If you search “cute cafes to visit in Berkeley” in Google, chances are “MY Coffee Roastery” will pop up. And being the ever-tireless fan of cute cafes, I set my heart on visiting MY Coffee Roastery a few weeks ago. Sure enough when I got there, the café was a whimsical cottage sitting at the intersection of Addison St and Martin Luther King Jr. Way:
The café from across the street. It’s super close to Trader Joe’s on University Ave.
But when I got closer…
Closed doors. ☹
MY Coffee Roastery is CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays! I made the mistake of visiting on a Tuesday… Make sure you visit on any days EXCEPT Monday/Tuesday, from Wednesday to Sunday. And beware, this cute cottage opens and closes early as you can see from the photo below 👇:
Be aware of their business days & hours!
✨Straight Out of a Fairytale✨
Now being aware of the cafe’s hours, I successfully entered the cottage on a Thursday. It was like entering a whimsical cottage straight from a fairytale! The cafe reminded me of the little cottage in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With its pretty iron fence, pots of plants and succulents, red flowers, cute bench cushions, parasols, blue and white mosaic tables and stony walls, MY Coffee Roastery was as lovely and unique as it could be. I mean, there were literally butterflies flying about in the outdoor seating area!
The entrance. Love the red bench and flowers! 🌹
The whimsical storefront.
Once I entered, I was immediately at the counter, where baked goods and coffee beans were displayed. I wanted to try their waffle, but as they had ran out of them, I ordered their almond croissant instead with a cup of iced Americano.
I think the cafe is owned and managed by a Chinese lady and her family – I’m not sure. But I have a hunch that she is the one behind the lovely cottage and its design. Even the interior is chic, with black chandeliers and stoned walls with wide windows that are left open.
Looking out from the inside.
The Menu
My drink and food came out quickly, as I wasn’t done marveling at the chic interior when they had finished warming up the croissant. Sitting outside in the patio area, I took a bite of my almond croissant and I must say, I like it better than other almond croissants I’ve had!
The delicious almond croissant & Americano. 🥐☕💕
It had sweet stuff inside – I don’t know what it’s called. Whatever it is, it made the croissant more flavorful and went perfectly with the iced Americano.
I personally wished there were more menu options, like sandwiches to eat for brunch or lunch, but the café is still great as is. I think their focus is on coffee, not so much the food.
Conclusion
In conclusion, MY Coffee Roastery is one of those chill cafes where you can get work done. They offer free wifi that works – they have the wifi password posted on the walls inside the cottage.
The inside seating area had the wifi banner with the password (see above). There was another wifi banner facing the front counter.
And with sufficient outdoor seating, it felt safe to eat and work there amidst the pandemic. Though cars drive by and many people frequent the cafe, it wasn’t distracting at all.
And the parasols create just the right amount of shade! ⛱
With friendly staff, good food and drinks along with aesthetic architecture and natural decor, MY Coffee Roastery is a cafe for students, professionals, and writers alike. It’s for anyone who appreciates uniquely chic spaces with chill vibes!
I can’t wait to go back to try their waffle. (And their latte, too!) 😊
P.S. To learn more about MY Coffee Roastery, visit their official website HERE. Or their IG account HERE.
P.P.S. And here are more aesthetic shots of the café:
P.P.P.S. 8/18/2022 Update: I revisited to try their waffle! But the waffles aren’t made at the cafe; they are premade waffles packed in wrapper that are unwrapped and placed on the display. Though it tasted alright, I wouldn’t deliberately come here to eat it again. Regardless, the whimsical cafe always has GREAT vibes✨ and good coffee.
Nestled in an eco-friendly retail campus surrounded by the 73, 55 and 405 highways is a glass building with a logo reminiscent of the pirate flag. It’s none other than Blackmarket Bakery!
Allow me to introduce you to the unique bakery serving scratch-made treats, fresh bread and savory sandwiches.
The CAMP at Costa Mesa
Blackmarket Bakery is a small, locally-owned business located within the CAMP, a green, eco-friendly shopping center in Costa Mesa, CA. It’s located near South Coast Plaza, LAB Anti-Mall, Mitsuwa Marketplace, and John Wayne Airport.
It really looks and feels like a camp in the middle of the city, with lots of wild plants, old trailers and camp-related decorations scattered about:
With around 25 stores that focus on healthy, active lifestyles, the shopping center hosts a bunch of events designed to bring awareness to the environment and the local community. (Plus arts & craft classes, free movie showings and drive-in concerts!) *For a full list of shops and services, visit the CAMP’s website HERE. For their calendar of events, HERE.
Now, back to Blackmarket. The bakery sits at the tip of the CAMP, right in front of the main parking lot that’s painted with feel-good messages in white:
I highly recommend choosing and parking at your favorite message! 😁
The Vibe
The first time I visited, I was taken aback by the exterior. From the outside, it didn’t look anything like a bakery with its modern glass windows and wild plants growing outside. I mean, I couldn’t see a single trace of baked goods. But the logo of a cake shaped like a skull, words “Bakery” pasted here and there plus these UFO-shaped cakes let me know that I had come to the right place.
It looks nothing like a bakery, with the only hint being the logo with the Jolly Roger cake. ☠
UFO cakes taking people away! 🛸
Though it didn’t look at all like a bakery, it was plenty chic with its unique logo and vinyl stickers. As I entered, I expected the interior to be more “normal,” with clean walls in warm colors and baked goods neatly displayed in glass countertops like other bakeries.
But the interior was as eccentric and chic as the exterior:
There’s so much to see! 👀
The bakery was like an industrial factory with metallic lights hanging from above. I honestly didn’t know where to look with all these cool merchandise and aesthetic chocolate bars lying about. They had these cool periodic table lunch boxes, cookies shaped like dragonflies, metallic trailer displays and treats that all look good.
Menu & More
After being overwhelmed by all the products and standing dumbfounded for about a minute, I was able to make my way towards the counter to order. As I stood at the very end of the line, I got to watch bakers kneading the dough by hand:
Bakers kneading behind rows of freshly made breads.
When I moved a few inches closer to the cashier, I saw this huge menu board:
Having witnessed all the tasty-looking cookies and bread at the entrance, I had confidence in all the menu items. In fact, I wanted to try everything on the menu plus all the treats displayed. But as I physically and financially couldn’t afford to do so, I narrowed down my choice to the Hot Potato Egg Sandwich, i.e. Hot Potato “Eggywich,” as called by the crew.
Along with the Berry Basque Tart and latte.
The Food
By the time I received my orders, I was too hungry to remember about blogging it. So… I devoured the Hot Potato Eggywich without taking any photos of it! 😫 But I remember and can say with confidence that it was good. The over easy eggs, bacon, and hash brown patty made it a hearty meal – an excellent breakfast. The pickled onions and garlic aioli sauce made it very savory.
Despite my overall satisfaction, I personally found the Eggywich to be a bit overwhelming. It was too much to eat the aforementioned ingredients with its butter croissant bread. I didn’t realize while I was eating it, but once I finished, I really was feeling overwhelmed.
The Berry Basque Tart was VERY good. It had a crumbly tart crust with fresh raspberries, thin almond slices, and lemony cream with powered sugar sprinkled on top. And the latte was smooth, with a good amount of foam. Both the tart and the latte were excellent. HOWEVER, I wouldn’t drive all the way to Costa Mesa just to have these again – especially with the insane gas prices these days. I would if I happened to be in the area and wanted some good tart and latte.
A few weeks later, I had another chance to visit Costa Mesa and so I went again to Blackmarket Bakery. This time, I ordered the Fresh Prince Eggywich. I liked it better than the Hot Potato Eggywich:
Healthy ingredients & savory sauce 👍
+ Update 6/18/22: I visited the bakery yet AGAIN and this time I got the Plain Jane. It wasn’t overwhelming with just cheddar cheese, eggs and brioche bun. It tasted great with fresh orange juice:
Delicious! I liked it better than the other eggywiches I tried.
A Bakery Worth Visiting
Blackmarket Bakery is definitely worth visiting – at the very least once. They’ve got good food and superb treats – made fresh every day. And equally importantly, they’ve got unique, clever decorations that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, like the metallic UFO cakes, chess boards painted on tables, and whisks hanging from above.
It’s a must-see bakery for photographers, bloggers and tourists alike who appreciate industrial chic decor with creative, artistic culinary touches.
More About Blackmarket Bakery
🏴☠️Fun Fact #1: The unique Blackmarket Bakery in Costa Mesa was founded back in 2012 by Rachel Klemek, a UCI alumni. Her first Blackmarket Bakery opened even further back in 2004 in the city of Irvine (now closed).
