Ashley Paige swimwear silently debuts at Target

As reported last December, Ashley Paige is designing a swimwear line exclusively for Target. Funny thing is, the line has seemingly already launched, with little (or no) fanfare... much like the recent Miss Trish sandal line. The line is called Bikini Love, and I happened upon it by accident yesterday at the Target store near my work. And the really funny thing is: it was already marked down to 50% off!

Now mind you, all they had in this particular store was this one style in navy blue (shown) -- so perhaps a Target employee mistakenly thought it was all they had left and put it on clearance? I'm not sure, but you can check out the rest of the Bikini Love line here on Target.com. And true to predictions, all the styles look like they're teeny-weeny!

Wednesday’s Rave: these Mossimo sandals

I don’t peruse the shoe department at Target that much. For the most part, their shoes have been a disappointment to me, outside of one adorable pair of wooden-beaded embellished Cherokee sandals from 4 years ago (which I’m actually wearing right now) and a couple of other shoes styles I’ve blogged about here. Certainly the recent Miss Trish line was a huge letdown. So usually when it comes to Target and shoes, I think “why bother?”

But that changed this week when I found the Willa thong in Yellow by Mossimo. Seriously, it looks a lot like a pair of Tod’s sandals I had a couple of years ago that I practically wore out over the course of the summer after wearing them so much. These Willa sandals are not only stylish, they’re comfy as well, with a contoured, suede-lined footbed.

The only problem? Finding them. When I first spied them on the rack at the Target near my work, they only had size 9 and up (whereas I’m a middle-of-the-road size 7). So then I went online, and all they had were sizes 5 and 5 ½. Yesterday, I went to the Target near my house, but still no luck. Then FINALLY I found them at the Target in between my work and home… success!

PS: these cuties also come in Tan, but IMO, the tan is boring and Yellow is the way to go.

More “As Seen on TV” Products

Last week I blogged about some of the “As Seen on TV” products that are available at Target, and reader Lola commented that she’d heard good things about “Smooth Away”. That inspired me to hunt down this first-hand review of the product on Freep.com. Here are the highlights:

The pitch: A pad made of superfine crystals that safely buffs away hair and leave skin soft and smooth.
The pros: It's less expensive than waxing, it doesn't smell bad like cream depilatories, and you won't cut yourself shaving.
The cons: It can cause your skin to sting, like it’s been scratched or scraped.
The bottom line: It works BUT may also make your skin sting and turn red… ouch!

Lukewarm for Loomstate...

Have you checked out the new Loomstate for Target collection yet? I have, and it left me lukewarm. For one thing, designer Rogan Gregory seems to be copying himself, because his new line is borrowing a LOT of ideas from his last one for Target. Case in point: here’s his plaid dress from last year’s line (shown) and he’s doing another one (this time with cap sleeves) this year. Last year he offered short-shorts in a black/white leopard-print; this year’s version is with black/white seagulls. And as I reported previously, the color palette from last year’s line is repeated this year, with a heavy emphasis on black, white and charcoal grey.

Also, the sizing seems to be all over the map. Some items look true to size, whereas others look to be oversized (like this blousy seagull tank). On the opposite end of the spectrum, customers have complained that this so-called “t-shirt dress” isn’t anywhere near long enough to be a dress. Perhaps Rogan meant it to be a swimsuit cover-up instead?

All that said: there is ONE piece in this collection that I liked enough to take a chance on, and that’s this LBD (little black dress). Rogan calls it “cotton silk”, although it’s made of 100% organic cotton. Whatever it’s made of, it felt light and airy and seems perfect for the hot weather ahead. I had to order it online since I could only find it in stores in a size XS, but once it arrives I’ll let you know if it’s a “yay” or a “nay”.

Pick of the Week

It's Pick of the Week time: each week I pick one great buy from Target's Weekly ad (in the Sunday newspaper) and highlight it here on my blog. Now I just love it when I find something that blends form and function, and this sleek Floor Lamp (pictured) does just that. Not only is this a stylish lamp, but it's also a handy display shelf as well. The modern design looks like something you'd find at West Elm or Ikea, but a quick perusal of their sites showed nothing like it.

Available in two styles - Black wood finish with a fabric shade, or Walnut wood finish with a paper shade - this lamp is on sale at Target this week for just $46 (their lowest price of the season).
Note: this item is available in stores only.

Anna Sheffield for Target

High end jewelry designer Anna Sheffield is partnering up with Target for a limited collection later this year. This collection is the fifth jewelry launch in a series of limited-time-only accessories designers at Target. The Anna Sheffield for Target collection will be available at Target stores nationwide and on Target.com starting August 30th.

Cameron Diaz, Julianne Moore and Uma Thurman are all fans of her creations, and you can read more about Anna on her web site. Like many other designers on the fashion radar, Anna has been inspired by the Victorian era and particularly by Mourning jewelry. "I love the workmanship of the pieces of this time period," she has said. "There is such a sense of the person that made the object, an inherent quality that can't be defined."

Shown is a sampling of rings from her regular retail line, which starts at $500 and goes up from there. Her quality and workmanship reminds me a bit of the Dean Harris for Target line (which I loved) and hopefully will fare better than the Erickson Beamon collection currently in stores (which I wasn't crazy about).

New Greenroom Eco at Target

Devoted readers will remember that I’m a big fan of the Greenroom Eco line at Target. This environmentally-friendly line of stationery is made of recycled paper and printed in soy inks. And it looks like Target has some new designs in stock – for Greenroom’s 3-ring binder or journal – at just $5.99 each. Available in stores only (not online).