Peaks & Valleys

This Saturday I had the best time you could ever have in the frozen wasteland that is Central New York in March. My best friend Kelsey, who I’ve mentioned countless times on this blog, in my YouTube videos, and on Twitter and Instagram, has long harbored a dream of one day owning her own coffee shop. And after many, many months of working jobs that caused her pain, working hard to make the best product she could possibly create, and changing the title of that dream from coffee shop to coffee company, she’s finally there. Peaks Coffee Company is real! And I can honestly say that even if I wasn’t best friends with the owner, I would love this company. I mean, just look at what's written on the back of their bags! 

   "From bean to cup our coffee is roasted fresh with care, cupped for quality, and packaged to order. This life is full of peaks and valleys. So as humble friends we offer our hands to you. This coffee is our guarantee that we will be there to serve you a freshly roasted cup both at your peaks and in your valleys. Stay humble, stay hopeful.  -Peaks Coffee Company"

I’m honestly so honored to be a small part of this momentous achievement of hers. A little backstory on Kelsey and I: although we started off mere acquaintances in 7th grade, when it comes down to it, we’ve been there for each other at our greatest peaks and valleys. In our senior year of high school, when she was experiencing her first major valley, I did everything in my power to be there for her. And in the fall of 2013, when I experienced the greatest and most terrifying valley of my life, she was more than there for me. She got me through it. So to be able to be here with her, at this incredible Peak of hers, is truly an honor. 

Over the past few months, I’ve watched her work harder at this than anything I’ve ever seen in my life. Countless weekends standing in the freezing cold, roasting coffee beans on her back porch with her honest-to-God-saint-of-a-boyfriend Sam. Days and weeks and months spent calculating, charting, and "cupping" her authentic roasts. Hours and hours spent writing, designing, and researching the “aesthetic" and look of her brand. And this weekend, it all paid off. On Saturday, she and the rest of us Peaks volunteers had our first gig at a local antique store called the Heckled Hen. We started off in the parking lot, attempting to brew coffee in the 16 degree weather. That didn’t last long, however, and we soon found ourselves packed in to the antique store itself, in a very precarious corner of the store filled with fragile glassware and teacups. (How fitting, right?) But with only a little table and a single Chemex to brew with, Kelsey and Sam made coffee magic happen. Sam commanded that tiny corner, and with it a small army of eager listeners, as people young and old came through to check out the Heckled Hen’s open house. We did better than we had anticipated, as we came in with about 25 lbs of coffee and left with a mere 6.

Despite the fact that the event had it’s ups and downs, it’s peaks and valleys if you will, I personally felt that it was the most perfect Saturday from start to finish. Earlier that morning, the Peaks crew got together at Dave’s Diner, a little place just across the street from the Heckled Hen, to do what we do best-- eat breakfast food and talk coffee. And even though we had to meet at 8 am (!!!!) it was delightful. The waffles were great and the conversation was even better, which is really all I could ever ask for. 

In the past year and a half, I’ve learned a lot about myself, and about life. I feel like I've changed so much in the past few months even. But, God, am I ever thankful for it. I’ve learned that we’re not all going to be as hugely successful as we think we will be. But we do have lasting effects on the people around us, and that’s not nothing. I’ve learned that it is more than okay to not be happy all the time. I’ve learned that I deserve love, I deserve to be treated like I matter, and I shouldn’t let people in my life who don’t treat me thusly. But more than that, I've learned that I have to believe it for myself first, and demand to be treated the way I deserve.

I’m experiencing some peaks and valleys of my own right now, but it’s okay, because I have good people in my life. Like Kelsey. And Sam. And even though I spent the rest of the weekend feeling exhausted and scared and altogether unwilling to leave my bed, I’m still happy. I’m happy because I got to spend my Saturday morning with friends new and old, drinking hot beverages, eating diner food, and working on making my closest compadre's dreams come true. I'm happy because I can see that we're all starting to become the people we were meant to be, and I feel privileged to bear witness to it. Because it’s really a beautiful thing to witness.

