msblossom

Agreed. A long time ago I read somewhere (?) about women who are addicted to having babies, and then when the babies became toddlers the mothers lost interest in the child and longed to become pregnant again. They cited Nadya Suleman as an example. The article said the disordered behavior stemmed from some kind of brokenness in childhood and that the women were fixated on having newborns as some kind of way of fixing themselves.

Bethenny says she's not returning. Maybe she's still negotiating a deal or just blowing smoke. http://www.people.com/article/bethenny-frankel-on-returning-to-rhonyc

That would save the franchise, imo, and make for an interesting season, but according to Bethenny in this article http://www.people.com/article/bethenny-frankel-on-returning-to-rhonyc shes's not returning to the show.

And now that they have branded themselves as Gothard zealots, and made a boatload of money from strict adherence to the lifestyle, that even if they wanted to back off and ease up on some the rules -- they really can't. Although, I don't really think they want to. It's easier for them to have very black and white boundaries to remain in control. For people who have less self control, giving them more freedom spells disaster because they don't know what to do with it and they usually go crazy with it and end up taking their freedom too far, and for people like the Duggars -- it scares them and threatens their belief system. But that's where God's grace comes in because He helps us navigate our lives through the Spirit which is at work in every Christian. He doesn't love us any more or any less when we get off track and mess up.

I just see Jessa wanting to make her own mark by going out of her way for a less traditional/different wedding just for the sake of "irony". <snerk> She thinks she's cute and forging her own path by wanting to serve ice cream vs cake, by "burning" the dinner rolls, not measuring ingredients when cooking, and choosing leather flip flops with her bridesmaid dress, etc. That's my perception anyway.

Regarding that scene in the DC bridal shop, it is interesting and sad that Michelle is so clueless about connecting with her own children. And I found it a little odd, not in a bad way, that Jana didn't say much that was personal to Jill or maybe it was edited out? I think she said something to the effect that she was a very caring sister -- which is something that could have been said of any of the older girls, except Jessa. It must have meant more than the way it came across because Jill walked over and gave Jana a big hug.

I'm another person who doesn't buy used shoes. I don't have anything against those who do, but it's not for me. I try to take very good care of our more expensive boots and shoes and take them as needed to the cobbler to have them re-soled and have the heels repaired, etc. I spray our leather and suede shoes/boots with protectant each season. You'd be surprised how long a good pair of shoes can last.

Haha, yeah I'm ok. I'm just glad I didn't think to having a drink every time Derick's name was mentioned!! I'm steamed that Jana had to do all the bridesmaids dress alertations herself without any help from Michelle or her sisters. I hope she is wising up and tells them to buy ready-made bridesmaid dresses that are floor length and long sleeved for Jessa's wedding in November. The dresses could have been much cuter had they bought 4 or 5 extra dresses (at only $30 each is still a BARGAIN) and made the piece on the bottom the same aqua color as the dress instead of off white. But the shoes -- those were a big FAIL.

Well said. Not only does Anna seem more mature, she also seems happier. Now if only the other adult Duggar kids could get loose of the tight grip their parents have over them. I'm hoping Josh has some friends in DC that want to be introduced to Jana.

Your guess is as good as mine, Lura. I just have trouble thinking Kim or especially Kyle would ever stir the pot and plant a story. ;-)

I'm not shocked because a lead cover story on a major gossip magazine had to fetch a pretty penny. I have no clue what they pay, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was close to $5k. Probably not. <eye roll>

Hmm...I wonder if this is real or manufactured drama for the new season? Lura, this may convince you even more that you'll enjoy the new cast...http://www.allabouttrh.com/newbie-eileen-davidson-feuding-kim-richards-filming-rhobh/

If this look is from 1996 then Sonja is making wise clothing choices because it doesn't scream "Karen Walker" or "20 year old outfit" to me. It looks tasteful and she looks lovely. The boyfriend -- she looks more into him than he's into her, if we're going by body language. It looks like he's pulling away while she's kissing him. ETA: ScoobieDoobs, on second thought, I get where you're going with the Karen Walker thing. There are a lot of similarities between the two: the updo, lots of black fitted dress ensembles, excessive drinking and public drunkeness, married to an older wealthy husband, lavish lifestyle snob. Well done.

