Picoween Parties!

Ayuhime and Pinkerton did an amazing job of decorating their rooms and playing host to those who attended our Picoween Parties!

Thank you to everyone who came and brought candies and other food goodies to share.

We saw some interesting and imaginative costumes costumes. Some that really caught my eye were from the photo above (left to right):

• Sean Masamune: dressed as The Impotent Samurai since he had no more Tokens to by a sword
• Milk: the cutest devil to every grace Pico
• M.Bogart (Peggy's boy Pico): Catero wannabe
• Frangipan: Hoochie mama ... giving Christina Aguilera a run for her money
• Ayuhime: Clownish stewardess?

Did you enjoy the party? Should we do more? Please let us know what you think in comments.

Ayuhime's Room: October 29 @ 7-9PM EST



Pinkerton's Room: October 30 @ 1-3PM EST



Happy Halloween!

LOL.

Part of the reason Pico is so entertaining is the random things kids do. I mean just trolling the Events message board you're in for a few laughs.

But this one is original... "Miss Pumpkin Speaks" Okay, I'll bite.



I warped in with a couple of friends and not to disappoint her crowd, room hostess with the most-ess, αℓωαуѕ ѕσρнια, delivers.


Rather comically, I might add!

(14:47) ѕσρнια: What am I doing?
(14:47) Frangipan: yeah
(14:47) αℓωαуѕ ѕσρнια: Why I am speaking
(14:47) αℓωαуѕ ѕσρнια: How about you?
(14:47) Peggy Hill: LMAO
(14:47) Frangipan: Huh?
(14:47) Frangipan: OH
(14:47) αℓωαуѕ ѕσρнια: Ho ho ho
(14:47) αℓωαуѕ ѕσρнια: MERRY HALLOWEEN
(14:48) Frangipan: You too :)

Happy Picoween!

Hello, everyone. Pinkerton here, and I want to wish all of our readers a Happy Halloween on behalf of the entire PicoStyle staff! It seems like only yesterday I was theorizing about what Halloween would be like on Pico. Now that all is said and done, I can safely say I was pleasantly surprised by nearly everything.

Speaking of which, I thought of a little idea that I hope our fans will enjoy. Since today is Halloween, a major tradition of the holiday is carving pumpkins. And, seeing that a majority of you probably carved your very own pumpkins this year, I thought it would be neat to see your creations! If you want yours showcased on this very blog, email a picture of it to picostylers@gmail.com. Make sure you include your Pico user name so we can give you credit, and please have it be YOUR pumpkin! Here are the pumpkins I carved this year:


I figured the little trick-or-treaters would enjoy something like this.


It was between Mario or Darth Vader, but this seemed a little less time-consuming so I went with it.

I also wanted to write a short to-do list for everyone before the holiday comes to an end:

1. Play the Daily Gacha and win the very last Ghost Hunting item (Hand Hold Jack-O'-Lantern)


2. Shop at NYC Downtown, and play the 2 Premium Gachas while you still can!



3. Visit Chloe's House and enjoy the atmosphere before the spirits vanish



Oh, and one last thing. On my last update of Celebrity Sightings, I wrote about Tiffany... the deranged wife of Chucky. Well, one of our readers was kind enough to send in a snapshot of a Pico-ized version of Chucky himself!



Thanks so much to whoever sent this in (no name was attached with the photo). If you want to send in your very own celebrity snapshots, I think you know what to do! Just make sure you include your user name, as always.

Picoween Costume Party #2 in 30 minutes

Today @ 1-3PM EST in the room of
Pinkerton

Bring your candies to share and join the Picostyle team for a spooktastic Halloween theme party!

Copy and paste the name Pinkerton into your Buddy search, if needed • 20 person room maximum; first come, first serve • Bring candies to share with other party goers • Meet Picostyle bloggers

Picoween Costume Party #1 in 30 minutes

Today @ 7-9PM EST in the room of
あゆ姫　「AYUHIME」

Bring your candies to share and join the Picostyle team for a spooktastic Halloween theme party!

Copy and paste the name あゆ姫　「AYUHIME」 into your Buddy search, if needed • 20 person room maximum; first come, first serve • Bring candies to share with other party goers • Meet Picostyle bloggers

---

Next party:
On October 30 @ 1-3PM EST:
In the room of Pinkerton

How-to: Get your blog on!

People are always asking us questions about blogging. How to get people to "Follow" or "Subscribe" to our blog is the most common.

Here are a few simple steps that can help in gaining a following for your blog and having people revisit your blog on a regular basis.

1. Let people know your blog exists
The single most valuable thing you can do to let people in Pico know that your blog is out there is to put it as your profile URL.

2. Be social
Really, just get out there and prop people. Why? Because they're likely to prop you back ... and to prop you back they must look at your profile. Chances are they will see you have an URL link and click it out of curiosity. Yeah. It's that simple.

