Creative Art Studios

So the field trip today was to a place in Royal Oak called Creative Art Studios.  When we lived in Marquette, we used to go to a place like that called the Hot Plate that, as far as I remember, was actually a little more expensive.  One thing I do know for sure is they didn't have nearly as much selection at Hot Plate as they do at the place we went today.  I think I will definitely be taking a trip back to make myself a new coffee mug for my wife to break like she did the one from Hot Plate.

We started out, before the field trip, by going to our bank which is right down there in Royal Oak.  I walked in and said to the nice woman behind the counter "I'd like a roll of nickels, please.  Oh and a dollar in quarters."  The woman looked at me and said "And a roll of quarters?"  I said "No, just four.  Thank you.  We have to park for a field trip."  The nice woman regarded me like I was half insane and then said "So, you want three dollars out of an account?"  I replied in the affirmative and, when we were all done, turned to Lilah and said "Ready?"  The woman finally peered over the counter and said "Oh, I didn't see her!"  It's no wonder she thought I was crazy.  I explained that the nickels were for Lilah.  We were setting up a chore list and for each executed chore, she'd get a nickel.  The woman thought it was a very good idea.  "I'll use it to buy fairies!" Lilah piped up.  See, Lilah recently made the discovery that money you earn doesn't have to be spent on frozen yogurt.  You can, shock of all shocks, save it up and buy a new toy.

We got to the art studio and Lilah was given her bowl to paint.  They went over some rules - stuff we mostly already knew from Hot Plate - and then we got to work.  Lilah's bowl looks like it's going to come out pretty cool.  There are many colors, although it did take a lot of guidance to keep her painting.  To my credit, though, I didn't give up and say "Fine, I'll do the thing" until the second layer (you have to do at least two for it to fire well.)

After we finished painting, we got a tour of the kiln.  The guy working it told us the kilns fired up to 1500 degrees.  Much hotter than the oven, Lilah and I agreed.  After talking to the guy about the kilns (mostly for my own personal edification) Lilah and I went and looked at some of the finished pieces.  She was very good and didn't touch any of them and at one point crouched down in front of a duck and said "He's laughing at me!"  I don't know why it is, but she thinks all animals are laughing at her.

Finally, it was time to go and Lilah said "Where's my bowl?"  I informed her they would be firing it in the big kiln we saw and then they would send it on to her school for her to get probably next week.  She was agreeable, even though I had to tell her the same thing three more times altogether.  We left and Lilah's parting thoughts were "I like this place.  I'm going to tell mama all about it."