#BuffaloLinks - Lewiston Edition

With my trip to Lewiston Saturday night I thought I would focus my Buffalo Links on that area this week. Every time I make a visit out there are I always wish I had more time to walk the streets and pay visits to the local businesses.

{Photo - The Lewiston Stone House Website}

A wine bar that was recommended by a co-worker/friend, this is a must visit place on my list of things to do. The Lewiston Stone House

{Photo - Village Bake Shoppe Website}

A dessert shop that was closed when walking by {that is a good thing} the sweet treats that I saw look like they would taste heavenly. The Village Bake Shoppe

A quaint little bar and restaurant on Center St. in Lewiston. Apple Granny's offers a wide variety of American style food items. Definitely a place I would visit again.

A cute shop I wish was open, so I could have stopped in Sister & Brother a children's apparel store looks like they are on my list to visit next time.

#BuffaloLinks

 

{Photo - Fern + Arrow Facebook page}

This will probably become my second favorite shop on Elmwood after Anna Grace. Fern + Arrow opened last week and I'm obsessed with every photo that is posted. I can't wait to stop in to purchase items for my new home.

{Photo - Nickel City Chef  Facebook page}

Tomorrow night feed your face and help fund a farm. Big Fuss 5.0 is taking place at Artisan Kitchen & Baths from 5:30-8pm. For more info click here.

{Just A Blonde in Buffalo photo}

A new update to the Buffalo Pedal Tours - As the company continues to grow, they celebrated their first anniversary and announced some exciting news - peddlers can now BYOB - there are some restrictions though -  a 12 ounce can per rider or a few 6 oz plastic bottles of wine per rider works out fine. No glass. No hard liquor. After all the purpose of the pedal tour it to visit and experience local Buffalo bars. They also announced they will be installing motors on a few crawlers to assist going up the Michigan Street lift bridge.

{Photo- Deep South Taco Facebook page}

For those taco Tuesday lovers out there Deep South Taco is a new place downtown to check out. For more info on hours and menu click here.

Hey There November!

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photo}

We are on the 2nd day of November and before you know it we will be hearing the Christmas tunes on the radio {insanely early} and it will be Thanksgiving. This month my focus is mostly on moving into my new home, but with that I have been following some local home décor/furniture shops that I am looking forward to checking out. Below are the few businesses I've been following, along with some other exciting things taking place around town this month that I hope I can try to attend.

-B

• Ro Home Shop
• Patricia's Back Barn
• Room Buffalo

Fun events taking place this month:

• Grain Elevator Illumination - Nov. 4th
• Buffalo Without Borders - Nov. 5th
• Liquor and Letterpress at WNY Book Art Center - Nov. 7th

{Women & Children's Hospital photo}

• A fun event taking place at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott for the little girls on November 8th

{Buffalo Zoo photo}

• Alex and Ani on Main St. in Williamsville is hosting an event on Monday Nov. 9th to benefit the Buffalo Zoo.

• Providence Social Happy Hour with the Buffalo Zoo - Thursday, Nov. 19th {more info to come on this}
• Small Business Saturday - shop and support local on November 28th

People Who Move Buffalo: Dan and Del from 26 Shirts

By now you have probably heard of the company 26 Shirts {and in case you haven’t here is a little blurb about them: 26 Shirts sells different limited edition sports-themed t-shirts every two weeks. After the two week period ends, the design is retired and never sold again. For every shirt sold, $8 is donated directly to a family in need. To see where donations have been made click here}. With that being said it is only fitting that I put them in my category for People Who Move Buffalo, because that's what they do.

Working out of suite 516 in the Tri Main Center on Main Street in Buffalo, 26 Shirts began in Buffalo and has expanded to other cities including Chicago, Pittsburgh and soon to be Cincinnati!

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with the masterminds behind this brilliant idea – Dan and Del and learn more about them, their background and some future plans for the company.

When I asked the guys what is it is that they love about their job, they both had similar answers, giving back. Dan said he loves having a business that is helping others with every sale made. Having the interaction from the company side and then with the family/child, the impact is amazing. Del loves helping families. His love for the Bills, t-shirts and the creative process together combine into paying it forward and helping others in need and that is the best feeling in the world.

To date 26 Shirts has raised over $164,000; that is a pretty impressive number and they aren’t done yet!

After talking with the guys I learned that they always are on their game, they plan ahead, but nothing is ever finalized until midnight. They like to be creative and authentic just like they like there product to be. When they look for artists they like to have people who know what is going on in their city, especially outside of Buffalo as they cannot always be in Chicago or Pittsburgh.

