ALFRED x CAITLINNTAYY

I recently "took over" the ever-popular Alfred Coffee's Instagram account. Comped coffee, pastries and whatever else I desired? What could possibly go wrong?



Not only does Alfred serve great coffee, but they also sell pastries made locally at Farmshop, a market/restaurant located in Santa Monica. Another fun fact: Alfred serves a signature coffee drink. No, not the $10 latte. I'm talking about the Waffle Cone - a waffle shot cup lined with dark chocolate, and filled with an espresso drink of your choice. If I could have one (read: "five") of these daily, my life would be complete.

Another funny story...this one I actually feel kind of bad about. When the barista heard I would be posting these pictures on Alfred's Instagram, he became a full-blown perfectionist.

Let me preface this by saying that Alfred never disappoints with their latte art. His first attempt at latte-art'ing my latte was beautiful. As were his second...and third...attempts. After 10 minutes of perfecting the swirly foam atop the latte he proudly handed me the cup and I went to my table to take a picture. It was then that I realized I wanted to order a waffle shot because the pictures were looking kind of one-note and I figured there was no better way to spice things up than with a waffle, chocolate bar and macchiato all in one. After the waffle shot was made, I went back to my table to find the latte art the barista had so painstakingly perfected, destroyed.

This is what happens with coffee. But ah, there is beauty in destruction and the show must go on. I also just didn't have the heart to tell the guy what had happened to his masterpiece. Hence the deflated latter art depicted in this photos is in no way a reflection of the barista's talent.

After my initial attempt to take photos at Alfred in the Alley, I wasn't completely happy with the variety of photos I had produced so I decided to take another trip. This time, to Alfred Silverlake. Because why the hell not?

My dad accompanied me on this excursion and even took the photo of me, above, while precariously perched atop the rail lining the outside patio area. What a winner.

There are many wonderful things I can say about Alfred. The coffee is always delicious, the pastries are fresh and always hit the spot, and that waffle cone...well, you already know how I feel about the waffle cone. Make sure to go check out an Alfred near you if you haven't already!

NICOLE VIENNA

I celebrated Norwegian Independence Day the other day. No, I am not Norwegian. But I have Norwegian neighbors, and they invited us over for waffles. I'm always up for waffles.

And these aren't your average American waffles that are slathered with butter and doused with syrup. Oh, no. I think I need to move to Norway, because they eat waffles on a regular basis - for dessert, for holidays, for breakfast and snacks...And they eat them with toppings including ice cream, sour cream and jam, cinnamon sugar and a signature item - brown cheese.



How fitting is it, then, that I wore this beautiful watch from Scandinavian-influenced brand Nicole Vienna, to the festivities? I've never been much of a jewelry/accessory person. I stick to the pairs of earrings, and nose ring, I wear on a daily basis, and that's pretty much it. This watch changes things.

I love this piece for its beautiful simplicity and versatility. The black marble dial is both minimal and luxurious, while the gold mesh strap adds a little something extra to the simplest of outfits.

Oh, and these flowers? I bought them to take over to the neighbors' house to thank them for inviting us, but I couldn't resist using them as a prop first. Does that make me a horrible person?

Find my watch here.