All I Want for Christmas is at Target + Neiman Marcus

Robert Rodriguez

When I received the Target newsletter in my email with the subject line “Take A Peek: the Neiman Marcus + Target Collection” – I instantly felt warm all over. I took a peek. I started my Christmas wish list.

I’m the person who has all my gift shopping done by the end of November so I don’t have to be a part of the chaos in the stores the closer it gets to the end of the year; however, none of these items go on sale until the first of December, plus it’s a limited edition collection with limited quantities. Even though items can be purchased at both Target and Neiman Marcus stores and online at each outlet’s website, doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to get what I want.

Thom Browne

I remember the frenzy from the launch of Missoni in 2011 crashing Target’s website and throngs of people ransacking the stores buying anything and everything they could get their hands on. Thankfully, to ensure the madness doesn’t happen again Target and Neiman Marcus has put a limit on the number of the same item a person can purchase per transaction at five.

Oscar de la Renta

This collaboration is also for a good cause. Target and Neiman Marcus will donate $1 million to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), an invitation only nonprofit trade association with 400 members who are leaders in the industry for jewelry, accessory, menswear and womanswear in the U.S.

Prabal Gurung

Designers for this launch include: Alice + Olivia, Altuzarra, Band of Outsiders, Brian Atwood, Carolina Herrera, Marchesa, Oscar de la Renta, Philip Crangi, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Derek Lam Diane von Furstenberg, Eddie Borgo, Jason Wu, Judith Leiber, Lela Rose, Marc Jacobs, rag & bone, Robert Rodriguez, Rodarte, Skaist-Taylor, Thom Browne, Tory Burch, and Tracy Reese.

Tracy Reese

Jason Wu

 

Next on my shopping list, the Neiman Marcus Annual Christmas book…

Related articles

• Target Teams Up With Neiman Marcus For the Biggest CFDA Collaboration Ever (fabsugar.com)
• First Look! Check Out the Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection (fabsugar.com)
• Carbon Fiber Sleigh: Neiman Marcus Edition 2013 McLaren 12C Spider Graces Annual Christmas Book (wot.motortrend.com)

 

Saving for the Future

The 552 students at Walter Bracken Elementary School have no idea how lucky they are to be able to participate in the “The Piggy Bank,” a new program from the United Way of Southern Nevada teaching them how to save money while learning how a bank operates. When I was in sixth grade my parents opened a bank account for me and my siblings at Silver State Schools Credit Union (I still have my savings account) and I remember feeling very grown up at the time. Unfortunately, that’s where it ended. With my parents, and they did the best they could with teaching us the importance of financial freedom. If only this program was around when I was younger I might have had a better grasp of money management as I got older (luckily for me, my boyfriend has a degree in finance and he is a stickler at holding me accountable for my spending ~ thanks babe. I’m almost debt free!)

Volunteers from United Way’s Young Philanthropists Society, the elementary school, Anderson Foundation, Junior Achievement, and my childhood bank came together to build a student bank at the school allowing them the opportunity to get the full experience. Every Friday for one hour they go to the bank and interact with volunteers serving as bank tellers, get deposit slips and bank statements and see savings reminder decals on the walls, in addition to attending educational money management sessions and having a TV showing each classrooms account balance. The payoff outside of the priceless education is an actual account opened by the United Way on behalf of the school with deposits made for the students by the Young Philanthropists Society volunteers.

This program is necessary and should be in every school.

Thank you for reading

Adrienne xo

Three Never Looked So Good

Our little princess Brielle turned three on Monday, September 24 and this past Sunday we threw a baby bash for her with lots family and friends at Child’s Play Las Vegas. And since she doesn’t understand dates or time yet, we went with it; which leads me to how amazing something as simple as having a birthday party for a toddler can turn into a major event from finding the perfect birthday outfit (for her) to making sure the cake and decorations fall in line with the princess theme – a theme Brielle unknowingly chose since she started calling herself a princess two months ago – and with that the hunt was on.

Luckily for me, it was a no-brainer to call Pamela at The Cupcakery to make a special princess cake for my great-niece because I knew it was going to look and taste amazing, and once I made the call it was one less task to stress about. All I had to do was add some candles. The most difficult part was finding a black princess doll and next to impossible to find one with long black hair. Unfortunately and thankfully, there is one black Disney princess – Tiana from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog but her hair is in a bun.

Nonetheless, she was the only black doll with a sweet demeanor and right for a child. I have no idea what has happened to the Barbie brand, but their dolls are too mature and that is putting it nicely. Needless to say, Brielle freaked out (for lack of a better term) once she saw her birthday cake. She screamed and kept trying to hug it. Her dad (my nephew Alex) had to put it high on a shelf next to cake pops made by her YaYa (my sister her grandmother) until she was preoccupied with guests arriving.

Child’s Play is a toddler’s dream with large Backyard Adventures™ jungle gyms atop tumbling mats next to a real mini  basketball court with one hoop. The facility is membership-based and offers classes like karate, dance, yoga, gymnastics and cheer accompanied by an in-house photography studio. It’s has three distinct areas depending on the child’s age along with an interactive video wall where kids can play a virtual basketball and other games. They also allow full rental of the space for private birthday parties which we opted to do not being members.

Thalia, Brielle’s mom

After an hour of playing it was time to eat, sing happy birthday and open presents. By that time we had been out of time so we purchased an extra hour to let the kids play a bit more and stuff themselves with candy. I think Brielle ate all the cake pops and we didn’t care because she was going home with her mother!

It was now 8 p.m. and I (along with every adult) was ready to go so we loaded up the presents kicked everyone out, paid the bill and had one of the best days we can remember.

 Happy Birthday Princess xo

Love Auntie Adrienne

Every Princess needs a wand

Enough with singing Happy Birthday to me. I am overwhelmed.

Stop singing Happy Birthday to me. You are all freaking me out!

Disney princess dresses and princess slippers a.k.a. “click clack” because they click when she walks in them …click, clack, click, clack, etc.

Daddy and his girl xo

my nephew Dorian a.k.a. “D,” sister Carri a.k.a. “YaYa,” niece Sierra a.k.a “CC,” nephew Mario a.k.a. “MoMo”, and my mini me Jassie a.k.a “Honey” – It’s so cute to hear Brielle call them by the nicknames she gave them.

Every girl needs a bag full of shoes. Thank you Nanny.

Ceciley, Keannice, Sierra and Candace

Brielle’s little half-sister Ms. Tia

Brielle’s grandfather, Thalia’s dad

Brielle playing with her aunt

Smiling BEFORE we sang Happy Birthday.

She loves fur just like her Nanny (those are faux)

Another tutu for the princess