sunday coffee dates // september

B Street Coffee House // 2190 W Burnside St

This little cafe is smacked onto the side of bustling Burnside. It's super tiny, and more of a grab-n-go kind of place, since there's only a couple of tables inside and one outside. We took the outside table because it was a lovely day. The gluten-free waffles (seen above) were quite tasty.

Seastar Bakery // 1603 NE Killingsworth Street 

My mom, who lives in Arizona, told me about this place, of all people! A middle school boyfriend's wife posted it on Facebook, because it's her sister who owns it. Or something. Ted and I went, and it stole my heart immediately. The decor, the baked-goods, the FANCY TOAST. I had never seen such fancy, rustic toast! Delicious, and full of unexpected flavor. I also loved the quirky, rustic vibe. That's my favorite kind of vibe, people! We will DEFINITELY be back for the food and the ambiance. It doesn't hurt that it's only a one minute drive/five minute walk from the sewing shop I just started working at (yes, I'm workin' two jobs now, like a big kid). YAY.

So okay, we didn't make #tinysundaycoffeedate one week, and the other week we had our first PSLs of the year at Starbucks, which doesn't really warrant a review. Stay tuned for an October roundup! We are having a blast finding new spots to get drinks and breakfast.

sunday coffee dates // august

I'm the kind of person who likes to force traditions upon my loved ones. Enter, Sunday Coffee Dates.  Every Sunday, I work later than usual, so I convinced Ted that it would be best that we don't sleep in as much as possible (I know, very unlike me, right?) and have a morning coffee date instead.  Cafes are my #1 weakness when it comes to spending, so I thought it would be a good way to have something to look forward to each week without going to cafes throughout the week. It's been absolutely lovely.  Here are my humble opinions of our cafe visits this month.

Jola Cafe // 5915 SW Corbett Ave

Jola is short for John's Landing, which is where this airy, bright, and lowkey cafe is nestled.  One of the boutiques I work at is a few blocks away, so this is my cafe of choice for lunch breaks. It's also a great place to study, which is what Ted does a LOT these days preparing for the LSAT. Plus the food is deeeeelicious.  Try the Country Breakfast Burrito. Trust us.

Ken's Artisan Bakery // 338 NW 21st Ave

I went here my freshman year of college. I remember it well, and yet I remember it much differently than reality. It seemed to be in a far away, foreign place then, when my world usually stretched as far as the pio stop would take me. Little did I know that I would meet Ted, who would introduce me to nearby NW 23rd on our first day out together. And now we LIVE here! Life is funny.  Back to coffee dates--We walked here on our second date and waited in line to order our coffee and pastries. We both got a spinach and cheese pastry. I got a latte. Both were delicious, but I would say pastries hold bigger part of my heart for obvious reasons. It was a sunny day, so that huge glass window/wall was open and perfect for people-watching. Not that we had to look further than our own communal table, where an adorable old man in a black beret sat with his croissant and tea. We will definitely be back, but probably not for a working date (aka Ted studies for LSAT while I study Pinterest). The bakery vibe was just a little too bustling for much more than a short and sweet breakfast.

Nossa Familia // 811 NW 13th Ave
This tiny cafe is home to the best mocha (shown above in photo) I've ever tasted. We both got one, and loved it. I mean, you can't argue with espresso whipped cream. You just can't. They also carry Bowery bagels, which is my second favorite bagel in town (and Dragonfly chai, which is my favorite, although I didn't try one there). The location is walking distance from Jamison Park, where you can spot kiddos and dogs playing in the water features on a warm day. It's a small cafe, so it's definitely a "grab and go" kind of place.

Spielman's Bagels + Coffee // 2200 NE Broadway St
BEST BAGELS IN PDX. I literally felt super annoyed for a solid hour after hearing two people talk about how they didn't like Spielman's because whaaaaat are they even talking about?!?! This place was recommended to Ted and I by a coworker of mine (who quit shortly after--thank you universe for sending her to us for a short time to relay her bagel message). They have since opened another location on Broadway which is conveniently  located a block from one of the shops I work at.  The owner is the sweetest old man, and his bagels are something to Instagram home about. The coffee is great too!

Costello's Travel Cafe // 2222 NE Broadway St

This one is another tried and true coffee/lunch spot for me, because it's close to one of the shops I work at. This past Sunday I took Ted here and we got drinks (coffee for him, chai for me--whatta surprise) and split one of their breakfast sandwiches, which was just as delicious as their lunch sandwiches (my fave is the Barcelona--YUM), and a peach/berry scone that was OUTTA THIS WORLD. The coolest thing about Costello's though, is that it's travel-themed.  This makes it hands-down my favorite cafe to escape to. There are two TVs which plays footage from cities around the world (filmed by the Costellos themselves!) and you get a little flag for your table after you order in line. Ted and I got the Union Jack this time, which was perfect.

born to diy

Making my own beauty products has long been on my list of "I wanna do that!" but for some reason I always stopped short of actually pursuing it.  So when I saw this DIY Vegan Deodorant Kit on Uncommon Goods, I jumped at the chance of finally trying out a home beauty project and giving natural deodorant a whirl (or should I say, a swipe). The kit comes with all of the necessary ingredients and conventional deodorant containers to fill up with your homemade concoction. Each "blend" is well marked as A, B, C, and D and lists the ingredients in smaller print. The instructions are as straight-forward as you can get--"A + B" and so on. Having the clear instructions and all the materials at my disposal took away the intimidation of trying something new. Once I got the wax/butter blend to melt over my make-shift double boiler, the process went very quickly and before I knew it, I was pouring the mixture into the empty containers to be cooled. Everything went as planned, and I was so proud!  I happily decorated each container with a cute sticker.  

But the real question remained: Does it actually work? I tried it out this week and am happy to report that not only does it feel good to apply natural ingredients to my body versus mysterious chemicals found in antiperspirants, it smells good too! The real test came when I went to my dance class on Thursday. Even after working up a sweat, I still felt good and smelled faintly of lavender.  I will definitely be making more deodorant in my future.

This Hedgehog Needle Felting Kit was my first adventure in needle felting!  I chose this beginner kit in hopes that it would become a new favorite craft.  I love working with fibers, so it was nice to try a new way to use wool, but I have to say that I need a lot more practice before I can start making the tiny felted pumpkins of my dreams.

The kit comes with (sometimes vague) directions with corresponding pictures, as well as needles and wool to get you started.  The only items I had to come up with were a sewing needle for the bead eyes and a small piece of foam to use as a working surface.  A sponge also would have worked.  Although my first hedgehog didn't turn out perfectly, the kit comes with enough wool to make 1-2 more lil' hedgehog friends.  I also appreciated the extra felting needle, because I'm always prone to breaking fragile things, even if the instructions specifically says to be gentle.  Whoops.

As a long-time embroiderer, it is embarrassing to admit that I only know a handful of stitches.  That's where this book comes in.  When I spotted the Stitch Encyclopedia of Embroidery, I realized it was time to expand my crafty horizons.  Of course the adorable cover was what initially caught my eye.

The book promises 10 basic stitches and 74 other stitches that I never knew existed but am pleased to learn they do.  The illustrations are the best part.  As a visual learner, I appreciate the step by step pictures!  I haven't even gotten through the basic stitches, but I am anxiously awaiting the day I can master the "Honeycomb Stitch" and the "Varied Fly Stitch." How fun are those names?  I'm already thinking about whether I should invest in the knitting and crochet volumes… Check them out here along with some other lovely gifts for ladies!

Any other DIY kits or items I should know about?  I'm always looking for a new crafty adventure!