Monthly Archives: February 2016

pass the wine

Posted in Movies by

Hi Everyone! Surprise Monday appearance by me today, but I had a lot of thoughts about the Oscars that I wanted to share. From favorite to least favorite moments and of course best dressed, there was a lot going on last night.

Michael Keaton Oscarssource

Favorite Moments

  1. Chris Rock kicked the show off right, with a monologue that was funny, boundary pushing, and topical at the same time.  Rock has never been one who worries about making his audience uncomfortable with his comedy, and those skills came into use while hosting the 88th Annual Academy Awards. You can watch Chris Rock’s full monologue here.

  2. Three of last night’s ‘Best Original Song’ nominees were performed during the show, but none more powerfully than Lady Gaga’s performance of ‘Til it Happens to You’. From “The Hunting Ground”, a documentary that chronicles the rise of sexual assault on college campuses, the song was written by both Lady Gaga and master songstress Diane Warren. Gaga’s performance was introduced by Vice President Joe Biden, who provided a call to action to put a stop to sexual violence.  The most moving moment, however, was the final moments of the song, when survivors of sexual assault gathered on the stage with mantras written on their forearms such as “Not Your Fault’ and ‘Survivor’. Gaga joins them as their arms are raised, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. You can watch the full performance here.

  3. On a lighter note, Jacob Tremblay, whose talents I experienced when watching Room this weekend, has been quite the darling of the award’s show circuit. My favorite moment was last night, when presenting the award for ‘Best Live Action Short’ with fellow newcomer Abraham Attah. With both presenters being shorter than the mic, Chris Rock brought them boxes to stand on.  Without missing a beat, Tremblay says, “Thanks Chris, I loved you in Madagascar”. Adorable.

Least Favorite Moments

  1. Although I thought Chris Rock was very funny last night, some of his jokes fell flat.  The one that didn’t land for me was bringing out Stacey Dash, of Clueless, who has spoken out against Black History Month, as the director of the Academy’s new minority outreach program. The Weeknd thought it was awkward too.

    the weeknd oscarssource

  2. Last night’s telecast presented a number of changes from previous years. The winners provided a list of people they wanted to thank to the producers, who then projected that list on a scrolling chyron while they were giving their speech.  This was supposed to reduce the times the speeches took, but based on the length of last night’s show, I wouldn’t say it was successful.  Not only that, but those in the audience couldn’t see the chyron, so the winners still mentioned everyone important that they wanted to thank.Another change that was made was the order of award presentation.  The awards were presented in the order of which a movie is made, i.e. writing awards were given out first, while awards for full products were handed out last.  The problem with this is that all of the awards that aren’t traditionally cared about by the general public were front loaded to the beginning of the telecast, making it a pain to get to the big ones. Luckily, we had a few acting awards sprinkled in the beginning of the show, such as Best Supporting Actress and Actor, to get us through.

  3. Speaking of the Best Supporting Actor award, this was my biggest disappointment of the night.  I’ll say up front that I haven’t seen Bridge of Spies, and I’m sure that Mark Rylance gives a quality performance.  That being sad, man was I bummed to not see Sylvester Stallone take home an award for playing the role that made him famous 40 years ago. As someone who runs past the Rocky statue three times a week, I was rooting for a local movie to take home some gold.  Plus, they would’ve probably shown Michael B. Jordan in the audience, and that is never a bad thing.

Best Dressed

  1. Saoirse Ronan Oscar
    Saoirse Ronan’s custom Calvin Klein dress was something I would love to wear.  The emerald green color looked amazing on her, and the cut was both edgy and tasteful. I loved her loose messy curls, to complement the fitted shape of the dress.
  2. Brie Larson Oscars Brie Larson’s Gucci dress wasn’t the flashiest, but I thought it suited her personality. It wasn’t one of the dresses that you wanted to see up close and from every angle, but the color was beautiful, she looked comfortable, and most importantly, she looked like herself.
  3. Cate Blanchett Oscars Cate Blanchett was my favorite dress of the night. From what I’ve seen this morning, her Armani Prive dress has received mixed reviews.  Not many people can pull off the avant garde details such as feathered shoulders and the floral applique. The colors really complemented her skintone, and she looked like a real life ice queen, (not the mean kind, more like Elsa).

