Cuisinart, You Da One

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of catching a commercial for the Cuisinart Single Serve Brewing System.

Well, it pretty much had me at "hot water button." Here's the lowdown on this pretty lil' lady, via the Cuisinart website:

☛ Hot Water Button lets consumers enjoy their favorite instant coffee, soup, tea, and hot cocoa, in no time.
☛ Rinse Control instantly cleans the inside of the brew chamber to keep every cup as delicious as the first.
☛ Extra Large Removable 80 oz. Water Reservoir offers impressive capacity, eliminating the need for frequent refills.
☛ Fully Programmable full spectrum of features including Auto On/Off and adjustable temperature control.
☛ 5 Cup Sizes including an iced beverage setting.
☛ Quiet Brew Technology lets you enjoy every cup more peacefully than ever.
☛ BPA Free (all parts that come in contact with water or coffee).
☛ My K-Cup® Reusable Coffee Filter can be filled with any gourmet ground coffee, to suit personal tastes, and conveniently stores right in the unit.
☛ 12 K-Cup® Portion Pack lets consumers enjoy a varied sampling of all that Keurig K-Cups® have to offer.
☛ Charcoal Water Filter removes impurities that could interfere with taste.

Now if this isn't a kitchen appliance junky's wet dream, I really couldn't tell you what is. I currently own (and love) a Senseo single cup coffee machine that I would sacrifice my first born for, but this little Cuisinart devil is really tempting my allegiances.

I mean, I'm not saying that I want this for Christmas, but I'm also not saying that I don't.....am I right?

In other news, while I dream about brewing myself some back-to-back cups of coffee and hot chocolate, this is my newest coffee shop soundtrack pick....

Coffee Shop Essentials, Part 2

So you've got your coffee shop outfit all picked out, huh? Pssshhh. Good luck enjoying your cafe experience without the proper accessories.  Just imagine walking into your cozy, local cafe without the perfect laptop bag.  You'd be shunned by your fellow latté sippers, for sure. 

So, without further ado, here are some items that I'm pretty sure would perk up my coffee experience, caffeinated or not. 

Pendleton Wool 15" MacBook Pro Cover, Timberline Treasures

How can you resist a computer sleeve made out of Pendleton wool?  I mean, if I could, I would swathe myself in this fabric on a daily basis and pretend I am Robert Redford, just hanging out on his ranch in Utah, wearing some really rugged Levis and cowboy boots and standing next to my wild but devoted horse named Rex.....A girl can dream. 

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones

I'm conflicted about these bad boys.  On the one hand, I generally don't want to listen to winey coffee shop music (I like moody, synthy indie-pop just as much as the next guy, but a remixed cover of some early 90s REM song just doesn't get my creative juices flowing). So for that, these are perfect.  On the other hand, though, I'm a snoop.  I like to listen to people's conversations.  I also am constantly convinced that that guy sitting across the room from me is going to come over and hit on me at any moment.  So whenever he so much as looks my way, I turn down the music on my ipod and look alive (just in case anyone is wondering, I have never been approached by anyone other than a homeless person looking for change in a coffee shop).  I still want these, though, just so that I can look like I'm a person who really cares about hearing the complex tones that are happening in the Beyonce song I'm listening to. 

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Leather Sketchbook Journal, Karleigh Jae

A good journal is necessary for any coffee shop adventure.  I like working on my computer, but sometimes it just feels so much better to fill up some actual pages.  This journal is beautiful, and I feel like it's just masculine enough that Robert Redford would use it.

FDR Glasses, Lookmatic

My glasses.  This is not me.  This is some model with my glasses superimposed on her face.  Let's ignore that, though.  Whenever I go to a cafe, I feel the urge to wear glasses.  It makes me look more intellectual, which is always important when you're sipping an espresso and writing. Plus they give me something to fondle as I stare at that guy across the room who won't come flirt with me.....I take what I can get. 

When it looks like this outside...

 

All I want to do is this....

With these on my feet...

So I am. 

Self Control

It's really taking all the strength I have not to stomp down to Nordstroms and buy these today.  

