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Hey, his character is the author of a book… so that counts, right?

Once when I was a kid, my school hosted a magician. I remember very little about the magic show, except that I was seated pretty far away from the stage. During the intermission, my dad went to get some snacks and came back giggling that he was going to be part of the act. Apparently, the magician approached him while he was waiting on line and asked him if he would be willing to come up on stage and act as his assistant. My dad handed over the snacks and then headed back up to the stage and disappeared behind the curtain. He thrust our clunky yellow camera at me and told me that I must capture his stage debut.

I sat anxiously throughout the second part of the show and was terrified when a guillotine was wheeled out on stage. My dad entered behind it. Though I was fairly certain that my dad would not be murdered in the middle of a crowded auditorium, when it came time for him to stick his head in the hole, I held the camera above my head and snapped without looking. The photos were blurry, but at least my father wasn’t decapitated in front of the entire school! He even got to keep a silk scarf that he had helped to retrieve from a hat.

In honor of Smoke and Mirrors Day (March 29th), we’d like to highlight some of our favorite magicians, especially the one who didn’t chop my dad’s head off in front of my entire elementary school. Add your favorite magicians — real or fictional — to the comments!

There’s one thing everyone needs when they fall in love AND during the zombie apocalypse: safe, secure communication. Whether your undead-filled love story is set in modern times or Jane Austen’s England, a hand written letter is only as secure as the wax it’s sealed with. But who has time to run to the stationery store when there’s an undead horde outside? Make your own sealing wax with these instructions and crayons in all your favorite colors.

It is the first thing many of us imagine when thinking about bungee jumping. What if the cord breaks?! This is much more concerning if you are planning to bungee jump where there will be no water below you, but if you will be plummeting into water, Worst Case Sceneario: Extreme Edition will advise you on your best chance of survival. If you have jumped and the rope snaps at the point where it is under the most pressure, you will have to act quick as you will only have roughly two seconds to prepare yourself for impact with the water.

When William Shakespeare's Star Wars came out last year, we had a great time teaming up with The 501st Legion. We ran some fun giveaways with them, and they even made Ian Doescher an honorary member of the legion. They're a great group of passionate fans, and we're really excited to be working with them again with this fun contest. 

Quirk and the 501st would like to challenge you to take the best Star-Wars-themed "Poor Yorick" photo you can. Or as we're calling it… Yoricking. 

See, there's a scene in William Shakespeare's Star Wars that involved Luke holding up a stormtrooper helmet. He says:

Not too long ago, baby and bridal showers were a somewhat simple event. Guests would snack on finger foods such as sandwiches, dips, and the occasional spoonful of mysterious ambrosia. Dessert was either a chocolate or vanilla cake with a congratulatory message written in icing across the top. The venue decor would consist of balloons, streamers, flowers, and the occasional umbrella or wishing well. And, inevitably, someone would make a hat out of ribbons and bows from unwrapped presents, place the hat on the Guest of Honor’s head, and snap a picture.

Weddings had a similar sameness to them: the same flowers, colors, attire, decorations, music, food, and traditions.  For a while—a very long while—showers and weddings felt dull.

And then Pinterest happened.  Thanks to the multitude of creative and talented Pinterest pinners, showers and weddings will never again be the trite or mediocre occasions that they once were. 

Pinterest is an invaluable resource for the expecting or engaged book lover because book-themed baby shower pins, bridal shower pins, and wedding pins are popping up all over users’ boards.  The following are Pinterest-inspired ideas on how to create your own book-themed shower or wedding.

Needlework: it’s everywhere in Jane Austen’s novels. No country mansion was complete without a series of neatly-made embroidered projects on display. Antique samplers have been found featuring everything from the ABCs to the planets! These days it’s hard to find time to embroider timeless phrases like “Of all the weapons in the world, love is the most dangerous” or “The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied with it,” but that doesn’t mean you can’t feature them in a beautiful sampler!

With a tube of fabric paint used for textured designs you can get the same look in a fraction of the time; leaving you more hours in the day for practicing the deadly arts and stocking your doomsday shelter. Surely no hideout or underground bunker could really be complete without a cheerful, handmade reminder on zombie readiness!