Colorful Birthday

As much as I like entertaining and planning…I've been quite burnt out lately from other life duties. I couldn't think of a thing to do for my 34th birthday. So instead, I decided we could go somewhere else and let someone else do the entertaining!

Groupon coupons to a painting class at Texas-U-Can-Paint were the key this year! All materials are provided and the class learns how to paint the SAME thing, step by step. It is for people who have never picked up a paint brush or probably drawn anything. Ever. (These businesses are opening up everywhere, just like ceramic painting did about twelve years ago.)

Guests can bring their own treats and drinks. Dafni had a few bottles from work which she filled with grape juice. So we enjoyed sipping from stemware as we created our master pieces, (the teacher made all kinds of drinking jokes…Snicker. Snicker.) At least we could act loud and silly and no one would know the difference!

The guys really got focused. They stood up and swiped paint back and forth like it was an intense exercise.

"Hmmm, does my tree look alright? I mean, I want it to show my creative ability and originality as a budding artist…."

Maybe we should slow down on the "drinking"…..nah.

It's common to keep famous artists' painting palettes; you can see deep into their painting and thought process. Here are ours.

Dafni, Anna
Adam, Brandon

Can you see our souls?

Adam and Brandon get points for following directions most closely. I like Dafni's, it has a certain kind of style. And mine? I am a tight…ahem, arse...when I paint…I need to loosen up.

Oh, and the best part. I had been eyeballing this $10 dollar wine glass wondering how I could afford, or perhaps even duplicate such a beauty, when to my surprise it was awarded to me as a birthday present from Texas-U-Can-Paint! Isn't that so very nice of them?

I walked out of the studio, leaving it behind…hoping no one would notice. But the teacher caught me at the door, "Where's your beautiful birthday present!?"
"Oh," I exclaimed looking at my hands as if surprised I wasn't carrying it. "I totally forgot. Let me go get it!"
And off I scurried to claim my prize a second time.
It hit the trash as soon as I got home.

We had planned to go to a nearby grocery store where there were tables to eat the birthday pie (homemade coconut cream). But we left the painting class too late. Instead we climbed into the back of our SUV, sang happy birthday, and ate! Again, passers by must have thought we were drunk.

For not wanting to plan anything, this turned out fun and memorable!
Here's a little vid. Password: birthday
AnnaBirthday2 from Anna Zenk on Vimeo.