Fun Times at the Albright

Don't ask me any technical questions about art because I won't have the answer for you, but what I can tell you is that the newest exhibit at the Albright Knox, Out of Sight! Art of the Senses is pretty fun for any age.

{oh hello}

{I could have walked through these beads all afternoon}

Running from now until January 28, 2018 it is something I would suggest you put on your list of things to do over the holiday break. In my opinion you don't need to know a lot about art to be able to enjoy this exhibition. Below are photos from my trip there with my friend Kelsey and if you follow me on Instagram, check out my Insta- story.

B

{folding table & chairs}

{Without Beginning & Without End}

{the Carousel, yes me and Kelsey went on this!}

{Takashi Murakami}

{Mirrored Room}

#digiPlaySpace

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my Insta story last night on the newest exhibit to come to the Buffalo Museum of Science, digiPlaySpace. Open to the public beginning tomorrow {11/18/17}  digiPlaySpace is made for both kids and adults and is so.much.fun!!

The exhibit produced by TIFF {Toronto International Film Festival} is an interactive playground for everyone. Guests of the museum can explore new media technologies, get hands on with the 14 interactive digital installations and the Buffalo Museum of Science is only the third museum in the U.S. to host this exhibit.

If you're looking for something to take the kids to over the Holiday break or looking for a fun date night or just something to get you out of the house, I highly recommend checking digiPlaySpace out. It's on exhibit until April 22, 2018. 

A special thank you to the Tweet Team, Visit Buffalo Niagara and the Science Museum for inviting me to the preview night!

#travelBUF

-B 

A trip to the Darwin Martin House

A few months ago I attended a private tour of the Darwin Martin House {thanks to Lindsay from Nickel City  Pretty for setting it up for the Buffalo Blogging Network.} Being from WNY I have been past this incredible complex multiple times, but had never been on a tour, something that had been on my "bucket list" for a while.

{the attention to detail is amazing}

Mary Roberts the Executive Director took us along for the hour tour and told us about the history, improvements made and some fun facts about Frank Lloyd Wright and the building. I could share a lot of the facts and information with you on here, but that's boring and I think you would get more joy out of actually attending a tour there in person. The complex is operated year round making it convenient for you to check it out!

-B 

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

My Morning With Seek Axiom and Bkindcity

This past weekend I got to send my Saturday morning with two friends who honestly bring out the best version of yourself. If you know me personally, you know I'm not a big fan of being in front of the camera- I prefer to be behind the scenes, but I wanted to do something different and just have some fun, so I asked Ryan from Seek Axiom to take some photos of me that I can use for my blog. Katie from Bkindcity joined us as well. Thank goodness she did because she fixed me up, provided some tunes for the day and told me what to do because I had no clue most of the time. We started the day at Tifft Nature Preserve. Ryan captured some really amazing photos and some fun candid ones too. Here are some of my favorites from this location.

We then headed up Fuhrmann Blvd. to Wilkeson Pointe {of course I had to get some shots at my work!} Here are a couple of my favorites from that location.

From the Outer Harbor we headed to "my roots" the east side of Buffalo. We visited the Broadway Market while they were having there BBQ & Brews event on the rooftop and we captured some of these shots below.

And then we ended at the corner of Fillmore and Broadway at the new Welcome mural that was created and completed a couple weeks ago.

One of the best things I got out of this day was not just pretty amazing photos, but it was the opportunity for me to be around new friends, to learn more about them and to just have fun and live life in every experience I get to have. Each experience we get to have shapes us into the person we are and right now in my life I want to seek more opportunities, so in the words of Seek Axiom "Seek everything you have yet to experience."

Thank you Ryan and Katie for a fun day full of laughs, I can't wait to do it again! - xo - 

-B 

BNBA Brewers Festival

This coming Saturday is the 4th Annual BNBA Brewer's Festival at the Outer Harbor {Wilkeson Pointe}.  Tickets are still available and its sure to be a fun time by the water. For more details click here.

Happy Opening Day Buffalo!!

Happy Opening Day Buffalo!!! Even though I'm not there to celebrate opening day in Buffalo, I'm reppin' my spirit in Poland. Its a great time to come down to Coca-Cola Field and celebrate everything the Buffalo Bisons Organization is doing this spring and summer.  Make sure to celebrate with us as we celebrate this wonderful season.

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Rock On..at the Guitar Exhibit at the Buffalo Museum of Science

Last week, I joined the Tweet Team for a night at the Science Museum. We had the chance to meet with the amazing staff and check out the new {and so cool} exhibit Guitar. Going on until May 7th the Guitar exhibit showcases the history of the instrument, all the different types of guitars and the famous people who played them and so much more!