Recently the guys have brought back some best seller shirts – the “Comeback Shirts,” as they call them. For a limited time, people have a second chance to purchase a shirt they wanted,  but missed out on. The guys have recently partnered with Wegmans on this.

{just a blonde in Buffalo photo}

Dan and Del have also started to offer sponsorships with local companies who would like to get their name out there while helping a great cause. Sponsors come from big and/or small businesses within the community. Dan and Del are super flexible, so if you know of, or are a business interested in being a sponsor contact the guys here.

Another cool feature to be aware of is when you purchase a t-shirt you have the option to add on an additional monetary donation if you want.

The last thing I asked the guys was what they love about Buffalo. Both are born and raised here and this is what they said:

Del: Outside of his love for attending Bills games, he loves the summer time and Canalside. Every time you go down there is it continuously growing and expanding and that is pretty cool to see.

Dan: Loves the month of October and outside of football and hockey season being in full swing he likes to watch the baseball playoffs, loves Fall and the activities and events that come with it – specifically the Start Up events taking place with 43 North.

The guys are excited about the future and the amount of money they have been able to donate so far. They are looking forward to growing that number and helping more families in need. With that being said they wanted to thank everyone who has bought their idea and purchased a shirt. They also want to thank all of the artists they have worked with and who have helped them in this process.

At the end of day, to be able to work for yourself, be as creative as you want to be and to give back to your community and people in need on a daily basis is an amazing thing to do and the guys from 26 Shirts have a lot to be proud of.

Until next time.

-B

Stop and smell the flowers...

A cute little place on Main St. in Buffalo. Fern Croft Floral is owned by Erin Bauer who makes custom arrangements. On Saturday, thanks to my friend Amy from Linwood Candles, she told me about this mini workshop/event Erin was offering. It was on how to make wreaths and flowers and offered Butterblock oreos {those were yummy!} and Apple Cider. It was a nice way to spend a couple hours on a Saturday.

Here are some photos I snapped from Erin's studio.

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

"$5 Million. One Night" - 43 North

We are a little over a week away from meeting some of the best entrepreneurs and start up companies around the globe and its all taking place here in Buffalo, NY with the help of 43 North. 43 North is part of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo's Buffalo Billion initiative which helps Buffalo and WNY with new economic opportunities. The competition operates with the support from The New York State Power Authority and Buffalo Billion.

Last week I was able to meet with Colleen Heidinger, Director of Events and Programming for 43 North and she broke down all of the fun and free events taking place starting Oct. 21st. The events taking place provide you with the opportunity to learn more about these entrepreneurs and their start up ideas while letting you interact and meet with community organizations you may not have known about before. During this week you also are given the opportunity to see a lot of the new economic development taking place in Buffalo through 43 North Week

A few of the events I am looking forward to attending are the following:

Oct. 26th - Think Big with 43 North  at the Buffalo Marriott Harbor Center - 5:30-8pm

Oct. 27th - Ping Pong Diplomacy - A ping pong competition taking place at 43 North  beginning at 6pm. To register email Colleen at colleen@43north.org

Oct. 29th - Finalists pitch session being held in the morning and afternoon with the awards ceremony taking place in the evening at Shea's. This is OPEN to the public and FREE. All you have to do is click here to get your tickets.

To see a complete list of events during 43 North Week click here.

{Colleen, 43 North}

Colleen is originally from Buffalo, moved away and worked with highly reputable companies planning events.  She decided to move back home to help make a difference and develop Buffalo and she is doing just that. With the help of Colleen not only do the finalists get to experience all Buffalo has to offer, Buffalonians are encouraged to come out to these free events to learn about the new and exciting things taking place in their hometown.

Star judges will be coming into town from all over the country to meet the finalists and hear their ideas {See a complete list of judges here}. This is a perfect night out - celebrate the city, before heading out to dinner. The winner will move to Buffalo by January 1 and receive mentorships from a variety of local partners and community supporters. For the complete list of sponsors you can check them out by clicking here.

I'd like to end with a quote from Colleen that I think sums up 43 North perfectly - "The award ceremony on Oct. 29th is not about trophies, its about building a culture of entrepreneurs while building the city and that is all possible because of the help from 43 North."

So what are you waiting for -click here to see the Next Things Now video from 2014 and get your tickets for Oct. 29th here to see where Buffalo is headed.

