Week 53: Pink and Grey

Week 53: December 31st, 2023-January 6, 2024

Technically, this is another Week 1, but it feels wrong to omit the progress I've made so far by not calling this the 53rd week of this ongoing resolution.

Happy New Year, by the way! We brought in 2024 with cursed wet and cold weather here in San Diego, and of course, the day I planned to leave the house and run errands, was the day it decided to rain. Of course.

Despite the clouds and the liquid sadness falling from the sky, I packed my laptop and took a bunch of clothes to Act II (a consignment shop in La Mesa) to sell. My plan was to run a few errands, and then sit somewhere and get some job applications done. I have always wanted to try out the Pink Rose Cafe. I'd seen a bunch of content online about this trendy, pink palace, and since it was just down the street from Act II, I decided to combine my To-Do list and check it out.

Against the grey sky, the Pink Rose Cafe stands out. Their branding is pink, fun, and it works for attention-catching purposes.

The Pink Rose Cafe stands out!

Upon entering, the pink doesn't stop at the door. The entire cafe is decked out with floral walls, trendy neon signs, and an assortment of pink decor items. It is a little over-the-top, but over-the-top is my middle name. I loved it.

The view from my table

The drink menu was pretty standard, and they offered some pastry and food items as well. I didn't get anything to eat, but after some contemplation, I decided on ordering myself the Churro White Mocha.

I can appreciate a classic Laminated Menu

Another trendy neon sign

Though it is a very Instagram-able spot, the drink I had wasn't life-changing or spectacular, but it was good. There also was no available public WiFi, or at least there was no password posted anywhere for customers. This was a bummer because WiFi was a very important aspect of my visit. The whole reason I went there and spent $9 on a coffee was to get some work done in a pretty and pink space, but I was not even able to do that.

I sat for a while and enjoyed my Churro White Mocha, but once it started to get a little busier, and my drink began to get cold, I felt bad taking up a table by myself, so I headed out.

I love when my coffee sleeves compliment me.

Here is the Pink Rose Cafe Yelp page if you want to check it out.

It was nice to have a girly-pop pink moment and pretend once again that I was the main character in some story, but back to grey reality. I continued the job search back at home. I'm tracking every application I've submitted since March of 2023. We are at 205 and this number will only continue to grow as I dive back into the search.

I was inspired by the contrast between the pink and grey of this week, so my nails reflect that. I'm proud of myself because I've gotten even better at Gel-X at home and can get a full set done on myself in under two hours.

My subtle pink manicure

Bonus: While reading books, if I come across a word I am unfamiliar with or unsure about, I obviously have to give the word a Goog. This week, while burning through Stanley Tucci's autobiography Taste: My Life Through Food, I learned a new word that has appeared at least twice so far! Tucci uses "anathema," which means "something or someone that one vehemently dislikes."

Example: Rain is anathema to me. Cute cafes are not!

For anyone looking for a casual, light bit of reading, I highly recommend reading Stanley Tucci's book, especially if you are a pasta-lover like me.

See you next week!