No Tar-jay for Canada… yet.

I am back from a wonderful week in Canada, and wanted to share with you all a bit of information I got from a shopkeeper in Montreal’s Old Town. The shop – Eternal Noel – doesn’t seem to have a web site, but I was able to find this great picture on Flickr (and yes, this store is as charming on the inside as it is from the outside). When I went to pay for my purchases, the shop’s owner commented on my Target RedCard, and he shared with me that unfortunately, Canada does not have any Target stores yet. Walmart, yes, but Tar-jay, no. He said that it is hard for American-based retailers to enter the Canadian market because everything – all the signage, pricing, advertising, etc. – needs to be in both French and English. He said that he’s heard that Tar-jay is making strides to try and enter the Canadian market, but that it will take time to coordinate all the bilingual efforts.

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. Today’s pick is the Converse One Star collection, on sale this week for 20% off. In addition to all clothing (both men’s and women’s) the sale also includes women’s accessories as well as men’s, women’s, & kids shoes. Now if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’m a big fan of the Converse One Star line… so I personally plan to shop the women’s selection, as well as pick up a new pair of my hubby’s favorite sneakers for him.

Another thing to check out: this cute Converse one-piece swimsuit that was recently featured in Real Simple magazine (the May issue; see page 104) as a top pick if you have “full hips and thighs”. To quote: “The perfectly cut leg lines on this slimming tank have a minimizing effect”. And this week, it’s on sale for just $23.99 (regularly $29.99).

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 if you haven't already noticed, scarves are all the rage right now. This once winter-only accessory is now a year-round trend. You cannot even pass a Gap window anymore without seeing display of a summery-dress paired with a color-coordinated scarf. But rather than pay $20-25 to experiment with this trend, head on over to Target and pick up one of their Xhilaration scarves on sale for just $14 each. Other selected women's scarves are also on sale this week, like this Ombre Jersey Wrap by Merona for just $13.49.

And now a programming note: I'm off on vacation for the next week, so I won't be blogging again until next Sunday's Pick of the Week. Until then, Happy Shopping!

Clearance Alert: Felix-Rey for Target

Attention, bargain-hunters! Most of the Felix-Rey collection of bags for Target have been put on clearance. Some of the larger totes seem not to be on sale, but many of the other bags - like this cute envelope clutch (pictured) which The Recessionista fell in love with - are now 30% off. So snap them up while you still can; I know in my local stores the Felix-Rey collection has pretty much sold out already.

Jaime Pressly hearts Target

Here’s a shot of “My Name is Earl” star Jaime Pressly at the Loomstate for Target launch in Los Angeles last month. At the event she stated that the Loomstate/Target partnership is "a great opportunity for everyday people who can't afford $300 for a pair of jeans to come in and get a pair of jeans from the same designer for a reasonable price."

Clearance Alert: Loomstate for Target

The women’s collection from Loomstate for Target just went on clearance on Target.com for 30% off. Now while I wasn’t an initial fan of this collection, it grew on me over time. You can get this cute LBD I raved about on sale now for just $27.98, as well as this cute & comfy tank top (the front is grey, and the back is bright pink) for just $11.89. I ended up getting both this one plus the one in black/grey.

One note: although the women’s Loomstate collection is on clearance, the men’s collection - for some reason - is not.

Wednesday’s Rave: an array of cute bridesmaid gifts

Yes, it’s that time again: wedding season is upon us. And surprisingly, Target has an array of cute – and affordable – bridesmaid gifts. Like this adorable polka-dot Bridesmaid tote (shown) for just $21.99. There’s also a pink Bridesmaid tote at an even lower price point ($14.99) that comes in a Maid of Honor version as well. Still lower (at just $13.99) is this pink floral Bridesmaid cosmetics case.

If totes aren't "your thing", you can go the more traditional jewelry route with these charming “one word” sterling charm bracelets in Believe, Dream, and Laugh (just to name a few) for just $29.99 each.

Or you can choose a practical gift, and get each of your bridesmaids a Pashmina shawl (only $14.99 each, in a variety of colors) to wrap around their shoulders should your wedding day weather turn dicey.