I'm an interior and exterior designer, painter, and artist.

My husband and I live in Charlottesville, with our children and bulldog. I work for a local builder as their design manager.

My love of coffee probably began in college when I needed it to crash study for my biology exam. Those were the days when I could fall back asleep right after drinking it or have it late at night and it not affect my sleep. But that was before I knew what good coffee actually was! I used to get a cup from 7-Eleven loaded up with flavored creamers back then. 

The best of coffee now is definitely about the company and the novelty of visiting different shops that offer different things. But I also love that I’m enough of a connoisseur that I can taste and identify different types of roasts and appreciate the difference in texture based on how it’s ground, etc. I’m a fan of full-bodied, strong, and savory blends. Nothing too rich or bitter. 

I'm a retired soldier, married to a beautiful Birmingham girl, and we have two children, both veterans who are married, adding to the family a grandson, two granddaughters, and two granddogs. She and I moved to Charlottesville after retiring from my second career at the Virginia Military Institute.

I was probably the only soldier in the army who didn't live on coffee. My taste for it came from a weekend in Istanbul, when I was offered a cup of Turk Kahve by my host. There was no way I could refuse. Surprise! I loved it, and Turkish coffee and pastries became a huge part of my existence during my three tours working in Izmir on the Aegean coast.

I've continued my coffee journey by learning about coffee and making good coffee. I make a pretty darn good cup, if I do say so myself. Kel is more scientific in her evaluation of coffee, while I'm simplistic—is it delicious or not

Going out for coffee is about getting together with friends and family, setting aside time together outside the distractions of the world and simply talking to each other.