"Paint. Drink.. Have Fun."
We sure did paint, drink and had lots of fun at the kick off of my friend Amsi's bachelorette party.
Pinot's Palette is a franchise "Paint Night" establishment with different locations throughout the country. I learned about the new venture via Groupon and contacted the business directly to see if they would accommodate our "Girl's Night Out." Reshma, the owner replied almost immediately and was able to accommodate us.
She kindly allowed us to choose the painting for our specific Thursday night, 2 hr class that we reserved for. We went with the "Heart in the Sand" painting because it's relevant to the couple's upcoming nuptials on the coast of Maine.
The regular price of the classes ranges between $ 35.00- $40.00 per painter but we paid the same price offered on Groupon for $25.00 per person. Each participant was able to make their own reservations using a special coupon code online. This was extremely helpful as we didn't have to chase people down for money.
Pinot's Palette's only Massachusetts location is in beautiful Lexington Center, nearby many restaurants and shops. I got there 30 minutes before the class was scheduled to start and found street parking steps away from the business.
Pinot's Palette's only Massachusetts location is in beautiful Lexington Center, nearby many restaurants and shops. I got there 30 minutes before the class was scheduled to start and found street parking steps away from the business.
One of the biggest features of this place is that they allowed outside food and drinks including beer and wine. Woo hoo! That was a MAJOR plus for me!
I grabbed some magnum size bottles of wine from NH State liquor store, ordered a couple pizzas from the nearby Bertucci's, grabbed some premade cheese & cracker and veggie platters from Shaws, heated up some empandadas and popcorn chicken and whipped up some steak & cheese eggrolls and called it a day.
I wasn't sure what was available for us to use so I packed paper goods and my wine bottle opener...just in case. Boy, did I over pack. The kitchen had everything we ever needed. There was a sink area and plenty of counter top space for our snacks. I LOVED that there were REAL customized wine glasses, plenty of disposable cutlery, plates, napkins, etc.
They even had an ice maker and a bucket to hold our booze!
There was a cute little corner with cubbies to put our purses so it wouldn't get dirty. The aprons were hung nearby so we could dress for the occasion before settling into our seats.
After we got settled into our stations, the instructor gave us a brief overview of the company, the painting we were going to do and other specialty programs and classes available. The instructor had many years of experience and worked as an artist for Trader Joe's.
The instructor had on a microphone and gave us step by step instructions on what to paint, how to paint and what colors to use. The first few minutes was intense; everyone looked so serious as they slowly brushed strokes onto their white canvas.
Most of us had too much anxiety to paint and feared we would make a mistake. We should have had a couple more rounds of wine before we started. There was some screeching and "whales" in the ocean, "whales" in the sky and "shit" in the sand moments; it was really comical.
Throughout the class, the instructor came by to offer guidance and "troubleshoot" when we were stumped with our stippling techniques. Reshma, the owner also came by if we needed more paint.
We took a short 10 minute break so they paint on our canvas would dry before moving onto the next steps. That gave us a good opportunity to refresh our drinks, grab some more snacks and of course, take more pics!
Reshma always had her camera ready to take pictures of the group when we were diligently working or taking a break.
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| Image via Pinot's Palette Lexington Center |
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| Image via Pinot's Palette Lexington Center |
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| Image via Pinot's Palette Lexington Center |
During the intermission, we went downstairs to take a look at the studio for the private parties. The room could accommodate 30 people and also has a small kitchenette area for food and drinks. It was a pretty cool room. I would definitely be interested in hosting an event there. The walls were covered with mirrors and there was a small stage area for the instructor.
Our break was over and it was time to get started on the finishing touches. Most of us did our own thing; my friend Alice painted a heart with her and her husband's initials in the sand, it was so cute.
I painted my mountains on the opposite side and found pink paint to make a pretty sunset.
We went a little over the allotted 2 hour time frame and concluded our session with a group photo on the stage area.
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| Image via Pinot's Palette Lexington Center |
We all had so much fun and I cannot wait to be back! They offer a "Date Night" class where each person paints half the painting to make a joined canvas. I also want to do a private class with my friends. 30th birthday idea? Maybe....
Also, for those with kids, Pino's Plaette in Lexington Center is currently offering a "Little Brushes Summer Camp" for kids ages 6-12. For $ 195.00 a week, parents can drop off their kids for a couple hours a day for them to make arts and crafts projects and paint. Sounds like a fun idea!
Thanks Reshma for being an incredible and gracious host!
