Mind-Speaks is a project that my sisters and I began to celebrate our respected interests in design, baking, and sewing. It has since branched off and is now an online stationery shop. We organized this fun family event for the beloved anime character Sailor Moon.
* video was shot and edited by me, Kim Vera. Photos by Ash Snap’em.
Can you guess these animal names?
Located in the Frensley-Graham Hall of African Wildlife.
1. They call me “King of the Jungle.” I’m a big cat who enjoys long naps, and I love to be surrounded by my family with pride.
2. My huge ears help cool me down, and my tusks help protect me from predators. If you need an extra hand, my nose is ready for action.
3. I’m part of the ape family, the largest, as a matter of fact. Knuckling around with great strength, my long arms and handy feet make living in trees a simple breeze.
4. I might look like a horse, but you’ll know me by my stripes. My black and white coloring, believe it or not, keeps me hidden and harder to spot.
5. I’m covered in scales from head to tail, and I shed my skin several times a year. I smell with my tongue as I search for prey. Poisonous or venomous, either way, retreat if we meet.
6. I am large, round, and grey and spend most of my time underwater. I eat mostly grass, but my jaws are quite powerful.
Located in the Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife
1. The fur on my face resembles a mask; I’m a tiny bandit waiting for the night. You might find me hiding in your trashcans, hunting for yummy leftovers.
2. I sleep during the day and come out at night. You may hear me call with a hoot, but it sounds like a WHO.
3. I resemble a roly-poly bug covered in a bony shell. I can curl into a ball sometimes to hide away from danger.
4. I may be stinking cute, black, and white with stripes. I’m usually rather shy, but if I’m feeling frightened, I’ll hit you with a smell, and it can last for months.
5. I’m a reptile who spends most of my time in the water—a long tail, ready for swimming, and a powerful jaw filled with 80 teeth perfect for biting. Avoid me at all cost; I’m not for petting.
6. I stop in my tracks, stunned when scared. When the moment is right, my hooves have me leaping away in fear.
*This was a draft for a scavenger hunt that I created for a children’s event. It did not end up being used for any event at HMNS.
Can you guess these animal names? Located in Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife or the Frensley-Graham Hall of African Wildlife.
1. They call me, “King of the Jungle.” I may be a big cat who enjoys long naps, but I love to be surrounded by my family with pride. What am I?
Lion
2. I sleep during the day and come out at night, you may hear me call with a hoot, but it sounds like a WHO? What am I?
Owl
3. My huge ears help cool me down, and my memory helps me out in the wild. If you need an extra hand, my nose is ready for action. What am I?
Elephant
4. I’m part of the ape family, the largest as a matter of fact. Knuckling around with great strength my long arms and handy feet make a living in trees, with nests made of leaves, a simple breeze.
Gorilla
5. I’m a Texas native, small and sort of blind. I’m covered in a three-band armor and curl into a ball to hide. What am I?
Armadillo
6. I may be stinking cute, black, and white with stripes. I’m usually rather shy, but if you see me do a handstand, it’s best to run and hide. What am I?
Skunk
7. On land or in the water I’m a terrible lizard. You might mistake me for a log but avoid me at all cost for I bite not chew. What am I?
Alligator
8. You might find me hiding in your trashcans. I come out at night, a tiny bandit on the run. What am I?
Raccoon
9. I stop in my tracks, stunned when scared, yet when the moment is right, my hooves have me leaping away in fear. What am I?
Deer
10. I can get quite long, no teeth but fangs and I sssslither away for I need no arms or legs. What am I?
Snake
*This was a draft for a scavenger hunt that I created for a children’s event. It did not end up being used for any event at HMNS.
I created this to be used during Senior Social, a quarterly event that gives senior-level members a chance to socialize and enjoy a morning at the museum.
*Senior Social logo was created by the Marketing Department at HMNS.
I’ve been working at The Houston Museum of Natural Science for two years as a Birthday Party Coordinator. (I worked as a Birthday Party Coordinator from 2014 to 2016.) I am part of the Party Smarty Crew, and we each run several parties throughout the weekend. As the party coordinator, I make sure the room is party-ready by decorating it in the selected colors. I make sure the birthday child and parents have what they need and ensure the party is running as smoothly as possible.
Party themes:
After I have escorted and helped the birthday family to their party room and set up any food or other decorations, they have brought. I alert my supervisors of any expected deliveries. After some time, we usually start with a specific craft that goes with the party’s theme. My favorite party theme is dinosaurs. A dino party means I give the party a tour of our paleontology hall. After the tour, we return to the party room for cake. I assist with keeping sticky fingers off the cake until after we sing Happy Birthday and then help with cutting and serving.
Occasionally, I work as a supervisor, and my responsibilities change from running the party to making sure the other coordinators have everything they need. In this situation, I would then run and get any deliveries or items the coordinator might need.
From 2011 to 2014, I was an editorial intern for Gulf Coast Literary Magazine. Among my many responsibilities, manning the CLMP table during the Indie Book Fest, now known as the Indie book Fair at Menil Fest, was one of my favorites.
CLMP:Council of Literary Magazines and Presses
A lot of planning goes into this event, tables are purchased by small presses, businesses, and other literary journals. As an intern, I was in charged of organizing the books, other literary journals, novels and chapbooks, CLMP sent to the GC office. During the actual event, I would man the table and give information about CLMP and Gulf Coast.
This was and still is one of my favorite events in Houston, and I am happy that I had the opportunity to be apart of it for two years. More of my work with Gulf Coast can be found here.
Pop Shop America is an organization that specializes in the DIY community. They bring like minded crafty people for a bi annual event and the creative minds at Mind-Speaks had the opportunity to host a free DIY cork keychain booth.
To our surprise the stamped corks were a huge hit and pop visitors were great for word of mouth advertising during this event. Pretty soon, a line started forming.
This was one of Mind-Speaks first live events and it was a great success, we hope to continue being a part of future DIY events.