Tag Archives: rachel lindsay

hey there ophelia-rachel:week 6

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Hi Everyone! This may be going up as the new episode is airing, but it IS going up. The MLB Home Run Derby is up on my TV right now, so it is like it hasn’t even aired yet, right?

My Takeaways

We pick up on the two-on-one date, where Kenny confronts Lee about telling Rachel that Kenny had pulled him out of the van. When Kenny brings this up, Lee had the audacity to say, “I never said that.” Uhmm, we literally had just seen him say that. Whatever, Lee sucks.

Kenny goes on a profanity ridden tirade against Lee, which Rachel luckily doesn’t see. Rachel tells the men that she is making her decision based on who she trusts and who she believes, since they both are telling very different stories. She asks Lee to leave, saying that she doesn’t trust him. However, she is not ready to give Kenny a rose and wants to spend more time with him that evening. Always wanting to get the last word, Lee tells Rachel that Kenny threatened him when he came back. Rachel just lets it roll off her back, but Kenny is not able to do the same. Rachel takes him to the helicopter so they can get to the next part of their date, and Kenny has to go back and talk to Lee. Rachel is super annoyed by this, as she can’t understand why Kenny just can’t put it behind him.

ILookStupid_RachelWeek6
At night, Kenny is turning on thecharm. He speaks in a manner that is so sincere that you can’t help but be enamored with him. If some people said the same things Kenny did they might come off as “lines” (cough, cough Josiah), but with him, it doesn’t. Kenny has a lot going on in his “real” life, so he is taking the process seriously. I think that Rachel does like Kenny, and I enjoy(ed – spoiler alert!) watching their relationship develop in an organic manner.
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At the rose ceremony, we get a lot of ITMs about how confident Josiah is going in. I’m pretty sure that ups his chances of going home by about 135%. My production/editing intuition was correct, as Josiah and Anthony are left without roses. Anthony was a quiet guy, but I liked him and am sad to see him go.

JosiahShocked_RachelWeek6___

Rachel and the guys are headed to Denmark, and Eric has the first one-on-one date. I haven’t really been able to get a good handle on Eric yet – he seems to be a good guy and to like Rachel, but he also seems pretty surly most of the time. However, on this date, he is incredibly charming. I’m not sure if he was waiting to have Rachel all to himself before really letting his personality shine, but I’m glad I got to see it. If the fun-loving side of Eric is the one that he was showing Rachel in allof their alone time, then it makes all the sense in the world why Rachel has kept him around.

EricRachelDance_RachelEpisode6

At night, we learn a little bit about Eric’s background. He tells Rachel that he never really received any love from his mom or family. He likes the way he is feeling towards Rachel but doesn’t want to yet call it love because he doesn’t even know what that feels like. This also helps to explain why Eric has been so guarded in this process and wanting to know where Rachel stands before really putting himself out there. He is so afraid to get hurt because he hasn’t felt these feelings before. Rachel has confidence about the place they are and gives him the rose. The two of them continue their fun night by playing in the amusement park. I honestly got chills when the two of them were riding the roller coaster and Eric yelled, “Life is Beautiful!”. It really is.
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The group date is next and the guys are taught the Viking ways by Tom and Morton. All I got out of this portion of the date is Dean is definitely not a Viking, Kenny is the ultimateViking, and I would really like to have a Viking games birthday party.

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At night, Rachel has a lot of good conversations with the men. She continues to be soon thirsty for Peter. He is always trying to get to know her and all Rachel wants is for Peter to kiss her. No judgment though, Rachel, we all get it.

CanYouKissMePeter_RachelWeek6

Kenny is starting to worry about his relationship with Rachel because he has a lot riding on the outcome. He is missing spending time with his daughter McKenzie. I think that Rachel really cares for Kenny, she is shown spending part of her alone time with Matt asking about how Kenny is. When the two of them get together to talk they have a heart to heart about the process. He tells Rachel that he isn’t 100% sure he is comfortable with the place their relationship is. Rachel takes in everything Kenny says but isn’t ready to commit to Kenny that he is the one, which is ultimately what he wants to hear. He wants to hear Rachel fight for him to stay, but she just can’t do it, especially when that fight would take him away from McKenzie for longer. Unfortunately, Rachel tells Kenny that she thinks it is best that he go home. I think the two of them have a lot of mutual respect for each other, and I really enjoy their friendship. I’m a big Kenny fan, and would love to see him in a future installment of the show – he really deserves a great woman.