DV by Dolce Vita Wyatt Bootie

They're so not something that I'd typically be into, but I'm kind of in love with them.  I'd go so far as to say that they're The Coziest high heeled bootie I've seen in a loooong while.  Doesn't hurt that they're 50% off at Nordstroms right now.  We'll see how that self control bodes for me....these may turn into one of my many self-justified early Christmas presents. (And WATCH OUT: They'd go perfectly with the pieces from J.Crew that I recently indulged in....which you'll be seeing very soon.)


Speaking of J.Crew, have you guys seen their blog?  It's pretty wonderful, and great coffee shop internet browsing instead of doing actual work material....very inspirational.  I've never been terribly into J.Crew, but lately I've been really appreciative of their simplicity and quiet nods to the old cozy standbys (I grew up in NJ--I love a good shearling-lined LL Bean rain boot).  Check out their blog here:http://jcrew.tumblr.com/.  You'll find some really beautiful things on there, such as these snapshots from their designers' recent inspiration trip to Paris:

These Paris pics have me thinking about calling up J.Crew (not anyone in particular there....just dialing J.Crew into my phone and seeing what happens) and demanding they hire me as their....coffee and breakfast things consultant on the next trip overseas. 

Coffee Shop Essentials, Part 1

One of the most important things you can do to ensure a cozy coffee shop experience is to wear the perfect outfit.  It's like traveling on an airplane--you need to be comfortable, yet still maintain a certain level of your stylish identity (this is my nice way of saying, "Stay away from the pajama drawer!").  My cafe outfits generally include a sweater of varied thickness, depending on the season, comfy leggings, and boots.  Sometimes I feel great in my ensemble, and sometimes I just want to go home and put on my long johns.  In my oft-fantasized perfect cafe scenario, here's what I'd be wearing....

Doesn't get much more frumpy/cozy than this.  United Bamboo Plaid Jacquard Knit Cardigan

No good oversized sweater should be worn without a pair of equally comfortable and interesting pants...

Because why NOT wear cashmere leggings?  Free People Cashmere Leggings

For when you're craving less "I want to feel like my legs are wrapped in buttery clouds" and more
 "I'm channeling Rihanna here," there are these puppies.  Zara Waxed Effect Trousers

I own these guys.  The perfect black boot.  Zara Basic High Heeled Boot

Let's say you want something that you can slip off your feet a bit easier, though.  Enter what I like to call the "Zooey Deschanel Coffee Shop Experience Mary Jane".

A.P.C Mary Janes in Washed Black

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Coffee Shop Essentials....BRING ON THE HIP LAPTOP BAGS!

Coffee Shop Review: Paper or Plastik Cafe

It’s in an odd part of town (mid-city, surrounded by auto-body shops and across from the Department of Water and Power) and it’s not so classically cozy, but Paper or Plastik Café serves up a pretty good cup of Joe, as well as adorable baristas who call you “love” and give you that flirty, nonchalant eye that baristas do.  It’s slightly more masculine than most coffee shops, which gives it a laid-back, easy charm.  Brick walls that invoke a cool Brooklyn apartment’s vibe along with the exposed beam ceiling and a cozy sofa along one wall only add to intriguing je ne sais quoi of the shop. Despite the cool decor and even cooler men behind the counter, Paper and Plastik Cafe was not, unfortunately, The Coziest. 

I got to the café at 2:15 on a Wednesday afternoon.  Nearly all of the tables were full (on one side of the room, every single person who sat at the line of tables was working on their Mac) so I was forced to sit at the tall bar that faced out onto the street.  The view wasn’t exactly inspiring….

The assemblage of coffee sippers left something to be desired as well.  It was a decidedly more buttoned-up crowd than I’m used to at such establishments.   Though there was a rather overwhelming population of hip, middle-aged women there, which I found both comforting and disappointing (it’s just not as fun to sneak glances at a menopausal mother every five minutes as it is a cute, unemployed 20-something actor). 

My low-fat latté (they had no skim) was good—I’d say pretty average as far as high-end coffee shops go.  For $4.91, I’d argue that the size of the cup could have been a bit more generous.  But I’m not really complaining—my barista did a sweet little heart design in the foam on top and I later had the pleasure of watching him ride off into the sunset on his Vespa.  Not bad for $4.91.
  
Paper or Plastik is located at 5772 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019.  Open daily, 7AM-11PM. http://paperorplastikcafe.com/


Go to this cafe for: Flirty Baristas, Expensive Lattés, Fellow Mac Users
Cozy Meter: 5