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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!

Beauty and the Beast Stained Glass Rose Compact ($12)

This is so beautiful and I’m sure it would receive tons of compliments every time you pulled it out of your bag.

Beauty and the Beast Limited Edition Fine China Tea Set ($249.95)

This is pricey, but how AMAZING! I would start drinking tea just to use this set!

Lay Around the Castle Shirt ($23.50)

I love this take on the “Be Our Guest Song.”

Enchanted Rose Crossbody Bag ($59.95)

This is so little and cute! It would make the perfect bag for a whimsical outing.

Luke Henderson Book Clutch with Brushes ($45)

This is a really cute brush set. The front says “Beauty is Found Within.”

Vintage Style Yellow Stretch Cap Sleeve Swing Dress ($68)

In case you wanted to dress up as Belle, I found THE dress. This is perfect for any event and not too costumey.

Beauty and the Beast Journal ($19.95)

This journal is just stunning and would add some whimsy to a boring day at work.

Off-the-Shoulder Graphic Tee ($10.49)

I love this part of Belle’s song and love how feminine this shirt is. It was on super sale when I wrote this, so a great deal all around.

Disney Beauty And The Beast Note Card Box Set ($25.41)

How fun would it be to receive one of these in the mail? There are 20 beautiful cards in this collection.

Floral Lace Cold-Shoulder Dress ($32.99)

This dress was inspired by the movie and it is SO adorable.

Have you seen the movie yet? What’s your favorite part of Beauty and the Beast?

For more movie reviews, click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Be Our Guest, Beauty and the Beast, movies

Happy Third Blogiversary

July 6, 2016 by DetroitDuchess 10 Comments

It’s time to celebrate my third blogiversary! This blog has always been a fun outlet for me to share some of my favorite things. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading over the past few years as much as I’ve enjoyed writing. Thank you to everyone who’s stopped by to visit my little space on the internet.

You can read my second blogiversary post from last year here. I didn’t want to make a lot of promises this year except that I would like to invest in a camera so I can get some great pictures and as always to post a little more consistently. I would also like to hear what posts are your favorites and what you would like to see more of, so let me know in the comments. To celebrate, I’m kicking off my four week blogiversary giveaway below and have chosen some of the fun things I’ve featured in the past year to give away, so I hope you enter often. Good luck!

Blogiversary Giveaway

I’m giving away a month’s worth of prizes! Enter the giveaway below and each week I will choose another winner.

Week 1 – July 15

Remember when I got the Chambong? Well I loved it so much I wanted to make sure that my readers had the chance to try one out themselves. Here is my original post that details what it is and how to use it.

Week 2 – July 29

I recently featured the Tiffany T Bracelet in my Splurge vs. Steal series. I love the steal I picked out for it and decided I would give one away to one of you so you can rock it like the real thing.

Week 3 – August 5

I loved these Pineapple Pearl Pop Earrings so much that I wrote a whole post for them. After Prep Obsessed saw the post they sent me a pair of my very own. For Week 3, I will do the same for one lucky reader!

Week 4 – August 12

I wrote a post sharing all my Beauty Favorites for a Long Day and wanted to give one lucky winner their very own Still Standing Spray. Be prepared to dance the night away in heels at your next event.

Make sure to enter the giveaway early and often for your chance to win four weeks of prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Blogiversary, Chambong, Detroit Duchess, Giveaway

Spring Bucket List

April 14, 2016 by DetroitDuchess 7 Comments

Ahhh, spring in Michigan…looks a lot like winter unfortunately. I worked A LOT this winter, between my day job, teaching and blogging I didn’t spend much time having fun or working on my winter bucket list. I would like to change that this spring and spend a little more time enjoying life, so step one is to create some fun goals.

~~Go to Opening Day~~

Spring clean the house
Refresh my windowsill garden
Plan a picnic date
Visit the Toledo Zoo to see the elephants
Brunch on the patio
Go for a bike ride
Make homeade ice cream
Go to Flower Day at Eastern Market
~~Go to Michigan’s Spring Game~~ – We didn’t go to the Spring Game, but we did go to the special practice at Ford Field

Shop at the Farmer’s Market
Go to Pewabic Pottery’s Garden Party
Go on a bike ride
Use the grill
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
Take an outdoor yoga class
Take a Memorial Day weekend trip
Make limoncello
Pick berries from a local farm
Go to a Mother’s Day tea

What are your favorite spring bucket list activities?

