Rooftop fireworks. Martinis. 24/7 kitchen. Modern. Views. There’s a new staycation in town and it may not be where you would first think of one. It’s the Hyatt Place in Niagara Falls, NY and it’s… More
Welcome to My Crib: Baby Lovebird’s Nursery
It’s D-Day.
Or, at least, it was supposed to be.
Babies typically never arrive on their guesstimated date but we were so hoping that Baby Lovebird would make a grand entrance today. C’mon, weekend! We are banking now on her arrival over the next couple of days. Big Daddy Beau can barely contain himself and I am now simply tapped out. Ladies, you weren’t kidding when you said the last month is the hardest! Whew. And having three girlfriends, who were ‘due’ after Baby Lovebird, already have their babies this past week- makes me even more antsy and flustered.
But having the extra time at home this week gave us the chance to put more touches on the little tyke’s future room, giving us some relief and sense of nesting. There are still a couple more things we want to add in but we thought we would share what we have now!
Early on last summer, we knew we wanted to do a monochromatic room with greys, whites, and black. Babies see blacks and whites in their early weeks and months of coming in to the world and it helps stimulate them visually. We thought that was a neat fact! It helps that current nursery trends are modern and classic so we went for it. The style fits ‘us’ as well- we like to be up on what’s ‘in’.
I always had a vision for what the room would look like, so you can imagine the excitement a 40 week pregnant lady would feel when it all starts coming together!
Here is the scoop on what we placed in her room:
Crib: Pottery Barn Baby, Emerson // Bedding: Pottery Barn Baby (Hadley and Teagan) and Target // Mobile: a black & white origami display from Ollie and Penny
Japanese Maple Artificial Tree: Pier 1 // end table: Pier 1 (painted by my Dad to match the grey scheme) *sold out // Pineapple Lamp: Target
Wait…a Wu Tang poster? Yes- you are seeing that! We had this in our bedroom at the Hotel Lafayette after picking it up at an Elmwood Art Festival a few years ago. Thanks, WNY Book Arts! They designed this when the clan performed at Town Ballroom in Buffalo. Beau is a massive old-school hip-hop fan and as for me, being a musician and who teaches Ethnomusicology, this design totally makes sense. We wanted pops of color in her room and Wu Tang brought it. #CoolBaby
Dresser: vintage- my Mom’s dresser when she was a baby! Painted by my Dad to match // Animals: Pottery Barn Baby // Vase: Target // Stems: Hobby Lobby // Onesie: Carter’s // Poster: WNY Book Arts
Changing Table: Babies R Us (painted by my Dad to match) // Triangle Basket: PB Baby, currently housing Honest diapers *sold out // Headphones Muslin Swaddle: Oliver + Kit
How fun are the clothing dividers we found on Etsy?? They’re printable and can be found here. Now to find cool hangers!
Rocker Recliner and Triangle Pillow: PB Baby // Buffalo Pillow: Little Fruit Tree
Father’s Day Gift Guide at Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls
We love shopping at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls. Beau gets a lot of his wardrobe there and we love that there are 200 shops to peruse through. So of course we were excited to team up with the Fashion Outlets again and go on the hunt to show you some really great Father’s Day gift ideas. The outlets always have every day prices that are up to 75% off- can’t beat that!
They’re not far at all- only a short drive from downtown Buffalo and are really accessible from anywhere in WNY. Here is what we found for gift ideas this Father’s Day at any budget:
Some things about Dads: they usually always need help in the fashion department, they never can have enough grilling tools, and sometimes you just need to get them beef jerky. Beau spotted a wall of jerky at the Beef Jerky Outlet and I had to pry him out the shop before buying the whole store.
Over at Puma they had a buy one get 1/2 off T-shirt sale which is perfect since Beau is the super athletic dad.
Michael Kors has everything for the traveling business guy from shiny watches and matching business travel bag for those on the go.
Raise your hand if your dad has old holey underwear. Yup. We found deals on boxers at Banana Republic that seems like it was too good to be true always fun colorful print.
