Give Me The Cold Shoulder

Give Me The Cold Shoulder by alexis-jordana featuring a deep v neck tee

Haute Hippie batwing sleeve dress
neimanmarcus.com

Karen Kane scoop neck top
bloomingdales.com

Velvet asymmetrical shirt
calypsostbarth.com

Deep v neck tee
bloomingdales.com

OXO

Since one of my passions is to cook, I love checking out new kitchen gadgets. My favorite brand for kitchen supplies is OXO. Everything is made so well and lasts for such a long time. You can really tell everything is high quality. My favorite OXO products are the Melon Baller, the Lemon Zester, the Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer, and the Soap Dispensing Dish Scrub. While the OXO products match any kitchen decor because of their chic, simple look, they take the original idea of a product and make it even more simple. Who wouldn't want that?

Soap Dispensing Dish Scrub $7.99

Most recently, I purchased the Soap Dispensing Dish Scrub. This is brilliant! Say goodbye to your sponge and soap dispenser! OXO's scrub brush gives you the brush and soap all in one utensil to wash and scrub dishes. It's a perfect combination that eliminates two separate products and makes it much easier to clean dishes.

Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer $9.99

I love all OXO products, especially for the kitchen but the most recent ones that have really come in handy are the Melon Baller (great to make nice fruit salads at parties in two different sizes), the Lemon Zester (I have been making a lot of recipes with lemon zest), and the Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer (I had yet to come up with an easy way to cut open a pineapple until I got this product!). They are inexpensive products too!

Melon Baller $8.99

Lemon Zester $7.99

  

Bachelorette Fashion Frenzy!

While Emily and Jef fell in love this season, we all fell in love with Emily's clothes from The Bachelorette. We got a glimpse of Emily's fabulous taste when she was fighting for and eventually won the heart of Brad Womack, but her wardrobe on this season was every girl's dream. Well, that is if fashion is your passion too! We never saw Emily dressed down and not looking her best.

"We had an enormous clothing budget," said Emily's stylist Cary Fetman revealed. "It was bigger than any previous season -- and we still went over!" Even if Emily was dressed somewhat casual like on her group date with the guys at the playground and her and Arie's date at Dollywood, each outfit was still very costly. Some of the brands Emily was seen wearing on the show include All Saints, Alice & Olivia, Joie, Louboutins, Haute Hippie, Randi Rahm, and many more.

So, how much do you think the wardrobe budget was this season? A whopping $350,000!  That might sound like a lot but not for this fashionista! They STILL went over budget. This has been the most expensive season yet, in regards to the bachelor/bachelorettes wardrobe. Emily's fabulous fashion style doesn't come cheap! Watch out Jef! I do think there's one contender who could spend more on their wardrobe than Emily..Can you guess who? Yup! You guessed it! Kalon. Not like he would ever be the bachelor but come on dude..You're not Scott Disick! He probably spends more time picking out his clothes and getting ready than Emily or any girl. Scott has a reason to dress to impress. Kalon doesn't. He should spend his money on helicopter fuel haha!

Fashionista and previous Bachelorette, Jillian Harris said she wasn't a fan of Emily's wardrobe on this season. Jillian showed off her awesome wardrobe and trendy style during her season. She was real about it. She wore outfits that went with the specific date. She didn't wear heels when they were going in a helicopter. She wore sneakers with a cute, athletic outfit when her and Kiptyn completed an obstacle course. Jillian showed off her fashion sense, but didn't go over the top. I particularly loved her fashion, and I love most of Emily's fashion. I just think she looked too perfect in some instances. In my opinion guys want to see your real every day fashion versus what you would wear to a ball gown (that's not reality!). Check out Jillian's blog for her thoughts on Emily's style this season and what she would have done different: Jillian Harris

Do you want to know what Emily wore? Dana Weiss' blog, Possessionista is your one stop shopping destination to find all of Emily's outfits and jewelry that were seen on the show. There you can also find more fashion that has been seen on other reality shows. We all watch TV and think 'Oh we'd love to know what brand that is or where she got that!' so Dana is your answer! Follow her on twitter to @possessionista.