🏴☠️Fun Fact #3: According to the founder herself, the name “Blackmarket” comes from the fact that baking fundamentals like butter, flour, sugar and eggs were only available via black markets during World War II. She says in an interview with OC Weekly that the name for the bakery was developed during the Atkins diet craze in the early 2000s when baked goods seemed culturally outlawed (read the full interview HERE).
What brilliant way to incorporate history to one’s bakery! 🤩
Photo by Patrick Fore
🏴☠️Fun Fact #4: There are currently 2 Blackmarket Bakeries: one in Costa Mesa and one in San Diego (with another San Diego store coming soon). They offer online ordering, gift cards, and loyalty cards that you can use to get free coffee:
The chic red loyalty card from Blackmarket Bakery.
Visit these links to learn more about Blackmarket Bakery!
If someone had asked me where my favorite café was just three months ago, I would have readily answered: Rendez Vous French Bakery & Cafe in Corona Del Mar, CA! But now I can’t. Because despite their still delicious beignets and food, it saddens me to say that I’ve tasted one of the worst lattes there.
So let’s talk about Rendez Vous Cafe.
Heavenly Beginning
Rendez Vous French Bakery and Cafe is an “authentic artisan French bakery” and café where “everything is made from scratch” with the best ingredients. They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner and offer catering.
The restaurant/café banner outside.
I chanced upon this café when I was driving by Corona Del Mar one day. It has an eye-catching aesthetic exterior, with a blue and white sign and outdoor seating area adorned with garlands of pink florals.
The lovely exterior of Rendez Vous.
When you walk inside, you come face to face with lovely Parisian decorations, including this beautiful wall of pink, white, red, and purple roses and a chic white cart displaying macarons and caneles:
Quelles jolies roses! 🌹🌹🌹 *Click HERE for another aesthetic café that abounds with roses.
Not to mention the tempting pastries and bread surrounding you when you stand at the cashier to order!
The first time I visited with my family, I ordered a French toast, veggie panini, cream filled beignets, and two cups of latte. And we remember it like it was yesterday: it was HEAVENLY. Everything tasted great – not too sweet, not too salty. Fluffy French toast with fresh fruits, flavorful panini packed with cooked vegetables and side salad, doughnut-like beignets packed with rich cream, and foamy, rich lattes.
I wish we had taken photos that day, but we were too busy devouring the food. Click HERE to see the official photos of their French toast and HERE for their cream beignets.
*Visit their IG page for more mouthwatering photos of their menu items💕💕
The heavenly taste continued every week we visited the café, and for the past few months, visiting Rendez Vous was our family’s little ritual. We would order, take the food and lattes, and watch the beautiful shores of Corona Del Mar:
Sunny or cloudy, the coast of CdM is always a delightful sight to behold!
The Ever-Changing Quality
But sometime around late March, things began to change. We were surprised to find our beloved Rendez Vous French toast, which had been fluffy and yellow, coming out too burnt to eat. Our lattes had become foamless and tasteless.
But we loved the cafe so much that we went back week after week, in hopes of tasting the gastronomical heaven we had experienced in the beginning. But the French toast always came out with black bits on the bottom, some weeks worse than others, while our lattes tasted different every week. *Sometimes, it would be like drinking hot water and espresso separately. Other times, it was like drinking lukewarm milk and espresso. Our lattes always came out with barely any foam, and the milk and espresso that should blend together came out tasting like they hadn’t been mixed.
*5/29 Update: Delicious foamy lattes are back!
How the latte was on 5/29/22. 👍
And at times we would come home with the cream beignets only to discover that we received plain ones. 🙁
Photo by Matthew Henry.
After weeks of giving the French toast and lattes multiple second chances, we gave up on our favorite items. So we had no choice but to find quality lattes elsewhere, which we did at Rose Bakery Café a few blocks away.
Rose Bakery Cafe’s ever delicious latte with foam. The great thing about them is that they are ALWAYS good, week after week. Review of the café is coming soon!
Food’s Still Great Though 👍
But I’m happy to share that they always have great beignets and paninis.
Their chicken panini is delicious! (Comes with side of salad or fries. Their salad is always fresh, too)The best beignets I’ve ever tasted! The bread and the pastry cream feel thick & taste real – they’re not some cheaply made pastry.
And croque madame!
