Christina Kwan / tide & bloom – Page 7

le petit marche

Per Shellane‘s glowing recommendation of Le Petit Marche, I made it a personal mission to visit this cute little Kirkwood spot. I don’t visit the Kirkwood neighborhood nearly as much as I should, as evidenced by the fact that I had never been to this adorable cafe. Walking up to it (especially on a bright sunny day) immediately put me into a good mood and walking into the front door, my happiness level continued to skyrocket.

Their menu provides a plethora of sandwich options plus breakfast all day every day! They were definitely after my heart (and obviously, my empty stomach). Thankfully I had a lovely date for lunch, my ex-coworker Katie, who was willing to split everything with me. She’s easy on the eyes too:

stlou: olio

As if these ridiculously tempting pictures were not enough, I have to tell you that Olio served up one of the best lunches I’ve ever had. Sitting in their carefully converted oil service station, listening to Nancy Sinatra spin on their record player, I knew I was about to experience something special.

Though we only selected a few side plates to share, it was enough to convince me that these guys know exactly what they are doing. We began our stay with a bottle of Bordatto “Basa Jaun”, a cider unlike any other I’ve ever had. It had the satisfying carbonated crisp I crave, along with a lingering smoky finish that I didn’t know could exist in a cider. Filling my mouth with a sense of the forest, it set a lovely stage for all the lovely fresh ingredients I was about to nibble on.

Just thinking about it is making me want to go back! It’s so difficult for me to accurately describe how delicious it is. Well-balanced, but always peppered with a little surprise, their plates felt as exotic as they were comforting. I didn’t take pictures of every single plate (since I didn’t want to be a dick), but I guarantee you they were all worth remembering.

stlou: blueprint coffee

Coffee can be quite a mystery to me sometimes, and I bet you feel some degree of the same. Much like wine or chocolate, there are mounds and mounds of knowledge that I seem to not have access to, but am very curious about. I worship at the altar of this addictive dark liquid and wonder if my life might be different had my college courses been more focused on roasting beans instead of playing with colors. Here, at Blueprint Coffee, I felt right at home. Well, not home home… more like coffee heaven home.

salvage atl 2014

Salvage, put on by the same geniuses who created Indie Craft Experience, is one of the many Atlanta events I look forward to. Here, vendors can sell all their vintage finds and vintage-inspired creations to people like me who like to fancy themselves connoisseurs of pretty things. Not only that, it also gives me an excuse to purchase delicious treats from The Little Tart, King of Pops, and Atomic Ice Cream Sandwiches (there goes my wallet and my diet).

My two purchases of the day were the Missouri plate you see above (for the STL beau) and a sweet little Etienne Aigner wicker shoulder bag from Red Tag Affair (you can see it in her picture way up above)!

toscano & sons italian market

There are some days – nay, every day – where nothing beats a great sandwich. Crusty fresh bread, salty cured meat, with a little bit of acidic greens; a simple equation for the perfect pick-me-up. Toscano & Sons is my new go-to spot for this carb-craving cure. Having recently relocated to the Virginia Highlands neighborhood, Italian-inspired happiness is just a bike ride away.

whatever will be, will be

Tide & Bloom officially became one year old last week. One whole year. I honestly hadn’t even thought about what that meant until WordPress sent me the “congratulations, your blog is 1!” notification. In some ways, I’m kind of happy that I didn’t notice or anticipate it creeping up. It shows how comfortable I am with what this is, how it exists, and the purpose it serves. I do not write as a business and I do not plan on how I’m going to be inspired. I can’t say I’ve accomplished everything I’ve wanted since I began this site, but I can say that it’s given me a great deal of joy and pride. It’s not very often that things like that come along in your life, particularly for someone like me.

This journal has been a catalyst for internal growth and a way of reconnecting with what I want for myself in this life. Through trial and error and lots of contemplation, I feel closer than I’ve ever been to figuring out the formula. Yeah, that formula. That mystical holy grail that all us twenty-somethings are desperate for that’ll usher us into full-term adulthood with grace and contentment. One year ago, I had no idea what that would look like or whether or not I had the strength or patience to craft it. Today, I feel like I can breathe easier knowing that great things are worth waiting for and I’m on a path towards finding them.

