Serenity at Sea

My family loves to travel, whether it be individual or with each other. My mother, father and I took a cruise while my brother took the opportunity to ski with friends about 2 years ago. Before the Royal Caribbean Cruise I turned 21 and was so thrilled to relax on a boat with a lemon martini (my favorite) and a magazine in the shade. We made dinner plans and shore excursion plans before we started our trip. I was especially excited to swim with the dolphins for the first time in Mexico and zip line through the jungle of Jamaica! My parents while they work tirelessly always seem to have an exuberant amount of energy to play! They are really thrill seekers at heart. My father chiefly has always motivated me to live as much as I work through his own endeavors. While swimming with live sea creatures and swinging through the trees were some of the most memorable moments I have with my parents thus far, the activities left us hot and sticky with sweat, in dire need of a body nourishing refreshment.  Within the next few days while the ship traveled through the middle of the sea, my parents indulged my wish to have a treatment at the spa. I was weary of the size of the facility because on a cruise ship everything tends to deficient of a lot of room to spread out and relax with exception of the deck. None the less they had a treatment I was excited to try. I had never used a dry exfoliate before. The treatment started with a soft dry brush over my skin, followed by lush organic aromatic oils that seeped quickly into my skin with the amount of salt water that I had been playing in for the last few days it was a welcome change in moisture. The next step to this treatment was the dry scrub. The granules were finer than the normal sugar scrubs I was used to being pampered with. My skin took to it brilliantly. The polish also followed by a steam shower and a cooling cucumber body cream. I was a glowing sight to see after the dry scrub treatment. I loved the look so much of course I bought a jar for myself. I still have the rather large mason jar it is about a third full and I use it for special occasions when I want to glow. Adventure can and should always be rewarded with pampering. My philosophy is to forever keep my mind and body pristine and polished so I can remain the porcelain girl!

Signing Off,

XX Porcelain Girl

Love for Lavender

I turned 20 years old and my birthday fell on the same weekend that everyone was celebrating Easter. So being the privileged girl that I am and with the loving family that I have my brother and I flew to Dallas Tx to meet my family. My mother of course booked a beautiful brunch in a gorgeous hotel in downtown. We broke bread as a family and because this is a rarity for two college students and their parents we wanted to make merry of the entire weekend. Taking our celebrations to the roof of the hotel we where we were staying “The Jewel Dallas Texas” we exchanged Easter Baskets and my parents surprised me with an in room massage. The Jewel is not equipped with a fully accommodating spa but an on call therapist. While my parents and brother spent time by the pool I went to the room to find a massage table already set up and a plush robe and some of my comfortable cloths set up on the bed (by my mother no doubt) taking the extra time to concern yourself with details makes of an amazing treatment. As pampered girls we all want to be attended to with the utmost detail. I have my mother to thank for teaching me my stellar attention to specific facet.  While I love citrus because of its increasable aroma and skin toning principles, this was the first time I had been scrubbed with Lavender. I got undressed and laid down to find a soothing bouquet calming my stressed mind and body. The therapist was attentive and careful and it was no wonder she was doing house calls, a well trained masseuse is hard to come by.  She left me with the mostly full bottle of scrub in the spirit of cleanliness and lack of contamination.  From that point on if my weeks are epically stressful I still find myself soaking in a lavender bath or using a lavender lotion before bed.

Signing off,

XX Porcelain Girl

Vegas BabySoft

I turned twenty one and my mother and her best friend from college and my best colligate friend and I took off on a jet and landed in sin city! This trip is one of my favorite girl trips I’ve taken so far! If your girl friends are ever lost for places to find some relaxation don’t discount this wild city. The jet landed and we did not stop for 5 days! Parties, Concerts, Comedy clubs, and Mimosa Breakfasts to recharge and start all over again! One of the most memorable things about the trip was the beautiful Palms Spa. With our stay in one of suits in Palms Place we gained daily access to the spa and gym. This is a beautiful indoor refuge! This facility has something I had never seen before. The Palms spa has a mosaic-rich co-ed steam bath will cleanse you with sensual steam as has been the Turkish custom for many centuries. This beautiful catacomb of steam is exactly the place you want to be when you are drained from nights of partying. The staff at the Drift Spa at the Palms is quick to get you anything if asked. The rich treatments at this spa match its rich texture in design and well deserved attention to detail by the staff. As you may be able to see by now but I am a big fan of Treatments in particular, Scrubs! I had the

PURE BLISS

This exfoliation treatment whisks away dry, dead skin cells to allow new, healthy skin to emerge. Spend a few minutes in a warm shower to rinse away any traces of purifying polish and prepare for a finishing application of hydrating cream that will leave the skin refined and restored.

