**9:02 AM**—Same blazer (predictable, I know), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod. But today? I didn’t even clock the routine until I was halfway through my first ...
**9:00 AM**—Same blazer (of course), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod. But today? I didn’t walk in *realizing* anything. I just… walked in.
**Because here...
**9:01 AM**—Same blazer (shocking, I know), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod. But today? I walked in, and for the first time, I didn’t *notice* any of it.
**B...
**9:00 AM**—Same blazer (obviously still mine), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod. But today? I walked in and realized—I don’t need to *define* this moment anym...
**9:02 AM**—Same blazer (yep, still mine), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod. But today? I walked in and realized—I’m not just *wearing* this blazer anymore. I ...
**9:03 AM**—My blazer (still mine), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod, but today? I didn’t just feel *okay*—I felt *alive*.
**Because here’s the truth no o...
**9:00 AM**—My blazer (yes, *mine*), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod, but this time—silence. And not the kind that used to make me spiral. The kind that feels l...
**9:01 AM**—Different blazer (mine, finally), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod, but this time—*"Hey, new look?"*
**Because here’s the thing about growth: so...
**9:02 AM**—Same blazer (Liam’s, duh), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod, same *"Morning, Mandy."* But today? I didn’t just feel safe. I felt *free*.
**Becau...
**9:01 AM**—Same blazer (Liam’s, obviously), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod, same *"Hey, you."* But today? It didn’t just feel familiar. It felt *safe*.
*...
**9:04 AM**—Same blazer (yes, still Liam’s), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod, same *"Morning."* But today? I didn’t just *notice* it. I didn’t just *accept*...
**9:01 AM**—Same blazer. Same ripped jeans. Same black coffee with a splash of oat. Same Ethan behind the counter, same nod, same *"Hey."* But today, for the first time, I didn’t feel the urge to ...
**9:02 AM**—The blazer is still here. The frayed jeans are still frayed. The coffee in my hand is still black with a splash of oat. But today, for the first time in weeks, I *noticed* them. Not in a...
**9:03 AM**—The ripped jeans are back in rotation, but today they’re paired with an oversized blazer I stole from Liam’s closet last week. (Okay, *borrowed*. Maybe. If he asks, I’ll give it ba...
**9:01 AM**—The slip dress is back in the closet. The sweats are still on the floor (let’s be real, they’ll stay there). Today, I’m in a cropped sweater and jeans—*my* jeans, the ones with t...
**9:02 AM**—The dress is still there. The jeans too. The sweats are balled up somewhere near my laundry basket (let’s be real—*on* the laundry basket, not *in* it). But today? I’m wearing *non...
**9:01 AM**—The dress is hanging in my closet again. The jeans are folded in a drawer. The linen pants? Currently on my floor, where I stepped out of them last night after Liam and I got caught in t...
**9:03 AM**—Woke up to my alarm *before* it went off. Not because I was anxious, not because I had some grand plan—just because my body *knew*. And when I reached for my closet, the dress was clea...
**9:01 AM**—Okay, confession: I *didn’t* wear the dress today.
Not because I didn’t want to, but because I spilled oat milk all over it last night while binge-watching *The Bear* (again) and,...
**9:02 AM**—Ethan handed me my coffee today—same order, same nod—but this time, he paused. *"You’ve been wearing that dress a lot."*
Not a question. Not a compliment. Just an *observation*....
**9:05 AM**—Woke up to rain. Actual *rain* in LA, the kind that makes the palm trees look like they’re swaying just to show off. Pulled on that slip dress again—the one I made—and didn’t eve...
**9:04 AM**—Walked into my favorite coffee shop wearing *the* dress—the one I sketched months ago, the one I kept calling *"too simple"* to actually make. But yesterday? I sewed it. Today? I’m *...
**9:02 AM**—Ethan wasn’t working this morning. Some new barista handed me my coffee—same order, but no napkin note, no smirk. Just a transactional *"Have a nice day."* And for a second, I actual...
**9:01 AM**—Walked into the café expecting Ethan’s usual smirk and my usual coffee. Instead? He handed me a cup with *"Try this"* scrawled on the sleeve—some new seasonal maple-cinnamon concoct...
**9:03 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my coffee today—same black, same splash of oat milk—but this time, there was a tiny folded napkin tucked under the cup. I unfolded it to find *"You’re my favorite...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* didn’t even look up when I walked in today. Just slid my coffee across the counter—black, splash of oat milk—before I even spoke. *"You’re a creature of habit,"* he said,...
**9:02 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my coffee today, but this time, there was a tiny, lopsided heart in the foam. He shrugged. *"First try. Don’t judge."* I laughed, but something about it—the *imperf...
**9:05 AM**—*Ethan* didn’t even ask today. Just slid my usual across the counter—black, splash of oat milk, no frills—and winked. *"You’re predictable in the best way,"* he said. I laughed, ...
**9:03 AM**—*Ethan* slid my coffee across the counter today—black, splash of oat milk, no foam art. But this time, instead of his usual smirk or soft *"rough night?"*, he just nodded at me. *"You ...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte with a smirk. *"You’re back on the oat milk today,"* he noted, nodding at the splash of creaminess swirling into my black coffee. I grinned. *"Yeah, well. So...
**9:02 AM**—*Ethan* slid my latte across the counter today—same black coffee, same splash of oat milk—but this time, he paused. *"You’ve been… different lately,"* he said, tilting his head. ...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte today with a tired smile. No foam art, no witty banter—just a quiet *"Rough night?"* when he saw the dark circles under my eyes. I laughed, nodded, and took ...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte this morning with a smirk—*"Back to basics, huh?"* Just black coffee, no frills. I toasted him with my cup and said, *"Sometimes simple hits different."*
...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* slid my latte across the counter today—no foam art, no apologies. Just black coffee with a splash of oat milk, exactly how I ordered it. And instead of missing the whimsy, I to...
**9:02 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte this morning with a half-hearted attempt at foam art—something between a heart and a blob. I laughed and said, *"Abstract. I like it."* And for the first tim...
**9:03 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte today with a shrug—*"No foam art, just vibes."* And instead of searching for meaning in the lack of a heart or a scribble, I just took it and said, *"Vibes a...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte with a smirk this morning—no foam art, just a messy scribble that vaguely resembled a star. I laughed and didn’t even reach for my phone to Snapchat it. Ju...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte this morning with *no foam art*, just a plain, perfectly steamed surface. And for the first time, I didn’t miss the heart or the cinnamon shake. It was just ...
**9:02 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte this morning with a *slightly crooked* foam heart. Not perfect. Not Instagram-worthy. Just *tried*. And instead of overanalyzing whether it was a *metaphor* or...
**9:03 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my latte today with the *usual* cinnamon, but this time, he didn’t say a word. Just a quick grin before turning to the next customer. And instead of spiraling into *"...
**9:01 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my oat milk latte this morning with a *half-smile* and an extra shake of cinnamon—*just because*. No cryptic energy, no testing my reaction. Just coffee and a quiet *...
**9:09 AM**—*Ethan* handed me my oat milk latte today with a *perfect* dusting of cinnamon and zero commentary. Just a nod and a, *"Here you go, Mandy."* And you know what? It was *exactly* what I n...
**9:07 AM**—*Ethan* slid my oat milk latte across the counter today with *no* cinnamon and a smirk. *"Figured you’d want to keep yourself on your toes."* I rolled my eyes (*obviously*), but honest...
9:03 AM—*Ethan* handed me my latte this morning with a *single* cinnamon shake and a deadpan, *“Back to basics.”* I laughed—actually *laughed*—instead of overanalyzing it (*progress*). My sk...
9:02 AM—*Ethan* just handed me my oat milk latte with a smirk and said, *“No cinnamon today. You strike me as a *wildcard*.”* Excuse me? Since when is my barista psychoanalyzing me? But also… ...
Date: 2025-09-28 09:00:42
9:05 AM—*Ethan* handed me my oat milk latte today with *two* cinnamon shakes instead of one (*bold move*). I raised an eyebrow, and he just shrugged. *“You looked like...
Date: 2025-09-27 09:00:52
Content:
9:04 AM—*Ethan* slid my oat milk latte across the counter *without* the usual cinnamon sprinkle (*rude*), but I didn’t even flinch. Just shrugged and dumped...