Thanks People.com for the photos!

What did you guys think of the show? Any favorite moments or favorite looks? Let me know in the comments!!
xxEm

the house that built me – the bachelor: week 8

Posted in Television by

Ahh the hometown dates, where things start getting serious and normally we start to hear the first “I love you”s. Unfortunately, the girls let me down in the second department, as none of them professed their love to Ben. Even though there were no romantic proclamations, this episode packed plenty of drama, so let’s get to it!

JoJos brothers GIFsource

My Takeaways

  1. The first hometown we see is Amanda’s, in Laguna Beach. Upon his entrance, Amanda runs to Ben, while pulling up her off the shoulder top the entire time. Suffice it to say, the outfit choice was not the best for a date that involves running around and playing with her kids. I was honestly shocked to hear Amanda tell Ben that she hasn’t seen them since she’s been home. It was a super cute moment for the producers to have on camera, but I didn’t think they would keep her away from her kids just to get that scene.

    Amanda’s kids are the cutest things on this planet. The first question the oldest one, Kinsley, asks Amanda is, “Where’s Ben?” Clearly someone is feeding this kid lines. They spend their date playing at the beach, which involves sand castles, kite flying, and just general chasing. Kinsley is loving it while the younger daughter, Charlie, is unimpressed. She expresses her unhappiness by crying and screaming for the entire ride back home.

    As soon as the crying lasts longer than a minute, you can tell Ben is becoming a little harried. As people say, you don’t truly know what its like to be a dad until you actually are one. Although Amanda’s girls are adorable, well behaved and sweet, I think this date really showed Ben that he wasn’t ready to be a father. I think he had feelings for Amanda, but knew at this point in his life he wouldn’t be able to give her and her girls everything that they deserve.

  2. Next, Ben travels to Portland, where Lauren “keeps it weird”. My girl crush on Lauren continues to develop as she takes Ben around downtown Portland, with stops for food at a food truck and a whiskey library. For the first time all season, we see someone actually put food in their mouth, as Lauren claims, “This is everything. I love butter. I don’t know if we’ve discussed my love for butter, but I love butter”. I don’t know about you, but I really need to get whatever brand of butter they have out there in Portland.

    Lauren takes Ben to meet her parents, sister, and two little brothers. Her sister, Mollie, is the one who grills Ben the hardest about his intentions with Lauren. She asks him, “My sister is an eligible bachelorette. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s nice, good values, any guy would fall in love with her. What makes her stand out to you?” Ben’s response is telling of his feelings when he says, “There’s something about your sister that I can’t put words to. I don’t know, I feel really lucky, I do.” AND THEN HE TEARS UP. I really don’t see how anyone but Lauren can be the recipient of Ben’s final rose.

  3. Finally, we can talk about JoJo’s hometown! In all honestly, the rest of the episode was pretty anti-climactic, with dad’s warning their daughters that there are still other girls in the process and daughter’s spilling their feelings to parents; but JoJo’s hometown is where it really gets good.

    The segment starts with JoJo walking up to her “house” and seeing a bouquet of roses on the porch. They come with a letter and assuming it was from Ben, she reads it on camera without any hesitation. Unfortunately for her, and after a very long time, she realizes the letter wasn’t from Ben. It was from her ex-boyfriend Chad, who has decided it was time to tell her he made a mistake and wants her back. JoJo is furious, although I have a feeling she may be angrier at the producers for letting this happen than with Chad himself. JoJo calls Chad, whether to tell him that she doesn’t want to be with him or she does (we don’t know), as Ben walks up the drive. JoJo answers the door looking upset, and Ben is super confused. When JoJo sits him down to tell him what has happened, you can see in his eyes that he thinks it is going to be over between them. Luckily for Ben, she tells him that she called Chad to tell him how happy she was and how everything between them is done.

