Pauline's Paintings - Summer challenge 2024, update 5

[katrisims]

Hello, and welcome back to Pauline's Paintings! It's my Summer Challenge for 2024, and a Great Boolprop Olympic Challenge at that. This busy lady cleaning the dog bed is my competing sim, Pauline, and her goal is to finish 25 paintings. At this point, we're on the final stretch: Pauline has already painted 20 paintings, so only five more to go. So, shall we get to it?

Pauline is as busy as ever. One of her regular tasks is to dig for treasure, to replenish the stock for her home business. The idea is to sell any treasure she finds, and thus bring Pauline closer to her LTW of earning 100,000 simoleons. She's quite close at this point, we just want her to get there before she finishes the rest of the paintings.

The family dog, Fluffy, is also busy, mostly getting everyone to stroke him and rub his belly. He loves the attention, be it from Pauline and Penny or random sims walking by the house.

Penny, Pauline's adopted daughter, is in her late teens. I figured that since she's not going to have time for many more scholarships, and since part of the money from the business is attributed to her anyway, she might as well help her mother around with the digging and with the selling.

As evening rolls around, it's time for Pauline to get started on painting number 21.

In the morning, it was time for some chores, such as breakfast and bathing Fluffy.

Penny had a bit of time for studying before school.

Pauline, in turn, did a bit of digging too.

Penny brings someone home from school almost every day, and it seems today is not an exception. This is her new friend, Zoe Tang.

They had a nice afternoon getting to know each other. First Penny cooked lunch for them, and then they watched some tv together.

Of course, Fluffy wanted attention from Zoe.

The young ladies played some Don't Wake the Llama while Pauline worked on her painting.

As the evening fell, she headed out for a little bit digging for the business.

After her new friend left, Penny did some studying, while Fluffy watched tv by himself.

Late in the evening, Pauline completed painting number 21.

As usual, it was hung in the gallery straight away. Four more to go!

As per almost a routine, morning brought some more digging for Pauline before work.

And as per her almost a routine, Penny brought a friend from school in the afternoon.

While Noelle Howe did her own thing, Penny and Fluffy worked on the sitting up command.

The afternoon was mostly uneventful. Penny cooked for her new friend and they had a nice meal together.

In the evening, Pauline opened the shop for a bit. She's quite close to making her LTW, but if we can shave off from the days she has to work before she makes it, that's helpful.

It went pretty well in general, although the wolf pack leader showing up to scare the customers was not such a nice thing.

In the evening, Penny relaxed at the tv, and Pauline got started on the 22^nd painting.

Fluffy needed a bath, so Pauline got to that, too.

Morning again, and breakfast together. Not that many of those left before Penny is ready to go to college, so they'd best enjoy them now.

Before work, Pauline spent some time with Fluffy, who needed some care and atttention.

As a surprise to exactly no one, Penny brought home a school bus friend again. Unfortunately for that first kiss Want, Dongsool Fancey is another one with negative chemistry with Penny. Oh well.

In any case, the two teens had a nice afternoon playing Don't Wake the Llama.

After Pauline comes from work, she gets some digging done as she's in a good mood and doesn't really need anything.

Penny of course cooked, as she's been doing for a while now. Pauline wasn't hungry, but the kids enjoyed the spaghetti.

When Dongsool had left, Penny worked on her charisma, preparing for college.

Pauline, on the other hand, worked on painting, and also did some household chores, like keeping Fluffy fed.

The next morning, the matchmaker showed up to drop off a magic lamp. As almost always in my game, it was for the youngest member of the household, in this case, Penny. I put it in her inventory, I figured she might as well take it with her to college.

The day was pretty typical in the Abrahams family: Pauline did some digging, Fluffy seeked for belly rubs from walkbys, and Penny brought a friend home from school.

Pretty typical was also the fact that Noelle, whom Penny brought home from school again, lined up to rub Fluffy's belly.

In the evening, Penny worked on her charisma and helped her mother by doing a bit of digging.

Pauline worked on the next painting meanwhile. Number 22 got quite close to completion that night, but not quite.

Pauline did, however, reach a certain milestone, namely she became permanent platinum through high lifetime Aspiration. I was wondering if that might happen before she got her LTW, and apparently it did. Congrats, Pauline!

The next day was Friday, so Penny had school but Pauline had the day off. She started her day by catching up with some friends on the phone.

She then opened the shop to sell some of her more valuable treasures. She's got plenty of rocks and bones, but at this point, they aren't really worth selling, just going to work and earning salary is much faster.

The sales were decent, and the business made it to rank five this session.

The shop was still open when Penny came from school, with a new friend how else.