With stores like J.A. Zwilling Henckels you can stock the shed and garage with grilling tools perfect just in time for the summer. Find all the fun Buffalo goodies at the BFLO shop where you can hook him up with a grilling apron, a Bills koozie, and a South Buffalo shot glass when he’s outside making those burgers. And just in time for Father’s Day Old Navy is opening Saturday, June 16. Doesn’t Dad need some new shorts??
It’s not just clothes at the Fashion Outlets! You can find a gift for literally anybody on your list especially dad Father’s Day. He might even be super proud of you that you saved a lot of money and found the deals without tapping him for some cash.
DETAILS:
Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls / 1900 Military Rd. Niagara Falls, NY 14304
*the list also shows what deals are going on at each store!
Where to Find the Flowers: Our WNY Guide to Nurseries & Greenhouses
Fun fact: I grew up on a horticultural farm. My grandfather, parents, Aunt Jillie, siblings, and Great Aunt grew chrysanthemums by the 1,000s in Wrights Corners, NY for years. The tens of acres at my grandparents’ house was magical, beautiful, and hard work. Besides the mums, we also grew vegetables and sunflowers and my Grandpa took much of his garden to the local Farmer’s Market in Lockport every week. My brother studied landscape architecture and my mother is a retired art teacher. So naturally, this whole gardening thing is of interest to me and I am diving in to everything that has to do with the outside of the house.Beau is, too.
My parent’s home in Newfane, NY was meticulously landscaped and they spent every hour they could once the weather broke until the snow fell outside working on their flower beds. It was so stunning that people would drive down our road very slowly to check out the land and ask my Dad questions about what things were. (lol!) I spent ALOT of time in nurseries and greenhouses as a kid and have started to visit many of them now as an adult and getting my own things.
We have some stunning places in WNY and each nursery and greenhouse has a certain personality. Some are fierce flower joints, others focus on shrubs. Some have hearty plants and several are uniquely their own. This list is our personal guide to places we love that you should definitely be hittin’ up this Spring:
Our Top Greenhouses and Nurseries:
Russell’s Tree & Shrub Farm: The best place for trees, bushes, grasses, and shrubs. You can find small to large sizes for your budget and talk about delivery to your place. Transit Rd., East Amherst
Hi-Way Garden Center: A well-maintained and beautiful greenhouse filled with hearty and colorful perennials and annuals. We love getting our coleus, hens and chicks, and vegetables here. (yes, like the veggies you can grow yourself) Tonawanda Creek Rd., Amherst
Lockwood’s: A new discovery for us now that are Southtowners! This place has some stunning houseplants, beautiful spikes, and really hard-to-find annuals. Clark St., Hamburg
Seasonal Nursery: The place to look in to for landscaping design ideas and beautiful hanging baskets. We like to get spikes, sweet potato vines, and impatients here. Bullis Rd., Elma
Angle Acres Greenhouse: Here’s your hidden gem, guys. Angle Acres has 4 greenhouses filled with houseplants and unique varying sizes of succulents. Best place for a photo shoot. ***CASH ONLY. If you forget it’s okay- there is a gas station nearby with an ATM. Angle Rd., Orchard Park 
Our original go-to spots also in Niagara County:
Zehr’s, West Lake Rd., Burt
La Roses, Ridge Rd, Lockport
Heimiller Greenhouses, Ewings Rd., Newfane
Northtowns:
Spoth’s, Transit Rd., East Amherst
Badding Brothers, Transit Rd., Amherst
Adam’s Nursery, Genesee St., Lancaster
Curated Buffalo Boxes: buffBOX
It was one of those serendipitous meetings while strolling along Hertel Ave. last fall. The cutest pop-up caught our eye inside a popular local shop and we hit it off talking about Buffalo, Instagram, and the love of WNY artisans. It was buffBOX– a newly launched curated Buffalo box design that was the hit of all that walked by.
We were so impressed by this unique business that we caught up with owner Heidie Buffomante (I mean, c’mon, even her name is totally Buffalo!). Check out the inspiration behind the boxes and how you can get one, too:
Okay, we gotta start with the basics like…what is buffBOX and who are you?!
