Coffee & Honeycomb: coffee

Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts

COFFEE IN PHOTOS | SPRING BREAK

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Last week, I was home for spring break and made it a goal to step out of Starbucks to try some newer coffee shops. I'm sure glad I did. The two coffee shops I tried were River City Roasters in Downtown Wheaton and The Wormhole in Wicker Park.

Both shops were unique in their branding, interior design, and coffee making, but one thing was the same, their dedication to coffee. Good, good brew. Of course, I am the girl who drowns a cup with creamer and syrup, but hey, I can still appreciate a good cup of joe.

This week inspired me to begin visiting different coffee shops each time and making a coffee guide! Bottoms up. (:

BABY STEPS (MARCH)

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

I haven't shared a "baby steps" post in awhile, and although we are already half-way through March, I wanted to take a beat to share how I can be more intentional for the rest of the month. Life was so busy with job interviews, trips, presentations; and today I finally had a huge chunk of time to myself to just be. It was GRAND. I took my time cooking a meal, and took even longer to eat it. I (finally) cleaned my room so that the floor was visible, and rearranged some furniture. New vibes. Now here I am sharing March's baby steps. Ya ready? :)

This is March's baby steps:

( photo source )

NEW SERIES | I have two series ideas in the works, and I want to implement one of them this month! They are both completely inspired and aligned to my blog name, coffee & honeycomb, each in different ways. (: I'm so excited to share them with you. The first one is "coffee in photos" which I actually posted on recently, but I thought it would be fun to share fun photos of coffee each week! The second series idea is actually a guest post series, which I will announce in the near future. Meanwhile, if you happen to find any crisp coffee photos, please send them my way. (:

ETSY | I plan on opening an Etsy shop! Nothing too fancy, just digital downloads of graphics/prints.

INVITATION | I will be designing a wedding invitation! My friend's older sister, as well as my mentor, is getting married this summer and asked if I'd be up for the job. :) I excitingly agreed. I've never designed a wedding invitation, so this will be a fun but scary venture for me.

2 WATER, 1 COFFEE | This is a step towards healthiness. I drink way too much coffee, and not enough water. So I have decided to start a new habit of drinking two cups of water for every cup of coffee I drink! That way, I don't have to forgo my coffee habits. Win, win?

BIG NEWS | I have big news... I want to muster up the boldness to share it with y'all this month.

LENT | It is the season of lent. :) What am I giving up? Television. I know my tv habits can be excessive at times, especially when I want to turn my brain off or hide away from problems, so for forty days, I want to be intentional with turning off the tv and turning in more towards the word. I am excited for what is in store for my soul, time, and relationship with the Lord as I do this! *Confession: I did watch an episode of Grey's Anatomy last night because I had a free hour to do and felt at peace with doing it. For me, lent is less about just meeting a goal and more about depending more on Jesus instead of tv. I want lent to be steps toward life transformation, and I never think cutting off something completely is always healthy, so if I can watch an episode of tv here and there without turning it into a full on marathon, I think that's okay. :) I'll share again if my thoughts change on this.

What are your thoughts on the lenten season? What does your March look like? :)

COFFEE IN PHOTOS : MY WEEK

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

COFFEE DATE / 01

Monday, November 4, 2013

I recently started following Allison Lehman @ Be Up & Doing and she has this new series titled, "let's get coffee." The intent is to get to know her readers better, so she poses a few random, light-hearted questions that readers can respond to in the comment section.

Essentially, it's a virtual coffee date.

I read that and thought, "why didn't I think of that? I love it — it's perfect for my blog." I do love it and it is perfect. Coffee is kind of a big deal around here at Coffee & Honeycomb. It's more than a brewed beverage, it's near and dear to my heart — which I discuss here earlier in this post.

Coffee dates have been good to me, and so I wanted to bring it here with you. I promise I make a great coffee date. Would you join me?

How it works: Answer any (or all) of the questions in the comment section below.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS:
1. Since this is a coffee date and all, what's your typical drink order?
2. Are there any TV shows you're hooked on right now?
3. What are you most looking forward to this fall season?
4. Do you have a blog? Post the link, I'd love to follow you.

MY ANSWERS:
1. My drink order changes frequently, but right now I'm trying to stay away from carbs so I would order a grande sugar-free breve latte. (It's not that gross, I promise!)
2. Right now I'm watching: Grey's Anatomy, Rules of Engagement, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Vampire Diaries, and The Office re-runs. (I know, I watch a lot of television. Do you watch any of these? If so, let's talk.)
3. Not gonna lie, I'm looking forward to thanksgiving break. I'm gonna sleep in everyday. But I also enjoy quality time with friends and family, fall tradition, and Starbucks red cups.
4. If you're not following me, you can do so here @ bloglovin!

That was fun. :) Looking forward to hearing your responses. I can't wait!

XO.

DAY 22 : SIN RUNS DEEP

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Yesterday was cliche fall weather in Urbana-Champaign. Burnt orange leaves on the ground with sporadic gusts of wind that blew the leaves whichever way, and a huge, golden sun warming everything in its reach.

