The Quiet Place

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Sometimes you just need it. 

Love, 

ALPHA

Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

1. 4 slices of bread
2. 2 tablespoons of olive oil
3. 4 tablespoons of basil pesto
4. 1 ball fresh mozzerella sliced 1/4 inch thick
5. 1 large ripe tomato sliced 1/4 inch thick
6. Salt

Instructions:

1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat
2. Brush the outside of each slice of bread with oil
3. Spread the pesto on the inside, place the mozzarella on the pesto of one slice of bread, top with tomato, and season with salt
4. Top the other slide of bread pesto side in
5. Add the sandwich and grill until golden and cheese has melted (about 2-4 minutes)

Love,

ALPHA

Bored? Check These Websites Out

Echogenesis
Echogenesis is another interactive brainchild of Bell Brothers. This exciting Flash website lets you explore five natural environments and experience a variety of sound and visual effects through your interaction.

Incredibox
This fun and well-developed Flash application lets you conduct a beatbox or a capella band. The website is available in both English and French.

Bubole
Bubole will definitely make you smile. It is an amusing monster builder and game. You create a weirdo and make it fight with monsters created by other players. The funny sound effects and typography are nice touches.

Ball Pool (not Flash)
Ball Pool is a beautiful jQuery website with a simple yet absorbing concept behind it. Just click and shake your browser to generate more colorful balls. A simple and fun app to cheer you up in the middle of a working day.

Bank of Imagination
How often do you start sentences with “What if…”? If you have a rich imagination, consider investing in the Bank of Imagination. This Flash-based interactive website allows you to note and save your “What if” thoughts. You can also observe other global flights of fancy by browsing other user messages.

Google Gravity
This website probably won’t be of much interest to the average Web user, but SEO specialists will love it: who else could stare at Google’s downfall for ages?

Ball Droppings
Ball Droppings is a cool JavaScript experiment that lets you create music in a quite unusual and tricky way: just draw lines with your mouse to bounce the balls that fall from the hole.

Beans
This is the pearl in our collection of bizarre JavaScript and Flash websites. Who would have thought that crushing little screaming beans could be so much fun?

The Infinite Oz
The Infinite Oz is an interactive Flash animation that features a collaboration between nine acclaimed international artists. Exploring fantastic sci-fi worlds that replace each other infinitely is a quite relaxing pastime.

Annamika kaleidoscope
Catherine Hubert created this Flash kaleidoscope to provide Web users with a place for meditative contemplation.

Drum Machine
Drum Machine has several pre-loaders that play before the actual animation starts. In most cases, you would not wait so long for a Flash website to load, but Drum Machine is an exception. a mesmerizing combination of animation and sounds won’t let you leave.

Donnie Darko

Okay, here is the most extraordinary movie website you may have ever seen. It engrosses you in a mysterious and suspenseful journey based on the 2001 US psychological thriller Donnie Darko.

Paul Neave
You will never get bored on this website. This online home of interactive designer Paul Neave is a fount of engaging Flash applications and games.

Salt Films
This website of film production company Salt Films tastes delicious. Elegant and funky graphics, creative animation and interactive salt shakers for the work of film directors deliver the most pleasing Web experience.

Love, 

ALPHA

Provided by Julia May from Smashing Magazine. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Ingredients:

1. 2 sticks unsalted butter
2. 1 1/2 cups of sugar
3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
4. 2 large eggs
5. 2 cups creamy peanut butter
6. 3 coups flour
7. 1 teaspoon baking powder
8. 1 1/2 cups  of jam
9. 1/2 cups salted peanuts chopped into small pieces

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper, then spray the parchment with cooking spray and flour it
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer for about 2 minters on medium speed
4. Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and mix at low speed
5. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the flour mixture and mix together
6. Spread 2/3 of the dough into the baking pan, spreading to the edges. Spread the jam evenly over the dough.
7. Stop small chunks of the remaining dough over the jam
8. Scatter the peanuts over the top and bake for 45 minutes
9. Cool completely and cut into squares

Love,

ALPHA

Europe on a $23.71 a day . . . or maybe $118.78

The European Backpacker Index has been updated for 2012, giving folks an idea as to what cities are the most expensive. Top of the bargain list was Sofia, Bulgaria, while the city most likely to drain your bank account is Zurich, Switzerland. If you look at the numbers, you’ll find you could spend four days in Sofia, or Krakow in Poland, for the price of a single day in Zurich. You also might be surprised to find London smack in the middle.