 -Fran 

P.S.~ You can find Peaks Coffee Company on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram right now, and a website will be coming soon. :) 

What I've Been Watching #1

I watch a lot of movies. Just in general, that's a fact you should probably know about me. And I’m also almost always binge-watching some show or other. But because I work at a library, I often get new releases before anyone else. So I typically watch at least 2-3 movies a week. Recently I haven't seen as many and it has been KILLING ME. But over the past few days I have seen 3 movies that I felt were worth telling you about, so I thought I'd start a new segment- What I’ve Been Watching. This is where I’ll share the best movies (and TV shows) I’ve seen recently, no matter how new or old they are.

The first film of note was Pride-- an inspiring, joyful, and realistic story about a group of gay and lesbian activists who allied themselves with the British miners' strike of 1984. I first heard about this film through Tumblr, and it definitely lived up to the hype. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it appealed to both the British loving kid and the humanity in me. Quite frankly, I don’t know how to give this movie the praise it deserves in this space, so I’ll just say this: watch it. You’ll thank me later. 

The second film was Nightcrawler. From the first trailer I saw I knew I was going to love this movie, and it did not disappoint. It was well written, weird as hell, but still immensely thrilling and entertaining. It was definitely edge of your seat kind of stuff, but with an added intelligence and poignance that you don't find in typical horror or thriller movies. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Louis Bloom was endearing, creepy, horrifying, and hilarious. I know, that’s a tall order from someone with the face of an angel, right? Yeah. And while the characters were vibrant and enthralling, I was much more impacted by the overall plot and subject matter. It’s not an easy feat to make a film about morals and ethics in journalism into a thriller. I was shouting at the TV for most of the film, much to the dismay of my family. This was a fantastic film if you're in the mood for something a little more adult in subject matter.

The third film I saw was Cinderella. Of course I was a fan of the animated film as a child, but I was only mildly interested in the live action adaptation. Until I started seeing gifsets on Tumblr. Then I'm not entirely sure what happened, but it was like a switch flipped, and all I wanted to do was see it. I was honestly really excited to go. It didn't hurt that I love the lead actors- Lily James plays darling Lady Rose on Downton Abbey (which I love), and Richard Madden plays Robb Stark on Game of Thrones (which I love more than life itself).  It was brilliantly scored, the costume design was incredible, and Lily James and Richard Madden had amazing chemistry. It appealed to the 7 year old in me in every possible way, and made me believe in the appeal of glass slippers and fairy tales again. Living in this stupidly modern world, it seems that I may have done away with some of that child-like whimsy and fantasy at some point. But I’m glad that this movie has brought it back into my life again, because we all deserve to feel like princesses. I was squealing like a child throughout, and my friend and I couldn’t name a single complaint with the film, except that we wanted to see it again the second it was over. Seriously, do yourselves a favor and go see this film. It will re-inspire childlike innocence and happiness in your cold, dead hearts. Or at least that’s what it did for me anyway.

Lastly, just this morning I finished watching the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which is a Netflix Original Series. This show is uh, you know uh….AMAZING. Those are the only words I have to describe it. I had been taking my time with it because there is only one season, but I could hold off no further. The ending was so good. 

So that’s about it. Those are the films (and television show) that I have been loving recently. What are you all watching? Anything I should check out? If you haven't seen it yet, the trailer for John Green's second book to movie adaptation, Paper Towns, was just released this morning. I'm definitely impressed and can't wait to see it!

Hope you’re all having a wonderful Thursday!

-Fran

Mindful Mondays #1 | Reflecting on the Weekend

I love Sundays. I also love waffles. And Spring Break. After spending my Saturday doing some serious spring cleaning- of both my room and my emotions- I was very excited to have brunch with one of my friends who is home from school. We decided to go to Stella's Diner, which I had never heard of but is apparently a local institution. I already had my order picked when I walked in- Belgian waffles with chocolate ice cream. It's my favorite meal, so to me there was no other choice. 

Although we waited about 45 minutes to be seated in the busy and bustling restaurant, it was totally and completely worth it. The ice cream was locally made and therefore delicious, the waffle was incredibly fluffy, and the whipped cream was made from real cream. The diner itself had that typical 1950’s diner feel, but the food went above and beyond all expectations. “Authentic” was the word my friend used to describe it, and I couldn’t agree more.