If you're not one that likes crowds or can't make it on the weekend the Science Museum offers extended hours on Wednesday evenings until 9 pm. And this Saturday the Museum is hosting Get Out Your Guitar Day, a national holiday, in celebration of guitars and guitarists, so if you're looking for something to do, this will be a great event to attend, for both kids and adults!

-B 

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream - Opening Night

Walking into the Key Bank Center last night, a lot of what you saw was little girls dressed up in their favorite Disney princess dress, some with tiara's on their heads and others with a light up wand in their hand. Growing up I think almost every girl has a dream to be a princess {I know I did}. Last night, thanks to Feld Entertainment, I was able to attend Disney on Ice presents Dare to Dream with my 6 year old niece, my sister and my cousin Lisa. It made for a fun girls night out and was an absolute blast.

From Tiana opening the show, to the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and my favorite Princess, Cinderella, the end of the show was the best. Rapunzel was a show stopping piece ending with a celebration of all your favorite Disney Princesses and Disney Characters out on the ice. My niece got so excited seeing Princess Jasmine and Princess Aurora.

{Princess Tiana}

During the show the message was the same, Dare to Dream. Each Princess that was on the ice had a dream and it came true. I think that is something that makes Disney Princesses so magical, each Princess has a story and they never give up on their dream, making it a wonderful message to pass along to young kids in the audience. If you're looking for something to do this weekend tickets are still available {click here}.

Here are some of my pictures from last night. 

{Cinderella's Carriage}

{Cinderella and her Prince}

{Rapunzel and Flynn}

Thinking Warm Thoughts at the Botanical Gardens

A couple weeks ago my niece and I went to the Botanical Gardens to attend their Dollar Days promotion along with checking out the new exhibit. My friend Jen and her daughter Aila came with us. Because tonight is the Lumagination Launch Party and tomorrow kicks off the almost month long special event, I thought I would share some of my photos that I took from my visit.

I attended Lumagination last year {see that post here} and it was a great event and a different and fun way to see the gardens. To learn more about the event, including dates, times and admission prices click here.

-B

{All photos in this post - Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Supporting Explore Buffalo

This past Saturday if you follow me on any social media platform you know that my Dad and I attended the Grain Alley Gala hosted by Explore Buffalo. This was one of my Dad's Christmas presents this year, since we had such a good time at last years gala at Sheas, I thought I would keep the tradition going. The gala was taking place at the Barrel Factory, a venue I have not been in up until Saturday night and need to go back to, to explore. Snowy Owl Kombucha!, Elevator Alley Kayak and Lakeward Spirits are all tenants inside the building {see my post on Lakeward Spirits soon!}.

{The Erie Mule}

The gala was nothing short of great, from the live music, selfie station, tour of the distillery from Adam, the specialty cocktails and great auction items {my Dad and I went in and put a guaranteed bid on cocktails and a tour of the SS Columbia Project for up to 6 people} we couldn't have had a better time and all for a great organization!

{Look at how dapper my Dad looks at the selfie station}

As I approach this year, I'm focusing more on the "adventures" {big or small} that I can take with the people that mean the most to me.

Until next time...

-B

{Above photos all Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine

Last week my sister, niece and nephew went to see the Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston. I haven't been to the Shrine since I was a little girl so I was looking forward to seeing everything from an adults perspective. When we arrived we walked around a little before heading to the gift shop to warm up for a bit, they also have a cafeteria so if you want to grab a bite to eat with the family while you're there, that's an option. The Shrine is open to the public from 9-9 pm and the lights are on from 5-9 pm. The festival of lights runs thru January 6th and its free admission - making it a great place to visit this week if you're looking for something to do.

It was nice seeing all of the lights, remembering the memories I had as a kid and seeing my niece and nephew enjoy their time there.

-B 

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{my niece in front of the Shrine}

{taking a selfie at the top of the Shrine}

A Classic Museum - A Destination and Attraction for Buffalo

I drive past this venue almost every single day and up until last weekend I had not been in there. I'm talking about the Pierce Arrow Museum, a destination in the Buffalo area. Open Thursday thru Sunday from 11-4 pm this museum offers more than just a venue for those who love classic cars. The museum is a space that shows the great work of Frank Lloyd Wright's Filling Station design along with the history of automobiles and transportation dating back to the early 1900's.

