Tuesday, September 28, 2010

happy first cozy coffee shop day of the SEASON!

i wish i could've written this entry this weekend when i was actually celebrating my first.... cozy coffee shop day of the season!!! woooohooooooooo! im not alone in this regard, im sure. right?? the grandest season of allllll, falllllll, is upon us, ladies and gents! i hope you're ready!!! i certainly am. after like the millionth day of 90+ degree heat, not to mention some pretty disgusting humidity, i have been MORE than happy to welcome the merriment and delights that only fall can bring (what can i say? im a wimp in the heat... im also kind of a wimp in the cold... i just kind of suck at temperature extremities, let's face it).

granted, i celebrated my first cozy coffee shop day by... working on some stuff on my laptop at a starbucks... glamorous, i know. but whatever. starbucks has their salted caramel hot chocolate again, so we're back on good terms. man, you just never KNOW what days you'll find me loving the 'bucks and what days you'll find me hating the 'bucks but whatever. it's all part of the adventure, right? sure, why not. haha. fickle may be a better word for it.

here's the thing though. my local starbucks is only about the coziest place ever. it's got those comfy chairs (which i didnt sit in because i had to whip out my darn laptop) that are PERF for a cozy afternoon of reading while sipping some warm beverage of choice... salted caramel hot chocolate... nonfat, extra, no foam, sugar free vanilla chai tea lattes... coconut steamers... caramel macchiatos... oh i could go on and on. granted, i could make my own chai with real tea bags and grinded cardamom (have you ever HAD this kind of chai? i love my parents for introducing me to only the most delightful, cozy drink the world over) and curl up on my ever-cozy plush couch at home but... well, i dont KNOW. there's just something about the idea of a coffee shop that is just so darn delightful to me. so, cozy starbucks it was, in honor of my first cozy coffee shop day of the season.

ahh can you not WAIT for the rest of this darn SEASON?! as i sit here typing this, im staring gleefully at my cozy pumpkin/cinnamon/vanilla candle that still remains to be lit at some point in time (note that this candle is only about three years old. but whatever. i need matches!) and mentally reviewing the list of fall treats i want to start baking asap (among other things, pumpkin cookies (preferably iced), chai cookies (MEG! YUM! thanks for the idea last year!!!), pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cheesecake bars, pumpkin chai (i used to get this during my whole addicted-to-starbucks phase of life, but now i think im ready to seize the bull by the horns (is that even an EXPRESSION?? or did i totally just f it up?) and make up this sugary deliciousness of a beverage mySELF))))... (i lost track of how many parenthetical comments within parenthetical comments i just made there...) well, you get the idea. haha. do you like how i threw in those chai cookies just to break up the monotony of the pumpkin flavored items on the menu? sigh oh well. when you've found a winner, you've found a winner. and the winner here is clearly pumpkin. and chai. hence... the pumpkin chai. hahaha. i tickle myself. but seriously, it's actually quite the tasty of beverages despite the onslaught of a whole bunch of random spices... but whatever.

i cant WAIT to make my homemade pumpkin chai one saturday morning and sip it cozily while munching on a freshly baked pumpkin cookie while taking in the lovely scent of my pumpkin/cinnamon/vanilla candle as i read my latest book on my cozy, plush couch on a crisp fall morning, with the sun beaming through my windows as i watch the leaves fall gracefully to the ground, perhaps changing ever so subtlely from green to orange to red...

soooo, in other words... i will more than likely be going to my local starbucks this saturday morning, order their sugar-ridden chai tea latte, and sit at one of their wooden tables (complete with wooden chair) while i pop open my laptop (because im obvi NEVER looking at this thing) while staring out at... the sidewalk... for inpiration since, hello, there are no trees (with falling leaves, no less) dotting my ever-beloved Clark Street...

im just SAYING!

in gratitude of,
the first (of MANY!) cozy coffee shop day of the grandest season of allllll, falllllll!!! :)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

FALL!!!!!! - a completely unbiased review

as you all know, im only like the most impartial/unbiased person alive. as you also may know, im only slightly obsessed with the season of fall. as we are more than quickly segue'ing into this fine season, ive taken the liberty of detailing exactly WHY i like (and by like, i mean love/adore/worship) this season, in addition to why i dislike this season. i mean, fairness is pretty much my middle name here, people. enjoyyyyy!

PROS

1. it's not too hot and not too cold. and after the hot and humid summer, who doesn't love the return to comfortable temperatures PLUS sunshine? the best part about the weather has GOT to be the perfectly crisp chill that is in the air, allowing for just the perfect flushing of the cheeks during a brisk morning walk. im not narcissistic- im just SAYING.

2. the leaves - i mean, duh. this just goes without saying. my ultimate dream trip, within the continental united states, that is, is to do a road trip through the new england states in the fall. i mean, the leaves, the maple syrup, the cozy bed and breakfasts? what else would epitomize this glorious season that is so upon us?

3. um. the FLAVORS of fall - i mean, of course, there's a few "characteristic" flavors of fall, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. but the predominant flavor of the season has GOT to be only the best flavor ever invented in life... PUMPKIN. omg, okay, so im a little obsessed but i would like to deem it a HEALTHY obsession, thank you very much. i mean, at least pumpkin's a vegetable (or something, right?)... i mean, it's not like im condoning gorging on like steak all day everyday. it's just pumpkin. really, how bad can it be if you happen to dump a bunch of sugar with said pumpkin to come up with, among other things, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, pum-... well, you get the idea. omg you SO MUST get the idea!!!

4. halloween! - okay, the only reason i would enjoy this holiday is because, hello, free candy? how can you NOT like it? aside from that, im not the biggest fan of halloween- ugh. the streets turn into skank central when you become an adult. please. i cant wait. i hope i get to dress up as "ghetto" this year again. it was oh so successful last year. (please reference http://maliyacular.blogspot.com/2009/11/halloween-choose-your-own-adventure.html if you would like further details to what this references)

5. we all know what's going to follow the grand season of fall... CHRISTIEMASTIME!!! hello!!! what better precursor to only the grandest holidaytime of the YEAR?!?!?!?! alkdsfjalksjdflksadj!!!! get ready, world! i've held out past july to get the holiday festivities STARTED... but now... full SWING. school is in SESSION, people!!

6. ugh okay so im so off and on with starbucks. but it's such an engaging talking point that i can't NOT put it in here. the 'bucks only gets that much more wonderful during this wonderful time of year... case in point, please note that starbucks has proudly returned it's ever-famous pumpkin spice latte. im not the biggest fan of lattes, but i certainly did get one tall pumpkin spice latte this morning, to celebrate the glorious autumn chill that i encountered upon leaving my apartment this morning. and $4.05 later, i was quite satisfied. if it's a treat (and not a morning habit, as it has been in the past!), i think $4.05 is reasonable for this drink... okay, so it's totally NOT reasonable but whatever. that issue has already been addressed and will likely be addressed in the future. BUT in addition to the PSL (we're on a nickname basis), please note that the 'bucks has introduced yet another signature drink... the toffee mocha latte or frappuccino. omg, it's like liquid candy. small doses, really. but MAN- hope you're ready for a sugar high. and of course, i can't discount the standard starbucks caramel apple cider. again, another form of diabetes in a cup but really, what starbucks specialty beverage isnt?

CONS

1. please. there are none.

in gratitude of-
the most glorious season of all... FALLLLLL!!!! (im a poet and so know it... hahahahaha i kill myself sometimes!)