Happy New Year, friends! I briefly considered saying something sappy and inspirational here for my first post of 2018, but I'll spare you. I know I haven't posted since September, and I sincerely apologize. But don't worry, during these past four-ish months I have consumed plenty of coffee at many different locations around the wonderful city of Houston (and several others) and taken lots of amateur photos on my iPhone. I know you all have been anxiously waiting to see them. I have, however, obtained a new phone since my last post so now I have that fancy portrait mode thing! I anticipate this being a total game-changer, dramatically increasing the quality of this blog. Time will tell. Now for the coffee!

Tout Suite

I definitely have not been to this place and sat in approximately the same seat four times in the past fourteen days, I don't know what you're talking about (it was recently pointed out to me that I use the phrase "I don't know what you're talking about" excessively when denying something that I clearly have, in fact, done. I think it's kind of a fun catch phrase, but I'm not sure how well it translates to text...). ANYWAY. I know I've already written about this place, multiple times, but I keep coming back for a reason. Need coffee? Obviously a good choice. Want dessert? The macarons, cookies, and cupcakes are all excellent. Food? Yes. Trendy food like avocado toast and acai bowls if you want a snack, and also great burgers, sandwiches, etc. Alcohol? Check. I like to come here and hide out on the bottom level up against the wall and read, work on this blog, or journal (because that's a thing I do now, #NewYearNewMe!) (ohh I really hope the irony of the use of that hashtag was adequately conveyed through text; I can never tell for sure). This place will also serve all your Instagram and Snapchat story needs with its painfully trendy food presentation, the exposed brick, the giant chalkboard, the floating terrariums, and the light fixtures (that is, if you care about such things, but if you're reading a blog like this I'm assuming you do).

Luce Ave.

A new coffee shop in Houston! Not-super-conveniently located (at least for me) in a strip center at the corner of Richmond and Weslayan, but worth seeking out. This little place is cute and quiet, and they roast/sell their own beans. The coffee was great, and maybe I was just starving that day but the blueberry muffin I impulse purchased was pretty good too. I was in a hurry for some reason, so I grabbed my coffee and muffin, awkwardly took some photos while the baristas probably judged me, and rushed out, but there is some seating in the back if you want to hang out. (Also, I'm sure the baristas weren't actually judging me. They were incredibly nice.)

Blendin Coffee Club

GOOD COFFEE IN SUGAR LAND!? As a native Sugar Land-ian, I cannot even express to you how big a deal this is. Non-chain, actually good restaurants, bars, and coffee shops have been slowly making their way to this lovely suburb (after I moved away from it, of course) for a while now, but this place, which opened just a few months ago, is a particularly high quality addition. Blendin is in the "old" part of Sugar Land, near the sugar factory (which, interestingly, now seems to be the up-and-coming part of the city), and the day I was there it was completely packed, so apparently people have already discovered it. I'll definitely be back soon to hang out, for the great coffee, and if I'm being totally honest, to get some better pictures. This place is freakin' cute.

Fix

This one's been on my list for a while, and I finally got around to checking it out a few months ago. Also located at the end of an unassuming strip center on Westheimer in the Montrose area, this place doesn't really look like anything special, but it's cute on the inside and was full of people on laptops on a Saturday morning. I could definitely see myself returning if I want to camp out for a while and get some work done (and by "work," I mean this blog and/or Facebook).

Bonus - coffee in other cities?!

Liz drinks coffee in Austin!

Liz drinks coffee in Waco! This is actually my number one favorite coffee shop in the world, and in a future post I will tell you all about it. Stay tuned for a post on all of my favorite things to do in Waco (which has hilariously become a wildly popular tourist destination).