I also recall hearing this in the media. Kyle has said this for 2 years in a row now, but I don't believe she would leave the franchise if they dumped Kim or demoted her to Friend status because Kyle is also in a long term contract (from what I've heard over the summer). So I don't think Kyle has any more pull than Lisa. I do think the HW's franchise as a whole, not just BH's, will be a thing of the past in 2 years. The whole thing is close to it's expiration date imo and I won't be sad. I'm ready for the next new thing.

Tonight I'm going to take a sip of wine for every time they say the word special, LOL. I might be drinking myself under the table. ;-)

Taken to S09.E06: Jill Says Yes To The Dress

I, too, would have rather seen Joy Anna's hair down -- but she still looked adorable, IMO. They do like the big pouffy hair, don't they? They certainly have good genes -- they're all beautiful girls.

The plastic surgeon that did Kim's tummy tuck and new boobs is Lenny Hochstein, husband to Real Housewives of Miami's Lisa Hochstein, who was regularly and prominently featured on that show. I don't think its a stretch to think Kim's ps was heavily discounted or possibly fully comped since it provided great advertisement for Lenny. http://www.lhochsteinmd.com

You are correct. Speculation. Most reality show events such as weddings, wedding renewal ceremonies, trips, etc. are often comped or paid for by the show. This is true of many reality shows such as Real Housewives, Jon and Kate plus 8, Little People Big World, etc.

http://youtu.be/RmwqnqL3Hbg

See, I think fitted clothing and above the knee and sleeveless tops are modest. So maybe it's just a difference of opinion of the definition of modesty. To me, there's a difference between tight and fitted. Tight tops, cleavage showing tops, postage stamp cut offs and shorts, short mid and upper thigh hemlines on skirts and dresses, and low cut jeans that show underwear and more are what I consider immodest.

It was SARCASM. I can see going without shoes if you were having a simple little ceremony outdoors or a beach wedding, but going barefoot for a church wedding? Hmm. No.

I actually LOVE weddings! I don't like being in weddings but I do enjoy going to weddings. And helloooo -- TLC is footing the bill for part or most of Jill's wedding, so why wouldn't she want to share it in all it's ups and downs on tv?

As far as the older girls updating their look -- I'm all for it. They're young and beautiful, and there's no reason why they can't maintain their values with a fresher and more up to date appearance. Above the knee skirts, fitted clothing, sleeveless shirts and blouses are all feminine and tasteful expressions of modesty done right. Two thumbs up for finding and defining their own form of modesty. And if Mrs. Duggar is more comfortable in her frumpy prairie attire (purposefully branding or not) then more power to her!! I could really care less what kind of shoes and tacky skirts she chooses to wear if it makes her happy then I'm happy and she's not judging me for wearing what makes me happy: classic, modern, slightly trendy clothes that tastefully flatters my figure and adds to my comfort and happiness. We are the same age and I wouldn't dream of imposing my style on her or anyone else. ETA: I like shopping at consignment stores. There are some really great deals to be had and a lot of money to be saved buying gently used/nearly new and in some cases brand new clothing and home goods. Although I don't care for thrift shops like Goodwill/Salvation Army -- at least he ones I've been to.

What does Ben's dad do for a living? Is it possible that his dad could step in and give him some direction or give him some gainful employment? I would not be okay with my 19 year old son not going to college and getting married. I know college isn't for everyone, but getting a college degree opens a lot more doors to success than the alternative. Ben's father looks like he does alright and he must realize that his son can't just do odd jobs for the Duggars indefinitely. This kid needs help. I have to wonder what Ben's parents were thinking by encouraging him to take up JB's offer to live with and work for the Duggars.