"Life is a journey, life is what you make of it, look at the glass half full, every cloud has a silver lining," all these quotes out in the universe must be there for a reason, right? They are so easy to say to someone else going through turmoil, but when turmoil lands in your lap, do we go to what we preach or do we get on the pity train? 

This is what I have loved about this flood experience at our Bristol spa. The proof that my personal work on myself over the last 20 years, reading books by Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, David Richo and the endless supply of self help books out there kicked in a positive patty outlook in what could otherwise be viewed as a dismal situation.

I learned that the culture I have created with my team kicked in a We Can attitude that continues 12 weeks later. The alayne white spa goddess team has been calm, creative and focused during this transition of having a lovely place to work filled with clients to a makeshift space with great clients willing to do whatever it takes to help us get back up and running.

What’s taking so long is probably going through your minds? 

Continue reading...

Our business was going along great, our team was really happy, we were actively hiring more team members to satisfy the ever-growing demand for our services and our clients couldn't say enough nice things about us in their lovely positive testimonials.

We had 2 locations, providence for almost 6 years and Bristol for almost 11 years in the same locations.

Then on February 10, Storm Nemo happened and everything changed in our brsitol location because the hotel that our business resides in pipes burst flooding part of our lovely space and damaging our heating system.

I have learned to look at life through positive patty glasses. I had never once thought, poor me, poor us. I looked at this as an opportunity to refocus our vision and decide if this was a sign that it was time for a nice big forced change.

After dealing with the insurance settling as this takes way more time than I imagined, it gave me some time to think about moving and then a few opportunities came up and here we are. 12 WEEKS LATER AND WE ARE MOVING.

Continue reading...

It's been such a busy time since the flood, with lots happening that we are dying to share. And we will be sharing! Sharing the love and the gratitude for our loyal customers and friends.

Keep an eye on our FB wall in the coming weeks. We'll be spotlighting all of the wonderful goddesses that make up our spa family. Bristol goddesses who have been rearranging their lives to work in Providence, and to make all the necessary adjustments to keep treatments running smoothly in Bristol. And the goddesses in Providence who have opened their arms to our Bristol staff and our customers. We have extended our hours in Providence and BOY are you guys filling up the schedule!

Continue reading...

The infamous Nemo storm a few weeks ago, created some interesting weather conditions in our Bristol Spa located in the Bristol Harbor Inn. The pipes burst, yikes. We are operating at about 10% capacity right now in our Bristol location doing modified treatments.We are lucky that we took over some addtional space this past year and have created a mini spa atmosphere. Our Providence location is open monday-friday from 9:30-8:30 pm and Saturday from 9-4:30. Bristol is still open regular hours.

Needless to say our focus is to get up and 100% running and this is going to take about 12 weeks! Fortunately, we have amazing insurance, (thank you Selective and John Andrade Insurance) and more importantly an amazing team. We have added hours in our Providence location and are doing our best to service our clients the way you are all used to. For now we are offering limited services in Bristol, our shorter services like good old fashined facials, pedicures, waxing, peels, lash tints. Not as quiet, but still private and still fun, be part of the party, the best is yet to come.

Pictures of the GREAT FLOOD....

a drawer in our beloved pedicure room

our recently upolstered chaise lounge. water logged beyond repair.

our underground area where our now defunct heating ac system rests in peace.

the pedicure room

our beautiful collection of foot pictures out to dry

and pictures of the newer space we are temporarily operating in.some of my amaing team in the new space in bristol. in happier days....

happy clients in the new space, curtains behind are the rooms in which we are using for our services.

Continue reading...

The beauty of your breath is that it is free and totally accessible. It is like having a spa treatment right inside your body that you can access at anytime or any place. It is stress relieving, it is humbling and breath creates a calmness in your mind that is immediate gratification.

Most women breathe unconsciously, shallow, quick, light. We are on the fly so why wouldn’t we breathe from the tops of our bodies. Deep breath is grounding. Notice your breath today, right now.  Notice how it enters, how it travels, how it leaves. Can you pay attention to the space between the breath entering and leaving?

An easy New Years Resolution can be just simply creating an awareness of the humbling power of breath. Here is a simple short very homemade video of a demonstration. (Pardon the rawness of it, but it was the wee hour of the morning and the mood struck.) Read on for some more tips for this New Year, let this be the year of you. May it be a healthy and joyful one.

So here is the idea. I want to create an awareness movement. I 'd like to simply start with awareness of our breath and our daily breathing. I want us to be in awe of our breath and how much we need it, how much we take it for granted and how lovely it is to wake up one morning with a consciousness of our wondrous and free breath. Ours for the taking, Imagine. We have the ability to access calmness anytime of the day. Breath is free. All it takes is some practice and some awareness and bingo, you have a moment to yourself that brings you right home. TO YOU. I am uploading some smiley photos of people who make me breathe happily and joyfully. Take a breath. Pay attention. Notice the insides of you today and see what its wisdom teaches.

Continue reading...

my grandmother's mirror from florence, oliviagird.com

Gratitude is something we hear about a lot around Thanksgiving time. I love the excuse to talk about gratitude as I think it is one of the best ways to reduce stress and ease your mind in times of turmoil.

This quote sums it up from an author unknown; “Be thankful for the bad things in life, for they open your eyes to the good things you weren’t paying attention to before.”

I have found that owning a business has such moments of stress that it is easy to send myself into a tailspin and focus on the things that are not happening at the speed of light that I desire.

I have spent countless hours fretting over the little things that ultimately become insignificant when time takes its natural course. The discipline of gratitude and recalling all the things that I am thankful for has an immediate calming effect that it is almost like I went for a spa treatment at my spa.

So here I sit at the famous 3:00am hour wide awake, writing because that is what I am called to do rather than sleep. I am listening to Gabriela Montero, Albinoni Adagio; Baroque. The sounds of the piano at this witching hour make me take a deep breath. I look around my bedroom and notice the display of photos of my brother, Michael, who passed away 17 years ago this Nov 20. I look at my space and notice how far I have come in my 47 ½ years. I look at my dog sleeping quietly next to me. I spot my grandmother’s mirror she bought in Florence when she was probably my age trying to find herself as a woman and a mother and wife. I pause at the magnitude of life’s lessons and the journey it presents to me when I take a moment to stop the cyclone that goes on in my head and take a wondrous look.

this sun my brother drew before he died, i love it. it makes me so happy and grateful for the life we shared, albeit short, but ohhh so sweet.

Continue reading...