Desiree Hartsock Archives - Detroit Duchess

Bachelorette Week 7 Recap

September 19, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

I’m still working through the Bachelorette, so bear with me. Des had some great pieces that I want to make sure to share with you. On Episode 7, Desiree and the guys continued their journey and visited Madeira, Portugal. They seem to arrive to the island on a huge ship, it looked pretty awesome! Desiree wears a white jean jacket and a beautiful floral scarf. I found a white Levi’s jean jacket ($51.99) and a similar floral scarf ($19.99): Desiree tells us that there are no roses on any of the dates this week, wait – isn’t that Chris Harrison’s job? In any case, Des needed some help from her friends so she invited Catherine, Leslie and Jackie from Sean’s season out to help her with her decision.

I loved Jackie’s look and tried to recreate it with this Peach Stretch Jersey Maxi Skirt from Kamishade ($49.50) and this Shapely Ruched Bandeau from Venus Swimwear in deep navy ($26): Catherine was wearing the Stella and Dot silver charm necklace ($26) and paw print charm ($26):

Stella and Dot Charm Necklace

The girls proceeded to engage in lots of girl talk about the different guys and it was interesting to see which guys Desiree was really into. That’s the one thing about these shows that is so weird, (aside from the obvious), as a girl, you are so used to gushing about the guy you like to your girlfriends over and over again. Desiree doesn’t have the chance to do that at all and I sometimes think all of that talking helps you figure out how you are really feeling.

Brooks gets the first one-on-one with Des this week. It is interesting how he starts by saying how important this is because he is going to decide whether or not he wants to introduce her to his family. That statement makes me think he really isn’t that into her. The start the date with a picnic and a trip to a cliff overlooking the water. Des wears a flowy white and teal colorblock tank with studs from Romeo & Juliet Couture ($118). Her earrings are the Faidra from Brooklyn Designs ($39) and her ring is the Bailey from Robyn Rhodes ($68-74): They get to go up a mountain that peaks through the clouds, so it is almost like they are floating on Cloud 9. This date is so weird, in the car he wants to come up with words between like and love. He also keeps saying that falling in love with Desiree would be awesome, but it’s clear he isn’t there.

Back at the hotel, a new date card has arrived for Chris, it says “Let’s SEA if we can find love here.”

Brooks and Desiree have a nice dinner, but they come up with this whole stepping, skipping, running analogy for falling in love. She says that she is going into a run and he is only jogging. I feel like alarm bells should be ringing for her now. Des wears a Sequin Embellished Mini Skirt from Express ($59.90):

Express Sequin Embellished Mini Skirt

ID Source: Possessionista

Chris gets the next date and they go out on a boat to travel to their very own deserted island. Desiree wears a multicolored stripe dress with an open back from Romeo & Juliet Couture ($155):

Romeo & Juliet Couture Dress

Both Des and Chris mentioned their chemistry and passion during this date and it seems like they are both on the same page. I’m just going to breeze over the rest of this because there is more poetry…totally not my thing.

The next date card arrived at the hotel for Michael and it reads “Michael, let’s have fun in Funchal.”

Chris and Des get to have dinner at a winery called Blandy’s. Chris decides to tell Des that he loves her and guess what that means? Another poem! They both seem happy and giddy after he finally says the words. Des wears a Haute Hippie sequin mini skirt. I found one here on eBay and I found a dress in the same pattern here.

Haute Hippie Sequin Mini Skirt

Michael and Desiree get to explore the city on their date. During the day, Des wears the Free People Lima Cardigan (it looks like they might restock it, but there are plenty on eBay here), the Aspen necklace ($95) and Blair earrings ($59) from Brooklyn Design.

For the evening portion of their date, they have a romantic dinner in the middle of the street and are seranaded. She wears a white tube dress, a dark denim jean jacket ($68) and the Olivia Bib Necklace from Stella and Dot ($118) I found a few dress options at Bebe ($59) and Herve Leger ($189):

Back at the hotel, the last date card comes, a two-on-one date with Zak and Drew where a rose is up for grabs. The card reads “I’m looking for a man who can make my heart race.”

Desiree takes them on a racing date where they get to race around a crazy race track in go carts. Zak wins the race and gets the first one-on-one moment with her. He is totally head over heels for her, but I don’t think she feels the same way for him. Zak is my favorite this season.

Drew seems like such a nice guy, but he does absolutely nothing for me. He’s just not my type. It seems like Des likes him more than she does Zak, she confirms this when she gives the rose to Drew.

At the rose ceremony Des wears a beautiful Randi Rahm dress. You can get the look with this Asos Maxi Dress ($24.47):

Randi Rahm Dress

During her talk with Chris Harrison, she tells him that she has already fallen in love with Brooks, but that she still wants to keep an open mind. It sounds like he isn’t quite there yet.

She gives roses to Brooks, Chris, and Zak and sends Michael home. I thought it was weird they let Michael call his mom, I thought they weren’t allowed to tell anyone the outcome of the show. Odd.

Coming up next week, hometowns…we will see how Desiree interacts with the families.

What did you think about Week Seven of the Bachelorette?

If you missed this episode you can purchase it for $1.99 on iTunes.

For more Bachelorette recaps, click here.

Filed Under: Bachelorette, Fashion, TV Tagged With: Bachelorette, Chris Harrison, Desiree Hartsock, Madeira

Bachelorette Week 6 Recap

August 30, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

Next stop on Des’ journey…Barcelona, Spain!

Before I even get into this episode, let me say how gorgeous those beaches look…WOW! I am adding Barcelona to my must visit list.