At the end of the group date, Rachel gives the rose to Peter because she wants him.
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Wil and Rachel have their one-on-one date next. Rachel is really looking for Will to be affectionate with her, and to take their relationship to the next level. Unfortunately for Will, he gets the awkward date editing from the beginning so I can’t imagine it is going to go well.

RachelWill_RachelWeek6

At night, Rachel asks Will about his past relationships and to what he is attracted to. His response? “I typically date white girls.” So not Rachel then, Will? We’re shown a cutaway scene to the men talking about this issue. Eric thought it was important for Will to tell Rachel this information, while Dean didn’t see it as an important fact at all. Eric assumes that Rachel would assume that Will had dated black women and that she would want to know that he generally did not. I don’t have a real conclusion based on this conversation, I just think it is interesting to see the different perspectives.

Back on their date, Will says physical intimacy is important to him. He also says that he has been too physical in past relationships, and was neglecting words of affirmation. I think with Rachel, Will made the mistake of overcompensating from his past. Rachel was confused why Will wouldn’t hold her or be physical with her, especially if he considered himself a passionate person – and she wasn’t sure if he could get there with her. It made me sad for Will to realize he made a mistake in the way he approached their relationship because I think he is a great catch. I do applaud Rachel for going after what she needs in a relationship and knowing when it was just not there.
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We finally end the episode with a rose ceremony, and Rachel is not feeling great about it. She has so few guys left, after sending 2 home during dates this week. She even has to pause the rose ceremony in order to collect herself. The only guy who didn’t get a rose at the ceremony was Alex, who I was a big fan of. I thought he was funny and smart, and pretty easy on the eyes. Plus, his outfits were crazy! I’d love to see Alex in paradise, so hopefully, he comes back to the franchise!

From the previews, it looks like Rachel has a few rough weeks ahead of her before she finds her happy ending. I actually love that we know she gets engaged at the end because I can’t wait for my girl to find love!

Best Tweets



Best Dressed

MackageCoat_Week6Rachel’s white jacket is Mackage, and is sold out everywhere. I struggled to even find anything similar, but there are some beautiful white belted coats out there. These are great options.


Rachel’s sequin dress is Randi Rahm, and looks flawless on her. I love that it is a wrap design, which adds some added flair. You can rent a similar dress at Rent the Runway here or here! (Any screen grab I took just did not give this beauty justice).

RachelMakeup_Week6
I think Rachel’s makeup looks amazing here. Girl can really pull off a beanie.

RachelCutoutSweater_Week6Rachel’s casual cut out sweater is so cute. I wasn’t able to confirm the exact sweater but this one is very close.

Peter_RachelWeek6Peter looked so great at the rose ceremony, so I had to include his look.

Thanks for sticking with my poorly timed posts guys! I’m so appreciative of everyone who checks out this little corner of the internet. I’m always open to any feedback, so feel free to send me an email at thirdandgirl@gmail.com, or shoot me a message on Twitter @third_and_girl.

is she really going out with him?-rachel:week 5

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Wow, I am the worst. Real life took over the past couple weeks – I had a crazy week at work to hit our 6/15 deadline and then capped that week off with an amazing weekend in Nashville to celebrate with one of my best girlfriends. I needed about a week to recover from that, only to go into a whirlwind wedding weekend in New Hampshire. I’m waving the white flag on two weeks of recaps – if I don’t, I’ll never get them done. The highlights of those two weeks: the funniest scene talking about a banana I’ve ever seen, Lee being a lunatic, America falling in love with Dean, and Rachel continuing to be the best Bachelorette I can remember. I’m determined to finish out the season, so let’s get to recapping week 5.

WillKennyLee_Rachel_Episode5

My Takeaways

We pick up at the cocktail party of the group date, with Kenny confronting Lee about talking to Rachel to him. Part of this argument stems from (besides Lee being an ass) the fact that Lee is using the word aggressive to describe Kenny. Despite being told that the word could be a trigger for Kenny, Lee continues to use the word, further annoying and enraging Kenny. I was really impressed with the calmness with which Kenny spoke to Lee, even if all of his frustration was evident under the surface. Kenny knows who he is and that he is there for Rachel, and he is working his hardest to not let someone who is there with disingenuous intentions get under his skin.

