If there is such a thing as reincarnation, and I did have a past life, I believe I was an Egyptian queen. I'm not the only one who thinks this, I'll have you know. Some very sane, logical, non-reincarnation believing people I know completely agree with me. I have what my mother likes to refer to as "expensive tastes", and that's a bit of an understatement. Why am I bringing up reincarnation and my possible past life? Because I want to give you an idea of my perspective when it comes to the Blue Ridge Suite.
I have standards, people. When I go on vacation, I like to be pampered; whisked away from my everyday life and placed gently in the lap of a luxury that I don't get from my day-to-day routine. From the pictures I'd seen of the Blue Ridge Suite (I mean, it does have it's own website!), I knew this wish would be fulfilled, yet I was still amazed at how luxurious it was. From the parking pass that allowed me to pull my car right up in front of the Mustard Seed building where the Suite is located, to the delectable aromas wafting from the various fine-dining restaurants snuggled comfortably below and beside the building, I was transported to vacation land immediately.
Delicate summer dresses presented themselves shamelessly from the store fronts, and promises of relaxing massages and facials caught my eye on the chalkboard sign outside of TeaTrees Boutique Spa. As I walked down the stairs to the private elevator that would take me to the 3rd floor suite, I felt like a foreign dignitary ducking into her secret lair. I know, I have a very active imagination, and I read a lot of mystery and suspense novels.
Alighting on the top floor, I stepped out into the hallway that led me to the front door, and experienced a rush of excitement. I had 5 days of rest and relaxation ahead of me. I took a deep breath as I opened the door...
and, voila! I was home. The pictures didn't do it justice. From the sparkling granite counter tops, to the glossy wooden floor, I stood in awe of its grandeur. (Please note, these pictures were taken after I'd unpacked and thoroughly settled in... to see pictures of it's pristine wonderfulness without all of my junk, please see the website!)
I toted my rolling suitcase around to the bedroom, passing the cozy red love seat and wall mounted flat screen TV, only to take in the glory of the queen sized bed covered in dreamy, cloudy white pillows and duvet.
Is this heaven? And don't even get me started on the bathroom; hold on, I'm trying not to get misty.
The bathroom is large and roomy with two sinks, and a shower with two shower heads. And the walls... oh, how I loved the walls. They were painted in a golden sponge-paint-like pattern with, are you ready for this? Gold glitter! It was faint, but when the light hit it just right, it shimmered. I was absolutely entranced with this bathroom.
I could live in this bathroom. Give me a mini fridge and a coffee pot and I'm good to go.
Once I was able to tear myself away from the bathroom, I walked outside to breathe in some fresh mountain air. The porch is open air, and winds all the way around the suite. There was a fan, and I'm a sucker for outdoor porch fans. I flopped down on the over-sized padded wicker couch and threw my legs up on the matching ottoman. I even ate dinner on the glass topped patio table. There's a wall around the porch that's tall enough for privacy, but not so tall that I couldn't enjoy the majestic sunset and the beautiful sky in the mornings. I spent most of my time outside lounging on the couch, reading and generally enjoying the solitude.
I did, however, walk around downtown for a few hours and stumble into a few of the adorable boutiques, furniture stores, and art galleries on Main Street. I spent most of my time in Wrapsody in Blue, where I remembered how much I love furniture and shiny trinkets to display around the house. And big, red, leather chairs. I must have one. I'll take this one, as a matter of fact!
My friend Alison joined me Friday evening, and was equally as impressed with the suite. She didn't even complain about me making her sleep on the twin sized pullout sofa. According to her, it was the most comfortable pullout bed she's ever slept in! We had dinner at Harvest on Main. I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered a side salad and a side order of macaroni and cheese. I have never had such delectable macaroni and cheese in my life. Alison ordered a rib-eye, and admitted she was jealous of my macaroni cheese from the gasp of delight after I took my first bite, and my obvious desire to make this culinary experience last as long as I could. I highly recommend it.
The next day I took Alison out and showed her the town. We ducked into Glitzy Chix, and realized we were in paradise. We were surrounded by shiny, sparkly necklaces and matching earrings, t-shirts with rhinestones (my favorite kind), and the cutest rubber rain boots I have ever seen.
It's times like this I wish I had the income of an Egyptian queen. I wanted to buy everything. I took Alison into Wrapsody in Blue, and walked her through the store pointing out how I would furnish each room of my house with lamps, tables, and chairs. This is also where I met my new best friend, the feather wreath.
I had no idea these existed. I have since seen many of them, and I am so happy they are making their way into homes across the south. They are the coolest thing I have ever seen.
After spending some time and money at Mercier Orchards (I had to get my Pink Ladies. Alison needed some fudge.) we moseyed back to the Blue Ridge Suite and spent the evening watching one of my favorite movies, "View From The Top", and then catching some "Empty Nest" re-runs before drifting happily off to sleep.
What a blissful 5 days that was. Nothing could have been better. Except maybe a Divine Intervention. But I'll get to that.
So, in conclusion, I love, love, love the Blue Ridge Suite. If you're looking for a vacation with some swagger, this is the place to be.