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Happy New Year everyone! 2008 is upon the island! Get out your party gear and celebrate the kick off of a brand new year. How are you planning to count down and rock out to 2008?

While you are putting those plans into action, the holiday green is making its way throughout the island. On corners of Olympic Valley, the holiday glow is everywhere - literally, even taking over the window panes of Freckle's house. If you haven't seen it, it's coming from Brice's snowman filled property. Check it out at 5N 49W and count down the new year "hulk" style.

Happy New Year to all my awesome islanders and big hugs for 2008!

Wait – the holidays are not yet over! There’s still a smashing New Year’s Eve just around the corner! What are you doing to celebrate the countdown of 2007 and the kick off of 2008? Some of us (not me, no worries, I’ll be staying put for a bit because Japan has maxed my budget) are preparing for our New Year’s Resolution. Like CousinVinny has been saying, his resolution is to finish building that house so he can finally throw that fat party he’s always talking about. As for me, well – I just need to hit the gym to work off those holiday cupcakes!

Other than that, we should have our own little new years get together, don’tcha think? Let me know if you’re interested and we’ll make it a date for sometime next week! Catch ya on the island!

Everyone celebrates the holidays a little differently so I’ll start with mine.

My fam and I roasted a turkey, made some salad and devoured some off the hook mashed potatoes. Sounds simple, but after cooking the 50 course meal for Thanksgiving this year, I think my mom and I wanted to keep it simple. Afterwards, we went to catch the movie “Enchanted”  – I know, I know, you think it’s a chick flick right? It’s a fairy tale, but the kind that even I (not a chick flick fan) loved! It was the perfect holiday treat for us and the cherry on the sundae for family time! Only unfortunate thing was that the theater was so packed I had to sit front row and crane my neck 90 degrees to watch the movie. Other than that – it was fab!

For gifts, I got lots of foamy bubble washes, soaps (why do we girls always get bath products – it’s not like we stink – I hope) and a really cool digital picture frame. What about you guys? Get anything fun and interesting to share with the community? Was there something really memorable or special about this December for you islanders? Were you able to meet the budget you set for yourself? If there was an uber special treat, a Kodak  moment, or heck – even if your dog tore all your gifts apart, we want to hear all about it!

We will not be blogging on December 25th – most of us will be sipping eggnog and roasting chestnuts. We hope all of you have a fun filled and safe holiday, and don’t forget to eat lots of great holiday treats! We’ll see you on the island!

I know many of us are busy preparing our holiday shopping lists so we can get out there to start rummaging and buying every gift that’s available, but don’t let it get too wild! Not to sound like a broken record but be careful how much you spend!

Something that we talked about last year was watching what we buy and not going overboard with the sales and stuff. Well this time around, I got smart (or at least I’d like to think so) and I made a budget  for myself. Basically, I just threw together a list with all my fam and friends on it then added a $ value limit of the gift that I’m getting them. But hey, this may or may not work for ya, but I figure I’d drop some ideas here – just in case.

Why not? I mean, give it a shot. A budget is awesome because you can see before you get the gifts how much you’re going to be throwing out the window this year, and trust me, it ain’t a pretty sight!

*runs off to do last-minute holiday shopping and dreading the lines*

Feliz Navidad!

As you may have noticed, the holidays are right around the corner, and we here on the island want to know what you have planned this year as gifts (if that's something you celebrate with). Share with the community some of your best gift ideas, what you're planning to give others or something special from your wish list!

Since it was the holiday season, I decided to write a little something something on the dude that a lot of people consider the icon of Christmas  – that jolly ol’ St. Nick – and check out some of the ways that people around the world celebrate the holidays with Santa! 

Let’s start with Japan since I just got back. During Christmas for those that celebrate, they have a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho  who represents Santa Claus . Not only does he bring gifts for the children, but he keeps them in check by making them believe he has eyes in the back of his head and can watch them. Scary, yeah?

