Poems

On my recent trip to San Francisco, I saw a man sitting on a folding chair in front of the Ferry Building Marketplace. He had a sign that said "POEMS" with an infinity sign under it. On his lap was a green colored typewriter. His name is Zach. 

Zach writes poems for free to anyone who comes up to him and gives him a topic. He writes them within five minutes and a donation is optional. So if you're ever in the Bay area and you find Zach, ask him for a poem!

jam

Yes, I am just about to write a bi-picture snapshot(s). The wee hours of the morning are not a prime time to make this caliber of a decision, so the indecisive route it is. Thinking about it, there's a lot to be said about these two images. The first-- the dismal state of my poor kitchen table, quite forcefully taken over by the incessant wave of "work." The second-- a jar of jam. Argentinian jam, to be specific. It's been the new look for my breakfast toast this week, but also a reminder of the place that it came from-- a place much different than where it stands today.  It's a simple reminder to me to put my own "problems" into perspective, and think of a world other than my own as I finish off my breakfast in the few moments I have before the bell rings, and school starts once again. 

Gulls

Taking it all in, day by day, step by step, and apparently post by post. 

(I admire segulls' ability not to care about anything they do. I actually just like birds. That's all.)

Rishita

All Natural

I still play with leaves. Is that childish? 

Flicker

It was a pretty crowded day at the Huntington Library the Thursday that I visited for an AP Literature assignment. I came to analyze the originals of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales; ended up spending not so much time doing the assignment than strolling the unique, beautiful gardens that attracted so many visitors that day. This walkway cuts through rows upon rows of roses of every variety in the Huntington's famed Rose Garden. In the midst of the crowds shifting in and out of my camera's viewfinder, here's a shot of the flicker of emptiness, of serenity, of peace that so beautifully captures the natural wonder of the rose gardens. 

Love,

Eileen

#FIRST

I haven't seen many legitimate looking trophies in my life before, nor have I ever been able to take a low light picture in one shot so shoutout to the Motivate Award for letting me hit two birds with one stone. 

All I Want for Christmas...

At Gumtree cafe during christmas time, they put up this christmas tree and leave tags on a little table for people to write down their wishes and tie them onto the tree. Super cute right? This one was the greatest. 

And I know Miley Cyrus has gotten cray, but she was great in Hannah Montana. 

Chocolate Chair

A trip to LA Koreatown is never complete without the obligatory two scoops of blueberry icecream at Chocolate Chair. I'm usually not a fan of fruity ice cream- I tend to go for the classic duo of chocolate and old-fashioned vanilla. But, I've since been a convert. 

Chocolate chair makes each order of ice cream fresh, every single one. It's unique, not your usual ice cream. There's a definite sense of purity in this kind of cooking- a fast dwindling art form of "made to order food". 

Definitely stop by and have a scoop (or two!) for yourself whenever you are in the area! Bon appetit! 

Manual Overdrive

Reaching the threshold of set molds and going solo is one of the most unique borders a person can encounter. The journey over definitely will be hard, maybe even with a little dash of confusion thrown in with frustration, but believe me, shifting to manual overdrive will always be worth it. 
Besides, the moon looked so pretty that day. 

Rishita

Some Favorites.

Hi. Please enjoy this picture of some pictures I recently took. In other words, please admire what I was doing when I was supposed to be studying for finals. 

Featuring: Sperry Topsiders, Anthropologie milk glass, Anthropologie mini latte bowl, Anthropologie farmer's market basket 

Yes, I like the kitchen items from Anthropologie :) 

Love, 
Vanessa

A Touch of Nonsense

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.

-Dr. Seuss

Piper

When we got the absolutely lovely experience to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle this summer, I didn't really know what to expect. All I knew that I was going to spend my sixteenth birthday at this popular tourist destination, which also doubled as the inspiration for the renowned Disneyland castles. 
What I did end up figuring out, however, was that: 

1. Do not visit ANY tourist location in the summer that has very minimal shade, the result of which can be observed in the corner of the picture where hoards of people hide under the shade of the most pathetic trees ever.
2. Do not stand even an inch on the road off the pathway–the bus driver will not hesitate to run you over. 
3. Do not not look at the downward trail path from the castle while walking back–horses also walk back on them. And by walk I mean excrete.

But hats off to you, Mr. Piper, for playing something BESIDES Scotland the Brave, in 100 degree weather, not even under the skimpy shade. And for enjoying it too. 

Rishita

Christmas Bao

On Christmas day, my grandma has made it a tradition to make these bread things called "bao" in Chinese. As the oldest of her grandkids, I was always forced to help. This year I took a break from kitchen work and became the photographer for the day. Please enjoy this picture of grandma scolding the second oldest as he kneads the dough. Merry Christmas friends! 

