DetroitDuchess, Author at Detroit Duchess

Five on Friday: California Wildfire Relief

January 10, 2025 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

Watching everything that has transpired with the terrible fires in Los Angeles has been shocking. The destruction and devastation are heartbreaking. I’ve been looking for opportunities to help and understand that efforts will continue for years. Here are a few organizations that immediately stood out to me. If you see others please add them in the comments below.

Altadena Girls

Altadena Girls was started by Avery, an eighth grader from Altadena. Her school was destroyed in the fire along with many other schools in her neighborhood. Most of the donations in her community have been for food, water, and household items which are necessities but don’t replace all the clothes, personal items, beauty, and hair care items that help these girls to feel like themselves again.

World Central Kitchen

I first heard about this organization because of Meghan and Harry’s association with it back in 2020 and think it’s awesome how Jose Andres jumps into action during so many natural disasters and other crises.

World Central Kitchen is currently providing support to first responders and families impacted by the wildfires to provide nourishing meals to people in need.

Pasadena Humane Society

I can’t imagine being separated from Sport and not having any idea where he was or if he was okay. It’s heartbreaking. I hope more animals are saved and reunited with their owners.

Baby2Baby

My heart bleeds for mothers and children who have lost everything. Being postpartum is hard enough, this is unimaginable. Baby2Baby provides diapers, food, formula, water, clothing, blankets, and hygiene products to families in need. They are also providing essentials to evacuation centers, distributing at pop-ups across the city, and hosting volunteer sessions at our Los Angeles headquarters to pack supplies for children during this traumatic time.

Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation

It’s insane to think about emergency responders fighting these fires. My husband was a firefighter when I met him and firefighters always hold a special place in my heart. These fires are on a different level and need so many more tools, supplies, and manpower to contain.

These were just a few of the organizations that stood out to me, but let me know if there are any others that you recommend. My heart goes out to anyone affected by this terrible disaster.

For more Five on Friday posts, click here.

Filed Under: Five on Friday Tagged With: Five on Friday

Pantone’s Color of the Year: Mocha Mousse

January 9, 2025 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

Pantone named Mocha Mousse as its 2025 Color of the Year and I must admit I was disappointed. My initial reaction was that this color was blah and moving into a new year, I wanted something fun and vibrant. This is not my favorite color and I have very little in my home and closet. I honestly wasn’t sure how I was going to write this post.

The more I thought about it, I realized this is a neutral color and it’s all about building a foundation of staples. You aren’t wearing this color to be vibrant, you’re adding it in as a hardworking basic piece. Something high quality that you might keep for a long time. Once I started thinking about it from that perspective, I needed inspiration. Meghan Markle immediately popped into my head – she is the queen of neutrals. I decided to take a page from her fashion playbook and came up with some Mocha Mousse items that would be great basics to build on. Let me know what you think!

Summer Fridays Iced Coffee Lip Balm ($24)

Tik Tokkers have been talking about this for months and as soon as I started writing this the iced coffee flavor instantly popped into my head for Mocha Mousse. I’m not a big coffee person, but I will probably still try this one out. I also love a woman-owned brand!

High-Waisted Satin Midi Slip Skirt in Mocha Taffy ($19.99)

You can style this skirt so many different ways – with a sweater, a tank top, heels, or sneakers. It’s on trend right now, but this is a classic piece.

Tea Leaves Mocha Mousse Tea ($38)

Tea Leaves created a special Pantone Mocha Mousse Black Tea (my favorite) just for 2025. Think flavors of chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla (and caffeine).

Dolce Vita Katik Heels ($79.90)

These heels look so sexy! I was looking for a basic pump but these are so much better!

CND Satin Pajamas ($11.30)

This is such a subtle neutral with a soft shimmer…perfect for a neutral nail with a little something extra.

Brown Minimal Sleeveless Midi Dress ($21.99)

This is so elegant – perfect for looking classy while also being casual.