    Maybe not so lucky for Ben, that means he still has to meet JoJo’s charming brothers. At her family dinner, Ben meets her mom, dad, sister, and two older brothers, Ben and Matt. Both brothers seem WAY too excited to see their sister, and engulf her in a giant sandwich of a hug complete with screaming and very close to the mouth kissing. Seriously, I had to turn my TV down when these guys were on the screen.

    JoJo’s brothers don’t seem to like Ben as soon as he walks in the door. They continuously tell Ben that they want the best for their sister and don’t want to see her get hurt. Brother Ben says that when he sees JoJo light up around Ben it is spooky and scares him because she deserves better. Possessive much? Also, what? That doesn’t even make sense. When JoJo tells them that she can see herself falling in love with Ben, they don’t gently remind her that there are still other girls in the process but yell to Ben, “Ben you’ve brainwashed these girls way too much. To see my sister like that after two dates…” All of this becomes even more hilarious when you learn that JoJo’s brother Ben was on a reality dating show himself.

    On the opposite end of the spectrum is JoJo’s mom, who doesn’t seem to know how the show works. When JoJo tells her that she’s afraid to go for it because there are three other women, her mom’s response is, “Oh?” She also tells JoJo, “you’re not going to get hurt, you’re beautiful” and takes champagne bottles to the face. Essentially, what everyone wants in a best friend.

    4. Caila’s hometown was pretty uneventful, and Amanda is sent home at the rose ceremony. Next stop: Fantasy Suites.

Favorite Tweets

Favorite Looks

  1. Lauren B quilted leather jacket
    Lauren looked a little edgier than normal for her hometown, I guess she was tapping into Portland’s “weirdness”. There have been plenty of leather jackets on this season but I fall hard for any that have a special detail. I like the quilting on this jacket, paired with a long plaid flannel.

  2. I loved JoJo’s rose ceremony dress. It was super sexy, with a deep neckline, but a tasteful length making it a winner all around.

  3. Caila’s hometown date look was anything but edgy, complete with a white turtleneck and a puffer vest. She looked like she stepped straight out of an L.L. Bean catalog, a look I try and emulate on a day-to-day basis. Plus, with hair like that, you can never look bad.

Well that’s all I got for you Bachelor lovers! Is it just me or do these posts get longer and longer? If you enjoy reading them, please subscribe in the sidebar to the right, and you can always reach me @third_and_girl on Twitter!

xxEm

small town – the bachelor: week 7

Posted in Television by

Hey guys! Sorry about the lack of posting in the past week, I had half a post planned and then the weekend just got away from me.

This week on The Bachelor we traveled to Ben’s hometown of Warsaw, Indiana aka my dream small town. And it was the most dramatic episode yet (not really, it was kind or boring), and there’s lots of great stuff to unpack.

Bachelor Episode 7 Leaves gifsource

My Takeaways

  1. Ben takes Lauren (I will no longer be using the B as she is the only one left) on the first one-on-one date. The two of them drive around in this gorgeous vintage truck, and see the sights in Warsaw. There is one point when they are driving where it seems that he wants to just rest his head on hers. That’s love ladies and gentleman.
    Ben Higgens Lauren B
    He takes her to the youth center where he used to work, and the two of them spend the afternoon shooting hoops with the kids. Ben also brings in Paul George and George Hill of the Indiana Pacers, and the kids and Lauren are equally star struck (I’m going to choose to believe that Lauren is a huge basketball fan, so we can become best friends). Ben seems to be really great with children, and I think that this is where Lauren really falls in love with him, (as evidenced by the fact that she later says she’s in love with him). Lauren and Ben hang out in the condo where Ben is staying, then close out what would be my perfect date at the local dive bar with Ben’s friends.

  2. For the group date, Ben takes Caila, Amanda, and Becca kayaking, and then they hang out in a barn that is reminiscent of the barn where Farmer Chris dumped her one season ago.
    All three of the women were seeking validation in their conversations with Ben, but it seems that validation only comes in the form of a rose. Amanda received the rose on this date, ensuring that she will get to take Ben home to meet her daughters. Not only that, she gets to spend the rest of the night with Ben, taking part in shameless product placement for McDonalds. After working the McDonald’s drive-thru (that’s not me mocking the date, they actually did that), Ben and Amanda spent some time at the Warsaw carnival. The carnival actually looked like fun but I was unnerved by the number of people that were constantly surrounding them and taking pictures on their phones.

  3. On Emily’s one-on-one date, Ben takes her to his childhood home to meet the parents. I’m sure Emily was nervous and not being particularly eloquent, but the editing really made her sound like a rambling crazy person. For example, when Ben’s dad asks her what she likes she says, “Movies. If I could sit around and watch them all day long that would be my favorite thing in the whole world.” She also says that she doesn’t like vegetables. Shockingly, both Ben’s parents have reservations that mirror Ben’s about Emily’s age. Ben takes Emily back to the girls’ house, and tells her that he can’t see her being his wife. The downside of this breakup location is the fact that the other girls were watching the entire time. On the bright side, Emily was able to cry and download all of her emotions with the girls before leaving.

    At the rose ceremony, Ben gave roses to Caila, Jojo, and Lauren and sent Becca home. Next stop: hometowns.

Favorite Tweets

Favorite Looks

  1. Caila’s Cableknit Sweater
    Caila’s sweater looks so cozy, and the fringe at the bottom adds a fun, unexpected element.

  2. Emily’s Military Jacket
    Emily’s army green jacket is a casual staple piece that everyone should have to throw on. The leather paneling edges it up just a bit.

  3. Lauren’s Light Coat
    Lauren Episode 7 coatI’m not sure if the coat is light pink, or it just looks it in the light, but it gives off a Jackie O vibe and I’m digging it.

What are your thoughts Bachelor lovers? Who do you think Ben is going to give the final rose too? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

xxEmily

don’t you want me – the bachelor: week 6

Posted in Television by

Hey guys, hope you had a great weekend and are ready to dissect this week’s episode of The Bachelor. I was pleasantly surprised that we got back on track with two rose ceremonies this week! The drama certainly hasn’t let up, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, so let’s get to it!

pig gifsource

My Takeaways

  1. This episode marked the emergence of a person who many viewers had almost forgotten was on the show, Leah.  After Caila received her second one-on-one date, Leah began a downward spiral of jealousy and self-doubt. She spent most of her time on the group date sulking over the fact that Ben wasn’t paying attention to her, due to his dating 6 other women, apparently forgetting the fact that that is the ENTIRE DESIGN OF THE SHOW. During the cocktail party, she spent her individual time with Ben talking about one of the other women, Lauren B. I take back what I said earlier about Leah forgetting that the entire design of the show was to have one person date multiple people because it is clear from this conversation that she has never watched the show before.  Can anyone tell me a time when a contestant spending their time with the Bachelor talking about the other women has gone well? Anyone?

    Besides the misguided topic of this conversation, the entire exchange between Leah and Ben during the nighttime portion of the group date was strange. I’m about 75% certain that Leah saying “Lauren B” when Ben asked her to clarify who she was talking about was dubbed in post production. At first, I thought that this whole exchange was producer manipulated, and that Leah was actually talking about Olivia. However, what she did after the date, made me doubt this original theory.

    After Amanda receives the group date rose and the women go back to the hotel, Leah decides that Ben still doesn’t know her. She “breaks the rules” and goes to Ben’s room to continue to talk to him. This move has had some success, but never when you spend your extra time with the Bachelor talking about the other women. (PSA: If you are going to go on the Bachelor, please watch the show first and don’t commit these cardinal sins of ‘The Bachelor’-dom.) During this conversation, the cameras show a full cut of Leah saying Lauren B.’s name as the woman who is different with Ben than the other women, therefore debunking my producer intervention theory. I’m still sure it was dubbed, but now I’m thinking it was just for clarity’s sake.

