The Brains and Beauties Behind Alchemy Wine & Beer

Nicole Casell & Anne McIntosh - owners of Alchemy Wine & Beer

(photo courtesy of Nicole and Anne at Alchemy)

Its Thanksgiving week and while I have many things to be thankful for I thought I would kick off the week by featuring two women who I was lucky to meet a couple weeks ago. Nicole Casell and Anne McIntosh are the beauty and the brains behind the AMAZING Alchemy Wine & Beer in Hamburg.

(photo courtesy of Nicole and Anne at Alchemy)

Having opened in June the two gals put everything they had into opening a one of a kind space where all are welcome. Learn more about these two powerhouse women below.

(photo Just a Blonde in Buffalo)

How did you two meet?

• About a decade ago. Nicole’s best friend is Anne’s sister in law. Since then the two have traveled around the world together.

How did Alchemy start?

• With their passion of wine. It was always an idea and passion project and as the both of them traveled together they continued to find great establishments. While they were in New Orleans they visited a wine bar and in the backyard of the establishment the inspiration came to them and from that inspiration snowballed Alchemy.

(photo Just a Blonde in Buffalo Instagram @bybuffalob)

Why Hamburg?

• While looking at locations, they looked at the City of Buffalo, but having a couple wine bars already, they decided to plant roots in the southtowns. Why? because the southtowns didn’t have any wine bars and it just made sense. Anne was born and raised in Hamburg and Nicole recently made the move with her family to Hamburg from Buffalo.

What do you love best about Buffalo?

• The size of Buffalo is the perfect size for a city. The amount of events and activities that take place, its condensed, but big enough to still explore and find new things.

While I was talking with Nicole and Anne, I learned a lot more about them. As you can imagine, opening a business is tough, a lot of time, money and dreams are put on the line and Nicole and Anne did it all on their own. People may have a preconceived notion that they own a business and have staff to do everything, but they are not absentee owners, they are involved and have been involved from the ground up. Alchemy is the outcome of hard work and passion from two normal women who are only in their 30’s.

Here are some other things I’d like you to know:

• The wine at Alchemy is wine you will not find at your local stores. It’s limited, small batch, boutique wines, opening the customers to experience wine from many regions. It’s meant to show people that wine does not have to be over thought.

• They also serve beer and cider (for those non wine drinkers).

• Nicole and Anne are level one Sommelier’s.

• They have a work life blend - never being unplugged, finding balance and structure is unique, but well worth it.

• Don’t be afraid to pay for help. Nicole and Anne opened a business not really having a background in business, but pursuing a dream and they learned as they went. Ask questions and do research.

• Alchemy is meant to be casual, it’s meant to be a gathering space

• Alchemy is not a sit down, full service restaurant. It is a place that offers an array of appetizers/shared plates - easy and humble food (*check out their Charcuterie board next time you’re there).

• Alchemy is a wine bar community space

(photo courtesy of Nicole and Anne at Alchemy)

Nicole and Anne continue to keep moving forward and growing and as they do so they are paying it forward. They have learned so much in a short amount of time and are willing to share their experiences with others.

In the short amount of time I spent with the both of them, I learned so much and am so thankful for the opportunity to share their story. As a woman in her 30’s these two ladies are very inspiring and meeting with them only motivates me to pursue those passions I have for myself.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with these takeaways that have stuck with me since I met with Nicole and Anne- level set your expectations, find balance, learn to delegate tasks, have a good team and don’t ever give up on something your passionate about. Thank you Nicole and Anne for being the kick ass gals that you are.

-B

Mother/Daughter time

—-

If you follow Alchemy on social media you know they host an array of events, from collaborating with crafters and artists, to hosting live music, tastings and wellness events, any event you attend gives off a feel good vibe. Alchemy is open to collaborating with more people so if you have an event you’d like to host, reach out!

The Draft Room- Buffalo, NY

Some of you may have seen it already, but the anticipated The Draft Room is set to open to the public tomorrow (11/17) alongside the new Labatt Brew House.

