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mai tai-bip 4: episode 4

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‘I’m over halfway done with the catch-up! Let’s get to Episode 4!

My Takeaways

BIP 4-4 - Sarah_Guacamole

We get to the action pretty quickly with Sarah’s arrival, and Raven instantly knows that she is going to go after Adam. During the shutdown, Raven and Sarah stayed at Adam’s place and Raven walked in on the two of them cuddling. Knowing that he and Raven had been on a date, Sarah checks with Adam about where they stand. He acknowledges that he and Raven had a great date but also says he would say yes if she asked him. During girl chat time, Raven gives her blessing for Sarah to go on the date with Adam but, all of the girls push Ben Z. After not being wowed by her conversation with Ben, Sarah asks Adam on the date.

BIP 4-4 - Lacey_Ben Z Bench Press

Sarah and Adam go to dinner and out dancing on their date, and Adam acknowledges that Sarah has an energy, or ‘something’ as he calls it, that Raven does not have. Sarah works to confirm that Adam would have asked her out on a date in the “real world” and they share some kisses. Overall, uneventful.

BIP 4-4 - Adam_Rachel

Back at the resort, Wells and Danielle are chatting at the bar. The friendship between these two is so endearing and they make a deal if they are both single in 5 years they are going to be together. Why wait the 5 years?

The next day, Lacey gets a date card. She is adamant that the person that she takes on the date wants to go because they are romantically interested in her, not because they just want to be friends. As discussed in earlier posts, if she wasn’t so brash and dismissive, I think the men would be much more interested. She’s talking to Ben Z. and says, “As of now it’s not you, but I’ll let you know.” What a way to a man’s heart. Matt plays it best by saying that if she asked him it would be a mostly friendship date because he thinks her and Diggy would have the best time together. Taking his advice, Lacey asks Diggy who accepts.

BIP 4-4 - Diggy_Lacey_Makeout

The two of them go on one of Jorge’s Tour-ges which involves riding horses to a beach where he was conceived. Diggy genuinely seems to be into Lacey, and the two of them have the romantic time that Lacey was looking for.

BIP 4-4 - Jorge_Champagne

Back at the resort, Danielle M and Raven are discussing Wells, while Wells and Jack Stone are shown discussing Danielle. Wells tells Jack that he and Danielle went on a date 4 years ago, but he has never wanted to throw away what they have as friends to pursue something more. He says that Danielle is out of his league and that she is one of the best people he’s ever met. Danielle tells Raven that Wells is such a good man, but that he isn’t able to date anyone here in his bartender role. Since that is the case, Danielle doesn’t feel like her ‘person’ is here. She tells Raven that during the filming stoppage she was given the opportunity to go work in Africa, and she doesn’t want to miss that opportunity simply to stay in Paradise for no reason.

Next to arrive in Paradise is Dominique, who tells the ladies that she was interested in Diggy. Lacey is worried about Taylor getting in Dominique’s ear because she doesn’t think that Taylor likes her very much. Taylor does get in Dom’s ear, telling her that she thinks her and Diggy would be a great match. It didn’t seem that Taylor did this with malicious intent, but who knows? Dom does ask Diggy on the date, upsetting Lacey.

Diggy goes on his second date of the day, and he is really into Dom. He tells her that he went on a date with Lacey but he thinks they are on different wavelengths (I guess I was wrong when I thought Diggy was into Lacey). Luckily, he also says that he wants to make sure that Lacey is ok, which keeps Diggy on the side of the good guys.

That night, Danielle is leaving Paradise and everyone is sad to see her go, especially Wells. Wells walks her out to the car AND GIVES HER A BIG KISS. Loving this, loving them. Get married, and have babies, please.

BIP 4-4 - Danielle_Wells_kisssource

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 4-4 - Raven Green Swimsuit

Raven’s swimsuits have been some of my favorite this season, and I thought this army green one was super sexy. I always love tasteful side boob. Raven seems to love the L*Space swimsuits this summer, the Pamela one-piece can be purchased here (just in time for that one Indian summer weekend we hopefully get!).

Both Dominique and Sarah chose floral printed Show Me Your Mumu for their arrival outfits.

BIP 4-4 - Sarah Arrival Outfit

I knew as soon as I saw it that Sarah was wearing a Show Me Your Mumu set. I’m a big fan of the brand, and it seems like the ladies of Bachelor Nation are as well (Carly’s bridesmaids’ dresses were also by the brand as well). Sarah’s top can be found here and the bottoms here.  Lucky for us, both pieces are on sale!

BIP 4-4 - Dom Arrival Outfit

Dom’s romper can be purchased here and is unfortunately not on sale. Boo!

