I was literally just on Pinterest before logging on to type this week’s Sunday Coffee and came across a quote that said, “Never underestimate the power of good morning texts, apologies and random compliments.” I saw it, loved it and am hoping that it reaches someone who could use this little reminder. The simplest of things can go a long way.

Welcome to another Sunday, Friends! Grab your Sunday morning drink of choice and let’s chat.

This week was a blur. In between the early risings, constant on the go during the day and struggle to stay asleep at night, it feels like nothing really significant took place. Work was work. It’s this never ending cycle of getting there early to attempt to stay on top of things, yet leaving at 1630 (4:30 p.m.) feeling like I accomplished absolutely nothing.

My reading this past week consisted mostly of romance on audio and poetry on my Kindle. I read two poetry collections by Trista Mateer and loved both of them, so so much. I am a huge fan of her collection, Honeybee, which I read upon its release back in 2018 but there are a few available thanks to Kindle Unlimited, that I downloaded and read. First, I read Redacted, which I gave 4/5 Stars. After Redacted, I read, The Dogs I Have Kissed which I also gave 4/5 Stars to as well.

Here’s the thing when it comes to me and poetry: I may be 32, but I absolutely adore and poetry that speaks to the 17 year old girl that still resides within me soul. I am a total Stan for how radical poetry can be and how important a lot of the poetry coming out these days is. There are some poets out here these days who will gut you with the honesty, the brutal deliverance and the rawness to their poems- but to my core, I am sucker for angsty as hell love poems. Don’t even get me started on break up poems! So, I devoured these two collections by Trista Mateer and am on the prowl for more by her. Is there anything mind blowing about her poetry? Not really, but damn! It speaks to me. If I could recommend poetry to 17 year old me, Mateer’s writings would be on that list.

Besides the two poetry collections by Trista Mateer, I also read Some Sort of Happy by Melanie Harlow. I have already posted a review of this romance, but I loved it and am already in the middle of book 2 from the trilogy. Harlow has become a favorite author of mine and I can already tell that my current read of hers, Some Sort of Crazy is on it’s way to being my new favorite of hers.

It has been a priority for me to get out and explore new to me coffee shops in my city. I found and fell in love with one local chain which was great but I wanted to see what else was out there. It has been a fun adventure and one I am glad I’ve been taking the time to do. I discovered Estate Coffee Co and oh my goodness their Kentucky Smoke Latte is absolutely delicious! They are this kind of tucked away gem downtown that literally my first day looking for them, I almost gave up looking for altogether. I drove around the same block probably four times before realizing I needed to go just a bit further down the road and there it was! It looked like nothing was there from where I was originally. They have these big windows in the front, so when the sun is up, the natural lighting from outside mixed with the artificial lighting insides makes it this perfect shade of brightness. I love it.

I sat there yesterday morning and started an arc I was sent..

The Girl He Used To Know is my first read by Tracey Garvis Graves and although I am very early into it, I am enjoying it. The following is a passage from the first page I loved:

“From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of his face. It’s been ten years since we’ve seen each other and though I often struggle to recognize people out of context, there’s no need for me to question whether or not it’s him. I know it’s him. My body vibrates like the low rumble of a faraway train and I’m grateful for the freezer’s cold air as my core temperature shoots up. I want to bolt, to forget about the strawberries and find the nearest exit. But, Tina’s words echo in my head, and I repeat them like a mantra: Don’t run, take responsibility, be yourself.”

I haven’t reached the part in the book where I find out what the hell happened, but I’m already getting the vibes that this book is going to be un.put.down.able. There is something about the writing that has Hooked me already. I like how the story is being told so far and I love that each chapter thus far is to the point, then onto the next. I’m a fan of a good, short chapter!

The kids and I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday. It is always a joy for me to see what piques their interest. My 8 year old son is a huge fan of R.L. Stein’s The Goosebumps which makes my heart super happy and my daughter is a lover of The Dork Diaries. With Jase it feels like he hauls them, skims them, but is also obsessed with watching the Goosebumps films and writing his own fan fiction. Aysia devours her Dork Diaries though. She sits on the couch all cozy in her blanket and just breezes through them. I’ll share some pictures of our book store trip along with the two poetry collections I hauled.

Let me know how your week went. Did you read anything good? Try anything new? Until next time, take care of yourself. I’ll chat with you soon. xo.