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Melody

Bachelorette party gift bags - MustacheMelrose.com
Gift Guides

15 Goodies to Include in a Bachelorette Party Gift Bag

Searching for goodies to include in a bachelorette party gift bag? Well, I’ve already done that honey, so let me show you the way! A few months ago, I got the opportunity to help plan a bachelorette party in New Orleans for my gal pal, Liz. (HI LIZ!) I love a good New Orleans-themed bridal event, plus I pride myself on being the Clark Griswold of vacation planning – the European Vacation must-see-everything Clark, not the break into Wally World Clark. šŸ˜‰ New Orleans is also one of my favorite cities, so I was incredibly jazzed to help create an epic itinerary and of courseā€¦ the best bachelorette party gift bag.

To ensure these bachelorette good times live on foreverā€”and to help anyone else planning a bachelorette partyā€”I thought Iā€™d write a post about what to include in a bachelorette party gift bag. If you want to see photos from all our New Orleans shenanigans, please make your way over to my Instagram posts here, here, and here. Okay, on to the goodies! Psst… I included links to shop everything below – they are affiliate links, so if you shop, I’ll make a little dough. (Thanks in advance, friends!)

1. Liquid I.V.

Out of all the goodies in a bachelorette party gift bag, this is the most important! After walking around town during the day and drinking around town at night, your body is going to love you for gifting it Liquid I.V., the ultimate hydrating and vitamin-packed treat. There are a few other hydration brands out there, but Liquid I.V. is my #1 because it comes in a ton of delicious flavors and always makes me feel better after a long runā€¦ or long night out dancing. šŸ˜‰ I also truly love this mission-based company for everything they do for the world. My go-to flavor is Strawberry and Scotty loves Passionfruit!

2. Chomps

If someone stole my purse, they might not find a ton of change, but they would be sufficiently hydrated and full of protein because I always keep a packet of Strawberry-flavored Liquid I.V. and a Jalapeno Chomp in my bag. These delicious Keto-friendly and Whole30-approved jerky sticks are a lifesaver when a case of hanger strikes. These two are also the first two items on my vacation packing list.

3. A Fancy Itinerary the Bride Can Frame as a Keepsake or Recycle šŸ™‚

I canā€™t believe how cute these turned out! Though I am obsessed with design and visuals, Iā€™m unfortunately not gifted in the art department. Thankfully there are sites like Zazzle that allow artists to earn money for their skills. (Side note: If you are an artist, this is such a cool way to make $ on the side. Sure, it might take some time to create one design, but after that, the user customizes them, so you donā€™t have to do a thing!) Yep, all I had to do was enter our itinerary details and chose a few icons to create the cutest bachelorette party itinerary card ever. This one was created by Lise Wong of IYHTVDesigns, and there are a ton of other destination options. They ship quickly too!

4. Cute Matching Sunglasses

While researching what to put in a bachelorette party gift bag, I came across this adorable brand called xo, Fetti. They have the cutest birthday and bachelorette bash accessories ā€“ veils, sashes, balloon banners, temporary tattoos, koozies, earrings, hats, and all the colorful, glittery, and shimmery penis-shaped goodies your little heart can handle. I ordered this Cat Eyes Sunglass Set that came with seven pink sunnies and one white version for the bride. They shipped in a really cute case too!

5. Bachelorette Party Nail Stickers

These adorable nail stickers are such a fun way to add some sass to your look before heading out to Bourbon or Frenchmen. Theyā€™re very easy to apply and last for days!

6. Bride to Be Sash

I slipped this cutie into the brideā€™s gift bag. It’s simple, pretty, and inexpensive! Pro tip: Donā€™t buy a glittery sash unless you want to be wearing glitter for the rest. of. your. life. (Though if you are pro-glitter, girl, do your thing.)

7. Gold Foil Face Masks

Face masks are such a fun treat to gift your fellow bachelorettes and bride. You can either set aside some spa time before getting ready for a night out (hellooo, great Instagram opp!) or save them for a well-earned self-care evening when you get back home. I love these golden beauts from FACESTORY because they are cruelty-free and include luxurious antioxidant-rich ingredients like Vitamin C and lemon extract to help your skin glow. The gold foil also just makes them fun to wear around the house/surprise your husband when he rounds the corner. BOO! #gotem

8. Grace & Stella Under Eye Masks

This is another clean and cruelty-free beauty brand I love! Tired, puffy eyes stand no chance against these golden anti-wrinkle and energizing eye masks. I put them on one night for about 15-20 minutes before applying my makeup, and not to get all infomercial on you, but I could seriously tell a difference! I now use them at home on the reg. Side note: grace & stella also make my favorite eye cream.

