As we celebrate today lets not forget the reason behind this holiday. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all my family and friends who served and are currently serving in the military. I love you and thank you for all that you do for our country!
xo
-B
Happy Friday! Enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend! -B
Here's a list of fun things to look forward to as you head into the Holiday weekend and finish out the month of May.
-B
Today (5.23.13)
If you're in any of these places this afternoon keep an eye out for the newest members of the Buffalo Bills Team as they take a tour of WNY: The Naval Park, New Era Cap, The Buffalo Zoo and Niagara Falls
Saturday (5.25.13)
Skills Camp at Williamsville South High School - Hosted by Buffalo Bill, TJ Graham
Sunday (5.26.13)
Buffalo Marathon - The Marathon kicks off at 7am this weekend
Tuesday (5.28.13)
Food Truck Tuesday at Larkin Square
Friday (5.31.13)
Love Buffalo? Then don't miss the Buffalove Fest at the Buffalo Zoo
Friday - Sunday (5.31.13 thru 6.2.13)
Nothing beats great outdoor dining on a nice day. CRAVE is the newest restaurant that has opened on Hertel Ave. Delicious array of food, great scenery, friendly and personable staff (our waitress was awesome) and reasonable prices. Check them out!
-B
With the holiday weekend quickly approaching I thought it would be good if I posted some of my favorite restaurants I enjoy going to, that have nice outdoor patios. I also thought with Memorial Day weekend comes the "unofficial" kickoff to summer, so I also listed dessert shops that have some of the best ice cream and dessert in the area. Enjoy!
-B
Restaurants with a Nice Patio
Last week I had a "catch up" dinner with my friend Kate at her family's restaurant Al- E- Oops. It sits on the corner of Harris Hill and Genesee St. in Lancaster, NY. Known for there barbecue, I decided to try the pulled pork sandwich over the ribs. It was delicious, along with the cornbread (which was my first time having). Kate's Grandmother - who is the owner, comes in every morning to make the bread. That's what being a good business owner is all about, making quality food for the customers, caring about the product. The restaurant is a nice family style place. On a nice day you can sit outside on the patio and enjoy the fresh air and quality time with the people you love. Make sure to check it out sometime this summer. If you love barbecue you'll enjoy this place.
-B
I'm looking forward to this weekend for multiple reasons - relaxation, taking some spring pictures for the blog and enjoying a friends bridal shower on Grand Island. Have a good weekend - enjoy it! -B
From April 27 to May 19 you can see a variety of different designers who gave the Knox Summer Estate at Knox Farm in East Aurora a new look. The Decorator's Show House is sponsored by The Buffalo News and The Junior League of Buffalo.
Each room was re-designed by multiple designers. I had never been to the Knox Estate prior to this showing- all I knew about the estate was it was owned by the Knox Family until 2001, so I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to see the home.
The house is beautiful! Each room has its own character that is unique and different. While walking through the tour the one downfall I noticed was some volunteers in the rooms weren't as "personable" as others were about the history and what the rooms were used for prior to being "revamped" for the show. Each volunteer was provided a "cheat sheet" that had information about each room and what it was used for when the Knox Family was residing in the home and what the designer chose to do with the room for the showing. Some spoke when guests were in the room and others didn't say a word unless you asked them a question. While I was there I did however find out that the designers come back and take there displays down after the show is over. For me personally, to get more out of it I would have preferred a private tour of the home so I could have learned more about the history of estate.
Overall, it was a beautiful home and all the decorator's did a wonderful job. You can still go see the house through the weekend. Go here for ticket and parking information: Decorators Show House Tickets
-B
One of my favorite bloggers (Emily Schuman from Cupcakes and Cashmere) recently started a series called Links I Love. It gave me an idea to share the links from local Western New York businesses that I like, this week I'm highlighting my favorite clothing/fashion boutiques.
What are your favorite shops in town?
FASHION/CLOTHING
A few weeks ago at our CrosSpin class my friend Dana was talking to Amanda and I about this little "hole in the wall" tavern in South Buffalo who has the best chicken wings in Buffalo. Amanda and I didn't really get what all the hype was about until Saturday when we and 4 other of our friends went to the Nine Eleven Tavern on Bloomfield St in Buffalo.
We let Dana take charge and she ordered the "famous" Chicken Wings, French fries and Pizza Logs for all of us to try. The French fries (which are also a popular item to order there) were yummy. The pizza logs were just like any other pizza logs you may have had and then finally, the chicken wings (medium to order) came out and they were delicious!! They were crispy, but yet saucy and had a little spice to them, making them overall very tasty.
Keep in mind the tavern is small - if you plan to make a visit you may want to go for an early dinner or a late lunch as they do have limited seating in the dining area, but if you're more of a sit at the bar type of person you can eat there as well.
If you're a chicken wing connoisseur make a stop to the Nine Eleven Tavern and let me know what you think of the wings, I'd love to know.
