Exploring the Winter Celebration event

{On stage at Sheas}

Last week my Dad and I attended Explore Buffalo's Winter Celebration at Sheas. One week after Sheas celebrated their 90th anniversary, making it a great venue to host an event. There was much to celebrate. Auctions filled with lots of Buffalo art and history, voting on new Explore Buffalo tours for the 2016 year and behind the scenes tours of the theater were offered during the night making it a pretty nice night out.

Here are some of my pictures from the night.

-B

{Lights, camera, action}

{Balcony seating}

A Nice Way to Watch A Film

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Did you know that when Shea's opened in 1926 it was actually built to show silent films?!?  Sunday my Mom and I attended the silent film Sherlock Holmes there. When I first got the tickets I thought it was a play, but then my Mom was quick to point out that it was a silent film {note to myself to read better} ...like no words just a pianist playing scores throughout the films 90 minutes. I was a little skeptical, I'm not going to lie. I was thinking I would want to leave halfway through the film, but it was actually amazing! It was like I experienced something from back in time - a black and white film with no words, just music. It was a nice change of scenery and something different. I highly recommend attending a short film at Shea's if you ever can. It makes for a nice indoor activity to do when the weather isn't so nice out outside.

{A brief welcome and introduction before the film started}

Oh and the best part - it was free! A free film in a beautiful building that celebrated their 90th anniversary this weekend. That's pretty cool Buffalo. Oh and for those who like popcorn and candy to munch on when watching a movie - Shea's had their concession stands open, selling sweet treats {the popcorn and twizzlers cost $8 - that's cheaper than a movie ticket now a days}. Just putting things in perspective, its nice to have a beautiful venue like this offer nice {casual} events like this.

For a calendar of events taking place at Shea's click here

-B

Marienthal Country Inn - A Home Away from Home in Eden, NY

Driving 30 minutes south of the City of Buffalo I made my way to Eden, NY the other day to visit with Louise from Marienthal Country Inn. A quaint bed and breakfast offering a lot more than just a cozy place to rest and relax. Formerly a Church, the B&B was purchased in 2007 and opened in 2008 with renovations taking place in the Rectory, Covenant and Church. Open all year round, there are a lot of things you can do while you're there. From relaxing massages and reflexology classes to water color classes every Monday and pottery classes are offered during the summer months, they offer girls get away packages and yoga classes as well.

{A short, but peaceful drive to Eden}

The first thing on the list was a tour of the facility. Each room was a different theme making it a one of a kind place. Louise and her husband took old pieces from the Church (pews, stained glass windows, etc.) and used them as sink stands, windows, etc. As things started to evolve, everything fell in to place. With the B&B pretty busy, Marienthal Country Inn has expanded their services, offering a unique place for people to host special events - Weddings, Bridal and Baby showers and Dinner Theater events such as Tony & Tina's Wedding, a Murder Mystery event and up next a Medieval Feast next Spring. There is a lot Louise and her team can do.

{Each room has something special about it}

Living in Eden her whole life, its not far from anything and you have a beautiful landscape. When I sat down I asked her what made her want to own a B&B and she said she has always thought about it, having a place where she could host artwork shops where people could stay. When the Church closed it was a whirlwind of events and everything just fell into place. Its a little community and she is happy to be a part of it. Her and her husband have hosted people from all over the world and as they continue to expand on improvements to the buildings they are also looking to expand on events in the future - offering a place for workshops and corporate retreats.

If you're looking to support local business and need a gift for someone for the Holiday, a gift certificate to the Marienthal Inn is a great idea. Not far from Buffalo and offering a unique experience, everyone is sure to have a wonderful time.

I have never been or stayed at a B&B before, but I can tell you Marienthal is special - it isn't your average place to stay and getaway for a weekend, Louise and her team make sure to offer unique activities to make the guests happy, making them want to come back. Instead of leaving an old Church building empty, Louise saw an opportunity to make something great out of a sad situation and she did an awesome job!

Until next time..