Emily and Jef: Happy Ever After

Photo from: US Weekly http://www.usmagazine.com

So sad to see The Bachelorette come to an end! It was a great season with great guys but I could see Jef was the one a while back. It was obvious to many. Their relationship started off slow and steady and they grew to become best friends. As you all knew from my previous posts, I wasn't a fan of 1 F Jef in the beginning. I changed my mind about him during his hometown date. He was so sweet and romantic with Emily and their relationship really started to blossom.

Did Chris Harrison really say this is the most controversial finale ever? I mean I know they say that every season but come on! What was so controversial about this finale? Ali did the same thing with Chris on her finale where she sent him home early and Roberto was the only one there on the final day. What is so different about this season? I thought both dates with her family went well BUT you have to admit Arie's was a little awkward in the beginning. When Jef walked in it seemed much more natural. Poor Arie! He had to talk and talk and talk until he broke the ice! What a sweet gift the roses were too! It was nice that he would give them away instead of keeping them as a sentiment to him and his experience on the show and with Emily. He seems very selfless. Emily's mom really seemed to ilke Arie, I think the most out of his entire family.

I knew something was a little off on the timing of the finale. When Jef's date on the beach was taking up a lot of time and they aired a lot of the time they spent with Ricki back at the house, I was wondering if she was going to skip over Arie's date. Poor Arie! He was probably shocked! I don't think Emily should have done anything with him on that date. He was all excited for his love potion that he made her and she's smelling it and smiling (because who can't when you're around Arie?!?! and then she tells him? I was a little surprised at his reaction. Although I knew he was going to be surprised and upset, I thought he would have at least been nice and understanding towards her. You could tell how pissed he was walking way ahead of her towards the limo! I did feel bad for him. How could he react in a decent way when he had no idea it was coming? All in all it wasn't an awful goodbye but it was still heartbreaking and sad to see him go like that. It was nice of Emily to save him the embarrassment of proposing or coming to the final rose ceremony, just like Ali did on her season.

Jef was really good with Ricki. He played it cool, and acted like Emily's friend and nothing more which made Ricki even more comfortable. You could see she was a bit hesitant and shy but what six year old wouldn't? She seemed to take to Jef really quickly..Good for Emily! That sealed the deal! I think Arie would have been great with her as well, but she made the right decision not to continue on, have a date with Arie, and especially not to introduce him to Ricki if she was sure about Jef. It would only confuse Ricki even more.

During the last part of their date I could totally see the real connection between Emily and Jef. It is true. I think they have the ideal relationship that everyone looks for. They can be playful, serious, and intimate. What a combination! You could just see when Emily was looking through the book on Curacao and laughing at his drawings, she was totally comfortable and content just being on the couch with him, not doing anything fancy. It was just the two of them hanging out having the best time which is exactly what an ideal relationship should be like. I'm sure Jef was anxious to add Ricki into the mix and have an instant family.

I thought that the final rose ceremony was going to be more over the top. In previous seasons the settings were fancier, whether they were on the beach, overlooking mountains, or at the mansion but I was really surprised at Emily's. I figured since she had the most expensive season and the biggest budget when it came to her wardrobe, the setting for the proposal would have been nicer. It was very simple which was nice..Just surprising! I was a little disappointed with After the Final Rose! I mean come on! Couldn't they add just a little twist or surprise? Oh well! I thought this season was great and the guys seemed to get along better this time around than previous seasons. Jef has expressed his desire to have Arie in his wedding party..Can you say awkward? Whatever suits them! Hopefully the wedding will be televised!

I truly think Emily found her soulmate! Hopefully it'll work. Congratulations to Emily and Jef! <3 <3

XOXO

Finale Predictions Are In!

I can't believe this season is coming to an end already! It did seem longer than others but it has been such a good season..and besides that, who else's fashion are we going to obsess over now? Bummer! Let's get down to the final two guys, Arie and Jef.