50 minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This amazing treatment gave me just the energy I needed for one last memorable night in Vegas with some of my favorite people. Above anything else good service is key to an enjoyable treatment in a spa. Because I am always looking to mix adventure with my relaxation Vegas makes a perfect destination for a vacation.

http://www.palms.com/pools/las-vegas-hammam-drift-spa/?gclid=CPup-qPM8LMCFS-RPAodDDcA6g

More In Texas

My home state may be flat and hot but it is not lacking in beautiful and luxurious spas! My mother and I were in Dallas TX shopping and enjoying a girl’s weekend. My mother has this uncanny ability to find the best hidden treasures when booking vacations. We just happened to be at a newly renovated hotel called the Stoneleigh. I had never heard of the hotel but apparently it is a favorite spot for the Dallas Cowboys and their better halves to relax. And that is just what we accomplished at this beautiful quante hotel. Not only is the hotel staff sweet and willing to offer a hand when asked she spa is handsome and quit. A quiet spa is a feature that makes the event worthwhile. As you sink into their two giant hot tubs (clothing optional) there are an assortment of salts to massage into your skin and then let slip away into the perfect temperature in bubbles that surround you. This is all before you shower and head into the quiet room to await your treatment. I have been back to the Stoneleigh several times because I enjoy all their treatments. The therapist are well trained and always kind and quiet.

http://www.luxestoneleigh.com/

Daddy and I at Gaylord Relâche Spa

My father travels for medical conferences and School board conferences at least twice a year for further education. He is a dedicated man who works hard and plays hard. I am blessed to have parents that take the time to focus on family. I am a native Texan and I’ve spent several summer weekends and school breaks in various luxury hotels in Dallas and Austin Texas. Some of the best spa experiences I have become a veteran to were in Texas. I was lucky enough to accompany my father to a conference in Grapevine TX. While he was in meetings all day I spent some time in their luxurious spa. I make it a habit to try a spas signature treatment because each spa mixes produces differently and each therapist has a unique way of pampering. The Gaylord Relâche Spa has an amazing citrus scrub treatment that left me so silky smooth! The Treatments called the Tropical Island Glow. I loved the product so much I took home a jar for self treatments in the shower! But the best part of that trip was seeing the Bush family and recommending the spa to Jenna Bush on vacation with her father just like me.

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan/grapevine-dallas-day-spa/index.html#

 

New York New York

My second memory of being pampered until I was swept into serenity was in New York New York in 2007. I was a senior in high school. It was only supposed to be a choir field trip, but it turned into much more. The first day we got to the big apple, we sang in honor of those who lost their lives in the 2001 taliban attack on the Twin Towers in the small church that sat opposite of ground zero. In the latter part of the week after touring our voices, we got the opportunity to explore the city. My sweet mother who tagged along as a chaperone (but mostly to spend time with me in the city) told me she had a surprise for me. We went promenading down the fashion district and stopped at a large grey building that looked like nothing more than an old factory turned into office space. We walked through hell’s kitchen to get to this hidden jewel. But for the life of me I cannot remember the name of this spa. Once inside the thick metal door we climbed a concrete staircase and after cautiously stepping down a long hallway not knowing if we were in the right space we entered an arch with silk draped in the corners we entered into this hidden oasis.  My mother and I both got sea weed body treatments. And after being pampered we ate lunch on a gorgeous garden patio overlooking the city.  Holding my mother’s hand she smiled at me and told me that privilege is a blessing and comes from hard work and perseverance. I have been working since that day to create a future filled with blessing for myself and others.  

Signing off,

XX Porcelian Girl

Premirere Pamper

My first experience with a fully accommodating spa was my 16^th birthday in 2005. My mother flew me to Florida in mid June. We stayed on Disney Grounds. She took me to each of the different spas on premises, Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and A Disney Spa at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. We each got a different treatment at each spa. I was taken back in a plush robe and introduced to my first taste of holistic wellness in massage. We were so impressed by the staff and comfort at Saratoga Springs that we went back for another treatment later in the week. My very first scrub was a citrus, ginger, chamomile blend. I remember my skin being able to breath for the first time. I was hooked. My premiere occurrence became something I would not soon escape, not that anyone ever wants to slip out of the tepid robe and get back into chilly coarse street cloths.

Signing off,

XX Porcelian Girl