SHOW HOW: A Night of How-To

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Do you ever wish you knew how to do something or knew someone who knew how to put something together? I think everyone goes down that path once or twice, wishing they knew who to call in times of need. Well this Saturday, August 24th is a great time to meet people of all trades at the event "Show How: A Night of How-To" hosted by Communify: Buffalo.

Show How: A Night of How-To is an event that will feature some of Buffalo's most talented small business owners, skilled men and women and community organizations who will be demonstrating basic repairs, skills or activities in their field.

The goal of this event is to enable and energize attendees with the knowledge they need to perform basic skills and activities while creating an opportunity to network with people who can complete advanced work for them if need be.

Show: How is being held at 464 Gallery on Amherst St. in Buffalo on Saturday, August 24 from 6-9 pm. Presentations will begin at 6:30pm.  $10 will be charged at the door, $8 if you bring a canned good and wine will be served.

For a list of vendors participating in the event click here:

Communify: Buffalo Facebook Page

Created by Stephanie Brochey, Communify: Buffalo's sole mission is "Connecting those who need something, with those who have something to give." Previously known as Buffalo Friends Co-Op Initiative, it began as a Facebook page encouraging widespread use of sharing, exchanging and creating opportunities to help others in the community.

After the tremendous response Stephanie rebranded and launched Communify: Buffalo. Through the events and outreach on social media, Communify stands to connect individuals who are looking for support, material goods, services, volunteers, etc. with those who can offer it to them.

 "There are so many great local businesses and organizations that desire to connect to a larger audience of people and oppositely a lot of people who appreciate knowing how to complete simple tasks for themselves. We hope to make this a regular event and continue to feature more and more of these people."

-Owner of Communify: Buffalo, Stephanie Brochey

This is a great event for anyone interested in meeting new people and looking for experts in a particular field of work. Check it out on Saturday!

-B

Kayaking & Hiking by the Grain Elevators

A few weekends ago my friend Lauren and I went on a kayaking and hiking tour of what people call "Silo City." It was awesome, starting from the inner harbor we kayaked down the lake past General Mills through abandoned industrial buildings that were once prosperous to hiking through silos and the Perot Malt House. It was a pretty cool experience and you don't need to be an experienced kayaker either. The tour was $30 per person which I thought was reasonable. Two and a half hours on the water and learning a little history, you can't beat that.

The inner harbor offers a lot of water activities - not only kayaking, but paddling on surf boards, paddle boats with over sized tires and lots of boat tours.

With only a few more weeks of summer left, if you have time try and head down and check out all there is to offer.

-B

Buffalo Harbor Kayak

[Its a little blurry because my phone was in a Ziploc baggie, but getting ready to get in our kayaks]

[We took a pit stop on the water so I got to snap this picture of me]

[My paddle]

[Getting ready for our hike tour]

[Inside the Silo]

[Outside - converting grain elevators to rock and ice climbing center]

[Inside the Malt House]

[So happy I accomplished it!]

Backyard Wedding

Having done a numerous amount of weddings, I've seen a lot of creative things take place. This past weekend I was honored to be a part of the Mehltretter Wedding on Grand Island. This backyard wedding was amazing! Sabres themed, all the stops were pulled out... from having Doug Allen introduce the wedding party and sing the National Anthem, to a tent set up for photos where guests could strike a pose, Chinese Lanterns as a remembrance for loved ones, a bench for guests to sign, to having Mr. Softee come and hand out ice cream cones, it was one wedding to remember. Congrats again Mr. & Mrs. Mehltretter!

-B

{ Pre-Ceremony Set-Up }

{ Getting ready to walk down the aisle }

{ Stanley Cup shaped cake }

{A little pop of color for the food table}

{Strike a pose}

{The 3 bright circles are the lanterns that were lite and let go in memory of loved ones who couldn't be with the family that day}

{ Me with the one and only Doug Allen}

{Another surprise- Mr. Softee}

{A wedding collage from the Mehltretter's special day}

One of the wedding intro's video

"I Love Lucy"

The great, Lucille Ball was born down the road in Jamestown, NY and every year in the city is the Lucille Ball Fest. This past Saturday a few friends and myself made a trip to the festival to see what it was all about. Grape stomping, chocolate wrapping, music, people dressed up as Lucy and a variety of different tours were on hand for the people in attendance. While it was a nice event, I was expecting more people and more activities- creating this big, over the top event. Maybe next year I will help be on the planning committee. -B

{Lucy Fest video by B}

{Chocolate Wrapping}

{Grapes for the stomping competition}

{ Schedule of tours for each day}

{Video Clip of Annette & Sandra }

Wines in the Wild

Wines in the Wild is a fun outdoors event that takes place at the Buffalo Zoo every July and its one of my favorite events in Buffalo. This year Lacey and I took to the zoo to enjoy not only the wine, food and people, but as many animal exhibits as we could.  While the zoo is under renovations for new animal exhibits the event hasn't lost its touch, hosting a sold out crowd on a beautiful summer night. Here are some pictures from the night. -B