I’ve also tasted some of their pastries, including the fruit tart and pear almond tart. And they’re as good as they look! 👇😉👍
And the café is as chic as ever, with pink roses and decorations reminiscent of Paris itself. They’ve got great food and lovely, friendly employees. I recommend Rendez Vous Café to anyone visiting Corona Del Mar, CA but just be aware of their French toast and latte.
⚠ The French toast might come out very burnt on the bottom, and the latte might come out tasteless & foamless. Hopefully they go back to tasting phenomenal!
To wrap up, here are more photos of the chic interior & exterior:
Here’s the exact location:
P.S. To visit the cafe’s official website, click HERE. Like their motto, they really do have real food and real people! 😉
P.P.S. During Christmas, this pretty French café becomes even more aesthetic with a pink Christmas tree!
Pink boxes, ornaments, and roses galore!
P.P.P.S. Update 5/24: I visited again and ordered a panini with cream beignets for take out. The panini was delicious as always, but I was given plain beignets again… 😔
2021 came to an end a few weeks ago. Yet, there is still no sign of the pandemic coming to an end. Not even close. The pandemic, as everyone knows, has been terrible, affecting everyone across the globe. It has taken the lives of countless, disrupted the hopes of many. I dreamed of traveling after graduation, but such dream has been postponed indefinitely. Who knows when we will get to travel freely again? Without the fear of the virus? Until then, I plan to travel domestically, supporting small businesses and appreciating places within the states. And without further self-reflection, I reintroduce you to Cafe Lola, one of the most aesthetic cafes I’ve ever visited in the West – but this time, it’s the Henderson location!
*To check out my post on the Summerlin location (near Red Rock Canyon), click HERE.
Cafe Lola in Henderson, Nevada
The Cafe Lola I visited this time was located in Henderson, Nevada. To be honest, I’ve never heard of the city until now. But after a quick search, I was able to discover that it is located just 16 miles from Las Vegas. (I was able to see Vegas from Henderson on my way.)
Apparently, it was voted (back in 2018) as one of the top 50 Best Places to Live in America by Money Magazine and ranked by Forbes as the second safest city in the U.S. It was also named the Greenest City in Nevada. And here’s an interesting fact: Steve Aoki lives in Henderson, Nevada! 😎 For more info on the city, check out this blog post: https://www.retirebetternow.com/blog/living-in-henderson-nv/.
It did appear to be a clean suburban city, with nice new buildings and homes. Cafe Lola was located in a neat plaza by a big hospital:
On the outside, the cafe looks neatly plain. But once you open the door and step inside, it’s a whole different world of florals and aesthetics:
The Interior
I happened to have visited the café in December, so it was extra pretty with a giant Christmas tree with sparkly pink ornaments and even a pink nutcracker. But I believe the beautiful crystal chandeliers, pink telephone booth, golden rose decals on inlaid white walls, and other aesthetic decorations all remain the same in the other months as well.
The Food
Although the main purpose of my visit was for the aesthetics, I couldn’t just take photos without ordering anything. So I ordered a latte and waffle to eat at one of the cute tables while snapping as many photos as I could.
The employee brought out my latte first, and I was surprised to find this placed on my table:
Take a closer look:
The letters below the smiling dog/cat reads “Merry X-mas.”
Isn’t it the cutest little latte foam? 😍
The food was exceptionally aesthetic as well, as you can see from the photo below:
Waffle with strawberries, strawberry cream, and strawberry jam.
Now, the fork and knife were kind of dirty – I couldn’t get whatever was stuck on them off with the napkin… But the food was delicious! Not the most delicious latte of waffles I’ve ever had, but nonetheless good.
Conclusion
Cafe Lola in Henderson, Nevada is a fun place to check out if you’re near Las Vegas and if you’re into pretty cafes. It also seems like a great place to hold birthday parties and meet your friends if you live nearby.
It’s a delightfully flowery café with rosy walls, pink telephone booth, and a bicycle to remind you of Paris and London at the same time. And despite some unsanitary utensils, you can enjoy a good drink and some good food all the while surrounded by pink roses.
They have coffee cups with words “Fuck Mornings,” “Anti-Bitch Club,” “Anti-Bitch Serum.” and a banner that says “No Karen, You Can’t Talk to the Manager.” With their pretty pink aesthetics and eye-catching slogans, Coffee Dose is a unique place to check out if you like their “cheeky” merchandise, “vegan + keto-friendly treats,” and all things aesthetically pink.
Coffee Dose (Irvine) one cloudy morning.