3. Have good content that continues
This is the hardest part of getting people to continue visiting your blog. Having interesting, fun and engaging photos and stories on your blog is what will keep people coming back to read. Having a mixture of topics you love writing about in a fun(ny) way will help you in connecting to readers. If people like what you're doing with your blog they may bookmark your site or subscribe using tools on your blog (see #4).

Photos that are clean, crisp and big will catch people's eye and draw them into reading your posts.

To learn more about how to take good photos in Pico, read the 'How-to' on how to take good photos in Pico.

4. Use social media tools
Your blog should have a clear, simple and familiar way for people to be reminded of your blog and any new posts or updates.

For Blogger.com users, this is your "Followers" gadget. This is is connected to Google Accounts (and the Google Friend Connect tool in particular). If you're really passionate about your blog, Google Friend Connect has the tools that will allow you to create and send out a newsletter to your Followers.

• To find out more about Google Friend Connect, view this helpful video on YouTube.com.
• Find the Followers gadget from your Dashboard: Design → Page Elements: 'Add a Gadget' link → Basics (menu): 'Followers' link → Save

For Wordpress.com users, this is your "Blog Subscription" widget. Readers can choose to sign up with their email address. When you publish new posts, subscribers will be notified by email.

• To find out more about the Blog Subscription widget, read the info page.
• Find the Blog Subscriptions gadget from your Dashboard: Appearance → Widgets → Blog Subscriptions → drag and drop the widget onto your sidebar and customize your settings → Save

5. Add some extra oomph
Do something different and interesting. Get creative!

Start a Facebook group for your blog ... or for general interest in Pico • Create a photosharing group and add the slideshow to your blog sidebar • Make a video sharing (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo) film of your Pico adventures and post it on your blog • Have a theme week or month • Have a party so your followers can meet you • Put a message board on your sidebar • Let guests have their say - ask for their opinions or other submissions and post it for others to see.

6. Be practical
Here are a few simple things to think about and you create or develop your blog.

1. Let people know who is behind the blog. Create a biography page for you and any other blog authors that includes your Pico user name, or add a sidebar widget that has info about you.
2. Make things easy to find. People should be able locate information and posts as easily as possible on your blog. This could include:
• Adding a search box. 
• Using 'Labels' (for Blogger.com) or 'Tags' (for Wordpress.com) to add keywords to your posts.
• Making sure tags/categories or archives are on your sidebar so people can search for what interests them by topic or date.
3. Think about readers who may not speak English. Can you add a translator gadget or widget to your blog? Then do it. Use the Design (for Blogger.com) or Appearance (for Wordpress.com) menus to search and find a tool to let non-English speakers/readers read your site. It increases your potential readership!
4. Check your statistics. Are you curious? From time to time, look at your blog's stats to see which of your posts have been read the most and how visitors are being directed to your site.
   
   • For Blogger.com: Dashboard → Stats
   • For Wordperss.com: Dashboard → Site Stats

Happy blogging!

Pico Cribs: Pinkerton's Picks

Most of you are probably used to seeing Peggy or Gem write the Pico Cribs updates, but I (Pinkerton) have free reign of it for today. As such, I'm going to showcase a handful of some great rooms that I've come across recently. Not just any rooms, though. Oh, no. The rooms I've chosen this time around have a common theme: Halloween. Since the holiday is now only a couple days away, I suggest you visit these rooms and enjoy the Halloween decor while you can. Oh, and if you haven't seen my Halloween edition of Celebrity Sightings yet, what are you waiting for?!

Before we go on, take a moment and say the title of this update out loud 5 times fast. Done? Don't be embarrassed, because I couldn't do it either.



Room Owner: Happy Clover
Room Name: Happy Clover World

This first room is nice because it's simple. It might not have a ton of Halloween decorations, but it has just enough to get you in the Halloween spirit. If you are lucky, the owner will be there to greet you and serve some food from behind the counter... or maybe even pick you some fresh fruit from the two trees in the room. What? The owner looks like who? Hmm, I don't see it. I think he's missing something...

---

Room Owner: Tiά™
Room Name: Tia's Halloween Room.

As with the previous room, sometimes simple is a good thing. To me, this is definitely simplicity at it's best. Just the right amount of balance between the decorations and the space she has to work with. I suggest you visit this room at night, though. Why?



That's when the ghosts come out. Yes, they are derpy, but a cute kind of derpy nonetheless.

Closer to broke.

Wah---- of course after I sorta managed to replenish my survey gold does Ameba release another wig style that reminds me of one of my favorite films!!! I'm sorry x-mas fund, you're badly suffering...

But I feel so fabulous!

Pico Gossip: Parent Attachment or Bad Influence?

