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You know, it sounds harder than it really is — I mean…there are lots of ways to pay for college without having to smash your own piggy bank to pieces. And since April happens to be "Financial Literacy Month ," I wanted to take a poll of how many of you are thinking about attending — or trying to pay for — college!

If you are, and are kind of stressing about it, fear not! I know some people, who know some people, who know more people that can help you out! When I was planning to go to school, I applied for grants and student loans, but everyone's different. Scholarships and financial aid  work too. You should definitely do whichever works best for you, but don't let your dreams sink just because of the "$" sign!

We've got some awesome resources in case you want to check them out. In the meantime, ask us anything and we'll try our best to help!

Rock on and keep savin'!

 

The weather has been awesome and toasty on the island — perfect for hanging out and catching some sun! While I was chilling at the game park, a couple of us chatted about our pets and Disneyland  experiences.

I once had a little froggie that my Grammy flushed down the toilet. Don't worry - it was an accident, and actually a little funny in a weird kind of way.

What kind of funny pet memories do you have? Share, share!

As for my Disneyland story, I told them about the time when I was an itty bitty kid, Chip (or Dale...they look the same to me ) stepped on my foot and made me cry. Hey! His foot was ginormous, I swear!

What about you? Who's your all time favorite Disney character? Post it and see which one is the most popular!

 

We want YOU to build the new Island Summer Games arena!

Send in an idea or build a stadium in world that you think will be the best fit for the Summer Games. The arena you design will house the opening and closing ceremonies and possibly a few of the competitions!

All you have to do is post the coordinates on this blog — or let Cassie know so she can snap photos. Then people can vote on who the winner will be. You have until June to finish your entry, so take your time, collaborate with fellow islanders, and come up with something that's going to rock the islands!

We can't wait to see your ideas! Remember, the Olympics are about unity . So with that in mind — let's get creative!

Today is Earth Day , which means another chance to appreciate and make a difference for our awesome green planet! I know, I know…sometimes I sit around and think, "What can I do?"

Well, there are actually lots of things!

Hmm...we can recycle  more, use plastic bottles instead of paper cups, don't toss gum wrappers (seriously, that's bad), plant a tree  for your community, or hey, you can even start your own little garden patch! I found these little one dollar pots with seeds that are easy and cute to plant, so that's what I'm doing — I've got my tomato seeds all ready to go!

AND for all of you that participated in "Earth Hour," and became part of the movement…woot! Give yourself a BIG pat on the back! For all of you that didn't, it's all good — in the end, it's the thought that counts. Actually, we've done some cool stuff too! Oh, and it can't hurt to know some awesome earth trivia, so check out Staci's Earth Day tips.

If you want to learn more about the Earth, you can watch my favorite DVD "Blue Planet ," an amazing Discovery Channel project! (I'm a nerd, I know.) Or check out the Planet Green website! 

Anyhow, it's Earth Day, so hug a tree (not literally…though you can if you want to!), make a difference, and be a part of the green movement!

I've been taking itty-bitty snapshots of some new things rocking the island — they're pretty cool!

There's lostpoet's new pad at 3N 31W, which has a garden that runs all around the sides of the house and sports the best view of the moon. Adariene has a fancy schmancy skyscraper at 5S 35W that lostpoet says is a "perfect place to relax and enjoy the light from above." There's also a big, bright and green "Sara!" sign just flashing away in the middle of Olympic Valley. Maybe she's getting ready for Earth Day? 

Check 'em out!

P.S. Don't forget! The Island Summer Games are coming up so send in your competition ideas! We're about to host a HUGE building contest soon — get ready for the games to begin!

 

If you've taken a look at the awesome skills Matt put into the Stratosphere restaurant and lounge, then you should definitely check out his new and completed pad! It's super plush, and the design is like something out of MTV Cribs  (I only caught a few episodes while channel surfing…I swear!)

Anyway, Matt's place has this modern and sleek look to it — I think it's very chic ! He's put a lot of time into it (and I mean a lot) and would love any feedback or ideas you have for him.

Post 'em here!

 

 

 

Since the world will be celebrating the Olympics in Beijing  this year, we decided to host some Summer Games of our own as well! Send us ideas for creative contests, sports or even ideas on how the arena should look so we can start planning.