9. Scrunchies

Because you canā€™t toss your hair up on a hot NOLA day with just any hair tie ā€“ it must be cute, colorful, and preferably pink. I bought this set which includes a range of velvet pink hues. The quality was a lot better than I expected for the inexpensive price! These are also now some of my favorite go-to’s in my beauty drawer at home.

10. Faux Engagement Rings

Are you even at a bachelorette party if youā€™re not wearing an obnoxious flashing faux engagement ring?

11. Cute Bandages

Bachelorette parties usually involve a lot of walking (and hopefully dancing!) so itā€™s a good idea to have a bandage or two handy to help ease the pain of any blisters that appear from breaking in new sneakers or cute white cowboy boots. Bonus if they are colorful and patterned like these.

12. Lip Smackers

These colorful lip balms were a cute and nostalgic item I added to the gift bags. I of course chose my favoriteā€”watermelonā€”but there were still plenty of amazing flavors to gift!

13. Temporary Tattoos of the Groom or Other Bride

These temporary tattoos provided so many hilarious moments during the trip. One of the gals even got creative and placed it on the inside of her elbow so she could make the groom talk. Maybe you had to be there, but it was incredibly funny. Laura, youā€™re my hero. Also, shout-out to Monique for this great idea!

14. Alka-Seltzer Packets

Iā€™ve said it before and Iā€™ll say it again ā€“ never, never follow a Hurricane with a Hand Grenade. IYKYK.

15. Bachelorette Party Gift Bag

Of course, youā€™ll need a bachelorette party gift bag to hold all your goodies. I found this cute set on Amazon that includes 20 for under $14. Not bad!

Looking for more bachelorette party shenanigans? Check out this New Orleans Themed Bridal Shower!

A Love Letter to Kimpton Hotels | MustacheMelrose.com
Travel

A Love Letter to Kimpton Hotels

My love for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants started with a goldfish named Rembrandt. To be clear, no, a goldfish has never checked me in at the front desk of a Kimpton Hotelā€”though please know I am going to offer that suggestion to the Kimpton hiring team immediately after publishing this post.

Ahem, many moons ago when I worked as a Community Manager for the beloved social networking app, Loopt, I traveled to San Francisco to spend some QT with my work fam. I checked into a Kimpton Hotel that used to live in Union Square, rolled my carry-on into the room and immediately squealed with surprise and delight. And no, not because the room had the cutest dĆ©cor, cushy bedding and views of the bustling streets below. I quickly ranā€”wait, did I float?ā€”to the TV stand where there he wasā€¦ a fish called Rembrandt.

As you can read in the above Instagram caption, my scheduled errands were immediately put on hold. Isā€¦ is this a goldfish in my hotel room? And does this cute little picture frame balancing on this cute little easel have his cute little name on it?!

And thatā€™s it. That is when I first fell head over sneakers in love with the Kimpton Hotel brand.

Scotty and I (and Jake, of course) have stayed at several Kimpton hotels. Even if I’m not yet familiar with a city we’re traveling to ā€“ I know if we book at a Kimpton, we will be staying at one of the cutest (and dog-friendly!!) hotels in the city.

Jakeā€™s favorite Kimpton hotel is the Hotel Enso in Japantown in San Francisco. Not only does he love the location, but one of their room options is a super chic king with an attached private patio that makes it easy for Jake to sit outside and sunbathe ā€“ and for us both to set out on walks around one of our favorite neighborhoods in SF.  

After Scott and I got married, we added a new Kimpton property to our favorites list when we checked into the Kimpton Rowan for our mini-moon. I mean, when your new last name matches the name of a super hip hotel in Palm Springs, ya stay at the super hip hotel in Palm Springs.

And of course, from the second we arrived, it was dreamy. The inviting lobby is gorgeously decorated, the staff is as welcoming and friendly as ever and the rooms are so comfortable and spacious. We spoiled ourselves by booking a king with a deep-soaking tub and floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the San Jacinto mountains and views of the city.

We spent long, lazy mornings eating avocado toast and sipping iced coffees at Juniper Table, kept cool in the afternoons in the rooftop pool and dined away the evenings at the hotel restaurant, 4 Saints. It was wonderful.

My favorite Instagram from the trip reminds me of another reason I love the Kimpton Hotel brand ā€“ the daily lobby happy hours for guests (and their pups) from 5-6pm that include free wine, beer and a chance to meet and mingle with other guests staying at the hotel.

What I am saying is, have you even stayed at a hotel if you haven’t stayed at a Kimpton? šŸ˜‰

I hope to add more Kimpton hotels and restaurants to my Instagram in 2023. If you have a favorite, please share the deets in the comments, friends!

