Tag Archives: danielle maltby

know better-bip4: episode 3

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Work got in the way a little bit, but it can’t keep me from my goal of catching up on Paradise. Let’s get to Episode 3!

My Takeaways

BIP 4-3 - Adam Bug.gifsource

We start with the day before the first rose ceremony, and a bunch of the girls are super concerned that none of the men are romantically interested in them. First, there are going to be like 15 new men that come into Paradise at any point. Second, you have the power! It doesn’t matter if they don’t like you – they have no control. This should be easy peasy for them, no need to freak out.

Speaking of new men coming in, Adam makes his way into Paradise with a date card. He gets the low down on current relationships and gets the go ahead to take any girl he wants, minus Taylor. Adam is interested in Raven and Kristina and talks to both of them. I knew he was going to pick Raven for the date when he called her dynamic – I think that is such a powerful compliment.

While Raven and Adam go on a very nice, but boring, first date, Dean and Kristina continue to be on the rocks. I love Deanie Babies as much as the next person, but he really is a child when it comes to relationships. He liked Kristina enough to go to Kentucky with her during the filming stoppage but, not enough to have a conversation about where they stand. At this point in Paradise, he isn’t interested in anyone else but her so I can imagine how aloof and confusing he will be when someone else he is even remotely interested in arrives (Spoiler alert: we will get to see this).

BIP 4-3 - Jasmine Alex thirstysource

We FINALLY get to our first rose ceremony, and a lot of the men are feeling uncertain. After Amanda tells Alex that he no longer is going to get her rose he is scrambling to find a new one. Robby, unsure if he will get Raven’s rose, makes the move on Amanda. Robby is hesitant to go for her at first because she was engaged to one of his friends but he goes for it anyway. This conversation is so frustrating and annoying for me because they keep calling Josh Murray ‘Anonymous’ when everyone knows who they are talking about. If you don’t feel comfortable saying his name while you are having this conversation maybe you shouldn’t be having it.

BIP 4-3 - Amanda Robby You're really sweaty

Finally, Dean decides to have a semi-adult conversation with Kristina and tells her that he has felt weird vibes between the two of them and thinks that they should take a step back. He tells her that he wanted to have the conversation before the rose ceremony so she could make a good decision for herself. Too bad he couldn’t have had the conversation with her all the times she tried to have it, which would have actually given her time to get to know someone else.

Unfortunately, Kristina still gives Dean her rose. After watching the episode, the only mild surprise was Danielle M giving Ben Z a rose but after Raven gave hers to Adam, Danielle wanted to have a nice guy stick around.

BIP 4-3 - Alexis Damnsource

The next day Danielle Lombard arrives, and all the men go crazy. To be honest, I was never a DLo fan, and I’m not a fan of her now. She has a tendency to laugh after everything anyone says and it drives me crazy. She gets the scoop from the girls as to who is with who, and knows that Kristina and Dean have some type of connection. She disregards that, and asks Dean on a date anyway. To be honest, I don’t blame her for that too much, as I don’t think her and Kristina are great friends and Dean and Kristina are “taking a step back”.

On their date, Dean and DLo ride ATVs, talk about their seasons, their families, and share a kiss. God, these Paradise dates are boring.

Upon returning from their date, Dean goes to talk to Kristina to tell her about their date and tell her that him and DLo kissed. I know that he is just trying to be honest with her but I don’t think it’s necessary. Dean tells Kristina that he missed her during the day, and she leaves the conversation feeling good about their relationship.

BIP 4-3 - Alexis 'dean's a little d***'source

That night, everyone is having a bonfire and roasting s’mores. Dean and Kristina seem to be pretty cuddly around the campfire; that is, until he goes and brings DLo a half-birthday “cake” (watermelon with whipped cream). Understandably, it upsets Kristina to see Dean giving another girl attention when she thought they were moving forward. The episode ends with Dean oblivious, and Kristina crying on her bed with Alexis (who I would like to recruit to be my new BFF).

Best Tweets

[It’s hard to find funny tweets two weeks late  – I’ll pick this section back up while recapping Week 3]

Best Dressed

I was a big fan of the rose ceremony dresses this week.

BIP 4-3 - Danielle M Rose Ceremony

I couldn’t find Danielle’s purple maxi dress but I found a similar cut in hot pink here.  I loved the chunky gold necklace that she paired the dress with, I found a similar one here (only $18!).

BIP 4-3 - Kristina Rose Ceremony Romper

Continuing her romper domination, Kristina looked hot in this outfit from Calypso Boutique, which can be found here.

BIP 4-3 - Danielle M Off the Shoulder Dress

Of the casual outfits, only Danielle M.’s off the shoulder look stood out to me. This dress is Flynn Skye, which we know Danielle loves,  and can be bought here.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the season! You can find me on Twitter @third_and_girl.

 

holiday – bip4: episode 1

Posted in Television by

Paradise is back! What a welcome surprise, after the controversy that almost caused it not to be on our TV’s at all this summer. Finals had me way behind on the show, but I’m using this week to catch up. I don’t think I’ve ever recapped BIP and I’m really looking forward to it. Expect A LOT of posts this week.

My Takeaways

BIP4-1 - Chris Harrison Most Dramatic

The first to arrive in Paradise (here we capitalize Paradise, it is an important place) and her voiceovers sound like she is taking this whole thing wayyyy too seriously. You shouldn’t go into Paradise hoping to get engaged. You should go into it hoping to have a great time in Mexico, and if you leave with something kind of serious than consider it a huge bonus. That being said, I love Raven and am rooting for her to find love.

