Dominique Cohen at Target

Just as we're all doing back-to-school shopping for the kids and hauling the 10-pound September Vogue off the doorstep (sorry about the hernia, Mr. Mailman!) comes the news that jewelry designer Dominique Cohen has produced a new line for Target.

Now, piled on in careless profusion, as in the picture on their website, it's all a bit much.

However, individual pieces could be a lot of fun. Especially since it looks like this fall, at long last, black is finally the new black.

This necklace could work with just about anything.

The cameo is a bit tricker to work with, but as long as you don't look like you're taking it seriously, it could punch up a lot of casual clothes. Or black and white outfits. Or OK, a Lucy dress you thrifted.

I saved the best for last. LOVE the combination of crystal with black.

Pink and Green Libertines

Here's a first peek at the new line Libertine is producing for Target. It will hit the stores in July.

I don't know about you, but I'm not crazy about argyle. It has such a broadening effect, don't you know. Also ... skulls? On my chest? To provide conclusive evidence that my hooters actually are as big as my head?

I don't think so.

But some of the pieces look cute, and you young, lithe girls might like them.

More pictures here. Scroll down--there's a cute LBD; an adorable black tiered skirt ... the collection is worth a look. Just say no to the argyle skulls, OK?

The knock off of a knock off, and other adventures

Hello, internet!

OK, yeah, I signed on to the compact, where I agree not to buy anything for a year. And I have managed pretty well, for a recovering shopoholic. Which leaves me with not much to blog about over here. Hence my lack of posts.

But then my purse was stolen. Containing everything important in my life, except, thank goodness, my cell phone and filofax. So the good news is if you were already a friend of mine and I had your number, I can still call you.

The bad news is that I am now missing the following: a big black tote bag, a combination checkbook/wallet, my prescription sunglasses, various credit cards, cash, my driver's license, and my passport, which I stupidly had with me.

So while my first order of business was to notify banks, credit agencies, and the government about my loss, my second order of business was to stop living with a phantom limb--that bag that I kept reaching for--which wasn't there.

Now the original bag was this:
a $25 dollar cheapie from Target. Except in black. It was a knock-off of a Marc Jacobs design. I liked the outside pockets for my keys and cell phone, and was big enough to carry music folders or hold my laptop. It also zipped shut, so I could stow it under the seat in front of me when I was on an airplane without worrying that my wallet or a crucially important lipstick would fall out and roll away.

The replacement, ironically enough, is this:


a real Marc by Marc Jacobs bag from Neiman Marcus.

Now, why would someone who was cheap enough to buy the fake bag pop for the real thing? Because inexpensive trend-driven stores like Target aren't selling black bags right now. They're selling summery stuff. But I want my black bag back, and I want it right now.

Also, if I buy another cheap bag, I'm letting the thieves win.

So I got the original instead of the faux.