    Ben isn’t feeling the constant Lauren B bashing (because he obviously loves her), and sends Leah home.

  2. After the group date, Olivia and Emily go on their two-on-one date: a picnic on an island during a hurricane. I have to admit that I thought this pairing was a slam dunk for Olivia. There is such a track record on this show of the “villain” coming out on top one too many times.  I guess Olivia getting the group date rose last week was her last victory, because she certainly didn’t win anything on this date.

    During their one-on-one time, Olivia talks a lot about herself and tells Ben that she loves him. After she says this, she goes in for the kiss, which Ben doesn’t deny, but he certainly doesn’t let it linger.  This was my first indication that there was trouble brewing in Olivia’s paradise.

    Ben talks to Emily while her hair is attempting to eat her face.  It actually was pretty humorous and something that everyone not named Beyonce can relate to. Emily tells Ben that she wants to continue growing with him through her experience on the show, but receives no kiss that we see.

    When all three are back and seated on the beach, Ben takes the rose and asks to speak with Olivia.  I thought this was a pretty bad sign for Emily, but once again I was wrong.  Ben tells Olivia that he appreciates her being honest with him about her feelings, and he has to be honest in return, and not give her the rose.  He strands Olivia on what looks to be a freezing cold beach in the middle of a hurricane. What a winner. (I kid, Ben is quite the charmer).

    No matter how you feel about Olivia’s time on the show, I think you have to feel for her in that moment.  I don’t know what it would be like to tell someone that you love them, and then later that same day be dumped by them.  For these women, there is no additional closure, no drunk texts (although that is probably a good thing), no asking your friends “what did he say about me”. Its “Let me walk you out”, or in this case let me leave you on an island, and maybe we can talk about this during “The Women Tell All”. It can’t be easy.

  3. Ben is tired from his emotionally trying week, so there is no cocktail party.  During the rose ceremony, Lauren H goes home, pretty unsurprisingly.  I hope this means we can just start calling Lauren B, Lauren.The big thing of interest in the last section of the show was the promo for the rest of the season! OMG!

    From what I can see Ben tells two people he loves them, becoming the first Bachelor or Bachelorette I can remember to even tell anyone they are in love on camera before the final rose. There also is a very confusing montage where Ben is discussing his love for the two women, sobbing, and saying he can’t see his life without either of them.  There’s a classic Harrison quote of “What you’re contemplating now, that would absolutely change everything.”  The strangest thing to me however was Ben saying, “I have to say goodbye to a woman that doesn’t deserve it, it doesn’t feel right and this is the biggest mistake I’ve made. I want to keep her in my life, I don’t want to say good bye because thats how much I love her. I’m about to get on one knee and ask a woman to marry me. Unfortunately, I just love somebody else….more.” AND THEN HE MAKES A PHONE CALL!  Say WHAT?!?! This is the most I’ve been tempted by spoilers all season, but I’m standing firm. I can’t wait to know what happens, though!

Favorite Tweets

Best Dressed
Becca and Caila were my style stars this week. They were killing it!

  1. Becca’s Romper – Bahamas Arrival
    becca tilley romper
    show me your mumu rocky romper

    Becca’s romper is Show Me Your Mumu and can be found here.

  2. Caila’s Bikini

    I liked Caila’s bikini from the front, but when she turned around and I saw that hot pink tassel I was in love.

  3. Becca’s Crocheted Crop Top

    Becca continues looking effortlessly cool by pairing a crocheted crop top with a leather pencil skirt.

What did you guys think of this episode? Any guesses on what is going to happen in that final rose ceremony? I’d love to hear, in the comments or @third_and_girl on Twitter.

xxEm

the man.

Posted in Sports, Style by

Thank goodness its the weekend, this week really seemed to drag on! This weekend, I’m ready for some relaxation: reading, cooking, (hopefully) FINALLY finishing Making a Murderer, and topping it all off with the Super Bowl! Today, I’ve got a little sports and a lot of cuteness for you!

