USS Little Rock Commissioning

/

If you've been down by Canalside over the last week or so you may have noticed the USS Little Rock LCS 9 stationed at the dock. This coming weekend it will be commissioned right here in Buffalo. Some of you may have tickets for tours and others may have plans to just come down to see the festivities.  Regardless, the ship is a true beauty, very advanced in technology and one of a kind. 

Last week a handful of co-workers and myself took a tour of the ship and below {and above} are some of the pictures from that. Anyone that is taking a tour this weekend, I'm sure you will enjoy it very much.

-B

Women Who Move Buffalo - Lindsay from Nickel City Pretty

/

Last week I met up with the wonderful gal, Lindsay from Nickel City Pretty. We met at her awesome studio {Black Box Studio} on Exchange St. and chatted about all of the exciting things she has accomplished and new ventures she is going to tackle in the future. It is one of my favorite interviews to date. Read more on Lindsay and all the fun things she does below.

What made you start Nickel City Pretty and the Buffalo Blogging Network?

Nickel City Pretty started about 5 years ago when I was looking for a hobby to help get me out of a funk. I always liked writing so as a new years resolution I began my venture into the blogging world. When I began I focused a lot on fashion, but over the years have branched out and now talk all about Buffalo and the great things taking place here. From there I began the Buffalo Blogging Network, a place where I could create a sense of community for other local bloggers to come and talk to others about the same interests. I host monthly meetings and networking events for bloggers to meet with one another, collaborate and just bounce ideas off each other. Since the inception there are now about 80 bloggers and vloggers in the network.

{part of her studio space}

On top of working a full time job, running a successful blog and blogging network, this past summer Lindsay opened up her own studio - Black Box Studio located at 567 Exchange St. so I asked her what made her want to open her own studio. 

Her response - I was itching for a bigger office, a place where I could come and put my full attention to my work. One thing I learned from Lindsay when we met is she loves old buildings and the architecture in and around Buffalo and with Larkinville being an up and coming area, when she found out the space was available her and her friend Heather {who is a photographer} jumped at the chance and did a complete reno. Having a studio space allows for me and Heather to bounce ideas off one another, to rent the space out to other people who are looking for a temporary spot to study, work, or hold a photo shoot to name a few things. My take away on the studio - it is super cozy, yet hip and I love everything about it! 

What is one thing you want people to take away from all of your initiatives and what do you enjoy most about each of them? 

Down the road I would love to see Black Box Studio grow and be a place for people to shoot videos, do more photography, host make up classes {Lindsay is a make up artist and still does classes, lessons and books for special occasions} and pop up shops and creative things. The studio is the missing piece to my puzzle. What I enjoy most about each thing I do - her blog - I love interacting with so many cool people, creating my "Nickel City Gritty" series and asking fun questions to get people to see those I features, real personalities. Just being able to work with Visit Buffalo Niagara {VBN} and local business owners and to go out and do all these cool things and be in the community is exciting. With the Blogging Network I love forming friendships, making people interact with one another and to see the collaborations created and the community that is forming is pretty awesome. Meeting Heather and having my own space and being inspired each time I walk into the studio is really exciting.

What do you love most about Buffalo? 

I love how friendly Buffalo is and how we help each other out. I love the old with the new, the architecture and old buildings and history with the new restaurants and technology. I also love how proud people are living here and of course the food. One thing I can say is Lindsay is apart of creating history here in Buffalo, her passion for her blog, the network and studio exude in everything she shares with the public. And I am so lucky to know her and am humbled to be apart of the network and learn from her. 

What is one thing people don't know about you? 

I was supposed to be on a Fisher Price box as a kid, but a few days before the photo shoot I fell and sliced my eyebrow open and needed stitches, needless to say because of that I didn't end up on the box.

Out of all of your initiatives is there one thing you enjoy more than another? 

I enjoy blogging, its my baby. And to be honest it is because of that, that it spawned me into these other ventures. It keeps growing, I enjoy being busy and working on new projects, like my Public Art Page.

What motivates you to keep going? 

