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Tag Archives: charleston
Toasting: Charleston Stay at Zero George
I’m going away, perhaps to Charleston…forever? No, but really.
Charleston has always been one of my favorite cities to travel to and visit – whether it’s for a wedding, a Bachelorette (like my sister’s last year), the Blog Societies Conference or, of course, “just because”. I have always hoped that someday my life finds me there full (or part) time!
Before I even headed to Charleston on my most recent trip, I was spoiled at Spa Evangeline here in Tampa with a spa pedi and amazing HydraFacial MD®. I also made sure this freckled Florida girl was perfectly sunkissed with a airbrush tan by my favorite Air Brush Tan by Shan.
Once I was beauty-ready, I was lucky enough to head up there for a long weekend full of reunions, blogging and dining (and wine-ing!) so today’s post will recap some more must-do’s if you’re planning a trip to the Holy City soon too (take me with you, K?).
(PRESS PLAY for my weekend in a nutshell with Jenn!)
Where To Stay
Zero George
{Photo via}
This was my second stay with Zero George and as one would expect, it did not disappoint. Being greeted with a glass of bubbly upon check-in is my type of place and after being apart from my BFF Jenn for 6+ months, a “cheers” was certainly in order as she arrived from DC.
Additionally, from the moment you step on property, the most accommodating staff is always present and goes above and beyond to make your stay the best possible. We were also surprised with precious gift bags from our friends at Candlefish with travel candles from their library collection and corresponding matches.
A European Style Breakfast is provided every morning along with a 24-hour Miele Coffee + Espresso Bar. Every evening from 5pm-6pm, guests enjoy a complimentary “Wine + Cheese Hour” (now you see why I LOVE this place?!). One evening we chose to have our wine and cheese boards brought to our room and enjoyed while we were primping. Another evening, we chose to have it brought our to one of the beautiful verandahs outside.
As it was Super-Summertime-Hot that weekend in Charleston, I opted for white wine (Jenn still enjoyed her red!). We also enjoyed additional bubbles at the bar!
Other amenities at Zero include complimentary mint bicycle rentals (see my attempt in wedges the above video) and gym passes (we skipped the gym this trip!).
I think that one of the most charming parts about the individual guest rooms rooms is being surprised with which one you get! They’re all so unique and in different “houses” with original architecture. Charming, honestly, does not even begin to describe it, it feels just like you’re at home with beautiful white marble bathrooms and Malin + Goetz toiletries. Not to mention a perfectly curated mini bar with sparkling sodas, bottled water and a Nespresso machine that certainly came in handy for our early conference mornings.
{Photos by Jenn}
Charleston Trip Recap
Today I’m back with a recap of my Charleston trip this past summer – my last trip to share with you while I was away on my hiatus. While we were certainly all in our summer’s best, all of these hotels, restaurants and activities are perfect for a Charleston trip any time of the year.
This trip was for the Southern Blog Society annual conference and I was so lucky to attend this year again. Luckily it was in Charleston – one of my favorite cities in this world! (if you haven’t read my sister’s Bachelorette recap series – please do.)
I was also so excited to be traveling with some of my favorite blogger BFFs, Emily from Life with Emily, Ashley from Turquoise and Teale and Jenny from Boho Style File.
I landed and we checked into the charming & historic Mills House in downtown Charleston. We were greeted by the sweetest staff and bottles of vino in our gorgeous hotel room which overlooked the city.
The Mills House is everything Charleston – its pink exterior is enough to make any instagrammer pose out front for a photo (which all of us bloggers did, shocker). The four of us were hosted by welcoming and the most accommodating staff all weekend long. We had coffee at our door each morning and amazing bacon-cheese chips to munch on before heading out each evening.
Also, if you can imagine the amount of bags that 4 bloggers travel with for one weekend – our room was quite the sight to see (including our new matching weekenders from Barrington Gifts).
{Barrington Gifts: Belmont Cabin Bag c/o}
After we unpacked, Jenny and I then headed on over to Tease for the best blowouts in this world (see more about Tease here) and quickly met up with the other ladies to tour a few local showrooms. We stopped into meet the girls from Escapada Living and do some shopping and then over to II Brunettes to check out their adorable boutique too.
The first night of the conference was spent mingling and cocktail-ing on the rooftop terrace of Charleston Place. We caught up with our fellow southern bloggers from all over.
Below is what I wore with some similar options linked! I loved this little jumpsuit. After cocktails, we headed with group to dinner at Indaco – which is surely a new favorite. I’m told the pizzas were delicious (#glutenfreeproblems) and so was the wine (I can attest to that)!
{Jumpsuit: similar here, here & here // Sunnies // Sandals: similar here // Purse: similar here}
Saturday began super early as the four of us shared one bathroom, matching PJs (see below) and 500 beauty products to get the day started.
{PJs: Lake Pajamas c/o}
- 2 Comments | posted in Fashion, Travel
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Charleston Bachelorette Party Guide Part Two
If you’re reading today’s post, I hope you caught up on my Bachelorette “Welcome Bags” post (and hangover kits!) + Part One of my Charleston Bachelorette Party Guide. I’m back now with the long-awaited part two deets!
Saturday Evening: Roaring 20’s + Games + Dinner & Cocktails
After we finished up our blowouts at Tease on Saturday afternoon, we headed back to the house to get ready for dinner. We had bubbly, cocktails and played a few games – notably, “What’s in Your Purse” by WPD.
A common bachelorette weekend trend is everyone wears black (or a color) and the bride goes out in white. Well, I wanted to put a twist on this trend and have a theme that my sister would enjoy too.
The theme for the night was Roaring 20’s (fitting for Charleston!) – so think Great Gatsby-ish, flappers, headpieces and yes, we had long strings of pearls to wear out. The only rule was that you couldn’t wear white but everyone dolled up in dresses, sequins and all things 20s. We also wore flash tattoos on this evening and more stickers.
After drinks at the house, we headed to dinner at the delicious O-Ku Sushi in Downtown Charleston. My sister loves sushi and it was the perfect atmosphere for a large group of girls – delicious sushi items to split, crafted cocktails, gorgeous decor and beats!
O-Ku is also within walking distance to The Cocktail Club and other Charleston Bars. If you’re in the mood for a more “club scene” – Republic is also close. We headed to The Cocktail Club after dinner and took over a large portion of the bar. In warmer months, I love Cocktail Club’s deck too so be sure to check it out if you’re planning an outing in Charleston. (These Florida babes were a little too “cold” to step outside long.)
Sunday: Surprise Private Barre Class + Farewell Brunch
My sister’s last “date card” surprise was given to her as she woke up on Sunday morning. She thought we were just going to have a big brunch and everyone would head home, but we still had more fun in store for her.
To give you the background on this “surprise” (as not all brides might enjoy a workout on their bach weekend) – Megan had always told me how fun she thought a yoga class would be on a bach weekend (YEARS ago) and well, I never forgot that little comment. Flash forward 5 years and her and I have both become addicted to barre (seriously, we never miss it!) so I couldn’t imagine a weekend without it somehow included.
She woke up to another bag (Wifey bag sold here) full of goodies including Pointe Studio barre socks for her and all the girls, Emi Jay “See You at the Barre” tank, a new Lululemon sports bra, AND a tutu to wear to class (a la Target kids). (I also threw in the “husband is the new boyfriend” tee for her to wear post wedding).
My friend Margaret works for Pure Barre HQ so she put me in touch with the owners of the Charleston studio and we worked to put together a private class for our group on Sunday morning. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, everyone wore the “welcome bag” cocktail tees, patterned barre socks, hair ties and last night’s hangovers. After we LTB and tucked to our heart’s content, we enjoyed mimosas at the studio and headed to a much-needed southern brunch.
Charleston Bachelorette Party Guide Part One
I’m back today with a full recap of my sister’s bachelorette weekend in Charleston, South Carolina. If you didn’t read my first post about the welcome bags + hangover kits, be sure to catch up here.
For all my fellow Maid of Honors and bridesmaids out there, I know that the idea of planning the bachelorette weekend for your favorite bride-to-be can often be a little overwhelming especially if you haven’t traveled to the city of choice before or have no event planning or organizational skills (or TIME) whatsoever. Luckily, I had been to Charleston more times than I can count and was so excited when my sister chose the destination.
However, for those of you that have not been to the Holy City or might be planning a bach of your own down there (or up for all my southern readers), I hope this guide helps you as I plan to share in two parts all the places we visited and links to all the goodies I incorporated throughout the weekend.
Friday: Arrivals + Check into House!
My number ONE recommendation for planning a Charleston weekend with a group of girls (we had 10 total) would be to rent a house. While groups often rent houses in Folly Beach or Sullivan’s Island – I opted to rent a house in Charleston proper since these babes (mostly FL & CA girls besides me) get enough of the beach already. The weather in March was also a little chilly to be poolside over the weekend. There are excellent finds on VRBO and Homeaway, however, I was connected with a friend at Rewined and we rented her home via AirBnb instead. It was the perfect little green bungalow just outside of downtown Charleston. The best part renting a house vs. one of the fabulous hotels in Charleston is that we all got to stay together over the weekend, bond over late night food, get ready together and it’s also the most affordable for such a large group on different sized budgets. (Here is the link to the house we rented!)
Friday Afternoon: Spa Day at The Spa at Belmond Charleston Place
Throughout the weekend, my sister received “date cards” (if you will a la The Bachelor) with various surprises revealed one by one. This worked for her because she was the type of bride that did not want to know a thing about the weekend (other than what to pack) and we kept all the planned outings and activities a secret. Believe me, if you know how close my sister and I are and how bad I am at secrets…this was very hard.
