Painting with a twist was so much fun. While I enjoyed myself and the teaching artist was great. It…read morewas a little hard to keep up with the pace. Slow it down a bit for the folks in the back lol

Went twice within a week. Once for a kids birthday party which was well organized and engaging. And…read moreagain for an assigned art class (which had three students besides myself) Both experiences were pleasant. I would recommend for anyone who is trying art for the first time and/or needs a no pressure art night out.

Felt like I was in a kindergarten class...the instructor talked to us like we were 5. "Now this is…read morebaby brush....put baby brush in the water cup". "This one we'll call big brush"! "Put big brush in your cup". I turned to my friend and said....no wonder they do this at bars...you have to have a drink to get through 2 hours of your kindergarten lesson. Once I was about 3 drinks in I just ignored the instructor all together and had a blast. The concept is great, I like that they move around to different places that have bars and not byob like Painting with a twist. I'll take another class....but won't take my seat until I've had a few drinks, thats fa sho.

Painting AND drinking???! YES!!! This is the perfect combination of fun and creativity and I highly…read morerecommend it! I went with a group of friends to a Paint Nite event at Blue Mesa in Addison. They had a private room in the back for us, and there were probably around 40-50 "students" total. I would recommend that you get there earlier, especially if you have a large group, so that you can pick seats together and in the front where you can see all the action. The painting that we did was a moderate difficulty level, but I thought it wasn't that difficult and that the easy level would have been too easy. Our instructor was so much fun and laid back. One thing you have to understand before going to paint nite is that this is not going to be a real in-depth painting class. The instructor teaches you what colors to mix and how to put the paint on the canvas, and everything else is really up to you and your creativity. I enjoyed seeing how everyone else's paintings turned out and I was surprised at how different all the paintings were. At the end of paint nite, our instructor gave us a coupon code for 40% off future paint nite events. I'm itching to go to another paint nite and just have to find some friends to go with. Everyone should go it's so much fun!!

What a fun way to get together with friends/family without killing each other!(lol) I came across…read moreCandy's event through the bar's (Lantern st.) Facebook page. It was only for $20 and why not do another masterpiece to add to my collection. So, I invited a few other friends to do it with me. Drinks, painting, great music (jukebox) what can you ask for? Definitely will keep an eye for the next one and surely will sign up if I'm available.

Lorri Acott will be doing a paper clay workshop at the Holder Dane Gallery and Studios again. I…read moretook the workshop last year and it was fabulous! Not only was it the first time I worked with this type of clay, but the learning experience was great in so many other ways. The techniques used have served Lorri well in her amazing art, which is displayed in private collections and publicly in cities everywhere. It was a joy to learn from her; she has a down-to-earth, laid back attitude and a great sense of humor. The others in the workshop were excellent to be with for the long weekend and the experience levels ranged from beginner to seasoned. Because the pieces were raku fired, waiting with the group for the pieces to finish was a fun and exciting time. I'd recommend this class to anyone interested in clay. Lorri and her husband, Adam Schultz, will be holding workshops at Holder Dane in March, with Adam's figurative clay workshop March 24-26 and Lorri's figurative paper clay workshop March 27-29. This is a rare opportunity that you won't want to miss!

The people working the patch were very friendly and knowledgeable. They indulged my questions about…read morewhich pumpkin is best for soup. I ended up with a ten pound red one that made enough soup for my extended family for months to come for under $10. It had such an aromatic smell when I cut it open. Almost like a cantaloupe. The soup was . Not a whole lot for adults except taking advantage of cute photo ops and enjoying watching your progeny have a blast. (Which they did). The pumpkins are high quality and reasonably priced.

We went before and had a good time. This year on opening day no less was extremely underwhelming…read more They advertised magic shows, balloons, face painting... nobody I saw was doing any magic, the balloon guy was extremely unenthusiastic and because of how my daughter reacted, I didn't even want to approach him for one. I didn't see any face painter but my husband said there was one , I believe it was the older woman sitting at a booth with a bunch of plants and I honestly walked right by. There wasn't tons of people (we came in the afternoon) and you'd think that people working there would be more engaging. I saw the owner once but not even a hello. He was very friendly last year and even took a family pic for us. This year I was just very disappointed. Perhaps towards Halloween it may be worth a visit but I don't see a point in returning again. Very sad. They did have (as usual) lots of plastic play toys for the kids to enjoy and a few bounce houses. The mini cows and goats....yeah, behind an electric fence. Seriously. Better time spent at the Aubrey Peanut Festival which is free and has TONS of things for kids to do and a Petting Zoo as well as pony rides. This was not worth $20 IMO

My husband and I went to "Sylvia" yesterday; it was our first time at this community theater. This…read moreis a Black Box Theater meaning that it is a small, intimate setting. This production of "Sylvia" was very entertaining with lots of laughs. The actors were all first-rate with much experience. They offered a free glass of wine before the play began. Everyone was very friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience there and plan to return for future productions.

Attended a "Noon Year's Eve" event for kids and had a great time. Very creative use of the space,…read morewith lots of climbing and playing and even a super cool stop-action animation table. You have to see it to understand. They even had an axolotl in an aquarium. Run by a nonprofit that helps domestic violence victims, according to someone I talked to at the event.

Good place to take young kids. Focuses on art and STEM aka STEAM. Has a fun slide, things to build,…read moreart section and even pets! Friendly staff. Great place to make new friends! I like how they are always adding something new. P.s. also accepts donations aka great place to pass on extra kitchen toys and other toys

E X P E R I E N C E There is so much to choose from! It's…read morelike Painting with a Twist, but better. There are different painting options, and there are also wooden signs, stencils, and other things to choose from. Mary is so sweet and so patient. She's very willing to help those that are not as artistically inclined and she's a great teacher. She's also encouraging to taking artistic freedom with your paintings and not enforcing you to follow her exactly step by step. She let us hang out and talk in the beginning, and take breaks in between to let the paint dry while we visit. I love her pacing with leading us through the steps. It's definitely not rushed and she gives us time to catch up and ask for guidance. It was so much fun, so relaxing, and I can't wait to do it again. A M B I E N C E Mary has a very lovely studio, very spacious and perfect for a small or slightly larger group. There is a fridge, bathroom, sink and extra space that can be used for setting up tables for food (bring your own). During the spring and summer, it can be set up as an open space for those perfect weather days. Mary is so flexible and so lovely to work with. She even went through the trouble of decorating her space and setting up two birthday signs outside. P A R K I N G There is plenty of parking in front of the studio. The place is new and hasn't been Geotagged exactly on Google Maps, I did Geotag it on Yelp - so hopefully it will be easier to find this location from here. It is pretty easy to find once you have the proper location, there is a sign on the door that says Loaded Lumber. O V E R A LL Would definitely love to come back here and try one of the other paintings or even wooden signs. 10/10 Would definitely recommend to check this place out.