Bryan gets the group date rose, and Kenny gives a passive aggressive speech about how Bryan is not a snake. Lee tells him to F*** off, which made me laugh out loud. All of the smart guys in the house (Peter, Bryan, Will) know exactly what Lee is doing, and the fact that he would even get offended by Kenny’s speech is laughable – he’s getting exactly what he wants.

KennyDissingLee_Rachel_Episode5

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Next is Rachel’s one-on-one with Jack, Jack Stone. You can tell this date isn’t going to go well, simply by the way it is being produced. Jack isn’t eloquent in his ITMs, and their interactions are being shown as awkward. Personally, if Rachel would just try calling him by his full name, they might have a chance.

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Jack Stone tried so hard to have that romantic kiss moment, but Rachel was just not into it. She continuously gave him the cheek, but the guy was just so deliriously happy to be on this one-on-one date that he didn’t see what was coming next. At dinner, Jack is pouring his heart out to Rachel about how he feels that they could really work out because they have so much in common. If they were spending a day together in their hometown of Dallas, he would just want to lock her in the house and lay in bed. Romantic, right? Rachel is not feeling it and sends Jack home. I feel for the guy because he really thought that things were going well. The real gut punch was the perma-grin that has been on his face since the beginning finally falling.

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Rachel decides that they don’t need a cocktail party, she knows what she is going to do. Iggy believes that the people who are going to go home are the ones who have been causing drama, pretty much unintentionally foreshadowing his own departure. Following Iggy out the door is the tickle monster, Jonathan. Oddly, I’m kind of sad to see him go. He seemed sweet and made Rachel laugh. I think the producers upped his creep factor, but he really needs to stop tickling people.

JonathanSaysGoodbye_Rachel_Episode5

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The crew is headed to Oslo, Norway and we get our first Dean sighting of the episode. What a welcome distraction.

Bryan’s one-on-one date is up first and the two of them are just exploring the city of Oslo. they repel off a ski jump and obviously kiss on the way down. Everything between these two seems very easy, and this is causing Rachel to wonder why is he still single. He is 37, has a good job, is handsome, why has no other girl snatched him up? I think this will be a reoccurring doubt and fear that she has as her journey continues.

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Rachel and Bryan’s chemistry is off the charts. He is not my favorite (because, Peter) but I can see him making it very far in the quest for Rachel’s heart. It is surprising to me that he is ready to drop the L-bomb already, the two of them haven’t really spent any time together. Obviously, Bryan gets the rose.

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The group date has the guys playing handball, and the singlets they were wearing were enough to keep me watching. Most of the guys are trying to be uber competitive (causing Rachel to make a ‘Jordan in the ’97 Bulls’ reference, and causing me to girl crush even harder), but Peter has his eyes on the prize. He is flirting and being affectionate with Rachel any chance he gets, and I think it is winning him some major brownie points. He is just so adorable!

JosiahHandfullofAss_Rachel_Episode 5

At the cocktail party, Will tells Rachel about his past relationship. He tells her that around the same time she was being heartbroken by Nick, he was being heartbroken by a girl that he was in love with and thought that he would never put himself back out there. Yet, somehow, here we are with Will on a nationally televised show to find love just a few months later. Hmmmm….

During Josiah’s one-on-one time, Rachel calls him out for never trying to get to know her. He lays lines on her constantly, always trying to appear sincere but she sees right through it. Also, his hand was lingering on her shoulder so awkwardly the whole time, like he was afraid to touch her.

During Peter’s one-on-one time, things get steamy. I LOVE that he puts the break on their make out session because they only have a limited amount of time to get to know each other. Her response, “Do you wanna cover ground in the hot tub?” I don’t know about you but I didn’t see much talking happening in the hot tub.

Will got the group date rose, and poor Peter is doubting himself a little. Personally, I think that she wanted to give Peter the rose but knew that it may make him a target for the guys. They already had mentioned that he was gone on his one-on-one time for awhile. All of this may be very incorrect, but I am shipping Rachel and Peter 4ever.

