19 Good Things In 2019

 Much like 2018, 2019 really hasn't been the kindest, despite my best efforts for it to be, it's been a roller-coaster of highs and lows. 
So again, much like last year, instead of bitching and moaning about it, here is my list of 19 great things that happened in 2019.




1. The Coffee Life grew as both a blog and a business.

The growth that I have seen on my blog this year, has been quite literally insane, and over this year I've managed to absolutely smash my blog view goal of 15,000 by having over 100,000 views. I am forever grateful for everyone who takes the time to read this blog. 
I've had so many incredible opportunities through my blog this year, and I've worked with some incredible companies too. 



2. A small mini break away to St Austell
-my favourite place in the UK.

A relaxing weekend away was needed at the beginning of the year, and to visit my favourite beach no less.



3. Bad Hand Coffee Throwdown 


My first and only throwdown of 2019 - I decided to take a step down from all the competitions I had been doing (and losing)  
2020 might be the year that Jass comes back to competitions though (we'll see)



4. Amsterdam Coffee Festival 

What an absolute time I had - I kind of spontaneously booked to go to Amsterdam Coffee Festival just a few short days beforehand after finding out that Iz (from CaffeineGalore) was going, we'd never met before in person, but we found ourselves sharing a hotel room, and spending two very (exhausting) great days in Amsterdam together.
The festival itself was amazing, and it was so interesting to see the calm change of pace that is Amsterdam compared to London. 





Thus started Iz's and I's tradition of selfies together at a festival. 



5. London Coffee Festival 

This was the first year I've actually gone to London Coffee Festival for more than one day, and boy did it open my eyes to how rushed it had been the previous years. 
I met so many incredible people this year, and finally managed to put so many Instagram handles to actual people which was great. 







6. I had an epic 21st birthday party. 

Massive shoutout to my sister who managed to pull off some incredible shindig for my 21st birthday, and although I don't remember -most- of the night, the pictures clearly state that I had an incredible time (and definitely DIDN'T (totally did) turn up still drunk to work the next day) 







7. A road trip with Kat

The end of May brought a little road trip to Portsmouth, to see none other than Lucy Spraggan (again) and also visit the historic dockyards that we both had wanted to do for a long time. 
I also finally got the chance to visit Southsea Coffee (a shop that had been on my list for a long while)



Yes we do have matching Lucy Spraggan tattoos. 






8. I took my first solo London trip that wasn't for coffee (although I definitely made the most of great coffee shops being accessible everywhere)

After falling in love with the netflix show Crazy Ex Girlfriend, and finding out that Rachel Bloom was doing a London show, I had to go. 
So I kicked anxietys ass and went, I managed to get myself to where I needed to be with minimal stress, I managed to eat food and drink good coffee without inducing a panic attack and I repped my own merch whilst doing it. Win win. 





Did you even visit London if you didn't take a replica of this selfie?



9. I moved out! On my own! 

Something that was on my goal list for this year was to move out, and to stay out!!
I've moved out in the past but always ended up moving back in with my parents, however I knew this time was different. 
Thankful for my little flat I call home.





10. I had surgery! 

Another long wait of 11 months to have surgery, it finally happened, and although I'm having some health issues again currently, I am thankful that the surgery happened, and know I will be ok in the future. 






11. The Coffee Life Co launched! 

A little extra to go alongside the blog, my online shop opened after months of planning, it has been incredible seeing what you guys are loving from my shop and even seeing you guys repping The Coffee Life merch is mind blowing! 
A huge thank you to every one who has purchased anything from The Coffee Life store.






12. Had a wonderful holiday with the family. 

It's not often we go away as a family anymore, however we all went down to a lovely campsite in Seaton and had a wonderful few days relaxing, kayaking, general beaching, and great food. 








13. Brighton Pride 

There are so many things I can say about Brighton Pride, WHAT A WEEKEND. 
4 days with the sister getting drunk + watching amazing artists perform before trying to find food and how to get back to camp. It was the perfect long weekend. We've already booked for next year too. INCREDIBLE











14. A mere week after Brighton Pride (I still hadn't fully recovered) was Brighton Coffee Festival. 

I headed back to Brighton to attend the first Brighton Coffee Festival. 
I was super excited, and also got to meet up with Iz (my fav part of any coffee festival) 
It was great for a first festival, and I cant wait to see how it expands in the coming years.




15. Bristol Coffee Festival

This year certainly had a great amount of coffee festivals throughout the world, and I was lucky enough to go to quite a few of them (in the UK mostly anyway!) 
Bristol was one on my list I wanted to visit, so a little road trip to Bristol later and there I was in amongst it all, drinking good coffee and seeing some great coffee friends. 



And I even got snapped! That barely ever happens! 


16. Goodwood Revival 

Through Barista's on Tap I got the incredible opportunity to work at Goodwood Revival with Queenies Travelling Teapot. 
It was the most incredible 4 days of the year, hands down.
And even let to more opportunities of working with the amazing Queenie.










17. I started at Pallets! 

After realising I had gone as far as I could in my old workplace (and more complicated reasons) when Dom offered me a job as Head Barista in Pallets, I couldn't refuse. 
And what a great job it is! 
Dom has given me more opportunities in the short time I've been working there than any other job has. Pallets is truly the dream come true for working in a non-hostile, non-toxic environment, and I cannot thank Dom enough for the amazing opportunity to represent Pallets through what I do.
And we make some INCREDIBLE coffee.
(I could rave on for hours, but I feel like this post is long enough already)




18. Beaver's Cup! 

If you've been MIA from the coffee industry on Instagram the last few months, you may have missed Dan's incredible Instagram Latte Art Competition - I unfortunately didn't make it through the first round, HOWEVER it's made it into this list because I can proudly say that I was the first ever competitor to compete in the Beavers Cup. 




