Our First Mini Chalk Paint® Workshop

*requisite comment about how I never blog, ever

So today we held our first mini-workshop here at the store in Reading. Our blockbuster workshops that Amy teaches are always full and sell out a month or more in advance. I’ve co-hosted two workshops with my Mom in Boston to a grand total of six people. Colin and I were to teach a Men Only Workshop that had one gent sign up only to cancel shortly after he realized his horror. It was my Dad’s birthday, so we offered him the chance to take the workshop as a birthday gift and more importantly spend time with two of his sons. He passed as well. 😦 See the pattern here? With her vast and devoted blog following Amy’s star shines like the Buzzard’s Bay Lighthouse and Colin and I are still but a couple of Maglites. (I don’t care though, a Maglite is a kickass flash light. Cops use ’em!)

Look at me up there! Giving a real stern lecture about Chalk Paint. To nobody! What a shame.

Here’s a good one of Colin giving personal tips to another invisible student. Look at how handsome he is!

I’m being facetious for comedic effect, something I do quite a bit of if you’re new around here, but there’s no doubt that people are clamoring for our mom’s workshops and we have a ways to go until we establish ourselves as teachers.  It’s certainly not for our lack in talent and ability and if you’ve ever seen Colin’s work or my work in our stores or on our websites and social media sites, you know that we are both master painters. I’m not bragging, well, what’s the saying? Oh yeah, it’s not bragging if it’s true. (Brushes dirt off shoulder. Pops collar. Goes to hi-five Colin, but Colin’s busy with customer and I’m left hanging. Puts collar down. Continues typing.)

Anyway, I’m firmly confident in our grasp of all things Chalk Paint® and in our ability to execute myriad techniques in addition to teaching them and translating them to our customers. I think Annie unknowingly conspired against ol’ Colin and me when she said “It’s a girl’s paint, but boys can use it, too.” Just kidding Annie, love ya. There’s no doubt that it’s probably like an 80-1 ratio of women to men using this amazing paint, but I am noticing an uptick in dude Chalk Painters. Maybe dudes don’t want a sausage fest workshop? Or is it that women don’t feel comfortable being taught by two tall bros with blue eyes? The world may never know. Well, we will keep offering our workshops, because we are good at what we do. In the meantime, Amy’s will continue to sell out and be a smashing success, but don’t say you weren’t warned when you see me giving a workshop to a screaming crowd of thousands at Madison Square Garden, lookin’ like Roger Daltrey ripping it up during Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985.

That said, today I taught our first Mini-Workshop. We figured we’d experiment with miniature hour long workshops for those who couldn’t commit to a four hour tilt. Today I taught about waxing. If there is one thing I’ve learned in my experience, it’s that if people struggle with one thing with Annie’s products, it’s their waxing technique. I wrote a blog about it months ago and I continue to field questions to this day. This workshop seemed like a no-brainer.

And only one person signed up 😦

But my student, Jane, was in luck, because she was about to get undivided attention and a one-on-one lesson. She was no stranger to the paint, but admitted that she clams up in the waxing phase. She was a tremendous study, and I’m firmly confident she’ll be waxing like a professional for the rest of her life. See, I was a baseball player for most of my life, and waxing isn’t much different from hitting a baseball. When you know how to do it and you’re in the zone, you don’t much think about hitting, you just do it. When you’re cold and in a slump, you’re changing your swing, trying different things that usually only compound the problem. This is the same with waxing, learn to do it right, you don’t have to waste your time with old wives’ tales and horseshit techniques that don’t work. I’ve written extensively on this subject so I won’t waste more type or time.

Just glad to let you know what’s been goin’ on.

Oh yeah, Madison and I got engaged on Sunday.

A screengrab of Madison’s Instagram announcing our engagement