Uncategorized Archives - Detroit Duchess

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 I know it’s a bit outdated and needs some updates (it’s from 2013).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

We’re Having a Baby!

January 15, 2021 by DetroitDuchess 6 Comments

It’s funny how things work out sometimes, even with the best laid plans. Last year, as I was ramping up on the blog again, starting my book club, etc. I got pregnant! It was definitely a planned pregnancy (not a quarantine/COVID surprise), but what I couldn’t have prepared for was how sick I would be for the majority of the pregnancy. So my plans of really leaning into my blog got scrapped while I focused on pushing through all my pregnancy nausea. It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I definitely wanted to share this exciting news and give an explanation for why I’ve been missing in action.

We are THRILLED to be pregnant and can’t wait to meet our baby girl in April. I’m 28 weeks along and it’s been a wild ride so far; not what I expected at all. I just entered the third trimester and I can say that feeling her kick and move around is wonderful and so reassuring.

There’s a lot to do before she comes including creating a registry, figuring out how to host a shower during the pandemic and cleaning out and decorating a nursery. Not to mention signing up for birthing and education classes. It’s a whole new world!

So all this to say – I am back and posting again and hope to keep you updated along the way. I would also LOVE to hear any of your first-time mom tips and tricks, what must-have registry items I should include, and any other things I should keep in mind as I navigate this journey.

In case you’re looking for any of the photo details, I got the sign from Etsy, Sport’s scarf from Etsy, and the baby shoes from Amazon. My dress is from Nordstrom and my earrings and necklace are from Kendra Scott.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: baby

Happy Seventh Blogiversary!

May 18, 2020 by DetroitDuchess 10 Comments

I haven’t celebrated my blogiversary in a while, but it just seemed right this year. Seven is my lucky number and I really wanted to commemorate this accomplishment. I haven’t always been the most consistent, but I’m so proud to have kept this little blog alive for the past seven years. Blogging is one of my favorite things to do! Most of the time, it’s a big shopping list/Pinterest board of all the things I love and aspire to, but I love when readers get fired up over a recommendation or share their tips and tricks.

Blogiversary Giveaway

I’m not going to make a lot of promises this year, BUT I will promise that this space isn’t going away anytime soon. To celebrate seven years of Detroit Duchess, I’m giving away seven things I’ve featured here on the blog over the next seven weeks (May 18-July 6) and it will end the day before my birthday – perfect timing!!! Enter the giveaway below and each week I will choose a new winner! Thank you to all of my wonderful readers – this is for you!

(May 18 – 25) Pineapple Delicate Necklace

From my recent Spring Favorites post, this adorable necklace has quickly become one of my favorite pieces. I know I will be sporting it all summer long!

(May 25 – June 1) Luke’s Diner Mug

I had a ton of fun during my Gilmore Girls rewatch this year and my Luke’s Diner Mug is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the show. You can select any color choice and get your own piece of Luke’s Diner.

(June 1 – 8) Body Love EveryDay

I am SO happy to say that because of Kelly LeVeque and her Body Love plan, I’ve lost 20 pounds! She just came out with a new book and I want you to get on this amazing plan too!

(June 8 – 15) Rose Quartz Roller

If you’re stuck at home and stepping up your skincare routine, you definitely need a facial roller! I feel super fancy whenever I use it.

(June 15 – 22) Glameselle Liquid Matte Lipstick

My beautiful friend Shannon created Glameselle and now every purchase donates money back to the Glamorous Moms Foundation. Not to mention it’s an AMAZING long-wear lipstick. Shannon has generously donated three of her favorite colors to the lucky winner – Lana, Jenna, and Shannon.

(June 22 – 29) Laneige Sleeping Lip Mask

This was one of my Winter Favorites and boy does this do the trick for chapped lips. I keep this on my nightstand for the perfect pout!

(June 29 – July 6) Palm Leaf Kimono

This kimono was on last year’s summer favorites list and I got the chance to use it on a little getaway to Florida last year with John. It’s the perfect cover up and I’m hoping I’ll be able to use it again on a vacation this year.

There are daily opportunities to enter below throughout the seven weeks! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Blogiversary, Detroit Duchess, fashion

Light Up the World with The Starling Project

January 27, 2020 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

This year I wanted to start highlighting more products that give back. I’ve been introduced to so many amazing ones and I want to support the products and companies that are trying to make a difference. Today I’m going to share The Starling Project with you.