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The two-on-one date between Lee and Kenny is up next, and we all know this isn’t going to end well. Rachel and Kenny’s time goes well, and Kenny only brings Lee up once. I think he is trying so hard to focus on her and their relationship, but the situation with Lee has just gotten under his skin too much.

During her time with Lee, he makes a point to tell Rachel all about Kenny. He says that Kenny pulled him out of a van and tried to get physical with him. Lee said that this side of Kenny comes out when he drinks and that he is a different person when he is not drinking. I have to think that if there was a physical altercation of any kind that the producers would have shown it. Not only that, all of the guys seem to be on Kenny’s side.

Rachel tells Kenny about what Lee told her, and the entire thing is turning into a big game of ‘he said, he said’. Understandably, Kenny is not pleased with Lee upon hearing this, and that is where we leave the episode.

All that being said….why do Kenny and Rachel appear to be so cold on this date, and Lee seems to be fine wearing a long sleeved henley? Anyone?

KennyByeSnakey_Rachel_Episode5

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/chanelb94/status/879513406272917504



Sorry for that one Jack – but I literally LOL’ed

Best Dressed

OneonOneSweater_Rachel_Episode5Rachel went casual on her date with Jack. I found a cardigan similar to this one here.

OneonOneNecklace_Rachel_Episode5I love the triple Maltese cross necklace Rachel wore on her one-on-one date with Jack. I’m pretty sure the designer is Nan Fusco, and it is ‘call for availability’ expensive. You can visit the designer’s website for more information here. This side-eye is good too.

CowlNeckwithBryan_Rachel_Episode5Rachel’s sweater is BB Dakota, and I wasn’t able to find the exact one anywhere. I did find some similar options here (sleeveless), here and here.

HandballJacket_Rachel_Episode5Rachel does athleisure so well. This bomber jacket is by Lime & Vine, and can be found here.

TwoOnOnePuffer_Rachel_Episode5I am going to be crushing on this jacket big time come winter. The brand is Mackage, and I’m pretty sure this is the jacket, but if not its similar enough. It’s not cheap, but looks so warm!

Thanks for coming back and checking out the blog after my unintentional hiatus. I’ll be back soon to recap Episode 6 of Rachel’s journey. Which of the guys do you think will be great with Rachel? I’d love to hear! You can find me @third_and_girl anytime!

who let the dogs out-rachel:week 2

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As much as I want to write 1000 words about Copper and his pool party, I’m not sure that is what you guys are here for. That being said, expect a BUNCH of dog party gifs.

My Takeaways

Rachel_Episode 2_Dog Party 1

The first date of the week is a group date, where after a BBQ and some backyard football, the men compete to show Rachel who is the best “husband material”. The relay race includes changing a diaper, vacuuming, unclogging a drain, and setting a table. The star power was amped up big time this episode, with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis serving as guest judges for the competition. I know that tons of celebrities are fans of the Bachelor, but I think it speaks to the popularity of Rachel that two A-list celebrities wanted to come on and help her find love.

Rachel_Episode 2_Ashton and Mila

Unfortunately, Whaboom (this is what most of the men call him, and I think it’s funny so I’m going to join them) wins the competition. I’m unsure if he won any extra time with Rachel, or if he is so boring that they just didn’t show it. I was rooting for Kenny in this race because as a dad it seemed like he actually had the most experience in this arena. And he knew better than to dunk the babies head in the sink while “unclogging the drain”.

During the evening, Rachel and the guys spend time, and Rachel is #unimpressed. None of the men are wowing her, filling her time with uninspired conversations, and the inability to make a move. The only guys who even attempt interesting conversation are Dean, who Rachel shares a sense of humor with, and Kenny, who tells Rachel about his daughter. We also find out on this date that Whaboom and Blake know each other from outside of the show. Blake says that he used to live with Lucas’s ex-girlfriend and that he knows he is there just to gain publicity. Funny that Blake would say that, as Whaboom and Blake were on the same season of a show called ‘Ex Isle’, where couples came to fix their relationships, only to be tempted by ‘sexy singles’. Lucas was there with his ex-girlfriend (the same one that Blake lived with), and Blake was there to try and create friction in the relationship. I don’t blame either of them for not liking the other, but it’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black for Blake to say Lucas is there for the wrong reasons. Dean gets the group date rose, and finally takes initiative and kisses Rachel as he walks her out.
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Rachel_Episode 2_Copper ArrivesThis has got to be the greatest surprise of Peter’s life.

