Painter Up!

After Steve's story on Monday I thought we could use a light-hearted post today so let's do some painting! Really!

This is a good time of year to put any extra face paint you might have around your house to good use. That stuff isn't just face paint, it's body paint and your body is the canvas. It doesn't take much—just face paint, a styrofoam plate to use as a palette and a kid's paint brush. Or, if you don't have those handy, just go straight for the finger painting. No skill is necessary and the only one to see it will be your husband, so let the creativity flow and paint a surprise for your man.

Of course, the other option, which is actually better *grin*, is to provide the supplies and let your husband do the painting on you. You might be surprised by what he paints. It also might give you other ideas to try to add some zest to your love life!

A word of recommendation...
**Relax!! Don't get in a dither over where he wants to paint and what he wants to paint. Go with it and be prepared to blush and laugh. Stiffening up will just shut down the fun and that's not what we're after.

**Drop cloths. If you're worried about your sheets or your carpet, spread out an old sheet. Want to be extra cautious? Cut open a garbage bag and put it under the old sheet. If you're worried about a mess you won't be able to really relax and have fun, which is one of your goals.

**Keep tissues handy.

**Let the first color dry before applying a second. If you don't, they'll mix, which may or may not matter to either one of you, but if it matters, let the first color dry. Also, rather than applying one thick layer of paint, which may crack, apply a thin layer, let it dry, then apply another—again, if it matters. You could take that opportunity to do a little painting of your own, on your husband.

Here's a heads up...
Craft, acrylic and tempera paints are not specifically made for skin and can cause serious allergic reactions to the skin including burning, redness and irritation. Some craft paints could also stain skin, so you really want to stick with face paint. It's nontoxic,easy to use, dries quickly and washes off easily with soap and water.

Above all, relax and have fun with your husband.

Don't forget we still have the Alphabet Challenge going on and you can enter up to THREE times--just make sure to spread your comments over three days. There's still time and I'm loving the words you girls are coming up with!