Special delivery!

Anyone wanna guess why I'm so giddy?  I'll give you a hint...  it sure isn't the piles of white stuff in the backdrop.  After doing some snow shoveling, I'm more than ready to shovel a few of these treats into my mouth.

Who's with me?  And what's your favorite "flavor?"  Does it bring back any memories of GS camp (complete with mosquitoes and silly songs) and badge-covered sashes?

Now I gotta dig up my Brownie pin.  Happy Friday :)

Denim Musings for Spring

While winter rages on for some of us, most retailers are in full-on "Woo-hoo, it's Spring!" mode.  Never mind that my car's tilted at a 10 degree angle, the right side propped up on about 6 inches of what was once freshly fallen snowflakes and is now a weeks-old rocky formation of frozen snow, slush, ice, dirt, sand, and probably a present left by the neighborhood dog.

Anyway, among the swimsuits, sundresses, and strappy sandals up for purchase, the parade of denim shorts has begun as well.  While there are a few cute options, I'm still "SMH"-ing at a few items.

For example, Revolve loves a brand called One Teaspoon, who has a whole line of jean shorts in different colors but the same style.  The style being this:

Really?  I don't care if it's plaid, has leopard spots, or comes in classic blue.  Still looks like...  something I wouldn't wear.

Shopbop is fully on the jean shorts train as well.  This pair from Alice + Olivia runs maybe a wee bit short for my old gams, but I like the simple, tailored cut:

On the other hand, this style doesn't seem to fall in the "flattering" category:

Is it 1993 and I missed the memo?  It's not so much the length, but the boxy-a$$ cut.  I mean, check out the back:

Just seems like if you want to accentuate a large bottom, this is the way to do it.  And most chicks I know are trying hard not to do that.  If I'm going to don a pair of these things, I might as well fire up my Deee-Lite CD on my JVC "boombox."

For those of us not basking in 70 degree weather (and this currently includes South Carolina, where I used to work), here are some longer options that still make me wrinkle my nose like I just passed a dead skunk on Interstate 77.

It's like you're wearing short-shorts, but with pants.  Tight leather pants:

Rear view.  It perplexes:

I dunno.  Maybe it's perfect for the club.  Like, the one I will probably never set foot in.


And these just seem like there's one zipper too many:

I guess this works if I want to get in a street fight.  All that metalwork can hurt, you know, when you want to knee someone in the gut.  But the massive number of spiky shoes on the market seems like a more effective weapon.

Well, you'll have to let me know if you like any of these offerings.  I'm sure they work for some people, and wouldn't it be boring if we all liked and disliked the same stuff?  This was a good lesson my grandma taught me.  And I carry it, as well as her memory, close to my heart.  Are you adoring the crazy frayed Daisy Dukes?  By all means, have at it!  I'll stick with my CoH Ava's.

Getting away from the denim, how's the whole Prabal Gurung for Target working out for those of you who shopped the collab?  I've now tried on all the shoes and clothes I ordered.  I'll give a report on that shortly, but I can tell you some stuff didn't make the cut.  What was your experience?  Keeping that dress?  Returning the shorts?  Shoes too large?

Do share.  Til then, I'll be enjoying temperatures above the single digits and some sunshine.  And dreaming of the day it'll be warm enough to wear shorts.  40 degrees isn't so far away after all...








Images:
#1 - revolve.com
Remainder - shopbop.com

Next Up!

Sorry, everyone - it's been a really crazy January and February, and it hasn't been the good kind of cray.  Fortunately, things are starting to calm down, and that means I can get back into my regular routine.  Including shopping :)

And right in time to post about the latest Target collab, right?  Prabal Gurung!  Convenient, yes.  Done on purpose, no (really!).  Here in Minneapolis, it's sleeting outside this fine, gray morning.  I don't feel like braving the roads til Winter Storm Orko (what is with these names, anyway...) passes through town.  However, that's OK.  Because yours truly once again stayed up into the wee bar-time hours to wait for the online store to go live.

Here's what I ended up throwing in my virtual cart:

Love the color of these wedge heels.  Gotta wonder if they'll be TTS.

This dress is very pretty, yet simple.  Great for a Girls' Night.

OK, these will probably be a disaster on me.  But I'm willing to take the risk.