So, like any other blogger might do, I give you a list of the posts I’m most proud of from the past year. Sure it may be cliche, but I think these deserve a second look since they all were such important moments, all key to making this blog what it is today.

/ preserving your significance
/ parish foods and goods
/ ALL of my Creative Masters and Creative Makers interviews. Can’t pick between them!
/ good italian, pure and simple
/ dear me
/ tips for creating a gallery wall
/ still looking to the wonder

And I also look to the future of course, and set a small list of goals for the second year of Tide & Bloom:

/ more amazing interviews with people near and far who are worth admiration
/ less pinterest and tumblr, more insights into my drawing and sketching
/ lady crush style posts featuring the many inspiring women in my life
/ a recipe post or two? eeeeek
/ if i can manage to get people to let me, more home tours. real homes – full of love and life, not perfectly styled
/ guest posts on food, style, and culture

But I’d also like to hear what you think. Which posts have resonated with you the most? What would you like to see more of?

nassau, bahamas

I recently took a Carnival cruise to Nassau, Bahamas. While the cruise ship itself wasn’t that spectacular, it did take us to a place of bright beauty, fun colors, and ocean all around me. I was only sorry that we couldn’t stay longer and see more of the local life!

creative makers: apple butter bakery

I’m thrilled to share with you the enviable and mouth-watering talents of a delightful creative entrepreneur that I’ve had the privilege of working with, Shellane Pickett of Apple Butter Bakery! Three years ago she took me under her wing as an intern – teaching me the basics of cake decorating and always putting a smile on my face while doing so. After a brief stint on the west coast, Shellane has returned home (thank the heavens) to realize the dream of opening her own brick-and-mortar bakeshop, serving up everything from mini pies to brownies to custom designed cakes.

I’ve never been more aware than I am now of how difficult it is to do that, to choose a path you love and follow it no matter the obstacles. I remember when this girl had only daydreamed of this moment and to see her finally have it is so uplifting, so inspiring. With her husband, Daniel, and her family by her side, Shellane serves up an array of sweet treats that taste like home. All these delectable creations are imbued with the spirit of the Pickett family; their warmth, optimism, and capacity for love lines every cupcake, cookie, and cup of coffee.

Where did your passion for baking originate from? When did you realize this was going to be your life’s work?

My passion for baking started when I was about 4 or 5 years old… old enough to hold the bowl steady while helping my mom bake some brownies or coconut cake. From then on, I was hooked. I had an idea that this was going to be ‘my thing’ during my junior year in high school. I wanted to go to culinary school, but I took an alternative route and ended up in the same place anyways. I remember I was in my mom’s kitchen decorating a cake and saying to myself “I wish I could just live in a little cottage and bake cakes all day”… I’m still working on the little cottage part!

the stacktone slims

Remember when I introduced you to Kelly and Rod? It was quite a while ago, so I forgive you if you never saw it. Long story short, they’re my uber cute friends who live in Grant Park and I love them to death (you should too). Usually I’m doting on Kelly’s adorable outfits and faces, but today I devote this blog post to Sir Roderick. In addition to being a crazy talented chef at Wrecking Bar, Rod fronts his own homegrown band, The Stacktone Slims. With a guitar and mic in his hands, he writes songs that are musically and emotionally raw, striking nerves in you that you might have forgotten existed.

If you needed any further convincing that this band is a force to be reckoned with, I’ve got the video to prove it! Unfortunately the sound isn’t as full as it was live, but it’s obvious how passionately these guys play and they will no doubt ignite something within you (as long as you have a soul). Be sure to check them out on Facebook and keep an eye out for their next show so they can rock your face off!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/XjEsU44UfXk]

soft knit spring

Down here in Atlanta (and I’m assuming all over the nation), we’re stuck in some terrible limbo between winter and spring. The calendar says it’s obviously spring, but Mother Nature begs to differ. In the midst of it, the upside is that all the winter clothing is going on sale! I scored this awesome cozy sweater from the Target clearance rack for $7. How could I pass that up?