H: buffBOXes are curated collections that offer style, function, and feature items from small businesses. Each is thoughtfully created with a lot of love.
My husband, Adam, and I live in Williamsville with our sweet pup Daisy. I work as an Assistant Principal at a Middle School (which was also my favorite grade level to teach).
People in life matter, a ton. Gifting a custom buffBOX evokes feelings of importance and connection. Your gift recipient will feel like they have just received something extra special as they notice the unexpected details such as the elevated packaging or the handwritten note on linen paper. buffBOXes also support Buffalo’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. When purchasing, you are building into the resurgence of our city. It is my hope that the quality and uniqueness of your buffBOX items will get you right back into that small business to buy more and of course, connect with the owner/creator/artisan/entrepreneur.
This is new to the scene! How did it all begin and what was your inspiration behind it all? Everyone has a story about their creations!
H: After a brain injury in August 2014 I spent a significant amount of time at home recovering. It brought me immense joy to remix items throughout our home to optimize their function while also creating something beautiful. I needed to be in a space that elicited feelings of comfort and coziness as Adam and Daisy spent many evenings and weekends tucked inside with me. I evolved into styling spaces for my mom, sister and friends. All the while, I would have consistent FaceTime sessions with my dear friend Aubrey in California where we would dream about this turning into a business. Most recently in October 2017 I decided to share my curated pairings of home goods more 
broadly, did a big shop, came up with 30 variations, and had a “First Look” with family and friends a week later. Very shortly after that Adam picked me up from work on an afternoon we planned to hit up the small businesses on Hertel. It was a very rainy day and we considered just going home. Instead, we braved the Buffalo weather, had a conversation with a few local entrepreneurs about this passion project, and weeks later we were popped-up inside their store. This launched buffBOXes being featured in local blogs, a segment on Channel 7 news, collaborations with local entrepreneurs, and most importantly Adam and I met a lot of new people in our city of Buffalo. We are forever grateful to Bri at Modern Nostalgia, Matt with Scout & Cedar, and Katie creator of BKindCity for believing in buffBOXes and embracing us on that rainy night.
It’s nice to have a creative-type put these gifts together as a gift! Where do you frequent to find pieces for the boxes?
H: I create buffBOXes with functional and unique items I find on our travels around Buffalo and day trips on the weekend. This ensures there is a small business feature in each box. This is important to me and part of why I enjoy curating buffBOXes because each has its own authentic story that is shared on the personalized stationery packaged inside. I also have my stores I frequent often like Hobby Lobby and Marshall’s. I can always find supporting pieces to the anchor item in each box.
What are some good uses for a buffBOX? What kind of gifts could it be for?
H: Reason- (birthday, baby shower, housewarming, new job, just ‘cause, treat yo’ self)
Season- (spring tablescape, essential summer decor, fall vignette, hot cocoa station for a winter wonderland)
Holiday- (Valentine/Galentine, Mother’s & Father’s Day, Halloween, Christmas
In each custom buffBOX there is a handwritten note sharing the small business feature, where the items have traveled from, or how it will compliment their lifestyle based on the information the gift-giver provides on my custom order form.
What are the ranges of buffBOXes if readers are looking to send a gift?
H: Custom buffBOXes come two ways: Regular $69, and BIG buffBOX for $99
For Pop-Ups at local businesses prices range from $4 to $45 for the Build-Your-Own buffBOX option. You can pick and choose which items you want with attractive price points.
How do the gifts get to the people?
H: Free pickup, $10 delivery within 20 miles of Williamsville. Shipping adds on a cost of the flat rate box.
Where can people see the buffBOXes?
H: Instagram @buffboxes is the platform I use to share what’s available for purchase, dates/locations for pop-ups, completed custom orders (with permission from the gift-giver), and information on how to order your own.
My personal Instagram @heidiebuff is a place to checkout how I style our home through the seasons and behind the scenes footage of my creation stages of buffBOXes in the Instagram Story. I just saved our adventure to Rochester to find some new goodies in the Highlight section.
