Succulents and Sunnies - My view of this beautiful world.

Making the Most of Winter in Lockport

If you follow me (or Step Out Buffalo) on Instagram, you know that I took over the Step Out Buffalo Instagram and Snapchat accounts for a few hours last week to show off some of my favorite places in Lockport. The sun was shining and temperatures were just above freezing, so it was a great day to feature the best ways to make the most of a winter afternoon!

If you didn’t follow along or want more details on one of the places I visited, keep reading:

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After showing off the flight of 5 locks (the reason for Lockport’s name) in downtown Lockport, I stopped in to Steamworks Coffee to fuel up for my adventures. I’m a regular at Steamworks because it’s a great space to write blog posts and work on freelance assignments. The coffee is delicious, the space is so welcoming and there are plenty of outlets!

Next up was Julie Muscato Gifts, the cutest shop filled with a card and gift for every occasion. I could have easily bought one of everything…

Because this girl can only go 5 minutes without getting hungry, I stopped at Scripts Cafe for a tea and scone. I can highly recommend the London Fog scone; it was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up before heading to my next stop. I should also mention that the decor in here is amazing, as it was assembled by the aforementioned Julie Muscato.

On the way to the Lockport Nature Trail, I made a small pit stop to snap a picture of the frozen canal and hazy late-afternoon sun, which is the very first photo of this post. Lockport was sure looking pretty for my winter afternoon adventure.

At the Nature Trail, my favorite part is definitely the little waterfall, and it didn’t disappoint. The majority of the water was frozen, but you could hear the creek rushing below the ice thanks to warmer temperatures earlier in the day.

Last, but certainly not least, was Tattered Tulip. Everything is so darn cute, and there is a set of throw pillows that I’m trying very hard not to think about… Anyway, this was the perfect spot to finish up my afternoon.

The order I visited each stop in worked out perfectly, but I highly recommend spending more time than I did exploring Lockport. I had a great time showing Buffalo around Lockport, and hope that if you watched my Stories you enjoyed them too!

7 Reasons to Visit Salem in the Dead of Winter

Despite some wacky winter weather, Cody and I visited Paige this past weekend in her new apartment in Salem, Massachusetts. We were greeted by 2 feet of fresh snow and single-digit temperatures, but that didn’t stop from us seeing the sites. The 3 of us bundled up (we’re talking long underwear and scarves up to our eyes) to explore the best parts of Salem.

For anyone else crazy enough to visit this coastal city in the dead of winter, we highly recommend these 7 stops:

1. Fish Tacos at Howling Wolf

After a very long drive on Friday, we headed straight for tacos at Howling Wolf Taqueria. The place was packed and we waited a little bit for a table. Once we were seated our server was great and I don’t think I’ve ever had tacos delivered from the kitchen as fast as these were.

2. Snow Covered Graves

Salem is synonymous with witches, and no matter your belief on the subject, you can’t deny the history of this town. The Burying Point, the oldest burying ground in the city, looked extra picturesque covered in a thick blanket of snow.

3. Oak + Moss’ Sunny Shop

I found Oak + Moss on Instagram while researching things to do in Salem. Their shop lived up my expectations, with gorgeous natural pieces and nautical accents. I wanted so badly to buy a lot more than I did.

4. Fresh Bread at A&J King

After battling the cold and wind on Saturday morning, we were ready for lunch and a warm drink. The salad sandwich, chai tea latte and hammered copper tables at A&J King Artisan Bakers were just what we needed. The shop was busy, filled with people looking to get out of the house after days of snow and cold.

5. Frozen Harbor Views

Sure, the is harbor probably more enjoyable when it’s not frozen solid. But there’s something pretty cool about both waves and boats freezing into place.

6. Craft Beer at Gulu Gulu Cafe

We finished off Saturday with a few drinks at Gulu Gulu Cafe, which was a further walk than other Salem bars from Paige’s apartment. The huge selection of draught beers and live music made the walk completely worth it. Plus, it meant that we saw the trees that lined the streets downtown lit up at night.

