Missoni for Target: or the story of how I got out of there alive.

If you follow me on Twitter (@Kpengell) you may have seen me tweet my excitement about the MISSONI for Target collection. The collection was set to be in stores on September 13, so I had it on my calendar with the intention to arrive at the store when it opened for a fun "before work" field trip.

Big mistake.

Apparently the majority of the women (let's be real, it was all women) in the store when I arrived had been waiting in line since 6 AM! !!! That's ridiculous, no? Many of them said they had also been stalking the website all night (before target.com crashed.)

Some of the women at the store were atrocious, hoarding carts FULL of merchandise, multiples of each design and size, and if you asked "Hey, do you really need three pairs of the size 8 flats?" They'd say "Well, what do you have to trade?" Thankfully I was able to keep my cool and not snap "Well bitch, how can I have anything to trade when you and your two friends have pretty much cleaned out every shelf?"  I really, really wanted to. I did shame a woman who was standing in line behind me when she said "I probably won't keep half of this...it's selling on Ebay for three times the price!" I was all "See, I am Irish Catholic, and we are big believers in karma, and I think doing something like that is just asking for it." She double-backed and said "You know, I've been up all night and haven't slept...you're probably right. I don't think I'm thinking straight."

Many people were calmly waiting by the designated MISSONI shelves, however people caught on that when Target team members were rolling merchandise out of the stock room, desperate shoppers were grabbing things off the cart, leaving it bare and sad by the time it reached it's actual stocking location.  It was all Lord of the Flies up in there, for realz.  When they rolled a cart full of shoes out of the stock room, about ten women LUNGED at the car, throwing elbows, pulling hair, shoving, etc. Some other women tried to take video of it, much to the disdain of the Target team members. I think Target could have benefited from some security detail, no joke.

I was able to score some pieces in the store, mostly due to kind shoppers who realized they weren't going to buy everything in their cart.  My morning haul:

The cardigan...full outfit is a bit much!

Pumps!

The turtleneck seen on Ms. Missoni herself (on the left).

I was also able to score four plastic drinking tumblers, which is good because my Liberty of London for Target cups are a little worse for wear, and a pink cardigan that I can't seem to find on the Lookbook (and ALAS, the target.com site is down AGAIN!)

You might think "Wow Kristen, nice job! Some people weren't able to get anything!" But alas. I am not done. I also purchased some things during a rare moment of the website being up, and my dear mother went to my hometown Target and got this haul (yes, the flats are there in the middle...sqqquuuueeeelllll!)

Will I keep everything? No, not a chance.  I will NOT, however, be a mean, heartless person and sell it on Ebay for five TIMES the price tag. That's just rude. I might sell on Ebay at regular price but I'm really more likely to return it to the store.

Would really like a throw blanket, but we can't always get what we want, can we?!

Magical Creatures

The prompt for September 1 was "What magical creature would you love to meet?" My mind immediately turned to the Harry Potter series and I thought about Hedwig, Harry's owl, or Dobby, the loyal house elf. If you've read the series, you know what happens to both of them...and if you haven't read the series, I understand your apprehension, as I was initially all "WTF? Sci-fi? That's weird. I'm not reading those stupid books!" but then I read the first one and COULD NOT GET ENOUGH. So good.

I always loved seeing both of them appear on the page or screen. Their loyalty, determination, and bravery always warmed my heart. Hedwig might not really be "magical", as I'm not sure what powers that pretty white owl possessed, but flying around delivering mail is pretty cool, right?

A cool magical creature to meet would be the one that could serve as a personal assistant.  That'd be cool. Maybe I'll have to write a short story and include one!

Per usual, my goal is only to blog every day...asking me to blog something interesting/insightful is just asking a lot, okay?

Holey Hell.

The start of September is a great time of reflection. I start to think about my upcoming birthday and think about what I have (or have not) accomplished since the last one. I reminisce on past birthday's and it is astonishing how little I can remember about most of them. Historically, I've never been a huge "birthday celebrater" and don't normally rally friends for a huge gathering or do anything out of the ordinary.  There have been years when I've whooped it up more than usual, but I feel like I don't automatically remember "For my 26th birthday I remember doing..." Generally I have to spend time counting back, looking at ticket stubs, etc.