Photo courtesy of Wetpaint

Arie seems like such a great, passionate guy who would love Emily forever, but..Do they have BOTH the emotional and physical connection? Don't think so. They definitely have the physical chemistry and passion but Emily just found out what he does on a daily basis a couple weeks ago in Curacao. I just don't think their every day lives match, which would be a problem considering Arie would have to change his to conform to Emily and Ricki's. Emily knows the racing world and as much as she says it doesn't bother her and that she loves being around the track and that environment, I think she knows deep down inside how much he would have to travel, and she must have concerns about that. Now thats not to say she's not in love with him. Emily's number one goal from all of this is to get married and have more children and I see Arie as being a fabulous father..We might not be seeing their emotional connection for a reason. I wouldn't put it past the producers to trick us and purposely not show us their other deep conversations, aside from all of the kissing scenes. The show is pretty much predictable every season, so let's see them throw a surprise ending at us! I have a feeling that Arie MIGHT be Emily's first choice, but he might turn her down first and decide that they just don't fit well together. That is just a guess!

Emily and Jef's connection is special. I wasn't a fan of 1 F Jef from the beginning but I do think he's on the show for the right reasons and that he would treat Emily right. I still think he might be too free spirited and young to get married and become a step-father right away. He seems to have had a life of doing whatever he wants with his own business and I'm just not sure he's ready to give that all up. He does however seem to be in love (infatuated?) with Emily and cares about her a lot. They have that special bond that they can be passionate and intimate and act like kids (think of their marionette date), while still being serious and talking about their future. Now that's a special relationship. Who wants to be serious all the time? Everyone wants to laugh together and have their immature, inner child come out when they're with their significant other. Emily and Jef share that and that's why I think they end up together and are still engaged to this day! Now, whether Jef is Emily's first or second choice tonight is another story and we will have to wait and see, but I think their connection will last!

I don't think there's going to be any big surprise or anything on After The Final Rose but I do think Emily and her fiancé are going to announce their wedding plans! I don't think she would be pregnant yet, but who knows! She seems to be in a big rush for more kids..Watch out fiancé! Hopefully the wedding will be televised as an ABC Bachelorette special!

Hopefully Sean will be the next Bachelor and we can look forward to that after tonight!

Here's to a great night of TV!

XOXO!

The Men Tell All: Arrogance, Baggage, & Drama

The thing I was most looking forward to on the much anticipated, Men Tell All this week was Emily confronting Kalon and Ryan. I was also so excited to see Sean! Emily has been such a breath of fresh air this season on The Bachelorette; she doesn't take anything from the guys. She didn't hold back one bit letting Kalon go in London and this time wasn't any different! You go girl! Kalon has a way of avoiding every question that Chris Harrison asked him. He is so arrogant that he doesn't even see what he says makes no sense and is so rude. Jeez! All he can say is, "I'm flattered that you follow me on twitter?" Seriously, Kalon, learn some respect. Although Ryan is similar to Kalon (hence why they're good friends), he seems to be a little (just a little!) nicer and more respectful to Emily. He is looking for a mirror image of himself, the perfect "trophy wife" but he didn't come right out and disrespect her on the show like Kalon did. Yes, Ryan's comment about not getting fat after they get married was wayyyy out of line, along with his similar comments throughout the show, Kalon just seemed a lot worse. Glad Emily shut Kalon up and put him in his place. He deserves that and will need it from a lot more women he interacts with in his lifetime. Watch out ladies of The Bachelor Pad!

Let's talk business! Sean looked amazing, of course but more importantly, he is so humble and sweet. He could have come on the show questioning Emily and accusing her of leading him on but he listened to what she had to say and wished her well in her future with whoever she picks. Thats a true gentleman! Although she didn't pick him, I think it's for the best. Sean deserves someone who is going to be just as into him and head over heels in love with him as he is into them. Emily and Jef's connection is very special..One that I truly believe is the ideal relationship. They seem to have a deep emotional connection, have many of the same interests, have a physical connection, and they can act like kids and have a good time. I'm not a big fan of Jef as a person..Simply not his type but to each their own! Whether Jef is her first or second choice, I think they would make a great couple and have a wonderful future together. Can't wait for the 3 hour finale! Until next time..

XOXO

The Bachelorette: Fantasy Dates

I love the week of overnight dates almost as much as hometowns. This finally gives the couples a chance to spend an entire day together alone, and if both agree they can spend the night together. We really get to see more of their connection, or lack thereof on these dates.