The City - the vibrancy, my family and the people that I get to interact with everyday, Everyday life, that's what motivates me and keeps me going. Its all been fun and its a hobby and a job and my passion.

Lindsay is passionate about Buffalo, she gets inspiration from friends who own their own business and are living their passion. She loves local, small business and she screams Buffalo and just wants to show her love for the City in everything she does and I think she does a damn good job at it. The creativity out of Buffalo is amazing, but the dedication and love Lindsay has in everything she does is equally amazing and she inspires me and for that I am so grateful to know her. 

If you are or know of any business that would like to work with Lindsay or know of any person who she should feature on her Nickel City Gritty series contact her here.

{she is always working}

Fun Times at the Albright

/

Don't ask me any technical questions about art because I won't have the answer for you, but what I can tell you is that the newest exhibit at the Albright Knox, Out of Sight! Art of the Senses is pretty fun for any age.

{oh hello}

{I could have walked through these beads all afternoon}

Running from now until January 28, 2018 it is something I would suggest you put on your list of things to do over the holiday break. In my opinion you don't need to know a lot about art to be able to enjoy this exhibition. Below are photos from my trip there with my friend Kelsey and if you follow me on Instagram, check out my Insta- story.

B

{folding table & chairs}

{Without Beginning & Without End}

{the Carousel, yes me and Kelsey went on this!}

{Takashi Murakami}

{Mirrored Room}

Fishing in the Lower River

/

Brisk air and cooler temperatures made way for a new fishing experience for me yesterday up in Lewiston.  When Ryan from Brookdog Fishing Co. asked if I wanted to get back out on the water, I jumped at the chance and said of course! Not only was it fun this past summer when I went on an excursion with him, but I have never fished in cooler temperatures and honestly didn't know it was a thing to do until recent.

{out on the water}

There is something about just being on the water that makes you put things in perspective and clears your mind. Right off the bat we caught some steelhead and lake trout. What was the most exciting part of the trip, outside of sharing stories with Ryan and ease dropping on other boats conversations, was the fight of reeling in the fish when we caught them. The second favorite was holding the fish, I don't know why, but even when the fish fell out of my hands and I screamed like a little girl, it was fun.

Overall, its just a great experience and something different to do in the fall and winter time. Again, Ryan goes above and beyond providing all the amenities for the trip, including coffee and a mini space heater to warm your hands from time to time. I can't say enough positive things about this company, it is truly one of a kind and I'm already looking forward to the next trip. Thanks Ryan!

-B 

{rise and shine, its fishing time}

{holding the biggest fish I've ever caught}

{it was quite the experience}

{and I enjoyed every second of it!}

Meet Me At Rowhouse

/

Last month me and gals from work decided to check the new Rowhouse Bakery + Restaurant at 483 Delaware. Scroll down to see the handful of reasons why its one of my new favorite places in town.

{everything from the ground up in this building is amazing}

1.The Bar or Cocktail Lounge {when you walk in and head down a couple stairs its to your right} its like a secret hangout and I love everything about it.

2. The Bakery {this is enough reason alone to check out the place} you don't need a reservation to pay a visit, you can grab a coffee, baked good or quick snack from the marketplace on your way into work or on a short lunch break.

{the Bakery & Marketplace area}

3. The decor is BEAUTIFUL, each room is amazing. The building has so many unique features that it makes you want to explore {well it made me want to at least}.

{shots of the space}

{so.many.floors}

4. The food is delicious, fresh and many ingredients come from local WNY farms, many of the dishes pass through the wood fire oven as well.

5. Rowhouse is a place to explore, meet up with friends or a loved one and enjoy a day or evening out in downtown Buffalo. If you want to dine in, I recommend making a reservation ahead of time.

{we split a couple wood fire pizzas and wine}

#digiPlaySpace

/

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my Insta story last night on the newest exhibit to come to the Buffalo Museum of Science, digiPlaySpace. Open to the public beginning tomorrow {11/18/17}  digiPlaySpace is made for both kids and adults and is so.much.fun!!