Some Basic Info:
Coffee Dose was founded by the couple – Jeni and Oscar Castro. They kind of remind one of the wife-husband team that founded Honey & Butter Macarons, as they’ve also started their shop in Costa Mesa. (Check out my post on Honey & Butter Macarons HERE.)
And from the fact that the shop now has three locations (from just one in Costa Mesa), their business seems to be a success. It’s not surprising – their stylish merchandise and cheeky slogans are bound to be popular, especially amongst young women who appreciate good coffee and aesthetically pleasing goods. It really is no wonder that Coffee Dose has made their marks at their Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, and Irvine locations:
Images of Coffee Dose in Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, and Irvine (from left to right) from coffeedose.cafe.
Coffee Dose in Irvine, CA
The shop I’ve visited is the one in Irvine. It’s located in the middle of a business park.
It’s literally placed right between two office buildings:
And so, on my two visits to Coffee Dose Irvine, there was always a group of customers. They were most likely a mix of office workers, influencers, and customers who so appreciated Coffee Dose’s unique menu and aesthetics that they drove all the way to the office park for them.
Once you get close to the pink container box, you’ll be able to see the menu and the cute merchandise they have out in front of the cashier.
This is where you order, buy merchandise, and receive your drinks. (Plus where the food menu is.)
The other end of the pink container where you get your food items. Plus where the menu for the drinks are. (On the right)
Oh, and they always have music playing out loud:
From my experience (which amounts to only a few visits), I found the lattes to be better than any other drinks. The cold brew was really strong and not to my taste.
But the latte? It was delicious! 😋
This is the menu they have out in the Irvine shop:
Now, this shop is a coffee shop, and I do think they have good lattes. But what I consider their best is the food.
I’ve tried a few items on their menu, including their cookie, banana bread, lemon bread from their bakery items, “The OC OG,” “Foxy Loxy,” “Jen & Berry’s,” “The Goat,” and “The Gentle Monster.” Wow. Now that I list them, I actually tried quite a number of their food items!
The Foxy Loxy (and the ever-strong cold brew that I couldn’t finish).
Anyways, they were all delicious, with top-quality ingredients. But my favorite of all has to be “The Goat.” 🐐🧀
“The Goat” is a toast with herbed goat cheese, figs, candied walnuts, saba and microgreens. And it’s EPIC.
I tried this only because I saw on Coffee Dose’s Instagram that “The Goat” will be available only until November. And I thought – why not give it a go before I can no longer try it?
It was such a good decision… Because it was the most delicious toast I’ve ever tasted! And the combination of goat cheese and figs along with the candied walnuts and other ingredients is genius; it’s an out-of-this-world tasting experience that belongs uniquely to Coffee Dose.
It was so good that I had to to-go another one before leaving. Their to-go bag is cute, too!
Drawbacks
The only drawbacks of Coffee Dose (I speak only of the Irvine location) would be that it isn’t cheap. It’s definitely on the pricier side, as “The Goat” costs about as much as two cheeseburgers at In-N-Out.
And another drawback is that they don’t share your Instagram stories that you @ them at, as I’ve tried multiple times. I think they only share if you have enough followers to promote their brand. 😔
*Fun fact: There are Coffee Dose stickers you can use in Instagram to create your stories.
Regardless –
Visiting Coffee Dose Irvine was a fun experience. With the aesthetic surroundings and the unique, DELICIOUS food, I highly recommend visiting there at least once!
P.S. If you have any canine companions, you’ll definitely want to check this place out. The shop is dog-friendly with even “puppy cracks” for your pups!
Last Saturday on October 16th, Honey & Butter released macarons in collaboration with LINE FRIENDS (characters popular in Asia). According to their website, they will continue to release these special macarons for two more dates, on October 23rd & 30th. As I expected there to be much competition, I set out at 9AM, an hour before the store opened.
Honey & Butter Macarons is located in the city of Irvine, in a shopping center called Irvine Spectrum Center. This center deserves a post of its own, with its unique architecture and a plethora of good shops. 👍
As the center itself also opens everyday at 10AM, there was nobody there when I arrived.
Usually, there is always a bustling crowd at the shopping mall. But not at 9AM in the morning!
Or so I thought.
Once I walked in deeper inside, I saw some residents living around the Spectrum Center walking their dogs and meeting their friends. But still, these were people who lived in the area; they weren’t headed towards the macaron shop. So I quelled my concerns and walked on to Honey & Butter.
