Color your own fun at ceramics studio
A paint-it-yourself ceramics studio expanding in the area provides an avenue for all ages to be creative.
"Color Me Mine is a place to gather and spend quality time with friends and family while exploring your creativity," said Natasha Braxton, owner of the 6-month-old store in Kildeer, which is across from Deer Park Town Center. Other Color Me Mine franchises operating in the area are in Geneva, Crystal Lake, Naperville and Glenview.
The owners of the studios stress that the shops provide as many activities for children as adults.
"The art of having fun" is a slogan for the Glendale, Calif.-based company, which has locations in 12 countries including the Netherlands and Kuwait.
Braxton, 39, finds the art studio provides a fun option for children so often entrenched with video games and TV.
A popular aspect of the business is the functionality of the pieces. Dog bowls, vases and planters are popular picks.
"We have more than 600 pieces," Braxton, a Mundelein resident, said.
Children often pick a platter that they can personalize or put their handprint in. The average cost to paint a piece is between $20 and $25, Braxton said.
After the piece is painted, it's glazed and fired, and then the customer returns to the shop to pick it up.
The stores offer an array of art adventure-themed summer camps to keep young artists busy when school is out. For example, the How Does Your Garden Grow camp is based on garden-related projects. The camps are listed on the store Web site, www.colormemine.com.
Birthday parties are also held for children, and classes for adults. On Aug. 14 in Kildeer, artists can learn to paint a sunflower platter.
Wedding showers and "girls nights out" are also popular for adults, said Karen Rizuto, owner of the store at Geneva Commons.
"We're booking more adult parties right now than children's parties," said Rizuto, who moved the shop from Wheaton about a month ago.
A wine tasting was a recent popular event. Another session focused on pampering, where speakers came in to talk about skin care and how to de-stress.
A program parents enjoy is the Kids Night Out; it's $30 per child and $25 for each sibling at the Kildeer store. Children are dropped off and they paint a project, have a snack and watch a movie based on a particular theme.
Braxton and her husband, Stan, discovered Color Me Mine when they lived in Pennsylvania. They visited the studio while celebrating their first wedding anniversary.
"We spent the entire afternoon talking, painting and having fun," Braxton said.
The couple painted a chip-and-dip bowl with Southwestern colors. The piece is on display at their shop.
Before launching the business, Braxton was a manager of diversity at Abbott Laboratories. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology and organizational development and a master's degree in human resources and adult education. Braxton grew up in Puerto Rico, where she lived until she was 11, and then moved to the East Coast.
Longtime plumbers: Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC, a manufacturer of vitreous china plumbing fixtures as well as faucets and fittings, celebrated its 75th anniversary by launching a national search for plumbing contracting firms who had reached or exceeded the same milestone. Armbrust Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. of Wheaton was honored for its 90 years in business.
Wedding tips: If you or someone you know are planning a wedding reception, a free bridal and wedding open house is taking place in Lake Zurich. Participants can learn "insider tips" that organizers say will save you hundreds of dollars when making arrangements for that special day. Disc jockeys, photographers, wedding-day managers and information on invitations will be part of the mix.
The event takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Studio 2 Photography, in the Oakwood Court Complex at 785 Oakwood Road, Unit S107. For more, call (847) 707-9490.
Business award: Loyola University Chicago's Family Business Center announced that it is seeking nominees for its annual Family Business of the Year Awards, co-sponsored by Harris Bank.
Awards are presented to companies with a strong commitment to family and to family business. Nominations are being accepted through Aug. 15. Forms can be obtained online at www.LUC.edu/fbc/fboy_nominations.html or by calling (312) 915-7738.
Past winners include Pepper Construction Group, Clarke Mosquito Control, ABT Electronics, The Pampered Chef, Glunz Family Enterprises and Kemper Sports Management.
Short sale? Vicki Watzlawick, broker owner of Exit Platinum Realty in Lake in the Hills, has co-authored a new 234 page book titled "Should I Short Sale My Home?"
The book is designed to help homeowners save their credit and/or homes from foreclosure, and understand what a short sale is.
"Too many people just walk away from their homes once they are served with foreclosure papers, and it is not necessary," Watzlawick said.
The books will be available July 23. For more, check out www.myshortsalebook.com.