]

(I'm probably in too many competitions as it is, but this was too cute and festive to resist!)
Name: Snowdrop Hollyberry
Age: 28
Pros and cons of being one of Santa's elves: I love the feeling of achievement I get when I've completed a toy, and knowing that a deserving child will be recieving it; I have little elflings of my own, you know. And the candy! Oh, we get candy! The hard labour and low income kind of become a downer. Plus Santa REALLY needs some deodorant. Seriously.
Head Shot
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/9716/snowdrophw6.jpg
Free Shot
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7093/snowdrop2no4.jpg

[Shenanigans_SC]

will the scores be based on great photos or story or both?Scores will be based on both story telling and picture taking, each representing half of your score. So if you're a really strong story teller but not so great picture taker, your odds of winning are just as good as the person who's a fabulous picture taker, but not so good story teller.

Bexstar- Love your elf's name! Glad to have aboard!

[Slytherin-Girl]

I JUST re installed my game, but I might give it a go. I don't have Seasons though (just NL) so is that going to be okay?

And does the elf have to be of the toy making variety, or can they have another job?

[Shenanigans_SC]

I don't have Seasons though (just NL) so is that going to be okay?
And does the elf have to be of the toy making variety, or can they have another job?

For good pictures you'll have to create the feel of being at the North Pole, but given all the custom content that's available, you'll probably be fine!
Your elf can have any job you can think of! This contest is all about proving elves do far more than sit around making toys! :)

[PixieDust_fairy]

Sounds like alot of fun, and I'm in the feeling for entering contests again.
Will there be eliminations after applications?

PixieDust_Fairy

[Shenanigans_SC]

No eliminations. Also, applications will not be scored.
Hope to see you join!

[PixieDust_fairy]

Thank you for answering my question.
I'll be back with an App soon.

PixieDust_Fairy

[Psy10]

Do we need the Holiday expansion pack?

[Shenanigans_SC]

Do we need the Holiday expansion pack?
I don't think so. There is so much good custom content out there now a days that you shouldn't be at a disadvantage.

[TrillianRikku]

Name: Cassie Cassadine (or Cee Cee)
Age: 25
The Pros of being one of Santa's elves: I'm in quality control so I get to test all the toys before there sent out sometimes I don't want to give them up
The Cons of being one of Santa's elves:mucking out the reindeer stalls

Head Shot
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/Ghanima478/cchead1.jpg

Free Shot
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/Ghanima478/ccchoice1.jpg

[Lottie._SC]

Great idea!
I'll just go and do my application...

[Shenanigans_SC]

Glad to see you came back Trillian! I'd say mucking the stalls would be the worst part of being Santa's elf for me too. ;) For some reason your headshot is showing up though. Could you please work on fixing that? Thanks!

Can't wait to see it Lottie. :)

[sanda]

wow..nice contest..=)

[Lottie._SC]

Name - Holly Tinsel
Age - 21
Your favorite and least favorite part of being one of Santa’s elves
The atmosphere is really great, but it is a very demanding job. I work very long hours but it's very fun xD

* 1 head shot
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/7444/hollyheadshotsm6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

* 1 freeshot of your life at the North Pole
*To Come Shortly*

[didgerdoni]

Great idea! I'm assuming the applicant can be male or female. Is that correct?

[Shenanigans_SC]

Glad to have you Lottie!
didgerdoni - You are correct, they can be male or female. :)

[MzSera]

I might have to enter! I keep clicking this thread to view it but I think i need to enter haha :) I'll put my application up soon!

[Game Shark]

I am almost done with mine, they can have any job at the North Pole, right?

[Shenanigans_SC]

:) MzSera... Yup, constant reclicking is usually a sign that you must enter! Hope to see ya.

Glad you're joining in with us GameShark. Yup, your elf can have any job imaginable. :) However the different rounds will place them in different situations, so just be sure s/he is flexible.

[Game Shark]

Thank you! I will post my application tomarrow if that is O.K.

[MzSera]

Name: Evealynn Klews


Age: 20


Favourite Part Of Being One Of Santa's Elves: Helping Santa loading the sleigh and eating Mrs Claus' freshly baked cookies!


Least Favourite Part Of Being One Of Santa's Elves: The anticipation of waiting to see which elf Santa will bring with him on his sleigh each Christmas! (Causes such rivalry between all the elves)


Head Shot (http://img514.imageshack.us/my.php?image=project1zw8.jpg)

Free Shot - Sitting On Santa's Sleigh Waiting For The Sleigh To Be Loaded (http://img248.imageshack.us/my.php?image=project2mh5.jpg)

(Sorry Had To Link Images Because They Were Too Big! And When I Made Them Smaller They Went Blurry! Hope This is Ok! Let Me Know If It's Not!)

x

[Shenanigans_SC]

Aww... she's adorable MzSera! And Links to pictures are perfectly fine! Glad you joined us. :)

[Game Shark]

Well, sorry it took so long. I tried to find some medical clothes for children, but there weren't any (and I went to see a movie). Oh well.

Hope this is O.K.

Name: Dr. Jolly Giselle
Age: 27

Favorite Part of Being Santa's Elf - Well, thats a tough one. There are many great things about being an elf for Santa...... but I would have to say..... I LOVE the sight of Santa's village, especially at Christmas. The lights and decorations, just make the whole place look so magical (well, more magical than it already is.)

Least Favorite Part of Being Santa's Elf- Well, I hate being so short. I know it comes with the whole "elf" thing, but it would be nice to be taller. Its not exactly the most "pleasant" experience to have a conversation with Santa and be face to face (or really face to belly) with his gut. Oh, I almost forgot! I know its a second thing, but it ties with being short. Its really takes FOREVER to get some decent medical supplies here. Usually its not a problem because elves are notoriously fast healers, but there is always the elf who manages to almost kill themself by trying to make a weird toy and I don't have the proper supplies! (I believe last year, I believe Curly tried to make a a "more realistic" game of Risk, when one of the mini missisles went off. I still wonder what he was thinking.)


Head Shot (http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/2294/elfnursegq8.jpg)

Dr. Giselle looking for the name of the next elf patient for the yearly check-up (http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/976/elfpictureyo9.jpg)

[Shenanigans_SC]

:lol: Oh my goodness gracious. Game Shark, your whole "Risk" thing had me laughing! Glad to see you join us! And don't worry... there's plenty of time!

[BetteBob]

Name Snoflinga
Age 25
Favorite My favorite part, hmm well that would have to be one of three things either wrapping presents, unwrapping presents or having a snowball fight. I guess I'd have to go with the snowball fight, I'm not a big fan of working so I'm usually one of the first to join in when the snowballs start flying. There's nothing more satisfying than hearing the "fwoomp" of a snowball landing in the middle of Santa's big belly.
Least Favorite Most definately having to clean the walls of the candy workshop after the candy cane machine malfunctions and spews melted sticky sugar all over the walls and ceiling and christmas. Its just a big gooey icky mess.

Head Shot
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/snoflinga11.jpg

Freeshot
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/snoflinga13.jpg

[Shenanigans_SC]

BetteBob... love how your elf's name subtly matches the favorite part of being an elf. Very creative ;)

[patta234]

Name: Darla Everberry

Age: 23

Favorite part of being Santa's elf:
Cheering everyone on! I love letting people know their work is appreciated. Oh, that and at mid-day break, I love sitting around and chatting with my friends while drinking hot coca!

Least Favorite part about being Santa's elf:
When a naughty kid dosn't get any toys for christmas. It makes me feel so sad, even though I know they deserve it.

Head shot:

:Click Here: (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/patta123/head.jpg)

Free shot:

:Click Here: (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/patta123/free.jpg)


Sorry that I had to link, the pics were too big :(

[Shenanigans_SC]

Aww patta... you did an excellent job in making your elf look grown up. She's purty. :)
Don't worry about the links, they're perfectly fine!

[refined android]

Wow, this contest is SO cute! Good luck everyone.

[Lottie._SC]

Ok,just about to do Freeshot
:D

[jacquelyyn]

Not sure if it's too late to enter...


Name: Elphie Louvre

Age: 23

Job: Head Toy Tester

Favorite part of being one of santa's elves: I have the SWEETEST job ever, I get to play with toys all day long. It's awesome, and perfect for someone as laz...laid-back as me. In all seriousness though, all the other elves (and a reindeer or two) know how dedicated I am to my job. There is nothing wrong with having a little fun at work though ;)

Worst part of being one of santa's elves: I've heard more then one human folk say "the workplace is no place for your girlfriend". I wonder if any of them have ever had to work with an annoying older sister? Much, much worse. Elphina (my sister), is one of those elves that is totally AGAINST having fun - at work, and everywhere else for that matter. She thinks I don't take my job seriously enough, and is always reporting me to the EOD (Elf-on-duty) for everything: falling asleep (only like 4 times!), and once I accidently ran over her pet womrat's leg and she's never forgiven me even though it's fine, I mean 3 legs is better then none, right?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/headshot.jpg
my "intense" look

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/body1.jpg
Mip and I...does she even know I'm alive?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/evilf.jpg
Seriously, he really is always watching.

[Shenanigans_SC]

jacquelyyn, your application is perfectly fine! Your Elphie seems to be quite a trouble maker. I look forward to his personality coming out in your entries.

Lottie - looking forward to it. :)

For anyone else thinking of joining, still more than a day before round one begins! If we don't have ten entries yet, applications will remain open during round one.

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

just a question, do we have to be young elves, i mean, some elves are over 100 years aren't they.

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

Santa's Elf of the Year

Name: Elf Rebeccie Lovitea
Age: 163 years old
Favorite and worst thing about being Santa's helper: my favorite thing about being Santa's little elf is getting the cookies at Christmas parties.

The worst thing is having to make presents all year round, and only having 5 days off a month

head shot

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/Wanabee_gangsta_013/snapshot_74535ae2_f453770b.jpg

free shot

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/Wanabee_gangsta_013/snapshot_74535ae2_d4537764.jpg

elf fact

i may be 163 years of age but i wasn't born with pointy ears, so at toy making school all of the little elves made fun of me.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Wannabee, your application is just fine! Yeah, elves could be how ever old you'd like them to be. In all honesty, I don't know why I put the Age requirment on the application, as it doesn't matter as long as they're "adults". Guess it's just habit. :)
On a side note... you may want to think about editing a post and combining them rather than having three in a row, I know the mods would prefer that.
Glad to have you join us! :D

[Lottie._SC]

Ok, i'm gonna have to drop out the comp, BUT i don't mind staying on as a EJ...Is that ok?

[Shenanigans_SC]

No problem Lottie... I'd love to have you as an EJ. Thanks for volunteering. :)

[SilentPsycho]

Name: Lin Flamebright
Age: 354
Favourite Part Of Being One Of Santa's Elves: Creating new toys and inventions. Not becauase of the whole 'Happy Kids' thing, but because of the challange it gives me.
Least Favourite Part Of Being One Of Santa's Elves: When the Boss tries to make us more commercial-Christmas-like. A while ago, he tried to get us all into garish green and red uniforms to look like the elves in those suger-sweet Christmas movies. You ever tried wearing striped tights in the snow?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_5453670f.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_d4536662.jpg

[Shenanigans_SC]

Ha ha Silent! Stupid tights in the snow... makes me think of my poor little girl who always wants to wear dresses this time of year. Glad to see you with us. :)

[jacquelyyn]

I'm probably going to have to drop out...my brother reformatted my computer, and I didn't get to save anything. The sims won't even play now, and we can't get the internet to even work :( If I can get things up and running I will definately try to remake Elphie, but it's not looking good as of now. I'm hoping though...this contest is my favorite I've ever seen because it's so original. Good luck everyone and Silentpsycho and Beckster...awesome elves I'm jealous.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Aww jacquelyyn, I hope it can get saved! I'll leave Elphie on the contestant list just in case you can pull your computer through in time. :)
Looks like applications are going to stay open through the first round. Hopefully we'll get just a few more people to join. Need our 10 contestants for the forum rules.

[jacquelyyn]

Aww jacquelyyn, I hope it can get saved! I'll leave Elphie on the contestant list just in case you can pull your computer through in time. :)
Looks like applications are going to stay open through the first round. Hopefully we'll get just a few more people to join. Need our 10 contestants for the forum rules.

I got the sims to work! No sound though, wish i knew how to do that. It took forever to find out what graphics card I had, etc but my boyfriend is going to remake Elphie for me, and I should be set. Yay...also when does round 1 officially start?

[Shenanigans_SC]

Yay! Glad to hear it jacquelyyn. Don't worry if Elphie isn't exactly the same. Applications aren't scored, so it would do no harm if you had to post new pictures.

