My love of food as demonstrated by a GIF #poundcake #theimagemoves #gif #foodaddict #sweets

What is it about food that invites us to photograph it with cool angles and lighting? Surveying Instagram and Pinterest demonstrates this rise of food photography by average people. Would baristas even create little foam hearts in your soy latte if there was no chance it would end up on the newsfeed of a social media site? I’m not sure if it’s for the better or worse that our society is becoming obsessed with ‘pretty hipster food’. All these pictures of delicious looking food (ex. chickpea avocado burger with blue cheese dressing) does not mean that I’m actually eating these cool foods. There might be a recipe attached, but let’s be honest? How many of those Pinterest pins turned into a Friday afternoon of cooking? My pinning of vegan food has not directly led to more vegan cupcakes in my apartment. Nevertheless, I feel more artsy and creative with my food habits …

Also, how cool are gifs? I’m a huge fan! (pst….. it’s like a little animated film of sequential images)

Independent Coffee Shops – visualised by the London Tube Map

Well, besides the fact that the TFL is having disruptions due to the London Tube Strike… this is a lovely graphic that showcases all the best independent coffee shops. For those that feel a little bit more spicy than a Costa, Nero, or Starbucks. There’s something about the independents that is fabulous. The inconsistent tables, the local waiters, and the foam hearts on your coffee. I’ve been to at least 10 of these coffee shops, but my all around favourite is The Oval Lounge… Why you might ask? Because I lived around the corner from the cafe on Palfrey Place. That independent coffee shop has sentimental value: I would pass it on my way to school, my flatmates and I would have sunday brunch, and they had Eggs Florentine for a Tuesday afternoon work session on one of their wooden tables.

It’s create to explore the city and look for coffee shops, but ultimately, it’s the ones nearest to you that make the biggest impact. They have convenience, consistency, sentimental value, and a “this is mine” feeling. Those small coffee shops that only fit the locals may not be a part of multi-national corporations that are changing the global business landscape, but the small ones change my Sundays and Tuesdays. Make no mistake, the local business make a BIG difference in people’s day to day life. And I for one, thank them… especially for the foam hearts.