After she opened up her bach welcome bag, we blindfolded her with her sash and let her open the first “date card”. Inside she found a giftcard to The Spa at Belmond Charleston Place from all her bridesmaids and girls attending the weekend. She had a massage booked and we dropped her off for a few hours of pampering while we ran around to the grocery store and other errands to get the house prepped for the evening. This spa afternoon served as a perfect way for the bride to “relax” into the weekend and of course, as a special treat too.
The Spa at Belmond Charleston is quite the establishment and comes highly recommended by the bride after her appointment and myself.
Friday Night: Southern Shrimp Boil + Lingerie Shower + Night Out
With the help of one of my sister’s closest friends, Mallory, we decided to have the first night of the weekend be more casual and allow the girls to settle into the house over drinks and delicious food. We cooked up a paper-plate & fork Shrimp Boil (not quite as fancy as my DC one) complete with wine and bubbly.
After dinner, I hosted a lingerie shower with dessert, games and yes, bubbly. The theme was “All You Need is Love…and Lingerie” so we had appropriate decor to match complete with napkins, coasters, Rewined candles and custom lingerie cookies. We hung up all her pretty new pieces on a tassel banner with pink clothes pins and made her guess who bought what.
I bought Megan this “my little black dress” sleep shirt (it’s sold out online but I’ve still seen it in the stores) & this mini pink glitter crown headband (similar here). She proudly wore them both all weekend around the house (along with her sash) and during her lingerie shower to open gifts. I also had the tattoos & stickers below made for everyone to wear throughout the weekend. (Mine went home on the plane with me, whoops!)
If you’re looking for a fun, dance-on-the-bar, coyote-ugly type of spot for an evening out, shall I recommend Market Street Saloon. It is not my typical type of hangout or spot while in Charleston but perfect for bach affairs. We had a blast and it allowed for Megan to complete more than one of her “weekend dares” that we set aside for her (sorry, those will always remain secret).
After we stopped at a bar around the corner and then to Giovanni’s Pizza, which is all within walking distance. I took the liberty of ordering the largest sized pizza (and slices) I have ever seen in my life. This place was on my bucket list for late-night food in Charleston and it should be on yours too!
Saturday Morning: Pajama Brunch
On Saturday morning, the majority of us woke up with slight Irish flus so I whipped up a homemade brunch for the group. We indulged in diamond donuts, “naughty” fruit skewers, cava mimosas and a few healthy items – to get our day started.
Today’s “date card” was a hand-written note from the groom who was sweet enough to “host” our brunch. He didn’t do the cooking but he made sure we had everything we needed to stay full. I also included a black and white canvas photo of my sister and her fiance from WPD that we gave her on this morning. (more…)
How-To: Bachelorette Welcome Bags + Hangover Kits
HELLO!
As you might of noticed, things on H&T have been a little quiet for the month of February so it’s good to be back!
The blogging break wasn’t intended but after spending all my time outside my day job consumed with other projects, events, speaking engagements, barre classes and most importantly, Maid of Honor duties for my sister’s wedding – I decided to take a much needed hiatus so I hope you’ll forgive my silence!
The good news is that I have a lot of exciting posts coming up for you. In case you were not following along on Instagram or Twitter – I just recently hosted and planned my sister’s bachelorette weekend in Charleston, South Carolina.
I plan to share in a series of posts all about the weekend with a full recap and how-to if you’re planning a bachelorette weekend of your own and especially one in Charleston!
First up, a closer look at the “Welcome to Charleston” bags I put together for all the bridesmaids and best babes that attended. These bags could be assembled to match any bachelorette weekend destination. They might also provide inspiration for wedding welcome bags too. I tried to keep in mind what the girls might need most over the weekend plus a few fun souvenirs to take home.
Below you will find links to everything I included in mine!
#1. The Bags
I ordered 10 of these South Carolina Totes. They are reusable and great for the gym, groceries and as a tote, of course. (The banner seen below, I purchased here.)
#2. Custom Name Tags by Drafts & Crafts
I tied these on to each bag with gold ribbon from Wedding Paper Divas. I had them made with each’s girl’s name and then an extra one that read “The Bachelorette” for my sister.
#3. H&T Hangover Kits
- Custom H&T “For When the Bubbly Bites” Tags – I love this saying and thought it worked perfectly for a hangover kit so I worked with Dani from Drafts & Crafts to design them. You can buy them too now! I tied the tags onto burlap bags I found at Michael’s with WPD red ribbon.
- Tempo Tonight – These all natural hangover pills are my newest go-to! You take 2 pills before you have your first drink and two more once you get home. It works proactively against toxins and it’s safe to say that I got the girls hooked on them too after last weekend! Hangovers prevented. Do yourself and your body a favor and order a box now!
- EOS lip balms – I don’t know about you but I always wake up with the driest lips.
- Mini Bottle of Tums – for those next-day tummy aches.
- Mini Nutella Packets – my sister’s favorite and who doesn’t like Nutella? Hungover or not.
- Tic Tacs – to kill that morning breath.
- Packets of Advil & Tylenol – pick your poison.
- 16 Comments | posted in Events, Hosting, Toasting, Travel
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