When I was on my east coast vacation I met up with a high school classmate. I hadn't seen her in more years than I'd like to type, as typing them would make me truly realize how long ago it was that I graduated from high school, and I had a great time learning what she's been up to (all these years!) and gossiping about life in general.  After brunch we window-shopped and browsed along Newbury Street and for a few minutes we talked earrings. She has multiple piercings (three) in both ears, and seeing them reminded me that I never wear earrings in my second holes.  Why, I'm not sure, because I remember how excited I was to get second holes.

I got my first holes pierced when I was in kindergarten and can't conjure up a memory about the experience. Was I scared? Probably. Did I throw a fit? Not sure. Were there tears? Maybe. I'll have to consult with my mother for the details. I remember the studs from my first piercing: fake sapphires (my birthstone) in gold. I do not remember any troubles with my first holes, other than having to cover them with athletic tape before soccer games.

In high school I told my mom I was going to get second holes, very nonchalantly, and was taken aback when she firmly stated "No you are not. Not until you're 18." I obviously thought this was cruel and unusual, but since my parents were otherwise really chill about a lot of stuff (not tattoos, as we've discussed) I decided "Okay...it'll be an 18th birthday treat to myself!"

In school I was always considerably (a few months feels "considerably" when everyone has their drivers license and you have to wait six more months) younger than the other people in my grade. Because of this, I didn't turn 18 until five weeks after shipping off to college. Consequently, the only time I EVER used someone's ID was to be 18. The people on my floor were going to Uptown, an 18+ dance "bar", and I borrowed an ID so I could get in. I never used someone's ID to be 21, probably because we were masterful at sneaking me into 21+ bars until I was legal.

As my 18th birthday approached, I recall mentioning my desire to get my ears double-pierced as a birthday treat to my roommate and the women who lived in the room next to us. My roommate, a sweet woman who grew up in a town with literally only one streetlight, was supportive of my desire to accomplish my wish but said she was NOT able to accompany me for fear of passing out, because the idea of getting holes put in her ears was apparently one of the most horrible and painful things she'd ever heard. A quick look flip through her Facebook albums and it appears as though she still has not pierced her ears, but she has had four kids (!!!!)

With full support and a cheery farewell from my roommate, the neighbor gals and I headed to Franklin Park Mall in Toledo, the metropolis of Northwest Ohio. I was nervous, but personally the thought of showing pain/weakness in public is worse than the thought of actual pain, so I knew I'd come through all right. I actually can't remember what I picked out as studs. I'm sure if I were to flip through an old jewelry box I would come across a lone earring that might trigger a memory, but at the time I'm drawing a blank. I've lost touch with the two women who were with me for this memorable occasion, but I hope they know that they've made an impact on my life.

I was prompted to write all this because yesterday, on the first day of September, I wore earrings in my second holes.

Back in the Saddle!

WOW! Where has the YEAR gone, much less the summer? Yesterday was the last meteorological day of summer and Mother Nature is celebrating by making it one zillion degrees in Chicago today. Hmpf. I have books, boots, cable knit, corduroy, trench coats, and scarves on the brain. It's hard to get fall off my mind when Starbuck's has Pumpkin Spice lattes and Walgreens is pushing candy corn down my throat. Easy fella's!

Fall brings a lot of activity to my world, with the start of school (I work in higher ed, so my life is planned around quarters/semesters), football, the winding down of the baseball season, honey crisp apples (what?) and my birthday (24 days from today!)

In an effort to provide myself with a creative outlet I've signed up to blog ev'ryday with NaBloPoMo.  This months theme is "Return."  Some thoughts from the organizers:

"Returning -- or turning again -- is about reflection, about going backwards, about revisiting a spot or memory. Sometimes people think that it can be a negative thing to live too much in the past, drowning in nostalgia. But a lot can be learned by mentally returning to a moment, replaying what happened in your mind, especially if lessons are learned in the process."