Desiree wears a sold-out Juliette Jake Sweater as she strolls through Barcelona. I found some similar sweaters from Urban Outfitters including one from BB Dakota ($99) and BDG ($59):

Right off the bat Michael brings up the tension between James and the group. At this point I wish he would just give it a rest, I cannot stand him, he is so annoying. He has decided that someone is going to have to tell Desiree about the secret conversation James had about possibly becoming the next Bachelor.

Chris Harrison welcomes them to Barcelona and tells us that there will be one group date and two individual dates. There won’t be a cocktail party this week so the guys need to make sure to maximize their time with Desiree.

Drew gets the first individual date card which reads: “Drew, let’s build a foundation for love. Desiree.”

Drew and Desiree get to explore Barcelona on their date. During the date Drew really opens up to Desiree and tells her things (on national television) that he’s never told anyone else. Does anyone else find that strange? Drew tells Des that his father is a recovering alchoholic and that he’s really turned his life around now. Also, that he has cancer, but he hasn’t let that stop him. He seems to stay really positive and Desiree likes him.

During the date, Desiree wears a Leather Scuba Jacket by Vince ($995), Ava Earrings by Brooklyn Designs ($49), Avalon Crescent Necklace from Stella & Dot ($39) and the Barcelona Delight ring by Kiki Designs ($98):

Vince Leather Scuba Jacket

Brooklyn Designs Ava Earrings

Avalon Crescent Necklace

Kiki Designs Barcelona Delight Ring

ID Source: Possessionista

While I couldn’t find her light blue scarf, I did find a similar one from David & Young ($18) in a variety of colors:

David & Young Scarf

For the evening portion of the date, Desiree and Drew stroll through the city to their dinner. Des wears the L.A.M.B. CIA Pumps ($89.99). They are only available in a few sizes, but you can still search for your size on eBay.

LAMB CIA Pumps

They have a great dinner and you can really tell that this is where Drew falls in love with Desiree. He takes her outside, shoves her up against the wall and they have a pretty hot and heavy kiss. Wow…who knew Drew had it in him? I think up until this point Desiree liked Drew, but the chemistry wasn’t totally there. This kiss made her see him in a different light.When she makes out with Drew you can see the Robyn Rhodes Anut ring ($76) that she is wearing:

Robyn Rhodes Anut Ring

ID Source: Possessionista

Back at the hotel, the group date card arrives for Brooks, Chris, Kasey, Michael, James and Juan Pablo. It says “Looooooooooove. Desiree.” Inside the “O’s” are a bunch of little soccer balls, which Juan Pablo was very excited about.

After Drew secures his rose, he decides to tell Desiree about James’ secret conversation. She was really surprised to hear this about James.

It’s time for the group soccer date, and Desiree decides to give James the benefit of the doubt for today. She wears the Ruched Half-Zip Jacket from Victoria’s Secret in Green Flash (on sale for $29.99) she wore the neon pink one on the dodgeball date in week 3:

Victoria’s Secret Ruched Jacket

The boys have to play a professional women’s soccer team as part of the date. Who knew these guys were such trash talkers. The girls kicked their butts, which wasn’t too surprising. During the evening portion of the date Desiree wears the Lady Confuscia ring ($89) from Kiki Designs as seen in week 4:

Lady Confusia Ring

Des gets to spend some one-on-one time with Chris and she wrote him a poem. She also has some nice one-on-one time with Brooks and they seem really natural together. The rest of the guys still have their panties in a bunch about James. Seriously, they sound like a bunch of gossipy girls. Enough already! Kasey decides to confront James, which isn’t really his place. It’s for Desiree to decide what she wants to do. Ugh…fast forward please.

Kasey forces Desiree to confront this situation with James head on. They end up screwing themselves as Desiree decides not to hand out the rose and kicks all of them out so she can talk to James. They are certain that she is going to send him home. I think he did an okay job of digging himself out of the hole. If I were her I would have gotten rid of Kasey or Michael over James. She ultimately decides to sleep on it for the night. I loved the look on all of their faces when James strolled back into the hotel, ha!

Since Zak wasn’t chosen for the group date, we know that he has the next one-on-one date with Desiree. As she prepares for the date she wears a cute coral leather jacket. I found a similar leather jacket from Jessica Simpson ($59.96). She also wears the On the Mark Necklace from Stella & Dot ($59) and the Jasper necklace from Kiki Designs ($149):

Desiree decides that she will take Zak on an artistic date. She takes him to an art class and he was a really good sport. They seemed to have a great time with a lot of laughs. Then in comes a nude male model for them to draw. Again, Zak was a great sport. He decides to come in and pose for her in his underwear, which wasn’t too hard on the eyes.

For the evening portion of the date they get to visit a winery and explore the cave below. Desiree wears the sold out BCBGMaxAzria Guy Stripe Tuxedo Jacket ($119). I found one on eBay, so keep checking and hopefully someone will sell your size soon.

BCBGMaxAzria Guy Stripe Tuxedo Jacket

Unfortunately, I think Des gave him the kiss of death when she said they had a great friendship that was growing into a romance. We will see what develops, but it doesn’t sound like she is as into him as some of the other guys. She ultimately gives him the rose and he confesses to us that he is completely in love with her. He tells her that she means everything to him.

Fast forward through Drew and James being total girls, blah, blah, blah…

Desiree pays the guys a visit at their hotel and asks to speak to James outside. She wears the Seychelles Chandeliers from Stella & Dot ($44):

Seychelles Chandeliers

The guys get all excited that James will get sent home, but he is really sincere towards Desiree. At this point I think that she should focus on her relationships and not all of this drama. She seems to do that and really starts to warm up to James again. He goes back to the hotel which really gets the remaining guys riled up. That was the funniest part of the whole episode.

