Author: Mars Salazar Page 22 of 29

Marianne is Nixplay's Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

5 Haunting Photos And The Stories Behind Them

By Mars Salazar

On October 31, 2018

In Photography

Warning: Some photos might be disturbing. Please proceed with caution.

It’s not always the prettiest photographs that get remembered. Sometimes, it’s the haunting photos that remain firmly embedded in one’s mind. Here are some eerie images you won’t easily be able to get out of your mind.

PS: Sweet dreams!

The Genesee Hotel suicide

On May 7, 1942, Mary Miller checked in the Genesee Hotel, went to the women’s communal restroom on the eighth floor, and stepped out on the ledge through the window. She waved to the crowd then pushed herself into the busy street, much to the horror of the onlookers. I. Russel Sorgi, a photographer for the Buffalo Courier Express, “waited until the woman passed the second or third story” before masterfully clicking the shutter.

Hiroshima’s “nuclear shadows”

On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, flattening majority of the city and instantly killing over 70,000 people. The intense heat of the explosion vaporized thousands of living beings before they even knew what was happening, leaving haunting outlines behind them.

This security camera footage

Is it a modern-day version of The Exorcist? Nope, just a non-possessed woman whipping her hair back and forth. Blame it on the security camera’s wide-angle lens, which managed to capture her face and the top of her head as she shook her tresses out.

Also read: 5 Spooktacular Places For A Picture-Perfect Halloween

The West Kamokuna Lava Skylight

No, that’s not the entrance to hell—though it sure seems like it! This is a photo of Hawaii’s West Kamokuna Lava Skylight, taken on April 1, 1996. The “bodies” are actually different lava flows that have dripped into a hole leading to an underground lava tube. Despite the scientific explanation, it’s still one image we’d rather not see late at night.

Tereska drawing her home

This photo, taken in Warsaw, Poland by photographer David Seymour in 1948, depicts a young Polish girl in a special school for war-handicapped children. The girl, named Tereska, was asked to draw her home. Her distressing scrawl can be attributed to the suffering she and her family endured during World War II.

Got a haunting photo of your own? Why not display it on a Nixplay Frame this Halloween to add some extra spook to your holiday? Until November 4, you can save up to 20% off select Nixplay Frames, until supplies last. Stocks are selling quick, so hurry!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

8 Easy, Witty Halloween Costume Ideas

By Mars Salazar

On October 30, 2018

In Holidays

Falling behind with your Halloween preparations this year? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are some easy adult Halloween costume ideas you can create in a jiffy on the day of your party.

Need something for your kids, too? Check out our last-minute Halloween costume ideas for children!

Twin Up With This Dancing Emoji Costume

Grab your best friend, pick up a pair of bunny ears, and dress in black for a couple’s costume that’s truly symbolic of your friendship.

Have A Taste Of This Quick-Thinking Breadwinner Costume

If you’re busy hustlin’ and bustlin’, you’ve probably got no time to stitch up a spectacular costume for your party. Don’t worry though—your true friends will understand. But if you really need a costume, here’s an easy one you can pull together in less than five minutes. It doesn’t hurt that you can eat the bread when the party’s done, either!

Put A Fun Twist On A Basic Hawaiian Costume

Want to go as your favorite childhood drink, but don’t have time to take on an arts and crafts project? Get a hula skirt, a lei, and a pair of boxing gloves together and dress up as Hawaiian Punch!

Try Something Different With This Ingenious Identity Thief Costume

Dress in black, don a mask, and get people to write their names on name tags that they can stick on all over your shirt. No one wants to be a victim of identity theft, but we guarantee they’ll gladly hand over their names (and maybe even their numbers…) to help create this witty Halloween costume.

Go Wild and Dress Up In A Party Animal Costume

This one’s both easy and entertaining—perfect for that Halloween party you totally forgot about. Just dress up in your fanciest threads and sip on some bubbly all night long while rocking a face mask of your favorite animal. If you find your outfit too formal for the occasion, simply tone it down by making animal sounds all night long.

Stay Warm With This Pig In A Blanket Costume

Trick (or treat) your friends into thinking you didn’t forget about their Halloween party with this last-minute costume idea. This one is easy and practical—because you won’t be caught shivering in the cool autumn breeze if you’re toting a blanket. Talk about a prize-winning outfit!

Serve Some Laughs With This Delivery Boy Costume

Make an entrance and be everyone’s favorite party guest by dressing up as a pizza delivery boy! Just make sure your box actually has pizza in it (but it better not have pineapples!).

Dress Cool In An Ice Cream Cone Costume

Not into pizza? How about dressing as an ice cream cone? Don a frothy white frock and a brown cone hat, and add some sprinkles by sticking brightly colored bits of paper all over your dress.

Don’t forget to take lots of pictures of your easy Halloween costume! Display them on your Nixplay frame so you’ll always have your favorite memories of the holiday at your fingertips. Don’t have a Nixplay frame yet? Shop online today! No tricks, all treats—just the way it should be.

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

nixplay-seed for a seed-trees for the future

Seed For A Seed: Nurturing More than Memories

By Mars Salazar

On October 26, 2018

In From The Nixplay Team

We’re very passionate about the environment here at the Nixplay HQ. In July, we invited Fanny Moritz of eco-friendly lifestyle concept store NO!W No Waste to share some ways to live more sustainably. We’re also working on attaining Zero Plastic Packaging status soon.

Our biggest project so far is Seed For A Seed, our tree-planting initiative in partnership with the non-profit organization Trees for the Future.