Afterward my pal and I hit up the mall, where I bought a very adventurous hat and tried on some overalls! When I came home I decided to spend the afternoon watching my favorite film: Pride & Prejudice. In short, it was a very restful and relaxing weekend, which was completely necessary after a very busy week.

In case you were wondering, lately I've been doing a lot of thinking. I've been questioning everything, from what I'm doing with my life to who I want in it. And that takes up a lot of time and valuable headspace. So on this dreary spring Monday, I am grateful for these constants-- terrible weather, good friends, and amazing waffles.

  -Fran

Get Out of Your Goddamn Comfort Zone

Or better yet, pretend it doesn’t even exist. Tuesday morning, I was planning on spending the day indoors even though it was meant to be a record breaking 50 degrees. (Winter is finally almost over! PRAISE!) But then I got a text from my friend Cole asking if I wanted to hang out, as this week is his spring break. I of course wanted to see my friend, but was very nervous to drive to his house, because it’s a ways away and requires driving on the highway. I expressed my anxieties to him, and he found me a route to his house that used back roads, and convinced me that I could do it. 

So I did something crazy. I listened. I got in my car, armed with the most soothing album I could find- Alt-J’s An Awesome Wave, and drove. And it wasn’t bad at all! If anything, it was easier and more familiar than I could've ever expected. On the way there, I passed my favorite street art in the city, one of those "Before I Die" interactive pieces. Which made me think. I don't want there to be anything I regret not doing before I die. I don't want to waste years of my life living in fear, afraid to do or experience things. So that stops now. Or, more accurately, it stopped yesterday.

(Also, when I arrived at his house he was sitting out on his porch playing the guitar. Which was very just so cool. My friends are so cool.) 

What I'm trying to say is, so many good things came out of convincing myself to say yes to this experience. 

1. Upon arriving at his house, I was so overjoyed that I had done it. Boom! Another thing I can do! Check!
2. I got to spend time with my good friend.
3. My confidence soared.

So my advice to you is this. No matter what it is that scares you-- I challenge you to, for a brief moment, suspend reality and let yourself live your life as if you have nothing holding you back. I’ve found that the more I’ve done that, the less I have holding me back. So go out there and cross things off your “I can’t do that” list. You are a boss ass bitch. And I believe in you. 

-Fran

Special Saturdays: Cupcaking Around Town

Here’s to special Saturdays spent exploring the town you’ve lived in your whole life, pretending to be adventurers from another land. 
Let me clarify: Yesterday, after working from 10-3 at the library, I went on what we called an “indie adventure” with my good friend Laura. This consisted of driving around town to a very indie playlist in search of the best cupcakes our area has to offer. 

We first hit up a place called Mrs. Kelder’s Cakes, where we had the best (and only) cupcakes of the day. After experiencing chocolate heaven in such an adorable little cupcakery, we went in search of another bakery I had read about called Murphy’s Specialized Pastry. We didn’t end up finding it, however, and instead found ourselves driving through the middle of nowhere, with no cupcakes in sight. The view was really pretty though, full of winding roads and wide open spaces. (My favorite kind!) 

After getting a little lost, Laura suggested that we head back in the direction we came from to go to a place called The Half Moon Bakery & Bistro that she had been to before. When we arrived, the sign in the window said it was open, but another little note on the door told us that it was closed for a family wedding! We obviously felt betrayed, so we got back on the road once more. Then I had the bright idea to go to a place I had only heard of from my sister, called Kimberley’s Ice Cream Factory. It was full to the brim with anything sweet you could ever desire, but we both opted for ice cream. It was, quite honestly, not the best I’ve ever had, but it did the job. When we were done, we both felt quite guilty about what we had just done to our bodies, and were more than ready to go home. 

I guess the lesson of the day is that even if you don’t end up where you want to be or get what you want in the end, the journey is half the fun. We listened to great music, laughed a lot, took some cool pictures, and exchanged the monotony of the everyday for some true blue we-have-no-idea-where-we’re-headed-but-we’re-having-fun-anyways adventure. And in the end, that’s all that really matters right?

If you want to see our shenanigans in video form, I just put a little vlog up on my YouTube channel!

-Fran