Painting and Wine Make Better Art at Pinot’s Palette

May 11, 2015 by 3 Comments

Directed painting workshops – paired with wine drinking – have been popping up all over the place. I attended one that I found to be fun and relaxing earlier this year as a special event at The Play Destination. But now there is a local place anybody can go for this fun night out – Pinot’s Palette in Westlake Village.

row of paintings 2

Occupying the space that once was The Pump Station in the plaza at the corner of Agoura Road and Village Glen, Pinot’s Palette is a place where you can take a painting class and purchase wine, beer, and snacks. It’s as simple as that!

wine and canvas

  • Pick the date and painting that works best for you and/or your group.
  • Make your reservation online in a few easy clicks.
  • Show up on the date and get ready to enjoy painting!
  • Purchase wine and beer from our fully stocked bar

Two-hour classes cost $35 per painter, and 3-hour classes cost $45 per painter. Drinks and snacks are extra (but you can bring your own snacks). You can view the schedule – and what you’ll be painting – online and choose according to the art or your availability.

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I’ve often heard of these workshops as great Girls’ Night Out events, but since Pinot’s Palette invited me to be their guest on a scheduled date night, I brought my husband along. I didn’t tell him what we’d be doing in case he thought he’d be the only guy. Not to worry – there were plenty of men in attendance and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun.

husband and wife at pinots palette

At Pinot’s Palette your name is drawn at your seat in chalk on a chalkboard painted table, and everything is there for you: canvas, palette of colors, brushes, water, and paper towels.

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All you have to do is buy a drink at their little bar, don an apron, and settle in. They’ve taken a lot of the thinking out of the process for you–a trained expert leads you step-by-step through the night’s project. Or, you can opt to just paint whatever you want. The trainer on media night had a great sense of humor and encouraged us to hit the bar for more drinks if we were nervous. Of course, you don’t have to drink the wine or beer, but it did make it more fun, especially with local wines being poured that night.

row of paintings

My husband and I both followed the exact same directions, but the final product was very different. Our children were delighted and each claimed a painting for his bedroom. (Not sure how appropriate it is…but they appreciate our art!)

IMG_9304Hers

 

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We both really enjoyed the evening. The class was 2 hours long, and afterwards we strolled over to Casa Escobar for a lovely dinner. Date night achieved! I recommend this for pals, dates, and even private parties. No kids, though – this place is only 21 and over.

IMG_9315Even the signage on the storeroom door has a sense of humor.

Pinot’s Palette
2879 Agoura Rd
Westlake Village, CA 91361
(805) 379-9963

Some photos (the really good ones) courtesy of Pinot’s Palette.

Filed Under: Around Town, Fun, Local Businesses Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Meditation Is Good For You: YogaWorks

April 23, 2015 by 10 Comments

IMG_8984My friend Melanie in a meditative moment at Nicholas Flats

I’m a mother, a writer, a PFA president (that’s the same as a PTA for those of you outside The Bubble), a friend, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a cook, a cleaner, a chauffeur, and I can keep going.

Exhausted yet?

I am. Or at least, I often feel that way. I juggle all of my duties with a meticulous network of to-do lists and calendars, but things fall through the cracks all the time. I am a perfectionist and a control freak, and I have a short temper.

I sound delightful, I know. Wanna be friends?

My point is, the way I keep myself from losing my mind at any given moment is meditation. I don’t do it every day, and it comes in many forms. The universe wants me to tell you about it, so I am starting a series of posts about ways you can meditate. I know the universe is interested because over the last two months I got three separate pitches for meditation products, services, or centers. Plus, at the time, I was participating in a meditation challenge by Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra, a 21-week program that Oprah offers several times a year for free.

Meditation Class at YogaWorks

IMG_8981Class photographed with permission

If you are like me, and you have ever said “Oh, I can’t meditate, my mind is too busy,” then taking a class, where you have to go to a place and sit in a room with other people and you can’t just get up and go fold some laundry because you are too fidgety to sit still, might be a good way to start. YogaWorks in Westlake Village has a meditation class every Monday at 4pm. I participated as a guest a few weeks ago when the rest of my family was out of town.

I have never been to YogaWorks because my schedule only allows me to hit a yoga class here and there. My first thought when I entered was “Wow!” It’s huge. The desk clerk offered to show me a map of the classrooms so I could find my destination. Luckily the meditation class was right near the desk, so I wasn’t lost without one.

