Picture Perfect

I am always looking to learn more and more about technology, as these are the growing technological times. I am teaching myself how to use Photoshop...and while it is so much harder than it looks, once you understand a concept, it becomes much more fun and less intimidating to use. Polaroids are my favorite kind of picture. I love how you can capture the moment in one click, and there is no other picture that will look just like it. I used a picture I took in Connecticut at the Lobster Dock, and turned it into 2 different kinds of Polaroid-ish pictures.



My original picture





Polaroid 1



Polaroid 2



This was so much fun to try, but I struggled at first. Technological concepts sometimes baffle me, so it just takes me a little more time.

Sweet and Simple





I'm such a foodie - especially during the holidays. I enjoy looking through cookbooks and marking pages of meals and desserts that I would one day want to make. During the year I'm not home enough to make new meals. Inspired by the holidays and music medleys (which I sometimes think are more interesting than regular songs), I wanted to mash-up two of my favorite things: milkshakes and peppermint candy canes.

A dessert in a drink, peppermint milkshakes are simple and easy to make.




I put candy canes in a plastic bag and used a meat hammer to crush them. Put 3 ice cream scoops in a blender and add a tablespoon of peppermint syrup. If you don't want to use syrup, you can also just add the crushed peppermint into the mix (I did both).



Blend for a couple of seconds so the drink will have a thick consistency. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed candy cane. 



What you'll use:

*3 scoops of vanilla ice cream

*1 tablespoon of Torani Peppermint syrup

* 1/4 cup of milk

*Peppermint candy canes

*Whipped cream

*Blender



Too Cute

favorite :) save the dolphins

my life

www.Zooborns.com. I could spend all day on this site.

No Day But Today

"Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend." 

-Arthur Abbott in The Holiday

Cellphone Cuddling

As I perused the New York Times this morning, I stumbled upon an article that I found incredibly relevant. The article was called "Should You Be Snuggling With Your Cellphone?" written by Randall Stross. Much too often I fall asleep with my phone in my hands or right next to me. The article goes on to explain that cellphone radiation can be harmful to one's health and brain. BlackBerries should be held an inch away from your head when you are using it. IPhones should be held 5/8 of an inch away from your head. The radiation can damage cells that lead to cancer, so sleeping with your phone on your stomach or next to your head is not the best idea. 

Texting has become a phenomenon, and I will easily admit that I enjoy texting. While sometimes it can be a pain, it's the easiest way to get a hold of someone quickly without having to make a big deal about it. I usually don't like talking on the phone because it leads to awkward silences and trying to fill the silence with conversations about the weather or "so yeah." With a text you can say what you want and then be done with it. With this radiation information surfacing, texting may become even more popular than it already is. With all the time spent talking on cellphones (on average 737 minutes per month!), serious damage can be done, slowly but surely. 

If you have to make a call, use wireless or a head-set, don't press your cell phone against your ear, and don't fall asleep with it! 

Happy Veterans Day!

 

Artist: Jasper Johns

Photographer: Susan Strom

Happy Veterans Day! I dedicate this post to my Grandpa, who fought in World War II and the Korean War. I grew up knowing that my Grandpa had gone through war, but he never told stories about his experiences. My Grandpa, along with other veterans and men and women currently defending our country, are true heroes. When I was younger my family would drive to my grandparents' farm, where there would be a parade in the town nearby honoring those who have served in the military. I stood on the sidewalk with my cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, and friends while my Grandpa rode on a decorated float in his hat and medals pinned to his shirt. We would wave small American flags, eat candy and hamburgers, and cheer. One year my sister and I even got to ride one of the floats. It's so much fun being patriotic and incredibly important to honor those who have fought for our freedom. Take some time, or even just a minute, honoring those who are fighting for our country now or for a grandparent, family member, or friend who has served in previous wars.

Daily Inspirations

[Photo Credit - www.pigeontoeceramics.com]

"I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned."