I had plans to eat lunch with a girlfriend of mine and we went to a new pizzeria/cafe on campus called the flying machine. We parked a bit away from the shop so we walked through downtown Urbana, enjoying the scenic view around us.

We first ordered our drinks — coffee drowned with brown sugar for me, some exotic tea for her pretentious taste (just kidding) — and split a pizza. We found a table and took our seats, and over a creamy, meaty Mediterranean slice of pizza, we started to exchange different significant childhood stories that we are convinced started this trajectory we now call our life story, our life path. Those 'moments' that made us who we are today. (Casual afternoon conversation. Her and I clearly can't do 'small talk' really.)

We discussed unhealthy relationship stories, views on the church, home dynamics... and while she was lost in one of her stories, she paused for a moment... as if she was going down a memory lane of pain and hurt, but could walk through it confidently with 20/20 vision. She looked back up and said, "It was such a small instance, but it affected everything. Man, sin runs so deep." I responded by just nodding silently, taking it all in, and projecting that truth onto my own stories, too. She was right. And however we landed into this odd, personal, and reflective conversation in a casual pizzeria on a sunny autumn day, we faced-to-face with the truth of humankind.

Sin runs deep in your family, in your city, and in your country... and it also runs deep and wide in your heart. And because we were never meant to live with sin or brokenness, because our fragile bodies and souls were made for the garden of Eden, we run around like self-righteous but headless chickens finding ways to bring some sort of restoration back in our hearts, families, cities, and countries...

It's important to know your story, to reminiscence on your past and walk down memory lane, to be able to recognize in your own life that sin really runs deep. And then, take time to glance at yourself and lament at the ways sin wronged you, but then gaze at the cross because where sin runs deep, His grace is found.

Today, I'm thankful for autumn, thankful for coffee, thankful for good friends... But I'm even more thankful for every way God uses little things to remind me of His infinite grace and redemptive story.

HELLO MONDAY

Monday, August 12, 2013

Hope your day has been filled with bottomless coffee, fulfilling work, and obedient hair. (:

This is the first Monday in awhile that I didn't wake up early and go to work. In fact, I did quite the opposite — I woke up at 2:30 p.m. and started my day from there (Yikes.) The night before, I attended a farewell BBQ for one of our church friends who was moving back to Korea and got home pretty late. It was a really good time, complete with grilling, sushi, and cake! YUM.

His flight was this morning and he wanted to pull an all-nighter so he could sleep during his 14-hour flight (and aid the jet lag once he arrived,) so after the BBQ started to fade out around 10 p.m., a bunch of us non-working friends went to do Korean karaoke in Niles! It was a blast. If you've never tried karaoke Korean style, I encourage you to put that on the top of your bucket list. They rent out private rooms, ranging in sizes to accommodate your party, decked with a tv screen, tamborines, and microphones so you and your friends can sing your hearts out — without stage fright! They're usually open really late at night (like, 3 a.m.) for the night owls. After we sang three hours worth of Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and FUN., we made our way over to Steak & Shake to grab some late night milkshakes! I ended up coming home when the sun was rising, 6 a.m., and passed out into the late afternoon. (I'm still feeling pretty lethargic.)

When I woke up, I headed over to Starbucks to clear out my inbox and of course, blog. I wanted to share with you guys new arm candy that the bf bought me for an (early) birthday gift! Over the weekend, we decided to go eye shopping at Tiffany's and passed by J.CREW along the way. And of course, I made us peep in. I spotted these colorful, bold bangles there that immediately caught my eye and I fell in love! I thought I'd treat myself to one, so I grabbed the colors that I liked and contemplated which one to get. The bf asked me if I liked all of them and said, "don't choose. Let's get 'em all. Birthday present part one." I, gladly, did not oppose. (What a guy. This is why I keep him around. He keeps me smiling for days.)

Here they are! They are beautiful! Gold on the rim and gold in the inside. That makes me happy. Very Kate Spade-esque, no? Happy early birthday to me! :)

#jcrewproblems

XO.

10 things I learned in June

Monday, July 1, 2013

HAPPY JULY! :)

Each month, my favorite blogger, emily @ chatting at the sky, shares on her blog some of the things she learned that month. Some things are significant and impressive, and others are small and light. For this past month, she invited all of her readers to join along and share the new knowledge June has personally brought them!

So today, I am linking up with Emily and sharing the bits and pieces of things I recently learned. (:

10 things i learned in june

1. Always, always check the expiration date. When I first came home from Italy in early May, it took me a really long time to unpack. I left my suitcases untouched for weeks, and along with it, my sacred face wash. So I just used a random face wash I found under the bathroom sink, and I noticed that within days my face started to break out uncontrollably. IT WAS BAD. LIKE WHEN YOU ACCIDENTALLY PRESS THE WRONG SQUARE ON MINESWEEPER AND SUDDENLY THE WHOLE SCREEN IS FILLED WITH RED X'S AND IT MAKES YOU SQUEAMISH. DO YOU KNOW?