The class held room for about 30 people and it was packed. On a Monday at 4pm. For meditation. That says a lot. I managed to weasel into a spot right in front and even though the room was full I had enough space around me to twist and stretch out my arms.

IMG_8983Amy’s voice was calm and soothing, yet confident

Amy, an instructor who was sitting in for the regular teacher, led us through an opening series of breathing and stretching, similar to a warmup for any yoga class. Then she announced that she would be guiding us through visualization exercises for each of our seven chakras, or energy centers in the body. We lay on our mats in whatever position was most comfortable, and listened to her voice.

I found it easy enough to concentrate on Amy’s instructions to imagine my chakra as an energy wheel with an expanding number of lotus flower petals the higher up in my body we went. But I certainly found my thoughts wandering: I was composing this blog post, or remembering what I still had on my to-do list, or thinking about what I would eat for dinner that night. Later in the hour, I heard a man snoring nearby. I was startled to realize that I, too, had fallen asleep, because Amy had gotten to the seventh chakra, and I didn’t remember any talk of the 6th or 5th!

It was like an hour-long savasana, or corpse pose, in which you simply lie on the mat on your back and feel the bliss of being done with your yoga practice for the time being. It’s my favorite part, so naturally I loved this class. However, laying in one position that long had gotten uncomfortable for my back. If I hadn’t fallen asleep I would have shifted and raised my knees or put a blanket under me for support.

The end result, for me, was that I felt relaxed and energized at the same time. I worried that I would be too relaxed, like after a deep tissue massage, but even though I had gotten sleepy and zoned out, I was ready to glide through the rest of my day.

I chatted with another woman from the class as we rolled up our mats and put on our shoes. She said the class is usually that popular, and also recommended another yoga class at that location that incorporates meditation into its exercises.

Bottom line: I recommend checking this class out. YogaWorks lets you try classes for free for a week. After that you must become a member.

YogaWorks
2475 Townsgate Road
Westlake Village, CA 91361
(805) 371-3030

Filed Under: Around Town, Local Businesses Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Hike of the Week: Skelton Canyon Trail

February 13, 2015 by 3 Comments

IMG_7811I don’t usually set out on a hike later than noon, but on a recent Saturday I had several hours with no plans, and I was itching to get out in the beautiful hills. This hike is perfect and the light was gorgeous as the sun started its descent.

The Skelton Canyon trailhead is at the north end of Lakeview Canyon but before the gate that protects the beautiful houses in the hills. You can park on the street right near the sign. There is another trailhead on Westlake Boulevard but there is no convenient parking – you have to park across WL Blvd. on Santiago street.

skelton canyon trailhead

Because these hills are surrounded by houses on one side, Westlake High School to the south, and Westlake Boulevard to the west, there’s a lot of civilization noise and even music from the marching band if you go up there at the right time, so it isn’t a perfect spot to get away from it all. More like getting above it all. Since the hills are green and the poppies are blooming, there’s enough beauty to distract you.

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The trail starts out as a steep switchback-ey climb to the top where you are greeting by majestic oak trees and a mostly level wide path.

IMG_7819Almost to the top! (The first top.)

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The larger trail turns to the west and down the hill to the Westlake Boulevard trailhead.

IMG_7805Don’t go that way. Go the other way (to the right).

To continue up the hillside, you have to go mostly by feel at this time of year, because the trail itself is covered by mustard plant. With a satellite Google map it’s easy to orient yourself and push onward. If you continue along the wash, you’re going in the right direction.

IMG_7790View from not quite the tippity top. The depression the left is the “wash” I referenced above but I’m not sure if that’s what this formation is actually called.

The trail continues to the highest point in the hills…

IMG_7796..where someone has left a cairn for you. I added that little top rock.

IMG_7800This is the top.

…and then descends over the top, where the terrain changes and more growth makes for even more beautiful hiking. It’s fun to look over the mansions in the canyon to the east and wonder who lives there and what it must be like to have this view.

You have to turn around and hike back out the way you came because the trail ends behind some more incredible houses. It’s about a mile and a half to this point, so a full 3 miles to hike in and back. Some of the terrain is pretty steep, so you’ll get a workout, plus you get to see all of this.

 

IMG_7814 Going back down the way I came. The reward was this glorious late afternoon light.

Filed Under: Around Town, Excursions Tagged With: , , , , , , ,