currently loving :: 1000 faces + my morning face

I have a special place in my heart for small business and local startups. I would choose to eat at a mom-and-pop over a chain restaurant any day and even though I do love me some Target, I believe local businesses, coffee shops, and companies are what gives a community its charm. So when 1000 Faces, an Athens based coffee roaster, asked if I’d be interested in trying their coffee, I couldn’t wait to learn more. 1000 Faces was founded on a 30 year old's ambitions to connect people and produce good, responsible coffee as the central thread to every story.

“I was 30, had no experience with coffee, no experience running a business, and yet somehow it seemed to make perfect sense. Coffee connected everything: the land,  ecology, commerce, people, culture, trade, the kitchen, science, art...when the coffee spirit speaks to you, it's impossible to ignore." - Benjamin Myers

So a few weekends ago, on a lazy Saturday morning with nowhere to be, Max and I decided that there was no better way to spend the day than to throw all of the pillows off the couch, make a palette, and try our fancy new coffee. Bruce couldn’t agree more. We brewed a pot of the 1000 Faces Fazenda coffee, name after a premier coffee farm in Brazil from which it is sourced, and waited as the rich aroma filled our loft. According to the description, “Coffees from this region are emblematically laden with chocolate aromatics, ripe red fruits, and soothing drinkability.” Um... yes. Now I am no coffee connoisseur and my sugar and cream approach is by no means sophisticated, but I figured with a description like that, I’d give it a try sans sugar and cream. Just as I suspected, the Fazenda blend kicked my store brand coffee’s butt and now there’s no going back. Me and my trusty Mr. Coffee are sold. But even more than the delicious flavors and rich aromas, I am excited to share 1000 Faces with you because of the role they play in Athens and in the coffee community. Reading their story, their mission, and this particular blog post from one of their interns, you can tell they have a good thing going. It’s about more than coffee, or profitability - it’s about celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit, cultivating their artisanal craft, and connecting to the community. We’ll be traveling to Athens this October for a little UA/UGA football action and I can’t wait to stop into 1000 Faces and really see for myself. Until then, my sample pack will have to do.

Learn more about 1000 Faces and try them for yourselves here: 1000 Faces - coffee roaster, merchant of change, and voyager of the agrarian spirit.

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

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A look into our love nest

Max and I got our engagement pictures back from the incredible Rachel and Noah Ray over the weekend and we couldn’t be happier! We’re not really “engagement picture people” but we decided to have them taken so that we would have some photos to use for our save the dates, wedding website etc. and we are so glad that we did! I’ll be sharing the full story and some of our favorites soon, so stay tuned.

We really wanted these photos to capture this moment in our lives, in our home, and some of our favorite spots around town. We started by taking some pictures in our loft with our pug pup Bruce and while we were there Rachel and Noah snapped some photos around our space. They captured so many details that I just love! Our home is a mix of pieces handed down from our families and random eclectic touches. A collection of turkish and kilm rugs from Max's mom adds amazing color and pattern to our space. The gallery wall in our dining area is made up of both random and meaningful things - a black and white photo of my dad's childhood baseball team, an illustration from me and Max's song, and the praying hands painting just like the one that hung in my grandmother's dining room. I love plants and have them everywhere. They bring life to a space and freshen the air! These little cactus sit on a vintage wicker cabinet that I found on the side of the road. Max was skeptical at first but now he loves it - it's so retro! Our wall of frames is always a big hit... or a big miss - we've gotten lots of compliments but a few "did someone steal your artwork?" too. That's okay, we like a little quirkiness. 

These are a few of my favorites from around our loft. I hope you love it as much as we do!

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Weekend Recap with Secret Stages

This past Saturday around 5 o'clock, the streets of downtown Birmingham were buzzing with the sounds of bands setting up, doing sound check, and eager Secret Stages attenders finding their way around. Our loft looks out at the Pale Eddies parking lot, where the Secret Stages Will-Call and Graffiti exhibit was setup, so we got a front row seat to the action all weekend. The great thing about Birmingham right now is that people are eager. They’re eager to join in on the fun, to share the news, to support local acts, restaurants, and venues. That was definitely the case this past weekend as Secret Stages took over downtown. People of all ages, races, backgrounds, and musical preferences gathered in the streets, hoping from venue to venue to check out the acts. Even those not attending the event joined in on the action, listening to the music and people watching in the streets. Outside of Pale Eddies, a street act complete with banjos and a washtub bass, was the icing on the cake as far as people watching goes. There is nothing quite like discovering local music in your own backyard and for all those non-downtown dwellers, getting a chance to be a part of the energy of downtown. 

My favorite moments from the weekend were finally going into Das Haus (which is even more bizarre than I’d imagined…), discovering The Kernal and His New Strangers (who really needs to get some more songs out there because they were awesome!), and seeing the unlikely scene of a father and son rocking to the loud, wild sounds of the band in Easy Street (see them in the booth in the photo below? Precious.). After all, Secret Stages is about just that - discovering new music, supporting local venues and restaurants, and bringing people, of all ages, together. A big thank you to Travis and his team from Secret Stages for pulling off a great event, bringing vibrancy to downtown Birmingham, helping these great acts gain exposure, and making me feel like a bad ass with my media pass. 

My advice for next year? Bring back the Morris Avenue vendors and outdoor stage, because that was awesome, and make sure that Cityfest doesn’t try to steal the show. The people of Birmingham love a great event, don’t make us choose!

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