DO: SLC Climbing Gyms

There are 3 real climbing gyms in SLC (The Front, Momentum & Rockreation).  When I say "real", I mean not your local rec center 6' wall.  Each gym has good and bad.  Which you go to depends on what you are looking for from a climbing gym.

The Front in SLC is a bouldering gym (their Ogden gym has some top rope).  I have only climbed there a few times because honestly I don't like the set up.  The bouldering wall is along the south wall with large windows on the north wall which creates a "stage" for you to climb on while your "audience" seats and watches.  I have a hard time climbing if I think all eyes are on me.   Understandably, there will always be someone watching you climb, but this design just optimizes it.  Despite this I recently purchased a $30 month membership to The Front from groupon (cause really who can pass up that deal). If you don't like the feeling that everyone is watching you, this is not the gym for you.

This tiny gym packs a lot of great climbs into a chill climbing culture gym.  Rockreation is probably the size of my apartment (of course with higher ceilings), but still offers bouldering as well as lead and top rope climbing.  Some areas are designed like a cave with short passes between so be careful as you walk around that you aren't in someone's climbing path.
Rockreation has a great down to earth climber environment.  I climbed here frequently and loved the people.  Climb at Rockreation for the people. Don't if you are afraid of climbing in tight quarters.

This is what some would call your "corporate" gym.  The largest gym by far, it offers everything you can imagine for climbing.  Top rope, lead, bouldering, crack (climbing that is).  Find your favorite climbs here.  The gym is spaced out so you have lots of room and it is designed with many different climbing areas so you never feel like you have a large audience.  And there is TONS of climbing.
Momentum is well run, but can sometimes lose that climber environment with its conveniently located coffee shop.  This is where I typically climb because there is so much climbing.

Overall:
With any gym you want to feel comfortable and relaxed so you can focus on climbing.  And at any gym you will have people watching you so get over that and just climb.  Every gym will have a different feel, but it is really the climbers that make the gym great.  My advice:  Leave your friends at home and go by yourself (at least once).  Chat with other climbers.  Ask for their help on problems and offer help if you can.  Climbers are a fun and friendly group of people so don't be scared to chat it up with complete strangers.


The Front
http://www.frontslc.com/
1450 S 400 W

Rockreation
http://rockreation.com/slchome.html
2074 E 3900 S

Momentum
http://www.momentumclimbing.com/
220 W 10600 S

Found on Etsy: Laptop Sleeve

I just purchased my first computer, EVER!  I am a little slow, but making big purchases scare me.  So while I wait for my computer to arrive I have been looking around for an awesome laptop sleeve.



1. Recycled Billboard Banner
2. Seesaw Handmade Vintage
3. Winter in Oxford
4. Maya Case with Yellow Lining
5. Hampshire
6. Vintage Bicycle on Stripes
7. Orange Cotton with Button
8. Bright Birdie
9. Red Wool Felt

Choices, choices, choices.

Which to buy? Or should I make my own?

National Yoga Month

Turns out it is National Yoga Month.  I feel like I have wasted half the month running when I should have been celebrating with yoga.

In honor I dedicate my favorite poses to you Yoga.  What is your favorite pose?

King Dancer (I love balance poses)

Standing Tree (my go-to pose)



lunge with a twist

Crow Pose (oh yeah it is fun stuff)

Check out Yoga Month events in your area

http://www.yogamonth.org/

EAT SLC: Comfort Food

Chicken and Waffles? I don't think I have ever heard of this combination until recently, but apparently this food partnership is very comforting. The Bayleaf boasts a broad menu of what they call "comfort food".  Dishes are as varied as corned beef hash & eggs to pancit bihon pineapple fried rice, from Jamaican jerk chicken tofu saute to our dish of the evening, chicken n waffles.