Is everyone ready to swoon? Peter gets the first one-on-one date, and Rachel is taking him to Palm Springs on a private jet. Not only that, her dog Copper is going along, and they are going to a dog pool party. If any of you know me, you know that this is literally my dream. I want to live at this dog pool party.

Rachel_Episode 2_Dog Party 2

It took awhile for me to settle down from seeing all those dogs, but once I did I liked what I saw. Rachel and Peter have an ease about their relationship that can’t be manufactured, you either have it or you don’t. At night, Peter and Rachel bond over their mutual love of therapy and gapped teeth. The therapy conversation was interesting because it showed that both of them are interested in improving themselves, and are not afraid to ask for help when it comes to relationships. I think that this will help them both immensely as their relationship progresses.
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The last date was another one I would love, a basketball date featuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This season is really amping up the star power. The men were put through drills by Kareem, and he essentially just made fun of them the entire time. It was fantastic. DeMario and Eric thought they were ballers on the court, but only one of them could back up their talk with an actual game. Unfortunately for DeMario, that wasn’t the only game he was playing.

At the conclusion of the date, Rachel is confronted by Lexi, a girl claiming to be DeMario’s girlfriend. He essentially ghosted her upon coming on the show, and she had the text messages to prove it. There were so many great moments in this exchange; whether it be the look on DeMario’s face when he recognizes Lexi and then remembers that he has to pretend he doesn’t know who she is or, Rachel telling him to ‘Get the F*&! out’. Gold.

Rachel_Episode 2_DeMario Reaction

Rachel is upset by this whole exchange and tells the remaining men that she isn’t there to play games and if they are they can get out as well. I was surprised that she chose to have the nighttime portion of the date. In the past, I feel like if the lead has a large disruption to their process like this, they normally cancel the nighttime portion because the day has just been too much. At night, all the men seemed very concerned about Rachel, and how she is holding up after the afternoon’s shocker. She has the best conversation with Josiah and gives him the group date rose.

At the rose ceremony, an uninvited guest shows up. Any guesses who? Obviously DeMario comes back to talk to Rachel. We don’t get to see if Rachel allows him to talk to her as the episode ends with Mr. Harrison (as the security guard calls him) telling Rachel of DeMario’s arrival. To be Continued….

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/PrincessProbz/status/869353019384750081

Best Dressed

Obviously Rachel is always going to be the best dressed in this season, unless her gal pals make more appearances. Here are the details on some of her outfits from this episode!

Rachel_Episode 2_BBQ DressFor the afternoon BBQ, Rachel opted for a fun floral dress. Her dress is Self-Portrait and can be found here.

Rachel_Episode 2_Purple Sparkle DressRachel wore this sparkly shift dress to the nighttime portion of her basketball date. This dress is Mlv and appears to be sold out. I found a similar dress in a different color which can be found here (and it’s on sale! WOOT!).

Rachel_Episode 2_Zipper DressThis zipper detailed dress Rachel wore is absolute fire. This dress is by Michelle Mason, and can be found here (at over 50% off).

Rachel_Episode 2_Rose Ceremony DressRachel’s rose ceremony dress is by Mac Duggal and can be bought here.

Rachel_Episode 2_SweaterI tried so hard to find this asymmetrical ribbed sweater that Rachel wore to play with Copper. Alas, I didn’t have any luck. I did find a pretty similar sweater here, although it has a bit of a high price tag.

What did you guys think of Episode 2 of Rachel’s quest to find love? I’m still loving Peter and Kenny, and am looking forward to getting to know even more of the men!

that’s my girl-rachel:week 1

Posted in Television by

So much for keeping up with the blog over the Bachelor break. Thankfully, Rachel is back to charm us in her search for love. The first week is always low on story and high on men, so I want to highlight the four guys who I think have the best chance to win Rachel’s heart.