7. Streets Filled Christmas Decor

Even though Christmas was a few weeks ago, both businesses and the beautiful old homes of Salem are still decked out in their holiday best. The lights, bows, wreaths throughout the town are dusted with snow, giving them an extra festive look.

Pre-Holiday Pizza at Hearth + Press

Making new friends is not my strong suit. Even as a kid, I’d wait for someone else to invite me over to play at their house instead of asking them. I never took the Myers-Briggs test because I know exactly what it’s going to say. I’m happy to spend Friday nights in and am perfectly content to explore new places solo.

This particular trait makes networking, both personally and professionally, one of the more exhausting tasks I’ve attempted since moving home. Because of this, I’m grateful for extroverts who take it upon themselves to follow up after I’ve awkwardly inserted myself into a group at an event.

Thanks to the initiative of other, braver, individuals, I recently found myself at dinner after work during the week before Christmas with a few fellow bloggers. We checked out Hearth + Press on Main Street downtown. Getting to know each other over thin crust pizza and drinks were just what we all needed to combat the stress of the holidays.

And if you’re looking for a new restaurant to try, we all recommend Hearth + Press. It’s a tad pricey (for us 20-somethings, at any rate), but the stone hearth pizza was fresh and crispy!

It’s Starting to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I’m not one to rush Christmas shopping, decor or celebrating.

But now, the second weekend in December, it really is starting to look and feel a lot like Christmas. Last night, I got to see In a DC Minute‘s beautiful Fox Cross Farm decorated in Christmas glory. Afterwards, I joined Shannon and Morgan for a night of baking cookies and Christmas movies.

Today, the Bills are on TV, playing in an actual snowstorm while flurries go past our kitchen window. My cinnamon tea is hot and dinner is in the Crock-Pot. (If this post didn’t sound just like my mom in the first few paragraphs, it now sounds as if she’s writing my blogs.)

With the general cheer of this weekend, I wanted to share how Cody and I are getting our little home ready for our first Christmas here. Last Saturday, we found a beautiful tree at Jurek Plantations. We both brought our favorite ornaments from home before finding a few store-bought additions.

In other spaces, we switched out throw pillows and added twinkling lights, pine boughs, a framed thank you card Paige made a few years ago, Willow Tree angels and a few handmade decorations from Filomena’s Favorites in Medina. I’ll definitely be shopping some post-holiday sales to pick up a few more items to decorate with next year!

The Perfect Farmhouse Table for Your Tiny Apartment Kitchen

When Cody and I moved into our apartment, we realized the 5 person dining table from his great grandpa wasn’t going to fit in our eat-in kitchen. And neither was anything we could buy for a reasonable price. So we made our own, without too many missteps.

Keep scrolling for our entire shopping and cut lists!

This project took us the better part of 3 weeks, but it could easily be finished in a weekend if you don’t have as many distractions as we did. I wasn’t planning on posting about this project, so I don’t have step-by-step photos – but it turned out too good not to share! I love how simple it is, which makes it easy to decorate no matter the season.

As always, measure twice and cut once! We found that after cutting our five short pieces for the table top, the width was slightly more than what we estimated; it all depends on the cut of the boards. After cutting and sanding everything individually, we assembled the legs, aprons and support bar. The apron is set in a quarter inch from the outside of the legs. We measured at both the top and the bottom of the apron, then put on wood glue before attaching the pieces with screws.

For the top, we assembled everything on the ground before attaching that to the base. Once everything was together, we sanded the top again to knock down some of the less than perfect seams. We could have planed either the pieces individually or the table top as a whole, but that would have slowed us down even more, so we chose to love the imperfections on the top.

If you have the space, it would be easier to stain and paint before attaching the two pieces, but we did not do this. Painter’s tape worked just fine to keep the stain and paint separate.

We chose a dark wood stain for the table top, to make up for the fact that we used pine (which was wayyy less expensive than hardwood) and painted the legs a creamy white.

To get the finished look, we used just 1 coat of Minwax’s Wood Finish Penetrating Stain in Espresso 273 and 3 coats of Mixwax’s water based Polycrylic protective finish. The only downside is that this finish is not super heat-resistant. For the legs, I used this tutorial on color washing with Behr’s Heavy Cream. It’s very easy and takes almost no paint, which is nice.