Women & the NFL
There has been a lot of ugliness regarding the NFL and women this season (I’m looking at you Greg Hardy & Johnny Manziel).  Luckily, there are still plenty of stories about the NFL and its players respecting and honoring women, even if they aren’t the salacious click bait that has become a favorite of ESPN.

  1. The Rooney Rule
    At the NFL Women’s Summit this week, Roger Goodell announced that the league was working on formalizing the institution of the Rooney Rule as it applies to women in executive positions within both  individual organizations and the league. The Rooney Rule, as it stands, requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for a head coaching vacancy. The new rule would require both teams and the NFL itself to interview a woman for any front office or executive position that opens, in hopes to diversify leadership of teams. Who knows, maybe with more women in the league, I won’t have to hear about the Johnny Manziels and Greg Hardys of the world.

  2. Demaryius Thomas & His Mother
    Demaryius Thomas is a standout wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, and up until a few weeks ago, his mom, Katina Smith, and never seen him play professional football.  She had been incarcerated, and on July 13th was pardoned by the President, who was becoming fed up with the overcrowding of America’s prisons with many inmates who were jailed on non-violdent drug related crimes.  ESPN published a great piece on Katina’s jubilation at being able to see her son play football for the first time, but also details how difficult the transition is from incarcerated life to freedom. Imagine how different the world would look if you hadn’t been able to go outside of prison grounds since the late 90’s. Internet, iPhones, DVD players, all of these things would be new.  Demaryius treats his mother with patience, kindness, and grace as she adjusts to life outside of prison and is an up-and-coming NFL player to look up to.  To learn more about Demaryius’s story, E:6o had a great video feature about a year ago, that you can find here.

  3. Dad-dos
    So those last two were kind of heavy, so I’m here for some serious NFL daddy/daughter cuteness. As part of their “Strong is Beautiful” campaign, Pantene has created ads that features NFL superstars spending quality time with their young daughters, while doing their hair. The videos are so enjoyable, featuring adorable little girls and big burly football players struggling to do something that many parents can do with their eyes closed. A common complaint among the football players – their hands are too big for this!  To watch all of the videos, you can visit Pantene’s YouTube page (DeAngelo Williams’s videos are my favorite) or watch the 30 second ad below.

Cutest Instagram Dogs
I’ve been having awesome luck lately with seeing cute dogs on the street. In the morning, I get to see Foxy, a tiny pomeranian who is always down to say good morning. On the way to kickboxing I normally see a golden retriever puppy, going on his afternoon walk. In case you guys aren’t as lucky in the dog department as I have been the past few weeks, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite dogs on Instagram, so you can get your daily dose of cute.

  1. Samson the Goldendoodle
    This cutie can frequently be seen in some killer outfits.

  2. Bess the Wheaten
    Full disclosure: I am a sucker for Wheaten Terriers, my parents have two of them, and I treat them like my children. Case and point, everytime I talk to my parents the call ends with, “Love you guys! Tell the dogs I love them too!”. How can you not love pups with a face like this though?

  3. Brinks the Pit Bull
    This little guy always looks like he’s smiling, and whenever I scroll past him on my feed, I can’t help but smile too.

Statement Studs at Baublebar
I’ve always been a fan of the statement earring trend, but as someone who considers throwing her hair up in a top knot as “doing it”, I’ve always thought it a bit too much to wear a dangly, bejeweled earring. Enter, the statement stud. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite from one of the best affordable jewelry websites around, Baublebar.earrings

  1. Babushka Studs
  2. Crystal Ballerina Studs
  3. Ice Stud Duo
    (I’m partial to the mint pair)

I hope you all have a great end to your weekend! Who do you have in the Super Bowl? Are you #teamsheriff or #teamsuperman? I’m partial to Team Sheriff, Go Broncos!

Thanks for reading!
xxEm

from afar.

