Bushnell Unscripted for handmade, DIY, books, writing, pets, and vegan food
2921 N Tryon St, Charlotte, North Carolina 28206
Finders Keepers Market Information
1:00 – 6:00 pm
Come out and pick up a signed paperback of Manual Exposure and my handmade items: embroidered hoops, original coffee mug designs, Cozy to Go! cup wraps, earrings, necklaces, greeting cards, key fobs, and more!
Bring Mom along and let her choose her favorite things!
2921 N Tryon St, Charlotte, North Carolina 28206
Finders Keepers Market Information
1:00 – 6:00 pm
Come out and pick up a signed paperback of Manual Exposure and my handmade items: embroidered hoops, original coffee mug designs, Cozy to Go! cup wraps, earrings, necklaces, greeting cards, key fobs, and more!
Mother’s Day (May 14, 2017) is just around the corner, and Bushnell Unscripted Handmade items make wonderful gifts.
Charlotte has some great movie theaters, and one of my favorites is the Studio Movie Grill at the Epicentre in Uptown Charlotte.
Check out my view from my sweet seats in the theater.
Studio Movie Grill has the first-run movies you want and alternative/retro movies you can’t wait to see on the big screen. The in-theater dining includes the old popcorn favorite, but they have a full menu to order from, including a black bean burger for your veggie friends! There is a full-service bar, too.
As the video below shows, you push the little button on your seat table and an SMG team member appears at your seat and takes your order. You now sit back and relax in the reclining seats and enjoy the movie. Your food arrives hot (unless you order something chilled) and freshly made. The servers are not a distraction during the movie, and surprisingly enough, the smell of the various foods being eaten are not bothersome. Unless your bladder alerts you, you won’t have to leave your seat for a refill or to purchase the food. All transactions are brought to your seat.
Studio Movie Grill frequently runs a promotion on Groupon for $5.00 movie tickets. If you are like me, and you consider movie tickets to be a nice treat, then you will want to scoop up the frugal ticket price when you see it on Groupon. At 51% off the regular price of a ticket, you will find yourself treating your friends and family to a night on the town and a movie.
Please note, food is not included in the Groupon ticket price, and you cannot use the Groupon discount toward food.
There are restrictions on the Groupon ticket purchase. For example, the tickets are not valid for movies at 5pm or later on Friday – Sunday. They cannot be used for Special Event movies, Crowd Sourcing, or Film Series Movies. There are extra fees for 3D movies. See the link above for additional restrictions.
If you are attending a movie where you may be running late, or you anticipate the theater will be full, then you may want to redeem the Groupon tickets online and reserve the exact seat that you want (a $1.50 convenience fee/seat applies).
Otherwise, have your Groupon ticket ready to redeem at the counter, and you can pick your seat from the ones still available. You will know going into the theater what seat number you will be sitting in. Pretty cool, eh?
Parking in Uptown isn’t scary at all once you realize that SMG validates parking (up to 4 hrs) in the self-parking area of the EpiCentre parking deck for guests of Studio Movie Grill. Valet parking will not be validated.
Be sure to check out the other restaurants and stores at the Epicentre. Fun events happen every day of the week, and if you are still hungry after the movie, you can swing into Five Guys and feed your french fry addiction. I know I’m not the only one who loves a potato.
Studio Movie Grill Experience from Studio Movie Grill on Vimeo.
210 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
704-972-1062
Check out some of the views you can see at the Epicentre!
This post contains affiliate links that help to support me and my french fry habit.
As someone still new to the Charlotte scene, I’m always searching for fun and affordable events to attend within the city. One of my favorite places to find information that fits within those parameters is the Charlotte on the Cheap list that Jody Mace compiles. One of the events that she recently listed is Bechtler by Night.
The Bechtler museum is in Uptown Charlotte and open Monday through Sunday. I’ve had plans to make it out there before, but something always comes up, and I find the hours are just not workable for me. I’m obviously not alone, as the Bechtler by Night event exists for those like me who can’t seem to make it to the museum during the regular business hours.
