About
We met on our first day of college, when we happened to sit next to each other during our first 8am class (here's the full story!). Within a week, we were great friends; by the end of the year, we were pretty much inseparable. The following summer, with Claire in Seattle and Nicole in New York City, we spoke daily, carrying out our conversations over countless platforms (go 21st century technology!). We’ve always had very similar tastes and interests and, with both of us now attending different schools, we wanted a project to work on together as a form of keeping in touch.
Left Coast Other Left is a place for us to share the things we love with one another, our family, our friends, and now you, our readers. Our posts are a natural (albeit better written) extension of our conversations with one another. Our themes are intentionally broad: we write about what we enjoy, what we think is important, and what compels us to be the best versions of ourselves. Some days it’s lighter, and we’ll share recipes, book reviews, and our travel guides. Other days it’s more thoughtful, and we’ll cover feminism, politics, or how to balance our interest in style with ethical responsibility (the inspiration for our mindful style series). We hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoy writing together. |
Meet Claire & Nicole
Q & A
Random/silly habit of the other person:
C: Nicole likes to quote herself. We have an entire database (read: shared Google doc) of our friendship’s best quotes and moments. It’s quite odd thing to have, but quite natural for us, as we like to laugh at our own silly habits. One gem of Nicole’s, said dreamily while gazing out the window, “I love it when it’s raining. Everyone around me is gloomy and I can shine!” N: She stomps her foot aggressively when she is super excited. For example, if I said, “Claire, we’re going to Brooklyn for the day,” she’d respond with smiles and bubbly energy and then promptly stomp her foot to show she’s ready to begin the adventure. Sometimes it’s subtle and you’d hardly notice, but other times it’s as obvious as a giddy toddler. Coffee order: C: An 8 oz latte. I want the espresso to taste concentrated and strong with the sweetness of nonfat milk. In theory, a teeny cortado sounds perfect, but I want my coffee to last longer, so a small latte it is! I’ve clearly been overthinking this (can you tell I was a barista?). N: Cortatdo or single macchiato Favorite thing to bake? C: Lemon coconut scones (recipe) N: Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (recipe) What’s your biggest fear? C: Feeling trapped underwater. I absolutely hate watching movies with nighttime underwater scenes when cameras film whales swimming underneath boats. It’s the worst. N: Bees or any insect that can fly or walk really fast or have long legs. So any insect. I also have a fear of balloons. Where do you want to travel? C: Greece. I’d also happily revisit any place I’ve been before! N: France to practice my French. What’s one weird thing most people don’t know about you? C: I have a Ham Radio license. N: I love commercials. I’ve been infatuated with them ever since I was a baby. When you were little, what did you want to be?/ Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? C: A stewardess (it was the late ‘90s, before the PC-era switch to flight attendant) or teacher. N: I first wanted to be a Saint. I was raised Catholic and thought they were really cool when I was little. I think this just attests to my work ethic. I mean I was willing to put my life on the line. However, once I found out that I would have to break up with my preschool boyfriend, I decided to switch careers. Love conquers all I guess. Other careers I debated about from a young age, included firefighter, farmer, and chef. Who was your first celebrity crush? C: A young, Beatle-aged Paul McCartney. Or John Krasinski. N: Cary Grant and Gregory Peck Guilty pleasure TV show? C: The Bachelor/Bachelorette N: The Bachelor/ette. Million Dollar Listing. The Real Housewives of New York City Favorite Bachelor/Bachelorette or favorite Bachelor/Bachelorette villain? C: So difficult to pick just one. Favorite: Famer Chris. Villian: Claire and Juan Pablo were pretty memorable. N: Favorite Bachelor: Sean Lowe 2013, Villain: Chad What is your favorite food? C: Ice cream. Or a good pumpkin cookie. N: Cookies and pasta What movies could you watch over and over and still love? C: 13 Going on 30, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Calamity Jane. N: How to Steal a Million, Can’t Buy Me Love, Legally Blonde, Clueless When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? C: I wasn’t terribly creative, so I was a witch for several years than a cowgirl for as long as my red boots would fit me. N: I reused the same white princess/angel/snow queen/witch costume for several years. I also made a queen of hearts costume and a purple fairy costume to add a little variety. First concert? C: Bette Midler N: Paul McCartney What was the last concert you saw? C: Brandi Carlile N: The Killers Favorite candy? C: Mike and Ike’s N: Happy cola or cherry stems gummy candy Nicknames for the other person: C: Cole, Chickadee N: Charles Dickens, French Bread, Matt and Ben Favorite adventure with Claire/Nicole C: Brooklyn (getting caught in the rain outside Lizzmonade, meeting the overly friendly guy on the bench), UCB shows, the ramen guy, swimming in the ocean in Cape May, the penitentiary museum in Philadelphia, the chocolate tour in Seattle. N: Walking aimlessly in Brooklyn/ getting caught in the rain/ drinking lemonade and walking to Williamsburg. Favorite thing we’ve baked together C: The triple batch of chocolate chip cookies that disappeared in two days. N: Chocolate chip cookies Thing you most want to do with each other C: Explore NYC (see favorite adventures) N: Travel 3 favorite random things to do with each other C: Watch old TV reruns, go for late afternoon aimless walking adventures in NYC, bake very large batches of cookies (consumption ratio as follows: for dozen cookies we make, Nicole’s mom and I each get two and Nicole eats the rest before we have a chance to notice). N: Window shop/ bake/ watch TV/ Sing to each other Most overplayed song with Claire/Nicole? C: She’s So Fresh or Let the River Run N: Almost Paradise and Walk Unafraid |