-Iron and Wine

[Photo Credit - eventphotoimages.com]

 Ice hotel in Quebec

Hawaii sky

[Photo Credit - blizzardboy.net]

I'm Capsized Staring on the Edge of Safe

[Photo Credit - www.enderbynest.blogspot.com]

Snow for Days

[Photo Credit - ronsaari.com]

Every year, the debate about 'when Christmas music can start being played' always arises. After Halloween, before Thanksgiving, immediately after Turkey Day, mid-December, and so forth. I think it's a personal choice, but I am wary about getting burned out from holiday music overplay...then again, I don't think that's possible. I love the holidays. All morning I stared out the windows of the train back to school, watching snow flurries form a blanket over the ground. In New York, decorations are already starting to go up, and it's one of the best times of the year. 

After Thanksgiving, the big tree in NYC will be lit. Bows will be wrapped around buildings, snowflake lights will dangle from street lamps, and the City will sparkle. I always enjoy watching the people who are watching the people ice skating in the Rockefeller Center (which I have done, and is beyond magical). 

[Photo Credit - www.commons.wikimedia.org]

New York City holidays are definitely something to experience. Although, as much as the City will always be one of those places for me, nothing beats home. My hometown has the best holiday decorations on "Snowflake Lane." One winter we got so much snow that school was canceled for days and I literally sat in bed, ate, and watched Grey's Anatomy from start to finish. (That's when I officially became hooked.) 

Anyways, currently listening to...Christmas music. I caved. :)

[Photo Credit - shockhound.com]

"And I'll watch your life in pictures, like I used to watch you sleep.
And I'll feel you forget me, like I used to feel you breathe." 

- T.Swift

[Artist: Dale Frank; Photo Credit - www.roslynoxley9.com.au]

"Only one thing I did wrong, stayed in Mississippi a day too long."

-Bob Dylan

[Photo Credit - www.harpersbazaar.com]

The Demons Are Closing In On Every Side

[Photo Credit -www.paulignatius.files.wordpress.com] 

Happy Halloween!! I can't believe October is almost over - I remember counting down the days until October. The days leading up to Halloween are always so much fun. The leaves turn different shades of orange, yellow, and red. Everyday I have to stop the person I'm walking with and make them look at the trees. You think I'd be over it by now, but the leaves won't be there for long, so I'm not taking them for granted. 

It's always so hard to figure out what I want to dress up as for Halloween. I usually don't think about it until the week before, or in this Halloween's case, the day of. 2 days before, I decided to be a teenage dream. Not Katy Perry, mind you. A teenage dream. That way I would be able to wear jeans, boots, leather, and a silver cuff. But then I realized I wanted to dress up more. Hours before going to the nearest mall to pick up last minute items, I had an ah-ha! moment - I would be Cleopatra! All I needed were gold jewels and a white dress and heavy eye makeup. Donning false eyelashes, silver metallic nail polish, a snake bracelet, a wreath crown, and more eyeliner than I would EVER normally wear, I have somewhat transformed into an Egyptian Queen...or at least an Egyptian Princess. Hah.

Once October is over, it will finally be the best month - November! Birthday fun and Thanksgiving yum! And the leaves will still be a rainbow of warm colors. I'm ready for you, November, bring on all the new adventures I know you have in store for me. 

Have a Happy Halloween and be safe trick-or-treating!

Currently listening to: Haunted by T. Swift

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

[I took this in the summer, it's my favorite time of day]

 In less than a week I will no longer be in my teens. Birthdays (and New Years) always gets me thinking about the past. What can I learn from the mistakes I've made? How can I take my past misadventures and turn them into future successes? A lot has happened in the past year, and I've turned to music more than ever before. The right songs have gotten me through hard months, have been the background music to celebrate good moments, and have helped pass the time on long train rides. Song lyrics are sometimes like horoscopes...eerily spot on. 

