Coffee Break - give me a double!

I'll confess. I missed having a coffee break with a friend on National Coffee Break Day. I was swamped with meetings and projects and the day just got away from me. I wasn't too concerned, seeing as how CoffeeCat pretty much makes every day a coffee holiday.

So, I made up for it by taking 2 coffee breaks today at Triad Coffee Shops. First, a coffee chat turned into lunch at Community Arts Cafe with a new friend. What a treat! How often do we enjoy conversation, getting to know someone new, bounce ideas off each other without cell phone interruptions and without stopping to look at the clock? Like, never!

As if that wasn't great enough, I took a coffee break with the kiddos (not mine, but kiddos nonetheless!) at Chelsee's. Kids love coffee shops, and they're perfect for a little family down time in the midst of a hectic, errand filled day. Why are they perfect? Because, while the kids are getting hyped up on hot chocolate and cookies, the grown-ups can get hyped up on coffee. Even Stevens!

When I first started sharing my coffee shops with my young nieces, I explained they have to be on their best behavior so they can go to a grown-up place. So now, they're well behaved and feel like they're getting special time with the grown-ups. And, vice verse, taking a kid to your favorite coffee shop can make you feel younger. Especially if the kids are not your own :-)

Fans, if you've been meaning to have coffee with a new friend, old friend, a kid or a grown-up, don't put it off. Do it! Whether it's 30 minutes or a few hours, you'll be so glad you slowed down to enjoy time at your locally owned coffee shop.

Hey, that was MY idea!

For years, I've peered into the artists' studios in Winston-Salem's Downtown Arts District and asked myself, "Why aren't there studios for writers? Where do writers go to write? I would like a studio!"

But did I do anything about it? NOOOOOO.

uploaded from
http://www.press53.com/CenterforCreativeWriting.html

Lucky for us, someone did do something! Jim Tedder, creator of Community Arts Cafe, offered Press 53 a spot in this building to represent the literary arts! So, Press 53 publisher Kevin Watson created the Center for Creative Writing to provide space for writers to work and gather. The Center offers a quiet room with  cubicles that writers can rent by the hour. It also offers a conference room, an open reception area, lending library, and access to literary journals and local magazines. It's just steps away from the coffee bar, an open cafe area, art galleries, music studios, and a performance theater.

Did I say it's just steps away from a coffee bar??? The literary arts are finally finding a place of their own in the City of the Arts. Whether you are a writer, a reader, or someone who wants to rub elbows with an author, you've got to check this place out.

And for you coffee shop fans in other cities of the Triad, please help CoffeeCat find other writer-friendly places.

New Coffee Shop Stuff This Week

A smattering of news & info for coffee shop fans this week.

Simplyummy Cafe is giving a prize to one lucky fan who posts on fb, "why do you love simplyummy?"


photo uploaded from Chelsee's Coffee
- just one of the fabulous coffee shops that
brings CoffeeCat to downtown WS! 



Community Arts Cafe is now complete --- with a coffee bar! See the Coffee Shop Guide for address. Be sure to subscribe to the CAC weekly newsletter for a listing of upcoming events, delivered on Thursdays so you can plan your weekend.

Cafe Roche now offers bees wax lip balm and hand cream. Your skin will appreciate these on those breezy, cool days when you're walking the bow wow and stopping by for a treat!

CoffeeCat likes church, but wonders how everyone else can sit still so long, so early in the day, without caffeine. Is it just me? Maybe not! Chelsee's Coffee hosts a Moravian church service every Sunday morning. All customers are welcome to come in for coffee, even if you don't stay for church. Hmmm, maybe I'll give this a try.

Feed Your Brain at Triad Coffee Shops. Tired of TV, computer games, football and other less-than-entertaining-entertainment? Choose your challenge! Monday night offers a choice of French conversation or trivia, Wednesdays are Scrabble nights, and Thursdays offer a book club. Not to mention the mentally refreshing art, music, and literature you'll find at Triad Coffee Shops. Check the Events Page for details!

This is just a smattering of info! Please share your info with CoffeeCat so everyone can check it out!