Abby Loves

A Perfect Towel & Driftwood Rack, Perfect Pick #1

As a follow-up to my Blissful Bathing Post, here's the very first of 14 "Perfect Picks" to creating your own personal bath oasis:  This post is all about the perfect towel and a spectacular place to hang it.  

If your going for luxury AND style, I love Orla Kiely's fresh, geometric bath sheets.  Her patterns are so modern and fun, they're great for adding some energy and life to any bath room.

 

For luxury with a more subtle style, Macy's Luxury Hotel Collection  is perfect. These towels are excessively oversized to cover every inch of your body, dangerously soft and fluffy to resemble a heavenly cloud-like substance, and come in a plethora of visually appealing colors to mix and match with your bathroom motif easily.

 

For about half the price of the Hotel Collection, a close second  is Fieldcrest's Towel Sets at Target:. I'm a sucker for the ultra plush, super spongey Fieldcrest Towels.  I have a bunch of these but I should warn you, these tend to pull so I always keep a set in the bathroom as decoration while all the ones we use are hidden in the linen closet.  If the threads don't bother you, they're a good option for the price and feel.

Along with the towels, I thought it would be fun to add something sweet and unique to this post...  a Reclaimed Wood Towel Rack to hang your new towels on.  Is there anything that doesn't look good as reclaimed wood?  I have yet to find it.  If you're not handy or have money to burn, I love these one-of-a-kind racks by Bricheese on Etsy.  They have some very pretty and affordable pieces plus some great ideas if you've got a wood shop at home!

Blissful Bathing - 14 Perfect Picks

About once a month I take a mini vacation in my bathtub.  I love taking baths... slipping under the warm, steamy water, inhaling the wafting aromas of softly scented bubbles and letting it carry me away from the world for just a little while.

With a little extra planning, I can take this time to create the perfect escape.  Here's how:  I throw two of my best fluffy towels in the dryer, along with my robe, spa wrap and bath mat to heat them up.  I pick out a collection of bubble bath, bath milk, bath salts and any other products I might feel like using depending on my mood and the season. I run the water, pour in the bubbles and set up my cushy bath pillow.  I grab my towel, robe and mat out of the dryer, roll them up to keep them warm, pour myself a cup of tea, wine or water,  light a scented candle, line up my products along the tub, place my jewelry in a decorative dish, undress and slide myself under the water letting it work it's magic.

I then close my eyes and drift away to someplace beautiful in my mind.... periodically finding some motivation to dip into a salt scrub, or squeeze water from a natural sea sponge letting it run through my fingers to make soapy little streams down my arm.

While I'm enveloped in this warm-water blanket, I let my mind wander and take in the simple pleasures of what's around me... the flicker of the candle light bouncing off the walls, the way the steam rises off the water, the aroma wafting from the bubbles, the way the trickling water tickles my ears and the pure peacefulness of the moment.  

When I'm ready to get back to my world, I stand up, step onto my heated bath mat, grab a warm towel to dry off, wrap the other warm towel around my head, slather on a creamy body souffle,  slip on my warm robe, take a deep breath and smile.

No matter how short-lived, bath time creates a pocket of weightlessness in my ever hectic world. It is one of the easiest, quickest and least expensive ways to find a moment to pamper myself. For anyone wanting to hit the reset button on relaxation, or find yourself in need of some TLC, I highly recommend this recipe for creating the most perfect, blissful bath.  

I'll follow up with a Post for each "Perfect Pick" that'll include more pictures, info and links to each of these so don't forget to check back.  You can also click on the Category "Blissful Bathing" to explore them all.   Don't forget to share some of your own "perfect picks", I'm always looking for a new blissful bathing product to try out!

If Happiness had a Scent

Today I discovered the happiest treat for my hands strolling through the Italian North End of Boston.  While visiting one of my favorite little shops called Shake the Tree, I found a creamy, heavenly-scented hand lotion by Lolita.  My favorite was called WISH, and I'll be carrying this treasure around with me  in my bag for quite awhile!  

This cream has a soft aroma of Jasmine, Amber, Wood and Vanilla which reminds me of home every time I unscrew the cap and inhale.  The lotion although very creamy, absorbs quickly into my skin and leaves behind a smooth, rejuvenated, supple surface.