BIP4-1 - Iggy Dean Bromance

Dean arrives next, and I was surprised that he and Raven didn’t seem that into each other. She says that he’s cute, but I imagined the two of them being the power couple of Paradise. It’s possible that my love for Raven is clouding my judgment, but I would have expected all of the guys to be looking to meet her.

BIP4-1- Alexis Opening Scene

There are a bunch more arrivals, and none are too interesting. We see the arrivals of Danielle M., Kristina, Jasmine, Iggy, Diggy, Alexis (YAAAS), Matt, DeMario, Corinne, Lacey, Amanda S., Jack Stone, Vinny, Nick, Derek, Taylor, and Alex. I actually got most of those off the top of my head which, to me, is both concerning and impressive.

BIP4-1 - Corinne Siesta Fiesta

On the first day, a couple of pairs hit it off. Dean and Kristina have an oddly heartfelt (for Paradise) conversation about the tough childhoods that they both had. Ben Z. and Raven have some alone time and Raven learns a lot about Ben’s dog. To be honest, I could listen to someone talk about their dog all day, so there was no need for the do-do music to be edited in there. DeMario and Corinne are also all over each other.

The whole group gets together to hear the sad news that Jorge won’t be their bartender this summer, that he is following his dreams and opening ‘Jorge’s-Tour-ges’. I don’t know if this is a real thing or not, but sign me up. There is no way that our Bachelors and Bachelorettes are going to left high and dry, so Wells is brought in to be the bartender.

BIP 4-1 - Alexis Vagina Dancing

Kristina gets the first date card and asks Dean to go on her date. While those two are on their date (which was really boring) Danielle M., who was seen at least 3 times saying that Dean was the cutest one on the beach, vents to her pal from Nashville, Wells. Hearing the way Danielle talks about Wells makes you question why the two of them have never dated before. From personal experience, you always go for the radio guy.

Nick came into Paradise wanting to meet Jasmine, but he is blowing it big time by getting HAMMERED on night one. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Matt swoops in. Jasmine seems to be more into Matt, and when he is given a date card a few days later, it is Jasmine that he takes on his date.

BIP4-1 - Danielle imitates Robby's hair

The next day Robby makes his way to Paradise – all 12 abs and 30 bathing suits of him. He is given a date card and decides to take Raven. They have fun jet skiing around, but Robby thinks Raven is much more into the date than she actually is. As she is unpacking the date with her girls she mentions that there were no sparks and that he talked about being a social media influencer. Robby thinks that is a cool thing, as he tells the guys that they talked about Instagram. Insert eye roll here.

BIP 4-1 - Robby wine Spritzer

At the rose ceremony, many of the women have their minds made up but a few are up in the air. Ben Z. gets the confirmation from Raven that she is much more into him than she is into Robby. Vinny, Iggy, Diggy, and a few other guys are looking to worm their way into getting one of the girls’ roses and get a shot at another week. It is at this time when the production shut down starts to take place. Corinne and DeMario are pulled away by producers and the cameras are going dark, and the episode ends.

BIP4-1 - Better Than Robby Kiss

Best Tweets

[It’s hard to find funny tweets two weeks late  – I’ll pick this section back up while recapping Week 3]

Best Dressed

BIP 4-1 - Danielle M Intro Outfit

Danielle M. was the style star for me this week. I loved the two piece set she wore to enter paradise and the green floral maxi she was wearing at the rose ceremony. Not only that, I’m loving her extra platinum blonde hair. The set was by Flynn Skye, a designer that I’d liked when she wore it on Nick’s season. The pattern is Floral Fireworks and you can buy the top here and the skirt here.

BIP 4-1 - Danielle M Rose Ceremony Dress

The dress is Karlie, and can be found here.

BIP 4-1 - Kristina Intro Romper

Kristina’s arrival romper was really cute. The romper is by Tobi, and is a pretty reasonable $80. You can buy it here.

BIP 4-1 - Amanda Intro Crop Top

Amanda’s wardrobe never disappoints. A nautical look will never be out of style for the summer, so her arrival crop top was a great choice. The top is Stone Cold Fox, and can be found here (actually on sale through the designer, but not any retailers!)

Who are your favorite couples in Paradise so far? Anyone? Let me know!

 

firework-nick:week 9

Posted in Television by

Short episode last week, hella long episode this week. Most of this post is going to focus on the actual episode (both parts), and then I’ll cover some of the outfits from the Women Tell All. I really don’t want to write about that, as it’s just a bunch of people trying to talk over each other.

Nick Chambongo.gif

My Takeaways

The episode starts with the Andi/Nick “confrontation” that was teased at the end of the last episode. I know you were all shocked to discover that this confrontation was really just Andi giving Nick advice as he heads into the Fantasy Suites. I question the choice of the producers to bring Andi back, as she didn’t have the kindest words to say about her personal Fantasy Suite experience with Nick in her book. That being said, we did get to see Andi bring up Nick’s infamous, “if you weren’t in love with me why did you make love to me?” quote which makes me laugh every time I hear it. Sorry, Nick.

_____

The rose ceremony had very little drama for me. With Rachel being announced as the Bachelorette so long ago, I didn’t have any doubts that she made it to the top 3.

Nick’s goodbye to Corinne was kind of bizarre. He seemed to really like her, but know that she was not ready to be married, but simultaneously seemed happy to send her packing. In her exit interview, Corinne went on a rant about how she no longer is going to try and act a certain way to impress a man. Take your own advice Corinne, and we’ll see you in Paradise!

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Vanessa, Raven, Rachel and Nick are heading to Finland, somewhere I personally have always wanted to go.  Seeing the Northern Lights is definitely on my bucket list. Raven has the first Fantasy Suite date, and I really love her and Nick together. Their conversation seems so natural, and I think the two of them could really build a life together. I also like that Raven is not afraid to give Nick some of her sass.

