Target copies itself...

On a recent trip to Tar-shay, I noticed an awfully familiar pair of earrings.  Shown at far left is a pair of oval hoop earrings in brushed goldtone that I snapped a pic of Sunday.  And shown on the right is virtually the same pair under the Calypso St. Barth for Target brand, which debuted in May of last year. 

The only difference?  The price.  The Calypso ones retailed for $14.99, whereas the current version sells for just $7.99.

Diet Pepsi + Jonathan Adler for Target

Somehow this promotion got past me, but apparently in mid-June Diet Pepsi kicked off a multi-platform partnership with designer Jonathan Adler. And in 960 Target stores across the U.S. - and for a limited time only - consumers who bought two 12-or 8-packs of Diet Pepsi received a canister of Jonathan Adler-designed Diet Pepsi straws (shown here).  Target supposedly even had special end-caps for this promotion, but again, I must have missed it in store.  So you can imagine my surprise when I saw a boatload of these canisters on a clearance endcap at my local Target store.  A sucker for anything Adler related (have I mentioned I have an Adler umbrella in my company’s colors?) I had to nab a few.  Look for them marked down to $1.95 in the food/beverage aisle.

Fab Find: Xhilaration Draped-back Top

While at Target this morning, I found this fabulous little top by Xhilaration.  Now from the front, it may look like a normal scoop-necked tee  (with a trendy hi-low hem that's longer in the back).  But then check out the back, with it's dramatic draped effect!  This top is made of a super-soft rayon/poly blend, and besides Red Wagon (shown here) it also comes in Basic Black and Jade Green (which was the shade I bought).  Best of all, it's only $14.99... or in my case, even less, since I found mine on the clearance rack for 30% off!

Target to sell Tim Gunn-styled Barbie dolls...

This just in from InStyle Magazine: for his latest styling venture, Tim Gunn is giving Barbie a makeover.  The Project Runway mentor dressed two dolls in chic separates like dark denim skinnies, colorful blazers, classic trench coats and buckled booties as part of Mattel’s Barbie Collector series.  The $30 dolls and $25 accessory packs will hit Target stores August 1st.  Make it work, Barbie!

Wild speculation about the NM/Target collab...

As I pondered a week ago, perhaps there are clues in the NM + Target promo video about the offerings in their upcoming Christmas collab.  But Racked has taken the speculation to the next level by giving a rundown of each of the 24 CDFA designers participating in the collaboration and predicting what each one might produce. You can read the full rundown here.  My favorite is the possibility that Tory Burch will create a capsule jewelry collection, which I think would be both fab and affordable.

Bullseye flies First Class...

Here's a cute story for you: Bullseye, Target's mascot, was spotted in First Class yesterday on a Delta flight from from Chicago-O'Hare to Minneapolis.  A passenger snapped this pic with excitement over spying Target's spokesdog bull terrier.

Ironically, Delta has a travel ban on bulldogs.  However, in this instance the airline classifies Bullseye as a "high-profile animal," meaning he gets the A-OK to have his own seat within the cabin. Another Delta high-profile four-legged flyer? Uga, bulldog mascot of the University of Georgia.

Fab Find: Mossimo "Kayanna" Riding Boots

Just in time for Back-to-School, Target.com has these on-trend tall riding boots - the Kayanna from Mossimo - on clearance for just $12.24! (down from $34.99).  They have a four-star review, and seem to still be available in a wide range of sizes.  And they look awfully similar to these "Brooklee" boots by Vince Camuto (regularly $258.95, but on sale for $169.90 right now during Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale).