The Look for Less: One Kings Lane vs. Threshold

I keep seeing octopus motifs popping up everywhere, especially in home decor. Both of these wonderful ceramic figurines (each around 6" big) would make an elegant accent piece. But the one on the left is from One Kings Lane and will set you back $19, whereas the one on the right is from Threshold (at Target) and costs almost half that (at just $9.99).

Lilly Pulitzer's Plans Post-Target...

Racked reports that despite the incredible success of Target x Lilly Pulitzer's homewares and beach accessories, don't expect Lilly Pulitzer to churn out their signature prints on anything and everything. Bloomberg checked in on the brand's plans post-Target collab, and Lilly Pulitzer execs maintain that they will keep the focus on selling clothes and accessories.

So while Lilly addicts can buy lifestyle items like thermal mugs and wireless speakers on the company's site, Bloomberg asserts that Lilly Pulitzer doesn't intend on permanently branching out to beach gear and home furnishings. The good news is that Lilly Pulitzer is interested in more one-time collaborations in the future where things can get more creative, as seen in the Lilly Pulitzer for Target hammocks and beach chairs.

The frenzy over the Target launch also coincided with a big year of expansion for Lilly Pulitzer. The brand will add six stores this year instead of the usual four stores, and it's also expanding far away from resort towns, as Lilly Pulitzer will soon open a store in Chicago.

Woman Claims Target Stole Her T-Shirt Design...

A stay-at-home mom in Oregon says The Bullseye swiped one of her t-shirt designs, ABC affiliate KATU-TV reports.

Melissa Lay designs, prints and sells her own t-shirts from her garage. Now, she claims mass retailer Target stole one of her designs. Melissa is shown here wearing her own shirt, and holding up Target's version on the hanger.

"(I was) blown away," said Lay, "because as a small business owner (and) a mom, I work hard on every shirt I sell."

A friend of Melissa's found a nearly identical top from a Target store in Seattle. Another found the design at a Target in Texas.

While the designs appear to be the same, there are a few small differences. The Target shirt has a distressed flag, as opposed to Lay's original design. Lay also says the material used to make Target's shirts is of lesser quality than hers.

Another big difference: the Target tank retails for $12.99. Lay's handmade t-shirt is $25. Unfortunately, Lay does not have a copyright on every one of her designs because she says it's simply too expensive.

"I would have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to fix this, and I still might lose," Lay told KATU-TV. Lay reached out to Target's headquarters in Minneapolis, who encouraged her to write a letter outlining her complaint.

The Look for Less: Lilly Pulitzer vs. Mossimo

One of the most popular items from the recent Lilly Pulitzer for Target collab were these cute pompom trimmed  "Upstream Dream" print track shorts. Sadly, they sold out quickly at $24, as did just about everything else from the collab. But you can still get a similar look - at an every more wallet-friendly price - with these Mossimo blue print shorts with crochet trim for just $17.99.

Last-minute Mother's Day Gifts from Target...

While perusing the aisles at Target yesterday, I found some items that would make great last-minute Mother's Day gifts (for those of you who haven't done your shopping yet!). They'd also make nice birthday, hostess or "just because" gifts for the women in your life. Clockwise from left:

• a Smith & Hawken Lavender Calla Lilly Grow Kit, on sale this week for $10 (regularly $12.99)
• a fresh-flower arrangement in a colorful box. Target has brought these in this week just for Mother's Day; look for them displayed on the jewelry cases and near the checkout stands for $19.99
• the Sonia Kashuk Bath and Body Collection: pick from an array of fragranced products like shower gels, perfumes and body lotions, priced from $6.99 to $19.99
• Merona scarves for just $16.99. I tried to capture the detail here, but my pic doesn't do them justice. These scarves come in a variety of prints (stripes, geometric, even cute little fish!) and have fun detailing like topstitching and pom-poms. 

And the winner is...

The winner of my latest blog giveaway - for the Lilly Pulitzer for Target hair elastics - is reader "Mixed Up Chromosomes"! Her entry was picked by the random number generator over at Random.org. Congrats to the winner; I've emailed you for your mailing address, and as soon as you sent it to me I'll send you your prize. And thanks again to everyone who entered and for reading my blog!

The Look for Less: J Crew vs. Sam & Libby

Super-simple, flat sandals are all the rage right now. In fact, I did another "Look for Less" post last month about a similar style. The versions shown here have two straps and are a bit dressier than the athletic slides I profiled before. The big difference is that the pair shown on top are by J Crew and will set you back $78, whereas the pair shown on the bottom are by Sam & Libby (at Target) and cost just $26.99. Personally, I prefer the Sam & Libby ones with the two varied straps - one in shiny patent and the other in faux-snakeskin.