{Frank Lloyd Wright's Filling Station}

Next week if you're looking for something to do the museum has special hours - open December 26 thru the 31st from 11-4 pm and the admission price is $10 ADULTS; $5 CHILD {6 TO 15}. You can also call ahead for a guided tour if you'd like. More information can be found here. 

Included here are some of the pictures I took while I was there. Another piece of Buffalo history that I'm happy I went to.

-B 

{being tourists in our own hometown}

{classic cars}

 

{a good looking bar used for private events}

Rochester Public Market

It seems like it has been forever since my last blog post. I've put blogging on the back burner because my schedule has been crazy, but I'm hoping I can be more consistent on my posts again.

A couple weeks ago I went back down the 90 to visit my friend Arica for her birthday in Rochester, while there, we had planned to go to the Rochester Public Market - it was on my end of summer bucket list and since I'd never been to that market before, I thought why not. The Market is huge and has amazing farmers and vendors to shop from!! I got avocados for $1!!! And a bundle of sun flowers for $4!

{Beautiful flowers and vegetables. These vendors do it right!}

It's definitely worth the while to take the hour or so drive to pay a visit on a Saturday morning if you can... the market won't disappoint you if you are a farmer market goer, it was a great suggestion from Arica!  Skip ahead to this past week where I ran into my friends from Fudge Factors and I was talking to them about this and they suggested I visit the market in North Tonawanda, saying it is a really nice one, probably the most similar to the one in Rochester. I'll have to add that to my places to visit and compare the two.

Until next time,

-B

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{crowd shot}

{wine sampling}

Friday Finds!

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{the Grove Juice Truck is by far one of my favorite food trucks in the area!}

{Flying kites and hanging out with some of the best local businesses on Sunday was a highlight from this past week}

{Yoga night success, a beautiful view of the diamond under the lights}

{unique and pretty cool artwork inside the silos from Silo City}

{I'm ready to work - inside a tour of Ralph Wilson Stadium this past week}

"Where Friends Come Together.."

{hard hat ready!}

Last week I was able to take a tour of the Curtiss Hotel which sits on the corner of Franklin and Huron in Downtown Buffalo. Built in 1912 the hotel is being renovated and should be open in September. Taking this tour was pretty cool, the operators of this property {Mark Croce and his team} are offering free valet parking, smart cars for guests to use while they are in town {for free!}, a rooftop bar {OMG, the views are amazing!}, indoor and outdoor hot springs, coffee service, a 24 hour fitness center {for anyone to use or have a membership to} and a revolving bar and Chez Ami restaurant. Pricing will range from $190-$400 depending on room choice.

Being in a construction zone and seeing the work in progress was pretty cool. I liked it even more, when Conner said it is a place where anyone can go, you don't just have to be a hotel guest to be able to dine at the restaurant or grab a drink at one of the bars. Below are some pictures from the tour. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product in the Fall!

-B

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{view of the Curtiss Hotel from the outside}

{main entrance off of Franklin}

{inside of the reception area}

{views from the revolving bar}

{K. Sweet}

{views from up on what will be the rooftop bar}

{these windows are amazing}

{6th floor views}

{basement views - Danger}

Friday Finds!

Celebrating the first full day of Summer with Make Music Day at Wilkeson Pointe!

A good crowd came out for the Buffalo Niagara Partnership's Annual Report meeting at Larkinville on Wednesday morning. Larkinville is one of the prettiest places to be in the summer

A behind the scenes tour of the Curtis Hotel was quite fun! The beautiful walls from the original building are stunning. This place is going to be a pretty cool place to go in the Fall

Rooftop views in downtown Buffalo got me smiling from ear to ear

I love this!

Dancing with Wolves

   Friday evening myself and Pro Zoo Board Officers attended the Buffalo Zoo's Catillion. This years theme was Dancing with Wolves. The Catillion is the Buffalo Zoo's Black Tie Gala put on by the Buffalo Zoological Society's Board of Directors. The evening was quite nice, the drinks and food were good and the laughs and entertainment post program were even better.

I haven't attended a Zoo event that I wasn't volunteering or working at in a long time, so it was really nice to be back on the other side for one night. The Buffalo Zoo is one of the best places in town, if you ask me. To be able to support it and help raise awareness about the animals and their mission are why I volunteer there . Below are some pictures of the fun night out.