Raven Folding Clothes Gif

As much as I love Raven, I really wish we hadn’t spent such a long time hearing about how she had never had an orgasm. I have to believe there were a few too many alcoholic beverages and a bit of producer goading that got her to admit that on camera. Although this is the girl who admitted to beating an ex with a stiletto so maybe she truly has no filter. The first half of the episode ends with Nick and Raven cuddling in this ah-mazing skylit room, so we had to wait a whole week to see how Nick stacked up to Raven’s ex.

raven wine gif

The next morning, Raven gives the impression that Nick really satisfied her needs. I’m a little sad that that was the least gross way that I could put that. Kudos to the producers for the extended montage of Raven skipping through Finland after her night with Nick.

_____

The next date is Rachel, and SPOILER ALERT she’s the new Bachelorette. So I had to imagine this would be her and Nick’s last date. As much as the Bachelor producers don’t mind spoiling part of their show, I don’t think they would want to spoil the final rose.

Nick and Rachel go cross-country skiing, and I was LOL-ing at Rachel’s ineptitude at this activity. As she is my ultimate girl crush I imagine she is good at everything, but apparently she is good at everything but cross-country skiing. They ski into a lodge where they have their heart-to-heart which is always about Rachel’s fear of being rejected and opening up.

At night, Rachel finally drops the bomb that she is falling in love with Nick….uh duh. Nick is giggling like a school girl at this news and I still can not for the life of me figure out how she is not the one. The two spend the night in the fantasy suite and then spend an adorable morning making breakfast together. Rachel’s penguin onesie just makes me love her even more.

rachel onesie gif

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Vanessa and Nick spend their date jumping from an ice bath into a sauna. Nick seems to be a bit of a baby and unable to stay in the ice bath for more than .5 seconds, while Vanessa is ready to set up camp.

Vanessa Ice Bath gif

Luckily for Nick, the Bachelor producers have blessed him with a hot tub, so that he can have a heart to heart with Vanessa about their futures. I found it weird Nick kept calling Vanessa’s family traditional….as in they just had a lot of family traditions. To me, traditional harkens back to more of traditional family values aka June Cleaver and the families of the 50’s. Am I the only one?

For some reason, Nick and Vanessa’s relationship seems combative to me. They always seem to be arguing, which I think Nick likes because it keeps him on his toes. However, their arguments never have a resolution. For example, they talk about the fact that they currently live in different countries and where they would live if they got engaged, but never actually come to any type of decision or meeting of the minds. It’s very odd to me.

That being said, Vanessa is obviously in love with Nick (I don’t see it, but of course she is, it’s the Bachelor). She tells him at dinner, and he has a seriously odd look on his face. I’m not sure if it is the camera angle, but it seems like he’s not even looking at her. It could be producer manipulation of the actual conversation or Nick is just a weirdo, I wouldn’t be surprised either way.

_____

At the rose ceremony, we know Rachel is going home but that doesn’t make it any less hard to see her go. Nick seemed really broken up about it, mentioning that he selfishly hopes that this isn’t the end of their relationship. Uhmm, maybe don’t break up with her then Nick? He really missed out on a good one with her.

rachel kickoff gif

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Best Tweets

Best Dressed

Danielle M Women Tell All Jumpsuit

I am obsessed with the jumpsuit that Danielle M. wore to the Women Tell All, as well as her new platinum hair color. She looks amazing. Unfortunately for us, Danielle’s jumpsuit was custom made by Cavanagh Baker, who made her jumpsuit that I loved in this episode. I found a few that were comparable here and here.

Sarah Vendal Romper Women Tell All.jpg

Sarah has been a style favorite of mine throughout the entire season, and she didn’t disappoint at the Women Tell All. She looked adorable in a lace Stylestalker romper, which can be purchased on their website here. If the price point isn’t for you (don’t worry, me either), this romper can be rented through the Stylist LA, which works a lot like Rent the Runway. I liked how she paired it with a criss-cross undershirt to amp up the deep v-neck.

Rachel Women Tell All.jpg

When Rachel came out for her time as the Bachelorette, we knew she was going to be looking great, she’s got that Bachelorette budget now. Rachel’s dress is by Dion Lee and can be found here. I found a few more cost effective options here and here.

The next episode is the finale, and we will finally find out who Nick has decided to break up with in a few months….I mean get engaged to. Who do you think it is, Raven or Vanessa? Let me know!

xo
Em

source for gifs not made by me

what if-nick:week 7

Posted in Television by

We’re in the home stretch of this journey, and we’re going to hometowns next week. Let’s get to the episode, and see how Nick’s relationships with the women are trucking along.

My Takeaways

nick_week-7_1Nick pulling the Mesnick

We pick up this episode with analysis of last week’s cliffhanger by the women and Chris Harrison. Chris and Nick have a man chat on the beach, while the women sit in their villa discussing the anxiety they are feeling about whether Nick is just going to quit the process all together. Lucky for the women (and ABC! Could you imagine the ratings if they had to air re-runs of Dr. Ken), Nick joins them at the villa to tell them that he is fully committed to the journey with these women. This has to be one of the more awkward dynamics among the women – my very good friends and I are very excited that the man we are all dating is going to continue to date all of us in the hopes that one of us will marry him?

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The first one-on-one date of the week goes to Vanessa, who kissed Nick after vomiting the last time they were alone for an extended period of time. I like Vanessa because she doesn’t seem caught up in the ‘Bachelor’ of it all. When Nick does something that is kinda lame, she calls him out on it. Many times on these shows you find women who look past all the Bachelor’s faults and see him as some type of Prince Charming. Vanessa doesn’t do that and sees him as a real person.

