Missoni for Target

It's ALMOST here....just over a week to go & our local Target stores will reveal the 400 piece Missoni collection to the public. I can't wait!!

If you haven't had a chance to preview the pieces, here are some of our favorites:



Not only does the collection include clothes & shoes, it also contains FABULOUS pieces for your Home!! It's the largest designer-collaboration collection Target has done thus far, and from what I've seen, I believe it's the BEST yet!!



And if that's not enough, check out the lookbook on Target's Facebook page, or the image album at target.com here.

And HERE Is a fabulous video where Margherita Maccapani Missoni, daughter of creative director Angela, talks about the “very big” collaboration as well as the campaign, which channeled Italian movies of the 1960s, the era when Missoni became famous outside of Italy.

The collection arrives in stores on TUESDAY, September 13. What pieces are you hoping to purchase before they are gone?

Hot, Sticky, Humid Weather....WHAT to Wear??

Lately in MN, we have had some extremely "tropical" weather....with heat indexes well over 100degrees! yikes!! It's not to bad as long as you have air conditioning in any/all places you have to be, say home and/or work. If not, I can't imagine how some people can focus on much, as I am one of the lucky ones with "AC"!!!

Even so, what do you WEAR when temps reach into the 90s and it's so humid that the windows are fogged when you wake up??

Jeans are definitely OUT....as I did attempt this while traveling and it was so horrible. Everything was just sticking to me. So my suggestion is to find the lightest most breathable fabric and style and go with it, even if you are at a baseball game!!

A MAXI DRESS is one of the most popular pieces for this type of weather. I have yet to find one that I love and fits me well enough to purchase, BUT I have seen SO MANY FABULOUS maxi dresses on tons of people these days....they are perfect for this hot & humid weather. Whether you style it casual with flat sandals, or dress it up with a pair of wedges, a fun clutch, and fabulous jewelry, a maxi dress is a great staple for your summer wardrobe. If you don't have one yet, I recommend getting one NOW, as there aren't many left in stores as fall styles are beginning to move in! You may get lucky and even score one on sale!! LOVE that!!!

If you don't want to do the long maxi, or can't because you are petite, there are just as many short summer dresses out there for you! And, just like the maxi, these can be casual or dressed up for a night out! One of my favorite "cheap" summer dresses is this simple kimono sleeve dress from Target. It's only $18 and it's comfortable and so versatile. You can use it as a swimsuit cover-up, wear it casual to run errands with flip flops or dress it up with a wide belt, wedges and fun jewelry!! It comes in a wide range of colors, as well as several fun prints.

Another option is a susana monaco dress. I had not heard of this designer until I began working at Hot Mama, but I have learned to love her! She makes fabulous & simple dresses (& of course other pieces) which are "wash & dry" and easy to travel with. I have fallen in love with her dresses, especially the pocket tube dress (pictured below left in black). Her pieces run a little more than the bargain Target dress, BUT I believe them to be worth it. I own the pocket dress in Navy and love it!! Again, if you want an investment piece, that won't go out of style and will last longer than your bargain dress, check out susana monaco's dresses. (She does have several maxi dresses as well!)

One final piece that can be worn when it's unbearably hot out is a jumpsuit or romper. Again, I have yet to find one that fits me well and I love, but I know there's one out there with my name on it!! Again, Target has a fabulous tube-top style jumpsuit, in several colors, and of course, at a great price ($19.99), but only available online--which of course, makes me crazy trying to decide what size to order! But, still, could be a cheap and wearable version of this fun style!


I really LOVE a halter style top, so I would love to find one reasonably priced in that style, and preferably in black (easier to "dress up"), but I keep stumbling upon great strapless/tube top style jumpsuits instead, such as the two pictured here (above left & below right). So...maybe that's the style I just need to purchase??!!




Hopefully the heat/humidity won't last too long, although I really don't want to complain, as I would take this over -40 below zero any day!! ....And living in MN, we all know those extremely cold days are always a part of our winters!!

So....enjoy the heat, and the chance to wear a piece that maybe you normally wouldn't!! It sure has made me re-think my summer wardrobe (mainly consisting of jeans rolled up with a v-neck tee or tank).....try something new & different, it's actually rather exciting!!

Shopping South of the Cities

Looking for a fun way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon?? Well, get a group of your gals together & take a little road trip South!! Not quite as far as Mexico...just southern MN to Prior Lake & Northfield. We took a nice little trip to see 2 boutiques,
Rosie Posie & Sisters Ugly.

