#LillyLied... Lusting for #LillyForTarget and going CROSS COUNTRY for it!

Before I moved to Florida, I had never heard of Lilly Pulitzer. I learned of her fashion legacy when I was assigned to do this report for WPTV when she passed away at the age of 81. She was a style icon, and to me, her clothing represented sunshine and happiness. As soon as I got a look at her styles, I immediately fell in love!

Since I try to keep my spending under control, I have never purchased my own "Lilly" (her iconic shift dress). My best friend Rikki generously gave me a "Lilly" for a gift last year, and I freaked out and am so grateful... but the likelihood of me ever getting my own was pretty slim.

My one and only Lilly...

Until Target announced a collaboration with Lilly Pulitzer, and I realized this was IT! A once-in-a-lifetime chance to get AFFORDABLE LILLY! I spent the weeks leading up to today's launch studying up on the Lookbook, trying to figure out what I wanted, making my list and checking it twice...

So I showed up at the Royal Palm Beach Target at 7:50 a.m. this morning. Granted, I have a friend who woke up at 3:30 a.m. so obviously I wasn't as committed as she was... but I was still shocked to see the line wrap around the building.

Then once I was inside, I quickly realized it was an #EpicFail for Target, since only the first dozen or so shoppers lucked out. They greedily grabbed EVERYTHING they could, piling their shopping carts high (byotches!). They wiped out the stock within minutes. Literally, five minutes. I know the website crashed overnight... it was just a HOT MESS.

One lady was super-rude, and was flaunting her finds in front of everyone. Then she was loud and abrasive, trying to trade the stuff she had. "I'm trying to trade, I'm ONLY trying to trade items!" is what she was shouting. Ok, we get it! You grabbed everything and left all the other customers hanging and now you're walking around still trying to work the system! Greedy guts.

So I grabbed a nail polish just to say I got something...

...then as I was checking out, I changed my mind because I realized I was too frustrated and disappointed, since I really wanted a DRESS! I will admit, though, that the woman behind me snatched it from me when I told her I didn't want it any more. That's how the shopping experience at Target truly was, so Black Friday-ish!

This is what I Instagrammed and tagged Target and Lilly Pulitzer

Very disappointed customer!

But then my brain started working in overtime... I realized I have family and friends across the country! I started working the phone and texting people, trying to be all casual with it, like, "Oh, hey, do you happen to live near a Target?" The amount of confused responses I got reminded me that the majority of people don't care so much about this particular designer brand, LOL! My Florida girls would know EXACTLY why I asked that question! ;) 

So my awesome friend Carolyn said she would swing by her Target in Virginia, and she Facetimed with me about what they had. She picked me up the Boom Boom print satin jumpsuit-- which I love, because it has pockets!

I even texted my cousin Rob in San Francisco because he actually is a manager at a Target-- but unfortunately it was his day off. I was also randomly texting my Louisiana friends, too! So if you got a text from me asking about Target, now you know why. 

When I spoke with Rikki about our disappointed experiences, she mentioned, "I feel like the only state that would not sell out would be Alaska." I said, "Hey-- I have family in Alaska!" I started texting my cousin and aunt in Alaska!!! HA! I was seriously trying hard!!! My aunt even said she'll stop by her nearest store in Wasilla tomorrow to see if anything is left... but of course I called that store and it's wiped out, too.

Ria, my friend from high school (representing the G/T clique), commented on my Facebook video of the morning shopping madness that she would be happy to go to her Arkansas Target to get me some goods. I was excited-- until I called that Target, and of course they were wiped out. She was shocked, but at that point, I was not surprised.

Then, Jeni, a Louisiana friend that used to work with me at KTVE, messaged me that she was actually at Target and looking at Lilly stuff! She was awesome, going around the entire store and sending me photos-- she finally GOT ME THIS DRESS!

THANK YOU, JENI!!! Yaaaaaaay

Believe it or not, I actually told her not to get it at first because I wasn't sure if I wanted orange. I wore a lot of orange last fall, so I wasn't exactly feeling it when I first saw the dress (although obviously I should have snatched it anyway since it was the last dress and just happened to be my size). But what made me fall in love with it is that I realized that it has GIRAFFES on it! Hello, I work at a zoo! That is absolutely perfect for me.

So although I had to work the phone cross-country to get my Lilly, I'm very happy. Having said that, I just want to have a moment of sympathy for the people who really, really, really wanted Lilly as badly as I did... *SAD*

Now you know what I had to go through to get this stuff, so if you ever see me wearing it, definitely holla. :) Thanks for reading my story!

OOTD -- FINDS: London Fog dress & Steve Madden wedges from GOODWILL!

My Outfit of the Day is a London Fog shift dress that only cost me $7 from Goodwill! The shoes are Steve Madden copper metallic wedges, also from Goodwill for $8. I know some people would be grossed out by wearing used shoes, but personally, I don't care-- especially when they're as stylish and comfy as these. #LoveWedges

The earrings are from New York and Company. I also have the matching necklace, and love how they are chunky and statement jewelry in a neutral brown/amber shade.

Mini-Haul: MLK Day sales at Sawgrass Mills, plus OOTD

Yesterday, the sun was shining and the weather was cool, so my husband and I packed up to do what was originally planned to be some "window shopping" at Sawgrass Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the United States. Little did we realize it was mega-sale time, because of the holiday weekend. We racked up for cheap!

Fashion first… love the nude wedges that make me SO TALL. I have been looking for some like these for years. They were only $25 at some shoe store that I can't recall. The jewelry is from the Old Navy outlet, and I am obsessed with the green earrings that match the necklace. Can't WAIT to wear them!

Next up, in the beauty department, it was Buy-One-Get-Two-Free at Mastercuts. I got some awesome OPI nail polishes, two of which (the gray and the purple) I will send to my sister in Germany. I knew she wouldn't care if I did my nails with them... here are the mani's so you can see the true shades:

 

The polishes left to right are Austin-tastic Turquoise, It's All San Andreas Fault, and Alcatraz… Rocks.

The purple (Alcatraz…Rocks) was glittery and fun, but I took it off my nails because they smudged. The gray (It's All San Andreas Fault) is more wearable for day-to-day to me. The two polishes are from the "Liquid Sand" line of OPI. They dry to a matte finish. Here is a How-To link for applying and removing the Liquid Sand polish. Ya gotta have a base coat, and skip the top coat-- then to remove, hold the remover there for 30-60 seconds.

The Austin-tastic Turquoise needed THREE coats for true color pay-off, so I don't know if that's worth it to me. I like to do only a couple of coats for a nice opaque shade.

Also at Mastercuts, it was Buy-One-Get-Two-Free for the pink cans of bigsexyhair. I already know that I love me some of their Root Pump Plus and Spray & Play Harder, and I can't wait to try their Powder Play! I have been using the cheap-o Walmart version of Got2b Powderful Volumizing Styling Powder, which works great. The Got2b product was recommended in my go-to favorite book, How to Look Expensive by Andrea Pomerantz Lustig (former "Glamour" magazine beauty editor).

My husband got a pair of $20 jeans at the Old Navy outlet, and a $10 shirt at Greg Norman. I think we spent less than $150 and racked up!

Last, but not least, we treated ourselves to a dinner at Rainforest Cafe, and sat right beside the animatronics elephants. Super-fun! I loved the fish tanks.

Also, because I was proud of myself for styling this all together this morning, I'm including my Outfit of the Day (OOTD):