/ Evolution ā¢ā¢ā¢ the last 6 months have been full of silly laughs, silly looks, and the most precious of moments. This kid is 13 months old now, about to walk, about to talk, eating solid food and exponentially gaining an incredible understanding of the world. I imagine Iāll miss this age quite a bit, but I canāt wait to know what he knows.
/ parenthood ā¢ā¢ā¢ He is everything. Thatās a lot to live up to. Thereās nothing Iāve ever done thatās more challenging than the first month of being a dad. The sleep isā¦ barely. The joy is immense. Everyone looking back says they remember this time so fondly, but donāt trip, itās tough. And Iāll definitely look back fondly too. I canāt wait to see my little guy grow up.
Archer Jade Aimonetti ā¢ā¢ā¢ our hearts are exploding, our sleep is decreasing, our love is overflowing and we couldnāt be happier to have our sweet baby boy in our arms. ā¤ļø
About a year ago we had our Grand Opening party for Exquisite Creatures. In the year since, weāve been continuing our coffee practice in truly amazing ways, connecting with our community over coffee, learning the (sometimes painful) ins and outs of running a small business, sharing the talents of local artists, and watching in awe as our incredible staff write their chapter in our shopās history.
We also have some pretty big ācoming soonā announcements! As you can see, weāre expecting our first child (any day now!) which has been its own journey of trial and discovery. Both Brenda and our sweet baby boy are doing well heading into the final days of pregnancy and we canāt wait to share him with you all!
On the business side, we will soon be roasting our own coffee (cause why not start another huge undertaking!) Weāll be opening a new concept for the roastery, so stay tuned for more fun details about that in the coming months!
From the bottom of our hearts, to each and every exquisite creature weāve met along the way of this journey, thank you for your kind words of encouragement, the laughs, stories, and life updates, friendships, and your support. We canāt wait for year two, and weāll see you very soon!
- Brenda & Joe
// babymoon ā¢ā¢ā¢ the early summer heat in Arizona was no match for the epic experience we stepped into, starting with all the zen and calm @miravalarizona then on to Sedona for sunrise hikes and spiritual enlightenment and finally to @royalpalmshotel to visit friends and take some āofficialā babymoon snaps ā also, weāre having a baby boy and taking name suggestions š
// COMING SOON! ā¢ā¢ā¢ R&D for our exciting new special, due late this Summer, is moving along perfectlyā¦ @brenda__ and I couldnāt be more thrilled to welcome this tiny little baby to our family and introduce them to all of you!
// Rocket ā¢ā¢ā¢ This weird little dog, his impossibly unique personality, relentless loyalty, incredible capacity to love, endless joyā¦ I could go on, but really Iām just gonna miss my little guy, who we had to let go a couple days agoā¦ he was always doing something bizarre like licking the walls or trying to eat rocks, or yapping at the wind, or digging and burrowing into every blanket in the houseā¦ and Iām sure I messed up plenty as a dog owner, but he never did anything other than come find me, insist I pick him up, and get as wedged as he possibly could to let me know he was still on my side. He never wavered as a companion and comforter. He made the moves with us to Miami, St. Louis, Philly, Brooklyn, and back to Portland, with plenty of fun adventures in between, and undoubtedly left a (probably goofy and loving) impression on most everyone he met. 14 years of this weird little guy. Pretty great. Miss you brown dog.
// connections ā¢ā¢ā¢ another #midjourney collab using a poem I wrote in NYC as the prompt: Distractions on Rivington
What are we listening to
When we're listening through
Man made sound waves--
Electronic fascinations
That pique our aural imaginations
And keep us from the one thing
We'd benefit most from,
A friendly chat
One on one.
// Me x #midjourney ā¢ā¢ā¢ Another poetic prompt makes a stirring scene:
Traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge
This system of mysterious,
Interconnected madness,
As consciousness becomes optional--
Requisite with a temper,
Fighting unfathomable expectations
That fight to keep us in line,
Peaking over shoulders to get
A better view of the middle,
Where, in darkness,
Hands folded and head fallen,
Before a mindless slumber takes hold,
Before our memories fade,
If they were ever even really made,
The course corrects;
The system breaks;
And we find our way home
To the only thing that matters.