The exhibit produced by TIFF {Toronto International Film Festival} is an interactive playground for everyone. Guests of the museum can explore new media technologies, get hands on with the 14 interactive digital installations and the Buffalo Museum of Science is only the third museum in the U.S. to host this exhibit.

If you're looking for something to take the kids to over the Holiday break or looking for a fun date night or just something to get you out of the house, I highly recommend checking digiPlaySpace out. It's on exhibit until April 22, 2018. 

A special thank you to the Tweet Team, Visit Buffalo Niagara and the Science Museum for inviting me to the preview night!

#travelBUF

-B 

 

 

Women Who Move Buffalo - Finishing Touches by Caitlin Krumm

/

{photo on Finishing Touches by Caitlin Krumm facebook page}

It was about a year and a half ago when I met Caitlin Krumm {now Mrs. Ring}, I met Caitlin through a mutual friend and helped organize her wedding, it was at that time that I was introduced to Caitlin's talent of art, but what I didn't know was that she has been an artist for a while. Back in 2007 she began creating pieces for fun, but always had a passion for it and in college took every art class she could.

She participated in the Elmwood Arts Festival for a number of years and built a customer base, she then began her Trendy Buffalo prints {I love them!} that started off as 4 originals and now she has up to 24. From there she participated in solo shows in pop up locations and created pieces for her clients. Fast forward to today and Caitlin is gearing up to open Finishing Touches by Caitlin Krumm, a pop up space inside the beautiful Ellicott Square Building that provides a purpose.

The concept is pretty simple, its to get art in the public eye, including her Trendy Buffalo prints, but also provide accessory basics such as scarfs, scented candles, wine tags and home decor items to complete your look for both your outfit and your home. And everything is $45 and under so you are getting a quality item for an affordable price.

When I asked Caitlin what her favorite piece of work is and why, she mentioned her Trendy Buffalo pieces. The reason why? They are fun to create. What I admire about Caitlin is her persistence and will to not give up. When she explained to me she will put in a full days work to create multiple pieces on top of working her full time job and still having personal time, it is quite impressive. Caitlin is genuinely a beautiful person inside and out, she has a huge heart and puts a ton of her passion into everything she does.

When I asked her my classic "What do you love about Buffalo?" question, her response -  I love Buffalo because of the people and the interaction and response I receive from my work. What she hopes people get out of her new venture at Finishing Touches is exposing people to her art by having it be part art gallery, part boutique, but also provide a convenience to those who are looking for unique pieces.

Store hours will be Wednesday's 11:30-7pm Thursday's and Friday's 11:30-3:30pm and available by appointment. There is a soft opening this coming Friday {11/17} from 4-7:30 pm.

To follow along, follow Caitlin's social media pages ---> Facebook Instagram

Thank you Caitlin for sharing your talent with WNY. xo

-B 

Kitchen Remodel - Post # 2 - Painting Kitchen Cabinets

/

{part of the mess, my anxiety was so high}

Well this past weekend I took on the project of painting my kitchen cabinets. I went into this scared shitless because all that went thru my head was if I screw this up what am I going to do {haha}, needless to say I moved forward.

{it continued..}

I probably didn't do this the professional way { I know I didn't do it the professional way, I did it the "Beth" way} and I certainly didn't paint the cabinets the way my Mother would have {her response when she walked into my house Saturday afternoon was "oh my, I would have done it ..."}. I tried taking off all the doors, but some of the screws were in so tight that I didn't have the strength to take they down so I improvised {this is where a handyman would have come in play, but that's ok}.

While the color of the cabinets looks more blue to me than light grey, I'm happy with the way the turned out. My kitchen looks a lot brighter and "fresher." I'm still getting used to the new look, but I'm overall happy with the way they turned out.

Next on the list, a new floor. I'm hoping to have that done in the next few weeks if possible.

{this is right before I hit my head on the ceiling like 10 times}

Because I'm trying to do as much of this on my own to save costs, stick to a budget and for some silly reason, to prove to myself that a single female who is living on her own can handle a project like this {it's all about empowerment and telling myself I can do this} I've been trying to cut costs as much as possible. So far for the paint, paint brushes, primer and sand paper my total costs have come to around $70.

