coffee + snow + clean spaces = happy people

12.10.2007

::snow::

I just got through cleaning my sewing room and assembling an organizing cube, or whatever you call it, so I can keep my desk tidy. The room could use a little more organization, especially where fabric is concerned, but it's the best I can do for today. At least I don't feel smothered in piles of fabric and tissue paper all around me. It was pretty bad, seeing as the last time I cleaned my room was back before several pretty large projects. And after each project I basically just threw the fabric scraps under the table and tried to ignore the thread and dust bunnies under my sewing machine. There gets to be a point where I go a little crazy and I about had it. SO, that said, I won't bore you with anymore cleaning details. It's just that now I'm in a fantastic mood. Clean = Happy. :)

Saturday morning I got up right in time to go to the "cupping" at Brewed Awakenings downtown. I bumped into Josh and Meg from the coffee shop Friday night at the bar and they told me about it, so I thought it might be fun to try something new. From what Josh says, it sounds like cupping is pretty rare around these parts. These are exactly the things I like to be apart of! And coffee is starting to become a very slight obsession. I never used to drink it, but somehow got addicted a year or so ago. Every day I get up and make myself a cup of French pressed coffee and it helps pick me up even on the worst of mornings. Just the smell of a fresh brew makes me glow. It's amazing what little things like coffee will do to my mood.

At the cupping we learned how to sniff the coffee and how to slurp it. Okay, well maybe those aren't the right words to use, but that's basically what we did! I was amused at all the slurping that went on during our "taste test." We each had a spoon and would take a small amount of coffee and slurp it. Imagine half a dozen people or so slurping coffee at once. I was a little hesitant to slurp, but everyone else did it so I suppose it didn't matter if I looked and sounded ridiculous. After each taste we'd take our spoon and dip it in a glass of water to clear off any excess coffee. Then at the end of the line we would go around once more and they encouraged us to go around even a third time to taste once they had cooled. A good coffee is supposed to taste better as it cools, which does makes sense. The guy who was leading the cupping seemed to know quite a great deal about this intricate process. I found myself getting lost at certain places (because I have very little knowledge to begin with), but it was pretty cool to know that someone is so passionate about coffee. I like to compare other people's passions with my passion for history and art. I have always felt that if you're going to do something, do it right. There's so much that goes into making the perfect cup of coffee, I'm sure I don't even know half of what goes on in that process.

After we completed the cupping, we got to choose which type of coffee we would like to try and they made each of us a cup in a French press. They also gave us a small bag of coffee to take home. I really enjoyed myself! They said they're planning to do it once a month. I think it would be fun to go back. I doubt I'll ever become a coffee snob, but I've always felt that it would be cool to learn more about this drink which I find impossible to do without even for one day. Josh took pictures and said they would go on the Brewed Awakenings' blog, so you might check it out. I don't think he put them up yet, though.

cheeseburger special :)

After the cupping we all headed over to Xavier's down the street for their cheeseburger basket special. It was pretty good for only $3.00. I also met a guy who painted the cool large Indian painting on the wall at the coffee shop. It was funny because he had seen my article in the paper and we both put two-and-two together when we exchanged cards. These are the times I enjoy living in a smaller city.

This Christmas I am trying something a little different. Most of the gifts I'm giving are hand-made by me. Now I can't do this for everyone. I started late so I don't have a lot of time and it's also hard to make hand-made presents for a few people I know... So I'm doing the best I can. Maybe next year I'll try harder to do this for everyone. But I have to admit, it's a lot more fun to make someone a present than to just run out to a store and buy it for them. I put a lot more time in something I make and it means more than something made in a factory. Plus this gives me a chance to give something unique. Hopefully everyone will be happy with their gifts this year. Christmas tends to be a time of year I'm either depressed or really indifferent towards. I don't know if it's just that I'm older now and Christmas is more for kids or why I feel this way. But this year seems different and I am feeling a little more excited than past years. The best part of Christmas to me is making someone happy with the gifts I give. I don't much care about receiving gifts for myself. In fact I'd be happy to do without getting anything. It's hard enough making a Christmas list! Believe it or not, it really is.

Well I hope everyone is staying warm. I'm keeping warm with my knitting, White Christmas soundtrack and Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums. It's about enough to keep me warm all winter long me thinks. :)

8 comments :

  1. I can sympathize with the organizational thing! I just went out over the weekend and bought three large tubs to hold all the new fabric I've been buying. lol. Hopefully I'll get the corner where I've shoved everything nice and neat again! haha!

    The cupping sounds so fun! I really have wanted to learn more about coffee (besides that I like it, but I have to be careful how much I drink!), but I don't think any places close by offer something like that. :p I am very jealous of your coffee shop!! hehe.

    Hope you're having a lovely week!!

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  2. Yeah, it can be hard for me to organize all my fabric and scraps. It never stays organized. Never never. Oh well, it's part of being artistic...right? haha. But I'm trying to be neater and everything. It really does make me work better.

    I am pretty fortunate having this cool coffee shop just 15 minutes from my house. It's a nice refreshing spot to hang out at and I've met a lot of friends there too. Wish you could come visit! :)

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  3. I just read that French press and percolated coffee is bad for you. Raises cholesterol big time. Drip coffee filters out the chemical that causes the problem.

    I'm starting to think all good things are bad in the end.

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  4. Wow...really? Eh, somehow it doesn't scare me too much. I'll probably find out when I'm old and crippled that coffee gives you a humped back. hehehe. But honestly, coffee is one of those substances that has been consumed for ages. It's not like French press is going to kill me...i hope! ;-)

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  5. Nah, probably not. You have to drink tons of it. I think I will avoid it in the future though due to family history of heart disease. So much of what I do or don't do is based on this stupid fact. Mreh.

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  6. I've been the most absent blog reader recently, and was so happy to find so many FABULOUS posts of yours waiting for me in my Bloglines account. I've got the coffee and the clean spaces... can you send some snow Portland's way?
    And I love the fashiony pieces you've mentioned in the past few days - the shoes, the clothes - I'm drooling.
    Let me know if you figure out how to make a bun look like a bun and not a doorknob. I've got the same boinky thing on the back of my head, too. Bobby pins help, but don't seem to be the cure.
    Happy holiday preparations!

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  7. I just tagged you for an Xmas meme on my blog--just in case you have nothing to do. Hope you had a fun trip home & found nice stuff while shopping.

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  8. sulu-design: Thank you for your comment! That's really kind of you! I'm glad you are enjoying my little posts. I'm trying to be more faithful in my blogging, but I do get busy with life sometimes. I'm going to try and write more fashiony posts soon. I'm always inspired by the other bloggers out there. So much talent!! :)

    Deborah: Thanks for tagging me! I'm sure I can find time to do it. And yes, I had a lovely time shopping the other day. Only problem is I left the items I got at Vivian's house. Bad me! They were going to be Christmas presents for a few of my friends, but I suppose they can wait.

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