Round one should be posted in less than 12 hours. We're still in need of one more application to have the minimum of ten contestants. I am hoping someone will come in by the end of round one. :)

[didgerdoni]

Seasons's Greetings! My name is Leon Twinkletoes and I'm 52 years old. I consider it a very high honor to be one of Santa's elves. I was the youngest member of my tribe in six generations to be awarded a position here and I work very hard to be deserving of such an incredible honor.

My favorite part of being a "Santa elf" is the constant innovation. It's amazing that we can turn out Wiis and go-karts and sleds and what-have-you that are *exactly* the same as (or even better than!) those purchased from the manufacturer. It's not an easy task to keep on the cutting edge, but we do it. And the transportation technology department is truly awe-inspiring. I'm not at liberty to divulge all the ways they have come up with to get Santa around the world in one night, but those bells and whistles over there really do boggle the mind.

My least favorite part of the job would be the misperceptions that the general public has about elves in general and Santa's elves in particular. It can be quite a burden, especially for the younger elves, to never look, think, or act like others expect you to. It's important to continue trying to realign those mistaken expectations instead of asking elves to conform to a "norm" that might not be theirs. If we want to contine to recruit the best and brightest for this program, this issue must remain at the forefront. Whoops, I'm getting overexcited--I'll climb down off my soapbox now.

My latest employee ID card:
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4874/leonappheadzk7.jpg


A recruiting poster showing me practicing gift-giving with my old friend, Joe Snow. What? Well, my decorative friends may look like inanimate objects to the untrained eye, but you must remember that there's a lot of magic in a place like this.
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3941/leonappfreeah8.jpg

[MissTech]

Its nice to see entries coming in! They all look so cute, so great job everyone so far! Cannot wait to see what everyone comes up with in the future rounds! Good luck to all the contestants. :)

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

is there any particular time round 1 will start because i will need to make arrangements so my brother stays off the computer so i was just wondering

night all

[Shenanigans_SC]

Glad to see you join us didgerdoni! Leon is so unique! I love him!

Okay, I'm going to post Round 1 here shortly. Applications will stay open during round one for anyone who’d still like to join us. Good luck everyone and I can’t wait to see all the creative fun things you guys come up with. :)

[Shenanigans_SC]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/smallsnowflake.gifRound 1 ~ Toy Making 101http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/smallsnowflake.gif

Perhaps the single thing Santa’s Elves are most notorious for is their toy making ability. Now granted, not every elf’s main occupation is making toys, as a lot more is needed to keep the North Pole running so smoothly, but toys are everywhere, you simply cannot escape them.

For this round, the candidates for elf of the year, need to recount a situation where their quick thinking, resourcefulness, and creativity was instrumental to avoiding a possible catastrophe involving the making of toys.

Perhaps there was a mishap at shipping and a whole slew of Little Dollie voice boxes actually sounded like Homer Simpson. Perhaps the crayon machine was jammed and threatened to blow hot colorful wax all over the room. Whatever the crisis may have been, show us why you should be recognized as Elf of the Year.

Just for clarification, each entry requires two pictures minimum, five pictures maximum. Stories will be judged on their creativity and overall readability. Pictures will be judged on how well they go along with the story and also their quality regarding the placement of props and lighting and such. This round will be open for five days.

Good luck, and I look forward to finding out just how heroic Santa's Elves are. :)

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

my thing should be up shortly

[ashleybrooke]

Name: Mistletoe Tuddle
Age: 36
My favorite part of being one of Santa’s elves: Knowing that my contributions make children all over the world happy. Making people happy is what I do best.
My least favorite part of being one of Santa’s elves: Egg Nog hangovers on the morning after Christmas. You see, after all of the toys are made and Santa's sleigh is packed, we elves take that time to celebrate. Mrs. Claus' snickerdoodles and homemade egg nog are the perfect way to do that. I, unfortunately, can't say no to delicious egg nog and always wake up with a splitting headache the morning after.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/sims2contest1981/head-9.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/sims2contest1981/snowman.jpg
My best friend Dash always makes the funniest snow people.

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

are we aloud to photoshop pics

[ashleybrooke]

are we aloud to photoshop pics

From the rules:

Limited photo shopping will be allowed. For example, you can sharpen an image or add borders to it, but you may not remove a sim from game and put them on a photo background. For clarification on what is and is not allowed, please ask prior to submitting a questionable photo.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Glad to see you join us ashleybrook! Eggnog hangovers. lol yeah, that's definitely a hazard of the profession!

You have plenty of time wannabee, so don't rush it too quickly. :)

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

the over flow


One day, all of us little elves were working in the toy shop but when we all finished the toys we had nowhere to put them so Santa put me in charge of the presents, to see if i could fix the problem because the 10 other elves he asked couldn't do it and to organize were they go, so I said give me three days off.
So Santa did.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/Wanabee_gangsta_013/snapshot_74535ae2_145500d7.jpg
*me not noing to do about the massive amount of toys and no space*

After Santa said yes he stopped toy making for 4 days so i had room to do what i needed to do, after awhile i said to Santa i need some wood as i am going to build up some walls and make a storage room, Santa said it was a good idea.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/Wanabee_gangsta_013/snapshot_74535ae2_14550169.jpg
*me figuring out what to do*

it took one whole hour of waiting for wood, that was the cutest hour of my life, anyway, when the wood arrived i went to the resource room and grabbed hammers, drills and nails and i started building , after a day and a half i got half of the room built then it was non stop work to get it built i finished a day and 11 hours later.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/Wanabee_gangsta_013/snapshot_74535ae2_745502fd.jpg
*after i finish the room (in 2 days and 23 hours)*

So, finally, after 2 days and 23 hours of building i had finished, my fingers so saw, but i showed Santa and he said i did good, yaaaaaay.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/Wanabee_gangsta_013/snapshot_74535ae2_345503cd.jpg
*the room isn't even 1/12 filled*

it took me and the other little elves 2 hours to put almost fill 1/12 of the room with toys, we were almost finished about 12 hours later and we were all so tired but we kept on going to put the last few toys in there we ended up finishing 1 hour after lunch and then we rested for 30 minutes and it was the shortest 30 minutes of my life.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/Wanabee_gangsta_013/snapshot_74535ae2_f45505b5.jpg
*this is what the room looked like after all the toys went into storage*

that night Santa held a get to gether and i was invited as a V.I.P i was really happy, it may not seem like much but that was how i was recognised as elf of the year (by stopping an overflow of toys).

[FurryPanda]

Hello all, its FurryPanda (no really?), one of your judges, and I would just like to offer to critique your application if you would like me too. PM me please if you would like a critique. EDIT: Also, please include your elf's name if you PM me, I prefer not to look at the commentary people give, what with being unbiased and all. Thanks.

DISCLAIMER: I am offering these, which are my thoughts, and have nothing to do with official scores. If you get a glowing critique now, don't be shocked by low scores later and vice versa. And this is my criteria and what I nitpick and whine about and praise, not what Shenanigans tells me to nitpick or praise. And you're all welcome.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Looks like we'll be having some sims available for prizes. malaygirl93, and linuslover30 (Keely) have both PMed me offering Sims for prizes. :) Yay!

*edit*
Not only has migamoo offered to judge this contest, she's also been so gracious in agreeing to provide a prize. Pictures will be posted later. :)

[MzSera]

--> One (http://img253.imageshack.us/my.php?image=onely6.jpg)
It was another busy day in the North Pole, with only a few days until Christmas, all the elves were very busy in all areas of the workshop.
In the toy workshop all the elves were busy testing all the toys making sure they all worked in time for Christmas!
There were all different types of toys to be tested - doll houses, train sets, bikes, and musical instruments. You name it; the elves had to test them!

Merry (one of the newer elves to be employed), was testing out a toy train set when all of a sudden the train went off the track at a very high speed.
"WATCH OUT!" yelled Merry.

The train raced around the workshop out of control. The elves tried to catch the train as it went faster and faster!
The runaway train had caused allot of distraction around the workshop and before long the train had caused a small crowd of elves trying to help stop it!

--> Two (http://img258.imageshack.us/my.php?image=28062231rb8.jpg)
One of the other elves (Who were secretly trying to impress one of the female elves! - but that is another story!), jumped on top of the moving train to stop it in its tracks! The train wasn't going to stop, and now not only was the train on the loose, but now an elf attached to it flying through the workshop!

--> Three (http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=96543786id9.jpg)
Merry opened the door to Mrs Claus' kitchen to go and get help, the train sped up and went straight into the kitchen! The elves chased the moving elf and the train, but no-one was fast enough to catch it!
As it moved through Mrs Claus' kitchen, all the cakes and muffins went flying! There were bits of cake, cookies and icing everywhere! But the train kept on going faster and faster!

--> Four (http://img161.imageshack.us/my.php?image=64555875cy8.jpg)
The train then went straight out of the back-door and into the cold winter snow!
I was waiting outside (I had ran out when the train first went off the tracks, to build up a pile of snow to stop the train as I knew the train would eventually would end up out here if it wasn't stopped!), just as the train started to zoom outside, the pile of snow was large enough to stop the train and the elf!
The train hit the pile of snow and stopped and the elf went flying off the train and over the snow (he wasn't harmed!).

--> Five (http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7026/62033348ma9.jpg)
I was a North Pole Hero! I picked up the poor distressed elf of the ground and cheered to the loud crowd around us, to show we were both ok!
Santa made me elf of the week that week due to my quick thinking towards saving another elf's life!

[jacquelyyn]

I love the stories so far :]
I remade Elphie and updated his application (http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=1069914&postcount=35)

[didgerdoni]

What time (and time zone) will Round 1 close? I'm not managing to save often enough between crashes. Le sigh.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Timezones are a confusing thing! I always try to announce the next round (or in this case close one) as close to the same time I opened it. (Usually within and hour or so.)

For me (Central Standard time for America or GMT -6) the round announcement was made at 9:10am. So round 1 will close somewhere between 9am and 10am on Thursday, November 29th.

Round 2 will be posted later that same day. Since we're doing accumulative scoring, I don't see any harm in announcing the next round before the judges scores come back. :)

[Game Shark]

Sorry my submission hasn't been in yet. I will probably get it in tonight.

[SilentPsycho]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_5458c4f6.jpg

Well, it all start out so simple. Little things started happening, like missing toys turning up in random places, mixed-up coloured threads and bobbins, and grumpy faces painted on some of the dolls. Suddenly before we knew it the plushie tonberry toys had real knives, the Harry Potter books covers all contained the Karma Sutra, and the Frosty the Snowman present stickers all had the image of Frosty placing his carrot somewhere not very appropriate...

Something had to be done!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_b458c05f.jpg

Pity the Boss was too busy playing video games to pay attention to anyone right now. No wonder there's rumours of Mrs Claus looking elsewhere for some 'fun'!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_7458c62f.jpg

So here I am, hiding behind some barrels of toys in the cold, dark, and tinselly storeroom trying to find out who is sabotaging our work. Boring as anything, but the chances of the Boss actually doing something is practically nil, so I had to drag myself from my nice warm bed and the book I'm currently reading to get to the bottom of this.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_5458ca85.jpg

Suddenly, there's a light tip-tapping, soft as snow fall, and a strange shadow entered the room. I held my breath as I peered through the cracks between the barrels at the unknown figure. I watched as the strange being moved from one part of the room to another sabotaging the toys, his silver hair streaming behind him. Who was he? Far too tall to be an elf, and if the Boss ever got that thin, I'd be a tooth fairy!

When the guy got close, I saw my chance. One big push and the barrels of toys fell on top of him, knocking him out! Moving in for a closer look, I gasped as I realised who it was - Jack Frost!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_7458cc00.jpg

A couple of hours later, one bruised and very annoyed Jack Frost was standing before Santa in his office to explain why he caused these problems. Not that there could be any good reason for this...

"You want my reason? Fine, I'll tell you, you fat bastard! For the last ten years I've been a good boy, delighting children all over the world with my creations, yet despite this you haven't even thought about dropping by with a gift! Not even a crummy Christmas card! Despite all the hard work I've put into making Christmas truly magical, there's not even one ounce of appreciation from you, and I'm not the only one feeling left out! The Snow Queen's sulking, the Abominable Snowman's angry, and Frosty's furious! How about paying some attention to your own neighbours while looking after the rest of the world for once!"

...Or maybe there is, as I watch Santa's face go from annoyed to sheepish. Walking over to the filing cabinet, the Boss opened it to take out a dust-covered file. I stifle a groan as I recognise it as the list of the North Pole residents. Trust the Boss to be so absent-minded!

In any case, at least this has ended well. Jack's offered to help put everything right, and in return the Boss owes him and the others ten years worth of presents, and a promise to not forget them again.

Now, to get back to my book and my nice warm bed...

