When spending time in Southern California, my dear friend took me to a famous landmark in Riverside. The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa is a beautiful space that has been the #1 Best Historic Hotel in California. I arrived at the perfect time to tour: I came to the hotel right after New Year’s Day. Fortunately for us, the Christmas decorations were still up, including the Christmas lights and gingerbread house. While the hotel was busy, there weren’t nearly as many visitors as they had before Christmas. Here are some photos from my time at The Mission Inn.
The stunning archway leading to the entrance of the hotel
The most unique and fun part of the hotel was the life-size gingerbread house, which was made of real gingerbread and candy. It smelled heavenly, and the hotel had signs up, asking guest to not touch or eat the house!
The gingerbread house
The lobby sported several stunning Christmas trees, which kept the festive spirit alive. I loved seeing the exquisitely decorated trees.
One of the lobby Christmas trees
As an art lover, any statue in my vicinity gets a double take. This marble beauty was no exception. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of the plaque identifying the work.
Marble statue at the Mission Inn
On the exterior, there were tons of striking lights. There was a timed display that lit up the side of one of the buildings that made up the hotel.
Light displays outside
Me with my favorite person outside of the hotel
More light displays
I’m so glad I had a chance to enjoy the Mission Inn during the holiday-adjacent season. The lights were such a treat to my senses, and seeing the other decorations was glorious. I can’t wait to return and spend a little more time at the hotel!
During my trip to Temecula at the beginning of the year, I got a chance to relax, connect, and enjoy some much needed time away from the East Coast. While I was there, I enjoyed tea time at Corbeaux, checked out the glorious Mission Inn, and I also visited one of my friend’s favorite shops. She was emphatic that we must check out this shop, praising both the owner and the products offered. She knows how I feel about anything elegant, scent-related, and unique. So off we went to George Foster the Lifestyle Market, an exceedingly elegant space that features custom fragrances and skin care supplies, among other things.
We got there on New Year’s Eve, and they were closed. However, the owner’s son recognized my friend and let us in. That right there spoke volumes about the kindness and community that the shop prioritizes. I met George a few moments after his son let us in, and they were both so incredibly warm and welcoming. And the space? Absolutely beautiful: it was well-curated, intentional and elevated. George has a background as an interior designer, so it should not be surprising that his space is perfectly appointed. You can tell that he is someone that understands layers of beauty, and that the environment is just as important as the products presented within it.
So I’m in the shop, smelling everything, figuring out what unique item I must buy. Then I come across a scent, and it stops me in my tracks. I know THIS is the one. It was, of course, Velvet Nights. And yup, I bought it. But as I purchased, I found out that it was the last one in the collection: it was a limited edition item, only available for the winter season. And if there’s anything I love, it’s exclusivity, so naturally, I knew I’d made the right choice. It smelled too good, AND it wasn’t mass produced: I knew it had to come home with me.
So while I love the fragrance, I was hesitant to do a review, because it was limited edition, no longer available, and so good that I kind of want to keep it to myself. But, George’s shop deserves a spotlight, so here I am. Even though Velvet Nights isn’t available, I have another recommendation that may work for you, so keep reading to find out about that.
Let’s talk about Velvet Night’s scent profile. It’s a lush amber, with notes of incense, subtle evergreen notes (either pine or cypress, perhaps juniper). If you know anything about ambers, you know they can be . . . a lot. They can come across heavy, syrupy, and overwhelming, depending on the formulation. In older fragrance profiles, amber scents were very dense and intense. However, this scent has none of those cloying notes. It’s clean, crisp, and effervescent, giving you the warmth of an amber without the weight.
This scent is beautifully balanced. It has the warmth of amber, the light smokiness of incense, and the crispness of evergreen notes. And nothing is too dominant in the formulation; each note dances beautifully, creating a harmonious blend that captures the duality of the winter season. If I could describe it, it would be, a walk in the woods on a snowy evening. Yes, I had to borrow from Robert Frost for this one, but that’s exactly what Velvet Nights brought to mind, but with a twist. Yes, you have the chilled air, the quiet around you, and the beauty of nature at rest. But also, you have the warmth of a velvet lined cape, the the gentle crackle of a fireplace, and the lush flavor of a steaming mug of your favorite winter beverage.
Now, aside from the scent’s exquisite profile, I found another reason to love it. It performs spectacularly. After coming home, I had the bottle sitting on my dresser, with the cap on. I hadn’t sprayed it yet. I left the house for a bit, and came back, and as I was settling in, I wondered, “What is that beautiful smell?” I knew I hadn’t lit a candle, so I wasn’t sure what I was smelling. Then I realized: it was the spray. THAT’s how potent it is! As a result, I’ve used it a number of times, but sparingly, because once it’s gone, it’s GONE. And I won’t be able to get it again until next winter (assuming George brings it back). I’m pacing myself, but I also can give it a little break, as the seasons are changing and I start rotating my lighter room sprays.