Check out my travel section for more travel posts!

Modern Cowboy/girl/they Vibes | MustacheMelrose.com
Home DĆ©cor

Modern Cowboy/girl/they Vibes

Psst… shop the prints in the featured image above at Society6.com/nickqtx and Society6.com/retrografika!

I just started a new interior design project *squeal* and I am deeeeep into the inspiration process. My eyes are glazed over from scrolling through Pinterest for hours. (Bonus: I now have a ton of new air fryer recipes to try.) I am screaming on the inside because I can’t wait to tell you more about this new project, butā€”hintā€”I have to wait another 30 days until I do. šŸ˜‰ (Think real estate, not babies:)

In the meantime though, I wanted to show you what I am thinking for the vibe of this space. Modern Cowboy/girl/they Vibes: A Texas-themed space that has a hint of a ranch flavor (not the dressing) but with a fancy-pants, mid-century modern twist. Phew, that’s a mouthful and a whole bunch of styles mixed together – am I crazy? (Don’t answer that.) My gut is telling me it needs to have more of a sexy, masculine feel than the last space I decorated but still be peppered with fun, playful pops of feminity. If I was to match a person to the space it would be current Matthew McConaughey and his family (as opposed to his younger self playing bongos naked in his airstream.) Not the jam for this space, but heck yes for another.

This will be my biggest project and my biggest stretch because my go-to design vibe is usually GIVE ME ALL THE COLOR. I’m excited to challenge myself to create something that is a little less Mel and a little more honky tonk. Right now, I’m still in the inspo part of my process, but I’ll be moving on to sketching actual furniture pieces in the space to see how they feel together and creating a color palette soon. I’m excited to take y’all along for the ride this go-round.

Check out what I’m feeling below and let me know what you think in the comments! You could also follow me on Pinterest if ya wanna! BUT NO PRESSURE, EVERYONE. xo

Cute White Cowboy Boots | MustacheMelrose.com
Style

Cute White Cowboy Boots Under $150

Or as I like to call it, a bunch of words that belong in a country song. Ahem… my friend, Liz, is getting married next year and I am honored/thrilled/panic-y-in-a-good-way excited to be a bridesmaid. 1) No, itā€™s not Lizzo but I bet my Liz could learn to play the flute (Liz, what do you think?) and 2) my Virgo-ness is V excited to help plan her bachelorette party in New Orleans. (Stay tuned for that!)

But in the meantime, she mentioned she was looking for some cute white cowboy boots ā€“ and since no conversation with me is private ā€“ I am telling the world/the 3 people who read this blog about her questā€¦ and more importantly helping her find the perfect pair.

If youā€™re also looking for some cute white cowboy boots, well get in here honey and choose from my favorites below! Psstā€¦ these are affiliate links, so if ya click on ā€˜em, Iā€™ll get some change to spend on beads in New Orleans. šŸ˜‰

Home Picks from Anthropologie | MustacheMelrose.com
Home DĆ©cor

Home Picks from Anthropologie

I have a deep love for Anthropologie. Iā€™ve spent years happily perusing their online and IRL shops, gazing at the beautiful dresses, denim, shoes and ohhh, the earrings! Their bridal brand, BHLDN, is also very special to me as I thank them for making me feel like a real bride.

And their home items – squeal! I decorated our downtown Austin Airbnb with products from their home collection. Scott also just bought me this amazing brass raccoon table lamp and I plan to throw a party the day it arrives.

If you’re an Anthropologie fan like I am, you’ll love these favorite home picks below. Psst… they are affiliate links so I will make a little commission if you click on them. xo

Favorite Styles on Sale at Old Navy | MustacheMelrose.com/Blog
Style

Favorite Styles on Sale at Old Navy

Old Navy has been one of my favorite brands for years. Today? I’m wearing Old Navy. Yesterday? I wore Old Navy. Tomorrow? Right. Ahem…

If you look at the little tag sewn on any item hanging in my closet or delicately crammed in my drawers, you’ll see the words “Old Navy” along with a cute little snippet like “get after it” or “you wear it so well.” (Thank you!) I don’t just love them for the quippy little surprise and delights though – I appreciate that they make cute, comfortable and affordable(!) clothes for all sizes and shapes. And on top of their great prices, they offer amazing promos, sales and rewards.

Speaking of, they are having an up to 60% off sale in-store and online right now. *squeal* You can also get an extra 30% off if you open a Navyist Rewards credit card. I of course have it – it’s amaze. You get more rewards and perks, plus you can use it to shop at Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta. NEAT. Check out my favorite styles on sale at Old Navy below! Heads up – these are affiliate links so if you click on an image and purchase, I’ll make a little commission. xo