The Starling Project was founded in 2015 by Sterling McDavid. McDavid is a director on the New York board of UNICEF and was inspired to start this project after many of her travels with the organization. The Starling Project’s mission is light for light. Each candle purchased helps to support life-saving solar projects in Rwanda and Chad.

The candles are hand-poured in Brooklyn, use recycled glass and ethically-sourced essential oils. They burn for a minimum of 60 hours. The candles retail for $55, but I consider it more of a donation with a great gift!

Aside from supporting a great cause, The Starling Project also has some fantastic scents. I started with the Vanilla + Hemlock candle, but they have added a Rose All Day candle that they developed with Whispering Angel! I will definitely be getting that one next.

If you have any favorite products that give back, please share them in the comments! I want to start making this a regular feature.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: The Starling Project

A Royal Wedding Recap

June 11, 2018 by DetroitDuchess 1 Comment

Raise your hand if you still aren’t over the Royal Wedding! I’ve been obsessed with all things Meghan Markle and the Royal Wedding for months now, culminating in a fabulous viewing party on the actual day. I picked up a peonies (Meghan’s favorite flower) along with some white roses, lilies and myrtle (a tradition in every Royal Wedding bouquet), lemon and elderflower macarons (same flavor as the wedding cake) from Le Detroit Macaron, and my bingo card from The Royal Wedding Pod.

With my current obsession in mind, when I saw that Susan E. Kelley of What Kate Wore and What Meghan Wore was hosting a Royal Wedding Garden Party right here in Michigan, I immediately locked down my ticket and recruited my friend Carolyn to be my date. This was the invitation:

Join us for a Royal Wedding Garden Party at Cornman Farms in Dexter, Michigan on June 10th! Susan E. Kelley of What Kate Wore and What Meghan Wore, and author and journalist Micheline Maynard are joining us to host a fête worthy of the Queen. The afternoon begins with cocktails in the garden, followed by a proper Afternoon Tea prepared by Cornman Farms’ British owner and chef Kieron Hales. While enjoying scones, sweets and savory tea sandwiches you will also have the pleasure of re-living the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Our co-hosts, Susan and Micheline, will review royal history and fashion as it pertains to the wedding of the year.

If that wasn’t enough to fuel my obsession, one of my clients is currently in England and she crossed paths with the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their way to Buckingham Palace for the Trooping of the Colour and sent me this picture! I can’t believe how close she got to them!

Needless to say, I was beyond excited for this event. When we arrived at Cornman Farms they had set the scene perfectly.

I wore one of my recent new purchases, a Tiered-Bell-Sleeve Dress from Calvin Klein, but I wish I would have had time to get a fascinator. I would probably go with something like this Pale Baby Blue Teardrop Sinamay Fascinator with Feathers. I was also thrilled to meet Susan E. Kelley, the guru behind What Kate Wore and What Meghan Wore. I’ve been following Kate Middleton’s (the Duchess of Cambridge) style for years and Susan has kept us up to date every step of the way. I was thrilled to discover that Susan is from Michigan! I never would have guessed!

We had a beautiful table laid out for us for the presentation and a beautiful floral arch around the presentation screen courtesy of Detroit Design.

Kieron Hales, the chef and owner, is originally from Britain and his family worked at The Daily Mail. While we enjoyed the presentation he passed around some keepsake papers with historic headlines. I had to snap a picture of this one, because it’s wild how far the royal family has come.

It was a lovely event and I sincerely hope they do more in the future…maybe a viewing/recap for Princess Eugenie’s wedding this fall. Now, how to pass the time until the next royal event or the next season of The Crown? I would love to hear your suggestions.

To see Meghan Markle’s engagement style, click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Elderflower, Le Detroit Macaron, Meghan Markle, Royal Wedding, The Crown, The Royal Wedding Pod, What Kate Wore, What Meghan Wore

Celebrating Four Years of Blogging

August 1, 2017 by DetroitDuchess 6 Comments

Four years ago I took a leap of faith and hit publish on this little blog of mine. Since then, I’ve learned so much about blogging, writing and social media and had a lot of fun in the process. I’ve had some amazing opportunities with partners and sponsors and am always honored when amazing companies want to work with me. I mentioned in my Miracle Morning post at the beginning of the year, that this last year was personally very difficult for me. My posts have been fewer and further between, but I’m glad I pushed through and didn’t give this up. For those of you that have kept reading, I LOVE having you here. My sincerest wish for this site is for you to imagine we are enjoying some girl talk over a glass of wine.

