Stage One: Can’t Wait to Paint!
That wonderful gentleman in your favorite frat just asked you to formal and you cannot wait to get started on his cooler! You start googling pictures for inspiration, sketching ideas, and reading every post on Cooler Connection on Facebook. You just know you’re going to have so much fun painting aside your best friends who are also going.
Stage Two: Cooler Confusion
You’ve been daydreaming for days when you suddenly realize formal is only a couple of weeks away. It’s time to put this plan into action! You and your friends hop in an Uber and head off to the nearest Walmart for supplies. On the way you look up the steps to painting a cooler and realize: you need a lot more than just paint, brushes, and a cooler. You need spackle, a sander, primer… what is all of this?! All you wanted was to be artsy, not a carpenter.
Stage Three: Coffee or Collapsing
You’ve lugged the cooler across town and across campus to your sorority house and have sanded until your arm fell off. And now you’re too exhausted to even think of what to paint. Where’s the coffee?
Stage Four: Cascades of Creativity
You’re in the zone! You’re sketching, stenciling, painting, perfecting. You forgot to study for your two tests tomorrow but who cares, this is looking good! At this point, every detail must be exactly as you planned it, you’ve already spent this much time. You’ve probably gone through a whole season on Netflix while painting, so that’s an accomplishment right? Besides, this gives you an excuse to avoid exercising to “work on your formal szn bod” (yeah right).
Stage Five: Complete Contentment
You’re done! The final layer of sealant has been sprayed on and pictures have been taken and shared amongst all of your friends. You just can’t wait to see the look on your date’s face in three days when you head off to the beach. Unless it’s three days before and your date just asked you…then good luck.