Brumate Era in Mocha ($44.99)

I’m a big fan of my Brumate cups. My toddler always wants to drink out of mommy’s cup and I love the locking feature on these.

Coach Brooklyn Shoulder Bag ($295)

I’ve been looking for a new brown bag since I wore out my last one. I’m loving the style of this one and it’s big enough to hold all my junk!

IPSY Pantone Collection (Launching in April)

In partnership with Pantone, IPSY has developed a limited-edition collection of Mocha Mousse must-haves, including a makeup bag crafted from soft, vegan Mocha Mousse leather, a 5-piece makeup brush collection, and a 3-piece makeup sponge set. You can sign up at the link to be notified when it drops.

Elodie One-Shoulder Velvet Top ($19.99)

This is such a romantic piece but would be perfect for date night. You could pair it with jeans and the Dolce Vita shoes!

Paris Cafe Candle ($26.95)

When I think of Mocha Mousse this is what comes to mind. Rich roasted coffee, sugared brioche, and vanilla creme. Just pretend I’m in Paris.

Pearl Earrings ($27.99)

Pearls are classic, but these are different. They would compliment any outfit.

ColourPop Deja Brew Eyeshadow Palette ($14)

Shimmery neutrals are my everyday go to eye look. I originally would have suggested the original Naked palette (which I am hoarding at home), but you can’t get that one anymore so this ColourPop version is a great option!

Satin Midi Dress ($129.99)

I wasn’t going to add this one, but it’s too perfect not too! I love the cut of this dress. I still like the skirt above as well, but this dress in Marshland Brown was so cute in a different way.

Zipper Tech Case ($15.00)

This would be the perfect work “padfolio” as I call it. I work in a coworking space and I bring my stuff back and forth, so traveling light is crucial.

Mod Hoop Earrings ($28)

These would look so cute with any of the clothing and outfits I shared here.

LA Girl Cafe Lipliner Pencil ($3.49) and NYX Madeline Butter Gloss ($5.99)

I already had both of these colors on hand, but put them together and you have the ultimate mocha lip combo.

LilySilk Silk Shirt ($139)

This is a little pricey, but the pictures look amazing. It’s a great way to dress up any outfit and a button up NEVER goes out of style.

Floral Coasters ($17)

These coasters are stunning and elevate any space. I’m all about adding life’s little luxuries back into your day and these coasters do just that.

Coach Integration Flower Sunglasses ($89)

These scream summer to me – I imagine wearing them to a music festival or outdoor event.

Let me know your favorite Mocha Mousse items!

You can take a look back on my previous Pantone posts about the 2024 color of the Year, Peach Fuzz, 2020 color of the year, Classic Blue, 2019 color of the year, Living Coral, 2018 color of the year, Ultra Violet, 2017 color of the year, Greenery, 2016 colors of the year, Rose Quartz & Serenity, 2015 color of the year, Marsala, and the 2014 color of the year, Radiant Orchid.

Filed Under: Fashion Tagged With: beauty, color of the year, fashion, Mocha Mousse, Pantone

Wine of the Week: Vin Velouté

January 8, 2025 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

My husband and I aren’t golfers, but we love the idea of hanging out at a clubhouse. We actually live within walking distance of a country club, but it seems silly to join and not golf. Enter Cooper’s Hawk… John and I had dinner there last year, and we got the pitch to join their wine club. You get two wines and two wine tastings a month along with other perks. We were joking about ” joining the club” and using it as our “country club.” The more we joked about it, the idea sounded better and better, so we did!

So far it’s been so much fun! It gives us an excuse to make a wine-tasting date every month, and it’s an awesome place to bring friends to for fun dinners. I don’t usually bring the wines home with me unless I’m running low, so you just leave them on your tab and use them when you dine there. I brought my friends there for lunch on Black Friday and planned all my friend and work meetups there. It’s been a blast and we love joking that we’re “going to the club.”