After Ted Jung left, Penny did her homework, and helped Pauline by taking the car to an alarm specialist. I've been meaning to get a car alarm ever since they got the car, but they've been busy.

While Penny was at the alarm specialist, Pauline finished the 22^nd painting, and we hung it in the gallery. Only three more paintings to go, and those will be special.

It was still daytime, so ample time to get started on the first special painting: a portrait of Fluffy. Meanwhile, Penny upped her fun motive by the tv.

At dinner, Pauline was apparently feeling nostalgic, remiscing the days when Penny learned to talk.

In the morning, I realized that it was kind of silly of me to start Fluffy's portrait now, since Penny is on the verge of growing up, and if I want her to go to college, Pauline is going to need a bit more time to get started on her portrait before she goes. So, Penny got a little bit of elixir to stay a teen until Pauline gets to her portrait.

It was Saturday, so after breakfast Pauline and Penny spent a little time with each other, discussing their hobbies.

Pauline progressed quite fast with Fluffy's portrait.

Meanwhile, Penny was helpful by doing some digging.

Pauline was quick about the painting, and now it's in the gallery. I quite like how Fluffy's portrait turned out. That's 23 down, two to go!

To take a bit of a break, Pauline got some phone time with friends.

Penny got to wash Fluffy, I kind of do think of him as her dog. And then it was her phone time.

Pauline still did a bit of digging, in the hopes of getting good treasure worth selling. She should be hitting 100k early in the week, anyway.

There was also a broken tub, so Pauline got to that too.

In the evening, Pauline got started on painting number 23, Penny's portrait.

Now that the portrait is underway, I figured that Penny can go to college, both she and Pauline would be happy. So, she said her goodbyes, checked in for her scholarships, and called the cab.

Bye Penny, have fun at college!

In the morning, Pauline's breakfast was a much more solitary event than she was used to.

To keep herself busy, and to gain a little bit of money on her day off, she opened the shop again.

Although, what she and I both failed to take into regard was that it's winter, and Pauline was working outside in her indoor clothes. She got rather blue, and we had to close shop early. Penny isn't in the household anymore, and Fluffy can't operate a hair dryer to unfreeze Pauline if she should freeze, so all the more reason to play it safe.

Pauline took a nice warm bubble bath and had a cup of hot chocolate, and finally she warmed up.

She also worked on Penny's portrait, and it's starting to shape up.

With Penny out of the house, Fluffy relies solely on Pauline for company and care. It would have been fitting if Fluffy had gone with Penny, but I don't think the game works that way, plus I think Pauline likes the company.

Morning again. If my calculations are correct, Pauline has two work days left before she makes it to her LTW. We're very close to the end of the challenge now.

We won't be opening the business again, as it would be very hard to get to the goal faster anyway. So Pauline didn't dig for treasure, but she did fill in the hole in the yard.

She had enough time to finish Penny's portrait before work, so number 24 is done and hung in the gallery. I quite like the result. Only one to go!

Off to work with you, Pauline!

After work, some phone time was in order, to keep up with friends, and perhaps check up with Penny too.

Pauline got started on the final painting, her own portrait. We're so, so close now!

Fluffy provided some fun and relaxation in the evening. And he got the attention that he needed, of course.

Well, this is it, Pauline. You should be making your LTW today, if all goes well. How are you feeling?

Pauline: "I'm excited, and happy to finally be there."

Great. You've done a great job with it all.

Pauline: "Thanks."

Before work though, it's time for one more bath for Fluffy.

And there she goes, time for work.

As predicted, Pauline came home with that final paycheck to finally make it to 100,000 simoleons, and at that, her LTW. And fittingly, Trent, who's been there pretty much the whole challenge, came home with her.

Congrats, Pauline!

So, Pauline spent a little bit of time socializing with Trent.

But then, it was time to get to work on the final painting and finally get this challenge wrapped up.

And there, we did it! Painting number 25, Pauline's own portrait, is finally done!

And here we have it in the gallery, next to the other portraits. I think they all turned out great.

Now, this is the end of this challenge, all that's left is for me to calculate the score. So:

+25 for reaching the first hurdle
+30 for completing Pauline's Aspiration
+10 for Pauline reaching the top of her career
+10 for Pauline successfully raising one child (Penny) to young adult
+20 for completing the challenge in one generation
+30 for 3 maxed skills (creativity, charisma, logic)
+60 for family fund of § 61,428 in the end
+15 for having portraits of all family members
+10 for sharing the story

Grand total: 210 points

So, not bad at all. This was a fun challenge, and I'm happy to have completed it, in time no less. Thank you for following along, I hope you enjoyed it too. I'll be coming back to simming again, there's no doubt about that. I hope to see you again then, and in the meanwhile, happy simming!