Last weekend I was able to attend a preview night and it was a pretty cool experience. From the tasting room by the entrance, to walking around the building and ordering the food, the staff was very knowledgeable, service was quick and overall friendly.

Beer Flights

I think it is going to be a hot place to check out whether for a casual happy hour or for drinks before or after attending an event downtown. Its one of a kind and will bring many beer drinkers together.

-B

My top food picks from the food we split:

• Candied Bacon

• French Bread Pizza

• Poutine Burger

Beer Picks:

• Labatt Blue Citra

• Kellerbier

• Hefeweizen

• IPA

My Buffalo Cryo Experience

A few days ago I paid a visit to Buffalo Cryo to try out the cryotherapy technology. Having read and heard about the advantages (see the full list here) of cryotherapy I thought I would experience it for myself and see if the affects really do pay off.

Ready for this!

Dr. Jake talking to me about what is happening to my body during the session

Walking in, it was super easy, friendly and quick. Being my first session, Dr. Jake and Pat (owners) explained each step with me in full detail and really made the process fun and educational. Before heading in the cryosauna Dr. Jake took my temperature (walking in at 86 degrees) you want to see it drop by at least 20 degrees by then end of the three minutes.

While in the chamber Dr. Jake talks to you about all the benefits, what you should be feeling and if anything feels just not right, you let him know. At one point I remember being so cold and he told be that I could march in place and that helped to keep the blood flowing.

Look at that face (happy with that temperature drop)

Once exiting the cryosauna, he took my temperature again and it was at 41 degrees, which was great. Before hoping on the bike to get my blood flowing again, he did a complimentary cryo facial on me (thank you!!) which has all those benefits of the whole body session, but just to your face.

Over the course of the last few days I’ve noticed the areas where I have had a lot of tension, have eased up, my performance at spin class and running the last two days has been better and I’ve had more energy. It is suggested that you do a session every 7-0 days and you should usually schedule it for after your peak workout session. I’m looking forward to going back.

Some helpful facts to know:

• Your first session is only $25

• On Thursdays you can bring a friend and receive 50% off treatments (heck yes!)

• They offer kombucha from Snowy Owl post sessions

• They are located in the Creamery building on Scott St. and have customer parking in the lot located next to the building.

• The whole process only took about 20 minutes which is great for those who have busy schedules and need to get in and out (I went on the lunch hour)

• Wear loose clothing for post session warm up

And lastly, a very special thank you to my friend K. Sweet for documenting my experience for me. Love you girl!

-B

To see video from my session - check it out on my Insta story - @bybuffalob

day of coordination from the day of Buffalo

Image from the day of Facebook page

Recently engaged? Looking for help leading up to your big wedding day or looking for help on the day of your wedding? Let the day of help! Created by Crista Botticello, she started out in the fashion and runway event planning business and has slowly become more involved in the wedding industry.

the day of is WNY’s newest day of coordination company offering an immense list of services to help make your wedding less stressful and more fun. For a complete list of details check out their website here. And be sure to follow them on Insta and Facebook you’ll be happy you did!

BlackBird Cider Works - Cider Hall

Last weekend BlackBird Cider Works opened their new Cider Hall at 155 Chandler Street in Buffalo. When visiting the spot it took me to a pretty cool neighborhood (Black Rock neighborhood) that I haven’t explored a lot of recently. The Cider Hall is a decent size with a decent amount of seating and offering an assortment of cider, cider flights, light food and craft beers.

The outside (while not completely finished with the patio area) was a pretty cool spot offering graffiti art collages on most of the outside building walls and a nice lawn that I think will become a pretty cool hangout in the warmer months. Overall I loved the space and can’t wait to take more friends and family to visit over the upcoming Holiday season.

-B

I tend to like drier ciders so I asked for recommendations from the staff, this is what they gave me for my flight - Dry Oak Aged, Semi Sweet Oak Aged, Chandler Street Cherry Tart, Cherry Perry. ALL of them were delicious, but I think if I had to pick a favorite it would have been the Dry Oak Aged.

