Such Pretty Things

Target Tuesday: Pucci-esque Brushes

When I was a very little girl, my Nana was a huge fan of the designer Pucci.  She had the coolest mini-dresses in wildly graphic prints, colorful silk scarves, and even Pucci-patterned towels in her powder room. All that beautiful color and design made a big impression on me and I still love Pucci to this day. So, when I saw these beyond fabulous limited-edition make-up brushes at Target, they immediately went right into my shopping cart.

They are are actually designed by Sonia Kashuk, but they are clearly "Pucci-inspired"...

And I absolutely LOVE them!

The entire five-piece set is only $14.99 and would make an incredible gift for any fashionista, don't ya think?

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Pretty & Thrifty Thursday: Summery Earrings

I found these pretty, summery earrings at Target yesterday.

I just love them and I can already envision myself wearing them with my maxi-dresses and sandals on balmy summer evenings.

The colors are gorgeous! Turquoise is all the rage this season...

...and I can never pass up anything in a pretty periwinkle.

Only $7.99 each, but I think they look much more expensive. :-)

Run, don't walk...

:-)

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Dedication

Well, as promised, I woke up bright and early this past Sunday morning so that I could be at Target right when the doors opened. Now that, my friends, is dedication.

Having been traumatized by past Missoni and Liberty of London openings, I got there super, super early.  So early it seems, that I was the only one there.

Well, just me and the security guard. O.K., so maybe "The Shops" aren't exactly Missoni, but I wasn't taking any chances. So, I waited in the car in the empty parking lot (with the doors locked) until a few other (crazy) shoppers showed up and I felt safe enough to venture out of my car.  A quick poll determined that of the five of us there, three were there specifically for "The Shops", while the other two didn't have the slightest clue what I was talking about. You will be proud (but perhaps not surprised) to hear that I was the very first person in line.

And as soon as those doors opened, I made a beeline for the new displays.

I headed for the home items from "Privet House" first.

They were nice and seemed to be of high quality. Lots of patterned melamine dishes and serving pieces. A few pillows and tote bags. Not really my colors, but definitely fresh and modern and perfect for summer entertaining. Can you guess what I bought from this display?

Next, I ran to "The Candy Store" end cap. 

Here's what it looked like when I got there....

And here is what it looked like when I left...

I wonder who bought all those polka dot lollipops???  Next up was the "Polka Dog Bakery" display.

Very cute and very pretty packaging, but I didn't buy anything because our dog just happens to be a very finicky eater. I almost bought some boxes just because I liked the colors, but I applaud myself for having the self-control to put them back on the shelf. :-)

The items from "The Cos Bar" looked very urban-chic, but maybe just a little too hip for me...

Plus, the colors kinda reminded me of Halloween, sooooo....no.

Finally, the clothing items from "The Webster" looked nice enough, but I didn't really see anything that I was overly excited about and ultimately left without buying anything from the collection.

All in all, I love "The Shops" concept and it was lots of fun to see all the new product lines.  Were they worth getting up at 6 am on a Sunday morning?  Not completely sure. But those lollipops with the Necco Wafer polka dots sure are cool...

Happy Tuesday!

Jessica

Target News!

In case you haven't heard, Target is introducing a new shopping concept starting tomorrow, May 6th!  They will be launching "The Shops at Target", a collection of five boutique brands chosen from specialty shops from around the country - they include home goods from Privet, cosmetics from Cos Bar, clothing from The Webster, and dog treats from Polka Dog Bakery.  But I am especially excited about the items from the Candy Store - a beautiful candy shop that we've had the pleasure of visiting while in San Francisco.

You can check out a really cool video about all of it right here.

I guess you know where I will be tomorrow morning! Happy shopping!

:-)

Jessica

(* These photos are from our trip to The Candy Store last year - not items that Target will be selling.)

Target Tuesday: Sea Glass Tumbler

I am so enamored with this pretty glass tumbler I found at Target this week.

It's the most beautiful watery blue-green - so reminiscent of sea glass.

I found it in the bath accessories aisle (for $7.99), but I think it's just perfect to hold a little bedside bouquet.

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Chic Serving Tray

I found this very chic serving tray at Target this week.  The only problem was the color...

Kind of a very blah and boring grayish-green. Definitely not my idea pretty.  But I just loved the design, so I broke out a can of white lacquer spray paint and five minutes later, I had this!

Now it's pretty and chic!