{ Taking a seat by the Otter Exhibit }

{ The NAB Ladies, Lacey and Jessica xo }

{ Inside the Rainforest }

{ Up close and personal with the hyena }

{ Hanging out with Laverne, the Gecko }

{ Besties }

Happily Ever After

This weekend I had the honor of attending and coordinating the Sondel Wedding that was held at the Embassy Suites. Two words describe their special day - simple and elegant. Below are some pictures of their special night. Here's to a special Happily Ever After Mr. & Mrs. Sondel <3

-B

{Private outdoor patio}

{cupcakes with ice cream in the center}

By The Water

Nothing beats spending time with old friends, having a few drinks, a few laughs and listening to music by the water all on a nice summer day. One of my favorite spots to go to in the summer in Western New York is the waterfront and with recent developments its shaping up to be a beautiful place filled with history, beauty and fun. -B

:: The Los Lonely Boys playing at Thursday at Canalside ::

::Selfie ::

:: Just like old times - Rachael and Brian were in town visiting ::

Irving NY

The majority of my Saturday was spent in Irving, NY (south of Buffalo) working the Runway at the Bay Fashion Show. Below are a few of the pictures I captured during my time there.

To see all the pictures I took, follow me on Instagram: @bybuffalob

:: Located in Irving, NY is one of the popular beaches in the area, Sunset Bay & Cabana Sams ::

:: The bar area is full of colorful accents, looking out to the beach area ::

*New at Sunset is an upstairs patio area*

:: This past Saturday, Sunset was host to the Runway at the Bay Fashion Show with TT New York and Ooo La La Boutique/Ooo La La Fashion Truck ::

Sunset hosts a variety of bands, contests and other events throughout the summer time.

Sunset Bay Beach Club on Facebook

-B

Things To Do Around Town - July 2013

With July already upon us I wanted to suggest some fun things to do around town that are merely cheap or free. Here's the list:

Softball at Delaware Park - get a game going with you and your family

Attend the Buffalo Zoo for the day - and catch the polar bear cubs!

Take a stroll on Elmwood, Niagara Falls Park, Letchworth Park, the Waterfront, the Botanical Gardens or Lewiston

Attend a concert at Thursday at the Harbor

Watch the Bisons play Ball at Coca-Cola Field

Enjoy the music at the Larkin Square on Wednesday evenings, play some shuffleboard on one of there courts or simply walk around and see a variety of vendors, or check out the Food Trucks on Tuesdays at Larkin Square from 5-8pm.

 Here is a list of some of the other Events taking place in July:

Artpark - OAR concert - July 10

Frank Lloyd Wright's Graycliff Mansion - July 12, 19, 26

Taste of Buffalo- July 13/14

Olmstead Gala- July 12

Runway at the Bay - July 13 - Sunset Bay Beach Club

7 Chances Charity Fashion Show on the Naval Ships - July 21

Buffalo Zoo's Wines in the Wild - July 24

Sidewalk Sale in East Aurora - July 27

Buffalo Bills Training Camp begins - July 28

Canalside Events - throughout the month of July there is always something going on

-B

#1161

A couple weeks ago I ran in my first 5k run, the 50 Yard Finish. It was one of the best activities I participated in, in a while. While it is only 3.1 miles, the fact that I would be running alongside some avid runners gave me a bit of nerves, but I just told myself to run my own race.

I set a goal for myself to complete the race in under 40 minutes and I did it! The best part was I got to run the race with one of my best friends! It helps to have someone running with you, that way you can motivate each other. The best part was all runners had the opportunity to run through the tunnel at Ralph Wilson Stadium and end at the 50 yard line. It was definitely the way I wanted to end my first 5k race.

The other nice thing is the entry fee to run in the 50 Yard Finish goes towards the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation which provides money to great causes that promote an active lifestyle for children and youth today.

-B

To check out video of me entering the tunnel click here: My Race

For more videos follow me on Vine or Instagram

:: A collage documenting my first 5k run ::

:: Pre-race jitters ::

:: From the stands ::

*Fireworks*

With the 4th of July being tomorrow I thought it would be nice to provide you with a list of some places that are hosting fireworks. Keep in mind a lot of them start going off at dusk (9/9:30p).

• Artpark Amphitheater (Lewiston, NY)
• Niagara Falls by Rainbow Blvd. (Niagara Falls, NY)
• Cheektowaga Town Park
• University at Buffalo (North Campus) (Amherst, NY)
• Martin's Fantasy Island (Grand Island, NY)
• Central Ave. in Lancaster, NY

Where do you go to see fireworks? Who do you think has the best fireworks display in the area, I'd love to know! 