-B

{Dancing}

{Group Shot}

Fun at Buffalo's Outer Harbor - Architects of Air

Its Memorial Day weekend and with everyone thinking of their plans - BBQ's, yard work, etc. one fun thing to do is spend a few hours or the whole day at the Outer Harbor. It' opening weekend and there is much to do! Grab a bite to eat and drink at the Consumer Beverages "The Pointe" beer garden, rent kayaks from the Longboard Paddle Co. Water rentals aren't your thing? grab a bike from are bike rental stand and hit up the beautiful trails along the water.

Or stop by the Architects of Air - a luminarium that uses sunlight to create beautiful colors inside an inflatable exhibit. This traveling art piece has come from Nottingham, England and travels the world. It will be at Wilkeson Pointe thru Monday so if you have a morning, afternoon or evening free come check out all the new and exciting things taking place at the Outer Harbor!

-B

See a couple of my photos inside the luminarium below:

Lumagination

Saturday my niece and I attended the last day of Lumagination at the Botanical Gardens. A fun and {in some areas} interactive light show held inside the beautiful gardens. To my surprise, everyone wanted to see the lights because there was a packed house full of people of all ages walking through the greenhouses and a consistent line that was out the door. It was a lot of fun and I would say my favorite part was seeing my niece ask questions about the plants and trying to find the colorful caterpillars throughout each room.

-B

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{Interactive floor lights}

"Join Our Journey" My Trip to the Aquarium of Niagara

The Aquarium of Niagara - one of Niagara Falls, NY's gems. While I personally feel like the Aquarium doesn't get enough recognition from its neighboring suburbs, it has so, SO much to offer! A short 30 minute drive from the City of Buffalo, their are multiple sea mammal shows, talks with the keepers and feedings that take place throughout the day and are free with admission.

Last week I was lucky enough to sit down and snag some time with Ilene Strober the Director of Development and Marketing at the Aquarium, she told me about their Capital Campaign and fun things taking place, so I won't waste any time and will jump right into it.

"Join Our Journey"  - is a $3.2 million capital campaign featuring an interactive exhibit with classroom, smart boards and a beautiful, one of a kind home for the Humboldt Penguins.  The Aquarium of Niagara is above code in everything, but in order to receive accreditation with the AZA {Association of Zoos and Aquariums} a new exhibit needs to be built for the Humboldt Penguins. This new exhibit will be an exhibit for people of all ages.

Currently the Aquarium is $1 million short of their goal - so they are calling on the community for support. The Aquarium has visitors from all over Niagara County, Erie County, Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Southern Ontario. A non -profit that does so much for the community, now will the community help them?

One thing that opened my eyes during my interview with Ilene is how big the Aquarium is on conservation, not only here at home, but all over the world - from local lakes and rivers to ocean life. We play a huge part in these animals lives and habitats and we have to learn to do a better job on sustainability.

{These Humboldt penguins are the cutest!}

While walking through the building I learned a lot from talking with Ilene. There are 23 new/refurbished exhibits on hand. Penguins have their own personalities and have strong bonds with one another- they come out in pairs. All of the sea lions, including seals that are at the Aquarium of Niagara are rescued and non-releasable into the wild. The shows that are held for the guests actually help the trainers teach them things and to help them learn enrichment.

{Ripple - a fun interactive video game for kids to play when they visit}

Some other fun facts I learned from my visit -Octopus only live for 3-5 year, use their brain and are very smart. Sturgeon fish have a 100 year life span, but are endangered because they are hunted before they are sexually mature, because of this there is no reproducing taking place - going back to the whole sustainability topic I mentioned earlier.  We can throw off the ecosystem if we have to much of one thing.

{Trainers Hallie and Colleen with sea lions Kia and Arie}

{Sea lions are extremely curious and playful}

And how about this - the Aquarium of Niagara has one of the most poisonous and deadly fish there is - a lion fish. If you ask me they look pretty cool though!

What other fun things can you do at the Aquarium, do you ask? {obviously call ahead to make an appointment for these activities}

Public Touch Tank, Meet a Seal, Behind the Scenes Tour {there is so much more to the animals exhibits that the public doesn't see}, Humboldt Penguin Interactive Program, the list goes on. For more info on any of these activities click here. And for a complete list of upcoming events go here . SEALED with a Kiss is coming up on Valentine's Day weekend and that looks to be a fun event to take part in.

A few summers ago I took my niece to feed the seals and she had such a fun time and thought it was the coolest thing. For a couple of dollars she got to experience something not a lot of people say they do. The Aquarium of Niagara is such a fun place to go, all year round.

If you want to help be a part of the journey contact Ilene to see how you can help.

-B

{All photos: Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}