and the winner is ...

image courtesy of daily shot of coffee

congratulations blogger suzyfein! you are the winner of our buddy brew giveaway! you will receive a bag of buddy brew coffee from the fantastic roastery in tampa. contact me with your address and i'll get you fixed up.

here's what suzyfein said about her love affair with coffee.

I love coffee because I love the experience. Sometimes it is taking a few minutes for myself at home in the morning, sitting at my bistro table in the kitchen, drinking a cup of freshly brewed coffee with cream and watching the birds feeding outside my window. The experience might be enjoying a cup at a local coffee shop. I even enjoy coffee when stopping at a convenience store on a road trip.

i really enjoyed all of your comments. here are a few more.

blogger jean said...

My favorite coffee moment was when I was doing service work in Guatemala. It was 1984 and I was 19 years old. After a week of very hard work assisting the Guatemalans with constructing a building for a camp (and we knew nothing about construction), we had the chance to go to Union Church where the expats gathered on Sundays. After church, in the courtyard, we were surprised by delicious Guatemalan coffee in real cups and saucers and tiny cookies. I felt like I was in heaven, savoring every sip of that coffee and the chance to be clean and wearing something other than jeans and work boots. Guatemala is a magical place and this moment will stay with me forever. It makes me appreciate coffee every time I have it, and whenever possible, I request a proper cup and saucer.

anonymous paul said...

A good cup of coffee is both relaxing and stimulating at the same time. It provides contentment and enjoyment and is time well spent. In short, a good cup of coffee is like a visit from a good friend.

blogger elisabeth said...

I love the way a good cup of coffee makes me feel cozy and relaxed! I always associate coffee with good things, like curling up with a good book on a rainy day, the holidays, or just starting my day out right and being productive! :)

blogger christopher said...

A good cup of coffee comforts and enhances our days: it's the warm glow of sunshine in the morning, it's a gentle nudge to finish that afternoon project, and it's the satisfying conclusion to a fine family meal.

thanks to all who entered. more giveaways to come! in the meantime, check out buddy brew and order some coffee today. my cousins dave and sooz run this awesome business and every batch of coffee is roasted with love!

thanks dave and sooz for participating in this promotion!! xoxo

bits of my weekend vol. 59. and a giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

granny, a.k.a., my mom, sent books.

oh how i love books.

especially vintage children's books. she and i bought these when i was in the heartland, and we decided they were too heavy to put in my suitcase.

i especially love children's books published in the 1960s, by authors like edith thatcher hurd and sid hoff ... books that smell like old paper ... books that still have the old library card in the pocket on the inside cover ... a library card that hasn't been stamped since 1976 ...

did i mention i love books?

the boy and i went to quiet church.

he insisted on dressing up.

it's kind of his thing right now.

he's already asked if he can wear his ties to kindergarten.

what a lovely, quiet place.

except when an almost-six-year-old eats cheezits during the homily.

we were a little early so decided to walk around the neighborhood.

look how brown my little bug is.

we stopped by the frist center, which wasn't open yet so we didn't go inside. but the boy declared the large balcony overlooking broadway the perfect place for his next birthday party.

genius.

we saw the "andy warthog" exhibit last weekend.

that's what the boy calls it.

then we meandered through the gorgeous union station hotel.

it used to be an old train station.

and it's so beautiful inside.

especially from above.

perhaps the perfect place for my next birthday party.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
Don't forget that i'm giving away coffee from the fabulous buddy brew in tampa. leave me a comment here about why you love coffee and you'll be entered in the drawing.

if you have trouble commenting, friend me on facebook and leave the comment there!

PS the night market at nashville farmer's market with young jenny was fantastic. but i forgot my camera, so you'll just have to imagine the perfect night under the full moon: live music, gorgeous fruits and vegetables and a lively crowd. ironically, i didn't buy any produce. just organic homemade cookies that were terrific: a giant ginger snap cookie which i snarfed as soon as i got home, and a chocolate chili cookie that was out of this world.

i highly recommend this totally fun, cool and semi-hipster event. every month under the full moon, baby.

the latest addition. and a giveaway!

see this little guy?

he's the latest addition to the family, and he just couldn't be cuter.

his parents are my cousins, the adorable sooz and dave ward of buddy brew coffee in tampa, a fantastic shop and roastery that takes coffee to a whole new level.

these people know coffee.

and if there's one thing i love, it's a really, really good cup of coffee.

like i said. couldn't be cuter if he tried.

and he had a ball with his cousins. we're already planning our next get-together.

dare i say, we have a new co-bro?

indeed!

Go visit buddybrew's website and check out their coolness. Then come back here and tell me what you love best about a good cup of coffee. that will enter you in a contest for a free bag of beans.

well, go on!

i'll announce the winner soon.

besos,

joan

bits of my weekend, vol. 57, part 2.

i am back in nashville but my time away lingers with me.

my skin is peeling from languid days in the south florida sun, bronzing, floating, boating and shelling.

i'm still savoring the fantastic meals my sisters cooked up with sis's BF john: hearty stewed mulagatawny soup, spicy-hot thai dishes brimming with ginger, garlic and tamarind, and home pressed pasta noodles swimming in olive oil, pesto, herb goat cheese and toasted pine nuts ... insanely delicious. (recipes to come!)

i am still reveling in the first part of the trip in my home state of illinois: it was a bittersweet melange of childhood memories, farm fresh foods and feeling the love of family.

the whole thing started as a dream. to bring together the family, as we always do each summer for granny camp, but add to it an extra five days in naples, fla., so the boy could bond even more with his cousins on the glorious beaches.

it was a series of miracles. from the perfect weather at my parents' home, to the glorious sunset revealed after a rainstorm blew over and clouds cleared away just in time on closing night.

i'll share pictures this week. there are too many to post at once. for now, enjoy these.

oh! and without my brother-in-law rupert, these photos wouldn't have happened. thanks for capturing these precious moments, "g."

the boy flanked by his co-bro's.

this silly grin never left his face all week long.

my formerly terrified-of-water kiddo is now a fearless fishy.

sunset (and sunburnt) at barefoot beach, july 4.

me, cousin sooz, twinnie and sis.

it's the obligatory bikini shot. we'll keep doing it as long as gravity allows.

twinnie's boys, twinnie, me and the boy.

monster sunburn. the little booger fought the sunscreen like it was the plague. you'll be glad to know it's healed up nicely now, so please don't call child services.

more pics to come, my lovelies. i missed corresponding with you daily.

life is good.

bits of my weekend vol. 57; and it ain't over yet.

a few snaps from south florida. the boy is hanging with his co-bro's (cousin/brothers) and having a ball.

and i have sun burn on my sun burn.

pure heaven.

oh! i was able to spend some beach time with the amazing kelle hampton today at the isles of capri. be sure to check out her blog at kellehampton.com.

my amazing cousin sooz and family also were at the isles. visit them at buddybrew.com for the best coffee ever, or if you're in tampa, stop by.

by the way, the last shot is of my twinnie with the boy and her boy.

more to come, my lovelies.