see ya in 2004!

latest scarf, knit sideways/longways. photo of black & blue. photo of the reverse stripes.

i grew up hating the smell of coffee... i smelled it brewing every morning while i sat at the table eating my cereal before school, and two friends used to torture me in high school by purposely breathing their stank coffee breath on me for a laugh. i'd hold my breath whenever i passed those coffee shops in the mall that reeked of brewed beans. ick. i stuck to drinking hot tea and loving it.

but, i digress... some things can be forgotten. the last time i was in alabama, i met a friend at a coffee shop and ordered my usual ("usual" being the only thing i would order if i actually went to coffee houses on a regular basis -- which i don't), a mocha. hot chocolate with a splash of coffee. that one cup and i became a convert. i needed more. i flew home a few days later, and in the dallas-fort worth airport, i gave into temptation and stopped by the airport starbucks. grande mocha, por favor.

i arrived back in cali, and by the next grocery store trip i had accumulated a couple tins of instant coffee mixes to experiment with -- adding cocoa powder and sugar and such. my birthday was approaching and i started perusing the espresso machines on amazon.com because i had read that a proper mocha was achieved with a shot of espresso and steamed chocolate milk.

so, to make a long story longer... jon gave me a starter espresso/cappuccino machine for my bday. i got a bean grinder, a frothing pitcher, some huge mugs, and opened up cafe michelle. the rest, as they say, is history.

oh yeah. after all the researching i had done for coffee machines and recipes, i put together a "coffee 101" f.a.q. page. the blind leading the blind, but i'm still learning and it's a starting point for other coffee curious. (and, for all the pro caffeine addicts, that really know this stuff... your suggestions/criticism/corrections are welcome.)

"glow worms inspire handbag light."

huh? gloworms (that thing lying next to the worm, is that really what goes inside it to make it glow? ha!!)

but, seriously... great idea! i was just thinking the other day that i could use a purse with a bright liner to make my crap inside stand out a little more. [link via: usr/bin/girl]