For my thirtieth birthday, one of Drex’s colleagues and his wife thoughtfully gave me a gift card to the nearby Ceramic Cafe. Last month, the girls and I waited for a cold and rainy afternoon’s excuse to go paint. All three of us had a great time.
We spent five hours there and enjoyed the kids’ platter: a bagel with cream cheese, nacho chips with salsa, and baby carrots, celery, and cauliflower with ranch. Sort of a great snack idea! Since then, we’ve had “the Ceramic Cafe special” at our house on several afternoons! It really hits the spot! And it’s so simple!
Sonya and I collaborated on painting three ceramic pieces. She chose all of them. I told her to pick something to paint for Mommy, something to paint for Dida, and something to paint for Grandmama. I think she somehow managed to pick the perfect thing for each of us, despite my attempt to foil her choices.
I got “an ABC”— the letter S. I tried to get myself the letter M or the letter R, but Sonya thought I’d really like a special S. For Dida, she picked a heart-shaped bowl. She thought Dida could put M&Ms in there and have it ready for us the next time we go to her house. I actually thought this was a terrific idea. Then she chose a paddle for Grandmama. I tried to convince Sonya that Grandmama might want a bowl or a plate instead. Nothing doing.
While we were painting, a Ceramic Café person came to take our order and see if we needed anything like brushes or underglaze. I asked her what that paddle was supposed to be. She explained that it was a hairbrush and the bristles were included and would be inserted after the piece had been overglazed and fired in the kiln. Well, that’s pretty cool!
So in the end, Sonya managed to pick the perfect thing for everyone. She did most of the painting, which is why we stayed there five hours. Then I helped her write messages on all the objects, which I somewhat botched. Oh well, it adds character, and there was no erasing, anyway.
Apparently the objects arrived safely to Texas in time for both grandmother’s birthdays. We’re happy about that. I still have my S on the shelf next to me, sitting serenely in its glossy splendor.
Je vous remercie beaucoup pour ce cadeau tellement fabuleux, Mathieu et Isabelle! J’y reviens bien sûr! Toute la famille avec vous, peut-être?