I'm going to be serious this time and am going to 1) follow prompts at least 15 out of 30 days, and 2) enter to win the blogging contest. Why the hell not, right?

Writing idea.

Someone found my blog after searching "How to start a real life conversation."

What a great post that would be, right?!  I can talk to pretty much ANYONE*, so I'm sure I have expertise to share that would be helpful to someone who is shy and who struggles with making everyday conversation.





*have a real hard time talking to men I am attracted to. Perhaps someone else has written an instructional post about that.

Moving on...

If there's anything I've become good as I age, it's moving on. If one thing ends, remember it fondly, and then move the F*** ONTO SOMETHING ELSE. Life's too short for prolonged melancholy. AMIRITE?

With the news of Rilo Kiley's unfortunate end, one I knew was coming, I'm moving on to supporting other bands. Don't think I'm fickle, I'll still listen to their albums Execution of All Things, Science Vs. Romance, More Adventurous, and Under the Blacklight with regular frequency (read: almost daily) but I realized I had to identify a functioning band to be fanatical about.

Any guesses?

If you've been reading for a while, you know that my mind was BLOWN in February by Fitz & The Tantrums. With my recent (7/14) acceptance onto their Street Team, I am officially a FATT-head. (OMG, can we really call the fans that?!)

Please enjoy: Dont Gotta Work It Out (Live) by Fitz and The Tantrums

SIGH

Well, the inevitable happened.

Rilo Kiley is officially OVER.

I'm not surprised at this, as I paid careful attention to the lyrics on Jenny & Johnny's track "My Pet Snakes".  Some telling parts:

And I don't believe in sucking your way to the top
Fingers crossed, you're flipping me off
No, I don't need your supervision
I'll sink this ship if I want

And I don't believe that paradise is lost
I say this with my fingers crossed


Thankfully, they apparently are contractually required to release one more album, so there's talk of a 40-track, 2-disk set. Okay...I can handle that.


I thought Pollstar's email alert was a little callous, don't you think?

Greetings kristen_pengelly, we have just updated our listings.

Rilo Kiley Is Over

Rilo Kiley guitarist and co-founder Blake Sennett revealed in a recent interview that the indie rock band has broken up. Rilo Kiley, Johnathan Rice, The Elected, Jenny Lewis, Jason Boesel, Jenny And Johnny

Never Forget

Today my mom told me that my cousin's daughter, who will be 13 in a week, cried herself to sleep the other night. My mom said when my cousin told her, my mom of course asked "Why...what happened?!"  My cousin informed my mom "Well, some of her friends were going to the Katy Perry concert..." and the moment my mom told me that I BURSTED OUT LAUGHING. Laughter racked my body and I had to physically put my hand over my mouth in order to contain my giggles. Not because of people attending a Katy Perry concert (I love pop music) but because I knew where this story was going.

My mom asks "What? Why are you laughing?"

Me: "Oh, because I soooo know how she feels because I DISTINCTLY recall you forbidding me from attending the Blonde Ambition tour and I can remember the ferocious tantrum I threw. I recall physically throwing myself on the floor in agony." [note, this happened several months before I turned 13]

Mom: "Really? I let you go, didn't I?"

Me: "Oh you did no such thing!"

Mom: "Oh my...you won't be happy to hear what I told your cousin then..."

Me: "Did you tell her to let her go?!"

Mom: "Yes...I did...I said 'Come on...lighten up!' Oh no...do you hate me? I don't remember you throwing a tantrum..."

Me: "Of course you don't remember. To you it was just a blip on your parenting radar. To me, and at that time in my life, it was LIFE-ALTERING with enormous implications."

Several years after this "life-altering" experience, I recall seeing a video of the Blonde Ambition tour and thinking "Whoooaaaa, my parents were totally right to not let me go...I would have been so confused." I'm not sure whether or not my cousin watched YouTube videos of Katy Perry's tour or not, but I'm secretly glad I'm not the only 13 year old who was banned from going to a concert.

Prompt (again)

...give me a break, it's the weekend!

