Beyond the Red Doors

Have you ever wondered what’s behind the red doors?  I’m referring to the red doors of the Elizabeth Arden Luxury Spa and Hair Salon, of course.

I’ve heard of the famous red doors before and I’ve often passed them in various high-end shopping centers, but before yesterday, I had never glimpsed what lay behind them.

Thanks to my sweet husband, however, I was able to find out.  At his request, I was to schedule whatever service I wanted – pre-natal massage, body waxing, hair color – -you name it, the sky was the limit.  Since I had no desire to have anyone touch my pregnant body (I’m weird that way I guess) and I definitely wasn’t going near the wax, I had instead signed up for a manicure, pedicure, and hair cut.

Yesterday was the big day and I arrived at the red doors at 8:00 am.

They swung open to reveal a beautiful lobby

with an equally red elevator.

Up to the 2nd floor I went where I was greeted by a pleasant young man who wished me good morning and asked if I would like something to drink.

Given my recent tendency to need to use the bathroom every five minutes, I merely asked to use the facilities before making myself comfortable in this lovely waiting area.

I didn’t have to wait long.  A cute little girl named Sharonda soon took me to the pedicure room where I was able to kick off my shoes (or struggle to peel them off, in my case) and submerge my feet in a warm mixture of water, suds and something that smelled good.

I immediately felt the tension leave my body as the water washed over my swollen toes.  The view that greeted me was equally relaxing as it was a nice combination of urban architecture and ice skaters – my favorite.  (You can’t see it in this picture, but the windows over-looked an ice rink.)

Sharonda was sweet and while I succumbed to the pure bliss that is a pedicure, we chatted about maternity clothes, school, and even my upcoming birth (she’s gone through the process three times herself).  It was comfortable and relaxing and I was in heaven.

And that was before my legs were draped in hot paraffin wax and covered with steaming towels.

But alas, all good things must come to an end eventually, so after about an hour, my feet were polished and ready to go.

I slipped on my complimentary flip flops and headed to the manicure table.

There I received more of the same treatment: deliciously fragrant lotion, a relaxing massage, and all-out pampering.  It was truly delightful, as I’m sure you can tell by the spaced-out look on my cheeky face (hey – I’m 260 days pregnant after all).

After my fingernails were buffed and polished, it was time to say goodbye to Sharonda and hello to Carol.

She walked me back to the salon and proceeded to wash and rinse my hair.  Since I simply wanted a trim (a couple of inches), the whole wash, cut, style process only took about 20 minutes.  But the end result was clean, shiny hair and best of all – my split ends were gone, so I was happy.  I was told that my complimentary make-over was next but at that point, though still relaxed, I was worried about my parking meter situation and the possibility of receiving a ticket.  (That would have really put a damper on the morning, don’t you think?)

Besides, I really wasn’t planning on buying expensive make up, not today.  The old Tabitha would have done that no problem, but the new Tabitha, the one who now spends all of her extra money on cute toys and baby clothes that she probably doesn’t need, couldn’t justify it.

So I paid my bill and went on my way.

The whole experience was, in a word: bliss.

Not only was I able to relax and enjoy someone taking care of me, but I was finally able to see beyond the elusive red doors.  That right there was worth it.

(A huge thank you to my husband who made this whole thing possible – you are the sweetest man ever.  And a big apology for the quality of the pictures, that’s a camera phone for you!)

Do you regularly visit spas or specifically, the Red Door Spa?  What would you have done if you could go?