Perfect late night cafe

We started out with deep fried pickles, which I loved!  I order chicken n waffles, because after hearing so much about them I just had to try them.  The waffle was good, the chicken was good (same breading as the pickles which can be an overload).  The dishes were simple, just the way your mom would make them.  Overall, the food was just good, not great or spectacular.  But there are 2 saving graces to the dinning experience.  #1 Kool-Aid. Yes, this delicious sugary drink that as children we consumed like it was its own food group is served in large mason jars with free refills.  #2 Open weekends 24hrs. Need somewhere better than Village Inn and Denny's for your late night weekend cravings, this is the place.  And this post was well time because it is Friday and tonight the Bayleaf Cafe will be opened late and I am feeling like some chicken fried chicken & eggs

Overall, I liked the place.  It is a fun place to hang out with friends and get some tasty food.  But if you are all about gourmet dinning this is not your place.

The perfect bite

sweet sweet kool-aid

Check it Out:
Bayleaf Cafe
http://www.bayleaf-cafe.com/
Open 24 hours during the weekend
159 N Main Street
SLC, UT 84111

My "Natural" Style

On a trip to the Park City Outlets several months ago I purchased a few pieces of jewelry.  While sharing my new finds with Brunette she commented how my style was very "earthy".  At first I was offended.  But the more I looked at my jewelry, clothing and furniture favs and overall the stuff I seem to love the most I realized she was right, everything had a "natural" feel.  Now I embrace it.  So when I found this on

decor8™, I thought it was a nice mix of design with an earthy feel.

sweet side table tree

Happy Friday

Have a great weekend listening to these songs I can't seem to get enough of.

Bon Iver's Skinny Love (I never get tired of this song, it's been on the list for almost a year now.)

Katie Herzig's Wish you Well (Here is a video of the song performed with Brandie Carlile. Love it.  They preformed this at the show I went to a few months ago.)

Mumford and Sons' Hold on to what you Believe (Sadly you can only get it on the UK itunes.)

And when I'm wanting to jump around and dance.... Matt & Kim's Daylight (I first saw this duo at Kilby Court.  They are awesome live.)

P.S. I promise we didn't kill Blonde. She has just had limited computer access.  And she is currently traveling the world.

Mountain Movie

Looking for something to do in SLC.  Check out this awesome flick at the Clark Planetarium.

After an evening of slacklining a few friends and I ended the night dreaming of mountain conquests.  Ok, maybe I'm the only one that wants to climb Everest.  But in the words of George Mallory, I want to climb Everest "Because it's there."

Sir Edmund Hillary is honored with the title of the first man to have summited Everest in 1953, but almost 30 years earlier in 1924, George Mallory's attempt at the summit may have been a success.  Mallory died on the decent and there is no evidence if he reached the summit (he was last seen 800 ft from the summit before he was lost from view in the clouds).  The movie follows Conrad Anker as he attempts to determine if Mallory could have in fact reach the summit before his death. 

The filmmakers spend a lot of time developing Mallory as a character. You learn about his relationship with his wife and family and his drive to conquer Everest.

If you are a fan of the outdoors and you like mountaineering movies, you will like "The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest."

Playing Dress Up

Ok, so maybe Halloween is still over a month away, but it is never too early to prepare. Last year Blonde, Brunette, and I dressed up as each other. I was Blonde, Brunette was me, and Blonde was Brunette. It was a big hit and pretty easy to put together since we just wore the other person's clothes. But as the resulting personification of me wore a lot of spandex (hey I have a lot of biking shorts) I think we should give this year's costume a little more thought.

Here our a few ideas. Leave a comment and vote for your favorite.

