You've seen the stylish, coolest and most creative newbie (otherwise known as studentakajoey) on our Member Spotlight! Well now's the moment to select the one islander that knows how to stuff their piggy bank full of §hells!

Are you an islander who knows how to spend smart and pays your bills on time? Do you work hard at your islander job to save up those §hells? If so, then this could be your month to be the island celebrity!

Get ready to compete — the heat is on! And don't forget, be sure to check the balance in your virtual bank accounts too. If you have more than 100,000 shells, then congrats...you can qualify for a RL island T-shirt for free!

Post your nominations here! Will the lucky islander be YOU?

I know, I know...lately the news is looking kinda grim with all the stuff going on in the economy. Well because of this pickle, it's always nice to plan and save for a rainy day — just in case.

I was seriously trying to get tickets to see this band I love, but the prices were...eh, a bit high, so I skipped out on it. I mean, I totally wanted to see them, but knowing how iffy things are at the moment makes me stop and think twice about what I'm buying.

So I made a little list of tips for myself that I wanted to share with you in case you are feeling the pinch like me...

• Double check if what you're buying is something you "want" or "need"
• Visit your virtual bank account to see if you have the loose change to buy the extra set of threads at GCK
• Every penny counts! Make sure to put a few extra shells aside in that little piggy bank — it'll add up!
• Careful not to put big ticket items on your credit card unless you already have the "cash stash" to pay it off. Don't want it to add up to icky debt!
• And lastly...well, spend smart and save!

It's not rocket science, but you never know. It's always nice to just have something just in case you might need it. And hey, if you don't, then you've just saved enough change to add towards that awesome Xbox, Wii, or Mp3 player you've been drooling over. It's all worth it in the end!

P.S. For those that didn't know, yesterday was apparently National Chocolate Day! I hope you islanders got your fill of the yummy cocoa bean!

RandyLH and Darthvader have done it again! So you thought the Yellow Brick Road and the Island Observatory Space Center were awesome? Well, those two islanders kicked it up a notch by bringing the Wizard of Oz to the island!

How's that possible? Well, it's simple really. If you've followed the Yellow Brick Road — and I mean followed it to the mirror and bumped it — you're going to be teleported to...yep, you guessed it, Emerald City!  You'll have to take a look at the pictures to see what I mean!

 
 

When you get to the door, be careful of bumping into Dorothy traveling in a hot air balloon. (Wonder if she has her red heels on?) Anyhow, this place is just beyond words, and it really puts the icing and cherry on top of the Yellow Brick Road creation!

If you haven't seen it yet, you gotta go check it out at 157s 95w! The place is full of surprises, and yes, you'll even see the Wizard! And if you're really lucky, he just might talk to you too...

What are you waiting for? Take a trip to Emerald City!

RandyLH and Darthvader have done it again! This time it's more spectacular than any other build we've seen on the island — and I'm serious, this is no small creation. I was speechless for a bit when I first teleported "out there."

If you've already caught the buzz about it, now you can take a look at the pictures yourself! The portal to the Space Center is hidden in a museum in Isla Del Sol, but first you have to walk through a space teleportation gate to get to the Space Center. Super sci-fi! I dig it!

 

Once you get there though...THAT'S where the real fun and mystery begins! You can see Earth, Saturn, Mars, and a bunch of other galactic surprises! (Just be careful of the flying rocks!) The whole space observatory looks like it walked off the pages of some high-tech space movie or Battlestar Galatica.  It's just too awesome for words — trust me, you've just gotta pop in a take a look for yourself!

 
 

Be sure to comment here and let us know what you think of the Space Observatory! It's blown me away! Dare to challenge this build? We'd love to see your ideas!

Personally, I'm going to go explore it more...after all, we aren't alone on the island! (I can almost hear the X-Files music  playing...)

 

What are you waiting for? It's time to go on a space adventure!

I mean, we are...literally! For those who don't know, today was the day we officially swore in our new president! This year, it's Barack Obama  (aka "the really important VIP that will be living in the White House").

It's one of those events that mark a pretty big day in history , and I mean, it doesn't happen often — each president is elected after a four-year term. For those of you who voted, this is a big day for you guys as well! At 11:30am, Senator Obama took his place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building  — the same spot  where many of our influential leaders have stood to be sworn in as well.

*deep breath*

I can't even imagine standing somewhere so...historical. Regardless of political views and all that other stuff, today  was a day we watched history happen!  And well...that's a pretty big deal. 

Here's a juicy tidbit — it's the official oath that the President-elect says!

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Sounds like a pretty important job to me, don't you think?