One of my favorite wines from 2024 was the Vin Velouté, known as the “velvet wine.” Malbec makes up 70 percent of the blend and gives it a velvety texture with rich fruit notes. This is such an easy wine to drink and SO smooth. Perfect for pairing with savory foods. There’s a touch of sweetness, but it’s a dry, high-alcohol wine.

We were hanging out at home and I decided to throw together a little charcuterie board to enjoy while we were figuring out dinner. This paired perfectly with the meat and cheese and then also went well with dinner. It is a great option to have on hand (which I will now have to restock on my next visit!).

I’m in a few other wine clubs, but this has been so much fun for us. If you have a Cooper’s Hawk in your area, I encourage you to check it out!

For more Wine of the Week posts, click here.

Filed Under: Wine of the Week Tagged With: Cooper's Hawk Winery, Vin Velouté, wine, wine of the week

One Little Word: Legacy

January 7, 2025 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

Welcome 2025! If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’ve been on a self-improvement journey since 2017 when I started The Miracle Morning. Looking back on some of these old posts makes me realize how much I’ve grown since then. In 2019, I started choosing One Little Word to help guide and direct me.

In 2019 it was Accomplish and I started my own business.
In 2020, it was Discipline, which helped me stay focused during the pandemic.
In 2021, it was Prioritize, as we welcomed sweet Cassie to the world I wanted to make sure I was focusing on the things that mattered.
In 2022, it was Savor as I strived to soak up every little moment of motherhood.
In 2023, it was Consistency, to try to stick with things instead of starting new things and not seeing them through.
In 2024, it was Elevate, to help push me forward and make radical change.

This year I wanted to focus more on what mattered very similar to my Prioritize year. But that was more of a Prioritize because I had a new baby/survival mode situation. This year I want to be very intentional with what I spend my time on and focus on what I’m building. What is my life’s work? How would I want to be remembered? What do I want to build for my daughter, family, and business? I have been very aware that I am building core memories and routines for Cassie that will stay with her for the rest of her life. So what kind of person am I? What kind of mother do I want to be?

This led to me choosing LEGACY for 2025!

In everything I do, I will consider the legacy it is building towards. As a mother, you automatically create a powerful legacy for your child. You will be the source of their childhood memories and lay the foundation for who they will become. So how do I want my daughter to see me?

I also tend to get wrapped up and spend a lot of time on side projects that take away from the most important things in my life. So as I go through the year, I want to have a clear sense of what kind of legacy I’m trying to build so I know what things to block out and not give my precious time to.

Instead of being so specifically goal-oriented this year, I wanted to focus on the memories and the legacy that I’m creating. How do I want people to feel, what do I want them to remember? It’s not enough to just take the vacation but to make sure that I’m present in the moment and enjoying all the people who are there with me. Making memories and building a legacy is the sort of energy I want to bring to everything in my life this year.

I Iove adding a piece of jewelry to remind me of my word. I wore last year’s Elevate ring daily. This year I found a fun customizable bracelet from Bauble Bar ($34).

What’s your word for 2025? Let me know in the comments.

For more Be the Best You posts, click here.

Filed Under: Be the Best You Tagged With: Be the Best You, Legacy, One Little Word

Here We Go One More Time

January 6, 2025 by DetroitDuchess 2 Comments

So about that comeback…I got three posts in last year and life got in the way again. But here we are again in 2025 ready to resuscitate this blog. I have a long list of blog post ideas in my phone and I keep adding to it. It’s one of the things I always want to get back to so I figured I would give it another shot and commit to being consistent this year. As motherhood has been my priority for the past four years and running my own business for nearly six years, this blog feels like a piece of my past self and one of the things that is uniquely mine.

Not much has changed since my last update, but I have grown in the past year, especially in my faith and as a mother. Motherhood will definitely teach you to be more efficient on every level. If you don’t schedule and prioritize time for yourself it won’t happen. In 2024 I rediscovered my love for reading. I’ve always been a reader, but was struggling to find the time. In April, I started reading on the treadmill and that was the push I needed. I read 72 books last year and it made me fall in love again. Instead of buying new books, I’ve been hooked on the public library and use the hold list all the time. This year I’m shooting for 100 books so let me know some of your favorites in the comments and I will add them to my Goodreads list.

