Wishful Dreaming!

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was just a girl collecting antiques and helping other people decorate their homes along with my friend, Sharon Gilbert. It felt like it happened overnight when I made the decision to go out on my own and find a place for my shop to open. Before I knew it....it was happening!!! My dream was quickly becoming a reality!! What I really can't comprehend is that my youngest child who is about to graduate from High School and head to Auburn, University in the fall was just 6 years old! Which means that my oldest child, Mitch was 16 and Holly was 13!!! 

WHAT WAS I THINKING? HOW DID I DO IT? WAS I OUT OF MY MIND?

I'm still not sure!!! I think I was just a lot younger then and had a lot more energy than I do now! 

However, when I think back on those early days they are only happy memories, and I pray that my children feel the same way!

I know those were fun and exciting times and it's been such a joy to watch the shop grow...meet so many wonderful people along the way and get to visit lots of fun places....

I can truthfully tell you the absolute most fun thing we did was to go on our first buying trip! Boy...were we "young and dumb!" But we traveled in style and made memories I will never forget!

Take a look at the places we were lucky enough to stay in!! Let alone the places we got to eat in, shop in, etc....

Our first stop....Paris! What more could you ask for!!!!
This was literally the view from our room!

We stayed in the Hotel Lancaster and loved every minute of it... (when ) we were there and not shopping ourselves to death!!

 We felt so glamorous!

Until we had to search the lobby for our guides, Anna and Norman! If only I had known from the beginning that we would fall in love with them! Truly, two of the sweetest most giving people I have ever known!

The Lobby of any hotel can be a scary place ...Especially when you are in Paris for the first time! 

But of course when we saw our incredible room....

We were thrilled!!! In fact...I remember running out to get our first chocolate croissant!

 We just wanted to experience Paris!

I will never forget the size of the suite....or the incredible bathroom! 

When I choose a hotel it is ALWAYS based on the bathroom!!
 Just-You-Wait!!

The Decor could NOT have been any better!!

All too quickly the flea markets, etc...were over and we had to make our way to...Normandy  which I did a post on not too long ago.
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Then it was "Off to Provence"!! What fun!!

We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast, The Bastide Rose

And I am not lying when I say....these fields, these buildings...everything...

is truly what we saw from our sparse but lovely room!

I really think the "sparseness" of the room added to the feel of being in the heart of France!

And probably was a nice change from the "lavish" furnishing we had just come from....and we had NO idea what we were in store for at our next stay!!

Our view from The Bastide Rose....was a chance to reflect...
and then we landed here.....

 The Villa Gallici! A Relais and Chateaux Hotel in Aix-En-Provence!

Truly a dream come true!!

This was our view...and I remember feeling SAD!! as we arrived! It was so dark and I was so sad that I couldn't take it all in because of being so tired!!

But...when we woke up the next morning...not only was THIS the view we saw....

This was the glorious suite we got to enjoy!

And it was even fun to sit in the lobby here...a bit stuffy for my taste...

but I managed!!

And like I said earlier....I base ALL hotel choices on the bathroom!!! Can you blame me?? 

And the hotel restaurants rank closely nearby!!

We had our farewell brunch here before we set off for home...
(wouldn't be a bad place to celebrate Valentine's Day would it?)

As much as I long to travel back to all of these places...there truly isn't a better place than home! But it never hurts to dream... and dream BIG!!