[Psy10]

That's so cute, SilentPsycho. Good job. :)

[Shenanigans_SC]

I've enjoyed reading the stories so far! Just a little reminder less than 24 hours till round one is closed! Hope to see the entries flood in. :) Also, not sure if everyone's looked, but the first post has been updated to show the prizes. :)

[annachibi]

Oh, this looks so cute! I want to join! :D Gosh darn it, gotta put something together in just a few hours, huh? Too bad I didn't see this earlier. Oh well, I'm gonna get on it, 'cuz this is the first contest I've ever had an interest in joining! :anime:

[Shenanigans_SC]

Oh, this looks so cute! I want to join! :D Gosh darn it, gotta put something together in just a few hours, huh? Too bad I didn't see this earlier. Oh well, I'm gonna get on it, 'cuz this is the first contest I've ever had an interest in joining! :anime:
If you get your application in before the round 1 deadline, you can request a 24 hour extension for your round 1 entry. Every contestant is allowed 1 extension so if you think you wouldn't need any others, you could do that.

Hope you're able to do something and join us. :)

[annachibi]

Name: Bernie Mintruffle
Age: 18 (Yeah, I'm new to this job.)
My Favorite Part of Being an Elf: Well, let's see... I can drink hot chocolate all day and eat candy canes all night and never worry about cavities. I get to play with the reindeer and take care of them. I love the reindeer! :D
My Peeves About Being an Elf: I dread when my time comes to go with Santa on sleigh and help him deliver presents. I'm afraid of heights. Guess that comes from being short and close to the ground all the time. Also, I hate the color green. Not very elfy of me, huh? ;)
Head Shot
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/1691/bernieheadshotaf4.th.gif (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bernieheadshotaf4.gif)
Free Shot
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/7117/berniefreeshotnc5.th.gif (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=berniefreeshotnc5.gif)
So I'm not that great at ice-skating. Not like it's some kind of requirement for elves, right? :P

[TrillianRikku]

Hi I'm still in just alot has been happening I should have my entry in ethier late tonight or most deffinitly tomarrow

[annachibi]

((W00t! I actually got it all done in time! I kinda rushed it, but I think I did well enough. ;) ))

One Christmas, Santa decided he wanted to try his hand at making some new toys. Electronic toys. Robots, to be specific. Now, the toy robots we already had were prone to malfunction and broke easily. Santa wanted to refine and expand the prototype. I didn't think it was such a good idea, but he's the boss, so I bit my tongue. It took him weeks to finally finish his project.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7236/servotf7.th.gif (http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=servotf7.gif)
He turned it on, and the problems began immediately.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/3122/santashocklv2.th.gif (http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=santashocklv2.gif)
It wasn't long before Santa's own life was in jeopardy! Everyone panicked as we watched the robot electrocute our jolly saint, but I knew exactly what to do. I leapt into action, grabbing a nearby candle, jumping up on a toy-assembly table, and holding the flame to the sprinkler system.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/600/waterop9.th.gif (http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=waterop9.gif)
Water showered down on everything, soaking the robot and short-circuiting it.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6760/triumphft4.th.gif (http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=triumphft4.gif)
That night, we had a big celebration in my honor. And even though it took three days to clean up the mess, it was still one of the best days of my life. :D

[BetteBob]

Quick thinking? Resourcefulness? Creativity? Oh, those are so not
the words to describe me, I am anything but those three things. I'm almost
ashamed to admit it . . . but uh, one of my nicknames, actually its the one
I'm called most often is, well I'm known around the North Pole as the
Christmas Klutz. Everywhere I go, everything thing I do seems to be followed
by disaster, I'm not very skilled at doing thing the way they are supposed to
be done. The only thing I can do somewhat right, when it comes to toys and
Christmas, is wrapping presents. Let me elaborate a little bit for you . . .

This picture is from three Christmas's ago. I was fresh out of my Elf Training
and had been given the official job of baking the treats for the reindeer.
(Santa likes to keep a stash of health biscuits and treats in the sleigh for the
reindeer so they don't get bloated and gassy from eating all the cookies and
milk. You didn't think Santa ate it all did you?) This job is supposed one of
the easiest ones there is but I managed to mess it up. I forgot to set the
timer on the oven so I would know when to take the biscuits out and I may
have slightly overcooked them. They were burnt so horribly the reindeer
wouldn't go anywhere near them.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/burnt2.jpg

The next year they had to invent a job just for me. Pathetic, right? Ya, I
know. My "new" job was to carry the unwrapped toys from one side of the
room to the other. Sounds easy doesn't it? It was, it was very easy. I was
feeling pretty confident about my abilities to complete this job without any
mishaps. Boy was I wrong. I managed to drop and distroy four dollhouses
before I was finally removed from the position. In the process I also managed
to cut my forehead, requiring seven stitches, I sprained my ankle, twisted my
wrist and broke a toe on another elf. I was mortified.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/puff3.jpg
Oh and that's Puff, she's mean. She was my supervisor and the whole time I
was having trouble she just stood there laughing at me, enjoying my misery and misfortune.

So this past year I was assinged to wrapping presents. We finally discovered
that I can wrap presents. Now you need to understand that I can wrap
them, that's it, just wrap, not decorate with bows or ribbon or anything like
that. And my wrapping skills are minimal at best and I have to use the special
safety scissors so I don't cut myself, its so embarassing. But while wrapping
presents last year it was discovered where my real talent lies. This is also
where my story veers away from the story assignment. But lets face it I
think you know me well enough now to know that the possibility of me saving
Christmas by preventing a toy catastrophe is about as likely as you finding an
albino building a snowman in a blizzard.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/wrap.jpg

Anyhoo, my story goes like this. It was the day after Christmas and I was
finishing up wrapping the presents for the Elves. We celebrate Christmas and
exchange gifts the day after on the 26th so Santa can be there with us. As I
was finishing up I heard some rustling and whimpering coming from the corner
over by the Christmas tree. When I went to investigate I dicovered a little
human toddler hiding in with the presents.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/baby.jpg
Somehow this poor darling had managed to sneak into Santa's Christmas sack
and hitched a ride all the way up to the North Pole. The poor baby was so
scared and cold. I volunteered to stay with her while Santa tracked down
her family. After she had been returned, thankfully it was still night time and
everyone was still sleeping in her home and nobody had even noticed she had
been missing, Santa pulled me aside and announced that he had a special
medal just for me. He told me that for that baby's family I had saved
Christmas, if I hadn't found her when I did she may not have been able to be
returned to her family before morning and they may have thought that she
had been kidnapped and would have totally ruined their Chrismas morning.
When Santa was talking to me I was so embarassed and shy I didn't know
what to do, nobody had ever told me I had done well on something, I didn't
know how to react.

Later when I was by myself outside I let out a great big "WHOOP!" and a
cheer because I was so overjoyed that I had finally done something right.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/whoop2.jpg

[Shenanigans_SC]

I'm glad you got your entry in annachibi. I think it's great that your elf hates green. lol Very interesting. I'm afraid though that I'll have to ask you to up your elf's age just a tad. The first post states that all entries are to be adult elves... which I don't believe 14 is. Even if you just make him 18, that'll be good. :)

Loving the creative entries so far! It's nice to laugh and smile while seeing over things. :)

*edit*
An extension has been requested! So for those of you who still haven't had a chance to submit your entry, you have one more day!

[didgerdoni]

Welcome to Santa's Sewing Center! If it's made with a needle and thread or contains any fabric at all, then its creation starts here--everything from dolls and their clothes to stuffed animals and hipster togs for those fashion-plate kiddos. My mother, Noel, happens to be the assistant manager of this department and I try to stop by once a month or so to take her to lunch. Last week's visit got a little crazy; she was waiting for me when I arrived and I had to apologize for my uncharacteristic lateness.
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/4467/leon1greetrc6.jpg

Just as we turned to go, there was a loud pop and a flash of light from Joy's sewing machine and then it burst into flames! Joy tumbled backwards off of her chair in surprise and in so doing, thankfully managed to avoid the flames. We all stood staring in shock for a long moment when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the manager running towards the machine with a glass of water. Adrenaline and instinct kicked in; I grabbed the fire extinguisher off of the wall, threw it to Mom with a quick burst of instructions, and then took a running leap at the manager to knock the water out of his hand. I knew putting water on an electrical fire was a bad idea!
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6366/leon1fireeu9.jpg

Like I said, the adrenaline was pumping and I may have hit Wenceslaus a little harder than I attended. He was knocked out cold! As soon as the fire was extinguished, Joy immediately burst into tears from the shock and Mom tried to comfort her. Yulia and Elfis ran over to check on Wenceslaus and me.
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/838/leon1aftermathps7.jpg

Fortunately, he came to rather quickly, although he was a little dazed. We all quickly started trying to explain what happened. I was a little worried that Wenceslaus might be upset about being tackled by his assistant's son, but once he managed to clear his head, he understood and appreciated what I had done. He repeatedly and effusively thanked me for my "quick thinking and actions in the face of disaster." It was actually a little embarrassing.
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/9169/leon1explainwq4.jpg

Wenceslaus is a bit of a quirky fellow and nothing would do but that we all take a photo in front of the still-smoking machine so that we would have a little souvenir from the day the sewing center did not burn to the ground.
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3219/leon1souveniryn9.jpg

[annachibi]

I'm afraid though that I'll have to ask you to up your elf's age just a tad.
Okie dokie, I changed it to 18. Must have gotten confused about that.
Wow, some of these stories are hilarious! Wish I had better decorating skills. The pictures are fantastic! :D

[jacquelyyn]

On December 24th, the intercom above us crackled.
"Attention, attention. Elphie Louvre to Santa's office, I repeat, Elphie Louvre to Santa's office".
The other elves all turned towards me, wondering what I had done this time. I was curious too, I had been pretty well behaved this week. Last week's decapitated toy reindeer mishap had been forgotten (or so I thought). I slowly skipped to "the office of doom", jellybeans dancing in my stomach. I knocked twice, and there was no response.
"Good maybe he's not here!" I thought, feeling relieved.
"Elphie?" a deep voice boomed, "you may come in".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/part1.jpg
Now, it's important that I tell you a little something about Santa. Something that the mainstream media wouldn't want to get out. First of all, there is no Mrs. Claus. There never was a Mrs. Claus either, just another fabrication put out to protect his wholesome image. However, there is Holly Berries. I don't particularly like her, and think she's with Santa for the kaching, but what do I know. Holly Berries was sprawled out on a couch as usual, wearing one of her many revealing outfits. I hate to say it, but she's only one of the many groupies Santa brings here. She'll be gone soon enough.
"Hello sir, I heard your announcement...", I stammered.
"Yes indeed. Sit down son, I have something extremely important to tell you."
So I wasn't in trouble? He didn't sound mad, and his eyes were all twinkly and shiny.
So I sat, and listened.
"As you know, my head elf Snowflake has a bad case of Eggnogitis".
I nodded seriously. Eggnogitis was one of the worst things an elf could get. It's a reaction that causes you to throw up eggnog for days at a time. Santa looked up from his desk and continued.
"I'm sure you are aware that she always accompinied me on my sleigh each Christmas. Unfortunately, she will be unable to do so this year, and I am forced to choose a replacement."
I was confused, "How does this involve me sir?" I asked.
He chuckled, "My choice is you Elphie, you will come with me this christmas and enter the world of mankind".
I smiled weakly...great.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/part22.jpg
So there I was. In the cold. All alone. Where was Santa you may ask? He kept disapearing on me and saying he had "matters to attend to". It wasn't completely dark yet, and there was not a drop of snow, so I decided to take a walk. I wandered down the road past the house Santa had most likely fallen asleep in. After about 5 minutes the road ended. I could continue on the freshly paved road, or take the other road adjacent to it...a muddy dirt path. There was a road sign, so old that a tree had actually grown over it. The writing was worn off and I couldn't make out a single letter.
"Might as take the road less traveled", I muttered to myself, and started down the path.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/3.jpg
I had been walking for 10 minutes, and saw nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. I was about ready to turn back when I spotted something in the distance. I cautiously ventured up to it and realized it was an abandoned mobile home. I had never seen a mobile home in such terrible condition, in all of the pictures I had seen in Elf School during the humankind curriculum, the mobile homes shown had been regular houses, only on wheels. The lawn was littered with garbage, and abandoned appliances.
I sighed. "Well that was all for nothing."
Suddenly I heard a noise from inside of the mobile home. Pressing my head against the thin wall, I listened closely. It sounded like the cries of a little girl. I saw a window high above me. Attempting to reach it, I climbed onto a grime covered sink, so weakened by the elements that when I stood on it, my feet broke through and were caught inside. I peered into the window and saw a little girl staring back at me. She slid open her window, and after a bit of a struggle with my still-stuck feet, I went inside.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/4.jpg
"Why are you crying little girl?" I asked gently
She looked down. She was all of 4 years old, with curly blonde hair and a beautiful Christmas dress.
"It's Cwistmas," she said with a slight lisp, "and Thanta isn't coming here".
"Of course he is!" I said, shocked. "Why do you think he isn't coming?"
Fresh tears filled her eyes. "Cause he never does".
I couldn't believe what this little girl was telling me. No Santa ever? How was this possible?
"Little girl, what is your name?" I asked.
She looked up at me finally. "Thusie".
"Susie?" I asked, confused.
"Yeth".
"Where are your parents?"
"Daddy went on a trip I tink, he was very sick, and I'm alone now."
I don't think I had ever felt so helpless. What was I going to do about this girl with no parents? She obviously couldn't stay here alone. Hmm...what if...