A rare sight to behold at Irvine Spectrum Center.
And then I saw:
It was only 9:30 AM, and yet, there was a line already!
I thought I’d be the first or at least the third person in line for Honey & Butter Macaron’s exquisite macarons. But in reality, I turned out to be the 30th! 😳
Though I was disappointed to join the long line, I was still one of the first 100 customers who would get free stickers of the Honey & Butter Macarons X LINE FRIENDS collaboration. Hence, I was content to wait behind 29 fellow zealots of cute & aesthetic macarons.
The Wait
I waited for about an hour before it was my turn to order. While waiting, there were many passersby wondering at the long line so early in the morning. They stared and muttered while Honey & Butter Macarons employees took promotional pictures and videos of eager customers like me. It was tiring to wait, but all the hype and anticipation was fun to witness, as well as the satisfied customers coming out of the store with bagfuls of macarons.
*Plus, a Honey & Butter associate handed out flavor guides & wristbands to everyone waiting in line. The wristband system is their new way of preventing unfair purchases of creature (special character) macarons, which are limited in quantity.
The Flavor Guide handouts!
*If you plan on visiting Honey & Butter Macarons to purchase creature macarons, check out their wristband policy HERE!
Finally!!!
I am finally close enough to see the store!
When I finally got close enough to the store, I was able to see the cute decal stickers pasted on the clear glass windows. People (including myself) were busy taking photos of them while in turn being photographed by Honey & Butter associates.
When I stepped inside the store (at last!!!) the interior was as aesthetic as it could be, with puffy clouds hanging from above and photo booths in front of walls of plants and flowers. (Even a 🕷 for a touch of Halloween!)
Plus there was the LINE FRIENDS X Honey & Butter Macarons wall, which was too cute not to share here:
They were selling their regular, non-character macarons for $3 each, and character macarons for $5 and $7 dollars each. It’s really expensive… It’s more expensive than a burger or a Chick-fil-A sandwich! 😫 But considering the amount of effort and artistry put into these macarons, I think it was worth it.
Here is a video of the macarons sold at Honey & Butter Macarons last weekend:
Close up of the creature (character) macarons! 🐻🎀🐰🐥🐸
I purchased regular macarons, creature macarons along with two pins (limited editions of Honey & Butter X LINE FRIENDS). I also got free stickers for being one of the first 100 customers and a postcard, too. And before heading out of the shop, the employees helped me take photos in front of the aesthetic photo booths. It was so much fun! 😁
When I stepped out of the cute macaron shop, it was 11:12 PM. And yet, there was a line still in front of Honey & Butter Macarons, as shown in the video above.
Even the box is cute!
I spent an entire morning from 9AM preparing and waiting for this event. Plus, I spent way too much on the macarons. But it was a memorable day, with such artistic, charming little pastries for me and my family. It was worth the money and the wait!
I had to display the artsy macarons in the middle of my living room in all its beauty for my family to see. Aren’t they just…Adorable pieces of art? 😍💕💕
About Honey & Butter
From my knowledge (and online research), Honey & Butter Macarons was founded back in 2014 by Leanne and her husband Pawel Pietrasinski. Leanne was born in Vietnam and Pawel was born in Poland, and the couple met via a MMORPG game, Neverwinter Online. Sharing the same dream and passion, they created their own bakery. To read more about their unique story and journey, check out these links:
I highly recommend Honey & Butter Macarons if you love aesthetic/cute things or French pastries, specifically macarons. If you are planning to purchase creature macarons though, be aware that they don’t have those everyday. I think they used to, but nowadays they are available only on special occasions like this or on days noted on their website.
P.P.S. Follow their Instagram! Honey & Butter sometimes announces character macaron drops in their stories. They’re up for grabs till supplies last. Here are the ones that were released around noon on 5/27/2022:
Cute clam and sushi macarons.
They were as aesthetic and delicious as ever! 😉
(These macarons were wrapped in seriously cute packaging illustrated by kiraimai! 💕Visit the Japanese illustrator’s official website for more: https://www.kiraimai.com/)
Last week, when it drizzled in the ever-sunny city of my residence, I stopped by at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. For the past few years, I’ve been on-and-off writing my first novel, and I wanted to research the tone and style of recently published books.