Niamh xx, from what I gather, has a Pico daughter (not sure of her name). alex1054 is apparently Miss Perfect, and a friend of Niamh xx's daughter. alex105 meets cute boys all the time, goes to high school, is the captain of the cheerleading squad called the HELLCATS (in real life, of course) and is mad at Niamh xx for not letting her daughter do anything fun with alex1054. Maddie17 is Niamh xx’s friend, who is not a fan of alex 1054’s meddling.


Let’s see how this turns out…

alex1054 (left; brunette), Maddie17 (left; blonde); my associate Ayuboy (far right) creeping.

We arrive at the conversation already in progress.

Pico Cribs #21

Halloween is only 5 days away and I thought it would be nice to feature my favorite room decked with all things Halloween! Hagu, voted one of the cutest pico ever by Logout, has created the BEST Halloween room. She's edited it since I've taken these screen caps, so--- stop by and have a look! You won't be disappointed!

Food For Display Only.

Dear Ameba Pico,

This is Peggy Hill writing you about food... I like food, all things yummy to put in my tummy. I like that in Pico we're able to feed our fellow Pico friends and residents, I'm pretty sure this is not possible in Pigg, since the last time I played Pigg I did not see any food available for eating (correct me if I'm wrong). But on the flip-side, I LIKE that you can get food items in Pigg just to display in your room. I wished you would integrate this into Pico as well. Many times I have left out food for display purposes cause it's so CUTE and it's been eaten!!! Waaah------ Please help!

Love,
Peggy

PS: What about creating a waffle patterned carpet (kinda like the one above)? I would BUY it!!!

IMVU vs. Pico

Hello Picozoids!

Like the rest of you, I am desperate for gold. It doesn't help that Ameba has been releasing new items every freakin' day for the past three weeks! Between premium gacha, halloween costumes, and now AWESOME WIGS, how can you NOT be tempted to sell your soul to get this stuff?

So instead of exhausting my bank account, (which I've already done at this point >____>; ) I've tried doing some offers. When my brain has had enough surveys, and I couldn't possibly send myself any more coupons in the mail, I decided to fulfill the IMVU offer for 240 gold. The shtick is to sign up, do some shopping, dress your avatar, furnish your room, and go chat.

I wish I knew what I was getting myself into.
First of all, Ayuhime was TAKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I settled for ayuhlme (LOL) and off I went.

Step 1: Sign up
Nothing really terrible about this part... pick a username, password, enter your birthday (gotta be 18+). Now you pick a base look, you can change it later.



Yes, it gives you a preview of your gigantic booty. PROCEED!

Step 2: Go shopping
These clowns are generous enough to start you out with a bunch of options for hair, face, and clothing, so pick something. Don't want to look like a sex addict? Too bad.

Continue shopping for your slutty outfit and try not to have a seizure from all of the BLINKING and SPARKLING going on in the item descriptions. Seriously, every item is an animated gif with sparkling and blinking and seizures.

Oh, this old thing? Oh no no it's just from my young days as a prostitute.

Yes, there's IMVU Ayuhime. Try finding an outfit that doesn't make you look like a coke addict stripper, please.

3: Furnish your room
Again, IMVU supplies you with furniture, but good luck placing it into your room.

The camera is adjustable and very jumpy, your avatar cannot move about freely (you choose from predetermined places on the furniture to sit or stand on), and you must SCALE the furniture once it is placed. So you can make a couch gigantic, or on the wall (your avatar WILL sit in it!)

The controls are counter intuitive and a pain to maneuver. I barely placed a lamp and a chair and had had enough. LOL!

Oh, and here's one of those predetermined poses I mentioned.



Really?

Step 4: Chat

Go to chat and you'll find that the chat rooms have an incredibly small capacity (10 or less) and are always full. Plus, they're user made. So the names are "YO YO MAD FAT BEATS PLAYA #1 SHOW IN TOWN DOG" or "sundown suicide emo club." I didn't really feel like going to those...
If you manage to get into a room, the environment will take about 10 minutes to load, as well as your avatar.

All in all, IMVU is really not built that great. The interface is not user friendly, the graphics are slow and choppy, and it's just not fun.

Plus, I never got my gold.

Do yourself a favor and keep enjoying Pico, don't bother with IMVU, and have a lovely night my dears.

xoxoxoxo,
Ayuhime

OH EM GEE!

It was PMS Central at the Peggy Hill Residence until I got this Gtalk message from Gem Rock on my Blackberry. Did someone say Hair-gasm??!!!

I KNEW I was saving some survey gold for a reason!!!



I would have given my first born for these wigs...

Halloween Photo Contest: Pinkerton's Entry

Pico ID: Pinkerton

Hello, Chloe (and fellow PicoStyle readers)! I decided to do something a little different and unique for this contest. I made an entire comic of my adventures at Chloe's House! The image was too large to post on Facebook, so this was my last option. Even if I'm not nominated, I had a ton of fun making this. I hope you all enjoy it!