Emily's date with Sean was not what I was expecting..At all! I always thought their connection was true and the emotion, as well as the physical connection was there. Their date proved me wrong. First of all, when they were sitting on the beach talking it was very awkward. Emily was kind of grilling him about his past relationships and whether Sean doesn't feel comfortable talking about it on camera or he just doesn't want to open up that much is his choice, but there were a lot of awkward silences! Saved by the scuba diving! Emily was waiting for Sean to open up and we all knew it was coming at dinner..But it was too late. Poor Sean! The letter he wrote to Ricki was so sweet. It melted my heart, along with every other girl. Emily's choice to give Sean the fantasy date card was awesome but then to not stay together? I mean I know Emily is a mother and she wants to set a good example for Ricki but her daughter is going to watch this eventually and see all the kissing she's doing with every guy so whats the big deal? Oh well! Sean is the most respectful guy Ive seen on the show. At least they got in some hot tub time! The show doesn't even air half of their date.

Jef's date seemed fun. Him and Emily always seem to have a good time..a date filled with excitement, passion, emotion, and fun. Thats what it's all about, right? They seem to have it all. I did like that they actually talked about serious things at dinner to see if they could actually fit into each others lives after the show is over. Kudos to Jef for bringing it up because it really shows that he is interested in her and their potential life together after the show.

We all knew what to expect during Emily and Arie's date, right? Kissing, kissing, and more kissing. What a perfect location Curacao is for that! Until dinner when they started talking about every day routines, and life after the show I didn't think they had any chance at being together because you can't have a relationship just based on physical chemistry. I do think they talked about some important aspects of what life would be like after but I still think they have a lot to learn about each other, their backgrounds, and their every day lives, and how that would affect their potential life together, and blending that with Ricki's. It was a good choice by Emily not to give Arie the fantasy date card!

I knew she was going to send Sean home. As much as I love him, and every other girl does, I think it was for the best. Sean seems very down to earth and sweet and doesn't seem to like to rush into things and open up as quickly as the other guys so this process of fighting for one girl might not have been for him. He deserves someone who is truly going to love him for who he is! it was heartbreaking to see him rejected. I'd rather him be rejected then instead of as the final two!

I truly believe that she sends him home because he didn't reveal his feelings for her as soon as the other guys. Even though both Arie and Jef said that they love her by hometowns and Sean didn't yet doesn't mean that they have those true feelings and that Sean doesn't. He just doesn't move as fast as them. Most relationships that start off slow and steady last and those that start off fast and are passionate like her and Aries fizzle after a while.

Here's to Sean being the next Bachelor!!

XOXO

Polka Dots: Yay or Nay?

Polka dots are one of the summers hottest trends but most either love them or hate em'! Here are some of my favorite polka dot looks:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Hot Dot Silk Pussy-Bow Blouse $161 

Splendid Polka Dot Maxi in Almond/Paprika $158

Charlotte Russe Sateen Blazer $17

Zara Polka Dot Printed Blazer $59.99

The Bachelorette: Home is Where the Heart is!

I love hometown dates! I feel like we got jipped this season with hometowns. Is it just me or did you guys think they were shorter too? Typically they spend a little more time together first or after alone (without the families) and their time with the families is usually longer. I especially thought Sean's hometown was cut way too short. What a bummer!

Chris

Emily went to Chicago first to meet Chris' family. I was barely watching and paying attention to this date. Can you say boring? Oh my! Chris has always seemed awkward to me from the beginning but it was so strange watching him and Emily at the bar. All he did was complain and apologize for how he acted the week before on the 3 on 1 date. Hello Chris! You have one day to spend with Emily! Complaining about how you acted and talking about the past is a waste of time. Focus on the future! It was like their date together before the family time was a complete waste (although the viewers don't see half of what goes on the whole day). His family was nice but I just didn't see Emily fitting in. She seemed detached from them the whole night. I did think it was hilarious when Chris' mom was telling him to let Emily know how he feels and said to "kick ass". You go mom! Chris took mom's advice and told Emily that he loves her. He knew he had to pour his heart out there or he'd be in trouble. It was cute when the whole family was dancing with Emily. I was just so disinterested in the whole date and imagine that Emily wasn't feeling it either.