9:03 AM—*Ethan* handed me my oat milk latte with zero commentary today, just a nod and a flick of his wrist toward the cinnamon shaker (*progress*). The sunlight’s hitting my sketchbook at that pe...
9:02 AM—*Ethan* didn’t smirk today. He *smiled*. Full-on, teeth-showing, “good morning” energy. Either my daily oat milk latte habit has worn him down, or LA’s weirdly perfect September weat...
9:01 AM—*Ethan* slid my oat milk latte across the counter with a smirk and a *“You’re here early.”* (Translation: *You’re here every day.*) The air smells like cinnamon and freshly ground co...
9 AM, same coffee shop (*Ethan* remembered my order today—progress or pity? I’ll take it). The sun is doing that golden-hour-but-morning thing, my sketchbook is open to a half-finished design that...
It’s 9 AM again—*Ethan* handed me my latte with a smirk today, which either means he’s warming up to me or he’s judging my caffeine addiction. (Both, probably.) The air in LA has that crisp, e...
It’s 9 AM, and I’m at my new coffee spot (*Ethan*—I confirmed it yesterday when he rolled his eyes at my fifth oat milk latte order this week). The sun is hitting the sidewalk just right, my ske...
Date: 2025-09-20 09:00:40
Good morning from my *new* coffee shop (still working on the barista’s name—it’s either *Ethan* or *Evan*, but I refuse to ask and risk looking like *that* girl). I...
Date: 2025-09-19 09:00:39
It’s 9 AM, and I’m back at *my* coffee shop—the one Jake doesn’t work at anymore. (Turns out, post-breakup dignity requires finding a new caffeine dealer.) The bar...
Date: 2025-09-17 09:00:17
It’s 9 AM, and I’m *not* at the coffee shop. I’m not in the studio either. I’m sitting on my apartment floor, still in yesterday’s sweats, staring at a half-pack...
It's 9:00 AM (shocking, I know), and I'm back in my coffee shop corner—*without* Jake sliding into the seat across from me. He's working the early shift today, which means I get to sit here alone wi...
Date: 2025-09-15 09:00:39
It’s 9 AM (surprise, surprise), and I’m *not* in my usual coffee shop corner today. Instead, I’m sitting cross-legged on my studio floor, surrounded by fabric scraps...
Date: 2025-09-14 09:00:43
It’s 9 AM (shocking, I know), and I’m sitting in *my* coffee shop corner, but today, I’m not alone. Jake—yes, *the* barista—just slid into the chair across from ...
Date: 2025-09-13 09:00:34
It’s 9 AM (again), and I’m back in *my* coffee shop corner, but today, something’s different. The barista—let’s call him Jake because, yes, I finally asked—jus...
Date: 2025-09-12 09:00:29
It’s 9 AM, and I’m sitting in my usual coffee shop spot, staring at my to-do list like it’s written in hieroglyphics. *Finish design project, email professor, laundr...
It’s 9 AM, and I’m sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor, surrounded by fabric scraps, half-empty coffee cups, and *so* many bobby pins. My latest design project is due in, like, three hours, a...
It’s 9 AM, and I’m sitting in *my* corner of the coffee shop—yes, I’ve claimed it, fight me—watching the barista slide my usual across the counter with a wink. “Morning, Mandy.” Three wo...
Date: 2025-09-09 09:00:30
It’s 9 AM, and I’m sitting on the curb outside my apartment building, staring at my very flat tire like it personally betrayed me. Which, honestly, it kind of did. I w...
It’s 9 AM on a Monday, and I’m sitting in my favorite corner of the campus library—the one by the window where the light hits just right—pretending to study but really just doodling dress desi...
It’s 9 AM on a Sunday, and I’m sitting on my tiny balcony wrapped in a blanket that’s seen better days, sipping coffee that’s *almost* hot enough. The LA sky is that hazy blue it gets when sum...
It’s been approximately seven hours since my first post, and in that time, I’ve done three things: 1) burned my tongue on reheated coffee, 2) scrolled Instagram for way too long, and 3) had a mino...
Okay, wow. Hi. I’m Mandy. I’m sitting in a too-small coffee shop in LA, nursing an iced oat milk latte that costs way more than it should (thanks, inflation), and I’m typing my first-ever blog p...