Target In January

I recently went to Target. As I do. When I want to buy a mindless variety of unnecessary items.

The reason I had gone there was because in my rummaging cleaning, I found 4 gift cards totaling $100 to Target in my drawer. They were given to me over the last few months as my kids would get them as gifts and then order something off of Amazon and pay me with their Target gift cards. I didn’t mind. I knew I would use them. Or lose them. Whichever came first. I decided to get on using them before I forgot.

With the holidays just recently being over and it being the beginning of the year, a lot of us are not spending money. I wanted to show some inexpensive options Target is offering right now, in case you wanted something new, but did not want a high price tag to struggle with.

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I didn’t mean to go to the clothing section. Cross my heart. But that is where I ended up. And I saw the best shirt. Seriously. Run. Don’t walk. And go get yourself this shirt. The only sizes left in black at our Target were XS and Large. I bought a Large for myself (fits perfectly) and an XS for my daughter (now you see why they don’t mind paying me with their gift cards).

The shirt is $16.99 and so similar to the more expensive shirts in my wishlist. See here. And here. Plus, you get 5% off if you use their Target Red Debit Card. It also came in the prettiest seafoam green color. But I needed a black shirt. The back has the pretty key-hole.

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Does this remind you of anything? How about my Ruffled Hem Pullover? This was less than 1/4 of that price?! I do like my Anthropologie sweater better. The back is more detailed. But this Target sweater was a great price. At $20, this was a nobrainer and my daughter got one, too. I bought the medium in this although I think I could have even gotten a large. It matches my AG Stevies Cords perfectly.

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And this awesome poncho pullover is so cool! At $20, it is simple to throw on. It is the easiest black and white stripes. Goes with so much. It covers the bum. Another steal. Another win for Target. By the way, I have no idea what is on my thigh. I had put those pants on for the very first time five minutes prior to this pic.

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I did not buy either of these sweaters. Not at Anthropologie. Not at Target. I do not own a French Bulldog, so it wasn’t for me. There was a popback of this sweater at Anthropologie last week and I would have ended up paying the same amount as the Target price. But I didn’t need it. So I didn’t buy it.

I just have to say… Umm. I’m not sayin’ this is a blatant copy of Anthropologie’s sweater. What do you think? Wink. If you missed it at Anthropologie, Target’s copy is $20.

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Gnomes!!! Look at these little darlings. I love ’em. I want to marry them. I want to rub their cold little hard bodies all over my cheeks. I want to… Okay. Let’s quit there. $4 a piece (just the 4 crackled versions in the pot). Adorable.

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And a big one to greet folks at the door. I only wish they had two more of him.

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And a sad, sad little fellow. He looked so forlorn, I had to take him home to cheer him up. He still isn’t happy. I have a feeling he never will be. But he is a pretty color. Blue. Just like his heart.

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This awesome crockpot was marked down from $35 to $17.48. How cool is it? I cannot wait to use it!

Have you been to Target lately? Do you always walk away with more than you came for? The buyers there are doing it right!

* Some pictures shown here were taken from Target and Anthropologie’s websites.

Decorating Christmas

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I try. I try to stay ahead of things, but inevitably I fall behind. I meant to take pictures of my home decorated for Christmas and post them weeks ago. You know. Before Christmas. Like all of the other bloggers who can manage to create a post on time.

Rebels.

And I am sure you are done with Christmas. Because…It was over a week ago. Over. Done. I have all ready packed it all away. I am sure you have, too. If you celebrate, that is. If not, then I am doubly sorry for this late post.

Selfishly, this is a lot for me. I always forget how the heck I have arranged things the year before. Now I can have it on record.

And, no, I have not all of a sudden become “on top of it.”

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This is what my home looked like up until two days ago.

But let’s pretend for a moment that we did not see that. That packages have not been ripped open. That boxes and trash did not line every space upon my floor. That I didn’t find my dog humping a pile of wrapping paper and subsequently tripped over the hidden table and now have a bruise in the odd shape of a candy cane on my thigh.

These photos were taken before all of that. When I was in blissful ignorance of my houses’s demise. Of Ollie’s freaky new habbit. And my thighs were perfect.

Ha!

Okay, but we are daydreaming here, so that sentence still stands.

Here is what my home looked like not a week before. It never knew what hit it:

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Is your home put back together? When do you pack everything away? Do you keep a record of how you decorated? Do you have any candy cane shaped bruises to commemorate the day? Or a dog who likes Christmas a little too much?

* P.S. I shared this on Savvy Southern Style.

It’s The Little Things: Christmas Gnomes

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T’was the week before Christmas
And all through my home
Many creatures were stirring,
Including a gnome.

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Boxes from Amazon cluttered the house
It was any wonder I still had a spouse.
Stockings and garlands were hung… and then rehung by me
And wee little gnomes frolicked and hid in the tree.

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A large gnome would greet you when you came to the door
Others perched upon shelves, avoiding the floor.
Every gnome came from hiding to sit and to spy.
Their only intent was to try and stay dry.

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For right underneath their tiny quick feet,
A big creature watched them as if something to eat.
They sat on their deer, their carriage and bus.
Why, one even rode a dragon called, “Gus.”

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The monster would stretch out, lay down and snore.
Certainly an enticement they could not ignore.
They would wait for his heavy sighs to commence.
Then drop down on his head with a twitch and a wince.

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Christmas is here, the gnomes’ time has come
Soon they will be locked up with the candles and rum.
For now they grab whiskers and swing from fat jowls
The thing they shall miss? The strange creature’s howls.

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I lay in my nightgown, for three days, no less
I thought all was safe in my Christmas mess.
When from the next room, the sound of chewing had grown
I crawled from my bed to see what Ollie had done.

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The wee man was fine, just a tad bit wet.
There was not even a dent in his red Christmas hat.
On the back of his steed, his strange plotting began…
For the night was still young for this brave little man.

I heard his soft whisper as I tucked him in,
“Until next time, great beast. This time you may win.
Christmas will come, next year I am sure.
Meanwhile, us gnomes will just have to endure.”

Felt Gnomes

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It is no secret that I love a gnome. I can’t get enough of the happy bearded fellow. But I don’t want a bright garish house overbrimming with them. I like my gnomes small, that way I can hide them wherever I desire. They are not as in your face as a traditional collection, such as this, could be.

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I have quite a few from a wonderful seller on Etsy with a store named Moongoat. She handfelts each one of these little guys. Some women drool over jewelry on Etsy. For me, I cannot resist someone’s handfelted work. Aren’t they adorable?

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She also did these two little gnome tapestries that I placed in our green cabinet:

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I bought these felted guys (and gal) on a trip to New York. We visited my favorite spot, ABC Carpet & Home. They happened to have this strange little trio in a case. Someone had obviously been lovin’ on them hard. They were originally priced at something like $48 ea. but the kind sales associate sold them to me for $10 ea. I guess she didn’t know I have a penchant for used things. They were the prize of the trip!

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Now they have many adventures in our crazy fun home.

Do you have a collection you are passionate about? Do you also love a wee little gnome?