• Powerpuff girls
• Charlie’s angels
• 3 Stooges
• 3 Blind Mice
• 3 Amigos
• 3 Musketeers
• 3 Fates (from Greek mythology)
• Harry, Hermione, Ron
• Edward, Bella, Jacob (Who would be Jacob—we can't take off our shirts)
• Gale, Katniss, Peeta (If you don't know these characters shame on you...read The Hunger Games)
• Alvin, Simon, Theodore
• Jeanette, Brittany, Eleanor (the chipettes from The Great Chipmunk Adventure)
• Huey, Dewey, Louie
• Blue Man Group
• Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker
• 3 Little Pigs
• The Supremes
• 3 Fairies from Sleeping Beauty
• Knife, Fork, Spoon
• Peter, Paul, Mary
• BLT
• Snap, Crackle, Pop
• Brains, Brawn, Beauty
• Reading, Writing, Arithmetic
• Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
• Past, Present, Future
• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• 3 Little Kittens
• 3 Billy Goats Gruff
• Destiny's child

Collect and Share

I found this recipe box today and swooned.  Care for a splurge-early-Christmas gift? Thinking about recreating it somehow myself.  My bro is ridiculously good with wood, and I could paint my own design on top.  Good idea, no?

By Rifle Paper Co.

Cheese Please

I'm sharing a lot of my favorites things, but what is a blog if you can't tell people about what you love. And I love cheese. Not the gross romantic kind of cheese where you rub your noses together while grinning and staring deeply into each others eyes. I mean cheese, the delicious "milk-based food product". I didn't always love cheese the way I love cheese now. I used to be an "only if it is orange" cheese eater. I slowly grew into a swiss fan (which is very mild) and in just the last 5 years have decided I love all cheeses. The moldier and stronger the better. Despite my love for all things cheese—I HATE ricotta cheese. Often used in lasagna or manicotti, ricotta cheese has a grainy texture I can't stand. But after that I don't think I have met a cheese I didn't at least enjoy a little.

Lately, I have been even more crazed. I called up my friend a week ago to go to dinner just so I could order the cheese platter. The funny part was that I didn't know that she didn't like cheese until after we arrived. Don't worry, I finished the entire platter on my own. Just a few nights ago I went out with friends and ordered another cheese platter. This platter was much less enjoyable (although the cheeses were still good). So here I am writing about these 2 cheese platters and what I liked and didn't like and offering you my recommendations on where to go for a good cheese platter.

A Winner

Wild Grape

(http://www.wildgrapebistro.com/)

Cost: Market (which was $14)

Cheese: Beehive Espresso Lavender Cheddar, Point Reyes Bleu Cheese,

Baby Bleu Swiss, Goat Cheese rolled in Pistachio

Why It Won?! You get a lot of great cheese for your money—four types of cheeses with healthy portions. And it is good cheese. My personal favorite was the Pistachio Goat Cheese. A variety of fruits including strawberries, grapes, prunes and apple finish the plate. Soft bread was served with it which I prefer to crackers or hard crunchy bread that might as well be a cracker. A must get appetizer in my humble cheese loving opinion.

A Non-winner

Pago

(http://pagoslc.com/)

Cost: Market (which was $14)

Cheese: Honey Glazed White Cheddar, Brie, Bleu Cheese (drizzled with balsamic vinegar)

No Dice. Although the cheese were good there was little of it and nothing exciting about the variety. We shared it between two people (it wouldn't go much beyond that if you both like cheese). The plate was huge, but there was very little on there. You could tell their focus was on presentation. I loved the thinly sliced apples, but the bowl of grapes was cheesy (the bad kind of cheese) and extinguished any appeal of the presentation.
The cheese was served with only a few baked slices of baguette bread. It was very tough to eat and I was self conscious of how much noise my crunching was making.
Maybe I am not used to the small servings that are common at fine dinning restaurants, but I expected to have my taste buds wowed for a $14 appetizer. Good, but I'd pass the cheese platter in favor of trying a different dish.

WEAR: Fall Coats

Does anyone else feel fall just around the corner?  When I start hearing that first briskness rolling around the seasonal corner I immedietely start envisioning layered days outfitted in tweeds and wools and cashmere.

So I bring you a roundup of gorgeous coats.  It's never to early to start planning.

