After dropping my sister off at the airport this morning, I stopped by Target to cheer myself up. The first item that made me smile? A silly owl sweater (featured earlier here), plus other cheeky critters like a fox. Fun! Next, I spotted jeans and cords in dozens of happy hues. Dark plum, emerald, mustard and rust orange are perfect for transitioning your wardrobe into fall. For nights out, I saw metallic gold denim, leopard print and edgy snakeskin that will look cool with a simple black top, leather jacket and boots. Since I'm on a preppy kick, I picked up a Mossimo chambray top ($17.99) that goes with literally everything, a plaid wool-esque blazer by Merona (looks super sharp for $34.99) and demure leopard print pencil skirt ($22.99).

Have you shopped at Target lately? What did you buy?

Last week, on the long ride back home from a two-week vacation in Newfoundland (we like road trips), I made a quick stop at an Atlantic Superstore in New Brunswick to check out the latest offerings from Joe Fresh. This Canadian fast-fashion brand first hit my radar about 3 or 4 years back during a different road trip to Canada (we love Canada!), and it was love at first sight. I lamented the fact that we didn't have Joe Fresh in the States (besides a few recently-opened New York City locations) but all that is about to change next spring when Joe Fresh boutiques will be popping up at JCPenney stores around the USA. Hooray!

As I scanned my post-vacation email inbox this morning (568 messages strong), I was excited to spy a note from Target alerting me to the Kirna Zabete at Target Look Book, part of the second installment of The Shops at Target coming this fall. Co-created by the Kirna Zabête boutique owners, Sarah Easley and Beth Buccini, Kirna Zabête at Target includes women's apparel and accessories that reflect the shop owners' personal styles - including handbags, scarves, hats and jewelry - with an "urban-chic" sensibility. There's a lot to look forward to in this collection, from a genuine leather moto jacket and graphic printed skirts to bright floral blouses and sparkly rhinestone jewelry. Some of the styling in this lookbook is a bit frenetic for my taste, but I can see many individual pieces that I love, like the leatherette skirt, tuxedo blazer (love it layered with that maxi dress), leopard trench and versatile long sleeve shirtdresses. With nearly 100 pieces ranging in price from $9.99 to $199.99, Kirna Zabête at Target will be available September 9, 2012 at all Target stores and Target.com.

Alright, ladies, what do you think?

{Mouse over any image for details on pricing and availability.}