During the rose ceremony she sends Kasey, Juan Pablo and James home. The men are finally vindicated so now they will hopefully stop talking about James. I still don’t know why she is keeping Michael – I can’t stand him. Desiree wore the Diane von Furstenberg Lace Zarita Dress ($325):

DVF Lace Zarita Dress

Next stop – Madeira, Portugal!

What did you think about Week Six of the Bachelorette?

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

For more Bachelorette recaps, click here.

If you are interested in reading Bachelorette spoilers you can find them at Reality Steve.

Filed Under: Bachelorette, Fashion, TV Tagged With: Bachelorette, Barcelona, Desiree Hartsock

Bachelorette Week 5 Recap

July 26, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

This week on the Bachelorette, Desiree and the guys visit Munich, Germany for their first international location. They run into Chris Harrison, who tells us that we have three dates this week with roses on the line for each of them. We have a one-on-one date, a group date and the dreaded two-on-one date (yikes!).

The first date card is for Chris, which says, in German, “In Munich, we can fall in love with each other.” Since it is Desiree’s first time in Europe they decide to explore Munich.

Desiree wears a sold out army sherpa jacket and the Steve Madden Intyce boots ($148.95). I found a similar looking Moto Jacket from Jou Jou for $44.90.

Munich Date Outfit

Back at the hotel, Bryden is having second thoughts about his feelings for Desiree and he decides to leave the show. A couple of notes on this:

1. Why didn’t he leave last week? He stole someone else’s spot, plus he didn’t need to waste time and money by coming to Germany.
2. According to Reality Steve, Bryden was photographed making out with a girl before he came on the show and now he is back together with that same girl…coincidence? I think not. To read more about the situation, click here.
3. Why did he have to do it in the middle of Chris’ date, that was bull****.

During Desiree’s ITM (In the Moment interviews), she wore the Townsen Tribal Intarsia Sweater ($79.20).

Townsen Tribal Sweater

In the meantime, the group date card comes and it says “Will you climb the highest mountain for me?” It includes Juan Pablo, James, Kasey, Zak, Brooks and Mikey. This means that Michael and Ben get the two-on-one date.

Chris and Des head off to a formal dinner, and Des wears a beautiful Randi Rahm dress. I found two similar dresses in this color from DressProm2013 ($168) and AliExpress ($126.80):

Randi Rahm Dress

Desiree and Chris open up about their past relationships and he writes a poem for her. I guess I’m not really the poem type of girl. I feel like it’s sort of awkward to sit there while someone reads you a poem they wrote for you. Maybe if he just gave it to her to read later it would be more romantic. It worked for Des though and she gives Chris the rose. They also got a private concert with Matt White (who?).

On to the group date! The guys visit the highest peak in Germany and learn how to yodel. Desiree wears the Canada Goose Women’s Solaris coat ($650) (ID Source: Possessionista):

The two-on-one date card arrives and it says “Let’s heat things up.” Obviously, Michael and Ben aren’t as excited for this date.

Back at the group date, Des and the guys get to play around with sleds and she takes them to an ice hotel. Zak and Des get some one-on-one time and we find out more details about him, like he was almost a priest. I really like Zak, I think he is interesting.

Des and James make a connection and this is where I believe the guys decide to take him down. I don’t have a problem with James, I think he might be a bit insecure about how Des feels about him, but I think he genuinely likes her.

Des gives the rose to Brooks, who has pretty much been the front runner this season.

On to the two-on-one date with Michael and Ben. I was not a big fan of how this date turned out. I didn’t have a problem with Ben (until he got in the limo) but I thought it was really rude of Desiree to let Michael go after him for the entire date. I wouldn’t have kept either of them, so I think she made a dumb decision. I wouldn’t want to date a jerk like Michael; he totally crossed the line.

The best part of this date with the HOT TUG!! That was AWESOME!!! It’s two bad she didn’t have better company for this one.

Back at the hotel, the guys start their takedown of James. I’m sorry, but what guy doesn’t come on this show and think that he could become the next Bachelor? If you don’t, you are kind of naive. How many relationships actually work out from this show? I think they blew this WAY out of proportion.

During the dinner date, Des wears a black and white colorblock blazer. I found a similar Michael Kors blazer for $160.

Colorblock Blazer

Des ends up sending Ben home and giving Michael the rose. When Ben gets into the limo, he sort of turns into a jerk, but I would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt since he was probably angry and pissed off. Desiree treated him poorly at the end and I didn’t think he deserved to go out like that. I thought he showed a lot of restraint for not punching Michael in the face.

For the rose ceremony, Desiree decides to cancel the cocktail party, which means that the tattle tales can’t rat out James and Mikey (these guys are such drama queens!). Des looks very elegant and wears the Graziela Detach and Go in Rock Crystal Earrings ($480 ID Source: Possessionista):

Graziela Earrings

She also has a black, one-shoulder formal gown on. It was tough to see since she wore her coat the whole time, but I found a similar option here for $139.18:

Desiree lets Mikey go this week and the rest of the guys are on their way to Barcelona. How funny was Drew’s face? It looked like he was going to explode when she called James’ name.

What did you think about Week Five of the Bachelorette?

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

For more Bachelorette recaps, click here.

If you are interested in reading Bachelorette spoilers you can find them at Reality Steve.