Jef

What can I say! I haven't been a Jef fan all season but this date he planned was pretty cute. He is the only one that actually planned a cute thing to do that showed Emily a skill of his and he got to see something she was pretty proud to show off. As it turns out they're both really good with guns. A good thing? Guess they can go skeet shooting for fun as a hobby, but definitely not an every day thing. It's nice that her and Jef found out that they have a common interest like that! It also gave Jef a chance to be physical with her and show her how to hold the gun (even though she looked like a pro doing it!). Her and Jef have that strong bond but they can also be immature and act like kids together which I think is the most important quality to have in a relationship. Who wants to be serious all the time? Jef's family was a little bit overwhelming. Poor Emily! Although his parents weren't there, she did get to see Jefs brothers and sisters and their spouses and children. It gave her a really good look into Jef's life and him as a person. I could see Emily fitting in with his family, especially Ricky fitting in with all of his nieces and nephews. Emily still has to be careful about his parents because like Jef mentioned, he did break up with an ex girlfriend because his parents didn't like her. Yikes! Thats a lot of pressure. Hopefully Emily will get to meet them in Curacao before any potential proposal between her and Jef would take place. The letter that Jef wrote her and read up on the mountain was very sweet but it definitely seemed rehearsed. I realize its a letter and he wrote it on the plane with a lot of free time on his hands but it sounded like he edited and re-wrote it a million times. It's better when it's candid and right from your heart in the moment. Still cute though.

Arie

I already knew what we were going to see a lot of on Arie's hometown. I'm sure you all know too! Lots and lots of kissing. Emily and Arie have such a passionate relationship so this hometown was important to see if Emily could fit into Arie's family and vice versa. It was a really cute idea of Arie's to have Emily come to the race track to see him in gear and racing. I'm sure it brought back a lot of memories from her previous relationship and experiences. You could tell Emily just wanted him to stop driving and get out so they could hug and kiss! I think their alone time by the lake was lacking an emotional connection. Emily didn't find out much about what Arie does on a daily basis -- thats part of figuring out if they would fit, especially with Ricki. I definitely didn't picture Arie's family like that. They seem to be sweet, nice people but really? Talking to each other in Dutch in front of Emily who doesn't know the language? That was just down right rude! She probably thought they were talking smack about her! Her talk with Arie's mom was nice and I feel like that was a turning point when she connected with her. Wow! Arie is a passionate guy even with his father..they are all very kissy! Overall, the date went really well and I think it just confirmed Emily's feelings for Arie, although I don't know if she could actually picture her and Ricky fitting into Arie's every day life. We'll see!

Sean

Save the best for last! Sean's date was adorable! Even though he didn't plan anything extravagant for their alone time, he showed Emily what his every day life is like by taking his dogs to the park and relaxing on the weekend. I could totally see her and Ricki fitting into Sean's life. Emily kept harping on the fact that he seems so perfect and must have the perfect family, etc. No one is perfect! I'm sure Sean has his imperfections, as does everyone but you don't see those. He is so hot, sweet, affectionate, and caring..Who would notice anything bad?! His family was just like I pictured them. Nice looking, warm, caring, and they seem very loving. Sean's dad would be the perfect father-in-law. He seems so down to earth and caring, which is why he did such a good job raising his son. Sean's prank on Emily was hilarious! The look on her face screamed pure horror when she walked into his "room". I think it was probably a mixture of surprise and disgust. It is a turn off for most women when a guy older than 25 lives at home, but his "room" was also dirty! What a great way to show his sense of humor off! Kudos to Sean! Can we just talk about the end of their date? Basically the whole day went perfectly, Sean walked Emily out, kissed, and said goodbye, BUT that wasn't enough for Sean! He ran after the car, down two blocks, and gave Emily one more kiss. How romantic! I think thats every girls dream. We were all gushing! Even though Sean moves a little slower than the other guys and didn't say he loves Emily yet, his actions show her that he really cares for her, and I'm sure she knew those words, "I love you" were coming from Sean soon!

No surprise at the rose ceremony! I knew Chris was going home. I really don't think they had any sort of connection, especially after the way he acted on their last date (the 3-on-1), which really showed his immaturity, but after the hometown date, Emily just didn't seem to fit in. Her connection with the three other guys is much stronger and has moved quicker than hers and Chris'. Poor Chris! He was so upset and had a hard time leaving without letting Emily know he was upset and mad! He just didn't get it. All is well I hear with Chris! He is on the Bachelor Pad, which is airing in about three weeks and it looks like he might have found love! I guess everything does happen for a reason!

Until next time..

XOXO