I could sit still for two hours, minding my own business, and next thing I know, new raging red bumps are invading my chin. So what did I do, used that effing face wash even more. I attributed the breakout to the fact that the US doesn't recycle and my new Italian skin couldn't handle the polluted air and water. (No, I'm just kidding, I just feel like I haven't said any pretentious European stuff in awhile.) Anyway, but after about three weeks, I noticed one day six digits engrained on the bottle cap. And it read: 03/13/07...... THE FACE WASH EXPIRED IN 2007. Lesson learned, Biore. Lesson learned.

2. Pic-tap-go is the best photo editing app out there. It was the best $1.99 I have ever spent.

3. The OT is great and changed my June. (see why grace is so sweet)

4. Running isn't that bad. I mean, it is in the sense that it hurts different parts of your body before, during, and AFTER the run, but it also releases a wave of endorphins and changes the way one perceives themselves in the mirror. So, I guess it's worth it?

5. I have a bottomless stomach for Mexican food.

6. Everything, and I mean everything, is all about perspective. An experience is not innately "good" or "bad," it's how you look at it. And YOU have the ability and power to choose how you want to look at it. EREGO, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND POWER TO MAKE A SITUATION GOOD OR BAD. So, how is today? Is it good or bad?

7. Good coffee, good handwriting, and a good journal affect my mood. Like, a lot. It is what helps my soul BREATHE and if I go for too long without it, I grow anxious, frustrated, and out of touch with myself.

8. Home videos are so cool and I really want to get into them. My inspirations: lovetaza

9. God is my boss and no one else. (there's a story behind this one.)

10. Tina Fey is great. That's all.

--

see what other women learned this month here.

IT'S NOT ABOUT STARBUCKS

Monday, March 11, 2013

I have a thing for Starbucks. (Or have you not noticed?) And as an advertising major, I always stayed comfortable with the reason for that affinity being its excellent advertising. It must be.

And I still do think it kind of totally is. I mean it did completely change coffee culture in America. To not only get people to like the drink in the cup, but be proud for holding that cup in their hand, and creating this habit of staying in the store. It became not only a coffee shop, but a living room, an office space, a hang out. And that's what all brands around the world spend millions and millions of dollars each year trying to achieve. To mean something and be able to express it in words and images and share this idea to the people. And then the hardest part? Be so real that they believe it.

And hey, Starbucks did it. It means something more than caffeine and it has become so interlaced with my own life that I'll drop +$4 on one cup and post a pic on Instagram for the 90th time.

For me, Starbucks is the place where Jesus and I meet and have our best conversations. Lessons learned, healing found, truths exposed. Some small, some big. Both always mattered.

And today, I'm pretending I'm at Starbucks. I'm sitting at my kitchen table -- something I rarely do because my roommate and I are barbarians who like to eat our meals on the couch with feet up and tv on.

But right now I'm sitting here. Headphones plugged in, a cup of coffee in hand, and the Word opened in front of me.

Why? Like I said. This post is not about Starbucks. Not at its core anyway.

It's about Jesus. And how important it is to be taking care of that relationship with him.

In Italy, it's been hard to find that intimacy with Jesus. I stayed in bathrooms, laid in bed, and I told myself it didn't matter the location of my quiet time. Which is entirely true, because one more reason why our God is so great is that he is with us at all times. But the flip side of that same coin is that since we are conditional and physical people, the location of the quiet time CAN matter... If the room is noisy, our ears will listen for people's voices rather than the Lord's. If our bellies are empty or eyelids are heavy, our limited concentration will take us towards dreams of food and sleep, not his Kingdom. Because I am a very conditional and limited person, because I am human, I can't turn my worrisome and anxious heart off with the flip of a switch.

Even though God is with us at all times and we can squeeze in prayers on our walks to school or on the train, He is also our King and not only deserves, but COMMANDS our full attention. And sometimes we can't reach so deep on the train or in the supermarket. Jesus went to the mountain to have his intimate moments — maybe your mountain top is a private room, getting on your knees, prepping with a worship song, lights turned off. Whatever it is, coming back to the heart of worship is absolutely needed.

For me, dates with Jesus at Starbucks worked for us. And today, I woke up and my soul was CRAVING a date with him. And so as silly and stupid as I felt, I put myself in a position where I knew my eyes and ears and heart and mind would be at His fullest attention. So it's not about Starbucks, it's about finding a way to give Him your fullest and undivided attention.

A cup of coffee is just a plus. (;

Overdue.

Monday, February 18, 2013

So many things I want to share with you all — like how I went to Belgium, or how I found an amazing church, or what I've been cooking, etc — but it will have to wait until I return from Paris next week. When I do return, though, get ready for a long overdue rampage of recollections.

Til then, here are some of my favorite photos from last week.

a short one.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

My posts have been long. Thought I'd spice it up a bit. Keep ya on ya feet.

Fun fact: I'm a huge coffee connoisseur in case you didn't know.
Feel free to send me Starbucks gift card(s). I won't get mad.