Halloween night brings BIG changes to MSC

Happy Halloween!!!

A fitting day to change the name of my shop to Madsylvania. Yes, you heard right. I won't be shutting down the Mad Science Creations blog just yet, that way my awesome fans can get a chance to follow my new blog. Madsylvania will not only be the new name for my stores on Etsy and Artfire but will be a portal for updates on ALL my shops. Speaking of which, another exciting announcement is the opening of my newest shop, Magicwerks. As the name implies, this new store is where wizard wares (clothing, accessories and decor) will be available. The newest item is doggie wizard hoodies, which is modeled by Henna, the Gryfferin.

For those curious about this major change, check out my new blog.

Quoth the owl...Pottermore

"The owls are gathering...find out why soon."

For those who may have been abducted by Death Eaters and missed it, J.K. Rowling will be making an announcement on June 23 to reveal an epic new venture for the Harry Potter fandom. The media blitz is totally unprecedented. The opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter wasn't even surrounded by so much promotion and fanfare. Speculation is running rampant after the super sekrit reveal of the trademarked term "Pottermore", discussed in depth "here and here.

What is Pottermore? Muggles and wizards alike will have to be patient for a few more days. My prediction *glances into crystal ball* a magical MMORPG. What do you think it will be?

On a semi-related topic, last night under a full moon, we noticed our own owls gathering. We were up late (as usual) and happened to look outside to see a small owl sitting on the power line in our backyard. When we returned from racing to grab the camera, it was joined by a second. I LOVE owls and was pretty shocked that my squeals of excitement didn't scare them off. As we took pics, their hooting was answered by other hoots in the forested area behind out house. What a magical way to end a day that was spent obsessively watching new owls appear on the YouTube announcement (11 at last count) and reading faster-than-lightspeed tweets/Facebook posts about Pottermore. Still hoping they'll return to drop off an Owlpost with my acceptance to teach at Hogwarts next term. ;)

Brainz: The other, other white meat

Oops, time got away from me. Again.

Comicpalooza was great geeky fun!! The highlight was the last day when I got my photo taken with Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan of Harry Potter) and when Meaghan Rath of Being Human said she loved my costume. :) I opted for dressing as Harry Potter of the Dead costume and ran into another wizard girl with the same Hogwarts zombie idea. Magically creepy and cool. And as you can see from the photo, another zombie fan shuffled up to groan Hello while clutching some bloody brainz. Anyway, I finally got a chance to upload the con photos to my Flickr account. Enjoy! :)

How does a Geek celebrate Memorial Day weekend?

By dressing up and going to a major scifi/fantasy con.

Comicpalooza in Houston is shaping up to be EPIC!! The theme is *happy shamble* zombies, "The Rise of the Dead". Sweet. The guest line-up is varied and has top notch representation in both genres. There is even a strong Steampunk presence, one of my fave cosplay themes. Mad Science, go figure. ;) My cosplay plans for the event?

Friday: Possibly Star Trek:TOS uniform.
Saturday: A reprise of the Steampunk Squid complete with tentacles and goggles.
Sunday: I will be doing a zombie/wizard mash-up: Harry Potter of the Dead (a Hogwarts guest has been scheduled that day and it's a call out to one of my favorite flicks, "Shaun of the Dead.")

The event starts today so if you need me, that's where I'll be.

Oh and here's a video of last year's Comicpalooza for giggles. Kinda like being trapped in a Big Bang episode isn't it? ;)

It's a Good Magical Friday!

It's truly a good Friday in the Mad Science Lab when a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 DVD arrives at your door!! It must have been sent via Owl Post cos I no sooner got word it was on its way and *poof*, there it is. Thanks and much appreciation goes out to Wendy, The Not So Good Witch. xoxo For the latest pop culture and fashion from a magical perspective, check out her blog "A Pagan's Life For Me."

What have I been up to? Well, it's that time of year: vacations to Hogwarts in Orlando, Harry Potter cons, and *sniff* the fast approaching last installment of HP movies are in the immediate future. So I've been stitching up a storm to try to beat the flood of Wizard Wear orders for both the Etsy and Artfire shops. Looks like I need to head to the wholesale fabric shop for another bolt of black anti-pill fleece this weekend too.

Friday's F Word: Vampire Face-Lifts

In the quest to be immortal or at least look that way, the dream to be a vampire is seductive. Short of being "turned" by a bloodsucker, this life altering change won't happen. The next best thing? Vampire face-lifts. Fillers taken from your own body are nothing new but a NY doctor is now using a blood-collection system called Fibrinet, whose platelet-rich byproducts can help turn back the clock. No wonder Vlad Dracula looked so young. ;)

Friday's F Word: Happy Coffins

Who says leaving for the afterlife needs to be a somber affair?

The Lien Foundation, a Singapore philanthropic house and St Joseph's Home and Hospice, is challenging outdated taboos.

"The name 'Happy Coffins' may be like an oxymoron...(but) we seek to turn the coffin from a supreme negative symbol of death into a creative canvas for reflection and inspiration, and the positive celebration of life." (Mr Lee Poh Wah, CEO)

Rather than "gloom and doom", the dearly departed can spend eternity in a customized coffin much like the ubiquitious designer clothes and coffee he/she enjoyed in life. And just imagine the conversation starter at funerals to take loved one's mind off of grief for a bit?