Rosie Posie

Located at 6880 Boudin St, Prior Lake, MN


Although they do have clothing & jewelry - the best part of this shop is the home decor & accessories. They have a very french chic vibe, and this totally translates into the home decor -- from beautiful candlestick holders to vintage perfume bottles to fabulous frames. We both ended up breaking down and purchasing items -- the best find was a set of 6 vintage Paris maps in shadow-box frames -- and they were on sale!!


Check out their website - which has a GREAT slide show of pictures & descriptions of what you can find in the store: http://www.rosieposie.net/index.php?splash=1


It's definitely a place to find unique items for your home, especially if you love a vintage vibe!!! So worth the drive south!

Sisters Ugly


Located at 220 Division St South, Northfield, MN


Good brands - smaller selection, but good amount for the size of the store. A few of the brands we saw -- Kensie, Joe's Jeans, Fluxus (VERY CUTE) & Knitted Dove. Also really great jewelry assortment - both small, dainty items as well as bigger statement pieces. Here is an outfit they put together on their facebook page -- includes Skinny Dish Jeans, Franco Sarto Wedge and Kensie white vest.


They also just expanded across the hall with a small Shoe Store.


Check out their website -- http://sistersugly.com/ -- and/or find them on facebook.



While in Northfield, there are several shops - including Antiques - so plan to take your time & walk around. Might we also suggest some ice cream at the cute little candy shop??!!
Here is a great website that gives TONS of information about downtown Northfield -- http://visitingnorthfield.com/ -- definitely a great place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon!

On Hiatus...

....we've clearly had a short interruption/break/pause in our blogging here, but summer seems to bring that on....the feeling of just wanting to relax & enjoy the sun, versus spending time indoors working, on the computer, etc. ....and we do apologize!!!

But, we are back! ...and while we were away, our blog celebrated it's FIRST ANNIVERSARY!!

Happy ONE YEAR to us!!

we promise to be back with more fashion, shopping, and whatever else we feel like sharing....especially as fall fashion is starting to hit the stores!!

Fall is my favorite time of year.....the colors, the smells, and of course, who doesn't love to wear jeans, sweaters & boots??!!!

Here's to a FABULOUS first year of blogging with much more to come!! CHEERS to all of our followers/readers!

Summer Shoes...

Often, as the weather gets warmer, the issue of what to wear on your feet comes up more often than you might imagine!



With BBQs, weddings, parties, fairs, etc...there are SO many different shoes that work better for certain events or locations. You don't want to be sinking into the soft ground in your best stilettos at the next wedding or event you attend!

By the way....who wouldn't LOVE this shoe collection (pictured above)....it belongs to Jenna Lyons of JCrew, and I am completely & totally jealous!!



SO....what to wear when?
The important fact to think about is what type of venue is your event at? Will you be indoors or outdoors? Evening or Daytime? Casual or Dressy?


If your event is INDOORS & DRESSY/EVENING, you can wear basically anything that fits with your outfit. The one type of shoe you can add in as an option, with the warmer weather, is an open-toe style. This gives a more "summery" look than your typical closed toe heel. It is also often thought to look a bit more casual, so if it is a black tie event, stick with your favorite pumps! I love my Enzo Angiolini black open-toe pumps, perfect to wear with anything & very comfortable! This is the same style in a fun gold metallic color! (pictured above right)

If the event is OUTDOORS & DRESSY/EVENING, you don't want to be caught wearing stiletto heels...as you will be constantly sinking into the ground, and may even ruin or at least muddy up the heel of your shoes! No one wants that! The best shoe for an outdoor event is a wedge. This way you still feel "dressed up" with the height, but won't be sinking into the grass or wobbling across unsteady terrain. Here are a few of my favorite wedges of the season:
(click on the photo to find more info on any/all of the shoes)

I also LOVE my Seychelles Hawk wedges, SO fabulous!!! And only $89.95 at DSW!!


If your event is much more CASUAL, and OUTDOORS or INDOORS, you have SO many options! You can do a simple sandal or a flat. A very popular and comfortable flat are those made by TOMS. The great thing about TOMS is that for every pair that is sold they donate a pair shoes to someone who needs them! Here are a few of my favorite colors & styles:
(again, click on the picture to see details on each pair)

Target, DSW, and many other places have many casual and some even dressier flat sandals that can be worn to just about any event: work party, BBQ, shower, or just a girls' night around a fire. Here are just a FEW of the MANY styles available out there now:
(click for more info)

As you are shopping for shoes for your events, or just to update your summer wardrobe, always keep in mind your style and what fits your "brand." Just because a style of shoes is new & trendy, doesn't mean that you need to have a pair. If you don't like the look of a wedge heel, opt for a fancy sandal or simple flat instead.