EPILOGUE:
I'm sure you can imagine how mad Santa was when he found out I had left his precious sleigh all alone. I was about to lose my job when Susie poked her head out from behind me. Yes, I had told her she could come with me. I told Santa all about Susie, the trailer, her lack of parents, and Santa's shocked expression soon turned to one of sympathy.
"I'm sorry little girl, but humans are not allowed to go to the North Pole?"
She looked down at the ground and whimpered. "It's okay Thanta".
Santa and I exchanged a look, and before I knew it we were back home and...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/part4-1.jpg
What? Surprised? Well, I couldn't let this story have anything but a happy ending. Santa really is a softy with women, even little girls apparently! Everyone tells me I'm lucky to still be at the North Pole, considering I abandoned Santa's sled (leaving it vunerable to what? Wolves? People really need to relax). I really am a hero, at least I know I am to Susie.

[annachibi]

Aww, that's so cute! :D I like that story.

[Game Shark]

snip

Wow... that is absolutely amazing, it will be difficult to get even remotely close to that quality

[patta234]

I woke up late one night, a few days from christmas, when hearing a strange sound in the workshop next door. So, being the curious person I am, I decided to go investigate.
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/patta123/snapshot_5450bb4a_545b5e1d.jpg
What I saw shocked me. My best friend, Sonya was sleepwalking... and heading straight for the candy-making machine! "Sonya" I whispered harsly, trying to wake her. She awoke with a start, slipping on a small pile of goo and hitting the lever, setting of the machine. I reached up to pull her away, trying to keep her from injuring herself.
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/patta123/snapshot_5450bb4a_d45b5fd2.jpg
I managed to save her from hurting herself, but not before the candy machine squirted water all over the room. But at least Sonya was safe! As soon a s she had fully awoken, Sonya started sobbing, but scared and embarresed. I hugged her comfotingly, assuring her that this could have happened to anyone, and we could clean up the mess before dawn, No one knowing the difference!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/patta123/snapshot_5450bb4a_f45b6096.jpg
So we got to work cleaning up, and with the two of us working together, got it done quicker then we had thought. We even managed to get another hour or two of sleep in!
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/patta123/snapshot_5450bb4a_b45b60dd.jpg
A few days later, at the Christmas party, My supervisor came up to and personally let me know I had won the elf of the month award for my quick thinking and resoursefulness that night. I didn't even know anyone knew about it! Apperently the word got out somehow, or maybe it's true about Santa never sleeping...
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/patta123/snapshot_5450bb4a_d45b614a.jpg

[Shenanigans_SC]

Okay guys. Round 1 is closed! Thanks for all the great entries. Judges have been PMed. Round 2 will be posted in several hours. :)

For anyone who didn't manage to get their entry in, don't give up hope. This contest has accumulative scoring, so there's always hope. :nod:

[migamoo_SC]

Nice round everyone! I have my scores in a I have nothing to do today. :lol:

[ashleybrooke]

Shoot. I guess I'm too late :( I got confused on the times. I didn't look before I posted. Oh well. I'll leave this up anyways.

It was that magical and stressful time of year once again... Christmas Eve! We elves had worked so hard all year to build the toys for Santa's yearly trek around the globe to deliver gifts to all of those good girls and boys.

Every year, Santa chooses three of his best elves to make the journey with him. This year he chose me and my friends Dash and Garland to go with him!

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/sims2contest1981/leaving.jpg

We got off to a late start. It was already dusk by the time we were ready to pull out. Mrs. Claus waved us goodbye and Garland tried to squeeze into the sleigh. We all snuggled in beneath the extra warm blanket that Mrs. Claus had given us. Then tragedy struck. Just as we were flying over Colorado, a flock of geese came out of nowhere and spooked the reindeer. We were falling. Fast.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/sims2contest1981/crash.jpg

The next thing I remember was waking up with the sun shining bright and noticing that all of the reindeer were gone. Santa was pacing, worrying about how he was going to finish his task in time. Garland was trying to calm us all down and Dash was looking around for help.

As I calmed down and quit crying, I noticed a house across the snowy field. I asked Santa if he knew who lived there. He said that it was the home of a widow and her daughter, Leighann. Leighann had not smiled since her father died during the summer. Santa wept knowing how disappointed this little girl would be.

I told him that Dash and I could take the little girls gifts to her while he and Garland tried to get some help with the sleigh. Santa was impressed with my giving nature and sent Dash and I to complete the mission.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/sims2contest1981/tree.jpg

We crept into the house and placed the brightly colored packages under the beautifully decorated evergreen. Surely the little girl would smile at the sight of all of these gifts.

We heard the creak of footsteps above us and Dash and I slipped out just in time. I told Dash to go along to the sleigh without me and I stood by the picture window and peeped in.

The little girl came downstairs with her mother looking quite melancholy. She sat in front of the tree and opened her gifts, never one smiling. I felt sadness inside for this little girl. How would she ever feel happiness again? Just then, she grabbed a package from under the tree and looked at the tag...

"For my dearest Leighann... even though I can't physically be with you everyday, know that I watch you from Heaven. I love you forever. Daddy"

The little girl looked up at her mother, tears running down her cheeks, and smiled. Her mother lept up and pulled her daughter into her arms to give her the biggest hug I have ever seen. When the two finally let go of one another, happiness seemed to fill the room.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/sims2contest1981/morning.jpg

As the mother and daughter danced in the livingroom thinking of the girl's father in Heaven, they knew that the sad times were over. I felt a tear freeze on my cheek as I watched them. I turned around and headed back to the sleigh, wondering how Santa had us deliver a gift from the little girl's father.

[Shenanigans_SC]

ashley - I've PMed your entry to the judges. You were just 30 mins too late, so I thought they could judge it, and I'll tack on a small late fee of sorts. Hope that's okay.

[annachibi]

Yay!! :D I can't wait to start the next round. This is fun! ^_^
Do we get to know our scores before we get to the next round, or will you only tell us at the very end?

[Shenanigans_SC]

Do we get to know our scores before we get to the next round, or will you only tell us at the very end?
Once I receive scores and comments from three judges I will post them. That way you guys have the opportunity to improve (however difficult that may be for some of you!) for future rounds.

[Shenanigans_SC]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/smallsnowflake.gifRound 2 ~ Decking the Halls 101http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/smallsnowflake.gif

There is not a single location on the entire earth that can hold a candle to the North Pole when it comes to Christmas Decorations. Santa's elves are the tip top when it comes to bringing their world alive with a festive style! However, such extraordinary decorations could not possibly go up each and every year with no complications what so ever.

As I'm sure all of you know (as you are elves, you know it better than I do) that the courtyard in front of Santa's Workshop is the site for the grandest of holiday display ever. For this round, you need to recount a time when you were responsible for single handedly saving the courtyard from certain disaster.

I look forward to seeing your entries! This round will close on Wed. Dec. 5th 2pm (Central or GMT-6)

[jacquelyyn]

thank you annachibi + game shark :).

I REALLY want to get the holiday pack for this round.

[Game Shark]

I apologize for being late. I had interferance with real life issues. It won't happen again.
---------------------------------------------

A while back, a few days before Christmas I was walking through the halls alone. It was the annual Christmas Ball and nearly every elf (except the scarce workaholics, like myself) was there. I really don't like being surrounded by hundreds of elves, so I never really go.... ANYWAYS...

I was walking down the halls when a bright light out the window caught my attention. I turned, toward the window and faced something that made my heart sink. Fire.... coming out of the experimental toys deptment.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2447/snapshot744f8f657458b17fn3.jpg

There was no mistaking the horrid dancing light and evil sight. I stood petrified for a few moments before coming to my senses (or as best as I could.). Now I suppose, that the smartest thing to do would have been to run through the halls screaming bloody murder and hope that I could get to the ballroom in time. Unfortunately, I did not do that. Something in my head told me that I would not make it in time, there would be nobody in this wing/section/whatever of Santa's village to hear my calls, and that the fire would have spread before I could even explain what had happened.

So, I rushed down the hall and two flights of stairs (fortunately, I was not far and I am a fast runner when it comes to short distances). I finally got into the hall leading toward the door. I smelled smoke....

I fumbled with the doorknob and shoved my way through. The fire had grown and spread slightly, some odd machine was aflame and I saw (this alarmed me the most) a limp body of another elf, by the machine.

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/6541/snapshot744f8f65145b018sx1.jpg

I think that it is appropriate for me to interrupt breifly so that you may know how scared I felt. First off, I work in the medical section, nearly no clue how to even put a doll together, let alone know what contraptions were in front of me. Yes, I know elves are suppose to be "toy experts" but I am absolutely horrid at making toys. I was one of those "exception" elves who got to stay because of my medical skill (a few friends didn't hurt either.) Also, I have no cluse how flammible half the stuff in the room was, for all I know, one of those teddy bears could have been filled with..... god knows what.

With little idea what I was doing, I first dashed across the room toward the smoldering machine. I knelt down to grab the limp body, not even sure if it (he) was still alive. I felt sweat roll down my face and the ends of a few loose hairs singe..... it was HOT!

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/989/snapshot744f8f65545b02bkb5.jpg

I dragged the body at what I thought was a safe enough distance, and checked for a pulse. I felt it. I turned away from the (thankfully) alive elf and faced the growing flames. Someone, any elf not at the ball should see it. There had to be one elf, who had decided not to go, or left to wander the halls! Unfortunately, there was no time to waste. Time was running out and if anything else caought on fire it could be bad, not only would it recquire tons of materials to replace whatever was destroyed, but I was worried that there may be one object in that room that could trigger an explosion.

I had two options: 1.) Look for materials in the room to douse the fire with, if I made a mistake....... best not think about it or 2.) Run for help, leaving an uncosious elf alone in a room with a fire that would quickly spread. I paniced, both options were horrible. Suddenly, through all my fear, a third idea came to me. there was no more time to weigh options, I acted, stupidly perhaps and maybe if I had been less lucky it would not have worked.

I grabbed a small wooden chair that lay almost blending in perfectly with the wall. I siezed it by the top, felt the feel of smooth wood on my hands.... took exactly four steps and chucked it at the giant glass window behind the machine.

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/218/firecn6.jpg

The glass exploded into a stunning waterfall of broken glass; snow plowed through the opening completely covering the fiery machine in a thick blanket of snow. It smothered the fire with its coolness.

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/8894/snapshot744f8f65145b086xo5.jpg

I stood there and watched silently as the flames died down, and snow continued to flow through the gapping hole. I turned and walked back to the forgotten elf, deserately trying to wake him up. It took a while, but finally he opened his eyes. After a bit of confusion/explaining/whatever you want to call it, he sleepily mumbled to me that he had been working for days without sleep. He needed to finish his work before the big day (I didn't ask what this was) and had passed out while working. He had no clue how the machine had caught fire, but he guessed it had something to do with overheating and running it too long.

We both somehow managed to leave and get to the hospital winge. The whole next part is a blur to me, I guess what had just happen was finally beginning to sink in and the adreniline had worn off. Everything was fixed, the machine replaced, the worker healed up well, after two days (I insisted he stay an extra day, to make sure he was fine) he went back to work, Christmas was spectacular again, I got my picture plastered on nearly every hall in the North Pole. Finally, I convinced Santa to install fire alarms inmany of the buildings at the North Pole.

I wonder almost everyday, "What would have happened if I had not been there?" that question has haunted me for years. "What if the fire had raged on", "What if Charles (the worker) had died?, "What if something exploded?" So many alternatives. I am not a heroic elf, even today I still have nightmares about it. This is why I have insisted with Santa so much recently to install more saftey features to the workshop. What happens when an elf is in danger, and there is no elf, no person, nothing there to save them?
----------------------------

I apologize fore the length. Its a horrible submission, but at least I got it done

[FurryPanda]

Just sent in my scores, luck all.

[MissTech]

My scores are in as well. Good Luck to all of you! :)

[Shenanigans_SC]

:howdy: Everyone! I'd like to say I do not envy my judges. They had a hard job to do!


