I’m trying to remember when I started drinking coffee. I was definitely out of college. I think I was living in the East Village. There was a little coffee shop off of Tompkins Square Park and I would go there and will myself to be a coffee drinker. I say “will” because for at least the first year I got crazy anxiety attacks with every cup. My heart would race. This is also the same neighborhood where I taught myself to eat and like sushi. You could say it was the neighborhood where I “grew up” but that would be generous because I think I just became a grown up this year. The East Village is more like the neighborhood where I made a concerted effort to try grown up things. Like having a friend over for dinner for the first time. Chicken fried steak. It fell on the floor. We ate it anyway.

Now I can’t imagine my life without coffee. I love it. It gets me out of bed in the morning. Sometimes I even have an iced coffee in the afternoon. But that’s my limit. It was 5pm when we did this shoot and I had already had two coffees – one in the am and one in the pm so here I am with a delicious matcha latte. Still after three caffeine drinks in twenty four hours I did feel a little anxious. Once a hyper sensitive person, I suppose, always a hyper sensitive person.

Maru Coffee is located at 1936 Hillhurst Ave. Los Feliz, CA

Photos by Jenna Elliot

(Channeling a Russian Spy)

(Hope you don’t mind being on my blog bro!) 

(My fun cellphone case c/o Sonix!)

Phoebe Jeans from AG, Vintage Tee, Grand Henri Bag from Clare V. Minna Parikka pumps on loan from The Honeyman Agency, Big Ole’ Julia Roberts Hair courtesy of Sebastian at Petite Mason