Watching Cassie grow up is such a surreal experience. I get to relive my childhood in so many ways and it has reminded me of things I used to love. She brings such joy to my life and has given me a renewed sense of purpose. I can’t wait to get settled back into the blog and start sharing again.

If there are any old post series you would like to see me revive let me know. If you have any trouble with the site send me a note. I haven’t done much with the blog and my theme is outdated, so I will be making changes and updates as I go along.

Happy New Year!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Pantone’s Color of the Year: Peach Fuzz

January 4, 2024 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

Pantone has named Peach Fuzz as their 2024 Color of the Year. This is such a fun spring color and reminds me of my favorite drink – a Bellini. This is the 25th year of Pantone announcing a color of the year and I think it’s a fun tradition to imagine how to incorporate these colors into our lives.

Here are a few of the things I chose to bring Peach Fuzz to life this year, let me know your favorites.

Kate Spade Peach Huggie Earrings ($34.80)

You knew this list was going to include lots of peaches. Nothing says fun novelty piece more than Kate Spade. These adorable little earrings will be the perfect addition to my spring and summer dresses.

Old Navy Ruffle-Trim Mixed Fabric Top ($9.99)

This top will be a summer staple, and you can’t beat the price. Layer it or wear it solo, it will dress up any outfit.

Tory Burch Claire Cap-Toe Ballet ($278)

I’m a huge fan of Tory Burch flats, in fact, I wear mine all the time. These are light two-tone take on the peach trend.

Brumate Era 40 oz Tumbler ($44.99)

In my opinion, the Brumate is the ultimate tumbler with its part silicone straw and locking feature. The guava color is the perfect shade of peach fizz for 2024.

CND Shellac/Vinylux in Daydreaming ($20.38)

I’m a big CND fan as I do my own gel nails at home and find that it lasts the longest. CND just released their 2024 Spring Collection “Across the Maniverse” and the color Daydreaming is a peachy orange crème color that perfectly embodies the Color of the Year.

Kate Spade Roulette Chain Clutch ($79.97)

This classic little clutch is the perfect go-to for all your outings. It would be great for sporting events, festivals and concerts.

Blossom Drop Earrings ($48)

These earrings are stunning and so feminine. I LOVE a statement earring and I can already envision all the outfits I could wear these with.

Twist Front Sleeve Ombre Dress ($49)

This dress is a little outside of my comfort zone, but I love the ombre look. This could be a perfect date night look or vacation outfit.

Adidas Grand Court 2.0 Sneakers ($69.99)

I love these Adidas sneakers. They are so cute when I’m dressing up in my mom uniform and chasing around my toddler.

Prosecco and Peaches Candle ($26.95)

I love Bath and Body Works candles and rarely can walk into a store without picking up a new one. This scent combines peaches, vanilla, and bubbly champagne.

Pat McGrath Satin Allure Lipstick in Venusian Peach ($30)

A peach lipstick is something everyone should have in their collection.

Everywhere Belt Bag ($38)

The belt bag has become part of the mom uniform at this point – so handy to run around at the park and make sure your stuff is secure. You can also bring this into baseball games so this color is perfect for summer Tigers games.

Peach Selenite Palm Stone ($28)

I have a selenite palm stone I use in my meditation, but this takes it up a notch! The palm stone protects from negative energy, helps heal old wounds, and lends purifying vibes. Selenite has a deep cleansing power and can recharge tired spirits.

Let me know your favorite Peach Fuzz items!

You can take a look back on my previous Pantone posts about the 2020 color of the year, Classic Blue, 2019 color of the year, Living Coral, 2018 color of the year, Ultra Violet, 2017 color of the year, Greenery, 2016 colors of the year, Rose Quartz & Serenity, 2015 color of the year, Marsala, and the 2014 color of the year, Radiant Orchid.