{after photos}

{ I painted the bottom half of this wall a navy blue, which I am in love with!! I have an idea for an art mural sort of project for the top portion, but before I commit to that idea, I'm going to keep it like this for right now}

Until the next task is complete... if you have any advice on flooring send them my way!

-B 

November 2017 - Harlie's Adventures

/

Its been a long time since I posted about Harlie and what she's been up to. I can't believe she will be turning two in just seven short weeks.

Since this summer, Harlie has definitely grown into what I'd like to call a confident, spunky pup, who even when around other dogs sticks to herself most of the time and loves to explore.

{exploring with friends}

{one of her favorite places is Knox Farms.. btw how cute is my friend Jen's daughter Aila!}

While Harlie has made leaps and bounds since I got her, she still jumps and gets really excited when people come over, so that's a work in progress. I'm hoping as she gets older that will get out of her system.

Since her last update, she is no longer crated {I am so happy about that, I think she is too!}, she loves walks more and more, she cuddles right up against you no matter where you are, she sun bathes, if there is sunshine, she's basking in it. And she continues to destroy her toys, even the toughest and most durable, she finds a way to tear them a part and put holes in them.

{its a tough life}

Each day my love for her is stronger and stronger, even when she pushes me to the side when my brother and Dad are around. ;)

Until the next adventure, xo

Harlie & B

{she loves this alligator}

BuffBOXes

/
{one of my favorites}
Passion is defined as a strong and barely controllable emotion. Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. When you combined these two feelings what you get is indescribable. Why am I bringing this up? Because just the other day I was lucky enough to meet with two Western New Yorkers who exude this with their new hobby. Heidie and Adam Buffomante recently started BuffBOXes which is a combination of unique items put together that create a beautiful, simple and functional style.
{Adam and Heidie - the masterminds behind BuffBOXes}
BuffBOXes launched a few weeks ago as a passion project. Heidie has always loved styling her home and pairing things together so her and Adam decided to team up and make this an experience that they enjoy together. They visit locally owned stores {I love that!!} for items as well as department stores {to keep costs down} making it a truly unique gift to give someone.
When I asked what some of their favorite local stores were they had a solid list - Modern Nostalgia, Scout & Cedar, Bkindcity, Mintberry, Molly & Kate, and Tattered Tulip. After adventuring out to stores for a day and building relationships with business owners, they come home and start the pairing process. One may think they would be exhausted after a full day out and about, but Heidie says she's eager to dive into the creative process!
When I asked the couple my classic question of what they love about Western New York they said the people. They shared how genuine, fun and committed the new people they have met are and the great pride they have in Buffalo. Heidie also mentioned you get to see how dynamic everyone is too, like the deep missions they have to build up our city.
There are two things that stood out for me when I spoke with Heidie and Adam, the first is how passionate and happy this project makes them. I have met a number of people through this blog and I can say Heidie is humbled that people put trust in her and Adam to create something special for them. The other thing that stood out is how much Adam loves Heidie and seeing her smile as she creates the BuffBOXes. When I asked what they love most about this, Adam said he enjoys seeing how happy it makes her.
BuffBOXes price points range anywhere from $20-$65 depending on the box. Each buffBOX is created with love and includes items that evoke joy and comfort. Follow them on Instagram to stay up to date @buffboxes and @buffalove_heidie to see the hustle. Also, know they do custom buffBOXes as well.
To Adam and Heidie - thank you for opening up your home to me and sharing your story, but more importantly thank you for sharing your passion and joy you have in each buffBOX that you create.
xo
-B

It's About Taking Care Of Yourself

/

I've been feeling more stressed and defeated lately than normal, so when my friends over at gifts.com reached out to me about their 92 Self Care Ideas, it was perfect timing. With our busy lives, it can be SO easy to forget to do little nice things for ourselves and it can even sometimes feel selfish! With work, family and friends it's hard to prioritize making some time for you. It feels like something we can easily put off, even though we shouldn't. There are tons of different ways to treat yourself, you can sort the ideas based on whether you need mental, social, physical, emotional, and practical self care so you can really personalize your self care day.

