new experience #29: paint my own pottery

saturday when i finished work at 4p.m., i was totally in the mood to get artsy!

good thing i had a groupon to use to help me with that!

the art studios is just a few doors down from fearless heart yoga - have i ever mentioned how i love my diverse 'hood?!

i have to add in this picture because, yes, i am wearing mittens. it was FREEZING on saturday (although the sunshine was nice!)

when i purchased my groupon a few months ago, i knew that painting some pottery would be a very fun new experience. i love artsy-craftsy projects but rarely do anything other than knitting (except for the cake decorating course) because i don’t want to invest in supplies (i’d love to weave on a loom!) and don’t want to clean up messes (painting of any type).

included in my groupon (i think i paid $10 for it? i should have taken a picture of my printout!) was two hours of studio time and $5 towards an item to potterize (that sounds like a legit word to me!).  the art studios is open until 7 pm on saturdays – very convenient!

love the renovated-updated home vibe!

when i arrived shortly after 5 pm, the place was a zoo! and all ages: children to retired folks.

this is heather!

heather was awesome. she was friendly and helpful as soon as i arrived, and balanced a lot of demands for her attention.

we started off in the back room where i would choose my piece of pottery:

certainly no shortage of options!

this handy poster was on the wall. as a first-timer, i appreciated the detailed instructions!

and it IS easy!

before i arrived, i had already mostly decided that i wanted to paint some type of dishware in order to help build my eclectic dishes collection:

bowl? plate? mug? tall? small? how to decide?!

i also did not want to spend an arm and a leg. let’s face it – i was not expecting to produce a picasso-quality piece. but lucky me! today was also 25% off all items!

but, then i spied the display of xmas choices:

hmmm...very tempting

in the end, i decided to stick with my original plan:

i chose the "asian bowl" - $12; it may very well become my asian CEREAL bowl!

the next step was to choose the five shades of glaze i wished to use. i forgot to snap a direct pic, but you can kinda see the choices in the back room photo above ^^. they had a chart that looked like the paint palette you see at paint stores. so many pretty shades! so hard to choose!

the five glazes i finally decided on - you bet there is an orange one in there!

heather totally took care of me: she found me a spot at a work table, got me a vast selection of paint brushes, set out water/sponge/paper toweling…all i had to do was start painting!

i got to paint in the front room - love those orange walls! and look at that sunshine streaming right in

tangent: those two girls provided quite the background entertainment – they chitchatted non-stop, then the one had a lengthy phone conversation in french with someone…of course, i evesdropped! she was an anglophone speaking in french so it was très facile to comprendre what she was saying.

i sponge cleaned my bowl, as directed...

...and picked out a few stencils, too - again, so much selection!

i started simply by painting the interior the lemon-lime shade, and the exterior the light green hue:

with a pause to blow-dry, as instructed, between the two coats i applied

next came a rim of blue…

this detailing was easier than i anticipated, thanks to the variety of paint brush sizes! only a few smudges here and there...

i wanted a wee something inside my bowl...

...and had fun with the flower stencils!

…and, the finished product!

ta da!

i can see why my groupon offered two free hours of studio time. i diddled and daddled for over an hour, and as you can see, my masterpiece work of art is not very complex. i can totally see how time would fly if you were with a friend and/or painting something really detailed – like santa!

i really enjoyed myself! when i was done, all i had to do was pay and walk away. no cleaning up of glazes, paint brushes, stencils…what a good business plan to provide the fun and take care of the dirty work – literally!

my bowl will be ready on saturday. i’ll show you what it looks like after its been in the kiln. i’m interested to see how the colours will change!

i ended up paying $5.93 (tax!) more than what my groupon covered for this new experience. it was worth it!

final thoughts:

• i can totally see how this would be an awesome birthday party outing for the 10-12 year old (girl) set
• you could easily blow a ton of money very quickly by choosing several items and bigger items to paint, by choosing more glaze colours, and by spending a long time at the studio (and by purchasing a tuck shop treat!)
• it’d be super fun to do this with a friend. except i doubt i could concentrate on painting + gossiping, so maybe it was a good thing i only had to focus on my task at hand!

and with that, all three of my groupon purchases to date are used up (old navy, fearless heart yoga, the art studios)!

what was a fave birthday party outing when you were growing up? either your own party or someone else’s? i loved rollerskating birthday parties! that was BIG in the early 80’s!