Vanessa_Week 7_1.gif

Despite his faults, Vanessa is falling in love with Nick and tells him as much at dinner. Nick, not wanting to tell girls that he loves them before the end of this whole thing, talks around the issue for an extended period of time. Seriously, I was watching with my roommate and she said, “what did he say to her, I literally was not listening.” Vanessa was a bit disappointed by Nick’s lack of enthusiasm over her declaration, but I think it was for the best. Just ask Ben how telling multiple women he loves them works out.

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The next date was the group date, featuring Corinne, Raven, and Kristina. Corinne is extremely disappointed because she is the only one of the women left who has not had  true one-on-one date. Plus, she really wants Nick to meet her nanny, Racquel. I think most of America wants this to happen as well.

With only three women on the date, it feels like it’s just a competition for Nick’s time. If Nick is paying attention to Kristina, Corinne needs to one up her. If Nick is paying attention to Corinne, Kristina isn’t going to let that happen. I love Raven even more than I already did for that fact that she seems to be above all of the competition. She chooses to spend her time talking to Nick about their relationship, and not worry about any of the other women. For that, she gets the group date rose, and is the only one who will be safe going into the end of the episode.

_____

The next one-on-one date this week was with Danielle M., who had the first one-on-one of the season. I’ve liked Danielle all this season, but I’ve always thought she was a little too timid and quiet for this experience. While I don’t doubt that there were a lot of conversations between her and Nick that weren’t shown on camera, but all we really know about her is that she’s sweet.

In this date, the conversation struggle was real. It was filled with ‘um’, Nick asking questions and receiving one word answers, and Danielle just reaffirming things Nick says.

danielle-convo-gif

At night, poor Danielle pours her heart out to Nick, telling him that she is ready to take on life with him. Nick, however, only feels a great friendship with her and knows it’s time to send her home. He tells her that he doesn’t think their relationship can get to where he wants the love in his life to be. He tells her that he is sorry and that she is so great, and then the great heartbreak of the episode:

Danielle_Week 7_1.gif

Danielle, you are a kick-ass PICU nurse who deserves better than a guy who wears a hoodie on a nice date. You are great enough.

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Knowing that Nick is probably upset after sending Danielle home, Corinne decides that this is the time to go sneak over to his room and seduce him. In an impressive move, Nick turns down her advances, actually learning from his past experiences on the show. I do feel for Corinne though, this is the second time that she has attempted to throw herself at Nick, and has had him turn her away in some capacity. I think she is harder on herself than she should be though. Nick feels a connection with her, and I think Corinne thinks it is more just a physical connection, when I think that Nick actually enjoys her company.

corinne_week-7_1Finally we got this masterpiece in an episode.

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Rachel’s one-on-one is easy and fun, just like their relationship. They hang out at a local bar, and just chat with the locals and each other. We get more amusing conversations about how Nick should address Rachel’s dad, and I just pray that he somehow messes it up next week. I also enjoyed that they don’t shy away from the fact that this is an interracial relationship.

rachel_week-7_1

Although Nick was awkward in bringing it up, Rachel is very direct. No, she hasn’t brought a white guy home before but yes, she has dated white guys before. I never think Rachel has anything to worry about after her one-on-ones, and I’m once again proven correct.

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After his date with Rachel, Nick knows what he needs to do. I like that he is forgoing the formality of rose ceremonies, in order to have the difficult “break-up” conversations with these women who he has built strong connections with. Unfortunately, this break-up is with Kristina. As we learned last week, Kristina has been through some tough situations in her life, and she isn’t going to deal with Nick’s nonsense. As he is breaking up with her, Nick is tearing up and Kristina is shooting daggers. She does deserve someone who won’t sit in front of her and tell her that he has stronger relationships with someone else. Although she doesn’t seem the type, I’d love to see Kristina in Paradise, just so we can follow her journey more. I could see her finding someone there.

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We’ve got our final 4 ladies to head into hometowns. In a shocking (not really) move by ABC, we have already found out who our Bachelorette is for next season, and she is still in the running. Although I’m a little bummed to have the season spoiled a bit, I couldn’t be more excited that my girl Rachel will be the Bachelorette next season!

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/eliseleary/status/831373071395090433
https://twitter.com/PrincessProbz/status/831335111715061764

Best Dressed

Unfortunately, I only really loved one outfit this week, and that was Raven’s dress from the group date. Luckily, I know where it’s from! You can get Raven’s STYLESTALKER dress here!

Raven Dress Week 7 .jpg

I’m seriously considering purchasing this beauty for one of the many weddings I have this summer. All I need is a little tan.

Sorry this got posted so late guys! Here’s to hoping next week is better. As always, I’d love to hear any feedback – you can always find me in the comments or on Twitter.

xo
Em

gif source.

realize-nick:week 6

Posted in Television by

So, I was wrong last week and Corinne did not go home – two people went home on a different one-on-one date. I don’t want to get ahead of myself so let’s get to the episode!

Nick Viall Drunk Dinosaur.gif

My Takeaways

The confrontation between Taylor and Nick was anti-climactic, with Taylor just telling Nick that Corinne lied to him. Nick tells her that the decision he made had nothing to do with what Corinne had said and everything to do with his heart.

The group is headed to St. Thomas. Upon arriving, Nick greets the women and whisks Kristina off on the one-on-one date of the week. We don’t get to see a ton of this date, which makes me think it was pretty boring. I did find it refreshing to see them drinking a couple beers while they chatted. I feel like these women are so often drinking champagne or wine. I certainly love a few glasses of wine or champs, but sometimes you just want a cold beer. Please forgive my minor tangent about alcohol, I’m doing sober February and watching the Bachelor makes the temptation real.

kristina-beer-gif

At dinner, Kristina finally tells Nick the story of her childhood. Her story is heartbreaking, and I admire her for everything she has been through. As Nick says, “when I was 5 I was complaining about going to kindergarten and Kristina was fending for herself.” There was no way Kristina wasn’t getting a rose after that story.

