This year for the Fourth of July, I spent the holiday a little differently than I typically have in the past. The weekend before was the same, annual memorial golf outing with my family, a reunion-type event with relatives and long-time family friends, and a few nights at Summerfest enjoying some amazing music right on Lake Michigan. But this year was a change. Early on the Fourth, I hopped on a plane, just like 11 other girls, all with the same destination in mind: Dallas, TX.
I was so excited for a nice long weekend back in Dallas with some great friends! We had an amazing Airbnb for Wed-Sun, complete with multiple bedrooms, baths, large kitchen and living spaces, and a gorgeous pool in the backyard!
We spent the majority of the daytime hours poolside with cold drinks, like these amazing canned cocktails from Cutwater Spirits, in hand! The Vodka Mule, Grapefruit Vodka Soda, and Lime Vodka soda were quick favorites amongst the group, and as a bonus are all <100 calories, with 0g Sugar, and are Gluten Free! Thanks to Cutwater for quenching our thirst by the pool!
Like I said – gorgeous pool in the backyard and we didn’t disappoint on the floaties! With a pelican, rainbow, giant engagement ring, banana, cactus, and more, it looked like something out of the set of a Katy Perry music video. But it was oh-so-fun! Pro-tip, make sure you have an electric pump for the floaties – thankfully, our Airbnb hosts had one, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to get them all blown up!
Our Airbnb hosts were literally they best, they had left us assorted beer, ice for the cooler, champagne and champagne flutes, plus all of the towels a group of 12 girls could ever possibly use for our stay! We were pretty spoiled for the entire trip. Cute cover-up, cocktail, and manicure not included.
On Thursday night, we ventured not too far from our house to HG Sply Co. for dinner and drinks! The food, atmosphere, cocktails, and rooftop patio were amazing! Definitely a must-stop for a meal or happy hour the next time you’re in Dallas! For this night, I wore a black and white spotted dress from A New Day at Target, and of course, had to take champagne selfie with two of my college roommates and closest friends – Katie (left) and Jackie (right – also, the bachelorette’s older sister).
On Friday morning, we had a bit of a surprise for the bachelorette! Though all of Nasty’s Gals knew that we were signed up for a Pole Dancing Class, Nastassja was a bit surprised when we walked into Extend Fitness Studio for our class! Like the other girls, I was a bit of a first-timer, but everyone seemed to catch on pretty quickly! Though we could have done without the minor bruises and soreness that followed! You definitely need a lot of upper body strength in that line of work. Our instructor was amazing and when we learned the routine that was supposed to take the full hour, in only 30 minutes, she adapted well to teach our group some additional tricks and moves!
Friday night was our typical bach party wear black, bachelorette wears white night out for dinner, drinks, and dancing! I opted for this super comfortable yet stylish black wide-leg jumpsuit from Banana Republic! I paired it with a few lime green accents – shoes, purse, necklace – that inadvertently matched the front door of the house! Too perfect not to take a picture!
So a quick little bit about the bachelorette! I’ve known Nastassja for a while now – her sister and I have been friends since junior high, lived together in college, and still make the trek back and forth between Madison and Milwaukee for various events and get togethers! Nastassja and Kimber (my boyfriend’s younger sister) have been best friends since birth and often came to visit us in Madison before they became Badgers themselves! Needless to say, for a while before their freshmen year, it felt like they were roomies with us too, and the rest is history! Her fiancé, Andrew, is an awesome guy and they’re absolutely perfect for one another! I am so excited to continue celebrations for their big day, just a little over a week away!
For dinner Friday, we head over to the Moxie’s Grill & Bar before making our way out for the evening! That involved a quick Lyft over to Deep Ellum to enjoy some delicious drinks at Truth & Alibi and finally to Bottled Blonde. I loved the décor and atmosphere in Truth & Alibi – think big chandeliers, glam couches, and awesome music filling the air! The dance floor at Bottled Blonde was a lot of fun, and they also had a great patio when needed to come up for air!
Saturday, needless to say, was a little more chill after a big night out! We enjoyed the beautiful weather by the pool until we needed to get ready to head out for dinner! This time, we went to Trinity Groves for some amazing Italian at Saint Rocco’s New York Italian. The food and service were amazing, I’d definitely go back! Plus, Trinity Groves has an amazing view of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, plus tons of other restaurants and shops to grab food, a drink, or some dessert! We opted for a stop at Cake Bar to grab our individual slices of their amazing variety of flavors!
Sunday came too quick, which meant it was time for Nasty’s Gals to head back to reality! Before flight departures, we all grabbed brunch at Origin Kitchen & Bar, which was amazing. I tried one of their brussel sprout/hash bowls with an egg, chicken sausage, avocado, and goat cheese. I need to try to remake this at home, because it was so tasty and delicious! I, along with a few of the other girls, had a later flight so we made some touristy stops in Dealey Plaza and over to the West Village to snap some pics by the awesome murals and grab some gelato! There’s awesome restaurants and great shopping in this area, so it’s a must-stop for my next trip back!
It was such a fun weekend getting to spend time with some of my favorite girls and getting to know all of the Bachelorette’s closest friends as well! Just makes me even more excited for the wedding day – getting ready with, take pictures with, and dancing the night away with all these great girls! Plus, the other wedding guests too.
Here’s a closer look at my outfit for our night on the town! Too funny that my accessories also matched the front door and are close to the bachelorette’s favorite color!
Shop my Girls Night Out Look below!
- Cropped Wide-Leg Jumpsuit • Banana Republic • $138 (exact)
- Bare Kitten Heel Sandal • Banana Republic • $100–118 (exact)
- Bare Kitten Heel Sandal • Banana Republic • $118 (exact – different colors)
- Shourouk Theresa Yellow Necklace • Shourouk • $162.50 (similar)
- Mawi Yellow Pearl Necklace • Mawi • $245 (similar)
- Betsey Johnson GRANNY CHIC DARLIN NECKLACE • Betsey Johnson • $59.98 (similar)
- I.n.c. Valliee Multi Compartment Chain Crossbody, Created for Macy’s • INC International Concepts • $41.70–69.50 (similar)
- Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag • Loewe • $540 (similar)
- MICHAEL Michael Kors Large Daniela Crossbody • MICHAEL Michael Kors • $198 (similar)
- Dkny Lara Rounded Crossbody, Created for Macy’s • DKNY • $90.93 (similar)
- Rebecca Minkoff Love Small Quilted Metallic Leather Crossbody Bag • Rebecca Minkoff • $195 (similar)
If you have any questions about what we did, where I got our amazing floaties, or any other questions about the trip to Dallas, let me know!