Evealynn Klews Total: 58/90
Judge 1 Story: 8/15 Pictures: 10/15
Comments: Very cute story, but try and make your sentences different from each other, it adds a lot more punch and makes things more impressive. The pictures were good, but you want to not use so much photoshop, or use more contrasting colors, and better posing whatever method you use, if that isn't photoshop. Good job in tying the story together and having it end thoroughly.
Judge 2 Story: 12/15 Picture: 10/15
Comments: The story was really cute which made it very enjoyable. The pictures left me feeling that I was looking more at a house during Christmas than at a workshop though.
Judge 3 Story: 10/15 Picture: 8/15
Comments: Cute story. Pictures were very detailed and fit your story well, but the picture quality was not great.

Dr. Jolly Giselle (5point late fee) Total 51/90
Judge 1 Story: 13/15 Pictures: 6/15
Comments: Excellent story, I was quite hypnotized by it. Two things wrong though? Parentheses are bad. Try not to use them in contest entries. Pictures were very vague, and in one of them there was a plumbbob. "plumbbobtoggle" most important cheat ever. Not really but... also, photoshop or any other program can improve contrast in nightime pictures and make them much cleaner.
Judge 2 Story: 10/15 Pictures: 9/15
Comments: The story had a few good moments but thought it was mostly boring overall.
Judge 3 Story: 11/15 Pictures: 7/15
Comments: Your story was original and good, unfortunately your pictures were a bit too dark to add to the storyline.

Snoflinga Total: 70/90
Judge 1 Story: 13/15 Pictures: 15/15
Comments: Excellent, excellent, excellent! This was an excellent story, and the pictures complemented it perfectly and were aesthetically pleasing as well. I had to take points off for your story not being about making toys though.
Judge 2 Story: 10/15 Picture: 12/15
Comments: I don't think you followed the assignment as closely as you could, but you did help to prevent more problems than you would have if you helped to create toys. The pictures went amazingly well with the story. I felt like I was actually in a workshop.
Judge 3 Story: 10/15 Picture: 10/15
Comments: Thought the story was cute with shades of Elf the movie (toddler in Santa's bag). Picture quality was great and all but the last photo had nice detail.

Darla Everberry Total: 61/90
Judge 1 Story: 14/15 Pictures: 15/15
Comments: The story was really cute, but try to elaborate a little more. I absolutely love that first picture, that is such great timing on your part with the camera. Major props.
Judge 2 Story: 7/15 Picture: 9/15
Comments: You deviated too much from the assignment. While the story wasn't bad, it felt rushed.
Judge 3 Story: 8/15 Picture: 8/15
Comments: You could have elaborated on the story a bit more. Great picture quality, but I would have liked to see more detail in the photos.

Elphie Louvre Total: 61/90
Judge 1: Story: 12/15 Pictures: 12/15
Comments: I liked your story, very happy ending, but it didn't have overmuch to do with making toys. Also put in the occasional double space between paragraphs, makes it easier to read. Careful with contrasting colors in the pics, and the picture on the sink had slightly strange looking feet, be careful with whatever your pose manipulator is.
Judge 2: Story: 6/15 Picture: 10/15
Comments: You also deviated way too much from the assignment. This has nothing to do with the making of toys. Yes, the story does play on one's sympathies, it wasn't the assignment.
Judge 3 Story: 12/15 Picture: 9/15
Comments: The story was very good, very detailed. Pictures were a little dark and could have used a bit more detail, but they fit in well with the story.

Rebeccie Lovitea Total: 47/90
Judge 1: Story: 4/15 Pictures: 11/15
Comments: Don't forget your punctuation. Please. It is so much easier to read something if it’s divided into nice little sentences. Pictures are very nice, but you gotta be careful of the plumbbob, "plumbbobtoggle" your new favoite cheat . Also captions aren't nescessary, especially if your story can support the pictures. Captions look rather unproffesional unless asked for.
Judge 2: Story: 9/15 Picture: 9/15
Comments: I think the pictures could have had more in them, possibly showing more fluid movements. The story was a bit boring and slow.
Judge 3: Story: 7/15 Picture: 7/15
Comments: The story was a bit simple, as was the pictures. It would have been nice to see more detail, and more variance in the pictures.

Lin Flamebright Total: 70/90
Judge 1: Story: 15/15 Pictures: 13/15
Comments: Your elf has a lot of personality, I like it. Though really think of the children when you write, shame shame . I'm not sure what the deal in the third picture is, but he looks like a floating torso.
Judge 2: Story: 12/15 Picture: 10/15
Comments: Such a fun story. I liked that you brought in other "magical" characters such as Frost. It added something to the story.
Judge 3: Story: 10/15 Picture: 10/15
Comments: Pictures quality is outstanding. Thought the story line was very cute.

Leon Twinkletoes Total: 74/90
Judge 1: Story: 12/15 Pictures: 12/15
Comments: Ok, its only one thing, but it really bothers me: An elf's mother would be another child age sim, not adult. That one incosistency aside, great job, very sweet story and cute pics.
Judge 2: Story: 12/15 Picture: 12/15
Comments: The pictures fit perfectly and were relatable to the story. The story was cute and more original than the 'the toys are broke!' angle that could have been done.
Judge 3: Story: 13/15 Picture: 13/15
Outstanding! Adorable story with wonderfully detailed photos of great quality to back it up!

Mistletoe Tuddle (1point late fine)Total:75/90
Judge 1: Story: 15/15 Pictures: 15/15
This was amazing. I love your story, I love how your elf is kind and selfless in an easy way, I love your pictures being visible in the dark, I love this entry!
Judge 2: Story: 10/15 Picture: 10/15
Comments: I don't think it fit well with the assignment but the story was sweet.
Judge 3: Story: 14/15 Picture: 12/15
Your story was very touching to someone who did lose their father in the past year. Picture quality and detail were very nice and went along well with the story.


Bernie Mintruffle Total: 58/90
Judge 1: Story: 9/15 Pictures: 12/15
Comments: If you're going to write a story, use details, elaborate, impress me. Pictures were incredibly simple, but they got the point across effectively.
Judge 2: Story: 11/15 Picture: 10/15
Comments: The story was a bit rushed, but I enjoyed it all the same. I think you could have shown the elf more in the pictures though, not just the last one.
Judge 3: Story: 7/15 Picture: 9/15
Comments: Story was a bit short and simple, but I thought the pictures had great quality and complimented the story well.


I was going to keep the judges partially annonymous, but FurryPanda had this offer to make for all contestants:
ALL: Great work everyone, If you need me to explain any of my comments, just let me know who your elf is and ask POLITELY and I'd be happy to go into more detail for you. Please only PM me if you have a specific question. And good luck to all.

Good job everyone! Can't wait to see round 2's entries start to creep in. :)
So, she's listed as Judge 1, if you'd like to take her up on her offer.

[annachibi]

Yay, I suck! :lol: Well, I do have a lot of things going on right now, what with the Secret Sim-Santa and all. But this is fun, so I'm not dropping out anytime soon! :D

[jacquelyyn]

Yay, I suck! :lol: Well, I do have a lot of things going on right now, what with the Secret Sim-Santa and all. But this is fun, so I'm not dropping out anytime soon! :D

LOL, same here :)

About the court yard, I googled "court yard", and it's basically an open, outdoor area correct?

[FurryPanda]

Yes jacquelyyn, a court yard is the open area in front of a house, typically surrounded by walls on three or four sides. In this case three, four is more like a roman house. Hope that helps, and hope I'm not feeding you complete tripe in the context of this contest! Luckers!

[MzSera]

I feel so bad! but I am going to have to drop out! My whole computer has completley crashed and I am on my laptop currently and i dont think i am going to be able to get my sims back up and running in time and i also have a lot going on in my life at the momment as school has just finshed.
im so sorry and i know everyone is going to be angry at me ! :(

[Shenanigans_SC]

Not angry MzSera, just saddened. Hope things calm down a bit for you. Thanks for letting me know.

[jacquelyyn]

I feel so bad! but I am going to have to drop out! My whole computer has completley crashed and I am on my laptop currently and i dont think i am going to be able to get my sims back up and running in time and i also have a lot going on in my life at the momment as school has just finshed.
im so sorry and i know everyone is going to be angry at me ! :(

aw, no one is angry I'm sure! I wish my school would hurry and finish, 2 more weeks :/ Good luck with everything

[annachibi]

I moved my sims to a bigger lot for this one, so now I have to wait until it gets covered with snow again. *waits impatiently*

[jacquelyyn]

I moved my sims to a bigger lot for this one, so now I have to wait until it gets covered with snow again. *waits impatiently*

I just use a snow ground cover, and also I found snow that you can place in the sky so it looks like it's snowing. Makes it much easier.

My lot is doing this weird thing. I was in build mode and added all of my custom content, changed everything. Then I left the lot, and moved my family in. When I tried to play it the game wouldn't let me go in live mode and I couldn't unpause it. And all of my custom content disapeared! And this happened twice, and I'm probably going to have to redo everything again tomorrow :/

[Shenanigans_SC]

I moved my sims to a bigger lot for this one, so now I have to wait until it gets covered with snow again. *waits impatiently*
You probably already know about this, but thought I'd post it just in case. At Paladin's Place (http://www.simwardrobe.com/) there's a vase to control weather. Would help with getting snow if you're just waiting for the game to do it.

And wow jacquelyyn, sorry to hear about that! How weird. :blink:

[annachibi]

Yeah, it's snowing, I just had to wait for the lot to get covered. ;)
My game is enjoying crashing on me for some reason. I've never had this problem before... o.O

[Game Shark]

I am trying to get it so that it doesn't snow on the path I have. Anyone know how to do that?

[ashleybrooke]

I am trying to get it so that it doesn't snow on the path I have. Anyone know how to do that?

You'd have to make a semi-straight line, but you could download invisible walls or regular walls with floor to ceiling windows? I think if you search for them on modthesims2 you should be able to find them.

[Game Shark]

You'd have to make a semi-straight line, but you could download invisible walls or regular walls with floor to ceiling windows? I think if you search for them on modthesims2 you should be able to find them.

Thanks! I really appreciate it

[annachibi]

*sigh* I'm sorry, but this Secret Sim-Santa thing is taking up a lot more of my time than I thought it would. I'm going to have to drop out. :( *curls up in corner to sulk*

[Shenanigans_SC]

Aww.... :( Sorry to hear it!

[Shenanigans_SC]

Hmm... Less than 24hours till the round closes, and no entries yet... I think it's safe to say we'll need a 24 hour extension!

[Game Shark]

Thank you!

[BetteBob]

oh hooray. I'm with Game Shark in saying Thank You! its been a crazy busy week

[SilentPsycho]

Same here! Thanks. :D

[Game Shark]

O.K., finally done with pictures. They aren't very good, but they are better than last round. I will have my submission up tonight/early tomarrow

[BetteBob]

I'm afraid I won't be able to get my entry in by the deadline tomorrow morning. I haven't had a chance to go in game at all today and I wont' be able to get to it until sometime tomorrow evening. I'll still get my entry in (probably late tomorrow night) because I don't want to drop out so if necessary I'll just take the penalty for a late entry.

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

When will the round be ending?

[Shenanigans_SC]

Sorry for my absence! I see I have quite a few PMs in my box. I've come down sick with something awful and am trying to get a Dr.s Appointment.

Anywho... This round will be ending 8pm (Central or GMT -6) tonight. That's a little more than twelve hours from this post.
Hope to see them!

[SilentPsycho]

Well, it's getting close to that time of year again, so of course the Boss wants everything all sugar-sweet and commercial Christmassy. I just hope that this year he doesn't try getting us into those tights again...

In any case, I was dragged kicking and screaming away from my inventing bench to help put up the tacky and tasteless decorations in the courtyard. I really don't know why the Boss even bothers, in a few hours the decorations will be hidden under the snow.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_346408b2.jpg

So here I am, freezing various parts of my anatomy off in the name of sicky sweet Christmas spirit. It's a bit on the interesting side, especially as the snow covers part of the pond the Boss had installed so he could go fishing. Nothing like slipping over when carrying boxes of sharp pointy stars to start your day!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_146407d0.jpg

As I'm the one supposedly in charge of this waste of time, I decide to go check on the troops. Jack, still helping out after his attempt at sabotage, is off to the side happily making surprisingly nice ice sculptures. Maybe this year the decorations won't all be tacky...

However, the one person here I'm worried about is Evergreen here. He's a good worker, and a good friend, but he's a bit of a klutz at times. Very enthusiastic, but still a klutz. Luckily he's managed to decorate two of the three trees without any disasters happening, so maybe everything will go alright...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_94640a1b.jpg

...Spoke too soon. One broken branch is all it takes, and Evergreen's falling down to Earth like a comet!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_74640b74.jpg

Luckily a snowman Jack made earlier was nearby. One tackle later, there's a nice soft mound of snow for Evergreen to land in, unharmed. A little dizzy and shaken, but unharmed. I think I should take over with the tree decoration, and give Evergreen something that doesn't involve heights.