I will add to this list throughout the season so let me know your favorites.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Spring, Spring Bucket List

Bachelor 20 – Week 9 Recap

March 26, 2016 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

It’s Week 9…bring on the fantasy suites!

Since things are heating up, we kick off the week with some long stares and statements about how Jamaica is a beautiful place to fall in love. Lauren and JoJo are in sync in their Victoria’s Secret Robes. Lauren’s is the Satin Kimono in Blue Water ($49.50):

JoJo’s Satin Kimono ($59.50) is a little different with lace cut outs on the shoulders.

Caila was up first and the date got off to a bumpy start. She also wore a bathing suit crop top as and outfit…although if I had her abs, I would wear that every day. Unfortunately, I can only help you with the swimsuit, not the abs. Caila wore the Billabong Gypsy Dreamin’ Crop Halter Bikini Top ($54.95) with a Madewell Mini Geochain Necklace ($30):

Lauren’s date is up next and if it’s possible she may have worn even less than Caila. I absolutely could not pull off those shorts so I won’t even try. They did have the cutest date helping to send baby turtles into the wild. Before they headed off to the fantasy suite, Lauren told Ben that she loved him and SURPRISE! he said it back! Let’s just wrap it up right there people…

Last but not least, JoJo looked smokin’ hot in her Indah Sisi Bikini Top. I was floored when Ben told JoJo that he also loved her (WHAT?)!!! Her specific color is no longer available, but you can get it here in black for $55:

I am stunned that Ben just went out there and said the “L” word to two women. Somebody is truly going to get hurt, which is sad. After watching this episode, it’s obvious who that will be. I loved JoJo’s evening maxi dress, the Ecote Deluxe Daisy Maxi Dress from Urban Outfitters. It’s in pounds so about $100 US. This BB Dakota Larissa Black and White Floral Print Maxi Dress ($99) is somewhat similar:

Once in the fantasy suite, JoJo pulls out another rockin’ bikini look with with Vitamin A Swimwear Kylie Triangle Top ($59.99):

Caila stops to surprise Ben and he ends up setting her home. Caila seems surprised, but I think she is better off in the end. She wore the same Billabong Gypsy Dreamin’ Crop Halter Bikini Top ($54.95) which is reversible and a sold out Bay View Skirt from Athleta. They also make a similar Pura Vida Midi Skirt ($54):

At the least dramatic rose ceremony, both women get roses and we are left to wonder how Ben can actually be in love with two women. JoJo is looking amazing in her Bebe Deep V Midi Dress ($129)! Since her pattern is no longer available I found this additional ASOS Deep Plunge Rose Midi Scuba Body-Conscious Dress ($68) that has the same floral feel:

Lauren arrives and also surprises Chris Harrison by telling him that Ben is in love with her too! I’m not sure if he knew that before the girls showed up, but the audience was definitely surprised. Lauren wore the High Tide Maxi from Blue Life ($154):

There you have it…our final two ladies!

What did you think about Week 9? Next week will be fashion packed with the Women Tell All!

If you missed this episode you can still watch it here.

For more Bachelor posts, click here.

Filed Under: Bachelor, Fashion, TV, Uncategorized Tagged With: Bachelor, Ben Higgins, Chris Harrison, fashion, Joelle Fletcher, JoJo, The bachelor

Spring 2016 Favorites

March 26, 2016 by DetroitDuchess 14 Comments

It’s time for spring (thank goodness)! I am beyond ready to say goodbye to old man winter this year. Here are a few of my favorite things to get you in the mood for spring:

Faux-Leather Zip Top Clutch ($19)

I LOVE this color and I am a sucker for anything ombre.

Vince Camuto Off the Shoulder Blouse ($89)

This off-the-shoulder look is HOT for spring. I also like that this has straps.