Filed Under: Bachelorette, Fashion, TV Tagged With: Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock, Munich

Bachelorette Week 4 Recap

July 1, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

We’ve hit Week 4 of the Bachelorette and have 13 men left. Chris Harrison starts it off with an overview of the dates. As usual we have three dates this week, one group date and two one-on-one dates. Chris lets the men know that this week they are going to start their journey all around the world. And when I think of a world journey, the first place that comes to mind is Atlantic City…what?!! The men are very excited to go there, but I would rather be in Vegas.

Desiree wears a white cowl neck sweater, I found this Liz Claiborne white cowl neck sweater on QVC for only $34.87:

Liz Claiborne Sweater

And a black military inspired peacoat. I found a similar look from Tommy Hilfiger for $103.99:

Tommy Hilfiger Military Coat

Des also wore this Lady Confuscia ring ($89) from Kiki Designs during this date:

Lady Confuscia Ring

Desiree gives the first one-on-one date to Brad. “Let our love shine through…” I don’t remember seeing Brad before this week and they rush right through his date. We learn that he’s a single dad with some baby mama drama. They have a pier date on Atlantic City’s Steel Pier followed by dinner at the Absecon Lighthouse.

Des wears a Gunmetal Motorcycle Jacket ($149). This is almost sold out, but you can find a similar silver Michael Kors blazer in Regular, Petite and Plus sizes for about $70-$127.

Style Stalker Gunmetal Jacket

ID Source: Possessionista

Michael Kors Silver Jacket

The conversation at dinner was really awkward and she ends up sending Brad home to be with his son.

The group date card comes and reads “I’m looking for my Mr. Right.” Desiree invites Brooks, Bryden, Zak K., Casey, Drew, Juan Pablo, Zak W., Mikey, Ben and Chris on the group date.

Des meets the guys at Boardwalk Hall and we learn that they are going to participate in a Mr. America contest. The men will compete against each other in talent, swimsuit and interview segments.

Des wears the Dolan Sequin Jacket ($459):

Dolan Embellished Jacket

ID Source: Possessionista

Some of the highlights from the pageant include:

Chris grabbing the heels – what was up with that? I know he was trying to be funny, but for someone that is still trying to impress Desiree, I would have gone a different way.
Mikey saying that men aren’t just meatheads and that they cry inside – he is tired of being a piece of meat
Mikey’s beefcake striptease immediately after saying he didn’t want to be seen as a meathead
Ben’s ribbon dance extravaganza
Bryden’s pelvic thrusts (please make it stop)
Zak W. killed it with his song – wow, he totally should have won

Desiree crowned Brooks as the second runner up, Zak W. as the first runner up and Casey as Mr. America.

Following the pageant, the group heads to a pool party. Chris tries to redeem himself from the pageant by reciting a poem for Desiree that he wrote. She seemed to like it because she laid a pretty hot kiss on him.

Ben spends some time with Des, but he does it right in front of everyone which really rubs them the wrong way.

Time out for a second to notice Desiree’s smokin hot bikini body – holy crap, I need to get on her workout plan. She has on a black bikini from Voda Swim ($127). It looks like she has the hoop bottoms and the natural stone top:

Voda Swim Bikini

ID Source: Possessionista

Back at the hotel James is taking a bubble bath and eating chocolate covered strawberries – I want to be on that date, lol! He gets his date card and it says “Can our love weather the storm?”

Des has some one-on-one time with Zak W. and he finishes singing his song for her. She decides to give him the rose.

James and Desiree have their one-on-one date, which is a sponsored date by the American Red Cross. They go on a tour of the Jersey Shore to view the destruction from Hurricane Sandy.

Desiree’s Minnie Rose fringe shawl is available here for $184.80:

Minnie Rose Fringe Shawl

Her Madelyn sweater is available here for 139.98 pounds:

Madelyn Sweater

ID Source: Possessionista

I wasn’t totally sold on this date, I thought it was an odd concept for a practically first date. It was also making me mad that they weren’t doing anything to help out Manny and Jan. This would have been a MUCH better date if they were rebuilding their house. James and Des didn’t actually do anything for Manny and Jan, except talk to them about their story. I thought their story was touching and it was very nice of ABC to restore all of their wedding photos, but I didn’t think fit with the show.

James and Des’ date seemed to go well, except for the part where he came out and told her that he cheated in his past. I don’t know why he felt like he needed to bring this up, so that part was sort of weird. Desiree gives James the rose and then they get a private concert with Hootie (I mean Darius Rucker).

It’s time for the cocktail party and Desiree wears a black sequin Valentino mini dress and the Black Knight ring from Kiki Designs ($130). I found a similar dress from Adrianna Papell for $160:

Week 4 Rose Ceremony

Zak K. doesn’t get a rose – did anyone know who Zak K. was anyway?

Desiree has been getting her makeout time in with all of the guys and I found this Week 4 kissing leaderboard from ABC that I thought was pretty funny.

What did you think about Week Four of the Bachelorette? Who are your favorites? Next week the guys are on their way to Munich, Germany.

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

For more Bachelorette recaps, click here.

If you are interested in reading Bachelorette spoilers you can find them at Reality Steve.

Filed Under: Bachelorette, Fashion, TV Tagged With: Atlantic City, Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock

Bachelorette Week Three Recap

June 19, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

As usual, Chris Harrison begins Week Three by outlining the dates. This week Desiree gets two group dates and a one-on-one date. He leaves the first group date card for Chris, Brooks, Drew, Brandon, Michael G., Brian, Brad, Zak K. and Ben. It reads “Love is a battlefield.”

