Groupon and Living Social

I'm not sure when the whole online coupon/deal thing happened, but it's pretty awesome. I've been taking advantage of it since living in NYC (since let's be honest: the majority of the deals are in metropolitan centers), and now that I'm living on my own with a budget, they are a lifesaver. I mainly buy restaurant deals. A girl's gotta eat, and why not try a new place in the meantime? I've had delicious pizza, amazing brunches, and fancy dinners. I've also bought some items for my place, like towels and mixing bowls. And my favorite deals have been for painting classes. I've always wanted to paint, and I never had the opportunity to take a painting course in college. So now I have my chance (Plus, I don't trust my own creativity, so it's wonderful having a class where they tell you exactly what to paint and how to paint it. It's guaranteed to be somewhat satisfactory.). Below are two of the pieces I've done so far (sorry for the low quality photos).

The first is a dandelion painting I did for my mother, and the second is my take on Van Gogh's The Starry Night. I have received the same comment for both of these: that there's a "whoosh" quality about them. So I guess I'll take that and run with it, because clearly that's how my paintbrush wants to move. I have since bought a pack of FIVE painting classes, so there will be many more to come! The next one will be a rendition of Van Gogh's Sunflowers (clearly I kinda have a thing for Van Gogh), and I'm hoping that if I can take a class where you can just do your own thing, I want to make my own version of O'Keefe's Manhattan. Groupon has made me an artist!