Please click on the following link to see the image in a slightly larger size:

Happy Picoween!

Room With A 'Boo!'

Pico ID: Catero

I'm surprised that neither my fellow Picostyle bloggers nor sweet_mom have posted any entries to the Halloween Photo Contest 2010. Peggy, you're the ghouliest of us all. Where are you?!

In gearing up for the scariest day of the year (no, not Pinkerton's birthday ... that's the second scariest day of the year), I decided to test out my spooking skills while I came up with my entry for the photo contest.

Donning my most gruesome costume - the death of Dane Cook's comedy career (he's as funny as finding out you have pancreatic cancer) - I went slinking about in Trick or Treat Park looking for unsuspecting souls to scare.

Hiding behind a dark corner drowned in shadows cast by eerie lamp light, I waited quietly for the ideal opportunity to pounce.

As you can see, I think this young trick or treater wet her pants from shock. Nothing can cause the paralysis experienced from true fright like the prospect of yet another humorless Dane Cook comedy special on Comedy Central.

If you would like to enter your own contest entry you have until Monday, October 25th 23:59 (GMT). For full contest details click here.

So Jealous!

Hey guys! Peggy here, wanting to know if this has happened to anyone else! Catero makes fun of me for actively filling out surveys to earn Ameba Gold instead of just buying it. I feel if you can get it for free why not?! Anywho, I am really fond of my little friend Maggie. She's currently living in China and has had very little luck filling out the very small selection of surveys that is offered for the country she's currently living in.

So I offered to fill out a few for her. I refreshed a few times and noticed that I had earned her another 382AG... but wait a minute! Ameba also sent her the Devil Bat Headband! This thing!


Here I am on her account wearing it!

This has to be some sort of weird glitch... But I want to know did this happen to anyone else?! Obviously, I did not buy any AG for her account and since Maggie is in China, I am pretty sure she's asleep and did not buy AG either. Lemme know!

Celebrity Sightings: Halloween Edition

As promised, here's a brand new installment of Celebrity Sightings! Because of the time of year and everything that has been going on in Pico lately, I couldn't help but do a Halloween-inspired edition. If you weren't in the mood for the holiday before, this might kick your spirit into gear. However, if you are easily frightened or don't care much for Halloween/horror movies, you might want to look away. Just remember to lock your doors and shut all the windows tonight...

Still with me? Good. Put your eyeballs back into your sockets and take a look at a few of the more 'unconventional' celebrities I've recently spotted.



Ju-on. The phrase alone may evoke a chill in some people. It roughly translates to "the grudge" or "the curse" in Japanese, and it's also the title for a successful series of horror films released in... wait for it... Japan. However, outside of Japan, many people might better know it as "The Grudge" due to the US remake. See? It all makes sense.



I've run into Ju-on in Pico many times before, but it took me a while to actually get a picture of her. Why? She never stays in one spot for too long. Just as you approach her, she usually takes off to another area. Creepy, you say? Yes, very creepy. But if you are lucky enough to get close:



You'll see that she is quite friendly! Or maybe that's what she wants you to believe...

I read the news today, oh boy...

Greetings, everyone. Pinkerton here on this cold (but sunny!) Thursday. My reference to The Beatles aside, there's a ton of Pico news to talk about. Instead of rambling on and on as per usual for me, I'm going to get right down to business. Oh, and by the way... keep a lookout for the return of my Celebrity Sightings feature later tonight. I know it's been a long time since I've updated with that, so hopefully you wont be disappointed.

The first order of business we have to talk about today:



A new premium gacha! Just when you thought Pico had enough things to take money away from us, they come out with yet another. The theme this time around is "Devilish Halloween Gacha." For a list of some items you can win from it, check out the official Pico blog. If you are feeling lucky and still have a bunch of gold stashed away, you can play it by visiting NYC Downtown.

Have you found your costume yet? PICOWEEN!

The entire Pico population is in Halloween spirit! Even if you can't afford to buy the expensive halloween costumes from Rinarina, or take a few spins on the premium gacha, you can create a GREAT halloween costume with just about anything in your clothes inventory.

I've seen some great costumes out there and practically every user looks phenomenal in their gigs. Keep it up, everyone. ^_^

Oh, and don't forget to spin the Halloween gacha so you can get your cute little hand-held ghost~

So what are YOU being for Halloween? Have you decided? I haven't yet... I want to be something cute... If you need help picking a costume, try buycostumes.com (USA / Canada only I think).

Use coupon code Youtube10 to get 10% discount on an order of $50 or more. :) Good luck!

I'm setting my room up for our Halloween party now. Stop by and see me. :)

Hope to see you all then!

Love,

Ayuhime