On the Road in Old Towne Orange (Calif.)

I live in the cutest small town about 50 miles south of Los Angeles. Full of antique stores and historic old buildings, walking through the streets of Old Towne Orange is like taking a step back in time. You would never even know that a dreadful California freeway looms just a short distance away. I remember when we were younger, my little sister would say that she felt like we were in a movie. And rightly so, plenty of movies have been filmed here - chosen for its quaint, small-town feel to represent various towns in various states.

On weekends the town is bustling with antique shoppers and locals alike, usually walking through the square or riding bicycles down the streets. (I try to park my car on Friday afternoon and not get back in it until Monday morning.) While on one of my strolls, I noticed a new salon called salon reBelle. The perfect addition to the restaurants and shops, salon reBelle is a full-service salon that fits right in.

Keeping an exposed brick wall, the owners have incorporated vintage furniture throughout the salon. I’m a huge fan of mixing the old with the new and salon reBelle pulls it off well. Many of the decorations are actually from the owner’s home collections or were bought right in our local antique stores.

Knowing this was a perfect opportunity to get a little pampering while also doing my job, I quickly made and appointment to get my nails and toes done. I decided to try a spa-type pedicure and a manicure. My nail tech, Tee, was very knowledgeable. She’s been doing nails for eight years and is currently the only nail tech at the six-month old salon. As my feet soaked, she stressed the importance of using high-quality, professional products. It was obvious that not only does she really enjoy her job she also takes great pride in her work.

In addition to her regular clientele, Tee also gets a lot of walk-ins. Since business has been steadily growing as more locals discover the salon, they hope to find another nail tech soon.

My pedicure was wonderful. (I have already been back twice - once for another pedicure and once to get my eyebrows done.) How great is it that I can get my nails done right around the corner from my house? Let’s just say that I’ll be seeing a lot of Tee. I’m an Old Towne local coming back for more local flavor.