Pizza on Pi Day

Pi day this year was visited by storm Stella, which meant that we were snowed in. What better way to spend the day home than to make a pizza on pi day? Here's to a veggie pizza!

Fun fact: pizza can take a minimum of 4 hours including preparing and cooking time.

Fun fact: the most number of digits of pi memorized is 100,000

Fun fact: the world's largest circular pizza was 112 feet 8 inches across. 

Fun fact: more pizza is eaten during the week of Super Bowl than any other week of the year. 

NYC Taxi

This was taken in NYC of course. What you're seeing is Broadway, and right behind me was the Charging Bull. The Charging Bull, also known as the Wall Street Bull, is a famous bronze sculpture in the middle of the road (not literally... it's sitting on a platform and stuff). People are crazy about taking picture with the bull. There's always a crowd around where people climb up and around to take pictures. 

Taxis are one of the most symbolic things of NYC. When I think of a taxi, my mind automatically shifts gears to NYC. I mean, every NYC show and movie has someone catching a taxi. There's even a website for NYC taxis. And I've heard that "you aren't a true New Yorker until you've stolen a cab from someone who needs it more than you do." So here's a classic representation of the yellow taxi cab. 

Aspen

Aspen, Colorado; the town of skiing and snowboarding. I tell you this little town lives and breathes on the sports. I'm not sure what they do during the summer, but I've heard these slopes are the best place in the country. Which means all the famous people and athletes invest into these grounds. 

We had lunch at this New York Style pizzeria in Aspen, and then we heard about these gondola rides and sprinted to them since they were about to close. So the gondola rides, which are these closed lifts that ride up the mountain, are free and run morning to evening. And thank goodness we made it just on time. So riding up the mountain took like ten minutes; yea it was a long ride. But ahhh it was amazing cause the view was stunning and we were so unbelievably steep. 

So as we were going up, we could see the skii lifts too. I love skiing but I can't even imagine going down these steep slopes. So steep I tell ya.

These are some the slopes at the top of the mountain. The slopes weren't open that day, not sure why. Probably not enough snow? 

Once we got to the top of the mountain, you could see the entire valley of Aspen to your right as well as mountains to your left. I guess these views are why Aspen is so popular among the celebrities. It's so beautiful and quite perfect for professional snowboarders/skiers. 

There's even a lodge at the top where we had some hot chocolate cause it was freezing cold outside. And the views at the top were stunnnnnning.

Anyway, hope ya'll make a trip one day  to Aspen, Colorado one day and find your inner peace in these mountains :). 

Artist's POV

Some photos are just meant to be crafted into a new piece of art...

 When it's too cold so you have to zipper up, but the zipper is being more stubborn than the weather. 

You know those people just making it on the streets? Those who pester you to buy one of their paintings or ask if they can tell your future? Well kudos to them and their artwork on the fence because it makes this picture look awesome. 

Because we all need a little mystery, warmth, and satisfaction. 

An Anachronism

Woahh big word... Anachronism means something that is misplaced in time, or something that is out of place. An example of this would be of someone wearing Lincoln's top-hat today. Historical movies and documentaries also use anachronisms when they accidentally show a phone or laptop that didn't exist back in the day. Another example would be- 

 A tall sailboat on the Hudson River. Yea crazy right? A boat, which resembles an old, antique, 17th century sailboat, looks odd sailing in front of NYC. See why it's an anachronism? We're so used to seeing jet skis and private yachts and cruise ships, a sailboat no longer mentally fits on the surface. 

 In literature, anachronisms are used artistically to bring attention to a detail, and it can be used rhetorically or comedically.  And since I'm really into artistic photo effects now, I applied an art filter to bring attention to the ship and background. 

Late Halloween Special

Welcome horror and halloween lovers! If you haven't been spooked or creeped out this season, you're in for a treat 'cause this post may just do the trick. And while you're at it, watch the movie Annabelle if you haven't already. Why? Cause it's just that good. 

This halloween, I took some pictures at a nearby untroubled farm. I've also included some doll pictures and the story behind them (my favorite part). 

Warning: the following post contains creepy images and may trigger shrieks :)

The corn maze on the farm welcomed my sister and I with open arms. Thank goodness it didn't say "enter at your own risk" or "caution: zombies inside". Although... it did have a "do not enter" tape along the path of the maze. 

Word of advice... it's more fun if you don't use a map in a corn maze. Be adventurous! Get lost in there! But as your parents have taught you, don't talk to strangers...it maaay get sketchy.

These corn stalks were intimidating, so I made this picture intimidating as well. It's overflowing with contrast and so much detail, I can't look at it for too long. 