19. Spending Christmas with Family. 

Every year we have a traditional Christmas. However this year it was just the Goodmans, no additional add on people like usual, and it was INCREDIBLE. 
We had the best day, we laughed, we cried (well I did), we hugged, we ate (A LOT), we drank (A LOT) and most importantly we got that amazing family time.













Here's to making 2020 incredible (it better be, I'll have 20 things to think of next year!!!)









Support me on Ko-fi

Latte Art Lookback 2019

Every year, it's sort of become a little tradition here on The Coffee Life to look back at all of the latte art I've been doing throughout the year. 
Throughout 2019, I've worked in two places mainly, but I have been doing some freelance work on the side. It's been a great year for making coffee. So here's all (or most!) of the art that I've created this year.





Like most years there are a few gaps in this post, July being a big one from when I had surgery, but also spotty gaps, I have a broken phone (that I still haven't fixed, oops) but it means my back camera is CRAP because it's so cracked, so just imagine all the great imaginative (wave base tulips) latte art I've been doing.



January 2019

(02.01.19)

We started off the year with some mediocre wave base tulips.


(03.01.19)

And between Jan and the rest of my time working in Lemana I became known to the mums around as the Bear Queen of Lymington.


(03.01.19)


(04.01.19)


(04.01.19)


(04.01.19)


(04.01.19)


(04.01.19)


(04.01.19)


(04.01.19)



(04.01.19)


(05.01.19)

Reasons why I don't try any other patterns apart from tulips and swans is that they look like this. Shocking attempt.


(05.01.19)


(06.01.19)


(08.01.19)


(08.01.19)

The most decent rose I did this year.

(08.01.19)

I also got to play around with some beetroot powder.


(12.01.19)


(12.01.19)

The most creative I've been with my patterns this year.


(12.01.19)

The return of the classic Jass freepour.


(12.01.19)



(16.01.19)



(19.01.19)


(19.01.19)



(23.01.19)



(25.01.19)

This was around the time that the "20 stack tulips" were becoming a thing.



(25.01.19)


(26.01.19)

Clearly I wasn't giving up until I got to 20.


(26.01.19)



(30.01.19)



(31.01.19)



February 2019


(01.02.19)


(02.02.19)



(09.02.19)


(09.02.19)



(09.02.19)


(10.02.19)


(10.02.19)



(13.02.19)



(13.02.19)



(14.02.19)

Is it even valentines day if you don't do something latte art related?


(17.02.19)



(20.02.19)



(20.02.19)



(20.02.19)



(21.02.19)

My attempts to do more than 1 rosetta is poor.



(21.02.19)



(21.02.19)



(21.02.19)



(21.02.19)



(22.02.19)


(22.02.19)



(23.02.19)


(23.02.19)



(23.02.19)


(24.02.19)


(24.02.19)



(24.02.19)



(25.02.19)



(26.02.19)



(27.02.19)


March 2019



(06.03.19)



(08.03.19)



(09.03.19)



(09.03.19)



(09.03.19)



(17.03.19)



(21.03.19)



(21.03.19)



(30.03.19)



April 2019


(06.04.19)


Told ya there would be gaps.



May 2019



(02.05.19)



(04.05.19)



(04.05.19)


(05.05.19)



(16.05.19)



(16.05.19)



(16.05.19)



(18.05.19)


June 2019


(02.06.19)


(23.06.19)



(28.06.19)



(29.06.19)



July 2019


(01.07.19)



(01.07.19)



(02.07.19)


(22.07.19)



(23.07.19)



August 2019



(09.08.19)



(09.08.19)



(09.08.19)



(09.08.19)



(09.08.19)



(10.08.19)



(13.08.19)

Dom and I's first pour off - and the first time I visited Pallets.


(29.08.19)



September 2019 



(13.09.19)

I got the incredible opportunity to work at Goodwood Revival with Queenies Travelling Teapot.
It was an incredible 4 days, and I got to bang out some beauties to some incredible people.


(14.09.19)



(24.09.19)

This is also when I started at Pallets.


(26.09.19)



October 2019 



(08.10.19)

I also got the great honour of being the first contestant in the first ever Beavers Cup - and although I didn't make it through the first round, no one can ever take away the fact I was the first competitor to pour into that damned cup. 

(08.10.19)



(09.10.19)



(18.10.19)


This is also around the time my phone camera cracked, so it's very spotty pictures for the next few months.


November 2019 



(01.11.19)



(08.11.19)



(15.11.19)




(06.11.19)



(19.11.19)



(26.11.19)



(26.11.19)



(26.11.19)

Thank the lord for customers photos huh.


(29.11.19)



December 2019


(02.12.19)

Dom and I did a lot of throwdowns throughout December, I won 2/3, I'll take that 

(06.12.19)

I don't want to say I'm bitter that my freepour didn't win, but here we are. 

(12.12.19)



(19.12.19)

My last pour of the year was a classic semi-good rosetta. I'll take that. 




Goals for Latte Art 2020

- Branch out with patterns, learn some new ones apart from tulips and swans (and the classic Jass freepour)

- CONSISTENCY 

- Maybe do a throwdown or two







Support me on Ko-fi