A BIG congratulations to the newest member to join our Island Spotlight Hall of Fame! He is our first winner to kick off 2009...

*drum roll*

...put your hands together for our very own: Studentakajoey!

Studentakajoey has successfully claimed the throne for the most stylish islander, bringing his sleek sense of fashion to the island streets. So if you're hanging out on the island and see him strutting his stuff, don't be a stranger — say hello!

We thought the Mushroom Rail Station was cool, right? Well, RandyLH took his super creativity to another level — he's made the island its very own Yellow Brick Road! Just take a look at the pics!

 
 

He's made a little dancefest of pots and pans, fruit bowls, flowers, and even muffins. It's kind of like Alice and Wonderland  meets The Wizard of Oz  — it's just too cute not check out! Be sure to swing through his patch of madness at 156S 94W if you're strolling down Isla Del Sol!

Oh yeah, a little heads up from HaileyHorse15: Be careful not to touch the mirror. It's a total illusion to make all the islanders think that the Yellow Brick Road goes on and on and on.... In fact, if you bump the mirror, you'll get teleported to some random rock in the middle of nowhere — definitely not as cool as dancing with mushrooms and muffins!

Go take a peek for yourself, then post your comments about RandyLH's new creation here!

The island is buzzing with excitement as we welcome our very first island arcade! Darthvader has sprinkled his creativity on the island by making a full arcade — joysticks and all! Just check it out below! He even has the motorcycle race games (not sure what the name of those are) — they're located right next to the pool. You've got to check 'em out!

After gaming out at Darthvader's, a bunch of us went to Kissy's party room, which, I might add is pretty fancy shmancy. It's completely lit up with awesome lights that dangle just like stars all over the ceiling, making it look like colorful, bright and shiny sky. I can't even explain it — you'll just have to take a peek at the pic. But the house just plain ol' sparkled!

Other than that, if you see the little tax icon popping into a corner of your screen, yep, it's time to pay those taxes. I actually have the fancy credit card icon thanks to all the purty dresses I bought from GCK...those shells can definitely add up! Don't forget!

*Cassie runs off to pay her credit card*

 

I know many of you have been experiencing that icky "red box syndrome" for a bit — well, no worries! I've heard from some people, who know some people, that it's fixed! Yay!

So now when you drop into the island, you should no longer be this reddish boxy looking thing. You're probably going to look a lot cooler and stylish as your island self. That is unless you actually preferred to be a big red box, floating around with a question mark....

Now that the whole newbie box fiasco is over, go out and have fun on the island! And if you're still having some strange avatar wackiness, post a comment here or email us at support@stagecoachisland3.com. We'll make sure it'll be taken care of ASAP!

I know, I know...2009 just started, right? Can't believe it's time to pay taxes, but if you own property in any of our four awesome neighborhoods, you should be seeing a little tax icon popping up on your upper left-hand corner of your screen.

And NO, it won't go away till you pay them!

So keep an eye out for that little reminder, and don't forget to drop by SIRS so nothing happens to that fancy shmancy property you worked so hard on!

Also, our special Holiday edition of December fashion is still in GCK! Don't delay — if you don't buy now, it's not coming back! Oh yeah, if you want a piece of the island in a real world T-shirt, check out this post and be sure to submit your info!

 
 

Welcome to 2009, Islanders! Woot!

To kick off the year, Trev22 — the previous winner of our newbie member spotlight — is building a home for himself on the island! He's already started construction of his Olympic Valley masterpiece, making a cozy little corner of the island his own. It's supposed to be the biggest pad in the neighborhood, featuring an outdoor pool equipped with flat screen TVs and decked out interiors. His view alone is worth the visit — his balcony overlooks the snowy mountains and really spices up his cozy island nook.

Want to know how that view looks? You'll just have to go and take a peek for yourself — Trev22's invited everyone to come hang out and explore his spot! But don't forget, as he says: "You break, you buy!" Oh, don't forget to let us know what you think of Trev22's new place!

If you're new to the island and want to own a piece of it like him...well, you can! All you have to do is visit the ATM and follow the easy steps.

Have questions? Post 'em here and we'll get the answers for you!

P.S. Last call for nominations for the most stylish islander! The winner will be announced soon, so get those votes in!

 

2008 was an amazing year, and it would not have been possible without all the support of you islanders! We hope you've enjoyed everything — the new boutique, clothing, neighborhoods, contests, Quest, parties and competitions — as much as we have!

Well, there's even more for 2009! And if there's something you would like to see in the New Year, send your ideas to us...we'll do our best to make it happen!

From all of us on the island, Happy New Year!