Don't Discount Target (A K8 Flashback)

Originally published: 2/18/08

As you know, I love Target for everything from peanut M&Ms and knock-off Vitamin Water, to a $25 Mossimo dress and cheap sunglasses that are only "99% UV protected."  But I've recently discovered yet ANOTHER great thing about the Big T (I refuse to pronounce it tar-jay - it's Target, and I say it with pride).

I recently bothered some of you about whether or not I should read "The Other Boleyn Girl" (I like the idea of reading something other than chick lit or young adult books now and then).  I got a resounding YES from everyone and have been haunting my local (HUGE) 1/2 Price Books for the past month now, but they're always sold out of it (typically happens when a book becomes a movie, such as this one).  Anyway, I popped into "my" Target (NW Hwy and Lemmon), and wow, they really have a great book selection!  I picked up "Boleyn" for only $5.99 plus two other paperbacks (okay, one was a trashy romance - Lori Foster has some great male leads that are typically Ultimate Fighters, which I'm currently way into, but that's another story...).  They also have a great magazine selection, good kids/young adult books (I always get suckered into buying at least one coloring book), and obviously tons of cheapie DVDs that somehow end up in my cart (surprisingly, I still haven't actually opened the $5 copy of "Rudy" I "had to have" several months back).

Anyway, next time you head to Target for "just a couple of things" and haven't yet met your normal $100 spend, head over to the book/magazine/media section (usually at the back or far side of the store) and peruse for a bit...no doubt you'll find a cheap DVD or the latest copy of "Cat Fancy" magazine that you've been looking for.

Happy Targeting,

K8

Oh My Gloss!

As you know, lip gloss is one of my fave beauty products (come to think of it...most beauty products could be considered my "fave," except for maybe any lip "sloughing" stuff - it never works, always leaves gritty residue, and you'd get better results with a decent daily lip balm).  When it comes to glosses, I've tried, bought, tested, loved, hated, discarded, cherished, and recommended many different brands and price ranges (you all remember my "you must buy this!" dictate for Chantecaille's Charm gloss).  And even though I have a special love for Chanel Glossimers, lately I've become a tad disenchanted with how it tends to leak out the top (translation: impossible to throw in any handbag without discovering a new pack of gum all goopy w/gloss).

 To that end, I was determined to find a "less complex" (and cheaper) version of my beloved Chanel Twinkle gloss (it really looks great over ANY lipstick) - I needed something almost as good and certainly more portable.  Be happy, dear K8ers, because I found it!  May I introduce you to Rimmel's Stay Glossy Lip Gloss in Unlimited Gold (don't worry, it's a gorgeous pinky gold, not golden nugget bling).  Not only is it only $4.99, but it has a smooth texture (not tacky), looks lovely alone or over a lipstick, and despite the claims, it doesn't really last for hours (a "long-lasting" lip gloss?  Seriously, that just sounds gross).  I've already bought another darker color and been giddy about that one too.  And at $5 a pop, who cares if it wears off after your morning latte?  Just reapply and re-buy!

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss
Magic K8 Ball Says:
7 (Outlook Good), but also 4 (Ask Again Later)
...because I've been burned before by judging too quickly only to be disappointed later, so I'm being cautious on this one...

A Total Frye Baby

Hmm, what's that lovely smell that's wafting through my house?  Fresh-baked cookies?  A bouquet of lilies? No, it's the totally disarming scent of fresh, new leather boots!  You know you know that smell, and you know you love it.  This recognizable fragrance is coming from my new Frye boots that I fell in love with last week and literally had to have.  I didn't buy them on the spot (God knows why), but when I realized I was thinking about them non-stop (and pretty sure I dreamed about them that night), I almost immediately jumped online to find them.  They're no cheap date, but they're worth every penny and last a lifetime!

My love affair with Frye began over ten years ago when they were just getting popular (again).  I of course appreciate that they are a US brand and originally all made in the USA (now most are made in Mexico which I also support because Mexico makes seriously great boots).  Plus, what other boot do you know that manages to look rugged, sexy, and comfortable all at the same time?  (Not to mention the wearability factor with jeans, skinny pants, leggings, skirts, and dresses!). 

My first pair was the traditional harness style and cost $200 approx. eight years ago - it was the most I had paid to-date for any pair of footwear (although I've certainly surpassed that in recent years).  But to this day, they still wear, fit, and look great (and possibly even better than when I bought them).  These boots truly get better with age, they always garner compliments (it helps that mine are a limited-edition olive color), and are totally worth the investment.  So next time you want to do the right thing by your tootsies and your wardrobe, don't think twice - harness up your handbag, mosey up to the mall, lasso yourself the best gall-darn boots you'll ever have, and get ready to inhale the pleasure that is Frye leather.  Ahhhhh....  

Frye Boots
Magic K8 Ball Says: 8+++ (Gotta Have It!)