Eventually, I’d like to find chairs that are a little more farmhouse style, but we’re using the chairs from Cody’s grandpa’s table and they work just fine!

Shopping List

2 4″x4″x8′ fir boards
2 1″x8″x8′ pine boards
2 1″x4″x6′ pine boards
8 oz Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish
8 oz Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain
8 oz Behr Premium Plus Ultra Interior Matte
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig Kit
Kreg 100 Count 1-1/4 inch Screws
4 oz Elmer’s Carpenter Wood Glue
Paintbrush
Fine Sandpaper (for between coats of Polycrylic)

Materials We Already Had

5″ Orbital Sander
5″ Orbital Sandpaper (a medium grit works fine)

Cut List

For the Top

5 21.75″ from the 1x8s (Four of these will come from 1 board and 1 from the 2nd board)
2 36.25″ from the 1x8s (This may change slightly, depending on the exact width of your 1x8s.)

For the Aprons and Support

4 26.25″ from the 1x6s
1 31.25 from the 1x6s

For the Legs

4 identical cuts from the 4x4s (The height will depend on what chairs you’re using; it really doesn’t matter as long as they’re all the same!)

A Rainy Day at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff

While history was never my favorite subject in school, Buffalo’s industrious past and the extravagant wealth that came with it would have to try pretty hard not to be interesting. This wealth brought some of history’s most talented artists, designers, architects and more to this city. Fortunately, Buffalo’s current renaissance is helping our city and state realize these gems of the past are worth restoring. Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces here are some of the latest landmarks to receive this well-deserved and long-awaited treatment.

Paige and I gifted my dad with tour tickets to Graycliff for his birthday last year. It took Paige planning a move to Boston (😢) to actually schedule a tour. We took the basic tour, which is an hour and 15 minutes long, for $18 each ($12 for students!) and it was definitely in-depth enough for the casual visitor. You can buy tickets online or once you arrive at the estate.

The tour starts at the gift shop, of course, where your tour guide will give you some background on Frank Lloyd Wright, Buffalo at the time when the Martins were designing this house and the Martins themselves. Graycliff is a bit of a sister home to the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, as it served as the summer home for the Martin family.

Even on a rainy fall day, you can see why Wright took so much inspiration from this lakefront property. The horizon, visible both through and around the home, is imitated in the lines of the home, and the natural materials of the home are the same as the earth beneath it. The stone is tichenor limestone, unique due to its rusting iron content and noticeable fossils.

The exterior of Graycliff is almost completely restored, and the interior is coming together as grants and donations are secured. Lots of original details are still in tact inside, including a fire hose on the second floor, a huge stone fireplace and a greenhouse-like room filled with ferns.

Because there were only 5 of us on the tour, our guide took us through the majority of the home, even on the basic tour. She took time to share the Martins’ story, the history of the home after the Martins were no longer able to afford to maintain it, and the big picture regarding Wright’s life as an architect.

The garage, which once held the Martins’ 4 cars and driver’s living quarters, now serves as a workspace for the restoration of the home. There’s also a Pierce Arrow car, similar to one which the Martins would have traveled in, on loan from the Pierce Arrow Museum.

This tour was informative and interesting; they did a great job putting a narrative into history. And our tour guide asked me and Paige at the end if we had all the pictures we needed, which is basically a blogger’s dream come true. Graycliff is definitely worth the drive and the price of admission, no matter how much you think you like or dislike history!

3 Buffalo Beers to Try this Fall

Fall is such a delicious time of year, and the seasonal beers from local breweries are no exception. Apple, cinnamon and pumpkin make for a great addition to the bar as well as the dessert table.

If you’re looking for a new Buffalo beer to try this fall, check out these 3 tasty brews:

1. Southern Tier Brewing Co. Cold Press Coffee Pumking

STBC’s Pumking is a autumn staple. Last year I enjoyed Rum Barrel Aged Pumking, so this fall I tried the cold press coffee variation of the beer. The cold press coffee and pumpkin spice mix to create what pretty much tastes like a pumpkin spice latte in beer form. What’s not to love?