Love, 
Vanessa

Tis the Season

Happy holidays from Coffeestrokes! We hope that wherever you may be, you are enjoying a season full of laughs, love, and great memories. 

Every Christmas, my mom brings out this centerpiece in front of our sparkling tree. It's just another small reminder of the countless memories my sister and I have of loud holiday parties, a house constantly filled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies, and the excitement of running down in the morning to open gifts on Christmas day. 

Whatever your Christmas traditions may be, tis the season to pause to enjoy the precious moments that make Christmas, Christmas.

Love,

Eileen

Where the Boats Go

There's only one place on the planet where I've witnessed a winter sunset whose most gorgeous purples and yellows twinkle off of the tranquil water ripples; where the sun blissfully melts into an Elsewhere Jonas probably dreamed about; where the boats go home. 

Here's to you, Sydney, Australia. Even though Finding Nemo is my all time favorite movie, it did absolutely no justice to your natural beauty. 

Monograms

A Southern staple, monograms are the new obsession for my group of friends.  A personalized, preppy touch, these initials spice up anything from clothing to phone cases to even car decals. Try adding a few of them to your own items. Just remember, first name, then last name, then middle name. If you don't have a middle name, you can always have a two letter monogram, or you can pick a cute letter and have a fake middle name. Enjoy!

Love, 
Vanessa

Secret Gardens

It's only just a rustic wood ladder, two empty terracotta pots nestled together, the first slates of a stone walkway, and the hints of green plants, but to me this corner is my secret garden. In the urban jungle of home, memories of this place remind me of a time when things were much simpler, when life was filled with just the people I loved the most, and when I was entirely captivated by the raw beauty of Italy.  

And you still continue to captivate me, my secret garden, but now only in the lazy daydreams and fading memories that so frequently plague my afternoons. Until next time, my friend, until next time. 

Love, Eileen

Transcendant Earth

First things first. I was/am not prepared to do this. I've basically been bamboozled out of time. I've also noticed that's been happening a lot. The bamboozling. 

Anyways, as I was looking for something I came across this one particular picture that I didn't remember taking. I knew it was from a local cove that my friends group had taken a hiking excursion to once, but those successive weekends that we had decided to take up this long and arduous (wow do you see that SAT vocab A+ Rishita 10/10 use) activity all seemed to blur together at the seams. 

But then it hit me. This moment was a blur in the seams. A crack transcending the ocean, or maybe even the same melancholic sky. What was probably once earth now struggled to gasp for air, barely making it through the seemingly tranquil waters. Mother Earth just isn't an entity, it's like a gateway to an entirely different dimension; a dimension that exists not only in tangible space, but also in the mind.   

Who knows. Maybe it's just me going a little crazy. Maybe it's just me bringing a favorite musical piece back to life. I really don't know. 

Rishita

Sweet & Crisp

For the past few months, I've been giving my friend a ride everyday to and from school, band practice, and football games. It's not really a hassle since our schedules are so similar and he lives ten feet away from me. 

A few weeks ago, as we were leaving to go to a football game, he climbed into my car with a brown Whole Foods bag and said, "This is from my mom." Inside the bag was a case of a dozen apples with an envelope attached to it that read, "Thank you Vanessa!" How sweet! Assuming that there was a letter inside the envelope, I asked my friend to read it to me since I was driving. Unfortunately he told me there was no letter in the envelope. 

Later that night at the football game, I saw his mom and thanked her for the apples. She thanked me for driving around her child and asked, "Did you get the $30?" I was so confused and asked, "Uhhh... What $30?" She said, "There's $30 in the envelope for gas! Don't throw it away!" and she ran off. WHAT. She's so nice! Anyways, Mrs T if you're reading this, thanks for being as sweet as your apples! 

Love, 
Vanessa

Calm After the Storm

The tranquility that often precedes a catastrophic event is known as "the calm before the storm." Before the waves of an impending storm begin to rock the boats of our lives, there lies moment of peace, of silence, of suspense. 

Often ignored, however, is the calm after the storm.  It's an entirely different experience. Your boat is badly scratched; perhaps the strong winds cut a hole through your mast, but you made it through-- it's all over now. There is a moment of peace as you recollect yourself and realize that the storm has passed.

The little boy in the picture had just made it through a small, but significant storm. Cruising down the Mississippi River in central Louisiana, he encountered one of his greatest fears-- the alligator. As his tears dry up, he looks out the boat to realize the danger is past; nothing is going to harm him. The calm after the storm has arrived; he is safe now. 

Love,

Eileen