-B

#BuffaloLinks

{Photo from Kaleida Heath}

Take you kids to Salvatore's on Saturday and they can dress like their favorite Superhero. Click here for more details

{Photo from Escape Room Buffalo Facebook}

A new activity to do in Buffalo. Escape Room Buffalo opens tomorrow {October 14} and is sure to be a lot of fun. Check them out on Facebook.

{Photo from Sato Ramen Facebook page}

A new place I want to check out for lunch- Sato Ramen located in University Heights is a lower cost that Sato on Elmwood, but is calling to be equally delicious.

Down on the Farm with Muse Jar

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Saturday night my friend Tara and I headed to Arden Farm where we attended a farm table event with Muse Jar. The event was 3 hours and you made 4 Spanish tiles, drank some Spanish wines with Salut and had some delicious farm fresh food from Daily's Catering. All of this took place in a barn with the Troubadours providing music to calm those who felt like they had no clue how to draw {myself included}. Dan from Arden Farm provided tours and Vanessa from Muse Jar walked around throughout the night offering to help anyone with their designs. It was nice to see everyone's own personality coming through in their artwork. Overall the event was fun and something different to do. A lot of local businesses came together in one event and that was nice to see. To see a list of events from Muse Jar click here.

-B

{My finished tiles - by no means am I an artist, but these will make for great coasters}

{Vanessa introducing herself and welcoming everyone to the event}

DIY

With me recently purchasing a home, I have been busy looking for furniture and deciding how I want to decorate each room. Watching a lot of DIY and HGTV has me over consumed with ideas and what I should do, but with some advice from friends and family, I know to take it piece by piece.

This weekend I went on a little furniture adventure with my parents. We stopped at the ReStore building {part of Habitat for Humanity} on South Park {they also have a location on Amherst St. in Buffalo}. While there were a couple knick knacks that caught my eye, I didn't find anything that popped out. We did stop at a furniture store a little ways up on South Park though and I found an entertainment piece for my living room {I was so excited I bought my first piece of furniture I didn't even take a picture of it}.

For people on a budget, but wanting to spruce up a room in their home, places like ReStore are a great place to go. Or if you are looking to donate furniture to a place ReStore is a great place to donate too.

-B

Apple Picking

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photo}

I haven't been apple picking ever at least not that I recall. I've only ever gone berry picking when I was younger, but its been years since I've gone so Sunday morning me and my niece took a nice trip to Murphy Orchards in Burt, NY {in Niagara County} to do a classic fall activity in Western New York.  It was a nice drive out in the country seeing the horses and corn stalks.

Before we headed out to the Apple trees we were told the apples were picked over, but we still found a handful that were good. I think my niece just enjoyed running around the open field and telling me which ones to pick and not to pick. On top of the apples we picked out we also were able to get a couple pumpkins too.

It was my first time visiting Murphy Orchards and I liked it a lot and would definitely go back - they are open year round! Check them out online for more info. http://murphyorchards.com/

-B

{I love this old fashion scale}

{Lots of jam to choose from}

#BuffaloLinks

A specialty food place offering some of WNY's finest ingredients. Contact choppedandsealed@yahoo.com for more information.

{photo from Chopped & Sealed Facebook}

Friday kicks off Buffalo Beer Week. For a complete list of activities click here.

One thing I love about Fall is all the artisan, craft festivals taking place. One being the Lewiston Harvest Festival this weekend. For more info on the festival go here.

Makers are Gonna Make with this Woman Who Moves Buffalo - Gretchen Meyers from Makers Buffalo and Pegs Hardware

Makers are gonna make! And that’s what a number of people in Western New York {myself included} have done. If you’re looking for a fun class to take with a friend you should check out Makers Buffalo on Hertel Ave.

When it comes to things to do in Buffalo and Western New York I personally get tired of doing the same thing or going to the same place {restaurants, movies, etc.}. I like to find new and LOCAL places to go – and one of those places is Makers. I’ve taken a couple classes at Makers over the past year and each one is fun and unique in its own way. The biggest thing I have gotten out of taking a class is accomplishment – knowing you completed a craft and made something special is a pretty cool feeling.

So I asked the creative, fun and talented Gretchen Meyers for a few minutes of her time to talk about her awesome business. Read on to learn more!

-B

Gretchen has a business education experience along with a fundraising and event planning background. After working with both for-profit and non-profit she decided to start Pegs Hardware – an element based jewelry line {that you can find at Modern Nostalgia and online here}.