Songs that I'll officially dedicate as my Year Nineteen soundtrack: (there's so many more that should be on here, but...naturally, I'll have neglected to list them)

1. Teenage Dream - K. Perry

2. This Love - The Veronicas

3. Everything Tegan and Sara

4. Club Can't Handle Me - David Guetta

5. Party in the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus...unabashedly

6. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

7. I Don't Know What to Do - Pete Yorn and Scarlett Jo

8. Meet Me Halfway - B.E.P.

9. David Gray 

10. Gavin Degraw

11. John Coltrane

12. Mean - T. Swift

13. Last Kiss - T. Swift

14. Glee Soundtrack...faithfully

15. Sweet Dreams - Beyonce

16. Johnny Cash

17. Telephone - Lady Gaga

18. Mandy Moore...Wild Hope album only

19. Tik Tok - Ke$ha [well, let's be honest, the entire Animal soundtrack]

These songs will come with me into the next phase of my life, but for now they've served their purpose and deserve to be duly noted. While I usually don't like getting older, I'm eagerly/anxiously/impatiently looking forward to leaving 19 in the past. Guess I'm looking forward to looking back on these days. :)

Currently listening to: Superman - Lazlo Bane

Shameless Promotion (Doing it for the Kittens!)

This summer I volunteered at a no-kill animal shelter called Animal Haven.

One of the most expensive items the shelter purchases is paper towels, which let me tell you, really gets used up fast! When you have to wipe puppy poop from off the floor (after they've slipped in it, spread it around, pawed at each others' faces, and jumped up onto your jeans...) a reusable towel doesn't work because it will contaminate the other towels and sheets and water in the washing machine. Paper towels are a must - in addition to the other important necessities the shelter provides for the animals, such as food, neutering, spaying, vet trips, and vaccinations.

Look how cute Moo is!:

[Photo credit - www.animalhavenshelter.org]

To help the shelter raise funds, I created a donation site from their own website. I dedicated the site to my childhood cats, Muffy and Troy. Anything you can give helps! And even if you don't, just spreading awareness is so helpful! My goal is $5,000 (ambitious, I know, but I really believe it can be achieved with the aid of good-hearted people such as yourself...). If you know anyone living in NYC or New Jersey (or anywhere else), let them know about Animal Haven. They have the cutest puppies and kittens coming into the shelter every week who want a warm and safe home.

I had to include a plug for the animal shelter that works hard every single day to ensure that animals are kept safe, fed, and loved. Thank you for your help/awareness/time!

Once again, the link. :)

What My Buddhism Midterm Really Taught Me

[Photo Credit - onebilliondolts.com]

 

Finally done with my Buddhism midterm...and actually learned a couple of things while studying for it. Amazing, right? The class itself has been interesting, given that the topic is unlike anything I've ever experienced. In the short months I've been going to class and in the days I've prepared for my test, here's what I've picked up on:

1. Nothing is permanent - This too shall pass. Sadness won't last forever. Happiness is also limited. This exam will eventually be done. It won't always be raining. Some things, however, I do believe can last forever.

2. Life = Suffering - Can anything truly make you happy? If it does, it only lasts a couple of minutes, hours, days. Then, you're suffering again because it's over. Kind of a grim outlook...but that's why it is important to attain Nirvana..

3. Let it be - You can't do anything about the traffic you're in - might as well dance along to the radio in the car. 

4. Do good - Not for the karma, but because you really feel like helping and making a difference.

5. Leaders and teachers are important - You think anyone else would've been able to reach Enlightenment if Buddha hadn't taken the time to teach them? Uh, no.

6. Religion is abstract - How can there really be a right or wrong way to practice?

7. What goes around comes around - Watch your back. Be good to others. Learn from your mistakes.

8. Be aware of your actions - They not only affect you but others around you. It's also just good to be mindful.

9. Do things with intent - If you're washing the dishes...just focus on washing the dishes. (Caution: Much harder than it sounds)

"Baby Steps, Bob"

[Photo Credit - motionworks.com.au]

"I've never heard silence quite this loud."

                                            - T. Swift
 

Not the worst way to end the day: New Taylor Swift album. Seahawks win against Arizona. Chinese take-home midterm done. New 90210 tomorrow. Room is clean and warm. 

