Donation Park brings hope to Japan earthquake victims

Would you like to help earthquake victims in Japan?

If you have AmebaGold or are willing to purchase it, you can make a big difference in the lives of those whose lives have been devastated by Friday's earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Here's how: today, Ameba launches Donation Park, a venue where you can use your AmebaGold to purchase ruby red hand-held balloons that float away or stand-up balloons to place in rooms in sets of 10 or 50.

The park will remain open for 1 month - from March 11, 2011 to April 11.

All of the money earned from the sale of the balloons will go towards assisting victims of the earthquake and tsunami disaster.

You can buy AmebaGold by clicking the 'BUY AmebaGold' link in the top right corner of your Pico game screen. You will need a credit card or a PayPal account with credit to complete your AmebaGold purchase.



Virtual balloons not your thing? There are more ways to give!

• From the USA†:
• Donate online
• Call 1-800 RED CROSS (English) or 1-800 257 7575 (Spanish)
• Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.
• Mail in a printable donor card to American Red Cross, PO Box 4002018, Des Moines, Idaho, 50340-2018
• From Canada‡:
• Donate online
• Call 1-800-418-1111
• Text the word ASIA to 30333 to make a one-time donation of $5*
• Contact your local Red Cross office. Cheques should be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked “Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami” and mailed to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2.

† Information source: redcross.org
‡ Information source: redcross.ca
* A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill. Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply to donation texts. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. This service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the Canadian Red Cross by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mobilegiving.ca. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to 30333.

Fall!

The days are getting shorter. The air is getting colder. The trees are losing their leaves. This can only mean one thing. Yes, Bilbo, you are getting closer to The Lonely Mountain! But it also means that the season has changed once again, and Fall/Autumn is here. This is perhaps my favorite time of the year, on par with Winter. You just can't beat drinking fresh apple cider, wearing your favorite hoodie, sitting around a bonfire on a cold night, decorating for Halloween and soaking in the foliage. I'm lucky enough to live in a state that has great scenery during this time of year.




Since the season is changing, that also brings some changes to Pico. This inspired me to do an update mostly regarding Fall and Halloween. It's going to be a guide/Pico Cribs/PicoStyle Preview mash-up of sorts, so prepare yourselves. Ready? Here we go.


As you might've noticed by now, there are new house decorations for sale just in time for Fall. To take a glimpse of them and maybe purchase a few, simply travel to the new Interior Showroom area:

Decorated Extended Rooms

Written by sweet_mom

So you are about to decorate your new room and have no idea what to do, where to start, or what direction to take.

Guess what? You are not alone.

Keep in mind that the way you design your room will be a reflection of your personality.

This is why I always enjoy looking through Pico's rooms and, yes, even studying their layouts in decorating them. And by doing this I have found a large range of room styles that can help you in developing your own style perspective.

Andri's Room

Nineteen year old Andri's room has to be my favorite room from all the ones I've seen. His decorating style has really impressed me.

nom2's Room

This nineteen year old from the Phillipines has the most amazing staircase leading to the second floor. She is so friendly that she asked me to let you all know that everybody's welcome to her room.

steve194's Room

This room just speaks for itself.

I hope these beautiful rooms will help you to create the room of your dreams, and by no means am I suggesting to copy their ideas, but maybe to inspire you with their amazing creativity in bringing out that hidden Interior Designer we all have inside.

'Til next time... Have a wonderful day!

Oh, I guess I didn't tell you guys in the last post but both Catero and Peggy have gone on vacation. They left both sweet_mom and I behind to blog so bare with us.



As you can see my room is still empty! I'm at a loss for inspiration. It's funny how a change in dynamic to the game can also change your mindset towards creativity.
A few of my friends were wondering how these expansions and additions will effect the creative look of the rooms. Suddenly to some the 8x8 size isn't as satisfying.

However.. for even more options Ameba has provided us with new cubes to play with



Just click on "shop", to shop the catalogue at the bottom of your screen.

As for me.. I'm still at a loss on how to decorate my tiny abode.

Room Expansions

Welcome to the latest edition of this old Pico House.
Pico has given us a rather hefty and productive updated. Our life on Pico has changed rather significantly. We can now have 1-4 rooms, and we can now also expand on how BIG our room can be!



To expand you can pay by either gummy or Ameba gold currency.




As you can see expanding your space makes QUITE the huge difference! (In case your wondering, this is Benry's Cafe. Come pay a visit).

To add addition rooms you need to pay the $5 for Ameba Gold




This is a little peek at how the room to room looks like. Now though these wallpaper and floor are the same, you can switch them up per room.

Pico has added a new variable for more depth to our regular game play. I wonder if you can hide away in the other room and pretend you're not home to wanted visitors?

In addition to these wonderful home editions, they've released some posh new furniture. Some that you've probably always wanted.

First is our NYC broad on Broadway. We asked her "yo, what's new in NYC?", and that's when she showed us her new window panes.


Now if you're looking for something a little closer to nature, we head to Sleep Elijah in the Flea Market.
What does he have?


Ever wonder why Elijah is always so sleepy? My little hippy friend does enjoy the grass.
Wait what? I meant grass carpeting! Finally a carpet you don't mind your dog peeing on. How eco-friendly.