Filed Under: Fashion, Uncategorized Tagged With: fashion, Pantone, Pantone Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz

Wine of the Week: Mumm Napa

January 3, 2024 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

For my 40th birthday in 2022, John and I went on an amazing trip to Napa. I didn’t schedule any wine tastings until we arrived in California and I knew I wanted to get bubbles on the list. We were able to book at Mumm and it was the most perfect day driving out there. We rented a Mustang convertible for the trip, so we were driving through Napa with the top down and just loving life. As we arrived at the winery, it was so beautiful. The attention to detail and the gorgeous view made it one of my favorite tastings.

Our tasting was about an hour and we lucked out and it wasn’t very busy so we were able to sit outside on their patio with a view of the vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains.

Mumm can be traced back to GH Mumm, the leading international champagne brand in France. Established in California in the late 1970s, Mumm Napa follows traditional wine-making techniques of its French heritage to create the finest, hand-crafted sparkling wines. John and I loved the experience and just being on vacation and baby-free. It was probably a combination of it all that made the trip so magical. To commemorate the day, we ended up joining the wine club and since then have enjoyed some amazing wines from Mumm.

For this post, I didn’t want to highlight one specific wine, but the winery as a whole. Mumm has some amazing Rose Sparkling wines which are my favorites. They also send out two Magnum bottles to wine club members during the holidays, which is so fun!

We started a little tradition of bubbles and pizza on Friday nights and have enjoyed having bubbles on hand to celebrate the big wins and the small ones. Another highlight is their DVX Cuvées which are made using the best grapes from each year’s harvest and aged for at least six years.

One of the other things I discovered in Napa was a Bouchon, which is a special tool you can use to recork and extend the life of your bubbles. Mumm has sent us one in our shipments, but I bought a few on Amazon for $10 and they work better than anything I’ve tried before. So if we have bubbles on Friday, I can save what’s left and have mimosas on Saturday morning. These would make great stocking stuffers, gifts, or a housewarming present to accompany a bottle of bubbles.

If you’ve tried Mumm before, let me know your favorites in the comments!

For more Wine of the Week posts, click here.

Filed Under: Travel, Wine of the Week Tagged With: Mumm, Napa, sparkling wine, Travel, wine, wine of the week

One Little Word: Elevate

January 2, 2024 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

I first started choosing One Little Word for the year in 2019, and it made all the difference! Ever since then, I’ve chosen a word every year that helps guide me and gives me direction.

In 2019 it was Accomplish and I started my own business.
In 2020, it was Discipline, which helped me stay focused during the pandemic.
In 2021, it was Prioritize, as we were welcoming sweet Cassie to the world I wanted to make sure I was focusing on the things that mattered.
In 2022, it was Savor as I strived to soak up every little moment of motherhood.
In 2023, it was Consistency, to try to stick with things instead of starting new things and not seeing them through. I feel like I’ve done a good job with this one as I’ve stuck to so many new habits and processes that I’ve brought into my life. Which is what has led me to choose this year’s word.

2024’s word is ELEVATE!

When I was thinking about my word and what I wanted to accomplish in the new year, I kept coming back to the idea that I’ve been stuck doing the same things over and over again, but that I’ve not necessarily made any progress in some of the things I’ve been trying to be consistent at. I wanted 2024 to be the year that I took things to the next level.

Each word has helped push me forward, but I want this to be the year that I make radical change. I don’t want to get to December and realize that I have the same goals for 2025 that I’ve had every other year. One of the books that I’ve read recently that has helped me dig into this word is Atomic Habits by James Clear. In the book, Clear talks about getting 1% better and states “If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.” Between this theory and habit stacking, I can take that consistency and discipline to the next level and get incrementally better at reaching my goals one step at a time.

