The Gift of the Weekend

This was a great week for HoneeBee. I was able to connect with a great local business owners like The Wine Palette and share gift ideas like Fitbook that resonated with readers (and my twitter fans). It felt good to know that what I was sharing resonated with people!

So what am I doing this weekend? Scouring boutiques, brainstorming and researching more gift ideas. What are you doing? While I am doing my HoneeBee job (which so doesn't seem like a job) what do you plan to do? Need ideas? At your service....

Experience: The Wine Palette

Want to become your own Romare Bearden...or get to know your creative side a bit better? Why not give it a go with The Wine Palette (TWP)?
TWP is a locally owned company who wants you to express yourself through art. The concept is simple--enjoy a sip of wine while creating your own masterpiece! Being an amateur painter myself I love this concept...and what isn't better with a glass of vino? You are allowed to bring your own wine to the party, and food if you'd like too. The owners, Neha Negandhi and Monika Shah (who also happen to be sisters!) want to make the environment just right for all their customers and they truly go the extra mile.
When I visited the studio they were hosting Raise Your Palette Night where they partner with a local charity and 50% of all proceeds made that evening go towards the charity. That evening's beneficiary was Promising Pages, a local non-profit group who provides books and literary programs to children in need. Neha welcomed all the attendees to the event and Monika was the paparazzi of the evening, taking photos of the guests. In addition to Raise Your Palette events, TWP hosts private events (why not blow out your birthday candles at TWP?) and will even come to your office for team building opportunities with your employers.

While having your social painting experience, there is an instructor that walks you through creating your artwork, step by step so there is no reason to be intimidated. There are various designs that can be created such as landscapes, guitar, zen tree, etc and all are posted on their online calendar.

When it was just an idea

When speaking with Neha she shared how The Wine Palette was born. Her first "sip and paint" experience was with friends in Atlanta. She literally had not picked up a paintbrush since she was 5 years old but felt so accomplished after putting the finishing touches on her painting with her friends. She loved the idea and had a great time doing it. She called her sister, Monika that night to share how much fun she had. When her sister came to visit she took her to the same sip and paint place, along with a friend to experience it firsthand. After that visit, the sisters really began to think about the idea of creating their own sip and paint place. Neha said she and Monika "just kept talking (about it)". She went on to say that the idea "took hold of us, it wouldn't leave us". The idea was born in January and now seven months later it is a reality".

While Neha said that owning a business is all consuming and like birthing a child, she still walks in the building, sister by her side and they look around and say "I can't believe I created this". What a wonderful feeling!

Gift this experience

The Wine Palette would be a great experience for the wannabe artist, anyone creative or someone with a keen eye for design, or so they think. Taking it a step further, I could see this as a great date night...a guy taking a girl to TWP would get extra points for gifting such a unique experience, don't you think? This could also be a fun Girl's Night Out or an impromptu drop-in after a stroll down Central Avenue.

source: thewinepalettenc.com

HoneeBee Quote

Olivia Fortson, Scene & Heard Social Editor with The Charlotte Observer gave a great party tip that I consider a great gift idea and I wanted to share...

Party Tip: My favorite hostess gift in the sizzling summer is a bottle of Prosecco. The dry, sparkling white wine from Italy is made by many different Italian wineries and can be found everywhere from wine shops to Harris Teeter at various prices. (My favorite costs $11 a bottle.) It's also a less expensive, and in my opinion better, alternative to Champagne if you're making a celebratory toast. -Olivia FortsonThanks Olivia!

source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/17/2457596/scene-heard-social-editor-olivia.html#ixzz1Sz4Uj7mH

Gift Tip #77: FitBook

fitbook is a 12 week journal that allows you to track your exercise and nutrition. It is very detailed and can be used by the seasoned fitness pro or a novice. There is a page dedicated to your exercise (breaking down strength training, cardio, flexibility) and food log, which includes a nutrient tracker. It even shares the top three tips on how to best use your fitbook, food log guide, sample workout and food log pages.

fitbook is a great gift for someone trying to get back on the health and fitness track, the fitness nut (I say that lovingly) that is bored with their current fitness gadgets and anyone who likes to plan their action steps for fitness and keep a running log. It can also be used for someone who has a routine but wants to document it more carefully for maximum results.

The Gift of the Weekend

The weekend has rolled around and as usual I am excited about it! I plan to have a chill yet productive weekend. How about you?

source: prettystuff.tumblr.com

HoneeBee Funny

"As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled." - Victor Hugo

quote source: retailindustry.about.com/

picture source: jdorganizer.blogspot.com

Gift Tip #75: Window Cards

Looking to give someone in your life a pick me up or a tangible Congratulations? Window cards should do the trick! These cuties get their name from the way they "pop open" like a window and come in different themes like Believe, Practice Kindness, Success and Expect a Miracle.

The pint size cards (2 ¼” wide x 2 ¼” high) come in a box of 30 and include uplifting quotes from Gandhi, Anne Frank and other individuals. They can be given as a gift to someone who you know is going through tough times or a friend whose reached a meaningful milestone. These cards are great way to let someone know that you are thinking of them and they will definitely leave an impression on the giftee.

photo sources: www.live-inspired.com

The Gift of The Weekend

For most of us, it's a long weekend--and that in itself makes it a good weekend. In addition, Monday is 4th of July where the US celebrates its independence from Great Britain. Check out this excerpt (via Wikipedia) from John Adams to his wife Abigail mentioning the significance of the day...

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more..."

Many people celebrate this day with parades, cookouts, beach trips and more. How will you celebrate the red, white and blue?

photo sources (in the order they appear): elementsofstyleblog.com, google.com, prettythings.tumblr.com (2)