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The group date looked really fun, even though it dissolved into mayhem. The theme of the date was just ‘hanging out’ but Nick forgot that even that can be ruined by doing it with 6 with women who all want to marry you. I did find it really bizarre how quickly everything seemed to fall apart.  We know that they were all drinking (at one point, Nick made a call for shots), so emotions were already running wild but, it seemed like one minute they were playing volleyball and the next minute everyone was crying. This reaction shot of Raven summed it up best for me:

raven_volleyball_week-6:sigh: guys, I thought we were supposed to be having fun

At night, things don’t go much better. Rachel’s conversation with Nick was shown, and I think her experience probably mirrors most of the women’s. The group date situation isn’t natural, and it’s hard for them to just have fun when there is so much pressure on each relationship to move forward. The process is so short that a day spent having fun seems like a day wasted.

raven_week-6source

Jasmine either didn’t have had any fun or had too much fun, because she was mad from the minute she heard that she was on the group date. She was the only woman there who hadn’t had any substantial alone time with Nick, and she felt like she was being overlooked. During their one-on-one time, she told Nick that she was frustrated how he seemed to be overlooking her and sometimes she just wants to choke him. Then she shows him how she would choke him, calls it sexual, asks him if he’s ever done that before, then tells him she’ll be the first to do it to him. It was a whole 30 seconds of awkward. Nick, not wanting to waste anyone’s time, tells Jasmine that he thinks it’s time for her to leave.

jasmine_week-5source

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Instead of being excited that one more woman was out of the running, they are shaken by Nick’s unpredictability. This theme continues with the two-on-one date. Whitney (she speaks!) and Danielle L. are chosen for the date, and are taken to the beach via helicopter. The beach is really just a great place to leave people behind (see: Olivia during Ben’s season). Nick has fine conversations with both women, but knows after speaking to both of them that Whitney is not the one for him. I was impressed to see that Whitney had a little spunk in her, and questionedvNick’s decision. Nick is not one to change his mind though, so him and Danielle fly off in the helicopter.

At this point, Danielle is probably feeling very confident, but she has not yet gotten the rose. At dinner, they talk about what they want in a relationship. It was obvious to see that Nick was trying to get her to not give a cookie-cutter answer when he asks, “besides communication and  honesty what are one or two words that describe the type of relationship you would want?” Danielle says, “trust”. I swear I could see Nick roll his eyes and kick himself for not including trust in his previous list of characteristics. I think that answer put the final nail in Danielle’s coffin, as he sends her packing as well. Unfortunately for Nick, during dinner Danielle had told him that she is falling in love with him. The process is getting to him, and he can’t figure out why he doesn’t love these great women who love him, and beginning to wonder if he is the problem.

nick-feelings-gifsource

In an odd, and possibly unprecedented move, Nick goes to the women’s hotel room after the date to talk to them. No knock either, he just barges in. He is visibly upset, and tells them that he is worried this process won’t work for him because he had so much excitement for his relationship with Danielle and it somehow fizzled out. He is worried that that will happen with all of their relationships as well. This is a lot to take in, so the women are mulling over what he says. In this time, Nick leaves the room. That’s Nick’s style I guess. Enter, drop bombshell, leave.

Next week looks to see pretty intense as it’s not even clear what the process will look like when Nick comes back to it. Luckily, we have Corinne and her platinum vagina to fix everything for us!

Best Tweets

Best Dressed

whitney_week-6_-rose-ceremony-dress

I loved Whitney’s dress during the rose ceremony. Her dress was by For Love and Lemons, a favorite of the Bachelor/Bachelorette ladies, and unfortunately is out of stock everywhere.  You can buy the mini dress version here, and the maxi is available on eBay here.  Another option for a similar look is a maxi skirt and crop top in the same style.

Rachel Week 6 St Thomas Arrival Outfit

Rachel’s look for arriving to St. Thomas looks like something I would wear on a plane. I love the graphic shorts and she looks so darn cute with the bandana as a headband! I wasn’t able to find her exact shorts, but I’ve included some other graphic black and white options here (only $5!), here and here.

danielle_group-date-dress_week-6

I thought Danielle’s dress during the cocktail portion of the group date was so romantic and easy. The dress is the Bardot Maxi from Flynn Skye.  I’m not sure that the exact print she wore the dress in is still available, but there are plenty of other gorgeous options here. I love the dress in ‘Day Bloom’.

What did you guys think of this episode? Are you starting to think this season is just going off the rails? Will Nick end up anyone? Let me know!

xo
Em

 

oh, my nola-nick:week 5

Posted in Television by

I’m going to try something a little different this week, and give more of my impressions of the relationships than a general play by play of what went down.  I figure if you guys are checking this recap out, you’ve probably already watched the episode and don’t need to know every time Corinne was drunk in an ITM.

corinne_weird-face_week-5source

My Takeaways

We start this week where we left off last week, with the Taylor vs. Corinne feud.  We all knew this  relationship was going to come to a head at some point, and we get that with the dreaded 2-on-1 date. Although I am #TeamTaylor in this conflict, Corinne said some things throughout the episode that made me think about this feud in a different light. When arguing with Taylor at the rose ceremony, Corinne actually has concrete examples of how Taylor has made her feel un-welcome or disrespected. When Taylor responds that she doesn’t want to be fake to people, Corinne says, “that’s not what we want.” She isn’t making the confrontation entirely about her, which makes me think that there may be some merit to her complaints. There are two sides to every story, and the producers can choose to only one side. However, I question that when Corinne chooses to tell Nick that Taylor verbally attacked her and then gloat about her take down in her ITM.

