Zenday

Location: Corona Del Mar

Hours: 4am-11pm

Any special or seasonal items? Sand, sun, and waves

Zenday is the day I have dedicated to not spend anything, to do with what I have already and enjoy the moment of the day. I will usually be writing about a storebought tea or coffee brand that I will make myself, or else I will be just writing about great locations to relax.

Today's location is at my favourite place, Corona Del Mar. It's a very small beach located just south of the Balboa Island. During this time of the year, there are very few people who venture out into the beautiful harbor; but, during the summers I spent there as a little girl, I remember it being crowded like a Sunday evening at the Boardwalk. This beach has helped me find myself and be at peace with my stressful life, and I hope if you venture out there you will find the same results as well. 

When I go to the beach to just relax, I bring nothing that might keep my mind entertained. No towels, no sandals, no books, nothing. Everyone, including myself, must learn that your mind doesn't always have to be in constant motion in order to relax. In yoga, most of the forms are to help your mind relax or pay attention to specific spots of your body structure. I want you to try something like that the next time you go to the beach. No, I don't mean you try a Cobra pose the next time you're in public; I just want you to take maybe ten minutes out of the beach day to go somewhere alone, where not many people can interupt you. Take a seat somewhere comfortable and just listen to the waves, let your mind wander where ever it may go but never act upon your thoughts. Do your best to not move. It's harder than it sounds sometimes, I know that, but after I sit still that long I feel so much better about the day. There is an old Irish saying: "Sometimes, I sit and think and sometimes I just sit." That means, you don't always let your mind turn to mush, but sometimes, it just happens like that. 

Cafe sketches

I wrote some haikus instead of drawing today:

lying on the dunes

between sea beats and heart beats

sun on warm bodies

sea swells on sand dunes

lover's kiss, children's laughter

reading poetry

waves in the ship's wake

the mountain moving backward

blurring through my tears

the warm sea water

washes across bare tan legs

awakens dreams

Thanks for reading today! I hope to hear from you tomorrow, Theatre Thursday!

Namaste

Tea Tuesday

Location: Sprinkles (Newport Beach, CA)

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm, Sunday 10am-6pm

Website: http://www.sprinkles.com/

Any special or seasonal items? cupcakes!

Tea Tuesdays are exactly what the title says: all about tea. I will usually go to tea houses or cafes to try out their takes on tea and dabble a little in facts of tea. Did you know China was the birthplace of tea? 

So today I chose Sprinkles cupcakes. They always have a friendly enviroment and that always rubbed off onto the customers. The seating is non-existant inside of Sprinkles, you have to sit outside in the deliciously warm sun to enjoy your cupcake or beverage. If you want to catch some rays and enjoy the beauty of the day with a few fat sparrows, this would be the place to be. Dogs are a constant visitor in the area as well as their best friends. It feels, to me, like a very relaxing-yet-upbeat spot to just be. The Central library is on the other side of the parking lot, so it's recommended to grab a book from there and sit with a shot of frosting to disappear into your book. 

Today, though, I'm guessing it was a different kind of day. Whenever I go I always feel so happy and carefree, but today it seemed to be less on the friendly side of life and more of getting through the day. It could have been a really busy morning, or a lousy customer that came in just before I did; but regardless, I felt something was a little off in the store. The workers were not as welcoming, they didn't ask the usual customer service special questions, and they were taken back when I asked for a cup of tea. I got the feeling that not too many people get tea made there, it took a few minutes behind the back door to get my small cup of Tangerine White tea, but at least I got one?

The tea itself was very light compared to how long I can assume they let it steep (which I'm not sure, everything was done behind a closed door). It had the typical white tea flavor, almost like refreshing water, with a slight hint of citris. I can not give too accurate of a review, I actually burnt my tongue on the first taste, but that was my own fault: I was a bit too eager and freeflowing to notice the wafts of steam rising from my cup. Such is the life of a hippie. I can say, with my love for tea and Starbucks training in tea making, that this cup was just nice. Nothing too exeptional or fancy, but not horrible. It was a very basic cup of tea. 

Food for Thought

There really isn't anything besides cupcakes at Sprinkles, I will be reviewing my favourite type of cupcake (er, the only type of cupcake that I can eat): the Vegan Red Velvet. By far my favourite thing to splurge on, it is so rich and filling that it feels like I'm cheating when i eat this cupcake. The cupcake was very overpowering to the tea, though, so I recommend pairing it only with a cup of black coffee. 

Cafe Sketches

Thanks for reading! Namaste

mundane monday

Location: Pain du Monde (Newport Beach, CA)

Hours: Mon-Thurs 6am-2pm. Fri, Sat & Sun 6am-3pm

Website: http://www.letseatoc.com/info/paindumonde_nb.htm

Any special or seasonal items? The beverage items are mostly just black coffee, but everyone orders a cinnamon twist or almond twists.And the specials change on a daily basis, here is todays

Mundane Mondays are the beginning of the week for my blogs. This is usually where I'd tell you all the things that would be coming up this week, and if there is nothing confirmed then I would just give you readers a lesson in coffee history. This entire week is just going to be introducing the basic pattern in which I shall be writing to you as well as revealing a few coffee places.

