MAKING THINGS AND FIXING THEM
BEGINNING CLAY ON THE POTTER'S WHEEL This is the quintessential class you take when you're looking to take an easygoing class after a hard day's work. And for good reason: Pottery is cool. Example: that really erotic scene from Ghost. The Righteous Brothers and pottery will never be the same. Pottery Northwest, 226 First N., 285-4421. $222. 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 9-Dec. 2.
HISTORICAL BOAT RESTORATION Seattle is a port city, but no one from Seattle seems to know a thing about boats. It's time to change that. You can help restore the "Glorybe," a wooden power cruiser from 1914 that was involved in a fire, then sank, and then was salvaged so people like you could bring it back to life. Specifically, you'll be "removing and replacing carvel planking, framing a new deck and house, and [doing] various projects in interior and exterior joinery." Sounds cool. Wood Construction Center, 2310 S. Lane, 587-4916. $60-$125. 3:30-5:30 p.m. or 5:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays or Tuesdays, Sept. 30- Dec. 3.
INTRODUCTION TO BLACKSMITHING There was a Simpsons once in which Bart learned about metal. He had never heard of metal. "Metal," he said, repeating the word so he'd remember it. Boy, was that funny. If you already know what metal is and you'd like to work with it, this is the class for you. You can make anything from a leaf hook to a candleholder to a fireplace poker. Discover U, 2150 N. 107th, 365-0400. $149. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Sept. 14 and 15.
MOSAIC BIRDBATHS Birds are cute when they bathe. They flap their feathers and put their little beaks in the water. They chirp. It's sweet. In the morning, there's nothing more pleasurable than watching little birds bathe while eating a doughnut. Now, this pleasure can be yours. Make a birdbath with pottery fragments, sea glass, and pebbles. Take it home and enjoy. The Pottery School of West Seattle, 4437 California S.W., 365-0400. $69. 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sat., Sept. 7.
FLOWERS, FOOD, AND FENG SHUI
ARRANGING FLOWERS IN A BASKET You know those lovely flower baskets people send to family and friends when they're down and out or in the hospital? Now you yourself can learn to brighten someone's day with a handmade, personalized flower basket. Class covers fresh flower care and handling techniques, flower selection guidance, design and construction techniques, and, of course, working with floral foam. Floral Design Institute, 911 Western, 749-9464. $40. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 5.
CORDON BLEU Louise Hasson shares anec- dotes about London's Cordon Bleu Cooking School—specifically, how they taught her to make cordon bleu. And you get to watch her make some dishes: artichaut farcis, escalopes de veau Valentino, and vacherin chantilly. What the hell are these things? Better go find out. Bon Vivant, location TBA, 525-7537. $35. 7 p.m. Tues., Sept. 10.
FENG SHUI BASICS Feng Shui is the 5,000-year-old Chinese art of placement. In your home, it's supposed to enhance positive energy flow. We could all use a little positive energy, couldn't we? At this class, you'll learn how placing your sofa in a slightly different spot can dramatically alter the harmony of your life. Discover U, 2150 N. 107, 365-0400. $39. 6:30-9 p.m. Wed., Oct. 9.
ITALIANS CELEBRATE TOMATOES! Tomatoes, like people, come in all shapes and sizes: reds, yellows, purples, oranges, and—the most unusual—striped green. After a tasting session, Bon Vivant cooking club director Louise Hasson will teach students to use the tomatoes in a number of delicious meals. Bon Vivant, various locations, 525-7537. $35. 7-10 p.m. Tues., Aug. 27.
WRITING & WRITERS
GROANLESS GRAMMAR: A WRITING SKILLS TUNE-UP Let's face it, it's the e-mail age, and no matter how many smiley faces you punctuate your electronic mail messages with, they're not going to cover up your rusty writing skills. And what do you do when things get rusty? You tune them up! Tune up your writing skills in this fun, intensive one-day class. Bellevue Community College, 10700 Northup Way, Bellevue, 425-564-2263. $115. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Fri., Oct. 11.
INTRO TO PR WRITING Can't seem to write a press release without sounding skeptical of what's being released? Ever find yourself writing memorandum sarcasm that offends people when all you're really looking for is a laugh to boost your lack of self-confidence? You are not alone. School of Visual Concepts, 500 Aurora N., 623-1560. $455. Tuesdays, Oct. 1-Dec. 10.
THE BLOOMSBURY GROUP AND BOHEMIAN LONDON The sisters, Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, were interesting. According to the class description, "Virginia mined her semidysfunctional but upper-class family to present a world of leisure with a thin veneer over the abyss. Vanessa exuberantly decorated everything in sight and raised a family with various fathers." They also hung out with the likes of John Maynard Keynes, George Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats, and E.M. Forster. UW Campus, exact location TBA, 543-2310. $453. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 1-Dec. 3.
EUROPE AND EUROPEANS
ART NOUVEAU: FROM HAIRPINS TO STAIRCASES Klimt, Gaud�and Toulouse-Lautrec were all associated with art nouveau (or, fin de si裬e style). Depictions of leaves and flowers as wavy and flowing lines sometimes characterize this style. (Leaves and flowers are also sometimes fashioned out of frosting to decorate cakes. That's the other thing about this class: There's dessert afterward.) Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry, 622-9250. $25. 7-8:30 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 12 or 26.