-B
Looking for things to do this week in WNY? Here's some events to check out around town:
May 13, 2013; Artvoice - Best of Buffalo Awards - Town Ballroom, 6pm
May 14, 2013; Band Against Bullying, UB Center for the Arts, 7pm
(Last Week) May 13-19, 2013; Junior League of Buffalo's Decorator's Showhouse - The Knox Estate
May 18, 2013; Elmwood -Bidwell Farmers Market - 8-1pm
May 18, 2013; Waterfront Pub Crawl, 12-6pm
May 19, 2013; Buffalo Central Terminal Hard Hat Tours
One of my favorite places to go in town is the Buffalo Zoo - its nothing like the Toronto or San Diego Zoo, but I still love it. Everytime I go I'm just as excited as the little kids who may be seeing the animals for the first time. A most recent addition to the zoo is the Polar Cub named Luna. She is so adorable! The Buffalo Zoo puts on a wide array of events throughout the year. Everyone that I've attended has been fun and unique. The most recent event coming up is the first annual Buffalove Fest on May 31. Click here for more details about the event. If attending an event isn't your thing make a day of it with the family.
-B
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Here's a couple of my favorite things from the week. Enjoy your weekend and if you're a Mom or a soon-to-be Mom - Happy Mother's Day! xo
-B
Looking for things to do around Western New York this weekend? With rain scheduled in the forecast here are some fun things to see/do indoors:
1. Donate to the Kiss Cares for Kids Radiothon. Support one of the best hospitals we have in town - Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. 100% of the proceeds go to the facility.
2. Have children? Nieces/Nephews? Godchildren? Attend the Buffalo Museum of Science, Bubblefest on Saturday from 10-4pm.
3. Decorator's Show House -The Buffalo News & Junior League of Buffalo selected The Knox Summer Estate at Knox Farm State Park as this years Decorators’ Show House.
4. Mother's Day is Sunday- looking to do something special for Mom? Why not take her to brunch at one of these fine establishments (call ahead for reservations):
-B
Last week my Mom and I went to the Refresh event that was held at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens. The event was put on by Buffalo Spree and all the proceeds from the event benefited the Botanical Gardens. It was full of flowers, unique fashions (kudos to Erin Habes for the fashion displays - they were awesome), plants, beauty and healthy living. It was a nice evening out to spend some time with my Mom. If you ever have a chance to visit the Botanical Gardens, you can make a day of it; take in the beautiful plants, flowers and scenery and enjoy a nice picnic in the park afterwards.
Check out more photos that I took at the event below
-B
Last week I had the opportunity to take a behind the scenes tour of WIVB (Channel 4) and the CW's Winging It, Buffalo Style! It was pretty cool to see how the newscast is produced and what goes into getting the news out to the public. Everyone that I met was so friendly and their very talented! A big thank you to my friend Jenny for showing me around and introducing me to everyone. I had a great time!
-B
Unique Finds
You've heard that saying “one persons junk is another persons treasure,” while I've never been antique or flea market shopping before and recently I've been more and more curious of checking these type of markets out so this past weekend with the weather being beautiful I took a trip out to the Antique World & Flea Market on Main St. in Clarence NY. Open year round this place is full of wonderful knick knacks and vendors. While I was out shopping I learned a few helpful hints that may help you as you venture through the world of Antique and Flea Market Shopping:
1. Bring a Canvas Bag - This is for things you purchase. It holds fragile pieces better than plastic or paper bags.
2. Comfortable Walking Shoes and Clothing- You’ll be able to bend down and move things easy with comfortable clothes and walking shoes on.
3. Bargain Shop- Purchasing multiple items that are the same could save you some money if you negotiate with the seller. I purchased 4 similar bottles (originally $5 each and the seller gave me them for $15 instead of $20).
4. Have an Open Mind- You don't have to be creative when it comes to antique shopping. Most of the pieces have so much history in them that they speak for itself.
Other places I heard good things about are:
(if you're a Bride on a budget and looking for that "country chic" décor antique shopping is a good option to explore).
-B
A couple weeks ago Western New York Restaurants participated in Local Restaurant Week. Its one of my favorite weeks because you can hit up restaurants you've never been before and get amazing food for a great deal. Whats even more great is that its local restaurants that participate, so you're supporting local business. A few friends and myself hit up Trattoria Aroma on Bryant Street in the Village of Elmwood. Everything from the appetizers to the drinks and dessert were delicious and our waiter was great, not to mention the scenery around the restaurant was nice. Check out the photos below.
-B
"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great."- Orison Swett Marden
Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!
-B
The Hall's opened Sportmen's Tavern in 1985 and what was once just a local neighborhood tavern is now one of the best venues to see live music in, in town. I stopped by Sportmen's the other day to attend a "Friendraiser" hosted by The Good Neighborhood (the Good Neighborhood is located in Buffalo, NY and is about the community, providing you with information in Western New York that focuses on the greater good).
While I've driven past the Tavern many times before I was surprised to walk in and see how big the place was - a stage, big bar and bistro style tables line the downstairs and upstairs is an additional bar with tables and a balcony where you can watch the band(s) play. My time was cut short at the Sportmen's Tavern, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and am already looking forward to going back soon!
Located at 326 Amherst St. if you love live music check out a band here.
Sportsmen's Tavern on Facebook
-B
...Called Buffalo
