62. September 16th, 2010 Picture.

September 16th was a Thursday night, and Ratty and I had a few party options to choose from.  One was an Ithaca Alumni happy hour at a bar downtown, and an opening party for a new spa in the South End.  We had RSVP’d for both and planned on going to the spa opening first and then catching the tail end of the happy hour.  I got a perfect spot in the South End and met Ratty outside the packed spa.  There was music playing and a line that spilled out into the street. We checked in with the hostess and made our way inside to check it out.  The spa was very cool on the inside, white washed walls, hard wood floors and tons and tons of people.  There was a small champagne bar set up in the back, and waiters walking around with little bites from the restaurant next door.  We grabbed a glass of champagne and claimed a tight spot in the corner while browsing the product selections on the walls.  

The spa, called skoah, is owned and operated by Ratty's friend Pete and his husband.  Pete had been working as a high powered lawyer for years, when he decided that he needed a change of pace.  He and his husband had been vacationing in Canada, when he popped into a spa to get a facial.  He was really impressed with the service and product and began talking with the owner about his business.  Turns out the owner had been wanting to expand for a while, including a spot in the US, and after many discussions, plans, contracts, etc, Pete became the franchise owner of the first skoah spa in the states.  I  was completely impressed with Pete, aware that he was unhappy as a lawyer and really admired his drive to find something he really loved.  It was a complete leap of faith but it has worked out in their favor.  They had all the top Boston magazines in house that night, snapping pictures and Tweeting up a storm.  The buzz surrounding it is fantastic, and they even got a spot on Rue La La's new Boston deals section, created to rival Groupon but with more high quality offers.  I am sure that I will be frequenting skoah for some 'me time', and I probably won't be the only one!


We ended up closing down the party, skipping the happy hour, and made our way next door to Sister Sorel restaurant for a few complimentary drinks.  As we were leaving, we each got a goodie bag filled with swag, including certificates for martinis, free facial vouchers and lots of product samples.  It was an amazing party, and I made an appointment to get my complimentary 'sweet treat' facial a week or so down the line.