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Thursday nights...are Scandal nights. Everyone knows not to call, text, or even look at me for one full hour. No interruptions please. This is the one night I am able to channel my inner Olivia Pope. I pour myself a glass of red wine and my gladiators and I save the world. Okay, in reality, I just sit on my couch, and my gladiators, are really just my sisters who I call every commercial break with the typical “Oh my God, did that just happen!" One thing you can always expect out of Scandal every week, however, is Olivia taking a few minutes every night, to sit back and indulge in her favorite glass of wine, and she thoroughly enjoys that escape from the world around her.

So, if all of this Scandal talk has you confused, because maybe, just maybe, you have never watched one episode of Scandal, then I am sure you can at least relate to having a glass of wine to wind down. For those under 21, maybe a glass of sparkling cider. Sometimes, a hectic day at work and then the commute home, just really put you on edge, so you took a minute to relax and sip. Maybe, after one of those football games, where your team barely escapes with a win, you want nothing more than to have a nice drink. In some cases, you and the girls just want to hang out and catch up, and what better way to do it, then over a glass of wine. Whatever reasons draw you to have your wine, the common thread is that you cannot have wine without a wine glass. I must admit, I once saw someone drinking wine out of a coffee mug, and while I believe in making it work with what you have, that seems disrespectful to those poor grapes who were used to create that delicious wine. 

Now, here is where my frustration comes in. I spent the past season of Scandal, searching for that long stemmed glass that Olivia likes to use to indulge in her wine of choice, with no luck. I had to settle for a simple, wide headed glass the entire heart-stopping season. When my sisters would come over, we were forced to use the same style glass. Oh the terror, when I would walk into the kitchen and set my glass down, just to come back and find three identical glasses with red wine all in the same area. Then, the guessing game would ensue, I would allow my germ phobia to overtake me, pour out all three glasses, wash them, and start over. Just one very big mess and a lot of wasted Pinot Noir. Just recently, it hit me. Now that Scandal is back, why not personalize three glasses for each of my sisters and myself. This would make life much easier. I guess Olivia has taught me a lot about averting crises.

So if you fear glass mix ups or wasted wine, take these steps to creating the perfect Scandal night, or even just a girls night. 

What I Use:

• 1 Wine Glass (Purchased from the Dollar Tree)
• Paint Markers (I usually have these in my home because I love making posters and banners for holidays)
• A pack of crystal (Can be found in the craft section in Wal-Mart)
• Super glue adhesive
• Whatever other decorative items you would like to personalize your glass

My Process:

1. My first step is always to clean and thoroughly dry the wine glass. I have noticed that fingerprints tend to sometimes interfere with the paint process.

Now this is where the fun starts. 

2. Decorate your glass, in any way you would like. I tend to freehand my design, with different letter styles and color combinations. If you are making this for someone else, I would suggest you try to channel the person’s personality in your design.

3. Once you have allowed your imagination to run wild, let the glass dry. The drying process can take about 24 hours, for a complete dry. If the glass will possibly be used regularly, I would suggest baking the glass after it has dried.

4. To bake the glass, place it in a cool oven, and set the oven to 350 degrees. Let the glass bake for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off. DO NOT remove the glass from the oven until the oven has cooled off completely. Removing the glass while hot, thenplacing on a cold surface, may cause the glass to crack or shatter. 

5. After the glass has been baked or the paint has dried, you can now decorate the glass with the crystals or other bling options you may have chosen. Simply apply the adhesive and then the crystals. Allow this to thoroughly dry for 8 hours. 

You are now free to sip, and watch Scandal.

*Only, hand wash your decorative wine glass.