A Little Taste of Buffalo Out West

The last couple of weekends I took some time to travel to Milwaukee and Houston. One trip was to reconnect with some of my closest friends for more than just a couple hours and the other was to attend (what we hoped would be a successful) Bills game.

Both trips had a little taste of Buffalo. Milwaukee was really cool, mostly because Shanna and Michelle (both Buffalo natives) were there, but it also reminded me a lot like Buffalo, just bigger - lots of breweries, great concert venues and good food.

Houston was cool because not only did I have the opportunity to check out the Zoo and Discovery Green ( a cool urban green space in the middle of the city), but also got to spend time with a handful of my friends who I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. Houston’s tailgating was good compared to other out of town sporting events I’ve been to, but was still “tame” compared to the Buffalo Bills tailgating back home. The food was really good and the people here for the most part are pretty friendly.

While this trip to Houston especially has given me some “me” time, what I’ve enjoyed the most over these last two weeks is just being around friends that matter the most to me. They remind me to have fun, make me laugh and are there to offer advice and guidance when needed.

While this blog post doesn’t necessarily feature something in Buffalo, it reminds me that no matter where I go there is always a piece of Buffalo with me and that won’t ever change.

-B

A Basic Fall Day in Western New York

Savy and I apple picking

A couple weeks ago I took the day off to simply hang out and do your basic “Fall time” activities (think apple picking, pumpkins, farm animals and more). When choosing a place to visit, it was quite hard - I mean Western New York has a lot of great places to visit this time of year. After narrowing my list down, I randomly selected Blackman Homestead Farms in Lockport, NY.

About a 40 minute drive north of Buffalo, my niece and I picked a great day to go, it was early afternoon and the weather was just right . The selection of apples we picked from was perfect (perfect in my terms), the apples weren’t picked over, there were a lot still on the trees to pick from and it wasn’t overly crowded, making it easy to walk around and explore.

While there we picked out some pumpkins, visited with the goats and pony’s and I even got myself a few mums for my front lawn.

I would highly recommend this location for your Fall activities.

Next time I’m out that way its on my list to stop and check out their cidery (Blackman Cider Co.)

The Buffalo Lighthouse

Being at the Outer Harbor for last few years, I decided this year for the end of season staff outing I wanted my staff to get something out of the Harbor (outside of just the programs and events we run) so I scheduled a private tour of the Buffalo Lighthouse with Mike Vogel.

We walked the property, learned about the history of the space and future plans. And at the end of the day we were able to experience a cool opportunity that provides much history about Buffalo.

I encourage anyone looking for something new to experience to look into the Buffalo Lighthouse Association. If you’d like to learn more about the 1833 Buffalo Lighthouse go to www.buffalolight.org

Getting ready to climb the lighthouse!

Did you know the Buffalo Lighthouse is the oldest structures on the Great Lakes. Located at the foot of the Buffalo River.

Another fun fact - The Buffalo Lighthouse is the oldest still standing in its original location in the city of Buffalo. It is 60 feet tall and has an octagonal limestone shape.

(Photo on the left) Group Shot (missing part of our staff)

(Center photo) City of Buffalo Shots

(Photo on the right) Oh hey guys!

Featured Exhibition: Robert Indiana: A Sculpture Retrospective

I was looking for something to do earlier today so I stopped by the Albright Knox art gallery and visited the Robert Indiana exhibition that is currently on display. Today is the last day for the exhibition, but his Numbers ONE through ZERO are on display at Wilkeson Pointe until September 2019.

It was a nice way to spend part of my day. Check out my photos below showcasing some of his work that was on display.

TWO - Robert Indiana’s Favorite Number

2018 Make a Wish WNY/ 97 Rock Radiothon

MAW Family

Over the course of the last 24 years The Make a Wish WNY/ 97 Rock Radiothon has brought in over $3 million to benefit children in the Western New York area. Thursday afternoon I was able to spend some of my time on the auction lines helping take calls.