As is always the case whenever I’m in bookstores, I was tempted to make a purchase. But reminding myself that I already have piles of novels and stories to read at home, I resisted all temptation to purchase another book. (Plus, after the pandemic, the libraries will reopen.) But when passing by the magazine racks next to the cashier, I had to stop and purchase Bella Grace‘s Issue 29. It was just too aesthetic!
Bella Grace Magazine
The front and back covers of Bella Grace.
The magazine was extremely costly; compared to an interior design magazine my mother purchased recently ($12.99), Bella Grace was a $19.99. It’s the most expensive magazine I’ve ever purchased!
Older issues of Bella Grace.
But the content of the magazine is heartfelt and wholesome. It’s created and compiled by romanticists, optimists, and those who believe in the following:
“an ordinary life can be extraordinary, there is beauty in imperfection, and that magic can be found in the everyday.”
Bella Gracec
And their collection of writings and photographs truly reflect such beliefs and attitude toward life.
Some pages from the 29th issue of Bella Grace.
Submissions
And Bella Grace is looking for submissions! They’re looking for narratives, photography, lists, and Instagram collections from writers and photographers who share their beliefs.
“At Bella Grace, [they] believe that:
Every cloud has a silver lining.
An ordinary life can be an extraordinary life.
There is beauty and magic to be found everywhere.
It’s OK to embrace imperfection.
Life should be lived with a full heart and open eyes.”
As I share these beliefs, I submitted photographs and a poem to the editor a few days ago. I’m really happy to have found a magazine that shares some of my beliefs as well as aesthetics! ✨
If you are a writer or photographer, especially a romantic or an optimistic one, I highly encourage you to read Bella Grace. And even take part in their movement to share life’s beauties!
P.S. To visit Bella Grace’s official website, click HERE.
This summer, I had a chance to visit Las Vegas with my family. But as we are in the midst of a pandemic, we chose to explore the outdoors around the city instead of lingering in the populous hub. As we had already visited Death Valley, Grand Canyon, and Sedona, we decided to explore Red Rock Canyon this time.
On our way to Red Rock Canyon. It was unusually cloudy and windy. It eventually rained when we arrived at the visitor’s center.
On our way to Red Rock Canyon, I proposed that we stop by a café to pick up lattes and whatnot. It was June but cloudy and chill; which means it was perfect to sip some warm drinks on the way. Besides, I had researched online and found out that there was an aesthetic café in the area. And I am all for anything aesthetic, especially cafes.
When we arrived in front of the cafe, the exterior was neat but nothing noteworthy. And as the sky was cloudy with rain starting to trickle, it almost looked gloomy.
But when my sister and I went inside, it was a feast for the eyes!
The interior was so pretty that I stood there gawking it all in. I had to collect myself before moving forward to the cashier to order. My eyes feasted further on the chic decorations set up all throughout the cafe.
Roses galore! 🌹 🌹 🌹
Every corner was Instagram-worthy.
I ordered Lola’s Signature Vanilla Rose Tea Latte (plus three macarons) while my sister got the Americano. The drinks weren’t bad, but they weren’t stellar either. I wouldn’t drive all the way here again for the drinks. But I definitely would for the beautiful interior!
The pink folder in the back is the menu. The pink drink is Lola’s Signature Vanilla Rose Tea Latte. The small pink cup with a rose is a decoration set on each table. ❤️
I highly recommend Cafe Lola to anyone who loves visiting aesthetic places. The interior, decorations, drinks, food, and everything inside the cafe were too pretty to not take photos of. If you’re ever visiting Red Rock Canyon, or Las Vegas even, stop by Cafe Lola! 😉
*NOTE: The location I’ve been to is the Cafe Lola in Summerlin. There’s another Cafe Lola in the Henderson area. They’re both in Nevada but the Summerlin one is next to Red Rock Canyon.
**UPDATE 7/19/22: Cafe Lola opened another shop at 7379 S Rainbow Blvd – in Southwest Las Vegas! Check out their IG post for all the deets!
Visit Cafe Lola’s official website here 👉 Café Lola
P.S. Check out my post on their Henderson location HERE. It’s as aesthetic as the Summerlin location! ✨
When the film Jane Eyre, directed by the American filmmaker Cary Fukunaga, came out in 2011, it instantly drew my attention not only because it was another adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s timeless classic, but also because the film looked simply beautiful. But as I was preoccupied with other things, I could not watch it that year. It was only today (10 years later!) when I finally took the time to watch the DVD I had purchased from Amazon that I watched the 2011 Jane Eyre. And here are my honest thoughts on the film.
