Have you ever had one of those days where everything seemed to go just right? Well, I had such a day which started on a bright Sunday morning with blogger friends at the Avalon, mixed-use development located in Alpharetta, GA. It’s a beautiful destination offering shopping, dining, entertainment, living options and more. We all met up at L’Occitane for a morning of pampering to be followed by a casual brunch. Doesn’t that sound glorious?
Just imagine being escorted into the boutique by the tranquil sounds of Harpist, Julie Koenig. I’m a firm believer that music sets the tone for special occasions such as this. It also helps to have a lovely lady named Caryl offering refreshing Mimosas to make the pampering “funner.”
With beverage in hand I took a look around the store and found myself in awe of the vast array of the body products and fragrances inspired by natural Ingredients found in the South of France. What we find on the shelves of L’Occitane is very very nice but the really good stuff is what would make you respect and adore the brand. The company cares about the community. One of L’Occitane’s philanthropic initiatives is their support of the visually impaired, both financially and socially. They even make shopping at the stores more accessible by adding braille labels to many of their products. How cool is that?!
Now, about the pampering…
The super attentive staff at L’Occitane lavished us with mini facials and massages. I started with a Seated Massage by Bria Dailey of Dailey Relaxing, Inc. It was my first time having one of this type and what an experience it was. Bria worked on my upper back, shoulders, hands and arms. They were shaken, stirred and rotated into submission. And then I had another Mimosa.
Next, I received a mini product tour by Muriel. She was offering mini facials but I opted for education instead. In case you didn’t know, L’Occitane offers cleansers and creams for varying skincare concerns. For me, those might be anti-aging, oily and uneven skin tone.
Finally, I had a nice hand massage by Jo. She was kind and very easy to talk to. If I had an ounce of stress left in me she slipped that little worry right on out through my fingertips. Thank you for that Jo. 🙂 Thanks also to Kathy, the store Manager, Victoria (hand massages) and Kyle (mini facials) for making our morning so special.
Being pampered can really help you work up an appetite. The next item on our agenda was brunch.
Two restaurants participated in our day out. A portion of us brunched at South Main Kitchen and the others at Butcher & Brew. They’re located next door to one another so yay for convenience. I scored a seat at South Main and have to say that the food was spot on. We sampled seven dishes from the Brunch menu. Check out these pics and be warned; you eat with your eyes first so you may be full when you get to the last one. LOL. I know… that’s so lame. But look.
KALE & BRUSSEL SPROUT SALAD | almond, pecorino, dried cranberry, ginger + blood orange vinaigrette.
QUINOA SALAD | arugula, feta, carrot, pumpkin seed, red onion, red pepper, herbed vinaigrette.
PARMESAN GNOCCHI | marinara sauce, sautéed wild mushrooms.
BRUSSEL SPROUTS | feta, bacon, ginger + blood orange vinaigrette.
SHORT RIB CREPES | rosemary pan sauce, caramelized onion, bacon, spinach, red bell pepper, goat cheese, pickled jalapenos.
GARDEN OMELETTE | cauliflower, tomato, arugula, mushrooms, pecorino cheese, red pepper cream sauce.
BISCUIT AND GRAVY | buttermilk buiscuit, sausage gravy.
I bet you’re actually hungry rather than full now. Both salads were light and flavorful with just the right amount of vinaigrette. The Brussels Sprouts will help you forget the awful ones our mothers forced us to eat… at least for the moment. The short rib crepes and garden omelette were both entrees I’d order again because they satisfy without over stuffing. Plus, they’re both delicious! The biscuit with sausage gravy is an entree I’d share with Steeler Fan (aka the hubs). It’s hearty for me but manageable if I can get a little help.
As if all of this wasn’t enough, we received a bag of swag lovingly prepared by our organizer, Chef Melissa of The Front Porch Gourmet. She’s the best. Our bag was filled with goodies from L’Occitane, Stirrings Cocktail Mixers, Scout & Molly’s and Chef M. Thank you all!
To learn more about L’Occitane
Visit their Website | Follow on Instagram | Follow on Twitter
To learn more about South Main Kitchen
Visit their Website | Follow on Instagram | Follow on Twitter
Disclosure: Our Pampering and Brunch experiences were complimentary. I received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions are based on my own personal experience. You can view my full Disclosure Policy here.
