Life* á la mode

Still on the topic of Anthropologie, believe it or not.

I started temp work at the store, putting stuff together for the grand opening next Friday. The interior is amazing – it’s got a more modern feel to it than the ones I’ve been in and it’s fairly large in space. The first Anthropologie I went to was in Boston across from the Prudential Center. It was a two-storey structure and very cozy and country living like. The one I’ve been into at the Lenox Mall in Atlanta, GA is smaller, as is the one in Naples and each store seems to share commonalities like natural display stands (wood, wrought iron) and ery organic decor. It was great watching the display people at work, and to watch a shell of a room come together at the skilled hands of people who obviously love what they’re doing.
Nashville’s store has a more modern feel to it than the others I’ve been in, without losing the integrity or feel that is so in tune with Anthropolgie’s style.

They open on Friday, August 31st. There will be clothes there that won’t be there anymore come Monday and they all come in single size runs so if you’re lucky to find your size in a dress you like, odds are, you’ll be the only girl in Nashville to have it so definitely brave the crowd and go shop there next weekend.

In spite of the miserable heat outside, I wanted to spend all my money on their corduroys and sweaters!!! And the home accessories! The sheets! Those wonderful books and stationery! The lingerie!!!! I thought my head was going to explode when I walked in!!!! And just to narrow it down and not give away just how much I plan on splurging there, here are my top 3 clothing items I’d love to have:

Can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a long work week, the husband and I decided to (finally) use a gift certificate we received when we got married for a Couple’s Massage at Escape Day Spa in Space in Belle Meade.

If you’ve ever been in Spaces, you’ll notice that all the shops share the same dark, lacquered (I guess it’s conreted or poured cement) flooring. The decor in Escape compliments what is normally a warehouse looking space (the raw looking flooring and the vents/pipes under the ceiling) and gives it a very modern feel with its soft, white lighting and dark wood shelving and furniture.

Maybe it’s my heritage, but Asian, zen-inspired decor makes me giddy. I was very impressed with how they used the space – the salon part is upstairs, set off from the receptionist’s desk by screens. The lovely girl behind the desk had us fill out forms and showed us to the shower and massage facilities on the floor below. They really try to keep the atmosphere as relaxing as possible so cell phone use is discouraged.

The locker rooms are also furnished with dark wood lockers, a huge shower that has wooden flooring – almost Balinese in feel. It’s a spa so everything looks and feels clean but unlike other spas I’ve been to, Escape isn’t clinical. Their staff wear chocolate brown robes, to match the complimentary robes guests are given to wear. Everyone speaks in low voices, and while it was apparent by the almost full lockers that there were a lot of people there, you don’t really get to see everyone. They do a great job of making the experience private and personal which I loved.

The Couple’s Massage takes place in a special room. Two beds, one on a higher platform and one on the floor, are separated also by a white, rectangular bathtub that’s sunken into the wood floor on the raised platform. We had Brittney and Susannah as our masseuses and they did a wonderful job – just the right pressure, worked out the kinks and by the time they were done at the end of almost 80 minutes, the husband and I were fast asleep.

After the massage, they leave the room and we have about 25 minutes to soak in the tub, which is a hydrotherapy/chromatherapy (as the warm water bubbles and loosens you, the ambient lighting in the tub change colors) soak.

We were definitely revitalized after and we were talking about how relaxed we still felt this morning. It was probably the best wedding gift we received, we might even treat ourselves to it again soon!

Other than massages and a salon, they also have yoga classes there. Gift cards can be purchased online or at the spa. So whether it’s for you and your special someone, or just for you for some alone time to be pampered, Escape won’t disappoint. You could say it lives up to its name!

Escape Day Spa ˚ 6000 Highway 100, Nashville 37205 ˚ (615) 352 3545