What visually inspires you?
H: Casual simplicity of Skeem Design, color palettes of Kate Spade NY for spring, craftsmanship of Mariposa, timeless pieces in Mackenzie Childs courtly check, lush blankets in neutral color tones by Barefoot Dreams.
You recently had your home featured in Buffalo News! Yay!! How do you envision certain rooms and looks? What is the style you aim to achieve?
H: I am committed to creating our home spaces that are functional and truly evoke feelings of comfort and coziness. To do this, I start with an anchor item and monochromatic color palette. This helps guide my purchasing of other complementing pieces. For example, our oversized coffee table in white washed wood drove the tone of the wooden tabletop tray stacked with books and the hammered metal coaster set. Our hobbies are also sprinkled throughout the home, like Adam’s fondness of sports and collector items and our board game collection. See more pics here!
So you guys are in the Northtowns- what is your go-to place to eat? Any good date night suggestions?
H: Sandwiches and salads at D’Avolio or Japanese at Kumo for lunch. Roccos, San Marco Restaurant, Share, and Sinatra’s for dinner. The best date nights always involve an activity like bowling, games like Spot It, or popping in to play with our nephew Little Rick.
How can people get a buffBOX for someone??
H: Follow @buffBOXes on Instagram! If you are not a user, email me at heidie.buff@gmail.com
Working on a new custom order form that will be available soon!
Check out buffBOXes in person and meet Heidie! Pop on over to the Ellicott Square Building for the City of Buffalo Artists Market on Saturday 5/12/2018 from 11am-3pm. And remember- Mother’s Day is coming up on 5/13/18 so you’re going to want to send Mom a super fun buffBOX. 🙂
Best Foot Forward: Babylovebird’s Go-To Booties from BirdRock Baby
Chloe’s closet is becoming almost larger than Mommy and Daddy’s- and that’s not including shoes. Not an easy feat to beat us. Let’s face it- baby shoes are impossible to keep on and you constantly have to watch to make sure you don’t lose one! It’s inevitable. But we found some moccs and a bootie style that are PERFECT for your squirt and they’re from BirdRock Baby.
It was one of those Instagram finds, when we stumbled upon BirdRock’s super cute (not to mention affordable) baby moccs. Chloe has worn them since she was about 6 months and she just added some to her collection.
The Panther (shown above) is what I like to think of as her ‘Louboutin shoe’, Mermaid is a pink metallic holographic mocc, and we tried out their fleece booties that snap around the ankle.
Besides being cute, BirdRock moccs are easy to get on a tiny squirmy human. The elastic is stretchy enough to pull on and then tightens back to normal without denying baby’s foot.
The other cool thing about BRB is that each month they tally up how many moccs and booties have been sold, then donate that amount to Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to making sure children around the globe receive a healthy meal.
Easy on, easy to keep on. The booties from BirdRock Baby are cozy and adjustable. Simply slide baby’s foot in and wrap the two side overtop one another and choose which snap to use to secure around the ankle. Chloe’s been wearing them this winter over jeans, tights, and just crawling like a naked baby throughout the house.
BirdRock baby is a small business based in San Diego and is definitely to be on your baby list for current and future babes. Chloe approves.
Date Night: Buffalo Collective
Recently, we were invited to Buffalo Collective’s space over in South Buffalo for a DIY studio pallet night. Sure, we have all heard of the paint nights and probably have been to one (or ten), but THIS is something different. Cool. Like, Joanna Gaines cool.
Sometimes, Beau doesn’t listen. I had told him about ten times what we were going to be doing on this particular date night and when we got there- he said to me, ‘You didn’t tell me I would be painting! Oh my God, what if I mess up?’ The dude knew. Busted, hubby. Luckily, Buffalo Collective guides you through the whole process and in the end you step back and want to do another…and another….