...Something like fixing that snowman he destroyed.

[Malaygirl93]

Hey Shenanigans!I promise I will donate some prize right??bad news...I can't cos too busy....:( sorry!!!:(

[jacquelyyn]

I'm so glad I got it in on time! I tried to follow the instructions better this time, lol, hopefully it shows. And I want to thank furrypanda for evaluating my application, she didn't have to but she gave great input and I appreciate it as this was my first contest and I'm pretty clueless. Good luck everyone, and awesome entry silentpsycho.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/part2a.jpg
After my success a few Christmas's ago as Santa's head elf, I found myself being promoted to new, supposedly more "prestigious" positions. In other words, I now was in charge of half a dozen elves, whom I was somehow supposed to get to listen to me, and do as I said. My first job was to organize the decorating of the courtyard in front of Santa's workshop. A huge event, and not something i was up to participating in, much less being in charge of.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/ff.jpg
I suppose you could say I'm still getting used to my new position of power. Or that I simply have no leadership qualities. Case in point: I catch Tinsel Toes, my future girlfriend (if all goes as planned) slacking off instead of patching up broken snowman as she had been assigned.
"I was um...fixing this dollhouse, not playing with it..it's not what it looks like!"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/part2b.jpg
I was getting pretty fed up with everyone. I wished I had never gotten this promotion in the first place, seriously, what was Santa thinking? There was no way anyone was ever going to listen to me. My train of thought was broken by a shriek. Jingle Bella, Santa's newest lady friend was on her back...but not for the usual reason. She was pointing upwards, clearly in a state of hysteria. The beautiful Tinsel Toes was trying to quiet her down. I ran over to the scene, and glanced upwards towards where Jingle Bella was pointing...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/bets.jpg
And saw Santa, hanging from a string of lights with one hand! He was clutching a hanging wreath in the other.
"He was one the roof, trying to hang up some stupid wreath...I told him to be careful, old fool, but he...he slipped!" Jingle Bella managed to say, in between gasps.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/fin.jpg
A sense of determination came over me, a feeling I had never experienced before. I knew I had to act quick, those lights were not going to support Santa forever!
"Everyone, grab as many soft toys as you can, and follow me!"
We ran over to Santa, hands filled with stuffed bears, puppies, and bunny rabbits.
"Now, put them here!" I ordered, and for the first time that day, everyone actually listened. Jingle Bella followed, but was of no help, continuing her hysterics.
Once the pile of toys was large enough, I knew it was time.
"Santa, let go!" I yelled up to him.
He released his grip on the lights and came crashing down...onto the pile of toys! Standing up, Santa appeared to be dizzy, but otherwise fine.
"Elphie...you saved me. However will I repay you?" Santa asked, his deep voice trembling a bit.
"Well, you can start by quieting down her!" I said, pointing towards Jingle Bella.
Santa grinned.
"And...well you see, I don't want to be in charge of anyone, I'm just not good at it..." I began.
"That's not true Elphie, you saved Santa. We need you, and we're sorry." Tinsel Toes said looking slightly embarassed.
I blushed and knew there was no way out of this, and seeing the admiring faces surrounding me made me believe that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Merry Christmas!

[Game Shark]

WOw, looking a tthese first entries, mine is really really bad. I guess I got confused about what we were suppose to do. I don't think I could do a new one.... Oh well, its my first and I guess its normal not to get the best score on you first time.

[jacquelyyn]

WOw, looking a tthese first entries, mine is really really bad. I guess I got confused about what we were suppose to do. I don't think I could do a new one.... Oh well, its my first and I guess its normal not to get the best score on you first time.
don't be so hard on yourself! My first entry I totally did not follow the rules. If you need any advice or anything, or suggestions let me know, okay?

[Game Shark]

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/8190/courtyardjt7.png
I walked through the snowy courtyard toward Santa's main office. It was 2002 and things had been off to a rocky start at the North Pole. Supplies were being shipped in late, nothing had yet been decorated and to top it all off, Miss Claus had told Santa she was leaving him if he didn't spend more time with her.

The last part was most depressing to me, I remember as I let my self into the imposing building where Santa oversaw all. He had told me to come here at exactly 4:00 to discuss something. I looked at my watch as I climbed a flight of red and green stairs, 3:59, right on time.

Finally, I entered the impresive door and found myself standing in HIS office. The place wreaked of candy canes and chesnut. Mr. Claus was busy working away at his computer, he seemed not to have noticed me. I walked a few feet in, and coughed to make my presence known. He looked up at me.
http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/3120/santaoffice1fq1.png

Over the years, Santa had lost a lot of weight, I had put his on a diet a few years back and now it was beginning to show. He looked better than ever. He slowly stood up and brushed off hs red suit, then came toward me.

"Thank you.... Jolly, I had been hoping you would come." he smiled weakly, reesting on his desk.

I said nothing.

He took another breath and said, "Listen, Jolly, I am sorry to bother you, I really am, I know you are an expert in the medical field but...." he took off his glasses and looked at them "I need to ask a favor of you."

"What sir?" I asked

"Please, just call me Santa," he replied glancing at the striped wallpaper, "I need you to help decorate the courtyard this year. As you can see, there has been nothing done with it yet, usually my wife does it, but lately she has been having a bit of a meltdown."

I really couldn't disagree there. The woman was having a fit because he wasn't spending enough bloody time with her during the winter. What did that woman expect from a man who had to deliver toys to every child in the world!

I nodded.
He let out a small "Ho" and and continued.

"I heard from a few of the workers that while you.... lets be completely honest here Jolly, you are horrific at toy making, you are an excellant decorator. All my head elves are busy and you are the only one up to the job."

"So.... you want me to decorate the courtyard this year....?" I asked just making sure.

"Yes, Giselle." he nodded

"Of course I will!" I announced to him.

"Good, now I know you will need help, so I am giving you selection of any other elves you need for the task." He said as he grabbed a few papers off his desk and headed to a side door, "Now, I have to continue my wife and I's work-free vacation as soon as Christmas is over, to help calm her nerves."

With that he left, accidently dropping a pamphlet to Easter Island and Pleasantview. I dahsed out the office and began to think about what I could do.

Not much was teh answer, but it would be better than nothing. Several of the decorations STILL had not been shipped to the North Pole yet, so I would have to make due with whatever was left from previous years.

Choosing the elves were not difficult, I chose Holly Burry, Tommy Blues and Mikey Store, the most popular of the elves at the North Pole. I had not chosen them because of their skills, but because I thought that if they would make the other elves want to join.

I instructed the three on what we were trying to do, where the decorations were and saftey procedures. To my suprise, they paid attention and went right to work.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3623/shop2hp2.png

As I suspected, a few elves with free time watched and seeing their friend joined in, which made their other friends join in which increased the speed of their work. It was awesome!
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/7663/shopyn1.png

Everything was going according to plan. We used every decoration we had, and after a day or two with only minor incidents (Tommy got wrapped up in the icicles and Lucky Stockings sprained his ankle on some garland) we were done. Finally, night fell and it came time to look at our creation with all the lights on.

I crossed my fingers as the courtyard suddenly glowed with white light. My helpers clapped and cheered at the sight. It was beautiful yes..... but in my opinion not the best. Still, I had gotten it done.

I felt a strong hand hit my sholder and an old voice whisper in my ear, " Thank you, you did an excellant job Jolly."
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1707/shop3aj9.png

I spun and saw Santa do something I hadn't seen him do whole-heartedly in a while.....

Laugh
-------------------------------------------

Note: Apologize about the links, this forum doesn't allow png images.

Another Note: Santa is not laughing AT the decorations, he is laughting because he is happy that it is done and it is so nice. Giselle is a bit modest.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Okay guys... this round is done. I'll be sending out PMs to judges.
didgerdoini is in an area of the US that get hit hard with those storms. I've told her before that I couldn't put late fees on anyone caught in that mess with a clean conscience. I'm just wondering if any of our other contestants are in the same boat. Any how... I'll be posting the next round in about 12 hours or so. :)

[Game Shark]

Thanks Shenanigans

[BetteBob]

i know its late sorry

Ok, so you want to hear the story about the the time I saved the courtyard.
Before I tell you, you have to promise not to repeat a single thing you hear
ok? Promise? I need your promise because I'm the one who caused the near
disaster (no surprise there) but nobody else knows about because I didn't tell
anybody. Ok so do you promise? Yes? Good, thank you. It starts like this . . .

It was a couple of weeks before Christmas so the courtyard hadn't been fully
decked out in all its holiday adornments. I woke early one morning and went
down to the well to get a drink of water. It was still dark in the dorms when I
came down so I had my kerosene lantern with me. I set the lantern on a
little stand next to the well.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/drink3.jpg

After my thirst had been quenched I decided to go and pay a quick visit to
my favorite reindeer, Dancer. She's so lovely and sweet and I'm the only elf
she'll let come into her pen for an early morning chat. We talked and joked
for a couple minutes before I realized I'd better get back inside before
everyone else started to wake up. I gave her a sugar cube and a pat on the
head before rushing back to get inside.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/reindeer.jpg

Well, on my way back to the dorms I thought I smelled something smoky and
as I got closer the smell became stronger. Imagine my dismay when I came
around the corner into the courtyard and spotted on of the trees on fire.
Whoops! Apparently I had completely forgotten about my lantern that I'd had
and somehow it had been knocked over and started a tree on fire. The fire
wasn't all too out of control so I ran back to the well and grabbed a big
bucket of water to throw on the fire, then I started throwing snow on it as
well. It seemed to take forever to put it out but really it was only a matter of
a couple of minutes.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/fire2.jpg

Shortly after I put the fire out the rest of the elves began to trickle out to
where I was. I waited nervously waiting for somebody to say something but
nobody. Then I felt a tap tap tap on my shoulder and I nearly jumped out of
my skin but it was just Pinch, my best friend. He was just wondering if we
were still going to make the snowman we had talked about at dinner the
night before.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/fun2.jpg

Boy was I relieved nobody found out that I nearly ruined Santa's courtyard.
To this day nobody else knows, not even Pinch and I tell him everything. So
don't forget your promise. You can't tell anyone, this is our little secret.
Shhhh

[MissTech]

Sent in my scores. Good Luck to everyone. Sorry to those who've not submitted yet. (Hope you guys arent in the pacific northwest! Have a friend who lives out there who said it was just a mess!)

[Shenanigans_SC]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/smallsnowflake.gifRound 3 ~ The Other Side of Santahttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/Mila_Muromachi/SIMS2/ElfoftheYear/smallsnowflake.gif
Santa is known around the world by many different names. Weather he's a Saint, or Father, or a Jolly old Elf, he's famous for his kindness to good little boys and girls everywhere.

However, we all know that nobody is perfect. I'm sure Santa is no exception to that rule. For this round we need to hear about the other side of Santa. You know, the one that the main stream media is not portraying. I want to know what Santa's dirty little secret is, and how it fell upon you one year to make up for where he lacks. Your imagination is the limit (just remember this is a PG-13 forum!)

Have fun! This round will end on Wed. Nov. 12th at 8pm (Central/GMT-6).

[Shenanigans_SC]

Here are the scores for round 2. Great job guys!

Dr. Jolly Giselle Total: 62/90
Judge 1: Story Score:13/15 Picture Score:8/15
Comments: Be careful with typing and I think you mean "reeked" instead of wreaked. Also, the comment about him being the modest sort could have been woven into the story. Pictures were... interesting. Picture of the blank courtyard would have looked nicer at a shallower angle, and maybe closer, but its the angle that makes it odd. Picture in Santa's office could have been much brighter lit, and the angle should have been closer, I think, and there is a nip of wall in the lower corner. Last picture could have been improved by having Santa in it, or having your elf in the forefront.
Judge 2: Picture Score: 10/15 Story Score: 11/15
Comments: I think the story flowed nice, and I really enjoyed it.
Judge 3: Picture Score: 9/15 Story Score: 11/15
Comments: I thought your story was cute and the pictures complimented it well, however, I really would've liked to have seen a shot of the entire courtyard completely decorated. Nice job.

Snoflinga Total: 76/90
Judge 1: Story:14/15 Pictures:15/15
Comments:Your story was adorable and it really got into her head, but you gotta be careful of typos and spelling. Excellent job with the pictures.
Judge 2: Picture Score: 13/15 Story Score: 12/15
Comments: Lovely pictures, they fit very well with the story.
Judge 3: Picture Score: 11/15 Story Score: 11/15
Comments: Thought your story was original and cute, and thought your photos complimented the story very well. Liked that the tree was actually on fire! Nice job.