Rachel_week1_That's my girlsource

My Takeaways

Rachel_week1_peter.gif

Number 1 in my power ranking is Peter. He was first out of the limo which is always a telling sign of someone lasting awhile. Although he didn’t seem to have much to say to Rachel besides that he was from Wisconsin, I’m going to chalk that up to nerves. From a quick poll of my friends, we all mentioned Peter as the cutest. I mean, they have matching gaps in their teeth – meant to be!

Rachel_Week1_Josiahsource

Josiah came in with the most touching story, and seems authentic and sincere. Rachel appreciates his honesty when he tells her about his rough background, and they seem to be beginning to build a genuine connection. Josiah loses some brownie points for being bombastic and a bit over confident in his belief that he will end up with Rachel. I’m hoping that being called near the middle of the pack at the rose ceremony will knock him down a few pegs, and he will begin to shine.

Rachel_week1_kennysource

Kenny is my dark horse pick. As a professional wrestler, I worried that he was just coming on the show to gain screen time and advance his career. However, seeing him interact with his daughter in his video package put him in a whole new light for me. He seems to truly want to build a family for his daughter, and he seems like a great guy (having sex with a woman while her husband watches not withstanding).

Rachel_Week1_Bryansource

Bryan got Rachel’s first impression rose, so I’d bet that he’s staying around for awhile. He seems a bit mysterious, and I think Rachel likes that. She also seems to like kissing him. In his video package he seems to be close to his family, but I want to learn about him before I give him front runner status.

Rachel_Episode1_Adam Jrsource

I can’t even comment on the Whaboom guy or that weird Adam Jr. doll. I hope we get past these ridiculous gimmicks soon (although Adam seems kinda normal).

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/PrincessProbz/status/866843171069800448

Best Dressed

Rach only sported one outfit tonight, a stunning Randi Rahm (the same brand that JoJo wore for her first night) gown. I loved her fur stole, and I’m looking forward to seeing Rachel’s outfits throughout her journey.

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What did you guys think of the premiere? Any front runners? Let me know in the comments!

blessings-nick:week 10

Posted in Television by

We’ve done it guys, we’ve made it through an entire season of Nick as the Bachelor. Vanessa was the big winner, and walked away with a fiance and a large Neil Lane ring. Let’s see how we got there.

Vanessa After the Rosesource

My Takeaways

Both Vanessa and Raven meet Nick’s family, and in my opinion Raven made a better impression. She may have had a leg up as she had already met them back in Wisconsin. Nick’s sister Bella even told her she hopes that Raven would be the winner.

Raven is all in on the relationship, and has no hesitations about getting engaged to Nick. Unfortunately, Vanessa is the queen of hesitations, and has no problem sharing those hesitations with Nick’s family. She is worried that love is not enough to make the relationship work, and even tells Nick’s dad that exact thing. Nick’s parents are understandably reserved when it comes to Vanessa, as they have seen Nick get his heart broken a million and one times.

Even though I thought Vanessa’s visit went worse than Raven’s, I thought this was the first sign that she might be the one. In Andi’s book, she mentions that she had Nick meet her family first, so that their expectations would be lower, and she could really impress them with the guy that she wanted to marry.

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For their last date, Vanessa and Nick take a sleigh ride to Santa’s hut. Santa gives them a really cool wooden carving that is meant to bring happiness and fertility. It’s actually pretty sincere and cool how excited Vanessa gets about Santa, as she really is just being a kid again in that moment.

Vanessa Santasource

At night, Vanessa wants the answers from Nick that can make her confident in her decision. Unfortunately, Nick isn’t able to give her the answers that she wants. I liked that Nick knew what she wanted to hear, but refused to tell her just because its what she wanted to hear. He wanted to be sure he was confident in his decision before making any rash decisions.

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For his date with Raven, the two of them went ice skating, reminiscent of their first one-on-one date at the skating rink. One thing about Nick’s relationship with Raven that I have always enjoyed is that they always seem to have fun together. His relationship with Vanessa is intense, full of questions, and serious discussions. With Raven, Nick is just able to let loose, have fun, and enjoy life.  Plus this date involved puppies, so it was an automatic win.

Raven Puppiessource

There was substantially less drama at night with Raven and Nick, as her confidence was through the roof. Raven was convinced that Nick was the one for her and she would be engaged the next day.