Jessica Simpson Claudette Pumps ($79)

I have been jonesing for a pair of hot pink pumps for a while now. I could have a lot of fun with these!

OPI You’re Such a BudaPest

I love this periwinkle lavender color for spring and can’t wait to get this on my nails ASAP. This also comes in the gel color.

Modern Sprout Garden Jars ($54)

Spring means time for planting! So I thought it was the perfect time to refresh my window garden.

Kate Spade Pretty Petals Ear Pin ($59)

I’ve wanted one of these earrings for a long time and I LOVE the flowers. These are SO perfect!

Ralph Lauren Floral-Print Jersey Dress ($144)

I love that this is both springy and black, because black is my favorite color to wear. I also love pops of color. Ralph Lauren dresses are my spirit animal, they always look amazing.

Nike Roshe Run Sneaker ($85)

These would have been perfect for my Pantone Color of the Year post. I need some new shoes and I love this pattern – so girly girl!

Very Sexy Now Eau de Parfum ($52)

I got this in a rollerball version and LOVED the smell of coconut water. It reminds me of the beach.

Vanilla Beach Flower Candle ($24.50)

Speaking of coconuts, this candle takes the cake. It smells like vanilla flower petals, sheer coconut and soft beach musk.

What are your favorite things for spring?

You can also check out my Spring 2015 and Spring 2014 Favorites.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: fashion, Jessica Simpson, Kate Spade, Modern Sprout, Nike, Opi, Ralph Lauren, Spring, Spring Favorites, Vince Camuto

Winter Bucket List

December 29, 2015 by DetroitDuchess 7 Comments

I started off strong for my Fall Bucket List, but then got crazy busy about halfway through. So don’t be surprised if you see some of my Fall list creeping into my Winter Bucket List. I like having this list, because I feel like I’ve done more having it as a reminder. It definitely helps to make the seasons more memorable.

Make shepherd’s pie
Plan a supper club with friends
Get a hot chocolate from Starbucks
Go bowling
Go to a Piston’s game
~~Finish my cork wreath~~
~~Drink champagne and have a New Year’s kiss~~
Take a cooking class
Watch a Valentine’s Day movie
Host a couple’s game night
Perfect John’s potato soup recipe
Make Valentine’s Day cards
Make something in the crockpot
Attend my annual girl’s up north trip
Go to a Superbowl party
Bake a Valentine’s Day treat
Indulge in a paczki
Go to a Red Wings game
Make a Mardi Gras king cake
Give something up for Lent
Watch at least one Oscar nominated movie
Host an Academy Awards party
Plan a romantic Valentine’s Day date
Attend a St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Detroit or Chicago)
Host a St. Patrick’s Day Party
Make a St. Patrick’s Day craft

What are your favorite winter bucket list activities?

I am going to be adding to this list throughout the season so let me know your favorites.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Winter Bucket List

Throwback Thursday: Our Engagement Pictures

October 15, 2015 by DetroitDuchess 1 Comment

For this month’s Throwback Thursday post, I thought I would share some of our engagement pictures. We got engaged on July 4, 2009 but didn’t take engagement pictures until the fall of 2010 since our wedding wasn’t until May 2011. You can read about my other posts in this series starting with our engagement story here followed by our engagement party here.

One of the girls in my office was getting hers taken this week and we were chatting about her wedding plans and it just made me smile thinking of that time in our life. I absolutely adore our engagement photos and am so happy that we took them. Our photographers were great and really captured what we were feeling. We went with Keberly Photography and they were wonderful to work with, I would highly recommend them for anything.

John and I were pretty unanimous in wanting to take our pictures on the University of Michigan – Dearborn’s campus. That’s were we met through our fraternity and sorority. We both had a lot of great memories there and the campus is just beautiful.

Our photographers knew we were into sports, so we brought a football along with us for staging purposes. They had an idea for us, which involved John throwing a football in the air and not catching it or looking at it to get the shot. That ended up being so difficult for him and we had a number of different takes, but we both LOVE how the picture turned out.

We had a costume change for a more casual look. I think I loved these pictures more than John because he looks SO handsome in all of them. The camera loves him!

