I had the pleasure of popping up at the Santa Monica Broad stage for the 44th Annual Nutcracker from The Westide Ballet. Many hot chocolates were made for the kids. The parents loved having the option for a good coffee to sip on. Caffe Luxxe provided the beans for me to serve. Overall, it was a fun weekend to be a part of such a legendary event.
Mercado Sagrado in Topanga Canyon
Welcome did a collaboration with Canyon Coffee, an adorable and talented pair from Santa Monica who roast and distribute their coffee beans all around LA. So it was the 3 of us taking on an entire festival. There was a non stop line both days for a consistent 8 hours straight. We teamed up with Moon Juice to provide "Ayurvedic Lattes" to the crowd which we called "Sex Dust and Brain Dust Lattes". Everyone LOVED it.
A Beverly Hills Wedding
I team up with Caffe Luxxe and attend events on their behalf. For this event, I got to make coffee for Natalia and Eric. Natalia is obsessed with Caffe Luxxe, and really wanted to have their coffee at her wedding reception. The party was held at the GORGEOUS Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.
Educating about the Coffee Industry
I was the guest speaker for Rad Night, an all women event held once a month at Muni Wine in Santa Barbara. Every month a guest speaker presents their expertise and knowledge about what they do. I gave a powerpoint about the coffee industry and set up a "cupping" contest.
“We began Rad Night because we wanted to create a space and time for women of all ages, interests, and lifestyles to come together to learn, create, or experience something,” explained Pereira. “We saw the need for women to intentionally take time for themselves, to meet new women, and to grow community.”
The $10 event is held the first Monday of every month 7-9 p.m. at Municipal Winemakers, where women socialize before sharing a new experience.
It was a very empowering experience to be a part of. If you're a woman, GO.
Latte Art Competition
The first ever Santa Barbara Latte Art Throw Down 2016 was held at SBCast for First Thursday. A customer of mine and I brainstormed a fun event for the locals of Santa Barbara to become more informed about the coffee industry. We thought that by hosting a competition, it would peak people's interest and allow them to become more consciousness of the thing that most people drink every single day. It was a really fun event for the competitors, coming in from Handlebar and The French Press. There were judges, an MC, live footage of the latte art pours projected onto the wall for the crowd, AND an AX as a trophy. Willie from The French Press was the winner.
Coffee at the She.is.Beautiful Run
The She.is.beautiful run is held every year in Santa Barbara along the coast. It's beautiful. This run was built on the idea of showing and reminding women and girls how strong they truly are in their bodies can give them a new confidence that will positively effect other aspects of their life. I've done this race before, it is extremely supportive, making women feel empowered. I did not run it this year, instead, I had the honor of teaming with Dart Coffee. We made coffee for all of the runners and crowd, slinging bean for 3 hours nonstop.
Welcome goes to San Francisco
Welcome CC was the coffee vendor for Off the Grid for SOCAP: a long-running convention held at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco! In attendance were impact investors, social entrepreneurs, global nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and other valuable people all contributing to a vibrant marketplace. I met the founder of JENGA. Big deal. I was able to be there because of Vega Coffee. The owners, Rob and Noushin started this organization out of Nicaragua as a way to help the small-scale farmers. Check them out and learn more! http://www.vegacoffee.com/pages/about
First Thursday in Santa Barbara
First Thursdays in Santa Barbara are kind of a big deal. The whole town gets in on the Local Arts' Community, coming out to support and socialize with like-minded people while looking at creative and beautiful exhibits. My good friends Lindsey Ross and Nelson Parrish collaborated on a show at SBCast. Lindsey is a photographer, specializing in Tin-Type. Nelson creates very profound wooden/resin sculptures called flitches. Their collaboration "Slow Hands" was one of the most beautiful shows I have ever been to. Thank you for letting me serve coffee at your show.
Trails N' Tails at the Botanical Garden
This was a scene straight out of "Best in Show." The Santa Barbara Botanical Garden hosted their annual "Trails N Tails" event. There was a puppy parade, a live sketch artist, a guided nature walk, and delicious ICED ESPRESSO! I had the time of my life, and conquered my fear of dogs.
Affogatos And a Wedding
Veronica and Ben had their wedding reception at a local church in Santa Barbara. It was a hot day which called for all iced beverages. The groom is obsessed with coffee and ice-cream so we had a blast turned every iced latte or mocha into a caffeinated ice-cream float! Of course we had to use McConnell's, the local favorite.
