Coffee & Reading the Morning Paper

HELLO HOLIDAY WEEKEND. Good morning from the nation’s capital, where the sun is rising and we are excited to share all that’s been new here with us.

To speak generally, a lot has been changing recently, including the weather getting exceptionally hot and humid, and lots of political decisions upending the stability that this city prides itself upon. DC has always felt like the “beacon on the hill,” with a grounded power and presence that is literally echoed by footsteps walking across the heavy, cool stones of the DC monuments. It’s hard to ignore the hushed whispers of history and the pulse of change when you stand beneath Lincoln’s statue, when you drive by Watergate, when you stand on the steps of the Supreme Court. With the recent Supreme Court decisions, plus the pandemic, news stories, and the inevitable drama of our personal lives… tension, grief and disbelief are all currently palpable in the city. At times, it feels like the stirring and itching of a caged animal. People seem quicker to lash out, while also sometimes seem more kind; the collective malaise is simply “pain.”

In an effort to process June, we were 5x more social this past month, seeking solace in community and meeting new friends. It’s helped us to not only lick our wounds, but to create comfort together and to share the burdens of the past few years — a small victory in the “loneliness pandemic,” and an important pillar of health, even in good times (community).

Some highlights of this past month include listening to a friend’s personal triumph/overcoming/becoming story via a Ted-talk style presentation and giving feedback to her mentor, volunteering at a special dinner event on the Eastern Shore, seeing lots of old friends and making many new ones, dog and cat sitting, fixing a favorite pair of glasses with a family-owned business, trying new DC coffee shops (Italian Bar – read our review, Soleluna, +Simply Social in Virginia), babysitting, trying more matcha lattes, attending Jazz in the Garden with friends, thrift shopping but also creating new outfits with old clothes/shopping my own closet.

As we move into July, I hope that you are able to take some vacation and to spend calm moments with your family and friends. Wishing you all the best. Wishing you peace. Wishing you time cupsouls.

Some links we liked recently:

• Reading:
  • The Best Things To Do in the D.C. Area the Week of June 30-July 6
  • How to Store and Serve Chocolate in the Summertime. So helpful!
  • Ecuadorian “Chocolate” Village to be Part Printed from Cacao Shells
  • Five of the Best Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers in Tokyo
  • How is Chocolate Made? (Love the graphic design/pictures :))
  • Toblerone Chocolate to Lose ‘Switzerland’ Label

• Current Chocolate Wish List:
  • Women-owned collection: Marana Chocotejas (Peruvian Bon Bons) 6 Piece Gift Box: “Chocotejas are a delicious confection that originated from the Ica region of Peru. Chocotejas are similar to chocolate bon bons only a bigger oval shape with a flat bottom. The inside contains a dulce de leche filling and either dried fruits or nuts.” YUM. And such colorful, joyful packaging 📦
• Earnest Request: If you’re able and enjoy our writing/posts, please support us with a coffee. It means a lot to us 🙂 Thank you!

Quote for the Weekend

“Never rush to be the first. Slow down and be your best. Life is not a race. It’s a playground to radiate your uniqueness.”

Hiral Nagda

Your Coffee Shop Outfit

While we can’t see her entire outfit, a bouquet of flowers always completes a beautiful home, no? The outfit might be a linen tank top tucked into a cooling khaki skirt… Looks wonderfully summery!

Absolutely love the feelings that this image evokes… summertime, a cappuccino, film cameras, sunglasses and a woven, wicker purse. (We’ve been attracted to Rattan purses lately, perhaps you might be inspired by either this one or this one!) All of these items are perfect accessories for watching fireworks on July 4th 🙂

Inspiring Video for Your Weekend

Some Chocolate Dessert

• What can you make for friends this holiday Weekend? We are reading: 95 Summer Dessert Recipes For Cooling Down and Sweetening Up! We also love a good fresh cut watermelon.

Have a lovely weekend, with a time cupsoul or two, of course. Happy weekend, coffee lovers!

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This post is not sponsored. This post contains a few affiliate links, which means that if you do click through and then buy something, you may help support an insatiable coffee and chocolate habit at no cost to you. 🙂  Any written opinions here are by time cupsoul/our own.