-B

A Hidden Gem in Newfane

Part of my adventure on Saturday with Kate and Brian was a stop to Gordie Harper's Bazaar. A place I came across on social media and it landed on my bucket list of places to go. A restaurant {serving breakfast until 2pm}, lunch and dinner. With an added touch of shopping antiques and flea market finds, making it a fun place to visit. On a beautiful day you can sit outside on the patio and enjoy the pretty flowers, fresh air and good conversation.

The food we had was delicious - I had the Chicken in the Grass sandwich, Kate had a Veggie Burger and Brian had the Sirloin Steak Sandwich.  Gordie's seems to be a favorite with the locals in Newfane and if you're coming in from the City of Buffalo you can't find anything like this {at least I haven't yet} "back home."

-B

{Patio seating}

{A classic record player}

{Flea Market Finds}

A Night to Remember

{A walk down memory lane - all 30 years}

A few weeks ago I celebrated my 30th birthday and all I really wanted was my friends and family that mean the most to me, all in the same room for just a few hours. Now a days its hard to get everyone together, so for people to share a Saturday night with me was really special. The party took place at the Foundry on Elmwood. I was a little nervous because I was receiving mixed reviews on the service and food, so I didn't know what to expect, but the night turned out to be everything I wanted {except that whole crying part, that was thanks to my friends}. Don, who was my contact went above and beyond to make sure I was happy with everything. I couldn't have asked for a better person to work with.

Before I knew it the night was over, but the memories and the smiles will be with me for a long, long time. So to everyone who came, words can't describe how thankful I am to have you in my life. xo

-B

{Group Shot}

{DIY Just a Blonde in Buffalo Candy Table - thank you Buffalo Cake Pops for the cookies!}

{Little favors with special messages in the bottle for people to take home}

{FYI this is such a simple and easy favor to make, check out my upcoming post later the week on how to create them}

Shea's

Shea's Performing Art Center - a beautiful place where magic happens. Not only have great plays come and gone from this venue, but there have been a handful of events that have taken place there as well. I'm excited to head there tonight with my Dad for the Phantom of the Opera show. Its been a few years since I've last seen a play there, so I'm looking forward to it. The venue has beautiful detailed décor through out and in a sense even though we aren't in NYC it reminds me of seeing plays on Broadway. -B

A Place to Be A Kid

A place where anyone can be a kid, the Buffalo Science Museum. Each year there is always at least a handful of events that draw me in. Today, its Messfest! Science is messy and today you can get ooey and gooey and have fun doing it! Have a great Sunday!

-B

The Foundry!

A place I fell in love with recently has been the Foundry on Elmwood. While it has received mixed reviews I'm having a party there on Saturday and I'm hoping it all goes well. What drew me in for this event space was not only the rustic with industrial style décor, but the courtyard that guests have the ability to access. More to come on this place after my event.

-B

Flying Tigers

One of my favorite memories is when I was a little girl, I remember my godfather taking me to Flying Tigers for my birthday. I would be so excited to go. We would always get a table by the window and see the planes getting ready to take off. I remember trying to listen to the pilots over the headset as they were getting ready to leave. While Flying Tigers is no longer open whenever I drive over by Aero Drive, it takes me back to a childhood memory I'll always enjoyed.

-B

Emerson School of Hospitality

A couple weeks ago I had the chance to attend a school tour and presentation at Emerson School of Hospitality {the school is located on Chippewa St. in Buffalo}. I've walked past the building multiple times, but never really gave much thought to it, but after this tour, this school is pretty amazing!

With a multiple level building this school is an academic, fitness and culinary center. Emerson sure does impress. Not only do students go through all of their general studies, they have a chance to take classes in the culinary arts. Learning how to cook, bake and prep all kinds of foods.

Emerson offers a café style area called Emerson commons and that is open on school days from 7:30-10am {breakfast} and 11:15-1:30pm {lunch}, making it a great spot for people who work downtown. Emerson also offers banquets and catering and makes wedding cakes, along with a variety of other fine desserts.