I love this picture because it is just so silly. Plus that is John’s real smile, not his fake picture smile (I was obviously trying to make him laugh). I want to hang this one in our bathroom. It cracks us up.

We also brought our Greek letter sweatshirts so we could get a picture on the rock that we used to paint in college. One of our memorable dating moments happened one night when John came out and helped me and another sister “steal” the rock.

I want to frame this one in the man cave, it’s so fun, especially for football season.

These are a few of my favorites from our engagement shoot. There were a lot more, but these are the ones we used on our wedding website and save the dates.

I would love to hear about your engagement photos, so fill me on what places and staging ideas were your favorites!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Engagement Pictures, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: Our Engagement Party

September 10, 2015 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

As promised, here is my next Throwback Thursday post on our engagement party. You can read our engagement story here. Since I started this blog two years after our wedding I didn’t get to share all of these fun party details with you. Our engagement party was one of my favorite events in our wedding extravaganza. Since we had planned to have a long 32 month engagement we decided to host an engagement party to share our excitement with our friends and family. Since I had grand plans of a formal wedding, we decided to have a casual engagement party with a Michigan tailgate theme.

We hosted the party in my parent’s backyard with a big outdoor tent on one of Michigan’s away games in October. Every year Michigan has a theme for the season and in 2009 it was “All in for Michigan.” The official student shirt is designed with this theme and it happened to include a Big House Pledge:

We took this theme and made our party “All in for John and Liz” and re-wrote the big house pledge to suit our own purposes in our invitation:

John and I both wore our Michigan shirts to the party:

We had a great spread in the dining room and then a big tent out in the backyard for tailgating fun. And yes, I did wrap all of those utensils up in napkins and still had some in my basement until the big flood last year.

Here are some of the other fun pictures from the party:

One of our junior bridesmaids, Bella

Our cake!

John’s mom got us wedding themed ornaments from Frankenmuth

The flower girl, Kayla!

I loved writing this post, it brought back so many good memories. Even though Michigan lost to Iowa that night, I still felt like I had won the jackpot (if you couldn’t tell from my permagrin in these pictures).

Let me know what other throwbacks you would like to see. I’m hoping to do one every month. Did you have an engagement party? What was your theme?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Engagement Party, Michigan, Throwback Thursday

Happy Second Blogiversary!

August 8, 2015 by DetroitDuchess 6 Comments

This post has been a long time coming as my actual blogiversary was in May, but didn’t want to skip the celebration. I wanted to use this opportunity to thank YOU, my loyal readers, for sticking with me. I can’t believe we’ve made it to two years with this blog. (Click here to read last year’s Blogiversary post). This past year has been a little more hit or miss with consistent posting, but I’m hoping to change that in year three.

I also wanted to use this post to give you an idea of what to expect in the upcoming year and learn more about what you would like to see. I am loving my new Splurge vs. Steal series that kicked off last year and can’t wait to do more. I also want to re-commit to getting more Wine of the Week features on the books. I’m still drinking it, I just haven’t been documenting it as much as I would have liked to. I also promised more Throwback Thursday posts and think I only ended up with one, so expect a few more of those. My most popular post by far has been Be the Best You in 2014 with the 100 Day Yoga Challenge. This tells me that you guys are hungry for more yoga, so I am working on a fun way to incorporate that into the blog. I also really miss the Pinspired series linkup and want to continue doing those monthly posts. In the comments please let me know your favorites and what new things you want to see.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff.

Blogiversary Giveaway

This year I am planning to give away a month’s worth of prizes! Enter the giveaway below and each week I will choose another winner.

Week 1 – August 15 The winner of Week 1 will receive MAC’s Flat Out Fabulous Lipstick, worn by The Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe and featured on my Summer Favorites.

Week 2 – August 22 The second winner will get the Ily Couture Dual Pearl Studs, one of my Splurge vs. Steals. Check it out here.

Week 3 – August 29 The third prize ties into my Yoga goal. It’s the Hugger Mugger Ultra Yoga Bag in the color of your choosing. I featured it in a previous post here.