Check it out!

Kitchen Remodel - Post #1 - Wallpaper removal

/

I'm entering the third year in my house and I have wanted to redo my kitchen for a while so I finally decided to start this remodel today. If you're a homeowner you know there are always projects for you to work on {unless you're a millionaire and purchased your dream home, but I'm not there yet, so I have to keep dreaming} and the kitchen is probably one of the biggest remodels you can do to your home.

First up was taking down wallpaper above my kitchen sink and cabinets {wallpaper is the worst, the WORST}. A few hours later and the first project is complete. Next up on my list is to sand, prime and paint the cabinets...

{kitchen before pictures}

Because its easy to just call a contractor or hire someone to do these things for you, I'm determined to do as much as I possibly can myself. They say challenging yourself is a good thing, so I'm going to challenge myself to get through these next few weeks as I tackle each project one by one.

If you have any tips or suggestions please pass them along my way! And follow along on my Instagram {@bybuffalob} and FB accounts as I tackle these projects.

-B 

 

A New Indoor Cycling Studio Opens This Weekend

/

Working out can be to some, a pain, so its important to not get bored with your workout and to have fun. That's why I'm excited to share with you a new indoor cycling studio who is opening their doors this coming weekend! Rebel Ride at 6449 Transit Road in East Amherst is the newest indoor cycling and strength studio to come in town and people are going to love it!

The studio is like no other, every instructor was trained by top instructors in the NYC and L.A. areas, the room is set a comfortable temperature of 68 degrees, complementary towels and post class snacks, such as a coffee and tea bar add to your experience.

They feature two signature rides – a Rhythm Ride that includes awesome beats and choreographed moves and a Performance Ride that uses metrics to measure the effectiveness of your workout. The bikes are clip in only which offers a completely different ride, you feel sore in different places. If you don't have spin shoes no sweat - Rebel Ride offers rental shoes for $2, your first pair is free {you're first ride is also free!}.

Rebel Ride welcomes private parties, charity rides and much more. Take advantage of their pre-opening discount package thru October 29! Click here to check it out.

Perry's Ice Cream - New Ice Cream Flavor "Let's Dough Buffalo!"

/

Going to the Sabres game today? Celebrate with Perry's Ice Cream as they unveil their new ice cream flavor, Let's Dough Buffalo! Free samples will be given out on the 100 level of the arena. Let's Dough Buffalo! is a combination of cookie dough ice cream with cookie swirls and cookie dough pieces. Let me tell you it is DELICIOUS! That's not all, with every purchase of Let's Dough Buffalo! Perry's will donate a "Buffalo Nickel" to the Buffalo Sabres Foundation, supporting local community organizations.

You can purchase Let's Dough Buffalo! at the Keybank Center or any local Tops Friendly Markets, Wegmans, 7-11 or Dash's Market.

Kid tested and approved!

Join me Saturday, September 30th for Buffalo's Best Pierogi Contest!

/

Join me this Saturday, September 30th at Corpus Christi Church for their Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival. I'll be a guest judge for the 10th annual Buffalo's Best Pierogi Contest at 4 pm. Admission is $1 or 3 non perishable food items. The event will have food, drink, a themed basket raffle and polka music by Special Delivery from 6-10pm!

Women Who Move Buffalo - The Gals from Love in Motion Yoga

/

It's been a while since I've posted about my women who move Buffalo series, not because I haven't met some pretty cool people recently, but just because life has gotten in the way. Anyways...last year I was introduced to Kate and Kathleen from Love in Motion Yoga  they started teaching free yoga classes at the Outer Harbor on Wednesday's and Saturday's. Jump to today and what I'll say is you really never know how things will go when you meet new people, sometimes your relationship can be pretty minimal and other times it can grow into something wonderful and that's what I say happened with us. Since then, we've collaborated more, laughed more and they've taught me to just live my life.