Pic: @buffalocollective
With two locations- one on Abbott Rd. in South Buffalo and the other on Harlem in Amherst, Buffalo Collective was started by a duo of mamas looking to get their creative side out and to other people. It’s a more hands-on place than you expect. You use POWER TOOLS. Pallet boards are pre-cut and sanded for you but you get to put the board together yourself including the backing. The gals (we had one of the owners, Jill) help you through the adventure and offer tips on making your board clean and accurate. Pick your paints, learn about easy ways to pattern your pallets, and sip some wine while waiting for paint to dry. (Yep, you can get a drink at the ‘bar’)
Buffalo Collective has open and private parties available and the best way to get one started (we’re thinkin’ the ‘new’ bachelorette party, friends in town, gather all the ladies in the fam, roll in with your significant other…) is on their website. A private party is a minimum of 12 people, a group booking is 6 people, and you can choose your date online. There are even kid events you can do- perfect for a family date! Getting married? Buffalo Collective also makes signs and table numbers for weddings. Check everything out on their site!
So…here is how our night went:
Beau was in a room filled with ladies, yes, but who cares? Pallet parties are for the boys, too. He was so serious making his board for Chloe’s room that he proclaimed he wanted to return to do it again so he could perfect it. Oh, Beau!
Do something different. Do something fun. Gather your squad and book a night at one of the Buffalo Collective spots. You’ll be proud at the end, channeling your inner Fixer Upper style. We had so much fun!
DETAILS:
Buffalo Collective locations: see online (Southtowns, Northtowns) Street parking in Southtowns.
Perfect for girl night, fam time, date night, parties, solo, fundraisers.
Drinks for purchase, smocks on site, immediate assistance.
The Local Bloggers You May Be Missing Out On
Influencers. Bloggers. Storytellers.
The cool thing about our lives right now is that we can share our stories on different social media platforms. Media that speaks to us. Some of us are writing it (yea, we wish we had more time to write), some are visual documentarians (yea, we wish we had better camera skills), and some are mixing both into their platforms to share their lives and experiences (we like to think we’re in that realm).
A few are focused on straight up Buffalo and others have a more broad scope that appeals to the world (will we ever get there?). We’re sharing a short list of those who live among us here in the 716, but may be missing out on since they aren’t necessary screaming ‘Buffalo’ in your face. But they’re sending out gorgeous shots, fun stories, and cool vibes. (*all pics from handles)
Ok, envy! This girl hails from our home county of Niagara and her shots have us in love. Follow her for stunning coffee pics, perfectly placed throws and flowers, destroyed denim, and cute baby shots.
A mix of some blog posts and mainly shots on Insta, this mama has some adorable life stills that document her moments as a photographer and mother.
I mean, her name says it all. Beer. It’s like you step in to a magazine of editorial beer shots on every post. She’s showing you some great international hops along with beautifying the pour itself.
Brandi mixes Insta shots with YouTube videos filled with a makeup lover’s dream. I don’t think there is a lipstick color that looks bad on her…
I actually met Kristina when I was 16- seems like yesterday. A blogger turned social storyteller, follow her for fam life, punny real AF shirts, and inspo on getting off your a** in order to get healthy with her workout coaching.
Stunning plus model Caralyn shares her Buffalo and NYC life via how-tos, stories, and fashion shots. This girl works it and makes us feel beautiful too.
Rachel is a fashion blogger mama who channels through her site and Instagram. Follow her for all of the things we think silently in our heads as we try not to fall asleep at 8pm while attempting to Netflix & chill.
Total photog-inspo. Ryan captures moods through his shots and creates a semi-dreamlike sensation. Follow him for the art of the eye and to see some local familiar faces.
Our go-to pizza guide on Insta. We literally click on pics of pizza that look scrumdiddlyumptious and order it. This is gonna help you on lazy nights where you don’t know where to order.
I pretty much hint beg Beau for one of these rings one day (for a right hand ring). Follow for custom engagement ring ideas and drooling all over your screen. A local handcrafted jeweler designing unique and stunning sparkly things.
Did you know we have some of these incredible Instagrammers? Make sure to follow them! You’re missing out if you don’t.