For every Nixplay Seed Frame that gets sold, a tree seed gets planted.

Seed for a Seed started in June 2017, when we asked Trees for the Future to plant 10,000 trees in Sub-Saharan Africa to create Forest Gardens. Forest Gardens provide impoverished families with sustainable food sources, livestock feed, and livelihood options.

By the end of 2018, Nixplay would have planted 193,135 trees. And with your help, we can plant thousands more.

The Forest Garden approach works.

Participating farmers reported that planting Forest Gardens reduced deforestation, helped them attain food security, and lifted them from poverty. Trees also help combat the effects of climate change, create economic opportunities, and bring people together.

In addition to Forest Gardens, Trees for the Future also provides farmers with technical training and on-site planning assistance, uplifting African communities in the most sustainable way.

Nixplay is proud to be supporting Trees for the Future.

With climate change in full swing, the need to live sustainably and responsibly has never been more urgent. By working with Trees for the Future, we’re helping curb the devastating effects of global warming in our own little way.

Join us in the battle against climate change. Visit trees.org to learn more and make a donation, or purchase a Nixplay Seed.

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

nixplay blog halloween celebrations picture perfect ways to celebrate halloween

7 Picture-Perfect Ways To Celebrate Halloween

By Mars Salazar

On October 25, 2018

In Holidays

Halloween’s almost here: The one date on the calendar when you can literally be anything you want to be, whether that’s a princess, a ghoul, a unicorn, or your favorite cartoon character. with everyone bringing their creative A-game, not having a camera during this occasion is a major no-no. Below, we list some of the most picture-perfect events of the season. Read on!

1. Throw a Halloween party

Why wait for an invite to a party when you can throw your own bash? Decorate your home in orange and black (plus some spiderwebs), mix up some bloody good drinks, and cook some scary-looking treats to get your friends and family in the mood for a killer time.

2. Go trick-or-treating

Halloween wouldn’t be complete without some trick-or-treating! Gather the kids, dress them up in their favorite costumes, and brace yourself for a spooktacular night of candy collecting.

3. Dress up your pet

You may have planned your Halloween ensemble months in advance, but have you considered also decking out your cat or dog in its own costume? Your fur baby will be absolutely adorable dressed up as a hot dog bun, don’t you think?

4. Go all out with the pumpkins

Nothing spells Halloween like a generous sprinkling of pumpkins! Visit a pumpkin patch with the kids, and take home a few to carve. Take photos of your jack-o’-lanterns and display them on your Nixplay Frame (Psst: You can get up to 20% off until November 4!).

5. Celebrate out of town

This year, why not celebrate Halloween in a different city or country for a change of scenery? It’ll be fun to see how different cultures celebrate the holiday. Here are some places for your consideration!

6. Visit a haunted house

What’s Halloween without a good scarefest? Make your way to a haunted house and try to get through all the rooms without screaming. Extra points if you dare visit in the evening!

7. Visit an amusement park

For screams and thrills of another kind, a trip to a nearby amusement park would suffice. Some parks, like Disneyland and Universal Studios, go all out during Halloween with special themed events like haunted houses, special concerts, and zombie runs.

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

nixplay blog-picture perfect places to celebrate halloween

5 Spooktacular Places For A Picture-Perfect Halloween

By Mars Salazar

On October 19, 2018

In Holidays

Still deciding on where to celebrate this Halloween? This handy guide should get you started.

Tokyo, Japan

Photo by Cat Fish Club / CC BY 2.1 JP

Halloween in Japan is a vibrant spectacle, with several celebrations across the country. Tokyo’s Kawasaki Halloween Parade, where you can march through the streets dressed in the most elaborate costumes, is the biggest of them all. If you’re in the city on the last weekend of October, don’t miss it!

Oaxaca, Mexico

Photo by Eduardo Robles Pacheco / CC BY 2.0

The Mexican city of Oaxaca celebrates Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 1 and 2. It’s not the rambunctious, spooky festival most people associate Halloween with. Rather, it’s a 3,000-year-old tradition of paying tribute to loved ones who have passed away, marked by cemetery visits and overflowing food and drinks.

Transylvania, Romania

Photo by Todor Bozhinov / CC BY-SA 4.0

Transylvania is the location of Dracula, probably the most famous vampire tale in history. It’s a fitting setting with its dense forests and medieval castles, one of which was the home of Vlad the Impaler, one of the most notorious monarchs of the Ottoman empire. What better place to celebrate the most haunted day of the calendar than the hometown of the man Dracula was based on?

Corinaldo, Italy

Corinaldo is a well-preserved medieval town located in Italy’s Le Marche region. It’s a lovely place to visit, with its churches, museums, and historical buildings. But every October, this charming locale becomes the “Italian capital of horror,” marking the holiday with the annual Feast of the Witches carnival.

Salem, Massachusetts

Photo by Robert Linsdell / CC BY 2.0

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of US history (or anyone immersed in pop culture) knows that the town of Salem in Massachusetts is one of the best places in the country to celebrate a goosebump-inducing Halloween. Step back into the past to visit the city’s haunted houses and historical attractions, then ramp up your celebration in the evening by attending one of the many parties and activities in the city.

Wherever you end up this Halloween, don’t forget to take lots of photos and display them on your Nixplay Frame! Take advantage of our Halloween offer and get up to 20% off all Nixplay 13-inch frames, only until November 4. Don’t miss out on the Halloween fun!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.