Obsessing over Obsessive Consumption

I buy a lot of stuff. You know, the stuff that you don't need, but then you get to the endcap of an aisle and there's this amazing product that you didn't realize you needed until THAT VERY SECOND and suddenly it's in your basket and then OH GOODY there's another thing that you hadn't planned on buying and suddenly you're at the register and you just stopped in to buy butter but somehow you've spent $200? That happens to me. A lot. In fact, I think i just described every trip to Target ever (unless I'm with the boyfriend, who I think would go through there at a dead sprint if he could).

Anyway, I'm not alone in this. Kate Bingaman-Burt buys stuff too, but instead of just freaking out over it later, she draws it for a monthly magazine, Obsessive Consumption.

I first found Bingaman-Burt's work through 20x200.com. She chronicles all of her purchases for a month and then binds them into tiny 'zines that she sells on her Etsy store. For example, when she bought Girl Scout cookies (yum!), she drew this:

Then when she filled up with gas the next day, she drew this:

And so on until she gets to the end of the month (PS remember when gas was $2.36? Ah the good old days!).

I think her whole concept is really cool. It's an interesting way to look at where all our money goes, because like so many of us, a lot of hers goes to stuff.

Look around her website and tell me what you think. Oh, and if you purchase anything off her store remember this - You are not buying more stuff, you are buying art.

P.S. She's also totally kickass because she's currently living in Mississippi!

GO GO Target GO!

Hello, my name is Emily, and I am a Targetaholic. No, really, it's an issue.

For example, I'm addicted to the GO International collections.  I have stuff from the Paul and Joe collection, the Behnaz collection, and I bought a TON of pieces from the Libertine collection. However, I've not been super-impressed with the quality of the most recent collections.

So then the other day I ran into Target to get a razor (because when you gross yourself out, it's time to shave), and I ran across the latest collection. This collection was done by Target's in-house design team, so I hadn't really given it a whole lot of attention up until that point. Let me tell you this now: it may be my favorite collection so far. 

And now for show and tell about the stuff I got!

This top may not look like anything special, but let me explain why it is:

1. This picture doesn't do justice to it, but the color is a really beautiful, slightly-darker-than- royal blue.

2. Pleats along the chest are difficult for those of us with....ahh.... bountiful chests to wear. Sometimes they manage to make your boobs look like shelves that you could serve meals off of. Sometimes they make you like pregnant. This manages to do neither of the above, and also manages to conceal a bit of a tummy.

3. My favorite part - the racerback!

I truly believe that the racerback is the most underrated sexy back to a piece of clothing. It's also incredibly flattering to almost everyone - very few people think that they have fat shoulderblades.

I love, love, love this top! I've written about how much I love ombre before. This shirt also reminds me somewhat of Rodarte's S/S collection. This picture does a bad job of showing it, but there's a really beautiful sea green on the right side that then fades into a light coral/peach, and then the grey. It's just an amazingly beautiful shirt.

Seeing this collection makes me hopeful for Rogan's collection, which should hit stores May 15. Plus it's eco-friendly!

Finally, if you're as Target-obsessed as I am, know that we are not alone. Check out Slave to Target for moral support (or shopping inspiration).

I'll be back tomorrow...

In the meantime, let's all fawn over this library:



I think that this is the national library in Amsterdam, but I'm pretty sure that with the addition of a comfy chair, I might be tempted to move in.

Back to regularly scheduled fashion overload tomorrow!

My life is a sitcom

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes on meeting the boyfriend's dad. Things went well and I hope that he liked me as much as I like him.

I promise to return to our regularly scheduled blogging soon, but let me give you an idea of what my day went like:

I got sick, then

My brother's cat kicked my ass (I'm covered in scratches and puncture wounds), then

On my drive home, my brakes (which have been acting shitty for a while) made it clear that they must be repaired tomorrow or else (and no, I didn't hit a tree, thank goodness). So THEN

There's a fifty foot tree down in my backyard. And it's taken out two hunks of my fence.

So basically I have a few minor crises to deal with before I can tell y'all about my recent beauty purchases and such. I promise good stuff when I return though!

Art and News

When I turned 21 (once up a time...) my mother gave me this painting as my birthday present. I had seen this painting (River Reeds by Dale Chihuly) many many years ago, and so I knew when I picked this piece as my gift, it would be a gift that I would enjoy for many many years.

It's hanging by my couch in my den now. As I was thinking about what I wanted to write about today, I looked over at the piece and was struck by how on-trend it was. I've written about how art-inspired fashion was very popular this season, and while I can identify many designers who were directly inspired by Piet Mondrian and Richard Prince definitely influenced Marc Jacob's Louis Vuitton collection, I think this print would also be a great inspiration for a designer who isn't afraid of color. Marc, could this be for you?

Now for some news from me: I will be spending the rest of the week meeting the boyfriend's dad for the first time. I'm really nervous but also really excited. Unfortunately, this means that I will be taking a temporary break from the blog. I have been thrilled by the feedback that I've gotten from y'all and I hope that you will continue to leave me sites and notes while I'm gone. I will be checking in when I can. I should be back early to mid-week next week, so I hope that you'll at least come back then!