Cait’s Very Own 1st Face Paint Event
My six year old Cait loves art & craft, which I completely encourage her with (TV vs making jewelry? Go ahead make 40 necklaces child). She is addicted to our local art supply store in the art district of downtown. She would lovingly stroke the very expensive markers (they’re about $7 a piece) and longingly looked at the boxes of water color pencils (about $26 per box). The staff at the store jokingly told her she has champagne taste on a beer budget. She does, really. Which is good! It motivates her to save and spend her money wisely. Mommy buys her basic art supplies, the expensive ones if I get them for her, they’re rewards for special occasions or she’d buy them herself (or she’ll drag daddy to get them for her, tricky).
Some of Cait’s Art & Craft Supply We Use for Birthday Party and Play Dates (This Pic by Ry of Verten Media)
And one day, she talked her Dad into buying her a face paint set, which I refused to get for her earlier (just because she had hit the limit of our ‘budget of $$ to spend on art supply this month’). We brought this set with us when I had to do post production work on my video project. Cait busied herself on the floor, absolutely no sound. When she finally said, “Hey mommy…” her arm was covered with body paint. At the end of the night, Cait had turned herself into her version of a vampire…
spider, bracelet, tribal art and finally a ‘vampire’ face… that’s two fangs and a drop of blood…
The face paint set comes with us wherever we go. Next on her list was to try them on someone else’s face, which happened to be dearest Keira McManus, Mrs McM’s gorgeous little daughter. Cait, by the way, refers to Keira as her ‘half sister half friend’. This is during our lunch together at our local Indonesian restaurant and market, Simpang Asia…
Simpang Asia lunch with Keira and Dian McManus
And then, Cait being Cait… she went to the owner of Simpang Asia, Leni Kumalasari, and expressed her wish of working there as a face painter! Leni, I so so am grateful of her generous heart, said, “Well, why don’t we do it on the 2nd of July then? Make me a poster and we put it up here? We’ll do a face paint by Caitlin for a few hours. What do you think?” What did she think?? She was in heaven! And then… Cait, of course, being blessed by having so many talented aunties and uncles artists, approached auntie Angelina of SoAngel to sketch her a poster!
Invitation and Poster by Angelina of SoAngel
And so the big day came. Cait’s very own face paint booth! She had me pack her plenty of snack, “I need a lot of energy mommy. It’s piano AND face paint today, remember? I need more food for my brain.” Okay sweetie. More strawberry and blue berries, more crackers, two strings of cheese instead of one, a bottle of water and your favorite Horizon low fat chocolate milk. Got it. More coffee for mommy…
Well, mommy and Auntie Di of course wanted some of those amazing colors as well on us! The girls, Cait and Marley, (her little friend came to the event and decided to assist Cait!) thought that I needed a ‘bracelet’ and a golden heart with a ray of white on my face. And for Auntie Di… she got her initial painted on the back of her hand to compliment her gorgeous vintage ring!
I feel so pampered…
Body Art for Mommy…
The Always So Pretty & Loving Auntie Di…
she painted her initial after she painted all of her ‘customers’ faces and/or hands/ arms
She was sooo happy… The kind of happiness that is contagious…
My Little Entrepreneur Artist
I wanted to thank all of you who came and who were there and let Cait painted on your face or back of your hands or arms or all of them! Special thank you to Lenny and her family and all of the staff at Simpang Asia. Cait fell asleep in the car on the way back home, and right before she fell asleep she said, “Mommy, please don’t forget to carry me and the gift from Tante Leni (auntie in Indonesian) and also put the tips I made in my piggy bank…” Yes, love. And those were exactly what I did. I carried the sleeping child, her Hello Kitty gift box from Leni and put all of the $12 of tips she made from the two hour face paint event in her piggy bank…
Thank you all SO MUCH! Cait had an amazing experience, she learned a lot and she had so much fun. From the bottom of her mommy’s heart… thank you.
Thank you Leni (behind Cait)
Love,
L
PS: Pics as always, collaboration between Lolo and Dian McManus. Thank you Mrs McM! Thank you also Sean McManus for fixing my camera!! Thank you Matt Polesetsky for helping Cait set up and staying with us throughout the event!
PSS: Just so it’s not confusing to you… Indonesians refer to their parents good friends as ‘aunties and uncles’. They basically become part of your family. In Cait’s case, mommy’s good friends are mostly designers, photographers, fashion stylists, film makers, writers… So yes, lucky Cait to be surrounded by talented aunties and uncles!
Yup, the loveable, pretty little daughter of yours is surely special, Lolo. I’m so proud of her and I’m glad her first event went well. I will not miss it next time and would love to be a part of it again, of course!! Love you both!!
Ang, thank you so much for the absolutely fun and gorgeous invitation you made for her! Cait is sooo lucky to have such talented aunties and uncles around her. She’s totally inspired to create (and dance and play music) because her surrounding doesn’t ever stop creating. We love you also Ang!