The index lists costs for a night in U.S. dollars for the cheapest bunk in the cheapest hostel in town in a good location with good reviews, as well as two public transit rides per day, one paid/famous attraction per day, three “budget meals” per day and three cheap local beers or glasses of wine per day.

Here’s what they came up with in order from cheapest to most expensive, with a few descriptive words and the cost of the above in U.S. dollars.

1. Sofia, Bulgaria – More popular each year but a touch hard to get to. $23.71.

2. Krakow, Poland – “Europe’s best travel bargain.” $23.83

3. Budapest, Hungary – “All around cheap,” with castles and cathedrals. $30.05

4. Warsaw, Poland – “An interesting piece of the post-Soviet puzzle.” $31.52.

5. Bucharest, Romania – “Romania’s most charming town. Huge parliament building worth a look.” $31.79.

6. Istanbul, Turkey – “Classic east-meets-west city” with markets, temples, more.” $38.19.

7. St. Petersburg, Russia – Hermitage Museum/Winter Palace and hotels costly, but still a bargain overall. $39.49

8. Prague – Mass tourism has hiked prices but still gorgeous with some bargain food/drinks. $43.61

9. Zagreb, Croatia – A bargain and worthwhile stop on way to beach towns. $43.64

10. Moscow – Relatively few hotels and traveler-friendly restaurants but still fairly cheap for backpackers. $44.80

11. Tallinn, Estonia – Still quite cheap compared to northern Europe neighbours. $54.34

12. Lisbon – “Extremely handsome and charming city that’s a bargain as well.” $56.34

13. Berlin – “An arts and entertainment scene that rivals anywhere in Europe.” $60.78

14. Athens – Olympic infrastructure makes it easy-to-visit, and there’s no shortage of attractions. $61.69.

15. Bruges, Belgium – Reasonable hostels and affordable attractions. $62.34

16. Naples – “Italy’s cheapest city, with casual dining choices.” $62.99

17. Madrid – “This classic European city definitely feels like a bargain compared to capitals to the north.” $62.99

18. Reykjavik, Iceland – Currency has stabled a bit but still a relative bargain. $66.22

19. London – Fierce competitions for hostels makes city cheaper than you might think. $66.67

20. Dublin – Good deals on hostels lately but still too much for a Guinness. $67.01

21. Dubrovnik, Croatia – Pricey compared to the rest of Eastern Europe but cheaper than Italy beach resorts. $67.77

22. Florence – Relatively cheap compared to Rome, Venice and Milan, with fierce hostel competition. $68.70

23. Nice, France – Prices shoot up in summer, but a decent infrastructure for budget tourists. $69.09

24. Barcelona, Spain – Hostels costly in summer, much cheaper at other times. $69.35

25. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Underrated and mostly forgotten city with stunning location. $70.78

26. Munich – Not too pricey as long as you avoid Oktoberfest. $72.99

27. Hamburg, Germany – A lovely and classy city with plenty of budget options. $73.64

28. Edinburgh, Scotland – Very reasonable outside of Festival Season, and if you skip the castle (but who would want to do that?). $73.80

29. Paris – Can be quite reasonable if you stay outside the main tourist districts. Main attractions not too expensive. $80.06

30. Milan, Italy – Fashion and finance success make it hard on budget types but hostels aren’t outrageously priced. $80.26

31. Vienna – Good value hostels and one of Europe’s grandest capitals. $80.78

32. Copenhagen – Quality is high, so at least you get something for your money. A good place to give up drinking. $81.36

33. Rome – Hotels and hostels expensive, and so are main attractions. You’ll probably go, anyway. $81.43.

34. Helsinki – Cheapest of the continental Nordic capitals, but that ain’t saying much. $82.08.

35. Amsterdam – A victim of its own popularity but there are some deals on food and drinks. $87.79

36. Brussels – Few hostel options and cheap meals tough to find in city center. Bruges is pretty, and cheaper. $90.13

37. Venice – Pricey but worth it, and you can see main sights in two days and one night. $91.43

38. Stockholm – Almost nothing is cheap. Beautiful, but hard to justify a visit on a backpacker budget. $96.37.

39. Oslo – Insanely expensive. Non-urban parts of Norway much more reasonable. $103.51

40. Zurich – Swiss franc’s value not helping a city that’s expensive to begin with. $118.78.

******

Tips for your trip to Europe!