Perfect for spring-time entertaining!  Just load it up with some vintage juice glasses,

(you can find then for a few dollars a piece at tag sales)

fresh flowers,

and some sweet treats and you've got yourself a party!

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

The Ice Cream Social Birthday Party

Hello All!  I do apologize for being MIA all last week.  It was not my intention, but Mini-mini-me's Ice Cream Social Birthday party ended up requiring my full attention! So, I thought I would show you some of the party today.  If you recall, the party was a sleep-over for Mini-mini and eight of her closest girlfriends. Since it took place primarily during the evening hours, I don't have well-lit pictures from the party itself.  But, I can show you lots of the little details. For starters, I kept the decorations really easy and simple - just hung up a bunch of pom-pom garlands and ordered a ton of pastel colored balloons...

The girls arrived and promptly changed into their PJs and set up their sleeping bags.  I had covered my family room sofas and rugs with lots of floral quilts - this served to protect my furniture (especially my white shabby chic sofas!) and made the whole room look like one big comfy bed!  For dinner we served pizza (from our favorite local pizza place) and veggies (not too popular).  After dinner, the girls decorated their very own evening bags.  I bought real, adult evening bags (collected from places like Target, TJ Maxx, etc...) that were very simple and gave the girls lots of millinery flowers, rhinestones, feathers, etc...to embellish them.  They did such an incredible job with them - I wish I had photos. :-(  After craft-time, it was time for the big event: Dessert!  We had to have birthday cake (a yummy, butter-cream rose covered one), but the main attraction was the ICE CREAM buffet!  I provided all the sundae basics (ice cream, hot fudge, pastel marshmallows, whipped cream, cherries, etc..)...and a "sprinkle bar"!

I put all the different types of sprinkles in cute little plastic bowls from Target (see, I've managed to fit in a Target Tuesday today, too!). They were only $1.99 for a set of four and just the perfect size...

I buy my sprinkles anywhere I can find them (grocery stores, cake-decorating shops, over-seas, etc..).  These pretty pastel non-pareils were from the Easter section at Target...

After dessert, the girls danced to music (Adele was very popular - LOVE her!) and watched movies. And just in case they weren't on enough of a sugar high, I set up a concession stand with boxes of movie-style candies and popcorn in cute little boxes. After much pillow-fighting and giggling, the girls finally went to sleep around midnight. We had some early risers (6 am) in the morning. For breakfast, I just served a variety of cereals, donuts, and bagels.  I had originally planned to make pancakes, but then I thought better of it.  :-)  When it was time to go, the girls all received a personalized "ice cream" tubs...

...filled with (yes!) more candy.

I ordered the ice cream tubs from Amazon and then made my own labels with scrapbook paper.

Each girl also received a delicious Ice-cream cone cookie from another one of our favorite local shops, Bundles of Cookies.

It was a really fabulous party and Mini-mini-me had such a wonderful time with all her friends. And hey, I even survived the experience.  Now, I think I just need to take a little nap...

:-)

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Cupcake Party Goods

I am loving Target's new line of cupcake-themed party goods!

There are paper plates and napkins in several sizes. Isn't the pattern so colorful and pretty!

Just grab some sprinkle-topped cupcakes and you have an instant party!

:-)

Happy Tuesday!

XOXO

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Magical Straws

When I was a little girl, my sister and I always loved to drink our milk with Crazy Straws.  Do you remember them?  They were these fun, plastic (reusable) straws with lots of loops and turns!  Well, when I found these colorful plastic straws at Target this week, I just had to buy them for my girls.

While these aren't quite as "crazy", they are quite magical - when placed in cold water they change colors! So pretty and fun!  They are called Color Change Straws and are actually made to fit the Aladdin To-Go Tumblers, but I see no reason why you can't use them in just a regular old glass.

They come in several colorways, are dishwasher safe, and BPA-free! Just $3.99 for a set of four. The ones on the left are shown after the color change and the ones on the right are from before:

Pretty cool, huh? :-)

Happy Tuesday!

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Latte Bowls

I am loving these pretty latte-esque bowls that I found at Target this week.  They come in three sizes - in the perfect cottage white.

I will no doubt be using these for everything from lattes to ice cream, but today I thought they would be perfect for an early Autumn arrangement...

The lovely Hydrangeas are from Trader Joe's (they really do have the prettiest and most inexpensive flowers around!) and the colors are so soft and beautiful...

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica