Bachelorette Weekend in Hermann, MO

This weekend I went to Hermann, Missouri for a bachelorette party for my friend, Kala.  Greg and I went to school with her fiance, Derek, and they are a couple that we enjoy hanging out with.  Kala planned a winery trip weekend, in the little German wine country town of Hermann.  I've always wanted to go to Hermann, so it was nice to have a girl's weekend and just get away for a while.

We rented a cottage for the weekend.  It was in the middle of a neighborhood in a very odd spot, but it was a piece of history that they couldn't tear down.  There were 15 of us girls, so we took up every last bit of space.  The house had enough beds for 10 people, so we rearranged a bit and pushed many of them up against the walls in order to fit in some air mattresses.  Luckily, there were 3 full bathrooms. 

We woke up early on Saturday, spent some time around the house as the 15 of us got ready, and then we called a trolley to pick us up and take us to the first winery.  The trolley cost $15 per person for unlimited rides.  All we had to do was give them a call when we were ready for the next destination, and they would be there in less than 10 minutes.  It was a great deal.

The first winery was The Adam Puchta Winery. They had 17 cats, so you know I loved that winery.



The second winery was Stone Hill, which is one of the best selling wines in Missouri. They had a lot of good wines at decent prices around $10 - $15. I liked their Chambourcin, Norton and Hermannsberger, which is a mix of the Chambourcin and Norton. Very good! I'm going to look at for those at the liquor store.

We did a craft project at the house on Friday where we decorated
our own wine glasses that we carried around and used for the tastings.

The third winery was Hermannhof, and their wines were just okay.  The wines kept getting sweeter, and I'm more of a fan of dry wines.  The last winery was Oakglenn Winery, which was probably the prettiest, but we didn't get to sit outside because it was too cold.

We had the trolley drop us off a local bar around 5 PM, and us girls danced by ourselves for a couple of hours before we went to dinner.  We all expected to go out after dinner, but none of us made it, so we went back to the house, opened gifts, and we were all in bed by 11 PM...  Can you tell we're getting older?

I always stress over what to give as a gift to a bachelorette when they haven't been my friend for years and years.  I finally looked online a couple days prior for some ideas, and I came across the hangers with the person's new name, Mrs. So-and-So, or they say Bride or the couples names.  So, the night before I left, I decided to do a small DIY project and it was suprisingly super easy, so I'll explain just in case you feel adventurous and want to add in a cute present admist all the naughty ones.

What you will need:
1. 14 gauge wire (found at Home Depot) I read that you need around 10"-12" per letter, but I didn't use close to that.  I would say more around 6" per letter.  They are sold in 100' lengths and for around $6.
2. Wooden hanger
3. Needle nose pliers
4. Electric drill & bit
5. Super glue
6. Accessories such as flowers, jewels for bedazzling, ribbon, or paint (optional)

To start, simply place the wooden hanger down and write what you want to say in the approximate distance between the ends.  Make sure you plan for the slant of the hanger, so you don't want to get too close to the edges.  Leave a couple inches on the sides for the wire to be attached to the hanger.

If you need ideas for letters or cursive writing, there are tons of online websites.  Etsy has a lot of examples.

Then, start on one end and use the pliers to bend the wire for the letters keeping it around the same size that you drew out to fit on the hanger.  You will have to bend and rebend several times to get the letters to look the way you want them to.  It's also a little tricky to hold the letters that you already did while you work on it. 

I kept the wire attached to the entire spool while I was working on it, and I just cut it at the end because I was too afraid to cut the entire length at the beginning and then be short and have to start over.

Once you complete the letters, you can attach it to the hanger.  If there is a bottom wooden piece, then break that out and drill some holes on the sides to slide the wire into.  Glue the wire in the holes so it won't come out.  I tried using a couple glues and super glue worked the best.

The next step is up to you.  You can decorate the hanger the way you prefer.  I used a glue gun to glue a couple flowers on the hanger.  I saw some hangers painted in the colors for the wedding.  Some used a paint pen to put the date on the hanger, some just tied a ribbon at the top, and some made it super girly with jewels.

I think the hangers look really cute in the wedding photos of your dress hung up.  I wish I would have had one for my wedding, but I just didn't get down to the nitty gritty details of the type of hangers.  I think these would also make cute bridesmaid gifts with each of their names on a hanger.  The possibilities are endless!  :) 

Even Greg was impressed with my craftiness and said I should sell them online.  I don't know if we're to that point yet, but if you would like one made, I would be more than happy to make it for you out of the goodness of my heart.  Please feel free to ask.

Well, if you ever have the opportunity to go to Hermann for a weekend, I would highly suggest it.  I am trying to plan another trip this year with Greg maybe for an anniversary celebration or just a weekend with some of our friends.  Let us know if you're interested!

Have a good week!