Make a Wish WNY is one of the first organizations I began to volunteer with over 9 years ago and it has opened my life to a whole new world. To be able to help give back and help a child see their wish come true is one of the best feelings in the world.

The Radiothon runs until 10am on Friday 9/14, so there is still plenty of time to donate online, stop by the Eastern Hills Mall to drop off a donation in person or call the pledge line (716) 587-8500 or the auction line (716) 587-8577. For more information check out https://501auctions.com/mawradiothon or tune into 97 Rock at 96.9.

-B

Summer time...

Food Truck Tuesdays at Larkin Square 

Its been a while since I posted on my blog and its for the simple fact that summer is the busiest time of the year for me. work wise. BUT I do try my hardest to have some sort of a work/life balance as I possibly can during this time of year. 

Tonight was one of those nights that reminded me that its ok to take a step back and put your phone away and not respond immediately to an email, text or phone call. 

My very good friends Nicole and Jessi did just that. We all met at "Food Truck Tuesday" at Larkin Square {an event I haven't been to since it began}  and enjoyed our glasses of rose wine, the food trucks and just catching up and making new memories. 

Rose all day.. cheers

If there is one thing I'm learning more and more each day, its to enjoy the little moments. Laugh more, experience more and just be in the moment. 

Until next time,

-B 

Feel Good Friday with Revolution Buffalo

We're heading into Memorial Day weekend and I thought I'd share a feel good post update on the gals from Revolution Buffalo. You see it all started when I met Colleen, Rachel and Amanda in the Carriage House studio on Delaware Ave. a little over three years ago {January 14, 2015 to be exact}.  What was an interview for my blog on a new spin studio to hit town turned into friendships and a lifestyle I am so thankful for. 

I caught up with the gals at their studio {1716 Main Street} a couple weeks ago to see how life has been treating them since they began what I like to call a "Rev Movement."

Read along to learn more...

What have you learned about each other since opening Rev? 

Amanda: If one of us is at a low point or going through something, the other two are there to hype you up and lift your spirits. 

Rachel: Each of us has different strengths that compliment one another.

Colleen: We all balance each other out. 

Did you ever imagine Rev to be this big? 

A,R,C: Yes, our intent was to make it big, but to also make it meaningful.

What is your favorite class to teach? And what is your favorite Rev class to take? 

Rachel: To Teach - Rev Ride 45 minutes, To Take - Rev Shred 

Colleen: To Teach - Rev Ride 60 minutes, To Take - TRX {Colleen is an old school at heart}

Amanda: To Teach - Rev Ride 45 minutes, To Take - Rev Row Strength 

If you know the ladies you know besides having their families, they each have a full time job on top of owning their own business. So I asked them, when do they find time to workout and prep for the classes they teach. 

All of them said they make time throughout their day, whether they stop into the studio on their lunch break or pop into the studio early in the morning before they have a personal training session with a client, they find time in their day. They may even stop by and take a class from other local studios like Long + Lean Pilates or Barre Centric to change up their routine.

They prep for the classes they teach late at night or in the car if they hear a song come on the radio. They plan their classes on how how they're feeling. The playlists they create feature an array of music in which all the Rev instructors can share with one another and that sometimes helps get inspiration for their class.

What do you love most about owning your own business? 

Colleen: The control of the experience for the client. When someone walks in the door that feeling they feel the moment they walk in is special and we are a part of making it special. 

Rachel: Meeting new people and making new connections. 

Amanda: Her life got full when Rev began. Meeting new people and sharing the same interests and lifestyle with new people. And knowing it all doesn't have to get done in one day. Work will always be there.

What is your favorite memory so far? 

Amanda: When they first opened it was all hands on deck. The late nights after teaching classes; cleaning, painting, doing so much to get the studio ready and keep it in tact. Three years later they have a lot more people to help keep the studio running. 

Colleen: When we hired our first instructor and saw the class sell out. Its a cool feeling to be so passionate and have our Rev instructors have that same amount of passion and care as we do. There is pride about Rev fitness and each other and we have a great group of people with us. 