2. Big Ditch Cinnamon Apple Amber Ale

Big Ditch seasonals are always delicious, and this fall’s Cinnamon Apple Amber Ale is no exception. You have to like cinnamon and allspice to enjoy this beer, because it is seriously spiced. It’s also not as sweet as you might expect from a beer made with local apple cider, which I enjoyed. If you’re looking for fall in a can (yep, it comes in a can!), look no further.

3. Hamburg Brewing Company 550 Game Time

Fall wouldn’t be the same without listening to the Bills’ game on WGR on Sunday. Hamburg Brewing Company captured all those game day vibes in their American Pale Ale, 550 Game Time. This is nothing fancy, but neither is Buffalo, and I thought this tasted pretty good!

My Fall Favorites: Essentials for Making the Most of Autumn

It’s officially autumn and even though it’s still warm in the afternoon, the mornings have been cool and foggy. Fall is my favorite season and October is my favorite month. I make the the most of fall with mums in every shade of yellow, red and purple, apple pie and cable knits. And yes, that is a pumpkin spice latte in my coffee cup.

These are my favorite fall accessories:

1. L.L. Bean Boots
Breaking out my fall shoes is an occasion worth celebrating, and no pair of boots makes me happier than my Bean Boots. They’re so comfy and my favorite fuzzy socks fit inside! I’ve also found that some of my favorite fall activities take place in my Bean Boots. Cue the cool weather hikes, fall festivals and weekend camping trips.

2. Columbia Thermal Crew Socks
I love thermal socks and wear them the majority of the year. These are by far my favorites: they don’t fall down, the aren’t too fluffy and they keep my feer super warm. Bonus: I found these socks at TJ Maxx for less than they’re listed online on Columbia’s website.

3. Mums
This one is pretty self explanatory. What’s not to love about mums at the entrance of every store and on every porch in every fall color.

4. Yankee Candle Spiced Pumpkin Car Jar
I *highly* recommend investing in a fall-scented Car Jar. After my car is sitting in the sun all day, I open the door and it honestly smells like I’m pulling pumpkin cookies out of the oven. Who doesn’t need that after a long day at the office?

5. Artisan de Luxe Nell Throw
I almost bought this for myself last week at Home Goods, and, in a testament to how well my mom knows my style, she bought it for me for my birthday this week. The rich texture compliments our worn leather couch and natural throw pillows really well and I’m excited to curl up in it as the weather gets cooler.

6. Nanny’s Apple Pie
My grandma was a fantastic baker, and nothing was more impressive than her Thanksgiving staple, apple pie. My aunt is continuing the apple pie tradition. If I’m the one making, I’m more of an apple crisp kind of baker, but nothing is quite the same as a flaky crust and perfectly layered apple slices.

7. Homemade Concord Grape Jelly
This is probably a weird addition to a fall favorites list for those of you who don’t look forward to picking grapes off the vine in September every year. My dad’s uncle’s vineyard looked (and tasted) delicious when we visited last month; there’s nothing better than concords warmed by the sun on a fall day. And of course, there’s nothing to do with the pounds of grapes we picked but to make jelly!

My Fall Favorites and Autumn Essentials — Also, how cute is this apple hand towel my grandma embroidered?

8. Mossimo Supply Co. Cable Knit Cocoon Cardigan
If it was in my budget, I’d buy this sweater in every color. It’s so warm and cozy, and it comes in the best fall colors. The cable knit adds a little extra texture that makes this sweater perfect for throwing over a summer tank and calling it fall, which is my favorite kind of fashion.

9. Falling Leaves
Autumn is synonymous with gorgeous foliage. I spent countless hours pressing fall leaves in phone books as a kid, and did it again last fall for my holiday gift tags. No matter how old I get, there is such thrill in finding an unblemished red leaf on the ground.

Let’s Dough Buffalo 🏒

I love ice cream. Like, a lot.

