Local Run

Waking up to gorgeous California weather is a luxury we've been deprived of for the last few weeks of cold gloom. So to appreciate this lovely morning we hopped over to Amor Cafe and Tea in downtown San Jose -  a newly opened, cozy little shop that is perfect for the quick morning pick-me-up or for a relaxing afternoon coffee. The shop is wedged in a prime location near the San Jose Government offices, the MLK Library, and San Jose State University, and has already attracted a loyal following, as indicated by the raving reviews on Yelp. Lisa, the owner of Amor Tea and Cafe, is especially welcoming, and works very hard in hand-making her drinks and confections. The milk tea is brewed from real tea leaves, adding depth and aroma that can't be found in the flat and watery teas from Quickly's or Tapioca Express (they can't even compare).

  If I had the metabolism of a sprouting adolescent and had a higher tolerance for sweets I would have ordered one of every baked item on display. Sadly, I have to choose, so I opted for a Napoleon that appears to be the customer favorite. After taking a bite, I could see why. IT'S SOOOOOO GOOD. Really, it's so fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth-y!!! I finished the entire cake. It was irresistible. And by the time that I left, all of the napoleons were gone...

Lovely, cozy morning experience. I'm returning for more napoleons and definitely trying the fruit flavored boba on my next visit!

Next we ran across to downtown Palo Alto where I ended up finding Empire Vintage Clothing on a side street off the main road. The prices were not so great - it's certainly not a thrift stop - but they were having a buy one sweater get one free sale, and I found a teal sweater with embellishments that was too interesting to pass.The owner of Empire Vintage Clothing, Tiffany, was really nice in allowing me to snap a few pics of the fun and mismatched clothes.

Macaroon pit stop. Lychee, red velvet, green tea, lavender, rose, vanilla, sooooooooo good.

After getting my macaroon fix, I tried using Google maps to find a consignment shop that supposedly still exists. Turns out that it moved long ago.... But, coincidentally, I met fellow Cardinal Fencing Club member, Rita, setting up her new shop at the empty lot! Her business, C is for Craft, is just a bit off of downtown Palo Alto's main road,and is going to be a place where children can take on DIY and crafting projects. Sounds so adorable!

Had a cheery day, running around and seeing people I know setting up shops. It sounds cheesy, but their entrepreneurship is infectious and I'm feeling inspired to pursue my own ventures.