For someone {like me} who just thought the school, was like any old ordinary school, its not. Its pretty awesome and its pretty cool that kids have that type of opportunity in this area.

For more info on Emerson click here.

-B

{One of the multiple kitchens that you can see as you walk by on Chippewa St.}

{Emerson Commons, open to the public on school days}

{Car view}

M&T Bank First Friday's at Albright Knox

The first Friday of every month M&T Bank and the Albright Knox offer First Fridays. Free admission on the first floor to the public. From 10am-10pm you can walk around and experience some of the amazing art the gallery has on display. If you want to walk around upper levels there is an additional fee.

At the beginning of the month I took the day off and spent it with my niece. For an almost four year old this was a great event to take her too. While she thought the Lucas Samaras, Reflections, aka the "Mirror Room" was the best, her attention span started to run out after about 30 minutes. With it being a beautiful day we walked on the outside grounds and took some nice photos.

Prior to this visit, it has been about 5 years since I was last inside the Art Gallery for a leisurely experience, so it was nice to walk around and experience it with a kid who has a vivid imagination.

I highly encourage anyone to take part in such a great event that takes place the First Friday of every month. The next one coming up is on Friday, November 7, 2014.

-B

{Snapping photos inside the Mirror Room}

{If you look at this for more than a couple seconds you get dizzy, or at least I did}

{One of my favorites on display}

{Anyone want to play some tic tac toe}

Angola, NY

 {Check out their line up for Labor Day weekend here. }

To keep with the beach continuation, my second favorite beach in Western New York is Mickey Rats. Just down the road from Bennett Beach in Angola, Mickey Rats has been around since the 1980's and is a great place to go for some sun, swimming and sand during the day and live music and drinks by the water at night.

-B

A Food Truck Rodeo with a little Buffalo History

Taking place the first Wednesday of the month, a handful of Buffalo food trucks lined up outside the Buffalo History Museum's parking lot for the annual Food Truck Rodeo. Its a great opportunity to come out and have dinner with your family, friends or significant others and enjoy the History Museum for free. The next one taking place is on Wednesday, September 3 from 5-8pm. Bring the kids for free face painting, grab a blanket or folding chairs and have a picnic. For more details click here.

-B

Lovely Lewiston

Every time I go to Lewiston, I'm simply amazed at the beauty there, from Artpark to Old Fort Niagara it is simply amazing, especially in the summer months. My friend Lauren and I decided to spend a Saturday afternoon just walking around and taking in that "small" town feel. We first stopped at Artpark where we were able to be "big kids" and make some clay pottery for free. We then walked around and saw some of the sculpture artwork that was in the park.

After Artpark we hit up the ever so popular Silo to grab some lunch and ice cream, from there we walked down by the water and saw the Whirlpool Jet Boat tours that take place by Water St. Landing. We didn't have enough time to take a jet boat tour, but it is on my list of things to do. We drove through the Main St. and just looked at shops and restaurants that filled the street. It was a relaxing afternoon just exploring the "hidden treasures" that are only minutes away. Have you ever been to Lewiston? What are some of your favorites places to go when you're there?

 -B

#ArtparkWed

I don't make my way to Lewiston that often, but this past week my friend Lauren and I caught the Sara Bareilles concert for their Coors Light Wednesday concert series. You can't go wrong, for general admission, tickets were $11 and you we got to see a pretty talented artist. Artpark is such a pretty place, for those who love nature, music and being outdoors I suggest taking the pretty drive up to Niagara county and spending a day exploring and seeing what its all about.

-B

{ Sheltering ourselves from the rain }

{ Coors Light Wednesdays #cheers }

{ The pretty rainbow on our way home }

City of Night 2014 Recap

Silo City is one of the neatest places in Buffalo nowadays, at least in my eyes. Last year I did a kayaking and walking tour of the grain elevators and learned a lot about the past history in Buffalo. A couple weekends back my friends and I went to City of Night. A night filled with art, history and music. The event is put on by the Emerging Leaders in the Arts Buffalo {ELAB}.