Groupon Be Gone!

Yesterday evening, I headed up to Conestoga Mall. My Groupon for Old Navy was burning a hole in my pocket in my knapsack. It expires on July 31st, and as someone who does not enjoy leaving things til the last minute (!), I was getting antsy to use it up. Yes, twelve days away is verging on “last minute” territory!!!!

It is hot, hot, hot in Southern Ontario! And I am happy, happy, happy! I  ♥ love and adore ♥ the heat (although we’ll talk on that again after Thursday when the high is to be 37 degrees Celsius, 46 with the humidex) but it was nice to escape into the air-conditioned coolness of the mall. [Sidenote: we have air-conditioning in the Condo Casa, but I only put it on at night to conserve energy/save money/go green, and because I do not enjoy living in an ice box].

OK! Back to shopping. I picked a great time of day to go (about 6 p.m.) because Old Navy was empty – that was the positive…unfortunately, the negative side is that the summer wear is hugely picked over.

Last week, before we saw “Horrible Bosses,” VFBF Joanne and I had about 4.5 minutes to scoot through Old Navy. What I glommed onto during that quick trip was this:

remember this fabric - we'll come back to it

I had the best time shopping around last eve! I love clothes shopping at any time – for myself or for others – and last night, I had nowhere I had to be at any time, so I totally dinked around and took my time. As in I made three separate visits to the fitting rooms as I whittled down my options.

As I said to Joanne last week, I am soooo weak when it comes to tshirts!

no, no and no - just walk away!

Not even this one?

NOOOOO!!!!

*sigh.*

Moving on…

Another weakness is fitness wear. I have to remind myself that I have access to tons o’ this stuff at the store. NO!!!

knock-off of lulu styles, most definitely

These ruffled tanks were super-cute – and on sale from $19.94 to $10:

i liked the floral patterns the best (yes, even better than the ORANGE); remember these, too

After those three trips to the dressing rooms, I had narrowed down my choice of top to two:

the same ruffled top as shown above - black is so versatile, and i loved the fit

part of the active wear line

That magenta top was a total surprise – I loved the fit and look. See the elastic at the bottom? That really surprised me – it was so comfy and the blousy look it gave was quite attractive! Sadly, it was not on sale – but still reasonably priced at $17.96.

You’ll remember I paid $10 for the $20 Groupon. The easy solution would have been to get both the black and magenta tops…plus my “mystery purchase.” But I really wanted to stick to the $20 range…so what did I do? [Please note that this decision-making process took A G E S!!!].

Well, I ended up putting in just over $5 (added to the $20 from the Groupon), then I came home with…

the black ruffled cami/top...

I chose the black because it will go well with my skirt, or any of my shorts.

silver thongs - $6, can be dressed up or down...

I had to give in to one of my weaknesses!!!

And the pièce de résistance, the coup of the evening, the purchase that made me giggle and dance…

ta da!

Recognize that, Jo?!

Now, technically, I am very sure that this is a beach cover up. But I am going to wear it as a dress. Yes, it’s a little see-through, but put the right undergarments on, and there’ll be no worries – also know the proper occasions at which to wear it (Aunti day? yes. Church? not so much). AND – here’s the details on the price (more dancing!):

Regular price – $29.50.

What I paid – $7.50

Not lying!!! Unbelievable, eh?! PLUS, it was THE ONLY ONE like it left. Hellloooo, Kiki-dress!

So, the Groupon is well-spent, I can strike “go to Old Navy” from my July To Do List, and R E L A X in my *dress!*

Found any great bargains on summer wear? Conestoga Mall is a shopper’s paradise right now. Aéropostale has tons of shorts on for $5!

