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

My October To-Do List

Fall is officially upon us so I thought I would compile a short list of things I want to get done this month. A lot of the things I want to do are your typical Fall things to do in WNY, but they are places I have yet to be so it makes me look forward to it.

1. Apple Picking - Check
2. Pumpkin Picking with my niece and nephew at the Great Pumpkin Farm
3. A visit to Kelkenberg Farms in Akron
4. A hike to the Niagara Gorge - specifically Devils Hole Park
5. Taking an art class with Muse Jar/a Farm Table event
6. A nice drive out to Ellicottville to see the leaves changing color
7. A trip to Southern Tier Brewing Company
8. Volunteering some of my time at the Buffalo Zoo's Trick or Treat weekend event

Friday Favorites

A beautiful view of downtown Buffalo from the Liberty Building.

Ballpark brewbash was a great way to celebrate Buffalo Beer Week.

A new lunch spot I tried out this week. I recommend the Baja Chicken soup, it was delicious. The Buffalo Chicken salad wasn't to bad either.

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}

Mmmm...Coffee!

I don't usually celebrate all of these National food or beverage days, but when it comes to coffee I'll make an exception. So I thought I would share a list of my favorite coffee shops to go in town. And some coffee shops that I still have to check out.

Cheers!

My go to spots:

Spot Coffee - I change my order depending on my mood

Perks Café & Market - I just recently went here for a meeting and it is probably one of my new favorite places to go downtown

Public Espresso - for the days I just need an extra pick me up

Tim Hortons - classic medium coffee with cream, sugar and a shot of Mint or Vanilla

Places I want to check out:

Daily Planet Coffee - 1862 Hertel Ave.

Sweetness 7 Café - 301 Parkside or 220 Grant St.

Kornerstone Coffee - Coffee Delivery

Friday Favorites!

{Volunteering - one of my favorite things to do}

{Getting to meet local business owners is one of the most rewarding things about my blog}

{WNY's Oldest Furniture Store- Scherer Furniture on Genesee St in Downtown Buffalo}

{A lunch break on the first day of Fall down at Canalside}

{Corpus Christi Church has a bowling alley that is still operable today - $2 per game!}

#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!}

Friday Favorites

{Being able to see the elephants outside at the zoo again makes me happy!}

{Visiting with Gretchen at Makers Buffalo - check out my post on her next week}

{Luna is a big hit and seems to love her new exhibit at the zoo}

{I spent my morning volunteering at the Make a Wish and 97 Rock Radiothon}

#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}

Friday Favorites!

On the summer bucket list was the water bikes down at Canalside. What a fun experience it was!

A day off spent with my niece - flower picking at Nokomis Park in Cheektowaga made for a fun and hot afternoon

The Buffalo Zoo - Arctic Edge opens tomorrow to the public and I think its going to be a big hit with "Buffalonians"

The home opener is Sunday and I LOVE LOVE my Buffalo Bills sneakers that were created by Leah Hall from Halls of Art.

#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}

Cuba, NY

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photo}

Country living... I am finding myself enjoying my time more and more with nature {that sounds weird}, but its true. Over Labor Day weekend I went out to my family's cabin in Cuba, NY - a cute little town with awesome cheese at Cuba Cheese Shoppe and home of the Garlic Festival {that's taking place next weekend 9/19 and 9/20}. Are cabin is right past town, you can't really get reception so the use of cell phones is very, very limited, making you actually enjoy peace and quiet. Maybe its because I don't get to go out there as much as I'd like, but every time I'm out in the country I wish I had more time to spend out there. Its the simple things, like fresh air, roosters waking you up in the morning and some good company that make me enjoy it the most. Below are some of my pictures from the weekend.

{Corn fields}

{In town - Cuba NY}

{Coffee Shop}

{Classic photo - drinks and good conversation around the fire}

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

Friday Favorites

Its the Holiday weekend and probably one of the last times to enjoy a BBQ with family and friends, take a boat ride on the lake and do anything else summer related. I'm looking forward to a few days off. I hope you enjoy these last couple "unofficial" days of summer. -B

{A recap of some of my favorite memories from the 2015 baseball season}

{An old Am & A's sign downtown}

{I finally found a protein bar that doesn't taste like cardboard}

{Michele and Lindsay from Buffalo Pallet Art are amazingly talented! I couldn't be happier with the pallet of art they did for me}

{A Saturday adventure with this pretty friend and her husband to Niagara County made for a day to remember}

#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

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 day trip to Olcott, NY

Over the weekend one of the places I paid a visit to was Olcott, NY. Having never been there before I didn't know much other than it holds a beautiful place to take in a sunrise or sunset. Even though the last I heard you couldn't swim at the beach because of the water, the area hosts beautiful small town shops, ice cream stands, a pier to fish off of, and an awesome Carousel/kids area where you can take the little ones to ride rides and play skee-ball, making it a perfect afternoon with the family. On Sunday's you can visit the Van Horn Mansion for free. Looking to explore? You can hike the Burt Dam trail and walk inside the Olcott Beach Lighthouse.

Looking for something to do this weekend - they are hosting a Classic Car Show all day. While Olcott, is only about a 40 minute drive from the City of Buffalo, the small town feel makes you feel like you're on a mini-vacation.

-B