A misconception that I and many others are guilty of is the idea that if we are unable to fit into the clothes we see our favorite influencers in, there must be something wrong with us. Our shape must be wrong, our hips must be too big or too skinny, our shoulders too broad, or our love handles too muffin at the top. False. With one big, fat capital F.
Continue reading “Clothes Are Meant to Fit You, You Are Not Meant to Fit Clothes”Coffee Shop Chronicles
If there is anything to know about me it is that I am an absolute sucker for coffee. Coffee shops, coffee mugs, coffee machines, coffee aromas– you name it, I’ll love it. So much that I even studied it for a quarter my first year of college. My first distinct memory of drinking coffee was with my late grandmother in my home country, Bosnia. I was fairly young watching her make traditional Turkish coffee on the stove. I remember asking her if I could have some too and she looked at me in disbelief and said, “Djeca ne smiju piti kafu, narašče ti rep.” Translation: “Kids aren’t allowed to drink coffee, they’ll grow a tail.” Oh to live another day with my grandmother by my side, telling me all these folklore legends. She poured me a glass of warm milk and the minimalist drop of coffee and told me that anymore coffee would make my mother so mad. From drinking coffee with my milk to drinking coffee as black as the night sky, I could not imagine my life without it. Its smell reminds me of home, its taste reminds me of family, and its sight reminds me of every friendship, relationship, partnership, and bonding its ever created.
Coffee Shop Chronicles is my little memoire of my favorite coffee places near my area. My favorite shops are all over the world, but this blog is for the one’s right at home. Easy to get to, easy to find– so if you’re a coffeeshop fanatic (whether for the tea, aesthetic, or coffee), this blog is for you.
Due to COVID restrictions, most of these shops are currently closed or only accepting to-go orders. Save this blog for brighter days when we can enjoy the company of one another over a cup!
1. BACKLOT COFFEE – EVANSTON, IL ($-$$)
Of all places, Backlot Coffee in Evanston has been my favorite spot for years now. With its newly remodeled space, it’s a cozy area for students to work, drink, and socialize. I’ve spent numerous hours here working, taking pictures, and enjoying their iconic Rose Cardamum Latte. It’s absolutely my favorite thing on their menu, and if you enjoy your coffees more on the floral side, I highly recommend it.
2. PHILZ COFFEE- LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO ($-$$)
With an array of options, Philz coffee is the place to sip and chat. Its energy is upbeat in the subtlest way and is cozy enough to feel like you’re at home. Their staff is remarkably sweet & their coffees are nicely organized by tastebud. Their menu offers different varieties of coffees based on strength, along with their creative drinks that could match anyone’s liking. My favorite iced coffee from Philz would have to be their Iced Coffee Rosé (sensing a theme here with my preferences?) and their medium balanced Philtered Soul for the chillier days.
3. COLECTIVO COFFEE- EVANSTON, IL ($$)
https://colectivocoffee.com/menu/drinks
Leaning more towards the rustic side, Colectivo Coffee in Evanston is a cute, little shop that is plastered with artwork and designs fit for the entertainment of a wandering eye. As a small corner shop with a lot of personality, Colectivo also has a variety of featured drinks that could accommodate to different, peculiar tastes. With a fairly simple and straightforward menu, the quality of their coffees are among the best in my opinion. With iced coffees on draft, my favorite smooth and creamy cold brew is their Draft Oat Milk Latte. For something cozier, I like their year-round Mocha Mexicana.
3. FLORIOLE CAFE + BAKERY – LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO ($$-$$$)
https://floriole.square.site/s/order
Located just 15 minutes from DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Campus, Floriole is a quaint, sophisticated coffee shop that fits the aesthetic of modern rustic mixed with industrial. Double-floored and simplistic, this coffee shop pleases a plethora of elegance and poise. Though I have not tried their meals, their coffee-partner sides proved to be delicious every time. Their quality hot coffees with your choice of milk satisfies caffeinated cravings.
4. DOLLOP COFFEE CO. – CHICAGO, IL
Dollop Coffee Co. is one of those places you pass on the street and can’t just walk by without stopping in. Their huge sign caught my eye one day, and I decided to give it a try and I’ve loved it ever since. With their “Coffee is Key” logo plastered on their uniquely eye-catching cups, their freshly prepared, blended, and ground coffees leaves an aroma-mark for miles. Dollop roasts its own grounds that you can purchase for your own at-home experience. If you’re a coffee-shop sitter like me though, their menu consists of three different sizing options of coffees and teas that work for you day-to-day. My favorite hot drink is their plain black coffee with oak milk and creamer. More on the simpler side, but the quality of their own coffee is what makes it great.