Two days until the next episode and two episodes left to recap. I think I can do it!

still got time-bip4: episode 2

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One day later, and I’m continuing my Bachelor in Paradise marathon. I realize now that my initial goal of catching up all in one weekend is extremely unrealistic, especially with blogging as I go. New goal: get caught up by the time week 4 rolls around, which includes full week 3 posts WITH funny tweets. I don’t know about you guys, but the tweets are my favorite.

My Takeaways

BIP 4-2 - Evan OMG

Easily the best part of this episode was Carly and Evan’s wedding. Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of either of them on their initial seasons but grew to love them as they joined the cast of Bachelor in Paradise. I think their relationship is one of the most realistic – the guy instantly knew and chased the girl and it took the girl a little bit of time to realize he wasn’t a complete lunatic. Hearing them talk about their relationship cracks me up.

BIP 4-2 - Evan Bass Hard In the Paint

The wedding seemed really fun and perfect for Mexico. I loved all of the colors and the pom-pom garland. Carly and her bridesmaids looked gorgeous and it was awesome to see some Bachelor family faces that we haven’t seen in awhile (Hi Whitney!). I cried through the entire thing.

BIP 4-2 - Wells Groomsmen

After the wedding, we go back to current day Paradise, where Chris is having a chat with the cast about the the DeMario/Corinne scandal. No one says anything that interesting, or different from what they had put out on Twitter. I think Diggy and Raven spoke the most eloquently about the issues. Diggy could relate to the struggles DeMario may face in the future as a black man and Raven, having been a victim of sexual assault herself, was able to voice the need for every victim to speak up. I think it was extremely brave of her to speak out and I admire her even more for it. Scandal aside, everyone agrees that they still want to be in Paradise so we can get back to the nonsense.

The interesting dynamic that this break in filming created is that some relationships continued when they were in the US for 10 days. We find out that Dean went to visit Kristina in Kentucky for a week, seemingly solidifying their Paradise bond. Jasmine is still very into Matt, although Matt seems to have cooled on Jasmine a bit. Raven has no idea what she wants to do, Amanda no longer thinks she is going to give Alex her rose, and Danielle doesn’t think she’s actually into Jack Stone. See what putting these people in the real world does! It’s chaos!

BIP 4-2 - I think she hates him

Even though Amanda is trying to keep her distance from Alex, he really isn’t having it. Amanda says that she used to take men being slightly possessive of her as a sign of flattery and attraction, but has learned that she doesn’t want that in a relationship anymore (cough cough, Josh Murray). I’m hopeful that this realization will lead to more successful relationships for Amanda, who according to Alexis deserves love more than her. Everyone can see that whenever anyone approaches Amanda, Alex finds a way to worm himself into the conversation. He asks Raven for advice with Amanda, and she tells him to not talk to Amanda and to talk to other people. Obviously, he takes this to mean, “I should go talk to Amanda right now.” Some people never learn.

The other person who is so concerned about someone liking them is Lacey. Unfortunately, her grandfather died before the shutdown, and she wasn’t in Mexico for the duration. Upon returning, she really feels like an outsider. I’m confused because Iggy was into her before she left, and the only interaction we see of the two of them now is her asking him if he is full of sh*t. Uhmm, not the way to a man’s heart, Lacey. Also, she thinks Danielle is the perfect human, so maybe none of these sane men are quite her style.

Derek gets a date card and obviously asks Taylor. They go on a pretty boring dinner date but these two seem to be following for each other hard. Are we looking at this season’s Jade and Tanner?

From the previews, it looks like one more man is going to join the group before the women hand out roses. Will it be Lacey’s beloved Daniel, or someone else set to shake everything up?

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 4-2 - Kristina Romper

Kristina is killing the romper game this season, as she had another cute one on during the sit down with Chris Harrison. Kristina’s romper is Ark & Co and can be found here (pre owned).

BIP 4-2 - Amanda Crop Top

If Kristina is killing the romper game, Amanda has got the crop top game on lock. Her top is actually a swimsuit from Tularosa and can be purchased here.

BIP 4-2 - Raven Swim Suit

I haven’t been super impressed with the swim suits this season, but I did like Raven’s due to the sporty back and neutral colors. Raven’s swimsuit is L*Space, with the top and bottom sold separately (but on sale!)

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the season so far! Any outfits you want me to identify? Let me know!

 

holiday – bip4: episode 1

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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!

 

blessings-nick:week 10

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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.

_____

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

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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.

plane-gifsource

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.

corinne-poop-week-4source

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.”

skate-gifsource

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

sarah-week-4-group-date-outfit

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.

danielle-week-4-group-date-outfit

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.

rachel-week-4-rose-ceremony-outfit

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