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On a more positive note, the dates are heading to New Orleans and the first date of this week belonged to Rachel aka my girl crush. From all the one-on-ones that we’ve seen, I really think that Nick and Rachel have the best chemistry. The entire date, Nick can’t keep his hands off of her, and their chemistry jumps through the screen at you. From trying beignets to dancing with The Second Line, these two just really seem to be in sync. Something I thought was really refreshing about Rachel, is she acknowledges the process that she is on.  When The Second Line is coming down the street, she says in an ITM that she knows that it is for them.  Any person walking in New Orleans wouldn’t assume that, but she knows that this is a show, and things are amped up. There is none of the “oh my gosh, I can’t believe that there is a private concert/helicopter ride/hot tub in a corn field” with her.

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At night, Nick isn’t afraid to tell Rachel that he’s into her, even saying “I don’t know if I’m breaking the rules, but I’m super into you.” There doesn’t seem to be any hesitation in him when talking about meeting her family. He sees Rachel being here for the long haul. My favorite interaction between the two of them was regarding Rachel’s dad who is a federal judge.

Nick: Do I have to call him sir? I mean, I’m going to call him sir until he tells me to call him something else.
Rachel: Do not call him Sam.
Nick: I will not, ever. I’m not an idiot.

Nick thinks he’s going to meet Rachel’s family in the future, and he wants to get this out of the way in preparation. No surprise, Rachel gets the rose.

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The group date of this week had all of the women spending the day at a haunted house. It’s a perfect date for New Orleans, but it doesn’t have a ton of substance. The majority of the air time is spent on the girls being scared in the house, and odd “coincidences” happening due to spirits. I’m guessing there were a lot of producers in that house that night.

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The only meaningful interactions on this date happened in a few one-on-one sessions outside. In Raven’s time, she accidentally lets it slip that she loves Nick. I loved how she was not embarrassed about it, or anxious/paranoid that it was too soon. She had the outlook of “Eh, I feel it, I said it. It is what it is.”. Nick’s one-on-one time with Danielle M. was also pretty significant, as he gave her the group date rose. From what was shown, they did more cuddling and kissing than talking but I like Danielle M. a lot.

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As I said earlier, Taylor and Corinne are put on the two-on-one. On their  date in the bayou, you could cut the tension with a knife. Piggybacking on her previous conversation with Nick, Corinne reiterates how Taylor makes emotionally attacked her, called her stupid, and made her feel bullied. Nick asks Taylor about this, telling her that he was surprised, and despite all of Taylor’s insistence that it is not true and also surprises her, Corinne had already buried her too deep. Corinne gets the group date rose, leaving Taylor alone in the bayou. Unable to go out on Corinne’s terms, Taylor decides to crash Nick and Corinne’s dinner. I normally hate this move, but I don’t blame Taylor in this case. She wasn’t able to really, truly defend herself as she was trying to make a good impression and not spend her alone time with Nick talking about Corinne. After not being given a rose, she has nothing to lose, but she does have her reputation to protect. Obviously, we don’t get to see the conversation between Nick and Taylor, as we get the dreaded, “To Be Continued…”.

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We lost style star Sarah, Astrid, and Taylor in this episode, and from the preview it seems Corinne could be right behind them. Here’s to hoping!

Best Tweets

Best Dressed

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The shirt Danielle wore upon their arrival to New Orleans was so casual and cool. I wasn’t able to find Danielle’s exact shirt but you I found some similar cold shoulder lace tops with a similar vibe. You can check them out here, here, and here.

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My girl knows how to do casual like no other. I loved the sexiness of the open back of Rachel’s body suit, paired with some really cool distressed and high-waisted jeans. While trying to find the exact jeans (unfortunately I failed), I got really excited for spring, and the ability to wear distressed denim again.  Some similar bodysuit options can be found here and here, and some denim options can be found here, here, and here.

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Vanessa’s dress for the group date looked SO comfy.  If you know me, you know I’m a girl who loves to be comfortable (My boyfriend bought the majority of my Christmas presents by reading this Buzzfeed article, and I loved everyone of them). Besides its comfort, Vanessa looked amazing in this form fitting, grey, racerback dress. I’ve found some similar, and very budget-friendly(!), options here, here, and here.

What did you guys think of this episode? Are you hoping Corinne gets the boot next week or do you love the entertainment that she brings? Let me know in the comments!

xo
Em

harvest time-nick:week 4

Posted in Television by

I feel like a broken record, but this week’s episode seemed all about Corinne once again. It’s becoming a little frustrating, because I feel like we’re being robbed of getting to know so many other interesting women.  Have we heard Whitney speak yet? Did you guys even know there was a Whitney? I’m going to try and minimize the Corinne discussion, in an effort to give the spotlight to the women who actually have a chance of winning Nick’s heart.

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My Takeaways

After our cliffhanger from last week’s episode, we start this episode with Corinne pool party drama. The end of Vanessa’s confrontation of Nick turned out to be anti-climactic, he just asked her to be patient with him when it comes to Corinne. What that says to me is, “please be patient, because she’s reality TV gold, and the producers want to keep her around a little bit.”

Sarah and Taylor confront Corinne after her post-bounce house nap, trying to explain to her why her actions are rubbing people the wrong way. Sarah gives it to her straight, telling her that she needs to pull it together, and that the other girls think she is acting entitled. Corinne denies that she is privileged, and says that she is annoyed and wants everyone to stop being so obsessed with her.

