Fab Find: Dollar Aisle Journals

My latest score from the Dollar Aisle at Target are these fun faux-leather journals. At just $3 each, they come in a variety of neutral shades and sport cute sayings like "take note" and "plotting & planning".

Target shutters two big innovation projects...

Recode reports that following a disappointing holiday season, Target has decided to cut two of its most ambitious long-term projects before they even got off the ground.

One of the projects was dubbed the “Store of the Future” and consisted of a team building out a prototype for a small-format Target store that would be part showroom and part warehouse, complete with robots picking items behind the scenes to have ready for customers as they checked out.

The store was also expected to more closely integrate Target’s e-commerce offerings and include space for more experiential activities like classes and meet-ups.The Store of the Future was likely to open this year, so the decision to ax it completely blindsided leaders working on the project, according to two sources. Target CEO Brian Cornell was said to be excited about the initiative, making the shutdown even more shocking, these people said.

The other project was an internal startup called Goldfish that was building a software platform that would have the potential to someday become an open marketplace on which retailers other than Target might list goods for sale, sources said. In the near term, Target was set to first use the platform itself for a fashion site that had a social media feel. The leader of this project, former PayPal exec West Stringfellow, has told people he and his staff have been let go from the company, despite the fact that the project was set to launch next month.

Fab Find: "Things" and "Stuff" Caddies

Several months ago I first blogged about these adorable canisters, which are technically bathroom caddies but could be used in any room for holding just about anything. Well now, these cute canisters for "things" or "stuff" are on clearance at Target. When I snapped this pic a week ago, they were on sale for 30% off, and when I returned yesterday they were marked down further to 50% off.

Man accused of plotting explosions in Target stores...

This story was all over the news this week, so apologies for not posting it until now. As Consumerist reports, a Florida man allegedly hatched a plot to set off homemade explosives in several Target stores on the East Coast, with the goal to set Target’s stock into a tailspin.

According to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Ocala, a 48-year-old Ocala man was charged with “possession of a firearm (destructive device) affecting commerce by a previously convicted felon” after he went looking for help with his alleged plot.

Investigators say he offered a “confidential source” $10,000 to hide at least 10 explosives disguised as food items on the shelves of Target stores in Virginia, Florida, and New York. The suspect is a registered sex offender on probation, and as such, wears a Global Positioning Device (which prevented him from carrying out the alleged plot himself).

According to the complaint, he made bombs at home and gave them to the source to deliver as “packages” of breakfast bars, stuffing mix and pasta, along with a bag of gloves, a mask and a license-plate cover. Police say the suspect then explained to the confidential source that he would have to remove a rubber band on the exterior of each of the boxes to activate a triggering device that was inside. “[The suspect] told the CS not to let the box bounce around or they would explode,” the complaint states, though he reassured the source they wouldn’t kill anybody they would “take your hand off.”

So why would he want to bomb Target stores? To cash in. “[The suspect] theorized that the company’s stock value would plunge after the explosions, allowing him to cheaply acquire shares of Target stock before an eventual rebound in prices,” the complaint said.

On Feb. 10th, the suspect gave the unidentified person $280 in travel money, but instead of leaving on the trip, the source turned in the 10 explosive devices to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, plus the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. An explosives expert determined that the bombs “were capable of causing property damage, serious injury, or death to nearby persons upon detonation,” the complaint said. Authorities found rocket motor ignitors, M-5000 explosives, and batteries in a search of the suspect’s home. He’s now facing 10 years in federal prison.

Sale Alert: 25-30% off on Target.com

A quick check of Target.com this morning shows that the site is having a President's Day Sale: up to 30% off furniture & patio - plus an extra 10% off with the code PRESIDENT - and 25% off most clothing, shoes and accessories. The latter makes me chuckle as I was on the site yesterday and the clothing discount was only 15%, so they must have bumped it up today to try to increase sales.

If you do use the clothing discount (with the code STYLE) buyer beware: don't buy the pleated-back Who What Wear dress shown here. Although it looks lovely in pictures, I've tried it on and IRL it looks dreadful. The problem is that the pleats in back make the dress so heavy that it weighs it down and pulls to the back, which also makes it hard to cinch up the waist.

New at Target: Oh Joy! Pet Collection

Target collaborator Joy Cho - the creative mind and blogger behind Oh Joy! - is known for bringing splashes of joy, color and whimsy to everyday life. Now she's bringing that spirit to a limited-time only pet line. Featuring a colorful array of pet toys, fancy collars, water dishes and posh pet beds, the line is mainly dog-centric (although cat lovers could make use of the dishes and beds).

Shop the Oh Joy! pet collection at select Target stores and on Target.com. But hurry—they’re only available for six weeks.

Fab Find: Easter Straws

Another fab find from the Dollar Aisle at Target: these adorable Easter-themed paper drinking straws. Each gold-striped straw has a white cotton-tailed bunny attached to it. These run $3 for a pack of 16, and simpler straws with dots or flowers (without the bunny do-dads) run $3 for a pack of 24.

Fab Find: Dollar Aisle Egg Placecard Holders

Now that Valentine's Day is behind us, Target's Dollar Aisle is bursting with Easter merchandise. Yesterday I spied these lovely gold-marbled egg placecard holders. At just $3 for a set of two, they come in a variety of pastel colors.

Sale Alert: Sonia Kashuk Holiday Brush Sets

Sonia Kashuk's serpent-style brush set (and matching brush cup) are now on sale on Target.com for 15% off. The smaller brush set in a geometric black & white pattern is also on sale. You may want to check your local store first, though, for greater savings; one store I visited this week had the sets at 30% off, and another store had them marked down to 50% off.

New at Target: Method Kitchen Hand Wash

Target is now carrying Method's new odor-eliminating Kitchen Hand Wash. This "soap with smarts" is infused with herbal and citrus extracts to help get rid of stubborn food smells like onion, garlic and fish. At the same time, it's formulated to be non-drying so your hands will feel soft even after multiple washings.  Available in both stores and on Target.com, it comes in 4 different yummy scents: Basil, Clementine, Lemongrass and Thyme.

Fab Find: Owl Speaker

How cute is this? It's a beech-wood owl speaker from Modern by Dwell Magazine. The smooth curves of the owl figurine help to amplify and direct sound from your smart phone. To use, just angle the speaker end of the phone under the owl. Just $21.99 at Target and on Target.com.

Michelle Obama can't wait to get to Target...

As the Obamas get back to reality and move into their new Washington DC home, CNN reports that one of the things Mrs. Obama is looking forward to is shopping at Target.

CNN states that one top priority for the former first lady in her new life is simply running errands. "I want to go to Target!" she proclaimed to Stephen Colbert in 2015. The former first lady, who called herself "more of a Target shopper" in 2008, was spotted shopping at a suburban Target back in 2011. DC's Columbia Heights location is less than two miles from her new abode, but there are multiple options in Northern Virginia for her retail desires.

Fab Find: Baby Valentine's Onesie

The other day in Target I spied this adorable Valentine's-themed onesie in the baby department (as shown here). Turns out this is actually a onesie-set (with pants included) and is part of Carter's Just One You line.  The set is just $9.99, in stores and online.

Back at Target: Merona Espadrille Wedge

Since 2014, Target has sold a popular espadrille zip-up wedge by Merona that is basically a dupe of a popular Michael Kors sandal.  Last year it was called the "Meredith", and this year's style has been updated slightly and is now called the "Ruth".  At just $29.99, it comes in Taupe (as shown) as well as Black. I love this sandal and have bought it every year since it first came out: it's comfortable and lightweight for a wedge, plus the zip style holds your foot well and feel sturdy for a heel of this height.