There are ALWAYS so many choices, just choose what fits YOUR STYLE and what you LOVE!! Happy SHOE SHOPPING!!!

Let it Go!

Speaking of Looking GOOD for LESS....Gap is partnering with Goodwill and offering 30% off your purchase in exchange for clothing donations to Goodwill....how much better can that get??



If you haven't yet, SPRING is the best time to CLEAN OUT that CLOSET!!! Sift through those items you "thought" you might wear again, but still haven't. Remember those jean capris or shorts that you bought because they were on sale and never wore.....take them to Gap and get something you WILL wear, for 30% off!!!

This promotion is running NOW through MAY 29th, and if you have a Gap, Old Navy, or Banana Republic card you get 35% off!! FABULOUS!!!

I am loving the white cropped kick flare jeans (pictured right), which are priced at $59.95, but with this promotion and using my Gap card, they'd only be $38.97!!! Paired with the draped sleeveless top or the flutter sleeve tee and a pair of wedges, they are perfect for that upcoming BBQ!! (The cropped boyfriend jeans in white are another great pair at only $69.95.)

There are also several fabulous dresses (& skirts), perhaps for your upcoming date nite or baby/wedding shower!! OR my favorite, which I happen to be wearing today...the slim crop pants (in black)....SO comfortable and chic & easy to dress up or down--LOVE that!!

Whatever you may "need" or have been lusting after... take a few minutes to clear space in that closet and bring those goods in for a fabulous discount on something new!!

Have fun Spring Cleaning & Looking GOOD for Less!!

Look GOOD for Less!

I LOVE this quote by SJP, and had to share it!! Sometimes we get too caught up in having that bag or pair of jeans that other things in life suffer. But we can do BOTH....have a FABULOUS wardrobe & still be able to "LIVE"!!!

We all know that at times, $$ can be tighter than we may wish it was.... I know I have dreams of a huge walk-in closet with so many more items than I could imagine, but in life, that's not possible for all of us! So, we have to make do with what we can afford, but still manage to always LOOK GOOD!

I have seen so many blogs put out a "Look for Less" post from time to time, and others that share price comparisons of single items: one item for $1,000 or almost the exact same item for only $50! It can be done, but you do have to be careful.....as with some things, you do pay for what you get--and cheap isn't always the best way to go!

At work today, even though it's "casual Friday," I dressed up due to a morning interview. Perhaps that is why I stood out more to my colleagues (& students), or perhaps it was because I did have on a fabulous outfit??!! (I'll go with the latter!) But what makes it even better is that my ENTIRE outfit was only $65 and all 3 pieces (excluding my accessories) came from TARGET!

Here is what I am wearing today:

It's an outfit that is professional enough for an interview, but still has that "fun" element to it--with the nude lace tights and the nude/camel heels! LOVE it! The tights, as just about all of them are at Target, were only $10. The heels, which are now unavailable, were $29.99, and the shirt dress was only $24.99. I have heard that this shirt dress is now on clearance in several stores, and if you love these shoes, there are two other SIMILAR options available at Target, online. Check them out here & here!

Here are a couple blogs that often showcase a "look for less"....check them out:
Uber Chic for Cheap & the CheapChica's Guide to Style.
These are just two that I have seen & enjoyed reading....there are SO many more great fashion blogs out there--it just takes some time to find & read all of them!

There are SO many other items out there that I have seen "re-done" by Target and other stores at a more affordable price. Often they are SO worth it, but as I said before, you do have to be careful and pay attention to what you are really getting! A fake leather bag that smells of chemicals is in no way something I want to carry on my shoulder just because it was only $19.99!! And don't get too carried away. Your wardrobe should be a COMBINATION of higher priced items and lower priced items--that's what makes it work!

In her third style book, The Style Strategy, Nina Garcia reminds us that it's okay to spend money on an item that will last for years: consider it an investment! If it's more of a "trend" or something that you only need for a couple occasions, then go with the less expensive version. It is totally okay to pair your $50 jeans with your $250 boots, a $75 sweater, and a $5 pair of earrings....that's what makes your wardrobe your own! Have fun with it, and remember you don't need the "designer version" of everything out there!
BE CREATIVE!