Boden Carnaby Coat - $138

Boden British Tweed Blazer - $198

J.Crew Stadium Cloth Peacoat - $240

J.Crew Icon Trench Coat - $298

Anthropologie Terrace House Jacket - $138

Anthropologie Iberia Coat - $548 YIKES

Anthropologie Cream Confection Jacket - $178

Kate Spade "Ivy" Raincoat - $525 YIKES

Banana Republic Cotton Boyfriend Blazer - $130

Madewell Sweater Blazer - $168

Forever 21 Cadet Button Knit Jacket - $24.80

Granted the last one is the only one in my price range these days, but a girl can still dream.

BBR Date Night

We had a little adventure this weekend which we like to call a blonde, brunette and a redhead date, BBR for short. Our lives have become very busy so we don't often get to spend time together. Last week we headed to the Salt Lake Art Center for some much needed bonding and a little golf practice.

"The Salt Lake Art Center is exhibiting Contemporary Masters: Artist-Designed Miniature Golf, 18 fully-playable works of contemporary art like you’ve never seen before. Contemporary Masters features original creations by top artists from Utah and around the nation that explore diverse ideas (the current immigration debate, the fragility of personal identity, and the meditative value of Donkey Kong) in equally diverse media, including woven fabrics, video installations, and shredded paper." —Art Center Web

REDHEAD

Let's just say my long game is much better than my short game. I have always been horrible at minigolf. Turn minigolf into art and my skills remain subpar (yes I went there). The first hole was a par 1, it took me 2 shots. All I had to do was hit the ball and it would roll down the hill into the hole. There was no way to miss, but I did. Somehow my orange ball got stuck right next to the hole and didn't drop. There may have or may not have been several holes I just simply gave up and dropped my ball into the hole. Cheating, I think not. I prefer to think of it as helping move the game along.

All in all, I thought it was a creative exhibit idea to get visitors more involved in the art (literally). If we were going to have a rating system on our blog, I'd give it 4.5 stars (-.5 star because you had to wear booties which were not fun with flipflops) or 2 thumbs up (you can't do a half a thumb, that is weird).

BRUNETTE

WHAT??? Miniature Golf made by ARTISTS? (Rub my eyes, clean out my ears, wet my whistle...) When I heard of this awesomeness I could not contain myself. Truly this would have been my dream date. And sadly I went with my roommates (sorry ladies) so there was no immediete falling-in-lovage that quite possibly could have incurred if a gentleman caller had been smart enough to take me to this glorious place first. Really. I love love loved it, and was intrigued by all the creative genius that went behind this concept. My game started off really strong (I am the most competitive of the bunch) but soon I lost interest in winning and gained more interest in enjoying and critiquing the work that went into the show/installation/general awesomeness. (Ok I really like the word awesome...I know) Anyways, I would definitely give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up and 5 whole stars because unlike Redhead, I thought the booties were RAD.

BLONDE

This was fun. Really fun. And not just because I won. It doesn't matter, I won by infinity. There are two holes that have par infinity. And amazing as it is, it took me just 2 strokes to get my ball in the hole at the Donkey Kong exhibit. Wow, the luck I had! and I turned to Brunette to have her share in my joy and it she hadn't seen it, neither had Redhead. Much disappointment because there is no way to verify this amazing feat. Just know that it is true my friends, it is true.

I give it 4.5 stars as well, for the bootie factor. I understand the need for the booties, but that didn't make them less annoying. Maybe if you don't wear flip-flops you can love it as much as Brunette, but Redhead and I were both sporting the casual footwear that placed the booties at their current state of annoying. Other than the bootie kerfuffle, I quite enjoyed myself.

DO:
Salt Lake Art Center: Contemporary Golf Exhibit
20 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801.328.4201
http://www.slartcenter.org/

Regular Hours:
Tuesday–Thursday: 11 am–6 pm
Friday: 11 am–9 pm
Saturday: 11 am–6 pm