Goodnight, Sunday.

1 Year Old

[Photo Credit - commons.wikimedia.org]

Partial To the Rain is 1 year-old, as of October 21! While I have been pretty bad about not updating, especially over the summer, it's time for a little bit of change. New year, new beginning!

Instead of Treated, We Get Tricked

[Photo Credit - marthastewart.com]

Halloween is just one of those times of the year where you really want to go all out. Maybe it's the weather, there's a very Halloween-y feel. I remember hanging spider lights around the door frame, helping my dad put the inflatable ghost up in the yard, draping cotton webs from the light fixtures (with the plastic spiders, of course), and the fruit punch with fog (dry ice) coming out of it.

While Halloween is so much fun to prepare for (thank you, Martha Stewart), figuring out a Halloween costume has always been so hard for me. I never know what to be, and there's only one night to dress up, so you want to get it right. A couple of costumes that really stood out was when I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Posh Spice. I stood on a table while my mom hemmed my puffy yellow princess dress. And of course for Posh Spice, I wore a sassy white jacket, which I would never wear out in public again, and Sketchers electric blue 3 inch platforms...which I wore to school every. single. day. I was also Josie from Josie and the Pussycats, fully equipped with a cardboard guitar spray painted black with glitter and a head microphone. I think I also attempted to be a witch one year, but green face paint is never a good idea, unless your Elphaba.

Being in school, I've kind of lacked the Halloween spirit...I guess it's just midterm time and creativity/energy/everything has been drained from every ounce of being in my body. This year, I want to go to a pumpkin patch, go apple picking, go trick-or-treating (because you're never too old), and think up a Halloween costume that tops a Disney Princess and Victoria Beckham. Are costume repeats acceptable?

Autumn weather also makes for perfect movie time. To add to my list: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble; Practical Magic; Hocus Pocus.

Sleepless Always

[Photo Credit - crazibeautifulevents.com]

[Photo Credit - premiere.com]

Craving Sleepless in Seattle, you may also know it as The Best Movie Ever Made. Such a classic. It just reminds me of fate and how people from all around the world can be drawn together. Love isn't about distance. Life is sometimes about the big gestures, making that bold move to get what you want. We only live once, after all. Plus, this movie has rain, Seattle, New York, Christmas, Tom Hanks, nonstop flights, people who don't sleep, home cooking, Nora Ephron's writing, jazz music, and love...what more can you really ask for? 

As Meg Ryan's character, Annie Reed, said:

“Now that was when people knew how to be in love. They knew it! Time, distance... nothing could separate them because they knew. It was right. It was real.”

 Must rent for Saturday night, and stock up on chocolate, sparkling apple cider, and a warm blanket. Also, a little bit of rain would really be the cherry on top.

Baby Cupcakes Everywhere

[Photo Credit-lugaluda.com] 

 

I just learned that Baked by Melissa has gone nationwide, and they deliver...anywhere...in the nation! These amazing cupcakes used to only be available through a small store window in Soho and Union Square, but now you can order them from the comfort of your own couch, or in my case, dorm. Although...the minimum order of cupcakes to deliver is 50. I will most likely end up eating them all on my own, since they are the size of quarters-literally. While I may not take advantage of this feature immediately, I have a feeling I eventually will since it is just too good to be true. These cupcakes are perfect for a tea party, quick midnight snack, or even while your shopping and strolling around the city.

Articles Galore

[Photo Credit--craphound.com]

Check out my latest article for TheCelebrityCafe.com!

"Alice in Wonderland" Likely to be a Huge Hit TheCelebrityCafe.com

I have been busy writing articles for this website the past week, and am enjoying the process of reading entertainment news, synthesizing the information, and rewriting it in my own words. I am learning how to take the information that I read and condense it so readers can enjoy and be updated with one click.

On a slightly related note, Alice in Wonderland comes out tomorrow. Who is going to see it this weekend?