People in India on the other hand dish it out by decorating banana or mango trees (not evergreens like the US) and they also fill their churches with pretty poinsettia  flowers and tiny oil lamps. In most Greek homes, gifts are exchanged on January 1st, St Basil's Day . In Brazil on the other hand, Papai Noel  (Father Noel) is from Greenland, and he comes to pass out gifts in silk clothing due to the summer heat. In Chile, they create a pesebre  by placing little figures made of clay under the Christmas tree.

But get this, in Greenland – it’s hunky dory with coffee and cakes – but they have very specific traditional foods. One is the Mattak , whale skin wrapped blubber, and Kiviak , which is the raw flesh of an auk that’s been buried in sealskin till its reach an advanced stage of decomposition. Wow, yum? Uh…not my style, but hey – it’s tradition!

What are traditions that you celebrate with? Share with all the islanders (and me of course)!

To celebrate all the new features and functions that have landed on the island, we wanted to add something special just for you islanders! The GCK boutique will be adding one new item for both guys and gals every single month for 12 months. This new item will only exist in the boutique for that month, and once the next items come in – you will automatically not be able to buy the previous month’s item. Only those that bought it will have it. So if you've read Cassie's blog, then you'll know to go to GCK to check out the fashion while its hot and fresh - don't miss out on our new specialty items!

 

While I was making snow angels in the Olympic Valley fluff, I remembered that we have a gift for all of you! Close your eyes...and count to three...just kidding, you can't read with your eyes closed silly! OK, bad joke on my part, but seriously, because you guys have all been so awesome - we have a little something special for all of you.

'Tis the season to be jolly and the "fa-la-la" surprise from the island to you is that the new boutique GCK will be featuring one new fashion piece each month! There's tons of new stuff coming your way and rare shades and colors of items that we already have. The new fashion doesn't end yet!

There will be one guy and one gal item released every month and, yep, you guessed it - you snooze, you lose. So don’t miss your chance to pick up the new specialty color or style of a dress, shoes or button-down, because it's not coming back! So you better hop on it and make sure to grab a specialty item to wear and accessorize for the holidays.

Also, I’ve spotted some awesome new things on the island – check out Uncouth’s new fancy hang out spot, but notice the seats! It’s really creative, and yeah – I dig it! There’s also a floating house that Cbow and I can’t seem to figure out who owns, is it Rosabelle or Shag? Hmm…

Now, if only I had a cup of warm hot cocoa (plus some squishy marshmallows in it) then my day would be awesomely perfect! For those that celebrate Christmas - there's 8 more days till Santa hops down my chimney!

*Cassie sings holiday carols in the background*

 

 

I was on a mission yesterday to find the time machine that Darthvader grammed me about, and while I was out and about, exploring the new homes, I found this gigantic (and when I say gigantic - I mean GINORMOUS) dog with simgirl111! It belongs to Cbow and you can find it in Desert Hollow. I still can't seem to locate the time machine, but the dog is cool isn't he?

Also, as the holidays roll in, there's just more and more lights, presents, Santas and elves showingup everywhere! It's so nice to see the holidays warming up the snowy Olympic Valley and the islanders that live there. I'm still on my mission to make a snuggly and cozy cabin that serves hot cocoa with onetruegod, so when that happens, we'll throw a chocolate party!

 

So I'd like to tell you that I, Cassie the Brave, climbed to the highest peak of Mount Fuji  or hiked 30 miles round Kyoto City , but the truth is that I had a blast just doing simple sightseeing and immersing myself in Japanese culture and life. Yep! Luckily, a few of my best friends live in Japan, so I wasn't lost — at least not the whole time.

I'm going to share with you two of my favorite spots: Nijojo , the Osaka Castle, and Kiyomizudera (the healing water temple).

Let's start with Nijojo. It's the castle in Osaka that belonged to Tokugawa Ieyasu , the founder of the Edo Shogunate , and it's famous for its Momoyama  architecture and (get this) nightingale floors  that squeak every time people walk on them. The noise was a security thing to prevent sneak attacks. Cool huh?