Originally, I didn't really notice these.  But I think they're kinda cool and would brighten up my usual work uniform.  Now let's see if I can handle the 4" heel!

And I caved and got the First Date dress, like probably every other gal.  It was one of the more heavily rotated items during the marketing campaign.

So those are some of the things I pounced on, while more sane people were stumbling home from the local bars (I said sane, not sober).  I am going to have to wait til tomorrow to see what stuff looks like IRL.  Already hearing skeptical wonderings from my fellow 2AM shopper friends about material quality, fabrics, and whether anything will actually fit.  Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Did you shop this collaboration?  What did you get?  Gonna hit the stores or sitting this one out?  Let me know.  Meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy this period of calm, make some hot cocoa, and watch the snow and/or sleet fall.  Hey - and speaking of snow, if you're on the East Coast, I hope you're not completely buried in the white stuff.  Are you able to trek out to Target, or are you absolutely snowed in?

And did anyone make it to NYFW??  I'd love to hear any in-person reports!




All images:  target.com

This Year...

Happy New Year, everyone!  It's been a super busy time of the year.  December has been filled with holiday hecticness, ranging from get-togethers with friends who were home for Christmas, celebrating in Chicago and Iowa with my family, and last-minute gift shopping.  I was also lucky enough to squeeze in a work trip to Toronto, a fabulous city that I hadn't visited since college.

And so here we are in 2013.  Crazy, isn't it?  With the arrival of the new year comes the requisite (and oft dreaded) New Year's resolutions.  There are the typical, somewhat lofty goals.  You know...  I'll exercise every day, eat less junk food, try to get 8 hours of sleep...  There are also ones that are a little more attainable (and immediate).  Mine would be to simply get rid of stuff.  I still have not made much progress with the Cloffice, and it would be so nice to start buying a couple new pieces for the room.  But, that can't happen til all the piles of crap get sorted and tossed.

So, resolution numero uno is to try really hard to make the Cloffice a pleasant room - something that might actually resemble my daydreamy ideas about it from this earlier post.  We'll see.

I also took a look at my New Years 2012 post and copied over my "old" list.  Here it is, with a 370-day later update:

* GET RID OF STUFF! (For those who know me well, this is much easier said than done) - Well, this is ongoing.  And still at the top of the list.  Sigh.

* Learn French and take more Spanish classes (I was a German major in college, and I love languages) - I did learn some basic French!  It came in handy when we spent an amazing week in Paris.

* Get back to NYC this year (hmm, shouldn't be hard to do this ;) - Also done!  And as awesome as ever, with jaunts to Brooklyn this time around.

* Attempt to eat healthier (hmm, shouldn't be so hard to do this, but it is... ) - Yeah.  Um.  Ongoing.  Just give me the bacon and bourbon already.

* Take some muay thai classes (I used to do kickboxing classes at various gyms and miss the kicking and hitting!) - This hasn't happened yet.  Buying a spin bike has replaced the classes, not so much because I don't want to punch something, but the search for a muay thai place near work or home continues.

* Take voice lessons (OK, so I actually started lessons in December, so I can check this one off the list, at least in terms of having started it) - In fact, I had about 6 voice lessons total and really liked them.  Need to resume.  Til then, I will punish my friends with karaoke.

* Continue to make this blog better! - Oh man, I fell off the wagon this winter, didn't I?  My bad.  Will definitely work on making this more frequent, informative, and fun.

What about you?  What are you determined to do this year?  Maybe you've promised yourself to cut down the TV time by an hour each day?  Exercise a couple times a week (hey, if I can do this I'll be happy)?  Finally take up sailing lessons this summer?  Cut down on shopping?  Cut down on Facebook?

Let me know what's at the top of your to-do list.  It might help motivate me to get busy.  And as much as I'd like to count "I just cleaned the bathroom this morning from top to bottom,"...  well, I could probably do better :)

Here's wishing you a wonderful new year! 



P.S.  I tried to add an image to spiff up this post, but Blogger isn't cooperating today :)

And, Go!

The long-awaited Target+Neiman Marcus collaboration launch date has arrived.  I placed an online order at 1:30 AM and dragged my tired butt to the mothership store at 9:00 AM.  

How about you?  Are you partaking?  Online or in-person?  What was your experience?  Share your stories (and scores) here!