Lil Wayne Sentence Delayed | TheCelebrityCafe.com

Lil Wayne Sentence Delayed TheCelebrityCafe.com

NBC's 'The Marriage Ref' Gets Huge Ratings, Poor Reviews | TheCelebrityCafe.com

Check out my first published article on TheCelebrityCafe.com!

NBC's 'The Marriage Ref' Gets Huge Ratings, Poor Reviews TheCelebrityCafe.com

Universal Desires

[Photo Credit--amazon.com]

In anthropology, we have started reading a book entitled Feeding Desire: Fatness, Beauty, and Sexuality Among a Saharan People. This book has been both inspiring and eye-opening. The women in the Eastern most group of Moors, also known as the Azawagh Arabs, spend their life devoted to getting, well, fat (in this case not at all a derogatory term, but used for lack of a better word). In this part of the world, by the time girls lose their first baby teeth, the fattening process begins. This process becomes the women's "education." When young girls resist eating after stuffing their face full of milk and porridge, the grandmothers or aunts will throw things at the girls or bend their fingers backwards to make them continue eating. To be fat is to be beautiful and sexually desirable. Being fat means being attractive to men, which means they will be married off. This way of living seemed strange to me at first...here in the West people pay a pretty penny for pills, diet plans, nutritionists, organic foods, and workout machines to be slender. For the Moors, to eat and be larger separates them from the lower castes. Just like we may not understand their wanting to be fat, the Moors do not comprehend the West's desire to be thin. This book, and class, have opened my eyes to the different cultures around the world. While it may seem that we are all so different, we are in many ways the same--even in this case for example: appearance and beauty are universal desires.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year! Tonight was the Lunar New Year celebration at school. The above picture is a dragon mask that was one of the decorations on stage. Wear red, exchange best wishes, and have a wonderful new year! Also, Happy Valentines Day! May your day be full of chocolate, candies, and love--whether that be with your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, family, friends, or just yourself! Take time to smell the roses, although...I'd much rather get caramels and chocolate than a bouquet.

Yum

[Photo Credit--indigobunting]

Artistic Differences

I have to draw what in art class?

Traditionally Modern

[Photo Credit--loveroni]

In one picture, this alley in Sydney city captures the style aesthetic that I love: traditional and modern. I like anything made out of brick: old brick houses, streets, buildings; but I also like anything modern: colors that pop, bubble chairs, funky shapes and objects, art. Here, you get the best of both worlds. If this were my neighborhood, I would constantly be in awe.

Year of the Tiger

[Photo Credit--newspapergrl.com]

On February 14th, Lunar New Year officially begins! 2010 is the year of the Tiger, the third animal in the 12-animal Chinese Zodiac. The Tiger represents courage, passion, and power--and for those I know who were born in the year of the Tiger, these descriptions hold true! For the past couple of New Years, my family and friends would gather together at someone's house and celebrate the coming year. One of our recent traditions is to make dumplings from scratch. The kids would cut the dough into small circles and press them flat. The adults made the filling, and another group would scoop filling into the dough circle and form it into the perfect bite-size dumpling.

It is always nice to come together to celebrate happiness, culture, stories, laughs, food, and the occasional swap of money! (Red envelopes are handed out with money--always an even amount) Popular themes are wealth, longevity, and happiness. Red is the popular color for the day--people will hang red-decorations around the house and in their windows, and wear the color red to signify joy, virtue, truth, and sincerity.

While I will not be at home this year for Chinese New Year, I will still be celebrating it a day early through my school's Lunar New Year Festival, which will feature many talented students and teachers as they play their instruments, sing their songs, perform martial arts, break dance, and even perform a monologue in Japanese (not Chinese...but nevertheless, it will still be entertaining!) Also, Chinese New Year falls on Valentines Day (or Valentines Day falls on Chinese New Year), which is kind of perfect, because then not only will I be wearing red, but everyone! Lots of love for the Chinese New Year, let's make this a memorable year!

Not Just a Fairytale

[Photo Credit--www.helloraipur.com]

Neuschwanstein Castle--inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland. Can't believe this actually exists. With the snowy mountains in the backdrop. How would you like this as your home?