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Unfortunately for Raven, that was not to be. After a record 4th meeting with Neil Lane, Nick is ready for the proposal. Raven gets out of the limo first, and we now know that Vanessa is the one. I applaud Raven for keeping it together in the face of rejection. The best line of the night was Nick saying, “I’m going to miss you,” and Raven saying, “I know.” What a bad-ass confident girl.

Raven I'm Going to Miss you gif

Also, you could have at least given her her coat to walk her to the rejection car, Nick.

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The music swells as Vanessa gets out of the limo, and she walks in to meet Nick. Oddly, Nick talks first, telling Vanessa all the reasons he loves her before she professes her love to him. There is nothing wrong with this, it just goes against the normal script of the show. As she’s stated many times, Vanessa is skeptical and not sure if she’s ready to get engaged. However, when Nick gets down on one knee and flashes that Neil Lane diamond at her, she says yes right away. Congrats to the happy couple!

Vanessa and Nick Proposalsource

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At After the Final Rose, Raven looked amazing and announced that she was going on Paradise. She is such a quintessential southern belle that she didn’t have anything bad to say about Nick, and even said she thinks that him and Vanessa will get married. After their appearance together, I’m not sure I can agree.

When Nick and Vanessa are brought out together, their interaction is so awkward. They both admit that the relationship has been hard, and they are excited to have a normal relationship. While I don’t doubt that, I think it has been a little harder than they admitted. The two of them didn’t seem to be that excited to take their relationship public, and focused on the difficulties they’ve been having instead of the exciting things they have to look forward to. I really don’t think these two are going to make it.

Additionally, the Bachelor did something crazy and had Rachel meet some of the men that are going to be vying for her heart in the upcoming season of the Bachelorette. This choice, while interesting, may have been made to take some of the attention of Nick and Vanessa. In all the other After the Final Rose specials I can remember, the episode ends with the happy couple talking to their friends, fans, and family in the audience. At the end of this episode, the happy couple was replaced by Rachel. I think production is ready to sweep this relationship under the rug and get the focus on the potential that Rachel has as the Bachelorette.

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I think this was an OK season of the Bachelor. Corinne was great TV and a real stand out reality TV star. I’m excited to see a few of the women in Paradise (Alexis, Sarah, Raven – but I have no idea if any of them besides Raven will be going), and happy for Nick if he truly has found love. Getting your heart broken is hard enough, but being ready to propose twice, being rejected, and doing it on national TV is even more difficult.

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/PrincessProbz/status/841474291577303040

Best Dressed

Raven After the Final Rose

Raven was in full out revenge mode during her appearance on After the Final Rose. Her dress is STYLESTALKER (a favorite among the women this season) and can be found here.

Raven Finale Sweater Dress

I thought Raven’s sweater dress was a little different, as it has a pattern that is more normally found on a cardigan. It was perfect for the Finnish weather. Raven’s dress is Woolwich (not surprising, I even said to my roommate, “do you think Woolwich is sponsoring this, considering how much they are making sure Nick’s tag is showing?”). You can find the dress on Amazon here (I just bought it).

Rachel After the Final Rose

With that Bachelorette budget, Rachel looked great to meet some of her guys. I loved the bold choice of a jumpsuit, with a cape, and she pulled it off flawlessly. Her caped jumpsuit is Jovani, and you can find it here (it allows you to search for a store near you where they carry it!).

And that’s a wrap on Nick’s season of the Bachelor! Are you guys as excited as me to see Rachel as the Bachelorette? Do you think Nick made the right choice? I’d love to know! Let me know in the comments, or you can always find me @third_and_girl.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

my town-nick: week 8

Posted in Television by

We’re so close to the end! This week we had hometowns (and no rose ceremony), which included a lot of heartwarming and fun moments! Let’s get to them.

racquel-hometown-1Us too, Nick

My Takeaways

In my opinion, we started the week with the most successful home town date, which was an interesting choice by producers. I guess it was low drama so best to get the normal date out first. From the beginning, Raven and Nick’s chemistry was out of control. That make out in the rice field was HOT!

raven-hometown_1

I was genuinely moved by Raven’s dad telling her about his clean bill of health. I know first hand what its like when one of your parents is battling serious health issues, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. You can tell that this is a tight family, and Raven is looking for a love like her parents’. Nick got the stamp of approval, but was Raven’s dad worried about a shotgun wedding?

