On Eric’s last birthday, we hopped in the car and headed over to All Fired Up – a paint-your-own-pottery studio in our town.
We went on a Thursday, so we basically had the place to ourselves. We had talked about doing pottery painting for years, but had not gotten around to it. My hard-working man actually took off a few days from work for his birthday, so it seemed like the perfect time!
My synopsis? It was awesome! It was a lot of fun and it really does not matter if you have artistic skill or not. It’s a relatively inexpensive experience ($5-$100 depending on the piece you choose to paint), you get to tap into your creative side, and if your piece does not turn out well, you will still have a great conversation starter and a memory.
The Perfectionist
Eric picked out a Christmas tree candle holder to paint, and planned out his design before he began. To him, details matter – a lot! The process would not have been fun for him had he not focused on the details. In the end, he had a tremendous product that looked professionally crafted!
It took “us” a few hours to finish, but it was so much fun! What’s a few hours when you get a great decoration to enjoy for the next fifty Christmases?
The Fly By the Seat of Your Pants-ist
After agonizing over what to paint (so many great choices), I finally settled on a bowl shaped like a dog bone. The studio owner suggested beginners start with something like that instead of a figurine or something more complicated. I’m glad I heeded her advice. ~smile~ Not only am I a beginner, but I am not much of a planner.
While I had a basic design in mind, I really just wanted to jump in with all fours and start slapping paint on my bowl. It was fun. My design is not perfect, and I am okay with that. I enjoyed the experience just as it was, and I hope to do it again this year! Maybe I’ll plan my design a bit better this time. Or, I may buy a big plate and make it as tacky as possible. We’ll see how I’m feeling when the time comes. ~smile~
Just a Special, Low-Key Activity
I enjoyed sitting across the table from Eric, watching his meticulous brush strokes. It was one of those special moments without computers, phones, or other electronics. It was just us, an occasional comment by the studio owner, and background music.
And this experience came with its own fire-glazed souvenir. We can remember it every time we pass our mantle and pull out our Christmas decorations. No adrenaline rush occurred, but it was memorable nonetheless.
Like many of you, Eric and I get busy with work and life chores. This painting date was for Eric’s birthday, but there’s no rule book that prohibits us from doing cool stuff like this year round! I want to do more!
We tend to get stuck in some typical married people ruts. We’re trying to change that this year by having more just because experiences. We’re approaching our tenth anniversary, and we’re ready to shake life up a bit.
Don’t wait until you’ve been married a decade to adopt an Experience Life philosophy. You can accumulate many memories without spending a lot of money. It just takes some planning and follow-through! Start now while you’re dating and keep actively experiencing life throughout your marriage!
Do you and your sweetie grab life by the horns, or sit back and wait for life to happen?