Love, 

ALPHA

Provided by thestar.com

Random Fact Cats

Wanna learn some fun facts AND look at cute cat pictures?

Random Fact Cats is for you!

Just do it.

Love, 

ALPHA

18 Beauty Myths

Myth 1: Crossing your legs will give you varicose veins.
Sitting down and crossing your legs won't cause varicose or spider veins, but standing may. Pronounced veins often crop up on people who either have a genetic predisposition to them or have jobs that require them to stand a lot, says Kevin Pinski, a dermatologist in Chicago. Standing makes the vascular network work extra hard to pump blood from the legs up to the heart. If the valves, which keep blood flowing in one direction within your vessels, aren't functioning properly, a pooling of blood can occur and result in unsightly veins. Pregnancy, which puts added pressure on the circulatory system, or a trauma -- getting hit by a softball or a car door, for example -- can also lead to varicose or spider veins.

Myth 2: You can get rid of cellulite.
Ah, if only. "This remains one of the holy grails of cosmetic dermatology," says Timothy Flynn, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Nothing can be done to permanently eliminate it -- not even liposuction. Cellulite consists of fat deposits that get trapped between the fibrous bands that connect the skin's tissues. The bands squeeze the fat under the skin, resulting in a lumpy texture. Luck of the gene pool mostly determines who will and won't get cellulite. It doesn't matter whether you're fat or thin. You can, however, temporarily reduce its orange peel-like appearance. Firming creams often contain caffeine to tighten and smooth the skin. But a basic moisturizer will also work to hydrate and swell the skin, making cellulite a little less obvious. Or try using a self-tanner. "A fake tan will help camouflage it," says Elizabeth Tanzi, a dermatologist and a codirector of laser surgery at the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, in Washington, D.C.

Myth 3: Shaving will make your hair grow back darker and thicker.
"Hair that hasn't been cut grows to a point," says Heather Woolery-Lloyd, a dermatologist in Miami. "It's widest at the base and narrowest at the tip." When you shave a hair, you cut it at the base. The widest part then grows out, and the hair appears thicker. But shaving doesn't change the width, density, or color of hair.

Myth 4: Putting Vaseline on your face nightly will prevent wrinkles.
Marilyn Monroe allegedly slathered the thick salve on religiously to stay youthful-looking, but that doesn't mean you should. "Petroleum jelly is the strongest moisturizer there is because it forces oils into the skin and prevents them from evaporating," says Paul Jarrod Frank, a dermatologist in New York City. As the skin ages, it loses its ability to retain moisture, and skin that's dry looks older. "Petroleum jelly can make wrinkles less apparent because it's adding moisture to the skin, which softens lines, but it can't actually prevent aging," Pinski says. Only a cream with a proven active ingredient, such as retinol, can stave off wrinkles. Plus, petroleum jelly is so greasy that it can create other problems, including breakouts.

Myth 5: Wearing nail polish all the time will make your nails turn yellow.
This is true, but you can wear enamel all you like and still avoid discoloration. Nails are porous, and they absorb the pigment in polishes. "Darker colors, especially reds, have more pigment, so they often stain your nails," says Maria Salandra, the owner of Finger Fitness, in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. The solution: Before applying polish, paint on a clear base coat, such as Essie All in One Base Coat ($9.50, essie.com), to prevent nails from absorbing pigment.

Myth 6: You can shrink your pores.
It's actually impossible to change the size of pores, but you can make them look smaller -- and using egg whites, a beauty trick Grandma may have tried, does work. "Egg whites tighten the skin, giving the illusion of smaller pores, but it's a temporary effect," says Elizabeth McBurney, a clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans.