As I tried to take some photos, Sport kept trying to eat my candle – this little boy brings me tons of joy! I thought Sport and I would announce my annual blogiversary giveaway with a month of giveaways. Enter the giveaway below and each week I will choose another winner.

Week 1 – August 8

I started The Miracle Morning this year and it has changed everything! I want to help someone else change their life so I’m giving away a copy of Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning as my first prize.

Week 2 – August 15

This year, I was able to attend a screening of Beauty and the Beast and this was one of my favorite movies. Of all the Disney princesses I most identified with Belle. As a child I always had my nose in a book. I loved the live action movie so much and want to give away a little piece of the story to my readers. My second prize is this Beauty and the Beast stained glass rose compact. It is so beautiful!

Week 3 – August 22

Speaking of movie screenings, I covered 50 Shades Darker this year and had SO much fun at the screening and pulling together Anastasia’s looks from the movie. I’m a huge romance novel fan (my guilty pleasure) and 50 Shades is one of my favorites. I recently re-read the books and wanted to give one reader her very own masquerade mask. This is the authentic Samantha Peach mask that Anastasia wore in the movie.

Week 4 – August 29

Last but not least, is this adorable little pineapple planter from my Summer Favorites list. I am obsessed with pineapples right now and I thought this would look perfect in someone’s home.

You can enter the giveaway here, and I will announce a new winner each week. Thank you for all of your support over the past four years!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 50 Shades Darker, Beauty and the Beast, Blogiversary, Detroit Duchess, Giveaway, Hal Elrod, Miracle Morning, Samantha Peach, Sport

Freshen Up Your Home with Febreze One

July 25, 2017 by DetroitDuchess 7 Comments

Disclosure: I received sample products and a gift card from Meijer in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever walked into someone’s home and could tell they had a pet even before seeing it? Many times they have become immune to the smell and don’t realize that their guests can’t ignore it. Sport is the apple of our eye, but sometimes he has a smell only we can love. There are tons of things you can do to combat pet odor, but sometimes you just need something to tide you over until the next wash. Enter Febreze One…

I know you’ve heard of Febreze before, but the new Febreze One uses “flairisol” technology for a light spray and it’s the first of its kind that contains no aerosols, dyes of heavy perfumes. I was please to hear this because John is very sensitive to smells in the house, so I don’t like to use things that will irritate him. Febreze One was just released at your local Meijer on July 23 and is available in Mandarin, Bamboo and Orchid scents. I tested out the Bamboo and Orchid scents.

We keep a crate for Sport and he spends his afternoons there while we are at work. We first used towels in the bottom of his crate, but they didn’t make for a comfortable surface, so we upgraded to a very plush pad. Sport loves the pad, but it retains a lot more puppy odor. I have a reminder in my phone to move and clean his crate/wash the pad at least once a month. In between that monthly cleaning, we need Febreze One to keep it fresh.

We have a bed for Sport in our bedroom and he will chill out there at night sometimes and when we are getting ready in the morning. I usually put a blanket over the bed so I can wash it more often. If you get close enough you can definitely smell dog which is where we need the Febreze One. Our bedroom is supposed to be our sanctuary so we want it to smell fresh.

Sport also likes to sleep in our bed most nights and since our comforter is dryclean only, I only take it in to be cleaned once a year. I change the sheets once a week, but a lot of times I’ll catch Sport laying on our bed, which is fine, but you can definitely tell where his spot is. Febreze One is the perfect solution to keep our comforter fresh and airy and not smelling like dog.

If you have an mPerks account, Meijer is currently offering a coupon to save $1.50 when you purchase a Febreze One Starter Mist through July 29.

Do you use Febreze to freshen up your home? What are your tips to combat pet odors?

For more Meijer posts, click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Febreze, Febreze One, Meijer, Sport

Five on Friday: Sixth Anniversary

May 5, 2017 by DetroitDuchess 2 Comments

On Sunday, John and I are celebrating our sixth anniversary. It’s rather fitting that the sixth anniversary is the Iron Anniversary because at this point our relationship has evolved into something so much deeper. After you go through so much together, the other person really becomes your constant and a source of strength in times of adversity. More than our fifth anniversary, this one seems like much more of a milestone as I feel like we’ve overcome a lot in the past year.