~*~*~*~*~

Badwater Ultra update: I have to give you a link to distinguished ultrarunner Dan Rose’s blog, Run 192. Dan crewed for his friend, Chris Roman, in last week’s race, and his account of the experience, “Badwater Crew/Pace Report” is fascinating. Dan gives an insider’s/”backstage pass” account of Chris’ race (Chris ended up finishing 16th, overall). There are tons of photos and really interesting anecdotes.

Help Me Spend My $40!

I’m rich! I’m rich!

(source)

Well, not really, but it was fun to say that.

However, I did receive a lovely….*performance bonus,* shall we call it, from the store last week. I won’t go into full details; suffice to say that I now have an AmEx card with $40 on it in my hot little hands. [I really have been trying very hard to find proper terminology to describe how I received my $40 Gift card…”Thank You card?” not accurate; “Lottery Winnings?” nope – it wasn’t solely luck-of-the-draw; “Gift for Services Rendered?” Eesh – my name isn’t Lula!].

Anyway…so, now I am trying to decide how best to spend my $40 gift. And I’m eager to collect your opinion! Below, you will find the options that I’ve brainstormed. Either let me know what you would do, or submit your own proposal. I’m all ears!

I could be practical:

My poor knapsack is on its last legs:

the zipper on the front pouch is completely pooched; not good - that is where i keep my keys, blackberry and wallet...they need a safe home!

Very sad. This knapsack and I have been through thick and thin together:

file photo: ROM, march 2010 with SIL ana, little e, baby c

 file photo: marco island, florida, july 2010

I never carry a purse – a knapsack goes with me everywhere during the day.

There’s an option at the store that is in the running as a replacement:

i love all the little outside pockets of various shapes and sizes; just not sure the main pouch is big enough??

I’d only have to add in <$10 of my own money.

I could be a diva:

I feel like my skin is taking a beating in the summer heat and sun. My make-do strategy is feeling insufficient. I could put the $40 towards:

(source)

…and just kiss those wrinkles laugh lines good-bye. [Except I need about 4-6 x $40 for a full kit…].

I could stash:

that could be 7 x puffins (need to include tax, remember)

…but I’d have nothing tangible to show in <10 days when they’re eaten…

I could be frivolous:

I have never had a pedicure.

pour, unpampered *souls!*...and i happen to have all 10 toenails right now...

The place where I got my nails has a mani/pedi combo pac – and look at the price!…

see the very last item on that list...

I did have so much fun with the nails…

I could be charitable:

A philanthropic donation would make someone’s day. I bet my ♥ would grow. $10 x four organizations? $20 x two organizations? Tough decisions. [I do enjoy philanthropy and have an annual Christmas-time giving ritual].

I could be boring responsible:

If I socked my money away in the bank (do a swap and take $40 cash to the bank, and then spend the AmEx card on x) I could earn 1% interest, and in 400 years, I’d have…Dad? How much would I have? Ug…Uggs!!…Now we’re talking!…

So, I’ll think, you’ll think, and we’ll come up with a plan!

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I bought another Groupon! Now, I’m not going to share right away what it’s for because it is going to be a New Experience. The Groupon expires in December, so some rainy day, it’s going to provide me with a couple hours of entertainment. It only cost me $10, and it’s a score of a deal. It’s also going to help me with my 2011 goals. That’s enough hints, for now.

You’ll remember that when I purchased my first Groupon, my sole complaint was that my purchase confirmation was not received instantaneously. Well, this time it was – I got my Groupon email less than five minutes after I bought it. That thrills Type A Kiki! [I’m guessing this quick turn-around occurred because my new Groupon is for a smaller venue? Old Navy would draw a lot more buyers, I bet].

New Experience #18: Buy a Groupon

Groupon is one of those things that I learned about through osmosis – you know when you’re not really sure when/where/how you first heard about something, but you eventually come to understand enough that you could contribute to dinner party conversation. Other examples include Barack Obama, crocs, and deep fried Oreos.