Myth 7: If you use wax to remove hair, fewer hairs will grow back.
"Wax rips the hair out at the follicles," explains Woolery-Lloyd. "And any repeated injury to the follicles over time -- we're talking 20 years -- could damage some follicles to the point that they don't grow back." So employ waxing for its ability to keep your legs smoother longer than shaving can, not for diminishing hair growth.

Myth 8: Preparation H deflates puffiness.
This is a secret of makeup artists everywhere, and there's a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this hemorrhoid cream can reduce undereye baggage, but no clinical studies have been done. One of the product's ingredients, a yeast derivative that is said to reduce puffiness, is no longer found in the version that's available in the States. (The cream was reformulated in 1994.) The other ingredient that is credited with reducing inflammation is phenylephrine, which temporarily constricts blood vessels. Nevertheless, using Preparation H around the eyes can cause dry and inflamed skin, says McBurney, so use this only where it's meant to be used, south of the belt line.

Myth 9: Rubbing your eyes creates wrinkles.
You won't get crow's-feet just from kneading your eyes when you're tired, says Frank. But the tug of gravity and the repetitive movement of facial muscles, as in smiling or frowning, can break down the collagen in your skin and create wrinkles over time. So that silly taunt you heard as a child -- "If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way" -- has merit.

Myth 10: Applying cocoa butter or olive oil will stop stretch marks.
Sadly, this isn't true. Stretch marks occur when skin expands quickly (as in pregnancy), breaking the collagen and elastin fibers that normally support it. Or they're simply luck of the genetic draw. "Stretch marks are formed below the top layer of skin, where the cocoa butter and olive oil can't reach," says McBurney. The most either can do is quell the itching that occurs when skin expands.

Myth 11: Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day will make it shine.
Marcia Brady, it turns out, was overzealous in her beauty routine. "One hundred strokes is too much," says Christopher Mackin, a trichologist (someone who studies hair) at the Gil Ferrer Salon, in New York City. "You'll do more damage than good." Hair will break if you tug on it too much. However, gentle brushing -- a few strokes here and there -- will make hair shine by distributing the natural oils from the scalp down the hair shafts and flattening the cuticles to make them reflect more light. More significant, light brushing removes impurities and stimulates blood flow to the scalp, which nourishes hair follicles and keeps them healthy.

Myth 12: Tanning or dotting on toothpaste can help get rid of pimples.
True to both, but don't run for the tanning booth or apply a Colgate face mask. "A particular wavelength of light has been shown to stimulate porphyrin, a chemical that eradicates the bacteria that cause acne," says Pinski. But while some sun exposure may help pimples get better temporarily, you can experience a rebound effect. "If the skin gets dry and damaged from the sun, your body's response is to produce oil," says Frank. Plus, sun exposure can lead to bigger problems, such as premature aging and skin cancer. As for toothpaste, it often contains menthol, which can help dry out a pimple. But other common toothpaste ingredients can irritate the skin. And there are much better over-the-counter options than toothpaste, such as Clinique Acne Solutions Emergency Gel Lotion ($14.50, clinique.com). If, however, you're on a reality-TV survival show and all you have is a tube of the white stuff, a couple of million viewers, and a blemish, a dab on your dot will work.

Myth 13: Sleeping on your back or with a satin pillow will help your face stay wrinkle-free.
That's a big exaggeration with a little truth behind it. As you age, the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin break down, so when you burrow your face into a pillow, putting pressure on these fibers for several hours at a time, the skin is increasingly less likely to snap back. "If you have a pattern of sleeping on one side, that side of your face will typically show more wrinkling than the other," says Tanzi, who adds that the difference is very subtle. Learning to sleep on your back can help your skin a bit, but you'd fare much better wearing a good sunscreen every day than sleeping on a satin pillow, says Woolery-Lloyd.

Myth 14: Rinsing your hair with beer will make it thicker.
A final rinse of beer at the end of your shower will leave you with more voluminous strands. "The beer builds up the circumference of the shafts," says Philip Berkovitz, founder of Philip B. hair products. One caveat: You may smell like a frat house until the scent dissipates. Instead, try a thickening shampoo with hops, such as Aussie Aussome Volume 2 in 1 Shampoo ($4.50, drugstore.com).