Let's get together to build the biggest island event of the year!

If you haven't heard the island buzz yet, Matt's put together quite the restaurant for lane1 at 25s 42w — known as the great "Stratosphere."  It sits above a clear, spherical dome and appears to catch the moonlight…ooo la la! I know, it sounds kind of "out-there," but it really reminds me of a planet in orbit!

Its design totally rocks the island, and you should definitely check it out! Take a peek at the photos and let Matt know what you think!

 

 

Other than that, Serenity made an almost X Files-like  discovery: She found an invisible wall! It sounds crazy — but seriously, when you teleport to 3264N 3264E you automatically get stuck and can't fly forward anymore.

It's just like an invisible wall in space! Or maybe the end of the island world…though I dig the first explanation more.

What do you think it is?

 

Come and take a look at April's newest styles before the month is over! We have an adorable poet sleeve shirt for gals and a limited edition logo polo for guys — both come with some awesome shades.

Don't miss out! Check them out below!

 

 

So I've finally decided on a date to run the newbie tours! And seriously, if anyone wants to be tour guide (don't all jump up at once!) let me know. In the meantime, I'll be guiding our little island adventures till some awesome possum — not literally — decides to take over.

I'm planning to lead tours on the last Thursday of every month at 1pm PT (4pm ET) — everyone is welcome to join! I know, once a month seems a little iffy, but if they get really popular and oodles of people want to join (yes, I said oodles) then we can revamp the tours and make more of them!

*waves her tour guide flag*

 

So here it is again:

Day: The last Thursday of every month
Time: 1pm PT (4pm ET)
Location: Welcome Center (it's where you drop in world)

P.S. For the islanders that have been wondering how much they were taxed, I stuck the breakdowns below so we can see how much of our cupcake and foodie shells went to taxes! It's a nice little chunk of change — that's for sure!

• Bronze level — §1000 per pay period (§850 after taxes)

• Silver level — §1500 per pay period (§1,275 after taxes)

• Gold level — §2000 per pay period (§1,700 after taxes)

If you own land on the island, you may have noticed this itty bitty icon showing up on the upper left hand corner of your window, you know what that means — it's time to pay taxes! 

And if you don't own land yet, well...it's just good to know for when you do buy.

All you have to do is strut over to the SIRS building, click on the green shell symbol...and BAM! Your taxes are paid!

I just paid mine this weekend...you?

P.S. Check out the castle that lostpoet built for whitewave, it rocks!

 

 

Get it? "Island scents" = "Island sense"? *looks around for a response*

OK, well maybe not, but hey, if at any point yesterday you got close to your screen and took a sniff...congratulations! You've been punk'd  island style!

I know, I know. Many of you are going to say you didn't fall for it, but I know somewhere deep down in a tiny little corner of your brain you probably wondered: "Hmm...I wonder if it really works..." Then you looked around suspiciously, and when no one was watching — leaned over took a nice, long sniff. And hey, if you didn't, good for you! You've got some island sense!

For those who did try it out, I've got one thing to say...

Happy April Fool's Day! 

Yes, you read it right!

It's been a big secret — we've been working with a team of scientists and engineers who've been updating Smell-o-vision following an initial "smell breakthrough" back in the day. Their research in this field has been noted around the world. When I first read about it in the trend journals, I was like, "We have to get this for the island!"

So...we did! And now we're finally ready to bring out our brand new Island Sniff-A-Thon feature!

Here's how it works: This awesome technology allows television users to experience the aromas produced from their TV directly into their homes. Rad? Well, the best part came near the end of 2007 — they actually found a way to capture the aromas on computers as well! And we're testing it on the island today!

Try it out! If everything goes right, you should be able to get close to the screen and smell plants, flowers, cupcakes and anything else you can think of! Oh, and don't forget, it may take some time to deliver the enhanced scents, so be patient while your computer loads the program.

The cupcakes in the café are my favorite, but the burger is a little strong for me. But give it a sniff anyways — you may dig it!

Let us know what you think and share with other islanders the island scents you've sniffed!

*leans over and inhales the chocolate milkshake*