I really became familiar with Groupon thanks to the store. Recently, area residents had the opportunity to purchase a Groupon to use at the Running Room – spend $25 and you received a $50 off coupon. So I guess I became more familiar with Groupon first from a retailer’s perspective rather than from the customer viewpoint.

I signed up to receive Groupon’s free daily emails when I blogged about Groupon [what I don’t do for blogging!]. My thoughts were that if a Groupon offer became available that I 100% knew I’d use, maybe I’d try purchasing one. What I wanted to avoid: being lured by a great-sounding deal that I’d never, ever use (ex: May 31st’s offer of 75% off laser hair removal, or the June 1st promo of Half Off Water Sport Equipment and Rental – no thanks!).

And for my first purchase attempt, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. [I know Groupon has a great reputation, but you know how it is with the first time you try something new – or maybe this is just me – but I am hesitant until I know the ins and outs of how something works].

It’s always helpful to receive personal feedback, too – friends Lee and Jeannie from the store were the first people with whom I chatted more extensively about Groupon. They got a great deal on a Crossfit Groupon and have been making good use of their twenty sessions. Their good-natured accounts of sore muscles have had me laughing in empathy on more than one occasion!

Well, late last week, a super-awesome PERFECT Groupon email appeared in my inbox:

groupon for old navy? hello! me, me, yes please!!!

Buy the Groupon for $10 and I’d get $20 *spending money* at Old Navy. I knew this was the opportunity I’d been waiting for.

For those of you unfamiliar with Groupon, here’s a quick walk-thru of what I did:

First, Groupons are only available for a limited time, usually 24 hours. So you have time to think about if you want to commit or not. If you’re like me, you thought for 37 seconds a couple hours before diving in.

You do need to create an *account* – basically your email address and a password. You make your purchase using a credit card.

yippee! my first groupon purchase!

UNLIKE signing up for a race online, though, your purchase is not completely instantaneous. That email confirmation (above) stated that within 48 hours, I would receive my Groupon. [This is because a minimum number must be sold in order for everyone to get the offer]. That is the only negative comment I would have – it would be great to know right away that your purchase a done deal, but that’s a small quibble [and a Kiki-thing as that’s just my Type A personality talking].

I got a second email 27 hours later; this one contained my Groupon!

and i am ready to shop!

Another word of advice: make sure you check the fine print BEFORE you purchase. Make sure you are aware of the expiry date. Also, can you use the Groupon on sale items? Is there a minimum purchase amount? [I have to say the Running Room Groupon has more restrictions than this Old Navy one].

I chose to print a paper copy of my Groupon…

and into my backpack it goes!

…but a very cool feature is that you can choose the mobile app. This way, you just flash a version of the Groupon on your Blackberry or iPhone at the sales associate – transaction completed paperfree!

I have until July 31st to use my Groupon. I anticipate buying summer clothing, but the nice thing about Old Navy is the wide selection. Even if I end up just buying more flipflops, it’s not going to go to waste!

So, two thumbs up to the whole concept of Groupon. I’m sold!

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Late yesterday afternoon, Gina and I rendez-vous’d at Williams COFFEE Pub. Funny story: I had a regifted regifted (yes, that’s two regifts) gift card, and we had no idea what amount of $ was on the card. Gina and I ordered drinks:

gina's smoothie and my coffee - 1st time trying william's coffee - loved it!

Our total came to $5.32. Guess how much was on the card?! $5! That worked out well!

Yesterday was an A+ weather day, so we sat outside. We both love the sun. We took time for photos, first – for the blogs, of course!

self portrait action!

So while this was great coffee, it doesn’t hold a candle to our time together. 2.5 hours later, we reluctantly said good-bye. 😦

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but our friendship began when we were five years old. That is really something. ♥ Gina ♥, can’t you please move back to Ontario ♥ ♥ ♥!?! Thank goodness we have blogs, emails, and facebook to keep us together across the miles!

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Have you ever used a Groupon? This will not be my last purchase, of that I am sure!

What was your weather like this weekend? We had a crazy-scary storm on Saturday a.m., but Sunday was a dreamboat of a day!