Thursday, July 21, 2011

chrysalis Inn & Spa review........



Hub’s & I had the pleasure of spending a wonderful night at this beautiful Inn right on Bellingham Bay. Upon pulling into the Inn you feel a world away with the beautiful fountain that greets you. There was no hassle at check in - parking was easy and the entire staff was friendly. The gift shop right next to check in is full of every little thing you could want or need! I bought a birthday gift and a few cards to send to friends. 
The suite was very thoughtfully decorated, extremely comfortable, with a grand twin-sized window seat overlooking the water, while reading my book the view of the bay and the Alaskan State Ferry loaded cars and passengers as they prepared for their Friday night departure from Bellingham bay to Alaska. 


Fino wine bar showcases a graciously proportioned dining room with expansive views of Bellingham Bay. From the exhibition kitchen, the master chef will delight your palette with regional culinary treasures and distinctive wines from around the world. The extensive library of wines is available by the taste, glass, or bottle.
Savor a glass of wine by the fireplace, entertain a party in the dining room, or share an intimate dinner for two on the outdoor terrace.

The Chrysalis balances an inspiration from nature with the sophisticated styling and technology that distinguishes our region. We provide our guests an intimate haven in which to rest and restore during both personal and business retreats.

This place has an Expansive view of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands. It also has a beautiful Waterfront location, with thirty four beautifully appointed deluxe rooms & nine luxurious suites with a Full service day spa, along with a nice
Wine bar & two different types of Meeting Facilities
With cozy throws and pillows, & the King size bed was so lovely with nice linens, with wonderful pillows and the most comfortable mattress. The deep oversized bathtub set beside the retractable wall, allowed for a peek-a- boo view of the stunning lights of the blood red sunset. To top it off, the plush bathrobes and inroom fireplace made this the ideal room for a romantic. This was a perfect place to re connect. 

The hotel thinks of the little details that you might never think of to pack for yourself, like leaving you a few paris of earplugs. You do have some slight noise when the train does steam through on occasion, the placement of the rooms make it absolutely more quiet then you would think of a passing train right under your hotel... Extra things in the room, a nice lounge chair, nice lighting, Complementary wireless internet and a morning newspaper; a very nice flatscreen TV and a great channel selection, with that said, I was very pissy that On Demand was turned off to use but the menu was active so you could see what you could have been watching. Knowing that on demand with comcast is free with the service it should be an option for the people staying here! I would have loved to gotten all caught up on my Reality TV shows! 

The mini bar items are normally high priced but the specialty snacks are outrageously priced- can't imagine they sell many of them, which was sad because I always get a sweet tooth in the evening and always try to buy one or two things to try and sample for the sake of the review ( that is at least what I tell the hubs!) Oh & the FREE morning breakfast was nice and fresh with a small variety of hot and cold choices for you to choose from. With a view of the bay that will have your writing home about
Chrysalsis Inn and Spa makes this a nice and short walk from the train station to the hotel, for being about 5 minutes away by friendly taxi, or a easy 20 minute walk on the private trail that leads you straight to the Inn &Spa’s door.



the Amtrak station is in the beautiful downtown area of Fairhaven, with its wonderful book stores, restaurants, and a special toy store is .2 miles by nice walking trail, and Bellingham is an easy, flat two miles the other way on another fabulous walking trail. This is a nice idea for you to come up from Seattle or even Portland. I love it because once you hit the Amtrak seat I’m in Relax mode, anyone that goes on the train trip will feel the same way so do yourself a favor and book your trip on the Amtrak when you come up to stay here.

A boardwalk runs from the hotel down across the water and into a great little park. At the end of the boardwalk is Woods Coffee shop. What a great afternoon stroll along the water all the while hubs was enjoying his latte & I a double scoop of Ice Cream.... The Dinner options were abundant and within walking distance as well. We hit the book store and got the new children's book, "Go to F*uck to Sleep" laughing the entire time, we also found a wonderful children's store and found my diaper bag!! There are trails that lead from the hotel into Fairhaven. What a cute town that we feel madly in love with.
Sadly we didn't have time to enjoy the Spa, but all the guests that stay here are able to use the shower and steam rooms. 


The Special packages for the Hotel that we will use this summer when we return would have to be The  Relax and enjoy your stay in a deluxe side view room with fireplace, walk-in slate shower, 2 person soaking tub, window seat, down comforters and spa amenities.

Or maybe the Kayak Adventure Package:

“This 3 hour paddle is one of the most scenic and varied available in the Bellingham area. We start out at the Wildcat Cove Boat Launch in Larrabee State Park. We travel north from there along impressively scalloped sandstone cliffs. We often see river otters, seals, cormorants, eagles, loons and oyster catchers along this relatively pristine shoreline. Our destination is Chuckanut (Dot) Island in beautiful Chuckanut Bay. This island is an archaeological site owned by the Nature Conservancy and well known for its visible shell miden (refuse from 10,000 years of native Salish people’s use). We can stretch our legs on its beaches and trails, before reloading our boats for the trip back to Wildcat Cove. If time and weather permit, it is also possible to visit petrified palm tree fossils and a bird sanctuary. A lot to see in a relatively short paddle!”

