mall of America

Attention lovers of trendy office supplies – you’ll be cubicle cool in no time after a visit to the Mall’s newest retailer. Gone are the days of boring No. 2 pencils and pink erasers now that Typo (Level 1, North) is in town!

This one stop desk accessory shop features bright colors, fun graphics and punchy patterns on pens, pencils, notebooks, folders and more! They also carry quirky cards, unique books and other small gifts that are perfect for that person who has everything (or that mom you haven’t bought a Mother’s Day present for yet).

To celebrate their grand opening, Typo is giving away a $100 gift card to one lucky MOA™ blog reader. How do you win? Take a peek at Typo’s website and tell us what Typo notebook design best fits your personality. To enter, you must comment on this blog post by Friday, May 18 at midnight and provide a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS. We’ll announce the winner via email and update the post to reflect that we’ve chosen a winner.

Official Rules

We spotted Carling out shopping while grabbing our afternoon coffee at Starbucks. Her style remains classic with a J. Crew button-up that will never go out of style, but she punches up her look  with a bold tribal necklace and trendy loafers.  It could just be the perfect shopping outfit if I do say so myself.

Three of our MOA™ blog gals teamed up, searching the Mall high and low, to find the best Mother’s Day gifts. Whether you’re in a pinch to grab a last minute gift or you simply just need some inspiration, here you have it:

Bottom Left: Barefoot Ride Sneakers available at Nike (Level 2, West) $100

Top Left: Kate Spade Sunglasses available at Solstice (Level 1, West) $125

Top Center: Longchamp Handbags available at Nordstrom (Level 1, North) Prices from $125

Top Right: Maria Rivolta jewelry available at Maria Rivolta (Level 1, South) Prices range from $20

Bottom Right: Jonathan Adler Earbuds + iPhone Case available at Papyrus (Level 1, West) iPhone Case $25, Earbuds $20

For another Mother’s Day gift idea, check out Bridget’s Pick of the Week

Looking for a last minute deal? Here’s a list of all Mall of America® retailer deals and offers for Mother’s Day: [MOAdeals] Mother’s Day Edition

This week’s winning look is an gorgous royal blue number designed by the fabulous Ronnie. The decorative pleated detail down the back was a phenomenal choice to add a little edge to elegance. The style is short and fitted and pieced together by woven fabric with a satin lining. Throw a blazer over the dress in the morning that you can take off in the evening and, “Viola!” the perfect work to happy hour, or day to night look!  I’m definitely going to need to try this one on! It’s available now at H&M at MOA™. 

For previous “Fashion Star” looks (some of which are still available in-store at H&M at MOA™) check out these past blog posts:

“Fashion Star” for H&M: Week 7

“Fashion Star” for H&M: Week 6

“Fashion Star” for H&M: Week 5

“Fashion Star” for H&M has winning style!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and MOA™ has some great deals and events for that special mom in your life. Stop by Lacoste, Swatch, Swarovski, Pandora Jewelry,  Kokomo’s Island Cafe, Maria Rivolta, Progressions Aveda Salon, Tommy Bahama, American Girl, Puma and Bare Escentuals by Sunday, May 13 for great Mother’s Day deals!

Lacoste

• Friends and family sale!
• 25% to 50% off on all women’s items!
• Now through Sunday, May 13
• To show our appreciation for our favorite people – especially Moms – visit Lacoste for the perfect Mother’s Day gift!
• Excludes black and white classic women’s polos.
• See store for details

Swatch

• Receive a FREE gift when you spend $100 or more.
• Valid Friday, May 4 through May 13th, 2012.
• Limit one free gift per customer while supplies last. Some exclusions apply, see store associate for details.
• Offer not valid on previous purchases and cannot be combined with any other discount or coupon.
• Promo Code: 05132012

Swarovski

• This Mother’s Day, Swarovski is offering an elegant crystallized Memoir Journal that will provide mothers with a blank canvas to record special memories and save precious photos.
• Available Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 13 for $15 with any $150 purchase.
• While supplies last, see store for details.