Rachel: When we moved from the carriage house and had our first class at 1716 Main Street. To see the first class take off here was pretty awesome. 

Would you do it all again knowing what you know now? 

A,C,R: YES! Absolutely, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves without it. 

Why do you think people choose Rev?

A,C,R: Its a combination of things, the sense of intimacy, the high standards not only we carry, but our entire staff carries as well. People come to sweat, but also to be a part of the "Rev life." Good attracts good and we all like to meet new people and be a part of the community's everyday routine.

What have you learned most since opening Rev? 

A, C, R: We all learned how to be flexible and understand what a "true passion" really is and what it really means, when you're 100% in it, it's a cool feeling. We are so much stronger than we used to be. When you face your fear you learn to have thick skin. "I'm in this, own it and move forward."

What are your plans for down the road? 

Well Buffalo, stay tuned for the answer to this question. Some exciting news is to be shared soon, so make sure to follow Revolution Buffalo on social media! :) 

So with that I'm going to put in my two cents now. What I can tell you from my experience going to Rev is, this "Rev Nation" that I like to call it, is strong, powerful and most importantly its positive. Rev is one place in town that I know I can always go and know I will have a good experience. Its a place I count on when I need a pick me up or just feel good vibes, I walk in and my entire mood is changed. Its more than just a building with four walls, its a community, a lifestyle, a family. A family that encourages one another, lifts one another up and represents what Western New York is, a "City of Good Neighbors." 

I am a better person for knowing these three ladies. Not only do they and their entire staff help make you a stronger person physically, they also make you a stronger person mentally. You will sweat more and laugh more, but you will also learn to love more. That's the #RevLife

And on that note I will end with a quote that has stuck with me since my first class at Rev and that is from Rachel "We are not tired, we are strong." and that we all are. xo

-B

The Maned Wolf at the Buffalo Zoo

If you know me you know my love for animals and you know my love for the Buffalo Zoo. A couple years ago I decided to sponsor the Maned Wolf exhibit at the Zoo. Located in the Vanishing Animals North section of the Zoo, the Maned Wolf's exhibit is near Zebras, Scout the {adorable!} red panda and the snow leopards exhibits. 

Vanishing Animals North is located in the upper right hand corner of the Zoo map

I reached out to my friends at the Zoo to see if I could learn more about the beautiful animals in the exhibit I sponsor and meet their keeper. Thanks to the Zoo staff I was able to meet with Catherine Carroll about two weeks ago to learn more about Kev and Elisa the two maned wolves that call the Buffalo Zoo their home. To spare you a long, long post {because I could talk forever about animals} I summarized what I learned below...

Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Zoo 

Kev is 11 and Elisa is 15, similar to a dog a unique feature guests may not know is the maned wolf has a unique bark/howl that is not 100% a bark, nor howl. Both animals have access to the outdoors at night as long as the temperature outside is over 30 degrees. They have enrichment every day that includes everything from toys, moving around exhibit pieces {such as logs and putting natural spices on them} and hiding toys in hay piles to name a few. They each get a "wolf smoothie" everyday to get the fruits and veggies they need for their diet and they are fed separately. The keepers track records of what they eat, how much they eat and do daily exams on both of them. Kev and Elisa enjoy to snuggle and you can often seem them cuddled together on top of the tall rock on the right hand side of the their exhibit. 

Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Zoo

Catherine is born and raised in Buffalo and has been a keeper at the Buffalo Zoo for over 25+ years. Let me tell you she is an amazing person! She always knew she wanted to be a keeper and has a love for all animals, saying they are like her"children." She is a lead keeper so not only does she care for the animals and clean the exhibit and prepare meals for them, she also is in charge of scheduling other keepers on her team, ordering supplies and much, much more. She works with other animal departments and other Zoo's to see what enrichment programs they do with their animals and to bounce ideas off of each other. 

Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Zoo

One thing many people may not know, is a lot of keepers do more than just take care of animals. In their spare time they may run fundraisers or programs that focus on other conservation efforts that play a very important role in not only our lives, but in the lives of the animals they care for each and every day. 

Talking with Catherine only made me appreciate more of the work her and the rest of the keepers at the Buffalo Zoo and around the world do to care for animals. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that we {the general public} may take for granted. The next time you're at the Buffalo Zoo make sure to pay a visit to the Vanishing Animals North section and appreciate all the beautiful animals you can see and learn about. 

Thank you Catherine {& team} for all that you do each and every day. 

-B

Experience Great Beer

Back on April 2, 2014 I shared my first brewery interview with my followers. That brewery has become one of my favorite places in Buffalo and it is Resurgence. Fast forward to present day and I can now say that Jeff and his team have taken me under their wings to let me be apart of their team, "their family" and its quite special. 

I thought it would be fun to catch up with Jeff and see how life is going. So please read on! 

If you haven't heard by now, Resurgence is opening another location in the Old First Ward {specifically 55 Chicago St.} and offering up a lot more space, more beer, open air beer gardens, a banquet hall, a parking lot to accommodate up to 250 spaces and the list goes on. While the new location is prime for those in the OFW and downtown, the Niagara St. location will remain open and become more of an R&D location, providing an opportunity to experiment more. 

When I spoke with Jeff I asked him what he enjoys most about owning his own business, specifically a beer business and he said he enjoys talking about beer, it was that simple. He enjoys talking about it with his customers, he enjoys flavor profiling and growing the business together with his employees. Its a fun place and to see his employees expand out into bigger roles is exciting to watch. 

When I asked him what scares him and what he has learned, he said he's learned more about business over the last four years than he could ever imagine. From cash flow, to making beer, packaging, customer service, employee excellence, its all about learning something new everyday, its the best lesson for anyone. 

His favorite memory so far? The first anniversary party. To look back and recap the first year and next year when the Niagara St. location turns five, that will be another favorite memory and when the new location open, another. Its about thinking of more ideas and having them come to fruition. 

Good friends, Jeff and Rob 

One of the best parts of the industry? The opportunity to work with some cool partners like the one he has with the Buffalo Bisons. For both parties its an opportunity to work with cool people and collaborate on new ideas and do fun things. 

Another perk to being a brewery owner? Travelling to other breweries around the country and learning from other brewers and gaining more knowledge from one another.

So after four years what is one thing Jeff enjoys the most? The creation process, the "recipe development." Experimentation is fun.

Why do you think people come back to Resurgence? Because of the variety, the beer, the area and because anyone is welcome. Resurgence is approachable. We take risks and at times may take some flack, but it brings openness to the brewery, the experience and the process. 

The final question I asked him was would he do it all over again and what did he say: Yes.  

This interview was important for me to share because Jeff was one of the very first people to open his doors to me and show me around, even when the Niagara St. location was still under construction. Hands down, Jeff is one of the best business owners I know in this area. Resurgence is a place where literally anyone can go and enjoy some beer {or wine}, have some laughs, sit out in the best beer garden in Buffalo {that's my opinion} and just relax. 

Thank you Jeff for letting me share your story 4 years ago and again for sharing it today. 

-B

Harlie's Spring Fever

We've all been sick of this weather so its no surprise when the temperatures rose yesterday everyone probably did the best they could to go outside and soak up some sun and fresh air. That was no different for Miss Harlie girl. 

photo cred - K/Sweet 

Yesterday we went to our favorite park - Knox Farms and we had two special guests take part in her "adventure" this time. My friends Kelsey and Chad came along for the fun. Harlie was so excited not only to be out and about, but to be around other people and dogs. It was a fun afternoon by all and Harlie's looking forward to her next trip back to the Farm.  

Harlie and Friends  

Check out my Insta-story (@bybuffalob) for some of the videos taken yesterday. 

Pit stop at the Library in the Woods 

B

Impact Cycle

Smoothies and Spin, what could be better...

