Scrapbooker’s Paradise

This weekend I went on the ultimate girls’ getaway.  I’m sure you’re thinking I went on a cruise or to the beach or maybe even Las Vegas.  Nope!  My ultimate getaway was to Petticoat Junction in Normandy, Tennessee.  It’s a bed and breakfast designed just for girls who love to scrapbook, and it was an unforgettable adventure.

Why did I love this trip so much, you might wonder?  Well, the t-shirt I got says “What happens at the Junction stays at the Junction,” but I’m willing to divulge a few of the things that made my trip extra special.  Here goes:

The House.  The bed and breakfast was built in 1892 and once served as a hotel for people traveling through Tennessee on the railroad.  While the train no longer stops here, you can see the tracks from the front porch (and hear it when it rolls by) and just imagine what life must have been like here 100+ years ago.  The home has been renovated to include all of the modern amenities, but it still has all the charm of a historic home.  It boasts four bedrooms and three and a half baths and comfortably sleeps fifteen.

The Cropping Room. The cropping room was perfect.  All fifteen of us had our own well lit work space that we used all weekend long.  There were all sorts of supplies already there, including a Cricut cutting system.  There was also a stereo system, television, and dvd player, along with a mini-fridge.  Since the room was upstairs, there was a motorized dumbwaiter on the balcony to haul all of our supplies upstairs!  And there was  a computer with a wireless color printer for those who were doing digital scrapbooking (plus wi-fi was available throughout the house if you had your laptop).

The Food. Given that this was a bed and breakfast, we were provided with yummy meals from Friday night through Sunday morning.  Snacks, soft drinks, and bottled water were also included.  We certainly were never hungry and there was always chocolate to be found!

The Spa. What’s a girls’ getaway without some spa treatment?  There were all sorts of spa services available, including manicures, pedicures, massages, and facials.  You do have to book these in advance and there is an extra fee of course.  But, the prices were very reasonable, and having the “spa” right there at the house was super convenient!

The bedrooms. Each bedroom was themed and decorated to match.  My room is pictured and was named “Girly Girls.”  Like mine, three of the guest rooms slept four and one slept three.  The decor was so well done that you truly felt that you had stepped back in time (but with all of the modern comforts we have grown accustomed to!).  All of the rooms were oversized and even with four ladies in our room we were very comfortable.

The Drive.  While we did have a five hour drive, it was beautiful!  And did I mention quiet?  With no kids in the car, my friend and I had a most peaceful drive to Normandy!  On the way there we drove through Lynchburg, Tennessee, the home of Jack Daniels Whiskey.  On the way home, our drive took us near Chattanooga.  It had rained hard while we were there and the mountains had waterfalls flowing from them at every turn.  Gorgeous!

The Cost. The price for this weekend getaway was a steal.  It cost $200 per person for Friday through Sunday including your food.  If you want to come on Thursday, which I did, you just pay $30 extra (although you have to bring your own food for that night).  You can’t stay at a hotel for that price, and it certainly wouldn’t include your food!

The Scrapbooking. I used to scrapbook all the time.  But the more children I had, the less time I had to devote to my hobby.  In scrapbooking language I was two and a half years behind.  That means the last thing I had scrapbooked was Halloween of 2008!  At home I never seem to be able to make the time to play catch up with my scrapbooking, so my supplies had begun to collect dust.  During this weekend, I was able to scrapbook to my hearts content and am excited to be involved again in one of my most cherished hobbies.

The Girls. There were fifteen of us there and we all had some connection, sort of like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon.  I had brought my best friend with me, and my sister and sister-in-law met us there.  Add to that eleven other women, and we had a BLAST!  No responsibilities, no men, no children.  We we were living large!  LOL!  We also were living without makeup, and no one cared!

The Memories. I laughed so hard I cried.  I heard life stories of love and of loss.  I connected with my sisters who live in another state.  I found friends that I hadn’t seen in more than 15 years (truly one of my sorority sisters from college was there!) and met new ones that I will never forget.  I relaxed.  I came home rejuvenated.  And that to me is priceless.

Comments

    • Polly says

      Don’t be discouraged! If I can catch up anyone can! I had gotten so overwhelmed about being so far behind, but once I got focused on it for just one weekend it really gave me the jump start I needed to get back into scrapbooking. Best of luck!

  1. says

    This sounds heavenly! I wish we had something like that closer to Iowa. I never get scrapping done at home and there are stores that do all day scraps, but to have a whole entire hotel for an entire weekend. How awesome.

    • Polly says

      It was great! I wonder if there is anything like this where you live? It was amazing how much I got accomplished over an entire weekend! Good luck!

  2. Randee Coley says

    It is AWESOME!! I have been twice and am going again this summer!! We always have the best time – it is EXACTLY like Polly describes it:-)

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