{the studio}

On Saturday morning before their busy day full of classes they were kind enough to invite me into to their studio to share their story. Check it out below...

{during our interview - a candid shot of behind the scenes work at LIM}

BP:  How did you two meet?

K&K: Kathleen was in the training process to become a yoga instructor and attended Kate's first yoga class she was teaching in 2008 and the rest is history!

BP: What made you gals want to go into business together?

K&K: It's been 5- 6 years in the making, we've talked about going into business together and knew that was both of our end goals and visions.

BP: How did you both get into the yoga scene?

K&K: Kate: I'm a runner and wanted to stretch {I wish I recorded Kate's response, it is a lot better than just reading it here.} Kathleen: my sister suggested me taking it up after a phone conversation I had with her.

BP: What do you love most about owning your own business?

K&K: We can do whatever we want.  Any idea or vision we have, if we want to make it happen or just go out and do it, we can. The way we can show up in the community and be apart of something great, is a great feeling.

BP: What is your most memorable experience together?

K&K: {through the laughter} the  time we got pulled over at the Canadian border on our way to teaching a retreat. We had a full cooler full of raw food and they stopped us thinking we were smuggling things in.

BP: What do you love about Buffalo? If you had to chose one thing what would it be?

K&K: The community and the collaboration among small businesses. Collaboration is good for everyone and there is a bigger sense of working together here than if you were in another city.

BP: What is one thing you want people to take away from LIM?

K&K: The sense of coming like you are. Yoga can be fun and there are no expectations, no putting on an act. Its about getting connected and tapping into your body. Its about enjoying the practice, "it's chill."

{nothing but smiles at LIM}

One thing I can say is once you meet Kate and Kath your life will change for the better. They bring out the best in people, they do so much for others in the community and always treat everyone with respect and love. They want everyone to be able to practice so if you are financially in a pinch, give them a call and talk to them.

Like I mentioned above, these ladies do so much for the WNY community. Just this week alone they are doing a feel good series at the Buffalo Zoo to raise funds for animal enrichment and Pause in the Park at Roswell Park. And on Oct. 8th check out LIM looonnggg flow w/Kath.  For a complete list of upcoming events and workshops click here.

I'll leave you all with this.. "there are some people in life that make you laugh a little louder, smile a little bigger, and live just a little bit better." Kate and Kath do that for me and I can bet money they probably do that for others in this community as well. Thank you ladies for reminding us all to be the best version of ourselves each day.

-B 

{a little advice from the LIM instagram account}

 

 

No fancy title here, just my thoughts as of recent

/

 

{Photo by Seek Axiom}

Life is a crazy thing and its scary. As I sit here and type away at the key board I have so many thoughts and feelings going through my head and I don't know how or what is really going to come out or if it will even make any sense. I don't know how people who read this will take it, but at the same time its thoughts that I think a lot of people often ignore because they don't like to deal with things head on. Life is tough, its not always sunshine and rainbows, its hard and sad and while you can sit here and act like life is great and post only what you want people in the world to see, you can only mask things for a certain time and then they resurface.

You see even the toughest people who are strong, independent and smart go through shit and sometimes they need someone to lean on, someone to take care of them. You can have a great job, have an amazing family and amazing friends and still feel like something's missing. You can feel this way and its not because you aren't appreciative of what you have in your life, but because you feel like you have to be the one to always keep your shit together. The one who is always the bigger person, the person who will fix everything, make everything better and let people treat you bad and say "it's okay" because you want to do the right thing and just be a good friend, a good person. But in reality that's not okay. Its not okay because you only have one life, you don't always have a second chance and you aren't guaranteed anything except this moment you are living right now so you have to make it worth it.

SO what is the point of all of this stuff I just wrote, I don't know, maybe its me just wanting to let anyone know that if you're going through a tough time and trying to figure out your life, know its okay, you don't have to have all of the answers, you don't need to always feel like superman or superwoman. You just have to live, do the things that make you happy and say whats on your mind and how you feel. Why? because everyone deserves to be happy and be loved. Everyone needs to know its okay to cry and its okay to be sad. Its okay to be vulnerable sometimes because being vulnerable means being uncomfortable. When we put ourselves out there we often wonder if we will get criticized or feel hurt, but because of this we are courageous for opening up and allowing ourselves experiences that we need in order to bring a purpose to our life.