If anyone were to ask me what the best thing about this adaptation was, I would tell them that the cinematic atmosphere and the aesthetics surpass any other version. It is, I think, very similar to the 2005 Pride and Prejudice (directed by Joe Wright) in that both films aren’t very accurate as they stray away from the details of the text but are astoundingly aesthetic, if not the most aesthetic versions of the classics.
Jane Eyre (2011) and Pride and Prejudice (2005) are both masterpieces in terms of aesthetics.
It was also interesting to see the film start with Jane running away from Thornfield and going back in time to show her as a little child at Gateshead Hall, her time at Lowood with Helen Burns, and her stay at Thornfield, including the fateful wedding day. Even though the film approaches the plot in such a fresh way, I personally disliked how many details in the movie were altered from their actual source: Miss Temple was erased from the story, I believe, along with Miss Oliver (one could say she was mentioned in an obscure sort of way), and other characters I could not recognize, such as Mary Rivers.
Other details were changed as well, such as how Jane tells Mr. Rochester about her relatives in the beginning while in the novel she doesn’t initially. And in the film, Jane doesn’t suspect Grace Poole for the creepy laughing or for the subsequent incidents that occur since Grace Poole doesn’t really come out until the day the secret is revealed on the wedding day. These details might appear trivial. But combined altogether, they drastically alter the story from its original.
Beautiful stills from the 2011 Jane Eyre film directed by Cary Fukunaga.
Despite the fact that the cast is an ensemble of extremely talented, renowned actors, including Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, and Sally Hawkins, it didn’t feel like that of Jane Eyre.
I thought Mia Wasikowska was great as the titular protagonist – her performance was moving and I could see her as Jane. And Jamie Bell was an okay St. John Rivers. But as for the rest, they didn’t really seem to belong in the classic. Michael Fassbender’s monotonous way of speaking sometimes made me question whether Mr. Rochester really was interested in attaining Jane’s love. Perhaps to other viewers he did, but as I have watched the 1983 version first, his Mr. Rochester appeared less passionate, less desperate for Jane’s attention and love than that of Timothy Dalton. Timothy Dalton’s portrayal convinced me that Mr. Rochester was desperate to gain Jane’s attention from the very beginning. The way he fidgets, the way he looks at Jane, and the way he speaks all hint at it whereas the Rochester Fassbender enacted doesn’t.
As for Judi Dench’s portrayal of Mrs. Fairfax, I imagined Mrs. Fairfax to be more friendly.
The actress gives off an air of cool dignity even when she doesn’t mean to (which made her an excellent Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice), so she didn’t really seem an ideal Mrs. Fairfax. I also felt Sally Hawkins’s Aunt Reed not as cold-blooded and heartless as the Mrs. Reed described in the novel. They are both incredible actresses, but I did not think they were fit for the roles depicted in the book.
Although it is alright for films to be different from its source, I think for timeless classics like Jane Eyre, which its major audience will inevitably be its literary fans, straying from its source material isn’t very effective or wise, at least in assuming the status as the “best” adaptation. To be completely honest, I stopped watching the 2011 film halfway through because I lost interest in it. Mr. Rochester didn’t seem to love Jane, and when he did appear so, it felt abrupt. I had to force myself to resume despite the alluring aesthetics of the film.
Official poster for the film Jane Eyre released on March 11, 2011.
I prefer the 1983 Jane Eyre to the 2011 adaptation, because the cast feels closer to the actual characters from the novel and because it adheres so carefully to the text in an effective way.
It’s so faithful to the novel that it even includes the scene where Mr. Rochester disguises himself as the old Gypsy woman! However, as I would sometimes watch the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, I would watch the 2011 Jane Eyre whenever I have time to spare. But in both cases, I must say the older televised versions far surpass the newer films.
Here is a clip from the 2011 Jane Eyre that I consider to be the best moment in the film:
https://youtu.be/xM_4IEnNCMM
According to YouTube, I am not the only one who considers this scene the best in the film! It is powerful… Best moment enacted by Michael Fassbender’s Mr. Rochester.
The Time Traveler is an upcoming author who holds great appreciation for both classic literature and history. The author aspires to publish historical fictions and other written works in the near future, in hopes of creating works that entertain, inform, and inspire.
The author also appreciates all things aesthetic and enjoys traveling around the world to learn and observe.