Makers was something Gretchen knew she wanted to do even when she started Pegs. She knew she wanted to do this for 2 reasons.

1. She wanted this for herself, an outlet where she could go to be creative and use her talents
2. Eventually Gretchen would like to turn Makers into a type of community center for the arts; offering cooking, music, 3D, 2D, classes, etc. Offering enrichment classes for kids whose school may cut art programs or those who are looking to enhance their portfolio. In Gretchen’s mind it’s about giving back in your community and paying it forward.

Gretchen stay’s fresh with upcoming, creative classes through blogs, Pinterest and various apps. She likes to offer trendsetting tastes and new ideas – that’s what makes, Makers!

When looking at adding new crafts she thinks of 3 things:

1. Time sensitive – classes are usually about an hour and a half to two hours long
2. Having the classes be beginner/basic level and cost effective {classes range from $28 to $42, about the average cost of a night out with dinner and drinks}
3. Making sure it’s something the people want. If people don’t find a use for what they are making, then it won’t be successful

When taking a class at Makers you can bring light appetizers and your own beverages {including wine and/or beer}. The most popular classes have been the hanging air plant, envelope clutches and the modern dream catcher. Down the road Gretchen is looking to add embroidery classes to the schedule too.

You can have Makers for team building exercises, bachelorette and bridal parties and birthday parties. You can even hold a private class at the Makers studio or Gretchen can come to you {there are some restrictions to check on when you book the class if hosting it at your own home or business}. It’s always better to book earlier {at least a month’s notice} for private parties or functions.

The class schedule varies from Tuesday thru Thursday – see the full schedule here. And if you’re looking for something to do this coming weekend you can see Gretchen at the Lewiston Harvest Festival on Saturday for Peg’s Hardware.

Down the road Gretchen hopes to host “Makers Present” – exposing other professionals in the art industry and cross promoting one another. The goal of this is for everyone to learn more about others in the community.

Makers even offers classes for kids!  Mini Makers . This past summer she offered 3 camps and had certified teachers for the classes. She offers them sporadically during the year so keep your eyes out for that if you have little ones who would enjoy attending.

When I asked Gretchen what she loves the most about Buffalo, if there is a favorite place she likes to go or activity she likes to do in town she said the following,

She loves the 4 seasons, “fall is gorgeous here. “ If you want to go skiing or hiking it’s not far away, Canada is 4 minutes from where she lives and seeing the growth of this city is amazing! She couldn’t have started her businesses in a bigger city, Buffalo works! Housing is affordable, you see cranes -showing good things are happening here. We have 30 year olds coming back and helping fix the city – we are helping fix and grow Buffalo and it’s awesome to see.

Sign up for a class and see how much fun it is!

Corpus Christi Dozynki!

Saturday my Dad and I headed to Corpus Christi on the east side of Buffalo and were supporting my friend Annette at the Pierogi Contest. There were a number of contestants participating in the dessert, non-traditional and traditional pierogi contest with a panel of judges voting who would receive the golden baking roller.

Annette was in the traditional category and her cheese pierogi were DELICIOUS! The Pierogi contest was part of the Polish Harvest Festival - Dozynki that was taking place all day. Admission was only $1!! And there was a basket raffle, Tyski beer, polka music and more. It was my first time attending the event and made for a fun day back in my childhood neighborhood! I can't wait for next year.

-B

{Non traditional category}

{Polish décor}

{Annette preparing her cheese pierogi}

{YUM!}

#BuffaloLinks

Let's celebrate the Theater Season with Curtain Up this Friday on Main Street!

{Photo from Buffalo Spree}

I have never attended this event, but I am looking forward to checking it out on Saturday and supporting my friend Annette who is competing in the pierogi competition at Corpus Christi.

{Photo from Corpus Christi}

The Annual Garlic Festival is taking place in Cuba, NY this week. Rides, animals and local vendors will be on hand.

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photo}

Cruising thru Buffalo on Water Bikes

One activity I wanted to do this summer was the Water Bikes of Buffalo, so with an extended Labor Day weekend my friends Annette and Chris joined me on my adventure.

Every time I would walk by the kiosk at Canalside there was always a long wait, but the nice thing was you could put your name and number down and if you were available great, and if you weren't that wasn't a problem because you didn't have to put down a deposit upfront.