-B

3 Essentials to bring for watching fireworks:

• Large Blanket or Lawn Chairs (for those who can't sit on the ground)
• Bug Repellent
• Great Company

Cocktails on the Lawn

A few times throughout the summer you have the opportunity to enjoy refreshing cocktails, delicious appetizers and live music on the lawn outside the Mansion on Delaware's patio. Usually closed off to guests only, this cocktails on the lawn event is a nice treat for people who want to enjoy a nice happy hour outside in Buffalo. There are a couple more dates to enjoy cocktails on the lawn, keep up to date here.

-B

Live Music at Thursday at the Harbor

Every Thursday during the summer you have an opportunity to check out a wide variety of different musicians that perform at the harbor. This past week a few friends and myself went to see Blackstreet and despite the drizzly rain a good crowd turned out.

-B

Click here for the rest of the summers concert lineup: Thursday at the Harbor

Events this Week

Monday is out of the way and we are headed in another week that has a handful of events taking place. Here are some of them:

:: Tuesday ::

Bidwell Park Concert Series

Food Truck Tuesdays at Larkin Square

:: Wednesday ::

Cocktails on the Lawn - Mansion on Delaware

Live at Larkin

:: Thursday ::

Thursday at Canalside

Kiss of Color Fashion Show

:: Friday ::

Summers Eve Gala at Hotel Lafayette

:: Saturday ::

50 Yard Finish

TT New York's Runway at the Bay

The White Party

:: Other events taking place ::

• Shakespeare in Delaware Park (every night except Tuesdays) Hamlet
• Buffalo Tours in and around Canalside
• Forest Lawn Cemetery Tours 
• Garden Festival

Saturday Mornings

On Saturday mornings throughout the Summer the Elmwood Bidwell Farmer's Market is packed with a variety of vendors selling salsa, vegetables, fruit, wine, craft-beers, flowers and more. It's by far one of my favorite farmer's markets in the area. The only thing I would like to see more of is a variety of different fruits. Every vendor who was selling fruit was only selling strawberries, I would have liked a few more options, but overall its still a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

-B

:: Fresh flowers from the market, so bright, so pretty ::

Outside in North Java

Yesterday I had the opportunity to leave the office behind and head into the beautiful outdoors to the Buffalo Audubon Society in North Java, NY. Filled with nature walks, animals and the pure outdoors, this is a great place to visit. -B

:: Nothing like seeing a Snake eat a mouse ::

:: Heart Shaped Rocks <3 ::

:: The sun was peaking through the Grandma tree ::

:: Flowers that help create medicine ::

:: One of the many frogs I got to see yesterday, ribbit ::

Up North

Lewiston, NY is one of the most beautiful places in the Western New York area. While I don't get to visit there as much as I would like to, it was nice to meet a friend and catch up by the water. With the nice weather I am looking forward to more visits up there this summer.

-B

:: Lewiston Landing ::

:: Strawberry milkshake from the Silo ::

:: What a beautiful vies, so relaxing and peaceful ::

:: The Silo - Man vs. Food paid a visit in 2010 ::

:: Boats ::

:: Just hanging out ::

Artistic & Unique for 56 Years

::The Allentown Art Festival celebrated 56 years this past weekend::

::People filled the streets of Allen and Delaware on Sunday::

::One of my favorite art festivals of the year::

::Great message; Enjoy your Life::

The Allentown Art Festival is a time for people to come out and enjoy the weather and enjoy the Allentown District, its creativeness and the one-of-a-kind businesses that make up that area. Over 400 creative and unique vendors line the streets and show off there talented work for two days. For more information or to stay up to date on the Allentown Art Festival and Allentown Village Society click here

-B

Bases MERLOTed

This past weekend, I, along with a handful of my friends and family attended the Bases Merloted event at Coca-Cola field. Proceeds from this fun and memorable wine tasting event go to Shakespeare in the Park. What could be better then sipping a variety of different wine, spending an evening with people you care about most, being a part of a sword fight and getting to walk on the baseball field? This year, in addition to the wine tasting, a farmers market was added making it a nice overall event that is just getting bigger and bigger.  Cheers!

-B

:: My Family and Friends::

:: One of my favorite pictures from the event :) ::

Around Town

There are a lot of events that happen over the spring and summer in Buffalo. Here are just some of the events taking place over the next month (outside of the American Diabetes, Tour de Cure and Roswell Park's, Ride for Roswell).

-B

June 8 - Bases Merloted (to benefit Shakespeare in the Park)

June 10 - Joe's Deli on Elmwood Opens

June 15 - Ooo La La Boutique's Local Designer Fashion Show

June 19 - Stiletto Run

June 20 - Buffalo Spree's Best of WNY Party at Sheas

Paddle Boat Tours (variety of dates and times throughout the month)

June 26 - Mansion on Delaware - Cocktails on the Lawn

June 28 - Great Gatsby - Summer's Eve Gala at the Hotel Lafayette

June 28- June 30 - Niagara Falls Music and Art Festival