Would you rather deal with vampires or zombies?

If vampires IRL look like vampires in the Twilight movies/True Blood/Vampire Diaries, I choose vampires. Even if they really are going to suck my blood, at least I'll have a hot man embracing me in my final moments.

Prompt

Do you prefer big crowds or small groups?

While rap songs encourage you to "roll deep" i.e. - show up with a lot of people, I find large groups really difficult to manage. You'll be at one bar, getting ready to go to the next, and someone will say "Just let me finish this drink..." which is REASONABLE and UNDERSTANDABLE, but then other people will think "Oh, I can get another drink..." and then 45 minutes later you'll have to forcibly stand up and say "I'M GOING TO THE NEXT BAR." or else you'll be there for another 45 minutes.

So...yes. Small groups are a little better. Also: you look less intimidating!

You down with OCD?

I've heard great things about Fish Bar, but I'm having difficulty with the sign on their building.

WHY are the "F" and "I" next to each other?! It looks so...wrong. 


*for some reason I couldn't upload photos so I had to link. Hmpf!

Cha-cha-cha-channnggeeeeessss.

One would think with how internet savvy I am that I'd have all the latest technology gadgets. That is not the case. Up until this morning, I rocked a flip phone, with PRIDE. I am of the belief that you use something until it breaks/no longer works and try to be a conscious consumer (watch the Story of Stuff - Electronics for an overview of how destructive discarded technology products can be.)  My flip phone worked ya'll! No, I couldn't check my email on it, but that's OKAY! I don't want to be plugged in all the time!

For over a year, I've only been able to charge my phone in my car, because I left my wall charger plugged into the wall in New Orleans when I was there last year for Jazz Fest.  This was funny to me, but other people, I believe, found it quite sad.  I received non-stop harrassment about my flip phone, ranging from comments such as "Whoa...who you calling, Zack Morris?" to "Oh COME ON. That's pathetic." Judgers be damned, I love my flip phone.

In February or March, a friend of mine sent me her old smart phone when she upgraded to the Verizon iPhone. Yes...I've had a smartphone since at least March and am just TODAY getting around to activating it.  Please reference earlier posts on my procrastination problem (as well as my stinginess...I'm not thrilled about paying for a data plan!) if you are wondering why it took so long.

I'm on my way to go pick up my phone, so I'm sure I won't be able to call, text, email, or tweet for days until I figure the confounded gadget out. Send help if you haven't heard from me in 48 hours!!

Same ole, same ole.

Classes started last week and I'm already behind! I had grand plans to get AHEAD this weekend, but they were not successful. Not because I was out raging/hungover, but because I got slapped in the face with a cold/laryngitis and an accompanying sense of restlessness/discomfort/crabbiness, making it difficult for me to concentrate and throwing any sense of discipline out the window.

I did finally go to the Laundromat to wash my "summer comforter" (can't fit in my apartment's washing machine), something I'd been meaning to do for about two months (still had my down comforter on my bed...not really necessary considering I don't have central air!) I also filled a bag for Salvation Army with clothes that are no longer needed in my life, so I'm considering those accomplishments my small victories.

Themes

What's your motto?

I saw this card a long time ago and loved it's simplicity and truthfulness. Everyone you go, leave a little joy behind.

Cinema

Name one famous movie you've never seen. Why not?

I've never seen Titantic, for several reasons.

1. I don't like to cry. When I cry with intensity, it takes about two to three days for my face to recover. I'm very fair and crying makes my face puff up and makes blood vessels around my eyes break (true story.) It's not pretty, so the idea of "having a good cry" as a form of alternative therapy is foreign to me.

2. I can't sit still for a long time and that's a LONG MOVIE. Yes, I know you can pause DVDs, but I generally don't do that because it messes up the flow of the movie. If I pause a movie, I'm likely to get so into what I paused the movie for that I don't actually end up watching the movie.

3. I know what happens. Why do I need to sit there and watch two people fall in love when I know their love is doomed?

Note: I might see this movie when it's re-released in 2012. Haha, just kidding. I probably won't.