Creative fun for small hands
“Self-love grows best when shared. Whether it’s a heart-shaped dish for yourself or a handcrafted token for someone dear, why not mold something meaningful together?”
That was the come-on that led me and my daughter Juno to an air-dry clay workshop.
Juno, 9, is an artistic whirlwind. She paints, draws, and sculpts sand like it’s her full-time job. Meanwhile, I’m the weary mayordoma in her creative empire, rescuing towels from pink splatters, scrubbing blue-tinted faucets and light switches, and discovering sticky door handles and slime in places no slime should ever be.
Let’s not even talk about the, ahem, artistic temperament that accompanies such, um, genius. So, in an act of self-preservation, I signed her up for an afternoon-long air-dry clay workshop led by Teresa Apura at Coffee After Six in BF Homes Parañaque.
The P1,200 registration fee included the guided workshop (“whatever you make is yours to keep”), an air-dry clay kit, and a food/drink voucher. Juno and I had refreshing passionfruit iced teas and the only vegan food item, the aglio olio pasta, to go. I worked on my laptop while waiting for the Tasmanian devil to finish.
Coffee After Six owner Michelle Aro Alava also participated, as she finds artistic pursuits therapeutic. One of her paintings is perched in the restroom.
“The name ‘Coffee After Six’ came from our family’s habit of grabbing coffee in the evening. We realized others do, too, so we wanted people to remember that they can have coffee after 6 in our cafe,” she said.
It was interesting and brave of her to open what seems to be a superfluous addition to the street’s selection of dining establishments, which includes two Starbucks. But Alava was determined to contribute something different. “Aguirre is a hub for all kinds of food: Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and many other cuisines, making it a popular destination for food enthusiasts, even those not from the South. My children and I wanted to be part of it and add something special to the community,” she explained.
Opened in November 2024, Coffee After Six is located on the more chill side of Aguirre Avenue. For drinks, Alava recommends their Biscoff Latte, Dirty Horchata, and Peach Americano. She calls their Beef Pares, Chicken Savory Herb Rice, and Banana Biscoff Waffle must-tries.
Creative haven
More than unique food and drink offerings, Alava has cultivated a creative haven. Her café regularly collaborates with artists from the south to hold workshops on journaling, cake decorating, flower arranging, and painting. It’s become a gathering place for people who love making things with their hands.
Back to Juno. I lost my daughter to the sculpting process. Workshop teacher Apura praised the intricacy of her creations, “Napakasinsin, like a professional!” She fashioned a pair of dangling earrings, flower paper clips, a keychain, pencil topper, and miniature doodads—a rainbow, a macaron, and a burger. She even had extra clay to take home (yay for her, mild panic for me).
While Juno already knew how to work with the materials from the YouTube art videos she consumes, she said she appreciated having personal guidance from an instructor who was giving feedback during the creative process. “It’s nice when someone tells you you’re doing great while you’re still making something,” my daughter said. Meanwhile, I got to work in peace while someone else cleaned up the mess.
Coffee After Six has more workshops lined up: cake decorating on March 22, a vision board session on March 29, cathartic tote decorating on April 5, and an art-for-healing session on April 6.
So, if you’re looking for a place to enjoy a cup of coffee, unleash your creativity, and (if you’re a parent, briefly pretend your home isn’t a crime scene of spilled paint and glue sticks), drop by Coffee After Six at 345 Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque City and be part of the community—after 6 or whenever inspiration strikes. Your inner artist (and your furniture) will thank you.