The Coat That Ate The Girl Who Ate The Purse

Since I've been on a roll about collaborations lately, we might as well talk about another one that hit stores late last week.  That's right, the mash-up known as H&M and Maison Martin Margiela, the latter boasting fashions that seem to defy wearability sometimes.  In fact, this newest partnership resulted in a line of men and women's clothes and accessories which draw from past MMM collections.  This time around, though, the price points are much lower than the high-stylin' regular pieces.  And yet, one could argue, "Define lower price points."  Because, while the assembly of covetable items doesn't require a "K" after a numeral, I'm not sure you want to fork out $300+ for a huge coat that resembles bedding and looks like it might want to eat you.  

On the other hand, I like scary puffy coats.  Hell, I live in the Upper Midwest and winter is about to drop an arctic beat on us Northerners.

Here are a few other things I was drawn to or perplexed by:

Beautiful color, challenging draping.

They're pants!  They're a skirt!  They're skants!

I like the watch belt idea, but IRL, I couldn't find a clasp anywhere on the thing.  

This is a purse.  No, really.  My friends adore it.  I'm worried I might start gnawing on it when hunger strikes.

Speaking of devouring, here is the coat that may indeed consume me.  I'm OK with this.

I didn't even notice these flats til my friend posted a photo of them.  Me liked, so me bought.  It comes with "heels" that aren't intended for the shoes.  Uh-huh.  They're strung on a ribbon and meant to be worn as...  wait for it...  a necklace.  I can't wait to mess with my coworkers.

The guitar carryall for men.  I dunno.  I think the musicians are gonna pelt you with pennies.

So, I saw this shirt hanging out in the women's section.  It's a little boxy, but I liked the fit and slightly angular draping.  Turns out it's a dude's top.  I got my true size.  Not sure who should be more annoyed by the small fit - me or the guys.

These are awesome but they must've sold out at my store.

Again, the watch motif is cool on this oversized necklace.  But then all I could think of was this guy:

Yep.  Flava-Flav.  No can do.

So there are some highlights from the collection.  Oddly, Refinery29, which is where I grabbed these photos from, claims to include the entire inventory.  But I saw some other things, like a brown men's bag and a crazy glittery necklace for the chicks (see first pic below).  As I mentioned, I was able to pop into one of the H&M's and gaze upon things with my own peepers.  But not here in MN.  Sadly, I guess we don't make the cut for limited-edition must-have collabs like this (we got the shaft for the Marni stint, too, I think).  As luck would have it, I spent this past weekend back home in Chicago.  Where, you know, you can see this stuff for real (and pay real sales tax, unlike up here in MN...  note to retailers, people might buy more in locations where they don't have to shell out for taxes...  just an idea... ).

Here are a few photos from the IRL ("in real life") trip:

I got to keep the hangers.  Kinda arty, and if I'm gonna spend this kind of cash at H&M, I'll take 'em.

And here's my 3 picks on myself:

  Some pals love it, others asked me if I'm trying to look like this on purpose.  Granted, I don't plan to wear these all together "IRL."  But if my purchases give you pause, just wait til I get my hands on that duvet coat.  The Stay Puff'd Marshmallow man'll have nothing on me.  Nada.

What do you think?  Some good stuff from this joint venture, or does everything look like it might attack you?

Images:

All individual pieces from Refinery29.com

Flava-Flav from Wikipedia

In-store pics and weird self-portrait are my own

As Manic As Missoni?

Yesterday, it was 70 degrees and sunny here in the tundra.  People sported shorts and t-shirts and swarmed my neighborhood of Uptown like ants on a picnic basket.  I wasn't feeling the whole winter holiday vibe.  But, in true Midwestern fashion, it snowed this morning and tonight will be a hot cocoa-inducing 19 degrees Fahrenheit.  So the crazy-early Christmas displays in stores make, well, a little more sense again.  But still not much.  Warm spell aside, I can't deny holiday shopping is about to charge into full steam ahead.

Perfectly planned to sync with the retailing furor, Target is about to find out whether its hotly anticipated new collaboration with Neiman Marcus will create as much of a frenzy as that now infamous launch with Missoni.  Armed with 24 different high-end designers, this joint venture finds itself in fairly unprecedented territory, kicking the whole retail bar up a notch as well.  Not only has the mass retailer paired up with a society grande dame heretofore considered "out of its league," but the designer roster is quite an impressive who's who from the CFDA - aka the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Now that the lookbook is available online, I've done my window shopping and made my list.  I was surprised at the number of items that appealed to me, either as gifts or for yours truly.  Home decor and clothes are the main offerings, and while it weighs more towards the ladies, there are dude-friendly choices, too.

