Three weeks ago I started a little thing I’m calling Project Cozy, where I’m making it a priority to romanticize my life, have more fun, and do cozy things as the temperatures get colder.

Instead of measuring success by how much I can get done, I’m literally using the success metrics of:

Did I have fun this week?
Did I rest?
Did I get out of the house and do something magical to explore Salt Lake City?

It’s been a wonderful experience so far, and living this way really fits with my Projector nature (my human design) and my desire to be a relaxed woman. This little experiment has also been a great way to bolster my mental health in preparation for the winter season. It’s been a blast getting exploring new places in Salt Lake City!

In the last few weeks, I’ve tried some new coffee shops and also visited more local bookstores, so in today’s post we’re going to cover quite a bit of ground :)

Starting, actually, in Florida!

I realized this week— Project Cozy actually unexpectedly and surprisingly kicked off during my recent trip to Florida! While there, I went for an adventurous drive near Hobe Sound, where there’s this beautiful tunnel of trees.

BANYAN TREES!

I’m a huge fan of banyan trees, and this tunnel was gorgeous and absolutely magical—and surprisingly quiet (I was shocked to find no one else around?!). I found a spot to park my car, walked across the train tracks, and wandered under the beautiful trees.

Afterward, I needed a little pick-me-up. I discovered Hobe Sound Social and Coffee and popped in for a coffee drink. They had their fall menu available so of course I tried a pumpkin spice latte (iced, because hello Florida heat and humidity!). It was delicious and the perfect refreshment on my little afternoon adventure before heading back to the beach resort where I was staying.

There is just something about fall flavors and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg on the top of a coffee drink that just makes me smile :)

Little did I realize that one pumpkin drink enjoyed in a hot, humid place very far away from Salt Lake City would be the inspiration to try more fall flavors once I got back home.

In the last few weeks, I’ve had more local adventures. The coffee shops visited include:

Witches Brew Coffee Cart in Davis County
Tulie Bakery in Salt Lake City
Loki Coffee near 9th & 9th
Java Jo’s on 13th East, my go-to local drive through coffee

And the bookstores include:

The King's English Bookstore
Weller Book Works, one of Salt Lake’s (and Utah’s) largest independent bookstores

Let’s get into each visit!

Witches Brew Coffee Co

Witches Brew had my favorite drink in the project cozy series so far!

Their menu is so fun and creative, and everything is named in different witchy ways, including the “Basic Witch,” the drink I ordered. It has pumpkin pie sauce and spiced brown sugar and even comes with a fun mantra: “I honor the warmth that carries me through the dark.”

The staff was super friendly and the service was quick. It was a 10 out of 10 pumpkin drink experience!

Tulie Bakery

Oh, Tulie Bakery. One of my favorite local spots and one that has some really beautiful memories attached to it! Tulie is the place where my husband and I ordered our wedding cake from! They make an insanely delicious olive oil cake with brown butter frosting. I went there during the first week of October to pick up a small olive oil cake as part of our celebration for our three-year wedding anniversary!

So of course, I also had to give their pumpkin spice latte and a fall treat (a cardamom muffin with jam) a try.

Delicious all around! The coffee is a dark roast bursting with flavor and just enough spice, and the muffin was amazing too. You cut it open and there’s a blob of yummy local homemade jam inside.

This was definitely one of my favorite stops on the project cozy tour. And OMG the olive oil cake always impresses too! (Pro tip: Take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before you eat it, for the best possible flavor and texture. Divine!)

Loki Coffee in Salt Lake City

My visit to Loki was a bit of a fluke. I’m going to give them another try because my first experience going there wasn’t the best. I had trouble finding parking, there were no seats available (granted, it was about 8:45am, which is probably the biggest rush), and the pumpkin spice latte I ordered was underwhelming in terms of flavor.

After seeing their incredible-looking fall drink menu and cute decor, I was super excited to give them a try. The service was quick but unfortunately the iced, half sweet oat milk pumpkin spice latte I ordered just fell short on flavor. Maybe because of the oat milk? Maybe they left out a shot of espresso? Maybe instead of ‘half sweet’ I needed to order ‘two-thirds sweet’ lol?!

I’m going to try there again a different day because for how crowded and popular Loki seems to be, I must have just had an off experience. Note to self: get there earlier though, with my laptop. ;)

And I might try their Pumpkin Peak Hojicha Latte- (ho-jee-chuh) iced 16oz. roasted green tea latte, oat milk, honey cinnamon syrup topped with pumpkin cream top. Sounds amazing, right?!

Java Jo’s on 13th East

I’m not sure if any coffee shop can ever beat Java Jo’s in terms of flavor for me. I just love the dark roast espresso they use, the amount of sweetness, and their oat milk. (I’m not even sure what brand it is, ha!)

Java Jo’s has their fall menu and cute fall decorations up right now, and the staff at the 1300 East location (near East High) is the best. Always so friendly, helpful, and prompt in making your order, even when there’s a long line of cars waiting.

I’ve been going to that Java Jo’s location for years now and absolutely love it. Their pumpkin drink did not disappoint and I’ll definitely be back to order it again before the season is over.

As far as conveniently located coffee shops go, this one is my favorite. They always deliver! If I’m short on time but still want a pumpkin spice drink in my day, this is my top choice.

Okay, now onto the two bookstores I’ve been to recently!

Weller Book Works at Trolley Square in Salt Lake City

Weller Book Works is the kind of bookstore you can wander in for a long time. I love their high ceilings and big, tall shelves with rolling ladders (like something out of Beauty and the Beast!), and incredible selection of books.

They even have a special section of rare books, if you’re into that.

In this visit, I browsed for an anniversary card, took a look through their local authors section and books about Utah, wandered over to the new age spiritual books (of course) and found a thriller novel to read.

Sprinkled throughout the aisles are great recommendations from their staff, too. I highly recommend Weller Book Works and will definitely be back. If you’re at Trolley Square, be sure to check out Tabula Rasa too—the best store for unique gifts, notebooks, journals, and cards!

King’s English Bookstore

The King’s English bookstore is a must if you’re looking for Salt Lake City’s best used bookstores. It has this magical, curious vibe, with lots of little rooms and corners filled with amazing books. I love the wooden floors that creak, too.

I actually walked to King’s English the day I went, and met a beautiful hummingbird on the way there (a wink from my grandmother’s spirit! She flew away too quickly to get a photograph though ;)

I bought a fun, brightly-colored turquoise journal that says “What’s the best that could happen” on the cover. It was a synchronistic sign for me, finding that notebook… because throughout the previous month I’d had a screensaver on my phone with the same phrase! And keeping that mantra alive for me these past few months is what gave me the motivation to quit the 9-to-5 job I worked all summer, take the trip to Florida, and get back into full-on freelance life!

Which brings us full circle for this blog post, actually :)

The best part of Project Cozy has been prioritizing fun, whimsy, and adventure—and celebrating having the freedom to do something like take a four-mile roundtrip walk to one of Salt Lake City’s best local bookstores during the middle of a week day.

Let this series be your reminder to live life on your own terms and keep asking, “What’s the best that could happen?!”

You get to manifest a life where the best possible outcomes are real.

Which means a life where all the best, cozy fall drinks and cutest bookstores are a part of your week.

As always, thanks for being here and for following along!

If you’re wondering where are the best fall coffee drinks in Salt Lake City, and what are the best independent bookstores in Utah, keep following along in this series!

You can read the other posts for Project Cozy here:

Project Cozy: In Search of the Best Fall Coffee Drinks in Salt Lake City

Autumn Colors in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Plus a Visit to Cafe 140B

Urban Sailor Coffee and a Walk in Sugar House Park

Much love,

Rachel

Alive in the Fire