Now, just because this scent is currently unavailable doesn’t mean that all is lost. Here’s what I suggest:
If you’re near Temecula, go visit George Foster the Lifestyle Market
Ask George about similar scents
Explore the other room sprays (I recommend The Market room spray, which has a scent profile of bergamot, Persian lime, other citrus, and musk).
I loved it and had to review it on my YouTube. Here’s the video:
This scent was a 10 out of 10 for me, and I cannot recommend it enough! Even more impressive was the entire experience: the space, the intentional curation, and the people connected to it. I know for sure that I will be back!
My daughter and I recently took a trip to Temecula, CA, and spent some time with one of my good friends. During my time there, she took us to several places, including Old Town Temecula. The highlight of our time in this charming neighborhood was brunch at Corbeaux Wine and Tea House. This lovely restaurant features delicious food, beautiful decor, and an easy elegance that dwells in the sweet spot between welcoming and exclusivity. This tea house does a great job of feeling luxurious without the stuffiness that often comes with luxe experiences.
Corbeaux welcome sign
I knew, quickly, that our trip to Corbeaux had to include caviar, so we ordered the caviar tasting platter. We also got the charcuterie board, and I ordered the cucumber and apple salad for myself. It may sound like a lot of food – and it was! – but we were splitting it between three people, and we were famished. It was our first meal of the day!
Despite looking at the menus in advance, we missed the disclaimer that explained how the afternoon tea service needed to be reserved in advance. However, not one to be deterred by a disclaimer, I figured I’d gently inquire whether we could get some of the items available for tea. Fortunately, our server Tiffany explained that there was one tea tower available for a walk-in customer, and I quickly told her that I wanted it!
I was entranced by the lovely decor in the space. I particularly loved the gallery wall near the rear of the restaurant. It has some fun interpretations of classical portraits, a few still life paintings, and a picture of Marilyn Monroe’s famous subway grating moment from “The Seven Year Itch”. The wall is a blend of art styles, periods, and media, all combined together beautifully.
Gallery wall at Corbeaux
The decor was great, but the food was spectacular. Let’s start with the caviar. The tasting platter featured three different types of caviar: Polish osetra, Siberian sturgeon, and smoked trout roe. Hands down, the Siberian sturgeon was my favorite (though they were all delicious). It was slightly smoky, earthy and salty and did not have the strong fishy flavor that I usually associate with caviar. It also had a buttery finish that I wasn’t expecting. Oh my, it was delicious! I enjoyed the Polish osetra and smoked trout roe tremendously, too: these tasted like what I expect when enjoying caviar, with the salty, fishy flavors that play really well with creme fraiche and blinis.
Caviar platter (left to right – Polish osetra, Siberian sturgeon and smoked trout roe)
The star of the meal was definitely the tea tower, along with the delicious tea served with it. The tower consisted of honey tea cakes, apple and chai caramel cream puffs, pumpkin tea shortbread cookies, rosemary lavender salted scones, mushroom quiches, assorted seasonal fruit, and three types of sandwiches: baked cinnamon apple and brie, curry chicken salad and egg salad. We ate the delicate pastries and sandwiches as we sipped on the maple cream oolong tea. My favorite sweet pastry was a tie between the honey tea cakes and the apple and chai caramel cream puffs. My favorite savory sandwich was the curry chicken salad. The entire tea menu was spectacular!
Tea tower with fruit and butter on top, pastries on the middle layer, and sandwiches on the bottom layer
My cucumber and apple salad was perfect: crunchy, sweet, tart, and fresh. It was a great dish to balance out the carb-heavy tea tower dishes. It was light and effervescent, which was a nice contrast to the rest of the meal. I really liked that the salad incorporated miso for savory notes, and peanuts for earthier flavors.
Closeup of my cucumber and apple salad
The charcuterie board was divine: three different meats (I can’t remember each one, though I’m pretty sure one was soppressata, and another was calabrese), and three different cheeses (again, I can’t remember each one). I tasted a little of each, but I didn’t consume too much, because I had already had a fantastic time with the tea tower and my salad.
Charcuterie board
I loved our time at Corbeaux, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Temecula. I enjoyed brunch but I saw the dinner menu and I was equally impressed with the offerings. If you’re looking for a beautiful brunch experience, Corbeaux is a must!
Nearly five years ago, I took my first trip to California. I went to San Diego for a tax workshop. I was just reminiscing about how much I loved Cali and how beautiful San Diego was, when I decided, why not share a few #throwbackthursdaytravel pics from my first California trip?
I stayed for a week at the Town & Country which was lovely and picturesque. It was a delightful hotel and I’d certainly be willing to stay there again.
Touching down in San Diego
Posting outside of my room
A statue on the hotel grounds
The most perfect roses I’ve ever seen
The bed in my cozy little room
I got a gorgeous tan in under an hour. I was thrilled!
A view from the room
I returned to San Diego in 2019, though I didn’t say in SD proper. Instead, I went to a neighboring city to have a girl’s getaway with one of my friends. It was a fantastic break from my regular routine. I’ll post it about that trip in a future #throwbackthursdaytravel post.
Have you been to San Diego? How did you enjoy it? Let me know all about it in the comments below. Take care!
Bronze Butterfly 