Kiyomizudera  temple is a UNESCO world heritage site , and the Jishu Jinja Shrine there, dedicated to the deity of love, is really popular. There are two stones placed a few meters apart, and the goal is to walk from one to the other with your eyes closed. If you can, then you're going to find true love! (No, I didn't try.) Also, around this time of year, all the leaves are changing colors so it looks like a huge autumn painting. What makes this place really special though? Well, there's a spring that runs through the temple that you can hike up to and drink from, along with the hundreds of other people. The water is supposed to bring you good luck and make all your wishes come true.

Everything was just super duper, and I can't wait to go back again — it was an awesome experience! If you want to know more, send me a tele or catch me in world!

The festivities and the most exciting part of the year are here! Since I have been back from Japan, I have been tip toeing around the island, peeking at everyone's awesome holiday decorations. They all look so sparkly and colorful - everyone deserves a big pat on the back! The new homes in Olympic Valley are also popping up fast, and there are lots of stages and concert halls. It's going to be a great place for a winter music festival. Amidst all the wintry snow, I got to spend some relaxing time in Scorpio's hot tub with genie7 and Lostpoet to catch up on some happenings around the island. *Sigh* It's so nice to be back!

I'm totally stoked about the holidays and I can't wait to hear what everybody has planned, and what’s on your wish list for this year. Share with the community what your biggest holiday wish is and let's see who has the coolest one! Who knows? It might be a great place to get some gift ideas too, yeah? By the way, did you guys get a chance to check out the winter ball? I was snoozing in bed suffering from jet lag, so if you went, tell me all about it and send some pictures in! I had an outfit all ready too. I guess I'll have to save it for the next holiday party! Woot!

P.S. I know you islanders have been asking, so my next post will give some details from my Japan trip. Stay tuned!

  

  

Just as a reminder, we have the winter ball coming up hosted by RylieNikole so start planning your outfit and make it a date! Just in case, here are the additional details: It'll be held on Saturday, December 8, 2007 from 5:00–6:30pm PT at the Big Bridge in the City's center. For more details, check out the event’s post.

One more tidbit, if you haven’t heard already, Cassie’s back and the island is more hip than ever! Don’t worry, CousinVinny will of course stick around. In the mean time, you can check out her most recent blogs to see how life in Japan was.

Get ready to party and we’ll see you at the ball!

Konnichiwa  my islanders! I have returned to my home on the island and I have so many stories to share with each and every one of you. It’s been a wild ride and awesome adventure in Japan. In the mean time, I really want to thank Cousin Vinny for keeping all of you entertained and I hope you guys also enjoyed his stay here in Stagecoach Island.

First off – I really want to say that staying in Kyoto is beautiful, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. And it’s not just about eating mochi  and matcha  ice cream, there’s so much more to the culture than one can imagine. Let me just say that the first day I got to Osaka , my friends went to the wrong airport to pick me up, and the day I left I had literally two minutes to get on the shuttle bus that took me to the airport, so yes – it has been an adventure.

Stay tuned and I’ll tell you more, or we’ll catch up on the island, yeah?

Has everyone paid their mortgage on time? I certainly didn't and it cost me! Who knew having a house, or in my case, a plot of land, could be such a responsibility? I barely had enough money to begin with!

But it's certainly worth it. Just thinking of all the possibilities and fun things you can do with a house is awesome. I'm still in the planning phase for what I want my house to look like. By the end of this month, my goal is finish my cabin retreat in Olympic Valley so I can decorate it to my heart's content and start hosting fun parties! I hope I can make everyone proud by building something nice that everyone can enjoy. I've said it once and I'll say it again, mi casa es su casa. LOL!

Also, to alleviate some of my money woes, I've decided to get a job. You're now looking at a brand new Island Stylist! So if you need some fashion and styling help, look no further, because CousinVinny is here to save the day. Just to let you know, my special talent is finding the perfect outfit for any budget and occasion. Your satisfaction is guaranteed or your styling consultation is free! How's that for service?

And what about y'all? What job did you choose for a little more cash each month? Comment back and share! I'm sure everyone else is interested in knowing too.

Well, I'm off...see ya in world!