Orange Blossom Photography: P/HD+M [2:52]

Here we are - WEEK TWO -
Honestly, it's amazing I didn't forget - to blog that is! This week has been full of... well... life! All of our schedules have returned to normal - Hayden's dance and gymnastics class at San Ramon Valley Dance Academy is back in full swing (even if she isn't). For me, the workday has returned and we are all back from winter break and color guard has started up again with our new recruits. Our Spring 2012 season (which includes another Disneyland trip in March) is looking promising. I have two awesome Dublin High School juniors helping me out and an alumni looking to help out in a few months time. Delaney has been plagued with a bit of a runny nose and cough during the day. Still not sure what that's about. Greg is still working in Lafayette remodeling a commercial space downtown. So... on with my day with my babies...

Localgruv.com was offering a great little deal at Cafe Art - $3 for studio fee and a heart to paint. I thought that was an awesome deal - so I nabbed three. We headed out to the Cafe Art in Dublin, right by work (Amador Valley and Village Parkway, right next to Starbucks). We left the house after Delaney's nap and after Hayden picked up most of her morning mess. Kids were looking cute, we walked in and went to the counter only to see a former student working there! What fun! I love to see what my 'old' students are up to. This student in particular was in one of my more favorite PE classes a few years ago, she's a junior at Dublin High School now. I handed her my Local Gruv coupons and she handed me my three hearts. Honestly, I was a little disappointed in the size - they were itty bitty. Hard to believe they'd charge $12 for this normally (that's what the ad claimed). It seems like maybe the heart was $4 plus the adult session fee of $8 is where they got the $12 from. Well, either way, they got me in the door and that's the whole point, isn't it?

Hayden sat at the table, Delaney stood. We used the paint pots that were already on the table (awesome) along with a few brushes. Hayden wanted purple and picked out orange for Delaney. I painted with green.

Trying to explain to the girls that they needed more paint - because you are told to do three layers - translated into adding green for Delaney and Hayden flipped her heart over and painted it blue. I was happy to see that Hayden understood that she needed to paint not only the front, but the back as well. Delaney was pretty attached to the idea of only painting one side. I painted the other side when she wasn't looking...

Since we were there and the session fee was paid for with the Local Gruv deal, I decided to pick up a plate to paint. We did this last year as well - around the same time. But, Delaney was still car seat bound at that time and obviously wasn't into painting, so all she contributed was a hand print. This time, it was a bit different.

Delaney may look like her Dad... but she acts like her Mom.

Hands down, Delaney did not want any help painting the plate. She fought both Hayden and me, shoo-ing us away when we got close. I finally had to put her on the ground and quickly finish up. We added hand prints to the front of the plate, just like last year. Hayden signed her name on the back, backwards... Delaney climbed on the table...We washed up, paid for the plate and we went on our way - next door for some much needed Starbucks.