Once a month, on the third Friday of the month, the Bechtler museum opens from 5 pm until 9 pm for a night of art appreciation wrapped in fun activities and prizes. The event makes for a wonderful date or outing with family and friends.
Unsure of what to expect when we arrived, my friend and I found a bustling museum entry filled with people in line to receive their bingo cards and sheets for a scavenger hunt. If you are one of the first 100 people to return the completed scavenger hunt and bingo card, you will be offered the chance to draw from a raffle box and win a prize!
As you walk through the museum hunting for the answers to the questions on the scavenger hunt page, you find yourself reading the descriptions for the art and looking at the art in an entirely new way than you have before. As a lover of museums, I’ve frequented my fair share, but this event encourages us to take the time to really read about the artists and the works rather than just scan the room and do a quick glance at each piece as we pass them by without a notice of much else.
The current exhibitions feature Sam Francis: Rapid Fluid Indivisible Vision (on view until March 7, 2016) and The Art of the Print (on view until June 19 2016). This was my first introduction to Francis, an Abstract Expressionist artist, and I found myself enamored with his techniques and works.
On the back of the scavenger hunt sheet, you are asked to draw a quick sketch of your favorite work of art in the museum. I chose a self portrait of Sam Francis. The obscure sadness just called to me.
I applaud the museum for creating an event that invites patrons to engage with the art in a new way. The modest size of the collections at the museum are ideal for this type of event. The museum is not expansive like The Smithsonian, and this helps prevent the patrons from feeling overwhelmed by the game. My friend and I were two of the lucky ones to finish the scavenger hunt before all the prizes were awarded, and we won two passes to the museum! Other prizes included items from the museum gift shop and tickets to jazz performances at the museum.
I thoroughly enjoyed my night at the Bechtler museum, and I can’t wait to return for future nights of Friday fun at the museum.
More information about Sam Francis at the Sam Francis Foundation.
Here are the future 2016 dates for the event:
Price: Free
Parking: Don’t fret – if you park at the Levine Center for the Arts Parking Garage, you will pay $5.00 and the museum is just a scant walk across the road. More information about parking can be found on the Duke Energy Center page.
Food and drink: Check out a menu and times for The Modern Cafe at the Bechtler
Normal Museum Hours and Admission:
| Monday | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Thursday | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Friday | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Sunday | 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. |
Closed for major holidays (New Year’s day, Thanksgiving day, Christmas day)
Check out their regular admission prices, but please note:
Active-duty and retired military personnel,
National Guard, Reserve and their families get in Free!
Check out what people are saying on Yelp!
The first image is of the Firebird, a permanent fixture in the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art collection.
Blue Balls art print by Sam Francis:
Continuing with my series of reader reviews with my original photographs, I’d like to highlight a 5 star review written by Melissa Ann for Manual Exposure. For those who haven’t read Manual Exposure, I believe this review provides great insight into the book.
I receive a number of questions wondering about the level of sex in my book. Melissa says, “I consider the book to be quite steamy without being too much. It isn’t erotica, but it also isn’t innocent. Intelligent and sexy, you need to read this book!”
I love that! Yes, there is some sexual content in my book—I do not fade to black. I can’t decide for you if there is too little or too much sexual detail, as every reader as their own personal preferences. I feel I’ve tackled the scenes honestly, and I want you experience the passion between my characters.
Thank you for a beautiful review, Melissa! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the book and took the time to leave such a compelling review.
This photograph was taken at Reedy Creek Park in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Check out this sunset photograph and another reader review of Manual Exposure!
Snow days in the South are much more fun than snow days in the North. My sixteen years in Illinois were filled with snow and ice storms that felt unending. As a native Texan, I’m happy to be located in a place where snow doesn’t wear out its welcome, but visits often enough to keep the magic and love of snow alive. The local news has forecast 7-10 inches of snow for our area, and the snow is definitely sticking and packing on the streets. Stay safe and warm, and bring those pets inside!
Find out more about Winter Storm Pax.
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Update: Check it out!! We did get a lot of snow–almost ten inches!!!