The guys head out to meet Desiree and she is decked out in sportswear, including this Ruched Half-Zip Jacket from Victoria’s Secret in Neon Pink (on sale for $29.99):

Victoria’s Secret Jacket

(ID Source: Possessionista)

The group soon learns that Desiree has planned a dodgeball competition for them. Desiree is really into this date, she seems to like it when the men get competitive over her. Chris Harrison comes in and divides the men up into teams where they have to compete against each other in a public place. The guys have to play for the best 2 out of 3

The Blue team wins the first game and Drew is so proud of himself. The Red team wins game 2, but not without taking out Brooks. Brooks’ finger gets broken and it looked pretty bad, I was trying not to watch that part, but it almost looked like the bone was showing – gross! Poor Brooks, if I was the Bachelorette I would have wanted to take him to the hospital.

Game 3 goes to the Blue team, so they should win the time with Desiree – but not so fast – Desiree decides that everyone should come to the cocktail party.

The men meet Desiree at the cocktail party, while poor Brooks is suffering in the hospital – I felt so bad for him, ouch!

Desiree pulls Brad away to talk and he reveals that he has a 3-year old son named Maddox. This was fine, until he started talking about his past relationship where he was charged with domestic violence. What?! This is a good enough reason for me to get rid of him. This guy has way too much baggage.

Chris pulls Desiree away to the roof back at the cocktail party to get some alone time. This apparently was a great move, because Des gave him the rose.

Brooks comes back to the party and seems a little loopy from painkillers, but he does get a kiss. She really should have given him the rose for this date.

Chris and Des get some extra alone time and a private concert from Kate Earl. Unfortunately, all of the guys can watch this part of the date and they see Des kissing him repeatedly.

Back at the ranch, Kasey gets the one-on-one date with Des. The date card says “Love Defies Gravity.” But before they can leave, Chris Harrison has a surprise for Desiree – somebody has a girlfriend!

We find out that Brian has a girlfriend, Stephanie, who also happens to be a former Playboy Playmate and Craig Robinson’s ex-girlfriend (Ali’s season). The whole fight scene is ridiculous and these two people deserve each other. If I was Stephanie, I never would have come on national television to confront someone like that. Obviously if he is on a dating show he’s not that into you. Anyways, according to Reality Steve, these two are back together and pretending like nothing ever happened. This girl seems like a nut job.

The only good thing that Stephanie does is wear a great hot pink blazer. Your best bet is to search on eBay for this, most of the good ones are already sold out.

Brian gets escorted out of the mansion which wasn’t a big surprise. What is a surprise is how upset Brandon is by all of this. He is taking the whole situation way too personally.

Kasey finally gets to take Desiree on their date. They rapel down a building and then have to do some weird aerial dancing while hanging in the air. They continue their date on the rooftop for dinner, but are interrupted by some crazy wind. Desiree’s heart isn’t really into this date and it is really obvious. They end up jumping in the pool and I was surprised that she let him kiss her. She gives him the rose at the end of the date, so it seems like she has more chemistry with him than I thought.

She has on the faded zap Lululemon Flow and Go Tank ($64) which is nearly sold out, so I found this similar tank at Target for $22.99:

Yellow Tank

(ID Source: Possessionista)

Now we move on to the part of the show that I like to call “Tracy’s Dream Date.” The cowboy date is basically my friend Tracy’s dream date, so we had a great time watching this part of the show. The date card says “Who will be the last man standing?” The men meet Desiree and are trained by the stunt coordinator from the new “Lone Ranger” movie. The men have to compete and “rescue” Desiree to win some along time with her.

Desiree and Juan Pablo

Juan Pablo wins the extra time with Desiree and they are treated to an advance screening of the new “Lone Ranger” move. There is a bit of a language barrier with his accent, but that doesn’t stop her from having some very passionate kisses with him.

The guys meet back up for the movie afterparty and Des wears a Free People hooded fringe pullover ($128) and the Robyn Rhodes Bailey Ring ($68-74):

Free People Sweater

She gets some alone time with Bryden and kisses him. Then she has some time with Zak where they talk about kissing, but then don’t actually kiss.

Her alone time with James really annoyed me. James let us know that he left his dad at home who is sick with a cancer spot on his pancreas. This is a huge red flag for me that anyone would rather be on a reality dating show than at home spending time with their sick father. Desiree gives him the rose, but I would have sent him home.

Chris Harrison arrives to let the guys know that the cocktail party is cancelled and that there will be a pool party instead. Before Desiree can get through the door, Ben steals her away and they take a little drive together. The two Mikes end up catching Ben alone with her and this enrages them. I didn’t see anything wrong with this, I thought it was a smart move for him.

Des is wearing her Jessica Simpson wedges again from Week 1:

At the pool party, Des wears a tie dye bikini. I couldn’t find the exact match, but I think this one from Venus is pretty similar:

Tie Dye Bikini

Brandon takes Des aside at the pool party and gets way too emotional about Brian and Stephanie’s situation. I think he had good intentions, but he tells her that he is falling in love with her and kisses her. You can tell that Des isn’t into the kiss at all, it was an awkward situation.

At the rose ceremony, Desiree eliminates Brandon and Dan. Brian was already eliminated earlier this week. You can tell from Brandon’s face that he was just crushed. I think Desiree can relate to this after her elimination on Sean’s season and she steps outside with him to explain further. I thought she handled the situation in the best way she could and tried to give Brandon closure.

What do you think about Des’ rose ceremony dress? She designed it herself (read more here). I love the color, but I’m not sure I love all the jewels at the top, I feel like it could have been done differently. I found this A-line Royal Blue Beading Jewel Neck Dress for $148.99 that looks so elegant. I would love to wear it to a formal event.

What did you think about Week Three of the Bachelorette?

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

For more Bachelorette recaps, click here.

If you are interested in reading Bachelorette spoilers you can find them at Reality Steve.