Don't laugh at this scarecrow, it's a little funny lookin' and it may attract the crows instead of scaring them, but look at how charming and tough it looks.  

And by any corn field is a pumpkin patch stocked with fresh pumpkins to grow old together. 

After picking the plumpest pumpkin available, my sister carved the usual jack-o-lantern face. 

I took the following doll pictures at a museum a while ago, and I've been waiting 'til halloween to post them. What better occasion to show dolls than this holiday?

So the story of Annabelle, a supposedly possessed doll, has been featured in many movies and even has a movie of its own. If you know the story of the freakish doll, kudos to you. But you're about to read the real stories behind these haunted dolls. 

This doll was once a part of an orphanage on a farm in West Virginia. This doll was loved and played with for generations on the farm, until a young girl was pushed off the swing and died quickly from a broken neck. Since then, the doll has been witnessed to release chilling sounds and whispers, as well as alarming apparitions at night. It's also been known to harm other dolls, hence the one-eyed-bear in the mirror. The farm has been abandoned now, and the doll has been roaming from family to family... being passed off as demonic. 

This doll is one of many dimensions; its first owner and doll-maker remains unknown. However, this doll's story was investigated in the 70's after its second owner, a girl in her teens, complained of hearing moans and grunts at night. Terrified, her friend called her a fool and took the doll to prove her wrong. This friend complained of hearing the moans as well as scratching sounds on the floor boards at 3am every night. 

The friend immediately got rid of it, and the doll appeared 5 years later in the house of a woman, who was in her twenties. She recalled the doll giving moans & scratches, and even claimed that the doll could fall to the ground on it's own, as shown in the picture. She said she picked up the doll from the floor multiple times even though no one said to have touched the doll. She got rid of the doll as well.

  The doll's investigation by the local police came to no conclusion. 3 years later, after being found in a girls school, paranormal hunters claimed this doll to be "possessed". This is another photograph of that haunted doll.

This doll, along with Annabelle and many others, have been the subject of nightmares for many young girls. These girls have stayed up hiding under bedsheets and screaming at night, too terrified to turn off the light. 

Disclaimer: no dolls were harmed in the making of this post. 

P.s. I hope the dolls and grim stories didn't spook y'all too much! Funny story, I was super creeped out by the dollies for a day or two after I took the pics, but now I just laugh and gaze at them. Happy halloween! :)

P.s.s.  JK! These are all my dolls, not a museum's, creepy right? And the doll stories are fake.. I made them up! Or did I? :)

Meet Ginger Tea

Who doesn't love a steaming hot cup of herbal tea in the evening? It could be after you eat a meal and feel guilty for eating too much, or when you feel unhealthy in the tummy? Doesn't tea just make you feel more purified? It's as if a vacuum cleaner went through your body and sucked every unhealthy bit out the system. Ahh, herbal tea on a dreary evening is the best.

In case you are one of those uneducated people living with Starbuck's coffee on a busy morning, here's what herbal tea is... it's herbal and all natural. There are healthy herbal tea bags but sometimes it's caffeinated. But all that's in the tea bag is dried leaves and all natural seeds and whatnot. Simple and sweet. And tea is super duper healthy... naturally cleans impurities in the body, boosts immune and digestive systems, helps skin, helps hair, helps the brain, helps stress, helps relax, helps sleep, etc. etc. So if you haven't tried herbal tea, and not just a Dunkin' Donuts iced tea, then you better get started right away. 

If you don't find the necessity to buy tea bags, make it at home! Here's how to make some fresh ginger tea at home. 

Need:

• 1 mug
• 1 pot to boil water
• 1 spoon
• 1 cup water
• 3-4 slices of fresh ginger
• 1-2 spoons of lemon juice (optional)
• 1 spoon of honey (optional)
• 2-3 mint leaves (optional)

Cut 3-4 slices of ginger. Allow the ginger to soak in boiled water to soak up the ginger-goodness      for 20 minutes.

 Once through, strain and pour the boiled water into a cup. Add the honey for some sweet flavor. It's healthier to use honey as a substitute for sugar in any tea. 

Drop some lemon juice because hey, why not cleanse and boost your body while you're at it. 

Drop in the optional mint leaves for some minty freshness. 

This was my little work station afterward making the ginger tea. 

... And the view from above.

You can even let the ginger soak in the water overnight, boil it in the morning, transfer it into a flask, and have hot tea to last for the whole day. Much healthier than coffee y'all.

Now, I'm not saying coffee is bad for you, because it has its own set of health benefits, but add tea to the daily mix! No harm in doing so!

P.S. Starbucks should sell their own ginger tea. What do you think of this advertising?