Sunday Funday comes to HMNS with Mixers & Elixirs Pluto Pity Party

Published by Vincent on August 23, 2014 at 10:23 am in Mixers & Elixirs

Extend your Sunday Funday to the Houston Museum of Natural Science August 24 and raise a glass to the infamously demoted Pluto at our Pluto Pity Party!

Come to Mixers & Elixirs and remember the good ol’ days when we had nine planets as you enjoy live music from the Space Rockers and drinks at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Planet or not – Pluto, you’ve stolen our hearts.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a… DWARF PLANET?!

Eight years later, the news of Pluto’s status downgrade from planet to dwarf planet still stings. We have an emotional connection to our solar system — as we should! This is our “cosmic neighborhood” and we are rightly very attached to our neighbors, all orbiting the same brilliant star.

But let’s look at it a different way, shall we?

Maybe this change for Pluto provides for us a way to celebrate how big and diverse our solar system really is! Not only do we have planets — big and small, gaseous and rocky — we have moons, rings, asteroids, comets, and yes, dwarf planets. So it’s not that Pluto isn’t a part of our solar system, it’s just in the outer reaches of the sun’s great gravity.

It’s like we thought Pluto lived in the heights, but then we found out it’s actually living outside the loop… It’s still a part of our community, just a little further away.

So no worries, folks, let’s keep our attachment to Pluto! It’s still cool (literally) and a testament to how much we can learn about our place in the cosmos.

In that spirit, come down to HMNS Sunday, August 24 and celebrate Pluto!

Pluto’s demotion has been great for one thing though: the internet

And if you want some Pluto swag for the party, you’re all set with the Museum Store

HOW-TO: Make your own super last-minute superhero costume for our Comic-Con Mixers & Elixirs

Published by Vincent on July 17, 2014 at 10:31 am in Mixers & Elixirs

Need a last-minute costume for our Comic-Con mixer on July 18? No problem! As a connoisseur of procrastination myself, I know that waiting until the last minute to prepare a costume can be as stressful as it is a unique and beautiful catalyst for creating stunning, creative accoutrements.

Copy Man surveying the landscape, forever on the search for those who need rescuing from copy-related emergencies.

Here’s a simple way to create your own bare bones superhero costume:

SUPPLIES

Regular clothes
Underwear (that can fit over your outerwear)
A large swath of fabric
Paper
String
Markers

PROCESS

Step 1: Pick a super-identity.
I chose “Copy Man” because I’m a copywriter.

Step 2: Pick out clothes that fit your super-identity.
I picked what I wore today to work … because I’m a copy writer.

Step 3: Put on clothes from step two.
Already on!

Step 4: Put underwear over clothes (bonus points if they also fit your super-identity or are really cute).
Sorry, if I had thought about this step before I left the house I would’ve worn cuter underwear.

Step 5: Find large piece of fabric and drape it over your shoulders.
Instant cape! Mine’s made from a curtain, fixed together with earbuds.

Step 6: Make a mask out of the paper and string.
Feel free to color yours in, but I wanted a more monotone palette.

Step 7: Draw a symbol on a piece of paper to represent your super-identity.
CM = Copy Man!

Step 8: Affix symbol to your shirt.
Tape is a beautiful invention.

Bonus step: Create awesome headgear or props with more paper and/or other found objects.

TA-DA! DONE. This took me, like, 15 minutes to put together, so if a friend of yours tries to come up with excuses on how they don’t have time to put a costume together before our Comic-Con Mixer at 7 p.m. on Friday July 18, tell them, “NO EXCUSES!”*

*You don’t have to wear a costume, but they are encouraged! See you Friday!

Copy Man was just a mild mannered copywriter until one day the Houston Museum of Natural Science decided to throw a Comic-Con party.

He now fights crime and poor writing with his “Cosmic Copy Ray”

Saturday’s the Summer Solstice: Five signs we’ve reached (another) Houston summer

Published by Vincent on June 20, 2014 at 12:10 pm in Mixers & Elixirs

Saturday’s the official beginning of summer! The day with the most sunlight (in the northern hemisphere), we’re now in the time of short shorts, trips to the beach, ice cream and vacations (and our Mixers & Elixirs Summer Solstice Party).

But summer in Houston is unique. We certainly know how to have a good time, but the weather doesn’t always make that easy. Here are five signs that we’ve reached summer in Houston:

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE SWIMMING (WITHOUT THE REFRESHING PART)

The humidity in Houston is nothing to scoff at. Seriously. Stepping outside now feels like stepping into a hot mouth — or like you’re swimming, except you’re overheating.

AIR CONDITIONING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE

Seriously, try and stay cool folks. Heat stroke is a real problem for Houstonians, especially for those on the younger or older ends of the age spectrum from June until August. Here are some helpful tips to keep cool.

YOUR ELECTRIC BILL HAS DOUBLED IN THE LAST MONTH

Again, AIR CONDITIONING = LIFE. However, this means your electric bill will almost certainly be the highest it’s been all year, especially if you’re using window units. Here are a few ways to be more efficient and lessen the impact.

FORGETTING YOUR SUNGLASSES IS THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN

We’re no strangers to sunlight, but it just. gets. so. intense. Keep an extra pair in your car (you’ll be glad that first time you forget). Besides being able to see on the road, you’ll want them on whenever you’re outside to help fight against skin cancer, cataracts and macular degeneration.

SLEEVES AND PANTS ARE NOW THE ENEMY

It’s just too hot to wear any more clothing than you need to remain decent in public. Besides, sweating is your natural way to keep cool. Don’t let fabric get in between you and comfort.

Now for some sweet relief: you can always come visit us and enjoy our cool exhibits away from the summer sun! So what are you waiting for?!

And of course, you can beat the heat with Mixers & Elixirs this Saturday, June 21 at our Summer Solstice Party. Because when the Houston heat and HMNS coolness come together, things are bound to get steamy — the good kind.

Who is Yuri and why are we celebrating Yuri’s Night at Mixers & Elixirs?

Published by Vincent on April 10, 2014 at 4:19 pm in Mixers & Elixirs

Yuri’s Night is upon us, and we’re hosting Mixers & Elixirs: Yuri’s Night on Friday night to celebrate the past, present and future of space exploration.

But wait a second. Who’s Yuri and what’s he got to do with space exploration?

Yuri Gagarin was the first person to be launched into space and orbit the Earth on April 12, 1961. The Russian cosmonaut has since become a symbol of human space exploration and how we can conquer the obstacles that stand between us and the rest of the cosmos. Trapped on our little blue marble in space, for eons we sought to find the truth behind our place in the universe. Now, with technology and an ever-growing catalog of information about the universe, we are starting to venture into our cosmic neighborhood.

Just think of all that’s happened in a little over 50 years — and what 50 more years could bring. We’re peering deeper into space, living in space, and it won’t be long before we (read: everyday people like you and me) can see the darkness of space for ourselves on private space flights.

Yup, there’s certainly a lot to celebrate on Yuri’s Night. So join us tomorrow night and raise a glass to space exploration and explorers everywhere! We’ll have space-themed treats and even “Commander Quest” from Space Center Houston.

Want to get even more excited and inspired? (Of course you do.) Check out the video below from astronaut Chris Hadfield aboard the International Space Station and pictures from cosmic journeys and observations so far!