Filed Under: Bachelorette, Fashion, TV Tagged With: Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock

Bachelorette Week Two Recap

June 6, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

We start off this week with Chris Harrison summoning the men for his weekly overview of dates. This week we have two one-on-one dates and a group date. Brooks gets the first one-on-one date with Desiree and the card reads “I’m waiting for a sign…”

As Desiree gets ready for the date she wears a one of a kind ring from Robyn Rhodes called Neomi ($70):

Robyn Rhodes Ring

(ID Source: Possessionista)

Brooks and Desiree drive off in her Bentley to Winnie Couture, a bridal boutique, to get outfitted in wedding clothes. Brooks is such a good sport on the date and just goes with the flow. Desiree picks out the Sabelle chiffon gown. I promised to post this dress for my friend Tracy, who is getting married. It would look great on her! You can buy it online here for $459 or make an appointment at the boutique to order it.

Winnie Couture Sabelle

After grabbing some cupcakes they head up to the Hollywood sign because it’s the 90th anniversary of the sign. Ali Fedotowsky also had this date with Frank on her season. Desiree gives Brooks the first kiss and it was a hot one, I see good things for this couple, they have a great connection right away.

They head to dinner on a bridge which is the same date that Kalon and Lindsay went on during Bachelor Pad. Brooks talks about his background and his relationship with his father. He really opened up to Des and she gives him the rose. Their date closes with a private concert from Andy Grammer. Brooks and Desiree have chemistry dancing and look like they had a great time.

Now it’s time for the group date with Dan, Juan Pablo, Kasey, Zak K., Will, Brian, Drew, James, Mikey, Zak W. Nick, Michael, Brandon and Ben. The card asks “Who’s Here for the Right Reasons?”

Desiree shows up wearing a smokin hot Rasberry Bandage Dress from Guess (on sale for $119.99) and with a surprise guest…Soulja Boy! The guys find out that they are going to create a rap video.

Guess Bandage Dress

(ID Source: Possessionista)

Soulja Boy sets up the video to be a spoof of previous bachelor seasons. I have never seen this franchise make fun of themselves like this before, it’s hilarious!! A few of the guys were selected to be former Bachelor Nation stars, we had Wes Hayden, Jason Mesnick, Kasey Kahl, Justin “Rated-R” Rego, and Jonathan Novak the weatherman. They didn’t show you the final video, so here it is in its entirety.

In one of the scenes Desiree wears a sold out Tribal Stripe Tank from Express. 6PM has a similar Printed Tank for half off ($26.99):

Tribal Tank

(ID Source: Possessionista)

She also has on these Rose Ceremony earrings from Kiki Designs ($68):

Rose Ceremony Earrings

After the rap video, they headed to the after party so Des could spend more one-on-one time with them. Desiree wore a Crepe Blouse from Old Navy, which you can buy in blue for $12.99:

Old Navy Crepe Blouse

(ID Source: Possessionista)

Des had some one on one time with Zak and he gave her a blank antique journal with an inscription on it from a father to his daughter. I thought this was such a thoughtful gift and something that Desiree really loves. I was really surprised that he didn’t get a kiss or a rose.

Des is really smitten by Ben, she gives him the second kiss during their one on one time. Brandon sees this and really surprised me. He is way more into Desiree than I anticipated. Brandon did get some time with Des and he really opened up to her. I’m not sure about their chemistry, but they are really good on paper.

Mikey confronted Ben about stealing Desiree away and I really respected him for pulling Ben aside and talking to him in person rather than behind his back. They seemed to be cool at the end of the conversation.

She gave Ben the group date rose which surprised me. I thought it should have gone to Zak or Brandon, but she seems to really like Ben.

Bryden’s one on one date is up next. His card says “Road Trip!”

On this date, Desiree wore a Mar Pleated Shoulder Dress from Rory Beca ($112.50), Maya Brenner Sleeping Beauty Earrings ($370) and Seven Seas Necklace ($88) and a Kiki Blue Bird D ring (89):

Rory Beca Dress/Maya Brenner Jewelry

(ID Source: Possessionista)

They stop at a number of different places on their trip including the beach and Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. We learn that Des loves Brie (me too!) I am a little sad that this is the best road trip Des has ever had…that’s not saying too much. Bryden gets the first hot tub date of the season and opens up to Des about a tragic car accident he had in college. They seem to bond, but then get into a really awkward phase in the hot tub. Both of them were dancing around the kiss until finally Des says “Just kiss me already!” I love her, she is not afraid to take what she wants. The date goes well and she gives him a rose.

At the cocktail party, Michael G. sits down with Desiree and reveals that he has Type I diabetes. It doesn’t sit well with him when Ben, who already has a rose, steals her away. This is when the men start to turn on Ben and they confront him. I thought this was a little immature – you are on a dating show people!!!!!! Usually, when the house doesn’t like someone there is a good reason so we will see what happens.

At the rose ceremony, Desiree eliminates Will, Nick and Robert. I liked Robert, but apparently he used to date Desiree’s roommate, so she had to let him go.

Desiree wore Jean Fares Couture to the cocktail party:

Jean Fares Couture

I found this Sage Green Mermaid Dress ($145.99) which is similar to the Jean Fares gown:

UWDress

What did you think about Week Two of the Bachelorette? Who are your favorites?

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

For more Bachelorette recaps, click here.

If you are interested in reading Bachelorette spoilers you can find them at Reality Steve.

Filed Under: Bachelorette, Fashion, TV Tagged With: Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock, Jean Fares, Winnie Couture

Bachelorette Week One Recap

June 2, 2013 by DetroitDuchess Leave a Comment

My Bachelorette Recap is a little late because of the holiday, but just in time to get you caught up for tomorrow night’s episode.