A variety of artists, musicians and local performers came out to show us their talent all while utilizing a unique space - the grain elevators. Some of my favorite moments were seeing Communify Buffalo's booth, the fire and hula hooping performance, the Chinese lanterns that lit up the sky, the graffiti art inside the silo and the row of food trucks that were on hand for people to experience.

If you have the chance to go to Silo City or to attend City of Night next year, definitely do so. You won't be disappointed.

To learn more about ELAB click here.

-B

#WorldCup2014 Canalside Buffalo

Sunday Canalside Buffalo held a viewing for the USA vs. Portugal game. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was great and the game was, well so-so. Its great to see a "little" life come back to downtown and what's even more better is to see all the activities starting to take shape down at canalside.

There were a lot of people who turned out to view the World Cup Soccer game on the big screens, the Cheesy Chick food truck and beverage tents were on hand as well. While I think the viewing screens could have been a little bigger it was nice they were allowing people to bring in their own food and drink, some brought the family down and had picnic's set up. Those people were smart because they didn't have to wait in long lines.

There was even what I am calling a "Buffalove" tent set-up for people to purchase Buffalo shirts and pictures. For putting the event together in just a couple days, the turnout was great and people not only showed their American pride in Red, White and Blue, but they showed their Buffalo pride too.

-B

East Side Tradition

 

A tradition my family and I have had for many years is going to the Broadway Market and picking up all of our essential Easter needs { eggs, polish sausage, pierogi, butter lamb, platzek, pussy willows, etc. }. As I've gotten older I have appreciated the family time more. There's something about visiting the neighborhood you grew up in and thinking about all the memories you had when you were younger that makes this time of year more special to me. While most people only visit the market during this time of year, it is open ALL year round. If you've never been there before there's still time to make a visit, be prepared to wait in lines and be patient.

-B

 

{ The essential Easter needs, pastries and beads }

{ A staple in the Broadway Market }

{ A great place to go for all of your Polish souvenir/Dyngus Day needs }

{ Potts Deli - first time eating there and it was great! } 

{ BBQ Hamburger and Potato Pierogi at Potts }

Get A Clue - Buffalo Museum of Science

Friday Night the Buffalo Museum of Science was revamped into the well known board game- Clue! A handful of rooms on the second level of the building had volunteers holding clues to solve the mystery. Teams ran (some did) from room to room trying to figure out the murder mystery to win tickets to Beerology or Star Lights (both are Buffalo Science Museum events). The event was a lot of fun and had 200 people in attendance. It was an event out of the box, not a same old thing you would attend and you got to walk around the science museum, check things out and have a couple drinks to kill the time.

My only suggestion is letting teams chose times when they register, we arrived at 6pm thinking we would get to start the game right away and we had to wait until the 7:45 spot. Overall though it was a fun night out and our team; Buffalo's Solving Justice League Kids were close to winning!

-B

{ Buffalo's Solving Justice League Kids - #Teamname }

A taste of the WEBB

Over the weekend I attended my sister's work party at the Webb, which is an additional venue to Pearl Street Grill & Brewery. I have been to the Webb venue before {it was a venue choice of mine for an event I was possibly going to do}, so when I found out I was attending an event there I was excited to see how the general flow would be, along with trying there food/drink and customer service. Overall, I love the venue, it is rustic with a little bit of elegance. It was spacious and I feel in a convenient location. If you're looking for a more intimate and private setting this is the venue to use {if interested in Pearl Street}. The food - from hors' oeuvres to the buffet was really good. It was a step up from what you would get if you went to dinner at Pearl Street.

The only thing I wasn't to happy about was the bar service. There were two bartenders which was an adequate amount, but the first time up to the bar the bartender was a little standoffish, making me feel like I was inconveniencing them. As the night went on it went down to one bartender, leaving the bar a little busy. I did like the use of an old piece of furniture they used to re-vamp and display the draft beers on tap, it was a nice touch and fit in with the décor.

All in all it was a nice night and I was happy to attend an event that was "in place" there.

Its a great addition to the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery family.

-B