    The Wine package for all you wine lovers like Hubs and I.
     Tour Whatcom County's Wineries and stay at The Chrysalis Inn.
Discover Whatcom County's boutique wineries with Whatcom Wine Tours. Meet the wine makers, enjoy great wines and experience the beauty Whatcom County has to offer. Each tour includes lunch, a souvenir wine glass and a night at The Chrysalis Inn.
* Side View Deluxe Room $304* Full View Deluxe Room $314* Luxury King                Suite $384* Luxury Corner Suite $404


This Package is a great idea for the Girls weekend. When I do my Shopping weekend with the girls this fall this is the place and package I will be using! 
Our in-room party includes:
* One night stay in a Luxury Room* Manicure or Pedicure* Chair Massage* Champagne and Chocolates* Party Food* Spa Gift

You can also do a wedding package and a great honeymoon here would be amazing. I will come back here when I do my trips up to Bellingham. My sweet sister in law lives up here so it is always a plus when I can find a place to stay and enjoy seeing the family & with the rates so low this is a top on my list. 

I am so looking forward to going back there! I hope that you take the time to go up here it is so worth the trip. 
Tell them Kingstongirl sent ya!




Thank you to photobucket & the chrysalis inn & spa







Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A little lost.......

Things have been a little crazy lately. 
I want to first start by saying how sorry I am that I haven't been writing as much as I should. 
Things have been so busy around here. 
The past few weeks have gone by again so fast. 
We are faced with loosing one of our best friends. 
Our 10 year old Shitzu puppy.
Sophie aka Margret Goodrich




We got Sophie on our 1st V-day. 
We wanted to find a pet that we would have 
be in every sense of the word
"Our baby Girl" 
We looked for her and she was brought to us, 
we rescued her from a lady that couldn't stand her. 
( that was in the ad) 
So we had her and she had our hearts from day one.


In our life we have been able to do so much with Sophie...
Her favorite thing to do is go on car rides, 
especially when they end up 
at the beach. 
With Sophie we have gone on.....
Camping trips, 
Down the Oregon Coast..
To Colorado & Back.
To the Drive-in


When I have been sick she has sat with me, 
making me feel so much better, Every time. 
Taking long naps with me.
All our Friends and Family have fallen in love 
with her like we did. 


She has a Degenerative Disc Disease, 
she has been sick off and on the entire time we have had
her. 
In the past she has been hurting so bad that when we 
take her to the vet, they give her some med's and shots.
This time it is the worst I have ever seen her. 
We take her to the vet. 
They are going to guide us in the choice to 
give her relief or put her to sleep.
Either thing is completely heartbreaking........



She is my baby, She is my heart, 
My heart and my life will never be the same 
without her.
Once a fur baby grabs your heart they 
own it forever. 
I love you Sophie.  

Friday, July 1, 2011

A Conversation with Renee Brofsky


This Conversation is between Renee Brofsky 



Q) How much family history do you have in the area? 
A) No family history here, but my parents did move here when we became pregnant. 
Q) What is your favorite thing about the area?
A) My favorite thing about the area is the water! The views of the mountains, the water, and the lush greenery is incredible! 

Q) What would you change if you could about the area?
A) if I could change one thing, it would be the weather. I get tired of wearing fleece and smart wool socks year round! 

Q)What made you start your own business? 
A)I started my Stella & Dot business in 2010 when my husbands work took a down turn with the economy. With three kids to support, we needed a little extra help. Since I love jewelry and meeting all kinds of women, Stella &Dot seemed like the perfect fit. But besides earning extra income, it has been an amazing opportunity for me to boost my confidence and have another purpose outside our family. Plus, it is so much fun! 
Q)Where would you like to see your business be in 5 years?
A)I plan on doing Stella & Dot as long as I can. I have a small team right now and plan on it continuing to grow! 

Q) What is the hardest part of having your own business?
A)The hardest part of having my own business is juggling office hours and family. It can be challenging not jumping on a call or the computer when the kids are around! 

Q) Where would you like our town to be in over the next five years?
A) I love seeing our area grow. There are always fabulous new businesses and shops going up; along with new people.
Q) What is your favorite thing to do in our town? 
A) There are so many great things to do in this area. My favorite thing is camping in our travel trailer with the family. There are so many gorgeous and fun places to explore! I also love to go treasure hunting at Goodwill. I always find great stuff! 

Q) What is your favorite Store in town?
A) It's hard to pick one favorite store in the area…I love Trader Joe's, Goodwill, the Bakery in Old Town Silverdale, Rumplenewskins and Indigo Plum in Poulsbo and Lilies and Eagle Harbor books on Bainbridge Island. 

Q) Do you give to any local charities you work with?
A) I do work with the Helpline House on Bainbridge Island. I am a part of the birthday party program; making custom cakes for kids to make their birthday wishes come true

Q) What is your business motto? 
A) My business motto is this: "No great thing is created suddenly. There must be time. Give your best and always be kind." 

Q) tell me anything you would love to share about your business.
A) Stella & Dot is a newer jewelry company created by two women and named after their grandmothers; Stella and Dot. As her senior thesis at Stanford, Jessica Herrin created the weddingchannel.com and then sold it for millions. She loved jewelry and teamed up with Blythe Harris, who had previously designed for companies like Banana Republic and DeBeers, to create a direct-selling company with a modern twist. The boutique-style jewelry is set up in home trunk shows with no sales presentation, shipped directly to the customer 3-4 days after ordering, and offers generous hostess incentives (most end up with over $200 in free jewelry), and great customer service. Stella & Dot is regularly seen in InStyle, O Magazine, Marie Claire and Vogue and has been spotted on celebrities such as Penelope Cruz, Debra Messing, Rachel Ray, and Christina Hendricks. Stella & Dot has also raised over two-hundred thousand dollars from the sales of the foundation bracelets to three charities: ACCION USA, build On, and girls, inc. I feel so lucky to be a part of this amazing team!

Make sure that you tell Renee that Kingstongirl sent you to here. We will be working on a giveaway in September. Check out her webpage at the Stella and dot link in the sponsor section of this blog.