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.

Music Festival

Bishop Arts District

My fellow night owl husband recently discovered the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff. Just about ALL of the shops are open until 10 or 11 at night. It's the ultimate hang out spot! I know I keep saying that…I love that we keep discovering new places.

To start, dinner was almost a fail. I wanted to try a spot based on its good Yelp reviews. But it was empty during dinner time and the menu offered bar food like grilled spam and Frito burgers. Really drunk people? Really? So, with a great deal of embarrassment we excused ourselves and got out of there, hitting Lockhart's Smoke House instead.

Ohhh Yeeaahhh. Order slices of meat by the pound and they'll plop it down on a piece of butcher paper, slam a stack of sliced bread next to it, roll it all up and hand it off to you.

Our carnivorous friend Dafni was quite happy.

After dinner we spent the evening visiting the little shops up and down the street. Hitting places like a Cuban Cigar store where the artisan rolled the cigars at the front window for all to see. (Okay, so we didn't go in—talk about an instant headache.) There are several art stores, gift shops, food, modern furniture shops, and other curiosities to take up your evening. I was particularly interested in a book bindery and letterpress shop. (Both were unexpectedly closed. Sad face. That means we will be going back. Happy face.)

Dirt, an inviting florist store had interesting and beautiful/friendly arrangements to look at. Picture taking was not allowed—I don't understand why, I think they are shooting themselves in the foot—but I did snap the one below before reading signs that said not to. So if you visit Dirt, tell them you saw a photograph on your friend's blog that enticed you to come.

These are from the website. Do you like succulents? I used to think they were ugly and old fashioned…and belonged in Arizona…but they have been growing on me for a few years. I think I might end up getting some of my own.

Emporium Pies is at the end of the street and is identified by the line going out the door and into the street. I love pie. I had it at our wedding. So OF COURSE we waited in that long line, spying on the patrons to see which pie looked best as they emerged with their slice in hand.

I think their branding is lovely. The website is clean with simple photography.
The pies are made by hand and pretty good. I had a berry rhubarb pie. The crust on my pie was a little tough…but perhaps that is not typical and I look forward to trying another flavor.

See? Cute carry-out packaging.

After pie we explored a bit more and finished up the evening here:

They have some wonderfully complex flavors. Once in the shop you can try little samples of just about everything they have. Although, it's not cheap chocolate my friends. Go in prepared to pay for your addiction.

And that ended our night on Bishop Street. Will we be going back? Yes ma'am.

8th Anniversary

I feel like we always end up doing weird things for our anniversary. This year we caught a patriotic concert beneath the Millennial Falcon and went on a business trip….

The performance was presented by the Millennial choir—unrelated to the Falcon comment—titled To Be an American with Glenn Beck at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas (Click here for events, they perform in 4 locations and are completely volunteer based.)

I don't necessarily like patriotic music because I am weary of hearing the same songs over and over. However, the arrangements were astounding and I found myself on high emotions several times. Glenn Beck presented some interesting historical stories as well as artifacts he has in his personal collection (like a wooden drum from the civil war, rare documents, Joseph Smith's pocket watch)—and most important to me, he also included God in his presentation about our country—too many people leave Him out in regards to that subject.

It was a great evening. Dafni and her Father and brothers were in it. Had she not told us about it, we would have missed out!

Later, we realized we hadn't eaten, and it was our anniversary weekend after-all. Since we were already dressed up from the concert we decided to use a $50 gift certificate we've had tucked away for a special occasion. We went to Pappadeaux for frog legs and chocolate cake. Alas, frogs are out of season. Who knew? But then I guess spring is the time for tadpoles.

The next day Adam had to drive to Fort Smith, Arkansas for work. So I tagged along! We stopped in Paris for lunch at a local burger joint. Which wasn't good. Frozen burger patties and chunk pineapple right out of the can made for a messy and not quite so good burger. Oh, and staring at nasty ketchup splatters on the wall and leaning on sticky tables is not my idea of a 5 star place either. Oh well. Yelp knows all about it now.

Adam wanted to drive through Broken Bow where he went fly fishing with his dad and Lee last year. "And this is the place where we camped…and this is the place where Lee caught the dead fish….and…."
"Uh uh. Nice honey. Nice."
It really is a nice place. The water is actually clear unlike ALL lakes in Texas.

Then for two more hours on HWY 259, this is what we saw. Refreshing. Although by the time we got out of the National Forest we'd had enough of the endless green. Time stands still when you are driving through sameness.

I enjoyed our anniversary business trip. We spent the night in a hotel and shared food on the company's dime. The next morning Adam's meeting was over in a half an hour and we hit the road for another 5 hour drive back home and listened to Dave Ramsey until Adam couldn't stand it any longer. Ha!