Challenge Day 1- Southend Gallery Crawl, Plan B

Hey Y’all, day one of the challenge and doing great! 

I went to the awesome Southend Gallery Crawl this evening and I definitely recommend it. At Ciel Gallery, they were doing the Community Mosaic Project. I had the opportunity to create a part of the mosaic that they were doing, which will eventually hang on the outside of their building, so in the future when you drive by and see the mosaic of the color wheel, I did the light yellow part (see photo beside and imagine it with grout and near a brick wall). Everyone who was there participating was fabulous and I had a wonderful time. Thank you! I also went into Caleidoscope Gallery and saw all of their wonderful displays. If you haven’t been there, this is a great place! The artists are often there working on their art and they are very happy to talk to you and tell you about their inspiration. I spent some time talking to a brilliant artist named Julie L. Bowles and she was telling me about a trip she took to Paris and showing me the photos she had taken and the paintings that she had done from them. I will definitely be going back to her for gifts in the future. 

I then went and met some friends at Plan B on East Blvd. to enjoy some $1.50 Coors Light drafts. This place has the best outdoor seating in Charlotte, and a fantastically fabulous wait-staff. A great Friday night!

My preliminary calendar of events

Here are the cheap and free events and activities that I have come up with so far. I know that as the month goes on, I will find other great things to do. There are a few meetings for different things I am involved in here too, trying to give an accurate idea of what my month looks like. For me, I find that sort of thing fun and I think it makes me more well-rounded, so I included them. It may not be your thing, and that's OK, there are still plenty of fun, cheap events for everyone.

Friday, August 01, 2008
1. South End Gallery Crawl, 6pm- free (reception @ Caleidoscope Gallery for Art for Art's Sake Exhibition, 6-9pm)

2. NoDa Gallery Crawl, 6-930pm- free
Saturday, August 02, 2008
1. Levine Museum- free w/ BOA card
2. Simplified @ The Press Box- free
3. Center City Green Market- free
4. Panthers Fan Fest @ Bank of America Stadium, 11am- free
5. Bon Odori Festival @ Wachovia Atrium, 11a-5p
6. Volunteer to Spruce Up Hospitality House, 9-11a, Hands on Charlotte
Sunday, August 03, 2008
1. Levine Museum- free w/ BOA card
2. Much Ado About Nothing (July 24th-August 10th) @ McGlohon Theatre, 2:30pm- free
Monday, August 04, 2008
1. Project Halo Fundraising committee meeting
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Art, 5-10pm- free
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Arpa, 6 Tapas & 6 Wines- $12
4. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 07, 2008
1. Wine Tasting @ Aquavina, 5-7pm- free
2. Epicentre @ 5- free
3. Alive After 5- free
4. $1 Domestic cans @ Cans
5. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
6. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 08, 2008
1. Movies @ the Park, Freedom Park, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, sunset
Saturday, August 09, 2008
1. Red Sky Gallery, Teapots Across America & My Charlotte Exhibitions, afternoon
2. Tailgate Farmer's Market
3. Open Studio Saturday @ McColl Center for Visual Art, 11a-4p-free
4. NC Undergraduate Juried Exhibition (Launched) @ McColl Center for Visual Art, 11a-4p- free
5. Willy Wonka @ NoDa School of Art, 7pm
Sunday, August 10, 2008
1. Simplified @ Mac's, 8pm- free
2. Much Ado About Nothing (July 24th-August 10th) @ McGlohon Theatre, 2:30pm- free
Monday, August 11, 2008

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
1. Circle Nouveau- meeting
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 14, 2008
1. Wine Tasting @ Aquavina, 5-7pm- free
2. Epicentre @ 5- free
3. Alive After 5- free
4. $1 Domestic cans @ Cans
5. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
6. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 15, 2008
1. NoDa Gallery Crawl 6-930pm
2. Black Dog (and Black Cat) Adoption Event @ Meow & Fetch, 630-830pm
Saturday, August 16, 2008
1. Tailgate Farmer's Market
2. Adoption Awareness Event @ Belk Southpark, 1030a-2p- volunteer event w/Humane Society of Charlotte
Sunday, August 17, 2008

Monday, August 18, 2008
1. HOC Day Planning Committee
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Art, 5-10pm- free
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 21, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Craft & Design, 5-8pm, Free live Jazz- Free Admission
2. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
3. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 22, 2008
1. DMB Tribute Band @ Amos' Southend, 8pm- $10
Saturday, August 23, 2008
1. Great Gatsby Party- sell 10 tickets, get 2 tickets
2. Animal Control CMPD Orientation 9a-12p
Sunday, August 24, 2008

Monday, August 25, 2008

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
1. Mint Museum of Art, 5-10pm- free
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
1. Trivia @ Ed's Tavern, 9pm- free, $1.50 Coors Light Draft
2. Wine Tasting @ Harper's To Go-Go, 6-8pm- free
3. Touch Recycling Event 5-9pm uptown
5. Pop Life @ Loft 1523, evenings
Thursday, August 28, 2008
1. Wine Tasting @ Aquavina, 5-7pm- free
2. Epicentre @ 5- free
3. Alive After 5- free
4. $1 Domestic cans @ Cans
5. Free Wine Tasting @ The Common Market, 6pm
6. Trivia Night at Italian Village Pizza, 7pm, free, $2 beer specials
Friday, August 29, 2008

Saturday, August 30, 2008
1. All Dog Art Show @ Green Rice Gallery, noon-6pm
2. Songcatcher Exhibit@ Lark & Key Gallery
Sunday, August 31, 2008
1. The Human Race 10k, www.nikeplus.com
Always Free
1. Trail Access@ USNWC, parking $5
2. Walk through Freedom Park
3. Going to the gym- already paid for
4. Reedy Creek Nature Center & Preserve
5. Public Art Walking Tour
6. For every 10 books donated to Real Eyes Bookstore, you get 1 book free (3306-A N. Davidson)
7. Dog Park
8. Imaginon

How this experiment of mine got started...

So, like many people right now, my husband and I have been trying to find ways to cut down on our expenses. One easy way to cut down is to limit what we like to call the "entertainment budget." Easier said than done because I'm not one who is really happy sitting at home and doing "nothing." I live watching TV as much as the next person (probably more) but I start to go a little stir-crazy. I'm definitely a person who likes to be on the go and living life to the fullest (and having as much fun as possible). I started thinking to myself, I live in this great city, what opportunities are out there that I am not taking to have fun for free or at least for very little cost? So, I came up with the idea to challenge myself for 1 month to see how much fun I could have and how many different things I could experience for how little money. I've been doing a lot of research, mostly on the Internet and in free newspapers, and, let me tell you, there are a lot of great things to do here in Charlotte for little or no money. It has been a busy summer, so I needed a month where I was in town every day, and August it is. So, my experiment/ challenge begins August 1st.