Growing up in WNY, one of my favorite ice cream brands is definitely Perry’s. I very vividly remember a 2nd grade field trip with Mrs. Brauer’s class to their factory in Akron. We looked over the production floor, tasting different flavors as we watched ice cream being created and packaged.

It’s what neighborhood ice cream stands serve, and when I saw it in the dining halls freshman year at Ithaca College, I immediately felt at home choosing Panda Paws (as weird as that sounds!).

Excuse Me While I Geek Out About Marketing

This year, Perry’s is doing some really cool marketing too. They collaborated with New York Beer Project for some innovative (and delicious) beers. Local social media influencers and publishers had some creative campaigns this summer to highlight Perry’s latest flavors. It’s really cool to see a regional company embracing such integrated earned media tactics.

Perry’s and their PR team is taking the launch of their newest flavor 1 step further, reaching out to the Buffalo Blogging Network to share their new Sabres-inspired flavor as the 2017-2018 NHL season kicks off.

Obviously, I volunteered myself and this blog to publicize the crap out of the new flavor – because, ice cream. There are weeks in the summer I spend more money on ice cream than actual substantial food…

We Found Where Momma’s Been Hiding the Cookies

The new Sabres flavor is cleverly named Let’s Dough Buffalo, and it’s delicious. As Cody noted when we dug into the new flavor, Perry’s cookie dough ice cream is already special because it’s not just vanilla ice cream with cookie dough bites. The base itself is cookie dough flavored, and Let’s Dough Buffalo is extra special because it also has actual cookie pieces swirled in.

Cody decided that he’s a cookie dough purist and will be sticking to the original, but I’m all about this flavor mashup!

When you buy Let’s Dough Buffalo, a percentage of proceeds go to Cook n’ Share. This is a super cool program that teaches kids how to cook healthy meals they can share at home through the Resource Council of WNY.

I received free Let’s Dough Buffalo in exchange for writing a review on this blog. All opinions are my own.

A Fall Staycation at Hart House Hotel

Spending a little time away from home, no matter how far you actually go, is always a nice break from day-to-day life. Cody and I had the opportunity to spend a night at Hart House Hotel in Medina and jumped at the chance – despite the fact that Cody lives exactly .5 miles from the hotel. Hart House is a beautifully restored factory with tons of tiny details that make it so welcoming.

When I was in elementary school, my favorite family trip was our annual long weekend in Rochester. Not Cape Cod, not Disney World, but a hotel with a pool an hour east on the Thruway. We used to visit the museum, planetarium, mall and bagel shop. These trips didn’t have a long car ride or the stress of not knowing where you were.

The same was true about our stay at Hart House. We knew what we wanted for dinner and where we were heading for drinks afterwards. We had time to stop in all the shops we’re always saying we should go into. I couldn’t even forget my leftovers in the hotel fridge because we stopped at Cody’s house between dinner and heading to the hotel.

We started our staycation with dinner at Mariachi de Oro, which is always a good choice for authentic fajitas and enchiladas, plus 60 ounce margaritas, if that’s your thing. We walked from Hart House to Fitzgibbons for drinks. Fitz has a great selection of Irish and local beer, plus gorgeous woodwork and servers in kilts.

We woke up at Hart House to a sun drenched morning, perfect for iced coffee and Roberts’ cider from Shirt Factory Cafe. The weather felt more like June than September, perfect for walking to shops on Main Street. Our first stop was to The Bread Basket for peanut butter chocolate chip and cookies and cream scones (disclaimer: Cody’s mom owns The Bread Basket 😉).

After wandering through the farmers’ market, the rest of our day included stops at Creekside Floral (for our Ale in Autumn tickets!), Ellen J. Goods and Filomena’s Favorites. Medina is ready for fall, with chrysanthemums and rustic decor in every direction. I even did a little Christmas shopping…

On my way home I stopped at Roberts’ Farm Market for cider and to wander through their mums, pumpkins and u-pick orchards.

If Hart House is a little further than a 15 minute drive, there’s lots to do between Medina and Buffalo. Spend the weekend and check out Alternative Grounds or Steamworks for coffee, hike at the Royalton Ravine or spend some time at Bear Bottom Wholesale!