Lastly, we need to love because love is the most important thing you can do as a person and its also the most risky thing you can do. Love is powerful and uncertain and loving someone leaves you to being emotionally exposed. It's scary, but we're open to being hurt because we can't imagine our lives not being loved or loving others and all of this is vulnerable and risky at the same time, but we allow it.

Its funny how over the last year I've learned so much about myself, but know there is so much more to learn.  I don't think anyone would ever say they like to feel stressed or anxious, sad and defeated, but at the same time I am a very strong believer in things happening for a reason. Lessons being learned during some of your most difficult and stressful times. Its during these times that you learn more, you feel more, appreciate more and find the real meaning of your life, what your supposed to be doing. It's almost as though a light bulb goes off and everything clicks and you find those answers you've been looking for, sometimes it happens quickly and other times it may take a while, but it happens.

As I finish typing and debate in my head if I should really hit the publish button, I'm worried what people will think of this, but then I think of what a good friend told me recently and sometimes you just need 20 seconds of insane courage and then its done. So here's to that 20 seconds...

Just know you have a purpose in this crazy world we live in and each day when we wake up its another opportunity for us to share our love with others. xo

-B

 

A trip to the Darwin Martin House

/

A few months ago I attended a private tour of the Darwin Martin House {thanks to Lindsay from Nickel City  Pretty for setting it up for the Buffalo Blogging Network.} Being from WNY I have been past this incredible complex multiple times, but had never been on a tour, something that had been on my "bucket list" for a while.

{the attention to detail is amazing}

Mary Roberts the Executive Director took us along for the hour tour and told us about the history, improvements made and some fun facts about Frank Lloyd Wright and the building. I could share a lot of the facts and information with you on here, but that's boring and I think you would get more joy out of actually attending a tour there in person. The complex is operated year round making it convenient for you to check it out!

-B 

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

 

 

A "thank you" to my work family as we say goodbye to summer

/

{the "original" Outer Harbor crew}

Its not the "official" end of summer yet, but with school starting back up and these cooler temperatures that have made there way thru to WNY its easy to say Fall is approaching. While we still have a number of events this next month, I must say this summer, especially this last couple of months have been a whirlwind. One thing I've learned is life happens, things change and there will always be problems and sometimes you may not be able to find a solution or answer to those problems, but you need to learn how to move on and be happy with yourself.

{always willing to help me out when it comes to important causes #BisonsFam}

Learning this lesson comes as a real challenge to me as I just want to please everyone whether it be in my professional or personal life, but eventually it will affect you and drive you crazy because you won't always have the answers or know why things are happening the way they are at those specific times. What I want anyone who may happen to read this post to get out of it is simple, changes take place in all different aspects of your life all the time, some times they are small changes, sometimes they are bigger changes and sometimes we may not know why the hell we are going thru them, but we have to accept them and learn to just live.

{fun times with the gals}

When you are in a career like mine you work very long hours and work becomes your second home. Your co-workers become your second family in a way; you fight together, laugh and cry together, but most importantly you have each others backs. When someone is down or needs help you are there to lift them back up and to let them know everything will be okay. If there is one thing I will stand by its that working together has a far greater reward than working by yourself - a lesson a lot of people could use in today's world.

{4th of July}

{Jack Craft Fair}

{Thunder at the Outer Harbor}

There are a lot of awesome things that took place this summer and it wouldn't haven been possible if we didn't work together. So to my work family at the Ballpark, Canalside and the Outer Harbor, thank you for having my back, making these summer months a very memorable one, picking me up and making me laugh when I've wanted to cry and reminding me that "I've got this" when I've second guessed myself. XO

-B

{the boys}

{2nd to last Bisons game of the season}

{Brunch fest}

{typical Brad :) }