Elphie Louvre Total: 74/90
Judge 1: Story Score:15/15 Picture Score:12/15
Comments:Good job on the story, this shows his personality very well, and was really cute. I had to take off points for the third picture. Miss Bells's outfit appeared to have a gaping hole in it on the side, and her feet are messed up because of the shoes. That's a custom content problem, but it looks really really strange.
Judge 2: Picture Score: 12/15 Story Score: 11/15
Comments: Great pictures. Love the story, it was creative.
Judge 3: Picture Score: 13/15 Story Score: 11/15
Comments: Enjoyed your story, and thought your photos this round were very rich with detail and fit to your story well. Big improvement in photos from last round to this. Good job!

Lin Flamebright Total: 68/90
Judge 1: Story:12/15 Pictures:15/15
Comments: Beautiful work as always SP, but I couldn't help but feel your story wasn't very creative, and it had a few moments of truly weird grammar. I loved the second to last picture, and good job there in general.
Judge 2: Picture Score: 12/15 Story Score: 9/15
Comments: I liked the story, and it flowed, but I don't think it really fit the challenge that well.
Judge 3: Picture Score: 10/15 Story Score: 10/15
Comments: Story and pictures fit well together, but I would have liked to have seen more detail in both story and pictures. I do like that you did this one outdoors as its hard to get a nice setting with the snow as you did. Well done.

[Game Shark]

Are there really only four people left in the contest, or is there just a bunch of late entries?

[Shenanigans_SC]

Are ther ereally only four people left in the contest?

No, but only four people turned in an entry for round 2. I know didgerdoni (sorry if I spelt it wrong) is stuck without electricity right now, because of the massive storms that hit parts of the US. But I couldn't hold off on round 3 any longer as I don't want to go over our 1 month time limit. Hopefully another round 2 entry (or two) will come in a little later.

[Game Shark]

No, but only four people turned in an entry for round 2. I know didgerdoni (sorry if I spelt it wrong) is stuck without electricity right now, because of the massive storms that hit parts of the US. But I couldn't hold off on round 3 any longer as I don't want to go over our 1 month time limit. Hopefully another round 2 entry (or two) will come in a little later.

O.K., thanks Shenanigans

[SilentPsycho]

Just want to say thanks to all the judges! I found the last round on the hard side as I had a bad case of Writers Block hit, as well as my own limitations at creating good outdoor landscapes, but at least I know what to improve, and hopefully I'll do better in the next round.

Plus I now know not to leave it until the morning after an allnighter celebrating a friend's birthday with alcohol in attendance. ;)

[BetteBob]

Snoflinga Judge 1: Comments:Your story was adorable and it really got into her head, but you gotta be careful of typos and spelling.


Yeah, sorry about that usually I'm pretty careful about typos and spelling. I was in a hurry that night and I was falling asleep while typing because it well past time for me to be going to bed :P

[Shenanigans_SC]

Just wondering how everyone is coming along with this round. The thread has been very quiet, I've been figuring the little elves are hard at work. :)

About two days left! I hope we won't have to extend much as the contest is supposed to end in eight days and we have one more round to go!

Here's some milk and cookies for the hard working elves. :D
http://erincooks.com/images/cookies/cookies8.jpg

[Game Shark]

Just wondering how everyone is coming along with this round. The thread has been very quiet, I've been figuring the little elves are hard at work. :)

About two days left! I hope we won't have to extend much as the contest is supposed to end in eight days and we have one more round to go!

Here's some milk and cookies for the hard working elves. :D
http://erincooks.com/images/cookies/cookies8.jpg

I had a good idea, but I don't have teh epansion pack to do it..... I have to think of something new

[jacquelyyn]

Just wondering how everyone is coming along with this round. The thread has been very quiet, I've been figuring the little elves are hard at work. :)

About two days left! I hope we won't have to extend much as the contest is supposed to end in eight days and we have one more round to go!

Here's some milk and cookies for the hard working elves. :D
http://erincooks.com/images/cookies/cookies8.jpg
I'm just about done with mine, just need to fix the story a bit. And I don't really like being the first one to post, lol. But I will if I have too.

[SilentPsycho]

I'm just going to recover from mass-alcohol-absorbation due to Christmas Party, then get on with it. :D

[SilentPsycho]

As you've probably guessed from my earlier reports, I don't really hold Santa's intelligence in high regard. To put it bluntly, I've seen furbies that are smarter than he is! If he isn't off daydreaming about how to make us more sugary-sweet to fit the commercial image of Christmas, he's bunking off somewhere playing with the toys. This isn't as bad as his real problem though...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_d46c145b.jpg

...He's addicted to the bubbles. On his own, he's bad enough, but when you put him on those things....ugh...

Take what happened a couple of weeks ago. After learning about the fact that he had forgotten his own neighbours for the last ten years, it was decided that he would go round and deliver their presents a month before Christmas. That way, he'd have their presents over and done with before he forgot again. At least that was what was planned...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_546c1584.jpg

...You can imagine my shock to find him the afternoon of the early deliveries collapsed in the snow, high off the bubbles. That idiot! Frozen solid like he is, there's no way he would be able to deliver the presents, and the Snow Queen and the others are annoyed enough as it is! If they don't get their presents after Santa's promise, who knows what they will do!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_746c170b.jpg

Quick as we could, me and Jack Frost dragged the stupid lump to the nearest fireplace. I left Mrs Claus looking after the Boss, and ordered Snowchild to look up remedies to help him, while I try my best to clean up this mess before blood is spilt!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_b46c1b52.jpg

So here I am, in the sleigh, freezing my arse off because the Boss is an idiot. I've had to drag Jack into helping me deliver the presents as I'm too short to steer the sleigh correctly.

Here we go, fixing the one of Santa's messes, yet again...

[jacquelyyn]

It was December 18th, only one week until Christmas, and we still had not received a single shipment of toys!
At first I loved lounging around, eating cookies and sipping on cocoa. All of us workshop elves had nothing to do for the first time in...
well, ever. (I suppose we could have cleaned but really, lets not even get into that.) However, after a few days of laying around, we began to feel suspicious of this strange situation.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/okayyo.jpg
"What does Santa have to say about this anyway?" Nutmeg questioned the group.
Snow shook his silver hair with disgust, "If you can find him, feel free to ask. No one has seen him in weeks!"
It wasn't like Santa to just up and disappear, especially so close to Christmas. I took a deep breath in, and exhaled.
"He isn't exactly missing, I mean, we know where he is...we're just not allowed to go there," I firmly stated.
Nutmeg rolled her eyes. "Obviously Elphie. But something needs to be done or Santa's sleigh is going to be pretty empty."
"The reindeer will like that," I began, "they work too hard as it is. Maybe this is for the best, everything happens for a reason!"
Nutmeg glared at me. She definitely has no sense of humor. None.
"Fine, fine," I muttered. "I'll go down to Santa's cellar, but when he screams at me for disobeying orders...I'm blaming you."
I sighed dramatically, and stood up. "Okay...I'm going." I said.
No one responded.
"Really, I'm going now. all alone," I tried once more.
Clearly I was being ignored.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/part2or3.jpg
I wasn't looking forward to going to Santa's study, especially after the last time. I suppose I overreacted a tiny bit to the disaster I found there. Santa wasn't pleased, and I was specifically told to NEVER enter his study again.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/fsfs.jpg
However, I'm not one to follow rules.
I slowly turned the door knob of his study, and stepped inside. The bright swirling lights were nearly blinding.
"What is this?" I wondered.
This was supposed to be Santa's private study, the place where he read Christmas wishes of the world's children, and made them come true.
However, I felt as though I'd stepped into some sort of casino. My ears were filled with loud music, was that a DJ?
This was ridiculous.
The man himself was engaged in a game of poker. Santa's slumped shoulders made it obvious that he wasn't doing very well. The woman on the other hand had a huge smile on her face, as well as all of the poker chips. Was that a sled sitting behind her? Santa's sled?
The two were so engaged in their game they didn't notice me at first. The woman finally looked up from her hand, and met my eyes.
She grinned coldly. "Elphie is it? I'm sure we'll be getting to know each other much better within the next few days."
Santa turned around in his seat, averting my eyes.
"Santa, what is going on? I feel like I'm in Las Vegas, and what is your sleigh doing in here?"
The woman coughed. "I think you mean MY sleigh. You see, Santa has lost it to me."
She stood up, smiling. "Our Santa has a bit of a gambling problem. Unfortunate for him, but very beneficial to me. And I'm sure you realize that Christmas will be quite different from now on."
"Santa? Tell me she's joking? You couldn't possibly be so irresponsible to gamble away your sleigh!" I was furious now.
Santa smiled weakly. "The sleigh? Oh, I'm afraid it's much worse then that Elphie. The toy fund is gone, and she owns all of your contracts as well. I've been trying to win them back, but have just been losing more and more in the process. All that is left are the reindeer. They're all I have."
"And the reindeer will soon be mine as well," She grinned evilly.
"Why are you doing this, what use could you possibly have for all of this?" I asked.
She looked at me as though I stupid. "Do you have any idea how much money I'll get for this? The media will have a field day, I can see the headlines now "Santa's sleigh uncovered due to gambling debts." I'll be a very rich woman and then well, they can do whatever they want with the sleigh, the reindeer, you elves. As long as I have my money".
Something had to be done, but what?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/good.jpg
I cleared my throat.
"I challenge you to a game of poker."
She smirked, "Why on earth would I want to play you? Get out of here, we're almost finished."
"If you're so sure you can beat me, what do you have to lose? If you win this hand, you get everything. The workshop, Santa's sleigh, even the reindeer. However, if I win, you get nothing."
"This is too easy, I almost feel bad...fine, I accept." She laughed, and I took a seat.
Almost immediately after we had begun, I could see she realized she had made a mistake in playing me. Clearly she had believed my small size somehow made me inferior to her. What neither Santa nor herself knew was that nearly every night when I was supposed to be going over inventories, I was in the office behind the workshop playing poker with a few of the guys. And I was good, really really good.
Can you guess who won?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/boobiesboobies/hhhh.jpg
Santa was so grateful to me, he didn't even say anything about my back room poker games! Of course, if I hadn't been spending so much time on them, I probably wouldn't have been able to save Christmas. Everyone celebrated in front of the fireplace, even Santa. He danced with Miss L. Toes for hours, and she didn't even seem to mind when he repeatedly stepped on her toes. Things are pretty much back to normal, Santa's enrolled in Gambling Anonymous, toy making has resumed, and best of all, on December 25th, Santa will fill his sleigh with gifts and once again bring Christmas to the children of this world.

[Shenanigans_SC]

I'm going to go ahead and say there's 14 more hours for round 3 entries to be submitted. Round 3 shall be closed and Round 4 announced about 8am Thursday, Dec. 13th (Central Time) Just want to let everyone know that my little town got hit pretty hard by the ice storms, and I've been without electricity for near 48 hours now. I'm actually at my church right now, because it has power, and my house is too cold. So if I'm not around, you know why. I'll do my best though!

[BetteBob]

Well I'm going to keep this story short and sweet because . . . oh gosh I still
have trouble thinking about it *shudder* Oof it sends shivers down my spine.

Okay so one night I was heading to Santa's room to bring him his evening
snack, christmas cookies. As I was coming through the door I saw a rather
robust lady in the room in front of the mirror in her undies doing the hula
dance. For a short moment I didn't think anything of it, I just figured it was
Mrs. Clause but then I remembered there is no Mrs. Clause! I also knew
Santa didn't have a girlfriend so who on earth was this?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/mrsclaus5.jpg

Oh the horror! Absolute horror. I shrieked and dropped the plate of cookies
on the floor causing quite a clatter which then startled the person at the
mirror. Who was this person you ask? As if you didn't already know.
It was Santa!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/horror4.jpg

Once we had each gathered our composure Santa sat me down on the
davenport and explained what was going on. Apparently dressing up in a full
body suit (anatomically correct I might add) and various female costumes
helps Santa to unwind and relax when he gets stressed. To be quite honest
I was totally wierded out by the entire situation. Don't get me wrong its
perfectly ok that that is how he chooses to let loose but quite frankly I wish
I had never found out.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/davenport3.jpg

A couple weeks later Santa called me to his office and said he had a job for
me. Somehow somebody or some elf had gotten ahold of a picture of Santa
all dolled up in his drag queen attire and was circulating it around on the
computer network here at the North Pole. Since I'm the only one who knows
Santa's dirty little secret and since he's completely computer illiterate I had
to spend the next week and a half deleteing all pictures of him and trying to
track down the culprit who had posted them. It certainly was not my idea of fun.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/computer2.jpg

[Shenanigans_SC]

Sorry for the delay! Internet isn't completely reliable here.
Round 3 is over, time for round 4!