Posted in Television by

Possibly an unpopular opinion, but I thought this week’s episode was kind of a dull one.  I didn’t really have any “hot takes” while watching, so my thoughts are more like a recap this week.

ben spat source

Thoughts on Episode 5
1. Amanda got the first one on one date, and I could see this coming since Ben made barrettes for her daughters. I really like Amanda, and I think Ben likes her too.

Ben starts the date by waking up the women at 4am.  This was probably my favorite part of the episode due to Lauren H’s retainer, an unclaimed weave (and the fact that Ben knew it was a weave), and Ben affectionately saying good morning to “Jubs”. The two of them go on a hot air balloon date, and its pretty boring.  The only thing I got out of it was to ask myself whether Ben knows these facts about Mexico, or if a producer feeds them to him in the moment. Then they go on a picnic, and they both say “like” a lot.

At “dinner” (they never eat), they discuss Amanda’s previous marriage, which certainly doesn’t sound like a walk in the park. Amanda deserves a guy that wants to spend time with her and her daughters and DEFINITELY deserves one that is faithful to her.  I’m proud of her for putting herself and her girls first and recognizing that she deserves better.  Ben gives her the rose, and I think their relationship is one of the stronger ones on the show.

2. The big story of the group date was Ben sending Jubilee home.  On second viewing, something she said in one of her interviews really struck me.  She said , “Love seeing Ben, hate competing with 9 other girls for a man’s love”. I’m going to bet that the majority of these women feel the same way, but everyone deals with that stress in a different way.  Jubilee’s way was to shut down and put her guard up, something that isn’t going to be beneficial on a show where you need to be able to express your strong feelings for someone in a matter of months. Jubilee needed Ben to tell her she was special, and to give her that confidence that she was standing out amoung the other women. The look on her face when she realized that Ben wasn’t going to give her the validation she wanted at that moment, was truly heartbreaking.

After sending Jubs home, Ben gives Olivia the group date rose. I think he appreciated her desire to spend time with him, when that is what he wasn’t feeling from Jubilee.  That being said, it definitely didn’t help with the other women’s feelings toward her.

3. At the rose ceremony Amanda, Olivia and Lauren H have roses, Lauren receiving hers after a super boring date. Jojo and Lauren B tiptoe around telling Ben that they are falling in love with him.  Its refreshing that they are not comfortable saying they are in love with a man they barely know.

Then the big comment of the episode happens. Olivia makes the misguided allusion to Teen Mom when Amanda was discussing her childcare situation while she was away. Immediately, you can see in Olivia’s face that what she meant to get across was not what was received by the other women.  I don’t think she was trying to be malicious towards Amanda, but instead was attempting to make a joke, in poor taste.  I give Amanda and Olivia both a lot of credit for having a discussion about the comment instead of talking behind each other’s backs.

Emily uses her one on one time to talk to Ben about feeling disrespected by Olivia. Her time is interrupted by Olivia. Ben uses some of his time with Olivia to fish for information. She gives up nothing, saying that everything in the house is fine. Next comes a montage of girls talking about Olivia, something I’m sure was prompted by Ben or the producers.

The rose ceremony is about to begin and Ben asks to speak with Olivia. Then the dreaded “To be continued”…..UGH.

Tweets of the Week

1.

2.

3.

 Best Outfits

1.ben ep 5
An unexpected favorite look was Ben’s from his date with Amanda.  I love a good puffer vest, and I like it paired with the checkered shirt. (My screen grabs may be a bit clearer, but I didn’t catch the best Ben face, #unimpressed).

2.lauren b ep 5 2

Lauren B’s white two piece maxi was so chic.  I loved the tasteful crop, as well as the high slit.
3.amanda episode 5

Amanda’s super casual “girl chat” look was how I wish I looked when I’m lounging.  She looks so cute in a checkered flannel with a bright headband. I look not so cute in a “Nap Queen” sweatshirt, messy bun, and pants if you’re lucky.

What were your thoughts on the episode? Do you think Ben is going to take Olivia’s rose away?  Let me know in the comments!

And as always, please subscribe in the sidebar, and follow on twitter @third_and_girl.

xxEM