Motivation, Strength, Courage - these are just three things IMPACT Next Level does for anyone who steps foot inside their doors. IMPACT is located inside the HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo. While they have been around for a few years, whats new to the streets is their IMPACT Cycle and IMPACT Yoga classes that began last month. :) 

Thanks to my very good friend, Kelsey I was able to take a cycle class with Jason Jerome last night. If you know Jason you know how passionate, dedicated and encouraging he is and his ability to push you to do your absolute best goes above and beyond anyone's expectations.

The cycle class was fun, encouraging and challenging {in a good way}. So for all my fitness friends and/or friends that work in the downtown area, if you're looking to check out a new place or change up your workout, pay a visit to IMPACT. 

If you are taking a class note the cycle and yoga studios are located right next door to the Healthy Scratch {perfect for a post work out smoothie or meal ;)}. To see snippets of my class from last night check out my insta-story on Instagram at @bybuffalob. 

IMPACT also offers more than just cycle and yoga classes. To learn more check out impactnextlevel.com for class schedules, pricing and more. 

-B

Providing Inspiration Over Coffee and Conversation

In one week I will be a part of an evening where people will be sharing stories of hope, love and inspiration. Things I think this world needs a lot more of nowadays. When I was asked to partake in this event, I was honored. Honored in the sense that one of the most important things to me, is inspiring people {whether I know them or not} to never give up and to know there is always someone there for them.

One of the best things I've gotten out of starting my own blog was getting to meet people within the local community who continue to inspire me each and every day. Next Thursday at 6:30 pm I'll be alongside my very good friend Kate from Hope Rises  who invited me to speak about Just a Blonde in Buffalo at the upcoming Daily Chatter event at Daily Planet Coffee Co. Inc. 

Not only will Kate and myself be sharing our stories, but you will get to meet a handful of amazing speakers who will be sharing their stories about hope and love. 

Come enjoy a delicious cup of coffee followed by some good conversation  on the 12th. 

-B

My Easter Traditions

Dyngus Day 2017 

Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. I don't have any particular reason why, maybe its just because its during a time where we are entering a new season and the fresh air just feels good, who knows. Anyways, last year right around this time I was gearing up to head to Poland with my best friend. While this year I don't have that trip planned I thought I would share with you some of my favorite things to do over these next few days. 

Polska flags are up on Paderewski Drive 

I've already been to the Broadway Market once this week, just to scope things out, grab my pussy willows for my floral arrangement and grab some Easter Polish eggs {something I seek out every year}. Tomorrow is Holy Thursday, when I was in grammar school I remember going to mass in the evening and at the end of it, MSGR. and the altar servers would clear the altar of everything. While I haven't been in a very, very long time, I'm thinking of checking out the One Night and Seven Churches Pilgrimage hosted by Broadway Fillmore Alive tomorrow. 

Good  Friday is interesting, for the simple fact that my Dad, sister and kids and sometimes my brother head to the Broadway Market in the afternoon to get all the Polish food for Easter breakfast - polish sausage, pierogi, butter lamb, platzek, horseradish and some chocolate. We go at one of the busiest times, but that's what makes it fun!

Heading into Saturday for the last 5 years or so I have been taking the Easter basket to St. Stan's with my good friend Annette to get blessed. Its amazing how many people come to get their baskets blessed there, its actually encouraging to see. From there sometimes my niece will come over and help color eggs and we'll go to evening mass. There are some occasions where we will go to Easter Sunday mass, but the last few years its been Saturday evenings. 

Sunday morning the family will come over and we'll {actually I'll eat way to much pierogi} and the kids will search for Easter eggs in an Easter egg hunt that I make up each year. We'll go visit my Grandma and just relax. And then Monday we celebrate - DYNGUS DAY! If I go out {it really is weather dependent} I always go to the Broadway/Fillmore area - its historic Polonia and if you're going to celebrate it needs to be in the right neighborhood in my opinion. 

While there are other Polish traditions that other family's may celebrate that's just an insight into how my family and I celebrate this holiday. 

Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy!