Round 4 - You've got to be kidding me!
It's time for the round to end all rounds! The big one! We all know that Christmas Eve is crunch time in the North Pole. If something is going to go wrong on Christmas Eve it's going to be big!

This round you have free creative liberties, the only stipulation being that it must be on Christmas Eve. What kind of gigantic problem reared it's ugly head on Christmas Eve that your elf managed to save Christmas, even if it was accidently?

We're hoping to end this round on the 18th, as this contest is supposed to be done by then. We'll see if the mods will let us go over a little.

[Game Shark]

I am very sorry I am late again! I have been busy with tests and homework. I apologize again. The ones so far look fantastic.

[Game Shark]

I am going to resign from the contest. I can't find what I need, and I have kept everyone waiting to long. I am sorry to Shenanigans for making a false promise about turning it in soon. I thought it would be easy to do on the last day. I really enjoyed the contest. It was a great idea Shenanigans! Again, I apologize to everyone for keeping you all waiting. Have fun.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Sorry to see you go Game Shark.
I'm still waiting to hear from two judges before I can post scores.
Hopefully you won't have to wait too much longer.

[migamoo_SC]

Sorry it took so long to get my scores. Good entries this round, everyone!

[FurryPanda]

Jsut sent mine in, luck all.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Howdy everyone! :howdy:
I want to appolagize a hundred fold for the lateness of the scores, and my lack of being around. Being kicked out of your house by an ice storm, takes it's toll on a person. But thankfully we are back up and running! It's nice to be home again. :)

Thanks to the three judges for giving their time, and thanks for the three contestants that are still hanging in there with me! The 18th isn't far away, let me know if you need another day or two. I'm sure if I ask very nicely the mods will let me go over a little.

Here's the judges scores and comments for Round 3!

Lin Flamebrite Total: 75
Judge 1: Pictures: 14/15 Story: 15/15
Comments: Interesting. Last pic the sleigh looked very odd with Frost's leg and the steering doohickamambobber. Also try not to end more than one or two sentences on dot dot dot. I didn't take off for it, but it looks strange. Good job.
Judge 2: Pictures: 11/15 Story: 14/15
Comments: Loved the story, thought it was too funny.
Judge 3: Pictures: 11/15 Story: 10/15
Comments: Santa face down in the snow was hysterical! Nice job this round!

Snoflinga Total: 71
Judge 1: Pictures: 12/15 Story: 15/15
Comments: Excellent excellent excellent. the story was funny, well written, and just casual enough to be engaging without sounding forced. The pictures were all very apt, anglewise, but I think they would have looked beter if you had a hint of a beard showing, or a facial shot of santa in drag.
Judge 2: Pictures: 12/15 Story: 14/15
Comments: Again, great story. Really funny. Made me laugh out loud.
Judge 3: Pictures: 9/15 Story: 9/15
Comments: Your story was okay, but it seemed to cut off without ending. Who was the culprit? Good job this round.

Elphie Louvre Total: 70
Judge 1: Pictures: 10/15 Story: 12/15
Comments: Excellent work, and I hate to take off four points for one issue, but I sorta have to. What was with the second picture and it's caption??? I did not understand that at all. In the last picture the faces were very indistinct, and the whole first part of the story was jsut name dropping... Overall an extremely cute story though and pictures went well with it.
Judge 2: Pictures: 11/14 Story: 11/15
Comments: The story was good, but not as funny as the others.
Judge 3: Pictures: 13/15 Story: 13/15
Comments: Thought the story was cute and funny. Your pictures were great this round- rich and full of detail. Great job this round!!

[jacquelyyn]

Hi, due to some custom content issue (I mentioned it in a previous post), it's been extremely hard to take pictures for my story because i can't save, and sometimes my computer will just randomly freeze and when I go back to the lot all of the custom content is gone, the sims I've used are gone (and from bodyshop as well), so it's been taking me hours for the last few rounds. So I'm not going to be able to finish by the 18th, especially since this is the last week of my college's fall semester and I have a lot of work/finals/etc. I'm very sorry, this contest has been very fun, good luck!

Edit: Thought about it a bit, and I'm going to try to finish in time, it would be a waste not to :beer:

[SilentPsycho]

At last! It's Christmas Eve! 24 hours until it's all over for this year, and all the elves can take our 3 months holiday! Sunny Spain, here I come!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_147468e5.jpg

First, let's get all this rubbish over with. With Snowchild organising it all and ticking things off the list, me, my sister Linaria, and Evergreen part of an elf-chain to the sleigh, and the Boss standing around pretending he's actually doing something, the sleigh is filling up, and soon Santa will be on his way! All targets met, all staff happy, all the pigs fed and ready to fly...

Of course, Fate rears it's ugly head, as usual.

Santa, obviously feeling slightly useless, decides to screw things up as is his wont. This time, but trying to carry out a large and heavy parcel.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_d47469cf.jpg

Can you say slipped disk? I know you can!

So the Boss is unable to do anything but lay down, the raindeer are getting restless, and the snow is getting worse! We have to get things moving soon, or Christmas will have to be cancelled!

Actually, I wouldn't mind that, at least it will be quiet around here then.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_34746c26.jpg

Alas, I'm not allowed to bugger off, and according to Mrs Claus, thanks to last month's catastrophe, I'm the one most qualified to hand out presents. So here I am, breaking my back placing presents under the many many trees, freezing my arse off in the winter winds, and sneaking down the soot-covered chimneys to save Christmas.

At least I can be sure the Boss isn't having a whale of a time either, what with his hurt back and all...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/SilentPsycho/Christmas/snapshot_f44daa48_147467aa.jpg

...I'm going to kill him.

[Shenanigans_SC]

Ha ha ha! Santa looks real hurt indeed Silent!

Just a quick question for Bettybob and Jacquelyyn... do you think you guys will be able to get your entries in less than 48 hours? I'd like to wrap things up. :)

[BetteBob]

Alright well here we are and it's Christmas Eve and I'm supposed to tell you a story of how I saved Christmas Eve,
another tale of one of my heroic deeds. Well, I need to be honest with you, I can't think of anything, nothing,
absolutely nothing, at least not anything heroic comes to mind. I mean, I do have stories but I would in no
way consider myself to be a hero in them. There was the time when Ibumped into Puff and made her swallow
her loose tooth and she started choking on it and I had to give her the heimlich but I certainly didn't
save Christmas Eve. There was another time when I clipped Blitzen's hoof nail to short and made it bleed, it hurt so
bad he limped for a week and just barely recovered by Christmas Eve, so nope no saving there.
Hmm, ummm, hmmm I can't think of . . .
hang on.
Oh my goodness!
Oh! Uh Oh!
Oh this is could be bad, this could be really bad.
Hang on a minute ok?
Oh dear, umm I'll be right back.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/roundfouruhoh4.jpg


Ahggg the reindeer got loose! They're eating the giant Gingerbread House!
Oooo, they're gonna get so sick. Oh my, oh my, oh my, this is bad.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/roundfourrun4.jpg

(3 hrs later)
Oh wow that was close, thankfully they didn't eat nearly as much of the
house as I thought they were going to. That could have been an absolute
disaster. Gingerbread is a reindeer's favorite treat to eat but its also the one
Christmas treat that can make them incredibly, unbelievably sick. We're
talking puke and diarrhea, the works. If you can catch a reindeer and make
them stop eating before they overdose and give them the necessary antidote
quickly enough, disaster can be averted. Boy was I lucky I caught them soon
enough and thank goodness I knew the recipie for the antidote. I brewed up
batch of the gooey purple stuff and managed to convince the naughty
reindeer to take their meds.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/roundfourmedicine6.jpg

Huh? Who's that?
Oh, Santa!
Yes?
Really?
Truely?
You're not teasing me like everyone else?
Yippie!

Psst, Santa said I saved the day! I did, I did, I really did and now I get to
ride in the sleigh with him and help him deliver presents.

Wah hoo!!! See Ya, I'm outta here!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/bettebob/Winter/snoflinga6-1.jpg

[Shenanigans_SC]

Sorry Jacquelyyn, I'm afraid it's past time to close this round. Round four is now closed, Judges, I'll be sending you a PM. :)

[FurryPanda]

Sent in my scores.... a bit ago already. Good luck all! Twas a pleasure looking at your beautiful entries, may the best simmer win, yada yada yada. Good luck again!

[Shenanigans_SC]

Sorry for the hold up guys. Still haven't heard from one judge. If I haven't heard from her in 24 hours, I'll be contacting the emergency judges.

[Shenanigans_SC]

The judges results are in!
Before I reveal them, I want to thank the hardy few contestants that stuck around till the end. I am really truly sorry that this contest seemed to just die in the end. I've learned my lesson on hosting contests too close to the holidays. Thank you for the wonderful stories, and the chuckles I got from them. It really has been fun reading the antics you guys come up with.

With that said, here's the judges comments for the final two entries.

Snoflinga Total: 73
Judge 1: Story Score: 11/15 Picture Score: 15/15
Comments: Good story, very funny, I like how the whole thing is in the present. However, that sort of collapses once she starts talking to Santa. And do remember to edit, I bumped sounds like an apple product. Excellent pics this round, I especially liked the last one.
Judge 2: Story Score: 11/15 Picture Score: 12/15
Comments: Very good final round! Especially liked the reindeer taking their 'meds' picture.
Judge 3: Story Score: 12 Picture Score: 12
Comments: Cute story. I liked how it was in the present.

Lin Flamebright Total: 70
Judge 1: Story Score:12/15 Picture Score:9/15
Comments: What the heck is up with the angle on the first pic and those harsh overhead lights on the second? No really, tell me, I'm intrigued . As for the story, is it just me or does he sound a bit bitter? It's probably just me so I didn't take off a lot for it, but bear that in mind. I adore the last bit below the last picture.
Judge 2: Story Score: 12/15 Picture Score: 13/15
Comments: Your story made me laugh, and your photos were very nice. Great job on this final round!
Judge 3: Story Score: 12 Picture Score: 12
Comments: Creative. Loved the end with Santa in the hot tub.


I bet it's not hard to guess which two elves took the top two spots. ;)

Snoflinga takes :1st with a grand total of 290 points

Lin Flamebright comes in a very close :2nd with a grand total of 283 points

Congratulations BetteBob and SilentPsycho... you both earned a star in my mind, as you were the only two to stick through the whole contest!

Unfortunately, migamoo who was graciously a judge and a prize donator suffered a computer mishap and lost the skirts she had made for this contest. Rather than bug her to remake them during this busy time of year, I thought linuslover's sims can be the prizes. So BetteBob... let me know which one you'd like to have, and I'll send you the link to download it. Then Silent, I'll send you the other.

Good job everyone! Even if you didn't make it to the end, I enjoyed reading the stories! Thank you for giving this contest a go, and Happy Holidays to everyone!

[SilentPsycho]

Congratulations BetteBob! :D

And Judge 1, not sure about what you mean by the harsh lights, but then again the PC I'm stuck using right now is scarily dark on its brightest settings. And the angle in the first was mainly not to cut Santa's head off, and not reveal the skill bar above the silver elf's head. You wanted to know. :P

[BetteBob]

Wow! Thank you so much :giggler: I'm tickled its the first contest I've ever won
Congrats to you too SilentPsycho you did a good job as well :D

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

Hi its me, Wanabee, i was a contestant until the second round and unfortunately decided not to continue on with a very exciting contest, due to a mis hap :eviltongu with a judge, who i am not going to name. Sorry Shenanigans for not informing you, as i also had alot of other thing to do....congrats to the winner BetteBob.....and also to second prize, as you came in close, Well done to both of you *claps continuously*

So Sorry again Shenanigans :weep:


Cheers :beer:
~Wanabee :einstein

[FurryPanda]

Hi its me, Wanabee, i was a contestant until the second round and unfortunately decided not to continue on with a very exciting contest, due to a mis hap :eviltongu with a judge, who i am not going to name. Sorry Shenanigans for not informing you, as i also had alot of other thing to do....

Well, tis a bit late for commentary to be had on the matter wannabee, but that is considered very bad form. It does not take all that long to send a PM to a contest host, "Eh, I really intangibly dislike one of your judges, I'm gone" (took me fourteen seconds to type that) and it really is much more polite.

If you actually think a judge is being unfair you should take it up with bP or the contest host or the judge, and if you merely dislike a judge as a person bear that in mind next round of contest approvals. If they do something you don't like, tell the judge in question, they're people too ya know and dislike being disliked. As I said, it's a bit late to be decorous in this one, but bear that in mind if you ever have issues with judging or a contest. Happy holidays!

[Wanabee_gangsta_013]

What ever..........Enjoy yours too