Every year of our marriage, I’ve always given John a traditional gift:

Year one was the paper anniversary and I made a date book with a pre-planned date for each month of that year.
The second year was the cotton anniversary and I got John a really cool Michigan recliner. Unfortunately, that got trashed in our sewage flood.
Year three, the leather anniversary, I got John a pair of Johnston & Murphy leather topsiders that he had been eyeing.
Year four, the fruits and flowers anniversary, I got us a lemon tree. The tree is still alive and did have a lemon growing on it at one point.
Year five was the wood anniversary and John got a wood watch which he loves.

Here are a few of my gift ideas for the iron anniversary:

1. Monogrammed Forged Steak Brand ($49.95)

This is so adorable! I could either get my husband’s initials or you can also do a one-initial brand.

2. Le Creuset Cast-Iron Heart-Shaped Dutch Oven ($149.95)

This is too perfect not to include. A pink heart-shaped dutch oven?! What more can you ask for?

3. Hampton Bay Marshall Patio Chaise Lounge with Textured Silver Pebble Cushion ($159)

I’ve decided I want a chaise lounge for our backyard. I have no idea where I would put it or where it would even fit, but I’m envisioning myself lounging outside reading a book all summer and I want one.

4. Endless Summer Fire Pit ($181.99)

John and I have wanted a fire pit for the longest time and I love that this is a propane one making it easy to use. You could also replace the lava rocks with fireglass.

5. Fire Pit Cookout Kit ($49.99)

Once we have a fire pit, we’re going to want to make s’mores and hobo pies!

If you have any other ideas for the iron anniversary, I would love to hear them:

For more Five on Friday/Friday Favorites posts, click here.

If you would like to join the Five on Friday with Smidge of This, The Good Life Blog, Hello Happiness and Carolina Charm just click the button below for more details.

You can join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

I am also participating in the Friday Favorites Linkup with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. You can click the button below for more information and to join the linkup.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: anniversary, Five on Friday, Friday Favorites, Iron Anniversary, Sixth Anniversary

Unforgettable Ladies Night Out

April 4, 2017 by DetroitDuchess 56 Comments

Ladies…have you ever been betrayed by the one you love? How would you handle it? In the new movie, UNFORGETTABLE, that’s what Katherine Heigl has to figure out. Tessa Connover (Heigl) is getting over a divorce, when her ex-husband, David (Geoff Stults) becomes engaged to Julia Banks (Rosario Dawson). Julia has a troubled past, and Tessa tries to use that against her in order to get her family back. As you can see from this clip, Julia’s dream turns into her ultimate nightmare.

I thought we could have some fun with this one, so I’m hosting an Unforgettable Ladies Night Out for 20 lucky ladies to win a pair of seats to an advance screening of UNFORGETTABLE on Wednesday, April 12 at the MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16. All attendees will receive a complimentary glass of house white or red, or domestic beer prior to show time. We are also encourage you to bring an item from your ex to “giveaway.”

If you would like to join me for an UNFORGETTABLE Ladies Night Out for you and a guest, leave a comment below and let me know what the most unforgettable thing and ex ever did to you/for you (it can be good or bad). Make sure your email is attached to your name when you comment and I will contact you with a link to the registration. Seating is limited, so I will update the post when the seats are filled.

UPDATE: All of the tickets have been given away, but I do have a waitlist going and if anything opens up I will open it up to people on the waitlist. If you would like to be on the waitlist you can continue to comment and I will send you the registration link.

Thank you to everyone who commented, I am overwhelmed by the response to this and will hopefully do more in the future!

I look forward to meeting everyone!

For previous movie reviews, click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Katherine Heigl, Ladies Night Out, movies, Rosario Dawson, Unforgettable

Beauty and the Beast

March 19, 2017 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

I was thrilled to get a sneak peak of Beauty and the Beast last week. I hadn’t seen the animated version in years, but boy did this bring back memories. Belle was always my favorite princess. As a child I was constantly reading, on the bus, during recess, in math class, under my covers with a flashlight, you name it – I read it. Belle is my spirit animal, she dreamt of far away places and exciting adventures. I can relate. Watching this move reminded me of being a child with a world of possibilities ahead of you. Needless to say I LOVED it!

I highly recommend seeing the movie in 3D, it just made it – especially the “Be Our Guest” montage. To celebrate the movie, I wanted to share some of the fun Beauty and the Beast accessories that are out there for adults. Yes that’s right, Beauty and the Beast is not just for the kids anymore!