The other part of this is to not let outside factors affect my goal trajectory. This includes getting distracted and derailed by the little dramas that happen each day. And let’s be honest, there will be lots of life distractions, especially with a toddler, but the important thing is to get back to the goals as soon as possible and not let the distractions derail me.

For each word, I like to get myself a piece of jewelry that constantly reminds me of my focus for the year. I’ve done bracelets before, but this year I went with a gold ring from Lemon Lime Creations on Etsy. I’m loving it so much, I’m considering going back and getting rings for the other words.

What’s your word for 2024? Let me know in the comments.

For more Be the Best You posts, click here.

Filed Under: Be the Best You Tagged With: Be the Best You, Elevate, One Little Word

Happy New Year: The Blog is Back!

January 1, 2024 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

I published my last blog post four days before my daughter was born in 2021. What a wild ride it’s been. We have the most wonderful toddler, Cassandra, and I have been focused on being her mother. I never meant to pause the blog, but it kept getting pushed to the back burner. As I was reviewing my 2024 goals for the year, I wanted to decide to either sunset this site or revive it. I started keeping a list of blog ideas on my phone- I wrote it down whenever I would think of a great post. Well, I have two months’ worth of content ideas just from doing that. I couldn’t stand the thought of never blogging again so here I am…back and better than ever.

Let’s Play Catch Up

What have I been doing for the last 2.5 years? For starters, raising my beautiful daughter, Cassie. She is such a joy and lights up my life. Adjusting to motherhood is not for the faint of heart. It takes a while before you figure out what you’re doing and start to feel like yourself again. But here we are not just surviving, but thriving.

If you followed me before, you might remember that I started my own business in 2019. You can read that post here. I’m about to celebrate my fifth business anniversary this year, and what a wild ride it’s been! I’ve learned SO much about owning and operating a business and I get better every day. These days, I’ve set up shop in a coworking space and have a more regular schedule with office days.

So what’s next? I have a number of topics I would like to cover including beauty, fashion, personal development, wine, and more! As I go along, I would love to reintroduce some of my TV fashion recaps, but I am embarrassingly behind on most shows (I’m still working through Charity’s season of The Bachelorette, so we’ll see how fast I can get caught up), and The Book Was Better Book Club is a high priority. Let me know what topics you loved from previous years and any you would like to see in the future.

One caveat is the backend of my blog. I know it’s a bit outdated and needs some updates (it’s from 2013). I will be making some changes here and there and hope to do a redesign at some point during the year. If you see anything that’s out of place or not working for you, leave a comment or send me a note and let me know so I can fix it.

Happy New Year! I can’t wait to see what this year will hold!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: About, Entreprenuership

The Book Was Better Book Club: Firefly Lane

March 28, 2021 by DetroitDuchess 1 Comment

Having just come off of our last book pick, A Simple Favor, I’m ready to switch gears back to a TV series. Firefly Lane on Netflix has already received a ton of hype so I thought it was the perfect selection for our next pick. The series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke. From the synopsis, it sounds like this is a story of two lifelong friends over a period of 30 years – perfect for our book club!

If you haven’t participated in the club yet, make sure to join private Detroit Duchess Book Club Facebook Group, so you can get in on the discussion. If you don’t have Facebook, you can still participate – send me a message in the comments and I will make sure to reach out to you with details on how to join the live discussion on May 8th. The reading/watching schedule is below and you can move as quickly as you want to through it – just remember not to spoil past the schedule for anyone in the Facebook group.

I found the book on Amazon for $9.99 and you can get a basic Netflix plan for $8.99/month to watch the series. Here is a little preview for the Netflix series – it looks SO good!

I hope you will join the book club for Firefly Lane! If this isn’t your style, our next pick will be a movie, so let me know your ideas in the comments.

For more The Book Was Better Reads, click here.

Filed Under: The Book Was Better Tagged With: Book Club, Firefly Lane, Katherine Heigl, Kristin Hannah, Netflix, Sarah Chalke

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