-B 

33 Years!

This coming Saturday is my 33rd birthday. I don't know why, but it just feels weird to say I'm going to be 33, maybe its because I feel old in some silly sort of way. Anyways, each year since I've had my blog I've written a post about what I've learned from the past year and focus on an area in my life that I'd like to improve on. This year is no different.  As I look back, especially over these last 8-9 months I've made it a priority to accept me for me, the good and the bad.. you see I am my own worst critic and I've dealt with some of the worst heartache, loss, challenges, and failures that I have had in my life - both personally and professionally.  

Life does not get easier as you get older {that is the truth}, but if you're lucky you get wiser and learn to adapt to those difficult situations when you're faced them. I've taken some risks to see that change happens, I've opened up more to people and I've failed at projects I thought would be successful. But out of what seems to be some negative situations are really great life lessons that I would not have learned without going through these bumps in the road.

So you may be asking yourself right now, who cares Beth, we all go through shit, yes that's certainly right, we all do go through shit, but what I want people to get out of this, even if its the one person who reads this post, is that you need to embrace every second of your life. What I've taken with me from all this crap I've been dealt these last few months is that you are only here for a temporary amount of time and life is so very short, the best thing you can do is find something each day that makes you happy. People today get wrapped up in the non-important things - working all the time to meet deadlines, caring to much about how many likes there photo got, making sure everyone knows what they're doing or where they're going, {the list goes on and on} that they forget to live in the moment and take it all in. 

As I embrace my 33rd birthday in a few short days I want to just live a simple life, travel as much as possible, continue to learn new things and give back as much as I possibly can {sounds cliche, but its the truth, these are the things that make me happy}. I am so thankful for the family and friends in my life and I cherish those relationships I have because they are the greatest gift I could ever receive. My family and friends are who keep me sane, support me and all my crazy ideas and who always have my back. So I say thank you to "year 32" for challenging me, letting me fail and teaching me; it's because of those lessons that I'm going into "year 33" as a stronger and wiser version of myself.

A special shout out goes to the following people in the WNY community for helping me embrace those tough times, you may not think or even know how much you've helped me, but you have in some way, shape or form and for that I am very grateful. Kate at Love in Motion Yoga,  Lindsay at Nickel City Pretty, Ryan at Seek Axiom, Ryan at Brookdog Fishing Co. and the ladies at Rev - Rachel and Colleen- those training sessions we have each week are sessions I truly treasure. Thank you for making me stronger both physically and mentally. If any of you know any of these fine people, you know what a positive impact they have in the WNY community.  XO

-B

Buffalo Distilling Company

This week I'm kicking off a story on a couple pretty cool guys I met a few weeks ago. I had the chance to meet and chat with Andy and {Frank, in passing} two of the 3 owners of Buffalo Distilling Co. Andy gave me a run down on how it all began and a tour the facility that sits at 860 Seneca Street in the Larkinville area. 

Buffalo Distilling is a NYS Farm Distillery and while they began production in their first facility  in Bennington, NY they chose to move into the city {Buffalo} where the action is and really where all 3 of them live. What people in Western New York may not know is that the guys at Buffalo Distilling make booze the old fashion way. They create their product to emulate this area, they use grain that is from this area along with product from Smith Orchard in Pendleton to name a few. 

Their hot button item is their One Foot Cock Bourbon, but they also offer Brandy, Apple Pie Moonshine {which came out right before the Holiday season}, Vodka {which is the only vodka to this day that I can take a straight shot of and not make one of those ugly faces after}. And lastly they are having a Krupnik release party this coming Saturday, March 3rd beginning at 5pm. 

The Krupnik release and Polka party will feature not only tastings of their One Foot Cock Krupnik, but also feature a polish food menu and polka dance party, with Polka Band, Special Delivery performing. Best part {outside of the krupnik} there is no cover! 

All the guys have a hand in each part of the business and they all take pride in what they do and have a passion for it. Its all about building personal relationships with people and being able to see what you make and how the consumer falls in love with it. 

-B