The producers have billed this season as a Cinderella story, a dream come true for Desiree. I really liked Desiree last season on the Bachelor. She was so sweet and it was hard to see Sean let her go.

So we first see Desiree driving up to her cliffside Malibu estate in her old car – they editors even have clunking sounds added in (I think that was a little much).

She is wearing a Flamingo dress from Opening Ceremony (on sale for $201), she is carrying a Cleobella Layla Weekender bag ($382) and has accessorized with a Joan Rivers Crystal Opulence Enamel Hinged Bangle ($65) and a Turquoise Ring from Joan Rivers.

Desiree Opening Ceremony Dress

(Source: Possessionista)

The Weekender bag was out of my price range, and I couldn’t find the ring so here are a few similar looks for less:

Steve Madden BTaffy Straw Chevron Tote ($69.95)

Steve Madden Chevron Tote

Large Oval Ring ($22.90)

Large Oval Ring

Chris Harrison introduces her to the amazing house she will be staying in and we learn more about Desiree’s background. Chris also gives her the keys to a brand new turquoise Bentley convertible.

In the next shot we see her roller skating in denim shorts, a turquoise bikini top from Victoria’s Secret (on sale for $29.99), fuchsia Stripe Knee High Socks from American Apparel ($10) and a Maya Brenner Silver Sparkler Necklace ($138).

(Source: WetPaint/Possessionista)

She also wears this Susanne Elizabeth Infinity Ring ($28):

Infinity Ring

(Source: Possessionista)

And a very affordable Target print dress ($24.99):

Merona print dress

(Source: Possessionista)

This is a Stella & Dot Wonderland Charm Necklace ($158):

Stella and Dot Necklace

We hear from Desiree that she can’t wait to fall in love and is “ready to put a ring on it.” She sits down with Chris Harrison to talk about what she is looking for in a man and how excited she is to be the Bachelorette.

(Source: Possessionista)

She wears two different Old Navy Tipped Poplin Tank tops here (on sale for $4), one in Royal Rowena and one in Imperial Jade and the ugliest Jessica Simpson wedges ($59.99) I have ever seen. Everyone has been talking about these wedges but I think they are god-awful ugly. To each their own, but you would never catch me wearing them.

For the first cocktail party, Desiree wears a stunning silver dress that was designed for her by Randi Rahm and a Cezua Silver Dangle Ring (ID by Possessionista). Rahm has also designed dresses for Emily Maynard and Ashley Hebert on the Bachelorette.

Randi Rahm Dress

Ralph Lauren has a similar dress for $174 that would be great for a special event.

Ralph Lauren Sequin Mesh Gown

Sears has a Sterling Silver Diamond Star Dangle Ring for $71.90 that is similar to the Cezua ring. You get an up close look at the ring when she gives the rose to Ben:

Dangle Ring

Finally we get to meet the men – she definitely has some good looking guys this season. Here are a few of the men that stood out to me:

The Good

Ben – 28 – Entrepreneur

Ben

His son Brody is adorable! This is the cutest entrance EVER. It was darling when he son said “Did I do everything? I wish I could go to the party – it would be so much fun with Dad.” We should definitely get him on the as the next Baby Bachelor (if you’re not watching it, you can catch up on the first two episodes here). Ben and Desiree had a lot in common and an instant connection right off the bat so she gave him the first impression rose.

Drew – 27 – Digitial Marketing Analyst

Drew

Drew is good looking and seems to be very grounded. His entrance was sweet, he seemed nervous. She gave him a rose and he seemed very genuine.

Juan Pablo – 31 – Former Pro Soccer Player

Juan Pablo

Des loves his accent and says “He’s like a dream of a man.” He brought her chocolate which equals bonus points in my book.

Robert – 30 – Advertising Entrepreneur

Robert

Robert is cute – he reminds me of a young Brad Pitt or Liam Hemsworth. Did anyone else notice that he had a one-eyed dog? I’m not sure what his personality will be like, but welcome to the eye candy.

Zak – 31 – Drilling Fluid Engineer

Zak

Zak wasn’t my type, but I know a lot of girls that would love him. He does have nice abs. According to Desiree’s blog she dared him to jump in the pool so that’s why he did it and why she gave him the rose. I think he will be the entertainment this season.

The Bad

Jonathan – 26 – Attorney

Jonathan

What was wrong with this guy? He would not give it up with the Fantasy Suite Card to the point of making Desiree very uncomfortable. Did he really just say that his love tank has not been depleted for many years? What a creeper – good for Des for sending him home right away.

Kasey – 29 – Advertising Executive

Kasey

As someone who works in public relations, I find people who use hashtags all the time annoying. This guy seems way too into himself. I hope we don’t have to hear him talk about hashtags for the rest of the season.

Larry – 34 – ER Doctor

Larry

Larry tried teaching Desiree a dance move and she ripped her fantastic dress – whoops that didn’t go very well. But then he kept apologizing and was beating a dead horse about the dress. Their conversation was awkward – he needed to let it go.

Micah – 32 – Law Student

Micah

Micah made his own outfit in homage to the dress Desiree designed for Seans season. Terrible outfit – he should leave the designs to Desiree.

Brandon – 26 – Painting Contractor

Brandon

At first I thought he would have a lot in common with Desiree but there were a few red flags. He gave his mother’s sobriety chip to a total stranger, that tells me that it wasn’t that important to him. He told Des that his grandparents threw him a big birthday party but he skipped it to go to the Bachelorette interview. That tells me that he doesn’t respect his family. They probably spent a lot of time on the party and then he just doesn’t show up? I don’t think he is the right person for Des.