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After an extended shot of Corinne rubbing her eyes like she just got up from a nap, we get to the rose ceremony. Unfortunately, Corinne gets the last rose, leaving Christen and Brittany to go home. At the post-rose ceremony toast, Corinne gives a super awkward toast, and none of the women want to hear it.  Even Nick seems a little confused by her in this moment.

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The next morning, Chris harrison tells the women the exciting news that they are going to…..Wisconsin? I can tell you that none of these girls have ever wanted to go to Wisconsin before, except maybe Danielle M., who is from there. (PSA: I’ve been to Milwaukee, and it’s awesome. So they should be excited.) Before we get to the dates, Nick meets his parents at a coffee shop for a Viall family cry-fest. After, he meets up with the girls and decides to take Danielle L. on the first one-on-one date.

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This date is one of the “day in the life” dates, meant to show what a life with Nick would be like. They walk around the town: stopping in a bakery where they have Nick-er-doodles, sitting in a park and hearing about Nick’s adolescence, and running into an ex-girlfriend. What a coincidence! The ex tells Danielle that Nick is heart driven, and he’s just waiting to find the girl that he feels is the one in his heart. Throughout the day, Nick and Danielle seem to have a great time, as Danielle is one of those girls that giggles constantly.  Personal pet peeve for me, but it probably just means that Danielle is a nice person who loves life and I have a dark and twisty soul.

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At night, they go to a jazz bar, where for once they don’t seem to be the only people there. I guess Milwaukee does not bend to the whims of The Bachelor producers as easily as Los Angeles does. Danielle tells Nick about her parents’ divorce, and how that experience has made her more guarded in relationships. Nick sees a lot of the qualities he would like in a wife in her, and gives her the rose. They have another “surprise” after the date, and Nick leads her into a Chris Lane concert where they get the spotlight slow-dance treatment. Danielle is pretty lucky to get to go to all these concerts for free.  Country is cool again guys, and ‘For Her’ is a jam.

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The group date is set on a farm, the perfect place for Corinne and her non-entitled , nanny having self. She wastes no time telling the camera that she would rather be at a spa eating a taco than to be here.  The girls are going to be helping around the farm on the date, feeding and cleaning up after the cows. Obviously, Corinne doesn’t know how to do chores, she has a nanny to do that for her. So once again, she is going to remove herself from something she doesn’t know how to do, (this time citing the excuse that her hands were too cold).

I loved Jaimi’s attitude during this date, who went right in when they were milking the cows. The girls on this show have so many amazing opportunities, and to not take full advantage of all of them is a waste.

At night, Corinne goes on a sarcastic rant about how she respects everyone for shoveling the “poopy” (I really can’t even get over her saying that, or that I had to type that). It makes me so mad how she seems so disrespectful to the people who do that everyday and work hard in order to put food on their families tables. Plus, where does Corinne think the cheese from her beloved cheese pasta comes from? I’m so over her.

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We finally get to hear from a few other girls. First, Kristina tells Nick that she hasn’t had an easy childhood, and wants to tell Nick more of her story. Vanessa gives Nick a book that her coworkers and students put together for him, sharing all of the great things about her. Then….back to Corinne. She addresses the women telling them that she wants the women to address her directly if they have an issue because she hasn’t been feeling very welcome. Sarah asks her if she thinks she is ready to marry a 36-year old man, citing her continuing to fall asleep at rose ceremonies as a sign of not being mature. Corinne only hears the fact that she is talking about the naps again, and goes off on a rant about Abraham Lincoln taking naps. I keep trying to not address her, but she is so absurd, seemingly drunk 95% of the time, and so unprepared for a husband that it is mind blowing to me. I understand that she is just acting her age, but someone who loved her should have told her that it would not be a good look going on this show.

jaimi-shut-upJaime says what everyone is thinking.

There is more confrontation. Kristina gets the group date rose. I’m done with this date.

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The one-on-one date with Raven proves to be a breath of fresh air. She is so positive and lovely, and I’m jumping on the Raven-train. They go to Nick’s sister Bella’s soccer game, and meet Nick’s parents. Nick’s dad has a super awkward interaction regarding her name, mentioning that it was “unusual”, and secretly hoping it was a family name. Raven follows up the awkwardness, asking if Nick had to be spanked a lot.

Bella invites Raven and Nick to Skateland, leading to the second part of the date. Raven has some cute one-on-one time with Bella, while Nick shows off his skating moves on the rink.  The Viall clan is proven to have excellent parenting skills, when Bella confirms that she was not allowed to watch Bachelor in Paradise.  They cap off the skate date by a couple’s skate to Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me.”

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During dinner, Raven gets real about her past relationships, and quickly becomes one of my favorite people ever. Apparently, Raven found out from one of her ex’s coworkers that he was at a bar with another woman, and sped to his house. She jiggled the handle of the bedroom, which was locked and therefore needed to be kicked open. She caught them in the act, or as she says “thrusting her”. In that moment, Raven picks up her stiletto and beats him in the head with it. I’m not a proponent of domestic violence, but scum bags get what is coming to them. Raven gets the rose, because she is a(n) (awesome) bad ass.

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We get to the rose ceremony and Corinne is still having an issue with Taylor, or if you ask Corinne – Taylor has the issue with her. Danielle steals Nick first, annoying Taylor, who lurks creepily nearby until Danielle finishes her conversation. Corinne and Josephine have a sh*t-talking session about Taylor, while they eat some pigs in a blanket and Josephine is clearly #TeamCorinne. Corinne confronts Taylor about how she has hurt her feelings, while Taylor tries to explain that she doesn’t think that Corinne has the emotional intelligence to deal with this process. Corinne tells Taylor that she is treating her like an idiot, and that Taylor thinks she is above each other. Taylor tries to explain that she just thinks that they are different. Corinne brings up once again that she runs (works for) a multi-million dollar company, but Taylor sticks by her idea that she is not ready for this process. And Corinne ‘literally can’t even’.