5. PEET’S COFFEE- EVANSTON ($)
https://locations.peets.com/ll/US/IL/Evanston/1622-Chicago-Avenue
Similar to Philz, Peet’s coffee has a very “homey” feel that makes you want to sit back, relax, and enjoy the swarm of college students typing away at their laptops and people fiddling through newspapers while enjoying their warm (or cold) cups of Joe. All frantic aside, it is a very cozy place that is relaxed in nature. Spacious and well-lit for anyone looking to sit down and disconnect from the world around them, if need be. Their seasonal beverages are perfect is you’re looking to enjoy time-cultured coffee, but I am particularly fond of their Havana Cappuccino (lightly sweetened) with oat milk.
An honorable mention to my Top 5 in this post is Off the Wall in Park Ridge! It’s a small, edgy right next to the train tracks in downtown Park Ridge that has outdoor and indoor seating. While I am personally not a fan of their coffees, it’s a great place to socialize and chat. Not the best place to study because of all the traffic and train signals, so try that at your own risk! It depends on the time of day you go.
That’s it for my top 5! I’ve been to many different places here and out of state that mentioning all of them would make this blog ten pages long. Some of my personal out of state favorites include Mothership, Leone Cafe, Makers & Finders, The Madhouse, & Sambalattee in Las Vegas, Nevada! Coffee Project New York & Intelligentsia in New York City also go on the list! With COVID-19 impacting all of our lives, these shops are currently not doing dine-in seating (in IL). However, most do allow you to order and take out! I am patiently waiting for the day when I can explore more coffee shops and enjoy the feel of coffee exploration.
Letting Go
More often than not, I have heard people debate and question their inability to let go of something that’s hurting them. No matter how big, or how small, there is always that question that sticks in the back of almost everyone’s mind; “why?”
Continue reading “Letting Go”A Remixed Love Story
I have not met a single person in my life that has not questioned at least a single ounce of their worth. Or their endless capabilities to overcome the stormiest days of their lives. It is as though it is our inherent nature to doubt the extraordinary in us, no matter how far we’ve come in life because of it. The social constructs in our lives have left us dull beyond repair. They’ve driven us down pothole-ridden pavements, convincing us that the imperfections we carry burden the drivers that cross its path. We question our destinies and we question the bodies that carry us there.
Continue reading “A Remixed Love Story”#SayTheirNames
In the light of the late George Floyd, there are many thoughts and feelings that I am unable to comprehend nor express following his murder. It is dehumanizing to witness the atrocities that police brutality continues to enact at the cost of lives. These atrocities are being smeared by words like, “mistake”, “misunderstanding”, and “accident”, as if adjectives are enough to bring back the lives they stole. As if adjectives are going to fill the voids left in people’s hearts following the murder of their brother, sister, lover, parent, or friend. As if adjectives are enough to cover up the blood police brutality has trailed beneath their footsteps for decades now. Does a riot have to happen every single time an innocent black life is taken for courts to recognize, try, and arrest the accountable for murder?
Continue reading “#SayTheirNames”My Name is Mel, and it Gets Worse for Girls like Me in College
How Gaining my Parents’ Acceptance Took 19 Years
When I see couples out in the world, loving each other freely without restriction, the knots in my heart begin to tighten knowing that love for me doesn’t come as easily. I’m not talking about finding love, but rather embracing it. I started dating when I was fairly young, stringing along long-term boyfriends that I was too immature to understand. But nevertheless, I discovered what being “in love” meant at a very young age. Though this experience was profound and exhilarating, it was a battlefield at home.
Continue reading “How Gaining my Parents’ Acceptance Took 19 Years”Don’t Stop Supporting Your Artist Friends
Everyone’s got a “fan base” when it comes to the anticipation of a project. You’ve got people rooting for their artist friends when their creativity has only gone as far as an idea in the moment. It seems as though those friends that claim to be your #1 fans fade away when you make your ideas a reality. Your art comes to life, and the crowd goes silent.
Continue reading “Don’t Stop Supporting Your Artist Friends”Hate Has No Place in Public Service
Ever since we were little kids, some of us had these big dreams to help, serve, and protect those around us. Whether we put on white jackets and played doctor, or put on our parent’s heavy boots to put out fires like firefighters, our ultimate purpose was to help save someone. Playing these games as kids, our goal was to save anyone that was in danger of getting hurt because that’s what Public Service professionals do. They save everyone, regardless of their gender, race, religion, orientation. . .
Continue reading “Hate Has No Place in Public Service”Acne: Embrace, Don’t Erase.
The big, scary “A” word. With the strong influence of social media and the demanding inclination to rack up the photoshop, skin smoothing, and bump-reducing apps, we lose sight of what’s real and raw, and what’s fake. We fear breakouts so much that we drown our bodies with water, scrub our skin with expensive (and ineffective) facial washes, or hide indoors to avoid “public humiliation.” But what’s there to be humiliated about?
Continue reading “Acne: Embrace, Don’t Erase.”
Mel's Vision 