I chose Pain du Monde to start my blogging due to the fact that this cafe was the place that has given me every idea and inspiration to be what I am today: an artistic blogger. The store has such a quiet, homely atmosphere that it feels like I'm in my living room drinking my favourite cup of coffee (which, today, is actually a soy Chai latte- my favourite!). Everyone knows each other in this little cafe, making small talk of where they have been so far this morning and where they plan to go. Sometimes there is even deep conversations over what is the best way of dieting for their next 5k run. The traffic flow of the customers aren't as heavy as I thought they would be, but it is a slow and steady flow of new people grabbing a quick bite of the pumpkin muffins or almond twists (which is a bit on the pricy side, but it is well worth it). Everyone is so casual here it instantly makes me relax, I could easily stay most of the day to just people watch, which I will dub a "french connection". When I was in France a few years back I noticed the people at the cafe's would stay there for hours at a time, maybe even the whole day. I have yet to see people in America do that, but I hope these little places I share will help encourage that relaxed french connnection pace.

So, onto the beverage review.

Pain du Monde's black coffee is probably the most rich coffee I have tasted in a very long time. I tried the Dark Costa Rican coffe and the Medium Sumatra, both very dark and earthy cups of coffee. The Dark Costa Rican smelled almost of a light aroma with a hint of freshly tilled earth after a day of rain, while the Medium Sumatra was more dense and rich in aroma flavour. A medium roast is to have more caffeine in it, hence why most cafe's only serve it early in the day. Both coffees had a very flavoured taste to it, I did not feel like i needed to add anything to expand my taste palate in order to fully experience these two brands of coffee. Dark Costa Rican had a very rich and earthy taste to it, but it also hinted a citris flavour in it, like the coffee bean was grown next to a berry farm. I enjoyed the Medium Sumatra blend very much, the earthiness to this cup of coffee is apparent, but it was not the usual syrup texture: it was much lighter than expected.

Food for Thought

As popular as the Cinnamon Rolls and Twists are, I had my food expertise try the Pumpkin Muffin. "It is really rich and heavy, " she noted "with lots of almonds and raisins . " D e f i n a t e l y recommended as a breakfast meal item, it is a very filling pastry. It pairs very nicely with the Dark Costa Rican, each enchances the flavor of the other.

Cafe sketches

I hope you enjoyed my first entry! Tomorrow is Tea Tuesday, I hope to see you then!

Namaste

welcome to the coffee waves

"For, usually and fitly, the presence of an introduction is held to imply that there is something of consequence and importance to be introduced." -Arthur Machen




Have you ever had a cup of coffee?


Now I don't mean it as your daily fix, or your pick-me-up after a long day at work. I mean, a real, relaxing, could take the stress of the day away cup of coffee. Coffee was originally used for spiritual reasons in Arabia, to allow the practitioner to experience the same affects as alcohol during the holidays where it was banned. Now I understand that there are very few out there who could get drunk off of coffee, but to understand the idea of coffee being able to bring your body and soul into a whole other level of mindset and well being always makes me think twice about my daily dosage of a cup of joe. Does your coffee do that?


In this blog, I'd like to share with you my buried treasure. In these cocrete deserts I'd like to show you glimpses of my oasis spots for a great cup of coffee, as well as teach you how to relax. In this entertainment world where everything needs to keep you on edge to understand the importance of buying dish soap, it is incredibly hard for people of this generation to sit still long enough to enjoy the peacefulness of the day's gems. It might be tough for a few of you, but I hope you'd understand that yoga isn't the only answer to relaxation. Sometimes it's easier than you think. 


My very first job was at Starbucks. I worked there for three years before I took steps to encourage my love of art. I was very much the typical busybody workaholic, never being able to sit still long enough, working extra hours for a few different jobs, I just couldn't sit still long enough. It was when I took a step back from all of my stress when i realized that there is more to life than just having the most toys, and that made me recognize the natural beauty of our fleeting world. 


Now, just because I sound like an airhead now does not make me none the less observer. Working at Starbucks for that long of a time period tends to imprint coffee recipes on the brain. I don't think I'd ever be able to forget how to make a Bone-Dry Cappuccino, or what pastry should be eaten with what beverage. I will be taking the Starbucks Steps in observation for each beverage that I consume, and I hope that my entries will be duly noted as a more professional entry, not just a hippie relishing in the atmosphere (although it will probably end up something like that).


So, without further introduction, I hope you enjoy my entries on coffee commentaries!


Namaste