ravens-dad-hometown

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During her hometown date in Dallas, Rachel takes Nick to her church. I loved how welcoming all of the congregation seemed towards Nick, especially the lady who tapped him on the shoulder while the minister was addressing him.

rachel-hometown-church‘Hey, he’s talking about you’

At home, I think America was collectively disappointed that Nick didn’t get to meet Mr. Lindsay and accidentally call him Sam to his face. We did get to meet Rachel’s mom and sisters, and talk a lot about the fact that Nick and Rachel are an interracial couple. I understand that this is a serious issue, but I hope that Rachel’s entire season isn’t spent discussing interracial relationships in America. As far as I’m concerned, love is love.

rachel-hometown-gif

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Corinne’s hometown date actually made me like her – kinda. I’m starting to see why Nick has been keeping her around – who wouldn’t want to spend time with that friend who is willing to throw down her credit card for a $3,000 shopping spree. I’m kidding (a little), it is evident that Corinne really does like Nick and he enjoys having fun with her. I don’t see them having a sustainable grown up relationship, but I don’t think Corinne is quite as diabolical as I did at the beginning of the season.

corinne_1

Finally, we are graced with the infamous Racquel’s presence. It was really heartwarming to see how excited Racquel was to see Corinne, and I do think Corinne sees her as a member of the family. As exciting as it was to meet Racquel, the real star of this date was Corinne’s dad, who we never see without a drink in his hand.

corinne-hometown_2

I thought it was an interesting look into post-Bachelor life when Corinne’s dad asked her what Nick did for a job and she said, “he was a software salesman.” I don’t think Nick has been a software salesman since he was on Andi’s season. Corinne’s dad is very concerned that Nick won’t be able to support his daughter’s lifestyle on Instagram ads and paid appearances.

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I think Vanessa wins for best “date” portion of the hometown dates as she takes Nick to meet her students. You could really tell how much she means to them. It was a real ‘I’m not crying you’re crying’ moment when a few of her students started to tear up.

Vanessa’s parents aren’t together, so Nick gets to meet both parents separately. Vanessa’s family seems very hung up on what will happen to this relationship once it enters the real world. Where will they  live aka Nick will you move to Canada because Vanessa is not allowed to leave? While in the actual real world I don’t think anyone should be forced to move unless they are absolutely certain and ready, Bachelor world is not the real world. Of course Vanessa will move to L.A. to be with Nick, and perhaps to sit in the audience while he competes on Dancing With the Stars. (I think Kaitlyn is the only lead in recent memory to move for their fiancé).

vanessa-hometown_1

Vanessa’s dad is having none of Nick’s attempts to charm. He continuously questions Nick on whether he is serious about his daughter because there are still 3 other girls in the process. When Nick asks Vanessa’s dad for her hand in marriage, he scoffs at the request. He can’t give his blessing (happily) when Nick also asked three other dads the same question.

The rose ceremony will be back in New York City, and all the women are nervous. Not as nervous as Nick is though, when he opens his hotel room door to see ex-lover Andi Dorfman standing there.

Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/PrincessProbz/status/833860902210375684

Best Dressed

Raven Hometown Outit

I loved the camisole Raven wore to her hometown date. I’m pretty sure it was the Zoe by CamiNYC, and I can’t find it in stock anywhere. You can find a similar top here (same designer) and more similar camisoles here and here (lower price point!).

Vanessa Hometown outfit

I also really liked Vanessa’s hometown outfit. The lace-up of the top adds some sexiness, but the fur vest makes it acceptable for that Canada weather. I found some similar lace-up tops here and here, and (faux)fur vests here and here!

I think Raven is my favorite going into the rose ceremony (besides Rach, obviously), although Vanessa is equally impressive. There is just a fun side of Raven that I like that I haven’t really seen in Vanessa Who do you guys think is going to take home Nick’s final rose? Let me know in the comments!

xo
Em

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.

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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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alexis_new-orleans_week-5source

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.

rachel-dancing_week-5

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.

raven_rebuke_week-5

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…”.

corinne_emotional-intelligence_week-5

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

danielle_week-5_arrival-outfit

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.

rachel_week-5_oneonone-outfit

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.

vanessa_week-5_group-date-outfit

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