We waited about an hour and a half for them to call us, but it was better than the original two and half hour wait time and we just walked around and caught up. It was $15 and you had the bike for an hour. There were some restrictions - like no standing while on the bike and not going to close to the edge because of seaweed, but not going right in the middle of the water either because of boaters. Other than that it was easy sailing or pedaling as I should call it. You could pedal as fast or as slow as you'd like and you could take pictures of the different scenery around you.

{Annette's photo above}

It was a lot of fun and I'm happy I was able to check it off my summer bucket list. If you ever have the chance to try it out, I highly suggest doing it. For more information on Water Bikes of Buffalo click here.

Until next time...

-B

{Annette's photo}

#BuffaloLinks

There are a lot of fun things to do this weekend including the Home Opener at the Ralph on Sunday, but Saturday hosts a handful of popular events taking place throughout town. Music is Art at Delaware Park - a free event taking place all day long!

{Photo from Musicisart.org}

We have been waiting for this for a long time - Arctic Edge is open to the public starting Saturday at the Buffalo Zoo.

{Photo from Buffalozoo.org}

Enjoy movies on the grain elevators at Silo City for the Urban Drive In. For more info click here.

{Photo from Squeaky.org}

Exploring the Canal and Caves in Lockport

Last weekend Kate and Brian took a tour of the Lockport Caves with me. The tour was $13 for adults and 75 minutes long {tours run multiple times during the day}. It was a walking tour that went to the Lockport Canals before heading to the caves. It was a nice a morning learning about what the canals were used for in the mid 1800's to 1900's. It was also nice to see out-of-towners on the tour with us. Below are some photos and fun facts I took away from it.

-B

{Kate and Brian learning more about the canals}

{Inside the caves}

{Canal way}

Fun facts:

These are man made caves The canal is 363 miles long Lockport has Locks 35 and 34 It took from 1817-1825 to complete Powered by gravity and is an active spill way Holly Manufacturing Factory - Birsell Holly invented the fire hydrant {First company powered by the caves 10 stories high and 3 city blocks long} Richmond Factory was the 2nd building built off the canal

#BuffaloLinks

To me Labor Day weekend is one last time to spend time with the family and friends barbecuing and enjoying those last few days of the summer. Here are a couple things going on this weekend that you most likely already know about, but may want to check out their links before heading to the event.

These Zoo Bucks will come in handy if you're headed to the Buffalo Zoo on Labor Day. they are $5 for a pack of 6 and can be used on almost anything in the Zoo

Tents are up and chicken wings are in full prep for the Chicken Wing Festival this coming weekend. Its going to be a hot not only in the temperature department, but all around the ballpark

Looking for something relaxing to do, check out the Succulents event kicking off on Saturday and running through Oct. 4 at the Botanical Gardens

#BuffaloLinks - Distillery Edition

Clayton Distillery down the 90 to Clayton, NY their slushies {for adults} are delicious! And strong. They are right next door to miniature golf making it a fun afternoon of activities if you're visiting the 1,000 Islands

Buffalo Distilling Company- offering Apple Brandy and One Foot Cock Bourbon you can find their product in local liquor stores and at Larkinville.

Tommy Rotter Distillery on Seneca St. is a NYS farm distillery - their vodka is smooth yet tasty making it one of the only liquor I could drink on the rocks. They also offer Gin as well.

{Niagara Distilling photo from Facebook}

The only product I haven't tried out of the list - Niagara Distilling Co. located on Ellicott St. uses organic grain for the distilled process. With a 1,500 square foot tasting and retail space they are on my list of places to visit.

Venturing through the Inner & Outer Harbor

Saturday I had two of my very good friends back in town and it has been a while since they've seen Canalside, so being the big "Buffalove" advocate I am, we went down to Canalside for the afternoon. The Saturday Artisan Market was in full effect along with live music from a variety of bands throughout the day. We grabbed ice cream from Clinton's Dish, went over to put our name on the 3.5 hour water bike list {which we didn't end up doing} and took some touristy pictures with Shark girl.

We ended up taking the Queen City Ferry over to the Outer Harbor where I showed Michelle and Shanna the Lighthouse before heading back to take them to Buffalo Riverworks where we ended the day. For me, I think I take advantage of Canalside and the development in downtown sometimes because I work down here and I see it on a daily basis.  To have both my Buffalo friends say how they can't believe how quickly the area has changed reminded me of how lucky we are to have these exciting things taking place.

Until next time...

-B

{Just enjoying the Queen City Ferry Ride}

{Canalside on a Saturday}

{Picturesque}