Myth 15: Applying mayonnaise to your hair will make it glossier.
Mayo is made with an oil base, and it makes hair shine. But to avoid a mess, try this method: Apply a cup of mayonnaise mixed with a teaspoon of vanilla extract (to cut the mayonnaise scent) to dry, unwashed hair. Cover your head with a warm towel to help the mayonnaise penetrate, and leave it on for 20 minutes. Before you step into the shower, apply a heaping handful of shampoo to your hair. Don't add any water yet; just massage it in thoroughly for several minutes. That will help break down the excess oil, says Berkovitz. Rinse with cool water in the shower and your hair will come out shiny and silky. If the idea of putting a condiment in your hair makes you queasy, try a rich glossing treatment, such as Phytonectar Ultra-Nourishing Oil Treatment ($30, drugstore.com), which contains egg and rich oils, the basic ingredients in mayonnaise.

Myth 16: Never pluck a gray hair, because 10 more will grow in its place.
This is false. "How can you get 10 new hair follicles from plucking one?" asks Berkovitz. If anything, ripping a hair out by its root leads to regrowth that refuses to lie flat. Your best bet for conquering gray? See a colorist.

Myth 17: Hair grows faster in summer than in winter.
Although studies have shown that men's beards grow faster in summer, there is no evidence to suggest that the hair on your head does. Many women say they can tell it grows faster then, but if so, the difference is slight and barely detectable, according to McBurney. The only time women's hair has been proven to grow faster is during pregnancy, thanks to increased hormones.

Myth 18: Drinking water keeps your skin from drying out.
"This is one of the biggest myths out there," says Frank. What keeps skin moist is oil, not water. Certainly, drinking water helps vital organs operate properly, and too little water in your body can give you a wan appearance. But your skin can still look dry even if you drink eight glasses a day.

Love, 

ALPHA

Provided by CNN Living. 

The Basics

Love,

ALPHA

Beauties of Fashion Week

Reem Acra

Jenny Packham

Carolina Herrera

Naeem Khan

So Glamorous!

Don't You Just Love Fashion Week??

Love, 

ALPHA

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

It does not get better than this people.

Ingredients:
Crust

1. 4 tablespoons of melted butter
2. 2 1/2 cups of chocolate cookie crumbs 

Filling

1. 4 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese
2. 1 cup of sugar
3. 4 large eggs
4. 1 teaspoon of all purpose-flour
5. 1 teaspoon of vanilla
6. 1 cup of sour cream

Cookie Dough

1. 1/2 a cup of butter
2. 1/2 a cup of sugar
3. 1/3 a cup of packed light brown sugar
4. 2 tablespoons of water or milk
5. 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
6. 1 cup of all purpose flour
7. 1/4 teaspoon of salt
8. 2 cup of mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Cookie Dough

1. Combine the butter and sugars
2. Add water (or milk) and vanilla and blend
3. Add the flour, salt, and 1 cup of the chocolate chips and mix
4. Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a baking sheet and put the in the freezer to harden

Crust

1. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan
2. in a bowl, combine the butter with the chocolate cookie crumbs
3. Press them onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the prepared pan

Cheesecake

1. Using an electronic mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and flour
2. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix (do not over mix)

1. Pour half the batter into the prepared crust
2. Gently stir in the cookie dough balls and the one additional cup of mini chocolate chips into the remaining batter 
3. Pour into the pan, spreading the batter to the sides of the pan and evening it out across the top
4. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour
5. Turn off the oven and open the door several inches and let the cheesecake sit like that in the oven for 30 minutes
6. Remove the cake and let it cool
7. Refrigerate it over night

 Love,
ALPHA

Mardi Gras

Happy Mardi Gras!

((A.K.A. Fat Tuesday))

Go Celebrate! 

THROW SOME BEADS

DRINK YOURSELF DRUNK! 

LA LA LA LA 

Love, 

ALPHA

Some Amazing Hair Styles

Love,
ALPHA