(Above: Community Wall at Abundance Cooperative Market. Know your #Roc.)
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | LINKEDIN
Everything short of Tumblr enhanced my social calendar this week. Birthday Parties. Art Shows. Photo Shoots. Restaurants. Networking. Now, more than ever, Social Media clues me in to the Rochester I wouldn’t otherwise discover. Best tip? Visit your local hubs for community action like Abundance Coopertive Market downtown on Marshall Street! Or … Find a friend like Katie Regan who has her thumb on the pulse of Rochester. (This chick literally knows what’s up before it does, I swear.) Or … Follow. Follow follow follow. Follow businesses. Follow boutiques. Follow restaurants. Follow artists. Follow musicians. Follow your favorites. Follow those you’re curious about. Follow. I promise you: you will find fun activities you wouldn’t otherwise know. And then, you can have as rad a week + a weekend as I. (…You don’t even want to know how rad Katie’s was, btw. Woman needs a How To #Roc blog… .)
#ROCISRAD
WEEK
NETWORKING
FACEBOOK | LINKEDIN | TWITTER
INTERVIEW – ABUNDANCE COOPERATIVE MARKET
I also had the pleasure of sitting down with Marketing Director, Chris Whitebell, of Abundance Coopertive Market on Marshall Street. Spotlight Feature coming soon. Just know now that all items Abundance sells are either: Local, Organic, IPM, and/or Fair Trade. This means that every single thing you buy from Abundance is a socially conscious purchase.

Cake Pops from Scratch Bakeshop for Peppermint’s 2nd Birthday!
WEEKEND
ART SHOW | PHOTO SHOOTS | BIRTHDAY PARTIES | LOCAL FOOD
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOK
I was straight baller status this weekend. Why? Rochester is Rad at Social Media.
FRIDAY
ART SHOW – SHAWNEE HILL AT LUX LOUNGE
Follow local artist Shawnee Hill–among others–on either Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, preferably all 3, and you have an instant pass to all of their features. This week it was a free art opening at Lux Lounge with free food. Lux vibes, always. With a huge backyard, outdoor games, a fire pit, church chairs near the pool table, serious drink specials, nightly events, local art, and free bon bon lollies all of the damn time, you never beat Lux Lounge. You’re a fan after midnight? Try Lux during Happy Hour. Just as chill. And you extend the night. Now combine Lux with an art event. That’s a Friday night. And I met Shawnee Hill! This woman’s art is ethereal; meeting her, other-worldly. Thank you, Social Media. And Lux Lounge.
SATURDAY
PHOTO SHOOTS – ROCHESTER BRAINERY WITH LINDSAY STEPHANY PHOTOGRAPHY + TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE WITH DEMAROUX PHOTOGRAPHY
That’s right. Photo shoots. Plural. Aside from senior portraits in high school, I’ve only done 1 photo shoot–(also with the geniusly talented Anjolee [nee Wolfe] Eggleston of DeMaroux Photography)–so it’s not like this a regular thing for me. It’s not. But, between blogging + Social Media, on Saturday I had 2, which is–technical term–the flossy flossy. One, with Treasure Trove Vintage. The other, Rochester Brainery. I contacted Morgan of TTV. (Note: Original post w TTV accidentally got deleted. Which sucks.) I cannot wait to Spotlight Treasure Trove Vintage for you! Brainery contacted me via Twitter after I tweeted about their Brainery Bazaar. See? Social Media enhancing lives. The shoot? Baller. Not only is Lindsay Lau of Lindsay Stephany Photography a doll + her shared-loft studio at The Hungerford gorgeous, but also we had a riot. I brought friends. We played with props. There was laughter. Danielle and Stephanie from The Brainery were hilarious + helpful + gracious + fun. And, who knows, we could be plastered all over the website. (No big deal.)
My time spent with Morgan, owner of Treasure Trove Vintage, her mother, Honey, and photographer, Anj of DeMaroux Photography, was also rich. I wore vintage dresses. That fit. Beautifully. Anj had me traipsing around the Park Ave and East End streets like it ain’t no thang. I cannot wait to share this with you!
BIRTHDAY PARTIES – SHOP PEPPERMINT IS 2!
Both photo shoots happened Saturday: Brainery in the morning and Treasure Trove in the evening. What better way to split some down time than by stopping by Shop Peppermint’s Birthday?! (It helps that Peppermint and Treasure Trove Vintage share a building on the corner of Park + Meigs.) With cute + classy h’orderves by Scratch Bakeshop and endless collections of hip + affordable jewelry, shoes, dresses, blouses, shorts, and even bathing suits … I didn’t want to pull myself away. I truly cannot believe Shop Peppermint turned 2. What on earth did I do–where did I shop–before Shop Peppermint happened to Rochester?
LOCAL FOOD – THE RED FERN + LA CASA
Lunch at The Red Fern. I got the PB+J smoothie. … Again. I want to order all of their smoothies all at one time and drink all of them one after the other without guilt. I couldmake that happen. It would be grand.
Dinner at La Casa. After at least 1 hour of prep (Anj could also be a make-up artist, PS) and 3 hours of shooting, we were famished. Both The Owl House and Cure had wait times. (Duh.) Anj brainstormed La Casa! About 1 year old, on Alexander near Boulder, I’d just driven by it earlier and reminded myself I’ve been meaning to try. IT ROCKED. I felt transported to vacation and right at home, all at the same time. Their patio space also looks rocking. La Casa will be a mainstay, especially this summer. Between the refreshing $5 house margarita, the authentic and hearty appetizers (we ordered 3…), the gracious service, that patio, South Wedge as the hood, and the vibrant energy with chill vibes: I must.

Peppermint inspired ensemb to celebrate!
Blouse – Peppermint Line
(Desiged by Tanvi Asher. Made in NYC.)
Ring | Necklace | Earrings – Shop Peppermint
FOLLOW ROCHESTER
Thing is? I didn’t even hit on everything this weekend. I missed the Brainery Bazaar, attended by The Knotty Owl! (Best laid plans.) Also, on Sunday I missed A-List’s Blogger Brunch at Hogan’s Hideaway, another local favorite. Super bummed. But, glad to know I can vindicate. By following Rochester on Social Media.
We all know that Rochester, NY is Festival City USA. What we need to know is that we can celebrate Rochester before the end of May. Rochester is Rad. Now follow it so you can always find it.
Oh. And make sure to follow me!
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
ARTISTS | BOUTIQUES | BUSINESSES | RESTAURANTS AND BARS
ARTISTS
ANJOLEE EGGLESTON
SHAWNEE HILL
TANVI ASHER
THE HUNGERFORD
THE KNOTTY OWL
BOUTIQUES
SHOP PEPPERMINT
TREASURE TROVE VINTAGE
BUSINESSES
ABUNDANCE COOPERTATIVE MARKET
DEMAROUX PHOTOGRAPHY
LINDSAY STEPHANY PHOTOGRAPHY
ROCHESTER A-LIST
ROCHESTER BLOGGER NETWORK
ROCHESTER BRAINERY
SCRATCH BAKESHOP
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
BOULDER COFFEE
CURE
HOGAN’S HIDEAWAY
LA CASA
LUX LOUNGE
THE OWL HOUSE
THE RED FERN
#RocisRad
#artlocal
#photolocal
#shoplocal
XO.