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So I tried a fun exercise where I deleted everything I wrote about Corinne. Pre-deletion we were at 1400 words. Post deletion, 880. So, I apologize for the 520 words you were subject to about Corinne. Lord help us!

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/benhiggi/status/823741287685832704

Best Dressed

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Sarah’s jumpsuit is elegant and those strappy stilettos notch up the sexy factor. I’m not sure where Sarah got her exact jumpsuit, but you can find similar versions here and here.

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I loved Danielle’s casual look for the date on the dairy farm, and she was one of the only women who was dressed for the date. Similar sweaters to Danielle’s can be found here and here, and here and here are some similar jackets.

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Saving my favorite girl for last! Rachel looked great in her embellished mini-dress, classy and stunning, just like her! Similar here and here.

 

What did you guys think about this episode? Are you like Alexis and scared of Nicholas Cage, or do you have an even more bizarre fear? Let me know!

xo
Em

red dress-nick:week 1

Posted in Television by

We’re back Bachelor Nation! It’s a new year and we’ve got a new Bachelor! My New Years Resolution is to actually recap an entire season of The Bachelor, so let’s get started!

My Takeaways

The first week doesn’t have much of a story, so we can kick off this season with the three girls who stood out the most to me.

nickviall_chrissoulesChris Soules starting the night off with that Iowa humor we’ve come to know and love.

1. Liz is probably the girl with the most press before the season began. She met Nick at Jade and Tanner’s wedding, where she served as the maid-of-honor and he was a guest. However, Liz likes to keep her private life private. When a producer asks her if they spent the night together she “pleads the fifth”. That is, until a few minutes later when an ITM voiceover confirms that they have had sex. It’s a mystery no more!

Upon meeting, Nick looks at Liz a bit confusedly, and Liz takes this to mean he doesn’t remember her.  Say what you will about Nick as the Bachelor, but I would hope that he would at least recognize a girl with whom he has a mutual friend and has had sex with.  C’mon Liz, give the guy some credit! Nick confirms to Chris Harrison that he is 99% sure that the girl he met was Liz, so Liz’s hypothesis is officially debunked. Kudos to Chris Harrison for playing the shocked host card when this information was presented to him.

During their one-on-one time, Liz really shoots herself in the foot. First, she admits she didn’t think he would remember. Then, she tells him that she’s didn’t want him to think she was there just because he was the Bachelor (so she’s just there to get on TV?).  Nick questions why if she was interested in him, she didn’t just reach out to Jade and ask her for his number.  To top it all off, she says she had a stereotype of him until she watched him on Bachelor in Paradise, which aired AFTER she actually met him in person. Not great Liz, not great.

All that being said, I really like her.

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Sarah is my spirit animal.

2. If anyone picked Corrine on their Bachelor Fantasy teams, I think you can rest assured that you’ve got a big point earner. In her intro package we learn that she “runs” a multi-million dollar company (aka she works for a company owned by her dad). She also is a 24 year-old with a nanny, who she describes as someone who does “everything for her”.

Upon her entrance, Corinne earns bonus points with the producers for calling the show a “journey”, and gives Nick a hug token to be redeemed inside. During their one-on-one time she gives him a whole bag of tokens, I guess for a whole lot of hugs?

During the cocktail party we learn, Corinne always goes after what she wants. So, she interrupts Vanessa’s time in order to make out with Nick.  Guess those tokens are for more than hugs.

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I wasn’t going to let the dolphin/shark go unaddressed.

3. There are a lot of great girls vying for Nick’s heart, but my absolute favorite is Rachel.  She is a 31 year-old attorney, and is so intelligent and confident.  Through all of her interactions with Nick, she carries herself with a grace that doesn’t show any of her night one nerves.  I was impressed by their conversation, where they both discover they have ties to Wisconsin (him growing up, her attending law school), and agree to disagree about their favorite sports team (I have to go with Nick on this one, Packers > Cowboys). Nick and Rachel’s interaction seems so natural, like the kind of conversation you would have on a first date and not the gimmicky conversation we’ve come to expect from The Bachelor.

In his opening speech, Nick says that he is looking for a woman with a strong personality who feels empowered. Of the women we met tonight, Rachel seems to me like she fits that description to a tee. Nick must agree with me because he gives Rachel the first impression rose.

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/Whoredan_Chap/status/816179712623939585

https://twitter.com/PrincessProbz/status/816101347355480065

Best Dressed

danielle-night-one-red-dressDanielle’s dress was sexy and tasteful, balancing the side and back cut outs with a modest silhouette. Her dress can be found at LuLu’s for a very reasonable $74!

sarah-night-one-pink-dressUnfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a good screen shot of the front of Sarah’s dress.  It was fun and flirty in a feminine color, and looked great on her.  Her dress is by a new-to-me brand, Privacy Please, and is no longer available online.  Lucky for you, Revolve carries many of their pieces, and they are all amazing.  Some of my favorites are this, this and this.

josephine-night-one-red-dressJosephine’s dress was simple in the front, but brought the drama in the back.  I’m a sucker for a low back, and this dress stole my heart the minute she walked into the mansion.  Her dress is by Gemeli Power, and can be found at Revolve.

What did you guys think of the premiere? I think my favorites to get Nick’s final rose are Rachel, Sarah, and Vanessa. Let me know yours in the comments, or @third_and_girl.