Wine and Paint Night…you can do the dining after.

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Since I turned 30, my nights out have changed quite a bit.  Don’t get me wrong, I still go out on the town but the occasions are more rare these days.  Instead, I like to find alternatives that tend not to leave me with a wicked hangover.   My friend, Christina and I, are pictured above with our smocks on because we decided to spend the evening being slightly productive.  We decided to go to a wine and paint party at Artist on the Rocks in North Cape May.  I realize that these places have been popping up all over the country in the last year, but Cape May County is usually a little late to the game.  Better late than never!  All we had to do was bring a bottle of wine to the studio and pay $25 for our 3 hour session.  They provide you with the canvas and all the supplies you need and a slice of pizza (painting is rigorous so you need some sustenance along the way).  They post a session schedule of the paintings on their website so you can plan your night ahead of time.  I have been two times already and you can see the results below.  Looks like a little wine brings out the artist in me!
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Celtic Spirals

Yesterday I went to an art workshop at St. Paul’s in Princeton, NJ.  We learned all about celtic spirals and how it symbolizes the ebb and flow of life.  How everything eventually comes full circle.  From life on earth, to death, to new life after death.  Even if you do not share the same religious beliefs I do, you can still find beauty in the underlying spirituality of a celtic circle.  As we gilded the gold leaf onto our piece, you had to breathe deeply onto the piece to warm up the medium that the gold leaf adheres to.  As you take in breath you receive and as you release your breath you give back.  There was something comforting and meditative about the tedious work involved in creating this piece.  It allowed me to reflect on life and how I affect people and how I am affected by them.  Take time to reflect on your own life and find out what you can do to make yourself the greatest version of you.