Pandora Jewelry 

Cherished Mother’s Day Gift Set

• Now through Sunday, May 13
• Comprised of a sterling silver Pandora clasp bracelet, two Sunburst Clips, the Mom Bead featuring 14k gold and salmon CZ, and a bead of your choice valued up to $35.
• With a value of up to $235, now only $200!
• See store for details

Or the Iconic Bracelet Gift Set

• Now through Sunday, May 13
• This gift set is comprised of a sterling silver Pandora clasp bracelet, two S Clips, and features a bead of your choice valued up to $35.
• With a value up to $160, now only $140!
• See store for details

Kokomo’s Island Cafe and Beach Bar

• Celebrate Mother’s Day at Kokomo’s!
• Special Island Cafe menu and a Mother’s Day drink especially for mom!
• An island Lei for every mom!
• Sunday, May 13. Reservations not required, but recommended.
• See store for details

Maria Rivolta

• 25% off all watches
• Now through Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 13).
• See store for details

Progressions Aveda Salons 

• Mother’s Day Weekend Beauty Celebration!
• 20 % off Aveda, GHD, Clarisonic and NuFace®
• Thursday, May 10 through Sunday, May 13
• See store for details

Tommy Bahama 

• Stop by Tommy Bahama at MOA for some great Mother’s Day gifts!
• Home Fragrance – Invite mom to create an oasis of island aromas by giving her a gift from our new Polynesian Gardenia collection!
• Pineapple Treat T-Shirt – Treat mom to the feel of everyday paradise! Made from comfy cotton, this fun tee serves up a slice of our signature island style ($58).
• See store for details

American Girl

• Mother’s Day Card Craft
• Show Mom she’s loved! Your girl can make Mother’s Day extra-special by decorating a pretty card and matching envelope, then adding a special message to Mom on the inside.
• Friday, May 11 from 1 – 3 p.m. and Sunday, May 13 at Noon – 2 p.m.
• Free and open to the public. Ages eight and up.
• See store for details

Puma

• Thanks Ma! Puma celebrates all moms!
• 40% off Women’s apparel, shoes and accessories!
• Now through Sunday, May 13
• Excludes Ferrari, golf and watches.
• See store for details.

Bare Escentuals (Level 1 & Level 2 Locations)

• The Mother of all Shopping Events!
• Come in for the perfect present for her (and maybe a little something for youself, too) including brand NEW goodies and complimentary make-unders.
• Plus, spend $75 and receive a FREE gift ($30 value).
• Thursday, May 10 & Friday, May 11 only!
• See store for details

I could not be more ecstatic about our new blog beat, “Spotted at MOA,” where we will scout for the trendiest MOA shoppers to bring their style to you. Meet our first spotted shopper, Stephanie, who is a walking billboard for the saying that “age is just a number.” At 43 (I know, I’m still questioning this myself) and a full-time mom of 3 kids, Stephanie is rocking the relaxed denim trend with a pair of Joes Jeans from Nordstrom. We love how she topped it off with a casual J. Crew button-up and crazy-cool wedges.  Stephanie is the mom that has got it going on!

Spend your shopping time out at Mall of America and you never know – we might approach you, our trendy shopper, next!

Trying to decide what your child should wear during this tricky-weather season is no easy task. With these few simple tips you’ll be on your way to having your child dressed for anything Mother Nature sends our way while looking adorable at the same time! First, layers are key. Layering your kid’s look will allow them to easily shed pieces throughout the day as the temperature is on the rise.  Next, hoods are a great way to keep natural body heat in as half of our body heat escapes from the tops of our heads.  Finally, sending your kid off with a cute bag or backpack is always a smart idea so they have a place to easily store all of the layers they may take off during the day!

Sara Rogers stopped by the Twin Cities Live studio to show us how to successfully layer our kids! Check out the video here.

In this week’s episode of NBC’s “Fashion Star” the remaining designers were challenged to step outside their comfort zone and create something they’ve never tried to make before. Unfortunately for Barabara, the panel wasn’t loving her attempt at crafting a bohemian look and she was eliminated. Fortunately for us, Ross took a risque, er, we mean risky, shot at vintage-inspired lingerie and walked away with a bid from H&M while Nzimiro won Nicole over with his show-stopping dress also landing him an exclusive spot in H&M stores. Drum roll please…!

This week’s winning looks:

Without a doubt, I’ll be the first one into H&M (Level 1, West) at Mall of America® this morning to try on Nzimiro’s purple dress (I’ll update this post with feedback). Remember, H&M at MOA™ is the only location in Minnesota where you’ll find these one of a kind pieces! Nzimiro’s dress also comes in black and you’ll find Ross’s lingerie in a satin white color with teal lace as well.

Previous episodes:

Check out the maxi dress and cropped jacket that stole the show last week: “Fashion Star” for H&M: Episode 5

For more information on “Fashion Star” for H&M, check out my premiere post: “Fashion Star” for H&M has winning style!

There’s always something new and exciting going on in the retail world at Mall of America! We’re happy to announce that Brighton has re-opened their new store on Level 2, South. Not only has the store expanded, it’s located along the South Avenue hallway that will welcome the new Radisson Blu hotel next spring!

 Check out the Radisson Blu Mall of America “Topping Off” Ceremony here!