NINETY-NINE/ farewell to target canada

If you live in Canada, I'm sure you've already heard the news. If you haven't, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. Please don't shoot the messenger.

Yesterday and today have been rough for me and I'm still coming to terms with the news. I feel as though someone is playing a sick joke on me. I try to hide from it, but it is plastered just about everywhere. Less than two years after Target opened up shop in Canada, they announced that they are making a departure and that they are going to close all of their 133 stores in the Great White North, leaving about 17,600 Canadians out of work.

SEVENTY-NINE/ spring target haul

I went a bit nuts today in Target, I'm still not really used to having that store easily accessible so when I happen to go in I buy a ton. Many Americans are probably going to laugh at me when they read this post, but I really don't care. It is still such a novelty for me and when I enter the doors it is as if I'm transported to the United States. (I would always make a point to pop in while cross border shopping)

FIFTY-FOUR/ 3.1 phillip lim x target

If you know anything about Ottawa, or Canada in general really, you'd know that we're usually the last to get anything associated with fashion. So when I heard that a few Target stores were opening up this week, my mind didn't even go to the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection that was released on Sunday. I thought there would be absolutely no way we would get it, I was sad about it, then I got over it. Nevertheless I was still excited for Target to open up shop here. As someone who frequently goes across the border, I make that one of my have to shop stores. The prices are just so fantastic, the items are almost always on trend and the quality of their items is usually great for the price point... anyway, on with the story.

My boss / my personal hero when it comes to shopping, Mona, texted me yesterday about the collection. We were both swooning over it and we were a bit devastated when we thought Ottawa wasn't getting it. There had been no ads or anything saying that we were to get the collection and it was very under hyped here. A few minutes later I received some information from Tinfoil Tiaras that blew my mind. She went on a bloggers walk-through of the new Target store in Billings Bridge before it had opened and confirmed that yes indeed, we were to get the line.

Mona and I set course for Target early the next morning; we had to be there by open to get our hands on the majority of the line and to ensure that we went home with at least one of the handbags. Although we got there right at open, all of the handbags were gone and I was devastated. We were on the hunt for more and thankfully they brought out a few more boxes of them. I was over the moon happy. I didn't pick up the any of the clothing because I didn't have time to try any of it on and I was unsure of how the pieces would fit on me, but Mona bought a lot of the items available and she texted me later that day saying the fit, quality and materials were amazing. And this is coming from someone who lives and breathes designer brands and qualities.

I'm really happy with my choices. Picking up two of the mini structured bags may seem ridiculous to some but the grey and yellow colours are phenomenal and the size is just perfect. The quality of the handbags is mind blowing, especially considering that they were only $34.99 each, not to mention the fact that they're polyurethane. I picked up the leopard scarf as well because I did want a few pieces with that pattern on that I was unable to try on and buy, so I figured the scarf was a good compromise. I'm more of an accessory fan, anyway. I can't wait to see what else Target has in store for us in Ottawa.

* All pictures were taken by me, except for the Instagram collage - that is courtesy of Mona EL Rafie.