Here are some of the eagerly-awaited things just waiting to jump into your cart:

Already familiar to Target, Jason Wu is back, this time putting his fancy touches on ornaments.

Carolina Herrera, of the swooping formal gowns, sticks with smaller accessories for this launch.

A pretty darn cool cocktail set up from Altazurra.

Lela Rose's top is pretty, but it also looks complicated to pull on.  I envision getting everything from chunky rings to kids' curious fingers snagged in the delicate overlay.

These opera gloves by Brian Atwood look even better in person.

I predict madness as moms try to grab this Marchesa number for their little princesses.

I love this blazer from Thom Browne.  Too bad the chick's version has 3/4 sleeves.  Maybe I'll see if I can get away with the men's option shown here.  It does kinda smack of the Olympics' opening ceremony, but who cares.

Do I want a skateboard by Derek Lam?  Yes.

Aww...  Band of Outsiders is offering you and your BFF the chance to show your love.

I adore Diane von Furstenberg.  My adoration extends to her jewelry box.

A Rag + Bone flask?  Hellz yeah!

Should you feel inclined to share your secret stash of bourbon...

Tracy Reese's first foray into hardlines, I believe.  And these are also much prettier in person.  I passed up the online version, only to find myself coveting the real-life display.  (P.S.  I got to meet Tracy, and she is the sweetest gal ever, making my decision to buy her appetizer plates that much easier.)

The perfect holiday party dress, thanks to Robert Rodriguez.  Now I just need to find that party.

Wanna spoil your pup (or cat)?  Oscar de la Renta enables you.

Oscar also enables you to treat yourself with this chic printed purse.

It's sort of random, but I like Rodarte's moon wrapping paper.

Eddie Borgo's larger-than-I-expected letter opener.  Scary in a good, elegant way.  I'll keep this at my desk, for tearing through envelopes and warding off the engineers, haha.

Of course Marc Jacobs wasn't going to do any full-size satchels, but his pouches are cute and festive.

Oh, Proenza Schouler, I was really hoping for a bag of some sort.  Guess this sweatshirt will have to do, instead.

And finally, Tory Burch's colorful thermos, which you can pair with...

...her glam take on the lunch box.  I really love Tory's designs, and these are no exceptions.  Too fab for your egg salad sandwich and turkey wrap?  I'll stash my pile of sunglasses in here.

So...  what caught your eye?  Scribbling down a wish list now, too?  Let me know what made you do a happy dance.  Or, were you expecting/wishing for different things from certain designers?  What were those?  I'd be curious to see if we had some similar "why didn't ABC do 123 instead of XYZ?" moments.  There are many other pieces to salivate over, including a bike by Alice+Olivia (looked ginormous to me), a cape by Prabal Gurung, and so on.  Click here to see the entire lookbook (cue the crying and/or chiding of your checkbook).

The Target+Neiman Marcus collaboration unleashes the mayhem on Saturday, 12/1.  I'm still deciding whether to stick with online shopping (and risk website crashes circa September 2011) or drag my butt out of bed and hit one of the stores.  Oh, and both Target and Neiman Marcus will carry the entire assortment.  While the former is accustomed to the crush of shoppers, I have to wonder if Neiman's has planned for a possible onslaught.  Hmm.  That could be interesting.  

Finally, a plea to Target's co-collaborator...  Considering you've just engaged in this lovely partnership, don't you think it's kind of mean to close your Minneapolis outpost??  We've already suffered the loss of other upscale department stores...  bye-bye Bloomie's and Saks.  While I love Nordstrom bunches, I hate to see it become the lone wolf.  Please consider keeping our Neiman Marcus open.  Some may snort and call it Needless Mark-Up, but I think plenty of fashionistas here "need" you.  And you realize you'd be closing shop on Target's home turf...  isn't that like giving your partner and newfound BFF the finger?  I don't know...  just a thought...

Coming soon...  Uptown (in Minneapolis) continues to turn into a mall, without the roof...  But is this a bad thing?

All images:  A Bullseye View / target.com