I am NOT crafty. I'm like the opposite of crafty. Allergic to DIY-break out in hives, get overwhelmed, wanna pass out bad at projects. But I love them. I want to think I'm crafty. I look at Pinterest and I pin a million projects-and the never come out looking like they should. Until last week when I visited AR Workshop in Frederick.
Last Friday, I set off to Frederick with some fellow MacKid publishers for a night of fun and art! We were immediately greeted by Adrienne Rupinta, the owner of AR Workshop-and mom of four. Adrienne's passion for her business was palpable-as she told us the story of opening and how she has been working around the clock to make sure everything is perfect. And it was! I knew that we were in for an amazing night when Adrienne shared that this shop is her "dream come true!"
AR Workshop is a modern, rustic, work of art in itself. With it's handmade (by Adriene's husband) barn doors and bar, the rustic rope and turquoise lighting, and minimalistic wooden and iron workstations-it was everything I want in my own home. We haven't even gotten to the best part: the artwork! The samples of canvas, wood pallets, pillows, boxes, and more were amazing. All I could think to myself the whole time was: "there's no way I'm gonna be able to do any of this." Adrienne and her team assured me that not only would I do it but I would have fun at the same time.
We first sanded our lazy susans, then chose our paint/stain for the background. We each received custom templates for our pieces and we set to work separating them and transitioning them to our boards. Once the stencils were placed, we painted away until we had a finished product. Wait, there's more! As if sanding and painting these amazing works of art wasn't enough-next came POWER TOOLS! That's right, we attached our own hardware to the lazy susan and completed it with a stamp that says "Handmade at AR Workshops by Katy!" Full disclosure though: Adrienne's team was SO helpful. I, of course, had a few extra blobs of paint where there should not have been any-and they helped me clean it all up and even showed me the tricks to make it perfect. I always get nervous about going to DIY activities-again, I'm not crafty, so I always wonder if I'm going to end up with something that I would actually want to display in my home-but not only is it on full display right in the middle of my kitchen island, but I've gotten more compliments in the last two weeks on how beautiful it is!
The beauty of AR Workshops is not just the creative part though-there's a huge social piece too. Adrienne has soft seating areas, the bar is available for you to bring snacks, and even wine or drinks in and a group of friends. They host baby showers, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, girls nights out, and more! We were there from 7pm-11pm, just chatting away while we worked and enjoying ourselves. I would have stayed longer if I could!
Grab your girlfriends, your sisters, your mom, or even your kids this holiday season and head up to Frederick and see Adrienne and her team. **As a special MacKid deal-Adrienne is offering $15 off if you use the code MACKIDKATY15 to book before December 31st (can book for any calendar events into January & February as well). Projects cost anywhere from $40-$95 and up and they have youth projects as well that are all $40. Click here to see an awesome video and learn more.