These are just a few of the guys that stood out to me. I think we have a good group of guys to entertain us for the season.

If I was going to create a drinking game for this season of the Bachelorette, I would drink every time they refer to this as a fairy tale or Cinderella story, Desiree’s struggles growing up, anytime Desiree gets emotional and cries or anytime she mentions that she’s been in the same position. I usually watch the show with my good friend Tracy and I definitely think we will implement this for the next episode.

I enjoy reading Bachelorette spoilers and I already know who Desiree picks and what happens each week. If you are interested in finding out what happens you can check out Reality Steve for more information.

What did you think about the Bachelorette premiere? Will you keep watching?

If you missed the premiere you can still watch it online here.

Desiree posted her Week One Bachelorette blog on People that you can read here.

For more information on Summer TV premieres check out my Summer TV Preview Extravaganza post.

Filed Under: Bachelorette, Fashion, TV Tagged With: Bachelorette, Chris Harrison, Desiree Hartsock, Randi Rahm

Summer TV Preview Extravaganza

May 19, 2013 by DetroitDuchess 5 Comments

I love TV. Every fall I used to get a schedule together of all the new shows I was going to watch and what I could reasonably tape on my VCR. Many of the networks have changed this format so now I get Fall and Summer premieres. And I have a DVR which means even more shows to watch. It’s like Christmas!

Here are the shows that I plan to tune in for this summer. Some are returning and some are brand new:

FOX The Goodwin Games – premieres on May 20 at 8:30 p.m.

The show focuses on siblings who inherit a fortune from their father but only if they can play by his rules. It is the newest endeavor from the executive producers of How I Met Your Mother and stars Scott Foley who I have crushed on since Felicity. The pilot is currently screening on Hulu so you can check it out in advance. The reviews look promising so far.

ABC The Bachelorette – Season 9 premieres on May 27 at 9 p.m.

I am slightly obsessed with the Bachelor and Bachelorette so I can’t wait for a new season! Desiree Hartsock is this year’s bachelorette. You might remember her emotional exit during Sean Lowe’s season. If you want to know who Desiree picks and spoilers from the season make sure to read Reality Steve’s blog.

If you tune in on Monday night, Desiree will take live questions on Twitter from 8-10 p.m. @DesHartsock.

ABC Mistresses – Premieres June 3 at 10 p.m.

I don’t know too much about this one except that Alyssa Milano is in it and I heart her. I’m interested to see how make the characters likeable even though they’re mistresses. It should be a good soap to watch and I hope everyone will have fantastic clothes!

One of my favorite blogs, Possessionista, has already posted a fashion preview here.

USA Graceland – Premieres June 6 at 10 p.m.

Graceland follows a group of undercover FBI agents as live together in a beachfront house. It’s from the creator of White Collar, Jeff Eastin, which is another great show. I’m mostly just watching this one for the eye candy…Daniel Sunjata…yum!

TNT Falling Skies – Season 3 premieres June 9 at 10 p.m.

My husband and I have watched Falling Skies together since it premiered. It’s an action-packed sci-fi action drama starring Noah Wyle. We last left the 2nd Mass with Tom taking on the role of U.S. President and Anne finding out she was pregnant.

USA Necessary Roughness – Season 3 premieres June 12 at 10 p.m.

This show has really started to heat up! We last left Dr. Dani revealing all of her feelings to Matt, but it looks like Matt’s new girlfriend is pregnant. Rex came out of the closet and Nico might be gone for good. John Stamos is joining the cast so it could mean a third love interest for Dani!

HBO True Blood – Season 6 premieres June 16 at 9 p.m.

True Blood is back! Last season left off with Bill becoming possessed by Lilith, the first vampire, and ended in a cliffhanger. Will Bill kill Sookie and Eric? Who will Sookie end up with? Is Bill gone forever?

Lifetime Devious Maids – Premieres June 23 at 10 p.m.

Created by Marc Cherry and produced by Eva Longoria this show is gunning to be the next Desperate Housewives. The show follows five maids for the rich and famous who use their position to achieve their own dreams. The preview teases lots of different plot twists and if it’s anything like the first season of Desperate Housewives we should be in for a good show.

CBS Under the Dome – Premieres June 24 at 10 p.m.

From auther Stephen King, Under the Dome should be a great sci-fi survival show, after watching the preview it sort of reminds me of Lost. I anticipate lots of fun twists and turns along the way. I also like Rachelle LeFevre and thought she was great in Twilight and Off the Map. I think this will be a show that both my husband and I can watch together.

USA Covert Affairs – Season 4 premieres July 16 at 9 p.m.

Season three ended with some big cliffhangers – Auggie and Annie finally kissed and Annie was presented with a mysterious file from Henry Wilcox. I really liked last season’s arc with Lena and Simon, hopefully we will see Annie get challenged again this year. I think Auggie is great but I would really like to see Annie end up with Eyal because their chemistry is hot!

USA Suits – Season 3 premieres July 16 at 10 p.m.

At the end of season two, Mike finally revealed to Rachel that he never went to Harvard. This didn’t seem to bother her because they hooked up in a very steamy sex scene. Harvey and Jessica are back in control of the firm, but moving forward with the merger. My husband and I love this show and we have a little crush on Gabriel Macht who plays Harvey. It will be interesting to see if he ever gets together with his secretary, Donna. One of my favorite parts of this show are the clothes. The women are impeccably dressed every week and I would kill for their wardrobe.

What shows will you be watching this summer? What are you most looking forward to? Let me know if there are other shows you think I should check out.